Thys Fryer Laurence, of whom hereafter wee shall make more ample mention, was an auncient Doctor of Diuinity, of the order of the Fryers Minors, who besides the happy profession which he had made in study of holy writ, was very skilful in Philosophy, and a great searcher of nature’s Secrets, and exceeding famous in Magike knowledge, and other hidden and secret sciences, which nothing diminished his reputation, bicause hee did not abuse the same. And this Frier through his vertue and piety, had so well won the citizens hearts of Verona, as he was almost the Confessor to them all, and of all men generally reuerenced and beloued: and many tymes for his great prudence was called by the lords of the Citty, to the hearing of their weighty causes. And amonges other he was greatly fauored by the Lorde of Escale, that tyme the principall gouernor of Verona, and of all the Family of Montesches, and of the Capellets, and of many other. The young Rhomeo (as we haue already declared) from his tender age, bare a certayne particuler amity to Frier Laurence, and departed to him his secrets, by meanes whereof so soone as he was gone from Iulietta, went strayght to the Fryers Franciscians, where from poinct to poinct he discoursed the successe of his loue to that good father, and the conclusion of mariage betwene him and Iulietta, adding vpon the ende of talke, that hee woulde rather choose shamefull death, than to fayle hir of his promise. To whom the good Frier after he had debated diuers matters, and proposed al the inconueniences of that secret mariage, exhorted hym to more mature deliberation of the same: notwithstandinge, all the alleged persuasions were not able to reuoke his promyse. Wherefore the Frier vanquished with his stubbornesse, and also forecasting in his mynde that the mariage might be some meanes of reconciliation of those two houses, in th’end agreed to his request, intreating him, that he myght haue one dayes respit for leysure to excogitate what was best to be done. But if Rhomeo for his part was carefull to prouide for his affayres, Iulietta lykewise did her indeuour. For seeing that shee had none about her to whom she might discouer her passions, shee deuised to impart the whole to hir Nurse which lay in her Chamber, appoyncted to wayte vppon hir, to whom she committed the intier secrets of the loue between Rhomeo and hir. And although the olde Woman in the beginninge resisted Iulietta hir intent, yet in the ende she knew so wel how to persuade and win hir, that she promised in all that she was able to do, to be at hir commaundement. And then she sent hir with all diligence to speake to Rhomeo, and to know of him by what meanes they might be maried, and that he would do hir to vnderstand the determination betwene Fryer Laurence and him. Whom Rhomeo aunswered, how the first day wherein he had informed Fryer Laurence of the matter, the sayde Fryer deferred aunswere vntil the next, which was the very same, and that it was not past one