Two princes disguise themselves as shepherds to infiltrate the household of a retired duke and win the hearts of his sequestered daughters. Driven by romantic obsession and the desire to circumvent the duke's isolationist policies, the protagonists navigate a complex web of deception and social performance. The narrative framework employs a blend of prose and verse, utilizing the pastoral tradition to explore the friction between courtly expectations and rustic simplicity. The characters face logical constraints imposed by their assumed identities and the unpredictable nature of the duke's erratic governance.

Readers and critics often analyze this work as a foundational example of Elizabethan prose fiction that bridges the gap between medieval romance and early modern drama. Discussion frequently centers on the sophisticated interplay between the prose narrative and the embedded poetry, which serves to heighten the emotional stakes of the characters. Scholars highlight the text's role in establishing conventions for the pastoral genre while noting its distinct tonal shifts between lighthearted comedy and serious political inquiry. The pacing is often described as deliberate, reflecting the leisurely courtly environment for which it was originally composed. Many readers appreciate the work for its historical significance and the insight it provides into the literary experimentation of the late sixteenth century.