These were the Nymphs Hamadryades,[A] pleasantly compassing vppon either sides the flowered _Vertumnus_,[B] hauing vppon his heade a garlande of roses, and his gowne lap full of faire flowers, louing the station of the woollie ramme. He sate in an ancient fashioned carre, drawne by fower horned fauns or satyrs, with his louing and faire wife _Pomona_, crowned with delicate fruits, hir haire hanging downe ouer hir shoulders, of a flaxen colour, and thus she sate participating of hir husbands pleasure and quiet, and at hir feete laie a vessell called Clepsydra[C]. In hir right hand she held a copie full of flowers, fruits, and greene leaues, and in hir left hande a branch of flowers, fruits and leaues.
[Sidenote A: _Hamadryades_ were nymphs of the wood and _Symenides_]
[Sidenote B: _Vertumnus_ the God of fruits.]
[Sidenote C: _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.]
Before the carre and the fower drawing satyrs, there marched two faire Nymphs, the one of them bare a trophae with a praependant table, whereupon was written this title,
_Integerrimam corporis valetudinem & stabile robur castasque mensarum delitias, & beatam animi securitatem cultoribus me offero._
And the other bare a trophae of certaine greene sprigges bound togither, and among them diuers rurall instruments fastened. These passed on thus after the ancient maner, with great ceremonies, and much solemnitie, compassing about a great square stone like an aulter, standing in the middest of this faire mead, sufficiently moystened with current streames from beautifull fountaines.
This square stone or aulter was of pure white marble, curiouslie cut by a cunning lapicidarie, vpon euery front wherof was a woonderfull goodly expression, of an elegant image, so exact, as the like else-where is hardly to be found.
The first was a faire goddesse, hir treces flieng abroad, girded with roses and other flowers, vpon a thin vpper garment couering hir beautifull and pleasant proportion. She helde hir right hand ouer an ancient vessell, in maner of a chafing-dish, called Chytropodus, sending foorth a flame of fire, into the which shee did cast roses and flowers, and in the other hand she held a branch of sweete myrtle, full of berries. By hir side stoode a little winged boy smiling, with his bowe and arrowes. Ouer hir head were two pigeons. And vnder the foote of this figure was written
_Florido veri S._
Vpon the other side I beheld in an excellent caruing, the representation of a damosell of a maidenly countenaunce, whose stately maiestie gaue great commendation to the curious deuise of the workeman. She was crowned with a garland of wheat eares, hir haire flingering abroade, and hir habyte Nymphish. In hir right hand she held a copie full of rype graine, and in the other hand three eares of corne, vpon their strawie stalks. At hir feete lay a wheat sheaue bound vp, and a little boy with gleanings of corne in either hands. The subscription was this.
_Flauae Messi S._
Vpon the third side was the likenes in a deuine aspect naked of a yoong boy, crowned with vine leaues, and of a wanton countenance, holding in his left hand certaine clusters of ripe grapes, and in the other, a copie full of grapes which did hang ouer the mouth thereof. At his feete laie a hayrie goate and this writing vnder.
_Mustulento Autumno S._
The last square did beare vpon it a kingly image passing well cut, his countenance displeasant and austere, in his left hand he held a scepter vp into the heauens, the aire cloudie, troublesome and stormie, and with the other hand reaching into the clouds full of haile. Behinde him also the aire was rainie and tempestuous. He was couered with beasts skins, and vpon his feete he ware sandals, where vnder was written,
_Hiemi aeoliae S._
From thence the most faire and pleasant Nymph brought me towards the sea side and sandie shore, where we came to an olde decaied temple, before the which vpon the fresh and coole hearbs, vnder sweete shadie trees we sate downe and rested ourselues, my eies very narrowly beholding, with an vnsatiable desire, in one sole perfection and virgineall bodie, the accumulation and assembly of all beauties; an obiect interdicting my eies to behold any gracious, that except, or of so great content.
Where refreshing in a secret ioy with new budding conceits my burning hart, and leauing off vulgar and common follies, I began to consider of the intelligible effect of honest loue, and withall of the cleerenes of the skies, the sweete and milde aire, the delightfull site, the pleasant countrie, the green grasse decked with diuersity of flowers, the faire hils adorned with thicke woods, the quiet time, fresh windes, and fruitfull place, beautifully enriched with diffluent streames, sliding downe the moist vallies betwixt the crooked hils in their grauelled channels, and into the next seas with a continued course softly vnlading themselues.
A ground most healthfull, the grasse coole and sweet: and from the trees resounded the sweete consents of small chirping birds. The flouds and fields of Thessalie[A] must giue place to this.
[Sidenote A: _Thessalie_ is a region of Greece, hauing vpon the one side Macedonia, and on the other Botia, reaching betweene Thermopylae, and the riuer Pineus, euen to the sea side, it is the gard? of Grecia.]
And there sitting thus togither among the sweete flowers and redolent roses, I fastened mine eies vpon this heauenly shape of so faire and rare a proportion, whereunto my sences were so applied, drawen and addicted, that my hart was ouerwhelmed with extreeme delights, so as I remained senceles, and yet cast into a curious desire to vnderstand and knowe what should be the reason and cause that the purple humiditie in the touch of hir bodie, in the smoothnes of hir hand should be as white as pure milke: and by what meanes that nature had bestowed in hir faire bodie the fragrant sweetnes of Arabia. And by what industrie in hir starrie forehead pampynulated with threds of gold aptly disposed, she had infixed the fairest part of the heauens, or the splendycant Heraclea[A].
[Sidenote A: _Heraclea_, is the name of diuers faire cities, one in the confines of Europe, another in Italie & in Pontus by the riuer Licus, also in Narbon by Rodanus, also in Caria, Crete & Lydia, whereof the Lodestone taketh his name.]
Afterward letting fall mine eies towards hir prety feete, I beheld them inclosed in red leather cut vpon white, fastened vpon the instep with buttons of gold in loopes of blew silke. And from thence I returned vpward my wanton regard to hir straight necke compassed about with a carkenet of orient pearle, striuing but not able to match with the whitenes of the sweet skin. From thence descending down to hir shining breast and delitious bosome, from whence grew two round apples, such as _Hercules_ neuer stole out of the garden of _Hesperides_[A]. Neither did euer _Pomona_ behold the like to these two standing vnmooueable in hir roseall breast, more white than hils of snowe in the going downe of the sunne. Betwixt the which there passed downe a delicious vallie, wherein was the delicate sepulcher of my wounded hart exceeding the famous _Mausolea_[B].
[Sidenote A: _Hesperides_, were the 3. daughters of Atlas, aegle, Aretusa and Hesperetusa, who had an orchard of gold? apples, kept by a dragon wh Hercules slew & tooke away the apples.]
[Sidenote B: A sepulcher built by Artemisia in the honor of hir husbande Mausolus king of Cania.]
I then being content with a wounded hart full well vnderstanding that mine eies had drawen it dying into all these elegant parts. Yet neuertheles I could not so bridle and suppresse my amorous inflamed sighes, or so closely couer them, but that they would needs expresse my inward desire.
By means whereof she was changed from contagious loue, and striking with hir stolen regards (enuying the same) she turned it vpon me, so as I perceiued an incensing fire pruriently diffusing it selfe through my inward parts and hollow veines: and during the contemplate beholding of hir most rare and excellent beautie, a mellifluous delight and sweete solace constrained me thereunto. Thus disordinately beaten with the importune spur of vnsatiable desire, I found my selfe to be set vpon with the mother of loue, inuironed round about with hir flamigerous sonne, and inuaded with so faire a shape, that I was with these and others so excellent circumstances brought into such an agonie of minde and sicknes of bodie, and in such sort infeebled, that the least haire of hir head was a band forcible ynough to hold me fast, and euery rowled tramell a chaine and shackle to fetter me, being fed with the sweetnes of hir beautie, and hooked with the pleasant baits of hir amorous delights, that I was not able with whatsoeuer cunning deuise to resist the inuading heates and prouoking desires still comming vpon me, that I determined rather to die than longer to endure the same, or in this solitarie place to offer hir any dishonor.
Then againe I was determined with humble requests and submissiue intreaties to say thus:
Alas most delighted _Polia_, at this present to die by thee is a thing that I desire, and my death if it were effected by these thy small, slender and faire hands, the ende thereof should be more tolerable, sweete and glorious vnto me, bicause my hart is compassed about with such tormenting flames, still more and more cruelly increasing, and burning the same without pitie or intermission, so as by meanes thereof I am bereft of all rest.
And heerewithall intending to put in execution another determinate purpose, behold my hart was tormented with more sharpe flames, that me thought I was all of a light fire. Ah wo is me what wert thou aduised to do _Poliphilus_? Remember the violence done to _Deianira_ and the chaste Roman lady. Consider what followed them for a reward, and diuers others.
Call to minde that mighty princes haue beene reiected of their inferiors, how much more then a base and abiect person, but tract of time giueth place to them which expect the bountie thereof. Time causeth the fierce lions to be tame, and whatsoeuer furious beast: the small ant by long trauell laieth vp hir winter foode in the hard tree, and shall not a diuine shape lying hid in a humane bodie take the impression of feruent loue, and then holding the same, shake off all annoyous and vexing passions, hoping to enioy amorous fruits, desired effects, and triumphing agonismes.
The Nymph _Polia_ perceiuing well the change of my colour and blood comming in more stranger sort than _Tripolion_ or _Teucrion_, thrise a day changing the colour of his flowers, and my indeuoring to sende out scalding sighes deeply set from the bottome of my hart, she did temper and mitigate the same with hir sweete and friendly regards, pacifieng the rage of my oppressing passions, so as notwithstanding my burning minde in these continuall flames and sharpe prouocations of loue, I was aduised patiently to hope euen with the bird of Arabia in hir sweet nest of small sprigs, kindled by the heate of the sunne to be renewed.
FINIS.