to
continue towardes you and her, the same man I came hither,
beseching the continuance of your good grace and fauour, sithens
that without desert I haue loste hers." The Countesse which
partely beleued, and partelye mistrusted his talke, went vnto
her daughter, and demaunded wherfore she cried out so loud.
Florinda answered that she was afrayde: and albeit the Countesse
subtilly asked her of many things, yet Florinda would neuer make
other answere, for that hauing escaped the handes of her enemy,
she thought it punishement enough for him to lose his labour:
after that the Countesse had of long tyme communed with Amadour,
she lefte him yet once againe to enter in talke with Florinda
before her, to see what countenaunce shee would make him. To
whom he spake fewe wordes except they were thankes for that she
had not confessed the truthe to her mother, praying her at least
wise that seing he was dispossessed out of her hart, she would
suffer none other to receiue his place: but she answering his
former talke, saide: "If I had had any other meanes to defend my
selfe from you than by crying out, she should neuer haue heard
me, and of me you shall neuer heare worse, except you doe
constrayne me as you haue done, and for louing any other man,
you shall not neede to feare: for sithe I haue not found in your
harte (which I estemed the most vertuous in all the world) the
good successe that I desired, I wyll neuer beleue hereafter that
vertue is planted in any man. And this outrage shall make me
free from all passions that Loue can force." And in saying so
she tooke her leaue. The mother which behelde her countenaunce,
could suspecte nothing, and after that tyme, shee was persuaded
that her daughter bare no more affection to Amadour, and thought
assuredly that she was voyde of reason, because she hated al
those things which she was wont to loue: and from that time
forth there was such warre betwene the mother and the daughter,
as the mother for the space of VII. yeares would not speake vnto
her, except it were in anger: which she did at the request of
Amadour: during which time, Florinda conuerted the misliking of
her husband, into mere and constant loue, to auoyde the rigour
and checkes of her mother: howbeit, seing that nothing could
preuayle, she purposed to beguile Amadour, and leauing for a day
or two her straunge countenance towards him, she counselled
Amadour to loue a woman, whiche as she sayd, did commonly
dispute and