intently upon her with the utmost admiration, no otherwise than
as he had never yet seen a woman's form, whilst in his rude breast,
wherein for a thousand lessonings no least impression of civil
pleasance had availed to penetrate, he felt a thought awaken which
intimated to his gross and material spirit that this maiden was the
fairest thing that had been ever seen of any living soul. Thence he
proceeded to consider her various parts,--commending her hair, which
he accounted of gold, her brow, her nose, her mouth, her throat and
her arms, and above all her breast, as yet but little upraised,--and
grown of a sudden from a churl a judge of beauty, he ardently desired
in himself to see the eyes, which, weighed down with deep sleep, she
kept closed. To this end, he had it several times in mind to awaken
her; but, for that she seemed to him beyond measure fairer than the
other women aforetime seen of him, he misdoubted him she must be some
goddess. Now he had wit enough to account things divine worthy of more
reverence than those mundane; wherefore he forbore, waiting for her to
awake of herself; and albeit the delay seemed overlong to him, yet,
taken as he was with an unwonted pleasure, he knew not how to tear
himself away.

It befell, then, that, after a long while, the damsel, whose name was
Iphigenia, came to herself, before any of her people, and opening her
eyes, saw Cimon (who, what for his fashion and uncouthness and his
father's wealth and nobility, was known in a manner to every one in
the country) standing before her, leant on his staff, marvelled
exceedingly and said, 'Cimon, what goest thou seeking in this wood at
this hour?' He made her no answer, but, seeing her eyes open, began to
look steadfastly upon them, himseeming there proceeded thence a
sweetness which fulfilled him with a pleasure such as he had never
before felt. The young lady, seeing this, began to misdoubt her lest
his so fixed looking upon her should move his rusticity to somewhat
that might turn to her shame; wherefore, calling her women, she rose
up, saying, 'Cimon, abide with God.' To which he replied, 'I will
begone with thee'; and albeit the young lady, who was still in fear of
him, would have declined his company, she could not win to rid herself
of him till he had accompanied her to her own house.

Thence he repaired to his father's house [in the city,] and declared
to him that he would on no wise consent to return to the country; the
w