Then thus Melissa said, “ Thrice happy maid, Whom thou doost so enforce to deify;
That woods, and hills, and valleys, thou hast made
Her name to eccho unto heaven high:
But who else vouchsafed thee of grace ?" say
"They all," quoth he, " me graced goodly well, That all I praise; but in the highest place Urania, sister unto Astrofell,
In whose brave mind, as in a golden coffer,
All heavenly gifts and riches locked are,
More rich than pearls of Inde, or gold of Opher, 490
And in her sex more wonderful and rare.
Ne less praise-worthy I Theana read,
Whose goodly beams tho' they be over-dight
With mourning stole of careful widowhead,
Yet through that darksom veil do glister bright: 495
She is the well of bounty and brave mind,
Excelling most in glory and great light;
She is the ornament of woman-kind,
And Court's chief girlond, with all vertues dight;
Therefore great Cynthia her in chiefest grace 500
Doth hold, and next unto her self advance;
Well worthy she so honourable place,
For her great worth and noble governance.
Ne less praise-worthy is her sister dear,
Fair Marian, the Muses" only dearling,
Whose beauty shineth as the morning clear,
With silver dew upon the roses pearling.
Ne less praise-worthy is Mansilia,
Best known by bearing up great Cynthia's
That same is she to whom Daphnaida
Upon her neece's death I did complain :
She is the pattern of true womanhead,
And only mirror of feminity,
Worthy next after Cynthia to tredd,
As she is next her in nobility.
Ne less praise-worthy Galathea seems
Than best of all that honourable crew;
Fair Galathea with bright shining beams,
Inflaming feeble eyes that her do view :
She there then waited upon Cynthia,
Yet there is not her wonne; but here with us
About the borders of our rich Cosma,
Now made of Maa, the nymph delicious.
Ne less praise-worthy fair Neæra is;
Neæra! ours, not theirs, though there she be; 525
For of the famous Shure the nymph she is,
For high desert advaunst to that degree:
She is the bloom of grace and curtesie,
Adorned with all honourable parts ;
She is the branch of true nobility,
Belov'd of high and low with faithful hearts.
Ne less praise-worthy Stella do I read ;
Tho' nought my praises of her needed are,
Whom verse of noblest shepherd, lately dead,
Hath prais'd, and rais'd above each other starre. 535
Ne less praise-worthy are the sisters three,
The honour of the noble familie
Of which I meanest boast myself to be,
And most that unto them I am so nie,
Phyllis, Charillis, and sweet Amarillis.
Phyllis, the fair is eldest of the three;
The next to her is bountiful Charillis ;
But th' youngest is the highest in degree.
Phyllis, the flow'r of rare perfection,
Fair, spreading forth her leaves with fresh de
Through the mild temperance of her goodly raies.
Thrice happy do I hold thee, noble swain,
The which art of so rich a spoil possest,
And it embracing dear without disdain,
Hast sole possession in so chaste a breast!
Of all the shepherd's daughters which there be,
(And yet there be the fairest under sky,
Or that elsewhere I ever yet did see)
A fairer nymph yet never saw mine eye;
She is pride and primrose of the rest,
Made by the Maker self to be admired;
And like a goodly beacon high addrest,
That is with sparks of heavenly beauty fired.
But Amarillis, whether fortunate
Or else unfortunate may I aread,
That freed is from Cupid's yoke by Fate,
Since which he doth new bands' adventure dread.
Shepherd, whatever thou hast heard to be
In this or that prais'd diversly apart,
In her thou mayst them all assembled see,
And seal'd up in the treasure of her heart.
Ne thee less worthy, gentle Flavia !
For thy chaste life and vertue I esteem.
Ne thee less worthy, courteous Candida!
For thy true love and loyalty I deem.
Besides yet many mo that Cynthia serve,
Right noble nymphs, and high to be commen
But if I all should praise as they deserve,
This fun would fail me ere I half had ended;
Therefore in closure of a thankful mind,
I deem it best to hold eternally
Their bounteous deeds and noble favours shrin'd, Than by discourse them to indignify."
So having said, Aglaura him bespake; "Colin, well worthy were those goodly favours 585 Bestow'd on thee, that so of them doost make, And them requitest with thy thankful labours ; But of great Cynthia's goodness and high grace Finish the story which thou hast begun."
"More eath, quoth he, it is in such a case How to begin, than know how to have done ;
For every gift, and every goodly meed
Which she on me bestow'd demands a day,
And
every day in which she did a deed
Demands a year it duly to display.
Her words were like a stream of hony fleeting,
The which doth softly trickle from the hive,
Able to melt the hearer's heart unweeting,
And eke to make the dead again alive.
Her deeds were like great clusters of ripe grapes 600
Which load the bunches of the fruitful vine,
Offering to fall into each mouth that gapes,
And fill the same with store of timely wine.
Her looks were like beams of the morning sun,
Forth-looking through the window of the East, 605
When first the fleecie cattle have begun
Upon the perled grass to make their feast.
Her thoughts are like the fume of frankincense,
Which from a golden censer forth doth rise,
And throwing forth sweet odours, mounts fro
In rolling globes up to the vaulted skies :
There she beholds, with high aspiring thought,
The cradle of her own creation,
Emongst the seats of angels heavenly wrought,
Much like an angel in all form and fashion.” 615
"Colin," said Cuddy, "then thou hast forgot
Thy self, me seems, too much, to mount so hie;
Such lofty flight base shepherd seemeth not,
From flocks and fields to angels and to sky."
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