French fiction -- Translations into English; Italian fiction -- Translations into English
and ouerthrowe of those two offenders, nowe I goe about to forsee and
seeke their aduauncement and quiet, considering the longe penaunce they
haue taken for their fault, and the fruite that I see before mine eyes,
which is such that it maye by the smell and fragrant odour thereof,
supporte the weaknesse and debilitie of my olde yeares, and constraineth
mee (by the vertue thereof) to haue pittie vpon his parents, which
(through their owne ouerthrowe) haue almost vtterly consumed me.” Those
words ended the good Prince gaue euident testimonie of desire to see his
onely doughter, by the liuely colour that rose in his face, and by
certaine teares running downe along his hoare and frostie beard. Then he
caused William to come before him, and commaunded him to conduct the
gentleman to that part of the forest where his father dwelled. Whereunto
the yonge man readily and with all his harte obeyed. Thus the Lorde
Gunforde (for so was Alerane’s cosin called) accompanied with his litle
cosin, and manye other gentlemen, went toward the place, wher the
collier princes remained. And when they were neere the craggie caue, the
lodging of Alerane, the whole companie lighted of their horse, and
espied him busie about the lading of his coales to sende to Ast. For the
arriuall of the Emperour to Sauonne, staied Alerane from going thither
himselfe, by reason his conscience still grudged for his fault committed
against him. Alerane seing this goodly companie, was abashed, as though
hornes had sodenly started out of his head, and yet the sighte of his
sonne richly furnished, and in the company of Gunfort his cosin, did
more astonne him. For he suspected incontinentlye that hee was
discouered, and that the Emperour had sente for him to be reuenged of
the faulte so long time paste committed. And as he had imagined diuers
thinges vppon his harde fortune within his fancie, his sonne came to
embrace him vppon his knees, and to kisse his hands, with an honest and
humble reuerence, saying to Gunfort: “Sir, this is he of whom I told the
Emperour, and of him I toke my being: This is my father.” All this while
the good father embraced his sonne very hard, and weeping for extreme
ioy, said vnto him: “Alas, my sonne, if thy comming be so happie vnto
mee as it is ioyfull, if thy newes be good and prosperous, which thou
bringest: thou doest reuiue thy father half deade, and from lamentable
despaire thou doest replenishe and fill him with suche hope, as one day
shall be the staie of his age, and the recouery of his greatest losses.”
The sonne not able to abide the discourse of his parents affaires, could
not comprehend any thing at that pitiful meting: but stode stil so
astonned, as though he had bin fallen from the clouds. Now during this
time, that the father and the sonne thus welcomed one an other: Gunfort
toke heede to al the countenaunce and gestures of Alerane. There was no
part of the collier’s bodie that he forgat to view: and yet remembring
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