slaunders, and sutch as are accompanied with passinge cruelties: wherein the Husbande ought to moderate his heate, and calme his choler, and soberly to chastise the fault, for so mutch as excessiue wrath, and anger, doe Eclipse in man the light of reason, and sutch rages doe make them to be semblable vnto Brute, and reasonlesse Beastes: meete it is to be angry for thinges done contrary to Right, and Equity, but Temperaunce, and Modesty is necessary in al occurrentes, bee they wyth vs, or against vs. But if to resist anger in those matters, it be hard and difficulte, yet the greater impossibility there is in the operation, and effect of any good thinge, the greater is the glory that vanquisheth the affection and mastereth the first motion of the minde which is not so impossible to gouerne, and subdue to reason, as many do esteeme. A wise man then cannot so farre forget his duety, as to exceede the Boundes, and Limits of reason, and to suffer his mynde to wander from the siege of Temperaunce, which if he doe after hee hath well mingled Water in his Wyne, hee may chaunce to finde cause of Repentaunce, and by desire to repayre his Offense augment his fault, sinne being so prompt and ready in man, as the crime which might bee couered with certayne Iustice, and coloured by some lawe or righteous cause, maketh him many tymes to fall into detestable Vice and Synne, so contrary to mildnesse and modesty, as the very Tyraunts themselues woulde abhorre sutch wickednesse. And to the ende that I do not trouble you with Allegation of infinite numbres of examples, seruing to this purpose, ne render occasion of tediousnes for you to reuolue so many bookes, I am contented for this present, to bring in place an Hystory so ouer cruell, as the cause was not mutch vnreasonable, if duty in the one had bene considered, and rage in the other bridled and foreseene, who madly murthered and offended those that were nothing guilty of the Facte, that touched him so neare. And although that these be matters of loue, yet the Reader ought not to bee grieued nor take in evill parte, that we bee still in that Argument. For we doe not hereby goe about to erect a Schoolehouse of Loue, or to teache Youth the wanton Toyes of the same. But rather bryng forth these Examples to withdraw the plyant, and tender Age of this our time, from the pursuite of like Follies, which may (were they not in this sort warned) ingender lyke effects that these our Hystoryes do recoumpt, and whereof you shall bee Partakers by reading the discourse that followeth. Yee must than vnderstand, that in the time that Braccio Montone, and Sforza Attendulo florished in Italy, and were the chiefest of the Italian men of warre, there were three Lords and brethren which held vnder their authority and Puissaunce Foligno, Nocera, and Treuio, parcell of the Dukedome of Spoleto, who gouerned so louingly their Landes together, as without diuision, they maynetayned themselues in great Estate, and lyued in Brotherly