vs, by making our humble supplication to your Maiesties. Neuerthelesse, so farre as my feeble force shall stretch, I will assay to do both the one and the other, although it be not appropriate to our kinde in publike place to declayme, nor yet to open sutch bold attempts, but that necessity of matter and oportunity of time, and place dothe bolden vs to enter into these termes, whereof we craue a thousand pardons for our vnkindely dealings, and render double thanks to your honours, for admitting vs to speake. Be it knowne therefore vnto you, that our husbands agaynst duety of loue, lawes of mariage, and against all reason, do make their heauy complaynts, which by and by I will make playne and euident. I am right well assured, that their extreme rage and bitter hearts sorrow do proceede of 2 occasions: The one, of the murder whereof they haue falsely accused theymselues: the other of iealousie, which grieuously doth gnawe their hearts, thinking vs to be vile, and abhominable Women, because they were surprised in ech other’s Chaumber. Concerning the murder, if they haue soyled their handes therein, it appertayneth vnto you my Lords to render their desert. But how can the same be layd to our charge, for somutch as they (if it were done by them) committed the same without our knowledge, our help and counsel? And truly I see no cause why any of vs ought to be burdened with the outrage, and mutch lesse cause haue they to laye the same to our charge: for meete it is that he that doth any vnlawful act, or is accessary to the same, should suffer the due penalty and seuere chastisement accordingly as the sacred lawes do prescribe, to be an example for other to abstayne from wicked facts. But hereof what neede I to dispute, wherein the blind may see to bee none offence, because (thankes bee to GOD) Mayster Aloisio liueth, which declareth the fonde Confession of our vngentil husbandes to bee contrary to trouth? And if so be our husbands in deede had done sutch an abhominable enterprise, reason and duety had moued vs to sorrowe and lament them, because they be borne of noble bloud, and be gentlemen of this noble Citty, which like a pure virgin inuiolably doth conserue hir lawes and customes. Great cause I say, had we to lament them, if lyke homicides, and murderers they had spotted their bloud with sutch fowle bleamish thereby deseruing death, to leaue vs yong Women Widowes in wofull plight. Nowe it behoueth me to speake of the Iealousie they haue conceyued of vs, for that they were in ech other’s Chamber, which truly is the doubtfull knot and scruple that forceth all their disdaine and griefe. This I knowe well is the Nayle that pierceth their heart: other cause of offence they haue not: who like men not well aduised, without examination of vs and our demeanour, bee fallen into despayre, and like men desperate, haue wrongfully accused themselues: but because I may not consume words in vayne, to stay you by my long discourse