The first part of Parismus, the renovvmed Prince of Bohemia His most famous, delectable, and pleasant historie. Containing his noble battails fought against the Persians. His loue to Laurana, the Kings daughter of Thessalie: and of his strange aduentures in the desolate iland.

CHAP. XVIII.

How Parismus and Laurana, with diuers in company, depar∣ted from Thessalie, and how they were dispersed from the King of Bohemia, and set vpon by Pirates, whom they vanquished.

ALl this time Parismus and Laurana conti∣nued in such blisfull estate of contented loue, still daily increasing in Honour and affectionate kindenesse, as though the one could not liue without the others presence, hee still growing into greater fauour (if greater might bee) in the Thessallians hearts, that when the day of his departure was come, the Citizens of Thebes with mournfull hearts and watry eies, bewailed the same, all being sad and heauy, no in∣struments of musicke, nor sight of ioy, nor sound of reioycing being heard, as though their departure were a signe of some o∣minous euent to ensue.

Laurana with many a salt teare, bad her Countrymen a∣dieu, and poore Violetta, seeing her Father stand at his doore, as it were comfortlesse, vttered such passionate lamentations that were beyond compare.

The two Princes being conducted by Dionisius and Oliuia, the King and Quéene of Hungaria, the Prince of Sparta and the Lady Isabella, and most of the Thessalian Péeres, vnto the Hauen where they should take shipping, this parting beeing

in such heauy sort, and with such aboundance of teares Paris∣mus vttered these spéeches. Most Noble Princes, these sadde teares which you shed at our departure, sheweth your vnwil∣lingnesse to leaue vs, whose company you shall not long want, for your Daughter Laurana and my selfe will verie shortly re∣turne againe, that she may be a Comfort to your aged yeares, therefore I humbly beseech you to cease your griefe. Dionisius said: Most noble yong Prince, our griefe must needs be great, to loose the company of such assured friends, as your noble Fa∣ther and your selfe, haue showne your selues to be, therefore for our last Farewell, we pray, that the Gods would prosper you in this your iourney.

Laurana hauing receiued their blessings, with most heauy hearts, they committed these two Princes to the Seas, who hoysing saile with speede, launched into the maine, where they were soone out of •…•…ight, and Dionisius and the Queene, sadly returned to Thebes.

The King of Bohemia had not sailed aboue two daies space, in great hope soone to recouer the Coast of Bohemia, but the windes began to blow aloft, and the Seas to rage and swell, and such an excéeding Tempest arose, as though the Heauens and Earth had conspired their vtter ouerthrow, so that their shippes were disseuered, and their Marriners expected nothing but present death: that Parismus, Laurana, and Pollipus, were disseuered from the rest of the company, and they all in despaire euer to see them againe. The cruelty of the Tempest continu∣ed for the space of thrée daies, in such raging and extreame sort, that the Marriners were compelled to cut their Sailes, and to heaue their Mastes ouerboord, and by the violence of the winde were driuen past their knowledge, but when the storme ceased, the Marriners ken•…•…ed a farre off an Iland, and with such pro∣uision as they had, sayled thither.

Parismus being glad that they had so well escaped the furie of the Seas, with most comfortable speeches, reuiued the feare∣full Spirit of the Pri•…•…sse Laurana from her sadnesse, in this

sort, Déere Laurana, since the destinies haue allotted vs this mischance, to be thus disasterly seuered from our company, and driuen into an vnknowne place, comfort your selfe in these extremities, with hope of better successe, for I do not doubt but we shall well recouer the company of my Lord and Father, who by these bitter misfortunes is seuered from vs, but I trust the Seas will not bee so vnmercifull, as to drench his aged yeeres in these spacious gulfes: my deere Laurana, were you safely on these spacious gulfes: my déere Laurana, were you safely on shore, then would my hart be at rest. Many other spée∣ches bee vsed to comfort her in her sadnesse, who was the more comfortable, for that she was in his company: they had not long continued in this good hope of recouering land, but they espied a ship making towards them with all speed, who being come neere to him, they knew him to be a Pirat, who presently began to board the ship wherein Parismus was, but the Marri∣ners resisted them, wherewith began a fearefull battell. Paris∣mus being vnder ha•…•…ches, soone armed himselfe, and made such a slaughter amongst the Pirats, (most of his owne men being slaine) that he with the helpe of Pollipus, had soone destroied the greatest multitude of them, and the rest yeelded vnto their mercie.

Afterward they boorded the Pirates (who were belonging to Andramart of Tartaria, the Scythian Pirate, that had fil∣led the whole world with the report of his tyranny) & beléeuing them vpon such protestations & oathes, as the villaines made, they conueied such riches, Iewels, and prouisions as they had, aboord the Pirats ship, for that their owne was shrewdly wea∣ther beatten. And likewise hauing shifted Laurana, Leda, and Adonius, into the same, sunke their owne, and placed such few Marriners as they had left aliue, for gouernours ouer the Pi∣rates, they made towards the Iland which they saw before them, and soone landed, determining there to refresh them∣selues, where they found the Country waste and desolate, without any inhabitant, yet well replenished with wild Déere and Foule, of which they got good store.

Parismus demanded of the Pyrates if they knew that Iland, who told him, that they gaue it the name of the Desolate I∣land, for that they neuer saw any liuing creature there: but they told him that there was a beautifull Castle, that stood vp∣on the top of a mightie Rocke, in the middest of the Iland, in∣habited as they thought by some Diuels, for that many of their fellowes had oftentimes gone thither, but none of them euer returned, nor they neuer saw any creature in any place of the Iland besides: though there were many goodly Townes not inhabited. Which strange newes made them wonder: some two daies they continued vpon the coast of this desolate Iland. And on a time, Parismus and Pollipus, only attended by Ado∣nius, straied from their ship to kill Uenison, leauing Laurana aboord, little mistrusting any treacherie, and trusting too much to his owne men. But the Pyrats hauing awaited such a con∣uenient time, by pollicy conueied most of the Bohemian Mar∣riners vnder Hatches, sauing some two or thrée whom they ea∣sily ouercame, and fast bolted downe the same, and before the Knights were returned from killing their Uenison, they had hoised saile, and were launced quite out of sight: they vnder boord, not yet knowing that they were so betraied.