both your body and harte,
for whose sake I haue vtterlye forgotten mine owne. And if you
can finde in your hart to defende mee from my right, doubt ye
not but they which haue proued the forces of loue, wil lay the
blame on you, which hath in this sort robbed me from my
libertie, and with your heauenly graces hath obscured my sences,
that not knowing hereafter what to do, I am constrayned to go
without hope for euer to see you againe. Notwithstanding
warrante your selfe, that in what place so euer I am, you shall
still possesse my harte, which shall continue your's for euer,
be I vppon the lande or water, or betweene the hands of my moste
cruell enemies. But if I could recouer before my departure, that
surety of you which the greatnesse of my loue deserueth, I shall
be strong enough paciently to beare the griefes of my long
absence. And if it please you not to graunt me this request, you
shal shortly heare tell that your rigor hath rendred vnto me a
most vnhappy and cruel death." Florinda no lesse astonned than
sorie, to heare such words proceede from him, of whom she neuer
had any such suspicion, weepinge saide unto him: "Alas, Amadour,
is this the meaning of those vertuous words which sithens the
beginning of my youth ye haue vttered vnto me? Is this the honor
of the conscience, which you haue many times perswaded me rather
to die than lose the same? Haue you forgotten the good examples
recited vnto me of vertuous dames that haue resisted foolish
loue? And is this the maner of your contempt of Ladies that were
foolish and vaine, whose light behauiour you dissembled so much
to abhorre? I cannot beleeue Amadour that you are driuen into
such madnes and furie, as the feare of GOD, your owne
conscience, and the estimacion of mine honor, should be
altogether out of your minde and memorie. But if it so be as you
say, I do praise the goodnes of God, which hath preuented the
mishap that nowe I am fallen into, in shewing me by your words,
the hart which I did not know. For hauing lost the sonne of the
Infant Fortune, who not onely is maried into another place, but
also loued another, and I now maried to him, which I cannot
loue, I thought and determined wholly, with all mine hart and
affection to loue you, founding the same vpon that vertue which
I knew to be in you, which loue by your meanes onelye I haue
conceiued, and therfore did more esteeme my honor and
conscience, than the price of mine owne life. Vppon assurance of
t