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.

Mistresse Dianora.

¶ Mistresse DIANORA demaunded of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 AN∣SALDO a Garden so faire in Ianuarie, as in the moneth of May. Maister ANSALDO (by meanes of an obliga∣tion whiche he made to a Necromancer) caused the same to be done. The husband agreed with the Gentlewoman that she should do the pleasure which maister ANSAL∣DO required, who hearing the liberalitie of the husband, acquited hir of hir promise, and the Necromancer like∣wise discharged maister ANSALDO.

The. xvij. Nouell.

OF all things commonly accompanying the ma∣ner and trade of mans lyfe, nothyng is more circumspectly to bée at∣tended & prouided for, than regarde & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of honestie: which attire, as it is moste ex∣cellent and comely, so a∣boue all other vain toy∣es of outward apparell to be preferred. And as honestie hath al other good cōditions included in it self, as the same by any meanes can not straye oute of that tract, troden before by the steppes of that most excellent vertue: Euen so, impossible it is for the partie adorned with the same, to wander one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 path. Wherefore lette eche wight that traceth this

worldly life, foresée the due obseruation of all things in∣cident to that which is honest. Nothing in this life (saith Tullie in his oration, for the Poet Archias) is so much to be desired as Honestie, for the getting wherof all tor∣mentes of bodie, all perilles and daungers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 death bée not to bée regarded. Honestie then beyng a treasure so precious, what care not only for the atchieuing, but for the conseruation ought to be employed? In the practise wherof, one speciall thing ought to be attended, whiche is, how a vowe or promise ought to be made, or how the estimation of honestie oughte to bée hazarded for any thing séeme it neuer so impossible. For what is it that loue and money hath not brought to passe? What hard aduentures by Iason, what sleight by Alexander the son of King Priamus, what monsters slaine and labours su∣steined by Hercules, what daungers and exploites some haue incurred & other attempted by diuers? To be short, Nihil est quod non effreno captus amore, ausit.

As Ouide the Poet sayth:

Nothing there is, but that the louing man doth dare, Surprised with frantike fitte, eche dede he doth not spare. Wherfore let euery wight beware how they gage their honestie for any enterprise (seme it neuer so impossible.) Maistresse Dianora derely beloued of a gentleman, and earnestly assailed, in the ende yelded vpon a condition: which if it could be brought to passe (which she thought impossible) was content to surrender to his loue. Who cōsulting with a Magitian, performed hir request: then what folowed, and what counsell hir husband gaue hir, after she had broken the effect of hir promise to him, and what Curtesie was vsed on all sides, the sequele hereof discloseth.

The countrey of Frioli although it be colde, yet is it pleasaunt by reason of many faire mountaines, riuers,

and cléere springs that are in the same: where there is a Citie called Vdina, & in the same somtime dwelling a faire gentlewomā called Mistresse Dianora, the wife of Gilberto, a notable rich 〈◊〉〈◊〉, a verie curteous personage, and of good behauiour. This Ladie, for hir graces and vertues, was intierly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of a Gentlemā and great lorde, called maister Anfaldo Grandese, who for his libe∣ralitie and valiāce in armes, was famous and well kno∣wen. And albeit that he loued hir 〈◊〉〈◊〉, séekyng all meanes possible to bée beloued of hir, soliciting hir ma∣ny tymes by Ambassadours, yet his labour was in vain. And the Ladie béeing offended for his dayly sute, and trauaile, hée for all hir refusall and disagréement to his desire, woulde not absteine from louyng hir, but styll mainteine his importunate sute. She deuising with hir selfe how to ridde hym away, made a request vnto him, so straunge and impossible, (in hir iudgement) as hée was not hable to bryng the same to passe. And vpon a daye shée sayde vnto an olde woman, (the whyche came often tymes to sue vnto hir in hys 〈◊〉〈◊〉) these

woordes: Good wyfe, thou hast many tymes assured me, that Maister Ansaldo doeth loue mée aboue all o∣ther, and thou haste offered vnto mée maruellous gif∣tes and presentes in hys name: All which I haue re∣fused, vpon consideration, that I mynde not to fauour or loue him for his goodes: but if thou canst 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by warrantize, or other probable argumente, that hée lo∣ueth me so much as thou sayest, I will condescend with∣out faile to loue hym againe, and to doe the thing that it shall please hym to commaunde mée. Therfore if hée will assure mée to doe that thyng which I shall require him to doe, tell him that I am at his commaundement. What is that madame (sayd the olde woman) that you desire? The thing which I demaunde (aunswered the

Gentlewoman) is, that he should cause to be made here without the Citie, during the moneth of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 next comming, a Garden full of gréene herbes, floures, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, bespred with leaues, euen as it were in the mo∣neth of May: And if so be that he do it not, then let him neuer send thée or any other vnto me again: for if after∣wards he be importunat vpon me, like as I haue hither∣to kept it close from my husbande and parentes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 so complaining vnto them, I will assaye to bée dispatched from his long and tedious sute. When the Knight vn∣derstoode

that request, and the offer that his Mystresse made him (although it séemed a thing very difficult and almost impossible to bée done) knowyng very well that she did the same for none other purpose, but onely to put him out of hope that euer he shold enioy hir, he determi∣ned notwithstanding, to proue what he was able to do. And for that purpose sent to séeke in many places of the worlde, if there were any man that could assist him and giue him counsel therin. In the end there was one foūd that offred to do it (if he were well waged therunto) by the arte of Necromancie, with whom maister Ansaldo bargained for a great summe of money. Thē he expected the moneth of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with great deuotion, which be∣ing come, euen whē the coldest wether was, and that all places were full of snow & yce, this Necromancer vsed his art in such sort, as in the night after the holy days of Christmasse, in a faire medow adioyning to y^t citie, there appered in the morning (as they can testifie that saw the same) one of the fairest gardens that euer any mā saw, full of herbes, trées, and fruites of al sorts: which when 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ansaldo had séen, God knoweth if he wer glad or not: & incontinently caused to be gathered the fairest fruites & floures that wer there, & secretly sent the same to his friende, inuiting hir to come and sée the Garden

which she had procured him to make, to the intent ther∣by she might know the loue that hée bare hir, & to remē∣ber the promise which she had made him, and confirmed by othe, that he might from that time forth, estéeme hir a woman so good as hir promise. When the Gentlewo∣man sawe the floures and frutes and hearing tell by re∣port of the straunge things that were in that Garden, began to repent hir selfe of the promise whiche shée had made: but for all hir repentaunce, she like one desirous to sée straunge things, wente with many other women to sée the same: and hauing praised it, not without great admiration, she returned home, the angriest womā that euer was, when she had considered in what sort she had abused hir self by meanes of that Garden. And hir rage was so greate, that shée coulde by no meanes kéepe the same so secrete or close, but that hir husbande must per∣ceiue the same, who woulde néedes knowe of hir all the whole matter. The Gentlewoman a long time kepte it secrete: in the ende shée was constrained to declare vn∣to him the whole matter in order. Hir husbande hea∣ring the same was sodainely verye angrie: afterwar∣des consideryng the pure intente of his wife, hée wisely appeased hir, and sayde: Dianora, it is not the acte of a

wise and honest wife to encline hir eare to suche messa∣ges as those be, and lesse honest to make any marte or bargaine of hir honestie with any person, vnder what condicion soeuer it be. Words which the hart receiueth by the eares, haue greater 〈◊〉〈◊〉 than many doe estéeme, and there is nothing so difficulte, but by the amorous is brought to passe. First therfore thou hast done euill to giue eare vnto such ambassage, and afterwardes for a∣grement to the bargaine. For the weight of chastitie is so ponderous, as by no meanes it oughte to be layde in balance, eyther by impossibilities to bo aste and bragge

therof, or else by assurance of their conceiued thought to bring it into question, least in all places the same may be disputed vpon, and blemishe with the note of light∣nesse, the person till that tyme vnspotted: but bicause I know the puritie of thy heart, I wil agrée vnto thée for discharge of thy promise, which peraduenture some o∣ther would not do, moued thervnto for the feare I haue of the Necromancer, who if he sée Maister Ansaldo to be offended bicause thou haste deluded him, may doe vs some displeasure: wherfore I will that thou go to mai∣ster Ansaldo: and if thou canst by any meanes so vse thy selfe (as thyne honour saued) thou mayst discharge thy promise, I shall commende thy witte: but if there be no remedie otherwise, for that onely time then lende forth thy body and not thy wil. The Gentlewoman hearing hir husband so wisely speake, coulde doe nought else but wéepe, and sayd, that she would not agrée to his request. Notwithstanding, it pleased the husband (for al the de∣niall which his wife did make) that it shoulde be so: by meanes wherof, the next morning vpon the point of day the Gentlewoman in the homeliest attire she had, with two of hir seruants before, and hir maide behinde, went to the lodging of maister Ansaldo, who when he hearde tel that his louer was come to sée him, maruelled much, and rising vp, called the Necromancer, and sayde vnto him: My wil is, that thou sée how much thine arte hath preuailed, and going vnto hir, without any disordinate lust, he saluted hir with reuerence, and honestly receiued hir. Then they entred into a faire chamber, and sitting downe before a great fire, he sayd vnto hir these words: Madame, I humbly beséeche you, if the loue whiche I haue borne you of longtime, and yet do beare, deserue some recompence, that it please you to tel me vnfained∣ly the cause whiche hath made you to come hither thus

early, and with such a companie. The shamefast Gentle woman, hir eyes full of teares made answere: Sir, the loue whiche I beare you, nor any promised faith haue brought me hither, but rather the onely cōmaundement of my husbande, who hath greater respecte to the paine and trauaile of your disordinate loue, than to his owne honour or my reputation, who hath caused me to come hither, and by his commaundement am readye for this once to satisfie youre pleasure. If Mayster Ansaldo were abashed at the beginning, he much more did mar∣uell when he hearde the Gentlewoman thus to speake, and moued with the liberalitie of hir husbande, hée be∣gan to chaunge his heate into compassion, and sayd: Mi∣stresse God defend if it be true that you doe say, that I should soyle the honour of him, whiche hath pitie vpon my loue: and therfore you may tarrie here so long as it shall please you, with such assurance of your honestie, as if you were my naturall sister, and frankly may depart when you be disposed, vpon such condition, that you ren∣der in my behalf those thanks vnto your husband which you shal think cōuenient, for the great liberalitie which he hath imployed vpon me, déeming my selfe henceforth somuch bound vnto him, as if I were his brother or ser∣uant. The Gentlewoman hearing those words, the best contented that euer was, sayd vnto him: Al the worlde coulde neuer make me beleue (your great honestie con∣sidered) that other thing coulde happen vnto me by my comming hither, than that which presently I sée: For which I recken my selfe perpetually bounde vnto you. And taking hir leaue, honorably returned in the aforsaid companie home to hir husband, and tolde him what had chaunced, which engendred perfect loue and amitie be∣twene him and maister Ansaldo. The Necromancer to whome maister Ansaldo determined to gyue the price,

〈◊〉〈◊〉 betwene them, seyng the liberalitie which the husbande had vsed towardes maister Ansaldo, and the like of master Ansaldo towards the Gentlewoman s ayd: God defende, that sith I haue séene the husbande liberall of his honour, and you bountifull of your loue and curtesie, but that I be likewise frāke in my reward. For knowyng that it is well employed of you, I pur∣pose that you shall kéepe it still.

The Knighte was a∣shamed, and woulde haue forced hym to take the whole, or parte: but in offering the same, he lost his laboure. And the Necromancer the thirde day after, hauing vn∣done hys Garden, and desirous to departe, tooke his leaue.

Thus Ansaldo extinguishing the dishonest loue kindled in his hearte, for inioying of his la∣die, vpon consideration of honest cha∣ritie, and regarde of Curtesie, repressed his wanton minde, and ab∣steined frō that, which God graunte that o∣thers by like example may refraine.