But she whose blasing beauty bright, hath brought me in a charme.
My mistresse hath the powre alone, to rid me from this woe:
Whose thrall I am, for whom I die, to whom my sprite shall goe.
Away my soule, goe from the griefs, that thee oppresseth still,
And let thy dolor witnesse beare, how mutch I want my will.
For since that loue and death himselfe, delights in guiltlesse bloud,
Let time transport my troubled sprite, where destny seemeth good.
This song ended, the poor Gentleman could not forbeare from pouring forth his luke warme Tears, which abundantly ran downe his heauy Face, and his pantinge Sighes truly discouered the alteration of his mynde, whych mooued ech wight of that assembly to pitty his mournful State: and one specially of no acquaintance, and yet knew the deuises that the Aragon Brethren had trayned and contriued against hym: that vnacquaynted gentleman his name was Delio, one very well learned, and of trim inuention, who very excellently hath endited in the Italian vulgar tongue. This Delio knowing the Gentleman to be husband to the deceased Duchesse of Malfi, came vnto him, and taking him aside, said: “Sir, albeit I haue no great acquaintance with you, this being the first time that euer I saw you, to my remembrance, so it is, that vertue hath sutch force, and maketh gentle myndes so amorous of their like, as when they doe beholde ech other, they feele themselues coupled as it were in a bande of mindes, that impossible it is to diuide the same: now knowinge what you be, and the good and commendable qualities in you, I coumpt it my duty to reueale that which may chaunce to breede you damage. Know you then, that I of late was in company with a Noble man of Naples, whych is in this Citty, banded with a certaine company of horsemen, who tolde mee that he had a speciall charge to kill you, and therefore prayed me (as it seemed) to require you not to come in his sight, to the intent he might not be constrayned to doe that which should offend his Conscience, and grieue the same all the dayes of his life: moreouer I haue worse Tidinges to tell you: the Duchesse your Wyfe deade by violent hand in prison, and the most part of them that were in hir company: besides this assure your selfe, that if you doe not take heede to that which this Neapolitane Capitnyne hath differred, other wyll doe and execute the same. This mutch I haue thought good to tell you, bicause it would very mutch grieue me, that a Gentleman so excellent as you be, should be murdered in that myserable wyse, and I should deeme my selfe vnworthy of lyfe, if knowing these practises I should dissemble the same.” Whereunto Bologna aunswered: “Syr Delio, I am greatly bound vnto you, and geue you hearty thankes for the good will you beare me. But in the conspiracy of the brethren of Aragon, and of the death of my lady, you be deceyued, and some haue giuen you wrong intelligence: for within these two dayes I receyued letters from Naples, wherein I am aduertised, that the right honorable and reuerend Cardinal and his Brother be almost appeased, and that my goods shall bee rendred agayne, and my dear Wyfe restored.” “Ah syr,” sayde Delio, “how you be beguiled and Fedde wyth Follyes, and nourished with sleights of Court: assure your selfe that they which write these trifles, make sutch shamefull sale of your lyfe, as the Butcher doth of his flesh in the Shambles, and so wickedly betray you, as impossible it is to inuent a treason more detestable: but bethinke you well thereof.” When he had sayd so, he tooke hys leaue, and ioyned hymselfe in company of fine and pregnaunt Wyttes, there assembled together. In the meane tyme, the cruell Spirite of the Aragon Brethren were not yet appeased with the former murders, but needes must finish the last act of Bologna hys Tragedy by losse of hys Lyfe, to keepe hys Wyfe and Chyldren company, so well in an other Worlde as he was vnited with them in Loue in this frayle and transitory passage. The Neapolitan gentleman before spoken of by Delio, whych had taken this enterprise to satissie the barbarous Cardinall to berieue his Countreyman of lyfe, hauinge chaunged his mynde, and differring from day to day to sorte the same to effect, it chaunced that a Lombarde of larger Conscience than the other, inueigled with Couetousnesse, and hired for ready Money, practised the death of the Duchesse poore husband: this bloudy beaste was called Daniel de Bozola that had charge of a certayne bande of footemen in Millan. Thys newe Iudas and pestilent manqueller, who wythin certayne dayes after knowinge that Bologna oftentymes Repayred to heare Seruice at the Church and conuent of S. Fraunces, secretly conueyed himself in ambush, hard besides the church of S. Iames, (being accompanied wyth a certayne troupe of Souldiers) to assayle infortunate Bologna, who was sooner slayne than hee was able to thinke vpon defence, and whose mishap was sutch, as hee whych kylled hym had good leysure to saue himselfe by reason of the little pursuite made after hym. Beholde heere the Noble fact of a Cardinall, and what sauer it hath of Christian purity, to commit a slaughter for a fact done many yeares past vpon a poore Gentleman which neuer thought him hurt. Is thys the sweete obseruation of the Apostles, of whom they vaunt themselues to be the Successours and followers? And yet we cannot finde nor reade, that the Apostles, or those that stept in their trade of lyfe, hyred Ruffians, and Murderers to cut the Throates of them which did them hurt. But what? it was in the tyme of Iulius the second, who was more martiall than Christian, and loued better to shed bloud than giue blessing to the people. Sutch ende had the infortunate mariage of him, whych ought to haue contented himselfe wyth that degree and honor that he had acquired by the deedes and glory of his vertues, so mutch by ech wight recommended: we ought neuer to climb higher than our force permitteth, ne yet surmount the bounds of duty, and lesse suffer our selues to be haled fondly forth with desire of brutal sensuality. Which sinne is of sutch nature, that he neuer giueth ouer the party whom he maystereth, vntil he hath brought him to the shame of some Notable Folly. You see the miserable discourse of a Princesse loue, that was not very wyse, and of a Gentleman that had forgotten his estate, which ought to serue for a lookinge Glasse to them which bee ouer hardy in makinge Enterprises, and doe not measure their Ability wyth the greatnesse of their Attemptes: where they ought to mayntayne themselues in reputation, and beare the title of well aduised: foreseeing their ruine to be example for all posterity, as may bee seene by the death of Bologna, and by all them which sprang of him, and of his infortunate Spouse his Lady and Maistresse. But we haue discoursed inough hereof, sith diuersity of other hystories do call vs to bring the same in place, which were not mutch more happy than the bloudy end of those, whose Hystory ye haue already heard.
[ THE TWENTY-FOURTH NOUELL.]
The disordered Lyfe of the Countesse of Celant, and how shee (causinge the County of Masino to be murdered,) was beheaded at Millan.