5 he published his
"Piers Plainnes seaven yeres prentiship,"[291] in which we find, mingled
together, Sidney's Arcady, Greene's romantic heroes, and the customary
incidents of picaresque novels. The scene is laid in Tempe; there are
Menalcas and Corydons; there are sheep who are poetically invited by
their keeper to eat their grass:

"Sport on faire flocke at pleasure
Nip Vestaes flouring treasure."

There is too Piers Plain, now a shepherd but formerly nothing short of a
picaro, who has seen much and has followed many trades, and served many
masters. His companions asked for his story, and he very willingly
agreed to tell them what he had been, "and what the world is," no mean
subject to be sure, and no wonder that he "cravde pardon to sit because
the taske was long, which they willingly graunted." Piers, according to
the picaresque traditions, had been the servant of many masters; he
tells his experience of them in the first person, following also in this
the rules of the picaresque tale. He first introduces us to a swaggering
and cowardly courtier, and plays his part in intrigues and conspiracies.
Then he describes the "vertuous and famous virgin AEliana," Queen of
Crete, who delighted in hunting, and went to the woods "Diana-like." To
be "Diana-like," she dressed as follows:

"On her head she wore a coronet of orientall pearle; on it a chaplet of
variable flowers perfuming the ayre with their divers odors, thence
carelessly descended her amber coloured hair ... Her buskins were richly
wrought like the Delphins spangled cabazines; her quiver was of
unicornes horne, her darts of yvorie; in one hand she helde a boare
speare, the other guided her Barbary jennet, proud by nature, but nowe
more proude in that he carried natures fairest worke, the Easterne
worlds chiefe wonder." In a somewhat similar style Zucchero painted the
Queen, not of Crete, but of England, and when dressed in this fashion,
Her Majesty too, was supposed to be represented "Diana-like."

Of the misrule in Crete, and of the dangers AEliana runs from the
incestuous passions of her uncle, and of her escape through the
providential intervention of Prince AEmilius, we shall say nothing; nor
of the "frolicke common-wealth" established in Thrace, feeling as we do
some sympathy with Corydon, who interrupts the speaker, saying: "Reach
hither thy bottle that we may drinke round; I am sure thou must needes
be dry with talking when I am so a thirst wi