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I am Fonseca whose braue historie
Europe doth knowe, and doth so much commend,
(Whose life though ended) yet my memorie
Enroll’d by liuing fame shall neuer end.
My souer aigne King I serued, and did beare
My countrey loue, and not in fained showe,
I neuer did leaue of for seruile feare
To keepe that holy lawe, which euery where
The seruant doth vnto his master owe.
In another quadrant of the Obeliske stoode an armed knight, his armour sowen full of little golden shieldes, who by the valour of his personage seemed to be de∣scended from some noble and high blood: casting his eies amongst manie other Lords and knights of his ancient lynage, the subscription beneath his feete was this.
Don Luys of Villanoua I am named,
And from the great Marquesse of Tranz descended,
My valour and renowne (with praise proclamed
In Italie, Fraunce, Spaine) is far extended.
Bicorb, an ancient house my state is framed,
That fortune to a hart hath now commended
So high, sans peere, and that so much surmonnteth,
As to commaund a world, it smally counteth.
After they had particularly behelde the paterne, and all the knights and valiant champions placed in it, they went into a rich hall, the feeling whereof was all of yuorie, woonderfully wrought and carued, the wals of allablaster, and many anci∣ent histories so liuely cut out and grauen in them, that one would verily haue thought, that Lucretia killed her selfe indeede, and subtill Medea vndid her webbe in the Iland of Ithaca; and that the famous Romaine Lady yeelded to the fatall sister, bicause she would not offende her honour with the sight of the horrible mon∣ster; and that the louing wife of Mauseolus was making great lamentation, thinking to what end the sepulcher of her husband was counted for one of the seuen won∣ders of the world: And many other histories and examples of chaste Ladies worthie to be eternized with immortall fame thorow out the whole world, bicause it seemed not sufficient ynough for some of them, to giue manifest examples by their vnspot∣ted life, but for others, by their vntimely and cruell death great testimonie of their pure and vndefiled thoughts, amongst the which the Spanish Coronella was one, who did rather commit her body to consuming flames, then suffer her chaste minde to be ouercome with the motion and delight of a dishonest thought. After they had viewed all the figures well, and the varietie of the histories round about the wals of the hall, they went into another square court, which for the riches thereof, seemed to their iudgements so much to excell all that they had seene, as the substance doth the shadowe; for all the wals of it were couered ouer with fine golde, and the paue∣ments of precious stones. Round about this Quadrant stood the figures of many Ladies of Spaine, and of other nations, and aboue them all, the Goddesse Diana curiously cut out of mettall of Corynth, with short garmentes like a hunter, adorned with much pearle and precious stones of great value, who had her bowe
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