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haue sounded in their eares: It is therefore conuenient that to morrow you depart at the rising of purple Aurora the foreteller of speedie Phebus, whereof I put you in minde, at this time especially, bicause your absence from them before was not so great, that you needed to be told thereof. Which departure of yours I woulde not haue you thinke is to any other ende, but to set some order in your affaires, that at your pleasure you may the sooner returne hither againe, assuring you that elsewhere you shall not be better entertained with deedes, then heere with hart and good will. And your returne shall onely be to solace your selues in the companie of Don Fe∣lix, and Felismena, whose time is not yet come to depart. Wherefore I pray you goe about it, for setting all things in good order touching your flockes and dome∣sticall affaires, you may doe the other the better; yet promising you, that be∣fore you come to your dwelling places, you shall finde those that can looke well to your flockes, if you will at the lest commit them to their charge: and who will most willingly take it vpon them. Let your returne (therefore) be with as much speede as may be, which shall result to your owne profite, and to their pleasure with whom you shail passe away the time heere. Syluanus and Seluagia had their eies so fastened on the maiesticall countenance of the Sage Lady, perceiuing her speech to be onely addressed to them, that with great reuerence they rose out of their places, and gaue a diligent eare vnto her, bicause they might better vnder∣stande the meaning and effect thereof. For otherwise seldome were their eies ca∣ried away into any other part, but to looke vpon one another, vnable to remooue them (the least time that might be) from thence, wherein each others soule had no small portion, and thinking it stealth, to remooue their thoughts from that entire af∣fection, whereof their mutuall harts had so sure possession. Whereupon the sage Ladies speech being ended, both of them turned their amorous eies to each other againe, Syluanus making louing signes to
Seluagia to answer the Ladies intent. To whom with a seemly blush, as partly ashamed thereat, she saide in this sort. It is now no time (my deere Syluanus) to vse circumstances of such arte, when there is no cause, neither doe they well beseeme this place. For though their vsage to all wo∣men is commendable, yet not in particular, for the husband to his wife, and in such sort as if he went about to preferre her before himselfe. For after that the woman hath deliuered herselfe into the possession of her husband, she therewithal yeeldeth vp to his iurisdiction the title of her libertie, by the sweete and sacred bonde of marriage. Whereupon I shall see the loue thou bearest me, if thou vsest this pleasant bonde according to the iust lawes thereof, by setting aside the superstitious vanities of vnlawfull and wanton loue. Syluanus had not let Seluagia escaped so smoothly without an answer, if he had not thought it an vndecent part to defer his to the sage Lady. Wherfore giuing a becke with his head to his Shepherdesse in to∣ken of thanks, and that he was well pleased, with her louing words, he answered Fe∣licia thus. Presupposing (sage Lady) that we must do all that you commaund and set downe, and that there is nothing more behoouefull for our welfare, then your will, and pleasure, therein it lies to command vs whatsoeuer, I feeling no greater reprehension in mine owne behalfe, then that which proceedes from your wise and louing aduise, saying, that I haue no care of my flocks, nor thought of them at all: For though (I confesse) I haue not remembred them as reason woulde I had done, yet cannot I therefore be iustly blamed, but rather thinke, that if I had done other∣wise, I might haue beene in greater fault. For it were not meete, since I haue recei∣ued such benefits in your house, that I shoulde forget one minute, that ioy and con∣tent,
Seluagia to answer the Ladies intent. To whom with a seemly blush, as partly ashamed thereat, she saide in this sort. It is now no time (my deere Syluanus) to vse circumstances of such arte, when there is no cause, neither doe they well beseeme this place. For though their vsage to all wo∣men is commendable, yet not in particular, for the husband to his wife, and in such sort as if he went about to preferre her before himselfe. For after that the woman hath deliuered herselfe into the possession of her husband, she therewithal yeeldeth vp to his iurisdiction the title of her libertie, by the sweete and sacred bonde of marriage. Whereupon I shall see the loue thou bearest me, if thou vsest this pleasant bonde according to the iust lawes thereof, by setting aside the superstitious vanities of vnlawfull and wanton loue. Syluanus had not let Seluagia escaped so smoothly without an answer, if he had not thought it an vndecent part to defer his to the sage Lady. Wherfore giuing a becke with his head to his Shepherdesse in to∣ken of thanks, and that he was well pleased, with her louing words, he answered Fe∣licia thus. Presupposing (sage Lady) that we must do all that you commaund and set downe, and that there is nothing more behoouefull for our welfare, then your will, and pleasure, therein it lies to command vs whatsoeuer, I feeling no greater reprehension in mine owne behalfe, then that which proceedes from your wise and louing aduise, saying, that I haue no care of my flocks, nor thought of them at all: For though (I confesse) I haue not remembred them as reason woulde I had done, yet cannot I therefore be iustly blamed, but rather thinke, that if I had done other∣wise, I might haue beene in greater fault. For it were not meete, since I haue recei∣ued such benefits in your house, that I shoulde forget one minute, that ioy and con∣tent,
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