circumspect youth, whereunto my experience was
able to bear witness frequently. Going very rarely, and always in the
most decorous manner, to the places where I happened to be, he used to
observe me, but ever with a cautious eye, so that it seemed as if he had
planned as well as I to hide the tender flames that glowed in the
breasts of both. Certainly, if I denied that love, although it had
clutched every corner of my heart and taken violent possession of every
recess of my soul, grew even more intense whenever it happened that my
eyes encountered his, I should deny the truth; he added further fuel to
the fires that consumed me, and rekindled such as might be expiring, if,
mayhap, there were any such. But the beginning of all this was by no
means so cheerful as the ending was joyless, as soon as I was deprived
of the sight of this, my beloved, inasmuch as the eyes, being thus
robbed of their delight, gave woful occasion of lamentation to the
heart, the sighs whereof grew greater in quality as well as in quantity,
and desire, as if seizing my every feeling, took me away from myself,
and, as if I were not where I was, I frequently gave him who saw me
cause for amazement by affording numberless pretexts for such
happenings, being taught by love itself. In addition to this, the quiet
of the night and the thoughts on which my fancy fed continuously, by
taking me out of myself, sometimes moved me to actions more frantic than
passionate and to the employment of unusual words.

But it happened that while my excess of ornaments, heartfelt sighs, lost
rest, strange actions, frantic movements, and other effects of my recent
love, attracted the notice of the other domestics of the household, they
especially struck with wonder a nurse of mine, old in years and
experienced, and of sound judgment, who, though well aware of the flames
that tortured my breast, yet making show of not knowing thereof,
frequently chided me for my altered manners. One day in particular,
finding me lying disconsolate on my couch, seeing that my brow was
charged with doleful thoughts, and believing that we were not likely to
be interrupted by other company, she began to speak as follows:

"My dearest daughter, whom I love as my very self, tell me, I pray you,
what are the sorrows that have for some time past been harassing you?
You who were wont to be so gay formerly, you whom I have never seen
before with a mournful countenance, seem to me now to be the pre