Thomas Lodge - Broadview Press Publisher's Blog

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mounted Robert and gave him a great and deep
gash in the thigh. The caitiffs that followed him,
seeing their master distressed, desperately sought
his rescue, and were every one of them put to the
sword; only Robert of himself recovered a horse,
and so valiantly continued in his defence till the
dark night parted the combatants and he found
convenient means to avoid the danger. The Duke
of Constances seeing the enemy was hotly overcome
and that it was impossible to follow the
Prince, being most expert in the secret ways of the
wood, sounded the retreat, causing the dead
bodies of his soldiers to be buried and sending
Aubert word of the bloody victory attained
against his son.
Thus in triumph leave we him—rejoicing
mightily in his revenge and resorting with solace
unto his castle—and return to Robert, who, sore
travailed 1 with his wounds and having his horse
tired, posted 2 with all speed he could possible now
this way now that way, searching for some place of
security where he might hide himself from the
enemy. But evil fortune pursuing him every way,
his horse at last tired under him, so that he was
constrained to forsake his arms, and, trusting only
to his sword, to walk through the forest on foot.
Many were his sighs and bitter curses, many his
exclamations and complaints, whilst desolate
Echo, 3 the faithful companion of such as be sorrowful,
vouchsafed some pitiful reply in his pensiveness.
But the great expense of blood, the long
and weary course of travel, the cruel and dangerous
pursuit of his foes did not sufficiently amaze 4
him but, to the more increase of his grief, a
1 travailed harassed, wearied, troubled.
2 posted rode.
3 Echo a nymph punished by Hera for talkativeness by being
deprived of the power of intelligible speak, being left only with the
ability to repeat the last words that someone else has spoken. Echo
fell in love with the beautiful and disdainful youth, Narcissus, and
subsequently pined away from unrequited love. See Ovid, Metamorphoses,
pp. 83-84; p. 87.
4 amaze drive him to his wit’s end; bewilder, perplex; perhaps more
specifically, overcame (him) with sudden fear or panic; filled (him)
with consternation; terrified, alarmed.
T HOMAS L ODGE
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hidden affliction of the mind began with such
horror to attaint him that he every way grew desperate.
Oftentimes did he prepare himself to complain,
but knew scarcely how to complain; he felt
himself mortal and that he was a man; he examined
the changes of fortune and bethought him
on the causes of his fall, neither knowing how to
amend them, they were so infinite, nor reconcile
himself, he had been so dissolute. And lifting up
his eyes to heaven, he beheld the moon performing
her courses, the stars ministering their duties,
and by their celestial beauty began with himself to
imagine the beauty of their maker; then called he
to remembrance the old rudiments of his master
as touching the essence and power of God, the
wonderful workmanship of the heavens, the beautiful
order of the spheres, 5 the strange creation of
man, the influence of the celestial bodies in these
inferior parts, 6 and considered that all things were
made by a determinate and inviolable law limited
by prescript of nature, and that if in the earthly
compact of man the imperfection and grief of
one member afflicted the whole compact, much
more a contrariety 7 in the powers both of soul and
body threatened a confusion. Then called he to
mind that since there was a mover which disposed
and ordered all things, so in due ordinance of government
it was requisite too as he prescribed
rewards for good deserts, so he should also ordain
punishments for vice. Hereupon began he to meditate
on the nature of sin, the causes of sin, and
the effects of sin, and him thought that a voice
sounded in his ear: “The reward of sin is death.” 8
Oh, how great was the horror and confusion of
his soul at this time, his burden heavier than
5 spheres referring to the Ptolemaic notion of the universe as a series
of concentric spheres, set one inside of the other with the earth at its
centre; these spheres, in their motion, created a harmonious and
divine music (“the music of the spheres”).
6 celestial … parts refers to the general belief that celestial bodies like
stars and planets influenced the course of events on earth, both in
terms of individuals and nations.
7 contrariety disagreement, discordance; serious and antagonistic
opposition between.
8 Romans 6:23.