pecto e tuoi vezosi sguardi, dolci acti
dolce parole cum le quale mi vicesti ad
amarti. Io sempre verso di te sero fide-
le qual sempre fui tal sara lultimo mio
di nel nostro amore; qual stati sono tut-
ti glialtri quanto vorai officiosi et prompti
una hora medesima finira in me vita et
amore. Philarco. E quanta ben troppo mi
pare gientileza da porto chiamarti in
nave, et puoi lassarti solo in alto et tem-
pestoso mare; et se redursi al sicuro o
ve seella cussi fa per vindicarse certo po-
co merita essere amata. Amor non vu-
ol vendeta. Vendeta vien da inimista
sella cussi senza cagione tistracia certo
all ella molto merita essere odiata. Chi sanza ragione ingiuria un suo qual sia forse inimico, costui usa tirannia. Pertanto nuocere a chi te ami, verrebbe troppo da crudelità e bestialità. Ma giudica tu di Deifira, non dico quanto da lei pruovi, ma quanto a te piace. E qui dimmi: quale a te sarebbe più caro, o uscire in libertà o vivere in questi tormenti? Non sarebbono ubbiditi i signori, se non potessino dare e torre a’ suoi dimolti beni. A te può Deifira torre nulla che tuo sia. Chi resta d’amare, perde l’amore, non el toglie ad altrui. E tu adunque, se cosi vuoi, quanto si conviene, libertà e quiete, di– sponi non volere da costei cosa ch’ella ti possa dare, e sarai libero. Resta di volere e sarai libero. E poca ti sarà fatica non voler quel che tu già non puoi avere. E vero costei, che potrebb’ella mai darti cosa degna alle tue virtù? Non onore, non ricchezza, non fama, non grado o dignitate alcuna, quali tutte con minore fatiche molto acquisteresti, se tu a quelle tuo tempo e ingegno tanto con- sumassi. El tempo e la fatica indarno spesa si può chiamare gittata via. E caro a te, se tu da questa tua Deifira non ricevessi pure in- finiti dispiaceri. Ché se forse ti piace vedere un bel viso, molti più be’ visi che il suo

heart, along with your alluring glances, your sweet words and deeds, with which you won me over to loving you. I will always be faithful to you — as I always was — and the last day of my life in our love will be no different from all the other days, obliging and eager in love, as much as you desire. And my life and my love will end at the same time. Philarco. What great kindness would it be for her to call you from port into a ship, and then abandon you alone on the high and stormy seas and find refuge for herself? If she did this to revenge herself, certainly she does not deserve to be loved. Love does not desire revenge. Revenge comes from enmity; if she destroys you for no reason, certainly she deserves to be hated. Whoever injures any of his enemies without cause is a tyrant. But harming someone who loves you shows even more cruelty and brutishness. However, about Deiphira, judge not by your experience of her, but rather on what you value. And tell me this, which would you value more, to escape to freedom, or to live with these torments? Subjects would not obey their lords if the lords did not have the power to give and take back their many possessions. Deiphira cannot take away from you anything that is yours. The one who ceases to love, loses love and does not take it away from someone else. And you, therefore, if you want freedom and quiet, as you should, resolve not to desire from her anything that she can give you, and you will be free. Refrain from desiring and you shall be free. And it will not be hard for you to refrain from desiring that which you cannot have anyway. And really, what is it that she could ever give you that is equal to your virtue? Not honor, or riches, or fame, nor any rank or status, all of which you would acquire with even less effort, if you would apply your time and ingenuity to them alone. Time and effort spent in vain should be considered wasted. And it would be costly to you, even if you were receiving something other than infinite displeasure from your Deiphira. Because though it may please you to see a beautiful face, many faces more beautiful than hers reveal themselves to you,