in full
possession of his desired praie, reuertinge to his puddle of
carlishe will and cancred nature, after many thousand wronges
don to his most noble and gentle Quene, accused hir to be an
adulteresse, and as one indeede, (although most innocent) she
was condemned to the mercilesse fire. Philon, Kyng of
Peloponesus, which (as we haue sayd before) loued Euphimia as he
did the balles of his owne eyes, vnderstanding the crueltye that
this wicked Man vsed towards hir, to whom both his lyfe and
Kyngdome did belonge, moued wyth nobility of mynd, determined to
declare to Euphimia the inward feruent loue which he bare hir,
and to chastise Acharisto for his ingratitude with due
correction. Wherfore depely debating wyth himselfe of this
aduenture, thus he sayde: "Now is the time Euphimia, that Philon
shewe what faythful Loue he hath euer borne vnto thee, and that
he delyuer thee both from the present daunger wherein thou art,
and from the hands of that vnkynde wretche, that is farre
vnworthy of sutch a wife: for if thou haddest agreed to thy
father's wyll, and yelded to the pursute of him that loued thee
beste, thou haddest no neede of rescue nowe, ne yet bene in
perill of the wastfull flames of fire, which be ready to consume
thy flesh and tender corps, full tenderly sometimes beloued of
thy deare father, and of thy louyng frend Philon." When he had
spoken those wordes, hee earnestly disposed him self vpon that
enterpryse. There was in those daies a custome in Corinth, that
they which were condemned to death, were caried III. miles forth
of the City, and there the sentence pronounced against them,
were put to execution. Philon hauyng intelligence hereof, did
put in readinesse a good troupe of horsemen, and being secretly
imbarked, arriued at Corinth, and closely the nyght before
Euphimia should be brought to the fire, harde by the place where
the miserable Lady should be burnt, into a woode he conueyed his
People: and so soone as the Sergeants and officers were
approched neere the place wyth the lady, he issued forth, and
did set vpon the throng, not sufferyng one of them to remayne
aliue, to carye newes. When he had delyuered Euphimia from that
present daunger of hir lyfe, and the companye dispercled, he
sayd to the Queene: "Nowe thou mayst see (fayre Queene) the
diuersitie, betwene the disloyaltie and vnkindenesse of
Acharisto, and the faith and loue of Philon. But for that I
meane not to leaue hys ingratitude vnrevenge