imbracings, with the amorous regardes of their star-like eyes.
And some were set vpon the greene banks not ouergrown with reed and segs, but finely beautified with sweete hearbs and flowers, among the which the tender Nymphs comming wet out of the water more cleere then Axius in Mygdonia, vnder the vmbragious trees, did sit sporting and deuising one with another in delightfull imbracings, with their reuerencing louers, not cruelly scorning & reiecting them, but with a sociable loue and benigne affablenesse, disposing themselues to the like shew of true affection, their sweete gestures and pleasant behauiours far more gratious to the eie, then flowing teares be to the frowarde and vnmercifull Cupid, the sweete fountaines and moist dewes to the green fieldes, and desired forme to vnfashioned matter.
Some did sing amorous sonnets, and verses of loue, breathing out in the same from their inflamed breasts, scalding sighs ful of sweete accents, able to enamorate harts of stone: And to make smooth the ruggednesse of the vnpassageable mountaine Caucasus, to staie whatsoeuer furie the harpe of Orpheus woulde prouoke, and the fowle and euill fauoured face of Medusa, to make any horrible monster tame and tractable, and to stop the continuall prouocation of the deuouring Scylla. Some rested their heads in the chaste laps of their faire loues, recounting the pleasaunt deuises of Iupiter, and they instrophyating their curled locks with sweete smelling flowers.
Others of them fained that they were forsaken, and seemed to flie and go awaie from them, whom dearely they did affect, and then was there running one after another with loud laughters, and effeminate criengs out, their faire tresses spredding downe ouer their snowie shoulders like threeds of gold, bound in laces of greene silke: Some loose after a Nymphish maner, others bounde vp in attyres of golde set with pearle. Afterwards comming neere togither, they would stowpe downe, and twiching vp the sweete flowers with their faire and tender fingers, fling the same in the faces of their pursuing louers with great pleasure and solace, maintaining their fained disgracings.
[v] Others with great curtesie were putting of Rose leaues one after another into their laced brests, adding after them sweete kisses, some giuing their louers (if ouer-bold) vpon the cheekes with their harmles palmes pretie ticks, making them red like the wheeles of Phœbus in a faire and cleere morning: with other new and vnthought contentions, such as loue could deuise. They all being pleasant, merrie, and disposed to delight: Their gestures and motions girlish, and of a virgineall simplicitie, putting on sincere loue without the offence of honorable vertue: Free and exempt from the occursion of griefe or emulation of aduers fortune: Sitting vnder the shade of the weeping sister of the whited Phaeton, and of the immortall Daphne and hairie pineapple with small and sharpe leaues, streight Cyprus, greene Orenge trees, and tall Cedars, and others most excellent, abounding with greene leaues, sweete flowers, and pleasant fruits still flourishing in such sort as is inestimable, euenly disposed vpon the gratious banks, & orderly growing in a moderat distance vpon thee grassie ground, inuested with green Vinca peruince or laurel. What hart is so cold and chilling, that would not be stirred vp to heate, manifestly beholding the delightfull duties of reciprocall loue, such as I was perswaded would haue kindled Diana hir selfe?
Whereupon I was bold to shew that folly which tormented my inward spirits, enuying to see what others possessed, that was a continuall delight in pleasure and solace without any wearines in full cloying, and thus diuers times my hart being set on fire by my eies, and extreemely burning, my minde still fixed vpon delightfull pleasures and their smacking kisses, and regarding with a curious eie the abounding guerdons of the fethered god, me thought at that instant, that I did behold the extreeme perfection of pleasure. And by this meanes I stood wauering and out of measure amazed, and as one which had droonke an amorous potion, calling into remembrance the ointments of the mischeeuous Circes, the forcible hearbs of Medea, the hurtfull songs of Byrrena, and the deadly verses of Pamphile, I stood doubtfull that my eies had seene somthing more than humane, and that a base, dishonorable, and frail bodie should not be where immortall
creatures did abide.
After that I was brought from these long and doubtfull thoughts and phantasticall imaginations, and remembring all those maruellous diuine shapes and bodies which I had personally seene with mine eies, I then knew that they were not deceitfull shadowes, nor magicall illusions, but that I had not rightly conceiued of them.
And now with earnest consideration among these beholding the most excellent Nymph fast by me, my eies filled with amorous darts ceased not to wound my passionate hart, by means wherof incontinently all my wandering thoughts were stirred vp, compact, and fixed vpon hir their desired obiect, recalling my mortified soule afresh to be tormented in his first flames, which most cruelly I suffered, in that I durst not be bold to aske if she were my desired Polia, for she had put me in some doubt thereof before, and now fearing to offend hir with my being ouer bolde, and ore troublesome with my rude and vntilled toong, diuers times when my voice was breaking out betwixt my lips, vpon that occasion I suppressed the same. But what she should be, it was beyond my compasse to imagine, and I stood as suspicious thereof, as the deceiued Socia with the fained Atlantiades. Thus with diligent regards and cordiall searches examining hir heauenly features inuaded with a burning desire beyond measure, I said to my self: Oh that I might be, if it were possible, a free mã in such a place, for no sorrow shoulde greeue me, nor imminent danger should make me afraid: although that frowarde fortune shoulde oppose hir selfe against me, I woulde spende my life without any regard therof, not refusing to vndertake the laborsome and great enterprise of the two gates shewed to the sonne of Amphitrio.
To spend the prime of my youth and pleasure of my yeers in the mortall daungers of the merciles seas, and in the fearfull places of Trinacria, with the excessiue trauels and terrors of Ulysses, in the darke caue of the horrible Polyphem, the son of Neptune, to be transformed in the companie of Calypso, although I lost my life, or indured the most hard & long seruitude of Androdus, for all wearines is forgotten where loue is vehement. To vndertake with the amorous Minalion and