6.1. The same in English.
The same in English.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _VEtus de Monte to Lupold duke of Austrich sendeth greeting. Where manie kings and princes beyond the seas blame Richard king of England of the marques his death, I sweare by the lord that reigneth euerlastinglie, and by the law which we hold, that he was not in fault for his death. For the verie cause of the marques his death was such as followeth. One of our bre|thren in a ship of Satalie came towards our parties, and chanced by tempest to be driuen vnto Tyre, and the marques caused him to be taken and slaine, and tooke a great portion of monie that he had in the ship with him. Wher|vpon we sent our messengers to the marques, commanding him to restore vnto vs the mo|nie of our brother, and to compound with vs for our said brothers death, and he would not.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Moreouer, he also contemned our messen|gers, & laid the fault of our brothers death vp|on Reginald lord of Sidon, and we did so much through our freends, that we got full vnder|standing that the marques himselfe caused him to be slaine, and tooke his monie. And there|fore we sent vnto him againe an other messen|ger named Edrisus, whome he would haue drowned in the sea, but our freends made such shift, that they procured him to depart with speed from Tyre, who returned to vs, [...] signi|fied these things to vs for certeine. And from that houre euer after we had a desire to slea the marques: and so then we sent two of our bre|thren vnto Tyre, who openlie, & in a manner in presence of all the people of Tyre slue him.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This therefore was the verie cause of the death of the marques; & we say to you in good sooth, that the lord Richard king of England, in this death of the marques was nothing cul|pable: and they that haue doone anie displea|sure vnto the king of England for this cause, they haue doone it wrongfullie, and without a|nie iust occasion. Know ye for certeine, that we doo not vse to kill anie man of this world for a|nie EEBO page image 137 bribe, or for monie, except he haue doone to vs some harme afore time. And know ye that we haue made these letters in our house at our castell of Messuat, in the midst of Septem|ber, in the yeare from Alexander the great, 1505.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 ¶ Thus we see how king Richard was cleared of that crime concerning the marques his death by the tenour of this letter. And verelie it is most like that king Richard would haue béene loth to haue com|municated his purpose vnto such a wicked kind of pagans as the Assassini were, if he had pretended any such matter, but rather would haue sought his reuenge by some other meanes. Now therefore to our purpose.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 The newes of the taking of king Richard was anon bruted and blowne ouer all Germanie, where|vpon the emperour Henrie the sixt, the sonne of Fre|derike the first, sent in all hast vnto the duke, persua|ding him to deliuer the king into his hands, being a|ble to susteine and abide the malice of all them that would be offended with the taking and deteining of him prisoner, as the pope and others. The emperour well vnderstood the wealth and riches of England, and therefore hoped to make some good purchase by ransoming the king, if he might get him out of the dukes hands. The duke perceiuing also the empe|rours meaning, durst not well denie his request, and therefore he deliuered the king vnto them that were sent from the emperour,The king is deliuered to the emperor. Matth. Paris. who couenanted to giue vnto the said duke the summe of 6000. pounds of Cullen weight for the hauing of the said king. The emperour thus receiuing the king at the hands of the duke of Austrich, commanded that he should be committed to close prison, and would not doo so much as once speake with him. This he did, to cause the king vpon an indignation and wearinesse of that maner of life, to make speed in offering some large masse of monie for his libertie & deliuerance. ¶ Thus we sée how couetousnesse infected the hearts of the mightie, and what occasion the emperour and duke did take, to inrich themselues by the meanes of the king, whome they forced not to impouerish, so their owne greedie worme were serued. But this hath béene a disease not so generall as ancient, according to his words that said,
Vix ego Saturno quenquam regnante videbam,Ouid. lib. Fast. 1. Cuius non animo dulcia lucra forent.