distilled from hir Eyes in great abundance, and thynkyng to open hir mouth to crye him mercy, the sobbes and sighes many tymes stopt hir speach, that shee remained dumbe not able to frame a Woorde. But the olde man nothing moued with his Daughter’s Teares, sayd vnto hir in great rage: “Come hither thou vnkynd and dysobedient Daughter, hast thou forgotten how many tymes thou hast hearde spoken at the Table, of the puissance and authoryty our auncyente Romane Fathers had ouer their chyldren? vnto whom it was not onelye lawfull to sell, guage, and otherwyse dispose them (in theyr necessity) at their pleasure, but also which is more, they had absolute power ouer their Death and Lyfe? With what yrons, with what torments, with what racks would those good Fathers chasten and correct thee if they were a liue againe, to see that ingratitude, misbehauior and disobedience which thou vsest towards thy Father, who with many prayers and requestes hath prouided one of the greatest Lords of this prouince to be thy husband, a Gentleman of best renoume, and indued wyth all kynde of Vertues, of whom thou and I be vnworthy, both for the notable masse of goods and substance wherewith he is enriched, as also for the Honoure and generositie of the house whereof hee is discended, and yet thou playest the parte of an obstinate and rebellyous Chyld agaynst thy Father’s will. I take the omnipotency of that Almightye God to witnesse, which hath vouchsafed to bryng the forth into this world, that if vpon Tuesday nexte thou failest to prepare thy selfe to be at my Castell of Villafranco, where the Counte Paris purposeth to meete vs, and there giue thy consent to that whych thy Mother and I haue agreed vppon, I will not onely depriue thee of my worldly goodes, but also will make the espouse and marie a pryson so straight and sharpe, as a thousande times thou shalt curse the Day and tyme wherein thou wast borne: wherfore from henceforth take aduisement what thou doest, for excepte the promise be kept which I haue made to the counte Paris, I will make the feele how greate the iust choler of an offended Father is against a Chylde vnkynde.” And without staying for other answer of his Daughter, the olde man departed the Chamber, and lefte hir vppon hir knees. Iulietta knowing the fury of hir Father, fearing to incurre his indignation, or to prouoke his further wrath, retired for the day into hir Chamber, and contriued that whole Nyght more in weeping then slepyng. And the next Morning fayning to goe heare seruice, she went forth with the woman of hir Chamber to the Fryers, where she caused father Laurence to be called vnto hir, and prayed him to heare hir confession: and when she was vpon hir knees before hym, shee began hir Confession wyth Teares, tellinge him the greate mischyefe that was prepared for hir, by the maryage accorded betweene hir Father and the Counte Paris: and for conclusion sayd vnto him: “Sir, for so mutch as you know that I cannot by