content the same shal be my chiefest felicitie Soueraigne Princesse replyed the Prince so greatly were you wronged by being here detained that what I did ought not to be esteemed any thing for your constancie deserued far more I want abilitie most excellent Knight aunswered she to expresse my thankfulnes more then to remaine perpetually at your commaunde onely nowe I must intreate you that since you haue restored vnto my handes the thinge that I most hoped for in this world that you woulde helpe me to cure his woundes for though we haue been inchanted yet they séeme now as fresh as when they were made by that most barbarous Knight In hast they went al vnto him and taking of his armour with the ayre that breathed in his face he returned from the trance he fell in betwéen his Ladies armes when she thought it was his lastly gaspe he opened his eyes and seing himselfe in hir hands he once did hate and nowe excessiuely did loue with great faintnesse sayde May it be deare Ladie that the power of a constant loue hath so rooted it selfe within your brest that not respecting my sauagenesse my more then barbarous sauadgnesse cōmitted against your loyaltie you should still loue mee you should now pittie me you should feele my déepe wounds in your soule hauing made them so great in yours with my life Ingratitude hath been myne worthy of your disgrace deseruing to haue left comfortlesse the most rebellious body that ere the earth did foster leaue we this answered the amorous Ladie my most dearest Lorde for seeing I was borne onely to loue by doing so I discharged my dutie together with what my loue-afflicted soule instructed mee to It neuer grieued me to be vnloued but it onely tormented mee as in reason it should that the first time so famous a Prince should shrinke from his worde it should bee from me This and nothing but this hath made mee wander through the world as it best can witnes so greatlye to my fames cost and honours blemish but since it hath pleased the heauens to pittie my paines mollifying your flint obdurate heart in recompence to see my selfe beloued of my deare Zoylo I accompt my discontent my greatest content yf I any did passe And now le ts giue order for your woūds cure for yet you are more bound then you are aware of depart they would vnto the next village when through the Forrest they spyed a damsell comming towards them more swifter then the raging winde and arriuing sayde Away braue sirs for the Tartars life hath been reserued by the Author thereof onely for my comming And so going to hym she drewe forth a glasse with a most Odoriferous licour whose fragrant smell comforted all the circumstants the which she set vnto his mouth Oh deuine thing for scarce she had set it and hee tasted what it contained when hee remained whole of his wounds though weake through the much blod he had lost his due thanks would hee render for that great good déede but she was vanished vn-seene of any To this famous Knight sayde Tigliaffa must you giue them for t is he that his mightie arme hath fréede both you and me from whence the world else had not béen able to do deliuering vs from the cruell torment wee both iniustly suffered for these wounds for all they séemed so freshly to bléede you receaued them aboue 6. yeares agoe in presence of the vnhappie Tigliaffa that seing it receaued them no lesse Thereupon did the beloued Prince remember that about the armes of of Bramarante a Knight had giuen him them He turned to the gallant Rosabell that excéedinly ioyed to sée him well casting his armes about his necke seing him so young said Oh most mighty Knight is it possible that from your hands hath proceeded such a benefit there is no recompence can equall my receaued fauor I will not binde my selfe for it though eternally I will acknowledge my debt because I feare that being of such waight my short life will not suffer me in part to shew my gratitude but oh God what greater comfort maye I now enioy then to beholde betwene my armes him that so much resembles Rosicler the Prince of Grecia my greatest friend and if in any thing he touches you sir Knight I intreate you by the thing you must loue hope to enioy in this world you would not denie it me for if you are Sonne vnto my Lady the Princesse Oliuia much did the king Sacridoro in her rape yet cost it mee no lesse woundes and had I lost my life it had been pleasing so hee obtayned her his desired pryze to his valour onely due Excellent Prince replyed Rosabell your valour was suffitient without your merits on the Gréeke Princes behalfe deserued to binde all the worlde to your seruice In the rest touching himselfe I knowe no more then that to this Prince of Antioch sonne vnto that King you named and to mee there hath happened so manye thinges since my Fortune caused vs to meete in me to knitte a league of inuiolable friendship besides what before befell mee euen afore that Greeke Lord that we dare presume to saye I am sonne to those so much behoulding vnto you and with like deceipte was prince Rosicler by a strange aduenture parted from me in Lacedemon More then this I assure you I knowe not This is ynough most excellent Princes aunswered the Tartare and for me the greatest comfort that nowe Fortune could giue mee to set mee with the Sonne of those in whose amitie I esteeme my greatest felicitie Anewe they imbraced each other for greater friendes the earth neuer knewe Exceeding glad was the gallant Ladie to see her selfe in companie of such hawghtie knights but more to be beloued of him that once liued by hating her So well did the two friendes handle this matter that they altogether assured the Iealous Lady of her hopes procuring the Tartare to espowse her seing her fayth dyd meryt more then that The gracious Zoylo dyd not refuse it but rather expressed it was the greatest good hee might receaue There the braunches towring trees would bend to make them arbours to spende the nights in pleasure till they arriued at Constantinople Many times would the two louers willingly loose themselues among the thickets where they might inioy what the cursed Selagio pretended with his artes to auoyde and it was no small benefite vnto them for the Lady remained with child of a Sonne that in armes was called Mars a daughter that in beautie excelled all those of her age for whose loue one of the Gréeke Princes doted till the death as the fourth part recordeth where a while wee must leaue them returning to Constantinople for alreadye were the Triumphes begun with farre greater solemnitie CHAP. XIIII How the Tryumphes were againe begun and what admirable battailes happened in them WIth such verie gret affectiō hath the wise Lirgandeo faire Ladies shewed him in the discription of the Tartarian
about to rent it without seing the contents but considering it was no salue for the euill done she opened it whose effect was thus Claridianos Letter to Archisilora TO the Soueraigne Archisilora excellent Queene of Lyra Claridiano of Grecia health A thousand meanes most hawghtie Queene haue I sought by some one to make known part of my cares but seing with what certaintie hourely swanlike I singe the approching cōming of my death and that the malady which mine eyes expresse wold not assure thee thou onely art the cause of my danger I resolued to imboulden my selfe to my harts deare coste to this whose imagination she thought it must come to those mighty and all-wondring hāds my soule feares to haue thus presumed to speak for the harts it trembles with doubt of remedie not obtayning it in lyfe which admitting no mittigation of griefe will bee short I intreate you not deuine Ladye to loue mee this merits not so meane deserts I onely craue if a remorcelesse cruelty is not altogether possest of that rarest beauty you wil be pleased to admit me as a knight attēdāt on your seruice suffering my lāguishment I require no pardon for louing thee since thou by woūding the body gauest the soule leaue to idolatrize the Instrument but if thou wilt altogether seeme displeased in kindled wrath my selfe will bee the executioner of the punishment I merit killing that life the heauens gaue me to adore thee vntill death the which is sure in me shutting the gates of pittie clemēcie wherto thou art bound As manye teares as the distressed Greeke hadde shedde wryting of the Letter didde the Ladye poure downe when shee read it for shee extreamely loued him but her libertie so rested her and imagining it diminisht her Fame not shewing her selfe grieued she so not onely determined it but also to write it lest her silence might giue him occasion to thinke the glory of his high thoughts was allowed Shee writ her answere not without manye teares and taking it with her put it twixt her brests a place where Phoebus wisht to rest so without any shew of alteration she went vnto the hall for one of her Damozels had told her how an aduēturre was come to the Pallaice which in deede was so For when they were all in pleasing conuersation one with another there entred a Dwarfe thorowe the hall so little that hee was scarce seene because hee brought a shielde bigger then himselfe and the richest in the world he went directly to Don Eleno and kissing his hands hee gaue him a letter from Nabato with his commendations bydding him straight read that Letter for it behooued him to depart with some alteration the Dacian tooke it and read it thus Nabatos Letter to Don Eleno of Dacia TO the excellent Prince of Dacia Nabato his faythfull friend and in the Magicke artes most skilfull health As all my studie is directed for thy content I haue founde that it behooues thee for the reasons I shall giue presently to depart from that Court least thy delay be the cause of the deare Lyons death It must bee onely with thy Page and that my seruaunt that shall guyde thee leauing thy be trothed Loue in pallaice where shee shal be well intreated vntill the heauens shal otherwise appoint The like must the King of Argentaria doe with the Kings of Antioche France and Hungarie and the valiant Persian for after so great pleasures and on the necke of such Tryumphes no maruell if there happens the most cruellest warre that euer mortalls heard off for the enuious Basiliske with all his skill doth procure it The Gods preserue and protect thee as thy faith deserueth This Letter amazed euery one for Don Eleno tould thē who he was and seing with what spéed he was commaunded away he went to his chamber where his Ladie helpt him on with his rich armour with many millions of sighes bewayling her Loues departure she tould him softly shee was with Childe which newes nothing discontented the Dacian but rather said it therefore befitted her to stay in his Vncles Court. They brought him his swift Tirio and the Dwarfe gaue him his shield bidding him take none other he would suffer none to goe with him out of the Citie he intreated the Emperour to eare for his Rosamond who esteamed her as his daughter for the great loue hee bare to the Dacian Arryuing at the sea he found his inchanted Barke whereinto he leapt which with his accustomed velocitie began to rent the waues where we must leaue him to shew what happened in Constantinople CHAP. XVIII Howe one night the Greeke Prince diguised absented himselfe from the Court and what else happened WIth great care sweete Mistres of beauty leaft wee the faire Queene of Lyra to deliuer her angry Letter to him shee most loues Presently shall she bewaile with eternall teares and yet shall it bee no comfort to her the rash resolution she had to write so seuerely being assured with what faith she was beloued Shee mist not occasion for the carefull Palisandro quickly crost the hall shee called him saying Good Squire I beléeue you erred in deliuering your letter for it was written to some other Lady So I bring it you againe that she may not loose what from the same doth procéede he well perceaued the drift and therefore answered Why then most excellent Quéene I haue committed the greatest fault in the world publishing the secrets of my Lord the Prince There is no such fault for though I knowe his loues I will keepe them secret and as for the rest neither thou nor hee hast lost any thinge with me for t is verye common in his youth to ymploy it in some Ladies seruice She would staye no longer because of them that too and fro did passe which pleased the Page thinking hee carried good newes vnto his Lord hee found him in his Chamber for he went not from him and sayd That you may know with what affection your matters are handled reade this Letter written with your Ladies hande hee tooke it and whyle he ouerpast the feare of reading a thing so doubtfull with attention heard all that happened betwene the two Ladies at length he rent open the seales and a Thousand times kissing the firme the contents were these Archisiloras Letter to Claridiano ARchisilora of Lyra to the Prince Claridiano health If the anger griefe I did receaue with thy Letter bold Prince I shoulde expresse in this I shoulde rather want paper for it then reason to complayne mee of thy presumption behauing thy selfe not as a Knight but as one that liues by insinuating deluding those Ladies that altogether thinke not of thee With my owne hāds I wil not procure my reuēg for that were to worke thy content but I aduise thee to do so again thou do not so much as imagine it for that bee the cause to driue me to my kingdome only to depart frō the Knight that hath
was before his deare Quéene of Lyra he replyed Much am I behoulding to my griefe most excellent Princesse since it is the cause that causeth me to acknowledge an eternall duety to your high seruice for this kinde remembrance the which being immerited by a Knight so vnfortunate as my selfe stopps me from binding my selfe any more then that I heretofore do owe nor can I beléeue there shold be strength to aduance mee in any thinge more then I haue promised Neuerthelesse of my life maye your beauteous selfe dispose which to lose wil be a happines perpetual procuring yours thereby to your content the which to mee would be excéeding to knowe what waye you found hither to bring you No other hath it béen replyed she but the desire I was to sée you at libertie ioyned with the griefe I cōceaued imagining howe greatly yours would be with my Fathers offerred wronges For this daye walking to take the ayre into my Garden with this my Damosell amonge certaine bushes wee founde a Caue that hitherto arriues I lost all feare with the will I had to haue you from hence that I past the same till wee mette with this dore deferring our comming against this time and we heard you so bitterly complaine that I knowe not what to saye of the Quéene of Lyra whether she be in fault or the Prince of Grecia It ioyes mee to sée you so well bestowed though to ill repayd Stormes are they to the Laberithian Seas of Louers incident still pretending a more happy calme If therefore in the meane time that your content is absent you will receaue it by hearing to whom these wrongs are done we will tell it Greatly disconted rested the Prince hearing that the Ladye knewe him but hee dissembled it replying Well doe you expresse the greatnes of your Nobilitie moste gracious Princesse hauing procured lyfe to him that incertaine hadde it your owne affaires haue you therein done for it shall not lesse be employed then in your seruice though to deserue so great an aduenture as you this day haue discouered a higher person should haue béen knowen to celebrate with her due honour that it merits Touching the rest highlye shall I rest satisfied in reuealing my name and estate to none the which I haue tould onelye to my friende the Prince Pollidolpho of Croatia which is hee that is in prison and yet that were pleasant hadde hee but promise of some remedy not of libertie but of comfort patiently to beare the bondes wherein your perfections haue inthrald him More liuelyer colours then the blushing Rose possest in her chiefe pride be-paynted the deuine heauen of the beauteous Lady hearing what the Prince had sayde shee would not displease him through want of hope and therefore thus replyed I would not haue had you despayring Knight that with such despaire and to my cost tell me the ametie twixt you and that Prince But because you shall not saye that in Esclauonia there raigneth crueltie equall to that in Greece let vs order your libertie for after it shall not want for your friende for I will neither nowe nor at anye time gaine-saie what you shall appoint mee because a Knight of your valour and qualitie will not procure but what may most glorifie my honour The ioyfullest in the worlde would the Prince kisse her hands accompting Pollidolpho the happyest in the vniuerse hauing with so fewe soules tormentes and heart oppressing passions of a despayring Melancholie loue obtayned the most rarest Iewell on the earth the purest fayrest and most immaculte You sée valyant Prince fayde the Ladies what the Kinge my Father hath ordayned and the danger that your lyfe incurres yf for all the weakenes and debilitie you now are in you will vndertake the battle to morrow at this time I will prouide you with the best armour that my Fathers whole Kingdome doth containe neuer of any séene and the rest I refer to your discretion and that you may not be mist I had imagined that Fausta my damozell should remayne in bed in your stéede for in more then this doth shee desire to pleasure you and we will giue forth that you lye at the point of death because the King my Father may not send for you neyther for the challenge nor to sée the battaile Now consider whether this counsell likes you if not we will seeke some other better There is none deare Princesse answered the Prince farr more estéeming her for her wit discretion why then sayd she take rest and courage for to morrowe we will be with you and commaunde your Squire to publish what I said of your infirmitie for I haue vnderstood that by your valour you haue obtayned manye friendes in Court that will helpe you with the vtmost of their powers and I will procure that your friend shall commit his title right of the battaile to your good fortune And thereupon she imbrast him which Ioue had thought a happier lyfe had it béene done to him then to bee God of Gods and returned with her belooued Fausta to her Chamber where they past the night with repetition of Knights qualities and courtesies The next daye Palizandro published with manye teares though fayned the great infirmitie of hys Maister the despairing Knight and how he would not be spoken to by any by reason he was on the exteamest moment of his life Some there were that greatly bewailed his supposed end Others blinded with a fawning flattery at euery slight occasion to shew it séemed then to insinuate with the Kinge by ioyning with his vniust acte cause of the others ruine But the Heroyke Prince reserued to accomplish more difficult attēps reioyced at their follies when hee knewe what credit was giuē to his counterfeiting squire neuer suffitiently praysing the excellent perfections of the Princesse Venus iudging the Fate to none other but to her selfe due Who with the greatest care possible past the day imagining in what imminent perrill she had put the Prince though the confidence she reposed in his valour made her more assured then the cause required When they sawe tyme the twoo Ladyes by little and little conuayed the armour into the Garden that the Prince might there arme him and also his swoord which she had demaunded of her Vncle onely that she desired to behould the brightnesse that being drawen it yéelded he gaue it her not thinking on the good hee did for had it béene with any other he could not but hardly escape in the battaile They ascended to the toppe of the tower where the lustie youth expected them in his apparell and so strong that in all his life he knew not when better he felt himselfe so great was his desire he had to be reuenged on those Traitors The Ladie embraced him with these words Sir Knight I so feared yeaster-days combate because I was armour-lesse that I durst not come vnto the second wtout them though in your presence mine will but little preuaile Wherefore I will
off with the pleasant crie that stopped the Dacian lords reply of a kenell of wel-mouthed hounds whose noise ecchoing through the wood gaue him warning of some hunting sport whose game should already be on foote As he was thus harkening he sawe comming towards him with impetous fury a mighty white Hart with the whole troope of his pursuing enemies at his heeles who wearie and faint with chase came to refresh him in that brooke This course highly pleasing the Prince hauing bene in his youth brought vp with such exersise snatched his launce and as the Hart passed by threwe it at him and pierced his bodie side through side and yet not brake his speare and as a cunning huntsman he harted the hounds vpon their praie expecting for the hunters comming But from these dumps he was quickly put with the sudden viewe of a most beauteous Ladie that mounted on a gallant courser galloped after the Hart her habit was of greene cut vpon white imbrodered with so many Pearles stones that it dazled the beholders eyes when the bright beames of Apollos face reuerberated thereon her amber haire in golden tramels hung about her shoulders and on her head she wore a corronet of Roses that defended her against the offending heat of Phaebus rayes And as she came in hast her dangling tresses wauered in the ayre that he assured him selfe that this was Cupids warre seing his ensigne of her haire borne by such beautie and defended with a Boar-speare which she carried in her hand who in this manner approched our Dacian Knight that with this first and sole sight became the little blind triumphing gods sighes-tributary subiect and by immagination lost the pleasure of his former libertie by gazing on so gallant a Ladie that he acknowledged himselfe Loues captiue thrall vowing in his hart such firmenesse that his thoughts drouned in conceipts strucke him with such a fearefull hope that he almost lost his breathing senses whereby the vnextinguishing flames of true loues fire so penetrated his free hart that none but death could be the Phisicke to cure so deepe a wound The engyne of his speach so ceast his motiō that in steed therof he wisht all his moouing powers were then transformed to so many piercing instruments of sight throughly to viewe her rarities and yet did he thinke them insufficient to note all her perfections because something would still remaine vnseen Gladly would he haue changed his present state for hundred eied Argos fortunes though he should pay as dearly for his watching if hee mought at his contented leysure suruay all the excellencies that glorious Nature in her prodigalitie had bestowed on her For in his pensiue cogitations he iudged this was shee the iust heauens had ordained to predominate his heart his life soule and will to whom he should acknowledge all soueraignetie ouer his due obeysance alreadie esteeming his nauigable toiles well imployed since they brought him to so rich a land to anchorage his wearie minde within the harbour of so braue a Road. To be short the haughtie inuincible courage of his free thoughts were so amazed with this admirable gallantnesse that it could by no meanes resist so strong incounter but without farther combate for Fortitude is too weake to withstand the dartes of beautie presently yeelded her his soule as a trophie of her victorie and yet rested sorrowfull he had no richer pryzes to glorifie her triumphs because her merits deserued a greater conquest So much amazed rested this valiant Dacian as if altogither he were conuerted to the Ladie on whome his gazing eyes were fixed so greatly that being nigh her he could neither moue the organs of his voice nor ought else but by signes signifie his awfull dutie at her commaund being all in all hers With no lesse admiration did the valiant Ladie with her eyes coate his wonders because her troubled thoughts told her that from her infancie shee had neuer seene a more brauer Knight And as Ladies comonly in such accidēts of amorous traunces haue a freer power of their speech so shee perceiuing the suddeine alteration of his colour-changing countenance faining some displeasure that in like cases followeth all Ladies of her beautie and valour shee awaked him with these words I know not Knight what moued you so rashly to kill this Hart bereauing me of the pleasure that awayted my comming and he expected by receiuing his death at my hands whereof your presumption by doing it hath dispossest vs both of Don Eleno drawing strength from his vanquisht soule replyed My poore hart most excellent Lady doth alreadie suffer his deserued penaunce for so sinning against your content Yet do I hope this offence confessing the fault shal be absolued of your displeasure hauing been through a wel-meaning ignorance committed For supposing none would except against mee or take displeasure at it incitated me thereto But good hath bene his exchange for in steede of the death he receiued being ordained therto with no lesse a wound haue your deuine excellēcies pierced my soule bycause the impartiall fates I feare will sooner cut my thréed of life then you will daygne the cure to salue the wound wounded by your selfe Farre more haue you now aggrauated my discontent answered the Lady receauing greater displeasure at your bolde wordes then did the poore Hart with death by your Launce Answere would the amorous Dacian but that he saw a Knight well armed and mounted on a mighty horse issue from among the trees who hauing ouer heard part of Don Elenos speech cryed out vnto him Knight more bold then valiant take vp thy weapons for so great a presumption may not passe vnpunished The valiant Dacian was so captiuated with the beautie of that Ladie that his deepe affection seeing that Knight in so gallant armour and so brauely Horst made him thinke he was his Loues competitor Whereat a sudden thought of Ielousie rapt at his breast that without any word taking vp his shield he laced on his healme and with more speede then the Hart came thether he drew his Launce out of his dead body leaping therewith into his Tyrios saddle in his hand brandishing the speare he turned to his aduersary with these words Discourteous Knight coragious in nothing but in words nowe shalt thou see how I vse to thanke those that with like pride entertaine others as you haue me Sorrowfull became the beauteous Lady to see them so eager against each other greatly fearing the successe of the fight because she thought the stranger would haue the better but seeing them so fierce withdrew her selfe praying for both their victories For if she affects the one as her brother the other she loues as her liues cōmander And as she was a nouice new admitted in Cupids Schoole with such willingnesse shee yeilded to his deceipts that with one and the like feare he forst her to be Iudge of that combate Couragious was the Knight of the forrest but hee hath before him the Dacian
Prince with such haughtie thoughts that Mars himselfe would haue feared him With furie at length they mette in middle of their course with most strong incounters But the Dacians Horse being the best in the world meeting with his aduersaries tumbled him on the ground and with a mighty fall made his Maister measure his length on the earth himselfe stumbling at a speares struchon Whereat the Prince fearing some mischance seeing him so stagger leapte from him with such nimblenesse that his gallantnesse as much delighted the Lady as it grieued her to see her brothers disgrace who fearing a sudden death with his sword drawne and his shield wel buckled about his arme made towards our Knight that in like manner expected him desirous to prooue the cutting of his Romaine blade wherewith he laide vpon the toppe of his enemies shield entring it with such might that al that quarter with a pece of his helme he threwe to the ground He seconded another not so dangerous yet more fearfull because lighting on his breast it gaue him a wide wound Trembling stood the Lady at her brothers chance though he like a valiant warriour setting his right foote forward so struck him on the leggs that had his sword been like the Dacians he hadd greatly hazarded his victorie Forward he stept with his other foote to make a stronger blowe and so thrusting at him with his point it chanced between the buckles of his skirts that had he not turn'd aside he had there been slaine out-right notwithstanding it made him a little wounde whereout issued some blood The Dacian thinking it to be greater like a furious Lyon before he was able to withdraw him vpon the little left him of his shield gaue him such a blow that parting it from one end to the other and the point slycing all the armour of his arme he threw his shield on the ground leauing all that side without defence With the feare of death rested the Knight amazed but incouraging himselfe with his sword in both hands he made against his aduersarie discharging on his shield so braue a blow that falling on his head he forst him to retire backe with staggering stepps which séeing he followed the aduantage with a point had almost ouerthrowne him But our new Louer firmely staied himselfe raysing aloft his Romain murthering sword at such time as the Ladie getting to her Horse cried out Knights withdraw your selues for this is no combate any farther to proceede But she came too late for ere shee mounted her brother groaned his last falling on the earth with his head parted in two which sudden death grieued euen the very soule of the vanguisht victorious Dacian But what the sorowfull Lady did admits no comparisō for casting her selfe from her Horse all the moouing motions of her breathing senses left her so disposest of Life as they hadde the Prince with this vnlook'd for accident He vnlaced his helme and sitting on the blood-dewd grasse he tooke the amazed Ladies head betweene his hands which he durst doe bycause the weapons of her excellencies through a pale ashie trance had left her beautie without defensiue armes and began to vse those meanes for her recouerie that his braue heart did neuer study and with bitter exclaimes he saide Oh cruell fortune may it be thou shouldest so soon temper with so sower a chance the first time thou wouldest a little fauor me Oh wise Nabato my professed friend why didst thou tell me thy care should alwaies be to cure my woes if all things now conspire against me to ouerthrowe my content In his owne helme hee caused some water to bee brought him and sprinckled it vpon the Ladies faire face till with a sighe proceeding from her oppressed soule she return'd vnto her selfe yet for all this did she remember the pitifull lamentes that the Knight hadde vttered and that the force of Loue did onely force him to But séeing the brother that she most affected lye before her besmeared with his owne blood so cruelly slaine she stepte from the Prince saying Let mee goe rude and discourteous Knight for the wronges you haue gainst me committed cannot be satisfied with lesse then the heart blood of your dearest life And casting her selfe on the dead carcase with such pitifull compassion that it would haue drawne teares from a Tygers eies she wailed her brothers losse and drowning his head and face with a pearled shower of water distilling from her two clowdie founts she thus began her plaintes May it be deare brother that the angrye Heauens should so oppose their happie reuolutions against our youth suffering the cruell fates to persecute thee and me with so lamentable a chaunce kept in store by that constant Lady of inconstācie giuing the world so great a losse thorow thy vntimely death who shall dare carye the vnlucky newes of thy vnhappie end vnto our Parents Oh Princes of Callidonia now must you take new weapons and put on armour of reuenge and build an alter to Rhamnusia offering thereon the cruell sacrifizes of Nemesis bloodie rites that she maye further your reuenging thoughts to take so iust a vengance For you haue this day lost a Prince of the best the brauest Ah tender youth so suddenly bereaft and ill enioyed Oh pittilesse inhumane death with what extreames dost thou performe thy cruelties hauing without mercie or respect of innocencie with such barbarous sauagenesse snacht from hence my poore Larsyno on whome the enuious worlde had placed all her hopes And if impartiall destinies inexorable Sisters you had determined this partiall doome within the consistorie of your counsell house why suffred you not sterne goddesses my brothers mortall wound also to fall on me and end in my hart and not leaue mee thus with life to feele so many deathes Thus did that beauteous Ladie poure forth her sorowes for her deare Larsyno But the inraged passiōs that did possesse Don Eleno when he vnderstood that he had slaine her brother whom he loued more then his owne soule had almost forced him with his owne dagger to drawe his owne harts blood to pacifie her rage if he had not feared eternall damnacion for so great a sinne yet esteemed he that a profitable death where nothing was hoped but what should be more cruell For all this he animated his drooping heart and turning to the weepyng Lady sayde Seing my more then vnhappie fortune deuine Lady hath permitted he should displease you and in this sort that was only borne to adore you soly desiring life to please you bethinke what satisfaction you will haue though it be with the dearest blood chambred in my soule and at your command these hands shall sluce it forth bycause with such a death my life will end with ioy if something it may extenuate part of your discontent conceaued Any reuenge most cruell Knight replied the sorowfull Lady will be but little in recompence of the highe wronge I haue receiued by those murthering handes guiltie of
my proper blood But for this time I will no other reuenge but your departure from my company leauing me sufficiently assured of your cruelty to my cost and I will liue for my misfortune will haue it so with the only desire of a more full reuenge Wherefore from hencefoorth I straight doe banish you my sight for I will haue it so If I shall depart in your disgrace most beauteous Lady I will not haue my life with your disfauour to torment me replied the Prince but since you desire to be reuenged on him that only would liue to admire you take it with this sword cawser of your woes and my misfortune and therewith strike of my sacrifized head to appease your wrath for I willingly offer it on your pities altar with all I else possesse already subiect to your will and only this doe praie that after you haue done it you would rent forth my harte for none shall witnesse your crueltie but your selfe and there shall you see your selfe engrauen though not so naturally yet with rarer perfections reasons suffcient to force me to elect you sole patronesse thereof The which remaining in your handes being loues thrall may moue clemencie towardes his Lord to sturre your anger to pitie your captiue euen with his owne reliques Wherewith prostrated on his knees before her with his eies closed with water holding the sword by the point againe thus said If only in my death great Ladie there rests any small comforte for mee it will bee the greatest that I may imagine receiuing it with this blade by your hands for Guerdon of my rashe attempts although if I had knowne what this dead increaser of your griefes did concerne you my selfe had only been the procurer of his life with farr greater care then for my owne which wil be hatefull to mee if still you will insist in your conceaued wrath Knight said she more barbarous then the Sauages of Hircania and the cruellest that ere my eies beheld thus I will not execute my reuenge for it will not be so cal'd performed with the offenders liking and bycause you said it is life and the sweetest to bereaue you thereof with my handes neither will I therin so much content you but expect and sollicite the heauens to order my reuenge after some other sorte The afflicted Prince hearing so sower and bitter answere conceaued such extreame griefe which with sobbes and sighes so besieged his harte that it berest him of his senses falling at his Ladies feete which was another new kind of torment to afflict her for abandoning all crueltie she tooke him in her armes and sitting on the ground she laid his head on her lappe which had the grieued Dacian felt he would not so soone recouer himselfe and bewailed this lamentable spectacle with new laments that moued the tender Ladye to breake into these exclaymes Oh blind despightfull Fortune enemy to my rest how well hast thou manifested thy mutabilities hauing so well pleaded for the greatest enemie I had that I am forst to cōmiserate his woes and pitie his distresse Oh Goddesse who might certenly knowe if with my death she would end her rigorous changing courses execute at once against my tendernesse the whole power of thy despight for the wrongs past hauing been the greatest that might befall mee or thou do mee will I with ioy accept bycause I know they come from thee for she that was borne to no good can receaue no harme to hurt her and with this deceipt may she passe her life that in the beginning hath felt the vtmost of thy cruell power Oh cruell Goddesse vnworthie of a better name because in all thy actions thou performest the deedes of an Hircanian Tyger And being vnable to doe otherwise she cōmanded Fabio to bring her some water wherewith the distressed youth obtained his loste senses and with a sighe that seemed to burst his weake harte he saide Vnhappy stars that gouern'd my natiuitie and more vnhappie I to liue to see my woes to conquer death that dares not approche where he is onely wished with his crueltie to end a life oppressed with cares Oh vnfortunate hap who would haue thought so long and tedious a nauigation should anchor in so vnluckie a Port Oh valiant friends now must I for euer in absence with ayrie words take my latest leaue for my fates saye he shall neuer see you more that onely liued with your deare sights Oh valiant Princes of Grecia what balefull newes will it be when you shall heare of my death whose life alwaies and content soly delighted yee And seeing himselfe in the Ladies lappe a little lifting vp his eyes with so many sighes and throbbing sobbs that might haue mooued a Lions fiercenes to relent but to the extreamest point was this Ladies furie come that it would admit no Impression of any mercy vnlesse it should altogether yeeld to pittie which she thought was yet too soone to doe he sayd Since no pietie noe pittie nor no mercie that are the vertues which glorifies all your sexe maye sturr a litle compassion in your obdurate breast then at once cruell Lady end the tormenting of my poore soule with so long prolonging a despised life and take what reuenge you will on this weeping hart subiect to your Imanitie Knight answered the Lady ill would it beseeme me if by yeelding to your request and in that maner to worke your content I should become cruell against my selfe I wil not take any reuenge that may rather redowne to my dishonour then honour But for this time only I will haue you grant me two things Being all in all yours replied he there is no cause why by promise you should séeke to winne my will which so truely doth acknowiedge your souerainetie Why then said she my first demaund is you giue mee the order of Chiualry and as for my other request you shall after know it I doe sayd he esteeme my happinesse farre greater now then a little afore I esteemed my selfe vnhappie in that deare Soueraign of my soule you haue deygned to imploye me and in affayres more difficult farre would I haue had you hazarded my life but séeing this is your will I am content to obaie and bycause I perceaue you want armour I do beseech you to accept these which were giuen me for good and I shall be more glad thereof bycause they shall obtaine a worthier owner I thanke you for your offer replied she But these of Semyramis nothing inferiour to those I had not long since on yonder vallie giuen me and that with them I should end the greatest aduenture of the world And so casting off her hunting garments she discouered the rarest armes that the whole earth could afford for they were all of Pearles and Dyamonds with such arte vnited that it made them farre strōger then if they were of fine tempered steele on one side they bare a painted harte but made of inestimable orient Rubies whose glister alyenated the
my former successes through your meanes the happie sight of your first approch so alienated my selfe frō my selfe that I was faine to submit my soule to hope some redresse for so great a change and yet thereby loosing the same hope of remedie through the vnhappie death of your deare brother though now I haue not altogether lost if of his life because that learned man that sent vs this shield hath vndertaken the care of his safetie But because I am and will be yours vntill the fatall Sisters of life and death shall abridge my soule of her breathing sacrifices I beseech you by the firmenesse of our sincere loue you will assure my hopes confirme my desires and set an end to my painfull longings With the end of which wordes with more boldnesse thē his feare required he kist her on the chéeke which done he dyed his own with such a bashfull tincture that it altogether stopt the passage of his spéech Well did the Lady perceaue his alteration who with some showe of anger replyed I would not Prince of Dacia that the committing of my honours puritie and my Maydens fame into your hands should be occasion of your little regard vnto the great respect due to the confidence I haue in you reposed wherein yf you neglect the dutie you owe thereto I will rather cast my selfe into these deuouring waters then the glorie of my chast thoughts shall endure any stayne And the receauing you for my Knight hath not been so smal a fauor but might sufficiently so content you that my kéeping you company thus alone to trust you with my immaculate vnstayned imaginations should be no cause to mooue you to this discourtesie And offering to goe frō the hatches the Prince with Millions of sighes proceeding from his soule stayed her by the arme with these wordes That I haue displeased you Imperious Princesse so torments me that I know not how to satisfie your discontent conceaued vnlesse you now will take a full reuenge for my many trangressions though it bee with effusion of my dearest dearest lyfe and yet what I did was forced by the motion of a pure sincere loue and not of any lasciuious thoughts So assured was the beauteous Rosamond therof that she thus made answere Since my happie starrs braue Prince haue put me in your hands they haue dryuen me to that necessitie that I must forget and forgiue any offence whatsoeuer but if you shall passe these lymits my selfe will execute on my owne life the cruellest death ere heard of With incredidle ioy the amorous Prince kist her hands for the fauor being warned by the palenesse of Cinthias shine that it was time to withdrawe themselues they returned to their seuerall cabbins comparable to any Monarches chamber where they past the night with such conformable thoughts that hadd they durst either to visite the other at that seasō it is doubtfull whether they would haue differred the glory attending on such attempts A little before the Messenger of morne began to lace the Heauens with her goulden hayre the Princely youth séeing himselfe so true a seruitor vnto the God of loue so derely to be loued raysed himselfe on the bed and leauing on his pillowe tooke his Lute in hand and making it sound the repetition of his ioyes he sung the felicitie that the heauens gaue him in the possession of so rare a Lady in these verses Let th'happiest dye with enuie of my state And as vnhappie haue a speedy fall If soule and thoughts tormented were of late T was to obtayne the soueraygnest good of all In whome deuyne Apelles with his art For beauties sake drewe forth her better part Dye fayre Adonis and Apollo perish Pyramus and Leander breath no more Endimion eake that did with fauors florish Well knowes the world my loue the heauens adore And as their estimation passed myne So in content let them so much declyne He ended with a sigh saying Oh loue with how greate reason art thou honored and like a God adored seing thou canst cherish him that hath not felt thy churlishnesse and on whom thou hast not extended the intollerable waight of thy rygorous power Well did the Princesse heare him ouer-ioyed to be loued by so braue a Prince imagening she could not hope for more hauing so great a good there present Notwithstanding she determined yet to dissemble her affection vntill the time did counsell her what she should doe and because the Sunne had begun his rysing in the East she made her ready putting on her white most rich armour went directly to the Princes cabbyn who with his new care had it not to clothe himself yet seing his Lady come he woulde rise but she staying him sayd I would haue had you done it afore Sir Knight for he that liues so carelesse should not belike doubt of his Mistres fauors and with my soule I would be glad to know her that I might aske her if she ioyes in so carelesse a louer Deuinest Princesse replyed the ioyfull Prince with nothing doe I more expresse my poore soules pensiuenesse then with such carelesnes which being well noted it will be iudged a carefull confidence for it cannot be more séene nor better deserued in any then in whome true loue hath rooted his conceipts for without care of anye thing else he doth onely busie himselfe in the swéete imaginations of his owne alienation Notwithstanding answered the Lady I doe condemne so great confidence almost grounded vpon an extremitie and in most respcts little respecting the Lady loued for the ouerielous louer did neuer but die confounded in his owne expects A care magnanimous and honorable is to be alowed excused and worthy of estimation but vtterly to bee ouer-whelmed in pensiue suspence and make you séeme nothing but a louer befits you not nor yet becoms it one boūd to accomplish so many things as you I doe ioy so much deare Mistres of my hart to loue and wholy to employ my selfe therein that I would shewe no signe that I can any thing otherwise and although I should doe so I do not requite the worth of my imployment for if I had a Thousand soules al were to few cōpared to the content of my imaginatiōs where al the good is decyphered the otherwise I might expect and I finde that being not this waye yf would be more then troublesome Sir Knight replyed she you doe so highly accompt the thing loued that I doe wish I were she to obtaine that glorie that neuer Venus did enioy though in beautie a Goddesse and it should be for no longer then I might knowe whether it be true all that you publish Thereof excellent Princesse replied he craue no better testimonfe thē the paine that I conceaued with your sight Then answered shee you cannot denie mee that to loue is more to feare then any other thing seeing you say that the first sight left you so wounded whereby I inferre your paine proceeded
was their sole auaile Not a little did the gallant Rosamond grieue to see her deare Prince in the battaile not for the daunger thereof for she well sawe the aduantage he had ouer his enemie but the true louer doth onely waigh the present ill of the thing loued admitting no entrance to the hope of any future good So resolued to accompany him in al things cloasing her Beuer with the best sword that the world contained she went towards Torisiano with these words It ill beseemes vs to see our friends in such egar warre and our selues in peace Neuer did the gallant youth see a more accomplished Knight then the Lady did represent being armed for which in many places shee was reputed to be Claridiano Notwithstanding accepting the combate for with Ioue he would not haue refused it he began to prepare himselfe Easely did the Dacian Prince heare the sweete name of friend which augmented such courage in his amorous brest that he began with fresh strength to bestow such him selfe receiuing mightie blowes that the Ladie clearely saw his aduantage But quickly were they put from this turning to gaze vpon the Knight with the white armour on whome his excellent disposition did drawe their affection This was our Knightly Lady that meeting with her enemie togither they laide on each other so puissant blowes that with their hands they were faine to sustaine themselues Of greater strength was the Lady for which cause shee rose soonest and with her good sword shee gaue him such a blowe on the Helme that shee made him see millions of starres shee seconded it somewhat lower which had it bene in the same place he could not but haue incurred mightie danger yet made she the blood flye through his eyes and nostrels which was but making the youth more furious who going towards her seemed to awaight her stroke which shee with eagernesse to bestowe regarded not his intent For in the discharge he stept to his left side fustrating her blowe at which time hauing opportunitie for taking her without shield there vnder her right arme he strucke with such strength that the Lady greatly felt the waight of her aduerse sword for it made her giue backe with such a stagger that shee had almost fell ouer-board And the haughtie Torisiano seeing her amaze would haue lept after her but she returned with such speede that she incountred him in his leaping and so thrust him that it was an admirable wonder how he fell not in the Sea yet he fell with a sore fall in the middle of his Barke Gladly would the Lady haue done what her Lord did but shee thought it would onely hinder him because the shippe was little So she stayed for his comming who returned like a rauenous Tyger renuing so fiercely their fight that it seemed of an hundred Knightes together so great was their noyse For the Lady reputed it to be dishonour to her reputation that her aduersary should indure so long against her specially in her Princes sight that being her first battaile With like immagination was her enemie troubled and so agreeing in one desire discharged on each other the mightie strēgth of their furious armes with such puisance that the Eccho of their sounding blowes made the valleyes in the firme land many myles off séeme to tremble with the shrill noyze By the force of the blow the royall Lady lost her Helme couering her white armour with thousand tressed tramels of hairie gold resting with some alteration through a litle blood that issued from her mouth But hers in a more lamentable sort had put the gallant Torisiano for with a great fall with blood bursting through his eyes she tumbled him at the enemies feete of her deare Knight who at the noyse with more care then the Princely Eagle gardeth her yonglings turned about and seeing his soules life in that amazment and without Helme thought her to be sore wounded that with a rigorous blowe driuing his enemie from him with a leape he returned to his owne shippe to know what danger she was in With great applause was this care of Don Eleno celebrated by the towred Ladies highly estimating the doubtfull regard he shewed of his Ladie Well did the louers heare it so she receiued him with these wordes It is no time now braue Prince to lose what with so much blood you haue wonne And seeing my daunger hath bene the cause thereof I will put on no Helme vntill my arme hath againe assured you what you vallour had obtained So ending her speech more nimbler then an Ounce shee lept into her aduersaries shipp at what time they had recouered them selues with more furie then angry Lyons hunted by their foes Betweene them fearelesse of her head did the Lady cast her selfe in her entrance meeting first with Don Argante vpon his shoulder shee grounded the waight of her furious rage whose paine was so extreame that he thought that side was opened to his middle and reaching Torisiano with a thrust she made his shield ioyne with his brest and himselfe almost loose his breath But this time was the inraged Dacian entred the barke florishing his rich sword whereby they could not but incur great perrill had not the most beauteous Princesse of Nyquea foreséen it who much pittying the twoo companions thus spake So admirable is the losse that this spacious Orbe will receiue with any of your deathes valiant and couragious Knights that it constraynes me to entreate you yf in you there be so much courtesie as courage for this time to giue ouer this combate for which these Ladies and I will worthely extoll your bounties The Princesse Rosamond enuious of so rich a sight quickly thus replyed first admyred Lady yt doth so aduance the honor of wādring knights that none can be more greater then to obay the commanded seruice of all Ladies insomuch that they accompt it a deuine felicitie to haue such occasions to shew it Wherefore I say that for the incredidle desire inexplicable wil I haue to serue them I doe on my behalfe giue ouer the fight not onely for this tyme but for euer because the Knight doth leaue so waued to my cost by this that I thinke it best to craue an assurance against all future accidents All the Princes greatly smyled at her spéech because they knew her to bee a woman by her hayre when shee lost her helme whereupon Lyriano replyed Brauely haue you defended your beauty most valerous Ladye bynding thereby all Knights to your perpetuall seruice And wee wish wee were them that you might know if we can intreate it is because we onely indeuored to be your dutyfull seruitors Notwithstanding we hope and so I doe beléeue there is no Knight but will do it soly to pleasure you to obtaine your fauour though our intreaties ceassed in that case With no lesse courtesie then valour were the Princes indewed and so the Phenician replyed when on our side the victorie were most
sure deuine Ladies we would leaue it to gaine some part of your fauours much more being constrained to loose by this what by the other we obtained Neuerthelesse my companion and I are contented to obey you yeelding the trophie of the conquest to these triumphing Knights Yours is the victorie Heroike warriors aunswered the Dacian not onely of this battaile but of all honour in the vniuerse Hereupon they imbraced one another crauing pardon of their last attempt and so the Princes returned to their inchaunted Barke which no sooner had they entred when swifter then an arrowe shot from a steeled bowe it departed from the inchaunted Tower leauing the beholders so amazed that they could not beliue it loosing their sight whē they entred the Persian Sea shaping their course towardes Lguria what there befell them in the next Chapter shall be related CHAP. III. How the two Princes Don Eleno and Rosamond arriued at Lyguria and what aduenture they there found SO many and so certaine are the inconueniences that happens to an amorous louer so great his crosses and so sure his misaduentures that if amōg millions of misfortunes he obtaines one good Fortune he may iustly say it happened by chaunce and so lawfully may it be accompted a miracle esteeming it of no lesse rarietie then the Phaenix whose nature neuer admitted any pluralitie which being so with reason should all men reioyce at anothers happinesse therein because it is a deserued merite after so many paines This thus considered I cannot but with ioy exult when I see another by his mistresse fauoured and much more if he obtaine the glorious end of his wishes which gladnesse hath possest mee with so suddein a pleasure that I haue purposed to follow the Dacian Prince who now among Venus chiefest fauourits may be named and of them the happiest because beloued of Rosamond And in so much that for the least hope of her deare fauours Apollo willingly would haue changed his eternal deitie for his decaying mortalitie With her did Don Eleno merily discourse and amongest other chat demaunded her how she felt her selfe of the last combate with her strong aduersarie How could I but do well replyed she and be better braue Prince hauing on my side the valour of the Dacian Lord. That were deare Lady said she because it was done in company of your Fortitude whence redoundeth the courage for greater aduentures I wil not so soone answered she purpose to beleeue it so till once againe for nothing you loose what your valour got For it argues no lesse Fortitude to maintaine it then to regaine it And in my soule I would reioyce to knowe what those Ladies be that in the Tower do remaine For in my iudgemrnt the beautie so greatly esteemed through the world and so rarely honoured elsewhere is but the shadow of that substance wee left inclosed there And neuer beleeue mee but their libertie will dearely cost to him shall concerne because the trophie of their gained honour will counteruaile the greatest toyle And no little pleasure should I also conceaue with the knowledge of those Knights who surely cannot but be of high discent considering with what courtesie they left the combate Who is he that dares longer maintaine it said he the Princesse of Callidonia being his enimie if he will feare to displease her seeing they that liue in peace because they will not do it also tremble at her name If it be so replyed shee the Prince of Dacia neede not feare my armes If my Fortune aunswered the Prince had giuen me that good that yet she hath not I needed not then expect greater hopes and therefore shee doth reserue this happinesse that he may still be crauing that liueth with such feare All that shal little auaile you replyed the Ladie to defend you from mine anger if once you fall into it Ay me saide the amorous youth with a sigh a newe snare to intrap the captiue Ladie how well can my soule auerre it since that little instant that my life was prolonged to hope a perpetuall eternitie I would not Sir Knight faid she you should so soone assure your selfe to liue in my fauour were it onely because you are so reputed by the Ladies of the inchaunted Tower and so I will dissemble my former anger Thus went the loued youth enioying of these fauours when one morning when Aurora first shewed the brigthnes of her face armed with their riche armes they entred the broade cleare riuer Achelous that deriues his name from Tethis famous sonne that combated with Hercules about the maraiage of Deianira daughter to Oneio King of Etolea vntill the warrelike Theban by dispossessing him of his life gaue that riuer his name which he christened with his blood Within sight had they the mountaine Pindus whence it springes And had they knowne what there befell vnto their ancestors there is no doubte but with more delight they had gazd on it with more pleasure ponderated his hight But with the stream through the currrent of the riuer they were driusu with such velocitie that within three daies they entred the Italian seas in the fourth coasting along the Tuscane land cutting twixt Vero and Macra two mighty riuers proud of their streams the when the Sunne mounted on the highest promontory toppes they ranne aland in Moneco the hauē port of Liguria now called Ienua not farre from the populous Cittie Sauona wher then the courte laie With great content landed the two valiant louers with the only companie of Fabio and leauing the charge of their Barke to him that guided it they tooke the broadest troden path they could finde because they woulde the sooner meete with whom might tell them the land they iournied in They trauailed with their armour for that they tooke most felicitie therein In this manner went they in sweet chatt for none is like to that of two if they intirely loue til it was towards noone at which time they spied a damsell come towards them as fast as her palfrey could runne crying aloud after she saw them Hay me Sir Knights now is the time that you must make knowen the valour of your parsons by redressing the greatest disgrace that might befall And if you be determined to returne with me by the way I will tell it you We are content faire damozell replyed the Prince to accomplish what you will hauing for such purposes receiued the order of Knighthood So shee turned her palfray they all set forwardes in great haste while the damozel thus said you now Sir Knights are within the kingdome of Lyguria nigh the citie of Sauona where the King keepeth his Court. And because this countrey is so fresh temperate and pleasant the Princesse Orsyna walked abroad this morning vnto this Wood to recreate her selfe with other Ladyes not farre from the temple of Hercules and sitting all together about a pleasant Fountaine from one side of a groue there issued a most sauage monster like vnto a bigge
the fauor of your mightie arme I maye recouer that felicitie that my teares and your valour shall purchase I would it were no more but so deare Rosabell replyed the Prince of Antioch for it should more easier be accomplisht then the busines wee goe about And because I thinke it fitte we returne to the Kings that so well ayded vs we may set forwards in our way and let me not see you no more so passionate for you will but grieue me And more torments and more paines indured your father in his louing pilgrimage yet neuer had the like fauour that yesterday you possest neuerthelesse he did not desist with content to prosecute his Chiualries let therefore his magnanimitie no lesse shine in the Sunne nor in mee no lesse loue and true amitie then my Fathers towards yours till in your behalfe I sacrifice my soules life to winne your happines But let vs goe for now your sorrow wil be iniust hauing one so to mittigate it and let vs take all aduantage in these affaires admitting no battle one without another though we both demand it we must suffer so many to vndertake yt on their part For this Souldan is verie subtle hauing many Gyants his frends certainly it is like he wil to some of them commit that battaile so his intent might be accomplished supposing that none wil dare to attempt it For the Kings through feare of them Thus discoursed these two deare friends till they approched so nigh the citie of Nyquea that her gates winked vpon them on the bank of whose riuer they alighted to passe the tediousnesse of the night in pleasing chat of that peerelesse Lady and of the great desire they had to passe into Grecia There he recompted the battaile he had with his Father in Lacedemonia vnknowen whereby he vnderstood he was his sonne In this prattle continued they till it was time to sleepe and so departing one a little from the other they made their shields their pillowes and so rested the greatest part of the night Whē they awaked togither either full of carefull thoughtes for the others griefe For therin is ciphered the true patterne of perfect friendship And seeing thus pensiuely they heard the grones of some Knight that complained togither they rose and taking their shieldes and Helmes without any worde they went softly to heare what he saide And being nigh him they saw by the reflecting light of Cinthias beames a well proportioned Knight clad all in blacke armour who lying vnder a bigg growen Oake complained against the skyes loue and Fortune Oh heauens said the afflicted More how long will you suffer him to liue from whome death doth fly Why giue ye me life that nothing thanke you for it because t is hatefull to me Why permitted ye my ofspring to be from thence if on the earth I shall liue dying Oh suffer not Bembo Prince of Achaya to liue with so many passions when you may end it with one gentle death that neuer better welcome may come then now Oh soueraigne Princesse of Niquea how iustly maist thou complain of me that louing thee so deerely haue bene so remisse to visite thee Oh forgetfull louer if thou didst liue in Achaya louing why didst thou then so long proroge thy comming knowing that Liriana was in Niquea whereby thy delay is the cause thou must dye not seeing her being thy only desire as the most happiest life and now Prince of misfortune behooues it thee to pilgrimage throughout the worlds vast continents to know her habitation which thou hadst saued comming in time then who would haue bene able or somuch as presumed to thinke in his trembling harte to take her from thy hāds Oh hawtie and presumptuous Knight who may know what thou art that I might make thee acknowledge the wrong thou hast done me taking what only to my worthinesse was due How maie I call my selfe Nephew to that mighty Bembo the scourge terror of all Greece suffering another to inioy whome thou dost loue neuer more would I haue put on armour if I did not make him confesse this fowle iniurie And yet there is no reason why for seing Liriana was of beautie Angelical it was like others would loue her and if fortune did fauour him to carry her away I haue no cause to lament bewaile but my slow hart and sluggish thoughts that spurd me not afore this to visit her Oh my friend Nicandro how maie I complaine of thee bycause it is thy fault for hadst thou by thy skill aduertized me of this successe who would haue deferd such a voiage though it had coste him a thousand liues and come were it only but to see her whom to me thou didst canonize for beautie as the sole meritor of my faith So pensiue rested the braue greeke Rosabell seing what that Knight did and hearing what he said against his reputation affecting that Ladie that more then his proper life he loued that he knew not how to resolue himselfe till Oristoldo perceauing his alteration stept to him saying Valiant Prince seing by delaie the Kings doe incurre so great danger it is not lawfull you should procure now new battels and especially he knowing they are prisoners about the stealing of the Princes it cannot be but he will offer himselfe in that demaund and thē in their defence will your combate be more iustified thē at this instant for though he loues whome you do the extremity of contrarie passions may excuse you but being assured of her loue towards you great reasō haue you to forgiue him Great is the wrong heerein I doe my Lade replyed Rosabell but your will be fulfilled for I am determined altogether to follow your coūsaile All that Oristoldo had said was true for Bembo was then thither come for no other purpose but to maintaine that the prisoners were consenting to the Princesse stealing And had not Rosabell and Oristoldo staied to defend it there had byn none able from him to beare away the victorie because he was one of the worthies of the world and he that most persecuted Greece in the great warres He was verie yong and the most courteous of all his Nation He would not suffer his subiects to crown him King till he had traueld the worlde and so created he gouernors ouer his kingdome and accompanied with his valour onely he departed from Achaya with that mornfull deuise that many thought it signified more then it did He was the amorousest that euer woman brought foorth and he that was most loyall to Liriana for after he knew her to be married he still doted on her alleaging that he did loue and had referd the guerdon of his loyaltie to the graciousnes of his Lady but if she reiected his true loue passions yet he would not forget her for it were to iniurie his faith that from the beginning he had consecrated to her beautie And had fortune but a little fauoured him he had bene one of
towring Caedar he saw a Knight in azure armour all ouer crosse barred with Gold He was tall of personage and of well knit sinnewes betokning excesse of strength who was without helme with a hat vppon his head and laye pitiously lamenting to knowe the cause he stoode still Straight did the other giue it him which beeing the disease of loue none can hide it for with Millions of broken sighs that his soule sent foorth he began to sing as followeth Faire spreading Caedars that doe growe so high That you doe seeme to touch the vaultie skie Mount ye aloft and looke if you espie Prince Lindoriano in his owne teares lye Whose teares that trickle downe his louely face Your rootes will moysten and will doe them grace When heauens weat dewe Appollos heate shall drie Vppon your bowes I 'le graue my miserie And on your barkes in Carracters I 'le write My soules great griefe procurer of my spight My dangers cause my constancie procures With which I loue and will while life indures Though that it doe her crueltie increase Pyne may my hart till she my hart release For publishing my loue and her rare beautie To whome all knees may bow to doe her duetie I well doe knowe by'xperience to my cost The waightie griefe wherewith my soule is tost Which makes me thinke the nights for to seeme day And daies seeme night thus care with care I pay But yet in midst of my great griefe and paine This for my comfort onely doth remaine When as I thinke how sweet this warre will be Where yeelding I sustaine no infamie Happie Tynacria t is thou that doest containe Lindorianos blisse and chiefest gaine The Sunne of Heauen the comfort of this earth In whome I ioye for whome I drawe my breath Oh suffer not this Goddesse Natures ioye To be disgrast by being ouer coye To his complaintes that liuing her adore Constant and firme by fayth what would you more Loue her I will vntill I truely knowe From whence the cause of her disdaine doth growe Which loue after my death let her requite Not with like loue for that I neuer might But with her knowing that I haplesse die Refus'd of comfort from me that did flie The extremitie of passions were such and so many which surprized the louer that not onely hindered his songe but stopt his breath accompanied with a suddaine fainting that in a traunce leaft him spéechlesse leauing against the Caedar but being past he returned with a sighe that I knowe not whose hart it would not mollefie but hers oh pardon me that is the swéete insulting enemie of my life and sayd Oh loue how doest thou spare none from burning with thy vnconsuming fier Oh you mightie Princes by fortune exalted on the highest top of honor I nothing enuie your estates if once it be touched with loue Oh Gods how farre happier by enioyning a contented life where I yf I had the office of a laboring Countreyman and not the tytle of so great a Prince that my starres haue giuen mee But oh cruell passions more intollerable griefe what Oh yes thither would you follow me hauing as great a power in a poore cottage as in a Princes Court And therefore seeing I must loue and must liue thereby I will admit no comfort but what shall come from Rosaluyra for the swéetest otherwise is but hatefull sower and abortiue Oh despightfull chāce Oh hap vnhappie vnheard of that I should loue and not manifest it to the Empresse of beautie and of my Idolatrie the sole Goddesse and that I thus must languish without her knowledge Well it must be so she will haue her will deseruedly accomplisht and I will remaine adoring her more then euer was Lady loued But in recompence to demaund a thinge so small as Trebatios head is a diminishing of the high deserts of her incomparable merits By this way oh Gods to procure my content I am resolued to doe because hers consisteth therein But yet yf by my louing and wéeping experience she would be assured of my faith my death in this enterprize were eternall felicitie But oh slowe louer and more bashfull wooer why doest thou linger knowing there is no other meanes for thy happinesse Intollerable and more then may be imagined is the wrōg agaynst thy Lady thou cōmittest in this delay wherupon with a sudden hast that in such cases happens hee laced on his helme had tooke vp his weapons calling to his Squire for his horse But ere it was brought him Rosabell issued out of his ambush For knowing the Knight to bee sonne vnto the Souldan of Niquea and brother to his deare Ladie it grieued him because he had vndertaken such an enterprise against his Grandfather The occasion and the cause thereof hee had tould Oristoldo as hath been largly discoursed in the first of the second part And approching to the Knight with a gallant audacitie he sayd By that I haue heard sir Knight I haue vnderstood you are Lindoriano Prince of Niquea the Knight that I as my soule doe loue and euen to the same it grieues mee you haue vndertaken a demaunde so perrilous as that against the Emperour Trebatio for you must consider how that Lady and her Mother rather procéede through hate then with reason that bindes them to dissemble it And if Garrofilea complaines of the Emperour her selfe was the cause thereof procuring to her honours cost the accomplishing of her content And seing the Emperor did doe it hee might no farther passe because the sacred law of marriage did forbid yt whereof she was aduertized when she had him in prison so she might content he selfe with the children shee hath of so mightie a Prince and not topsey turuie turne and offend the world with her vanitie méere follie as to hope for hys head for hir reuenge and well doe wee knowe that a womans reuenge is but the aboundāce of feruent desire of things and things None more then she I am sure would grieue with his death because with reason the losse of such a person might iustly be lamented by his Daughter Rosaluira so she should cast her fame and honour on the dice being causer of so many deathes as haue already happened for the world doth wel know there is none therin that against his will is able to make that Prince leaue the listes A greater honour were it for her to dissemble her angrie loue as dooth her sonne Polliphebo who is reputed the flower Chiualrie glorying in nothing more then of such a Father not promise her selfe his head at whose countenance the very heauens tremble And so sir Knight the great loue I beare you hath forced me to this discourse because with more immortall honour by louing by your haughtie déeds shall you sooner obtaine your Ladies loue then by so doubtfull and vncertaine a meanes that can nothing yeild then a blot to your reputation Attentiuely did the Prince of Niquea heare him thinking he should
they would be found by reason of the triumphes cōmaunded their ship to be guided to Arrissa a hauen some thing remote from the Citie where the eight day they arriued and taking land they entred through the grene Forestes taking the next waye to Constantinople but first determined to linger thereaboutes the time that wanted for the feastes which might be some vii or viii dayes So their Fortune led them to passe away the night hard by the place where the iealous Sarmatia bewailed her woes For after she had parted from Brandafidell she cast her selfe from her horse lamenting her misfortuns supposing that her beloued Oristides had forsaken her to Loue Floralinda wife to the Prince Meridean And they arriued at such time that forced by a Ielous spleene she said Oh rauning experience that before I can begin to Loue I must with Ielousie be tormented Oh Cupid if this be one of thy blowes established in all harts how is it possible thou shouldest be honored or to thee appeale why shold any as to the Soueraine Prince and Iudge of the earth how wilt thou haue that Ladies shall worshippe and adore thee if with such extreames thou plaguest their tender harts Apparent signes did I see in that valiant Prince to loue me but more certainer haue I met in Greece that he abhorrs me Oh happie Land only to me vnappie I blame not thee but curse my starres that doe oppose their influences to ruinate my glory who would haue tould me thou shouldest be a sepulcher to her that to thee came to seeke her life O Gods how farre better had I done to split my hart in Lacedemon with my deare friends swoord then to come to so great miserie in Greece mightie will be the wrong I doe to Ladies when my death shall be published to haue been because I was not beloued But wretch that I am why impute I in him the sin of disloyaltie hauing to his owne cost assured mée by militarie déedes his soule to be soly thine then rather procuring thy victorie then the conquest for himselfe And séeing it is yet doubtfull I will cherish my selfe till I know it and finding it so not that I loued him without hope of like but for the dishonor I did thereby commit against my puritie I will vpon my life execute the cruellest death that ere the world was guiltie of in recompence of my rash foolishnes and affection so ill repaied So somewhat quieted she could not so continue long remembring what the Lady had tould her whereuppon a little to prorogue her griefes shee tuned her voice with this Dittie to her Lute with a more melodious harmonie than Mercury did sound whē Iupiter did send him to bewitch with musick the hundred eies of watching Argos charge Perswaded still maye be My sowle and pensiue hart That If I liue in smart It is by louing thee His life was neuer sweete That euer learnt to loue Vnlesse his minde did meete With what his Loue did moue There doth he striue to liue Both with his soule and hart That If he die with smart His death his loue might giue The acte that most is praised And worthie of most renowne Is I Loues heauenly crowne That makes dispaire amazed Which when it shall assure The soule and amorous harte Then is a life no smart To Loue if it indure With so short a winded hay me ended the warrelicke Dame that the Princesse which ouer hard it could not but greatly pittie her hauing begun to tread thē inextricable maze of Loue not a little wondring to see how general that passion was where with they cheefely liued So afflicted remained the beautious Sarmacia that she could passe no farther giuing occasion to the Brother and Sister their beuers closed because they would not be knowne to go to her and the Ladie being naturally more tender to the other said What haue you felt Sir Knight to expresse parte of your hearts aboundance to the aire and part to these harde and sencelesse Oakes which is but to increase your smart the which if in any thing we may diminish we will effectually accomplish it At the noise did the Ladye start for being drowned in imagination shee did not remember her selfe and hauing her thoughts dispearsed abroad had giuen no eare to the Princesse wordes and so seeing those Knightes in that place shee said Greatly may you fauour me Sir Knight to leaue me to my solitude for that onely hath the power to ease my paine and strengthen my mynde to suffer it add greater if greater may be imagined And this I intreat vnlesse any necessitie requires my person which I will vse most willingly in either of your behalfes Braue Knight replyed Floraliza the sight of your present state so penetrated our harts that it caused this Knight and my selfe to come and demaund the reason of it offering our persons at your neede I doe highly esteeme your offer renowmed Knight aunswered Sarmacia which could not proceede but from you But my infirmitie is of such condition that the remedie on your partes will augment it and for mee to relate it were a griefe past griefe and a newe kinde of torment For I haue no leaue to publish it to any much more to you because it will but serue to refresh the memorie of passed griefes and present euils And therefore I praye you either to goe from mee or giue me leaue that I may doe it For the verie sight of companie is to mee troublesome I neuer sawe a Knight saide Floraliza so deepely possest with Loue but would delight to communicate his paynes and ioyes For the one he mittigates by communication and the other he encreaseth by relation And so I thinke you are a Nouice in Loue seeing you knowe not there is no griefe how great so euer but will by company be asswaged Rather replyed the Lacedemon Ladye this proues you a fresh Scholler in Cupids schoole seeing you ignorant what wrong is offered to the Ladye loued publishing her secretes For to immagine them is secrete treason committed against her And nowe I saye I woulde not keepe companie with a Knight that so quickely desyres to blabbe the thoughtes cloased in an amourous soule being soly to be imagined and not made common to euery voyce Oh how braue a louer woulde you make gyuing place in your hart for euery loue tale Oh that I knew your Mistres be assured she should not longer liue deceaued in her hopes although I thinke she doth not yf this be not to her vnknowen you speake more then befits you said the hastie Floraliza and with more bouldnesse then you should which belike our simple well meaning spéeches did cause that rather is answered Sarmacia the truest testimony that any can haue of his Fortitude and not the vaunting beasts that many vse and commonly bragge of And seing this way you haue brought it about restore me the honour I did you esteeming you in the degrée of a good Knight
from my bouldnes It is reason sir Knight sayd she that Ladies should be rather loued and wooed then gallants by thē sued too for so they should disparage their fame though not with desire they shew oftentimes some disfauour but for that cause must the louer be discréete which is what in him is first required that he may note the one and take the other in good part attributing it to her feare and not to her desire and this consideration swéetenesse what is most sower Thus spunne they the webbe of their amorous liues whē the Damsell here cut off their discourse saying with some anger You Knight of the branch seeme to haue forgotten your promise and seing the night approcheth there is no more to doe but straight with me you enter in your Barke without any companie it behooues vs to goe Vnderstanding swéete damsell sayde Polliphebo that wee shoulde so manye dayes together Nauigate by Sea thought you woulde let mee enioy some on land but seeing it must bee so let ts away though great is the wronge you doo mee Greater is that which is suffered by whom néedeth and sent me for your person hauing power to request others that with more willingnesse would haue done it for though our stay here hath been but little not so small is the stayne that thereby your fame receaueth and my necessitie increaseth with a sorrowfull looke the Prince turned to the Ladie saying You see deare Lady my vnhappie chance expelling mee from inioying your swéete conuersation for which all my life I shall lead in griefe hauing not some assurance of hope to resee you againe for till thē the anguish I shall suffer wil be so great as to debarre me from alpleasure for I onely haue and shall haue in being yours Valiant Knight replyed she no lesse doe I féele it seing you thus to depart from me and my brother which is yonder Knight and as for the rest you may liue assured I tender you as my owne soule And if this picture may be any cause of your cōtēt take it for I will haue your coūterfeite for the same The gladdest on the earth he tooke it and falling on his knées a Thousand times kissing her handes hee intreated her to take him for her Knight The Ladye denied it not for loue had made her liberall and none did it euer touch but made him become an Alexander vpō paine of not knowing how to loue seing that one of the chiefest condition that yf requires is Magnanimetie And so seing with how great the Ladie had fauoured him he againe kist her handes and taking his leaue of them knowing who they were they entred the Barke which swifter then a towring Eagle ingulffed it selfe in the swelling Ocean Straight did they loose his sight leauing Floraliza greatly discontented the which her brother nothing demaunded the cause and relating it she ended with a sigh saying I greatly feare deare brother that this Knight will put me in mortall dangers for I iudge his libertie to be great and being Sonne and Brother to our deadly foes it will be difficult for him to consider if any pyne for him Let not the grieue you good Sister replyed Don Cellindo for if he loues he will easily doe it how much the more in my iudgement he departed captiue enough So thought I answered she but here is my vnhappinesse that trauelling through strāge countries he may see some one fayrer and being toucht with this infirmitie he will be apt to decline and so must be faine to wander in his search Let the feasts first passe sayd Don Cellindo and so I hope will this humor chang into cōtent Thus determined they stayed till the next mornings Suns vprising who knowing that Rosamond the Dacian should méete hastened his shining presence to see what happened in the next related CHAP. XII How the Prince Don Eleno of Dacia met with his deare Rosamond and what more befell them in their way towards the Cittie WIth as many teares as hast departed the Dacian louer from his beloued cozen of Tynacria entring within the Forrest where ouertaken with the night he past it with extreame anguish of his soule seeing the ympossibilitie of his content hauing it onely with the presence of his Ladie His foode was soly the fruit of those wilde trées and some of what Fabio had prouided but his conuersation was it which most pleased this woefull louer For memorating the troubles he had vndergone and the passions and violent sorrowes he had resisted animated him to tollerate this present accident Most part of the night spent they in this intermingling it with diuersity of matter to make him diuert from his pensiuenesse till yf was time to rest which made either part aside to sleepe yet small was the while that the Prince reposed Neuer yeilded this infirmitie any quiet till throughly possest Well may many speake it by experience though with a newe estate they be remoued from it with a Thousand sighes began the Dacian Lord to sing for onely in that he thought he founde pleasure And I my selfe neuer founde him otherwise while alone he trauelled with this passion If a remedie for loue be dayly to liue instrife come death and end my lyfe by my sweete ioyes remoue My payne and hard mischance makes fearelesse any death so I might loose my breath vntreading my woes daunce Whilst a remedie for loue is dayly to liue in strife come death and end my life from this my ioyes remoue The soule with paine opprest canne nere obtaine renowne come loue and treade it downe while t is in woes vnrest I tell thee t is no loue which dayly liues in strife come death and end his life that sees his ioyes remoue With some small comfort ended the Prince caused with his song and being day broade mounting vpon the earths best horse hee began to leaue that thicket delighting hys eares with Philomelas complaints making him a witnes of Tereus rape crueltie against her committed no lesse ioyed he with the others conceipts for though the Musitions were naturall yet kept they a wonderfull harmonie of an vnnaturall consort In this maner wondered he till about Nine a clocke of the Morning at the end of the groue hee sawe a Knight come toward him brauely mounted hee coulde not see his armour for ouer thē he wore a blewe coate ouer his shield a case of the same coulor Presently the disguised knight knew Don Eleno and hauing purposed what he ment to do vnbuckled but tooke not of his helme with extreme ioye to see him for no lesse had he suffered in his looking him arriuing sayd Sir knight my Lady hath tane my oath the méeting in Grecia with anye Knight that shoulde denie her beautie to be the greatest in the vniuerse I should defie him to the battle but this prouided that you bee in loue though your deuise sheweth the contrarie and therefore to mortall fight I challenge you for with
with all being possest by Rosamond notwithstanding he replyed In faith good squiers it greatly greeues me for the sorrow the Princesse doth sustain and of your trouble in seeking me Although all might haue been remedyed considering with what vyolence I was drawen away to leaue Rome so much against my wil seeing therein I offended those Ladies yet I could do no otherwise and so haue I not herein any cause to satisfie them in any thing In the rest that my Lady the Princesse hath done me fauors there is no satisfaction may come neere nor so much as be thought a little parcell vpon accoumpt in parte for so many and manifould benefits which she of her meere bounty magnanimity extēded on me inriching with them a poore forlorne Knight exiled from all content And so since at this time there is no leasure to write and we all intending to visit Constātinople there wil I giue you my answere And meane while if in any thing I may pleasure you commaund me for I will do it Valiant Prince replied Artimio what at this time will most content vs is your answer for thereon dependes Roseleas life and we will abide in Constantinople while the Tryumphes last Hereupon they tooke their leaues not without many teares of both the Ladies and he finding the Knights with Rosamond leauing them retorned to their intended Iourny till very nere the cittie the night ouertooke them and being in the summer they resolued to passe it in that wood among the trees and Odoriferous flowers vpon which they tooke their way Hauing supt the Lady demaunded him how he knew the pages and so much she importuned him that he tould her she nothing suspecting his faith being assured she was of him dearly Loued and therefore said So that Don Eleno you haue been in prison and in such a place where no doubt but you paid for so sweete a gaole he supposed she spake in earnest it is vsuall in louers wherfore he replied It is true dere lady the there I receaued fauors binding me to spend my life for those Ladies a generall debt due to al Dames but as my happie starres hadde predestinated mee to bee yours appointing the particularity of my soule for your seruice I could not staye there seeking onely your Heauen where my glory is inclosed And that you may no longer doubt what I once would haue assured with my lifes dearest blood le ts reade this letter which the Romaine Ladies haue sent me so Rosamond read it thus TO the forgetfull and excellent vnmindfull Prince of Dacia the forgotten Roselia health So much hath the anger of thy carelesse regarde vnkind and more vngratefull Prince preuailed with mee that the note wherewith the worlde may marke me for hauing fixt mine eyes with some affection on thy person could no way let me from doing this Notwithstanding I resolued to breake with my fame so I might let thee knowe the vnkindnesse and vnkind dealing thou shewdst me which the meanest Ladye in the worlde without reuenge woulde not haue indured I expect no remedie nor thy comming for hee that so soone departed and ioyeth therein his returne shoulde seem to be impossible although the law of Knight-hood binds thee to bee a prisoner My griefe not the continnance of my teares giues leaue to bee no longer being confounded with a Thousand contrarieties among which thou being the cause I rest wishing thou mayest yet acknowledge it The beauteous Rosamōd could not otherwise do but shew some féeling with the amorous letter but as the others discōtent might not be remedied but to her cost that quickly was ouerblowen remayning nothing penitent for it None enioying a good would euer loose it to please another and so she sayd In faith no reason hath this Lady to complaine of Don Eleno since hee is not bound to loue but her that first challenged him T is so most beauteous Princesse replyed he for many dayes after I had ynough to wéepe remembring I looked on her with any affection seeing the happines the Heauens had in store kept for mee In like discourse did these louers driue away the night where wee must leaue them preparing for the Iusts to record the matter in the next Chapter remembred CHAP. XIII The aduenture that the warlike Rosabell and his friende Oristoldo Prince of Antioche founde in the woodes of Grecia and how they disinchanted the gallant Tartarian Zoylo HOw greatly the Magician Selagio procured a dyre reuenge vpon the Princes of Gréece the course of this large History amply mētioneth for the desolation they had made of his whole progenie beginning with the mightie Mandroco whom Rosicler called the Knight of Cupid slue in the Empire of Gréece as was expreste in the second of the first part which desire hee still prosecuting he busied himselfe dayly in no other thinge thē the instant procurement of the vilde execution of his damned intent and being so great a Nygromant he founde by his art there should be in Gréece a most cruell warre wherwith it should be at the point of an vtter ouerthrowe Also he founde that the Souldan of Nyquea should be an ayder to the Gréekes the which to preuent hee stole away Rosabell so soone as he was borne from Oliuias armes and carrying him away he set him in Nyquea in the Souldans pallaice to be brought vp with two little children of his a Sonne a Daughter foreseing that louing and stealing her thēce might be the cause to mooue him with all his power to procure his reuenge for so gread a wronge This plot was not in vaine as hath and shal be shewed for by this meanes he disappointed Greece of this help So not pawsing here he made his coniurations and exorcismes wherewith hee tooke those fiue Princes which he educated in his Castle as the president part recordes hauing long before prohibited that the valiant Tartare might not enioy his beloued Tigliaffa because he knewe that by that Coniunction at the time that Lirgandeo succored him should be ingendred the mightest Knight in the world and he that should most be-friend the Grecians A great hinderance did he Iudge this for his pretence and therefore ordered that hauing drunke the amorous water which Lirgandeo in the Forrest gaue him as in the first booke of the second part is expressed hee shoulde meete with the mightie Brufaldoro making with him that cruell battle wherein he wished not his death but only that hee should not ioyne with his Ladie that came to seeke him finding him in maner already recited till she supposing hee had been dead he built him that admirable monumēt where he set the Ladie vnderstanding she should many yeres there remaine And though Lirgandeo hadd placed there for the Dame that keeper which the Emperour Alphebo slue trauelling that waye in companie of the valiant King of Cerdenna within there was others so stronge that the inchanter Selagio rested sure that none woulde haue the power to disinchant him hauing
another that almost in two peeces deuided he fell vpon the paued floore At what time the Gyant came foming through his Beuer like a chafed boare and raysing his horrible mace would execute his blowe with his lightnesse the louer shunned it arriuing with a happie stroake for it cut his mace and his left hande whose paine made the gyant roare like a Bull whereat Oristoldo that was without also feared he gaue backe yet not before the Prince hadd entred with a mortall thrust pittifully wounding him on the brest By this had he drawne a strong axe wherewith he marched against the Gréeke Hercules giuing so manye and so mightie blowes that he néeded all his skill to frée himselfe from them and at length one reached him with such puissance that falling on his rich helme it made him set hands and knées on the grounde hee followed with another which made him thinke he was in Heauen so neare him he saw the starrie Firmament he loste much blood thorowe his Beuer which was the cause altogether to inrage him And ere hee gaue him another hee rose laying on his legge as he past so braue a blow that it cut it cleane off This was the blowe that gaue him the victorie for following him as he wanted his legge he stumbled with his head at the Princes féet who receaued him with a blowe with both handes on his helme whose two fingers thicknes was cut wounding him on the head that the blood issued in gret aboundance though with trouble yet hee raysed himselfe stāding vpon one foot which litle auailed him for wāt of the excesse of blod he had lost by his 4 woūds which had broght him to the passe that he could no lōger stād on foot This noted the Britannicke Lord and warding his last blow he closed with him giuing another which hée felt no lesse then the others No other remedie had the diuilish Gyant but to cast his armes about him crushing him so strongly that he oftē lost his breath To end this warre Rosabell drewe foorth Hectors dagger and twice stabbing it within his infernall bodie at the last he drew it foorth with the Gyants life and soule remayning so weary that he could not stirre but séeing what he wanted to doe he stayed for Oristoldo to buckle on his Gauntlet which in the beginning hee had lost who did it with exceeding ioy to sée what he had done Hée straight tooke his leaue of him and taking his shéeld marched towards the second Arch where was a bigge proportioned Knight armed all in azuce armour with barres of gréene ammell who came to Rosabell and saying neuer a word drew foorth a most rich sword the like did the Greeke and at once discharged the waight of eythers armes that both field and Castle did resound The Knight of the Arche tooke him vpon his Helme and made no impression there through the finesse thereof yet it made him set handes and knées vpon the ground He scapte not better for the swoord being incomparable reaching him on a side it pared away halfe the helme and with but a litle more strength taking him full it hadd doone the like of his head yet the furious blowe past forwards throwing downe a peece of his shield Like an aspen leafe the sight of his enemies blowes made him tremble seing that euery time he reached him both armour and flesh he cut his lightnes not his inchantments here auayled him for his aduersaries sword was of more antiquitie and so hee was faine with nimblenes to defend himselfe entring and sallying to Rosabels cost So sidelong he gaue such a blowe that he made him giue backe so much that hee almost fell he was so quicke that with a counter-buffe he helped him to it and iustling him with his sholders he almost ouerthrewe him if he had not fallen on his hands The occasion would not the inchanted youth omit for with both hands he gaue him such a blowe vppon his shoulders that the paine made him roare a loude but as hee ended so great was the inraged kindled wrath which in the Gréekes brest burnt that the hunted Lyon by the furious ounce was inferior to it and méeting with his enemie he gaue him a mightie wound on his breast which verie neare did cut the bone This contented not the angry youth for hee gaue him another vppon his helme leauing him their pitiously wounded The gallant louer considering how much hee had to doe hastened the end of the battle and therefore they assaulted with their swordes crosse and with a spéedie trauesse the Gréeke voyded his aduersaries stroake and like an Eagle on the left-side he entred with a downe right blowe that his thigh was cut away It caused the inchanted Knight intollerable griefe but it was no time for pitie with a poynt he pierst his arme and followed it with such desire that hee of the Castle procured to cut away his cushes It was no ill deuise for giuing him a mighty blowe on the legges he so tormented them that had he at that instāt closed he had obtained the victorie but he staid himselfe with another that at his waste he let flie which wounded him though but little Till then was neuer séene a more crueller battaile for the Greeke is almost tired and with many blowes that brused his flesh and thought his enemie farre more nimbler thē at first though besmeared with his owne blood that from his woundes yssued It was an admirable thing to see the horror that their swordes made which excéeded the gyanticke noise in Vulcans worke-house when those armes were forged which the Gréeke woare who putting his trust in them letting fall his shield with both hands hee went to his enemie that being alreadie resolued to die killing or be kild in like manner came against him and together they discharged such blowes that the Greeke Prince fell down voyding blood from his eyes nostrels and mouth he recouered himselfe a while after and loking for his enemie hee founde him on the earth for though the blowe was not on the head lighting on his shoulder it cut him down vnto the bone casting him dead vpon the ground He reioyced to haue obtained the victorie though he remayned so brused that hee was faine to sit downe and take of his helme to wipe away the blood of from his face Oristoldo and Allirio then came for as he wonne the arches they past forwards which they could not doe till the end of euery battle They demaunded how he felt himselfe weary replyed hee though glad to haue ended so dangerous a battle as with the Knight in the azure armor he would no longer abide but taking his weapons went to the thirde arche where walked a Knight nothing inferior to the former armed all in yellow armor barred with azure This thus sayd Knight I esteeme honor thee as thy merits doe deserue for the haughty deedes thou hast done which none else in the vniuerse could
more strength was all in armor quartered in gréene and azure with many stones that marueilously adorned it In the middle of his shield was set the picture of Amitie as in antient times she was paynted in forme of thrée Ladies her in the middle all naked and shee on the right side halfe couered and the other altogether with this word Against this sacred trinitie No death did ere preuaile To massaker this dietie To be no lesse gallant then amiable did the Knight manifest himselfe for hee was that Gracious Oristoldo Prince of Annoch the other was the valiant Tartarian Zoylo whose armes were of an Indian colour with starres of gold and on his shield the Image of distrust with this Motto After a tedious griefe Commeth a sweete reliefe That all distrust abandones They went vnto the Ladies standing giuing the lysts to the flower of armes and beautie Rosabell and the faire Archisilora Quéene of Lyra. The hawghtie youth had on the best armor of the world of cleane fine tempered stéele grauen with flowers of diuers colours made with precious stones in such artificiall manner that no hart could more desire In azure field vpon his shield was portrayed a fierie Chariot and within it a Ladie who carried away perforce stretched foorth her arme vnto a Knight that stood on a bancke vppon the Sea Coast that he should succour her with this inscription on his behalfe Onely fortune may remoue thee From this hart that thee adores which in darknesse now still oâ—es Wanting the Sun-shine of thy beautie The warlyke Matrone was in Carnation and gréene armour with many gallant workes In the middle of her shielde was onely a faire white hand wrapt in this word This onely canne discouer The cause of loues remouer And when it listes giue fauor To the poore distressed louer They turned about prawnsing till they came vnder the windowes where the Prince Rosicler with his deare Oliuia sat to whom at what time they bewailed the losse of their Sonne they made a lowe obeysance and the Sonne to his Father thus began So little it is since our company hath arryued in his Countrey most excellent Prince that it knowes not the conditions of the Iustes And so for that I haue farre froÌ„ hence seene you and so long acknowledged you for my Lord vnto the death I doe beséech you to tell vs what herein is wonne or lost The voice that was impressed in his soule the Gréeke séemed to remember therefore with some alteration he made answere These tryumphes gracious Knight are to please the Ladies for their gallants doe delight to hazarde their liues in of celebrating their gallantnesse And so may you Iust though I am sure your valour will want matter to extend it selfe vpon intreating you that ere you depart you will speake vnto mee for I beléeue we haue in some place been alone with some content He bowed his head signe that he would obay and so returned with his companioÌ„ leauing the Prince telling his Lady what had happened with him who with infinit sobs and sighes prayed God he might be their lost Sonne What befell the next Chapter shall relate for I feare in this I shal be condemned of prolixitie CHAP. XVI The cruell battle betweene Rosabell and Archisilora with the two hawghtie Louers The end thereof with the knowledge of them all ALthough the Rodiant heauenly harnest téeme had almost ended his dayly goldeÌ„ progresse in the West yet to enioy the battle of the foure most famousest in arms he staied his fiery horses turning their proud vnbridled heads towardes the place of Greece which at this time according to the ecchoing noise therein it semed some generall battle was fought for the vulgar comunalty affecting the new adueÌ„turers with confused voyces made doubtfull the combates successe I shall not néede swéete Ladies to pray your attentioÌ„ for this war being for beauty I shold not perswade you to it yet being néedy in witt and hauing none but with laborious toyle What 's drawen froÌ„ the flowing current of your fauors I must still implore it without which in a swéet pleasant stile ill canne I paynt forthwith wordes such amorous though rigorous blowes as heere were giuen The two warlike louers opposed themselues in their Carrier while the Mirror of beauty her coÌ„panion did the like They prickt forth swifter then an aierie thought None mist the incounters for rather they were made with more horror then the roaring Baseliskes do make They passe shiuering their launces in a thousand pieces by each other with such grace that loue himselfe they inamored setting downe also principles of war for the mighty God of battles which he semed not to disdaine euen in his fift throne They turned about but with such fury that the farthest remooued looker on trembled at the view They drewe foorth the best blades in the world the two louers closed to wound each other but there swords froÌ„ their armor rebouÌ„ded vpwards Their dexteritie inwards disliked them supposing it impaired their valour so they seconded their blows with such wrath that their heads kist their saddle bowes Longer had the Dacian vsed his weapons and was by nature couragious but the gallant Britanian youth admits no comparatiue for al the place admired his ligeritie Againe they ioyned astonished that their swords did not cut Aloft offered the Greeke his blow hauing an eye still at his ayme as his strength was exceeding in the middest of his race he stayed turning it inwards and discharging it he made him sée a number numberlesse of stars doubling him vpon his horse back At large on his brest he gaue him another that had not Brutus armor defended him hee had inlarged his imprisoned soule A rauening Tygre nor angred Lyon depriued of his pray was neuer seen more furious then the Dacian did become and finding his enemie neere hee let flie at him twoo thrustes one after another that they left him breathlesse they guyrded hym so sorylie hee had not executed them when casting aside his shielde on the side of his helme hee gaue him such a counterbuffe that it made him turne his head more then he willingly woulde haue done Of a long time had not Greece been witnesse to a fiercer combate for the hastening of their blowes their warding assaulting and retires a larger Chapter doe require Giue me leaue swéete Ladies to tell you what passed betweene the twoo Matrones who like mountaine Lyonesses the one against the other returned with their raised swords Little gets the Quéene of Lyra for Rosamond weares the best arms weapoÌ„s in the vniuerse for which cause she cut away al her plumed top with halfe of her stéeled circuit and a peece of her shielde Better did she not speed with the blowe she receaued for voyding much blood through her visor she cast her ouer her horse crooper she seconded another when she would rise with no lesse force she had no other remedie but outwards to put
brought the fortunes of his loue to that passe that he manifested apparant tokens of the same loosing the roseat colour of his face shunning the conuersation of all his friends kinsfolkes who in nothing more than in pastimes busied themselues All the Court did note it and some that would shew themselues his friends required of him the cause of his discontent he denied it to them all for none loued with more secrecie A deede most meritorious for his Ladie to fauoure him But she was so free that to continue it for all shee loued him as her selfe she would neuer let him know it and so thence forwardes the opportunitie that occasion appointed him she would disappoint by choosing foorth some other companie which was a new kinde of tormenting martirdome for the afflicted Prince He tooke counsell vnable longer to dissemble with the Countie of Acantos sonne a youth wittie and discreet called Palisandro to whome he disclosed his griefes whose repetition séemed to encrease them his squire comforted him the best he could saying how in that age it was so common to be alienated that to be so meanes was found therein to suffer any crosse and willed him to consider with what troubles his Father had loued not noly to his cost but of al Greeces that he shold know there could be no pleasure with a desired end vnles the meanes thereto were difficult and vnpleasant for they are the reward of the thing procured making the end to be esteamed according to their value T is true good Palisandro answeared the Prince yet thou knowest with what sinceritie my Father was beloued And being the cause of such bloodie cruell warres in Grecia yet knew he not what it was to be in the Empresse my mothers disgrace And I am sure should I demaund her for my wife my Lord the Emperour being a mediator I should not be denied her But there are a thousand incōueniences and all to defame my Fame and stayne the honor and reputation of my hopes for it wil presently be sayd that the feare to attaine vnto the winter of my deedes to recoumpt an haruest of honourable actes accomplisht aduētures hath daūted the nonage of my glory mixt the springing of my yeres with ignoble slothfulnesse therefore since I must loue giue me some remedie to quyet my thoughts be it but in disguise or fayned I finde none other sayd the Page but that you wryte for when she sées by experience how constantly she is loued she cannot be so cruell but will be moued reading vnder so firme a firme what the soule hath most firme Oh Palisandro replyed he who may write being thus with woes tormented vnles hee should set downe he knoweth not what T is that sayd the Page which must with effect speake in your behalfe besides there is no carelessenes betwene louers but procéedes of care well seing t is so spake the Gréeke how wilt thou conuay it to her I shall sayd hee want no good occasion for the deliuery in the Court So they went to write with more feare in the louer then if hee went to combate with his father The page tooke the letter promising to deliuer it in her owne hands though hee indāgered his life therby fortune gaue him leaue to do it oh if she would effect as she giues occasion none would euer complaine of her For Rosamond and she being at a windowe that looked to the Sea discoursing of loue though Don Elenos were already knowen yet the Quéene delighted with the newe maner of woing in Calidonia Sometimes in their talke wold they stumble on the gallant Prince whose qualities the Princesse praysed aboue the skies without suspition of any thing else and sayd I doe not doubt sweete Quéene but some absent loues doe make him thus to languish for his sodaine change in so few dayes cannot come from any thing else Euery time deare Princesse replyed the Quéene that gallants will seeme so their Ladies are not bound to fauour them to their honours costs though they greatly loue Then Rosamond neuer did any liue by louing that woulde not remedie the thing loued seing it languish in paine for herein is the tryall of loue not to consent the languishing of the thinge loued although the louer in that remedie doe a Thousand times indanger his life And considering your highnesse words I now estéeme the Gréeke Ladies as cruell as they are beautifull for on that ground they built their crueltie a thinge that so much blemisheth the noblenesse the adornes them T is not so much answered the Quéene as is their small sufferance to dissemble their Ladies coynesse Then the wary Palisandro caused to passe that waye with slowe paces because he might be seene who straight knowing him they called to whom Rosamond spake .. Come hither gentle Page it hath been told vs that your Lord Prince Claridiano wil absent himselfe from Court because he cannot brooke so long absence and truly hee doth well if he thinke the sight of his Ladie will adde more content vnto his thoughts then now he sheweth heere flying from vs all publishing he liues best in solitude Of his departure I knowe nothing answered Palisandro sauing of his woes as he that dayly receaueth them no lesse to see how he pines away and I dare well affirme no Knight euer loued with a more constant faith nor none intreated with more crueltie a thing that would haue mooued a Tygre to pittie and so I thinke yf the Ladye continue in her rygor we shall very shortly see him dead Oh God forfend it sayd the dissembling Quéene but tell me hath not he manifested to his Lady the sorrow payne that norishes him His eyes replyed he are they that speak by signes Why then sayde Rosamond shee is in Gréece that is cause of his maladie So farre as I haue spoke replyed he knowe I of his departure life and loues for hee would not wrong his Lady as to tell me her name or who she is In faith answered the Princesse yf his loues agrée with his outward effectes he is iniustly vsed There is no doubt thereof sayd he for what the face expresseth procéedes from the aboundance that is inclosed in a little corner of his brest that yeildes assurance of the ouermuch the soule indures Thy Lord will loose nothing sayd the Quéene by aggrauating the little he doth suffer Then he I am so fearefull most excellent Quéene of his life that I cannot but acquaint euery one with his discontent which hath not been to small effect since it is a meanes to moue his Soueraigne Princesse to pittie him They could no lōger talk for the Empresse Briana called thē As they past they being so nigh the bould Page thrust the letter into the Queenes hand She could not choose but take it least the Princesse should perceaue it seing her somewhat moued Shee presently procured to withdrawe into her Chamber not to read it for a Thousand times shee was
him that had he not been so yoked to the beauteous Liriana surely some other had cured him for this Ladie was of the fairest in the world and hauing séene her valour might haue moued any ones affectiō yet was he a little amazed though applyed Phisicke doth not altogether heale yet at lest it takes away some hurting quames Remembring himselfe with a chéerefull looke he sayd In faith valiant Ladie I must néeds confesse I wrōged your beauty in taking the battaile from yonder Knight since by the one and by the other your honour was so great Shee answered I would not sir Knight haue you so soone shew your selfe against me iesting at that little the heauens haue on you imparted the which my good wil to worke your cōtent deserueth not specially since I saw you at the Iusts in Constantinople where I had been glad you had stayed to see the end of them that you might not be deceaued with my little beauty in that against so many Knights as thither came two Ladies wonne the prizes whose rare beauties made Cinthia pale and Venus blacke and I thinke Mars reserued not for himselfe more valour then he gaue them eyther was accompanied with a Knight no lesse then they adorned with grace and Fortitude who after were knowne to be the one for Nephewe and the other being Don Eleno Prince of Dacia couzen to the Emperour Trebatio The ladies were Archisilora Quéene of Lyra and the other Rosamond Princesse of Callidonia These be they braue knight whom the world should iustly serue and acknowledge for Soueraignes therof for their beauties doth deserue it You haue highly fauored me faire Lady sayd he telling me such famous Tryumphes as the Greekes haue had and you shal make it compleate binding me to your seruice to make mee partaker of your name and Eountrey I am content aunswered the Dame for in all things I desire to pleasure you my name is Sarmacia Princesse of Lacedemon and through a certaine aduenture in quest of a Knight I came to Greece which hath not a little contented mee hauing enioyed the sight of your valour With the greatest ioy in the world dyd Bembo rise and sayd Oh Soueraigne Princesse I beséech you giue mee your Royall handes for onely to me is this fauor due as to your couzen Bembo being the Knight that stands before you In her Countrey had the Ladye heard admirable report of that Princes valour and howe neere of kinne they were his Mother being her Fathers Sister In her soule did she reioyce to bee acquainted with him so she imbraced him vsing many kindnesse betwene them confirming the Consanguinitie among them with their pleasaunt couersation which was not to so small effect but after it greatlye auayled towardes the concluding of the geneall peace In their discourse hee could not but discouer to her his Loues and losse of Liriana which so tormented him with repetition thereof that hee could not but watter them with many teares more like a tender Louer then a warlike Knight whose enemies they be His faire couzen did comfort him with these words Courage braue Knight for onely it must set your Ladye in your handes and be not amazed nor wonder at Loues proceeding For his vnconsuming fier pardons none but rather shewes it selfe most furious against them that are with lesse care onely that it may bee knowen yf there bee anye plague worse then other in the world t is subiect to his more fiercer torments and that he is whom ought to be acknowledged for sole Supreame Lord of the vniuerse A mallady is yours so common that hauing many to bee companions in it it may be some cause to lessen the paine that particulerly is receaued And it is not possible the place where your Ladye is inchaunted should be so secret as not to bee knowne and being for what shall your valerous arme serue but to fetch her forth though in the enterprize wee loose our liues and my selfe from this time offer myne to bee imployed in any thing you shall néede That 's not it swéete couze that grieues me replyed the amorous youth but to haue heard the in her house company a knight was brought vp whom t was told me she loued as her soule t is suspected this was he that stole her from Nyquea though I was there assured that hee had also lost her why that 's an easie remedy sayd she by taking away the Knights lyfe from betwene you And if altogether fortune will persecute vs with barbarous crueltie there are other Ladies on whome you may imploy your thoughts that may be no lesse beautifull then the Princesse of Nyquea though hers be so matchlesse as you say whereto he replyed Onely that doe I feare excellent Lady that loue will bring me to that passe that I shall not loue what I doe now And in faith beleeue me to a true louer nothing but this is odious For he that loueth onely in this procures to propagate his Fame leauing in hand of inconstant fortune the remedie from the partie loued who seing how shee is loued and for her sake what is suffered she may bestow her guerdon not as this deserues but according to the liberall fauors that louers vse In this that were these amorous Princes when along the same meadowe they spyed a Knight comming in rich white armor with many knots of gold and greene about them on his shield in the middle of many flames was set a faire Cytie Straight did she knowe him and it was not a little she did in not manifesting her loue with the ioye she conceaued to see her deare Oristides who was he that came At that instant she laced on her helme saying to Bembo Behold yonder deare couzen the whole remaynder of destroyed Troy beleeue me the world hath not a better Knight I am glad you are in such an occasion present for I haue a combate to performe against him agreede vpon in Lacedemon where we had a certaine controuersie But that arryued the gallant Troyan verie glad to see them so well armed hee saluted them and sayd Can you tell me sir Knights any newes of a Knight in Indian colour armour with seauen starrs vpon his shield who maks me seek him with more care about these wods then I haue reason for The Ladie made answere we haue not seene him sir Knight but according to the care you saye you haue to seke him no maruel if you bee carelesse of a battle you appointed at Lacedemon for t is an ignominious wrong you offer to your person not to performe your promise hauing giuen as a pledge of your word fayth some of your armour In quiet did not the Louer liue after he departed from her he had present lamenting her absence with continuall teares a true token of his alienation yet coulde not he thinke that his Lady should depart from her Country to séeke him So he replyed Truely sir Knight you doe me wronge to charge
a while of Claridiano whome with obliuion we haue greatly wronged CHAP. XXII How Prince Claridiano arriued in the Kingdome of Esclauonia and what aduentures there befell him AFfectionate to the valoure of the Blacke Knight departed the Gréeke Prince vnable to imagine whom so faire a Lady shold bee which hee iudged to remaine within that tower inchanted but as he in sorrow progrest hee woulde with nothing ioy nor in any delight thinking he wronged his Ladye to conuerse with pleasing thoughts hauing forsaken Grecia in her disgrace He crost all the Macedonian Sea sayled alonge the Coast of Panonia Foure dayes and on the fift his inchāted bark furrowed the raging billowes of the Illyrium Sea till the Tenth day that it ran alande in an vnknowen port where he leapt on shoare hauing nor méeting any of whom he might demaunde where he was arriued Vpon his Zephirus he mounted that horse which he with such immortall honour wonne at the Nabatran Feasts as the second part rezited His Heroyke cariage better denoted him to bee the Sonne of Mars then Claridianas of-spring his shield he caryed at his backe and his launce on his shoulder with his Beuer vp In this maner laden with Millions of grieuous passions he tooke in hast the most vsed path through which hee had not far gone when the same way he saw a knight comming as fast as his horse could runne He stept before him demaunding the cause therof but he was so grieued that he could or would not tell it Whereat the afflicted Prince beeing abashed with the Knightes discourtesie hauing his launce aboue hand strucke him with it from his horse saying Now discourteous Knight shall you perforce tell mee what I intreated you or else I will let foorth your life So did he set the pike of his launce at his brest threatning him with death if he tolde not who fearing it replyed Pardon me sir Knight for the greefe I had made mee thus forget my selfe but know you are in the kingdome Esclauonia very nere the auntient Citie Zantho where at this time the King kéepes his Court accompted one of the famosest in the world He hath a Daughter for her beautie called the second Venus whose excellencies are sayd to surpasse the Mother of Loues Of this Lady the Sonne of the Siconian Sophi became amorous who hath with him foure Brothers no lesse mighty then himselfe he hath shewen himselfe so affectionate towardes the second Venus that he demaunded Lycense to keepe a brydge in her name maintayning that hee alone deserues to bee beloued of her and none like him to loue her It is knowen she nothing respectes him as he would for which cause many do aduenture against him but most vnequall and vniust is the fight in that yf any ouerthrowes them all with the launce they altogether assault the Conquerour with their swords and they being so valiant many in the enterprize haue lost their liues and others their Fame amonge the last was a couzen of the Prince of Croatia that at the third incounter was ouerthrowen So I was going to aduertize the Prince my Lord thereof that no lesse then the Siconian doteth on the beauteous Venus who by a certaine aduenture was stayed at the Sea coast where we all landed with two fierce Gyants to guard him hym went I to call to reuenge the misfortune of his couzen This sir Knight is all I knowe of this Country in which I haue not béen foure dayes The Prince greatlye thanked him for his relation and parting from him entred to passe the heate of the day among those braunched trées from whence there rose a spring wherein he washt his face and drunke of the water vnbrydling his horse that he might féede on the grasse For himselfe would he no other foode but the glory of his thoughts Vppon the grasse hee laye himselfe alonge breathing forth his soule in sighes which still with euerye no thing séemed to increase to the Louers good where he began to extend the eyes of his imaginations through the vast Sea of passions wherein he was ouerwhelmed thinking that by little and little his life consumed remembring how disdainfully the Quéen of Lyra had reiected him louing her more then himselfe and not able to conceaue wherein he had offended her Hee had no other comfort then to exclaime on loue not because he was his vassayle but that he had made him so vnfortunate as that although hee had admitted the greatest paine for his speciall consolatiō yet it was prohibited from her knowledge which cōsideration bereft him of his wits but that he set his hopes on Galtenor to procure all possible meanes for his redresse A while to ease his sorrow he would communicate it to the gentle buzing wind and flowred field with more grace and swéetnesse then the famoused Thracian Poet. To strengthē his voice and helpe his thoughts he sate him downe vnder a Béech not farre from the spring singing thus Suspicious doubts that in my amorous minde Do still make warre against my good opposed Sometimes I happie victorie doe finde Ouer the mortall euill me inclosed Sometimes you immitate the angrie Dame To banish me my Ioy from her sweet name Yet happie be my thoughts more happie I Thinking her present in my miserie Who hath not ioy'd in woes and smilde in paine Seing his Ladie causer of his griefe Who is' t of any sorrow doth complaine Hauing his Loue at hand to yeild reliefe Who hath not been preseru'd who ere destroy'd The title of true Loue that ere enioy'd Hauing to witnes of his mortall paine She that can only rich him by her gaine There is no good compared to her presence Without her sorrow sollace doth confound In whome we well know by experience The Louer findes a salue for his deepe wound As by her presence heauie harts are eased So by her absence harts sores are increased Since none may therefore liue an absent life Pittie oh pittie loue and end this strife Here brake of the Gréeke with many sobs pitifull grones giuing a begining to his lamēts in this maner O tēder yeres to to much tried on the tuch-stone of my ladies coynes O cruelty shewē against none but him that liues by louing ioying in nothing but to be anothers wherefore soueraigne Quéene leftst thou me with life yf shold I liue dying tutord in nothing but thy loue and in my soule to adore thy perfections What honor hast thou swéete Lady got to banish me from thy sight with such crueltie what didst thou loose admitting my paine caused by the effect of thy beautie I did not procure manifesting the same thou shouldest loue me or comiserate my harme but I prayed leaue to loue languish till the death acōpting that a swéet life imployed in this But to forbid me yet alone to worshipp thée who will reioyce in such crueltie but Achisilora whose disdaine I haue do féele to equall her perfectiōs more thē humane A noyse he
giue you your swoord for it was not lawfull it shoulde come to another Maister hauing been the Gréeke Princes because it were so to wronge him Greater is that it now receaues deuine Ladye answered hee that hauing béen in your beauteous handes it shoulde come to the most vnfortunatest in the worlds wide continent Name no more that fearefull Epetithe sayde she for you make me thinke you are ill conditioned to loue one of the worst parts incident in any gallant for he that the power of disfauour forceth to deny the acknowledgmēt of his fortune in his good imployment is the apparent witnessing hee not so much estéemes his Ladye as hee ought for if she liues beloued a disfauour at their handes must bee accompted a greate fauour Your excellent beautye replyed the Prince hath greate reason and I confesse my fault for all it procéeded from an amorus passion Whatsoeuer how great soeuer said the Ladie procéeding frō Loue is worthie of pardon for none that truly loues is subiect to any on the earth but to the thing loued which is esteamed for life reputed for a lawe honoured as a King and obayed as a Lord and since in loue nothing is required but a perpetuall acknowledgement thereof héere let vs no longer staye but instruct Fausta in what she hath to doe Palisandro shall doe that replied the Prince who must stay with her suffering none to come in with any light and when the challenge is knowen then publish my extremitie to be most Héereuppon descended the twoo chiefe Beauties of the world into the garden where O Archysilora who shoulde haue tould thée so with what gréefe wouldest thou haue heard it is it possible thou shouldest be so carelesse as not to respect the loyaltie of the Gréeke Prince who being alone with her that challenged equalitie of thée remembred nothing but the battaile armor and horse chéefly She gaue him a stéeled temper one of the best that the earth possest saying This braue Prince was his that raysed the buildings of this Cittie of which a wise man tould me that it should come to the handes of the famousest Knight and greatest Louer of the world and with it he should terminate many haughtie aduentures and I thinke in all thinges hee did lye except in this for comming to your handes the earthes glorie doth ingraten them It is a guift most soueraigne Ladie said he to end any enterprise hauing béen obtayned by the woonderfullest hap euer recorded The Ladie had in that nothing missaide for that next to the Creator in a thousand places it did saue his life the first being in the battaile against the fearefull Ballurdano for so was the diuilish Gyant called The Prince did put it on hauing neuer as he thought séene a better in all his life and shee closed the buckles with more grace then strength Hee made an end of arming and his armour being of a rose colour grauē with gréene ameld flowers he rested the best accomplisht knight that might be séene The beauteous Venus could not but imbrace him saying In this doe I now wrong Archisilora but so I may with truth say I had the flower of Knighthood twixt mine armes I am bould to doe it vowing héereafter to amend it with my vtmost power With whatsoeuer gracious Princesse your Highnes shal vnto me doe replied he I am the man that onely thereby gaines though I wish my friend were in my place For among such there must be nothing but ought to be participated twixt both Now am I sorrowfull that I did it for said she it is the greatest wrong my fauors could receaue seing you tell me that not louing your friend I am the looser being before I am intreated vsed with such disdaine and till another time I will deferre my reuenge for this iniurie When it shall please you gallant Ladie replied hee will I receaue the paine of your inflicted punishment though séeing it must procéede from these hands I wrong it with that name here ending she led him to a wicket that to the fieldes did open made with barres of strongest stéele and opening it with a kisse she sayde I would to God renowned Prince I were a Knight in this Iourney to accompanye you the better to ioy your haughtye Cheualries It suffizeth for my glorie and the happye successe of them Heauenly Venus answered hee that in your name I vnder-goe them Yet yf that were so replyed the Ladye more ioyfuller should I remayne So here departing she gaue him a Thousande imbracemenets suffitient to Metamorphize the weakest Lambe into the strongest Lyon Hee tooke his leaue of her entring through a wood where what did happen vnto him the insuing Chapter shall memorize CHAP. XXV What happened to the Prince Claridiano with a Knight with whom he went to the Citie to combate against the Gyants BOund in his soule till death swéet Ladies did the mightie Nephew of Trebatio leaue the famous Citie of Xantho séeing with what carefull kindnes the beauteous Venus had procured his libertie so he fully resolued either to loose his life were it ten times ten thousand times more pretious or else to take her thence espowsing her vnto his friend if so she would and that she ment it he had receaued some hopes therof from her in the tower the first night The imagination of his vndertaken enterprise though of such consequence could not diuert him finding himselfe alone amongest those big branching oakes from remembring the tirānie wherewith he was vsed forgetting his promise of Patience that the same night hee past vnto the Princesse but there can be none being in his estate He sate him downe at the foote of a spreading Béech making the Eccho of his voice reiterate the repetition of his woes and tempering them with the fauours the Princesse Venus had done him he warbled foorth this Dittie What auailes it me to ioy Or for to renew my loue Since my Queene is nice and coy And my fauoures doth reprooue She is angrie full of yre Though her fauour I desire What resteth then since ioy and hope is spent In these extreames but to be patient Who is it that liues content And doth lead an absent life Who doth loue that is exempt From endlesse paine and bitter strife As her presence bringeth Ioy So her absence breedes annoy He ended saying what doth it auaile Sacred Venus so haue set me at libertie by those diuine hands of thine with hope that I might be the meanes to frée him frō prison that is wronged to be kept therein if thou shouldest leaue me in a perpetuall Gaole where it is impossible either for my selfe to frée my selfe or any else to aide me in distresse I will imbrace my death and my Lady doth procure it why therfore comes there to mee so great a good going to craue a licence to end my ill ioyed life vnles she doe replie me with a no Turbulent stormes are these which only a hart with passions
so braue a cōbate thither came The old men ioyed to sée what their age prohibited The beauteous Dames and rarest Ladies to sée by example the power of their working beauty came glad vnto the field making that more brighter then the imperiall heauen because glorifyed with the radiant splendor of more dazeling Sunnes with admiration to eternize that warre And once againe with more attention silence awayted the gallant louers the discharging of euery blow for euery one the was worthy note procéeded from the force of loue And all in generall greatly argued which of the two Knights should be most valerous for both so well pleased with their gallantnesse the spectators that most with a partiall voyce expected the combate Of thosē that least feared was the Princesse Venus none who at that instant accompanyed with manye Ladies more glorious then Apollos shine had set her selfe at her windowe that ouer the Knights looked all apparelled in gréene to let the dispayrer know how much she relyed on his valour On her head a Coronet of her owne haire shee had set remayning with such a naturall true perfect beauty that I know not who at the verie sight would not haue made her Soueraigne of his soule Is this the Lady demaunded the Dacian gainst whome the wrong is done and we séeke to right And I thinke it a happy lyfe to loose it in the seruice that shal aduance her content For her beauty doth deserue it and few or none there is that may compare with hers It is so Braue Knight answered the Prince that you may knowe what fauour wee haue on her behalfe The noyse that the common people made with the comming of the Gyantes interrupted their talke from farther procéeding Many Knights Nobles to please the Kinge and the Prince Lindauro accompanied them yet none would they trust with their heauy weapons but their owne timbered shoulders Both had one deuise on their Indian coulord armour grauen with many Lillies on the same were mounted on mighty horses for such they had néed be to support their hugenes Hauing marshalled the field with the vsuall rites they set the Knights each opposite against the other and the Iudges tooke their places Balurdano was by nature so insolent that séeing they somewhat ouer-long did stay said haue done with your new inuented folish ceremonies for longer you are about them then I vse in the winning of a pitched field Peace proude hellish beast said the Gréeke him hauing sorted and required for his enemie for now thou art in place where déedes must more helpe thée then arrogant vaine boasting woordes He would not answere for he could not his rage so choaked him He turned his horse with such a curuet that aboue foure trēbled borne to armes and valour All of them placed themselues to fling against his enemie thinking the fearefull signall ouer-long was kept But O yée Angels of chastitie Vesta's only virgins and Ladies of all rarieties you that hitherto disquieted with desire haue expected this instant now setled before the sacred sinode of your perfections in presence of your celestiall beauties they beséech that with all intention possible you make them Victors with your conquering lookes For considering the ligeritie of the foaming Tyrio champing on his bit no maruaile if by a little diuerting your sunny eyes you loose the enioying of so braue an encounter as the Dacian made who being mounted on the earths best horse was first in méeting of his enemies They encountred with more terror then the noise of two discharged fild Cannons That happened to the Sonne which the Father would not haue beléeued for the bigge launces shiuered in thousand péeces they met so furiously with their horses that the Gyant with his tumbled to the ground sore bruised with the fall The lusty Tyrio by the force of the shocke was driuen backwards thrée or foure steps so disorderly that the Dacian to auoyde occasion of some disgrace leapt from him like to a long wingd hawke leauing the behoulders not a litle affectionated to him and no lesse the beauteous Venus that in her hart reioyced with the braue encounter that the Knihgt had made All the spectators commended him with loude voices not regarding the gréefe that the King and the Sophy might conceaue with that successe imagining that the Knightes would beare away the victory of the fight since the one began to shew it by so gallant an incounter But stay a while you shal sée what our Gréeke doth that backing his stolne horse representing Mars on earth but far more angry tooke his Carrier somewhat long to take surer ayme with hys launce They met like the incountring in the wide vast Ocean of two well furnished shipps carryed with the furye of contrarious windes Timerous in sight semed the vgly gyant mounted on so great a Courser but he that was borne without feare stronglye resting his launce stayed it in the middle of his shield that in fouldes excéeded Aiax yet cannot it resist the strength of that Herculean arme that easily pierced it with his brest casting a brace of launces on the other side vnder his arme All the spectators thought he had slaine him but it was not so for it onely past twixt his armour coate of male yet he thrust him so hard that he threw hym from his saddle tumbling like a Rocke vppon the ground And the Gréeke guirded his horse so strongly with his leggs for feare of falling that with the strong incounter he made his Courser burst vnder him He would not so long stay but in sight of all the place setting his hand on the pummell with such lightnes he leapt forwards ouer his necke head that on his féet with his sword in hād he stūbled very neare where the Gyant with great payne was rysing He helped him with a lofty florish that finding him something carelesse yt strucke away all the helme top and part of his armed scull woūding him a litle on the head he returned with another before he could be setled on his féete that almosted had layde him againe alōg which lighting on his visor vpō his front it made him a long and daungerous wound Neuer was the like afore séene in that place which made the beholders séeke newe meanes of prayses for the knight saying aloude it was impossible for Mars to doe with what such facilitie the Gréek had done The gallant Venus alone celebrated in her soule the Gréeks haughty Chiualries hauing there none with whom she might communicate them Of higher estimation seing what he did was the Knight reputed then the Dacian Who emulating the sound of those high lawdes with his inchaunted Romaine blade made against the Gyant and in his first assault he strucke the more to mayme him vpon his sword arme That was not a place strong ynough to resist the blow therefore was it to some effect for it tooke away all his defēsiue armour with a great piece of the