fauor and good wyl of my father, aske pardon in my behalfe, and say vnto him (if it please you) that by obeying his Fatherly request, I am ready to meete the Countee Paris at Villafranco, and there in your presence to accept him for my Lorde and husband: In assuraunce whereof, by your pacience, I meane to repayre into my Closet, to make choise of my most pretious Iewels, that I being richly adorned, and decked, may appeare before him more agreeable to his mynde, and pleasure.{”} The good mother rapt with exceeding great ioy, was not able to aunswere a word, but rather made speede to seeke out hir husband the Lord Antonio, vnto whom she reported the good will of hir daughter, and how by meanes of Frier Laurence hir minde was chaunged. Whereof the good olde man maruellous ioyfull, praysed God in heart, saying: “Wife this is not the firste good turne which we haue receiued of that holy man, vnto whom euery Cittizen of this Common wealth is dearely bounde. I would to God that I had redeemed 20 of his yeares with the third parte of my goods, so grieuous is to me his extreme old age.’ The selfe same houre the Lord Antonio went to seeke the Countee Paris, whom hee thought to perswade to goe to Villafranco. But the countee told him agayne, that the charge would be to great, and that better it were to reserue that cost to the mariage day, for the better celebration of the same. Notwithstanding if it were his pleasure, he would himselfe goe visite Iulietta: and so they went together. The Mother aduertised of his comming, caused hir daughter to make hir selfe ready, and to spare no costly Iewels for adorning of hir beauty agaynst the Countee’s comming, which she bestowed so well for garnishing of hir Personage, that before the Countee parted from the house, shee had so stolne away his heart, as he liued not from that time forth, but vpon meditation of hir beauty, and slacked no time for acceleration of the mariage day, ceasing not to be importunate vpon father and mother for th’ende and consummation thereof. And thus with ioy inough passed forth this day and many others vntil the day before the mariage, against which time the mother of Iulietta did so well prouide, that there wanted nothing to set forth the magnificence and nobility of their house. Villafranco whereof we haue made mention, was a place of pleasure, where the Lord Antonio was wont many tymes to recreate himselfe a mile or two from Verona, there the dynner was prepared, for so mutch as the ordinary solemnity of necessity muste be done at Verona. Iulietta perceyuing hir time to approache dyssembled the matter so well as shee coulde: and when tyme forced hir to retire to hir Chamber, hir Woman would have waited vppon hir, and haue lyen in hir Chambre, as hir custome was: but Iulietta sayd vnto hir: “Good and faithfull mother, you know that to morrow is my maryage Day, and for that I would spend the most parte of the Nyght in prayer, I pray you for this time to let me alone, and