No physicke hearbes the griefe of loue can cure, Ne yet no drugge that payne can well assure.
Alas, the seare cloath will not serue, to tent the wound the time shall be but lost, to launch the sore, and to salue the same it breeds myne ouerthrow. To be short, any dressing can not auayle, except the hand of hir alone which gaue the wounde. I woulde to God shee sawe the bottome of my heart, and viewed the Closet of my mynde, that shee might iudge of my firme fayth and know the wrong she doth me by hir rigor and froward will. But O vnhappy man, I feele that she is so resolued in obstinate mynde, as hir rest seemeth only to depend vpon my payne, hir ease vpon my griefe, and hir ioy vpon my sadnesse.” And saying so, began straungly to weepe, and sighing betwene, lamented, in so mutch as, the mistresse messaunger not able to abide the griefe and paynefull trauayle wherein shee saw the poore gentleman wrapped, went home to hir house: notwithstanding she told afterward the whole successe of his loue to a Gentleman, the friend of Philiberto. Now this Gentleman was a companion in armes to the Lorde of Virle, and a very familyar Freend of his, that went about by all meanes to put away those foolishe, and Franticke conceypts out of his fansie, but hee profited as mutch by his endeuour, as the passionate gayned by his heauines: who determining to dye, yelded so mutch to care and grief, as he fell into a greeuous sicknes, which both hindred him from sleepe, and also his Appetite to eate and drinke, geuing himselfe to muse vppon his follies, and fansied dreames, without hearing or admitting any man to speake vnto hym. And if perchaunce hee hearkened to the persuasions of his frends, he ceassed not his complaynt, bewayling the cruelty of one, whom he named not. The Phisitians round about were sought for, and they coulde geue no iudgement of his malady (neyther for all the Signes they saw, or any inspection of his Vrine, or touching of his pulse) but sayd that it was melancholie humor distilling from the Brayne, that caused the alteration of his sense: howbeit their Arte and knowledge were void of skil to evacuate the grosse Bloud that was congeled of his disease. And therefore dispayryng of his health, with hands full of Money, they gaue him ouer. Which his friend and Companion perceiuing, maruellous sorry for his affliction he ceased not to practise all that he could by Letters, gifts, promises and complaynts to procure Zilia to visite her pacient. For hee was assured that her onely presence was able to recouer him. But the cruell woman excused hir self that she was a Widow and that it shoulde bee vnseemely for one of hir degree (of intente) to visite a Gentleman, whose Parentage and Alliance she knew not. The soliciter of the Lord of Virle his health, seeing how lyttle hys prayers auailed to his implacable gryefe could not tell to what Sainct he might vow himself for Counsell, in the ende resolued to sollicite hir again that hadde done the first Message, that she myght eftsons deuise some meanes to bryng them to speake togither. And fynding hir for hys purpose, thus he sayed vnto hir: “Mystresse I maruell mutch that you make so little accompt of the pore lorde of Virle who lyeth in his Bedde attending for Death. Alas, if euer pitty had place in Woman’s heart, I beseech you to gyue your ayde to help him, the meane of whose recouery, is not ignoraunt vnto you.” “God is my witnesse” (quod she) “what trauaile my heart is willing to vndertake to helpe that Gentleman, but in things impossible, it is not in man to determine, or rest assured iudgement.