conueigh her in at some backe windowe of her fathers house, a sute of mannes apparell: wherin the next daie in the after noone, her father & mother beyng abroad, she should shift herself, and so come her waies vnknowne of any, to suche a place where he himself would be ready awaiting for her, and so conueigh her home to his owne house. This deuise Emelia liked passyng well, and accordyng as it was appoincted, the next euening Flanius cōueighed this sute of apparell in at the windowe, where Emelia was ready to receiue it, and laiyng it vp in safetie, til the next daie in the after noone, her father and her mother beyng bothe forthe of dores, she quickly shifted her self, into this manes apparell, and thus forth of dores she goes to her appointed place, where Flanius was staiyng, who accordyng to promise, conueighed her home to his owne house.

This matter was not so closely handeled by Emelia, but she was espied by one of her Fathers seruauntes, who beeyng on the backside through a Windowe, sawe her how she was stripping of her self, and marked how she put on the mannes apparell, whereat the yong fellowe had greate meruaile, and stoode still beholdyng to see what would fall out in the ende. But whẽ he sawe her goe forthe a dores, he hastened after into the streate: But Emelia was so sodainly gone, that for his life he wist not whiche waies to seeke after her, wherfore in a wōderfull haste, he came to his Maister, whom he founde in the Citee, in the companie of Philotus, saiyng: Oh sir, I haue verie euill newes to tell you, what is the matter (q. his maister) is any thyng a misse at home: Yea sir (q. the seruaunte) your daughter Emelia is euen now departed into the citee, in the habite of a man: But whiche waies she wente, I could not for my life deuise, for after she gat once forthe of the place where she shifter her, I could neuer more set eye of her.

Is Emelia gone (quoth her louer Philotus) Oh God, what euill newes bee these that I heare: And without any further staie, bothe the Father and the Louer, gat them out at the doores together, and aboute the streates thei runne like a couple of madde men.

Now it fell out, that Philerno the Sonne of Alberto, and Brother to

Emelia, whom you haue heard before, was lefte at Naples, beeyng an Infante, and had remained there till this tyme at Schoole, and at this verie instaunte was come from Naples to Rome, to visite his Father and Mother, of whom he had no maner of knowledge, otherwise then by their names. And it fortuned that Alberto and Philotus, happened to meete with Philerno in the streates, who was so like his sister Emelia, that bothe Alberto and Philotus, assured themselues, that it could bee no other but she. Wherefore Alberto commyng to hym, saied: staie, staie, moste shamelesse and vngracious Girle, doest thou thinke that by thy disguising of thy self, in this maner, thou canst escape vnknowne to me, who am thy Father, Ah vile strumpet that thou art what punishement is sufficient for the filthinesse of thy facte: And with this he seemed, as though he would haue fline vpon her in the streate, to haue beate her: but Philotus thruste in betweene them, and desired his neighbour to staie hymself, and then imbracyng Philerno in his armes, he saied: Ah Emelia my sweete and louing wenche, how canste thou so vnkindelie forsake thy Philotus, whose tender loue towardes thee is suche, that as I will not let to make thee soueraigne of my self, so thou shalt be Dame and Mistresse of all that euer I haue, assuryng thee, that thou shalt neuer want for Golde, Gemmes, Jewelles, suche as bee fit and conuenient for thy degree.

Philerno seeyng a couple of old dotyng foole thus clusteryng aboute hym, not knowyng what thei were: had thought at the first, thei had been out of their wittes, but in the ende by their woordes, perceiuyng a farther circumstance in the matter, he deuised some thyng for his owne disporte, to feede them a little with their owne follie, saied: Pardon me I beseeche you this my greeuous offence, wherein I knowe I haue too farre straied from the limites and boundes of modestie, protestyng hereafter so to gouerne my self, that there shall bee no sufficient cause, whereby to accuse me of suche vnmaidenlike partes, and will euer remaine with suche duetie and obediece, as I trust shall not deserue but to be liked duryng life.

Philotus hauyng heard this pitifull reconciliation, made by his Emelia,

verie gently entreated her father, in her behalf, well (q. her father) seeyng you will needes haue me to forgiue this her leudnesse, at your requeste I am contented to pardon her, and then speakyng to Philerno, he saied:

How saie you houswife, is your stomacke yet come doune, are you contented to take Philotus for your Housebande, yea my good Father (q. Philerno) and that with all my harte, Oh happie newes (q. Philotus) and here withall he began to sette his cappe on the one side, and to turne up his muschatoes, and fell to wipyng of his mouthe, as though he would haue falne a kissyng of her by and by in the streates, but remebryng hym self where he was, he brought Alberto with Philerno, into a freendes house, that was of his familiare acquaintaunce, and there the Marriage betweene theim was throughlie concluded, and all parties seemyng to giue their full consentes. Philotus desired his father in Lawe, that he might haue the custodie of Emelia, swearing by his old honestie, that he would not otherwise vse her, then his owne Daughter Brisilla, vntill the daie of his Nuptials, and then to vse her as his wife: to which request Alberto seemed verie willynglie to giue consent but then because Philotus would not carrie his beloued, through the streates in her mannes apparell, he desired his Father in Lawe to goe home, and sende some sute of her apparell, wherwith to shift her, before he would carrie her to his owne house. Alberto seyng matters so throughly concluded, toke his leaue of theim bothe, and goyng his waies home, he caused all his Daughters apparell to be looked together, and to bee sent to the place where Philotus was remaining with Philerno, who taking forthe suche as should serue the tourne for that present, Philerno so well as he could arraied hymself, in one of his sisters sutes of apparell, and thus departed with Philotus to his owne house, where Philotus callyng his daughter Brisilla, he saied vnto her, beholde here the partie, whom I haue chosen to bee your Mother, chargyng you of my blessyng, that you honour, reuerence, and obeie her, and with all diligence that you be attendaunt vpon her, and readie at an ynche to prouide her of any thing, that she shall either want or call for. And you my deare and louyng Emelia, I dooe here ordaine and

appoincte you to bee Mistresse of this house, and of all that is in it, desiryng you to accepte of this my Daughter, to doe you seruice in the daie time, and in the night to vouchsafe her for your bedfellowe, vntill our daie of Marriage bee prefixed, and then my self will supplie the rome. Philerno seyng the excellent beautie of Brisilla, was nothyng sorie to haue suche a bedfellowe, but thought euery hower a daie, till night was come, whiche beyng approched, to bedde thei went, where Philerno did not thinke it his readiest waie to giue any sodaine attempte, but therefore he brake into this discourse followyng.

My Brisilla, were it not but that wee bee founde parciall in the causes of our frendes, but especially where the causes doe touche our parentes, our iudgementes be so blinded by affection, that we can neither see, nor well confesse a manifest truth: but if matters might be considered on, without respect of persones with indifference, and accordyng to the truthe and equitie of the cause: I durst then put my self in your arbitremente my Brisilla, and to abide your sentence, whereto I doubte not, but you would confesse the preiudice I sustaine, it is muche intollerable, and almoste impossible, for a yong maide to endure, and the rather, if you would measure my condition, by your owne estate, who beeyng as you see, a yong maiden like your self, and should be thus constrained by my freendes, to the mariyng of your father, whom I doe confesse to bee worthie of a better wife then my self. But consideryng the inequalitie of our yeres, I cannot for my life, frame my self to loue him, and yet I am forced against my will to Marrie hym, and am appointed to be your mother: that am more meete to be your cōpanion and plaie fellowe. But that affiaunce whiche I haue conceiued in your good Nature, hath made me thus boldly to speake unto you, desiryng but to heare your opinion with indifferencie, whether you thinke I haue good cause to cōplain or naie: and then peraduenture I will saie farther vnto you, in a matter that doeth concerne your owne behoofe.

Brisilla hearyng this pitifull complaint, verie sorrowfull in her behalfe, saied: would to God I were as well able to minister releef vnto your dis

tresse, accordyng to your owne contentment, as I am hartely sorie to consider your greef, and do well perceiue the iuste occasion you haue to complaine.

Ah my Brisilla, saied Philerno, I am as hartely sorie in your behalf, and peraduenture doe vnderstande somethyng, whiche your self dooe not yet knowe of, whiche will greeue you verie sore. But first Brisilla, let me aske you this question, dooe you knowe my father, or naie.

No sure (quoth Brisilla) I haue no maner of knowledge of hym, neither did I knowe, whether you had any father aliue, or naie, but now by your owne reporte, and as straunge it was to me, to heare the wordes, whiche my Father vsed to me this daie, when he brought you home, for that I neuer vnderstoode before, that he went about a wife.

Philerno was verie glad to heare these newes, because it serued so muche the better for his purpose: and therefore saied as followeth.

This tale that I minde to tell you (my Brisilla) will seeme more straunge then all the reste, and yet assure your self, it is nothyng so straunge as true, and therefore giue eare to that I mynde to saie: Doe you not thinke it verie straunge in deede, that the one of vs should bee made bothe mother and daughter to the other, and that our fathers, whiche be now so diescrepit and olde, should bee so ouer haled, with the furie of their fonde and vnbrideled affections, that to serue their owne appetites, thei force not with what clogges of care, thei comber vs that be their louyng daughters, but haue concluded betwene them selues a crosse Marriage, and so in deede it maie well be tearmed, that will fall out so ouerthwarte to our behoofes, who beyng now in our yong and tender yeres, and should bothe of vs bee made the dearlynges of twoo old men, that seekes to preferre their owne lust, before their childrens loue, and measure their fierie flames of youth, by the ded coles of age, as though thei were able with their cold and rare imbracementes, to delaie the forces of the fleshe, whose flames doeth excede in these our grene and tender yeres, and as muche possible for vs to cōtinue in likyng, as flowers are seen to agree with Froste, but in plaine tearmes (my Brisilla)