claw of a Bitter or lyke the apple in Persia whose blossome sauoreth lyke Honny whose budde is more sower then gall But O impietie O broade blasphemy agaynst the heauens Wilt thou be so impudent Euphues to accuse the gods of iniquitie No fonde foole no. Neyther is it forbidden vs by the gods to loue by whose diuine prouidence we are permitted to lyue neyther doe wée want remedyes to recure our maladyes but reason to vse the meanes But why goe I about to hinder the course of loue with the discourse of law hast thou not redde Eupheus that he that loppeth the Uine causeth it to spreade fairer that hee that stoppeth the streame forceth it to swell higher that he that casteth water on the fire in the Smithes forge maketh it to flame fiercer Euen so he that seeketh by counsayle to moderate his ouerlashinge affections encreaseth his owne misfortune Ah my Lucilla wold thou wert either lesse faire or I more fortunate eyther I wiser or thou milder either woulde I were out of this madde moode eyther I would we were both of one minde But how should she be perswaded of my loyaltie that yet had neuer one simple proofe of my loue will shée not rather imagine me to be intangled with hir beautie then with hir vertue That my fancie being so lewdly chayned at the first will be as lyghtly changed at the last that ther is nothing which is permaneÌ„t that is violent yes yes she must néeds coniecture so although it be nothing so for by how much the more my affection coÌ„meth on the suddaine by so much the lesse will she thinke it certeyne The ratling thunderbolte hath but his clappe the lyghteninge but his flash and as they both come in a moment so doe they both ende in a minute I but Euphues hath shée not hearde also that the drye touche woode is kindled with lyme that the greatest mushrompe groweth in one night that the fire quickly burneth the flaxe that loue easilye entreth into the sharpe witte without resistaunce is harboured there without repentaunce If therefore the Gods haue endewed hir with as much bountie as beautie If she haue no lesse wit then she hath comelynesse certes she will neyther conceiue sinisterly of my sodayne sute neyther be coye to receiue me into hir seruice neyther suspecte mée of lyghtnesse in yeelding so lyghtly neyther reiect me disdaynefully for louing so hastely Shall I not then hazarde my lyfe to obtaine my loue and deceiue Philautus to receiue Lucilla Yes Euphues where loue beareth sway friendshippe can haue no shew As Philautus brought me for his shadowe the last supper so will I vse him for my shadow til I haue gayned his Saint And canst thou wretch be false to him that is faithfull to thee Shall hys curtesie be cause of thy crueltie Wilt thou violate the league of fayth to enherite the land of folly Shal affectioÌ„ be of more force then friendshippe loue then law lust then loyaltie Knowest thou not that he that looseth his honestie hath nothing els to loose Tush the case is lyght where reason taketh place to loue and to lyue well is not graunted to Iupiter Who so is blinded with the caule of beautie decerneth no coulour of honestie Did not Gâ—ges cut Candaules a coate by his owne measure Did not Paris though he were a welcome guest to Menelaus serue his hoste a slippery prancke If Philautus had loued â—ucilla he woulde neuer haue suffered Euphues to haue séene hir Is it not the praye that entiseth the theefe to ryfle Is it not the pleasaunt bayte that causeth the fléetest fish to bite Is it not a bye word amongst vs that golde maketh an honest man an ill man Did Philautus accompt Euphues to simple to decypher beautie or supersticious not to desire it Did he deeme him a saint in reiecting fancie or a sotte in not discerning Thoughte hée him a Stoycke that he would not bée moued or a stocke that he coulde not Well well seeing the wound that bléedeth inwarde is most daungerous that the fire kepte close burneth most furious that the Oouen dammed vp baketh soonest that sores hauing no vent fester inwardly it is high time to vnfolde my secret loue to my secrete friende Let Philautus behaue himselfe neuer so craftely hée shal know that it must be a wily Mouse that shal bréed in the Cats eare and bicause I resemble him in wit I meane a little to dissemble with him in wyles But O my Lucilla if thy hearte he made of that stone which may bée mollyfied onely with bloud woulde I had sipped of that riuer in Caria which tourneth those that drincke of it to stonesâ— If thine eares be anointed with the Oyle of Syria that bereaueth hearing would mine eyes had bene rubbed with the sirrop of the Ceder trée which taketh away sight Euphues hauing thus talked with himselfe Philautus entered the chamber and finding him so worne and wasted with continual mourning neither ioycing in his meate nor reioycing in his friend with watry eyes vttered this speach FRiende and fellow as I am not ignoraunt of thy present weaknesse so I am not priuie of the cause and although I suspect many thingsâ— yet can I assure my selfe of no one thing Therfore my good Euphues for these doubtes and dompes of mine either remoue the cause or reueale it Thou hast hetherto found me a chéerefull companion in thy mirth and nowe shalt thou finde me as careful wyth thée in thy moane If altogether thou maist not be cured yet maist thou be comforted If there be any thing that either by my friends may be procured or by my life attained that may either heale thée in parte or helpe thée in all I protest to thée by the name of a friende that it shall rather be gotten with the losse of my body then lost by getting a kingdome Thou hast tried mâ— therfore trust mée thou hast â—â—ulâ—ed me in many things therfore trie me in this one thing I neuer yeâ— failed and now I will not fainte Be bolde to speake blush not thy sore is not so angry but I can salue it thy wouÌ„d not so déep but I can â—earch it thy griefe not so great but I can ease it If it be ripe it sâ—albe lawnâ—ed if it be broken it shal be tainted be it neuer so desperate it shal be cured Rise therfore Euphues take hart at grasse younger thou shalt neuer be plucke vp thy stomacke if loâ—e it selfe haue stoung thée it shal not stiffle thée Though thou be enamoured of some lady thou shalt not be enchauÌ„ted They that begin to pine of a consuÌ„ptioÌ„ without delay preserue theÌ„selues with cullisses he that feeleth his stomack enâ—lamed with heat coolâ—th it eft soones with coÌ„serues delayes bréed dauÌ„gers nothing so perillous as procrastinatioÌ„ Euphues hearing this coÌ„fort friendly counsaile disseÌ„bled his sorrowing hart with a smiling face aunswering him foorthwith as followeth True it is Philautus that he which toucheth
lyghtnes make thée the bye word of the world O Lucilla Lucilla woulde thou wert lesse fayre or more fortunate eyther of lesse honour or greater honestie eyther better minded or soone buryed Shall thine olde father lyue to sée thée match with a younge foole shall my kinde hearte be rewarded with such vnkinde hate Ah Lucilla thou knowest not the care of a father nor the duetie of a childe and as farre art thou from pietie as I from crueltie Nature will not permitte me to disherit my daughter and yet it will suffer thée to dishonour thy father Affection causeth me to wishe thy life and shall it entice thée to procure my death It is mine onely comfort to sée thée florishe in thy youth and is it thine to see me fade in mine age to conclude I desire to liue to sée thee prosper thou to sée me perish But why cast I the effect of this vnnaturalnesse in thy téeth séeing I my selfe was the cause I made thée a wanton and thou hast made mée a foole I brought thee vpp lyke a cockney and thou hast handled mee lyke a cockescombe I speake it to mine owne shame I made more of thée then became a Father thou lesse of me then beséemed a childe And shal my louing care be cause of thy wicked crueltie yea yea I am not the first that hath bene too carefull nor the last that shall bée handled so vnkindely it is common to sée Fathers too fonde and children to frowarde Well Lucilla the teares which thou séest trickle downe my â—héekes and the droppes of bloude whiche thou canst not see that fall from my heart enforce me to make an ende of my talke and if thou haue any duetie of a childe or care of a friende or courtesie of a straunger or féelinge of a Christian or humanitie of a reasonable creature then release thy Father of gryefe and acquite thy selfe of vngratefulnesse otherwyse thou shalte but hasten my deathe and encrease thine owne defame which if thou doe the gaine is mine and the losse thine and both infinite Lucilla eyther so bewitched that shee coulde not relente or so wicked that shée woulde not yelde to hir Fathers request aunswered him on this manner Déere Father as you woulde haue mée to shewe the duetie of a childe so ought you to shewe the care of a parent and as the one standeth in obedience so the other is grounded vpon reason You would haue me as I owe duetie to you to leaue Curio and I desire you as you owe mée any loue that you suffer me to enioye him If you accuse mée of vnnaturalnesse in that I yelde not to your request I am also to condemne you of vnkindenesse in that you graunt not my petition You obiecte I knowe not what to Curio but it is the eye of the maister that fatteth the horse and the loue of the woman that maketh the man To giue reason for fancie were to weighe the fire and measure the winde If therefore my delight bée the caâ—se of your death I thincke my sorrowe would bée an occasion of your solace And if you be angrye bicause I am pleased certes I déeme you woulde be content if I were deceased which if it be so that my pleasure bréede your paine and mine annoy your ioye I may well say that you are an vnkinde Father and I an vnfortunate childe But good Father either content your selfe wyth my choice or let me stand to the maine chaunce otherwise the griefe will be mine and the fault yours and both vntollerable Ferardo séeinge his daughter to haue neither regarde of hir owne honour nor his requestâ— conceyued such an inwarde gryefe that in short space hée dyed leauing Lucilla the onely heire of his landes and Curio to possesse them but what ende came of hir séeing it is nothing incident to the history of Euphues it were superfluous to insert it and so incredible that all women would rather wonder at it thou beléeue it which euent being so strauÌ„ge I had rather leaue them in a muse what it should bee then in a maze in telling what it was Philautus hauing intelligence of Euphues his successe and the falshoode of Lucilla although he began to reioyce at the miserye of his fellowe yet séeinge hir ficklenesse coulde not but lamente hir follye and pittie his friendes misfortune Thinckinge that the lightnesse of Lucilla enticed Euphues to so great liking Euphues and Philaâ—tus hauing conference betwéene themselues castinge discourtesie in the téeth each of the other but chiefly noting disloyaltie in the demeanor of Lucilla after much talke renewed their olde friendship both abandoning Lucilla as most abhominable Philautus was earnest to haue Euphues â—arrie in Naples and Euphues desirous to haue Philautus to Athens but the one was so addicted to the court the other so wedded to the vniuersitie that each refused the offer of the other yet this they agréed betwéene themselues that though their bodyes were by distaunce of place seuered yet the coniunction of their mindes shoulde neither bée seperated by the length of time nor alienated by chaunge of soyle I for my parte sayde Euphues to confirme thys league gyue thée my hand and my heart and so likewise did Philautus and so shaking handes they bid each other farewell Euphues to the intent hée might bridell the ouerlashing affections of Philautus conuayed into his studye a certeyne pamphlet which hée termed a coolinge carde for Philautus yet generallye to be applyed to all louers which I haue inserted as followeth ¶ A cooling Carde for Philautus and all fond louers MUsing with my selfe béeing idle howe I myght be well unployed friend Philautus I could finde nothing either more fitte to continue our friendshippe or of greater force to dissolue our follye then to write a remedy for that which many iudge past cure for loue Philautus with that which I haue bene so tormented that I haue lost my time thou so troubled that thou hast forgot reason both so mangled with repulse inueigled by deceite and almost murthered by dysdain that I can neither remember our miseries without griefe nor redresse our mishaps without groanes How wantonly yea and howe willingly haue wee abused our golden time and mispent our gotten treasure How curious were we to please our Lady how carelesse to displease our Lord How deuoute in seruing our Goddesse howe desperate in forgetting our God Ah my Philautus if the wasting of our money might not dehort vs yet the wounding of our mindes should deterre vs if reason might nothing perswade vs to wisdome yet shame should prouoke vs to wyt If Lucilla reade this trifle she will straight proclaime Euphues for a traytour and seeing mée tourne my tippet will either shut mee out for a Wrangler or cast me off for a Wiredrawer either conuince mee of mallice in bewraying their sleightes or condemne me of mischiefe in arming younge men against fléetinge minions And what then Though Curio bée as hotte as a toast yet
of theyr passionate louers for coÌ„monly if they be adorned with beautie they be so straight laced and made so high in the insteppe that they disdaine them most that most desyre them It is a worlde to sée the doating of theyr louers and theyr dealing with them the reuealing of whose subtil traines would cause me to shead teares you gentlewomen to shut your modest eares Pardon me gentlewomen if I vnfold euery wyle shew euery wrinckle of womens disposition Two thinges do they cause their seruants to vow vnto them secrecie soueraigntie the one to conceale their entising sleights by the other to assure themselues of their onely seruice Again but ho there if I shold haue waded any further sownded the depth of their deceipt I should either haue procured your displeasure or incurred the suspition of frawd eyther armed you to practise the like subteltie or accused my self of periury But I mean not to offend your chast mynds with the rehersal of their vnchast manners whose eares I perceiue to glowe and heartes to be gréeued at that which I haue already vttered not that amongest you there be any such but that in your sexe ther should be any such Let not geÌ„tlewomeÌ„ therfore make to much of their paynted sheathe lette them not be so curyous in theyr owne conceite or so currishe to theyr loyall louers When the blacke crowes foote shall appeare in theyr eye or the blacke Oxe treade on their foote when their beautie shall be lyke the blasted Rose theyr wealth wasted their bodies worne theyr faces wrinckled their fyngers crooked who will lyke of them in their age who loued none in their youth If you will be cherished when you be olde be curteous while you be young if you looke for comfort in your hoary haires be not coye when you haue your golden lockes if you would be embraced in the wayning of your brauery be not squeymish in the waxing of your beautie if you desyre to be kept lyke the Roses when they haue loste theyr coulour smell swéete as the Rose doth in the bud if you would be tasted for olde wyne be in the mouth a pleasant Grape so shall you be cherished for your curtesie comforted for your honestie embraced for your amitie so shall you be preserued with the swéete Rose and droncke with the pleasant wyne Thus farre I am bolde gentlewomen to counsell those that be coye that they weaue not the webbe of theyr owne woe nor spin the thréed of their owne thraldome by their owne ouerthwartnesse And seing we are euen in the bowells of loue it shall not be amisse to examine whether man or woman be sonest allured whether be most constant the male or the female And in this poynt I meane not to be myne owne caruer least I should séeme eyther to picke a thanke with men or a quarrel with women If therfore it might stande with your pleasure Mistres Lucilla to giue your censure I would take the contrary for sure I am though your iudgement be sounde yet affection will shadow it Lucilla seing his pretence thought to take aduauntage of his large profer vnto whome she sayde Gentleman in myne opinion Women are to be wonne with euery wynde in whose sex ther is neither force to withstande the assaults of loue neither constancie to remaine faythfull And bicause your discourse hathe hetherto bredde delight I am loth to hinder you in the sequele of your deuises Euphues perceiuing himselfe to be taken napping answered as followeth ¶ Mistres Lucilla if you speake as you thincke these gentlewomen present haue lyttle cause to thanke you if you cause me to coÌ„mend women my tale wil be accoÌ„pted a méere triâ—le your words the plain truth Yet knowing promise to be debt I wyll paye it with performance And I would the gentlemen here present wer as ready to credit my proofe as the gentlewomen are willing to heare their own prayses or I as able to ouercome as Mistres Lucilla would be coÌ„tent to be ouerthrown how so euer the matter shall fall out I am of the surer syde for if my reasons be weake then is our sexe stronge if forcyble then your iudgement féeble if I fynde truth on my syde I hope I shall for my wages win the good will of women if I want proofe then gentlewomen of necessitie you must yelde to men But to the matter Touching the yelding to loue albeit theyr hartes séeme tender yet they harden them lyke the stone of Sicilia the which the more it is beaten the harder it is for being framed as it were of the perfection of men they be frée from all such cogitations as may any way prouoke them to vncleanenesse insomuch as they abhorre the light loue of youth which is grounded vpon lust dissolued vpon euery light occasion When they sée the folly of men turne to fury their delight to doting theyr affection to frensie when they sée them as it were pyne in pleasure and to waxe pale through theyr owne péeuishnesse their sutes their seruice theyr letters theyr labors their loues theyr lyues seeme to them so odious that they harden theyr hartes against such concupiscence to the ende they might coÌ„uert them from rashnesse to reason from such lewde disposition to honest discretion hereoff it commeth that men accuse women of crueltie bâ—bâ—cause they themselues want ciuilitie they accompt them full of wyles in not yelding to their wickednesse faythlesse for resisting their fylthinesse But I had almost forgot my selfe you shall pardon mée Mistresse Lucilla for this time if this abruptly I finish my discourse it is neyther for want of good wil or lacke of proofe but that I feele in my selfe such alteration that I can scarcely vtter one word ah Eupheus Euphues The gentlewomen were strooke into such a quandarie with this sodayne chaunge that they all chaunged coulour But Euphues taking Philautus by the hande and giuing the gentlewomen thanckes for their patience and his repast badde them all fare-well and went immediatly to his chamber But Lucilla who now began to frie in the flames of loue all the company béeing departed to their lodgings entred into these termes and contrarieties Ah wretched wench Lucilla how art thou perplexed what a doubtfull fight dost thou féele betwixt faith and fancie hope feare conscience and concupiscence O my Euphues lyttle dost thou know the sodayne sorrow that I sustayne for thy swéete sake Whose witte hath bewitched me whose rare qualyties haue depriued me of mine olde qualytie whose courteous behauiour without curiositie whose comely feature without fault whose fyled speach without fraude hath wrapped me in this misfortune And canst thou Lucilla be so light of loue in forsaking Philâ—utus to flye to Euphues canst thou prefer a straunger before thy countryman A starter before thy companion Why Euphues doth perhappes desyre my loue but Philautus hath deserued it Why Euphues feature is worthy as good as I But Philautus his fayth is worthy a
better I but the latter loue is moste feruent I but the firste ought to be most faythfull I but Euphues hath greater perfection I but Philautus hath déeper affection Ah fonde wench doste thou thincke Euphues will déeme thee constant to him when thou hast bene vnconstant to his friende Wéenest thou that he will haue no mistrust of thy faithfulnesse when he hath had tryall of thy fycklenesse Will he haue no doubt of thyne honour when thou thy selfe callest thyne honestie in question Yes yes Lucilla well dothe he know that the glasse once crased will with the leaste clappe be cracked that the cloath which staineth with Mylke will soone loose his coulour with vineger that the Eagles wynge will wast the fether as well of the Phoenix as of the Pheasant that she that hath bene faythlesse to one will neuer be faythfull to any But can Euphues â— conuince me of fléetinge séeing for his sake I breake my fideliâ—iâ—â— Can he condemne me of disloyaltie when he is the onely cause of my dislyking Maye he iustly condemne me of trecherye who hath this testimony as tryall of my good will Doth not he remember that the broken boane once sette together is stronger then euer it was That the greatest blotte is taken off with the Pommice That though the Spyder poyson the Flye she cannot infect the Bée That although I haue bene light to Philautus yet I may be louely to Euphues It is not my desire but his desertes that moueth my mynde to this choyse neyther the want of the lyke good will in Philautus but the lacke of the lyke good qualities that remoueth my fancie from the one to the other For as the Bée that gathereth Honny out of the wéede when she espyeth the faire flower flyeth to the sweetest or as the kynde spanyell though he hunt after Byrdes yet forsakes them to retryue the Partridge or as we commonly feede on béefe hungerly at the first yet seing the Quayle more dayntie chaunge our dyet So I although I loued Philautus for his good properties yet seing Euphues to excell him I ought by Nature to lyke him better By so muche the more therefore my change is to be excused by how much the more my choyce is excellent and by so much the lesse I am to be condemned by how much the more Euphues is to be commended Is not the Dyamonde of more valewe then the Rubie bicause he is of more vertue Is not the Emeraulde preferred before the Saphyre for his wonderfull propertie Is not Euphues more prayse worthy then Philautus being more wittie But fye Lucilla why doste thou flatter thy selfe in thyne owne follye canst thou fayne Euphues thy friend whome by thyne owne wordes thou hast made thy foe Dyddest not thou accuse women of inconstancie dyddest not thou accompt them easy to be wonneâ— dyddest not thou condemne them of weakenesse what sounder argument can he haue against thée then thine owne answer what better proofe then thine owne speach what greater tryall then thyne owne talke If thou haste belyed women he will iudge thée vnkynde if thou haue reuealed the troth he must néedes thincke thée vnconstant if he perceiue thée to be wonne with a Nut be will imagine that thou wilt be lost with an Apple If he fynde thée wanton before thou be woed he wil gesse thou wilt be wauering when thou art wedded But suppose that Euphues loue thée that Philautus leaue thée will thy father thinckest thou giue thée libertie to lyue after thyne owne lust will he esteeme him worthy to enherite his possessions whom he accompteth vnworthy to enioye thy person Is it lyke that he wyll match thee in marryage with a stranger with a Grecian with a meane man I but what knoweth my father whether he be wealthy whether his reuenewes be able to counteruaile my fathers lands whether his birth be noble yea or no can any one make doubte of his gentle bloude that séeth his gentle condicions Can his honoure be called into question whose honestie is so greate is he to be thought thriftelesse who in all qualyties of the minde is peerelesse No no the tree is knowen by his fruite the golde by his touch the sonne by the fire And as the softe waxe receiueth what soeuer print be in the seale and sheweth no other impression so the tender babe being sealed with his fathers giftes representeth his Image most lyuely But were I once certaine of Euphues good wâ—ll I woulde not so supersticiously accompt of my fathers ill will. Albeit I can no way quench the coalâ—s of desire with forgetfulnesse yet will I rake them vp in the ashes of modestie séeing I dare not discouer my loue for maideÌ„ly shamefastnes I wil dissemble it til time I haue opportunitie And I hope so to behaue my selfe as Euphues shall thinke me his owne and â—hilautus perswade himselfe I am none but his But I would to God Euphues would repaire hether that the sight of him might mittigate some part of my martirdome She hauing thus discoursed with hir selfe hir owne miseryes cast hir selfe on the bedde and there lâ—tte hir lye and retourne wee to Euphues who was so caâ—ght in the ginne of folly that he neyther coulde comforte himselfe nor durst aske counsel of his friend suspecting that which in deede was tâ—ue that Philautus was corâ—iuall with him and cooâ—â—emate with Lucilla Amiddest therefore these his extremityes betweene hope and feare hée vttered these or the lyke speaches What is hée Euphues that knowing thy witte and séeing thy folly but will rather punish thy lewdenesse then pittie thy heauiuesse Was there euer any so fickle so soone to be allured any euer so faithlesse to deceiue his friend euer any so foolish to bathe himselfe in his owne misfortune To true it is that as the Sea Crabbe swimmeth alwayes agaynst the streame so wit alwayes striueth agaynst wisedome And as the Bee is oftentimes hurte with hir owne honny so is wit not seldome plagued with his owne conceipte O ye gods haue ye ordayned for euerye maladye a medicine for euery sore a salue for euery payne a plaister leuing only loue remedilesse Did ye déeme no man so madde to be entangled with desire or thoughte yée them worthye to be tormented that were so misledde haue ye dealte more fauourable with brute beasts then with reasonable creatures The filthy Sow when she is sicke eateth the Sea Crabbe and is immediately recured the Torteyse hauing tasted the Uiper sucketh Origanum and is quickly reuiued the Beare readye to pine lycketh vpp the Ants and is recouered the Dogge hauing surfetted to procure his vomitte eateth grasse and findeth remedy the Harte béeing pearced with the darte runneth out of hande to the hearbe Dictanum and is healed And can men by no hearb by no art by no way procure a remedye for the impatient disease of loue Ah well I perceiue that loue is not vnlyke the Figge trée whose fruite is swéete whose roote is more bitter then the
was neuer wished for héere so earnestly of any as of hymselfe whether it might bée to renewe his talke or to recant his sayinges I cannot tell But whilest hée was yet speakinge Ferardo entered whome they all duetifully welcomed home who rounding Philautus in the care desired hym to accompany him immediatly without farther pausinge protesting it shoulde bée as well for his preferment as for his owne profite Philautus consentinge Ferardo sayd to his daughter Lucilla the vrgent affaires I haue in hande wyll scarce suffer mée to tarrye wyth you one houre yet my retourne I hope will bée so short that my absence shall not bréede thy sorrowe In the meane season I commit all thinges into thy custody wishing thée to vse thy accustomable courtesie And séeinge I must take Philautus wyth mée I will bée so bolde to craue you gentleman his friende to supplye his roome desiring you to take this hastye warninge for a hartye welcome and so to spende this time of mine absence in honest mirth And thus I leaue you Philautus knewe well the cause of this sodayne departure which was to redéeme certeine landes that were morgaged in his Fathers time to the vse of Ferardo who on that condition had before time promysed him his daughter in marriage But retourne wée to Euphues Euphues was supprised with such increadible ioye at this straunge euent that hée had almost sounded for séeing his coryuall to be departed and Ferardo to gyue him so friendly entertainment doubted not in time to get the good wyll of Lucilla Whome findinge in place conuenient without company with a bolde courage and comely gesture he began to aâ—â—ay hir in this sort Gentlewoman my acquaintaunce béeing so little I am afraide my credâ—te will bee lesse for that they commonly are soonest beleeued that are bâ—st belâ—ued and they liked best whome we haue knowne longest neuerthelesse the noble minde suspecteth no guile wythout cause neither condemneth any wight wythout proofe hauing therefore notise of your heroycall heart I am the better perswaded of my good hap So it is Lucilla that coÌ„ming to Naples but to fetch fire as the by word is not to make my place of abode I haue founde such flames that I can neither quench them wyth the water of free will neyther coole them wyth wisedome For as the Hoppe the poale béeing neuer so hye groweth to the ende or as the drye Béeche kindled at the roote neuer leaueth vntill it come to the toppe or as one droppe of poyson disperseth it selfe into euerye vaine so affection hauinge caught holde of my hearte and the sparkles of loue kindled my liuer wyll sodeinely thoughe secretlye flame vp into my heade and spreade it selfe into euerye sinewe It is your beautie pardon my abrupte boldenesse Ladye that hath taken euery part of mée prisoner and brought me to this déepe distresse but séeinge women when one praiseth them for their desertes deeme that hée flattereth them to obteine his desire I am héere present to yelde my selfe to such tryall as your courtesie in this behalfe shall require Yet will you coÌ„monly obiect this to such as serue you sterue to winne your good wil that hot loue is soone colde that the Bauin though it bourne bright is but a blaze that scaldinge water if it stande a while tourneth almost to yse that pepper â—hough it be hot in the mouth is colde in the mawe that the faith of men though it frye in their woordes it fréeseth in theire works Which things Lucilla albeit they be sufficient to reproue the lightnesse of some one yet can it not conuince euery one of lewdenes neither ought the constancie of all to be brought in question through the subtiltie of a fewe For although the worme entereth almost into euery woode yet he eateth not the Ceder trée Though the stone Cylindrus at euery thunder clappe rowle from the hill yet the pure sâ—éeke stone mounteth at the noyse though the rust fret the hardest stéele yet doth it not eate into the Emeraulde though Polypus chaunge his hew yet the Salamander kéepeth his coulour though Proteus transforme himselfe into euery shape yet Pygmalion retaineth his olde forme though Aeneas were to fickle to Dido yet Troylus was to faithfull to Craessida thoughe others séeme counterfaite in their déedes yet Lucilla perswade your selfe that Euphues will bée alwayes curraunt in his dealinges But as the true golde is tryed by the touch the pure flinte by the stroke of the yron so the loyall heart of the faithfull louer is knowen by the tryall of his Lady of the which tryall Lucilla if you shall accompte Euphues worthy assure your selfe hée wyll bée as readie to offer himselfe a sacrifice for your swéet sake as your selfe shall bée willinge to employe hym in your seruice Neyther doth hee desire to bée trusted any way vntill he shall be tried euery way neither doth hée craue credite at the first but a good countenaunce til time his desire shall be made manifest by hys desertes Thus not blynded by lyght affection but dazeled with your rare perfection and boldened by your excéeding courtesie I haue vnfolded mine entire loue desiring you hauing so good leasure to giue so friendly an aunswere as I may receiue comforte and you commendacion Lucilla although she were contented to heare this desired discourse yet did shee seeme to bee somewhat displeased And truely I know not whether it bée peculyar to that sex to dissemble with those whome they most desire or whether by craft they haue learned outwardely to loath that which inwardely they most loue yet wisely did she cast this in hir head that if she should yéelde at the first assault he woulde thinke hir a lyght huswife if she should reiect him sâ—ornefully a very haggard minding therefore that hâ— shoulde neyther take holde of hir promise neyther vnkindenesse of hir precisenesse she fedde him indifferently with hope and dispayre reason and affection lyfe and death Yet in the ende arguing wittilly vpon certeine questions they fell to suche agréement as poore Philautus woulde not haue agréed vnto if hée had bene present yet alwayes kéepinge the body vndefiled And thus shée replyed GEntleman as you may suspecte me of Idelnesse in giuing eare to your talke so may you conuince me of lyghtenesse in answering such toyes certes as you haue made mine eares glowe at the rehearsall of your loue so haue you galled my hart with the remembrance of your folly Though you came to Naples as a straunger yet were you welcome to my fathers house as a friend And can you then so much transgresse the bounds of honour I will not say of honestie as to solicite a sute more sharpe to me then deathe I haue hetherto God bethancked liued wythout suspition of lewdenesse and shall I nowe incurre the daunger of sensuall lybertie What hope can you haue to obtayne my loue seeing yet I coulde neuer affoord you a good looke Doe you therefore thinke me easely entised to the bent of your