University of Virginia Library

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.