I say courage, and beholde him heere which humbly praieth you to receiue him for your lawfull husband, and who sweareth vnto you all sutch amitye and reuerence that husband oweth to hys loyall spouse.” “Ah, syr Counte,” sayd she, “and what wyll the Marquize say, vnto whom I haue wholly referred my self for mariage? shal not she haue iust occasion to frowne vppon mee, and frowardly to vse me for little respect I beare vnto hir? God be my witnesse if I would not that Gonzaga had neuer come into this countrey: for although I loue him not, yet I haue almost made him a promyse, which I can not kepe.” “And sith there is nothing don,” (said the Sauoy Lord) “what nede you to torment your selfe? wyl the Marquize wrecke hir tyrannie ouer the will of hir subiectes, and force Ladyes of hir Lande to marie againste their luste? I thinke that so wyse a princesse, and so well nurtured, will not so far forget hir self, as to straine that which God hath left at lyberty to euerye wight: promise me onely maryage and leaue me to deale wyth the rest: other thynges shalbe wel prouided for.” Bianca Maria vanquished with that importunity, and fearing againe to fal into seruytude, hoping that the Counte would mainteine sutch liberty as he had assured, agreed vnto hym and plyghted vnto him her faithe, and for the tyme vsed mutuall promises by wordes respectiuely one to another: and the better to confirme the fact, and to let the knotte from breakyng, they bedded themselues togethers. The Counte very ioyfull for that encountre, yelded sutch good beginning by his countenance, and by Famyliar and continuall haunte with Bianca Maria, as shortly after the matter was knowen and came to the Marquesse eares, that the Daughter of Scappardone had maryed the Counte of Celant. The good lady albeit that shee was wroth beyond measure, and willingly would haue ben reuenged vpon the bride, yet hauing respect to the Counte, which was a noble man of great authority, swallowed down that pille wythout chewing, and prayed the Lord Gonzaga not to be offended, who seing the light behauiour of the Ladie, laughed at the matter, and praysed God for that the thing was so wel broken off: and he did foresee already what issue that Comedye would haue, beynge very famylyar for certayne Dayes in the House of Bianca Maria. Thys maryage then was publyshed, and the solempnity of the Nuptyals were done very pryncely, accordyng to the Nobylity of hym whych had maryed hir: but the augurie and presage was heauy, and the melancholike face of the season (which was obscured and darkened about the time they should go to church) declared that the mirth and ioy should not long continue in the house of the counte, according to the common saying: _He that loketh not before he leapeth, may chaunce to stumble before he sleepeth_. For the lord of Celant being retird home to his valeys of the Sauoy mountains, began to loke about his businesse, and perceiued that his wife surpassed