d to the King. The King gaue him his
daughter to wyfe and when he died made him his heyre. Acharisto
began to hate his wyfe, and condemned hir to death as an
adulteresse. Philon deliuered hir: and vpon the sute of hir
subiects, she is contented to mary him, and therby he is made Kynge
of Corinth:_

Constancy in honest loue (being a perfect vertue, and a precious
ornament to the beloued, induinge eyther, besides ioy and
contentacion, with immortall fame and Glory,) hath in it selfe
these onely marks and properties to be knowen by, Chastity, and
toleration of aduersity: For as the mynde is constant in loue,
not variable, or geuen to chaunge, so is the body continent,
comely, honest and pacient of Fortunes plages. A true constant
minde is moued with no sugred persuasions of frendes, is
diuerted with no eloquence, terrified with no threats, is quiet
in all motions. The blustering blasts of parents wrath, cannot
remoue the constant mayde from that which she hath peculiarly
chosen to hir selfe. The rigorous rage of frendes, doth not
dismay the louing man from the embracement of hir whom he hath
amongs the rest selecte for his vnchanged feere. A goodly
example of constant and noble loue this history ensuing
describeth, although not like in both, yet in both a semblable
constancy. For Euphimia, a kings daughter, abandoneth the great
loue borne vnto hir by Philon, a yong prince, to loue a servant
of hir father's, with whom she perseuered in great constancy,
for all his false and ingratefull dealings towards hir. Philon
seeing his loue despised neuer maried vntill he maried hir, whom
afterwards he deliuered from the false surmised treason of hir
cancred and malicious husband. Euphimia fondly maried agaynst
hir father's will, and therefore deseruedly afterwards bare the
penaunce of hir fault: and albeit she declared hir selfe to be
constant, yet duty to louinge Father ought to haue withdrawen
hir rash and heady loue. What daungers do ensue sutch like
cases, examples be rife, and experience teacheth. A great
dishonour it is for the Lady and Gentlewoman to disparage hir
noble house with mariage of hir inferior: yea and great griefe
to the parents to see their children obstinate and wilfull in
carelesse loue. And albeit the Poet Propertius describeth the
vehement loue of those that be noble, and haue wherewith in loue
to be liberall, in these verses:

_Great is the fayth of Loue,_
_the constant mynde doth mutc