The famous historie of Chinon of England with his strange aduentures for the loue of Celestina daughter to Lewis King of Fraunce. VVith the worthy atchiuement of Sir Lancelot du Lake, and Sir Tristram du Lions for fair Laura, daughter to Cador Earle of Cornewall, beeing all knights of King Arthurs round table. By Chr. Middleton.

CHAP. I. (Book 1)

How Chinon the Earle of Cornewalles Sonne was borne a foole, and of the excellent orna∣ments of nature wherewith his faire Sister Laura was beautefied.

IN the beginning of this flourishing Kingdome, when Arthur then Mo∣narch of this little worlde, with his attendant Knights, whose valorous exployts euery where acted for theyr Countries honour, hath eternized their euerliuing names, euen in the farthest coasts of the barbarous Pagans, where yet in despite of consuming time liues their eternal Trophies as spectacles for all posteritics.

In this time liued there in England an auncient Knight, whome this famous king for his many merits and well deseruing déedes, had installed in the Earle∣dome of Cornewall, a dignity as hee thought fitting the deserts of this famous man, that had so often vndergone the furious attempts of the vnciuill Pagans, enemies to God, foes to his countrie, and great hindrances to the then but young plants of springing Christianity, as also endeuoring himselfe euery where to defend the fame of his countrie, then of all other only fame worthy the Ho∣nour of his order euery where honored, and the dutie be∣longing to his Knighthood, which hee alwaies perfor∣med, till at the last when the waight of many wearie yeares, gan bow his declining bodie downe to the lowly earth, making his oft tried Armour too heauie a burthen for his now war weakned body, his brandishing sword beating downe his age fallen armes, and euery suppor∣ter of his lustie limmes beginnes to faile of their for∣mer force, he determins to end his life in peace at home, whose beginning he had spent in warres abroad, incou∣raging younger men with the spectacle of his former valours, couragiously themselues to attempt the like in∣deuors.

In which time of his home aboad, the heauens bles∣sed him with two goodly Children, a Sonne & a Daugh∣ter: but yet as it is the continual course of al ruling for∣tune to mixe with euery good some ill, with euerie swéet a sowre, & with euery sunshine show of promising hap, a tempestuous storme of ill boading hurt, so fared it in the issue of this yet vnhappie Prince: for when the stea∣ling houres of all ripening time had brought them from their Infant Cradelles to some participation of sencible knowledge, his Daughter whose name was Laura, so forwardly prospered in euery Liniament of her beauti∣full bodie, & all eternall quallities of a vertuous minde:

so that in short time she became the censured subiect of all wise iudgements, in determination whether nature had better beautified her bodie, (where indéede shee had excéeded her self) or the Gods quallified her mind, wher∣in they had made her the only similitude of themselues. No penne that was not busied in painting her praises, though all too little for that purpose, and no tongue but was still telling her perfections, though they neuer could attaine them: for too bright was her beautie, to be sha∣dowed in the couloring cunning of a mortall capacitie, and too high her heauenly minde, to be enstauld with the earthlie wéedes of mans base wit, that as the toile some Sailers in the dangerous Seas watching the misfor∣tunes of a tedious night, doth with themselues mighti∣ly admire the gorgeous state of many twinckling stars, till when the siluer Moone proudlie rising from her glo∣rious bed, drawes backe their daseled eies to behold her more than common countenance: so fares it in this age of theirs, where no starre may compare with her state, no face with her faire fortune, nor no grace with the least glimce of her glorie: so to leaue to expresse that in wordes, which could not bée comprehended in all wits, neuer did nature before compose of so rude a Chaos, so comely a creature: But her Brother whose name was Chynon, outwardly formed in as faire a fashion, as might well beséeme the sonne to such a fire, but in his minde more than a maimed man, wanting that portion of sensible capacity which commonly doth accompany euen the meanest seruillitie: So that by how much his Sister excéeded in extraordinarie wisedome, by so much was hee scanted in ordinarie witte, where in stéede of Princely feature, was nothing found but foolish behaui∣our, for high atchiuementes boyish follies: for that which is required in a man, not so much as is commonly found in a childe, vncapable of the rudiments of good

counsaile, and vnsit to conceiue the commoditie of come∣lie quallitie: whence as all men with admiration won∣dred at the one, so none but with commisseration pittied the other, that so well fashioned a body should containe so ill formed a minde, strongly had nature forged hys limbes, which promised his valour, but weakely had the enuious Fates framed his mind, wher was no hope of better, So that heere nature vnnaturally hand∣ling so good a subiect, had enclosed in the perfecte body of a man, little better than the vnperfect soule of a beast, like almost the imitating of an apish artificer, that in faire showes deciphers a formall substance, in cu∣rious cunning colours painting a Princely perfection, which satisfies the outward sence as the same, but can∣not content the inward conceit, beeing but a bare show: So by euery outward appearance was he iudged well, till triall by experience to euery one proued him worse, but how great a corsiue it was to his careful Parents, I leaue it to thē to consider whom experience hath taught to conceaue the like inconuenience, great griefe was it to his old father that had béene himselfe full of valour, to sée his young sonne though able, yet vnfit for any such endeuour, which turned his hoped for rest to haplesse ru∣ine, his aged mirth to angrie moane, and what so euer other content, into a contrarie conceit, to sée his poore neighbours comfort their seruile liues with the sight of their forward Children, and hee their vnfortunate Lord wanting that redresse which those poore creatures in respect of him in such plentifull manner do daylie pos∣sesse.

Thus grieuing to remember that which hee cannot forget and sorrie to haue so discontented an obiect to his aged eies, which he stil be wailed, though by no meanes his griefe could be healed, atlast learnes with patience to beare that which with paines he cannot amend, and

instantly solicites the great Parlament of heauen, in whose dispose rests the estate of all creatures, that in their vnsearchable wisedome they woulde either open the eyes of his blinded soule, forged in the mistie vale of a cloudy ignorance, or els cut short the vnpleasant date of his wearie life, and so preuent the insuing ignominie of his future times: where wée must now leaue him a while in his follie, till the processe of our History bring vs thither againe.