u ought for frendship sake to
consider that the maried man lay in the mids. Their goodes were
common betwene them, and the mariage did yelde no cause to
hinder their assured amitie. But in processe of time, the
felicitie of this worlde (whiche carieth with it a certaine
mutabitie) could not continue in the house, which was before
right pleasaunt and happy: for the maried man forgetting the
faithfull fidelitie of his friend, without any cause conceiued a
greate suspicion betwene hym and his wyfe, from whom he could
not dissemble the case, but sharpely tolde her his mynde. She
therewithall was wonderfully amazed: howbeit, he commaunded her
to doe all thinges (one thing excepted) and to make so muche of
his companion as of himselfe. Neuerthelesse he forbade her to
speake vnto hym except it were in the presence of many. All
which she gaue her husbande's companion to vnderstande, who
would not beleue her, knowyng that hee had neither by thought or
deede done anye thing whereof his companion had cause to be
offended. And likewise because he used to kepe nothing secrete
from hym, he tolde him what he had sayde, praying hym to tell
him the truthe of the matter, because he purposed neither in
that, ne yet in any other thing, to geue occasion of breach of
that amitie which of long time they had imbraced. The maried
Gentleman assured him that he neuer thought it, and how they
which had sowen that rumor, had wickedly belied him. Whereunto
his companion replied: "I knowe wel enough that Ielousie is a
passion so intollerable as loue it selfe. And when you shall
conceiue that opinion of Ialousie, yea and it were of my selfe,
I should do you no wrong, for your selfe were not able to kepe
it. But of one thing which is in your power, I haue good matter
whereof to complayne, and that is because you will concele from
me your maladie, sith there was no passion or opinion which you
conceiued, that before this time you kept secret from me.
Likewise for my owne parte if I were amorous of your wife, you
ought not to impute it as a fault vnto me, because it is a fier
which I bare not in my handes, to vse at my pleasure. But if I
kepe it to my selfe from you, and indeuour to make youre wife
knowe it by demonstration of my loue, I might then be accompted
that vntrustiest friend that euer liued: and for me I doe assure
you that shee is a right honest and a good woman, and one that
my fansie doth lest fauour (although she were not your wife) of
a