Tragicall Tales translated by Tvrbervile :: :: University of Virginia Library

VVhen Aristotimus did strike the stroke,
In Elyesus, and did weld the Mace
As King alone, so heauie was his yoke,
That subiects thought themselues in wofull cace:
For greedie gulles that gapt for giltles blood,
Were best esteemde, and most in fauour stood.

Ech villaine vile that vaunted of his vice,
Ech loathsome leacher longing for his lust,
Was mounted vp, and held in hiest price,
Sinne sate at bench, extortion counted iust,
The best might bear no palme whilst he did rain,
He banisht some, & some with sword were slain.

Till Gods at last detesting murthers done
Incenst the hearts of sundrie noble wights,
For due reuēge, vnto his realm to ron,
where matchte with suclie, as were his housholde knights
VVith one consent this blooddy beast they slew,
Amid the Church for Gods themselues to view.

The woful Queen, the murthring mōster wife,
By fame assurde of dolefull husbands death,
To flee the force, bereft her selfe of life,
Enuying that her foes should stop her breath:
Two Ladies eke, the daughters of the king
Had leaue to die, who hung themselues in string.

[102]

VVhat time the proude and puisant Prince
Antigonus, in hande
The Macedonian Scepter held
And gouernd all the land:

There livde one Aristotimus,
A beast of blooddie kinde,
That all to monstrous murther did
Imploy his Tigres minde.

Who, when by fauour and by force
Of Antigon the King,
The state of Elyesus to
His yoke and becke did bring:

Full tyrantlike he strake the stroke
And hauing got the crowne,
Gaue vp himselfe to loathsome lust,
And brought the subiects downe,

That earst in freedome long had livde.
So mightie was his raigne,
As to resist his cruell parts
Men thought it all in vaine:

What foul abuse was then vnwrought?
What rigor left vntride?
What wicked prancks & pageants plaide
Whilst he the realme did gide?

His cankred nature all inclinde
To slaughter and to blood,
To kill the poore, and giltlesse soules,
It did this monster good:

103

And to this murthring minde of his,
He ioynde the vile aduise,
Of barbarous people, that to blood
This tyrant did entise:

The beastliest men that liuing were
Alone he did not place
In office, to controle the rest,
(Which was a cursed case:

That such vnciuill brutish beasts
Should rule a Princes land)
But choze them for his persons garde,
To haue them neare at hand.

Of all the vile vnkindlie partes
That he aliue did play,
I note but one aboue the rest,
Wherein I minde to stay,

To set this viper out to view:
That all the world may see
What plagues in store for cruell Kings
By Gods reserued be:

Who though to drinke in golden cup,
And feast with daintie fare,
And for a time abound in blisse,
Yet end their liues in care.

And steed of former sugred sops,
They swallow bitter gall,
And from the top of kingly throne
Abide the shamefull fall.

[103]

There dwelt within this tyrants realm
A Citizen of fame,
A man of wealth and great estate,
Phylodimus by name:

Who father was vnto a wench
For feature that did passe,
An A perse, among the rest,
And nurtred well she was.

Faire Micca was this maidens name,
Whose beautie did excell.
This Tyrant had a Souldier, who
Did like the virgin well,

One Luzio, a roysting Roague
In fauour with the king,
That to the end he might the maid
Unto his bias bring,

A messenger dispatcht vnto
The father, straight to will
Him yeeld his daughter to his hands,
His pleasure to fulfill.

He let him vnderstand his lust,
The father seeing such
A foule demaund, and shamefull sute,
Was vexed very much,

And gripte with anguish of the minde:
But hauing wayde the case,
And knowing that this ruffian stoode
So in the princes grace:

104

And highly was esteemde of him:
Begonne to be afraide,
And thereupon his wife and he
Thought good to send the maide:

Whom they perswaded as they might,
For safetie of her life.
To yeelde the Souldier vp the fort,
Withouten farther strife.

But shee (good heart) that lesse esteemde
Her life, than spotlesse name,
Well nurtred vp from tender youth,
And aye, in feare of shame,

Fell prostrate at her fathers foote,
Upon her fainting knees,
Imbracing him with bitter teares,
The sutes she made were these:

That he would neuer see her spoilde
Of such a varlet vile,
Nor let a cutthrote souldier so
His daughter to defile:

But rather let her die the death
With fathers willing knife:
Than yeeld her vp to Luzios lust,
To leade a strumpets life.

She was content with any lot,
So she might scape his hands.
Whilst hearing thus his daughters plaints
The wofull father standes:

[104]

And with the mother wayles the hap,
And pities of the maide,
Not knowing what to doe therein:
The Leacher that had staide

And lookt for Miccas comming long,
Impacient of his flame
And beastly heat, to fet the wench
Himselfe in person came:

Puft vp with deepe distaine and wrath,
And fiild with enuious yre,
That she did linger there so long,
Whom he did so desire.

Who beeing come vnto the house
Where did this damsell dwell,
And seeing her at fathers foote:
For rage began to swell,

And much misliking her delay,
With fierce and frowning face,
Controlde the wench, and bid her rise
And follow him a pace:

And must I Damsel come (quoth hee)
Mought message not suffice?
Doe way delayes, leaue of those teares,
And wype your wantons eyes:

Dipatch and come along with me,
Doe linger on no more.
Whereat the wench renude her plaints,
As she had done before:

105

And made no hast at all to ryse,
But sate vpon her knees:
Which Luzio seeing, all in rage
Unto the mayden flees,

And strips her naked as his nayle,
And beate her round about,
A thousand stripes he gaue the girle,
That had not on a cloute

To saue the burthen of a blowe
From off her tender corse.
But shee continde on her minde
For all the villaynes force,

Not weying all his blowes a beane,
A mayde of manly harte:
For though the beast had beate her sore
Shee made no shewe of smarte:

Nor yelded any sighing sobbes,
In proofe of inward payne,
But valiantly abid the scurge,
And ready was againe

To doe the like, more rather than
To yelde to such a slaue,
Or make him owner of the holde
Which he did long to haue:

The wofull parentes viewing this
With griefe, and dewed eyes,
Were greatly tho to pitie moude,
And out they made their cryes:

[105]

With sute of Luzio, there to leaue,
And beate the mayde no more.
But when they sawe they nought preuaild,
Their aged lockes they tore,

And out on God and man they call,
Their daughter voyde of blame
To succour, being sore distrest,
Euen then at point of shame.

Which sute, and yelling crye of theirs
Did make the monster mad:
And set him farther in a rage,
That earts so plagued had

The mayden Micca voyd of gilt.
With that he drawes his knife.
And in the aged fathers sight
Bereaues the wench of life.

Out gusht apace the purple blood
From Miccas tender limmes,
In such abundance, as about
The place the mayden swimmes:

A perfit proofe that all the zeale
Which Luzio bore the wench,
Did only growe of Leachers lust,
Whom wrath so soone could quench.

For had he grounded lust on loue,
Or fanside Micca well,
He would not so haue slaine a mayd,
Whose bewtie did excell.

106

Farewell to thee Dianas Nimphe,
Thy vertue was so great,
As well thou didst among the gods
Deserue to haue a seate.

For Lucrece could haue done no more,
Than yeld her selfe to dye,
And in defence of spotlesse fame
A tyrants hand to trye.

What kingly hart, what princely brest?
Nay more, what manly mynde
Could see, or suffer such a facte,
Against the lawes of kynde?

Would any man of womans milke,
Endure so foule a deede,
Not yelding him that playd the parte,
A gibbot for his meed?

And yet this butchers bloody rage,
This tyrant could not moue
To hate him ought the more, but eke
The good that did reproue

The filthy villayne for his vice,
The Prince did make away.
For some of them with cruell sworde
He out of hand did slaye,

And other some he forste abrode
As banisht men to rome
Eight hundreth at the least, into
Aeolia fled from home,

[106]

For succours sake, to saue their liues,
And scape his hatefull hande,
Who only sought the spoyle of such
As dwelt within his lande:

Where hauing certain months remaind
These exile wightes did wryte
In humble wise, by lowly sute
That they such fauour might

Obtaine from Aristotimus,
As to enioy their wiues
And silly babes, the only staffe
And stay of all their lyues.

But nought their letters moght auaile,
He would not condiscend
In any case, the Matrones to
The banisht men to send:

In hope by that to force them home
And so to wreake his spite
Upon those wise forecasting wightes
That saude themselues by flight.

But yet he causde a trumpe in fine
To sound in market place,
To shew that he was well content,
And that it pleasde his grace,

That wiues should seeke their husbands out:
And gaue them leaue beside,
With bagge, and baggage, babes and all,
Without restrainte to ride.

107

Hee licenst them, to iourney thence,
And parte the citie quight,
Which tidings made the Matrons glad,
The newes did breed delight:

The packts & fardles then were made,
The wagons were puruayde,
Both carte and horses readie were,
And women well apayde,

That to their husbāds they should passe
When poynted day drewe on,
The streets were stuft with cariage, wiues
Were readie to be gone:

Their little babes and all were there
The porter only was
The cause of stay, without whose leaue
There might no carriage passe.

Whilst they at gate thus wayting were
A farre they might espye
A trowpe of sweating Souldiers runne,
That made a cruell crye:

And willd the women there to stoppe,
And thence agayne to goe
Into the citie whence they came,
The Princes will was so:

Those hewsters draue the horses back,
The streetes were somewhat straight,
Which made the prease exceeding great,
The iades were fully fraight

[107]

With heauie burdens on their backes,
Which so anoyde the way,
As women might not well retyre,
Nor there in safetie staye.

But, by the meane of horse and men
Such hurlie burlie grewe,
That there the iades from off their backs
The little infants threwe.

The wofull sight that euer man
Of honest harte might see,
Such silly soules in such a throng
Of cartes and coltes to bee:

Who could not helpe them selues awhit
Nor haue the mothers ayde,
For they (good matrons) by this chaunce
Were verie much dismayd.

For as their glee was great before,
And ioyfull eke the newes,
To parte the towne: so this arest
Did make them greatly muse.

Ther might you see some babes braines
About the chanell lie,
Some broken legs, some broosed armes,
And some with feare did crie.

Were few but felt some part of paines,
In such a retchles throng:
And shee, that scaped best away,
Was crusht, and curstlie wrong.

108

When the Souldiers reckned had
And taken full accompte
Of wyues, and babes, & knew the summe
Whereto the whole did mounte:

Unto the Pallace ward they draue
Then like a flocke of sheepe,
Which hired shepherdes on the hills
For meate and wagies keepe.

And beate the sillie soules a good,
That seemd to slacke the way,
Who, what for feare and faintnesse would
Bene very glad to stay.

When to the tyrants court they came,
The monster by and by
Bereft the matrons all their robes,
Both wyues and babes to lye

In pryson eke he gaue the charge:
Thus were they foule beguild,
Who thought (good dames) to seeke their men,
From Countrie bounds exilde.

Here will I leaue with heauy hartes,
The wyues their woes to waile,
Who hoping to depart the towne
Were closely kept in gayle,

And to the townes men will returne.
Who, when they sawe the rage
Their Prince was in, and wist not how
His rancour to asswage,

[108]

Amongst themselues deuisde at last
One practise to approue,
Whereby perhas they might haue hap
The tyrants hart to moue.

They had within the citie walles
A sorte of sacred dames
Whom sinne they thought it to abuse,
I wote not well their names:

Of Denys order all they were,
Sixtene, or there aboute.
The Citizens did deeme it good
The Nunnes to furnish out

With robes and reliques of the church:
And in their hands to beare
Their painted Gods, procession wise,
As was the custome there:

Well hoping by this subtill slight
To moue the Prince his harte,
Who though did murther men, they hope
Yet had not layde aparte

All feare and dread of sacred saintes,
(As it fell out in deed)
For when that euery virgin had
Put on her holy weed,

Alongst the towne they gan to goe,
In very graue aray,
With humble sute to stirre the Prince
To pitie those that lay

109

In prison, mothers with their bakes,
Which was a wofull case.
As then, by chaunce the Tyrant was
Amid the market place.

The Souldiers seeing dames deuoute
So deckt with temple stuffe,
For reuerence of their order, did
Begin to stand aloofe,

And gaue them leaue to prease vnto
The Tyrant, where he was:
Who hauing licence, through the midst
Of all the gard did passe:

And being somewhat neere the prince,
The king began to stay,
To know, both whē the women came,
And what they had to say.

They told their tale, & movde the sute,
And opened their intent:
Which when the Tyrant vnderstood,
Perceiuing what they ment:

Unto his traine he made a turne,
With grim and gastly cheere,
Controuling them, that did permit
The Nunnes to come so neere.

I lay the Tyrants taunts aside,
I purpose not to put
His kingly chafe within my verse:
But Souldiers combes were cut.

[109]

With that the gard began to grudge,
And for the checke they had,
With Holbards, which they held in hand,
They laid about like mad,

And bitterly did beate the dames,
With many a clubbish blowe,
Respect of reliques laid aside,
The Souldiers raged so.

Thus did they vse the sacred Nymphes
That were to Denyse vowde:
And to encrease their griefes the more,
Ech virgin eke allowde

Two talents for a recompence,
Besides their hurts receivde:
Thus of their purpose, both the dames,
And Citie was deceyvde.

At selfe same time, there liuing was
A man of great renowme,
When this outrage was put in vre.
And dwelt within the towne:

Ellanycus this noble hight,
Then stricken well in age,
Whose sonnes though Aristotimus
Had murthred in his rage:

Yet did mistrust him nought at all
Because he was so olde,
Was thought vnable ought to doe.
Which made the tyrant bolde.

110

This aged father waying well
His sonnes and countries spoile,
Determinde with himselfe to put
The tyrant to the foyle,

And take reuenge of blood, by blood,
Of death, by murther done.
Loe here I leaue the Prince a while
His headlong race to runne.

I must againe conuert my tale
Unto those banisht wights,
Whom sore it yrkt so long to lack
Their wiues and sweet delights.

For countrie loue by kinde doth worke
In euery honest brest,
And till we make returne againe
We neuer liue at rest

It was not long (I say) ere they,
That to Aolia were
By Aristotimus exilde,
And forst to tary there,

With ioynt consent of many moe,
Tooke armes against the king:
To bid him battaile out of hand
Their Souldiers they did bring

Within the tyrants countrie boundes,
And did possesse the land
That bordred on the citie which
This monster held in hand.

[110]

There making stout and strong defence
Against the Princes powre,
From whence they might with ease assail,
And eke the foe deuoure.

And to increase their might the more,
All such as fled for feare
From Elyesus, ioynde their bandes,
And were vnited there:

So that the whole assembled rout,
Unto an armie grew:
So many were those banisht men
That from their countrie flew.

Wherwith the Tyrant gan to quake,
And tremble verie much,
For why? this battaile that did grow,
His state did greatly touch.

The hammers beate within his brains,
As on a smithes forge,
He wist not how to void the foe,
Or troubles to disgorge,

That on his backe were like to light:
At length he thus bethought,
That hauing all their wiues and babes
Who all the mischiefe wrought,

In prison closely vnder key,
He hopte he mought with ease,
Deuise a meane the malice of
His enemies to appease,

111

Not by entreatie, but by force:
For so his cankred minde
Was bent to rigour: as of course
It is the Tyrants kinde.

Wherefore vpon a day he went
Unto the prison, where
The sillie captiue Ladies lay,
With countnancefull of feare,

With glowing eies, with bended browes
And angrie Lions looke,
Commanding those whose husbands earst
Their natiue soyle forsooke,

To write their letters out of hand,
And speede a poast away
With earnest sute vnto the men
From farther force to stay,

And do their wrathful weapons down:
Thus wild he them to write.
This was the summe that he would haue
Those women to endite.

Which of you do refuse (quoth he)
To complish by and by,
Be sure those eluish brattes of yours
And puling babes shall die:

And more than that, you (mothers) you
Shall not be clere exempt
Of torment, but the duly scurgde
For penance of contempt.

[111]

The women aunswerd not a word,
Which chaft the tyrant sore:
Who being thus to choller movde,
Bid them delay no more,

Nor trifle, but resolue vpon
The matter out of hand,
If not, they shoulde his princely power
And pleasure vnderstand.

The Ladies doubtfull what to say,
Upon ech other gazde,
As who would say, they feared not,
But somewhat were amazde.

There was by chance amongst the rest,
One wife, a worthie dame
Temoliont her husband hight,
Megesten was her name,

Who for the honour of her spouse,
A man of good discent,
And her good vertues, farre before
Those other matrons went:

One whom the rest did reuerence much
And honor for her wit:
This Ladie whilst the tyrant talkt,
With sober grace did sit,

And neuer movde her selfe a whit,
But causde the others eke
To doe the like: who when the Prince
Had done his tale, gan speake,

112

Not honoring the king at all,
And thus the Ladie sed.
O Aristotimus, hadst thou
Had iudgement in thy hed,

Or any wisedome in thy brest,
Thou wouldst not thus entice
Or goe about to make vs write
Our letters of aduice

Unto our husbands, teaching them
How they should doe and deale,
In case concerning good estate
Of this our common weale.

Farre fitter had it been for thee
Us matrons to haue sent
In message, vsing better termes
To further thine intent,

And better order in thy deedes
Than thou hast done of late:
I meane the time, when we were staide
Euen at the castle gate

At point to issue out of towne,
Thou mockdst vs there in deede,
Full greatly to thy taynte and shame.
But now that things proceede

Against thee as thou knowste no meane
To scape the present doubt:
If now (I say) by meane of vs
In speech thou goe about

[112]

Our husbands to begile, as vs
In deedes thou hast before:
I tell thee plaine, thou art deceivde,
Thou scanste without thy score.

That they be not entrapt againe,
Wee women will beware:
I would not wish thou shouldst surmise
That we such Asses are

Or sotted so, as seeking wayes
To ayde and saue our selues
From paine of prison, and to ease
Our little apish elues,

We would aduise our husbands to
Despise their countrie wealth,
Whose freedome dearer ought to be
Than any womās health.

The losse were light, though we decay,
That babes and women be:
And better were, our husbands should
Us all in cofyn see

Than they should vnreuenged goe,
Or die, without the foyle
Of him, that seekes to murther men,
And worke his countrie spoyle.

This Ladie would haue further gon
And tolde the processe out,
Saue that the Tyrant grew in rage,
And gastly lookt about,

113

Unable longer to endure
The force of furious rage:
Go firra, goe in poste and fetche
(Quoth he vnto his page)

This desperate dames vnhappie babe:
And ere I parte this place,
I will destroy and slay the sonne
Before the mothers face.

Whilste thus the Page in message sent
Went seeking here and there
Among the other boyes: this dame
(A Ladie voyde of feare)

Had spide anon her little impe:
Come hither come (quoth she
My prettie elfe, yet rather I
My selfe will murther thee

With friendly mothers forced hande,
And reaue thy limmes of life,
Than euer with thy bloud thou shalte
Imbrewe a butchers knife.

Which speach of hers so spitefull was,
And nipt the King so nye,
As he in furie farther sette,
Did sweare the dame should die.

And therewithall set hand to sworde
To let the Ladie blood,
That readie there to brooke his force
Before his presence stood.

[113]

And died doubtles there shee had
And caught a sodaine clappe
To set her packing, saue there was
A friend of his by happe,

One Cylo, whom he deerly loude,
That held the Princes arme,
And was the cause, by stay thereof,
The Lady had no harme.

This Cylo he was one of them
Who ment to slay the king
With helpe of good Ellanycus:
They had deuisde the thing

Long earst betwixt themselues: for why?
They could no longer byde
This cruell monsters bluddie hande,
And stomacke stuft with pride.

This sage appeasde the Princes wrath
Who hauing throughly made
A truce betwixt his rage and him,
And causde him sheathe his blade:

Perswaded that it yll became,
And was a brutish thing,
For him that was a noble peere,
Yea such a puisant King,

To bathe his blade in womans bloud:
The conquest was vnfitte
For such as in the like estate.
And royall roome did sitte,

114

Within a while that this was done,
A marueilous happe befell
To Aristotimus, that did
This tyrants death foretell.

For being with his Queene in bed
In daliauce and delight,
His seruants, going to their meate,
An Egle sawe in sight,

That made vnto the Pallacewarde,
As fast as shee mought flie:
This vggly Egle came amayne,
And soaring in the skie

Iust ouer gainst the very place,
Somewhat beside the hall
Where lay the Prince, from out her foote
The foule a stone let fall,

And presently vpon the deed
Away apace did flie
Quite out of sight, and as she went
Shee gaue a cruell crye.

Whereat the seruants meruelld much
And made so great a dyn,
As therewithall the king awoke
That had in slumber byn.

His seruants tolde him what they saw,
And how the case did stande,
He all in poast, vpon reporte
Sent horsemen out of hand,

[114]

For one that was a deepe deuine,
In whom he did affye
To shewe the case, to heare his minde,
And what was ment thereby.

The Prophet made him answere thus:
O puisant Prince, (quoth he)
Disgorge thy care, abandon feare,
Let nothing trouble thee.

Pluck vp thy manly harte: for Ioue
Doth tender thine estate,
And makes a speciall care of thee,
The Egle that of late

Thy seruants sawe, his herald is
Whom he in message sent,
To shew thee, that the mightie God
Is very greatly bent

To ayde thy force against thy foes,
Who long with murthring knife,
To spoyle theyr countrie of their king
And reaue the Princes life.

But boldly this presume, that God
Himselfe will stand with thee,
Gainst such as seeke thy death, and who
Thy mortall enemies bee.

The tale this cunning Calcar tolde,
Did ease the tyrants brest
Of diuers doubtes, wherewith he was
By Egles meane opprest.

115

Hee soundly slepte, no doubting death,
Nor fearing ciuill sworde:
But marke the end, and what it was
To trust a Prophets worde.

For hereupon the men that ment
The murther of the king,
(Ellanicus, and all his mates)
Thought good to doe the thing

Which they pretended out of hande,
Not making longer stay.
And so among themselues eft soone
Concluded, on the day

That followed next to worke the feate
And bring their drifte to passe,
And that selfe night, Ellanicus,
As he in slumber was,

Dreamte, that the elder of his sonnes
Whom earst the tyrant slewe,
Presented him before his face,
With wordes that here ensue:

Why sleepe, & slugge you (father deare)
Why doe you linger so?
That you to morowe shall subdue
Doe you as yet not know?

And reaue this citie from the king
Who now enioyes the same?
Departe your pillow (father mine)
And balke your bed for shame.

[115]

Wherewith Ellanycus reliude,
And hoping then in deede
Of happie lucke, in breake of day
Sought out his crewe with speede.

That were confedered in the facte:
Perswading them to caste
All dread aparte, and flat to fall
Unto their feate at laste.

And at the selfe same time the king,
(As hapte) a vision had,
That fed him with assured hope,
And made him passing glad.

This dreame presented to his thought,
That with a mightie trayne
Craterus came, to take his parte,
Resistance was in vayne.

There was no cause why he should care
But be of courage stoute,
For that Craterus had beset
Olympia rounde about.

This vision vayne, of good successe
Did so assure the king,
As in the dawning timely hee
Not dreading any thing

Departes the Pallace, voyde of awe,
With whom there only went
That Cylo, which was one of those
That all this mischief ment.

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By one and one his other men,
Did followe somewhat slacke:
Which when Ellanycus perceiude,
How hee his trayne did lacke:

The time it fitted finely then,
The season seemed good,
Unto this auncient foe of his,
To let this tyrant blood,

Without the giuing any signe,
For so deuisde he had
With such as were his fellow friendes:
But being very glad,

Up lifteth he his aged armes
Unto the azurde skies,
And with the lowdest voyce he could,
Unto his mates he cryes:

Why doe you loyter, (valiant laddes)
And men of great renowne,
To doe so worthy deede as this,
Amid your noble towne?

Which worde no soner spoken was,
But Cylo first of all
Set hand to sword, and drewe it out,
And slewe me therewithall,

First one of those that issued with
The tyrant him to garde.
Who so should take a tyrants parte,
Deserues the like rewarde.

[116]

Then after that, when Cylo thus
The matter had begunne,
Lampydio, and Trasybule
With all their force did runne

Upon the monster, fully bent
Him out of hand to slay,
Who then began to trust his legges:
For why? he ran his way,

To scape the danger of his death,
And to the temple fled
Of Iupiter the mightie God,
In hope to saue his hed.

But heathen gods mought nothing help
His enemies were so hote,
As him amid the sacred Church
With shining swordes they smote,

And there bereft him of his life,
That well deserude to dye:
And after dragde him blooddy thence
In open streete to lye.

There lay his loathsome carkasse slaine
For euery man to vewe,
The people did reioyce at harte
For freedome gotte anewe.

So glad were neuer hungrie houndes
Pursuing of the hare,
To fasten on the fearefull beast
Each dogge to haue his share,

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As were the subiects eger then
The tyrant to pursue,
With hatefull blood of such a beast
Their wepons to imbrew.

Whilst thus the folkes debating stood
Of matter hapt so late,
Ech wife began to gaze about,
And prie to finde her mate.

For now the banisht men were come
Unto the towne againe.
To tell the mirth at meeting tho
I thinke it were in vaine.

For as their care was common earst,
Whilst he the realme did gide,
So semblant was their ioy no doubt,
When such a monster dyde.

This done, the people gan to preace
Unto their Pallaceward,
But ere they came, how matters went,
The quaking Queene had hard,

And of the slaughter of her King,
Full heauie newes, God wot:
Wherefore mistrusting what would hap,
Eftsoone her selfe she got

Into a priuie counting house,
Where to escape their force,
About a beame shee hung a sheete,
And strangled so her corse.

[117]

A dolefull case that any dame
That was a Princes wife,
Should for her husbands sake, be forst
To rid herselfe of life.

But yet of both, more happy she,
Than was her husband slaine:
For ventrously shee put her selfe
To death, not dreading paine,

But he the captiue, cowardlike
To Ioue for succour ran,
And tooke the temple, like a wretch,
And dide not like a man.

But turne we to our tale againe:
The tyrant by this Queene
Two daughters had, the fairest wights
That lightly mought be seene,

And ripe in yeeres to match with men:
Who hauing heard report
How that their father murthred was
In such a cruell sort:

In minde to void the furious foes
(As virgins full of feare)
Conuaide themselues into a vawte
To stay in safetie there.

But they that sought, so many were,
And pryed so well about,
As in the seller where they lay,
They found the maidens out.

118

Whom thence, without delay, they drew,
And whet their eger knyues,
As fully bent as men mought be,
To reaue the Ladies liues.

But there by hap Megesten was,
Of whom we spake before,
At whose entreatie, and the sute
Of other matrones more,

Those noble Nymphs wer tho forborn,
For thus Megesten said
To such as sought to doe the deede:
In slaying of a maid

You do the thing that Butchers hearts
Would neuer vndertake,
Good faith it were a shamefull fact
So vile a spoile to make,

As file your sisters with virgins blood,
Against your manly kinde:
Let greedie lust to be auengde
Not make your eyes so blinde.

But rather, if so be, there is
No nay, but they must die,
Giue leaue, at my request, that they
Their proper strength may trie.

Let them make choice vpon their death
And scape your handie force.
Whereto they all agreed in one,
But no man tooke remoise.

[118]

It irckt them that the tyrants blood
Shouldst rest so long vnshed:
There were appointed for the nones
That both the Ladies led

Into an inner lodging, where
When they arriued were,
The eldest sister like a Dame
Undaunted, voyde of feare,

From off her waste did loose the scarse
That girt her loynes about,
And bid her yonger sister doe
The like with courage stout.

Then to a refter of the house,
Their girdles both were tide,
The knots and all were fitly made
To cause the silke to slide.

Who so had viewde those virgins then
He would haue thought, that they
had not intended by and by
Such break neck game to play.

Their faces were so fresh to fight,
Their eyes did neuer stare,
Their tungs pronounst their tales as though
Their hartes had felt no care,

Their outward gesture shewde a ioy,
More rather than distresse:
When thus (I say) the knots were knit,
To do the feate, the lesse

119

Of both the Ladies tooke the elder
Sister by the hand,
Requesting her, that shee as then
So much her friend would stand,

As first to let her die the death,
And play her part before:
To whom the elder answered thus.
As neuer heretofore

I haue denyde thee (Sister) aughte
In all my life: So now
Euen at my death I am content
Unto thy will to bow.

Thou shalt haue leaue to let me liue
Till thou be dead and gone:
But that which greeues me most of all,
And giues me cause of mone,

Is, that I liue to see thy death
before my losse of life:
The yonger Ladie thereupon
Without a farther strife

Conuaid her head into the scarfe:
The other standing there,
Gaue counsell so to place the knot
Iust vnderneath the eare,

As lightly she might loose her breath,
And rid her selfe of paine:
The yonger followed her aduise,
An easie death to gaine.

[119]

A wofull thing for me to write,
And loathsome eke to you
(Deare Ladies) who to passe their time
Shall hap my book to view:

To thinke that two such virgins, borne
And bred in Princely blisse,
Should be inforst in fine, to make
So hard a choyce as this.

But (as the auncient Prouerbe goes)
Perforce obaies no law:
The crabbed carters whip will cause
A stately steed to drawe.

The yonger sister thus bereft
Of life, the elder came
And cut the girdle of the beame
To hide her sisters shame,

As well as shee (good Ladie) might.
Then was her part to play:
Who putting on that other scarfe
About her necke, gan say

Unto Megesten: noble Dame,
When thou shalt see me ded:
For honours sake vnto thy kinde
See thou my carkasse led

In place that is for maidens meete,
Let not my body lie
Despoyld of robes, to naked shew
And view of euerie eye.

120

And with her saying, downe shee slipte,
And by her bodies pease,
(Though light it were) did stop her pipes,
And so shee dyde with ease.

The Lenuoy.

Those realmes right happy are, where princes rainge,
That measure out by vertue all their deedes,
Abhorring with their vassals blood to staine
Their sacred hands, and gore their kingly weedes:
The subiects there with willing harts obay,
And Peeres be safe from fall and foule decay.

But (out alas) where awfull Tyrants hold
In haughtie cruell hands the royall powre,
And mischiefe runnes by office vncontrolde,
There aye the great the lesser sort deuoure:
By daylie proofe ech one may daily see,
That such as rulers are, such subiects be,

Unlesse the law forbid the lewde to sinne,
Unlesse the Prince by rigor vices quell,
Disorders will by sufferance soone rush in:
Who striues not then in mischiefe to excell?
By nature man vnto the worst is bent
If holesome statutes stay not his entent.

A hungrie wight is hardly barde from food,
The kindled straw is seldome when put out,
A Tyrant that hath tasted once of blood,
With much adoe forbeares the sillie rout:
So sweete is sinne, as once from vertue fall,
And thou art lightly lost for good and all,

[120]

No looking backe, no bending foote about,
No feare of fall for many a mischiefes past,
No ill reuockt, no dread of any doubt,
Till God by heapes powre downe his plagues at last:
As by this verse, is plainly set to view,
No matter fainde, but auncient storie true.

Who would by might haue maintained Luzios lust,
That slewe the childe before the fathers face?
What King would wincke at matter so vniust?
Or fauour Ruffian in so foule a case?
The fact was vile, and dreadfull vengeance dewe
Unto a Prince, that such disorder knewe.

To bolster vice, in others is a blame,
For such as may by power suppresse the deed:
But crowned kings incurre the greatest shame
When they themselues on Subiects flesh do feede:
For Lions take no pleasure in the blood
Of any beast vnlesse they bee withstood.

And when such states so fouly doe offend,
Not they alone doe bide the bitter scurge,
But subiects are for rulers vices shend:
As when the Sea doth yeeld to great a surge,
The lesser brookes doe swell aboue their boundes,
And ouerflow like floods, the lower grounds.

Lyacon lewde, that fed on strangers blood,
Although himselfe were he that God forgate,
Yet caused was that loue with sodaine blood
Drownde all the world, saue Pyrrha and her mate:
Thus one ill yeere may worke ten thousands woe,
God hates yll kings, and doth detest them so.

As heere we see this vgly Tyrants wife,

121

And giltlesse broode that neuer did offend,
Raunsomde the fathers faultes by losse of life,
And he him selfe was brought to wretched end:
Wherefore let Peeres and states vprightly stand,
Least they and theirs be toucht by Gods owne hande.

For he that guydes the golden globe aloft,
Bekoldes from hie, and markes the deedes of man,
And hath reuenge for euery wicked thought,
Though he forbeare through mercy now and than:
He suffereth long, but sharpely payes at last,
If we correct not our misdoings past.

He spares no more the Monarke, than the Page,
No more the Keysars than the countrie Clownes,
He fauours not the auncient for their age,
He cuts off Kings, for all their costly Crownes,
No royall roabes, no scepter, no deuice,
Can raunsome those that fauour fylthy vice.