English

Of yore within Messyna dwelt
Three brothers, marchant men,
Left wealthie by their fathers death,
Who died by fortune then.
This marchant had beside his sonnes,
A daughter, very young,
Elizabeth by name, in whom
With beautie nurture sprong
Which nymph, as nature furnisht had
With seemly shape to view:
So in her tender breast, a troupe
Of honest maners grew.
Which gifts of course are wont to cause
Good liking, and good will:

A MERCHANTS daughter loude her brothers boy
That kept the shop, of linage basely borne,
Which grome became the damsels only ioy.
Whereat the brothers tooke no little scorne:
That he who was a youth of no account,
Presumde vnto their sisters bed to mount.
So deepely sanke disdaine within their brest,
As nought saue death their malice might assuage,
Those stately merchants mought not be at rest,
Till time they had dispatcht the sillie page:
Wherefore they all, with one consent agreed,
To murther him, and so they did in deede.

Who works against his soueraigne Princes word,
And standes not of the penaltie in awe,
Well worthy is to feele the wrathfull sword,
And dye the death appointed by the law:
No favour is to such offendours due,
That, eare they did amisse, the mischiefe knew.

For Princes willes are euer to be wayde,
The statutes are the strength and stay of all.
When lawes are made, they ought to be obayde,
What royall Peeres, by pledge, or promise, shall
At any time confirme to friend or foe,
Must stable stand, the law of armes is so.

King William, by report of such
As dwelt within his lande,
Who second Prince of Cicil, held
The Scepter in his hand:
Two babes begot vpon his Queene,
A male, that Ruggier hight:
And eke a daughter, Custance cald,
A Dame of beautie bright
This Ruggier while his father liude,
By fortune had a Sonne,
Gerbino namde, of whom this tale
Especially doth runne
Who by his Grandsyre nourisht vp
And nurtred from a boye,
At length became a proper man,
And was the Princes ioye.

The king of Thunise had a daughter faire.
Whose beauties brute through many countries ran:
This Lady was her fathers only heire,
Which made her loude and likt of eury man,
But most of all the king of Granate than,
Began to loue, who for he was a king,
By little sute, this match to cloth did bring.
The promise past betweene these noble states,
They rested nought, but onlie her conuey
In safetie home, for feare of rouing mates,
Who would perhaps assault them by the way:
Wherefore the king Cicils pledge they pray

Lo heere the fatall end of murther done,
Such blooddie factes deserue no better hyre:
Behold the threede that of such wooll is spon,
Marke well their lot that mischiefe doe conspire,
It lightlie doth vpon their heads retire:
And those that are the workers of the deed,
Though long forborne, at last no better speed

See, to reuenge when Rosmond once began,
Incenst thereto by wrath and deepe disdaine
She could not stint by murther of a man,
Nor leaue, although she saw her husbande slaine,

The Lumbard Albyon conquered Cunimund,
And after death of him inioyd the state,
And married with the Ladie Rosamund,
The Princes daughter whom he slue so late:
Whose skull he did conuert into a pot,
Because his conquest should not be forgot
His custome was at euerie feast hee made.
To drinke therein for pompe and foolish pride,
And on a time his Queene he gan perswade
To doe the like: whereto she nought replide,
But so much scornd his offer of disdaine,
As straight she drew a plot to haue him slaine

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

And herevpon his grounded reason growes,
That ech man seckes to serue himselfe in chiefe:
And he to sight that friendliest countenance showes,
Yet for his flesh will soonest play the thiefe.
As stolne Deare in taste exceedes the gift,

W HILOME 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

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

The murther done, he gaue his Cooke the hearte
Of him that had conspirde this filthie feate,
And made him dresse it curiouslie by arte,
And gaue his wife the same at night to eate,