The metallyne gates beeing shut, I remayned incloystered among these fayre and beautifull Nymphes, who began very pleasantly and wantonly to deuise with mee: and beeing hemmed in with their lasciuious company, I found my selfe prouoked by their perswasiue alluring intisements, to vnlawfull concupiscence, feeling in my selfe a burning desire, kyndled with their wanton aspects, an increasing prouocation of a lusting fier. I doubt me that if Phrine had beene of that fauour, and force in gesture of speech, colde Xenocrates would haue consented to her alluring, and not haue beene accused by her, to be an image of stone. Their countenances were so lasciuious, their breastes naked and intycing, theyr eyes flattering, in their roseall forheads, glystering and rowling, their shapes most excellent, their apparell rich, their motions girlish, theyr regards byting, theyr ornaments, sweete and precious, no part counterfeited, but all perfected by nature in an excellent sort, nothing deformed, but all partes aunswerable one to an other.
Their heades yellowe, their tresses fayre, and the hayre soft and fine, in such a sort dressed vp and rouled into trammels, with laces of silke and golde, passing any ioye that a man may beholde, turned about their heads in an excellent manner, inuiluxed, and bound vppe together, their forheades compassed about and shaddowed with wauering curles, mouably præpending in a wonderfull manner, marueilous delightfull, perfumed & sweet, yeelding an vnknown fragrancie. Their speeches so perswasorie and pleasing, as might robbe the fauour of an indesposed hart, and violently drawe vnto them any mind, though Satyr-like or churlish howsoeuer, to depraue Religion, to binde euery loose conceit, to make any rusty Peasant amorous, and to mollifie any froward disposition. Vppon which occasion, my minde, altogether set on fier with a new desire, and in the extreame heate of concupiscence, prouoked to fall headlong into a lasciuious appetite, & drowned in lustfull loue vnbridled: in the extreame inuasion and infectious contage thereof, the Damoselles forsooke mee and left me all alone in a fruitfull playne.
[v]
In this place Poliphilus being left alone, a most fayre Nymphe (when hee was forsaken of the lasciuious company) came vnto him, whose beautie and apparell Poliphilus dooth amourously describe.
My tender heart thus excessiuely wounded with amorous prouocation, I think I was mad, I stood so amazed, or blinde at the least, because that I coulde not perceiue in what sort or how this desired and delightfull company gaue mee the slip: and at last not knowing what I did, but casting mine eyes right forward, I behelde before mee, a fine Arbour of sweete Gessamine, somewhat high, lifting vppe and bending ouer, all to bee painted and decked with the pleasant and odoriferous flowers of three sortes commixt, and entring in vnder the same. Wonderfully perplexed for the losse of my company, I knewe not howe or in what sort, and calling to remembraunce the diuers, rare and wonderfull thinges past, and aboue al the great hope and trust which I had conceiued vpon the Queenes promise, that I should finde my loue Polia.
Alas said I, with a deepe sigh, my Polia, that the greene Arbour resounded againe therewithall, my amourous breathings were such, framed within and sent out from my burning hart. And I was no sooner entered into this agony, and ouerwhelmed in this passion, but as I passed on to the other ende of the Arbor, I might perceiue a farre off, a great number of youthes, solacing and sporting themselues very loude with diuers melodious soundes, with pleasant sports and sundry pastimes, in great ioye, and passing delight assembled together, in a large playne. Vppon this gratefull and desired noueltie, I set me down marueiling at it, before I would step any further on.
And beholde, a most noble and faire Nymph, with a burning torch in her hand, departing from the company, tended her course towardes mee, so as I might well perceiue that shee was a reall mayde indeede and no spirite, whervpon I mooued not one whit, but gladly expected her comming, who with a maidenly hast, modest accesse, star-like countenance, and smiling grace, drewe neere
vnto mee with such a Maiestie, and yet friendly, so as I doubt me, the amorous Idalea neuer shewed her selfe to Mars, nor to her the fayre Pastor Adonis. Nor the delicate Ganimed to Iupiter, or the fayre Psyches, to her spouse Cupid.
For which cause, if shee had beene the fourth among the three contending Goddesses, if Joue had beene Iudge, as in the shady Wooddes of Mensunlone was the Phrigian Sheepheard, without all doubt she had beene iudged of farre more excellent beautie, and without equiuolence, more worthy of the golden apple, then all or any one of the rest. At the first sight I was perswaded that shee had beene Polia, but the place vnaccustomed & her apparell made mee thinke the contrarie, and therefore my doubtfull iudgement remained in suspence, hauing onely a reuerent suspition therof.