The Palace of Pleasure, Volume 3

The Palace of Pleasure, Volume 3

This text uses UTF-8 (Unicode) file encoding. If the apostrophes and quotation marks in this paragraph appear as garbage, you may have an incompatible browser or unavailable fonts. First, make sure that your browsers character set or file encoding is set to Unicode (UTF-8). You may also need to change the default font. The great Honor and authority men haue in thys World, and the greater their estimation is, the more sensible and notorious are the faultes by theim committed, and the greater is their slaunder. In lyke manner more difficult it is for that man to tolerate and sustayne Fortune, which al the dayes of his life hath lyued at his ease, if by chaunce he fall into any great necessity than for hym whych neuer felt but woe, mishap, and aduersity. Dyonisius the Tyraunt of Scicilia, felt greater payne when hee was expelled his Kyngdome, than Milo did, beinge banished from Rome: for so mutch as the one was a Soueraygne Lorde, the sonne of a Kynge, aIusticiary on Earth, and the other but a simple Citizen of a Citty, wherein the People had Lawes, and the Lawes of Magistrates were had in reuerence. So lykewyse the fall of a high and lofty Tree, maketh greater noyse, than that whych is low and little. Hygh Towers, and stately Palaces of Prynces bee seene further of, than the poore Cabans, and homely Sheepeheardes Sheepecotes: the Walles of lofty Cittyes more a loofe doe Salute the Viewers of the same, than the simple Caues, which the Poore doe digge belowe the Mountayne Rockes. Wherefore it behooueth the Noble, and sutch as haue charge of Common wealth, to lyue an honest Lyfe, and beare their port vpright, that none haue cause to discourse vppon their wicked deedes and naughty life. And aboue all modesty ought to be kept by Women, 4 whom as their race, Noble birth, aucthority and name, maketh them more famous, euen so their vertue, honesty, chastity, and continencie more prayse worthy. And behoueful it is, that like as they wishe to be honoured aboue all other, so their life do make them worthy of that honour, without disgracing their name by deed or worde, or blemishing that brightnesse which may commend the same. Igreatly feare that all the Princely factes, the exploytes and conquests done by the Babylonian Queene Semyramis, neuer was recommended wyth sutch prayse, as hir vice had shame in records by those which left remembrance of auncient acts. Thus I say, because a woman being as it were the Image of sweetnesse, curtesie and shamefastnesse, so soone as she steppeth out of the right tract, and abandoneth the sweete smel of hir duety and modesty, besides the denigration of hir honour, thrusteth her selfe into infinite Troubles, causeth ruine os sutch whych should bee honoured and praysed, if Womens Allurementes solicited theym not to Folly. Iwyll not heere Indeuour my selfe to seeke for examples of Samson, Salomon or other, which suffred themselues fondly to be abused by Women: and who by meane of them be tumbled into great faults, and haue incurred greater perils: contentinge my selfe to recyte a ryght pitifull History done almost in our tyme, when the French vnder leadinge of that notable Capitayne Gaston de Foix, vanquished the force of Spayne and Naples at the Iourney of Rauenna in the time of the French Kynge called Lewes the twelfth, who married the Lady Mary, Daughter to Kynge Henry the seuenth, and Sister to the Victorious Prynce of worthy memory kynge Henry the eyght, Wyfe (after the death of the sayd Lewes) to the puissaunt Gentleman Charles, late Duke of Suffolke. In the very tyme then lyued a Gentleman of Naples called Antonio Bologna, who hauing bin master of Household to Fredericke of Aragon, somtime king of Naples, after the French had expelled those of Aragon out of that Citty, the sayde Bologna retyred into Fraunce, and thereby recouered the goods, which hee possessed in his countrey. The Gentleman besides that he was valiant of his persone, agood man of Warre, and wel esteemed amongs the best, had a passing numbre of good graces, which made him to be loued and cherished of euery 5 wight: and for riding and managing of greate horse, he had not his fellow in Italy: he could also play exceedynge well and trim vpon the Lute, whose fayning voyce so wel agreed therevnto, that the moste melancholike persons would forget their heauinesse, vpon hearing of his heauenly noyse: and besides these qualyties, he was of personage comely, and of good proportion. To be short: nature hauing trauayled and dispoyled hir Treasure House for inriching of him, he had by Arte gotten that, which made him most happy and worthy of prayse, which was, the knowledge of good letters, wherein he was so well trayned, as by talke and dispute thereof, he made those to blush that were of that state and profession. Antonio Bologna hauing left Fredericke of Aragon in Fraunce, who expulsed out of Naples was retired to king Lewes, went home to his house to lyue at rest and to auoyd trouble, forgetting the delicates of Courtes and houses of great men, to bee the only husband of his owne reueneue. But what? it is impossible to eschue that which the heauens haue determined vpon vs: or to shunne the vnhappe which seemeth to follow vs, as it were naturally proceeding from our mothers Wombe: in sutch wyse as many times, he which seemeth the wisest man, guided by misfortune, hasteth himself with stouping head to fall headlonge into hys death and ruine. Euen so it chaunced to this Neapolitane Gentleman: for in the very same place where he attained his aduauncement, he receiued also his diminution and decay, and by that house which preferred hym to what he had, he was depryued, both of his estate and life: the discourse whereof you shall vnderstande. Ihaue tolde you already, that this Gentleman was Mayster of the kinge of Naples household, and beyng a gentle person, agood Courtier, wel trained vp, and wyse for gouernment of himself in the Courte and in the seruice of Princes, the Duchesse of Malfi thought to intreate him that he would serue hir, in that office which he serued the King. This Duchesse was of the house of Aragon, and sister to the Cardinall of Aragon, which then was a rych and puissant personage. Being resolued, and persuaded, that Bologna was deuoutly affected to the house of Aragon, as one brought vp there from a Chylde: shee sent for him home to his House, and vpon hys repaire vsed vnto him these, 6 or like Woordes: Mayster Bologna, sith your ill fortune, nay rather the vnhap of our whole House is sutch, as your good Lord and Mayster hath forgon his state and dignity, and that you therwithall haue lost a good Maister, without other recompence but the prayse which euery man giueth you for your good seruice, Ihaue thought good to intreat you to doe me the honor, as to take charge of the gouernment of my House, and to vse the same, as you did that of the King your maister. Iknow well that the office is to vnworthy for your calling; notwithstanding you be not ignorant what I am, and how neare to him in bloud, to whom you haue bene a Seruaunte so faythfull and Louing; and albeit that I am no Queene, endued with greatest reuenue, yet with that little portyon I haue, Ibeare a Pryncely heart: and sutch as you by experience do knowe what I haue done, and dayly do to those which depart my seruice, recompensing them according to theyr paine and trauaile: magnificence is obserued as well in the Courts of poore Princes, as in the stately Palaces of great Kings and monarches. Ido remembre that I haue read of a certain noble gentleman, aPersian borne, called Ariobarzanes, who vsed great examples of curtesie and stoutnesse towards King Artaxerxes, wherewith the king wondred at his magnificence, and confessed himself to be vanquished: you shal take aduise of this request, and in the meane time do think you will not refuse the same, aswell for that my demaund is iust, as also being assured, that our House and race is so well imprinted in your heart, as it is impossible that the memory thereof can be defaced. The gentleman hearynge that curteous demaund of the Duchesse, knowing himselfe how deepely bound he was to the name of Aragon, and led by some vnknowen prouocation to his great il luck, answered hir in this wise: Iwould to God, Madame, that with so good reason and equity I were able to make denyall of your commaundment, as iustly you maye require the same: wherfore for the bounden duety which I owe to the name and memorie of the house of Aragon, Imake promise that I shall not only sustaine the trauell, but also the daunger of my Lyfe, dayly to be offred for your seruice: but I feele in mynde I know not what, which commaundeth me to withdraw my selfe to lyue alone at home within 7 my lyttle house, and to be content with that I haue, forgoing the sumptuous charge of Prynces houses, which Lyfe would be wel liked of my self, were it not for the feare that you Madame should be discontented with my refusall, and that you should conceiue, that I disdained your offred charge, or contempne your Court for respect of the great Office I bare in the Courte of the Kyng, my Lord and Mayster: for I cannot receiue more honour, than to serue hir, which is the paragon of that stock and royal race. Therfore at all aduentures I am resolued to obey your will, and humbly to satisfy the duety of the charge wherein it pleaseth you to imploy me, more to pleasure you for auoiding of displeasure, then for desire I haue to lyue an honorable lyfe in the greatest Princes house of the world, sith I am discharged from him in whose name resteth my comfort and only stay, thinking to haue liued a solitarye life, and to passe my yeres in rest, except it were in the pore abilitye of my seruice to that house, wherunto I am bound continually to be a faithfull seruaunt. Thus Madame, you see me to be the readiest man of the world, to fulfil the request, and accomplishe sutch other seruice wherein it shall please you to imploy me. The Duchesse thanked him very heartily, and gaue him charge of all hir housholde traine, commaunding ech person to do him sutch reuerence as to hir self, and to obey him as the chief of al hir family. This Lady was a widow, but a passing faire Gentlewoman, fine and very yong, hauing a yong sonne vnder hir guard and keping, left by the deceased Duke hir husband, togither with the Duchy, the inheritaunce of hir child. Now consider hir personage being sutch, her easy life and delycate bringing vp, and hir daily view of the youthly trade and manner of Courtiers lyfe, whether she felt hir self pryckt wyth any desire, which burned hir heart the more incessantly, as the flames were hidden and couert: from the outward shew whereof shee stayed hir self so well as shee coulde. But shee followinge beste aduice, rather esteemed the proofe of Maryage, than to burne wyth so lyttle fire, or to incurre the exchange of louers, as many vnshamefaste strumpets do, which be rather giuen ouer, than satisfied with pleasure of loue. And to say the truthe, they be not guided by wisedoms lore, which suffer a maiden ripe for mariage to be long 8 vnwedded, or yong wife long to liue in widowes state, what assurance so euer they make of their chaste and stayed lyfe. For bookes be to full of sutch enterpryses, and houses stored with examples of sutch stolne and secrete practises, as there neede no further proofe for assurance of our cause, the daily experience maketh plaine and manifest. And a great folly it is to build the fantasies of chastitye amid the follies of worldly pleasures. Iwill not goe about to make those matters impossible, ne yet will iudge at large, but that there be som maydens and Wyues, which wiselye can conteine themselues amongs the troupe of amorous suters. But what? the experience is very hard, and the proofe no lesse daungerous, and perchaunce in a moment the mind of some peruerted, which all their lyuyinge dayes haue closed theyr Eares from the Sute of those that haue made offer of louyng seruice. And hereof we neede not run to forrayne Hystories, ne yet to seeke records that be auncient, sith wee may see the daily effects of the lyke, practised in Noble houses, and Courtes of Kyngs and Prynces. That this is true, example of this fayre Duchesse, who was moued wyth that desyre which pricketh others that be of Flesh and Bone. Thys Lady waxed very weary of lying alone, and gryeued hir Hearte to be wythoute a match, specially in the Nyght, when the secrete silence and darkenesse of the same presented beefore the eyes of hir mind, the Image of the pleasure which she felt in the lyfe tyme of hir deceased Lord and Husband, whereof now feelyng hir selfe despoyled, she felt a contynuall Combat, and durst not attempte that which she desyred most, but eschued the thyng wherof hir Mind lyked best. Alas (sayd shee) is it possyble after the taste of the Value of honest obedyence whych the Wyfe oweth vnto hir Husband, that I should desyre to suffer the Heat whych burneth and altereth the martyred mynds of those that subdue themselues to loue? Can sutch attempt pierce the heart of me to become amorous by forgetting and straying from the limmetts of honest life? But what desire is this? Ihaue a certayne vnacquaynted lust, and yet very well know not what it is that moueth me, and to whom I shall vow the spoyle thereof. Iam truely more fond and foolyshe than euer Narcissus was, for there is neyther shadow nor voyce, vpon which I can well stay my sight, nor yet simple Imagination of any worldly 9 man, whereuppon I can arrest the conceypt of my vnstayed heart, and the desires which prouoke my mynde. Pygmalion loued once a Marble Piller, and I haue but one desire, the colour whereof is more pale than death. There is nothyng which can geue the same so mutch as one spot of vermilion rud. If I doe discouer these appetites to any wight, perhaps they will mock me for my labor, and for all the beauty and Noble byrth that is in me, they will make no conscience to deeme me for their iesting stock, and to solace themselues with rehersall of my fond conceits. But sith there is no enemy in the field, and that but simple suspicion doth assayle me, why breake I not the same, and deface the entier remembraunce of the lightnesse of my brayne? It appertayneth vnto mee to shewe my selfe, as issued from the Noble house of Aragon: to me it doeth belonge to take heede how I erre or degenerate from the royall bloud whereof I came. In this sort that fayre Wydow and young Princesse fantasied in the night vppon the discourse of hir appetites. But when the day was come, seeing the great multitude of the Neapolitan Lords and Gentlemen that marched vp and downe the Citty, eyinge and beholdinge their best beloued, or vsing talke of loue with them whose seruaunts they were, all that which she thought vpon in the night, vanished so sone as the flame of burned Straw, or the Pouder of Cannon shot, and purposed for any respect to liue no longer in that sort, but promised the conquest of some frend that was lusty and discreete. But the difficulty rested in that she knew not vpon whom to fixe hir loue, fearing to bee slaundered, and also that the light disposition and maner of most part of youth were to be suspected, in sutch wise as giuing ouer al them which vauted vpon their Gennets, Turkey Palfreis, and other Coursers alonge the Citty of Naples, shee purposed to take repast of other Venison, than of that fond and wanton troupe. So hir mishap began already to spin the threede which choked the Ayre and Breath of hir vnhappy life. Yee haue heard before that Mayster Bologna was one of the wisest and most perfect Gentlemen that the land of Naples that tyme brought forth, and for his Beauty, Proportion, Galantnesse, Valiaunce, and good grace, without comparison. His fauour was so sweete and pleasant, as they which kept him company, had somwhat to do to abstayne their affection. 10 Who then could blame thys fayre Princesse, if (pressed wyth desire of match, to remoue the ticklish instigations of her wanton flesh, and hauing in hir presence a man so wise) shee did set hir minde on hym, or fantasy to mary him? Would not that party for calming of his thirst and hunger, being set at a table before sundry sorts of delicate viands, ease his hunger? Me thinke the person doth greatly forget himselfe, which hauing handfast vpon occasion, suffreth the same to vanish and fly away, sith it is wel known that she being bald behinde, hath no place to sease vpon when desire moueth vs to lay hold vpon hir. Which was the cause that the Duchesse became extremely in loue with the mayster of hir house. In sutch wyse as before al men, she spared not to prayse the great perfections of him whom she desired to be altogether hirs. And so she was inamored, that it was as possible to see the night to be voide of darknesse, as the Duchesse without the presence of hir Bologna, or els by talke of words to set forth his prayse, the continuall remembrance of who (for that shee loued him as hirselfe) was hir onely mindes repast. The Gentleman that was full wyse, and had at other times felt the great force of the passion which proceedeth from extreeme loue, immediatly did mark the countenaunce of the Duchesse, and perceyued the same so neere, as vnfaynedly hee knew that very ardently the Lady was in loue with him: and albeit he sawe the inequality and difference betweene them both, she being sorted out of the royall bloud, and himself of meaner calling, yet knowing loue to haue no respect to state or dignity, determined to folow his fortune, and to serue hir which so louingly shewed hir selfe to him. Then sodaynely reprouing his fonde conceit, he sayd vnto himself: What folly is that I enterprise, to the preiudice and peril of mine honor and life? Ought the wisedome of a Gentleman to stray and wandre through the assaults of an appetite rising of sensuality, and that reason gieue place to that which doeth participate with brute beasts depriued of all reason by subduinge the minde to the affections of the body? No, no, avertuous man ought to let shine in him selfe the force of the generosity of his minde. This is not to liue according to the spirite, when pleasure shall make vs forget our duty and sauegard of our Conscience. The reputation of a wise Gentleman resteth not only to be valiant, 11 and skilfull in feates of armes, or in seruice of the Noble: but needefull it is for him by discreation to make himselfe prayse worthy, and by vanquishinge of himselfe to open the gate to fame, whereby he may euerlastingly make himselfe glorious to all posterity. Loue pricketh and prouoketh the spirite to do well, Ido confesse, but that affection ought to be addressed to some vertuous end, tending to mariage, for otherwise that vnspotted Image shall be soyled wyth the villany of Beastly pleasure. Alas, sayd he, how easie it is to dispute, when the thyng is absent, which can both force and violently assayle the Bulwarks of most constant hearts. Ifull well doe see the troth, and doe feele the thing that is good, and knowe what behoueth mee to follow: but when I view the pereles beauty of my Lady, hir graces, wisedome, behauiour and curtesie, when I see hir to cast so louinge an eye vpon me, that she vseth so great familiarity, that she forgetteth the greatnesse of hir house to abase hirselfe for my respect: how is it possible that I should be so foolish to dispise a duety so rare and precious, and to set light by that which the Noblest would pursue wyth all reuerence and deuoyre? Shall I be so voyde of wisdome to suffer the yonge Princesse to see hirselfe contempned of mee, thereby to conuert hir loue to teares, by setting hir mynde upon an other, that shall seek mine ouerthrow? Who knoweth not the fury of a woman: specially the Noble dame, by seeing hirselfe despised? No, no, she loueth me, and I will be hir seruaunt, and vse the fortune proffred. Shal I be the first simple Gentleman that hath married or loued a Princesse? Is it not more honourable for mee to settle my mind vpon a place so high, than vppon some simple wench by whom I shall neyther attayne profit, or aduancement? Baldouine of Flaunders, did not he a Noble enterprise when he carried away Iudith the daughter of the French kynge, as she was passing vpon the Seas into England, to be married to the kynge of that Countrey? Iam neither Pirat nor Aduenturer, for the Lady loueth me. What wrong doe I then to any person by rendringe loue agayne? Is not she at liberty? To whom ought shee to make accoumpt of hir deedes and doinges, but to God alone and to hir owne Conscience? Iwyll loue hir, and cary lyke affection for the loue which I know and see that she beareth vnto me, beinge 12 assured that the same is directed to good ende, and that a Woman so wyse as she is, will not hazard the bleamish of hir honor. Thus Bologna framed the plot for intertaynment of the Duchesse (albeit hir loue already was fully bent vpon him) and fortified hym selfe agaynst all perillous myshap and chaunce that might succeede, as ordinarily you see that Louers conceyue all things for their aduauntage, and fantasie dreames agreeable to their most desire, resemblinge the Mad and Bedlem persons which haue before their eyes, the figured Fansies whych cause the conceipt of their fury, and stay themselues vpon the vision of that which most troubleth their offended Brayne. On the other side, the Duchesse was in no lesse care of hir Louer, the will of whom was hid and secret, whych more did vexe and torment hir, than the fire of loue that burned hir feruently. She could not tell what way to hold, to do him vnderstand hir heart and affection. She feared to discouer the same vnto hym, doubtinge eyther that some fond and rigorous aunswere, or the reueylinge of hir mynde to hym, whose presence pleased hir more than all of the men of the World. Alas, sayd shee, am I happed into so straunge misery, that with mine owne mouth I must make request to him, which with all humility ought to offer mee hys service? Shall a Lady of sutch bloud as I am, be constrayned to sue, where all other be required by importunate instance of their Suters? Ah loue, loue, what so euer he was that clothed thee wyth sutch puissaunce, Idare say he was the cruell ennimy of mans freedom. It is impossible that thou hadst thy being in heauen, sith the clemency and curteous influence of the same, inuesteth man with better benefits, than to suffer hir nourse children to be intreated with sutch rigor. He lieth which sayth that Venus is thy mother, for the swetenes and good grace that resteth in that pitifull Goddesse, who taketh no pleasure to see louers perced with so egre trauayles as that which afflicteth my heart. It was some fierce cogitation of Saturne, that brought thee forth, and sent thee into the worlde to breake the ease of them which liue at rest without any passion or griefe. Pardon me Loue, if I blaspheme thy maiesty, for the stresse and endlesse grief wherein I am plunged, maketh me thus to roue at large, and the doubts, which I conceyue, do take away the health and soundnesse 13 of my mynde, the little experience in thy schole causeth this amaze in me, to be solicited with desire that countersayeth the duty, honor, and reputation of my state: the party whom I loue, is a Gentleman, vertuous, valiant, sage, and of good grace. In this there is no cause to blame Loue of blindnesse, for all the inequality of our houses, apparant vpon the first sight and shew of the same. But from whence Issue Monarchs, Prynces and great Lords, but from the naturall and common Masse of Earth, whereof other men do come? what maketh these differences betwene those that loue ech other, if not the sottish opinion which we conceiue of greatnesse, and preheminence: as though naturall affections bee like to that ordayned by the fantasie of men in their lawes extreme. And what greater right haue Princes to ioyne wyth a simple Gentlewoman, than the Princesse to mary a Gentleman, and sutch as Anthonio Bologna is, in whom Heauen and Nature haue forgotten nothinge to make him equall with them which march amongs the greatest. Ithinke we be the dayly slaues of the fond and cruell fantasie of those Tyraunts, which say they haue puissance ouer vs: and that straininge our will to their tiranny, we be still bound to the chaine like the Galley slaue. No, no, Bologna shall be my Husband, for of a freend I purpose to make my loyall and lawful Husband, meaning therby not to offend God and men together, and pretend to liue without offence of conscience, wherby my soule shal not be hindred for any thyng I do, by marying him whom I so straungely loue. Iam sure not to be deceyued in loue. He loueth me so mutch or more as I do him, but he dareth not disclose the same, fearing to be refused and cast of with shame. Thus 2 vnited wils, and 2 hearts tied togethers with equal knot cannot chose but bryng forth fruites worthy of sutch society. Let men say what they list, Iwill doe none otherwyse than my heade and mynd haue already framed. Semblably I neede not make accompt to any persone for my fact, my body, and reputation beynge in full liberty and freedome. The bond of mariage made, shall couer the faulte whych men woulde fynde, and leauyng myne estate, Ishall do no wrong but to the greatnesse of my house, which maketh me amongs men right honorable. But these honors be nothyng worth, where the Mynd is voyd of contentation, 14 and wher the hearte pryckte forwarde by desire leaueth the Bodye and Mynde restlesse wythout quiet. Thus the Duchesse founded hir enterpryse, determining to mary hir houshold Mayster, seeking for occasion and time, meete for disclosing of the same, and albeit that a certaine naturall shamefastnesse, which of custome accompanieth Ladies, did close hir mouth, and made hir to deferre (for a certain time) the effect of hir resolued minde: yet in the ende vanquished with loue and impacience, she was forced to breake of silence, and to assure hir self in him, reiecting feare conceiued of shame, to make hir waye to pleasure, which she lusted more than mariage, the same seruyng hir, but for a Maske and couerture to hide hir follies and shamelesse lusts, for which she did the penaunce that hir folly deserued. For no colorable dede or deceytful trompery can serue the excuse of any notable wyckednesse. She then throughly persuaded in her intent, dreamyng and thinking of nought else, but vpon the imbracement of hir Bologna, ended and determined hir conceits and pretended follies: and vpon a time sent for him vp into hir chamber, as commonly she did for the affaires and matters of hir house, and taking him a side vnto a window, hauing prospect into a garden, she knew not how to begin hir talk: (for the heart being seased, the mind troubled, and the witts out of course, the tongue fayled to do his office,) in sutch wise, as of long time she was vnable to speake one onely woord. He surprised with like affection, was more astonied by seeing the alteration of his Ladie. So the two Louers stoode still like Images beholding one another, without any mouing at all, vntill the Lady the hardiest of them bothe, as feelinge the most vehement and greatest gryef, tooke Bologna by the hand, and dissembling what she thought, vsed this or sutch language: If any other besides your selfe (Gentleman) should vnderstand the secret which now I purpose to dysclose, Idoubt what speeach were necessary to colour, what I shall speake: but being assured of your discretion and wisdom, and with what perfection nature hath indued you, and Arte, hauing accomplished that in you, which nature did begin to worke, as one bred and brought vp in the royal court of the seconde Alphonse, of Ferdinando, and Frederick of Aragon my cousins, Iwil make no doubt at all to manifest to 15 you the hidden secretes of my heart, being well persuaded that when you shall both heare and sauor my reasons, and tast the light which I bring forth for me, easily you may iudge that mine aduice cannot be other than iust and reasonable. But if your conceits shall straye from that whych I determine, Ishal he forced to thinke and saye that they which esteeme you wise and sage, and to be a man of good and ready wytte, be maruelously deceiued. Notwithstanding my heart foretelleth that it is impossible for mayster Bologna, to wandre so farre from equitie, but that by and by he wil enter the lystes and dyscerne the White from Blacke, and the Wronge fro that whych is Iust and Ryghte: for so mutch as hitherto I neuer saw thinge done by you, which Preposterated or peruerted the good iudgement that all the world esteemeth to shine in you, the same well manifested and declared by your tongue, the right iudge of the Mynde, you knowe and see how I am a Wydow through the Death of that Noble Gentleman of good remembrance, the Duke my Lord and husbande: you be not ignoraunt also, that I haue lyued and gouerned my self in sutch wise in my Widow state, as there is no man so hard and seuere of iudgement, that can blason reproch of mee in that whych appertayneth to the honestye and reputation of sutch a Lady as I am, bearyng my port so righte, as my conscience yeldeth no remorse, supposinge that no Man hathe wherewith to byte and accuse me. Touchyng the order of the goods of the Duke my Sonne, Ihave vsed them with diligence and discretion, as besides the Dettes, whych I haue dyscharged sithens the death of my Lord: Ihaue purchased a goodly Manor in Calabria, and haue annexed the same to the Dukedome of his heire: and at this day doe not owe one peny to a ......Buy Now (To Read More)

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Ebook Number: 34840
Author: Haslewood, Joseph
Release Date: Jan 3, 2011
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Editor: Haslewood, Joseph, 1769-1833 , Jacobs, Joseph, 1854-1916

Translator: Painter, William, 1540?-1594