University of Virginia Library

Two Knightes did linke in League of great goodwill,
At length the one corrupts the others wife,
And traitourlike procurde her vnto ill,
Which vile abuse bred deadlie hate and strife,
And was the cause this leacher lost his life.
For why, the Knight to whome this wrong was wrought
This tratour slue, when he full little thought.

The murther done, he gaue his Cooke the hearte
Of him that had conspirde this filthie feate,
And made him dresse it curiouslie by arte,
And gaue his wife the same at night to eate,
VVho fed thereof, and thought it passing meate:
But when she knew, the heart, the hap, and all,
She loathde to liue, and slue her selfe by fall

VVhilome in Prouance were,
as they that knew the same
Doe make report, two Courtly knightes,
both men of worthie fame:
Ech knight his Castle had,
well furnisht euery way,
With store of seruants at a becke
their pleasures to obey.
The tone Rossilion calde,
a bold vndaunted knight,
The second, egall to the first,
sir Guardastano hight:
Who being men at armes,
and passing well approude
For valiant courage in the fielde,
like faithfull brothers loude,
They dayly vsde to ride
to Turneies both yfeare,
To tilt, to iust, and other feates
perfourmde with sworde and speare.
Their garments eke agree,
and were of egall sise:
To shew the concorde of their mindes
vnto the lookers eys.
And thus though either knight
his seuerall maner held,
And either ten myles at the least
from others Castle dwelde:
Yet hapneth it at last
that Guardastano fell
In liking wyth Rossylions wife,
and loude her verie well.
A dame of beautie braue,
renowmed very much,
Whose featurde face and goodly grace
the knight so neere did touch:
As hee reiected quight
the faith he should haue borne
Her husband, and his trustie friend
that was his brother sworne.
Hee vsde his gestures so
vnto this gallant dame
At sundrie times, that she as length
his friend in loue, became,
And liked well the knight
and so began to place
Her fansie, as shee nought so much
did tender or imbrace
As Guardastanos loue:
Shee euer lookt when he
Would frame his humble sute, and craue
her secrete friende to be.
Which fortunde in a while:
for he bewraide his case,
And she lesse wise than wanton, streight
did yeeld the Louer grace.
There neaded slender force,
so weake a fort to winne,
For she as willing was to yeelde,
as he to enter in,
And thus for twice or thrice,
the lustie louers delte
In Venus sport, whose frying hartes
with Cupids coles did melte.
But in this loue of theirs,
they did not vse so well.
The matter, but the husband did
the smoke by fortune smell.
Of that their filthy flame:
who highly did disdaine
That such outrage and soule abuse
his honour should distaine,
Whereby his former loue
to mortall hate did growe,
And then he purposde with himselfe
to slay his deadly foe
That fowlie so abusde
a Knight that gaue him trust.
Meane while came tidings that in France
the Lystes were made
The Trump proclaymde the tilte
Rossilion out of hande.
To Guardastano Castle sent
to let him vnderstand
The newes: and eake withall
did will his man to say,
That if he would the morrow next
vouchsafe to come away
Unto his house, they would
conclude vpon the case
Full friendly Guardastano did
the messenger imbrace
And told him that he would
(if God did lende him life)
The morrow night come ouer, to
Rossilyon and his wife,
Which auswere when the knight
receiued had he thought
The tune approcht, wherein to slay
the traytor knight, that wrought
Such falsehoode to his friend
I leaue you for to scanne
The thousand thoughts, the broken sleeps
and fancies of the man,
That such a murther meant,
and ekes the knightes desire
Who thought it long before he came
in place to quench his fire
When morning came the knight
well armed from foote to crest
Tooke horse, and had a friend or two
whom he did fancie best,
Well mounted on their steades:
they had not ryd a myle,
Before they came vnto a wood,
a place to worke their wile.
There lay he close in wayte
within the cops, whereas
Full well he wist that Guardastan
of very force must passe.
There hauing staide awhile,
a farre he might discry
The Knight unarmde, with others two
that rode unarmed by,
As one that feard no fraude,
nor any force at all,
When that Rossilyon did perceiue
him iust against the stall
Where he on horsebacke sate
full ready for the chase,
A vallie fit to worke his feate:
with grimme and gastly face
He sets his spurres to horse
and put his launce in rest,
And gallopt after, crying loude,
thou knight and trayterous gest,
Now be thou sure to die,
in penance of thy fast:
And with the word, bestrake him through
the shieuered launce it crackt
Against the broken bones,
and thorough pearst his corse.
Unable Guardastano then
for to resist the force,
Or once to speake a word,
fell downe vpon the blowe,
And presently gaue vp the ghost,
the speare had spoyld him so.
With that his friends amazed,
and very much in doubt
What this should mean, stood still a space,
at last they turnd about
Their nagges, and sparde no spurres,
vnto the Castle ward
Of Guardastano, whence they came,
feare made them gallop hard.
When thus Rossilion sawe
his foe bereft of life,
He left the saddle, and withall
drewe out a shoulder knife,
And ript me vp the brest
of him that murdred lay:
Which done, with egre hands he pluckt
the trembling heart away,
Wherein the treason lodgde:
and hauing there by chance
Or els of purpose, (skilles not which)
the pendant of his launce,
He wrapt it vp therein,
and willd his man to looke
Unto the carriage of the same:
the heart his seruant tooke.
Then hauing straightly chargd,
that none should dare to say
A word of that which they had seene
and he had done that day:
He mounted on his horse,
and in the euening rode
Unto his Castle backe againe,
and there the knight abode.
His wife that hard him say,
that Guardastano came
That night to suppe with him at home,
and looked for the same,
Did wonder at his stay:
and being one dismayde,
How hapt that Guardistano commes
not now (good syr) she saide.
To whom the knight replyde,
he sent me word right now
He could not come to day, good fayth
his let I doe allows.
The Lady wofull woxe,
and lowring gan to looke,
Rossilyon lighted from his horse
sent one to call the Cooke:
Who being come in place,
take here (quoth he) this heart.
I slue a Bore of late by hap,
herein bestow your arte.
Do make some daintie dishe,
according to your skill,
And serue it vp in siluer plate:
dispatch you know my will.
The cooke receiude the heart.
and made a cunning messe
Of meate thereof, as men are wont
that curious cates can dresse.
He minst it very small,
not sparing any cost,
For why, the knight his maister, did
alow him with the most.
When time of eating came,
Rossilyon sate him downe,
And eake the Lady, who for lacke
of Guardastan did frowne.
The meate was brought to borde,
than he that ganne to thinke
Upon his murther lately done,
could neither eate nor drinke.
At length the cooke sent vp
that other messe of meate,
But he, as one that had no liste,
did will his wife to eate,
And set the dayntie dishe
for her to feede vpon.
The Lady, somewhat hungrie, fell
vnto the cates anon.
And felt it very sweete,
which made her feede the more,
She rid the dishe, and thought it had
bene of a sauage Bore.
Rossilyon, when he sawe
her stomacke was so good,
And that the meate was all consumde,
the dishes emptie stoode:
How thinke you wife (quoth he)
how like you of your meate?
Good sir (quoth she) I like it well,
I had good liste to eate.
No wonder (quoth the knight)
by God, although this cheare
Do wel content thee being dead,
in life thou thoughtst it deare.
The Lady hearing this,
stoode still, as one dismayde.
Upon the wordes, when pause was past,
vnto the knight the sayde,
Why? what is that (good sir)
which you haue giuen me
To sup withall? who answerde thus:
I doe protest to thee,
The foode whereof thou fedst,
was Guardastanos heart,
Whome thou didst so entierly loue,
and playdst the harlots part.
Be bold it is the same,
this knife his belly ripe,
And from the rootes with these my hands,
the traytors heart I stript,
And crackt the strings in twayne
to ease my heart of woe
That could not rest contented, but
by murthring such a foe.
The Lady, when she heard
that Guardastan was slayne
Whom she had loude, to aske where she
lamented, were in vayne,
Coniecture of her cares,
imagine her distresse.
At last (quoth she) thou cruell knight,
(I can not tearme thee lesse)
Hast playd a wicked part,
and done a cursed acte,
In slaying of a guiltesse man,
(O bloudy beastly fact)
A wight that woed not me,
twas I that earned death,
If any did deserue at all
the losse of vitall breath
Twas I that did the deed,
I loude, I doe protest,
And did of worldlie men, account
that worthie knight the best.
How might he death deserue
who loyall was to thee?
But (mightie Gods) it is your will,
and pleasure now I see,
That these so noble cates,
the heart of such a wight.
In chiualrie that did excell,
a passing courteous Knight
As Guardastano was,
shoulde be my latter meale,
And that I should with baser meates
no more hereafter deale.
Wherefore (good faith) quoth she,
I doe not loath my foode,
And therewithall vppon her legges
the louing Lady stoode
Before a windowe, that
was full behinde her feete,
And sodainly from thence she fell
into the open streete.
Which deede no sooner done,
the window was so hie,
But out of hand, her breath was stopt,
and so the dame did die
With carkasse all to crusht,
by reason of the fall.
The knight her husband seeyng this,
(who was the cause of all)
Stoode like a man amazde.
and then misliked sore
Both of the Ladies losse, and eke
the murthred knight before.
And being then adrad,
and standing in a doubt
Of Counte Prouince, and the rest
that bordred thereabout:
He sadled vp his horse,
and roade in post away:
The night did fauour his intent.
As soone as it was day.
Twas all the countrey through
that such a dame was dead,
And presently vpon the fact
the knight him selfe was fled.
Then they that seruants were
of eyther castle, came
With bitter teares, and tooke the dead,
the knight, and eake the dame,
And in the castle Church,
in marble hewde for twaine,
They buried both the murthered knight,
and eke the Ladie slaine.
With verses on the graue,
to shew both who they were,
And what was cause that Guardastan
and she were buried there.

The Poet that to Loue did pen the path,
And taught the trade Cupidos ympes to traine,
Within his second booke aduised hath,
That who so lookes, and would be willing same,
To keepe his loue vnto himselfe, he must
Neither brother, friend, nor yet companion trust.

And hereupon his grounded reason growes,
That ech man seekes to serue himselfe in chiefe:
And he to sight that friendliest countenance showes.
Yet for his flesh will soonest play the theefe.
As stolne Deare in taste exceedes the gift,
So gallantst gaine is that which commes by shyft.

In greatest trust, the greatest treason lyes,
Where least we feare, there harme we soonest finde,
An open foe each man full quickly flyes,
Hee woundeth most that strikes his blowe behinde:
But little hurt the open Adder workes,
The Snake stings sore, that in the couert lurkes.

The barking Hound hath seldome hap to bite,
His mouth bewrayes his meaning by his crie:
No berde vpon the open twigs doth light,
The naked Net ech foolish foule doth flye:
The hidden hooke is hee that doth the feate,
Of sugred bane the wiliest mouse will eate.

Who feares no fraude, wyth ease you may beguyle,
The simple minde will soone be ouergone:
He takes least harme that doubtes deceyt and wile,
And dreading thornes, doth let the Rose alone:
The Trumpets sound bewrayes the Foe at hand,
And warning giues his furie to withstand.

The glewing grome that fyghts before he commes,
Is eyther voyded, or by sleight subdued;
The way to wynne, is not to beate the drummes,
For threatning throates are easily eschued:
The surest meane to worke anothers woe,
Is fayre to speake and be a fryend in showe.

Had not this knight reposde assured trust,
Upon his fryend, that loude him as his life,
Could he so well haue serude his fylthie lust?
Or leysure had so to abusde his wife?
No, had he thought such treason hyd in breast,
He would haue lookte more nearely to hys guest.

But louing well, and meaning not amisse,
He lowde him scope, without suspect of ill
To come and goe, to vse the house as hys,
A perfect shewe of very great good wyll:
Both purse and plate, both lands, and lyfe, and all,
(Saue wife alone) lay pledge at euery call.

Which makes his fault, and foule offence the more,
That dyd this deede and wrought this trechery,
Against his friend that loude him euermore,
And thought him void of vice of lechery:
Good nature deemd that Guardastan could not,
For fleshly lust so deare a friend forgot.

But see, how synne once feasting on the minde
Doth muffle man and leades him quight away:
It makes him passe beyond the boundes of kynde,
And swerue the trade where truth and vertues lay,
Refusing friendes, reiecting lawes, and right,
For greedy care to compasse foule delyght.

And as the man herein deserueth shame,
For stoupyng so to base and beastly vice,
So are those dames exceedingly too blame.
Whose glaueryng glee to lewdnesse doth entice:
Who frame their lookes, their gesture tongs and tale,
To serue their turne in steede of pleasant stale,

Two sorts I fynde deseruing trust aleeke,
The mounting minds that sue for hygh estate,
And such againe as sensuall pleasures seeke,
And hunt the haunt of euery louyng mate:
Both which to come by what they like and loue,
Renounce theyr friends, and scorne the Gods aboue.

But marke yet well the sause that doth ensue,
Such stolne flesh, is bytter as the gall,
Great are the plagues to such disorders due,
From skyes reuenge and fearefull scourge doth fall:
The dome diuine although it suffer long.
Yet strikes at last, and surely wreakes the wrong.

For Helens rage king Menelaus wife,
The Stories tell how Priam and his towne
Confounded were, and how for broyle and strife
In wrongfull cause, the walles were battered downe:
Full many a knyght in battayle spent his blood,
And all because the quarrell was not good.

So when this Traitor knight had fed his fyll,
Upon Rossilions wyfe, and wrongde his friende,
By foule abuse: in guerdon of his ill,
The wrathfull Gods brought him to wretched end
To quit hys glee, and all his former sport,
He dyed the death in most vnhappie sort.

And shee, who falst her faith and marriage heste,
And double penance for her pleasure past,
For fyrst she eate his heart she fansied best,
And desperately did kill her selfe at last.
Note here the fruites of treason and of lust:
Forbeare the like, for God is euer iust: