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APPENDIX;

CONTAINING

BARNABY RICH'S TALE

OF

PHYLOTUS AND EMELIA.

OF

PHYLOTUS AND EMELIA.

[THE ARGUMENT OF THE VIII HISTORIE. ¶ Philotus, an old and auncient Citizen of Rome, falleth in love with Emelia, a yong and beautifull virgin the Daughter of Alberto, who knowing the wonderfull wealth of Phylotus, would have forced his daughter to have married him; but in the ende was pretelie deceived by Phylerno, the brother of Emelia, who married with Phylotus in his sisters stead, and other prety actions that fell out by the waye.

Ir hath many times bin had in question, and yet could neuer be decided from whence this passion of extreame loue doth proceed, whose furie is such where it once taketh possession, that (as they say) loue is without law, so it maketh the Pacientes to be as utterly void of reason, but in my opinion the selfe same thing, which is many times shadowed under the title of loue, may more properly be termed, and called by the name of lust, but be it loue, or be it lust, the difference is nothing so much as the humour that feedes it, is wonderfull strange, and hath no maner of certainty in it, excepting this, it is without parciality, for commonly when it driueth us to effect, it is done without any maner of respect, for some time it maketh us to linger after our friends, sometimes to languish after our foes, yea, betweene whom there hath bin had mortall hostility: the sonne hath bin seene to fall in loue with the wife of his Father, the Father againe in like manner with the wife of his sonne, the King hath bin attached with the poore and needie begger, the poore againe in lyking with those of high degree, yea and though there haue bin many which

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haue] seen their owne errour, and there withall haue confessed their abuse, yet thei haue not bin able to refraine themselues, from prosecuting their follie to the ende, and all be it, reason proffereth us sondrie sufficient causes, why we ought to refraine the appetite of our own desires, yet fancie then is he that striketh suche a stroke, that reasons rules can naught at all preuaile, and like as those whom loue hath once intangled, the more thei striue the farther thei bee tied, so it is vnpossible that loue should be constrained, where affection breedes not likyng, nor fancy is not fed, but where these two hath once ioyned in election, all other affects be so dimme and blinded, that euery vice seemeth to vs a vertue, whereof springeth this Prouerbe, In loue there is no lacke, so that in deede to saie the truth, if there be any pietie to be imputed to this ragyng loue, it is in that it is not parciall, nor hath it any respect of persons, but bee thei frendes, be thei foes, be thei riche, be thei poore, be thei young, be thei olde, bee thei wise, bee thei foolishe, loue is still indifferent, and respecteth all a like: but if any man will thinke that in respect of beautie, wee esteeme not all the rest: I am able to saie it is not true, consideryng how many haue forsaken the better likyng, and haue chosen the worse, so that for my parte the more I consider of it, the more I am amazed, and therefore will beate [my braines no more about it, but leave it to the credit of such as have bin louers themselves, whose skil in the matter I preferre before mine owne, and will come to my Historie of Phylotus, who being an aged man, fell in loue with a yong maiden, farre unfitting to his yeares, and followeth in this sort.

In the gallant citty of Naples, there was remaining a young man, called by the name of Alberto. This Alberto beeing married not fully out a yeere, his wife was deliuered of a Sonne whom he named Phylerno, and upon diuers considerations, minding to chaunge his habitiation, he prepared himselfe to goe dwell at Rome, and first taking order for his sonne Phylerno, who for the tendernesse of his age he left still in Naples at nurse, himselfe, his wife, with all the reste of his household came to Rome, where he had not long remained,] but his wife was likewise deliuered of a daughter, whom he called by the name of Emelia, who as she grewe in yeares, she likewise proued to bee

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