The First and second part of the history of the famous Euordanus Prince of Denmark With the strange aduentures of Iago Prince of Saxonie: and of both theyr seuerall fortunes in loue.

CHAP. IIII. Howe the Hermite declared vnto the Knight, the discourse of the Monster, & afterwards beeing cured of his wounds, was brought vnto an old Chappell, where hee gained an excellent Armour, beeing sometimes the Armor of the famous Prince Lionell.

THE Gentleman of the Forrest, beeing brought by the Hermit and his Squire vnto the Hermitage, he was forthwith disarmed, and layd on a silly coutch, on which the olde Hermit vsed to lie, and béeing carefully loo∣ked vnto, and attended on by the Hermit, within 3. dayes hée was indifferently well recouered, and sitting vp in his bed, he desired the old man to declare vnto him, as hee be∣fore had promised, the discourse of the Monster which hee had killed.

The old man glad to sée him so well recouered, and also desirous to pleasure him in any thing he could, began thus. Most worthy Knight, not long since there was remaining in this Country, a most vile and wicked Gouernour, na∣med Querenus, a man for the detestable wickednes which he liued in, hated both of God and man, for what virgin or beautifull wife was there in this Country, which if hee li∣ked, but he would force to accomplish his lustfull appetite: yea to such a height of euill was he growne, that he neither feared God nor man, knowing no heauen but his worldlie pleasures, nor fearing no other hell but the misery of this life, the which hee continued to the mortall griefe of all his subiects: who in the end, béeing wearied and ouerburthe∣ned in this intollerable miserie, chose rather to end theyr liues spéedily, then continually to be tormented by this blood-thirstie Tyrant. Wherefore gathering themselues together, they made head against the Tyrant, and after a long warre, they preuailed so against him, that he was for∣ced secretly to abandon his Country, and béeing onely ac∣companied with two men, taking a small boate, which hée found ready prouided, fled away to the Sea, where hauing béen some fixe dayes, at last was put a shore in an Iland, not farre distant hence, where in times past, the excellent and famous Magitian Bardus sometimes dwelt, where be∣ing landed, and calling to minde the estate which hee now was brought into, determined there to take vp his habitati∣on, and to preuent both himselfe and his company, from a∣ny hope or desire to escape, immediatly suncke the boate wherein they had escaped, and afterward, béeing diligently searching in a certaine Caue, hapned to find diuers bookes of Magicke, which he tooke great delight in, minding to stu∣die and practise the same. And so mightily profited he there∣in, that in very short time he grew very expert in the same: and at length, growing old, and calling to mind his former life past, and considering the wrong which hee thought he had sustained by his subiects, it caused him to determine how to be reuenged on them, which in this sort he brought

to passe.

There is in the westermost parts of America, a small I∣land very fruitfull, but whether by nature, or by some other accident, or determination of Fortune, onely inhabited by diuers huge and execrable Monsters, there-hence by his de∣uilish Art, did this vngodly Querenus cause to be brought the huge monster, which you to your endlesse honour haue so valiantly slaine: and placing him héere, by that meanes thought fully to be reuenged, where by the space of twenty yéeres hee hath now remained, to the vtter ruine and de∣struction of this Country, laying it vtterly wast and deso∣late, hauing deuoured so many Christian bodies, that it grieues my very soule to thinke of, no man before this your comming, euer daring to aduenture himselfe against him, although many times there hath many great companies as∣sembled themselues, to haue assailed him, but comming in∣to his presence, the very sight of him hath put them in such a feare, as not able to indure, they haue béen forced to turne their backs and flie, trusting more to their héeles then their hands, many of them béeing not able to flie so fast as theyr fellowes, where forced to stay behind, & remaine as foode vnto the vgly Monster: but now (God be thanked) by your noble prowesse, brought vnto his end.

The Prince receiued no small admiration heereat, won∣dering that a man should be so wicked, as to reuenge his wrong by so hatefull a meanes. But to bring him out of this his imaginations, the Hermit would discourse with him of diuers other matters, sometimes of one matter, and then of another. And now the Knight hauing remained by the space of tenne dayes in the Hermitage, he was indiffe∣rent wel recouered, during which time he was many times visited by his owne company, and also by the inhabitants of the Country, which came daily to sée him. For by this time had Fame so spred abroade his hautie exployt, that there came many from diuers Countries adioyning, offe∣ring themselues, and all that they had to be at his dispositi∣on: but he béeing not minded to stay there longer then that

his wounds were throughly whole, gaue them thankes for their kind proffer, telling them y^t hee could not accept of the the same, by reason he was to follow a certaine earnest ad∣uenture which he was in quest of. Thus passing away the time vntill he was fully whole, the day before he meant to depart towards his ship, the old Hermit being in talk with him, told him of a certaine aduenture not farre of, which in his younger yéeres, he did remember to haue séene many to make tryall thereof, but neuer heard of any to haue attai∣ned the accomplishment of the same.

The Knight béeing desirous to know the same, desired the Hermit to declare it vnto him, which he did in this ma∣ner. Not far hence (quoth he) there standeth a small Chap∣pell, situate at the foote of an hill, nowe altogether ouer∣growne with bryers and bushes, by reason of the Monsters crueltie, which lately to your eternall renowne, you so fa∣mously haue vanquished and slaine: in former time this Chappell was dedicated to the diuine seruice of GOD, by the renowned King Flintus, Prince of the Brittons, in the time that the Romans ruled héere with their mighty Legi∣ons, and afterwards beautified and adorned by y^e famous Prince Lionell his sonne, with many sumptious and costlie ornaments. In the midst of which a little before his death, he caused his owne Armor, being one of the best in y^e world, and with which hee had accomplished many excellent at∣chieuements, to be hanged vp there, to be kept for his eter∣nall memory. Where it remained a great while vntouched of any, onely through the priuiledge of the place, vntill the time of the famous Arthur, at which time y^e excellent Magi∣tian Merlin knowing that there would be many, which not respecting the sinne of sacriledge, would not stick to take a∣way so precious a Iewell as was the same, cast foorthwith so mighty an inchauntment on the Armor, that none but such a one, who in his time should excell all others, both in valour, curtesie and loyaltie, should be able to take downe the same.

Now not long after, according to his imagination it fell

out, for many béeing desirous to obtaine so good an Armor, made tryall to take the same away, but hetherunto there was no man so hardy, as once to moue it. Wherfore I am fully perswaded, that it was ordained onely for you, in whom I may boldly say, remaines the greatest vallor and magnanimitie, that may be possible in any Knight now li∣uing, as already your déedes haue manifested. The prince thanking him for his vndeserued prayses, attributing them rather to his loue and affection towards him, then for any merrite he knew in himselfe worthy the least of them: with∣all desiring the good olde man, to accompany him thether, where he would likewise make triall of his fortune, as ma∣ny others had doone before him, albeit he had no hope to at∣taine that, which so many good Knights had failed of.

Thus departing from the Hermitage, they went the next way towards the Chappell, where they arriued about the time they were wont to sing their euening Masse there, at their comming they found it desolate, the doores & win∣dowes ouer-growne with bryers and nettles, the walls ruinous, and all things else growne into decay, which cau∣sed not onely the auncient Hermit, but also the whole com∣pany to shed teares from theyr eyes. Then at the request of the Prince, the Hermit sang Euen song vnto them, which had not béen heard there in twenty yéeres before.

Theyr prayers béeing ended, they went vp in a small Ile of the Chappell, where hung the foresaid Armor, with diuers other Reliques, which hee beheld, with a great de∣sire to inioy the same: then lifting vp his eyes to heauen, imploring God to be his ayde, he stretched foorth his hand to take them downe from their place; which he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 without any paine at all, to the no small admiration of the behol∣ders. Then pulling of his owne Armor, he armed himselfe with this which he had gotten, which fitted him so well, as if it purposely had béene made for him. The Armor was of a greene cullour, representing a fielde full of Orenge trees bearing fruite, some fallen, some ripe as ready to fall, and some againe gréene, as but now budding, which wrought

such a content vnto the Princes minde, as not any thing might be greater. The shield also he tooke on his arme, and although it was impersable, yet was it framed of such a substance, that it was as light as any ordinary shield, the deuice béeing in a fielde Verte, thrée Lyons rampant, or signifying indéede, thrée Lyons which the famous Lyonell slew in the Kingdome of Spayne, as you may reade in that History, and from which likewise hee was called Lyon∣queller.