The second tome of the Palace of pleasure conteyning store of goodly histories, tragicall matters, and other morall argument, very requisite for delighte and profit. Chosen and selected out of diuers good and commendable authors: by William Painter, clerke of the ordinance and armarie. Anno. 1567.

The Marchionisse of Monferrato.

¶ The Marchionisse of MONFERRATO, with a ban∣ket of hennes, and certaine pleasant wordes, repressed the fonde loue of PHILIP the French King.

The. xvj. Nouel.

GOod Euphimia (as you haue heard) did fondly applie hir loue vpon a seruile mā, who though bred vp in Court, wher trayuyng and vse doth cōmonly alter the rude condicions of suche as bée interteyned there, yet voyde of all gentle∣nesse, and frustrate of natures swéetenesse in that curteous kinde, as not exchaungyng natiue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for noble aduaunce∣ment, returned to his hoggish soile, and walowed in the durtie filthe of Inhumanitie, whose nature myght well with Forke or Staffe bee expelled, but home againe it would haue come, as Horace pleadeth in his Epistles. O noble Gentlewoman, that mildly suffred the displeasure of the good King hir father, who woulde faine haue dissuaded hir from that vnséemely matche, to ioyne with a yong Prince, a King, a Gentleman of great perfection: And O pestilent Carle, being beloued of so honourable a pu∣cell, that for treason discharged thy head frō the block, &

of a donghill slaue preferred thée to be a King, wouldest for those deserts in the ende frame 〈◊〉〈◊〉 matter to con∣sume hir. With iust hatred then did the noble Emperor Claudius Caesar prosecute those of bonde & seruile kinde that were matched with the frée and noble. Right well knew he that some tast of egrenesse wold rest in such sa∣uage frute, & therfore made a law, that the issue of them shold not haue like libertie and preheminence, as other had, which agréeably did couple. What harme such ma∣riage hath inferred to dyuers states and persons (to a∣uoide other exāples) the former Nouel teacheth. Wher∣fore to ende the same, with bewailing of Euphimia for hir vnluckie lot, begin we now to glad our selues with the wise and stoute aunswere of a chaste Marquesse, a Gentlewoman of singular beautie and discretion, made to the fond demaunde of a mightie Monarch, that fond∣ly fell in loue with hir, and made a reckenyng of that, which was doubtfull to recouer. This King by louing hir whome he neuer saw, fared like the man that in his sléepe dreamed that hée had in holde, the thing furthest from him. For the King neuer saw hir, before he heard hir praised, and when he hearde hir praised, for purpose to winne hir, he trauailed out of his way, so sure to en∣ioy hir, as if he had neuer séene hir. This historie, al∣though briefe, yet sheweth light to noble dames that be pursued by Princes, & teacheth them with what regard they ought to interteine such suters.

The Marquesse then of Monferrato, a citie in Italie, beyng a Gentlemā of great prowesse and valiance, was appointed to transfrete the Seas in a generall passage made by the christians, with an huge Armie and great furniture. And as it chaunced, vpon a day greate talke was had in the court of King Philip surnamed Luscus, (bicause he was poreblinde) who likewise was making

preparation to depart out of Fraunce in the sayd iorney. Reporte was made by a Knight whiche knewe the sayd Marquize, that in all the worlde there was not the like maried couple, as the Marquize and his wyfe were, as well bicause the Marquize had the fame to bée an excel∣lent Gentleman, as also for that his wyfe amonges all the troupe of Ladies, that liued in the world that time, was the fairest and most vertuous: which words so en∣tred the French Kings head, as sodainely (neuer séeing hir in all his life) he began to loue hir. And for that pur∣pose determined to imbarke him selfe at Genoua, that by trauailing that way by lande, he might haue good occa∣sion to sée the Marchionisse, thinking that hir husbande being absent, he might easily obtein that he desired. And as he had deuised, he began his enterprise: who sending al his power before, toke his iorney with a meane train of Gentlemen: and being within a days iourney of the Ladies house, he sente hir worde that the next daye hée would visite hir at dinner. The sage and discrete Ladie ioyfully answered the Messanger, that she would accōpt his comming for a greate and singular pleasure, & sayde that his grace shuld be most heartily welcom. Afterwar∣des she maruelled why such a King as he was, would in hir husbāds absence, come to hir house. And in y^t maruel & consideration she was no whit deceiued, coniecturyng that, the fame of hir beautie was the cause of his com∣ming. Neuerthelesse, like a wise Lady and honest Gen∣tlewoman, she determined to do him honor, & caused the worshipful of hir countrey such as remained behinde, to be assēbled, for aduise in all things that were necessarie for his intertainement: but the feast & varietie of meats that should be serued, she alone toke vpon hir to dispose and order. Wherfore spedily sending about, and making prouision for al the hennes that might be gottē through∣out

the countrey, cōmaunded hir cookes, of those hennes without other thing what so euer, to prepare diuers ser∣uices. The Kyng failed not the next day to come accor∣dingly as he had sent worde, and was with great honor receiued of the lady: and in beholding hir, she semed vn∣to him (bisides his imagination comprehended by the former wordes of the Knight) to be farre more faire, ho∣nest and vertuous, than hée thought, attributing vnto hir, singular praise and commendation. And so much the more his desire was kindled, as she passed the estimation bruted of hir. And after that the King had withdrawen him selfe into the chamber ordeined and made ready for him, as appertained to a Prince so greate, & that dinner time was come, the Kyng & Madame the Marchionisse sat together at one boorde, and other according to their degrées were placed at seueral tables. The King serued with many dishes and excellent wines, beholding some times the ladie Marchionisse, conceiued greate delight and pleasure. But viewing the seruice and meates (al∣though dressed in diuers sortes) to be but hennes, he be∣gan to wonder, specially knowing the soile wherin they were to be so rich & plentiful, as by litle trauaile, great abundance of foule & veneson might haue ben prouided, and thought that she had indifferent leisure to chase and hunt, after that he had sent hir word of his cōming. Not∣withstanding he woulde not take occasion to enter into talke of those wants of better chere (hir hennes only ex∣cepted) who looking vpon hir, with mery countenance he said vnto hir:

Madame wer al these hennes bred in this countrey without a cock?

The Marchionisse which full wel vnderstode the cause of his demaund, thinking that God had sent hir an apt time for answere as she desired, boldly answered the King:

No and it please your grace, but of women, albeit in honour and apparell there is

some difference, yet they be al made in this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as they be else where.

The King hearing hir 〈◊〉〈◊〉, right well did know the occasion of the bankette of Hennes, and whervnto hir wordes did tende: and considred that to bestow any further talke to so wise a ladie, it were in vaine, and that force there could take no place. Like as vnaduisedly he fell in loue, so it behoued him of necessi∣tie wisely to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the fire for his honour sake, & with∣out any more taunting wordes, fearing hir reuenge, he dined without hope to get other thing of hir. And when 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had done, to the intent by his sodaine departure, he might couer his dishonest commyng, thankyng hir for the honour which he had receiued, and she recōmending him to God, he departed to Genoua.

Here may be proued the great difference betwene wisedom and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, betwene vertue and vice. The King more by lust, than other de∣sire, by circumstances indeuou∣red to sounde the deapth of the ladies minde. She by comely aunswer payde hym home for his follie. A liuely representation of a no∣ble creature, so well be∣decked with vertue as with be∣autie.