she euer well deserued. She that so vniustly hath taken it from so many (saide Syre∣nus) by great reason should not enioy such a happie estate; which I speake not, that I am not sorrie to see this Shepherdesse so sorrowful, but for the great reason I haue, not to wish her any content at all. Saie not so (said Seluagia) for I cannot thinke, that Diana hath offended thee in any thing. What offence did she by marrying, compelled thereunto by the constraint of her parents, and kinsfolkes, and not by her owne will? And after she was married, what could she do (hauing due regarde to her honor and honestie) but forget thee? Truly Syrenus, thou shouldest haue grea∣ter cause to complaine of Diana, then I haue heard thee hitherto alledge. In truth Syrenus (saide Syluanus) Seluagia hath so great reason for that she saith, that none can well disprooue it. And if there be any that of ingratitude can iustly accuse her, it is I, who loued her more then my selfe, she requiting it so ill againe, and with such cruell contempt as thou knowest well enough. Seluagia casting an amorous eie vp∣on him, saide. But thou didst not deserue (my beloued Shepherd) to be so ill entrea∣ted, since there is no Shepherdesse in the worlde, that may not thinke her-selfe blest to enioy thy happy loue. About this time Dianaperceiued, that their talke was of her, for the Shepherds were so loude, that she might heare them very well: Wher∣fore rising vp, and looking among the Myrtle trees, she knew the Shepherdes, and the Shepherdesse that was sitting betweene them. Who, perceiuing that she had espied them, came to her, and curteously saluted her, and she them againe with a good grace and countenance, asking them, where they had beene so long a time. Whom they answered with another kinde of wordes and countenance, then they were wont to do, which seemed so strange to Diana, that though she tooke no care for any of their loues, yet in the end it greeued her, to see them so much altered from that they were wont to be, and especially when she perceiued what great ioy Sylua∣nus tooke in beholding faire Seluagia. And bicause it was now time to go home, and that the flockes tooke their accustomed way towards the village, they went af∣ter them, and by the way faire Dianasaide to Syrenus. There are many daies past, Shepherd, since I sawe thee in these valleyes. But more (saide he) since I woulde haue lost my life, in lieu she had not seene me, that made me passe it away in such great greefe, whereas in the end it contents me not a little to talke of my passed for∣tunes, that finde my selfe now in a safe hauen. Dost thou then thinke this to be a sure estate, (saide Diana) wherein thou now liuest? It cannot be dangerous (said he) when I dare speake thus before thee. I neuer remember (saide Diana) that I sawe thee so much lost for my loue, but that thy toong might haue had as much li∣bertie, as now it hath. Thou art as discreet in imagining this (said he) as in all other things else. Why so (saide Diana?) bicause there are no other meanes (saide he) to make thee not know that, which thou hast lost in me, but onely by thinking that I did not loue thee so much, that my toong might not haue that libertie, as thou say∣est. But yet for all this I pray God giue thee so much content as sometimes (faire Diana) thou hast wished me: For though my loue be now past, yet the relickes ther∣of that remaine in my soule, are sufficient to wish thee al the happines in the world. Euery word that Syrenus spake was a dagger to Dianas hart. For God knowes, if she would not haue rather giuen a more willing eare to his wonted complaints, then occupied her minde in beleeuing such apparant signes of his newe libertie. And though she answered to euery thing the Shepherd spake vnto her, with a cer∣taine kinde of carelessenes, and did helpe her-selfe by her owne discretion (bicause she would not shew any signe of sorrow for their libertie) yet in her minde she rumi∣nated
