Which great desired
thing, sith God aboue hath graunted, I yeld him infinit thankes,
and sith my desteny is sutch, that sutch must be the end of
loue, I doe reioyce that I muste dye for your sake, which only
is the cause that the King your father so laboureth for my
death: I neede not to molest you wyth the false euidence giuen
against me, by those malicious villaines, that be already dead,
which onely hath thus incensed the Kinge's Wrathe and heauy rage
agaynst mee: whereof I am so free, as worthilye they bee
executed for the same: for if it were so, then true it is, (and
as lyghtly you myght beleue) that I neuer knew what Loue you
beare mee, and you lykewyse did neuer knowe, the loue I bare to
you: and therefore you may thinke that so impossible is the one,
as I dyd euer meane, thinke, or ymagine any harme or peryll to
your father's person. To be short, I humbly do besech you to
beleue, that so faythfully as man is able to loue a woman, so
haue I loued you: and that it may please you to bee so myndfull
of me in thys fadyng Lyfe, as I shal be of you in that life to
come." And in sayinge so, wyth face all bathed in teares, he
clypped hir about the myddle, and fast imbracing hir said: "Thus
takinge my last farewell of you (myne onely life and ioy)
I commende you to the gouernement of the supernall God, and my
selfe to death, to be dysposed as pleaseth him." Euphimia, which
before was not persuaded that Acharisto was guylty of that
deuised Treason, nowe gaue full belyefe and credite to his
wordes, and Weeping wyth him for company, comforted him so wel
as she could, and bidding him to bee of good chere, she sayde,
that she would seeke such meanes as for hir sake and loue he
should not dye: and that before longe time did passe, shee would
help him out of prison. Acharisto, although he vttered by ruful
voice that lamentable talke, for remedye to ridde himselfe from
pryson, yet he did but fayne all that he spake, addyng further:
"Alas, Euphimia, do not incurre your Father's wrath to please my
minde: suffer me quietly to take that death, which sinister
Fortune and cruell fate hath prouided to abridge my dayes."
Euphimia, vanquished with inspeakable griefe and burning passion
of loue, said: "Ah, Acharisto, the onely ioy and comfort of my
lyfe, do not pierce my heart with such displeasant wordes: for
what should I do in this wretched world, yf you for my sake
should suffre death? Wherfore put away that cruel thought, and
be c