Ne certes mote he greatly blamed be From so high step to stoupe unto so low, For who had tasted once, as oft did he, The happy peace which there doth overflow, And prov'd the perfect pleasures which doe grow Amongst poore hyndes, in hills, in woods, in dales, Would never more delight in painted show Of such false blisse as there is set for stales T'entrap unwary fooles in their eternall bales. IV.
For what hath all that goodly glorious gaze Like to one sight which Calidore did vew? The glaunce whereof their dimmed eies would daze, That never more they should endure the shew Of that sunne-shine that makes them looke askew; Ne ought in all that world of beauties rare (Save onely Glorianaes heavenly hew,
To which what can compare?) can it compare, The which, as commeth now by course, I will
One day as he did raunge the fields abroad, Whilest his faire Pastorella was elsewhere, He chaunst to come, far from all peoples troad, Unto a place whose pleasaunce did appere To passe all others on the earth which were; For all that ever was by Nature's skill Deviz'd to worke delight was gathered there, And there by her were poured forth at fill, As if this to adorne she all the rest did pill.
It was an hill plaste in an open plaine,
That round about was bordered with a wood Of matchlesse hight, that seem'd th'earth to disdaine, In which all trees of honour stately stood, And did all winter as in summer bud, Spredding pavilions for the birds to bowre, Which in their lower braunches sung aloud, And in their tops the soring hauke did towre, Sitting like king of fowles in maiesty and powre: VII.
And at the foote thereof, a gentle flud, His silver waves did softly tumble downe, Unmard with ragged mosse or filthy mud; Ne mote wylde beastes, ne mote the ruder clowne, Thereto approch, ne filth mote therein drowne; But Nymphes and Faeries by the bancks did sit In the wood's shade which did the waters crowne, Keeping all noysome things away from it, And to the waters fall turning their accents fit; VIII.
And on the top thereof a spacious plaine
Did spred itselfe, to serve to all delight,
Either to daunce, when they to daunce would faine, Or else to course-about their bases light;
Ne ought there wanted which for pleasure might Desired be, or thence to banish bale;
So pleasauntly the hill with equall hight Did seeme to overlooke the lowly vale, Therefore it rightly cleped was Mount Acidale.
They say that Venus, when she did dispose Herselfe to pleasaunce, used to resort Unto this place, and therein to repose And rest herselfe as in a gladsome port, Or with the Graces there to play and sport, That even her owne Cytheron, though in it She used most to keepe her royall court, And in her soveraine majesty to sit,
She in regard hereof refusde, and thought unfit. X.
Unto this place, whenas the Elfin knight, Approcht, him seemed that the merry sound Of a shrill pipe he playing heard on hight, And many feete fast thumping th'hollow ground, That through the woods their eccho did rebound: He nigher drew, to weete what mote it be ; There he a troupe of ladies dauncing found Full merrily, and making gladfull glee, And in the midst a shepheard piping he did see. XI.
He durst not enter into th'open greene, For dread of them unwares to be descryde, For breaking of their daunce, if he were seene, But in the covert of the wood did byde, Beholding all, yet of them unespyde:
There he did see that pleased much his sight, That even he himselfe his eyes envyde, An hundred naked maidens lilly white,
All raunged in a ring, and dauncing in delight.
All they without were raunged in a ring,
And daunced round; but in the midst of them Three other ladies did both daunce and sing, The whylest the rest them round about did hemme, And like a girlond did in compasse stemme; And in the middest of those same three was placed Another damzell, as a precious gemme
Amidst a ring most richly well enchaced,
That with her goodly presence all the rest much
[graced. Looke how the crowne, which Ariadne wore Upon her yvory forehead, that same day That Theseus her unto his bridale bore; When the bold Centaures made that bloudy fray With the fierce Lapithes, which did them dismay, Being now placed in the firmament,
Through the bright heaven doth her beames display, And is unto the starres an ornament,
Which round about her move in order excellent. XIV.
Such was the beauty of this goodly band, Whose sundry parts were her too long to tell, But she that in the midst of them did stand Seem'd all the rest in beauty to excell, Crownd with a rosie girlond, that right well Did her beseeme; and ever as the crew
About her daunst, sweet flowres that far did smell, And fragrant odours, they uppon her threw,
But most of all those three did her with gifts endew.
Those were the Graces, daughters of Delight, Handmaides of Venus, which are wont to haunt Uppon this hill, and daunce there day and night; Those three to men all gifts of grace do graunt, And all that Venus in herself doth vaunt Is borrowed of them; but that faire one That in the midst was placed paravaunt, Was she to whom that shepheard pypt alone, That made him pipe so merrily as never none. XVI.
She was to weete that iolly shepheard's lasse Which piped there unto that merry rout; That iolly shepheard which there piped, was Poore Colin Clout (who knows not Colin Clout?) He pypt apace, whilest they him daunst about. Pype, iolly Shepheard! pype thou now apace Unto thy love, that made thee low to lout; Thy love is present there with thee in place, Thy love is there advaunst to be another Grace, XVII.
Much wondred Calidore at this straunge sight, Whose like before his eye had never seene, And standing long astonished in spright,
And rapt with pleasance, wist not what to weene, Whether it were the traine of Beauties queene, Or Nymphes, or Faeries, or enchaunted show, With which his eyes mote have deluded beene; Therefore resolving what it was to know,
Out of the wood he rose, and toward them did go:
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