rather dismayed and vexed with desire, knowing no
certaine place whither I intended to go, I went from
street to street, and at length (as I curiously gazed
on every thing) I fortuned unwares to come into the
market place, whereas I espied a certaine woman, accompanied
with a great many servants, towards whom I drew nigh,
and viewed her garments beset with gold and pretious
stone, in such sort that she seemed to be some noble
matron. And there was an old man which followed
her, who as soon as he espied me, said to himself,
Verily this is Lucius, and then he came and embraced
me, by and by he went unto his mistresse and whispered
in her eare, and came to mee againe saying, How is
it Lucius that you will not salute your deere Cousin
and singular friend? To whom I answered, Sir I
dare not be so bold as to take acquaintance of an
unknown woman. Howbeit as halfe ashamed I drew
towards her, and shee turned her selfe and sayd, Behold
how he resembleth the very same grace as his mother
Salvia doth, behold his countenance and stature, agreeing
thereto in each poynt, behold his comely state, his
fine slendernesse, his Vermilion colour, his haire
yellow by nature, his gray and quicke eye, like to
the Eagle, and his trim and comely gate, which do
sufficiently prove him to be the naturall childe of
Salvia. And moreover she sayd, O Lucius, I have
nourished thee with myne owne proper hand: and
why not? For I am not onely of kindred to thy
mother by blood, but also by nourice, for wee both
descended of the line of Plutarch, lay in one belly,
sucked the same paps, and were brought up together
in one house. And further there is no other difference
betweene us two, but that she is married more honourably
than I: I am the same Byrrhena whom you have
often heard named among your friends at home:
wherfore I pray you to take so much pains as to come
with me to my house, and use it as your owne.
At whose words I was partly abashed and sayd, God
forbid Cosin that I should forsake myne Host Milo
without any reasonable cause; but verily I will, as
often as I have occasion to passe by thy house, come
and see how you doe. And while we were talking
thus together, little by little wee came to her house,
and behold the gates of the same were very beautifully
set with pillars quadrangle wise, on the top wherof
were placed carved statues and images, but principally
the Goddesse of Victory was so lively and with such
excellencie portrayed and set forth, that you would
have verily have thought that she had flyed, and hovered
with her wings hither and thither. On the contrary
part, the image of the Goddesse Diana was wrought
in white marble, which was a marvellous sight to see,
for shee seemed as though the winde did blow up her
garments, and that she did encounter with them that
came into the house. On each side of her were
Dogs made of stone, that seemed to menace with their
fiery eyes, their pricked eares, their bended nosethrils,
their grinning teeth in such sort that you would have