me of loue, or if I answered him any thing touching such matter. What day did Filemon euer see me talke to Arsileus, whereby he might conceiue any thing else by my words, but that I went about to comfort him in such great forrow, as he suf∣fered: And if this be a sufficient cause to make him thinke ill of his Shepherdesse, who can better iudge it, then himselfe? Behold then (faire Shepherdesse) how much he was giuen to false suspects and wrongfull iealousie, that my wordes could neuer satisfie him, nor worke with him, to make him leaue off his obdurate minde by ab∣senting himselfe from this valley, thinking therby to haue made an end of my daies, wherein he was deceiued, when as he rather ended his owne ioy and contentment, if for me at the least he had euer any at all. And this was the michiefe besides, that Filemon being not onely content to beare mee such a kinde of vniust iealousie, whereof he had so small occasion, as now (faire Shepherdesse) thou hast seene, hee did likewise publish it at euerie feast, in all bridales, wrestlings, and mee∣tings, that were made amongst the Shepherds of these hilles. And this thou kno∣west (good Shepherdesse) howe it did preiudice mine honour more then his contentment: In the ende hee absented himselfe from mee, which course since hee hath taken for a medicine of his malladie (which it seemes hath the more in∣creased it) let him not finde fault with me, if I haue knowne how to profit my selfe more thereby then he hath. And now that thou hast seene (faire Shepherdesse) what great content that I felt, when thou toldst the Shepherd Arsileus so good newes of his Shepherdesse, & that I my selfe was most earnest with him to haue him go and seeke her out, it is cleere, that there could not be any thing between vs, that might ingēder such cause of suspition, as this Shepherd hath wrongfully cōceiued of vs. So that this is the cause, that hath made me not only so cold in the loue that I did beare him, but not to loue any more, wherby to put mine honor & good name in ha∣zard of false suspects, since my good hap hath brought me to such a time, that (with∣out forcing my selfe) I may do it at mine own choise & libertie. After Amarillis had shewed the small reason the Shepherd had to giue so great credit to his iealous ima∣ginations, and the libertie wherein time, and her good fortune had put her (a natu∣rall thing to free harts) the woefull Shepherd replied in this sort. I doe not denie (Amarillis) but that thy wisedome and discretion is sufficient to cleere thee of all su∣spition. But wilt thou now make nouelties in loue, & inuent other new effects, then those which we haue heretofore seene? When a louer would loue well, the least oc∣casion of iealousie torments his foule, how much more when those were greater, which by thy priuie conuersation and familiaritie with Arsileus thou hast giuen me. Dost thou thinke (Amarillis) that for a iealousie certainties are needfull? Alas thou deceiuest thy selfe, for suspicions be the principall causes of their entrance: which was also no great matter, since I beleeued that thou didst beare Arsileus good will, the publishing whereof was as little preiudiciall and lesse offensiue to thine ho∣nour, since the force of my loue was so great, that it made mee manifest the ill that I did feare. And though thy goodnes assured mee, when, at stealth and deceite of my suspectes, I thought thereof, yet I alwaies feared, least some aduerse successe might befall vnto me, if this familiaritie had beene still continued. But to that thou saiest (faire Shepherdesse) that I absented my selfe, I answere, that vpon a stomacke, or to giue thee any offence or greefe thereby, I did it not; but to see if I could haue any remedie in mine owne, not seeing the cause of my great mis∣hap and greefe before mine eies, and bicause my pursutes might not also offende thee. But if by seeking remedy for so great an ill, I went against that, which I owed
