Page:Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo.djvu/74

 Now, his counselor had a wise, and very beautiful daughter, and her governess who was a worthy woman, happened to learn that no damsel could be found whom the young man liked. She thought, that the daughter of the counselor would be pleasing to the young man because of her great beauty. Thus, she looked for an opportunity to be with him, and made him understand that, if he saw her master's daughter, whose prudence and beauty surpassed that of every one of her age, she was certain that he would take her for his wife.

The young man listened to her and asked the governess affectionately to let him know how he could see her. She answered him as follows, “The counselor, my master, habitually almost every Sunday sends his daughter hunting. While the whole week she is occupied with virtuous works, she has at least no duties that day. Therefore, if you desire to see her, this can easily be arranged if you wish to follow us to the countryside the following Sunday." The young man was endlessly grateful to the governess for these words.

He only revealed this to one of his companions with whom he went on horseback on Sunday, and, at some distance, they began to follow the women of the counselors, who went out hunting.

Nearly three miles from the city was a venerable and ancient church, where the damsel, whom the young man recognized from the signs given to him by the governess, halted with her party after she saw two doves in the bell tower.