Part 19

Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all, Than she that doth hir louer's heart possesse in bondage thrall? The yong and tender feeblenesse Of myne vnskilfull age, Whereof also the tendernesse Doth feeble heart assuage: Whom Beautye's force hath made to frame Vnto a Louer's hest, So soone as first the kindled flame Of louinge Toyes increst. Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all, Than she that doth hir louer's heart possesse in bondage thrall? I haue assayed out to put The fier thus begoone, And haue attempted of to cut, The threede which loue hath spoone: And new alliance fayne would flee Of him whom I loue best, But that the Gods haue willed me To yeld to his request. Who may better sing and daunce among vs Ladies all, Than she that doth hir louer's heart possesse in bondage thrall? So amiable is his grace, Not like among vs all: So passing fayre is his Face, Whose hue doth stayne us all: And as the shining sunny day Doth eu'ry man delight, So he alone doth beare the sway, Amongs eche louing wight. Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all Than she that doth hir louer's heart possesse in bondage thrall? Why should not then, the fayrest dame, Apply her gentle minde, And honor giue vnto his name, Wyth humble heart and kinde? Sith he is full of curtesie, Indewd with noble grace, And brest replete with honesty, Well knowne in euery place. Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all, Than she that doth hir louer's heart possesse in bondage thrall? If I should loue, and serue him than, May it be counted vice? If I retayne that worthy man, Shall I be deemde vnwise? I will be gentle to him sure, And render him myne ayde: And loue that wight with heart full pure, That neuer loue assayde. Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all, Than she that doth hir louer's heart possesse in bondage thrall? Thus the most sacred vnity, That doth our hearts combine: Is voyde of wicked flattery, The same for to vntwine. No hardned rigor is our guide, Nor folly doth vs lead: No Fortune can vs twayne deuide, Vntill we both be deade. Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all, Than she that doth hir louer's heart possesse in bondage thrall? And thus assured certaynely, That this our loue shall dure, And with good lucke hope verely, The same to put in vre The sowen seedes of amity, Begon betwixt vs twayne, Shall in most perfect vnity, For euermore remayne. Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all, Than she that doth hir louer's heart possesse in bondage thrall?

Thys Song delighted the Myndes of many in that company, and principally Dom Deigo, and Gineura, who felt themselues tickled without laughing: And the mayden reioysed to heare hir selfe so greatly praysed in so noble a company, and specially in the presence of hir friende who had no lesse pleasure by hearing the praises of his beloued, than if he had bin made Lord of all Aragon. She for all hir dissembled Countenaunce could not hide the alteration of hir Mynde, without sending forth a sodayne chaunge of colour, that forced a fayre and goodly taynt in hir Face. Dom Diego seeing that mutation, was so ioyful as was possible, for thereby he knew and Iudged himselfe assured of the good grace of hys Mistresse, and therefore wringing hir finely by the hands, sayd vnto her very soberly Smiling: "What greater pleasure my louinge Wench can there happen vnto your Seruaunt, than to see the accomplishment of this Propheticall Song? I assure you that in all my life I neuer heard musicke, that delighted me so mutch as this, and thereby doe vnderstand the good will of the Gentlewoman, which so curteously hath discouered yours towards me, and the faythfull seruice whereof you shall see me from henceforth so liberall, as neyther goods nor life shalbe spared for your sake." Ginuera who loued him with all hir heart, thanked him very humbly, and prayed him to beleeue that the Song was truely soonge, and that without any fayle, she that soonge, had thereby manyfested all the secrets of hir mynde. The daunce ended, they sat theym downe rounde about a cleare Fountayne, which by silent discourse, issued from an high and moysty rock, enuironned with an infinite number of Maple trees, Poplars, and Ashes. To which place a Page brought a Lute to Dom Diego, whereupon hee could play very well, and made it more pleasauntly to sound for that hee accorded hys Fayninge Voyce to the Instrument, Singing this song that followeth.

That I should loue and serue also, good reason doth require, What though I suffre loathsome grief, my life in woe to wrap? The same be th'only instruments of my good lucke and hap, The foode and pray for hungry corps, of rest th'assured hire.

By thought wherof (O heauy man) gush forth of teares great store And by and by reioyst agayne, my driery teares do cease: Which guerdon shall mine honor sure in that triumphant peace, The summe wherof I offer now, were it of price mutch more.

Which I do make withall my heart, vnto that blessed wight, My proper Goddesse here on earth, and only mistresse deere: My goods and life, my brething ghost within this carcase here, I vow vnto that maiesty, that heauenly starre most bright.

Now sith my willing vow is made, I humbly pray hir grace, To end th'accord betwene vs pight, no longer time to tracte: Whych if it be by sured band, so haply brought to passe, I must my self thrice happy count, for that most heauenly fact.

Thys Song made the company to muse, who commended the trim inuention of the Knight, and aboue all Gineura praysed him more than before, and could not so well refrayne hir lookes from him, and he with counterchaunge rendring alike agayne, but that the two wydowes their Mothers tooke great heede thereof, reioysing greatly to see the same, desirous in time to couple them togeather. For at that present they deferred the same, in consideration they were both very young. Notwithstanding it had bene better that the same Coniunction had ben made, before Fortune had turned the Wheele of hir vnstablenes. And truely delay and prolongation of time sometimes bryngeth sutch and so great missehappe that one hundred times men cursse their fortune, and little aduyse in foresight of their infortunate chaunces that commonly do come to passe. As it chaunced to those Wydowes, one of them thinking to loose hir son by the vaine behauior of the other's daughter, who wythout the help of GOD, or care vnto his wil, disparaged hir honor, and prepared a poyson so daungerous for his Mother's age, as the foode thereof hastened the way to the good Ladye's Graue. Now whiles this loue in thys manner increased and that the desire of these two Louers, flamed forth ordinarily in fire and flames more violent, Dom Diego all chaunged and transformed into a new man, receiued no delyght, but in the sight of his Gineura. And she thought that there could be no greater Felicity or more to be wyshed for, than to haue a Fryend so perfect, and so well accomplyshed wyth all thyngs requisite for the ornament and full furniture of a Gentleman. This was the occasion that the young Knyght let no Weeke to passe without visiting his mystresse twice or thryce at the least, and she did vnto hym the greatest curtesy and best Entertaynment, that vertue could suffer a Mayden to doe, whych was the diligent Treasurer and careful tutor of hir honor. And this she dyd by consent of hir Mother. In lyk maner, honestie doth not permyt chaste Maydens to vse long talk or immoderate speach, with the fyrst that be suters vnto them, and mutch lesse seemely it is for them to be ouer squeimysh Nice, wyth that man whych seeketh (by way of marryage) to wynne power and tytle of the Body, beyng in very deede, or ought to be the moiety of theyr soule. Sutch was the desyres of these two Louers, which notwithstanding was impeeched by meanes, as hereafter you shal heare. For duryng the rebounding ioy of those faire couple of Loyall Louers, it chaunced that the Daughter of a Nobleman of the Countrey, named Ferrando de la Serre, whych was fayre, very Comely, Wise, and of good behauiour, by keepynge daily Company with Gineura, fell extreamely in loue with Dom Diego, and assayed by all meanes to do him to vnderstand what the puissance was of hir Loue which willingly shee meant to bestowe vpon him, if it woold please hym to honor hir so mutch, as to loue hir with like sincerity. But the knight which was no more his own Man, beyng possessed of another, had with hys Lybertye lost his Wyts and Mynd to marke the affectyon of this Gentlewoman, of whom he made no accompt. The Maiden neuerthelesse ceased not to loue him, and to proue all possible wayes to make him hir owne. And knowing how mutch Dom Diego loued Hawking, she bought a hauke the best in all the countrey, and sent the same to Dom Diego, who wyth all his heart receiued the same, and affectuously gaue hir thanks for that desired gyft, praying the messanger to recommend him to the good grace of his mistresse, and to assure hir self of his faythfull seruice, and that for hir sake he would kepe the Hauke so tenderly as the Balles of his eyes. Thys Hauke was the cause of the ill fortune that afterwards chaunced to this poore Louer. For going many times to see Gienura with the hauke on his fist and bearing with him the tokens of the goodnesse of his Hauke, it escaped his mouth to say, that the same was one of the things that in all the World he loued best. Truely this Word was taken at the first bound contrary to his meaning, wherewith the matter so fell out, as afterwards by despayre he was like to lose his Lyfe. Certaine dayes after, as in the absence of the knight, talk rose of his vertue and honest conditions, one praysing his prowesse and valyance, another his great Beauty and Curtesy, another passing further, extolling the sincere affectyon and constancy which appeared in him touching matters of Loue, one enuious person named Gracian spake his mind of hym in this wyse: "I will not deny but that Dom Diego is one of the most excellent most honest and brauest knyghtes of Catheloigne, but in matters of Loue he seemeth to me so walteryng and inconstant, as in euery place where he commeth, by and by he falleth in loue, and maketh as though he were sicke and would dy for the same." Gineura maruelling at those words said vnto him: "I pray you my frend to vse better talk of the Lord Dom Diego. For I do thynk the Loue whych the Knight doth beare to a Gentlewoman of thys countrey, is so firme and assured, as none other can remoue the same out of the siege of hys mind?" "Lo howe you be deceiued Gentlewoman" (quod Gracian) "for vnder coloure of dissymulate seruice, he and sutch as he is doe abuse the simplicity of young Gentlewomen. And to proue my sayinge true, I am assured that he is extremely enamored wyth the Daughter of Dom Ferrando de la Serre, of whom he receyued an Hauke, that he loueth aboue all other things." Gineura remembrying the words which certayn dayes before Dom Diego spake touching his hauke, began to suspect and beleue that which Gracian alleaged, and not able to support the choler, whych cold Iealosy bred in hir stomack, went into hir Chaumber full of so greate gryefe and heauynesse as she was many tymes lyke to kyll hir selfe. In the end, hopyng to be reuenged of the wrong whych shee beleued to receyue of Dom Diego, determyned to endure hir fortune paciently. In the meane tyme she conceyued in hir Mynd a despyte and hatred so great and extreame agaynst the poore Gentleman that thought lyttle hereof, as the former loue was nothing in respecte of the reuenge by death which she then desired vpon hym. Who the next day after his wonted maner came to see hir, hauing (to hys great damage) the hauke on his fiste, which was the onely cause of all her Iealosie. Nowe as the knyght was in talke with the Mother, seeynge that his beloued came not at al (accordyng to hir custome) to salute him and bid him welcome, inquired how she dyd. One that loued hym more than the rest, sayd vnto him: "Syr, so soone as she knewe of your comming, immedyately she wythdrew hir self into hir Chaumber." He that was wyse and well trayned vp dissembled what he thought, imagining that it was for some lyttle fantasie, whereunto Women wyllingly be subiecte. And therfore when he thought time to depart he toke leaue of the wydow, and as he was goyng down the staires of the great Chamber, he met one of the maides of Gineura, whom he prayed to commend him to hir mistresse. Gineura duryng al this time tooke no reste, deuising howe shee myghte cutte of cleane hir loue entertained in Dom Diego, after she knewe that hee carryed the hawke on his fyst: beyng the onely instrument of her frensie. And therefore thynkyng hir selfe both despysed and mocked of hir Knyght, and that he had done it in despyte of hir, she entred into so great rage and Choler as she was like to fall mad. She being then in this trouble of Mynde, behold hir Gentlewoman came vnto hir, and dyd the knyght's message. Who hearing but the symple name of hir supposed Ennimy, began to sighe so straungely, as a Man would haue thought hir soule presently would haue departed hir Body. Afterwards when she had vanquished hir raging fit whych stayed hir speach, she gan very tenderly to weepe, saying: "Ah traytor and vnfaithful Louer, is thys the recompence of the honest, and firme Amity whych I haue borne thee, so wyckedly to deceiue me vnder the colour of so faint and detestable a Fryendship? Ah rashe and arrant Theefe, is it I vppon whom thou oughtest to bend thy wycked Trumperies? Doste thou thinke that I am no better worth but that thou prodigally shouldest waste myne honor to bear the spoyles thereof to hir, that is in nothing comparable vnto me? Wherein haue I deserued thys discurtesy, if not by louyng thee more than thy beauty and fained loue deserue? Diddest thou dare to aduenture vppon me, hauyng thy conscyence wounded wyth sutch an abhominable and deadly Treason? Durste thou to offer thy Mouth to kysse my Hand, by the mouth of another, to whome thou haddest before dedicated thy lying Lyppes in thine owne person? I most humbly thancke Almighty God that it pleased him to let me see the Poison by thee prepared for the ruine of my lyfe and honor. Ha foole, hope not to take me in thy Trap, nor yet to deceyue me through thy sugred and deceitfull Words. For I sweare by the Almyghty God, that so long as I shall liue, I will accompte thee none other, but the most cruell and mortall Ennimy that I haue in this world." Then to accomplish the rest of hir carefull Minde she wrote a Letter to giue hir farewell to hir olde Friend Dom Diego. And for that purpose instructed hir Page with this Lesson, that when the knyght should come, he should be ready before hir lodging and say vnto him in the behalfe of hir, that before he passed any further, hee shoulde reade the Letter, and not to fayle to doe the Contents: the Page which was malicious, and il affectioned to Dom Diego, knowyng the appointed day of hys comming, wayted for hym a quarter of a mile from the Castle, where he had not long taryed, but the innocent louer came, agaynst whome the page went, bearyng about him more hurtfull and noysome weapons than al the Theeues and robbers had in all the Countrey of Catheloigne. In this manner presenting his mystresse letters, he said vnto him: "My Lord, madame Gineura my mistresse hath sent me vnto you: and bicause she knoweth how feareful you be to dysplease hir, prayeth you not to fayle to reade this Letter before you passe anye further, and there wyth al to accomplysh the effecte thereof." The knyght abashed wyth that sodayne message, aunswered the Page: "God forbid my fryend," (quod he) "that I should disobey hir by anye meanes, vnto whom I haue gyuen a full authority and puissaunce over myne affectyons." So receyuing the letters, he kissed them thre or four times, and openyng them, found that he loked not for, and red that whych he thought not off. The contents were these.

_The letters of faire Ginuera, to the Knight Dom Diego._

There shall passe no day of my Lyfe, from makyng complaynts of the disloyall and periured Louer, who being more esteemed and better beloued than thou dydst deserue, hast made so small accompte of mee, whereof I wyll be reuenged vpon my selfe, for that I so lyghtly beleued thy wordes so full of crafte and guyle. I am in mynd that thou henceforth shalt flye to buzze and beat the Bushes, where thou suspectest to catch the pray: for heere thou art lyke to be deceiued. Goe varlet, (goe I say,) to deceyue hir whych holdeth thee in hir nets and snares, and whose Presentes (althoughe of small Value) moued thee more than the Honeste, Vertuous and Chaste Loue, that Vertue hir selfe began to knytte betweene vs. And sith a Carrion Kyte hath made the fly further off, than the Wynde of the Ayre was able to bear thee, God desende that Gineura should goe aboute to hynder thy follyes, and mutch lesse to suffer hir selfe to bee beguyled throughe thine Excuses. Nay rather God defend (except thou desirest to se me dy) that thou shouldest euer bee in place where I am, assuryng thee of thys my mynde, neuer to be chaunged so long as my soule shall rest wythin my body: which giuing breath vnto my panting breast, shal neuer be other, but a mortall enimy to Dom Diego: and sutch one as euen to the Death wyl not fayle to prosecute the default of the most traiterous and vnfaythfull Knyght that euer was gyrte in girdle, or armed with Sword. And behold the last fauour that thou canst, or oughtest to hope of me, who lyueth not but onelye to martir and crucify thee, and neuer shal be{ }other but

The greatest Enimy, that euer thou haddest, or shalt haue, Gineura the fayre.

The myserable louer had no sooner red the Letter, but lifting vp his eyes to the heauens, he sayd: "Alas, my God thou knowest well if euer I haue offended, that I ought to be banyshed from the place, where my contentation is chyefly fixed, and from whence my heart{ }shall neuer departe, chaunce what myssehappe and Fortune so euer shall." Then tournyng himself towards the Page, hee sayd: "Sir Page my fryend, say vnto my Ladye, most humblye commending me vnto hir, that for this present time I wyll not see hir, but hereafter she shall heare some newes from me." The page well lessoned for the purpose, made hym aunswere, saying: "Sir, she hath wylled me to say thus mutch by mouth, that ye cannot do hir greater pleasure, than neuer to come in place where shee is: for so mutch as the Daughter of Dom Ferrando de la Serre hath so catched you in hir nettes, that loth she is your faithfull heart shoulde hange in ballance, and expect the vncertaine Loue of two Ladyes at once." Dom Diego hearing the truth of hys missehap, and the occasion of the same, made Lyghte of the matter for that tyme, till at length the Choler of his Mistresse were abated, that thereby shee might know vpon how bryttle Ground she hadde planted a suspition of hir most faythfull and louing Seruaunt, and so retiring to his House, altogither vexed and yll contented, he wente into hys Chaumber where with his Dagger he paunched the gorge of the poore birde, the cause of hys Ladies Anger, saying: "Ha vyle carraine kite, I sweare by the bloud of him, that thou shalt neuer be the cause agayne, to make hir fret for sutch a triflyng thing as thou art: I beleue that what so euer fury is hidden within the Body of this curssed Kite, to engender a Plague, the same now is seased on me, but I hope to doe my Mystresse vnderstande what Sacrifice I haue made of the thyng that was sent me, ready to do the lyke vppon mine owne flesh, where it shall please her to commaund." So taking Inke and Paper, he made aunswere to Gineura as foloweth.

_The Letters of Dom Diego, to Gineura the faire._

But who would euer thynck (my Lady deare) that a Lyght Opinion could so soone haue deuided your good iudgement, to condempn your Knight before you had heard what he was able to say, for himself? truely I thought no more to offend you, than the man which you neuer knew, although you haue bene deceiued by colored words, vttered by those that be enuious of my happe, and Enimies of your ioy, who haue filled your minde full of false report. I swere vnto you (by God, my good Lady) that neuer thinge entred into my fantasie more, than a desire to serue you alone and to auoide the acquaintance of all other, to preserue for you a pure and entire heart. Whereof longe agone I made you an offer. In wytnesse whereof I humbly beseech you to beleue, that so soone as you see this Birde (the cause of your anger and occasion of my mishap) torne and pluckte in pieces, that my heart feeleth no lesse alteration or torment: for so long as I shall vnderstand your displeasure to endure against mee, assure your selfe my Life shall abide in no lesse paine than my ioye was great when I franckly possessed your presence. Be it sufficient (Madame) for you to know, that I neuer thought to offend you. Be contented I beseech you, with this sacrifice which I send you, if not that I doe the like vpon myne owne body, which without your good will and grace can no longer liue. For my lyfe depending vppon that only benefit, you ought not to be astonned if the same fayling his nourishment doth pearish, as frustrate of that foode, propre, and apt for his Appetite: and by like meanes my sayd life shall reuiue, if it may please you to spread your beames ouer mine obscure and base personage, and to receiue thys satisfaction for a fault not committed. And so wayting a gentle aunswere from your great curtesie, I humbly kisse your white and delicate handes, with all humility, praying God sweete Lady, to let you see how mutch I suffer without desert, and what puissaunce you haue ouer him that is all your

Faythfull and euer servaunt most obedient, Dom Diego.