d'ring still,
In novelty and strangeness doth delight,
And by discoverent power discerneth ill;
And if the body for to work his best
Doth with the seasons change his place of rest;

Whence comes it that, enforced by furious skies,
I change both place and soil, but not my heart,
Yet salve not in this change my maladies?
Whence grows it that each object works my smart?
Alas, I see my faith procures my miss,
And change in love against my nature is.

_Et florida pungunt._

Aliena having read over his sonnet, began thus pleasantly to descant
upon it:

"I see, Saladyne," quoth she, "that as the sun is no sun without his
brightness, nor the diamond accounted for precious unless it be hard,
so men are not men unless they be in love; and their honors are
measured by their amours, not their labors, counting it more
commendable for a gentleman to be full of fancy, than full of virtue.
I had thought

Otia si tollas, periere Cupidinis arcus,
Contemptaeque jacent et sine luce faces;

but I see Ovid's axiom is not authentical, for even labor hath her
loves, and extremity is no pumice-stone to rase out fancy. Yourself
exiled from your wealth, friends, and country by Torismond, sorrows
enough to suppress affections, yet amidst the depth of these
extremities, love will be lord, and show his power to be more
predominant than fortune. But I pray you, sir, if without offence I
may crave it, are they some new thoughts, or some old desires?"

Saladyne, that now saw opportunity pleasant, thought to strike while
the iron was hot, and therefore taking Aliena by the hand, sate down
by her; and Ganymede, to give them leave to their loves, found herself
busy about the folds, whilst Saladyne fell into this prattle with
Aliena:

"Fair mistress, if I be blunt in discovering my affections, and use
little eloquence in levelling out my loves, I appeal for pardon to
your own principles, that say, shepherds use few ceremonies, for that
they acquaint themselves with few subtleties: to frame myself,
therefore, to your country fashion with much faith and little
flattery, know, beautiful shepherdess, that whilst I lived in the
court I knew not love's cumber, but I held affection as a toy, not as
a malady; using fancy as the Hyperborei do their flowers, which they
wear in their bosom all day, and cast them in the fire for fuel at
night. I liked all, because I loved none, and who was mos