How a young man came and declared the miserable death of Lepolemus and
his wife Charites.
About midnight came a young man, which seemed to be one of the family
of the good woman Charites, who sometimes endured so much misery and
calamity with mee amongst the theeves, who after that hee had taken a
stoole, and sate downe before the fireside, in the company of the
servants, began to declare many terrible things that had happened unto
the house of Charites, saying: O yee house-keepers, shepheards and
cowheards, you shall understand that wee have lost our good mistris
Charites miserably and by evill adventure: and to the end you may
learne and know all the whole matter, I purpose to tell you the
circumstances of every point, whereby such as are more learned then I
(to whom fortune hath ministred more copious stile) may painte it out
in paper in forme of an History. There was a young Gentleman dwelling
in the next City, borne of good parentage, valiant in prowesse, and
riche in substance, but very much given and adicted to whorehunting,
and continuall revelling. Whereby he fell in company with Theeves, and
had his hand ready to the effusion of humane blood; his name was
Thrasillus. The matter was this according to the report of every man.
Hee demanded Charites in marriage, who although he were a man more
comely then the residue that wooed her, and also had riches abundantly,
yet because he was of evill fame, and a man of wicked manners and
conversation, he had the repulse and was put off by Charites, and so
she married with Lepolemus. Howbeit this young man secretly loved her,
yet moved somewhat at her refusall, hee busily searched some meanes to
worke his damnable intent. And (having found occasion and opportunity
to accomplish his purpose, which he had long time concealed) brought to
passe, that the same day that Charites was delivered by the subtill
meane and valiant audacity of her husband, from the puissance of the
Theeves, he mingled himselfe among the assembly, faining that he was
glad of the new marriage, and comming home againe of the maiden,
Whereby (by reason that he came of so noble parents) he was received
and entertained into the house as one of their chiefe and principall
friends: Howbeit under cloake of a faithfull welwiller, hee dissimuled
his mischievous mind and intent: in continuance of time by much
familiarity and often conversation and banketting together, he fell
more and more in favour, like as we see it fortuneth to Lovers, who
first doe little delight themselves in love: till as by continuall
acquaintance they kisse and imbrace each other. Thrasillus perceiving
that it was a hard matter to breake his minde secretly to Charites,
whereby he was wholly barred from the accomplishment of his luxurious
appetite, and on the other side perceiving that the love of her and her
husband was so strongly lincked together, that the bond betweene them
might in no wise be dissevered, moreover, it was a thing impossible to
ravish her, although he had consented thereto, yet was hee still
provoked forward by vehement lust, when as hee saw himselfe unable to
bring his purpose to passe. Howbeit at length the thing which seemed so
hard and difficill, thorough hope of his fortified love, did now
appeare easie and facill: but marke I pray you diligently to what end
the furious force of his inordinate desire came. On a day Lepolemus
went to the chase with Thrasillus, to hunt for Goates, for his wife
Charites desired him earnestly to meddle with no other beasts, which
were of more fierce and wilde nature. When they were come within the
chase to a great thicket fortressed about with bryers and thornes, they
compassed round with their Dogs and beset every place with nets: by and
by warning was given to let loose. The Dogs rushed in with such a cry,
that all the Forrest rang againe with the noyse, but behold there
leaped out no Goat, nor Deere, nor gentle Hinde, but an horrible and
dangerous wild Boare, hard and thicke skinned, bristeled terribly with
thornes, foming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, and looking direfully
with fiery eyes. The Dogs that first set upon him, he tare and rent
with his tuskes, and then he ranne quite through the nets, and escaped
away. When wee saw the fury of this beast, wee were greatly striken
with feare, and because wee never accustomed to chase such dreadfull
Boares, and further because we were unarmed and without weapons, we got
and hid our selves under bushes and trees. Then Thrasillus having found
opportunity to worke his treason, said to Lepolemus: What stand we here
amazed? Why show we our selves like dastards? Why leese we so worthy a
prey with our feminine hearts? Let us mount upon our Horses, and pursue
him incontinently: take you a hunting staffe, and I will take a chasing
speare. By and by they leaped upon their Horses, and followed the
beast. But hee returning against them with furious force, pryed with
his eyes, on whom hee might first assayle with his tuskes: Lepolemus
strooke the beast first on the backe with his hunting staffe.
Thrasillus faining to ayde and assist him, came behind, and cut off the
hinder legges of Lepolemus Horse, in such sort that hee fell downe to
the ground with his master: and sodainely the Boare came upon Lepolemus
and furiously tare and rent him with his teeth. Howbeit, Thrasillus was
not sufficed to see him thus wounded, but when he desired his friendly
help, he thrust Lepolemus through the right thigh with his speare, the
more because he thought the wound of the speare would be taken for a
wound of the Boars teeth, then he killed the beast likewise, And when
he was thus miserably slaine, every one of us came out of our holes,
and went towards our slaine master. But although that Thrasillus was
joyfull of the death of Lepolemus, whom he did greatly hate, yet he
cloked the matter with a sorrowfull countenance, he fained a dolorous
face, he often imbraced the body which himselfe slew, he played all the
parts of a mourning person, saving there fell no teares from his eyes.
Thus hee resembled us in each point, who verily and not without
occasion had cause to lament for our master, laying all the blame of
this homicide unto the Boare. Incontinently after the sorrowfull newes
of the death of Lepolemus, came to the eares of all the family, but
especially to Charites, who after she had heard such pitifull tydings,
as a mad and raging woman, ran up and down the streets, crying and
howling lamentably. All the Citizens gathered together, and such as
they met bare them company running towards the chasse. When they came
to the slaine body of Lepolemus, Charites threw her selfe upon him
weeping and lamenting grievously for his death, in such sort, that she
would have presently ended her life, upon the corps of her slaine
husband, whom shee so entirely loved, had it not beene that her parents
and friends did comfort her, and pulled her away. The body was taken
up, and in funerall pompe brought to the City and buried. In the meane
season, Thrasillus fained much sorrow for the death of Lepolemus, but
in his heart he was well pleased and joyfull. And to counterfeit the
matter, he would come to Charites and say: O what a losse have I had of
my friend, my fellow, my companion Lepolemus? O Charites comfort your
selfe, pacifie your dolour, refraine your weeping, beat not your
breasts: and with such other and like words and divers examples he
endeavoured to suppresse her great sorrow, but he spake not this for
any other intent but to win the heart of the woman, and to nourish his
odious love with filthy delight. Howbeit Charites after the buriall of
her husband sought the meanes to follow him, and (not sustaining the
sorrows wherein she was Wrapped) got her secretly into a chamber and
purposed to finish her life there with dolour and tribulation. But
Thrasillus was very importunate, and at length brought to passe, that
at the intercession of the Parents and friends of Charites, she
somewhat refreshed her fallen members with refection of meate and
baine. Howbeit, she did it more at the commandement of her Parents,
then for any thing else: for she could in no wise be merry, nor receive
any comfort, but tormented her selfe day and night before the Image of
her husband which she made like unto Bacchus, and rendred unto him
divine honours and services. In the meane season Thrasillus not able to
refraine any longer, before Charites had asswaged her dolor, before her
troubled mind had pacified her fury, even in the middle of all her
griefes, while she tare her haire and rent her garments, demanded her
in marriage, and so without shame, he detected the secrets and
unspeakeable deceipts of his heart. But Charites detested and abhorred
his demand, and as she had beene stroken with some clap of thunder,
with some storme, or with the lightning of Jupiter, she presently fell
downe to the ground all amazed. Howbeit when her spirits were revived
and that she returned to her selfe, perceiving that Thrasillus was so
importunate, she demanded respite to deliberate and to take advise on
the matter. In the meane season, the shape of Lepolemus that was slaine
so miserably, appeared to Charites saying, O my sweet wife (which no
other person can say but I) I pray thee for the love which is betweene
us two, if there be any memorie of me in thy heart, or remembrance of
my pittifull death, marry with any other person, so that thou marry not
with the traitour Thrasillus, have no conference with him, eate not
with him, lie not with him, avoid the bloudie hand of mine enemie,
couple not thy selfe with a paricide, for those wounds (the bloud
whereof thy teares did wash away) were not the wounds of the teeth of
the Boare, but the speare of Thrasillus, that deprived me from thee.
Thus spake Lepolemus, unto his loving wife, and declared the residue of
the damnable fact. Then Charites, awaking from sleepe, began to renew
her dolour, to teare her garments, and to beate her armes with her
comely hands, howbeit she revealed the vision which she saw to no
manner of person, but dissimuling that she knew no part of the
mischiefe, devised with her selfe how she might be revenged on the
traitor, and finish her owne life to end and knit up all sorrow.
Incontinently came Thrasillus, the detestable demander of sodaine
pleasure, and wearied the closed eares of Charites with talke of
marriage, but she gently refused his communication, and coloring the
matter, with passing craft in the middest of his earnest desires gan
say, Thrasillus you shall understand that yet the face of your brother
and my husband, is alwayes before mine eies, I smell yet the Cinamon
sent of his pretious body, I yet feele Lepolemus alive in my heart:
wherefore you shall do well if you grant to me miserable woman,
necessarie time to bewaile his death, that after the residue of a few
months, the whole yeare may be expired, which thing toucheth as well my
shame as your wholsome profit, lest peradventure by your speed and
quicke marriage we should justly raise and provoke the spirit of my
husband to worke our destruction. Howbeit, Thrasillus was not contented
with this promise, but more and more came upon her: Insomuch, that she
was enforced to speake to him in this manner: My friend Thrasillus, if
thou be so contented untill the whole yeare be compleate and finished,
behold here is my bodie, take thy pleasure, but in such sort and so
secret that no servant of the house may perceive it. Then Thrasillus
trusting to the false promises of the woman, and preferring his
inordinate pleasure above all things in the world, was joyfull in his
heart and looked for night, when as he might have his purpose. But come
thou about midnight (quoth Charites) disguised without companie, and
doe but hisse at my chamber doore, and my nourse shall attend and let
thee in. This counsell pleased Thrasillus marveilously, who (suspecting
no harme) did alwaies looke for night, and the houre assigned by
Charites. The time was scarce come, when as (according to her
commandement) he disguised himselfe, and went straight to the chamber,
where he found the nourse attending for him, who (by the appointment of
her Mistresse) fed him with flattering talke, and gave him mingled and
doled drinke in a cup, excusing the absence of her Mistresse Charites,
by reason that she attended on her Father being sick, untill such time,
that with sweet talke and operation of the wine, he fell in a sound
sleepe: Now when he lay prostrate on the ground readie to all
adventure, Charites (being called for) came in, and with manly courage
and bold force stood over the sleeping murderer, saying: Behold the
faithfull companion of my husband, behold this valiant hunter; behold
me deere spouse, this is the hand which shed my bloud, this is the
heart which hath devised so many subtill meanes to worke my
destruction, these be the eies whom I have ill pleased, behold now they
foreshew their owne destinie: sleepe carelesse, dreame that thou art in
the hands of the mercifull, for I will not hurt thee with thy sword or
any other weapon: God forbid that I should slay thee as thou slewest my
husband, but thy eies shall faile thee, and thou shalt see no more,
then that whereof thou dreamest: Thou shalt thinke the death of thine
enemie more sweet then thy life: Thou shalt see no light, thou shalt
lacke the aide of a leader, thou shalt not have me as thou hopest, thou
shalt have no delight of my marriage, thou shalt not die, and yet
living thou shalt have no joy, but wander betweene light and darknesse
as an unsure Image: thou shalt seeke for the hand that pricked out
thine eies, yet shalt thou not know of whom thou shouldest complaine: I
will make sacrifice with the bloud of thine eies upon the grave of my
husband. But what gainest thou through my delay? Perhaps thou dreamest
that thou embracest me in thy armes: leave off the darknesse of sleepe
and awake thou to receive a penall deprivation of thy sight, lift up
thy face, regard thy vengeance and evill fortune, reckon thy miserie;
so pleaseth thine eies to a chast woman, that thou shall have
blindnesse to thy companion, and an everlasting remorse of thy
miserable conscience. When she had spoken these words, she tooke a
great needle from her head and pricked out both his eies: which done,
she by and by caught the naked sword which her husband Lepolemus
accustomed to weare, and ranne throughout all the Citie like a mad
woman towards the Sepulchre of her husband. Then all we of the house,
with all the Citizens, ranne incontinently after her to take the sword
out of her hand, but she clasping about the tombe of Lepolemus, kept us
off with her naked weapon, and when she perceived that every one of us
wept and lamented, she spake in this sort: I pray you my friends weepe
not, nor lament for me, for I have revenged the death of my husband, I
have punished deservedly the wicked breaker of our marriage; now is it
time to seeke out my sweet Lepolemus, and presently with this sword to
finish my life. And therewithall after she had made relation of the
whole matter, declared the vision which she saw and told by what meane
she deceived Thrasillus, thrusting her sword under her right brest, and
wallowing in her owne bloud, at length with manly courage yeelded up
the Ghost. Then immediately the friends of miserable Charites did bury
her body within the same Sepulchre. Thrasillus hearing all the matter,
and knowing not by what meanes he might end his life, for he thought
his sword was not sufficient to revenge so great a crime, at length
went to the same Sepulchre, and cryed with a lowd voice, saying: o yee
dead spirites whom I have so highly and greatly offended, vouchsafe to
receive me, behold I make Sacrifice unto you with my whole body: which
said, hee closed the Sepulchre, purposing to famish himselfe, and to
finish his life there in sorrow. These things the young man with
pitifull sighes and teares, declared unto the Cowheards and Shepheards,
which caused them all to weepe: but they fearing to become subject unto
new masters, prepared themselves to depart away.