This place was the Mansion-house of Voluptuousnes. The grounde decked with small hearbes, and adorned with all sorts of sundrie flowers, abounding with solace and quiet ease. Issuing and sending foorth in diuers places small streames of water, pyppling and slyding downe vpon the Amber grauell in theyr crooking Channels heere and there, by some suddaine fall making a still continued noyse, to great pleasure moystning the open fieldes, and making the shadowed places vnder the leaffye Trees, coole and fresh.
Shee had with her also sixe young women of like statures, passing fayre, of pleasant countenaunces, amorously adorned,
and dressed as may bee desired of an ambitious beautie and gesture.
The first was called Rastonelia. The second, Cortasina. The thirde, Idonesa. The fourth, Triphelia. The fift, Epiania. And the last was named Adia.
These and their companie, were very delightfull to my gasing and searching eyes. VVhere-vppon Logistica presentlie with a sad and grieued countenaunce, seeing mee disposing my selfe abruptlie to the seruile loue of them, shee said vnto mee, O Poliphilus, the alluring and inticing beauties of these, are vaine, deceiueable, and counterfeited, vnsauorie and displeasant, and therefore if thou wouldest with aduisement looke vppon their backes, thou wouldest then hate, contemne, and abhorre theyr lothsome filthinesse and shame, abounding in stinke and noysome sauoure aboue any dunghill, which no stomacke can abide.
And therefore what is slypperie and transitorie flye and eschewe, despise that pleasure which bringeth shame and repentance, vaine hopes, a short and small ioy, with perpetuall complaynts, doubtfull sighes, and a sorrowful life neuer ending.
Oh adulterated and vnkindly pleasure, fraught with miserie, contayning such bitternesse, like honnie, and yet gall dropping from greene leaues.
O lyfe worse then death, and yet deadly, delighted in sweete poyson, with what care, sorrow, pensiue thoughts, mortall and desperate attempts, art thou sought for to bee obtained by blind Louers, who without regarde or aduise cast themselues headlong into a gulfe of sorrowes.
They be present before thine eyes, and yet thou seest them not. Oh what and howe great sorrowes, bitter and sharpe paine and vexation doost thou beare, wicked, execrable and accursed appetite.
O detestable madnesse, oh beguiled senses, by your faulte with the selfe same beastlie pleasure, myserable mortall men are ouerthrowne.