she was, except it were in some such place, where manifest signes
might yeeld hope of regaining their liberty. Moreover, she
admonished them stoutly to defend their honour and chastity;
affirming, that she had absolutely resolved with her selfe, that never
any other shou enjoy her, but her intended husband: wherein her
women did much commend her, promising to preserve their reputation,
according as shee had commanded.
Day by day, were the torments of Bajazeth wonderfully augmented, yet
still his kinde offers scornefully refused, and he as farre off from
compassing his desires, as when he first beganne to moove the
matter: wherefore, perceiving that all faire courses served to no
effect, hee resolved to compasse his purpose by craft and subtilty,
reserving rigorous extremitie for his finall conclusion. And having
once observed, that wine was verie pleasing to the Lady, she being
never used to drinke any at all, because (by her Countries Law) it was
forbidden her: and no meane store having beene lately brought to
Bajazeth in a Barke of Geneway: hee resolved to surprize her by meanes
thereof, as a cheefe minister of Venus, to heate the coolest blood.
And seeming now in his outward behaviour, as if hee had given over his
amorous pursuite, and which she strove by all her best endeavours to
withstand: one night, after a very majesticke and solemne manner,
hee prepared a delicate and sumptuous supper, whereto the Lady was
invited: and hee had given order, that hee who attended on her Cup,
should serve her with many Wines compounded and mingled together;
which hee accordingly performed, as being cunning enough in such
occasions.
Alathiella mistrusting no such trechery intended against her, and
liking the Wines pleasing taste extraordinarily, dranke more then
stoode with her precedent modest resolution, and forgetting all her
passed adversities, became very frolicke and merry: so that seeing
some women dance after the manner observed there in Majorica, she also
fell to dauncing according to the Alexandrian custome. Which when
Bajazeth beheld, he imagined the victory to be more then halfe
wonne, and his hearts desire verie neere the obtaining: plying her
still with wine upon wine, and continuing this revelling the most part
of the night.
At the length, the invited guests being all gone, the Lady retyred
then to her chamber, attended on by none but Bajazeth himselfe, and as
familiarly as if he had bene one of her women, shee no way
contradicting his bold intrusion, so farre had wine over-gone her
sences, and prevailed against all modest bashfulnesse. These wanton
embracings, strange to her that had never tasted them before, yet
pleasing beyond measure, by reason of his treacherous advantage;
afterward drew on many more of the ike carowsing meetings, without
so much as thought of her passed miseries, or those more honourable
and chaste respects, that ever ought to attend on Ladies.
Now, Fortune envying thus their stollen pleasures, and that shee,
being the purposed wife of a potent King, should thus become the
wanton friend of a much mean man, whose onely glory was her shame;
altered the course of their too common pastimes, by preparing a
farre greater infelicity for them. This Bajazeth had a Brother, aged
about five and twenty yeeres, of most compleate person, in the very
beauty of his time, and fresh as the sweetest smelling Rose, he
being named Amurath. After he had once seene this Ladie (whose faire
feature pleased him beyond all womens else) shee seemed in his sodaine
apprehension, both by her outward behaviour and civill apparancie,
highly to deserve his verie best opinion, for she was not meanely
entred into his favour. Now hee found nothing to his hinderance, in
obtaining the heighth of his hearts desire, but onely the strict
custodie and guard, wherein his brother Bajazeth kept her: which
raised a cruell conceite in his minde, wherein followed (not long
after) as cruell an effect.
It came to passe, that at the same time; in the Port of the
Cittie, called Caffa, there lay then a Ship laden with Merchandize,
being bound thence for Smyrna, of which Ship two Geneway Merchants
(being brethren) were the Patrons and Owners, who had given
direction for hoysing the sailes to depart thence when the winde
should serve. With these two Genewayes Amurath had covenanted, for
himselfe to goe aboord the ship the night ensuing, and the Lady in his
company. When night was come, having resolved with himselfe what was
to be done: in a disguised habite hee went to the house of Bajazeth,
who stood not any way doubtfull of him, and with certaine of his
most faithfull Confederates (whom he had sworne to the intended
action) they hid themselves closely in the house. After some part of
the night was over-past, he knowing the severall lodgings both of
Bajazeth and Alathiella, slew his brother soundly sleeping; and
seizing on the Lady, whom he found awake and weeping, threatned to
kill her also, if she made any noyse. So, being well furnished with
the greater part of worldly jewels belonging to Bajazeth, unheard or
undescried by any body, they went presently to the Port, and there
(without any further delay) Amurath and the Lady were received into
the Ship, but his companions returned backe againe; when the Mariners,
having their sailes ready set, and the winde aptly fitting for them,
lanched forth merrily into the maine.
You may well imagine, that the Ladie was extraordinarily afflicted
with greefe for her first misfortune; and now this second chancing
so sodainely, must needs offend her in greater manner: but Amurath did
so kindely comfort her with milde, modest, and manly perswasions, that
all remembrance of Bajazeth was quickely forgotten, and shee became
converted to lovely demeanor, even when Fortune prepared a fresh
miserie for her, as not satisfied with those whereof shee had tasted
already. The Lady being unequalled for beauty (as I said before) her
behaviour also in such exquisit and commendable kinde expressed; the
two Brethren owners of the Ship, became so deeply enamored of her,
that forgetting all their more serious affaires, they studied by all
possible meanes, to be pleasing and gracious in her eye, yet with such
a carefull carriage, that Amurath should neither see, or suspect it.
When the Brethren had imparted their loves extreamity each to the
other, and plainely perceyved, that though they were equally in
their fiery torments, yet their desires were utterly contrary: they
began severally to consider, that gaine gotten by Mirchandize,
admitted an equall and honest division, but this purchase was of a
different quality, pleading the title of a sole possession, without
any partner or intruder. Fearefull and jealous were they both, least
either should ayme at the others intention, yet willing enough to
shake hands, in ridding Amurath out of the way, who onely was the
hinderer of their hopes, Whereupon they concluded together, that on
a day when the Ship sayled on very swiftly, and Amurath was sitting
upon the Decke, studiously observing how the Billowes combatted each
with other, and not suspecting any such treason in them towards him:
stealing softly behinde him, sodainely they threw him into the Sea,
the shippe floating on above halfe a Leagues distance, before any
perceived his fall into the Sea. When the Ladie heard thereof, and saw
no likely meanes of recovering him againe, she fell to her wonted
teares and lamentations: but the two Lovers came quickely to comfort
her, using kinde words and pithy perswasions (albeit she understood
them not, or at the most very little) to appease the violence of her
passions; and, to speak uprightly, she did not so much emoane the
losse of Amurath, as the multiplying of her owne misfortunes, still
one succeeding in the necke of another. After divers long and well
delivered Orations, as also very faire and courteous behaviour, they
had indifferently pacified her complainings: they beganne to discourse
and commune with themselves, which of them had most right and title to
Alathiella, and consequently ought to enjoy her. Now that Amurath
was gone, each pleaded his priviledge to bee as good as the others,
both in the Ship, Goods, and all advantages else whatsoever happening:
which the elder brother absolutely denied, alleadging first his
propriety of birth, a reason sufficient, whereby his younger ought
to give him place: Likewise, his right and interest both in the ship
and goods, to be more then the others, as being heire to his father,
and therefore in justice to be highest preferred. Last of all, that
his strength onely threw Amurath into the Sea, and therefore gave
him the full possession of his prize, no right at all remaining to his
brother.
From temperate and calme speeches, they fell to frownes and ruder
Language, which heated their blood in such violent manner, that
forgetting brotherly affection, and all respect of Parents or Friends,
they drew forth their Ponyards, stabbing each other so often and
desperately, that before any in the shippe had the power or meanes
to part them, both of them being very dangerously wounded, the younger
brother fell downe dead: the elder being in little better case, by
receiving so many perilous hurts, remained (neverthelesse) living.
This unhappy accident displeased the Lady very highly, seeing her
selfe thus left alone, without the help or counsell of any bodie;
and fearing greatly, least the anger of the two Brethrens Parents
and Friends, should now bee laide to her charge, and thereon follow
severity of punishment. But the earnest entreaties of the wounded
surviver, and their arrivall at Smirna soone after, delivered him from
the danger of death, gave some ease to her sorrow, and there with
him she went on shore.
Remaining there with him in a common Inne, while he continued in
the Chirurgians cure, the fame of her singular and much admired beauty
was soone spread abroad throughout all the City: and amongst the rest,
to the hearing of the Prince of Ionia, who lately before (on very
urgent occasions) was come to Smyrna. This rare rumour, made him
desirous to see her, and after he had seene her, shee seemed farre
fairer in his eye, then common report had noised her to be, and
suddenly grew so enamored of her, that she was the onely Idea of his
best desires. Afterward, understanding in what manner shee was brought
thither, he devised how to make her his own, practising all possible
meanes to accomplish it: which when the wounded Brothers Parents heard
of, they not onely made tender of their willingnesse therein, but also
immediately sent her to him: a matter most highly pleasing to the
Prince, and likewise to the Lady her selfe; because she thought now to
be freed from no meane perill, which (otherwise) the wounded Merchants
friends might have inflicted uppon her.
The Prince perceiving, that beside her matchlesse beauty, shee had
the true character of Royall behaviour; greeved the more, that he
could not be further informed of what Countrey shee was. His opinion
being so stedfastly grounded, that (lesse then Noble) she could not
be, was a motive to set a keener edge on his affection towardes her,
yet not to enjoy her as in honoirable and loving complement onely, but
as his espoused Lady and Wife. Which appearing to her by apparant
demonstrations, though entercourse of speech wanted to confirme it;
remembrance of her so many sad disasters, and being now in a most
noble and respected condition, her comfort enlarged it selfe with a
setled hope, her feares grew free from any more mollestations, and her
beauties became the onely theame and argument of private and publike
conference in all Natolia, that (well-neere) there was no other
discourse, in any Assembly whatsoever.
Heereupon the Duke of Athens, beeing young, goodly, and valiant of
person as also a neere Kinsman to the Prince, had a desire to see her;
and under colour of visiting his noble Kinsman, (as oftentimes
before he had done) attended with an honourable traine, to Smirna he
came, being there most royally welcommed, and bounteously feasted.
Within some few dayes of his there being, conference passed betweene
them, concerning the rare beauty of the Ladie; the Duke questioning
the Prince, whether shee was of such wonder, as fame had acquainted
the World withall? Whereto the Prince replyed; Much more (Noble
kinsman) then can bee spoken of, as your owne eyes shall witnesse,
without crediting any words of mine. The Duke soliciting the Prince
thereto very earnestly, they both went together to see her; and she
having before heard of their comming, adorned her selfe the more
Majestically, entertaining them with ceremonious demeanor (after her
Countries custome) which gave most gracious and unspeakable acception.
At the Princes affable motion, shee sate downe betweene them,
their delight being beyond expression, to behold her, but abridged
of much more felicitie, because they understood not any part of her
Language: so that they could have no other conference, but by lookes
and outward signes onely; and the more they beheld her, the more
they marvelled at her rare perfections, especially the Duke, who
hardly credited that shee was a mortall creature. Thus not perceyving,
what deepe carowses of amorous poyson his eyes dranke downe by the
meere sight of her, yet thinking thereby onely to bee satisfied, hee
lost both himselfe and his best sences, growing in love (beyond all
measure) with her. When the Prince and he were parted from her, and
hee was at his owne private amorous- meditations in his Chamber, he
reputed the Prince farre happier then any man else whatsoever, by
the enjoying of such a peerelesse beauty.
After many intricate and distracted cogitations, which molested
his braines incessantly, regarding more his loves wanton heate, then
reason, kindred, and honourable hospitality; he resolutely
determined (whatsoever ensued thereupon) to bereave the Prince of
his faire felicity, that none but himselfe might possesse such a
treasure, which he esteemed to bee the height of all happinesse. His
