out of the house, ne ceased to weepe and lamente the hard fortune whereinto their family was lyke to fall by that new mischaunce: “Alas,” said the fayre curteous damsel, “will the heauens never be appeased but continually extend their wrathe vpon our deplored family, and shal our missehaps neuer cease? Had it not bene more tollerable for our consumed bloude, that the dissentions past, had been tried by dent of sword, than to see the present innocency of the young Gentleman my brother in daunger to be innocently accused and put to death, through the vniustice of those, which beare mortal malice to noble bloud, and glory in depryuation of the whole remembrance of the same? O dampnable state that muste hale the guiltlesse to the gibet and irreuocable sentence of those iudges remaining in a city, which men cal free, albeit a confused multitude hath the vpper hande, and may so bee, that Nature hath produced them to treade vnder foote noble Wightes for their Offences. Ah dear Brother, I see well what is the cause. If thou hadst not that lytle lordshyp in the Countrey, and Pryncely House in the City, no man would haue enuied thine estate, or could haue charged thee with any Crime, which I would to God, thou hadst not onely enterprysed, but also broughte to passe, to the intent thou mightest haue ben reuenged of the wrong which these cankred Carles ordinarily do vnto my Noble bloud. But what reason is it that marchants and artificers, or the sonnes of villaines should rule a common Wealth? O happy Countreis where kings giue Lawes, and Princes see by proued sight, those persons which resemble them, and in their places beare the sway. And O unhappy wee, that be the slaues of a waiwarde state, peruerted by corruption. Why dyd our predecessors minde to stablysh any lyberty at al, to thrust the same into the confused gouernment of the commons of our Countrey? We haue stil the Frenchman at our tayle, or the people of our highest Bishop, or else those crafty Florentines, we be the common pray of al those that list to follow the haunt, and that which is our extreamest misery, we make oure selues the very slaues of them that of right ought to be reputed the vilest amongs us al. Ah deare Brother, that thy wretched tyme is come, the onely hope of our decayed family. Thou hadest neuer bene committed to Warde, had not thy false assured foes bene assure of witnesse to condempne thee. Ah that my life mighte raunsome thine, and redeme agayn thyne estate and succor, thou shouldest be sure that forthwith Angelica would prepare hirself to bee the pray of those hungry rauenyng Wolues, which bleat and bellow after thy Lands and Lyfe.” Whyle this fayre Damsell of Siena in this sort dyd torment hir self, poore Montanine, seeinge that he was brought to the last extremity of his desired hope, as eche man naturally doth seke meanes to prolong his lyfe, knowing that all other help fayled for hys delyueraunce except he sold his