Thomas Lodge - Broadview Press Publisher's Blog

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whom he begs for absolution from his many sins.
The Pope, marvelling at Robert’s reformation, sends
the penitent young man to “a holy and devout
recluse [...] commanding Robert to be ordered by
him.” The holy hermit sets Robert a serious set of
penitential tasks, aimed at punishing his pride: he
must eat no meat except that which he receives from
a dog; he must take a vow of silence for seven years;
he must dress himself in a fool’s habit for those
seven years. Returning to Rome, Robert does as he
is instructed, suffers much physical and verbal abuse
from the citizens and finally finds a place in the
Emperor’s household, becoming his favourite fool.]
How Behenzar Arrived at Rome, and of His
Repulse and Dispatch. The Valiant Courage
of Robert Hearing the Name of Christ Blasphemed.
The Love of Emine towards Him;
and the Assembly of the Christian Princes in
the Aid of the Emperor. [Chapter 13].
The rumour 1 was no sooner spread throughout
the dominions of the empire, but all contributory
princes assembled together in the city of Rome to
do the Emperor service and make his estate more
pompous; 2 and after letters of safe conduit 3 presented
to the ambassador, Behenzar—mounted
on a brave Barbarian 4 horse, trapped in tissue and
pearl, 5 himself attired after the Barbarian fashion,
with his Algozin 6 of cloth of gold embroidered
1 The Soldan of Babylon, having fallen in love with a picture of the
Emperor’s only daughter and heir, the extraordinarily beautiful
Emine, sends Behenzar as his ambassador to the Emperor, hoping to
gain Emine for his wife.
2 pompous characterized by pomp or stately show; magnificent; splendid.
3 letters of safe conduit letters of safe-conduct, documents that guarantee
the bearer’s safety from assault or imprisonment while in
hostile territory.
4 Barbarian Barbary (i.e., Arabian).
5 trapped in tissue and pearl adorned with elaborate trappings, such as
ornate bridles, saddles, saddle cloths, etc.; tissue a rich cloth often
interwoven with gold or silver.
6 Algozin not in the OED, although clearly some article of clothing,
probably a cloak or robe. In Renaissance England, cloth of gold (a
tissue consisting of threads, wires, or strips of gold, generally interwoven
with silk or wool; also applied to gilded cloth) was restricted
for the use of royalty.
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with rubies—being led between two kings was in
all solemnity conducted unto the Emperor’s
palace, who in his great hall set 7 among an innumerable
troupe of courtiers as Phoebus 8 amidst
the lesser stars, whom Behenzar after small or no
salutation attempted 9 thus:
“Emperor of Rome, amongst all the blessings
thy God hath bestowed on thee, among all thy fortunes
that have befallen thee from thy youth hitherto,
the only good is this: that our Soldan 10 of
Babylon, the terror of the world for arms, the lord
of conquerors for actions, deigneth to salute thee,
who hearing of the beauty of thy daughter, the
young Princess Emine, and vouchsafing to grace
thee with his alliance craveth her as his wife in
marriage, which bounty of his if thou neglect
know that thou fosterest the shadow of thine own
ruin. Thy kingdoms shall be spoiled, thy princes
slain, thy crown trodden at his feet, and thy ruins
shall be so grievous that thy royalties were never
so great. If thou entertain his demands, hold, take
these presents” (whereupon he caused twenty
Moors to discharge their carriages of gold and
silver, and lay it at his feet), “if not, he lendeth thee
it as a pledge of his revenge, till he redeem it with
the sword.”
Great was the murmur throughout the hall at
the insolence of the pagan, and among the rest
Emine was exceedingly moved, who sitting at her
mother’s feet by her tears began to testify her
cause of terror. The Emperor being a prince of a
7 set seated.
8 Phoebus the sun.
9 attempted meant figuratively, tried to master or place in a subordinate,
submissive position; attempted to convince or influence.
10 Soldan i.e., Sultan: supreme ruler of one or other of the great
Muslim powers or countries of the Middle Ages; at the time when
Lodge was writing “Robin the Devil,” however, the absolute ruler of
the Ottoman Empire (also known as the “Grand Turk”) was
Amurath III, also known as Murad III (reigned 1574-95). The Sultan
and the Ottoman Empire were generally feared and perceived as a
threat to Christian Europe; the Ottoman Turks had scored some
decisive military victories against the Holy Roman Empire, beginning
with the taking of Constantinople in 1453; Vienna was besieged in
1529 and Cyprus in 1571 (D.J. Vitkus, Introduction, Three Turk Plays
from Early Modern England [New York, 2000], p. 7).