Page:History of Fortunatus (4).pdf/20

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his head, grasped her in his arms, and away flew with her, purse and all. In this airy voyage she was carried to Flanders, where presenting himself to her in his true shape, and with a stern countenance, reproaching her with her treachery and inconstancy, she fell on her knees and begged his pardon. Whereupon, taking pity or her, at her request he put her into a nunnery, giving the abbes two hundred crowns for her admittance, promising to fetch her as soon as he could find a remedy to take off her horns; and so departed for Cyprus with his hat and purse, the sight of which greatly rejoiced Ampedo, to whom he told all the passage of his travels; and so extolled the beauty of Agrippina, the prince of Cyprus, enamoured on bare report, prevailed with the king his father to send an embassy to desire her in marriage On this Andolocia was solicited to free her from the nunnery, which he did taking of her horns, and carrying her through the air to London; and so with a noble train of lords and ladies they sailed for Cyprus, where she was royally received and splendidly married.

This made many of the nobles envy Andolocia, especially the earls of Armundalia and Limouse vowed his death, who had so much eclipsed their honour; and so setting on him, and his six men, as he passed one day through a wood, they, and their hundred attendants, after a long fight killed his men, took him prisoner, for he had not with him his wishing-hat, and casting him into a dark loathsome dungeon, set him in the stocks, and loaded him with irons, to make him confess whence he had those vast riches; which, through torment,