[Page]AFter that I had this so­mer passed en [...]prysed a voyage (more for y^e necessyte of another, than for my pleasure) for the accomplysshe­ment, wherof it was conuenyent for me to absent my selfe, farre from this countree / & had after y^t also conforma blie therunto by a longe tyme trauay led in the same. I came by chaunce in to a great deserte no lesse solytarie of people, than displesaunt to passe tho­rughe. And as this coūtree was vn­knowen to me. So thynkyng to go y^e right way, I strayed ī such sorte, as I coulde not eftsones directe my self, as­wel for y^e great displeasur y^t I had, as for the lacke of some one, of whom I might demaūd y^e same, lyke as beyng in such necessytie / I knew y^• yf the pla te was abundaūt of solytude & desert that in me moch more excedyd y^e pas­syon. So than aduysynge all ꝑtes su­the vertue had myne [...]yes, as they ga­ue some cōforte to my tormented hert [Page] when y^• in a forest far from me (beyng the wether fayre & clere) I had know [...]dge that in y^e place (by some smoke, that yssued from thense) ther was ha [...]yta [...]ion of people, wherfore I thou­ghte it beste to trauayle thyther. And albeit passing thorugh y^e thyckenes of the wode, I founde the way so rude, & diffycyle as I repented me no lesse to haue enterprysed it, than I desyred y^t yssue therof. Yet neuertheles euyn as I had begonne it. So determyned I [...]ot to surcease but to passe thorughe. And pursewyng in my Jorney, as the [...]onne begon to [...]ouche I arryued on [...]n hygh hyl syde, frō whens I might easelye deserne the origynall place of the sayd smokes, that yssued from the howse of a certayne gentylmā, which [...]he had newly in y^t place, caused to be edefyed, & was all paynted w^t coloure blacke, from y^e foundacyon, vnto the hygbest parte of the same. Wherof I receyued suche meruayle that aswell [Page] to mu [...]e ther of, as for y^e desyre that I had to repose me I forgat all my pa [...] sed trauayles, & approchyuge to the same, I was (by chas [...]e) very nyghe vnto a place, where certayn men dyd walke, who in theyr countenaunces & apparell resembled to be replenysshed with great doloure and heuynes, of the whiche, one (lykelye to be estemed mayster and gouernoure amonges them) walked before, who w^t heuye syghes passed y^e tyme, yet neyther his coulour, [...] leane vysage, had not alte [...]yd his gētyll noryture & educacyon.

¶ [And albeit wel he shewed hym selfe (aduysyng me beyng nere vnto hym) howe woche at y^e fyrste syght, he was ther of estouned▪ yet neuerthelsse he dis symuled it, & receyued me most genty [...] ly, desyrynge me to dyscende, & come a fote. After knowynge my trauayle, he caused furniture to be made for my re­pose, & toke me by y^e hād, to cōduct me in to this his sorowfull house. Than [Page] [...] who of y^• straunge place, receyued great maruaile endeuored myself no [...]sse▪ than I could, well so note y^e syn­gularyties of the same, amonges the whiche beynge aryued at the gate, I [...]awe aboue it, thre whyte rolles wher [...] was wrytten. ☞ ❧

WHen I had very intentyuely red them we passed further, & sawe that all thinges of that howse, repre­ [...]ented greuous dolour. For from the [...]oundacyon of y^e same vnto the hygh [...]st parte therof, other thynges appe­red not but sorowe & heuynes. Wher [...]ore I wolde not than demaunde the [...]ause therof, but reserued it, vnto a ty [...]e more conuenyent. ❧ ❧ ❧

[...] From thense he brought me in to [Page] the halle where, without long [...] tary enge was brought, the supp [...]t, wit [...] great abundaunce of vitayles & goo [...] ordre of seruyse. ⚜ ❧ ☜

¶ Shortly after y^• sorowfull knyght knowynge the trauayle that I ha [...] sustayned, brought me hymself, in t [...] a chambre where he left me, and ret [...] red with so sorowfull a vysage, tha [...] it was meruayle. Than beynge alon [...] I caste me in my bed, but euyn as I thought to take repose / aboute the houre that the cockes by theyr crow ynge, wytnessed the mydnight, I hade them of the house synge in petiou [...] mus [...]que complayntes, wepynges, lamētacions, mortall. Than (not you [...] cause) more than before, I mer uayled, by thoccasyon wherof I was all togither depryued from slepe. But (as afterwarde I was aduertysed euery nyght at that houre, y^• sorowfull knyght very eruellye tourmente [...] hymselfe, renewynge his doloure an [...] [Page] accustomed passyon. Wherfore [...] seruauntes, seyng hym in this marty rie / loue and pytie, obliged them to be (by sorowfull wepynges) cōforme vn to hym that made doubt / who heryn ge suche thynges, as no more sodeyn­ly taken with trouble and vexacyon, than depryued of slepe and repose. So passed the moste parte of the nyght, and the daye made all to be put to sy­lence. The sonne rose euyn whan I harde that in a churche nere vnto me it range to a masse, & that the sorow­full knyght came in to my chambre / who as he had done the day before, to ke me by the hande, to go to here the deuyne seruyce. Than beyng aryued in his chapel I sawe a monument coueryd with blacke, whiche (as I per­ceyued afterwardes) was the last lodgynge that he lokyd for hymselfe, where aboutes were grauen suche wordes.

ANd albeit the masse we­re a celebratyng I lefte not for all that (durynge the same) to note what the letters ment, and the sorow that they shewed, what soeuer it was the thyngꝭ that I sawe there, put me in great trouble, bycause I could not therin establysshe a Just iudgement / In goynge out of y^e churche, we went to dyner, after the whiche the sorow­full knyght, enforsynge hymselfe, to gyue me recreacion, moued me in dy­uerse matyers / and demaunded me of many thynges amonge others he sayde, that the Kynge and Quene he knewe ryght well, prayenge me to tell hym, whether they were so tryūphāt lye accompanygned, as heretofore he bad sene them, and as to theyr great [Page] excellency dyd appertayne. Wherin I coulde very well satysfye hym. But than knewe I ryghte well that this matyer was more to enterteyne me, thaune for any dey [...]e that he had to knowe any thynge, bycause he was so sorowfull, that without ceasynge (ha uynge his doloure present) dyd none other thynge but sygh. And somtyme bytwene gyuyng eare to my purpose sinyled. Than at thende, thankynge me for y^t good y^t I had done hym, he began to say vnto me. ¶ Know thou my frende that not withoute cause I haue induced the in thyse ꝓposes the occasyon wherof, I wyll cause the to vnderstande, prouyded y^t before, thon wylte gyue me gayge of thy fayth, y^t all that I shall tell the thou shalte do it to vnderstande and put it in the pu­yssance of Ladyes nolesse scauant thā dyscrete, to thentent that they percey­uynge the same may knowe the yll y^• a woman hathe caused me to suffre [Page] without reason, and agaynste theyr cōmon condycyon, whiche is estemyd more pytefull, than that of the men / to thende that they beyng aduertysed therof, may blame her and lamēt her crueltie. Nowe my dames hauynge at lengh conceaued his entencyon, & condescendyd [...]accomphlysshe it, I haue determyned, for the perfection of y^• condycions by hym requyred to ad­dresse vnto you the worke folowynge, whiche of ryghte apperteyneth more vnto you, than to others. And bycau­se his matter was longe, I thou­ghte good not onely to redacte it in wrytynge / but also to sende it you in this paper, Than after that the sorowfull knyght had receyued of me the suretie that he demaunded in this so [...]te, he began his mat [...]er. ❧ ⚜ ❧

ME thynketh syr I shuld do the great wronge, yf I shul­de not declare vnto y^•, the cause of the [Page] demaunde that [...] made the.

¶ Understande thou that it is not la­tely that I knowe the Kynge and the Quene, theyr estate and magnyfycence. For theyr hyghe renowme and vertuous bountie is in all places, abun­dauntlye publysshed. Neuertheles I thanke y^• for the payne, that thou hast taken intellyng me that, which thou dyddest know therin. But for another entent, I haue induced the in to thyse seuerall matiers, I truste to make▪ y^• treasorer of my sorowfull passyones beynge assured, thou wylte haue pytie and receyue doloure of my troble em­pressyng in thy memorie that whiche I wyl tell y^•, to publysshe it hereafter.

THou shalte vnderstande I was borne and norysshed at Thebes whiche heretofore, Cadmus the sone of Kynge Agenor dyd augment with people with whome I was longe no­ry [...]shed. My father longe sythe is pas▪sed [Page] this transytorie lyfe, who was named as my selfe. Arnalte, I leaue to tell the more what he was, bycause y^• prayse of hym, whose sone I am, wolde yll sounde in my mouthe.

¶ At that tyme y^• courte of this Kyng Cadmus, ordynarylye remayned at Thebes▪ wherfore also I my self was there contynually abydynge, one day amonge others (whenne my lybertie was more fre from the passyons of loue) dyed one of the hed persones of the towne, at whose obsequies, and fune­rels, all the courtisans, and Citadins were present / & as the deed body was [...]et in the myddes of y^• churche duryn­ge the tyme of thaccustomed cerymo­nies, there was made by his ner [...] ky [...] [...]esfolkes a great wepynge and extre­me doloure, specyallie by the dough­ter of hym that was deed, who shew­ [...]d her selfe so sorowfull, that without [...]epose, she had suche a mortell warre, bytwene her handes and her heer / as [Page] the most parte of the same, were plu [...] ­lred vpon her shulders & cseuered in suche sorte as the people that sawe such crueltie, meruayled no lesse of the be­aultie of the same, than pytied of ther so straunge entraytement. None was there than that saw her, that had not pyteouse compassyon of the doloure that this sorowfull mayden suffred. Helas she of whom I speke is named Lucenda, For her becam I sorowfull abasshed and ferefull, abasshed of her so great beaultie, and fereful doubtynge her desperacyon.

¶ Nowe after that y^e deed body was cōmytted to his laste lodgynge, & that Lucēda retorned to her house, I toke y^• way to myne sekynge y^e solytarynes to accompanye my newe thoughtes, thynkyng by that meane, to fynde ease & comforte to myne yll / But it was in vayne. For I knewe incontynent / I was no lesse solytarye and habādo­ned of hope, than of people & pleasure.

[Page]¶ It happenyd y^t many dayes so pas­sed / wherin albeit I endeuered to for­get my delyveryd purpose, knowynge well yf at the begynnynge I founde a thorney way, y^t moch more sharp shulde be thyssue therof. Yet neuerthelesse the more y^e tyme passed, the more my­ne yll, vnder dissymulacion approched and like as my dolour dyd augmēt so my remedy decreassed I was ī a straū ge necessytie. Than nede (thynuerter of all thyngꝭ) gaue me counseyll, that by my payge (who often frequentyd y^• house of Lucenda, taccompanye her brother) I myghte make her knowe my passyon, by thoccasyon wherof, I wylled he shuld hante yet more often with the other, than he had done before / whiche he dyd ryght sadlye and dylygentlye for my remedye in suche sorte, as beynge in nothynge suspected, he went when he wold to the lodging of Luceda. Wherfore after y^t many tymes I had shewed hym to be the se­cret [Page] offeryng hym dyuers chaste men­tes, yf he were contrary I gaue hym a letter conteyning this that foloweth.

RAther wolde I Lucēda y^t thou knewest my faythe, than thou diddest y^• reding of my letter, for yf it so were in seynge me, thou shul­dest easylye knowe the passyon that I beare, beyng the same, none other but suche as myght well, purchaise me y^t whiche I truste to gayne by wrytyng to the. For that onely by my letter, thou shalt vnderstand my sorofull proposes, but by my teares, thou shuldest se my desperate lyfe. So that my gre­at dolour wolde supplye my lytell vn­derstandynge, and make the certayne of that wherof thou mayst now douit For thoughe the ylles (suche as I fele them) can not be declared, yet thy Judgemēt shulde gyue the very fayth of them by my passyō, neuertheles as­well as I possyble may, I wyll make the to vnderstand them.

[Page]¶ Kuowe Lu [...]dena, that the selfe sa­me day that thy father was put in the earth, myne affectyon, and thy great beaulte made me all thyne, yf y^t thou than dydest retorne to thy howse, and endyd to wepe his death, I enteryd in to myne to begyn to lament of the yll that thou haste done me, Whiche I pray y^t to byleue, For that I haue no lesse feblenes to vanquisshe me, Than thou hast force to constrayne me, And further I assure the, That more for the wekenes to resyste, Than of great wyll, I am gcuyn to be thyne, For yf it were in my power, I woldeste the And I seke the, Thou baste so moche domination vpon me, And I in me so little liberty, That whan I haue wylled not to loue the, I coulde not, By­cause my heuy harte, is▪ By my con­stauncy, and thy good graces) ioyned to the.

¶ I aduertyse the that yf it had ben possyble, I had rayther absented me [Page] from the, Than in any thyng to trust to y^•, But yf by predestinacion, I were condempned to be thyne, I haue not had the power to eschewe y^• yll of this good otherwyse it can not be. Deny me not thā thy good grace for by the greatnes of myne yil, I haue well me [...]y [...]ed it seynge that in so lyttle tyme, thou haste so dysmesurely ault [...]ay­ged me. ❧ ☞ ❧

¶ Consyder in what Obligaciō thou arte bound agayn to me. That more wolde esteme my Perdycyon for the, than my Saluacyon without thyne occacyon, ❧ ❧ ❧

¶ And further that sythen thou arte the cause of my tormente. This tra­uayle is to me pleasure, And my de­struccyon vyctorye. Yet wolde I not despere me of this begynnynge. But myne affection I declayre vnto the▪ wherof albeit at this tyme I aske the no recompence, yet trust I that here­after thou shalt know the state where [Page] in I lyue. And that where as shalbe the knowlege, reason shall not fayle, yf there be reasō the same can not be without recompence. ❧ ⚜

¶ So with suche trust wyll I neuer despere. But sythē I am moche more dysposed to fele my payn. Than to do maunde the remedy, I wyll ende this matter, to fynysshe my letter. And with an humble request I pray the, that thou wit [...]afe to s [...] me To thend y^• my vysage may be wy [...]enes to the of ❧ my dolour. ❧

SO ended my letter, but before I gaue it to the Page, I en­structed hym in what sorte he shulde procede wysely to chose the place▪ And the tyme cōuenyent to the [...]ecutyon.

¶ And albeit that pe [...]case Lucenda wold not receyue it yet neuertheles he shulde leue it there. ☞ ❧

¶ Now were my cōmaundementes, [Page] and thobedy [...]e of my Payge confer mable in suche sort as for my conten tacyon he made suche extreme diligē ­ce as one day amonge other when he sawe Lucēda alone he founde meane to approche to her, And the moste se­cretly he coulde, Desyred her to wyt­saufe to take that whiche I wrote to her. But she seynge her selfe importu­ned coulde not so dyssymule that she gaue not knowledge by mut [...]cyon of coulor howe moche she thought the mater straunge. ☞ ⚜ ☞ ❧

¶ This notwithstandynge my payge (as wel aduysed) consydering my tor­ment, [...]onned hymselfe of nothyng.

¶ Where vpon it happened that she seynge her selfe more and more con­stryued, thynckyng to redde her selfe of hym. Departed with great dysplea sure, from the place where she satte wherfore my payge, seynge her to go wente dylygently before, and cast my letter to her ī such a place, as necessite [Page] forced her wyll, to take it vp howbeit the takynge ther of was suche as she tare it in a thousande peses, wherof afterwarde I was aduertysed which was a recharge and augmentacyon to my dolours. For seynge my lyttle hope and felynge, my dysmesured tor­mēt. I trusted no comforte, but with the death. For this cause I found me somoche enemie to my selfe, and frend to the payne, that more thā before I wylled to haue recours to my sorow­ful thoughtꝭ, w^t the which a very lōg tyme I passed my dayes vnto y^• one, Mournynge my Payge (who care­full & dylygent was of myne affayre) came taduertyse me, y^• Lucenda had determyned the nyght folowynge to go to matyns, which I casely beleued for it was Chrystmas yeuen. Wher­fore to gyue some repose to my harte, I determyned to dresse me in maner of a damoysell, wherby I myght the more easely approche to her

[Page]¶ Trustynge by y^• meane, to auoyde all daunger▪ So with suche habyt cō ­ferme to he [...], I went to put my selfe Joynynge to the place, where she had accustomed to be in suche festes. And not suspectynge this to be de [...]epte, at her arryuall she saluted me. Than thobs [...]urite of y^• nyght▪ the place, and the lacke of cō ­pany, fauoured me so moche, y^t I had ame­ane to saye to her.

[Page]HA Lucenda, yf I had so moche wytte, to complayne me of the, as thou haste power to cause me to lament, I shuld be no lesse wyse than thou art fayre. Therfore I dysyer the, not to regarde that, whiche I shall say to the. But the passion of my harte, and thabundaūce of my syghes whiche nowe I put to the, to be wyt­tenes of my martyrie. I knowe not what gayne thou doste truste of my losse. [...]e what good of my yll, I haue wrytten to the, that I am all thyne, And thou w^t great dyspyte hast torne my letter in pecys. It shuld haue suffised the to haue done y^• lyke to my lyfe by thy great beaultie. Thou oughtest to haue permitted hym to do his mes­sayge. Thā by the same thou haddest knowen in how many passiōs I haue lyued syth I sawe the. Perseuer not (I pray the) in suche an oultrageous purpose for it shuld to moch endoma ge thy renoume, & destroye my helth. [Page] Wher woldest thou serche an excuse [...]ayllable to serue the in this straūge fation of doyng, Thou vnderstandest the paynes with the whiche my tong demaūdeth the remedy. And knowest howe moche the vertue and rigor are dyfferent in condicyon. And that thou canst not be [...]ert [...]ouse, vnles thou be gentle and gratiouse. Sythen than that thou w^t so lyttle, as with thyne onely worde, canst satysfye and recō ­pence my seruises, deny me it not. For I desier no great benifite of y^•, than y^• thy consent may call me thy seruaunt. Seynge that with the glorye to be thyne, The yll y^t I haue receyued by the shalbe satysfyed ☞ ✚ ❧

¶ But thou causest me moche to mar uayle, sythen that for so lyttle a thyng thou consentest so longe to be impor­tuned. Se that my syghes make the knowe alredy that my lyttle resystēce (seynge the rude assaulte and batayll that thou gy [...]est) is so yll edyfyed, as [Page] the same is more redy sone to fall th [...] to kepe the fortresse of my lyfe.

¶ And yf thou thyncke that to speke with me (fearynge to dystayne or fyle thy honour.) it were to the to moche enterprysed. Beware thou be not de­ceaued therin, For thou shuldest re­ceyue more blame to cause me to dye, Than faythfully to remedye me,

¶ Wyll not than Lucenda to pur­chayse the name of an homicide. Ne wyll not I pray the, for so lyttle pryce to lose a seruaūt, & seruyces so affectioned. I can not tel what more to saye, to make the certayn of myn yl. For I am borne not to a certayne, but to be acertayned hauynge more lernyd to lament me, thā to fynde remedy. And bycause that my wyll and thyne excellencye haue no measure I wyll not w^t longe mater molest the. Let it suffyce the to se with thyne eye, that yf thou dyffer me of hope short shalbe my lyfe And hauing not as endyd my purpos [Page] with a trembely [...]ge voyce, she began to answere me. ☞❧ ❧ ❧

THou thynkeste well Ar­nalle by thyne affected proposes to vanquesshe the force of my vertue, But yf it so be thou abusest thy selfe, For thou oughtest to knowe that I haue no lesse trust to my awne defence than thou haste in thy great persua­syons. Therfore I counsell the to sur­cease from suche thy demaūde, sythen that thou mayst wel knew that thou shalt do ryght wysely in y^• same. And to thende that thou be more assured, lyke as thou oughtes to byleue, that there is no force in the worlde, that can breke the porte of my determined purpos, So thou mayste see, y^• thou shalt put the out of great laboure ces­synge from suche requeste. And where I haue at this tyme, wylled tāswere the, That hath only ben to thintente that hauynge of my selfe none assu­raunce, [Page] thou trust not any recōpence. For in suche case the truste by her condycyon prolongeth more than she sa­tysfieth, So thou seest that in this behalfe the dyspayre cōforteth, and the cōtrarye (by a certayne meane (wery­eth and strayneth.❧ ⚜ ❧

¶ And where in my wordes I shewe not the, the rygor that I shulde, that is sōwhat to satysfy thy fayth which I knowe, I wyll not deny y^•, but thou louest me, sythen y^• thou sercheste me, more than I wolde, So of theys trauayles, thou shalt be yl rewarded, For I tell the that so large shalbe y^• trust as thy demaūd is to me importuned. And bycause it maye be, thou shalte thynke that for asmoche as my wor­des are pleasaūt, my workes shal not be rygorouse, by cause I wyll not de­ceaue the, I tell the that oneles thou altogythers tourne thyne oultragy­ouse affectyon, and peruerte thordr [...] therof, I wyll put it in thand of suche [Page] one, as shall well complayne and re­uenge hym selfe of the, Therfore it is my desyre that without delaye thou go out of this stryfe, For thou seest it is better quyckely to heale, than by a longe season gyue meane to deathe. Wherof I haue wylled taduertyse y^• bicause that for the I haue more daū ger than remedy, Therfore approue my counsayle, and to thentente thou saye not that by wordes I haue abu­sed the, I tell the what great yll shall turne to the therof, whiche I lyttle regarde. Than from hensforthe thou oughteste to put thy desyres in repos and lyue in pease, whiche I beleue thou wylt do, seynge that accordynge to that thy teares and affection shew me, it shalbe more agreable to the to gyue me pleasure, than the contrary, For yf thou do otherwyse I wyl haue that fayth doubtfull which thou pu­blysshest certayne, & shalt cause to the dāmage, and to me displeasure, Now [Page] to thentent that from hensforth thy purposes be so moche dyseret as thy syghes wytnes y^• amourous, I wyll no more teache, thethe waye that thou oughtest to kepe to do the pleasure.

SO frende suche answere of Lucenda was all a greable to my torment, and in suche sorte absent from my remedye, that by so moche as the trust fayled me, my desyre aug­mented, For seynge the grace of her speche ēriched with suche knowledge I felt me not to haue in me any part alyue out of my memory which was intētife to se yf afterwarde any good wolde dyscouer it selfe, notynge all y^• she tolde me, But in puttyng an ende to her thretenings she endyd her spe­che leuynge my recompence behynde to put before the daunger, wherfore the cause y^t least I feared was y^• death [Page] whiche wyllinge to make her tunder­stande alytell after I sang one nyght before her lodgynge this songe.

THe singyng of this heuy Song myght per [...]ase empeache the slepe of Lucenda, But my playntꝭ and anguysshes coulde not atall a­wake her spyryte, wherfore seynge me altogether destytute of recōpence lyke as than my do [...]our more augmented so my pa [...]ō more af [...]ebled it self, And as y^• hope was than molested, it was [Page] necessarye also that the eyes by thoc­casion of teares blynded them selfe in suche sorte as by contumelyes / we­pyngꝭ / and tormentes. I becam pale and dysfygured and that more is so, desperate that against my selfe I be­gan to saye❧☞❧

O Euer Infortunate the Edyfyce of trauayll what may now become of the in what place art thou arryued, halt thou yet any trust Seest thou not that it is impossyble for the to receyue helth of the yll, that thou hast, and that clerely the signes present make the knowe thy perdyo [...]ō to come bycause that thyne eyes or the ladde [...]s of thy fayth are situat in so hyghe a place, that thou oughtest fonner truste to [...]alle than to mounte. Thou shalt be he that shal haue more yll, For thou were he y^• leaste of good ought to presume.❧ ⚜ ❧

¶ O es [...]a [...] of thy selfe that arte so [Page] wery of lyfe, and not of desyre, Alas howe great was thyne infortunye in brynging the forth I se that by lyttle and lyttle thouendyst and that thy de syre at thende shall vanquisshe y^•, Hast thou not than great reason to wyshe the death, yf for the welth of the hart thou desirest it, yet thou oughtest to refuse it to exchew y^• ꝑdiciō of thy soule. ¶ Now knowe I not what to chose, what to saye, ne what to▪ demaunde. O my sperite so dessolate, why haste thou choysen an habitacion so sorowfull. And thou myne eye▪ the mortall ennemye of my sorowfull harte, haue I deserued that thou shuldest [...] so sub­myt y^• to the deceipteful lawes of loue Thou knewest not that the recompē ­ses of hym are vayn, whan the seruy­ses are moste great and mass [...]fe. And yet thou knewest ryght well that in y^• order of trew loue yf the lyef fall not, the tormētꝭ are euer at y^• [...]ot [...]. Thou knewyst well thy feblenes, wherfore [Page] woldest thou than submyt the vnder so stronge an hande. But thou mayst answere me that thou hast had so lyttle power to dysobey hym at the fyrste as nowe to forget hym, whiche is all the yll y^t I se therin. O thou vnhappy than, that the more puysaūce lackyth the, the more thy playnt again renforceth it selfe. And where by thy dedes thou thoughteste to enryche thy me­morye, thou haste now lesse meane to do it, wherof thou shalte receyue the more shame beyng thyne honnor affē dyd and thy lyefe in daunger, For ac­cordyng to this recōpence thou haste more occasyon to cōmplayn the, than to allow the of eny well doynge.

¶ Than sythen it is so take pacyence in paymente of the warre that thou haste be gone, and in y^e same suffer the strokes y^t thou trusteste whiche here­after shalbe sharpe for the, but as yet easy and lyght, howbeit tendure them to thende the lyef and vndrestandyng [Page] wyll war werye, and yf by that thou ease not thy selfe haue recouers to reason, wepe thy solytarynes and holde the gates open to deathe, For whan thou shalte not thynke therof thou shalt fynde that remedye whiche the vnderstāding & reason shal denye the.

MAnye other thynges a­parte I tolde my selfe whiche to thentent not to moleste the, I wyll at this tyme cōmyte so sylēce, But being so farre alyenat from my selfe I begā to rowe the galle of my passyons, and yet beyng there tōrmented of so great anguyshe colde I not attayn the port of repose, wherfore w^t somache trou­ble I put in obliuion all myne accusto myd pleasures, withoute more to goo but verye seldome or lyttle with the kynge, or elswhere. And forasmoche as my frēdes dyd cōtenually enquyre of myne estate I determeni [...] one euy­nynge to go to y^• palais, where so sone as the kynge had perceyued me after he had asked me of my helth, he com­maunded me to be at a torney whiche certayn Jentylmen of the [...]ourte had [Page] enterprysed, And albeit I was than more dysposed to solytarynes than to great assemble. Yet to obbey hym I determyned to force my wyll, tellyng hym that sythen he had cōmandyd me I was redy to doo it whereuppon he made me tunderstande in what sorte it shoulde be and the daye that euery one shoulde be redye. ❧ ❧

¶ Nowe the tyme appoynted beynge cōme wherin it was necessarye texe­tute tha [...]ayres by effect I desired the kynge he wolde caūse to cōmaūde the ladyes of the Citie to be as well at the mōmerye at nyght, as at the tornay in y^• day, wherunto he was agreable.

¶ So was I assured that Lucenda wolde not be left be hynde. Wherfore great trybulacyon sodenly inuadyd myne heuy hert and myne anguyshes were than medled w^t excedynge great and soubdayne motions, So that in one instaūt I was so ioyful as I was woont to be melancolique. The tyltes [Page] erected & prepared and the assaillaūt [...] begynnynge to put them vpon thee rankes I came to passe before the es­caffaulte of the Quene makynge [...]y horsse to flynge and praūce, Than by chaunce through the syght of my [...]r­met I sawe Lucenda, ba las howe­muche agreable to me was this plea­saunt aduenture, Neuertheles for y^• busynes wherin I was occupyed the best that I could I dyssimuled it and to make y^• [...]understand what was the tokyn that I bare it was a payre of balaunces with the [...] weyghtes thone of them was grene and tother blacke the grene was hygh and the blacke very lowe and wryten abowte.

[Page]Bycause [...] the nyghte appro­ched the [...]orney endid wherfore y^• men of armes went to dyfa [...]he them and the kynge with the ladyes retired them to the palais, After the howre cōme to maske the maskers entred in to the hall, some toke them to daunce some to cōmen with he [...] y^• he woolde ch [...]wse, But alas I sorowfull put me more to complayne of my mysfortune than before seynge me so power of the good that was to me ne [...]ssarye, and so ryche in part [...]rbacion and syghes yet I assured my selfe and came raddresse me to Lu [...]enda dowting neuertheles more to be refused of her than other­wyse that not withstāding I desyred her to [...] wherunto she had not wyllynglye agreed yf the custom had not forced her, So she rose & put me [...]urth her hande, alas who coulde ex­presse the Joye and the yll that I felt than togyther. For my dolours to muche augmented them selfes seyng [Page] my benifete so nere, and my remedy so farre absent, thapparell that I ware witnessyd it ryghte well, For I had that daye a Cloke brodered wherein was wryten. ❧ ❧ ❧

WHen the dawnce was en dyd Lucēda, retyred her so nere [...] quene y^• it was not possyble for me y^• I colde holde her purpos without to be vnderstand of others, wherfore I de­termyned to god to make a letter and cause her to vnderstond by wrytynge that whiche I could not than tell her by mouth, Than I with drewe me in to a gardrobe, but so soone as I had the penne and the paper in my hande, I felt the passyons of the mynde [...]p­proche me by the meane wherof with [Page] excedynge great payne I endyd my letter, which I foldyd short & narowe and returnynge towardes Lurenda I put it secretlye within the folde or tuckynge vp of her gowne, neue [...]the­les I coulde not so hamsomlye do it y^• she parceyued it not but for y^• presēce of the Quene she was constrayned to dyssymule it, And the letter conteynyd that whiche I wyll tell the

LUcēda yf the meane were so well geuyn me to remedy my selfe as I haue occasyon to wryte to y^• without doubte I coulde esteme me muche more content than sorowfull or dyspleasant, Neuertheles y^• power and the knowlege to be thyne haue al togethers refused me, and put me in great solytarines, desperynge of the any remedye I haue somuche sayde and wryten that I knowe not what more to tell the, Somu [...]he is there y^• yf thou retard and dyfferre my hope [Page] shortly shall end my purposes and my lyfe. Alas thou shuldest knowe the y [...] wherof I playn me rather by my we pyng, than by my wordes, bycause [...] syns the anguis [...]hes are greuouse the eyes vsyage theyr office do supplie the defalt of the tongue. ❧ ❧ ❧

¶ O sorowful, beyng in the state that I am, what maye I do for so muche more as my faythe hath vinacitie so­muche more my recompence is in [...]le­pynge, yf to put peace in my lyfe thou thynkyst to make warre to thyn ho­nour I desyer not that thou do it ne­ther y^• thou speake to me, sethen thou art not agreable therunto, but only y^• thou vouchesaulfe to loke vpon me se­ynge that by this onlye benefite all y^• yll shalbe forgeuyn the that euer thou [...]yddest me I praye the wyll not to be so mortall an ennemye to me, for yf thou haue desyre y^• I dye I haue yet the greater desyre lytle to lyue by this mean without great brount we both [Page] may be content, neuertheles consyder that yf by thyn occastō I dye thymfa mye of thy mishape shall slowly leaue the, & shalt purchase suche renowme that eternally mention shalbe made of thy crueltye and of myn ende, But yf thou wylt folowe reasō thou shalt thinke that it is y [...] done to gyue peyne where there is none offence, yf thou thinke not that the same is tobbey y^• or the desyre that I haue to serue the in this case thou shalbe ynough assoy led, and I onely worthy of tormente for recompence now sithen that accordyng to that thou hast tolde me thou beleuest that I loue the, rede my letter and in redynge it remembre the yll y^• I fele beynge assured that yf my tra­uayles be rep [...]esēyd to the thou wylte haue more repentance than occasion to continewe, of one thyng I maruel muche, what moueth the to wylt ra­ther to be cruell than to be serued, yf thou mesure the passyon that thou [Page] geuyst me with the seruyce that thou mast receyue of me, I am sewre thou wylt know that thou hast not occa­syon to prayse the of the gayne of my losse, And to end my letter I pray the that it may be the last, for the presēce can wytnes that wherof y^• paper can not gyue knowledge. So wyll thou to se me or els the lyttle desyre that I haue more to lyue wyll set forthe my deth desyred. ❧ ☞ ❧ ☞

AFter that mi letter was cōmytted to y^• poure of Lucēda for the desyre that I had to knowe howe she vsed it, myne eye went not from her in any wyse, But nothynge parceyued I, whiche helde me in some repos, neuertheles the susspition that I had gaue me no truste and so was alienat from my self that I answe [...] hym y^• entretened me more in a boy [...] tremblas [...]t than to his purpose. Alas he that than had put his hand to my [Page] herte had easly knowen a lytle the pā ­ges amou [...]eous that tormēted it tyll the houre approched that euery one retyred hym selfe, than was I more dysposed to receyue the trauayll than the repose. And albeit I after y^• Lucenda had gottyn lycence of the Quene folowed her man habbyt dysguysed not only vnto the port of her lodgyng but also vnto within her chambre to se the sentence that she wolde gyue vnto my letter, yet neuertheles at any time durynge the space that I there taryed I sawe not her hold any paper wherfore so without other certan [...]ie I retorned, but the loue (that neuer slepeth) wolde not parmit me y^• nyght any lyttle whyle to repose by the mean wherof I determyned to sende erly in the mornyng my page to the lodgyng of Lucenda to se in all the places of y^• howse howe preuey so euer they were and specyally where the donge & fyl­thes were woont to be caste whether [Page] he could fynde any peces of my letter. ¶ Than y^• page dyd his deuoure but he had no newes therof whiche gaue me some lytle trust, But yet not suche as coulde diminysshe this myne ac­customed heuynes. ❧ ⚜ ❧

¶ Soo the more I went forwarde the more my remedye in suche sorte taryed behynde as I could not so wel dyssym [...]e myne yll that it was not dyscouered by the smokes of my syghes and thymbrasment of my herte, For the more my torment augmentyd it selfe, y^• more that powre diminysshed wherof easily my passiō was knowen And therfore I becam solitarye without more to goo out of my lodgynge, wherof a suster of myne callyd Bel [...]ss [...] who bare me loue so naturall that she was participaunt with me in a great part of myne yll receued so muche troble that on a daye as we cōmened to­gethers after dyuers purposes she pryade me with great abund [...]ū [...] [...] [Page] teares to make her tunderstande the cause of my dolor. ❧ ⚜ ☞

¶ Than hauynge compassyon of her wepynge I was enforced to declare vnto her that whiche I endeuered to [...]epe secrete. Neuertheles before that I dyd it cessynge her lamē [...]acyon she began to saye to me. ❧ ❧

HElas mi brother for goddes sake I pray the y^• hou wylte not hyde from me y^• cause of thy do [...]or for euer when I haue asked it of the, thou haste foūde me many dissymulatrōs, Cōsyder therfore y^• yf thou wylt deny me the verite the loue y^• I bear y^• shal medle it selfe w^t my plaint, Thou sayest thou art my debt or and that yf I loue the thou wylt recompence me agayn with asmoch of thy part, But thou dostpublyshe y^• with thy word [...]s whiche with thy workes thou de [...]i [...]s [...] Thou knowest well that suche dyss [...] ­ [...]ulatyons oughte to be excused to­wardes [Page] me, Therfore I pray y^• make my harte secretary [...] of thy passyons. ¶ To whome oughtest thou to g [...]ue suche thynges in kepynge, but only t [...] me seyuge that thou haste good assu­raunce that yf thou wylt the death I desire not the lyef, yf thou abhorre the pleasure y^• displeasure is to me agre­able, yf thou loue the trauayle the re­pose to me is dypleasunt. So y^• thyne yiles and my torment do po [...]yshe one selfsame hert, yf than thou haue de­termyned to put thy payne in repose with whome canst thou better do it than with her who neuer is wery to desyre thy benyfyte for yf thou wyl [...]e dyscharge it, thou and I to gethers may beare it, yf thou haue desire that we w [...]pe, neuer let vs do other thyng yf thou wylt that in thyne yll we comforte vs let it so be dōne, yf thou wylt that it couer it self thou and I, better thā thou alone can do it, yf thou wylt that the remedy do gyue mean, thou [Page] of thy syde and I of myne may easlye fynde it sh [...]we not I praye the so lyttle amyti [...] to her that hath no thing but is thyne. And beleue that thy dyssy­mulatiō hath no power to vanquishe my Judgemēt, For thy sighes ryght well do manyfest that whiche thou endeuerest to couer, Consyder thou y^• by reason lesse ought not to be y^• loue than the fraternitye, And that moste agreable shalbe to me y^• death yf thou by the same mayste receiue the more [...]oye use lyfe, seyng that I se the in the state ouer muche to suffer and longe tend [...]ure. But call agayn the [...]perites and regarde y^• fortune is of the pros­perus enemye, and of the myserables the moste great hope, So sythen that ver condycion is mouable and inconstant, yea and suche, as the most hap­pye ought not to reioyse of her fauor, thou oughtest not than in any wyse to dispay [...]e the of her [...]eueuolēce, for she con [...]u [...]eth alwayes new accidētꝭ [Page] to folkes hertes, to then [...]e y^• necessyte haue▪ not knowledge of her power. Therfore reserue not to the alone y^• solytarines dyspleasant in thy disple­sures, Thou knowest wel that y^e most sorowfull dothe comforte hym selfe / whā his passyō is cōmunicate to his frende, for the recreatiō of the worde doth demynishe the dolor of y^• mynde. So than yf the keys of my consayll may open any remedy, wherfor refu­sest thou them, takyst thou pleasure so to thynke day & nyghte in thy paynes losenge so muche tyme, to speake to thy selfe alone. Beleue me I knowe y^• in the, greater is the yll that thou co­uerest than that whiche thou many­festest, but how soeuer it be the daun­ger is greater to couer it, than to disclose it, Specyallye to me who berith the more Amyte in the mynde than the mouthe can tell. Nowe fearynge to be displeasāt, I wyl no more Im­portune the of my requeste, but nowe [Page] ende this matter dyspleasant whiche endyd. Desyrynge to gyue my suster some contentacyon, I made her this answere▪ ❧ ❧ ❧

THou holdeste me (mada­me my suster) so passyoned for thy passyon, that I muste of force de­clare to the that whiche my demon­strations shewe the, And that more for thyne importunytye than for the wyll y^• I haue therof. For y^• yf I had not se [...]e thy wepynge vnfayned thou haddeste neuer knowen of me this trew answer, neuertheles before thou knowe [...]ny thyng I pray the y^• sythen that my tonge shall reuele the myne yll, that for y^• same wyll not to payne the. For my lyef shall ende before the begynnyng therof take ende.

¶ Thou shalt vnderstonde than (my suller) that more by an estrange force than by my propre wyl, I am cōstrayned to submit me to the lawes of lo [...]e [Page] Wherby my fortune hath made me so great in obeisāce as lyttel in repose And more yet in suffrynge, For in the myddes of my sorowfull espryte all myne ylles haue assieged me, and yet of suche sorte holde me assiged, that for all the resystance that I can doo my good agaynst the yll by mynes in myneng, nether by ladders in mowntynge, can not attayne y^e victorye. For that the loue defendeth it selfe rudely agaynst my fortune, whiche dothe assaylle so slowlye y^t yf I haue no soc­cor by the deth, late otherwyse shal I recouer it. ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧

¶ Therfore (suster) I praye the payne not thyselfe for my dyspleasure but rather reioyce the that thou hast suche a brother as can by the force of his vertue endure so muche yll. And yf thou euer desyre me to do any thynge for the cause that I se no more thys [...] thy teres to water thy fayre vysage, for yf by wepynge I colde helpe me, [Page] myne alone without helpe of thyne shoulde warrant me. ☞ ❧ ☞

¶ Than sythen y^• for them the passiō augmentith, and the yll dem [...]nisheth not, it is muche better to refrayn thē, and to remoue thoccasyon to empyre my torment. Accordynge to y^• whiche thou hast tolde me, thou closest y^• port of my consell and openest it not to my wyll, We a [...] [...]or [...]e, thou to lyue in Joye, and I in sorowe in this worlde For y^• pleasures that for me I woold choyse I remyt to the, for that only to the they are iustly d [...]we, and to me apperteynith the possession of displea­sures [...] trauayles, seynge that I can manly better suffer them than thou and considerynge that in the ther is to lytell lodgyng to lodge suche aduersities. Therfore I pray the be co [...]tē [...] that we lyue, thou in Joye, and I in sorow [...]. And yf otherwyse thou do, I wyl beleue that thou wylt not me the good that thou sayest, sythen y^• thou [Page] knowyst that it is my wyll, & y^• thou seest, that thy tormente doubleth my passyon, learne than nomore to sorow for the torment that I endeure, other wyse I shall haue more trauayle fe­lynge the more to trauayle.

THis Purpose endyd my suster seynge that otherwyse I dyd not satisfy her request determined without more to importune me ten­quyre by subtel meanes y^e cause & ori­ginall, wherof ꝓceded my very great ylles. And as theffectes a more ous do present to the Judgemement of men dyscrete the passyons of the tyme to come. So infynite sorowes and dys­pleasures made me ordynarye cōpeny wherfore after that my suster was retyred I gaue place more than before to mine accustomid dolor. Helas who coulde nombre the quantytye of my passyons, yf it be not he that hath ex­thewyd lyke fortune, what anguishe, [Page] what playntes, gaue than knowledge to my tormentyd herte, of her great power, duryng y^• which I was w^tout any repose weryeng without cessyng my varyable memorie to the sownde of my thoughtes. And as I aryued to the poynte of my desperation, it cam to my romēbrance that albeit I had here tofore declared to a gentylman companyon and frende parte of the loue that I bare to Lucēda, and that he hymselfe had endeuored somwhat to tast it also, by thoccasyō wherof I spake not sy [...]s to hym of the same for seynge the daunger that myghte ha [...] therof and knowyng also right wel y^• in suche affayres yf the silence be not of commendacyon / he that is in the pursewte putteth hymselfe in totall perdycyon, seynge that the only secret is the crowne of y^e louer, yet neuer the les omitting all theise doubtꝭ behynd I concludyd agayne to dyscouer to hym (of whome I speake to the) all [Page] my affections, trustyng that he wold haue petye, and wold besaythful, also that whiche harded me to do it was for that he was next neyghboure to Lucē [...]a whom I myght se yf I were loged in the howse of my frende.

¶ Therfore I sente to praye hym to cōme to see me, whiche he dyd at his aryuall, I told hym the cawse wher­fore I sent for hym, And y^• truste that I had in hym, wherfore he thankyd me affectuouslye. And so muche as at the fyrste he assayed to dystracte me frome this loue, so muche he shewyd me vysage to fynd it good, & to soccor me by thoccasiō wherof. The more to moue hym to take compassyon of me I sayde to hym. ❧ ☞ ⚜

My faythfull frende yerso yf nowe I shewe y^e and present before the y^t whiche hetherto I haue dylygenly kepte in sylence, The cause therof is, the trust that I haue of thy [Page] great vertue. And thou oughtest not to fynde yll y^• longe delay that I haue made therin, For thou knowist right well how muche in amoreus affectiō the splen [...] is estemed, & the dysclosu­re worthy great reproche by y^• mean, wherof I was in great confusyon neuertheles thy bo [...]tye hath put an end to all this doubtes. So that therby I haue felt my payne wekyned, than sythen it is so, where sholde I knowe better to lodge my secret thā betwen thy hādes seynge that thy vertue, and the loue, that thou bearest me, shalbe confome to kepe it well. Nowe Bro­ther and [...]r [...]nde I aduertyse the that agaynst the death and the lyfe I haue susteyned by a longe tyme. ❧ ❧

¶ The assault of a breche much dimynysshed, with the death, for y^e she wyll not haue me, and with y^e lyfe for that the greuyth me. Whiche assaulte so crewell I began whan the father of Lucenda dyed, whiche was the daye [Page] that fyrste I sawe her, and vnto this present hath contynewyd w^tout knowynge any meane to peace me tr [...]uce in the same. For loue seynge me so sub­mytted to his cōmaūdementes hath woūded me with all his power by his pāges enpoysonid in suhe sorte as he, beynge his fyght rude, and my force weke, hath brought me euen to amortall ende. So contynewell haue ben his assaultes, & my defence of so lytle effecte. That by this occasion y^• folkes of whome I was woont to ayde me haue betrayed me, leauynge me sole, retyrenge them selfes into other pla­ces. And that wors is, the trust doth leaue me, the remedye flyeth me, The reason hydeth it selfe, and the socoure hurteth me, so that by necessety forced I must yelde me into y^• hādes of crew­ell death, And yf thou thinke y^• in tel­lynge y^• this I am alyenat of spyryte. ¶ Beleue yerso that it shoulde be to me a great benyfyte not to haue any [Page] iudgement, For hauynge not know­ledge of my great losses, I sholde not [...]e [...]ey [...] for them any sorowe, for that beyng of vnderstāding & iudgemēt de pryued, [...] should neither trust to haue [...] [...] [...], [...]e [...]et haue feare of yll. [...] So [...] not trusting for any thyng [...] sh [...]o [...] not despere of my soccor, & of [...], as I doo at this tyme presēt Therfore de [...]e frende seyng me suche, as thou seest me, I haue not knowyn more wherof to fortyfie me, than by the force of thy amyte, and the armes of thy consayll, and to helpe me therin I ha [...]e thought that sethen thy lod­gyng is so [...]ere to y^• same of Lucēda, and that other good I can not haue therof, tha [...] to see her that at y^• leaste I may be [...]f so lytell athing satysfied, whiche is the cause y^• I haue sende to seke the▪ To thende that after y^• thou hast know in my tormēt, thou soccour me as muche as thou canst and as I truste of the, and as the amyte which [Page] knowith it selfe in y^•, necessite wyl and entēdeth seinge y^t now thou art come in tyme to do it. And for bycause I be­leue y^• thou woldest haue more desyre therof, than I haue to demaund it I, wyll nomore imporune y^• of the same.

FRende Arnalte I playne me to the, and of the for the doubt end dystruste that thou hast had of me and with greater reason that the [...] oughtest not by so longe tyme to dys­symule thyne yll towardꝭ me, though it were so that by the lawes of trewe loue, it was otherwyse ordeynyd.

¶ But they that be so secret, lose com mōly by holding theyr peace, y^• which they shoulde obteyne without doubt, declarynge it. ❧ ❧ ❧

¶ Nowe Arnalte suffice y^•, that more shall oure in me the yll, that I haue to see y^• yll to suff [...]e. Thā the discours of my complaynt to lament the, for y^• which greuyth the, dysplesith me, so y^• I can not comprehende it in my me­morye, aduertysyng thy surely that yf thy tormēt myght part it self in two, [Page] I woolde take wyllyngly the greatest part thereof, But to the wyll I remit that whiche with y^• worke I can not execute. ❧ ☞ ❧ ☞

¶ Thou sayest that the beaultye of Lucenda destroyeth thy lyfe, of one only occasyon, thy care & myne ꝓcede, for yf sh [...] cause the to haue passyō, she falleth myne helth. Neuertheles to thentent that dyuersyte knowe not it selfe in thy wyll and myne, I wyl frō ­hensforth forget to thynke so, geuyng the sewerty to doo the pleasure to put peas in my warres. Albeit greuouse payne it is to me, whiche thou beyng in the state y^• thou art haste no mean to knowe, and the lesse thanke shalt thou can me to do this, yet neuerthe­les aswel to render me fre, as to leaue the in the seruytude y^• thou desirest I wyll do it, to assewre so muche my ly­bertye, as I haue of dystrust of her re­compence. And so by my w^torawynge I shalbe free, and thou shalt rest in y^• [Page] puysāce of her. Thou prayest me also to gyue the consaylt, and receyue thy playntes yf my consayle could pro [...]et the so muche as thyne yll hath power to cause me to lament, thou shouldest tarry without any payne. But to tell the that whiche I thynke therof, I maruaylle howe thou hast wylled to consent that the force of thy vertue is vanquysshed by a thynge of so lytell pryse, And that thou y^• was vāquer or of thynges more daungerous, nowe art by a woman vanquysshed, Remē ber the how muche is dyspraysed the renowme, whiche rēdrith it selfe in­famyd, by suche infamye. And as far as I can parceyue thyne espyryte vn­byndeth thy fayth, and thy reason leauyth y^e, in suche sorte as thou thyselfe to thy power doste endomage thyne owne lyberty. Auoyde thou suche abuses, and resyst manly suche extremyte of loue, not that I wolde consayle the that thou altogyther absent thyselfe, [Page] But that thou esteme it, feare, serche, and refuse it, for there is no lesse dan­ger to moche to auoyde loue, than to moche tobeye to hym, so that with a meane thou oughtest to moderate thy selfe, & by apparences to deceaue hym, sythen he hymselfe in effecte is a deceyuour, and that his lawe is suche as he that least louyth, hath moste re­compence and proffyte, Me thynketh thou woldest hym good, and y^• thou sayest the to be his, beynge not so dis­mesuredly despered. But beware the to trust all in hym, Consyder that the cōdicyon of the trust in thynges more easy, shewith lesse y^• way. And for this cause thou oughtest not to despayre, sythen that thou knowyst his maner of doyng, and the goodnes that com­myth therof, Regarde that fortune geuyth ende to thynges variable, So yf she haue ben cause of thy dolor, she may in tyme be greued of thyne yll, & reioyse thy lyfe. And yf thou wilt take [Page] my consayle, thou shalt se that thou shalt obtayn y^• whiche thou art nowe assured to lose, in comyng to my lod­gyng, which at all tymes that it shal please the thou mayste dyspose, as of any thing of thyne owne, Thou haste dōne me great wronge, that so longe tyme thou haste dyfferred it / seynge that I am so muche thyne, y^• I wolde obey the as my master and cōpanyon And bycause that from hēsforth I wyll more payne me to remedy the, than to molest the, with longe matter I wyll hold my pease. To thentent in the rest temploy me in that whiche thou shalt cōmaunde, And from­hensforth let vs god wether it shall please the.

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Thou haste lytell vnder­stande (maister my frende) than­swere that (yerso) made me. But whā he playned hym selfe of Lucenda. [Page] I assure the that suspycyon and Ja­ [...]ousye gaue me a new torment, neuer theles I made no semblaunt therof, for I thought it was the abundance of loue y^• nory [...]shed me in suche fātasy And in dede somtyme I had dystruste in hym. And a lytell after I consyde­red with myselfe, aswell that whiche he promysed me, as also remembred our olde amyte, that neuer had wyl­led to do me sh [...]ewde turne, and ther­vppon seynge that he had offered me so ly [...]rally his lodgyng, I went the­ther wh [...] I made no long demoure, before that I found myselfe dece [...]uyd of myne enterpryse, For notwithston­dynge all the watche or payne that I toke du [...]nge the tyme y^• I was there, I could not se her, for whome I was there lodgyd, so augmentd my tor­ment and in so many dyuerse sortes shewyd it selfe that many people had knowledge of the same, and ymagy­ned therof in dyuers sortes, by meane [Page] wherof my suster Belisa of whome I haue tolde the alredy, consyderynge my payne to cōme, and seyng my daū ger present, imployed all her industry to knowe the cause of my sorowe, and so muche dyd that by her importuny­tyes she might fele that Lucēda was only thoccasyon of my great anguys­shes. Therfore without to cause me any thynge tunderstonde therof, she chaūged her accustomed fa [...]ō to lyue, and peyned herselfe to frequent Lucē ­da more oftener than she had done albeit they had before great socialitie togyther nowe hapened it y^• in one after dyner as they to were retyred to take re­pose my suster ope ned to her suche a matter,

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I Pray the Lucenda that in vsyng thyne accostomyd wys­dome wyll not to blame me, for that whiche I wyll tell y^e. For yf thou cō ­pr [...]hende wel myne entention I trust [Page] to be rather praysed, thā for my wor­des worthy of reprehensyon, for that the doloure of another y^t causyth my boldnes, shall honoure my shame.

¶ Nowe than Lucenda, vnderstonde my saynge, & thou shalt knowe that there is a long tyme, that Arnalt my brother cressyd in doloure, & decressed in helth, of suche sorte as all remedies to hym ar cōtrary, whiche knowing, and also seing, his lyfe to be short, for this yll so extreme, many tymes in wepyngꝭ, and teares, I haue desyred hym to dyscouer me his passiōs that, caused hym the death. But alwayes he wylled to kepe them secret, wherof I haue had reason greatly to lament me. So by subtyll meanes, with the coniecture, the suspycyon, and tokyn, y^t I could knowe therin. I haue ben certayn that thou only were thoccasyon of his yll, and art the remedye of his lyfe. Wherby I haue determyned to lose me in telling y^e, that whiche I do [Page] to remedy hym. And to gyue fayth to my ma [...]ier, demaunde not any other proofe, than the playnte that I make to the of hym. For yf I had not seen his lyfe in daunger thou haddest not knowyn my boldnes, and [...]emerytye, neuertheles I haue so muche desyre to sau [...]e hym, y^t somuche as myne yll doth dystour [...]e me from this request, somuche his yll conductyth, and con­straynith me to it, Bycause that the amyte which I bere hym is so great as for this occasyon I haue made my selfse an enemye to myne honour, and by a strōger reason to put my lyfe for his it should be lytle in respect of this And so I ought to do as well for my solyc [...]tude as for his. For thou know est that by the pestelence passyd oure father and mother haue lefte vs sole and yf thou wylt nowe dystroye the reast of our linage thou shalt be more worthy of r [...]prehension than of great prayse, S [...]ynge that I can assure the [Page] that yf thou deny hym y^• remedye [...] only death shall put pease in his lyfe, and thou shalbe by this meane ex [...]pt from the trouble that he geuyth the and he exempt to be more tormentyd, regarde in what oblygacyon thou arte dound to hym, that y^e more thou desdaynest hym, Somuche y^• more he louyth and seketh the. And somuche the more as thou causest his perditiō somuche the more he estemith this be [...] lo [...]e, to be by the desyred suche, Than sythen that so straūge tormēt semeth to hym repose, & that y^• know­ledge of thy crewell condycion is ta­kyn away from euery one, thou arte [...]wyse bound to hym, because that fea rynge y^t thyne honour be not troubled for his occasyō be fayneth his dolour in pleasure, whiche to hym is a moste peasant burden, for that suche plea­sures a [...] enemyes to his desyres, that [...]hich more [...]oroweth hym is to shew by necessytey [...]ysaige contrarye to his [Page] wyll. Therfore cōsent not that suche fydely [...]e peryshe for so lytell occasyon, and by so great ingratytude, yf thou do verely I can assure the that thyne oblyuyon, & his cōstancye shall make an ende of hym, & yf thou haue power to breake the bataylle of his passions by only to wryte to hym, I praye the deny hym not this, benyfyte and doo hym suche grace for my sake, yf thou wylt not do it for hym. Thus doynge in the place of a frende, as thou haste of Belysa from [...]sforth thou shalt haue of he [...] an esclaue, Suffyce the that there is two yeres that I haue leuyd in dy­ [...]nge. Take away than from me this passyon sp [...]h [...] that thou only mayst [...] chase it awaye.

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Dere frende belisa I pray the put from y^•, the doubte that thou haste to receyue blame, for that whiche thou hast sayd. For thou ha [...] not put thyne honour in somuche pa­rell, [Page] that it may in any thynge be de­fyled, knowyng verely that I knowe what absoleth and dyschargyth the▪ And therof be witnes thy renowne, & [...] knowledge▪ For yf thou haue offē [...] [...] by the matters, thou haste so [...] [...] me by thy shamefastnes, [...] [...]one [...]e [...] ▪ in suche sorte as [...] [...]h [...] [...] to lament the yll [...] thy brother▪ [...] the faulte y^t thou [...] [...] towardes me. And [...] that myne an­swer [...]e pleasure. I doubt [...]of y^e payne of thy brother, [...] thy desyre▪ [...] But yf he wyll that I [...] without that I [...] my selfe, he hymselfe shal do it. For [...] I ought to feare [...] lesse [...] [...]owne, than his death. And [...] ow [...] thou knowest well▪ howe muche the honour of dāmes doth de­mynishe it self, whan to soccour theyr louers▪ they forget them selfes, Re­quyre [Page] me not than, to do that which thou thyselfe woldest not accōplysre, knowyst thou not in what obscuryte shoulde be my vertue, yf to the desyre of thy Brother. I shulde gyue lyght. Wolde to god, that of so graue and sadde a thynge, thou woldest not im­portune me. For by experyence thou shouldyst be certayn of y^e trouble that I haue of his torment.

¶ Haa howe many tymes haue I takyn to displeasure the [...]i [...]a [...]iō he had of my beaultye, sythen it hath caused hym so moche myshap. Helas howe many tymes beynge alone, haue I wepte his wepyngꝭ, specially whan I consydered y^t he thynketh a thynge so impossyble. Beleue me y^t I haue more desyre to gyue hym remedy, thā thou to seke it. And yf for other pryse, than for y^e honour I myght do it, I wolde be so redye▪ to gyue it [...]y [...], as he to receaue it. ❧ ☞ ❧ ❧

¶ But sythen that his g [...]yn can not [Page] be without my losse, he ought to con­tent hym of the wyll, that I haue to­wardes hym, whiche I pray y^• cause hym tunderstand, and the yll that I haue, for the yll y^t he suffreth, whiche thou mayst assuredly wytnes to hym. And yf in myne answer thou fynd not that whiche thou sekest therin, put y^t fault and blame in myne honour and not in me. For yf without toffend my renowne▪ I coulde soccoure thy bro­ther, verely I woolde do it for the do­lour that I haue of his. Therfore I pray y^t Belysa not to cō [...]eyue any dys­pleasure towardes me herof, seyng that I haue deserued it in no­wyse. And bycause that longe spekyng and lytell doynge is [...]s [...] trynge to a parson requyred I wyll leaue this mater with­out longer to declare. ❧ ✚ ❧

A Lytell after, retourned my su [...]er towardes me, who to [...]ioyce me, declared y^t she came from the syght of Lucenda, but she told me not thanswer that she made her, for wysely she thoughte to cause me to thynke good, that whiche had ben re­fused [Page] to her. Neuertheles she coulde not so parswade me, y^t I wolde gyue fayth ther [...]to, or content my selfe so that I sawe not any thynge y^t wolde brynge Assurance of that, wherof she thoughte to dysguyse me. And also [...] lacketh, the saynge is [...] doubtfull, by y^• meane wherof thynkynge very well that my sustes [...] [...] of her enterpryse, desper [...] of all meane I determened to fay [...] that I cared not for Lucenda, and [...] forget her I was aduertised that she [...] caryd for my tormente [...]tho [...] to haue any compassyon, and in de [...] I dyd [...]t [...]iche I had enterprysed [...] [...] my suster to cause her tu [...] derstand that herafter I wold pey [...] my selfe lytle to trauayle for her, and to learne to be from hensforth myne owne, without to alyenat my lyberty into y^e handes of a parson so ingrate, whiche my suster promysed me to do▪ Neuertheles before that she wente [Page] thether I desyred her to take hede to the contenaūce y^• Lucenda wolde kepe whan she sholde shew her this messa­ge, for that better by her gesture than by her wordes she myght haue know ledge of her wyl. And aboue all thingꝭ that she notyd well yf she wold chaū ge coulour. For by y^e vysage (cōmōly) is knowyn the thought of the herte, And also y^t whan she sholde cease her speche she shoulde marke well yf Lu­cenda wolde holde her peace, or make [...]emblance lyttle to care therof. And yf than she wolde answere to the pur­pose, or without thynkynge theron or in wordes yl assured, For that scarsly may suche thyngꝭ be dyssimuled, whā they ar gouerned by passyons. Than after that my suster who intierly vn­derstode my wyll, had wryten in her spyrite, and logid in her memory, that which I had told her, she departed to goo to se Lucenda, and after fyndyng her in a place cōueuiēt, sayd vnto her.

LUcenda yf my request do cause y^• so muche dyspleasure as it rendreth me ashamed, I maruayle how thou canst [...]oke vpon me. Neuer [Page] theles it is necessary that the ylles of this thy captife my brother gyue the dyspleasures, and that myne impor­tunitie to the be dyspleasant, this not withstandynge I constrayned by the loue that I beare hym trustynge (al­wayes) in thy vertu, haue ben bolde tappere before the with his lamēta­tyons, whiche I requyre the tunder­stande, and suffer sythen y^t I my selfe (w^tout them) can not endure. Knowe Lucenda that albeit my brother is determyned to refuse the bondage, that thy grace hath ioyned to his hert, yet the same is nayled so fyrmely, that notwithstandyngd y^t he wold do it, he fyndeth it impossyble, neuertheles he sayth he wyll assaye to do it, and wyll abandone y^e cōtrary makyng his ab­sence mediatrice betwene thy slaugh­ter and his death, thynkynge by this banyshement to fynde y^t whiche thy presence doth deny hym. ❧ ☞

¶ But yf thou cōsent to suche a thing [Page] and that by y^• he execute his thought, I assure the I shall lyue lyttell after hym, and thou shalt gyue me y^• death. Helas what batylmentes thou buyl­dyst, seynge y^• without longe taryeng thou fallest both his lyfe & myne, for that yf he absente hymselfe, it is im­possyble that he lyue, neyther that I beynge sole dye not. So I shalbe to y^e somuche out of fauore as I were thy mortall enemye, Surely thou takest more payne to resemble piteouse than thou arte, handlyng so yll y^e faythfull vinacitie of hym that wolde y^e more good than any other lyuynge wolde desyre to y^e. And yet was there neuer seen so dere recompēce for so lyberall an oblygacyon, Wylt thou haue his wyll hole, puttyng his lyfe in pieces. I praye the for the loue of me, esta­blysshe new lawes to thy delyberaciō Not that I wyll that by y^e same thou breake those, of thyne accustomed vertue. But yf thou doo that, whiche I [Page] wyll tell the, thou shalt loue & pray [...]e thy selfe, whiche is that with a very lytle meane thou shalt restore two ly­ties, in two parsones deed. Deny not than this benyfyte, sythen that by no thyng in y^e same thyne honour shalbe molested. Consyder what shall come of my brother yf he absent hym selfe, and what on shall I remayne in his absence, haue respecte also to his pardicion, and forget not my solitarines.

¶ Helas remēber the of his doloure and my payn, for godes sake, than be not so intier in thyne opinion, But do the contrarye without defylynge thy renowne, wherby thou shalt be ser­ued and I conforted, rendre not the culpable of his dystruccion▪ and of my torment. Endeuour to forget y^• remē ­braunce of thy wyll, and thynke y^• all thynges gouerned by y^• same, comōly cōme more to repētaūce than to gayn or profyt seke not more, to be ennemy of myne importunities and be contēt [Page] to wryte to hym, to thētent he dy not Beynge yet in the mydest of his lyfe. For it is a worke most dānable there to gyue peyne where there is none of­fence. ❧ ❧ ☞ ❧ ⚜

BElisa I pray the to leaue this wepynge / And moderate thy passyons, for from hensforthe I wyll that whiche pleaseth the, Ther­fore [Page] reioyse the, wolde to god y^• nowe I had no tongue, for that without y^t same I sholde not speake a worde so farre absent from reason, but bycause I haue sayde it, let the fault therof be nowe extincte, and yet haue I ben to quycke to beleue thy counsayle, but I had no power to choise, So y^• I cannot saye I was by thy force forced, and by my wyll vanquyshed. And sy­then that thou hast takyn the blame of this fault vpon the, thynke (at the leaste) to yelde me innocēt therof without to gloryfye the of that thou canst do w^t me, for by thy teares thou haste had the wepons with y^e whiche myne aunciēt purpose hath ben vāquisshed Neuertheles I haue pleasure of my dyspleasure seyng thy comfort and repose. And bycause I haue somuche loued and affectyoned y^e, that I desyre my losse for thy gayne. I pray y^e that at the least thou recognyse towardes me somuche benefyt, as thou hast had [Page] of sportnuitie tobtayne y^• which thou shalt haue, puttynge not herafter to contēpt this pryse y^• thou haste obtey ned of me, for it is holden for a rule generall, that y^• thynges wherunto one can not attayne, ar muche estemed, But after they ar once put in his pos­sessiō they ar holdē for lytle & vilipen­ded. Take hede than howe from this day forth thou art bownde agayn to me, and y^• the recompēce therof be not put in oblyuyon day of thy lyfe. Con­syder howe from hensforthe I open & lose the bonde of my renowne, which neuer came to woman of my lynage, and that worse is yf by that which I haue tolde the I be afore by y^• whiche I shall do I shall remayne fallen for that this begynnyng shall neuer take ende, I wyll than (sythēit is so) wryte to hym, and gyue hym amarke vpon me, by suche condycion, nenertheles y^• ▪ my lettre shall put pease in his conty­nuall warres, And yf he purpose to de [Page] maūde agayn he shall percyue y^e losse of y^t whiche he hath recouered. Helas that it were the pleasure of god, that whan I receyued in my hert this de­termynacyon y^e yerth had swallowed me for euer. For y^e dolour is not heuy, that passyth quyckely, and also with the death myght finishe, that whiche remayneth īmortall in my soule, but the spyryte shall suffer it, sythen y^• by petye he hath made so straūge an en­terpryse agaynst hym selfe, and albeit Belysa I repent alredy of that which I haue graunted the. Yet neurtheles it is impossyble that I can reuoque me from it bycause that thou from hensforth shuldest conuerte thy peyne in to pleasure, I wyll than gyue place to thy requeste, and to thende thou se what I wyll wryte to hym, I go here to begyn. ☞ ✚ ☜

I Beleue Arnalte that my letter shall fynde the (whan thou shalt receyue it) no lesse pleasaūt than [Page] [Page] [...] [Page] agreed, my suster and I cam at sonne rysynge in to a churche of relygyon, after. I retyred me within a lytel selle where it was accustomed to here con­fessions, nete wherunto cam Lucēda to syt a lytel after, by y^e meane wherof seynge her in the place to vnderstāde that whiche I wold tell her, I began to her suche a matt [...]er.

ALas Lucenda the grace that it maye please the nowe to exten­de to me is suche, that yf my power were not greatter or that this beny­fyte were lesse, it should be impossible for me by any meane to satyffye it yf my payne were not taken of y^• in cōp tie of seruyces, And to make the to vn derstande y^t thou oughtest to receyue it, my face so desolate and thy faincte workes ar suffycyent, and that wors is, Thou haste not done to me onely wronge, but my suffraunce hath (be­yonde my pleasure) gyuen knowledge [Page] to many of my torment, in suche sorte that many that wolde loue, haue ben put backe, and are ferefull to do it.

¶ Than sythen so it is, I pray y^e that in reputynge the of y^t whiche is passed thou emend it in tyme to come, being not herafter so intier to my desaduan tayge, to thende that by thy workes, thou put pease to myne assaultes, I knowe not wherfore thou haste loste the wyll to be serued, consyderynge y^t all others desyre it, but y^u alone, who refuseth it. It is than easy to knowe that I haue more necessytye of thy mercye, than thou hast desyer that I serue the. O what afflyctyons haue presēted to me my so great fayth, and the lytle hope y^t I haue of the, whiche as thou knowest, haue intierly fallen my helth, in suche sorte, y^t whan leste of me thou hast playned the, more my dolour hath augmented it selfe helas yf it were possible for me to declare w^t the mouthe y^t which I haue thought [Page] in my spyryte, howe moche wronge sholdest thou gyue the for the yll that thou haste done me, Neuer man had lesse good, Neuer man suffred so, Neuer of so great memory was receiued so great obliu [...]on, myne affection, and thy myscōtentacyon gyue me y^e death whiche I haue wylled to make the to vnderstande to thend that hereafter, thou be to me a dame, maystres, and frende, and y^t thou haue knowledge by my great dyspleasure, of my moste great constancie, whiche for all these tormētes hath neuer varied nor hath not ben wery to suffer them, but ra­ther hath estemed that for his gayn, whiche he hath loste by the, and not without great reasō, For I haue not had lesse occasion to haue peyne, than thou hast beaultye to gyue it me. Sy then than that I am sure that thou knowest y^e loue, wherof I loue y^•, thou shalte do iniustyre to reason & to my fayth yf in the thou establysshe not [Page] other facyons of doynge, restorynge by thy good dedes them, whome by desperation thou hast destayned, and to thende that thou begyn to exercise workes of repentaunce, consent for y^• meryte, that is dew to me that I kys thy handes, desyring the humbly net to denye me this benyfyte, wout euer to requyre any other thynge of the, And yf thou se that I do the contrary, yelde me in payment by my payne and thyne obly [...]ion.

Arnalt yf I had the word so muche at cōmaūdemēt as y^•, I wolde answere the so well as thou caust lamente thy selfe, and y^• shuldest not be lesie cased of y^• which I should tell the, thā thou remaynest sorowfull for that I do. Thy presence and my shame haue so strayetely assyeged me as I knowe not what to say, neyther wyshe seynge that alredy by y^t I haue done, I haue so hurt myne honoure, as it is harde to hele the same, for a thynge that I can tell the, for albeit that myne [...]gnoraunce doth absoyle me, the reason neuertheles doth con­dempne my reputaciō, which I haue put in daunger for not to offende the▪ Thou sayest that I as repentaunt of myne ylles passed, should conuert thy harde payne in to grace present. But [Page] by a greater occasion ought I rather to wepe the faulte that I haue done than to lament y^e ylles that thou hast, sythen that by honour they are to the tollerable, and that y^e ercour whiche I haue nowe cōmytted doth tourne it selfe agaynst me, to my exceadynge great reproche, and y^• more is thou as a man canst endure that which to me a yonge dainosell is not parmit­ted to suffer. So the daunger y^• thre­teneth me, in speakynge to the, may [...] tourne the more to dysaduauntage than to any recompence, for that I fere thou canst not cōmyt this victo­rye to sylence, in so muche that the possessiō of semblable fauour cōstray neth comtyme the tongue to forget that whiche the herte and reason en­deuour to kepe secret. But yf thou so do it that shalbe at my charge, Alas howe moche more hathe thyne im­portunitie had power than my defēce what should she be that to beleue the [Page] shoulde not be vnfaythful to her selfe. Alas howe daungerous is the par­suasyon of men towardes vs, others symple wemen. The beginning wher of (yf we were wyse) we ought aboue all other thynges te [...]chewe. And by­cause I fynd my selfe deceaued, other ought to take example by me.

¶ Haa sorowfull Lncenda, thou arte nowe abond woman, & thou Atnalte tryumphant in this vyctory, Neuer­theles beware that thexceding great glorye of the same make the not to lose (by extreme ioye) y^t whiche thou haste gayned with so great doloure. Remembre the that y^e secret healeth that whiche the opener doth wounde Thou prayest me y^t thou mayste kys my handes, I am content therwith, prouyded that thou thynke not, that I take it for presumpsion, and vppon suche maner and condycyon, y^e frome hensforth thou shalt abstayne the to be so importunate towardesme. And [Page] of this be thy suster witnes, that hath alredy done so moche for the, as she hath gyuen occasyon that I haue so forgotten my selfe, as to do y^t whiche I do. ☞ ❧ ☞ ❧

LUcēda had not scarse en­ded her matter, but y^e houre for­ced vs to departe, bycause there cam so many people into the churche, that the were constrayned hastely to retyre from thens. Neuertheles it was not without receuinge the benefyte y^t she had promysed me, to kys her fayre hā [...]es. After my suster and I toke licens and departed, eyther into his house, O god yf I were put to chose the do­mynation of all the worlde, to lose y^• benyfite, that I had, I call to wytnes them that parfytly do loue, that my ioye was worth moche more than y^•. So I departed thens content, by the meane wherof my suster seynge me, releued of so great a fall, contynewed by all meanes to entertayne me in pleasure. And in dede prayed me that [Page] I wolde go to solace me in a place of hers, that nere was to the Cytye of Che [...]es, wherunto I agreed wyllingly, wher [...]y at the same houre the en­terpryse was executed, and bycause y^e situation of y^• place was accōmodate to the pleasure of y^• chayse, I caused some sortes of hawkes to be brought with me, tastaye with this pastyine, and the [...]enyfyte that I had lately receyued of Lucenda to retorne to my fyrst helth. ❧ ☞ ❧

¶ Now [...]eyng there arryued, I was by my suster so well fested, and with so good [...]her▪ receyued, y^t a lytell after the coulour, and the force that I had lost retourned in me. But it happened that one day as I wold go a huntyng as I thoughte to leape to my horse, many south sayers came to me to de­clare my fall to come, for sodaynly the weather y^• was fayre and clere shewed it selfe cloudy, and full of tempest, and a spaynell that moche I loued ran [Page] bytwene my legges and quakynge, y^• one wold meruayle, hē began to baye and cry ferefully, And I y^t than lytell cared for the southsayers, neyther of cases semblable for all thes causes, fe­red not myne enterpryse. So puttyng a faulcon vppon my fyste, I went to the feldes, howbeit scarse had I cō ­menced that which I sought. But I began to remembre, y^t ther was now a longe tyme syth I sawe the gentyl­man of whome hertofore I tolde the. And that neuer syth I had declared the affeccyon that I had to Lucenda, he shewed me so good coūtenaūce as he was wont for lytell & lytell he ab­sented hym selfe from me, w^tout more to vyset me, neyther tenquyre what I dyd, and bycause y^• the more parte of men at variable in amity, I thought that the same had ben the cause of his absēce, & on thother part, I thought that it shoulde be impossyble to hym to se me to suffer yll, where he coulde [Page] gyue me remedye, But as I was in this thought the faulcon that I bare vppon my fyst, fell styffe deed vppon y^• grounde, whiche augment [...]d all togy ther the presumptyon y^• was sodenly come to me vppon my compaguyon Yerso. For my hert muche panted im mediatly. And I began to thynke of my dog, that so cryeo in y^• morninge, by the meane wherof I wylled to de­parte to my lodgynge, than I came by chaunce by an hylles syde from the whiche easely I myght decerne the lodginge of Lucēda, where I harde a brute of taberdes and shalmes, that sownded in the mountaynes whiche I founde straunge, bycause the seasō was not cōuenient for suche pastime. Wherfore I becam more pēsyfe th [...] before, and entred in great suspicyon of my dāmage to come, yet beynge in the place from whens, I myght de­serne the lodgynge of the whiche pro­ceded my truste, I helde me there so [Page] longetyme, y^• the nyght sodenly cam vppon me, before y^• I coulde retourne to my suster, who had accustomed to tary for me, whā I was abrode, and come to receiue me at the entre of her house, which she dyd not than, which augmentyd all my doubtes, and that yet worse was beynge arryued in the place wher she was, she spake not one word at all to me, but she had her fa­ce so sorowful y^• it was meruayle, thā becam I muche abasshed, bicause she spake not to me, I durste not anye thynge enquyre of her, doubtynge to vnderstand by her purposes y^• newes that somuche I fered, yet at thend I coulde not forbere, that I demaūded her not, what moued her to be so me­lancolie. Than she put her somuche to wepe that for thabundaunce of her teares she coulde not answer me tyll her wepynge was diminisshed, & that she had the worde free, than she decla red to me that this day Lucēda was [Page] maryed to yerso, whom I estemed so muche for my frende. Whan I vnder stode this matter, I promyse the pyl­gryme my frende, that I thought to dye sodenly, for I had my herte so sea­sed, y^• on euery poynt my forces fayled me, and my doloure renewed it selfe, in suche sorte as I coulde not speake, than my diuinatures were knowen. than the brute herd by me on y^• hylles syde was reueled to me, by y^• meane wherof I fell in the place so rudely y^• they y^• were present estemed me traun sed, after assone as I coulde recouer me, I toke the letters that I had re­ceyued of Lucenda, and tare them in peces, enteringe in suche desperation, that I tare my berde, and my here. Albeit that suche effectes ar feminine yet loue by his lawes doth reduce of­ten his subiectes in this extremytye, A lyttell whyle after that the cōfor [...]e of my suster and the reason had put to myne ylles some yease, I caused to [Page] apparell all my saruauntes w^t blake mournynge, And a lytell after a wo­man seruaūt in whome Lucenda had great truste cam to me to cause me to vnderstād the parte of her maystris y^t in this maryage she had ben forced, and that more by thimportunytie of her parentes, than by her cōsent was cōstrayned to enclyne therunto. After I had longe hard her, and she accomplisshed her message she retourned frō thence, leauyng me more than before in dolour and sorowfulnes, and it is necessarye that thou vnderstāde, that she founde me apparelled in a blacke Cape, aboute the whiche were letters in broderye and scrypture suche.

THis chambryere wyse & wel aduised had great cōpassion [Page] of my dolour, and it is expedient that thou vnderstād she had charge of her maystres to take hede aswel to myne apparell, as to my fassyon of doynge By the meane wherof she cast her eye vppon this cape, & reteyned very wel the deuyse wrytten about it. After she departed towardes Lucēda leauynge me in no lesse despite of this mariage, than sorowful for the treason y^• yerso had done me. Whiche so empressed it selfe in my spyryte, that I concluded to fyght with hym, to cause hym to recoginse it before y^e kyng & euery other parson. And therfore I sent hym a cartell wherof y^e matyers were suche.

YErso to thēde that euery one knowe howe traytourous haue ben the mysoremyd purposes [Page] wherw^t in secret thou hast abused me I wyl now inpublyke manifest them thentent y^• from hensforthe thy pu­nysshement be for others eternall ex­ample, and to rēder to thy fault egall chastismēt, I trust with y^o handes to vanquysshe the, and by wordes to dyf fame the, and that by y^• meane of thy mysoemeanoure, and thassuraunce y^• I haue ī my good right. But to thēd that thou iudge y^t thy selfe, and that none excuse the, haue remembraunce howe longe we haue had togythers amitie fraternell and sworne cōpany by the meane wherof, thynkyng that thou were faythfull, I declared to the intierely my secrettes without coun celyng any from y^e, & amonge others thaffectyon that I had to Lucenda, wherin thou thy selfe haste entertay­ned me & promysed to ayde me, thou spakest well, than lyke an yll mā to de ceaue me, thou dyddest cause me to vnderstand▪ by many meanes that thou [Page] were well content, gyuynge me thy fayth, y^• albeit thou were her saruaūt yet (for the loue of me) thou wouldest leaue it, whiche I beleued vnto that the effecte dyd iniurye to thy worde, & that in hydyng y^• from me, thou haste robbed me, and taken her to thy wyfe makyng the vsurpateur of the recompence of my trauayles, this doinge y^• hast wylled to become not onely mine enemye, but also thy owne, wherof I haue muche maruayle for I knowe vell that thou knowest how muche y^• vertue and the workes of amytie are cōformable, yet before y^t thou regar­dest that thou dydest well to defyle & defame thy renowne by great treason nakynge the, different from y^• vertue of y^• parētes, no lesse than y^• whighte [...]s knowen from the couloute blacke. Nowe to thende that of so great vy­any thou quyckely receaue shame.

¶ Thou shalte vnderstand that with he weapons that thou wylt chose, I [Page] wyll kyll the, and wyll put the by force out of the campe, where I wyll make the to know that thou haste done the greatest vylanye and disloialtie, that coulde be thought. For with the ayde of god my handes and y^• same thyne infydelytie shall gyue me entyer ven­geance of the, therfore chose the wea­pons as it is y^• custome, after hauing herd thyne answere, I wyll assygne y^• the campe and the daye. ☞ ❧

ARnalt I haue receyued thy cartell, and accordynge to that thou sayest, yf thou haue theffect so muche at the aduauntage as thy wordes are dysmeasured, I yelde me all redy vanquyshed, and repute y^• the vanqueroure. But it shall goo well otherwyse, for in my handes y^• shalt fynde no lesse force, than in thy wor­des [Page] I haue founde infamye. But as far as I thynke thou art to saye, and I to execute, So thy pryde shalbe the cause that the estraungers (for the in [...]urye that thou doste me) and thy pa­rentes and frendes (by that which I wyll do to the shall lytell playne the, se ynge that it shoulde be great iniustice yf with y^• death which thou so muche deseruest thou shouldest not receyue the chastisment of thy glorye. Thou sayest that to thend y^t my fault be clerly knowen, I shoulde remēbre me of our so comon amytie, with the which thou dyddest cōmunicate to me thy moste secret affayres. Surely I wyll not deuy it, for thā I should go much agaynst reasō & verytie. But I haue knowen better to kepe it, than thou thy selfe to conferme it, so y^• yf openly thou haddest not so manyfestly dyffa med me, I had in secret satisfyed the, in y^• wherin thou chargest me, And surer I am that after thou haddest [Page] herde me speake thou shouldest haue holdē me more for thy faythful frēde thou for an yll man or deceauour, cō syderynge that asmoche for thy reme dye and saluation, as for my pleasure or prosyte I haue taken Lucenda to wyfe, trustyng y^• this maryage should make an ende of thy tormente. And also that seynge the in dysposytion to lyue but a while & moche to suffer, me thought it for the best to do y^• I haue done. To thende y^t hauynge not more truste therin thou myghtest recouer thy desperate helth, what so euer it be they that by apparence shall Judge therof, shal thynke it more for incer­tayn, than for lykely to be trewe, that wherof thou gyuest me y^• charge. But bycause that the intencion absoyleth or condempneth, I temyt me to the same and also the veryte of this dede ought to proue it selfe more by effecte than by wordes. Therfore y^• iudge­ment shall surcease vnto the daye of [Page] therecution. Than thou shalt se how moche thou haddest gayned to holde thy peace, and that which thou shalt lose to haue so vniustly spoken, for my ryght, and thy pryde than shalbe iud­ged. But sythen that to y^•, and to thy lyke, I wolde lytle speke and rudely execute, I aduertyse the that I wyl make the vnsaye it as an yll and iniuste parson, and to do this I chose suche weapons, we shalbe armed in estate of men of armes except y^• ryght arme whiche shalbe bare, the speres egall / and eyther of vs, two swerdes y^e hor­ses berdyd with chauffrens and cry­meneres. ❧ ☞ ❧

¶ Therfore whan y^• wylt, appoynte the daye and place, for with the ayde of hym that bytwene, thyne iniuste & myne ygnoraunce ought to be iudge, I trust to kyll the, or to put the out of the Campe or els to vanqueshe the as it is reason.

Sythen that the wepons were apointed, I retyred me to the kyng, whom I enformed trewely of all that which was passed betwen yerso and me. And bycause that thyn fydelite of myne enemy was thought to hym very estraūge, he was content in obseruenge the lawes vppon suche seates establysshed, to gyue and par­myt vs the campe, after at y^• day assy gned yerso and I were before his ma iestye who had caused to be made an esch affaulte to se who shuld remayne the vanquerour. Than he went to so our weapons, whiche he founde egall wherfore after y^• othes in suche cases accustomed, and that the Herauldes had done theyr debnoure we entred in to the Campe, to do our force and ranne the one agaynst thother, with suche strengh, that with the force of the metynge the lytle amytie that we [Page] bare thone to thother myght know it selfe. But as yerso was no lesse hand­some than a good ryder he toke me in tharme that I bare dysarmed, and hurte me sore, as to me I gaue hym only in the vyser / but I coulde not so iustely take hym that I dyd hym any yll, how beit our speres flewe in pe [...]es by the meane wherof we had redely recours to our sword [...], w^t the whiche by great endeuoure the medlynge be­gan in suche sorte as the longnes and sharpnes of the fyght was suche that the assystence were werye to se vs and we to laye on, and to make it shorte to the, the lot fell vpon yerso, who re­mayned vanquysshed. And therby his iniustyce was knowen, and my good ryght opened and declared, howbeit yerso estemynge more the honoure both of hym and his, than this pro­pre lyfe, wolde not in any wyse vnsay it, but rather receyue than w^t shame and dysonour lenger to lyue, So Lu­cenda [Page] remayned wedowe, I vyctory­ouse, and he vanquysshed out of the campe. Wherfore y^• company seuered them selfs, & I reryred me in to my house. And as I caused my woūdes to be loked on, I was by chau [...]se ad­uertysed of the great mournyng that Lucēda made for thin fortunie cōme to her deed housbande. Therfore I de termyned to offer me to her, and to re ceyue her for my wife, yf it were agre able to her, trustynge by this [...] to cause her to forget the moruynge y^• she bare for my deed enemye, Th [...] I wrote to her in this sorte.

LUcenda yf in the tyme of so great warre I demaunde the peace, I pray y^• take it not in yll parte seynge that whiche I do, is for more [Page] testeme thy vertue great, than y^• fault that I haue cōmytted towardes the, as to the myschaunce come in y^• par­sone of thy deed husbāde, the vsurpa­teur of my moste great riches, thonly god hath knowledge of the dysplea­sure that I haue therof, howbeit yf he haue dyspleased me by his occasyō he hath pleased me for thyne, for that yf I had not offended the, thou had d [...]st not knowen to manyfest y^• vertue to pardon that is in the, the whiche amōge all is worthy of prayse. Than to th [...]nde that in pardonynge me the same vertue may be apparaunt to all others, gouerne y^• dyspleasure by dys­cretion. For yf thou do otherwise thy repu [...]acyon shall dyminysshe therby, and shall resnayne blamed, wyll not than to deney me the benefyte that I requyre y^• to satysfye vs bothe, doinge mercy to hym of whom thou sholdest demaunde pardone. Helas I knowe thou arte so sorwfull, that I muche [Page] dought to come to myne entent, sythē I haue fayled therof in y^• tyme, that thou haddest more occasyon to do the same. But I proteste I wyll not de­maunde the any thynge wherof thou mayst take displeasur, for yf my payn do constrayne me to do otherwyse, the feare doth tourne me from it. Neuer­theles yf thou wylt order the by the waye of reason, thou oughtest testeme the more enemye of thy selfe then of me, that is thyne, for yf I haue kylled thyne husbande, his deathe hathe ben thende of one lyfe. But thou that haste caused many to dye, neuer repen rest the of one sole. So than thynke of me that which y^• wylt be presumed of the, and yf thou do that, I fele all re­dy myne offence remytted. Thy deed husbande hath wounded me, so that it is moche doubted of my healynge, yet I fere not in any wyse the daūger nor all y^• yll that I haue therof, nor it is no torment to me, for by a longe [Page] tyme I haue ben by the so mortally oultrayged, that this fyrste doloure whiche toucheth me in y^• spryte doth blemishe and stayne the other, y^• onely doth empyre my bodye, so muche the more as the same shall receaue hea­lynge, the more that of the spryte en­greueth & augmentith it selfe, I am contynually dremynge a thousande thynges, in some I fynde cōfort thyn­kynge thy lyfe in repose, in others all the cōtrary, And one onely thyng gyueth me some trust, whiche I wyll de clare to y^e ▪ To thende y^• of my loyalty & great faythe thou be more assured. But before I do it haue remēbraūce that whiche the death destroyeth is irrecuperable what so euer vowes, an gre or wepynges, be made therfore, trust not to call agayn thy husbād by thabundaunce of teares, neyther by great mournynge. But for the better renewe in me the fayth that thou had dest in hym, and sythen I haue taken [Page] hym away from the, I wyll gyue my selfe to the, yf it be agreable to y^•, Ne­uertheles▪ [...]f the loue of hym do blynd the so that thou thynkest that I am not worthy for the, gyue not fayth al togyther to thy iudgement, but take thaduyse of another, for this new ac­cydent (peraduenture) hath all redy, vanquysshed thyne. Than thou shalt se, whether thyne aduyse shalbe con­forme to it, y^t thy frendes wolde gyue the, It is expedient I tell the, that by reason he that coulde vāquyshe thyne busbande may well meryte the place of hym, of my linage I wyl not speke to the, bycause thou knoweste it better than I coulde nowe wryte it to the. But wether thou oughtest to be my wyfe, for the merite of my trauayle I make the iudge therof, knowing that thou knoweste well, howe moche to loue the I haue hated my propre lyfe. Therfore yf thou haue desyre to gyue place, to my request I pray the aduer [Page] tyse me therof incontynent.

WHan my Letter was en­ded I caused my Suster to come who was no lesse sorowful for y^e woū des that I had, than glad for the vyc­torye gayned. Albeit that in some sort the death of hym that was vanquys­shed greued her moche, at her aryuall I declared to her myne enterpryse, praying her to tel me her aduise. Thā she answered me that she found this delyberacyon very straunge, and yet that sythen my dolour myght slake it selfe, by this meane she coūsayled me to do it, by somoche was her opynion conforme to myne, as she toke my letter. And than went to Lucenda who so soone as she parceyued my Suster prayed her that she wolde come to the maryage, wherof I had gyuen her y^• [Page] occasyon, my suster knewe not what she ment. But after she myght well kuowe it by theffecte, for at the same houre all her kynsfolkes were assem­bled togythers to conduct her in to a Relygyon, where she had choysen to lyue the rest of her lyfe. And bycause y^• my suster was arryued at that houre she wolde se what sholde be thende of this enterpryse, whiche was suche y^• Lucēda was made a Nonne vyolate and entred into the monastery, where my suster conducted her, and bycause that rather she had not oprtunitie she than declared to her myne entencion, fyndynge her conuenyently, howbeit so sone as she vnderstode to name me onely she retired from my suster, and with a maruelous dysplesure left her sole sayenge to the Abbesse, y^• she was not entred in to her house to consente that the suster of her mortall enemye sholde come thether to importune her whiche my suster vnderstandynge de­parted [Page] out of the monastery and retorned towardes me, wyllyng subtylly to dysguyse frome me suche sorowfull newes, howbeit by my suspecyon the dyssymulatyon was at the last dysco­uered, so that she was constrayned to cause me to vnderstande all the hole trouthe, helas what is that louer, y^• hauynge had lyke dysfauoure wolde not demaunde streyght the deathe / whiche incontynent were gyuen me, yf the force of the presentes had not preserued me there from, Helas the same had ben well agreable to me for that it had supplyed y^t faulte of myne infortuni [...]. So remayned I without more to truste any remedy for all meanes of comfort, habādoned me wher­fore knoweng not to whome to haue recours, I retyred me towardes god, desyeryng hym most humbly to haue petye of me. But for my desertꝭ I was not herde, and fyndyng not comforte of myne ylles towardes god, neyther [Page] in the worlde I determyned to go in to a place so solytarye that none shold euer se me, albeit whā my suster was aduertised therof, she was so a frayde that she thought to dye, and she came towardes me wepynge so bytterly y^• I had great pite therof, afterwardes she caste her to my fete, & thinkyng to breake myne enterpryse she tolde me.

HAa my Brother I haue knowen y^t for texecute thy wyll in absentynge thy selfe from reason, thou haste enterprysed a very straūge voyage wherin streyght thou wylte trauayle. Helas I praye y^e for goddes sake y^t thou wylt forget this fantazye and be not occasyon to cause folkes to speake of the to thy dysaduauntage▪ Cōsyder that they y^t shall se y^e departe [Page] wyll say it is more for the feare of the kynsfolkes of yerso, then for y^• payne of y^• loue, forse incōueuiencꝭ to thende of the same, before that thou come to repent the, whiche doth accustome to presente it selfe after y^• remedy is ab­sent, seke not by thyne absēce to make thy renowme to perysshe. And yf that constrayne the not, remember y^• that thou leauest me sole, y^• knowest well y^• myne honoure by thyne is cōserued and that yf thou go I shalbe estemed hereafter rather an estraunger, than a damoysell of Thebes, hast thou for gotten that by the laste pestelence we were depryued from our father & mother and of the most parte of our kyns folkes, and yet beynge with y^e I haue alwayes thought to be no lesse fathe­red and mothered & otherwyse fren­ded, than whan they all lyued, consy­derest thou not, what thou losest in losinge thy frēdes, Regard y^t the kynge hath nourysshed the, y^• countrey that [Page] thou leauest, & the great benefytes y^• thou refusest to folow away so croked Beleue me my brother & beware to do that thynge wherof afterwardes thou be reprehended and yll estemed. The moūtaynes knewe not any pray se the bestes cruell make no dyfferēce betwene y^• vertuouse & the yll neyther the byrdes haue no iudgement to cō ­forte the. So who shall in this place prase suche feares of armes, as thou hast done or playne y^• tyme that thou shalt lose here in respect to contynew to get here praise and hygh renowme in battailes, hast thou forgotten that in thynges moste sharpe and dyfficyll the gentyll hertes efforce them, and augment theyr force, yf in this thou hast not regarde, thynke at the leaste, that thy workes & thy renowme shal perysshe with thy banishement, and y^• more is yf it happen that thou haue ylles, or trauayles ī these solytary places who shall ayde y^• to sustayn them [Page] is it not than better for the, not to re­fuse this countre nor them w^t whome thou haste accoustomed to lyue, with out to vse suche desperatyon, to go to lose the with the beastes in the desert so solytarye, where thou shalt fynde none that comforte the or do the ayde, and I sorowful to whome shall, may I complayne me, whan the kynsfolke of yer to after thy departure shall tor­ment me. Ha my brother for the ho­nour of god I praye the to moderate thy dolour, & comforte the in thy selfe. Than thou shalt se how much myne aduyse is better, yf thou tarye than y^• domage that thou shalt haue in ab­sentynge the. Suffer neuer y^• by thy meane I dye in recōpence of y^e amyte that I beare the. ❧ ☞ ❧

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My dere suster I haue wel vnderstonde all that thou haste tolde me, wherin I wyll satysfye the. And therfore I praye the beleue that I haue well thought to an y^• whiche thou hast shewed me, and in th [...]nking [Page] theron receyued vpon euery poynte a very great passyon, so that all togy­thers haue gyuē me a tormēt worse than the death, specyally in y^• whiche towcheth the (for others in respecte) therof ar lyttle to me, bycause tha [...] y^• doloure that I receyue for loue, pre­serueth me as he y^• loueth, may know wherin of some I shalbe excused, and of others by wrōg condēpned wherof I wyllytten care, for lyke as y^• vertue knowen, can not be offended so y^• [...]ud­gemētes that shalbe made of me shal be foūde comonly faulse, Thou tellest me that it shalbe publyshed y^• [...]ayther the feare of y^e kinsfolkes of yer so, than my martyre hath caused my depar­ture, fearynge to receyue the paymēt of that whiche I haue done to hym. Assure the that they y^• knowe to loue wyll, neuer holde▪ so fowle purposes. For they knowe that y^• vertue of the courage is famylyer to the loue. And further I am not so yll wylled, nor of [Page] all so lytell knowen y^• my renow me is not moche more than suffycyente, to breake suche false report▪ Thou pray est me to haue remembraunce of my seruauntes, and of the great welth of the same, I haue suche memorye that suche as wyll folow me, more to cause them to knowe the loue that▪ I [...]ere them, than for the necessyte y^• I haue of them. I wyll cary them w^t me, and of myne other gooddes from hens­forth, I make them thyne. As to the reste esteme me not so negligēt that I wyll leaue the sole. But before my departure▪ I wyll get the an husbande▪ that shall bere the companye. Of one thynge newe. I pray the that is thou take courage▪ to thēd that whan the daye of my departure shall cōme, thy dolour do not double my trouble. And for the faste request that euer I truste to make y^•, I pray the, y^• without ende thou lameut the of Lurenda making eternall me morie of my perdicyō, and [Page] of her trueltye. Neuertheles yf thou se her some tyme in the termes of repentance, that onely without more, thou kepe the from vengeaūce, sythen y^e in that benyfyt consysteth the meane of my truste so desperate. And vpon this poynte, I wyll cesse frome lenger to fynde the cōmunicatiō, to take away from the thoccasyō more timportune me thynkynge to tourne my voyage. And therfore my suster speake not to me therof at any tyme herafter, wherfore after I was hole of my woundes I went, to the kynge whom I pray­ed to gyue an husbande to my suster, whiche he promysed me to do. And after that in this case, his wyll and my desyre were executed, I was greatlye importuned by hym vpon the delaye of myne enterpryse. But for somoche as his wyll was contrarie, and discor daunte to myne intention, we taried in cōtraryete of opinion leuenge hym assured of my departure, whereof he [Page] was so dyspleased, that he wolde not gyue me lycence, but puttynge backe all thynges specyally the wepynges, and lamentacyons of my dere suster. After many farewellys and enbrase­mētes of my frendes I toke my iour­ney, wherof the kynge beynge aduer­tysed wolde with his gentyluiē do me somoche honoure as to conducte me out of the Cytye. But bycause y^t with out to moleste the, I can not declare to the the matyers that than passed betwene vs. I am content to concele them. At thende the wepynges of my suster and my teares made for euer y^• seperacyō of vs two, where by y^• kyng and his retourned in to the cytye, and I & myne entred in to our sorowfull iorney, folowynge the whiche a lytell whyle after, I felt my spyrite dyscharged moche of the heuynes of his far­dell, therfore all resolute, I foūde better the waye that I had chosen, than my taryenge at Thebes, for myne in­fortunye [Page] desyred more that I sholde lyue the rest of my dayes amonges y^e beastes brute, than among creatures reasonable, albeit that theyr condy­tours be entyerly differēt from ours. By y^• meane wherof hauyng iornied by a longe tyme I cam by chaunce into this sharpe & solitary mountayne, in the whiche consyderynge the sytuation. I determined here to edyfy this house so sorowfull of semblable ma­tyer as a [...] made y^e workꝭ of Lucēda. ¶ So master my frende thou know­est nowe the secret tormente & warre that I haue sustayned to loue. And yf my longe matyer hath dyfferred thy voiage, and that a parsone so infor­tunate hath not deserued y^t for hym thou sholdest receiue so moche dyspleasure, I pray the pardone hym. And to the rest sythen thou deternynest to de­parte hens this day haue remēbraū ce of the gayge y^e I haue of thy fayth, and of the promysses that thou haste [Page] made me, whiche ar that thou shalte vnyuersally publysshe, and cause the dames wyse and dyscreate to vnder­stande the thynges that I haue commycate to the. ❧ ❧☞❧ ❧