abilitie or the nature of a brother may performe. Vpon these sugred reconciliations they went into the house arme in arme together, to the great content of all the old seruants of Sir Ihon of Bourdeaux. Thus continued the pad hidden in the strawe, till it chaunced that Torismond King of France had appoynted for his pleasure a day of Wrastling and of Tournament to busie his Commons heads, least being idle their thoughts should runne vpon more serious matters, and call to remembrance their old banished King; a Champion there was to stand against all commers a Norman, a man of tall stature and of great strength; so valiant, that in many such conflicts he alwaies bare away the victorie, not onely ouerthrowing them which he incountered, but often with the weight of his bodie killing them outright. Saladyne hearing of this, thinking now not to let the ball fall to the ground, but to take oportunitie by the forehead; first by secret means conuented with the Norman, and procured him with rich rewards to sweare, that if Rosader came within his claws he should neuer more returne to quarrell with Saladyne for his possessions. The Norman desirous of pelfe, as (Quis nisi mentis inops oblatum respuit aurum) taking great gifts for little Gods, tooke the crownes of Saladyne to performe the stratagem. Hauing thus the Champion tied to his vilanous determination by oath, he prosecuted the intent of his purpose thus. Hee went to young Rosader, (who in all his thoughts reacht at honour, and gazed no lower than vertue commaunded him) and began to tell him of this Tournament and Wrastling, how the King should be there, and all the chiefe Peeres of France, with all the beautiful damosels of the Countrey: now brother (quoth he) for the honour of Sir Iohn of Bourdeaux our renowmed father, to famous that house that neuer hath been found without men approoued in Cheualrie, shewe thy resolution to be peremptorie. For my selfe thou knowest though I am eldest by birth, yet neuer hauing attempted any deedes of Armes, I am yongest to performe any Martiall exploytes knowing better how to suruey my lands, than to charge my Launce: my brother Fernandyne he is at Paris poring on a fewe papers, hauing more insight into Sophistrie and principles of Philosophie, than any warlike indeuours: but thou Rosader the youngest in yeares, but the eldest in valour, art a man of strength and darest doo what honour allowes thee; take thou my fathers Launce, his Sword, and his Horse, and hie thee to the Tournament, and either there valiantlie crack a speare, or trie with the Norman for the palme of actiuitie. The words of

Saladyne were but spurres to a free horse; for hee had scarce vttered them, ere Rosader tooke him in his arms, taking his proffer so kindly, that he promised in what he might to requite his courtesie. The next morowe was the day of Tournament, and Rosader was so desirous to shew his heroycall thoughts, that he past the night with little sleepe: but assoone as Phoebus had vailed the Curteine of the night, and made Aurora blush with giuing her the bezoles labres in her siluer Couch, he gat him vp; and taking his leaue of his brother, mounted himselfe towards the place appoynted, thinking euery mile ten leagues till he came there. But leauing him so desirous of the iourney to Torismond the King of France, who hauing by force banished Gerismond their lawful King that liued as an outlaw in the Forrest of Arden, sought now by all means to keepe the French busied with all sportes that might breed content. Amongst the rest he had appointed this solemne Tournament, whereunto he in most solemne manner resorted, accompanied with twelue Peeres of France, who rather for feare than loue graced him with the shewe of their dutifull sauours: to feede their eyes, and to make the beholders pleased with the sight of most rare and glistring objects, he had appoynted his owne daughter Alinda to be there, & the faire Rosalynd daughter vnto Gerismond, with all the beautifull damosels that were famous for their features in all France. Thus in that

place did Loue and Warre triumph in a simpathie: for such as were Martiall, might vse their Launce to bee renowmed for the excellence of their Cheualrie; and such as were amorous, might glut themselues with gazing on the beauties of most heauenly creatures. As euerie mans eye has his seuerall suruey, and fancie was partiall in their lookes, yet all in general applauded the admirable riches that Nature bestowed on the face of Rosalynd: for vppon her cheekes there seemed a battaile betweene the Graces, who should bestowe most fauours to make her excellent. The blush that gloried Luna when she kist the shepheard on the hills of Latmos was not tainted with such a pleasant dye, as the Vermilion flourisht on the siluer hue of Rosalynds countenance; her eyes were like those lamps that makes the wealthie couert of the Heauens more gorgeous, sparkling fauour and disdaine; courteous and yet coye, as if in them Venus had placed all her amorets, and Diana all her chastitie. The tramells of her hayre, foulded in a call of golde, so farre surpast the burnisht glister of the mettall, as the Sunne dooth the meanest Starre in brightnesse: the tresses that foldes

in the browes of Apollo were not halfe so rich to the sight; for in her haires it seemed loue had laide her selfe in ambush, to intrappe the proudest eye that durst gase vppon their excellence; what should I neede to decipher her particular beauties, when by the censure of all she was the paragon of all earthly perfection. This Rosalynd sat I say with Alinda as a beholder of these sportes, and made the Caualiers crack their lances with more courage: many deeds of Knighthoode that day were performed, and many prizes were giuen according to their seuerall deserts: at last when the tournament ceased, the wrastling began; and the Norman presented himselfe as a chalenger against all commers; but he looked like Hercules when he aduaunst himselfe against Acheloüs; so that the furie of his countenance amased all that durst attempt to incounter with him in any deede of actiuitie: till at last a lustie Francklin of the Countrie came with two tall men that were his Sonnes of good lyniaments and comely personage: the eldest of these dooing his obeysance to the King entered the lyst, and presented himselfe to the Norman, who straight coapt with him, and as a man that would triumph in the glorie of his strength, roused himselfe with such furie, that not onely hee gaue him the fall, but killed him with the weight of his corpulent personage: which the younger brother seeing, lept presently into the place, and thirstie after the reuenge, assayled the Norman with such valour, that at the first incounter hee brought him to his knees: which repulst so the Norman, that recouering himselfe, feare of disgrace doubling his strength, hee stept so stearnely to the young Francklin, that taking him vp in his armes he threw him against the ground so violently, that he broake his neck, and so ended his dayes with his brother. At this vnlookt for massacre, the people murmured, and were all in a deepe passion of pittie; but the Francklin, Father vnto these, neuer changed his countenance; but as a man of a couragious resolution, tooke vp the bodies of his Sonnes without any shew of outward discontent. All this while stoode Rosader and sawe this tragedie: who noting the vndoubted vertue of the Francklins minde, alighted of from his horse, and presentlie sat downe on the grasse, and commaunded his boy to pull off his bootes, making him readie to trie the strength of this Champion; being furnished as he would, he clapt the Francklin on the shoulder and saide thus. Bolde yeoman whose sonnes haue ended the terme of their years with honour, for that I see thou scornest fortune with patience,

and thwartest the iniurie of fate with content, in brooking the death of thy Sonnes: stand a while and either see mee make a third in their tragedie, or else reuenge their fall with an honourable triumph; the Francklin seeing so goodlie a Gentleman to giue him such courteous comfort, gaue him hartie thanks, with promise to pray for his happie successe. With that Rosader vailed bonnet to the King, and lightlie lept within the lists, where noting more the companie than the combatant, hee cast his eye vpon the troupe of Ladies that glistered there like the starres of heauen, but at last Loue willing to make him as amourous as he was valiant, presented him with the sight of Rosalynd, whose admirable beautie so inuegled the eye of Rosader, that forgetting himselfe, he stoode and fed his lookes on the fauour of Rosalynds face, which she perceiuing blusht: which was such a doubling of her beauteous excellence, that the bashful red of Aurora at the sight of vnacquainted Phaeton was not halfe so glorious: The Norman seeing this young Gentleman fettered in the lookes of the Ladies, draue him out of his memento with a shake by the shoulder; Rosader looking back with an angrie frowne, as if he had been wakened from some pleasant dreame, discouered to all by the furie of his countenance that he was a man of some high thoughts: but when they all noted his youth, and the sweeteness of his visage, with a generall applause of fauours, they grieued that so goodly a young man should venture in so base an action: but seeing it were to his dishonour to hinder him from his enterprise, they wisht him to be graced with the palme of victorie. After Rosader was thus called out of his memento by the Norman, hee roughlie clapt to him with so fierce an incounter, that they both fell to the ground, and with the violence of the fall were forced to breathe in which space the Norman called to minde by all tokens, that this was he whom Saladyne had appoynted him to kil; which coniecture made him stretch euerie limb, & trie euerie sinew, that working his death he might recouer golde, which so bountifully was promised him. On the contrarie part, Rosader while he breathed was not idle, but still cast his eye vppon Rosalynd, who to incourage him with a fauour, lent him such an amorous looke, as might haue made the most coward desperate: which glance of Rosalynd so fiered the passionate desires of Rosader, that turning to the Norman hee ran vpon him and braued him with a strong encounter; the Norman receiued him as valiantly, that there was

a sore combat, hard to iudge on whose side fortune would be prodigall. At last Rosader calling to minde the beautie of his new Mistresse, the fame of his Fathers honours, and the disgrace that should fall to his house by his misfortune, roused himselfe and threw the Norman against the ground, falling vpon his Chest with so willing a weight, that the Norman yeelded nature her due, and Rosader the victorie. The death of this Champion; as it highlie contented the Francklin, as a man satisfied with reuenge, so it drue the King and all the Peers into a great admiration, that so young years and so beautiful a personage, should containe such martiall excellence: but when they knew him to be the youngest Sonne of Sir John of Bourdeaux, the King rose from his seate and imbraced him, and the Peeres intreated him with al fauourable courtesie, commending both his valour and his vertues, wishing him to goe forward in such haughtie deeds, that he might attaine to the glorie of his Fathers honourable fortunes. As the King and Lords graced him with embracing, so the Ladies fauored him with their lookes, especially Rosalynd, whome the beautie and valour of Rosader had alreadie touched; but she acounted love a toye, and fancie a momentarie passion, that as it was taken in with a gaze, might bee shaken off with a wink; and therefore feared not to dallie in the flame, and to make Rosader knowe she affected him; tooke from hir neck a Iewell, and sent it by a Page to the young Gentleman. The Prize that Venus gaue to Paris was not halfe so pleasing to the Troian, as this Iemme was to Rosader: for if fortune had sworne to make him sole Monark of the world, he would rather haue refused such dignitie, than haue lost the iewell sent him by Rosalynd. To retourne her with the like he was vnfurnished, and yet that hee might more than in his lookes discouer his affection, he stept into a tent, and taking pen paper writ this fancie.

and

Torismond (at this speach of Alinda) couered his face with such a frowne, as Tyrannie seemed to sit triumphant in his forehead, and checkt her vp with such taunts, as made the Lords (that onlie were hearers) to tremble. Proude girle (quoth he) hath my looks made thee so light of tung, or my fauours incouraged thee to be so forward, that thou darest presume to preach after thy father? Hath not my yeares more experience than thy youth, and the winter of mine age deeper insight into ciuill policie, than the prime of thy florishing