Rosaura was in a swoon on the saddle-bow, and the other shepherds would not let Elicio or Damon go, until Artandro bade them let them go; and when they saw themselves free, they drew their knives with valiant spirit and rushed upon the seven shepherds, who all together held the javelins they were carrying at their breasts, telling them to stop, since they saw how little they could achieve in the enterprise they were undertaking.

'Still less can Artandro achieve,' Elicio said in reply to them, 'in having wrought such treason.'

'Call it not treason,' answered one of the others, 'for this lady has given her word to be Artandro's wife, and now, to comply with the fickle mood of woman, she has withdrawn it, and yielded herself to Grisaldo, a wrong so manifest and such that it could not be dissembled from our master Artandro. Therefore calm yourselves, shepherds, and think better of us than hitherto, since to serve our master in so just a cause excuses us.'

And without saying more, they turned their backs, still mistrusting the evil looks Elicio and Damon wore, who were in such a rage at not being able to undo that violent act, and at finding themselves incapacitated from avenging what was being done to them, that they knew neither what to say nor what to do. But the sufferings Galatea and Florisa endured at seeing Rosaura carried away in that manner, were such that they moved Elicio to set his life in the manifest peril of losing it; for, drawing his sling—and Damon doing the same—he went at full speed in pursuit of Artandro, and with much spirit and skill they began from a distance to throw such large stones at them that they made them halt and turn to set themselves on the defensive. But nevertheless it could not but have gone ill with the two bold shepherds, had not Artandro bidden his men to go forward and leave them, as they did, until they entered a dense little thicket which was on one side of the road, and, with the protection of the trees the slings and stones of the angry shepherds had little effect. Nevertheless they would have followed them, had they not seen Galatea and Florisa and the other two shepherdesses coming with all haste to where they were, and for this reason they stopped, violently restraining the rage that spurred them on, and the desired vengeance they meditated; and as they went forward to receive Galatea, she said to them:

'Temper your wrath, gallant shepherds, since with the advantage of our enemies your diligence cannot vie, though it has been such as the valour of your souls has shown to us.'

'The sight of your discontent, Galatea,' said Elicio, 'would, I believed, have given such violent energy to mine, that those discourteous shepherds would not have boasted of the violence they have done us; but in my fortune is involved not having any luck in anything I desire.'

'The loving desire Artandro feels' said Galatea, 'it was which moved him to such discourtesy, and so he is in my eyes excused in part.'

And straightway she related to them in full detail the story of Rosaura, and how she was waiting for Grisaldo to receive him as husband, which might have come to Artandro's knowledge, and that jealous rage might have moved him to do as they had seen.

'If it is as you say, discreet Galatea,' said Damon, 'I fear that from Grisaldo's neglect, and Artandro's boldness, and Rosaura's fickle mood, some grief and strife must needs arise.'

'That might be,' replied Galatea, 'should Artandro dwell in Castile; but if he withdraws to Aragón, which is his country, Grisaldo will be left with only the desire for vengeance.'