smell
of superstition, with a number more, which here for tediousnesse I
suppresse. If lasciuious he were, he may answere with _Ouid, Vita
verecunda est, musa iocosa mea est_, My lyfe is chast though wanton be
my verse. Tell mee who is most trauelled in histories, what good Poet
is or euer was there, who hath not had a little spice of wantonnes in
dayes? Euen _Beza_ himselfe by your leaue. _Aretine_ as long as the
worlde liues shalt thou liue. _Tully, Virgil, Ouid, Seneca_, were neuer
such ornaments to Italy as thou hast beene. I neuer thought of Italy
more religiously than England til I heard of thee. Peace to thy Ghost,
and yet mee thinkes so indefinite a spirite should haue no peace or
intermission of paines, but be penning Ditties to the Archangels in
another world. Puritans spue forth the venome of your dull inuentions.
A Toade swelles with thicke troubled poison, you swell with poisonous
perturbations, your mallice hath not a cleare dram of anie inspired
disposition.
My principall subiect pluckes me by the elbowe, _Diamante Castaldos_ the
magnificos wife, after my enlargment proued to bee with childe, at which
instant there grewe an vnsatiable famine in Venice, wherein, whether it
were for meere niggardise, or that _Castaldo_ still eate out his heart
with iealousie, Saint Anne be our recorde, he turnde vp the heeles verie
deuoutly. To master _Aretine_ after this, once more verie dutifully I
appeald, requested him of fauour, acknowledged former gratuities,
hee made no more humming or haulting, but in despite of her husbandes
kinsfolkes, gaue her her _Nunc dimittis_, and so establisht her free of
my companie.
Beeing out, and fully possest of her husbandes goods, she inuested mee
in the state of a Monarch. Because the time of childbirth drew nigh,
and shee coulde not remaine in Venice but discredited, she decreed to
trauell whether so euer I woulde conduct her. To see Italy throughout
was my proposed scope, and that waie if shee woulde trauell, haue with
her, I had wherewithall to relieue her.
From my master by her fulhand prouokement I parted without leaue, the
state of an Earle hee had thrust vppon me before, and nowe I woulde not
bate him an inch of it. Through all the Cities past I by no other
name but the yong Earle of Surrey, my pompe, my appareil, traine, and
expence, was nothing inferiour to his, my lookes were as loftie, my
wordes as magnificall. Memorandum, that Florence beeing the principall
scope o
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