There dwelled at =Rome= a woman named =Paulina=, no lesse renoumed for honestie of life, than for the nobilitie of parentage: She was also very rich and excéeding beautful, as one that was now in the floure of her age, and especially adorned with the great vertue of chastitie, and married she was to one =Saturnius=, a man worthie of such a wife. It chaunced that =Decius Mundus=, a famous yoong knight, became very much enamored with her: and because she was a woman of greater wealth than that she might be won with rewardes and money, so much the more was this louers madnesse inflamed, in so much that he stuck not to proffer her for one night .200000. groates. The Atticke groat and the Romain peny are by common valuation all one. =Budeus= accounteth one of them worth 8. Crusados: so this summe according to his reckoning, amounteth to 26000. Florens. [Sidenote: Ruffinus.] And yet not being able by these means to moue her constant mind, bicause he could not endure the rage of his loue, he determined, by abstinence and hunger to make an ende both of life and loue togither. This determination was not vnknowne to =Ide=, =Mundus= Fathers bondseruaunt, a maide cunning in many artes, but such as were not to be liked. She maruellously gréeued with the yoong mans wilfulnesse in absteining frō meat, talking with him, by swéete and flattring words began to encourage him, assuring him that she would bring to passe, that he should at his pleasure embrace =Paulina=. After that he had gladly condiscended to her entreatie, she telleth him she must néedes haue fiftie thousand groates to ouerthrow the Gentlewomans chastitie. So putting the yoong man in good hope, and receiuing as much mony as she required, because she wel knew =Paulina= could not be wonne with mony, she deuiseth a new way to deceiue her. Vnderstanding therefore that she was maruellously addicted to the worshipping of =Isis=, she inuenteth these meanes: She talketh with some of =Isis= Priests, and hauing receiued sure promise of them to kéepe all things secrete, and (which is most effectuall) hauing shewed their reward, promising presently 25000. groates, and when they had done the déed, other 25000. she openeth vnto them the yoong mans loue, beséeching them to helpe by al means possible, that shée might enioy the same. They touched at the heart with desire of the mony, gently promised their helpe. Wherefore the eldest of them spéedily goeth to =Paulina=, and being admitted to her spéech, after hee had obtained to talke with her in secrete, he declareth that he is come vnto her being sent by the great God =Anubis= (this =Anubis= hauing a head lyke to a Dogge, was worshipped togither in one Temple with =Isis=) who is maruellously in loue with her beautie, and doth commaund her to repaire vnto him. She ioyfully receiued the message, and forthwith vaunteth among her familiar acquaintaunce, that the God =Anubis= hath vouchsafed to loue her: And shée telleth her husband, that shée