ly and without supplication made in
my behalfe, thou hast vouchesafed to restore the same: and sith
thy clemency hath reuiued me thyne humble vassall, I beseech thy
maiesty to giue me leaue to say my minde, trustinge thereby to
do thee to vnderstand the effect and cause of that my former
presumption." The kinge made signes that he should arise and
boldly speake the summe of his desire. When he stoode up,
silence was proclaymed, who then began to speake these wordes:
"Two things there be, (most sacred Prince) which doubtlesse do
Resemble the raging Waues of surginge Seas, and the mutability
of vnstable windes, and yet great is the folly of an infinite
numbre, which imploy their whole care and diligence to the
pursute thereof. These two thinges whereof I speake, and be so
deerely beloued of flattering Courtiers, are the grace and
fauour of their soueraygne lord, and the luringe loue of Amorous
Dames: whych two do so often beguyle the courtly gentleman, that
in ende, they engender nought else but repentance: and to begin
with the loue of Ladies, they, as by common experience is
proued, most commonly do recline to their Inferiours. It is
dayly seene by to mutch vnhappy proofe, that a yongue Gentleman
by Byrth noble, and otherwyse riche, vertuous, and indued with
many goodly gyfts, shall choose and worship one for his
soueraigne Lady and maistresse, and her shall serue and honour
with no lesse fayth and fidelity then is due to the immortall
Gods, and shal not sticke to employ for her loue and seruice all
the possible power and trauell he is able to do, and yet she in
dispite of all his humble endeuour, shall imbrace an other voide
of all vertue, makynge him possessor of that benefite, after
which the other seeketh, and shee not longe constant in that
minde, afterwards wil attend to the first Suter, but in sutch
mouable and disdaynfull sort, as the wandring starres (through
their natural instability) be moued to and fro, and him in the
ende will suffre to fall headlong into the bottomlesse pit of
dispayre: and to him that asketh hir the reason of this variety,
she maketh none other aunswere but that her pleasure is sutch,
and wilfull will to dally with her sutors: so that seldome times
a true and perfit louer can fasten his foote on certayne holde,
but that his life is tossed vp and downe like the whirling
blastes of inconstant windes. The like succedeth in the Courtes
of Kings and Princes, he which is in fauoure with his s