![]() O miserable wretch that I am, to whom shall I addresse my complaintes, is it the heauenly powers and goddes of loue that haue depriued mee of my sences, and shewed their deuine working in mée, or is it the hellish Hags and spirites of spight that haue bereeued mée of reason, & executed their cruelty on mée? is it loue that leadeth me to this lust, or is it hate that haleth mee to this hurt and mischiefe, no no the gods guide vs to goodnesse, the furies of hell it is that force vs to silthynesse: neyther doth it any way deserue the name of loue, which bringeth such torment to my troubled minde, that all the diuels in the world could not do the like. And beinge the chiefe ruler of the citie, hee perswaded him self that there was none in the city so stout but would stoup to his lure, nor none so faire but would faine imploy them selues to pleasure him: but on the other side the renow∣med vertue of Camma came to his minde, which perswaded an impossibility to his purpose: and floting thus betwéene hope and dispaire he entred into these termes. For this Sinorix glauncing his gazing eyes on the blazinge beuty of Camma, receiued so déep an impression, of her perfection in his hart, that immediatly he fixed his fancie vpon her comely corps. In the Citie Sienna was a married couple, the husbande named Sinnatus, the wife called Camma, who as they wereīy estate worshipfull, by vertue honorable, and by goodnesse gracious, so were they in ritches fortunate, in children fruitfull, in friends flowrishinge, and in loue so loyall eche to other, that they long time led a louinge and quiet life to∣gether: but either fortune enuying their prosperity, or the diuell displeased with their vertuous life, or God disposed to try their truth, and make them patterns to their posterity, conuerted this hapy life to heauy estate, and raysed vp one Synorix to raze and beat down the firme foundacion of their faithfull buildinge and bydinge together. And as the sience seuered from the stocke withereth away, if it bée not grafted in some other: so a louing wife seperated frō the societie of her husband, withereth away in woe, and leadeth a life no lesse pleasant then death, as the sequele of this history shall shew, wherin you shall sée a meruaylous Mirrour of blessed Matrimony, and a terrible tipe of beast∣ly tyrannie. And as a sience grafted in a strange stalke, their natures being vnited by grothe, they béecome one, and together beare one fruite: so the loue of the wife planted in the breast of her husband, their harts by continuance of loue become one, one sence and one soule serueth them both. The frendship amongest men is grounded vppon no law, and dissolued vpon euery light occasion: the good will of kinsfolke is commonly colde, as mutch of custome as of deuotion: but in this stately state of Matrimonie, there is nothing fearefull, nothing fayned, all things are done faith∣fully without doubting, truely without doublyng, willingly without constraint, ioyfully without complaint: yea there is sutch a generall consent and mutuall agréement between the man and wife, that they both wish and will, couet and craue one thing. AS amongest all the bondes of beneuolence and good wil, there is none more honorable, auncient, or honest then Mariage, so in my fansie there is none that doth more firmely fasten, and inseparably vnite vs to∣gether then the same estate doth, or wherein the fruites of true freendship do more plenteously appeare: In the Father is a certayne seuere loue and carefull good will towardes the childe, the childe beareth a fearefull affection and awfull obedience towards the Father: the Master hath an imperi∣ous regarde of the seruant, the seruant a seruile care of the master. Camma, to the intent she might bee re∣uenged vpon the cheife conspiratour, in grauntinge him marriage, dispatcheth her selfe in drinkinge to him, and him in pledging her in a draught of poyson, which she had prepared for that purpose. ![]() But perceiulnge his practices to take no wished effect, and supposinge the husbandes life to hinder his loue, causeth him to bee murthered by a russian. SINORIX, cheif gouernour of Sienna in Italy, glaun∣cynge his eyes vpon the glitteryng bewtie of Camma, wife to Sinnatus, a Gentilman of the same citie: falleth into extreame loue with her, and assaieth sundry waies to win her goodwill.
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