O goddesse mine, yet heare my voyce of ruthe, And pitie him that heart presents to thee: And if thou want a witnesse for my truth Let sighes and teares my iudge and record be, Vnto the ende a day may come in hast, To make me thinke I spend no time in waste. For nought preuayles in loue to serue and sue If full effect ioyne not with words at neede, What is desire or any fansies newe More than the winde? that spreades abroade in deede, My words and works, shall both in one agree, To pleasure hir, whose Seruaunt would I bee. The subtill Dames receiuing those amorous letters and song, disdanfully at the first seemed to take them at the bringers hands, as they had determined, yet afterwardes they shewed better countenaunce. These letters were tossed from one to an other, whereat they made great pastime, and thought that the same would come to very good successe, eyther of theym keepinge styll their Husbande’s Letter, and agreed without iniury done one to an other trimly to deceyue their husbands. The maner how you shall perceyue anone. They deuised to send word to their Louers, that they were ready at al times to satisfie their sutes, if the same might be secretly done, and safely might make repayre vnto their houses, when their Husbands were absent, which in any wise they sayde, must be done in the night, for feare least in the day tyme they were discried. Agayne these prouident and subtill Women had taken order wyth their Maydes, whom they made priuy to their practyse that through their Gardens they should enter into other’s house, and bee shut in their Chambers without Lyght, there to tary for their Husbands, and by any meanes not to bee seene or knowne. This order prescribed and giuen, Mistresse Lucia first did hir louer to vnderstand, that the night insuing at foure of the Clock at the Posterne dore, which should be left open, he should come into hir house, where hir mayde should be ready to bring him vp to hir Chaumbre, because hir husband Maister Girolamo woulde that Night imbarke himselfe to goe to Padua. The like Mistresse Isotta did to Maister Girolamo, appointing him at fiue of the clock, whych she sayd was a very conuenient time, bicause mayster Anselmo that night would sup and lye with certayne of his Fryends at Murano, a place besides Venice. Vpon these newes, the 2 Louers thought them selues the most valiaunt and fortunate of the World, no Enterprise now there was but seemed easie for them to bring to passe, yea if it were to expell the Saracens out of Hierusalem, or to depriue the great Turke of his Kingdome of Constantinople. Their ioy was sutch, as they coulde not tell where they were, thinking euery houre a whole day till night. At length the tyme was come so long desired, and the Husbandes accordingly gaue diligent attendaunce, and let their Wyues to vnderstande, (or at least wyse beleeued they had) that they could not come home that night for matters of great importaunce.