him with all possible speed, for his own house was on
fire. Then every one for fear of his owne danger came running out to aid
him, wherewith we fearing our present peril, knew not what was best to
be don, whether wee should leave our companion there, or yeeld ourselves
to die with him: but we by his consent devised a better way, for we cut
off his arm by the elbow and so let it hang there: then wee bound his
wound with clouts, lest we should be traced by the drops of blood: which
don we took Lamathus and led him away, for fear we would be taken: but
being so nigh pursued that we were in present danger, and that Lamathus
could not keepe our company by reason of faintnesse; and on the other
side perceiving that it was not for his profit to linger behinde, he
spake unto us as a man of singular courage and vertue, desiring us by
much entreaty and prayer and by the puissance of the god Mars, and the
faith of our confederacy, to deliver his body from torment and miserable
captivity: and further he said, How is it possible that so courageous a
Captaine can live without his hand, wherewith he could somtime rob and
slay so many people? I would thinke myself sufficiently happy if I could
be slaine by one of you. But when he saw that we all refused to commit
any such fact, he drew out his sword with his other hand, and after
that he had often kissed it, he drove it clean through his body. Then
we honoured the corps of so puissant a man, and wrapped it in linnen
cloathes and threw it into the sea. So lieth our master Lamathus, buried
and did in the grave of water, and ended his life as I have declared.
But Alcinus, though he were a man of great enterprise, yet could he not
beware by Lamathus, nor voide himselfe from evill fortune, for on a day
when he had entred into an old womans house to rob her, he went up into
a high chamber, where hee should first have strangled her: but he had
more regard to throw down the bags of mony and gold out at a window,
to us that stood under; and when he was so greedy that he would leave
nothing behinde, he went into the old womans bed where she lay asleep,
and would have taken off the coverlet to have thrown downe likewise, but
shee awaked, and kneeling on her knees, desired him in this manner:
O sir I pray you cast not away such torn and ragged clouts into my
neighbours houses, for they are rich enough, and need no such things.
Then Alcinus thinking her words to be true, was brought in beleefe, that