_The incontinencie of a duke and of his impudencie to attaine his
purpose, with the iust punishement which he receiued for the same._
In the Citie of Florence (the chiefest of all Thuscane) there
was a Duke that maried the Lady Margaret the bastarde daughter
of the Emperour Charles the fift. And bicause shee was very
young, it was not lawfull for him to lye with her, but taryng
till she was of riper yeres, he interteigned an vsed her like a
noble gentleman. And who to spare his wife, was amorous of
certaine other Gentlewomen of the citie. Amonges whom he was in
loue with a very fayre and wyse Gentlewoman, that was sister to
a Gentleman, a seruaunt of his, whome the Duke loued so well as
himselfe, to whome he gaue so muche authoritie in his house, as
his word was so wel obeied and feared as the Duke's him self,
and there was no secrete thing in the Duke's minde, but he
declared the same vnto him, who might ful wel haue bene called a
second himself. The duke seing his sister to be a woman of great
honestie, had no wayes or meanes to vtter vnto her the loue that
he bare her (after he had inuented all occasions possible) at
length he came to this Gentleman which he loued so well, and
said vnto him: "My friend, if there were any thing in all the
world, wherein I were able to pleasure thee, and woulde not doe
it at thy request, I should be afraid to say my fantasie, and
much ashamed to craue your help and assistance: but the loue is
such which I bare thee, as if I had a wife, mother, or daughter,
that were able to saue thy life, I would rather imploy them,
than to suffer thee to die in torment: and if thou doe beare
vnto me that affection which am thy maister, thinke verely that
I doe beare vnto thee the like. Wherefore I will disclose vnto
thee suche a secrete and priuie matter, as the silence thereof
hath brought me into sutche plight as thou seest, whereof I doe
loke for none amendement but by death or by the seruice whiche
thou maiest doe me, in a certayne matter which I purpose to tell
thee." The Gentleman hearing the reasons of his maister, and
seing his face not fayned, but all besprent with teares, tooke
great compassion vpon him and sayd: "My Lorde, I am your humble
seruaunt: all the goodes and worship that I haue doth come from
you. You may saye vnto me as to your moste approued frende.
Assure your self, that all which resteth in my power and
abilitie, is already at your commaundement." Then the Duke began
to tell him of the loue that hee bare vnto his sister, which was
of sutche force, as if by his meanes he did not enioye her, his
life could not long continue. For he saide, that he knew right
well that intreatie and presentes were with her of no regard.
Wherfore he praied him, that if he loued his life, so well as he
did his, to finde meanes for him to receiue that benefite, which
without him he was in despaire neuer to recouer. The brother
which loued his sister and honor of his kindred, more than the
Duke's pleasure, made a certain reuerence vnto him, humbly
beseeching him to vse his trauaill and pain in all other causes
sauing in that, bicause it was a sute so slaunderous and
infamous, as it would purchase dishonor to his whole familie,
adding further, that neither his hart nor his honor could serue
him, to consent to do that seruice. The Duke inflamed with
vnspeakeable furie, put his finger betwene his teeth, and biting
of the nayle, said unto him in great rage: "Well then sithe I
finde in thee no frendship, I know what I haue to doe." The
Gentleman knowing the crueltie of his Maister, being sore
afraide, replied: "My Lorde, for so much as your desire is
vehement and earnest, I will speake vnto her and brynge you
aunswere of her mynde." And as he was departing, the Duke sayde
vnto him: "See that thou tender my life as thou wylt that I
shall doe thyne." The Gentleman vnderstanding well what that
woorde did meane, absented him selfe a day or twaine to aduise
what were best to be done. And amonges diuers his cogitations,
there came to his remembraunce the bounden dutie which he dyd
owe to his Maister, and the goodes and honours which he had
receyued at his handes, on the other syde, hee considered the
honour of his house, the good life and chastitie of his syster,
who (he knewe well) would neuer consent to that wickednesse, if
by subtiltie shee were not surprised, or otherwyse forced, and
that it were a thing very straunge and rare, that he should goe
about to defame hymselfe and the whole stocke of his progenie.
Wherefore hee concluded, that better it were for hym to die,
than to commit a mischief so great vnto his sister, whiche was
one of the honestest women in all Italie. And therewithall
considered how he might deliuer his countrie from sutch a
tyrant, which by force would blemishe and spot the whole race of
his auncient stock and familie. For he knew right wel that
except the duke were taken away, the life of him and his
affinitie could not be in securitie and safegarde: wherfore
without motion made to his sister of that matter, he deuised how
to saue his life and the reproche that should follow. Vpon the
second daye he came vnto the duke, and tolde hym in what sorte
he had practised with his sister, and that although the same in
the beginning was harde and difficult, yet in the ende he made
her to consent, vpon condicion that hee would keepe the same so
secrete as none but hymselfe and he myght knowe of it. The duke
desirous and glad of those newes, dyd sone belieue hym, and
imbracing the messanger, promised to geue him whatsoeuer he
would demaunde, praying hym with all speede that hee might
inioye his desyred purpose. Whereupon they appointed a tyme: and
to demaunde whether the duke were glad and ioyfull of the same,
it were superfluous. And when the desired night was come, wherin
he hoped to haue the victorie of her whom he thought inuincible,
he and the gentleman alone withdrewe themselues together, not
forgetting his perfumed coif and swete shirte wrought and
trimmed after the best maner. And when eche wight was gone to
bed, both they repayred to the appointed lodging of his Lady,
where being arriued they founde a chamber in decent and comly
order. The gentleman taking of the Duke's night gowne, placed
hym in the bedde, and sayde vnto hym: "My Lorde, I wil nowe goe
seeke her, which can not enter into this chamber without
blushing, howbeit I truste before to morrowe morning she wyll be
very glad of you." Which done, he left the Duke, and went into
his own chamber, where he founde one of his seruantes alone, to
whome he sayde: "Hast thou the harte to followe me into a place
where I shall be reuenged vpon the greatest enemie that I haue
in the worlde?" "Yea sir," aunswered his man. Whereupon the
Gentleman toke him with him so sodainly, as he had no leasure to
arme him selfe with other weapon but with his onely dagger. And
when the Duke heard him come againe, thinking he had brought her
with hym that he loued so derely, hee drewe the curteine, and
opened his eyes to behold and receiue that ioye which he had so
long loked for, but in place of seeing her which he hoped should
be the conseruation of his life, he sawe the acceleration of his
death, which was a naked sworde that the Gentleman had drawen,
who therwithall did strike the Duke, which was in his shirte
voyde of weapon, although well armed with courage, and sitting
vp in his bedde grasped the Gentleman about the body, and sayde:
"Is this thy promise whiche thou hast kept?" And seeing that he
had no other weapon but his teeth and nayles, he bitte the
gentleman in the arme, and by force of his owne strengthe he so
defended himselfe, as they bothe fell downe into the flower. The
gentleman fearing the match, called for hys manne, who finding
the Duke and his maister fast together, that he wyst not whether
to take, he drewe them both by the feete into the middest of the
chamber, and with his dagger assayde to cut the Duke's throte.
The duke who defended himselfe, till suche time as the losse of
his bloud made him so weake and feeble that he was not able to
contende any longer. Then the Gentleman and his man laide him
againe into his bed, where they accomplished the effect of that
murther. Afterwardes drawing the curteine, they departed and
locked the dead body in the chamber. And when he saw that he had
gotten the vicctorie of his enemy, by whose death he thought to
set at libertie the common wealth, he supposed his facte to be
vnperfect if he did not the like to fiue or sixe of them which
were nerest to the Duke, and best beloued of him. And to attaine
the perfection of that enterpryse, he bad his man to doe the
like vnto them one after another, that hee had done to the Duke.
But the seruaunt being nothing hardie or coragious, said vnto
his maister: "Me thinke, sir, that for this time ye haue done
enough, and that it were better for you now to deuise waye howe
to saue your owne life, than to seeke meanes to murder any more.
For if we do consume so long space of time to kill euery of
them, as we haue done in murdering of the Duke, the day light
will discouer our enterprise before we haue made an ende, yea
although wee finde them naked and without defence." The
gentleman whose euill conscience made him fearfull, did beleue
his seruaunt, and taking him alone with him, went to the bishop
that had in charge the gates of the citie, and the vse of the
Postes, to whom he sayd: "This euening (my Lord) newes came vnto
me that mine owne brother lieth at the point of death, and
crauing licence of the Duke to goe se him he hath giuen me
leaue. Wherefore I beseche you commaunde the Postes to deliuer
me two good horse, and that you will sende worde to the porter
that the gates may be opened." The bishop which estemed no lesse
his request than the commaundement of the Duke his maister,
incontinently gaue him a billet, by vertue wherof both the gates
were opened, and the horse made ready according to his demaunde.
And vnder colour and pretence of visiting his brother, he rode
to Venice, where after he had cured himselfe of the duke's
bitinges fastened in his fleshe, he trauailed into Turkey. In
the morning the duke's seruauntes seing the time so late before
their maister retourned, suspected that he was gone forth in
visiting of some Ladye, but when they sawe he taried so long,
they began to seke for him in euery place. The poore Duchesse
into whose harte the loue of her husbande strongly did inuade,
vnderstanding that he could not be founde, was very pensife and
sorowfull. But when the Gentleman which he so dearely loued, was
not likewyse seene abroade, searche was made in his chamber,
where finding bloud at the chamber dore, they entred in, but no
man was there to tell them any newes, and following the tract of
the bloud the poore seruantes of the Duke went to the chamber
dore, where he was, which dore they found fast locked, who
incontinently brake open the same: and seing the place all
bloudy, drew the curteine, and found the wretched carcasse of
the Duke lying in the bedde, sleeping his endlesse sleepe. The
sorrow and lamentation made by the duke's seruauntes, carying
the dead bodye into his palace, is easie to be coniectured.
Wherof when the Bishop was aduertised, he repaired thether, and
tolde how the Gentleman was gone awaye in the night in great
haste, vnder pretence to goe to see his brother: whereupon it
was euidently knowen that it was he that had committed the
murder. And it was proued that his poore sister was neuer priuie
to the facte, who although she was astonned with the sodaynes of
the deede, yet her loue towardes her brother was farre more
increased, bicause he had deliuered her from a Prince so cruell,
the enemy of her honestie: for doing whereof he did not sticke
to hazard his owne life. Whereupon she perseuered more and more
in vertue, and although she was poore, by reason her house was
confiscate, yet both her sister and shee matched with so honest
and riche husbandes as were to be founde in Italie: and
afterwardes they both liued in good and great reputation.