“Now in regard, that you neuer had any, and myselfe (for my part) haue
but onely one, I stand not exempt from those lawes which are common to
other mothers. And being compelled to obey the power of those lawes,
contrary to mine owne will, and those duties which reason ought to
maintaine, I am to request a gift of you, which I am certaine that
you doe make most precious account of, as in manly equity you can doe
no lesse. For fortune hath bin so extreamly adverse to you, that she
hath robbed you of all other pleasures, allowing you no comfort or
delight, but only that poore one, which is your faire faulcone. Of
which bird, my sonne is become so strangely desirous, as if I doe not
bring it to him at my comming home, I feare so much the extreamity of
his sicknesse, as nothing can ensue thereon but the losse of life.
Wherefore, I beseech you, not in regard to the love you have borne me,
for therby you stande no way obliged, but in your owne true gentle
nature (the which hath always declared itselfe ready in you, to do more
kinde offices generally than any other gentleman that I know), you will
be pleased to giue her me, or at least, let me buy her of you. Which if
you doe, I shall freely confesse that onely by your means my sonne’s
life is saued, and we both shall for ever remaine engaged to you.”
When Frederigo had heard the ladies request, which was now quite out
of his power to graunt, because it had bene her service at dinner, he
stood like a man dulled in his sences, the teares trickling amain downe
his cheekes, and he not able to vtter one word. Which she perceiving
began to conjecture immediately, that these tears and passions
proceeded rather from greefe of minde, as being loather to part with
his faulcone then any other kinde of manner, which made her ready to
say that she would not haue it. Neuerthelesss she did not speake but
rather tarried to attend his answer; which, after some small respite
and pause, he returned in this manner:
“Madam, since the houre when first my affection became soly deuoted
to your seruice, fortune hath bene crosse and contrary to me in many
occasions, as iustly, and in good reason I may complaine of her:
yet all seemed light and easie to be indured in comparison of her
present malicious contradiction, to my vtter ouerthrow, and perpetual
mollestation. Considering that you are come hither to my poore house,
which (while I was rich and able) you would not so much as vouchsafe
to looke on; and now you haue requested a small matter of me wherein
she hath also crookedly thwarted me, because she hath disabled me in
bestowing so mean a gift, as your selfe will confesse when it shall be
related to you in a few words.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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