anitie, that hee woulde saue their honor aboue all
thinges. This gallant reioysing at their humble and pitifull
requestes was thus curteous vnto them, that he would not once
suffer them to stand with their garmentes on in his presence:
the women casting themselues downe at his feete wept bitterly,
beseeching him that he woulde haue pitie vpon them, and not to
be the occasion of a slaunder so great and infamous. But he
whose hart was hardened as the Diamonde, said vnto them, that
this facte was not worthy of blame but rather of reuenge. The
women dispoyled of their apparel (and standing before him, so
free from couering as euer was Eue before Adam) appeared as
beautifull in this their innocent state of nakednes, as they did
in their brauerie: in so much that the yong scholler viewing
from toppe to toe, those fayre and tender creatures, whose
whitenesse surpassed the snow, began to haue pitie vppon them:
but calling to his remembraunce the iniuries past and the
daunger of death wherein he was, he reiected all pitie and
continued his harde and obstinate determination. Then he toke
all their apparell, and other furnitures that they did weare,
and bestowed it in a little chamber, and with threatning words
commaunded all three to lie in one bed. The women altogether
astonned, began to say to themselues: "Alas, what fooles be we?
what wil our husbands and our frendes say, when they shal
vnderstand that we be found naked and miserablie slaine in this
bed? It had been better for vs to haue died in our cradels, than
apprehended and found dead in this state and plight." The
Scholler seeing them bestowed one by another in the bed, like
husband and wyfe, couered them with a very white and large
sheete, that no part of their bodies might be seene and knowen,
and shutting the Chamber doore after him Philenio went to seeke
their husbands, which were dauncing in the hall: and the daunce
ended, he intreated them to take the paines to goe with him: who
was their guide into the Chamber where the three Muses lay in
their bedde, saying vnto them: "Sirs, I haue broughte you into
this place to shewe you some pastime and to let you see the
fayrest thinges that euer you saw in your liues.{"} Then
approching neere the bed, and holding a torch in his hand, he
began fayre and softly to lift vp the shete at the bed's feete,
discouering these fayre ladies euen to the knees. Ye should haue
seen then, how the hushands did behold their white legges an