A friend no more to thy poor state is hee.
And simple Wyghtes ought not to bee afrayde, and thynke amyss if Fryendes doe flee away, sith Prynces and great Lords incurre sutch hap and Fortune. The great leader of the Romayne Armies, Pompeius, the honor of the people and Senate of Rome, what companion had he to flee with hym? Whych of his auncient friends toke paine to rescue and delyuer him from his Enimyes hands which did pursue him? A king of Ægipt which had known and found this good Romane Prynce a kind and gentle fryend, was he that killed him, and sent his head to his Victor and unsatible greedy gutte Iulius Cæsar, falsifying his promised fayth, and forgetting his receiued pleasures. Amongs all the comforts which this pore Siena Gentleman found, although but a curssed Traitor, was thys vnfaithfull and pestiferous Camæleon, who came and offred him al the pleasure and kindnesse he was able to do. But the varlet attended conuenient tyme to make him taste his poyson, and to let him see by effect, how dangerous a thing it is to be il neighbored, hoping after the condempnation of Montanine he should at pleasure purchase the Lordshippe, after whych with so open mouth he gaped. Ouer whom he had hys wyll: for two or three dayes after the recitall of the endytement, and giuing of the euydence, Charles was condempned, and his fine sessed at M. Florins to be payed within XV. dayes, vntyl whych time to remaine in Pryson. And for default of sutch payment to loose his heade, bicause he had infringed the Lawes, and broken the Statutes of the Senate. This sentence was very difficult for poor Montanine to digest, who saw all his goodes like to be dispoyled and confiscate, complayning specially the fortune of fayre Angelica his sister, whych all the tyme of the imprysonment of hir deare brother, neuer went out of the house, ne ceased to weepe and lamente the hard fortune whereinto their family was lyke to fall by that new mischaunce: “Alas,” said the fayre curteous damsel, “will the heauens never be appeased but continually extend their wrathe vpon our deplored family, and shal our missehaps neuer cease? Had it not bene more tollerable for our consumed bloude, that the dissentions past, had been tried by dent of sword, than to see the present innocency of the young Gentleman my brother in daunger to be innocently accused and put to death, through the vniustice of those, which beare mortal malice to noble bloud, and glory in depryuation of the whole remembrance of the same? O dampnable state that muste hale the guiltlesse to the gibet and irreuocable sentence of those iudges remaining in a city, which men cal free, albeit a confused multitude hath the vpper hande, and may so bee, that Nature hath produced them to treade vnder foote noble Wightes for their Offences. Ah dear Brother, I see well what is the cause. If thou hadst not that lytle lordshyp in the Countrey, and Pryncely House in the City, no man would haue enuied thine estate, or could haue charged thee with any Crime, which I would to God, thou hadst not onely enterprysed, but also broughte to passe, to the intent thou mightest haue ben reuenged of the wrong which these cankred Carles ordinarily do vnto my Noble bloud. But what reason is it that marchants and artificers, or the sonnes of villaines should rule a common Wealth? O happy Countreis where kings giue Lawes, and Princes see by proued sight, those persons which resemble them, and in their places beare the sway. And O unhappy wee, that be the slaues of a waiwarde state, peruerted by corruption. Why dyd our predecessors minde to stablysh any lyberty at al, to thrust the same into the confused gouernment of the commons of our Countrey? We haue stil the Frenchman at our tayle, or the people of our highest Bishop, or else those crafty Florentines, we be the common pray of al those that list to follow the haunt, and that which is our extreamest misery, we make oure selues the very slaues of them that of right ought to be reputed the vilest amongs us al. Ah deare Brother, that thy wretched tyme is come, the onely hope of our decayed family. Thou hadest neuer bene committed to Warde, had not thy false assured foes bene assure of witnesse to condempne thee. Ah that my life mighte raunsome thine, and redeme agayn thyne estate and succor, thou shouldest be sure that forthwith Angelica would prepare hirself to bee the pray of those hungry rauenyng Wolues, which bleat and bellow after thy Lands and Lyfe.” Whyle this fayre Damsell of Siena in this sort dyd torment hir self, poore Montanine, seeinge that he was brought to the last extremity of his desired hope, as eche man naturally doth seke meanes to prolong his lyfe, knowing that all other help fayled for hys delyueraunce except he sold his land, aswel to satisfy the fine, as to preuayle in the rest of his Affaires, sent one of the gailers to that worshipfull usurer the cause of hys Calamity, to offer him his Land for the pryce and sum of a M. Ducates. The pernicious and trayterous villain, seeing that Montanine was at his mercy, and stode in the water up to the very throte, and knew no more what to do, as if already he had tryumphed of hys life and Land so greatly coueted, answered him in this manner: “My friend thou shalt say to Charles Montanine, that not long ago I would willingly haue giuen him a good Summe of Money for his Ferme, but sithens that tyme I haue imployed my Money to some better profit: and albeit I was in minde to buy it, I would be loth to give aboue 7. C. Florins, being assured that it cannot be so commodious, as my Money is able to bring yearely Gayne into my Purse.” See how Auarice is the Pickpurse of secret and hidden gayne, and the very Whirlepoole of Honesty, and Conscience, couetinge nought els but by vnrighteous Pray of other mens goods, to accumulate and heape together. The aboundance whereof bringeth no greater good hap vnto the gluttonous Owner, but rather the minde of sutch is more miserable, and carryeth therewithall more decrease of quiet, than increase of filthy muck. The couetous man beareth no loue but to his Treasure, nor exerciseth charity but vpon his Coafers, who, than he would be dispossessed thereof, had rather sell the life of his naturall Father. This detestable Villayne hauing sometimes offered M. Ducates to Charles for his Enherytaunce, will now doe so no more, aspiring the totall Ruine of the Montanine Family. Charles aduertised of his minde, and amazed for the Counsels decree, well saw that all thinges contraried hys hope and expectation, and that he must needes dye to satisfie the excessiue and couetous Lust of the Cormerant, whose malice hee knew to bee so vehement, as none durst offer him Money, by reason of the vnhappy desire of this neuer contented Varlet: For which consideration throughly resolved to dye, rather than to leaue hys poore Sister helplesse, and without reliefe, and rather than he would agree to the bargayne tending to his so great losse and disadvauntage, and to the Tirannous dealing of the wicked Tormentor of hys Lyfe, seeing also that all meanes to purge and auerre his innocency, was taken from him, the finall decree of the Iudges being already passed, he began to dispose himselfe to repentaunce and saluation of his Soule, making complaynte of his Mishaps in thys manner.
To what hath not the heauens hatefull bin,
Since for the ease of man they weaue sutch woe?
By diuers toyles they lap our crosses in
With cares and griefes, whereon our mischiefes groe:
The bloudy hands and Sword of mortall foe,
Doe search mine euill, and would destroy me quite,
Through heynous hate and hatefull heaped spite.
Wherefore come not the fatall sisters three,