ABSTRACT
TheTwoGentlemenofVerona readeuntoherthehistoricofParis,whenthethreeLadiesreferred theirproudecontentionforthegoldenAppletohisconclusionand judgement.Butasmymotherhelditforaninfallibleopinionthat Parishadpartiallygiventhatsentence,(perswadedthereuntobya blindepassionofbeautie)soshesaid,thatwithoutalldoubthedid notwithduereasonandwisedomeconsidertheGoddesseofbattels; for,asmartianandheroicallfeates(saideshe)excelledallother qualities,sowithequitieandjusticetheAppleshouldhavebene giventoher.Myfatheranswered,thatsincetheApplewastobe giventothefairest,andthatVenuswasfairerthananyoftherest, Parishadrightlygivenhisjudgement,ifthatharmehadnotensued thereof,whichafterwardesdid.Tothismymotherreplied,that, thoughitwaswrittenintheApple,Thatitshouldbegiventothefairest, itwasnottobeunderstoodofcorporallbeautie,butoftheintellectuallbeautieofthemind.Andthereforesincefortitudewasathing thatmadeonemostbeautiful,andtheexerciseofarmsanexterior actofthisvertue,sheaffirmed,thattotheGoddesseofbattelsthis Appleshouldbegiven,ifParishadjudgedlikeaprudentandunappassionatejudge.Sothat(faireNymphes)theyspentagreat partofthenightinthiscontroversie,bothofthemalledgingthe mostreasonstheycouldtoconfirmetheirownepurpose.Theypersistinginthispoint,sleepebegantoovercomeher,whomthereasons andargumentsofherhusbandcouldenotoncemoove;sothatbeing verydeepeinherdisputations,shefellintoasdeepeasleepe,to whom,(myfatherbeingnowgonetohischamber)appeeredthe GoddesseVenus,withasfrowningacountenanceasfaire,andsaide,I marvell,Delia,whohathmoovedtheetobesocontrarietoher,that wasneveroppositetothee?Ifthouhadstbutcalledtomindethe timewhenthouwertsoovercomeinloveforAndronius,thouwouldest nothavepaidemethedebt(thouowestme)withsoillcoine.But thoushaltnotescapefreefrommydueanger;forthoushaltbring forthasonneandadaughter,whosebirthshallcosttheeno!esse thanthylife,andthemtheircontentment,forutteringsomuchin disgraceofmyhonourandbeautie:bothwhichshallbeasinfortunateintheirloveasanywereeverinalltheirlives,orto theagewherein,withremedylessesighes,theyshallbreathforth thesummeoftheirceaselessesorrowes.Andhavingsaidethus,she vanishedaway:when,likewise,itseemedtomymotherthatthe GoddessePallascametoherinavision,andwithamerrycountenancesaidethusuntoher:WithwhatsufficientrewardesmayIbe abletorequitethedueregarde(mosthappieanddiscreeteDelia) whichthouhastalleagedinmyfavouragainstthyhusbandsobstinateopinion,exceptitbebymakingtheeunderstandthatthoushalt
Diana Enamorada 229 bring foorth a sonne and a daughter, the most fortunate in armes that have bene to their times. Having thus said, she vanished out of her sight, and my mother, thorow exceeding feare, awaked immediately. Who, within a moneth after, at one birth was delivered of me, and of a brother of mine, and died in childebed, leaving my father the most sorrowfull man in the world for her sudden death; for greefe whereof, within a little while after, he also died. And bicause you may knowe (faire Nymphes) in what great extremities love hath put me, you must understand, that (being a woman of that qualitie and disposition as you have heard) I have bene forced by my cruell destinie to leave my naturall habit and libertie, and the due respect of mine honour, to follow him, who thinkes (perhaps) that I do but Ieese it by loving him so extremely. Behold, how bootelesse and unseemely it is for a woman to be so dextrous in armes, as if it were her proper nature and kinde, wherewith (faire Nymphes) I had never bene indued, but that, by meanes thereof, I should come to doe you this little service against these villaines; whiche I account no lesse then if fortune had begun to satisfie in part some of those infinite wrongs that she hath continually done me. The Nymphes were so amazed at her words, that they could neither aske nor answere any thing to that the faire Shepherdesse tolde them, who, prosecuting her historic, saide:
My brother and I were brought up in a Nunnerie, where an aunt of ours was Abbesse, until we had accomplished twelve yeeres of age, at what time we were taken from thence againe, and my brother was caried to the mightie and invincible King of Portugal/ his Court (whose noble fame and princely liberalitie was bruted over all the world) where, being growen to yeeres able to manage armes, he atchieved as valiant and almost incredible enterprises by them, .as he suffered unfortunate disgraces and foiles by love. And with all this he was so highly favoured of that magnificent king, that he would never suffer him to depart from his Court. Unfortunate I, reserved by my sinister destinies to greater mishaps, was caried to a grandmother of mine, which place I would I had never scene, since it was an occasion of such a sorrowfull life as never any woman suffered the like. And bicause there is not any thing (faire Nymphes) which I am not forced to tell you, as well for the great vertue and desertes which your excellent beauties doe testifie, as also for that for my minde doth give me, that you shall be no small part and meanes of my comfort, knowe, that as I was in my grandmothers house, and almost seventeene yeeres olde, a certaine yoong Gentleman fell in love with me, who dwelt no further from our house then the length of a garden Terrasse, so that he might see me every sommers night
