lver as hee would. Then everyone consented, that hee
that seemed so worthy to be their companion, should be one of their
company, and that they would search for others to make up the residue
of the number, whereupon he went out, and by and by (returning againe)
brought in a tall young man (as he promised) to whom none of the residue
might bee compared, for hee was higher then they by the head, and of
more bignesse in body, his beard began to burgen, but hee was poorely
apparelled, insomuch that you might see all his belly naked. As soone
as he was entred in he said, God speed yee souldiers of Mars and my
faithfull companions, I pray you make me one of your band, and I will
ensure you, that you shall have a man of singular courage and lively
audacity: for I had rather receive stripes upon my backe, then money or
gold in my hands. And as for death (which every man doth feare) I passe
nothing at all, yet thinke you not that I am an abject or a begger,
neither judge you my vertue and prowesse by ragged clothes, for I have
beene a Captaine of a great company, and subdued all the countrey of
Macedonia. I am the renowned theefe Hemes the Thracian, whose name all
countreys and nations do so greatly feare: I am the sonne of Theron
the noble theefe, nourished with humane bloud, entertained amongst
the stoutest; finally I am inheritour and follower of all my fathers
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