nd beyond the obligation, wherein he is
bound to his mayster, is and ought to be termed, Liberality,
which is a matter to prouoke his patrone and mayster to deuyse
new benefytes for his seruaunte: and that at al tymes when a man
doth his duty and seruice appoynted by his mayster, executing
the same with all diligence and industry requisite therunto,
that then he deserueth to be rewarded. Which is not to be
discommended. For no true and honest seruant will refuse any
trauayle for commodity of his mayster, ne yet discrete and wyse
mayster will leaue the same vnrewarded according to that portion
of ability wherewith he is possessed: but leauinge questions and
disputacion aside procede we to that which this Nouel purposeth.
I say then that there was in the kyngdome of Persia, a kyng
called Artaxerxes, a man of most noble mynde, and of great
prowesse in armes. This was he that firste beynge a priuate man
of armes, not hauing as yet obtayned any degree in the fielde,
kylled Artabanus the last kinge of the Arsacides, whose
souldiour he was, and recouered the Persian kingdome, which was
then in the Macedonians subiection (by the death of Darius,
which was vanquished by Alexander the great) the space of 538
yeares. This noble gentleman hauing deliuered all Persia, and
created king, kept a princely court, wherin were many
magnificent factes and vertuous deedes exercised and done, and
hee himselfe moste noble in all affayres, besydes the tytles
which hee worthelye wanne in many bloudy battels, was estemed
throughout the east part of the worlde, to be the most liberal
and magnanimous prince that in any age euer raigned: in feastes
and bankets he was an other Lucullus, royally entertaining
strangers that repayred to his court. This king had a Senescall
or steward, named Ariobarzanes, whose office was, that when the
king made any pompous or publike feast, to mount vpon a whyte
Courser with a Mace of gold in his hand, and to ride before the
esquiers and Sewers for the king's own mouth, and those also
that bare the king's meat in vessel of gold couered with fine
napery, wrought and purled with most beautiful workemanship of
silke and gold. This office of Senescall was highly estemed and
commonly wont to be geuen to one of the chiefest Barons of the
Realm. Wherfore this Ariobarzanes besydes noble Linage and
incomparable ritches was the most curtious and liberal knight
that frequented the court whose immoderate expence was such, as
le