thereupon, brought the poore Gentleman to great sorrow and heauinesse. The Lady that was young, wise and discrete, marking the maner of hir husband, feared that he had some misliking of hir. Wherefore vpon a day she thus sayd vnto hym: “Dere husband, willingly would I desire a good turne at your hand, if I wist I should not displease you.” “Demaund what you will,” (said the knighte) “if I can, I shall gladly performe it, bicause I do esteeme your satisfaction, as I do mine owne lyfe.” Then the Lady very sobrely praied him, that he would open vnto hir the cause of that discontentment, which hee shewed outwardly to haue, for that his mynd and behauiour seemed to bee contrary to ordinary Custome, and contriued Daye and Nyghte in sighes, auoydinge the Company of them that were wont specially to delyght him. The Knight hearing his Ladyes request, paused a whyle, and then sayd vnto hir: “My wel beloued Wyfe, for so mutch as you desyre to vnderstand my thoughte and mynde, and whereof it commeth that I am sad and pensife, I wyll tell you: all the Heauinesse wherewith you see me to be affected, doth tend to this end. Fayne would I deuyse that you and I may in honour lyue together, accordyng to our calling. For in respect of our Parentage, our Liuelode is very slender, the occasion whereof were our Parents, who morgaged their Lands, and consumed a great part of their goods that our Auncestors lefte them. I dayly thynking hereupon, and conceiuyng in my head dyuers Imaginations, can deuise no meanes but one, that in my fansie seemeth best, which is, that I go to the Court of our soueraine lord Mathie who at this present is inferring Warres vpon the Turk, at whose hands I do not mistrust to receyue good intertainment, beynge a most Lyberal Prynce, and one that esteemeth al sutch as be valiant and actiue. And I for my parte wyll so gouerne my selfe (by God’s grace) that by deserte I wyll procure sutch lyuing and fauour as hereafter we may lyue in oure Olde Dayes a quyet Lyfe to oure great stay and comforte: For althoughe Fortune hitherto hath not fauored that state of Parentage, whereof we be, I doubt not wyth Noble Courage to win that in despyte of Fortune’s Teeth, which obstinately hitherto she hath denyed. And the more assured am I of thys determination, bycause at other tymes, I haue serued vnder the Vaiuoda in Transiluania, agaynst the Turke, where many tymes I haue bene requyred to serue also in the Courte, by that honourable Gentleman, the Counte of Cilia. But when I dyd consider the beloued Company of you (deare Wyfe) the swetest Companyon that euer Wyght possessed, I thought it vnpossible for me to forbeare your presence, whych yf I should doe, I were worthy to sustayne that dishonour, which a great number of carelesse Gentlemen doe, who following their pryuate gayne and Wyll, abandon theyr young and fayre Wyues, neglectinge the fyre which Nature hath instilled to the delycate bodies of sutch tender Creatures. Fearing therewythall, that so soone as I