he
Friend could wish of his companion, hearkened to the cause of
the poore Countrey man, and moreouer hys modesty so great, as
hee would it not to bee knowen what fault it was, or else that
the offenders shoulde publikely bee accused, offering for all
that to be the reuenger of the wronge done vnto the poore, and
the punisher of the iniury exercised agaynste the desolate,
a worke certainly worthy of a true Chrystian Prince, and which
establisheth kingdomes decayed, conserueth those that be,
rendring the Prynce to be beloued of God, and feared of his
Subiects. The pore olde man seeing the Duke in so good mynde,
and that accordingly hee demaunded to know the wrong don vnto
him, the Name of the factor, and that also he had promised him
his help and ryghtfull correctyon due vnto the deserued fault,
the good olde man I say conceiuing courage, recited from poynt
to poynte the whole discourse of the rape, and the violence
done, vppon hys poore vertuous Daughter, declaring besides the
name and surname of those which accompanied the Gentleman, the
author of that conspiracy, who (as we haue already sayd) was one
that was in greatest fauor with the Duke: who notwithstanding
the Loue that he bare to the accused, hearing the vnworthinesse
of a deede so execrable, said: "As God liueth this is a
detestable facte, and well deserueth a sharpe and cruell
punyshment: Notwithstanding freend, take good heede that thou
doeste not mistake the same, by accusing one for an other, for
the Gentleman whome thou haste named to be the rauisher of thy
daughter, is of all men deemed to bee very honest, and doe well
assure thee that if I finde thee a lyer, thy heade shall answere
for example to eche false accuser and slaunderer in time to
come. But if the matter be so true as thou hast sayde, I promise
thee by the faith I beare to God, so wel to redresse thy wrong,
as thou shalt haue cause to be thoroughly satisfied with my
iustice." To whome the good olde man thus answered: "My Lord the
matter is so true, as at this day hee keepeth my Daughter (like
a common strumpet) in his house. And if it please your highnesse
to send thither, you shall know that I do not falsely accuse or
vtter lying woordes before you, my Lord and Prynce, in presence
of whom as before the mynister and Lyeuetenaunte of God, Man
oughte not to speake but truely and religeously." "Sith it is
so," sayd the Duke, "get thee home to thy house, where God
willing, I will be this day at