vertues, yet I lost in a short time all my company and all my riches,
by one assault, which I made upon a Factor of the Prince, which sometime
had beene Captaine of two hundred men, for fortune was cleane against
me; harken and I will tell you the whole matter. There was a certaine
man in the court of the Emperour, which had many offices, and in great
favour, who at last by the envy of divers persons, was banished away and
compelled to forsake the court: his wife Platina, a woman of rare faith
and singular shamefastnes having borne ten children to her husband,
despised all worldly Pompe and delicacy, and determined to follow her
husband, and to be partaker of his perils and danger, wherefore shee cut
off her haire, disguised her selfe like a man, and tooke with her all
her treasure, passing through the hands of the souldiers, and the naked
swords without any feare, whereby she endured many miseries, and was
partaker of much affliction, to save the life of her husband, such
was her love which she bare unto him. And when they had escaped many
perillous dangers, as well by land as by sea, they went together towards
Zacynthe, to continue there according as fortune had appointed. But when
they were arived on the sea coast of Actium (where we in our returne
from Macedony were roving about) when night came, they returned into a
house not far distant from their ship, where they lay all night. Then
we entred in and tooke away all their substance, but verely we were in
great danger: for the good matron perceiving us incontinently by the
noise of the gate, went into the chamber, and called up every man by his
name, and likewise the neighbors that dwelled round about, insomuch that
by reason of the feare that every one was in, we hardly escaped away,
but this most holy woman, faithfull and true to her husband (as the
truth must be declared) returned to Caesar, desiring his aid and
puissance, and demanding vengeance of the injury done to her husband,
who granted all her desire: then went my company to wracke, insomuch
that every man was slaine, so great was the authority and word of the