be mercy ripe and franke in thy venerable hoare head, and hear the sum
of my calamity.

There was a comely young man, who for his bounty and grace was beloved
entirely of all the towne, my cousine Germane, and but three years older
than I; we two were nourished and brought up in one house, lay under one
roofe, and in one chamber, and at length by promise of marriage, and by
consent of our parents we were contracted together. The marriage day was
come, the house was garnished with lawrel, and torches were set in
every place in the honour of Hymeneus, my espouse was accompanied by his
parents, kinsfolke, and friends, and made sacrifices in the temples and
publique places. And when my unhappy mother pampered me in her lap, and
decked me like a bride, kissing me sweetly, and making me a parent for
Children, behold there came in a great multitude of theeves armed like
men of warre, with naked swords in their hands, who went not about
to doe any harme, neither to take any thing away, but brake into the
chamber where I was, and violently tooke me out of my mothers armes,
when none of our family would resist for feare.

In this sort was our marriage disturbed, like the marriage of Hyppodame
and Perithous. But behold my good mother, now my unhappy fortune is
renewed and encreased: For I dreamed in my sleepe, that I was pulled out
of our house, out of our chamber, and out of my bed, and that I removed
about in solitary and unknowne places, calling upon the name of my
unfortunate husband, and how that he, as soone as he perceived that he
was taken away, even smelling with perfumes and crowned with garlands,
did trace me by the steppes, desiring the aid of the people to assist
him, in that his wife was violently stollen away, and as he went crying
up and down, one of the theeves mooved with indignation, by reason of
his pursuit, took up a stone that lay at his feet, and threw it at my