French fiction -- Translations into English; Italian fiction -- Translations into English
But, alas! the loue that I beare
vnto my wife, and her former vertue, which maketh me to loue and esteeme
her so much, doth throughlye pearce my hart, and much adoe I haue to
liue hearing this reporte: which doth deface and blotte all the honestie
and vertue that euer remaiued in mee.” “And that was it my Lord,
(answeared the traitour) which did deceiue you. For the shewe of that
painted vertue did so delude you, that you be almoste bewitched from
vnderstanding the wronge, so manifestlye perpetrated against you, and
all your house. Now to thend, that you thincke not the accusacion to be
false, I trust (if it please you to assist me) to let you see the thing,
whereof wee haue giuen you intelligence.” “I will do (sayd the Lord)
what you will haue me, although it be to my great griefe and sorow.” “To
morow morning then (answeared the Traitour) one hower before day, I will
let you see the varlet goinge out of her chamber with so great ioy, as I
do conceiue heauines and griefe for the simple remembraunce of so greate
wickednes.” When they were agreed hereupon, this knaue most detestable,
weauing the toile wherin he himselfe was caughte, wente to suborne the
personage of his foole, holy made and instructed in his trumperie:
leauinge the poore Lord with a hamer working in his head, that he was
lyke to runne out of his wittes. So great is the furious force of the
poison of Ialosie, whych ones hauing dispersed the vemine ouer the harte
and intrayles of men, the wysest sorte haue lost the due discretion of
their wittes. In the morning about the hower that the amourous foole
(ignoraunt wherfore he went in) should issue out of his maistresse
chamber, the Stewarde rauished with inexplicable ioye and gladnesse,
like to the pleasure of hym that had attaynde the summe of his desires,
called hys Lorde to see that heauye and dolourous sighte. The good
gentleman, perceyuing the report to be true, and thincking that she had
vsed the foole to be her bedfelowe, was like to haue dyed for sorow, or
els to haue torne in peeces that vnhappy sotte, innocent of the euill
suspected by the Lorde, who durst not so much as thincke to do such a
wicked fact. In the ende geuing place to reason, he caused the poore
foole to be apprehended, and put in the bottome of a dongeon, and
beyonde measure was offended wyth his wyfe, for that he thought the
simplicitie of the imprisoned wretche, had not the face to demaund the
question, and therefore did verely beleeue that it was she that had
induced him to do the deede to satisfie her vnbrideled and filthy lust,
and therefore caused her to be shut vp, within a darke and stincking
prison, not meaninge to see her, or to heare her speake for her
iustification, ne yet woulde suffer that any man should take vppon hym
to stand in her defence, to bring witnesse of her innocency. “For” (sayd
he, replete wyth wrath and anger): “I do better beleue that which I haue
seene, and knowen by myne owne presence, then your wordes, vayne
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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