might tumble and toss, but neither run nor resist he could. Upon him, like so many eagles upon an ox, were nine gentlewomen; truly such, as one might well enough say, they were handsome. Each of them had bodkins in their hands, wherewith continually they pricked him, having been before-hand unarmed of any defence from the waste upward, but only of his shirt: so as the poor man wept and bled, cryed and prayed while they sported themselves in his pain, and delighted in his prayers as the arguments of their victory.

"I was moved to compassion, and so much the more that he streight called to me for succour, desiring me at least to kill him, to deliver him from those tormentors. But before myself could resolve, much less any other tell what I would resolve, there came in choleric haste towards me about seven or eight knights; the foremost of which, willed me to get away, and not to trouble the ladies, while they were taking their due revenge; but with so over-mastering a manner of pride, as truly my heart could not brook it: and therefore, answering them, that how I would have defended him from the ladies I knew not, but from them I would, I began a combat first with him particularly, and after his death with the others, that had less good manners, jointly. But such was the end of it, that I kept the field with the death of some, and flight of others. In so much as the women, afraid, what angry victory would bring forth, ran all away, saving only one, who was so flesht in malice that neither during, nor after the fight, she gave any truce to her cruelty, but still used the little instrument of her great spight, to the well witnest pain of the impatient patient: and was now about to put out his eyes, which all this while were spared, because

they should do him the discomfort of seeing who prevailed over him. When I came in, and after much ado brought her to some conference, for some time it was before she would hearken, more before she would speak, and most before she would in her speech leave off the sharp remembrance of her bodkin, but at length when I pull'd off my head-piece, and humbly intreated ber pardon, or knowledge why she was cruel, out of breath more with choler, which increased in his own exercise, than with the pain she took, much to this purpose she gave her grief unto my knowledge. Gentleman, said she, much it is against my will to forbear any time the executing of my just revenge upon this naughty creature, a man in nothing, but in deceiving. But because I see you are young, and like enough to have the power, if you would have the mind, to do much more mischief than he, I am content upon this bad subject to read a lecture to your virtue.

women.

"This man called Pamphilus, in birth I must confess noble, but what is that to him, if it shall be a stain to his dead ancestors to have left such an off-spring, in shape as you see, not uncomly, indeed the fit mask of his disguised falsehood, in conversation wittily pleasant, and pleasantly gamesome; his eyes full of merry simplicity, his words of hearty companiableness; and such an one, whose head one would not think so stayed as to think mischievously delighted in all such things, which by imparting the delight to others, makes the user thereof welcome;-as musick, dancing, hunting, feasting, riding, and such like. And to conclude, such an one, as who can keep him at arms-end, need never wish a better companion. But under these quali ties lies such a poisonous adder, as I will tell you.

For by those gifts of nature and fortune, being in all places acceptable, he creeps, nay, to say truly, he flies so into the favour of poor silly women, that I would be too much ashamed to confess, if I had not revenge in my hand, as well as shame in my cheeks. For his heart being wholly delighted in deceiving us, we could never be warned, but rather one bird caught, served for a stale to bring in more. For the more he got, the more still he shewed, that he, as it were, gave way to his new mistress, when he betrayed his promises to the former. The cunning of his flattery, the readiness of his tears, the infiniteness of his vows, were but among the weakest threads of his net. But the stirring our own passions, and by the entrance of them, to make himself lord of our forces, there lay his master's part of cunning, making us now jealous, now envious, now proud of what we had, desirous of more; now giving one the triumph, to see him that was prince of many, subject to her; now with an estranged look, making her fear the loss of that mind, which indeed could never be had: never ceasing humbleness and diligence, till he had embarked us in some such disadvantage, as we could not return dry-shod; and then suddenly a tyrant, but a crafty tyrant. For so would he use his imperiousness, that we had a delightful fear, and an awe, which made us loath to lose our hope. And which is strangest, when sometimes with late repentance, I think of it, I must confess, even in the greatest tempest of my judgment was I never driven to think him excellent; and yet so could set my mind, both to get and keep him, as though therein had lain my felicity: like them I have seen play at the ball, grow extremely earnest, who should have the ball, and yet every one

knew it was but a ball. But in the end the bitter sauce of the sport was, that we had either our hearts broken with sorrow, or our estates spoiled by being at his direction, or our honours for ever lost, partly by our own faults, but principally by his faulty using of our faults. For never was there man that could with more scornful eyes behold her, at whose feet he had lately lain, nor with a more unmanlike bravery use his tongue to her disgrace, which lately had song sonnets of her praises being so naturally inconstant, as I mar1 vel his soul finds not some way to kill his body, whereto it had been so long united. For so hath he dealt with us, unhappy fools, as we could never tell, whether he made greater haste after he once liked, to enjoy, or after he once enjoyed, to forsake. But making a glory of his own shame, it delighted him to be challenged of unkindness, it was triumph to him to have his mercy called for: and he thought the fresh colours of his beauty were painted in nothing so well, as in the ruins of his lovers: yet so far had we engaged ourselves, unfortunate souls, that we listed not complain, since our complaints, could not but carry the greatest accusation to ourselves. But every one of us, each for herself, laboured all means how to recover him, while he rather daily sent us companions of our deceit, than ever returned in any sound and faithful manner. Till at length he concluded all his wrongs with betrothing himself to one, I must confess, worthy to be liked if any worthiness might excuse so unworthy a changeableness; leaving us nothing but remorse for what was past, and a despair of what might follow. Then indeed the common injury made us all join in fellowship, who till that time had employed

for we thought

than the justi

our endeavours one against the other, nothing was a more condemning of us, fying of his love to her by marriage: then despair made fear valiant, and revenge gave shame countenance : whereupon, we, that you saw here, devised how to get him among us alone: which he, suspecting no such matter of them whom he had by often abuses, he thought, made tame to be still abused, easily gave us opportunity to do.

"And a man may see, even in this, how soon rulers grow proud, and in their pride foolish: he came with such an authority among us, as if the planets had done enough for us, that by us once he had been delighted. And when we began in courteous manner, one after the other, to lay his unkindness unto him, he seeing himself confronted by so many, like a resolute orator, went not to denial, but to justify his cruel falshood, and all with such jests, and disdainful passages, that if the injury could not be made greater, yet were our conceits made the apter to apprehend it.

Among other of his answers, forsooth, I shall never forget, how he would prove it was no inconstancy to change from one love to another, but a great constancy; and contrary, that which we call constancy, to be most changeable. For, said he, I ever loved my delight, and delighted always in what was lovely: and : wheresoever, I found occasion to obtain that, I constantly followed it. But these constant fools you speak of, though their mistress grow by sickness foul, or by fortune miserable, yet still will love her, and so commit the absurdest inconstancy that may be, in changing their love from fairness to foulness, and from loveliness to his contrary; like one not content to leave a friend,