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. IX. How the Prince of Saxonie remaining, discontent in his fa∣thers Court after the departure of Euordanus: departed secretly as a Knight arrant, to seeke aduentures.

YOu may remember how discontented the Saxon Prince tooke the departure of his supposed brother, the Gentleman of the Forrest: who hauing séene him aboord, & being againe returned vnto the Court, beganne to waxe so melancholy, that hee séemed to take delight in nothing, although the Duke his father perceauing it, and for remedy for the same, deuised all the meanes he could to worke his content, as by procla∣ming Iusts and turnaments, wherein he héeretofore was wont to receaue great content, and other times hunting of the wilde Boare, and such other exercises, still fearing his departure.

But neither this, nor yet the delightfull company of the Princesse his sister, whom he intirely loued, could in any sort worke him that content, which he was wont to receaue in the company of the Gentleman of the Forrest: whose want, together with the desire of following strange aduen∣tures, wherein he hoped to atchieue immortall renowne, by his valiant and heroick déedes, which hee doubted not but so performe, increased in him such an ardent desire to trauell. Whereof many times being denaied by the Duke his Father, at length hauing resolued with himselfe to de∣part, he called vnto him one of his Squires whom hee in∣tirely loued, and on whose secresie and good seruice, hee more depended then on any other, and declaring vnto him his determination, willed him to prouide for their depar∣ture, which should bee with all the secresie that might bée. His Squire, hauing vnderstoode his Maisters resolution, departed to prouide for the same, and comming to the har∣bor, found a ship ready bound for England: and agréeing

with the maister thereof for their passage, the next night con∣uayed aboord both horse and armor, and such other things as should bee requisite for their iourny: and hauing infor∣med the Prince héereof, the next day, the Prince being ac∣companied only with his Squire, as many times he was accustomed, departed from the Pallace, not suspected of any one, hauing left in his chamber window, a letter written to his father, declaring therein the cause of his depar∣ture. Thus walking a foote, they arriued towards euening at the port where the shippe ancored, and comming aboord, hauing the winde faire, they set saile, directing their course for Douer, of which harbor the shippe was. Thus beeing at Sea, and hauing the winde and weather faire, y^e Prince betooke himselfe to sléepe, being with cares ouerwatched, for in thrée nights before he had not slept, so earnest was his minde bent on this his iourny: and now being as hée thought in security from being stopped of his purpose, hée slept soundly, till it was towards the morning, when hée thought there appeared before his sight, y^e beautifullest La∣dy that euer he beheld: who comming vnto him, cast her∣selfe into his armes, desiring his protection against a fierce and vgly Giant, who pursued her. The Prince héerewith awaking, beganne to ponder with himselfe, concerning his dreame, musing what it might signifie, but the beauty and comly grace of the Lady, stucke so fast in his memory, that by no meanes he could put y^e same out of his minde: which caused him in the end, to conclude, that it must néedes bée some Lady, whom the destinies had ordained him to loue, determined to yéeld himselfe prisoner, before the assault should grow too hote: thus continued this amerous young Prince, intangled in her beauty whom he neuer had séene, minding to rest in no place, vntill such time as he had found her out, whom in his dreame he beheld. By this time had they continued at Sea by the space of eight daies, not mée∣ting with any aduenture worth the memory, hauing the winde faire, and the Seas so calme as might bée, till on the ninth day comming almost on shore on y^e caost of Fraunce,

they perceaued a shippe with sailes and ores, as much as they could to make towards them: which the Maister and the rest of the Saylers, presently knewe to be a Pyrat, and calling the Prince vnto them, to knowe what counsell hée would giue in this extremitie, they all beeing minded to yéeld, rather then to fight, considering the vnequalnesse of the match, and the cruelty the Pyrats commonly vsed to those, who made resistance. But the Prince not minding to submit himselfe into the hands of such villaines, gaue them counsell not to yéeld, but to fight it out to y^e last man, and calling for his Armor, immediatly armed himselfe: swearing them all to performe their best indeuours, for to defend themselues.

By this time was the Pirate come vp with them, and warning them to yéelde vnto his mercie, the Prince stand∣ing aloft vppon the decke, with his sword drawne in his hand, & his shield vpon his arme, replied, that they meant to defend themselues, as not béeing accustomed with wordes to be daunted. The Pirat Geroll hearing this aunswere, commaunded to grapple with the English shyp. The prince at the first incountring with a great lubber, who proffered to leape aboord their shyp, gaue him so sound a blow on the sconte, that it caused him out of the shrowdes to tumble headlong into the Sea, and after him another, and another: so that in the part of the ship where hée was, the fight began to grow excéeding hote, many of the Pirats souldiers bée∣ing gotten aboord, but by the helpe of his Squire, and the Maisters mate, who was a lustie fellow, they quickly clée∣red theyr shippe againe, and the Prince hauing receiued a wound by one of the Pyrats, who was aboord theyr owne shyp, not knowing which way to be reuenged, leapt foorth∣with into theyr shyp, & béeing inraged, laid on such blowes, that euery one thought himselfe happiest when they were farthest from him: for by this time there were slaine aboue twenty of the Pirats. Which Geroll perceiuing, & know∣ing right well that if the Knight were slaine, he should easi∣ly vanquish the rest: and hoping to performe it with his

owne hands, he came stealing behind him, but the Prince who was ordained to finish greater matters, perceiuing his intent, turned his face towards him, giuing him such a sa∣lutation with his sword, that it caused him to bend with one of his knées euen to the deck.

Now began betwéene them two a most cruell Combat, the Pyrat béeing a strong and lustie fellow, & one that had foughten many dangerous battels, and also béeing ayded by those of his partie, assaulted the Prince with great fury, and were as gallantly by him resisted, to theyr no smal pre∣iudice: for within lesse then halfe an howre, hee had slaine sixe of them, wounding y^e rest very grieuously. And by this time the English Ship, hauing tackt about, came to the re∣scue of the Prince, which so dismayed the Pyrats, that bée∣ing but tenne of them left aliue, and they for the most part hurt, as before-said, determined to intreate for mercy, and falling downe vpon theyr knées, besought the Prince with one voyce to saue theyr liues: which he easily yéelded vnto. And taking course for the safe custodie of the shyp, they ha∣uing with great deuotion giuen thankes vnto almighty GOD for this so happy victory, which they had so luc∣kily obtained without the losse of any one man, & dressing those that were hurt, with such salues and other néedfull things, whereof they found good store aboord the Pyrat, they directed theyr course for Douer, where the next day they safely arriued: where the Prince, at the request of the Ow∣ner of the Ship, stayed by the space of three dayes, during which time, there arriued many of the Country people to behold him: for by this time was his fame spred abroad by the Marriners, to his great renowne. And the Lieuete∣nant that had the gouernment of that Fort vnder the King of England, béeing then returned from certaine affayres which he had to doe, entertained him with the greatest ho∣nour that might be. To whom the Prince would not make himselfe knowne, but as a Knight arrant, minding to tra∣uell to the Court of the King of England, the fame whereof had brought him from his natiue Country.

And now hauing rested himselfe by the space of tenne dayes, for the curing of such wounds as he had receiued in the former conflict, and séeing the Pyrats executed, accor∣ding to the Lawes of that Realme, determined to depart the next day towards London, where the King then kept his Court, hauing remained a long time in great pensiue∣nesse for the losse of his sonne Prince Edward.