For first she springs out of two marble rocks,
On which a grove of oakes high-mounted growes,
That as a girlond seems to deck the locks
Of some faire bride, brought forth with pompous showes
Out of her bowre, that many flowers strowes;
So through the flowry dales she tumbling downe,
Through many woods and shady coverts flowes,
That on each side her silver channell crowne,
Till to the plaine she come, whose valleyes shee
XLII.
In her sweet streames Diana used oft,
After her sweatie chace and toilesome play,
To bathe herselfe; and after, on the soft
And downy grasse her dainty limbes to lay
In covert shade, where none behold her may,
For much she hated sight of living eye;
Foolish god Faunus, though full many a day
He saw her clad, yet longed foolishly
To see her naked mongst her nymphes in privity.
XLIII.
No way he found to compasse his desire,
But to corrupt Molanna, this her maid,
Her to discover for some secret hire,
So her with flattering words he first assaid,
And after, pleasing gifts for her purvaid,
Queene-apples, and red cherries from the tree,
With which he her allured and betraid
To tell what time he might her lady see
When she herselfe did bathe, that he might secret bee.
Thereto hee promist, if she would him pleasure
With this small boone, to quit her with a better;
To weet, that whenas shee had out of measure
Long lov'd the Fanchin, who by nought did set her,
That he would undertake for this to get her
To be his love, and of him liked well;
Besides all which he vow'd to be her debter
For many moe good turnes then he would tell,
The least of which this little pleasure should excell.
XLV.
The simple maid did yield to him anone,
And eft him placed where he close might view
That never any saw, save onely one,
Who for his hire to so foole-hardy dew
Was of his hound's devour'd in hunter's hew;
Tho' as her manner was on sunny day,
Diana with her nymphes about her drew
To this sweet spring, where doffing her array,
She bath'd her lovely limbes, for Iove a likely pray.
XLVI.
There Faunus saw that pleased much his eye,
And made his hart to tickle in his brest,
That for great joy of somewhat he did spy,
He could him not containe in silent rest,
But breaking forth in langhter, loud profest
His foolish thought; a foolish Faune indeed,
That couldst not hold thyselfe so hidden blest,
But wouldest needs thine owne conceit areed:
Babblers-unworthy been of so divine a meed.
The goddesse, all abashed with that noise,
In haste forth started from the guilty brooke,
And running straight whereas she heard his voice,
Enclos'd the bush about, and there him tooke,
Like darred larke, not daring up to looke
On her whose sight before so much he sought:
Thenceforth they drew him by the hornes, and shooke
Nigh all to peeces, that they left him nought;
And then into the open light they forth him brought.
XLVIII.
Like as an huswife, that with busie care
Thinks of her dairie to make wondrous gaine,
Finding whereas some wicked beast unware
That breakes into her dayr’house, there doth draine
Her creaming pannes, and frustrate all her paine,
Hath in some snare or gin set close behind
Entrapped him, and caught into her traine,
Then thinkes what punishment, were best assign'd,
And thousand deathes deviseth in her vengefull
XLIX.
So did Diana and her maydens all
Use silly Faunus, now within their baile ;
They mocke and scorne him, and him foule miscall;
Some by the nose him pluck't, some by the taile,
And by his goatish beard some did him haile :
Yet he (poore soule!) with patience all did beare,
For nought against their wils might countervaile ;
Ne ought he said whatever he did heare,
But hanging downe his head did like a mome appeare.
At length, when they had flouted him their fill,
They gan to cast what penaunce him to give :
Some would have gelt him, but that same would spill
The wood-gods breed, which must for ever live ;
Others would through the river him have drive,
And ducked deepe, but that seem'd penaunce light;
But most agreed, and did this sentence give,
Him in deares skin to clad, and in that plight
To hunt him with their hounds, himselfe save how
[hee might.
But Cynthia's selfe, more angry then the rest,
Thought not enough to punish him in sport,
And of her shame to make a gamesome iest,
But gan examine him in straighter sort,
Which of her nymphes, or other close consort,
Him thither brought, and her to him betraid?
He, much affeard, to her confessed short
That 'twas Molanna which her so bewraid;
Then all attonce their hands upon Molanna laid.
LII.
But him (according as they had decreed)
With a deeres-skin they covered, and then chast
With all their hounds, that after him did speed;
But he more speedy, from them fled more fast
Then any deere; so sore him dread aghast :
They after follow'd all with shrill out-cry,
Shouting as they the heavens would have brast,
That all the woods and dales where he did flie
Did ring againe, and loud re-eccho to the skie.
So they him follow'd till they weary were ;
When back returning to Molann' againe,
They by commandment of Diana there
Herwhelm'd with stones; yet Faunus, for her paine,
Of her beloved Fanchin did obtaine,
That her he would receive unto his bed;
So now her waves passe through a pleasant plaine, Till with the Fanchin she herselfe doe wed,
And, both combin'd, themselves in one faire river LIV.
Nath'lesse Diana, full of indignation,
Thenceforth abandond her delicious brooke,
In whose sweet streame, before that bad occasion, So much delight to bathe her limbes she tooke; Ne onely her, but also quite forsooke
All those faire forrests about Arlo hid,
And all that mountaine which doth over-looke· The richest champian that may else be rid,
And the faire Shure, in which are thousand salmons
[bred. Them all, and all that she so deare did way, Thenceforth she left, and parting from the place, Thereon an heavy haplesse curse did lay,
To weet, that wolves, where she was wont to space, Shou'd harbour'd be, and all those woods deface, And thieves should rob and spoile that coast around: Since which, those woods, and all that goodly chase Doth to this day with wolves and thieves abound, Which too too true that land's in-dwellers since have found.
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