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And in such sort, bicause it doth hoffend
My hart, that burnes like to the smithie flame,
For it doth more increase, and doth extend,
And more it doth with sparkling flames incend,
The more that water’s cast vpon the same:
And now since want of hedgrow faileth me,
And that I feele increase, not want of paine,
I thinke it best for me to goe and see,
If I can finde some other hedge or tree,
To write that there, which this cannot containe.
With the taste of this sorrowfull song I will now leaue of, which me thinkes is of great substaunce, whether the affection I beare the Shepherde that wrote it, makes me thinke so (for by the wordes thereof you may vnderstand it was written by Delicius) or that then the reading, and now the recitall of it, whereby the miseraâˆ£ble estate of the poore youth was then and now represented vnto me, doth make me iudge it to be no lesse I know not: Assuring you, that then for a little I woulde not haue made an ende to read it out, though I had sought it in euery place, if the teares which fell so fast from mine eies to see the greefe of so faire and vnfortunate a yoong Shepherd, had not let me. Tell me no such thing (saide Lord Felix) for if I thought thou hadst not as well read the other, which he saide he went to write in another tree, I would intreat thee to recite this once againe: but we shall haue time enough (if it please the Gods) to heare out the rest. But what will you say (said Criâˆ£mine) if I should tell you, that we neuer remembred to seeke out the other. Thereâˆ£in I beleeue thee not answered Lord Felix, for so smal care should not (me thinks) befall in women of so great respect, and in thee especially, who didst loue him with such tender care and affection. Not to deceiue thee therefore nor thy imaginatiâˆ£on (saide Crimine) know Lord Felix, that we sought and found it out. O how hast thou reioiced my hart, saide Felismena! but take heede heereafter Crimine what thou sayest: and if wee shall continue friendes, I praie thee mocke vs no more in this sort, for thou hadst not a little troubled my minde by making mee beleeue, that thou hadst not sought it out. But state yet (saide Doria) for I am not of your opinion, that she shoulde recite this other song so soone as you woulde haue her. Why saide Lord Felix? Bicause I woulde first knowe, saide Doâˆ£ria, if it be such an one as the last, for if it be not, she did well to leaue of her tale at such a point; for it is not the condition of my palate, to remaine with an ill taste, when it hath once a good one. Verie true, said Felismena. What answerest thou therefore Crimine to this? I haue not perhaps the same taste (said I) that she hath; so that it may be that what is sweete to her, may seeme bitter to me, or contrarie: for in tastes there is no small difference. But for my selfe I can say, that the rest to come pleaseth me no lesse, then that which is past. Then by this reason (said Lord Felix) thou maist tel it, which I beleeue thou wilt not otherwise choose to do with the conâˆ£dition that Doria alleaged vnto thee. Since you haue faire Ladies (saide Polydora) staide your selues more then I would in questions and answers, I will also propound mine. Of which I dare lay a wager you will confesse, that one of them wil seeme betâˆ£ter to you then all the rest. And for this I wil not cal any other to be iudges, but your selues; and in faith not to appeale in any time from the sentence giuen. Thou takest much vpon thee (said Felismena) and more, leauing it in the arbitrement of these that
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