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TO thee (noble Distueus) Felicia, seruant and minister in the Temple of chaste Diana , fends all the health I may. The Gods haue determined to make a pe|riod of thy infinite troubles, and to augment thine honor and estate, and haue dey|ned to humble themselues without any merit of mine, to make a mediatrix for thee. It is therefore requisite, that with as much expedition as thou canst, thou be heere with thy deere spouse Dardauea , accompanied with they louing nurse Palua, and thy faire daughter Luztea. This yoong Shepherd the bearer hereof shall beare thee companie, and is one, who shall best please thee. Be not desirous to enquire more of him, then he will tel thee of his own accord. I wil be no longer, bicause I hope very shortly to see thee: And as for these wordes, I doubt not, but thou wilt credit, and also her, that could write vnto thee, and the rest, so right by their owne names. This being done, the three Shepherds went their waies, hauing taken their leaue of all the rest. Then that very night Felicia in presence of them all began to speake in this fort to Lord Felix, and his wife, Sylvanus, and his Shpherdesse. I know well Gen|tlemen, and my sonnes, that I withhold you more then is conuenient from going to your owne houses: but bicause it hath fallen out so to all the rest, as afterwards you shall see, and bicause you may know the Shepherd that I haue sent for, and see the successe of his coming hither, and of Parifiles, Stela, Crimine, and their Shepherds, I haue deferred it, since it shall not be any long time with the soueraigne wils aboue. All fower answered, that what, or howsoeuer she disposed of them, they tooke it for no small fauour. A little after that, Lord Felix, and Felismena, came to Felicia, saying. Bicause it is alreadie manifest vnto vs (most sage Ladie) that nothing is hid from thy wisedome and knowledge, we pray thee to resolue vs in this (which troubles vs not a little) bicause we do not know it. Delictus, and his companie these few daies past told vs as it were by peecemeale parts, the abrupt processe of their liues and loues from their infancie vnto the present estate they are now in; and though we know not who they are, it skils not much, and we care not greatly for it in respect of the earnest desire we haue to know the cause why Delicius did forsake (if it be so) fair Stelas loue, who loued her so much as he did, and at that time when he had receiued most fauour of her. Whereof (as it seemed) Stela was either ignorant, or else would not tell it. Bicause I know you will keepe the cause secret (said Felicia) that mooued Delicius to do it. I will tell it you. You must therefore know, that he left not of to loue her, but fained to do it (as he yet verie finely dissembles the same) vnderstan|ding how his deere friend Parthenius loued her (by shewing thereby the greatest part of friendship) he gaue place to his friends affection, and resolued to go without her himselfe. A strange example of friendship said they all, although, it seemes, it was no lesse due to Parthenius. But Ladie, we also suspecting this, as Stela doth no lesse, are desious to know, how he knew it, for by her discourse we could not gather it, con|sidering how he did so well dissemble it. I will tell you said Felicial. You must remember well (as Stela told you) that for the rigorous answer that Parthenius gaue to Cris|mine, when she manifested her loue vnto him, she determined not to goe where the Shepherds were, to prooue if absence could worke that in her, which it did in many: by reason whereof some daies passed on, in which they were not visited of them, bi|cause (without Crimine) Stela durst not aduenture, but for shamefastnes left of to goe to their woonted sports. In these so sorrowfull daies for Delicius, Parthenius, and Stela, and Crimine, in the which these fower did not see one another, as ma|nie times they were wont to do, there came some Nymphes to keepe the Shep|herds
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