o seeing his good aduenture to be thy bane,
his happy pray to bee thy spoyle, hath left in lieu of treasure,
a halter, that therwith thou mightest dispatch thy selfe from
all thy griefes, and in their vnhappye companye to cease thy
life, that the lothsom, lengthning of the same might not
increase thy further plaints, sorowes, anguish and affliction.
And in the place where infortunate Philene toke hir beginning,
ther the Miserable wretche must finishe that, which without hir
desired gaine no longer can be maynteined. Peraduenture it may
come to passe as when thy soule is losed from this mortall
charge, it shall stalke by hym, by whom it liueth, and by him
also whom she thought to ioy in greatest contentation that euer
mortall woman did." And thus plaininge and sighing hir il
fortune, when she had ended those words she tyed the halter
about the beame, where sometimes hir Treasure lay, which beyng
done shee put the same about hir necke, sayinge: "O crooked Lady
Fortune, that hast thus vnfrendly dealt with thine humble
clyent: Ah dispayre, thou vgly wretch and companion of the
distressed that is vnwillinge to leaue my haunte vntyll thou
playe the Hangman. Ah Dyuell incarnate that goest aboute to hale
and plucke the innocent into thy hellish caue. Out vppon the
thou deformed hellish dogge, that waitest at the fiery gate to
lette them in, which faine would passe an other porte." And as
shee was powrying forth these spitefull wordes, redy to remove
the stoole to fetch hir swynge, the Gods which would not giue
consent, that the innocent wench should enter that vile and
opprobrious death, moued the heart of Elisa, to passe by the
place where she was in workynge on her selfe that desperate end:
who hearing those moneful plaints vttred after such terrible
manner, opened the Chamber doore, and saw that myserable sight:
and ignorant of the occasion, moued with pity, ranne and stayed
hir from the fact, saying thus vnto hir: "Ah Philene," (whych
was the name that she had giuen to hir selfe) "what folie hath
bewitched thy mind? What phrensie hath incharmed thy braine?
What harde aduenture hath moued thee in this miserable wise, to
ende thy life?" "Ah" (sayd Philene) "suffer me Elisa, to finish
my tormentes: giue me liberty to vnburden myselfe from the bande
of cares that do assaile me on euery side: lette these
Helhoundes that stande heare rounde about mee, haue theyr praye
for which they gape. Thou moued by compassion, arte come hit