Classic Poem

As supreme head of Hungarie a king there whileome reign'd,
Corvinus hight, whose worthy force a worlde of praises gain'd:
What law and justice once had made throgh rule he never broke;
He cherisht friendes, he chast his foes with many a sturdy stroke.
Ymov'd through zeale, with clattering armes he stoupt S. Mahones pride,
The Turkish crue from Christian boundes he chast on every side.
This noble prince unto his spouse a gallant lady chusde,
A matrone in her mayden yeres, such modestie she usde:
By whom she had three valliant sonnes, three vertuous daughters eake,
Which worthy ympes, in wisdomes lore, did live without their like.
Besides, with haps to heape his joyes, his subjectes greede so well,
That foes could finde no hollow hearts against him to rebell:
As vassell to which noble king there was a Boeme knight,
A valiant and a ventrous lord, Ulrico was he hight.
In prime of force he plyde the warres, his parents purse to ease:
His parents dead, he home returnd his tenants pence to sease.
But small was left to pray upon: his auncestours did desire
By dint of blade, not bagges of drosse, to honour to aspire.
Which when Ulrico wisely wayde, and wanted on account,
He bent him selfe, with hassard life, by service for to mount.
But loe! by lot he hit in love; a wonder small to tell,
Save that his ladies vertues did her beautie brave excell.
Her portion yet (God wot) was small, yet all in wisdome lay,
A dowrie little reackt upon, where churles doth beare asway;
But beautie here affection raysde, then vertue friendship wrought,
These two conjoynd in seemely dame in love Ulrico brought
The earth (quoth he) is sure the Lords, the fruites thereof his wracke,
And may it be, the begger then shall clawe his servants backe?
O no! no wight as yet hath seene the righteous begge his breade,
Although the lewd through foule offence are often nipt with neade:
And if I should for gaine (quoth he) unto some wanton bend,
Which venter into Cornewall would her honestie to send,
Ulrico (haplesse) then should be a common scorne of men,
Delight to dole, from pleasure paine should chaunge his fortunes then.
To swimme in wealth he meanes not so to hassard his delight:
He somewhat hath, and more may get by manhood and by might.
Thy choise, if once thou winst thy choise, in spight of Fortunes wracke,
Will save what thy adventures gaines for to relieve thy lacke
Then maist thou live in sorreine soyle, without a jealous braine,
Then maist thou taste, at thy returne, sweete pleasure for thy paine.
Why standst thou then amasde (quoth he), thy honest suite to move?
The silent man, the proverbe sayth, hath sildome hap in love;
Confesse that constant long thou liv'dst y linckt in beauties bandes,
And challenge freedome for thy truth at thy sweete maistresse handes.
This wayd, Ulrico hies in haste whereas his lady lives,
And there her friends in her behalfe him intertainment gives.
As time did serve he shewd his zeale unto his only joy:
She likte his words, but more him selfe, how so she seemed coy:
His gallant shape, his vertues straunge, his honour never stainde,
His truth once knowne, the truth to tell, her love had soone obtainde,
And quickly eake, with friendes consent, them Junoes rites doth glad:
He had his will, and she her wish, and what would more be had?
The nuptiall feastes yfinished, Ulrico with his dame
Bids friends adewe, to castle his they do their journey frame,
Where one doth rayse the others joy, one rids the others care,
And thus, contented with their choice, in joy their dayes they weare,
Till neede at length Ulrico nips, who was in spending free:
His rents but small, these two accounts will hardly well agree;
And yet to poll his tenants poore his honest mynde doth greave,
What then, he saine would serve his leage, but loth his wife to leave.
See here how passing love is apt to rayse a jealous feare
Withouten cause, we so do dread the thing we hold full deare.
Ulricos mynd despiseth want, yet dreads to seeke reliefe
In absence, least his ladyes chaunge should worke his greater griefe.
And thus in silence long he mournes, and ebs his joyes with woe,
Till secrete sighes and heavie lookes his inward harmes foreshewe:
Which haply when his spouse espide, to cleare his cloudes of scare,
Sweete heart (quoth she) unto thy wife thy hidden sorrowes share,
So shall thy cares abridged be, so shall I knowe thy mynde,
And haply in my counsell thou some comforte sweete maist finde.
These words Ulrico likte so well, as straight he tels the truth,
Of present want, of meane to wealth, in order as insu'th.
Mine owne (quoth he) you know my state, or present lacke withall,
Our charge is great, our myndes are high, our living is but small;
Of force we must our braverie leave, or seeke some way of gaine,
And vayling to the valliant mynde is sure a matchlesse paine.
This is the meane to mend our want: to serve my sovereine leage,
Who now is bent with might and maine the Turke for to besiege:
Those warres, ere this, I well have tryde, under Ci [ci]lia Count,
Those warres, I trust, shal force thy feare with wealth and fame to mount.
But ah! (aye me) I loth, yet would unfolde what makes me stay;
But sith, sweete wench, love is the cause, allowe what I shall say.
Long wisht, at length I won thy love, O gem of al my joy!
As loth I am to leave thee now, least absence make thee coy:
I call to mynd fayre Helens moode, who trudg'd with Trojan knight,
When as her lord was forst from home with forreine foes to fight.
The ruffling rout at Ithaca, Ulysses farre from home,
Doth force a thousand fearefull thoughts within my head to rome:
Then Penelopes constancie this dread would gladly weare,
She plaste alone, without her leake, afresh doth raise my feare.
The speach of womans meekenesse eake, my thoughtes doth run among,
And straight my thinkes I motions heare, that do Ulrico wrong:
In mynd I viewe what batterie is against thy beautie bent,
In thought I see what sharpe assaults in sugred wordes are sent;
What fearelesse othes, what carelesse vowes, do flee to foyle thy fame,
In fine thou forst, with yealding will, doth blot thy name with blame.
Then rage I straight, the[e] (harmlesse) gainst, as thogh these toyes were true,
And straight I checke those raunging thoughts with reason that insue.
Ulrico, fye! why wrongs thy wife so fouly with mistrust,
Whom hitherto thou couldst not finde in worde or deede unjust?
Whose modestie thou seest abhorres with rufflers for to prate,
To save thy wealth whose mynd to worke gives wanton youth the mate,
Whose life with foule and leaude offence report could never spot;
What cause hast thou, Ulrico, then, her fame with feare to blot?
To breake this brall, faire Barbara (so was this lady namde)
With prettie nippes, with pardon mixt, this answere foorthwith framde.
Well sayde (quoth she) first faine you feare, to free my shrewd mistrust
That choise and chaunge in wanton court wil make you prove unjust;
But simple I accept your shewe, and faith I trust to finde,
But to my lord, if so he please, I yet will shewe my minde.
I long ere this have wayde our want, and thought on meanes of gaine,
And sure I sawe the way for wealth was as you did explaine;
Yet durst I not unfolde the same unto my loving lord,
Before his words foreshewd his thoughts with mine did wel accord.
By service you shall credite winne, by service likewise fame,
By service you shall riches reape as you deserve the same:
By service, favour with our prince, acquaintance in the court,
You sure shall finde: slacke not these helpes, your wife doth you exhort.
If God with children blesse our life, their youth from vices freed,
Your credite after in the court will stand them in some steede,
And in your absence I so well will to your causes see,
As you shall have reliefe abroade, sufficient left for mee:
Yea sure, to brave it with the best; yet live within our boundes,
Such skyll I have to most avayle to rate and rent our groundes;
And knowe you once, my heart is high, if living there to stretch,
Yet stoupe I will to please my lord, to live as rents will retch.
And thus, Ulrico, doest thou heare what thy poore wife can say,
In wealth, in want, abroade, at home, thy will she will obay.
Whose modest tale Ulrico heard with patience to the end,
And sayd, to use her sound advise long earst his thought did tend:
And now I am resolv'd (quoth he) the warres, sweete wife, to ply,
Let worst betyde that may befall, I sure with fame shall dye.
Yet ere I go, my friends shall know my mynd and state at large,
But of my lande, my house and goods, none shall but you have charge.
And in this moode from friend to friend so long he did resort,
That at the length Pollaccos skill he heard by fonde report,
Of whome was sayd, by secrete arte he could such wonders doe,
As none could worke an acte in thought, but he the same would shoe:
He could informe the loving worme if his faire ladie fainde,
Or if she lov'd, yea, if she had her honour ever stainde;
For ramping rigges to Venus joyes their nature proane that seales,
He could worke meanes of sport without a tympanie with heales.
Strange charmes he had to force them love, that late to hate were bent;
He could foretell what hap, what harme, the heavens to us ment,
With thousand sleights of hidden skill which I omit to write.
Yet turne I to Ulricos thought, when rumour did recite
Pallaccos learning thus at large, who sayed in his mynde,
To free my jealous head from feare a meane now shall I finde.
Pollaccos knowes if that my wife her selfe will faithfull shewe,
Or if she doth her honour staine, I absent, yea or no.
If in this journey she be just, then dread for aye adue;
If she be false, I fellowes have whose wives are found untrue:
Once feare yet frets my hart as sore, as if such fault were wayde.
With that Ulrico postes with speede to crave Pollaccos ayde,
And comming to his homely house he doth Pollacco greete,
And craves to speake a worde with him where he should thinke it meete.
They both unto a garden walke, and thus Ulrico sayde: —
Your speciall giftes in secrete artes, to me of late bewrayde,
Compels me now (Pollacco friend) to crave your friendly might:
My sute is small, and yet be sure great gaine your paine shall quite.
In what I can, Pollacco sayd, I rest at your commaund.
Then use your arte (quoth he) I pray, to graunt this poore demaund.
Truth is, I meane with speede to serve my sovereigne in the warres,
Yet jealous thoughts, I wot not why, with this accorde still jarres.
Sometimes my ladies zeale in shewe doth banish dread with hope,
But straight againe mistrust doth give to fearefull fancies scope;
And thus, to naught avayle, I weare my golden time in woe,
Such is the force of passing love to feare for every showe.
But now, Pollacco, to my suite: by arte I crave to knowe,
In absence mine, if that my wife be faithfull, yea or no?
Let worst betide, yet so I shall my dread exile (quoth he)
Such feates you can, and therefore nowe let will with skill agree.
Pollacco, masde to heare this tale, to this effect replyde,
That science to her schollers yet such secretes had denyde;
And how should I dissolve this doubt that learned judges dread,
Conceive the best, ne wronge the worst, saunce knowledge of the dead:
And therefore, Syr Ulrico, cease: your suite surmounts my skill.
What so (quoth he) of skill befalles, graunt but agreeing will.
Whereon Pollacco thus replyde: sith nycenesse will not serve,
I graunt I know by arte this acte, but use from lawe doth swerve.
Yet breach of lawe I hazarde will, to free Ulricos dout.
Stay here (quoth he); to worke this feate I will now go about.
Anon he comes, with picture framde much like Ulricos wife:
So long (quoth he) this forme keepes faire she lives an honest life;
If yellowe, tempted then she is; if blacke, with merrie gayles
Unto the Cornith mount, god buoy, in hast her honour sayles.
This knowne (appayd) Ulrico sayd, in hope thy words are true,
Holde here thy hyre; my hart is easde, and so, good friend, adue.
Away he goes, and to his wife his household charge commits,
Which done, while winde and whether serv'd, unto the seas he gets.
Such speede he made, as soone he at Albe Regale lands.
The king there lay, Ulricos suite who shortly understands,
And gladly intertained him, yea, gave him pay in peace,
Which grace when foes inforst in fight did double force increase;
As proofe ere long appeared plaine. The Turke began to sturre,
Which causde the king to cry alar'm, to chase this gracelesse curre.
The valliant wightes, in armour dight, their forward myndes do shewe,
Each thing prepard for souldiers use, to warres these gallants goe.
Mustapha Basca had the charge of all the princes power,
Ulrico was his Colonel, preferd in happie houre.
Post haste they made, untill they came within their enemies sight,
Then, bustling to their bloudy tooles, they shewe good willes to fight.
At trumpets sound the horsemen fling, the shot to skyrmish fall,
The archers, with their feathered darts, both horse and man doth gall.
The furie of the forward wightes to handie stroakes them bring:
Here houlbards hewe, there bloudy swords, on battered targets sing.
Som faint with wounds, som flee for feare, som fight to save their friend;
Thus eyther side king Harrie knockes both doth receive and lend.
The battell long continued hote, each would faine victor bee,
But to be short, for all their force, in fine the Mahounes flee.
The Turke his pryde abated well, and all things quiet made,
Mustapha Basca and his charge returned with honour lade.
The ladies nowe (with many a kysse) receive the sovereine lords,
And every man to see his friend a buon venu affordes.
In court there doth no triumph want these captaines to delight,
At justes some use their force in sport that late did fiercely fight;
Some makes report of wreakefull warres, the blisse, and eake the bale,
Some loytrers in their ladies lappes doth tell a wanton tale:
Some have an ore in others boate, some colours do expound,
And some doth note their heavie lookes whom Cupides dart did wound.
Syr Ulrico, among this crue, some exercise did use,
To whome at length Aberto sayde, Syr knyght, I can but muse
That you that have a ladie faire, two yeares from her have stayde:
You knowe a womans force (God wot) a long is easily layde,
You knowe that love, with leasure joynde, makes wantons to be bolde.
She hath her will, health, wealth, and ease, she rules and not contrould
With all these helpes she sure will wish to taste some wanton joy;
Then if she have her wish at will, thinke you she will be coy?
Whereto Ulrico thus replyde: I answere not for all;
But sure my wife will constant be, what fortune so befall.
She is no gadder farre from home, she helpes not beauties blase,
Her words and workes are modest both, she gives no youthes the gase:
With honest exercises still she fancies fonde preventes,
To heare my good successe abroade her carefull mynde contents.
Syr knyght, quoth Udislao then, since so you love your wife,
Beshrewe me, if that my reply do sowe sedicious strife.
You have enough, what would you more? let others have a snatch.
Alberto sayde: Will he or nill, she would in corners catch.
And to be short, both lordes affirme, that ladie liveth not,
If that a wise and valiant knight her honour can not blot.
Ulrico did deny it flat, they still affirmd it true,
And thus they pleade, untill the queene their controversie knewe:
Who for that these barons so wrought a slaunder to her sect,
Their foolish, rash, and judgement false she sharply did detect.
Alberto (fuming at this cheacke) this answere made the queene.
Not for to move your grace to wrath our argument hath beene;
Yet if Ulrico like the match, my lande to his I lay,
How that, ere twice the moone hath cast her horned head away,
I battell will his browes so well, as hornes thereon shall growe,
Provided that his wife afore the wager doth not knowe:
And further, if I win her love, his ladie so he use,
As if that she her honour did in no respect abuse.
The yong lord Udislao would the self same wager try.
Ulrico armde him selfe to take their proffers by and by.
Indentures to assure this match ingrossed were in haste,
The covenants as before exprest were in the perchment plaste.
The king and queene gave free consent the wager should be laid,
Th' indentures seald by either part, and all things sure are made.
It was agreed Alberto should the battering tyre lay;
If lady Barbara did resist, Udislao should assay
With sharpe assault of wanton wordes to batter downe her praise.
If two monethes shee could make defence these lords their siege should raise,
And lose their living for their hire, which smal misliking breedes.
See, see, the fonde effectes of hope! Alberto forward speedes,
And spies in fine the castle walles wherein this lady lay
Who safe arrived at his inn, streight chaungde his riding ray,
And clothd a newe, as pleasd his minde, it was not longe ere hee
To see Ulricos castle hyde, his heartes delight to see.
To purchase welcome first he tould Ulricos happie state,
And, having causes in those coastes, hee durst not passe his gate,
Before hee had to her his wife those welcome tidings shard
To finde occasion to returne how shee, his lady, fard.
Dame Barbara (joyfull of these newes) requested him to take
In worth such intertainment as her power was to make
The lord Alberto made no bones to be his ladies guest,
But like a courtier brave and bould vouchsafed her request
Till supper time with honest talke shee wisely held him tacke,
When supp hee should, of daintie fare shee saw he had no lacke.
Alberto (feasted like a prince) prickt forth with pleasaunt braine,
Assayed many times to fall into some loving vaine;
Dame Barbara, though faine shee would have broke this botelesse prattle,
Least he should thinke his welcome heard did hould him tacke in tatle,
Which courtesie he construed thus: The dame that is content
To listen to a tale of love, to love will soone consent.
Forgetting how of force they must some such discourses heare,
Or to to coy, their friends forsake, which manners will not beare.
But leave I that: Alberto thought his match was meetely sure,
And still to stoupe this modest dame hee threw his wanton lure:
Hee flattering questions moved oft, shee pretily answerde all;
At length, into his loving sute hee soberly did fall.
And with a sighe, Deare dame (quoth hee) admitt my faithfull zeale,
Who forst through love, must needs unfould that faine I would conceale.
Your beautie, birth and comely shape, report so hie hath prisde,
That, trust mee, as I heard you namd, in thought I thus surmisde:
This lady staynes syr Paris rape, in face, in forme and hew,
And as hee lov'd through brute of fame, so I in faith do you;
And try who list, love wounds so sore, if hee empayreth health,
His thralles can hardly be restord by reason, witt, or wealth.
Their sovereignes grace must be their salve, naught else can work their rest,
Unlesse they will abridge their dayes, of both the bads the best.
I love, I graunt, beyond my reach, for to recant I strive,
But love I must, and loth I am to live and die alive.
My helpe is on my selfe that I untimely murther try,
My woes consent, yet have I vowde in your sweete sight to die.
Despaire hath sped me to this place, my sorrowes to appease:
My tale is tould, you knowe my trueth; preserve mee if you please.
This loving zeale, so sharpely showne, did strike the lady mute:
Her answere now was sarre to seeke, shee hated so his sute.
Alberto, that did note this chaunge, in wordes, in lookes and all,
Thought how his shape and friendly shoes had brought her hart in thrall;
And therefore to untie her tongue, hee slily stole a kisse.
She litle said, and yet she thought there was no woe to this,
And as shee musde, shee found a meane his follies to reprove,
And yet the feate must needes be wrought with fained shewe of love;
Which shee so finely counterfets, as if shee lov'de in deede,
Or that her cause of straungenes late of passion did proceede.
Alberto, thus advaunst with hope, afresh now pleades for ruth,
She stands not greatly on his sute, but falls to faine his truth.
The knight (by proofe of pleasures past) when she this issue tooke,
Thought sure with sugred wordes she had devoured Cupids hooke;
And (as he thought) to free suspect for othes he spared not,
That neither chaunge, or any chaunce, should him with falsehood blot.
Fewe wordes to waste, she faind at length shee was content to love,
And pointed both a time and place a pleasaunt tast to prove.
But least by absence from your inn, quoth she, suspicion grow,
I nowe bequeath you to your ease; when to returne you know.
Alberto, lour'd with thoughtes of joy, unto his lodging goes,
Who thinkes eche houre a yeare till that the morrowe morning shoes.
Well, yet at length the houre came that flattered him with grace,
Who all too hastie hide him selfe to his appointed place.
Arrived there, a pretie minx (directed wel before)
Unto a lodging brought this lord, and locked fast the dore.
When he was safe, awaye she went, for joy Alberto hopt,
But see, a chaunge! too late he spyde he was in prison popt.
The windowes made of yron barres, the walles of stone and clay,
A bed he found, but farre unfit he thought for Venus play.
Is this a place of joy? (quoth he) O no! I am betrayde.
He had no sooner spake these words, but came faire Barbaras mayde,
Who at a grate Alberto calles, to whom she usde these words:
This is the courtesie, syr knight (quoth she), my ladie you affordes.
First, like a theefe sith that you sought to rob her of her fame,
She hath in prison layde you fast, your lawlesse love to tame:
And further (to allay your heate) unlesse you daily spinne
This distaffe laden full of flaxe, your fare will be but thinne.
This sayd, the distaffe in she throwes, and bad him thus adieu:
My tale is tolde, you knowe your taske, nowe worke as pleaseth you.
Alberto, at these sorrie newes straight to this choller waxe.
Shall I from martiall exercise fall nowe a spinning flaxe?
Shall I that liv'd at libertie, in prison thus be pend?
Shall I be sys'd of meate and drinke, that late so much did spend?
And shall a ladie foyle me thus whose hart the stoutest quaild?
There with he strove to breake the doores, but small his force availd.
His griefe but greene, with termes of hate he blam'd this ladie oft,
And supperlesse so went to bed, which was not very soft;
But in respect of other plagues, he thought the hardnesse small,
Who tyred with tormenting thoughts, a sleepe did quickly fall.
When he had sleapt the night away, and cares digested well,
Sharpe hunger so assayld this lord as he to spinning fell:
His goutie and yll shapen thredes so moved him to smyle,
That well he likt the exercise, his sorrowes to beguile.
At dinner time dame Barbaras mayde was to Alberto sent,
To share his lowance like his worke, to whome this courtoll went,
And rudely calles to see the yarne he had that morning sponne:
Alberto (eger of his meate) deliverd what was donne.
By Saint Marie (quoth this queane) your huswiverie is good;
And after she had frumpt him well, she fetcht his sorrie foode.
A weeke or more, these hungrie meales in worth Alberto tooke,
In hope of grace, which came so slowe as he his hope forsooke.
See yet desire of libertie, see nowe the fruites of neede,
See here how theeves their fellowes peche, see, see, how hope doth feede!
Alberto for dame Barbara sendes, to whom he shewes at large
The wanton wager, words, and workes, as I have given in charge,
And how that Udislao would, ere long, attempt the like:
Which straunge discourse the ladie did into a wonder strike.
Oh God! (quoth she) what cause give I, men should suspect my life?
I never clim'd beyonde my reach, I am a loving wife;
And comes there yet another lord, that would my vertues staine?
Well, let him come, he shall abide hard penance for his paine.
This sayde, she wild the gaylor see Alberto spinne apace.
His newes thus recompenced were; whome nowe I leave a space,
To shewe what rumor in the court in every corner roung,
Some say Albertos joyes were such, as loth to part he soung
Ulrico oft his image viewd, to see what hue it bare,
And all the while it yellowe seemd he liv'd in perilous feare;
But when it turnd to white againe, what so the courtiers say,
He knew Alberto had the foyle, and he had won the day.
The other competitor thought his fellowes joyes too great,
So that to have a share with him, he posted till he sweate,
And posting thus he at the length Ulricos castle spyde,
And making then more haste then speede, posthaste he thether hyde;
Who safe arriv'd where he did wish, to make his welcome more,
He had an errant readie stampt, yea two or three, in store.
He first commended to this dame her husbandes happie health,
His speciall credite with his prince, his fame and heapes of wealth,
And how on causes of his owne, into these coastes he came,
And how he heard in happie time his friend Ulricos name;
And also how not farre from thence did dwell his ladie faire,
And how he bounde by courtesie, to see her did repaire.
The ladie smiled in her mynde to heare this currant scuse,
And yet, dissembling what she thought, she friendly did him use.
Yea, courteously she crav'd he would his causes yet adjourne,
And at his friend Ulricos house with her awhile sojourne.
Her gentle offer to accept this lord was nothing nice,
And yet, ere longe, her curtesie he bought at too hie price.
Well, both (contented, as it seemd) into the castle goe,
Where, as faire Barbara glads her friend with welcomes great in shoe:
She talkt, she walkt, shee satt, she stoode, as likt this gallant best,
Yea, many a straunge discourse did passe betweene her and her guest:
In fine, to towle this lord in love, a sighing shee began,
And asked how Alberto farde, as if she lov'de the man.
The lord Udislao did take this motion in good part,
Who smyld and said, in secrete thought, Alberto had her heart:
And for to strike her in a mase, quoth hee, I wott not well,
Since last he vew'd these countrye costes where as my frend doth dwel.
Faire Barbara, as though she feard, this lords welfare did faine;
And is hee not (quoth shee) returnde unto your court againe?
This lure thus throwne, to worke some hope in Udislaos breast,
The lady broke the prattle off, and fell to feast her guest.
The lusty Hungarian lord likt well her kindnes showne,
Yet still he for advauntage stayde, to make his passions knowne,
Whose subtiltie, when shee espide, t'imbolden him the more,
Against her will, her eyes did seeme more wanton then of yore;
And trained thus to treade of love, at length his tongue found scope;
She made it nice, yet not so straunge, but he might feede on hope.
Hee feeding still on showe of grace was loth to leave the feeld,
She faring as shee likt his talke by peece meales gan to yeeld.
In fine, she fainde how that his sute had wonne her to agree,
And how shee would sometime that night her lovers lodging see;
Untill which time this frolicke lord committed her a dieu,
A fainde good night shee likewise gave, and wild her servaunts shoe
Him where he should that night be lodgde; whose lodging was prepard
Next chamber to the prison where Alberto hardly farde.
Well, Udislao went to bedde, full fraught with secrete joy,
And still he lookt when his faire dame would kepe her promise foy:
But all in vaine he gapt for grace, she glad she had him catcht.
Yet see the fond conceites in love! in hope the night he watcht,
He hard no noyse, no mouse could steare, but streight in thought he smild:
O welcome, lady! (quoth his heart) but when he was beguild,
He Sopor blamd for charging her with to much drowsie sleepe,
But of his faultes and wager fond at all he tooke no keepe.
Wel, al this night, with fancies tost, no sleepe lodgde in his breast,
When morning came this comfort came to set his heart at rest:
Dame Barbaras mayde brought him a reele, and yearne Alberto made;
She tould him he should reele the same, for that he had assaide
To robbe her lady of good fame, to her then life more deare:
If he refusde to doe his taske, he should have sorrie cheare.
Loke you for neither meate nor drinke, before your worke be donne;
And syr (quoth shee) t' incourage you, the thread Alberto sponne:
Hee is your neighbour; fare you well, I can no longer stay.
These sorrie newes Udislao nie out of his wittes did sray:
Alberto toke his pennaunce ill, but he did tenne times worse;
Hee rag'd, he rav'd, the ladies scorne, himselfe, and all did curse,
But what for that? how so he did himselfe agreeved feele,
One of these evills hee needes must chuse, to sterve or else to reele:
And of both bads the best he chusde: in fine to worke he fell;
His rash attempt had this successe, which he deserved well.
Nowe that this vertuous dame hath gott the conquest of her foes,
These lordinges pennannce for their pride she to their servants shoes;
In whose behalfe, her bountie here, I must of force commende:
They wanted not for daintie fare, how so they fast were pend.
These barons men (at libertie) streight posted to the court,
And of their lords imprisonment there make they large report.
These newes of note about the court went flinging every where,
So longe as both the king and queene these gallants fortunes heare.
The king, to learne the certaine truth, to Lady Barbara fent
His chauncelour, and other lords, where as they found fast pent
Lord Alberto and Udislao, Alberto spinning thread,
And Udislao reeling it, with fretting well nie dead.
The lady shewde the newe come lords the matter all and some,
And how to tame their lawlesse love the barons did this dome.
The chauncelor what earst is scowne returned to the king,
Whose pleasure was he should with him with speede both parties bring.
They all arrived at the court, the king judg'd out of hand,
Ulrico had the wager wonne, and he should have the land.
And more against the spoiled lords with justice to persever,
In penaunce of their lavish tongues they were exilde for ever.
Faire Barbara, for foyling them, did to her honour mount:
She was the chiefe about the queene in credite and account.
Whereas she lived many dayes, and helde her wish at will,
Nowe being deade, in worthy fame, her vertues liveth still.
Virescit vulnere virtus .