Cant. VI.
the Faery Queene.
81
They in compassion of her tender youth,And wonder of her beautie souerayne,Are wonne with pitty and vnwonted ruth,And all prostrate vpon the lowly playne,Doe kisse her feete, and fawne on her with count'nance fayne.
Their harts she ghesseth by their humble guise,And yieldes her to extremitie of time;So from the ground she fearelesse doth arise,And walketh forth without suspect of crime:They all as glad, as birdes of ioyous Pryme,Thence lead her forth, about her dauncing round,Shouting, and singing all a shepheards ryme,And with greene braunches strowing all the ground,Do worship her, as Queene, with oliue girlond cround.
And all the way their merry pipes they sound,That all the woods with doubled Eccho ring,And with their horned feet doe weare the ground,Leaping like wanton kids in pleasant Spring.So towards old Syluanus they her bring;Who with the noyse awaked, commeth out,To weet the cause, his weake steps gouerning,And aged limbs on Cypresse stadle stout,And with an yuie twyne his waste is girt about.
Far off he wonders, what them makes so gladOr Bacchus merry fruit they did inuent,Or Cybeles franticke rites haue made them mad;They drawing nigh, vnto their God presentThat flowre of fayth and beautie excellent:The God himselfe vewing that mirrhour rare,Stood long amazd, and burnt in his intent;His owne fayre Dryope now he thinkes not faire,And Pholoe fowle, when her to this he doth compaire.
The
