The Fyfth Complaynte of the Empresse.

The empresse herȳg y^t the chylde was not yet dede apparayled ⁊ clothed her in her vesture or clothȳge. ⁊ lete to be ordeyned her waynes ⁊ cartes / as thoughe she wolde haue gone to her fad^r home in her coūtre for to haue cōplayned of y^e grete shame y^t was done vnto her ⁊ coude haue no remedy herof. The seruaūtes seynge y^t went ⁊ shewed it to themperour y^t thempresse was goyng in to her countree. Whan he y^t perceyued he went to her saynge, whither are ye goynge, I hoped y^t ye had loued me so moche y^t in all y^e worlde ye sholde haue sought no solace but w^t me. To y^t she sayd, That is true. ⁊ therfore I go from you, for I had leuer here of your deth, than to see you dye, w^toute doute ye delyte soo moche to here thyse maysters, y^t it shall happen vpon you as it dyde to Octauian themperour y^e whiche wes so coueytous that ye noble men of the empyre buryed hym quycke ⁊ fylled his mouth w^t molten golde. Themperour sayd, Dere wyf do not that another tyme y^e blame to you or to me myght be layde. Than sayd the empresse, truly y^e blame is yours for haue ye not promysed me many tymes that your sone sholde dye, ⁊ yet he lyueth, ⁊ therfore from hensforth I wyll no more byleue you. Then sayd themperour. It becometh not a kynge euery cause lyghtly too dyscusse, w^tout aduyse ⁊ specyally vpon his sone, vpon whome it is not behoueful lyghtly to gyue jugement and therfore I say ⁊ pray you that ye wyll tell me somwhat by the whiche I may myselfe gouerne, for it is vtter destruccōn of a kynge w^tout aduyse ⁊ vndescretly to gyue jugement. She answered ⁊ sayde, I wyll gladly tell you a notable example, so that from hensforth ye shall not be coueytous or desyrous to here y^e maysters. And began to saye in this forme.