bore children, and that they did
nothing but murmur at the daughter already born. Which when she heard,
without changing countenance or her resolution in any respect, she
replied, "My lord, pray dispose of me as you think most for your honor
and happiness: I shall entirely acquiesce, knowing myself to be meaner
than the meanest of the people, and that I was altogether unworthy of
that dignity to which your favor was pleased to advance me."

This was very agreeable to the prince, seeing that she was in no way
elevated with the honor he had conferred upon her. Afterward, having
often told her, in general terms, that his subjects could not bear
with the daughter that was born of her, he sent one of his servants,
whom he had instructed what to do, who, with a very sorrowful
countenance, said to her, "Madam, I must either lose my own life or
obey my lord's commands; now he has ordered me to take your daughter,
and--" without saying anything more. She, hearing these words, and
noting the fellow's looks, remembering also what she had heard before
from her lord, concluded that he had orders to destroy the child. So
she took it out of the cradle, kissed it, and gave it her blessing;
when, without changing countenance, tho her heart throbbed with
maternal affection, she tenderly laid it in the servant's arms, and
said, "Take it, and do what thy lord and mine has commanded; but,
prithee, leave it not to be devoured by the fowls or wild beasts,
unless that be his will." Taking the child, he acquainted the prince
with what she said, who was greatly surprized at her constancy; and he
sent the same person with it to a relation at Bologna, desiring her,
without revealing whose child it was, to see it carefully brought up
and educated. Afterward the lady became with child a second time, and
was delivered of a son, at which he was extremely pleased.

But, not satisfied with what he had already done, he began to grieve
and persecute her still more, saying one day to her, seemingly much
out of temper, "Since thou hast brought me this son, I am able to live
no longer with my people; for they mutiny to that degree that a poor
shepherd's grandson is to succeed, and be their lord after me, that,
unless I would run the risk of being driven out of my dominions, I
must needs dispose of this child as I did of the other, and then send
thee away, in order to take a wife more suitable to me." She heard
this with a great deal of resignation, making o