hands that come with me, who against all reason keepe me heere captiue, and by maine force would violate me deere honour. When wee heard this, with all the haste we could make, and not without great perill, we tooke them both out of the boate, and carried them to lande. She told vs of the treason and deceit that they had done to her, and to a sister of hers and a brother in law, which would be too long to declare. And she is now at home in the company of our wiues, free from the cru|eltie and villanie of the two Marriners that came with her, whom we haue commit|ted to prison in a towne not far from hence, where after a few daies, they shall be duely puuished for their wicked treacherie. When any such chaunce therefore doth befall, as this did not long since, who of vs all would not aduenture himselfe in like dangers, to recouer those that are in hazard of Fortune, & to do good to miserable men? When Eugerius and I heard the Marriner tell this tale, our harts leapt in our breast for ioy, imagining, that it was one of his daughters & my sister: wherefore we both tooke great comfort, knowing that we should see anone whether our surmise was true or not? While the Marriner was recounting to vs this accident, the boate driuen by force of oares, when on so fast, that at last we came to shoare. The fisher men bare feete and bare legged lept into the water, and vpon their shoulders car|ried vs to wished land. And when we were there, knowing what great neede of rest and cherishing we had, one of the auncientest of them, taking my Father by the hand, and making signes to me & to the rest to follow him, went towards his house, which was not far off, to refresh and rest vs, which was verie needfull for vs. Being come thither, we heard women signing within, and we had not gone in before we had heard and vnderstoode the manner and matter of their songs, if the poore case that we were in, would haue giuen vs leaue to staie without to hearken to them. But Eugerius & I thought euerie minute of an hower too long before we went in, to see what that Damosell should be, whom they had set free from the tempest and Tray|tours hands. We went on the sudden into the house, and the women (which were the fisher mans wife and his two faire daughters) being somewhat abashed at our sight, left of their song: for they were sweetly singing, while they were knitting of nets to take the silly fish, in the middest of whom was the Damosell, which was kno|wen by and by; for it was my sister Clenarda, which is heere present. The accidents that we passed after this, and that which she escaped before, let her selfe recount, bi|cause I dare not take in hand so hard a taske. But there were complaints, teares, sighes, and pleasures intermingled with paines, sweetenes, sowrenes, and such words and deeds as a wife man may easily coniecture. At the ende of which, my Father turning to the fisher mans daughters, said vnto them. Since I came hither (faire maides) to refresh my selfe, and to take some ease of my passed troubles, it is not therefore reason that my coming should interrupt and molest your mirth and singing, bicause they alone shall be sufficient to cheere vp my sorrowfull hart. You shall not want this seruice (said the fisher man) whilest you are in my house: or else I will endeuour at the least to procure it for you by all meanes possible. Let not this therefore be any part of your care, but rather to make your selfe strong againe, with some good foode, for such homely musicke shall not be wanting at any time. Then his wife brought vs out some victuals, and while we were at them, one of the maids, called Nerea, did sing vs this song.
