The foreste or Collection of histories no lesse profitable, then pleasant and necessarie, dooen out of Frenche into Englishe, by Thomas Fortescue.

Of the cordiall and hartie loue, that should be in maer∣riage, with diuers examples seruyng to that purpose. Chap. 4.

THE mutuall loue, and affection, be∣twixt man and his wife, bothe is, and ought to bee, for iuste cause commen∣ded, for that marriage of it self, is a thyng so excellent, as well for respect of hym, whiche firste did institute it, God, with the place also, of that in∣stitution, Paradis, as also that thence procedeth, th'onely propagation, and continuance of mankinde, with reme∣die sufficient against all sensuall appetites, and concupis∣cencie of the fleshe. All other amities incident in mannes life, with whom, or in what sorte, so euer thei happen, are loues improper, and affections lesse perfect▪ in respect of this so holy▪ and diuine. This is that same, that ioineth bothe bodie and soule together, this is that, that is con∣firmed, and sealed vnto vs, by a sacred miracle, neither is there any thing betwixt the married, in particularitie proper, for that betwixt the honest couple, the body, and will is one, that whiche neuer happeneth in any other kinde of amitie, whiche for small cause oftentymes is dissolued and broken: and that also whiche worste is, the moste assuredste of these affections, continueth but for a tyme, for gaine, or aduauntage: for proofe whereof, wee rarely haue heard of any, that without chaūge, haue still helde on, and neuer broken vntill death. For so daintie, and obnoxious, to all chaunges is mannes minde, that commonly we see newe friendes, to remoue, and dispos∣sesse,

for little cause, the olde: but that loue holdeth still, whiche is betwixte man, and his wife, neither maie it be sundred by any aduerse fortune, by infirmitie, pouer∣tie, mishappe, or chaunge of beautie, onely death hath power, to cutte this knotte in sunder. Some tymes it also liueth, and continueth after death, as we haue seen in certaine widdowes, of whiche wee could remember infinite examples, emongest whom aboue all others, we maie consider of the mutuall loue, or affection, betwixte our first parentes Eue, and Adam, vnto whom the fruite of life, vnder paine of death was prohibited. Adam not∣withstādyng, to gratifie his wife, refused not to hassarde hymself by breache of that commaundemente. When Paulina the wife of the sage and learned Seneca of Cor∣doua, vnderstode that cruell Nero had doen to death her husband, who by openyng all his vaines in a bathe, gaue vp his spirite, would not onely dye, to accompanie hym by death, but also did chuse to ende her smart, by the said maner of tormente, for more better accomplishemente whereof, the did her self to bee prickte, as did before her, Seneca. Whereof Nero, with spede aduertised, and kno∣wyng that it proceded of assured loue onely, caused her with greate diligence, to bee saued from the daunger of death: for beyng euen then on the poincte of passage, he caused her vaines skilfully to be bounde, carefully atten∣dyng on her, that she to her self, did none other kinde of violence: by meanes whereof, this chaste and verteous matrone, paste the reste of her life in greate paine, and miserie, paie, & coulerlesse, in signe of loiall loue, that she beare to her husbande. In the life of the Emperours, we also reade, that Lucius Vitellius, brother to the Emperor Vitellius, beyng on a nighte, in a perillous battaile, his wife, whiche hight Triata, by the greate, and inspeakable force of loue onely, came thrustyng in emong the souldi∣ars, to aide, and assiste Vitellius, mindyng in that straite, to liue, or dye with hym, where she then so did her pain∣full

indeuour, that she vtterly forgatte all feminine de∣bilitie, with small accompte of her life, or safetie, with∣out her husbande. Q. Curtius reciteth, that the kyng of Aira, vanquished by Alexander, spoiled, and depriued of a greate parte of his realme, paciently bare it, with a vali∣aunt, and manly courage, without any shewe of pain, or anguishe, but when newes was broughte hym, that his wife was dedde, in token that he more loued her, then he did his kyngdome, brake out into teares, and wepte ve∣rie bitterly. Ouide, Iuuenal, and Marcial with others, af∣firme that the wife of kyng Ad•…•…etus, chose willyngly to dye, to saue her sicke and diseased husbande, for hauing receiued aunswere from thoracle, that the kyng should liue, if any of his dearest frendes, would vouchsafe to dye for hym. Notwithstandyng, for the little credite, that menne commonly giue to Poetes, I had hereof saied no thyng, had not saincte Hierome hymself recoumpted it. Plinie the younger, in a letter of his writeth, that a cer∣taine Fisher, beyng sicke of an incurable disease, or ma∣ladie, by meanes whereof, he daiely indured suche tor∣mentes, and paines, as was almoste impossible, for man to sustaine, where at his wife moued with meruailous compassion, as she, that intierly, and hartely loued hym, seyng no hope of healthe, or recouerie, nor any where could finde any kinde of remedie, hauyng sought it euery where, to the vttermoste of her power, perswaded with her husbande, by death to make an ende of these gripyng paines saiyng: sithe that to death at some other tyme, of necessitie you •…•…ste yelde, preuente her commyng, to ende there by, this insupportable anguishe. To whiche her aduise, this poore wretche accorded: wherefore, pas∣syng forthe bothe to the toppe of an high rocke, this wo∣man there bounde her self verie faste to her housebande, whence castyng them selues doune, where dismembered together. Baptista Fulgosius the like historie remēbreth, of a poore labourer, or housebande man of Naples, which

walkyng with his wife, vpon the sandes, or sea coast, but she, for some her affaires, for slowyng her pace, was im∣mediatly apprehēded, by a small skiffe of Moores, whiche thyng her housebande, when he ones had perceiued, be∣ganne to screche, and torment hymself lamentablie, and in fine tooke the water, swimmyng after the bote, with moste dolefull teares, criyng still on the Marriners, to take hym also, sithe thei had his wife awaie with them, for prisoner, so was he in th'ende, to them also receiued, not without lesse meruaile of the Moores, then teares of his wife. Shortly after this, within few daies landed, thei bothe were presēted vnto the kyng of Thunnis, who vnderstandyng of all thynges, as thei truely had happe∣ned, was moued to compassion, and graunted them per∣don. To witnes of the good minde, that Artemisia bare to Mausolus, we onely must not consider, of that famous Sepulchre, whiche she to hym builte, and called Mauso∣leum, whiche also this daie, for the sumpteous, and curi∣ous woorke thereof, is accompted, not the leaste of the seuen wounders of the worlde, but also of others, her ho∣neste desertes towardes hym. The singuler affection al∣so, of Tiberius Gracchus, towardes his wife, is then the others, no lesse straunge, or meruailous, whose historie, though it be common, redde in Valerius Maximus, yet in fewe to touche it, shall not bee superfluous: he there∣fore, on a tyme findyng, twoo Serpentes in his bedde chamber, straungely amased at so l••thesome a sight, de∣maunded of the augurers, or sothsaiers, what it mighte portende, to whom was aunswered, that of necessitie he muste kill one, but if the male, then hymself should firste dye moste assuredly before his wife, but if the female, then contrary wise, his wife before hym: he then that better loued his wife, then himself, made perfect demon∣stration, of his loiall affection, for he rather did chuse to dye first hymself, then to see his wife to dye before hym, and so in killyng the male serpent, made chaunge of life

forthwith, as is aboue remembred, leauyng his wife af∣ter hym a widdowe, for some other. But here a manne maie for iuste cause doubt, whether she were more hap∣pie, that had suche a housebande, or more vnhappie in deede, that so infortunately loste hym. Harde were it to saie, whiche of these twoo followyng, should be argumēt of greatest loue: to wete, whether that woman, whiche willyngly, would haue dooen her self moste painfully to dye, onely for the griefe, conceiued of her housebandes death: on the other side or she, that continually so mour∣ned, that by languishyng paine, and teares, with sorowe to death consumed. Concernyng the first, for that parte, alreadie some thyng aboue is saied: as touchyng the se∣conde, a notable example finde wée, of a famous gentle∣woman, of Iulia to wete, the doughter of Iulius Caesar, wife also to that valiant, and renoumed capitaine Pom∣pie, to whom one presentyng a certaine robe of her hous∣bandes, all stained, & soiled, with the blood of one freashe∣ly wounded, supposyng incontinentely her housebande, traiterously to haue been murthered, before she could haue tyme, there of more to vnderstande, she sodainly so altered, with sorrowe, and displeasure, that she became straight senselesse, depriued of her feelyng, deliuered also (wherewith she then wente quicke) of an abortiue, and so foorthwith made chaunge, of this vncertaine life. By whose death, that generall peace. whiche by her meanes onely, was then cōtinued, almost throughout the whole worlde, was chaunged into warre, and bloodie hostilitie, principally, and first, bet wixte Caesar, and Pompie. The chaste loialtie of Lucretia, was suche towardes her hous∣bande, so well knowen, and so notorious, that super••lu∣ous were it to speake of it, for vnkindely abused by force of an vnchaste lecherer, s••ue her self in the presence of di∣uers worthie personages. The meruailous loue also, of the wife of Fernandus Goncales, an Earle or Counte, is no lesse in my iudgemente commendable, then was also

her policie, by whiche she deceiued the king, and well de∣liuered the countrie: for she in stature, not muche vnlike to her housebande, did on her his apparell, arrestyng still in prison, and he attired as woman, paste for the by her aduice, fledde thence, and escaped the angrie wrathe of the prince. Here might I longer dwell, with infinite ex∣amples, whiche I leaue to remember, not mindyng to bée tedious, whiche although the lawes of God forbidde, that we doe no murther, are notwithstandyng, worthie of perpetuall memorie, especially beyng executed, of Panimes, and Gentiles, whiche had no kinde of féelyng in Godslawes, and ordinaunces.