Alektor = The cock. Containing the first part, of the most excellent, and mytheologicall historie, of the valorous Squire Alector; sonne to the renowned Prince Macrobius Franc-Gal; and to the peerelesse Princesse Priscaraxe, Queene of high Tartary.

Of the thanks giuing in the Temple, the publique praise, the prize of honour assigned; with the ciuill crowne giuen to Alector. Of the death of Franc-Gal, the lamentation for him, his ele∣nation and translation, of the losse of Hippopotame; and of the bird sent away as a messenger. CAP. Vlt. (Book 26)

AT these words the Archier betwéene the Father and the Sonne went right to the temple; whereto hée was followed of the Potentate, Magistrats, Lords, and the

greater part of the people. And being come thether there were set on the highest degree before the altar, thrée chayres. In the middlemost the Archier tooke his place, in the two others Franc-Gal and Alector were placed, and the Potentate with the other Lords, counsellors, and other Magistrates, be∣tooke them to their accustomed seats. This done, all of them following the example of their Bishop bowed their knées and enclined their heads in silent prayer and thanks giuing: and af∣terwards rising vp, at the suite and imitation of their Priest Croniell and his ministers, with the founds of all forts of in∣struments according with the voyce, in harmenious Musick they sung this song following.

Thanks be to Ioue our great and Soueraigne Lord, Who hath vs brought out of these mortall dangers: Honor and praise we people him afford, That hath vs saued by the hands of strangers. O blessed spirits, and sacred Angels bright Ʋouchsafe now to present before his throne Our gratefull psalme and song of sweet delight Acknowledging that through his grace alone The worthie child and Sonne of vertuous syre Hath slaine our foe, that did our death conspire.

After this psalme sung with great ioy and iubilation, the Bi∣shop Croniell spake vnto all the assistance in this manner:

"This day haue you soene (my Lords & friends) that thing ac∣complished which not long since I haue showed vnto you by diuine reuelation which is vnfaylable: that is, the publique health, with our deliuerance from the common terror and v∣niuersell danger, by the ouerthrow of the serpent; which this young and valiant Esquire Alector sonne of the sage Franc-Gal, hath slaine, to the extreame hazard and perrill of his life. So as by this most vertuous act he hath restored your whole citie to the wonted securitie: for the which all in generall owe him thanks and honour, and not onely to him with vouchsa∣sed to accomplish the meritorious act of so great a praise: but also, to his father, who for vs and the common wealth of this citie hath brought into the World a Sonne of such vertue. Now haue wee an ancient order and a most lauda∣ble

custome, not to bee ingratefull to the well meritors of our common wealth, but ouer and aboue our verball re∣gratiation, to reward & honour them with some notable pub∣lique déede, and some guift of honorable prize: wherefore pre∣pare your selues to yeeld this fauorable grace towards these two strangers, who to my thinking haue well desetued the same."

At these words all the multitude cried with one voyce: we yéeld thanks to Alector our perseuer, who hath exposed his life for vs against our internall mortall enemie, and that hath deliuered vs from his dangers: moreouer we giue thanks vn∣to his bertuous father Franc-Gal who hath sent vs such a wor∣thie Sonne: and we likewise declare both of them worthie of the rights of our citie of Orbe, to be set amongst the estates of the Prytan, and particularly the ciuill crowne to be set vppon the head of Alector as a deliuerer of the citie; then quoth the Bishop: are you all of this minde, will and consent? Who an∣swered with one voyce, yea: then the Archier caused to bee brought by his ministers, a most fayre crowne of gold, fashio∣ned like to the leaues of an Oake enamiled with greene, and the bayes of waightie rubies, and the acornes of sine eme∣raulds, which when he had taken it in his hand, he turned to∣wards Franc-Gal and Alector, saying vnto them in this wise: My Lord Franc-Gal a man most vertuous, and thou Alector Esquire most valerous, the citie of Orbe vniuersally thanketh you for their wholesome deliuerance out of the danger and publique euill: in acknowledging whereof the Lords Magi∣strats and all the people do grant vnto you being strangers all the rights and priuileges of this citie, and from hensforth re∣ceine you for cittizens and Patrices of this towne of Orbe, in assigning to you the estate of Prytan, so great and honorable, that it is onely ordeyned for the excellent benefactors, who haue wel deserued of the common wealth. Ouer and aboue the which, for especial honor of thy vertue (Alector) of thy magna∣nimity, & valiant victory ouer the monstrous serpēt of y^e sands the internall enemy of the citie, for thy worthie reuenging of Noëmias death, & slaughter of the sauage Centaure our exter∣nal enemy, for the excellent prize of honor for these thy valiant acts, they presēt thée w^t this rich crown, acknowledging thée for

the liberator of their citie. In this saying he lifted vp the faire and rich crowne and set it vpon the head of Alector, who re∣ceiuing it graciously with a shamefast rednes, resembled to one of Phoebus morning beames: his Father Franc-Gal be∣holding him so affectionatly and fatherly with an extreame in∣terior ioy at the honour wherein hee saw his Sonne, (a little before as an offendor condemned) tooke such a suddaine ioy af∣ter the extreame dolors and deadly feares which hee had not long before conceiued aswell by his dreames, oracles, visions, augures, and proper prognostications, as also of the perill wherein he had séen his sonne vnhoped for in combat with the serpent, that his soule was almost out of himselfe through the violence of the vnspeakeable aduentures, diuers encountries, suddaine chances vnlooked for, and strange mutations from sorrow into hope, from hope into trauaile and dolor, from tra∣uel into doubt, from doubt into feare, from feare into vnhoped ioy, and from ioy into incredible admiration: by which diuers contratie, and striuing passions being perturbated he resem∣bled a liuing body in a rauished soule (as in trueth he was,) ne∣uerthelesse such a new ioy shined in his merrie vermilion face full of gracious chéerefulnes: that it witnessed the plea∣sure which he receiued of the happy houre, and honour of his crowned sonne, as already from his infancie he had an euident signe. Alector then séeing him thus repleat with ioy, deman∣ded if the crowne were properly appertaining to him: and it was answered yea. Then he lifting it from his owne head, set it vpon the head of his Father Franc-Gal: who, through so∣daine mutation (which is perilous and oftentimes deadly) from feare into assurance, and from sorrowe into vnhoped ioy, being alreadie halfe beyond himselfe, and féeling this sonnelie pittie to crowne him, through excessiue ioy and loue, could no longer kéepe his rauished spirit from flying away through ve∣hement exultation: and at the same instant was séene a long, streight and a most pure and clere flame issuing out of his eyes, and mounting towards heauen through the top of the temple, which in trueth was the light of his cierge put out the last day of his peregrination in the temple of the Soueraigne God: ac∣cording to the ordinance of the ancient Lady Anange, and of

her thrée daughters Cleronome, Zodore, and Termaine, who as then ended the cierge of his life, sight and way: in such sort that he remained stif, and departed in the same habitude of ioy∣full and pleasant face which he had, when (with the extremitie of loue and ioy) the crowne was set vpon his head by his dere sonne Alector: in such sort that none thought he had giuen vp the Ghost but onely the good Croniell who before had re∣uelation of his departure: and who by conferring the visions and oracles together and vnderstanding priuatly his speaches doubted the worst. Wherefore hauing signified so much to the people, in the presence of them all he lifted vp his head by the chin calling him thrée times by his name; but it auailed not, for there remained neither life, soule, nor spirit in him, his Sonne Alector more sorrowful of his fathers death, than be∣fore he had béen ioyfull of his new glorie, embraced, accolled, kissed, called and cried to him, but hee might easilie perceiue him to be nothing but a statue of flesh seperated from the soule: whereupon through great heauines and sorrowe which stroke him at the heart hee swounded in the chayre, in such sort as it was thought that both Father and Sonne had béen dead, the whole multitude being astonished of so suddaine a mutation from ioy into sorrow, and from life into death. Neuerthelesse with the help of those who stoode by, Alector came againe to himselfe beginning with hauty cries to lament his Father, to the great commiseration of the whole multitude, who thus do∣lorously heard him crie: Alas Franc-Gal my Lord & Father, haue you brought mee into this World, to haue no more ac∣quaintance with you, but only three dayes at Tangut and one onely day at Orbe? Alas must it chance thus, that hauing tra∣uelled so many lands and Seas to séeke me who was carried away by the wind, you must finde me here in mort all perrill to your griefe, suddaine and short ioy, and vnlooked for death? O my most dere father, wel haue I attended to be made knight of your haud, for of a more worthie a man I can neuer bee made. Wel I sée now that if I would be a sonne any longer, I must goe séeke another Father: this saying hée fell downe againe, neuerthelesse he was by the Ministers spéedily taken vp, and by the Archier consolated, who showed vnto him the good and

long life of Franc-Gal his Father, tegether with his happie death in extreame ioy and felicitie, without féele of paine or sorrowe, his glory of immortall renowne gotten through the whole world, which should redound perpetually to his succes∣sors. For the better manifesting whereof (tending onely to the end to consolation) he turned his speach to the people, and by manner of an oration funebrall, hee declared what Franc-Gal was, his noble race, his vertuous acts and déeds, his bene∣factions to all vniuersally (in ripping vp his whole life) and his strange aduentures as he had vnderstood them of Franc-Gal himselfe and as they haue béen before declared and shown. This oration being well vnderstood, all the people vniuersally merueiled at such a vertuous and heroycal personage, making for him a publique and common mourning from the highest Magistrate to the lowest of the poore people: who bore such reuerence to this most vertuous deceased Fran-Gal that they would not willingly loose the sight and presence of him, nor hide so noble a body vnder the earthly darkenesses. And therefore by the aduice of all the wise men and consent of all the people, and at the common expence and charges was made a great Tabernacle of most fine christall in fashion of a tower, wherein was enclosed the body of Franc-Gal, scituated in a chayre, the crowne on his head, in the same forme, habitude, and countenance of ioy, that he deceased in. In this estate they eleuated him vppon foure pillers of guilt brasse on the north side of the Altar, whereby they might alwaies haue him in their sight as a very Image of vertue: where hee remayned whole in his former beautie for the space of 400. yeares after, vntill such time as the world began to commit Idolatrie to him, wherewithall the Soueraigne Ioue being •…•…rited, one day hee caused it to bee lift vp by foure angelicall spirits, and transported into such a place, that afterwards it was no more séene. These funebrall things being accomplished, the next day the Archier conducted Alector towards the Hauen, where they found Franc-Gal his companie attending their Master, to whom Alector (who by them incontinently was knowne and cherished) commanded to discharge al the goods being vp∣pon the Hippopotame, that they might bee conueyed to the

towne of Orbe. Which when they had done, hée shewed vnto them this sorrowfull newes, willing them no longer to at∣tend their prince, for that he was dead, where at all of them be∣ing astonished demanded of him saying: Is Franc-Gal dead't And hee answered them absolutely: Franc-Gal is dead. At these words Franc-Gal is dead, the horse Durat Hippopota∣me began to moue (as one hauing vnderstanding and intelli∣gence of the death of his Master) and shaked his wings, féete, tayle, head and body with such a violence, that the Sea arose round about: and in this torment there issued out of the déepe Sea the olde man Protëus, who cried aloud, neuer man hens∣forth shall ride vpon thee. In this saying he led the horse into the loftie Stas, where, in the sight and to the great sorrow of all the beholders, hee sonke him in the deapth, in such sort that neuer after hee was seene. The people of Franc-Gal seeing what had happened, and that they were both without conduct and meanes to ride on the Seas, followed Alector as their Master till that they came to Orbe, carrying with them the goods and riches of their late Master, that they might present them to his entire body, and sée him in his tabernacle: and as they were thus ready to returne, behold a bird passing by, came and rested on the shoulders of Croniell, who knowing this bird to be sent him by diuine ordinance, tooke her in his hands, and hauing written in a white leafe these verses:

Priscaraxe Queene of Tartary, no longer dooattend The comming of Franc-Gal: for why, his life with ioy hath end. The onelysecing of his childe Alector full of grace With honor crownd in vertue milde, hath wrought this dolefull cace.

He bound it to her neck, commanding her in the name of Ioua the name of y^e soueraigne God, to be a faithfull messenger, and to carrie this letter to Priscaraxe Quéene of Tartary and so let her flye with his benediction: and the bird as one ha∣uing vnderstood his commandements incontinently tooke her flight ouer the Seas and septentrionall parts in such sort that within a while the companions of Franc-Gal, Alector and Croniell, lost the sight of her, and returned to Orbe, where, what they did shall bee declared in the Second part.

And how Alector was transformed by phantasie into a bird, and afterwards restored to his former shape, made Knight, with his facts and heroycall déeds. Likewise the message done by the bird to Priscaraxe, of her dolors, decliningand trasmi∣gration into Aquitaine, and all that happened to her there: moreouer of the passage of Alector into France vnto the ob∣scure valley afterwards called by him Ʋau ieur, and of his notable and worthie dooings. Finally his po∣steritie vntill the comming of the pensiue Pilgrime. All this shalbe shown in the Second part and thus shall ende the First.