hou knowest
it, and dissemblest the matter, she wyll sooner dye than
amende." A gentleman of Palestine at another time inquired of
hir what hee should doe to a Woman whych he serued, and did not
esteeme the seruyce done vnto hir, ne yet gaue him thankes for
the loue which hee bare hir. Lais sayed vnto him: "If thou be
disposed to serue hir no longer, let hir not perceiue that thou
hast gyuen hir ouer. For naturally we women be tendre in loue,
and hard in hatred." Beyng demaunded by one of hir Neyghbours
what shee shoulde doe to make hir Daughter very wyse. "Shee"
(sayde Lais) "that wyll haue hir Daughter to bee good and
honest, must from her youth learne hir to feare, and in going
abrode to haunte litle company, and that she be shamefast and
moderate in hir talke." An other of hir neighbors inquyryng of
hir what shee myght doe to hir daughter whych began to haue
delyght to rome in the fieldes and wander abroade. "The remedy"
(sayde Lais) "that I finde for your daughter disposed to that
condition, is, not to suffer hir to be ydle, ne yet to be braue
and sumptuous in apparel." This amorous gentlewoman Lais, dyed
in the Citye of Corinth, of the age of .lXXII. Yeares, whose
death was of many matrones desired and of a great numbre of
amorous persones lamented. The thyrd amorous gentlewoman was
called Flora, which was not so auncient, ne yet of so greate
renoume as Lamia and Lais were, whose country also was not so
famous, For she was of Italy, and the other two of Grecia, and
although that Lamia and Lais exceded Flora in antiquity, yet
Flora surmounted them in lineage and generositie. For Flora was
of noble house, although in life lesse than chast. She was of
the country of Nola in Campania, issued of certayne Romans,
Knights very famous in facts of Armes and of great industrie and
gouernement in the common wealth. When the Father and mother of
this Flora deceased, she was of the age of XV. yeares, indued
with great riches and singular beauty, and the very orphane of
all hir kynne. For shee had neyther brother lefte wyth whom shee
myght soiourne, ne yet vncle to gyue her good counsell. In such
wyse that lyke as this young maistres Flora had youthe, riches,
lyberty and beauty, euen so there wanted neyther baudes nor
Pandores to entyce hir to fal, and allure hir to folly. Flora
seeing hir self beset in this wise, she determined to goe into
the Affrick warres, where she hazarded both in hir person and
hir honor. This dame fl