AMORETTO.  I know this was the readiest way to chase away the scholar, by getting him into a subject he cannot talk of for his life. [Aside.] Sir, I will borrow so much time of you as to finish this my begun story.  Now, sir, after much travel we singled a buck; I rode that same time upon a roan gelding, and stood to intercept from the thicket; the buck broke gallantly; my great swift being disadvantaged in his slip was at the first behind; marry, presently coted and outstripped them, when as the hart presently descended to the river, and being in the water, proffered and reproffered, and proffered again:  and, at last, he upstarted at the other side of the water, which we call soil of the hart, and there other huntsmen met him with an adauntreley;[89] we followed in hard chase for the space of eight hours; thrice our hounds were at default, and then we cried A slain! straight, So ho; through good reclaiming my faulty hounds found their game again, and so went through the wood with gallant noise of music, resembling so many viols de gambo.  At last the hart laid him down, and the hounds seized upon him; he groaned, and wept, and died.  In good faith, it made me weep too, to think of Actaeon’s fortune, which my Ovid speaks of—­
                             [He reads Ovid.

Militat omnis amans, et habet sua castra Cupido.

ACADEMICO. 
Sir, can you put me in any hope of obtaining my suit?

AMORETTO. 
In good faith, sir, if I did not love you as my soul, I would not make
you acquainted with the mysteries of my art.

ACADEMICO. 
Nay, I will not die of a discourse yet, if I can choose.
                                     [Exit unperceived.

AMORETTO.  So, sir, when we had rewarded our dogs with the small guts, and the lights, and the blood, the huntsmen hallooed, So ho!  Venue, a coupler; and so coupled the dogs, and then returned homeward.  Another company of hounds, that lay at advantage, had their couples cast off, and we might hear the huntsmen cry, Horse, decouple, avant; but straight we heard him cry, Le amond, and by that I knew that they had the hare, and on foot; and by and by I might see sore and resore, prick and reprick.  What, is he gone! ha, ha, ha, ha! these scholars are the simplest creatures!

ACTUS II., SCAENA 6.

    Enter Amoretto’s PAGE.

PAGE.  I wonder what is become of that Ovid de arte amandi.[90] My master, he that for the practice of his discourse is wont to court his hobby abroad and at home, in his chamber makes a set speech to his greyhound, desiring that most fair and amiable dog to grace his company in a stately galliard; and if the dog, seeing him practise his lusty points, as his cross-point back-caper, chance to bewray the room, he presently doft’s his cap, most solemnly makes a low leg to his ladyship, taking it for the greatest favour in the world that she would vouchsafe to leave her civet-box or her sweet glove behind her.