the Virgins chastity is a dangerous Treasure, I wyll be mindfull of the same to your contentation, and she matched in sutch wyse, as she shall thynke the tyme hitherto well delayed. In the meane while marke dylygently whyther she bee in loue wyth any, to the end that we haue not so greate regarde to goodes, or the Nobylity of the house wherein we meane to bestow hir, as to the Lyfe and Health of our Daughter who is to me so deare as I had rather die a Begger without Landes or goods, than to bestow hir vpon one which shall vse and intreat hir il.” Certayne dayes after that the Lorde Antonio had bruted the maryage of his daughter, many Gentlemen were suters, so wel for the excellency of hir Beauty, as for hir great Rychesse and reuenue. But aboue all others the alyaunce of a young Earle named Paris, the Counte of Lodronne, lyked the Lord Antonio: vnto whom lyberally he gaue his consent, and told his Wyfe the party vppon whom he dyd mean to bestow his Daughter. The mother very ioyful that they had found so honest a Gentleman for theyr Daughter, caused hir secretly to be called before hir, doyng hir to vnderstande what things had passed betwen hir father and the Counte Paris, discoursing vnto hir the beauty and good grace of the yong Counte, the vertues for which he was commended of al men, ioyning therevnto for conclusion the great richesse and fauor which he had in the goods of fortune, by means whereof she and hir Fryends should liue in eternal honor: but Iulietta which had rather to haue ben torne in pieces than to agree to that maryage, answered hir mother with a more than accustomed stoutnesse: “Madame, I mutch maruel, and therewithal am astonned that you being a Ladye discrete and honorable, wil be so liberal ouer your Daughter as to commit hir to the pleasure and wil of an other, before you do know how hir mind is bent: you may do as it pleaseth you, but of one thing I do wel assure you, that if you bring it to passe, it shal be against my wil: and touching the regard and estimation of Counte Paris, I shal first lose my Lyfe before he shal haue power to touch any part of my body: which being done, it is you that shal be counted the murderer, by deliueryng me into the handes of him, whome I neyther can, wil, or know whiche way to loue: wherefore I praye you to suffer me henceforth thus to lyue, wythout taking any further care of me, for so mutche as my cruell fortune hath otherwyse disposed of me.” The dolorous Mother which knewe not what Iudgement to fixe vpon hir daughter’s aunswere, lyke a woman confused and besides hir selfe went to seeke the Lord Antonio, vnto whom without conceyling any part of hir Daughter’s aunswer, she dyd him vnderstand the whole. The good olde man offended beyond measure, commaunded her incontinently by Force to be brought before him, if of hir own good will she would not come: so soone as she came before hir Father, hir eyes full of teares, fel down at his fete, which she bathed with the luke warme drops that