XVIII.

But, soone as he appeared to their vew,
They vanisht all away out of his sight,
And cleane were gone, which way he never knew;
All save the shepheard, who, for fell despight
Of that displeasure, broke his bag-pipe quight,
And made great mone for that unhappy turne:
But Calidore, though no lesse sorry wight
For that mishap, yet seeing him to mourne,
Drew neare, that he the truth of all by him mote

XIX.

[learne. And first him greeting, thus unto him spake; Haile, iolly Shepheard! which thy ioyous dayes Here leadest in this goodly merry-make, Frequented of these gentle nymphes alwayes, Which to thee flocke to heare thy lovely layes! Tell me what mote these dainty damzels be, • Whichherewith theedoe maketheirpleasant playes: Right happy thou, that mayest them freely see! But why, when I them saw, fled they away from

XX.

[me?' Not I so happy,' answerd then that swaine, 'As thou unhappy, which them thence didst chace, Whom by no meanes thou canst recall againe; For being gone, none can them bring in place, But whom they of themselves list so to grace.' 'Right sorry I,' saide then Sir Calidore,

That my ill fortune did them hence displace: But since things passed none may now restore, Tell me what were they, all, whose lacke thee [grieves so sore ?'

K 3

Tho gan that shepheard thus for to dilate;
'Then wote, thou shepheard! whatsoever thou bee,
That all those ladies, which thou sawest late,
Are Venus damzels, all within her fee,

But differing in honour and degree:

They all are Graces which on her depend;
Besides a thousand more which ready bee

'Her to adorne, whenso she forth doth wend;
'But those three in the midst, doe chiefe on her at-

XXII.

[tend: They are the daughters of sky-ruling love, By him begot of faire Eurynome,

The Oceans daughter, in this pleasant grove, As he, this way comming from feastfull glee 'Of Thetis wedding with Aecidee,

In sommers shade himselfe here rested weary, The first of them hight mylde Euphrosyne, 'Next faire Aglaia, last Thalia merry ;

'Sweete goddesses all three, which me in mirth do

These three on men all gracious gifts bestow, Which decke the body or adorne the mynde, To make them lovely or well-favoured show; As comely carriage, entertainment kynde, Sweete semblaunt, friendly offices that bynde, And all the complements of curtesie:

They teach us, how to each degree and kynde We should ourselves demeane, to low, to bie, To friends, to foes; which skill men call Civility.

XXIV.

Therefore they alwaies smoothly seeme to smile, That we likewise should mylde and gentle be; And also naked are, that without guile

Or false dissemblaunce all them plaine may see • Simple and true from covert malice free; And eeke themselves so in their daunce they bore, But two of them still froward seem'd to bee, But one still towards shew'd herselfe afore; That good should from us goe, then come, in [greater store.

XXV.

• Such were those goddesses which ye did see : But that fourth mayd, which there amidst them • Who can aread what creature mote she be? [traced, Whether a creature, or a goddesse graced With heavenly gifts from Heaven first enraced! But whatso sure she was, she worthy was

To be the fourth with those three other placed: Yet was she certes but a country lasse,

• Yet she all other country lasses farre did passe :

XXVI.

So farre as doth the daughter of the Day
All other lesser lights in light excell;
So farre doth she in beautifull array
• Above all other lasses beare the bell;

Ne lesse in vertue that beseemes her well
Doth she exceede the rest of all her race
• For which the Graces, that here wont to dwell;
Have for more honor brought her to this place,
And graced her so much to be another Grace.

XXVI.

Another Grace she well deserves to be, In whom so many graces gathered are, Excelling much the meane of her degree; • Divine resemblaunce, beauty soveraine rare, Firme chastity, that spight ne blemish dare! All which she with such courtesie dotà grace, That all her peres cannot with her compare, 'But quite are dimmed when she is in place:

She made me often pipe, and now to pipe apace.

XXVIII.

Sunne of the world, great glory of the sky, That all the earth doest lighten with thy rayes, • Great Gloriana, greatest maiesty!

Pardon thy Shepheard, mongst so many layes
As he hath sung of thee in all his dayes,
To make one minime of thy poore handmayd,
And underneath thy feete to place her prayse;
That, when thy glory shall be farre displayd
To future age, of her this mention may be made.'

XXIX.

When thus that Shepheard ended had his speach, Said Calidore, 'Now sure it yrketh mee,

That to thy blisse I made this luckelesse breach, As now the author of thy bale to be,

• Thus to bereave thy loves deare sight from thee: But, gentle Shepheard! pardon thou my shame, Who rashly sought that which I mote not see.' Thus did the courteous knight excuse his blame, And to recomfort him all comely meanes did frame.

In such discourses they together spent

Long time, as fit occasion forth them led;

With which the knight himselfe did much content,
And with delight his greedy fancy fed

Both of his words, which he with reason red,
And also of the place, whose pleasures rare
With such regard his sences ravished,

That thence he had no will away to fare, [share.
But wisht that with that shepheard he mote dwelling

XXXI.

But that envenim'd sting, the which of yore
His poysnous point deepe fixed in his hart
Had left, now gan afresh to rancle sore,
And to renue the rigour of his smart;
Which to recure, no skill of leaches art
Mote him availe, but to returne againe
To his wounds worker, that with lovely dart
Dinting his brest had bred his restlesse paine;
Like as the wounded whale to shore flies from the

XXXII.

[maine. So, taking leave of that same gentle swaine, He backe returned to his rusticke wonne, Where his faire Pastorella did remaine: To whome in sorte, as he at first begonne, He daily did apply himselfe to donne All dewfull service, voide of thoughts impure; Ne any paines ne perill did he shonne, By which he might her to his love allure, And liking in her yet untamed heart procure.