f the Gamsters of the City,
promising great rewardes if he could by his secretes serche out
redresse to saue hir life. The Chaldee could tel him none other
remedy, but that he must cause the Gladiator to be slaine, and
with the bloud of him to anoint the body of the Empresse, not
telling vnto hir what the ointment was: which don, that he must
goe to naked bed to hir, and do the act of matrimony. Some
Historiographers do write, that the Chaldee gaue him counsell,
that Faustina should drinke the bloud of the Gladiator, but the
most part, that hir body was bathed in the same. But how so euer
it was, it would haue cooled the hottest Gentlewoman's stomack
in the world, to be anoynted with like Salue. To conclud the
Gladiator was slayne and the medicine made and applied to the
Pacient, and the Emperour lay with the Empresse, and begat hir
with childe. And immediatly she forgot the Gladiator, neuer
after that tyme remembring him. If this medicine were applied to
our carnall louinge dames (which God defend) they would not
onely follow Faustina in forgetfulnes, but also would mislike
hir Phisike: and not greatly regard the counsell of sutch
doctours. By meanes of this medicine and copulation was the
Emperour Commodus borne, who rather resembled the Gladiator than
his Father: in whose breast rested a storehouse of mischyefe and
vyce, as Herodian and other Wryters plentifully do wryte.

THE ELEUENTH NOUELL.

_Chera hid a treasure: Elisa going about to hang her selfe, and
tying the halter about a beame found that treasure, and in place
thereof left the halter. Philene the daughter of Chera going for
that treasure, and busily searching for the same, found the halter,
wherewithal for dispayre she would haue hanged hir selfe, but
forbidden by Elisa, who by chaunce espied hir, she was restored to
part of hir losse, leading afterwards a happy and prosperous lyfe._

Fortune, the Lady Regent and Gouernesse of man's lyfe, so
altreth and chaungeth the state thereof, as many times we see
the noble borne from that great mighty port, wherein they be,
debased so farre, as either infamously their lyfe is spent in
the hungry lap of Dame Penury, or else contriued in the vgly
lothsom house of Wantonnesse, the stepdame of all honesty and
vertue. Sometimes we marke the vnnoble ladde that was nooseled
in the homely countrey caban, or rude ciuile shoppe, attaine to
that whych the onely honorable and gentle do aspire: and he