Ill luck and chaunce thou must of force endure,
Fortune’s fickle stay needs thou must sustaine:
To grudge therat it booteth not at all,
Before it come the witty wise be sure:
By wisedom’s lore, and counsell not in vaine,
To shun and eke auoyde. The whirling ball,
Of fortune’s threates, the sage may well rebound
By good foresight, before it light on ground.
The Emperour then hauing forgotten, or wisely dissembling that which he could not amende, met his doughter and sonne in lawe at the Palace gate, with so pleasaunt cheere and ioyfull countenance, as the like long time before he did not vse. Where Alerane and Adelasia being light of from their horse, came to kisse his handes (and both vppon their knees) began to frame an oration for excuse of their fault, and to pray pardon of his maiestie. The good Prince rauished with ioy, and satisfied with repentaunce, stopped their mouthes with sweete kisses and hard embracings. “O happie ill time (said he) and sorowful ioy, which now bringeth to me a pleasure more great than euer was my heauy displeasure. From whence commeth this my pleasaunt ioye? O wel deuised flight, by the which I gaine that (by preseruinge my losse once made and committed) which I neuer had: if I may say so, considering the ornament of my house, and quietnesse of my life.” And saying so, hee kissed and embraced his litle neuewes, and was loth that Adelasia should make rehersall of other talke but of mirthe and pleasure. “For (said he) it sufficeth me that I haue ouerpassed and spent the greatest part of my life in heauinesse, vtterly vnwilling to renewe olde sores and wounds.” Thus the mariage begon, vnknowen and againste the Emperour’s will, was consummate and celebrated with great pompe and magnificence, by his owne commaundement, in the Citie of Sauonne, where he made sir William knight, with hisowne hand. Many goodly factes at the tourney and tilte were done and atchieued, whereat William almost euery day bare away the prise and victorie, to the great pleasure of his father and contentacion of his graundfather, who then made him marques of Monferrat. To the second sonne of Alerane, he gaue the Marquisat of Sauonne, with all the appurtenances and iurisdictions adioyning, of whom be descended the Marqueses of Caretto. The third he made Marques of Saluce, the race of whom is to this daye of good fame and nobilitie. Of the fourth sonne sprange out the original of the house of Cera. The fifte was Marques of Incise, whose name and progeny liueth to this daye. The sixt sonne did gouerne Pouzon. The seuenth was established Senior of Bosco, vnder the name and title of Marques. And Alerane was made and constituted ouerseer of the goods and dominions of his children, and the Emperor’s Lieutenaunt of his possessions which he had in Liguria. Thus the emperoure by moderatinge his passion vanquished himselfe, and gaue example to the posteritie to pursue the offence before it do take roote: but when the thinge cannot be corrected, to vse modestie and mercie which maketh kinges to liue in peace, and their Empire in assuraunce. Hauinge taken order with all his affayres in Italye, hee tooke leaue of his doughter and children, and retired into Almaine. And Alerane liued honourably amonges his people, was beloued of his father in lawe, and in good reputacion and fame, arriued to old yeares, still remembring that aduersitie oughte not to bring us to dispaire, nor prosperitie to insolencie or ill behauiour, and contempt of thinges that seeme small and base, sithe there is nothing vnder the heauens that is stable and sure. For he that of late was great and made all men to stoupe before him, is become altogether such a one as though he had never beene, and the poore humble man aduaunced to that estate, from whence the firste did fall and was deposed, makinge lawes sometimes for him, vnder whom he liued a subiect. And behold of what force the prouidence of God is, and what poise his balance doth containe, and how blame worthy they be that referre the effectes of that deuine counsel to the inconstant and mutable reuolucion of fortune that is blinde and vncertaine.
The Duchesse of Sauoie, being the kinge of England’s sister, was in the Duke her husbandes absence, vniustlye accused of adulterie, by a noble man, his Lieutenaunte: and shoulde haue beene put to death, if by the prowesse and valiaunt combate of Don Iohn di Mendozza, (a gentleman of Spaine) she had not beene deliuered. With a discourse of maruelous accidentes, touchinge the same, to the singuler praise and commendation of chaste and honest Ladies.