• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

I humbly beseeche you to accept his satisfaction, and by this example you shall be as much beloved for your clemen- cye, as feared for your severitie. Andrugio shalbe well warned, and hee with his sister, wofull Cassandra, shall ever remayne, your Lordships true servantes.

Promos eares were not so attentive to heare Cassandras ruethful tale, as his eyes were settled to regarde her excellent beautie. And Love, that was the appointed headsman of • Andrugio, became now the soveraigne of his judges thought. But because he would seeme to bridle his passions, he aun- swered: fayre damsell, have patience, you importune me with an impossybylytie : he is condempned by lawe, then .without injurie to lawe, he can not be saved. 6 Princes and their deputies prerogatives (quoth she) are above the lawe. Besides, lawe, truelie construed, is but

The true intent lawetent of the ^ amends 0f injurie ; and where, the faulte may bee valued,

and amendes had, the breache of lawe is sufficiently re- payred.

Quoth Lorde Promos: your passions mooveth more then your proofes, and for your sake I wyll reprive Andrugio, and j studie how to do you ease without apparant breache of lawe. i

Cassandra, recomforted, with humble thankes receyved his favoure, and in great haste goeth too participate this hope with her dying brother: but oh, that aucthorytie, should- have power, to make the vertuous to doo amisse, as well! as throughe correction to enforce the vicious to fall unto goodnesse.

Promos is a witnes of this priviledge, who not able to subdue his incontinent love, and (withal) resolved that Cassandra would never be overcome with fayre wordes, large promises, or riche rewardes, demaunded the spoyle of her virginitie for raunsome of her brothers lybertie.

Cassandra ymagyned at the first, that Lorde Promos used this speache but to trie her behaviour, aunswered hym so wisely, as, if he had not ben the ryvail of vertue, he could not but have suppressed his lewde affection, and have subscribed to her just petition : but to leave circumstaunces, Promos was fiered with a vicious desyre, which must be quenched with Cassandraes yeldyng love, or Andrugio must dye.

Cassandra, mooved with a chaste disdayne, departed with the resolution, rather to dye her selfe, then to stayne her honour; and with this heavie newes, greeted her condemned brother. Poore man, alas, what should he do! Life was sweete; but to be redeemed with his sisters infamie could not but be alwayes unsaverie.

To perswade her to consente was unnaturall: too yealde to death was more greevous.

To choose the leaste of these evylles was difficult : to studie long was daungerous.

Fayne would he lyve, but shame cloased his mouth when he attempted to perswade his sister.

But necessytie, that maistereth both shame and feare, brake a passadge for his imprysoned intent.

Sweete Cassandra, (quoth he) that men love is usuall, but to subdue affection is impossyble; and so thornie are the motions of incontinent desire, as to finde ease the tongue is only occupied to perswade. The purse is ever open to entice, and wheare neither words nor giftes can corrupt (with the mightie) force shall constrayne, or dispight, avenge. That Promos do love is but just: thy beautie commaundes hym; that Promos be refused is more just, because consent is thy shame.

Thou maiste refuse and lyve; but he beynge rejected, I die : for wantyng his wyll in thee he wyll wreake his teene on mee.

This is my hard estate : my lyfe lieth in thy infamie, and thy honour in my death. Which of these evylles be leaste I leave for thee to judge.

The wofull Cassandra answered, that death was the leaste; whose darte we can not shunne, when honour, in deathes dispight, outlyveth tyine.

. It is true (quoth Andrugio), but thy trespasse, wyll be in the leaste degree of blame; for in forced faultes justice sayth there is no intent of evyll.

Oh Andrugio, (quoth she), intent is now adayes lytle con- sidred: thou art not condemned by the intent, but by the -strickt worde of the law: so shall my crime bee reproched, and the forced cause passe unexcused;