But the other two passages Lodge modernises beyond recognition and beyond decency.
Of the attempt on Marius’ life at Minturnae, Plutarch narrates very impressively:
Now when they were agreed upon it, they could not finde a man in the citie that durst take upon him to kill him; but a man of armes of the Gaules, or one of the Cimbres (for we finde both the one or the other in wryting) that went thither with his sword drawen in his hande. Now that place of the chamber where Marius lay was very darke, and, as it is reported, the man of armes thought he sawe two burninge flames come out of Marius eyen, and heard a voyce out of that darke corner, saying unto him: “O, fellowe, thou, darest thou come to kill Caius Marius?” The barbarous Gaule, hearing these words, ranne out of the chamber presently, castinge his sworde in the middest of the flower,[68] and crying out these wordes onely: “I can not kill Caius Marius.”
Here is Lodge’s burlesque with the Gaul nominated Pedro, whose name is as unsuitable to his language as is his language to his supposed nationality.
Pedro. Marius tu es mort. Speak dy preres in dy sleepe, for me sal cut off your head from your epaules, before you wake. Qui es stia?[69] What kinde of a man be dis?
Favorinus. Why, what delays are these? Why gaze ye thus?
Pedro. Notre dame! Jésu! Estiene! O my siniors, der be a great diable in ce eyes, qui dart de flame, and with de voice d’un bear cries out, “Villain, dare you kill Marius?” Je tremble; aida me, siniors, autrement I shall be murdered.
Pausanins. What sudden madness daunts this stranger thus?
Pedro. O, me no can kill Marius; me no dare kill Marius! adieu, messieurs, me be dead, si je touche Marius. Marius est un diable. Jesu Maria, sava moy!
exit fugiens.