bent
vppon hir, as the beholder might easily perceiue, that the
Vysage of the Quene was the vndoubted harborough of his thought.
Philippo, seeing the Queene come toward him, did honor hir wyth
gentle and dutifull reuerence, in sutch humble wise, as hee
seemed at hir hands pitifully to craue mercy. And truely
whosoeuer doth loue with secret and perfect heart, seemeth to
vtter more words to his Lady with his eies, than he is able to
speak wyth his tongue. The Queene being come vnto him with a
grace right graue and demure, sayd vnto him: "You Gentleman of
Lombardie, yf these floures which we haue in our hands were
giuen vnto you liberally to vse at your pleasure, and requyred
to make some curteous present of the same to one of vs the
ladies here that liked you best, tell mee I pray you, to whether
of vs would you giue the same, or what would you do or say?
Speake frankely we pray you, and tell youre mynde wythout
respect: for thereby you shall doe to vs very great pleasure,
and we shal know to whether of vs you beare your chiefest loue.
For it is not to be supposed, that you being a young man, can
spende your time without loue, being a naturall quality in euery
creature." When mayster Philippo felt the swete voyce of the
Queene pleasantly to pierce his eares, and hearde that he was
commaunded for the loue of hir that he loued, not onely to tell
whome he loued best and most intierly, but also hir whom he
worshipped and serued in heart, was almost besides hymselfe,
sutch was the ticklyng ioylitie that he felt in hys heart, whose
face was taynted wyth a thousand colors and what for superfluous
loue and ioy, wherof the like he neuer tasted before, fell into
an extasie, not able to render answere. But when he had
recouered stomack, so well as he coulde with soft and trembling
voice, he answered the Queene in this wise: "Sith your maiesty
(to whom I yelde myne humble thanks for that curtesie) hath
vouchsafed to commaund me (besides the infinite pleasure and
honour, for which eternally I shal stande bound to your
highnesse) I am ready sincerely and truely to dysclose my mind,
being promised by your maiesty in opening of the same, to
deserue great thanks: Wherfore your pleasure being such I do say
then, with all due reuerence, that not onely here at thys tyme,
but at al times and places wher it shal please god to appoint
me, being not able to bestow them in other sort than they be,
but wer they more precious and fayre, the mor