rt of vs both: to me it yelded the only delectation of my
heart in choyse of husband: to you honour and estimation within
thys Citty. Wherefore, sith the principal came from me, and the
right resteth in this careful maiden, my desire is, that where
before you had but one daughter, you will adopt this mayden for
another, and thinke that you have twaine, and that you will
intreate Philene in like sort as if shee were my sister: and
where this Inheritance and reuenue wherewith now you be
possessed, and this casket also ought to be onely myne after
your decease, for that you haue no sonnes, nor other Issue, my
desire is that you geue vnto her the halfe, and that you accept
hir for your daughter, as I doe meane to take hir for my sister:
and accordingely to vse hir duringe lyfe." With these wordes
Elisa imbraced Philene, and louingly dyd kisse hir, sayinge vnto
hir: "For my sister I entertayn thee Philene." And then shee
tooke hir by the hand and gaue hir vnto hir father with these
wordes: "Beholde father, your new daughter, whom I beseech you
so hartily to loue as you do Elisa your naturall chylde." The
father praysed the curtesie of Elisa, and receiued Philene for
his daughter and was contented wyth the Arbitrament of his
Daughter. But Elisa perceyuing hir husband to be somewhat
offended therewyth, specially for that the same should be
deuided into two partes, which was like to haue bene hys wholly
before, persuaded hym by gentle meanes to be content wyth that
agreement: and although at the first he could not well brooke
the liberality of his wyfe, yet at length viewinge the good
behauiour and gentle disposition of Philene, and the contented
minde of his father in law, together with the noble nature of
his wyfe, and hir wise aduertisement of Fortune's fickle
assurance, yelded, and acknowledged Philene for hys kinswoman.
And so Philene put in possession of the halfe of those goods,
whereof she was altogether out of hope, was well satisfied, and
had the Romane for hir father, Elisa for hir sister, and hir
husband for hir kinsman. That valyant Roman was so careful ouer
Philene, as if she had ben his owne daughter, and so indeuored,
as he brought to passe that she obteined hir beloued Scicilian
to husbande: who also sent for hym to Carthage, where he
continued with his wife in the Romane's house, and loved them
both so dearely as though he had ben father to the one, and
father in lawe to the other. In this maner these two po