age, with
a redolent flower of bashfulnes, and beyond all credite beautifull, with
their beardles louers continuallie accompanied. Among which Nymphs, some
verie pleasantly with wanton countenaunces in the cleere streams shewed
themselues sportefull and gamesome, hauing taken vppe finelie their thin
garments of silke of diuers colours, and holding them in the bouts of
their white armes, the forme of their rounde thighs were seene vnder the
plytes, and their faire legges were reuealed to the naked knees, the
current streames comming vp so high: it was a sight which woulde haue
prepared one to that which were vnfit, and if himselfe had been vnable
thereunto. And there where the water was most still, turning downe their
faire faces of exceeding beautie, and bending their bodies of rare
proportion, as in a large goodly glasse they might behould their
heauenly shapes, breaking off the same with the motion of their pretie
feete, making a noyse with the contrast of the circulating water. Some
solaciouslie striuing to go by the tame swimming swans, and sportingly
casting water one at another, with the hollownes of their palms: others
standing without the water vpon the soft coole grasse, making vp of
nosegaies and garlands of sundrie sweete flowers, & giuing the same to
their louers as tokens of their fauorable remembraunce, not denieng
their sweet kisses, & louing imbracings, with the amorous regardes of
their star-like eyes.

And some were set vpon the greene banks not ouergrown with reed and
segs, but finely beautified with sweete hearbs and flowers, among the
which the tender Nymphs comming wet out of the water more cleere then
_Axius_ in _Mygdonia_, vnder the vmbragious trees, did sit sporting and
deuising one with another in delightfull imbracings, with their
reuerencing louers, not cruelly scorning & reiecting them, but with a
sociable loue and benigne affablenesse, disposing themselues to the like
shew of true affection, their sweete gestures and pleasant behauiours
far more gratious to the eie, then flowing teares be to the frowarde and
vnmercifull _Cupid_, the sweete fountaines and moist dewes to the green
fieldes, and desired forme to vnfashioned matter.

Some did sing amorous sonnets, and verses of loue, breathing out in the
same from their inflamed breasts, scalding sighs ful of sweete accents,
able to enamorate harts of stone: And to make smooth the ruggednesse of
the vnpassageable mountaine _Caucasus_, to staie