HALLIWELL, in his Archaic Dictionary, says: "Crouchmas means Christmas," and adds that Tusser is his authority. But this is altogether a mistake. Tusser, in his "May Remembrances," says: "From bull cow fast, till Crouchmas be past," i.e. St. Helen's Day. Tusser evidently means from May 3 (the invention of the Cross) to August 18 (St. Helen's Day or the Cross-mas), not Christmas.
HIGGONS (Bevil) says:
The Cyprian queen, drawn by Apellês hand.
Of perfect beauty did the pattern stand!
But then bright nymphs from every part of Greece
Did all contribute to adorn the piece.
To Sir Godfrey Kneller (1780).
Tradition says that Apellês model was either Phyrne, or Campaspê, afterwards his wife. Campbell has borrowed these lines, but ascribes the painting to Protog'enês the Rhodian.
When first the Rhodian's mimic art arrayed
The queen of Beauty in her Cyprian shade,