no meanes I was able to resist the violent force of Cupids artillerie, and therefore the elegant Nymph hauing amorously gotten an irrevocable dominion ouer me a miserable louer, I was inforced to follow still after hir moderate steps, which led me into a spatious and large plaine, the conterminate bound of the flowered greene & sweet smelling vallie, where also ended the adorned mountaines and fruitfull hils, shutting vp the entrance into this golden countrie, full of incredible delight with their ioining togither: couered ouer with green trees of a cõspicuous thicknes & distance, as if they had been set by hand, as Yew trees, wild Pynes, vnfruitfull but dropping Resin, tall pineapple, straight Firre, burning Pitch trees, the spungie Larix, the aierie Teda beloued of the mountains, celebrated and preserued for the festiuall Oreades. There both of vs walked in the greene and flowering plaine, shee being my guide through the high cypres trees, the broad leaued beech, coole shadie okes full of maste, and other hornebeames, pricking iuniper, weake hasell, spalt ash, greene lawrell, and humbryferous esculies, knottie plane trees & lyndens moouing by the sweet breath of the pleasant Zephirus, whistling through their tender branches, with a benigne and fauorable impulsion.
All which greene trees were not thickly twisted togither, but of a conuenient distaunce one from another, and all of them so aptly distributed as to the eie the sight thereof bred great delight.
Dryades, be Nymphs of the woods. This place was frequented with countrie Nymphs and Dryades, their small and slender wastes being girded with a brayding of tender corules of sprigs, leaues, and flowers and vpon
[v] their heads their rising vp haires, were compassed about as with garlands. Amongst them were the horned faunes, and lasciuious satyres, solemnising their faunall feasts, being assembled togither out of diuers places, within this fertile & pleasant cuntrie: bearing in their hands so tender green and strãge boughs, as are not to be foũd in the wood of the goddes
Feronia a goddesse of the woods.
Dabulam, a fertile place in Arabia.
Scænits, be a people in Arabia, that dwell altogither in tents.
Sauromatans, be people of Sarmatia, which is a large cuntry, reaching frõ Germany & the riuer Vistula to Hycænia, and is deuided into two parts Europea and Asiatica.
Feronia, when the inhabitants carrie hir image to the fire.
From thence we entered into a large square inclosure cõpassed about with broade walkes, straight from one corner to another, with a quick-set vpon either sides, in height one pace, of pricking iuniper thicke set togither, and mixt with box, compassing about the square greene mead. In the rowes of which quick-set there were symmetrially planted the victorious palme trees, whose branches were laden with fruite, appearing out of their husks, some blacke, some crymosen, and many yealow, the like are not to be found in the land of Ægypt, nor in Dabulam among the Arabian Scænits, or in Hieraconta beyond the Sauromatans. All which were intermedled with greene Cytrons, Orenges, Hippomelides, Pistack trees, Pomegranats, Meligotõs, Dendromirts, Mespils, and Sorbis, with diuers other fruitfull trees.
In this place vppon the greene swoord of the flowering mead, and vnder the fresh and coole shadowes, I might behold a great assemblie met togither of strange people, & such as I had neuer before seene, full of ioyes and pastimes, but basely apparrelled, some in fauns skins, painted with white spots, some in lynx skins,
Lynx is a beast spotted, but in shape like a wolph, being quicke of sight.
Hamadryades were nymphs of the wood and Symenides
Vertumnus the God of fruits.[27]
Clepsydra is sometime taken for a diall measuring time by the running of water, but here for a pot to water a garden and yoong sectlings in a nourcery for an orchyard.
others in leopards: and manie had fastened togither diuers broad leaues, instrophiating them with sundrie flowers, therewithall couering their nakednes, singing, leaping, and dauncing with great applause.