Now gentilwomen, doe you thinke there coulde haue been a greater torment devised wherewith to afflicte the harte of Silla, then her self to bee made the instrumente to woorke her owne mishapp, and to plaie the atturney in a cause, that made so muche againste her self. But Silla altogether desirous to please her maister, cared nothyng at all to offende her selfe, followed his businesse with so good a will, as if it had been in her owne preferment.

Iulina now hauyng many tymes, taken the gaze of this yong youth Siluio, perceiuing hym to bee of such excellente perfecte grace, was so intangeled with the often sight of this sweete temptation, that she fell into as greate a likyng with the man, as the maister was with her self: and on a tyme Siluio beyng sent from his maister, with a message to the Ladie Iulina, as he beganne very earnestly to solicet in his maisters behalfe, Iulina interruptyng hym in his tale, saied: Siluio it is enough that you haue saied for your maister, from henceforthe either speake for your self, or saie nothyng at all. Silla abashed to heare these wordes, began in her minde to accuse the blindnesse of loue, that Iulina neglectyng the good will of so noble a duke woulde preferre her love vnto suche a one, as nature it self had denaied to recompence her likyng.

And now for a tyme, leauyng matters dependyng as you haue heard, it fell out that the right Siluio indeede (whom you haue heard spoken of before, the brother of Silla,) was come to his fathers courte into the Ile of Cyprus, where vnderstanding, that his sister was departed, in maner as you haue heard coniectured, that the very occasion did proceade of some liking had betwene Pedro her man (that was missyng with her) and her self, but Siluio who loved his sister, as dearly as his owne life, and the rather for that she was his naturall sister, bothe by father and mother, so the one of theim was so like the other, in countenaunce and fauour, that there was no man able to descerne the one from the other by their face, sauyng by their apparell, the one beyng a man, the other a woman.

Siluio therefore vowed to his father, not onely to seeke out his sister Silla, but also to reuenge the villanie, whiche he conceiued in Pedro, for the carriyng awaie of his sister; and thus departyng, hauyng trauailed through many cities and tounes, without hearyng any maner of newes of those he wente to seeke for, at the laste he arriued at Constantinople, where as he was walkyng in an euenyng for his owne recreation, on a pleasaunte greene yarde, without the walles of the citie, he fortuned to meete with the Ladie Iulina, who likewise had been abroad to take the aire, and as she sodainly caste her eyes vppon Siluio, thinkyng hym to bee her olde acquaintaunce, by reason thei were so like one an other, as you haue heard before, saied vnto hym, Sir Siluio, if your haste be not the greater, I praie you let me haue a little talke with you, seyng I haue so luckely mette you in this place.

Siluio wonderyng to heare hym self so rightlie named, beeyng but a straunger, not of aboue twoo daies continuaunce in the citie, verie courteouslie came towardes her, desirous to heare what she would saie.

Iulina commaunding her traine somthyng to stande backe, saied as followeth. Seyng my good will and frendly loue, hath been the onely cause to make me so prodigall to offer, that I see is so lightly reiected, it maketh me to thinke, that men bee of this condition, rather to desire those thynges, whiche thei can not come by, then to esteeme or value of that, whiche bothe largely and liberallie is offered vnto theim, but if the liberalitie of my proffer, hath made to seme lesse the value of the thing that I ment to present, it is but in your owne c[on]ceipt, consideryng how many noble men there hath been here before, and be yet at this present, whiche hath bothe serued, sued, and moste humbly intreated, to attaine to that, whiche to you of my self, I haue freely offred, and I perceiue is dispised, or at the least verie lightly regarded.

Siluio wonderyng at these woordes, but more amazed that she could so rightlie call him by his name, could not tell what to make of her speeches, assuryng hym self that she was deceiued, and did mystake hym, did thinke notwithstandyng, it had been a poincte of greate simplicitie, if he should forsake that, whiche fortune had so fauourably proffered vnto hym, perceiuyng by her traine, that she was some ladie of greate honour, and vewyng the perfection of her beautie, and the excellencie of her grace and countenaunce, did thinke it vnpossible that she should be despised, and therefore aunswered thus: