for your owne, and to fauor me as sutch one, whych with all fidelity hopeth to passe hys time in your company.” The Countesse although she knew ful wel that the fire was not so liuely kindled in the stomacke of the Counte as hee wente aboute to make hir beleue, and that his wordes were to eloquent, and countenance to ioyfull for so earnest a louer as hee semed to be, at thys first incountry: yet for that he was a valiant Gentleman, yong, lusty, and strongly made, minded to retaine him, and for a tyme to staye hir stomacke by appeasying hir gluttonous appetite in matters of loue, with a morsell so dainty, as was thys Mynion and lustye young Lorde: and when the Courage of hym began to coole, another shoulde enter the listes. And therefore she aunswered hym in thys wise: “Although I (knowying the vse and manners of men, and with what Baits they Hoke for Ladies, if they take not heede, hauing proued their malice and little loue,) determined neuer to loue other than mine affection, ne yet to fauoure Man excepte it bee by shewyng some Familiar manner to heare theyr talke, and for pastime to hearken the braue requests of those which say they burne for loue, in the mids of some delyghtsome brooke. And albeit I think you no better than other bee, ne more fayhfully, more affectyonate, or otherwyse moued than the rest, yet I am contente for respecte of youre honoure, somewhat to beeleue you and to accepte you for myne owne, sith your dyscretyon is sutch (I truste) as so Noble a Gentleman as you bee, wyll hym selfe declare in those Affayres, and when I see the effecte of my hope succeede, I cannot be so vnkynde, but wyth all honesty shall assaye to satisfy that your loue.” The Countee seeing hir alone, and receyuing the Ladie’s language for his aduantage, and that hir countenance by alteration of hir minde did ad a certayne beauty to hir face, and perceyuing a desire in hir that he should not vse delay, or be to squeimish, she demaunding naught else but execucion, tooke the present offred time, forgetting all ceremonies, and reuerence, he embraced hir and kissed hir a Hundred Thousande tymes. And albeit shee made a certayne simple and prouoking resistance, yet the louer notinge them to be but preparatiues for the sport of loue, he strayed from the bounds of honesty, and threw her vppon a fielde Bed wythin the Chambre, where hee solaced hymselfe wyth hys long desired suite. And finding hir worthy to be beloued, and she him a curteous gentleman, consulted together for continuaunce of their amity, in sutch wise as the Lorde Ardizzino spake no more but by the mouth of Bianca Maria, and dyd nothynge but what she commaunded, being so bewrapped wyth the heauy Mantell of hir Beastly Loue, as hee still abode nyght and day in the house of his beloued: whereby the brute was noysed throughout the Citty, and the songes of their Loue more common in ech Citizen’s mouth, than Stanze or Sonnettes of Petrarch, Played and Fayned vpon the