t to prevent a misfortune? I, thou seest, am of a tall stature,
and would very well become the person and apparel of a page; thou
shalt be my mistress, and I will play the man so properly, that, trust
me, in what company soever I come I will not be discovered. I will buy
me a suit, and have my rapier very handsomely at my side, and if any
knave offer wrong, your page will show him the point of his weapon."

At this Alinda smiled, and upon this they agreed, and presently
gathered up all their jewels, which they trussed up[1] in a casket,
and Rosalynde in all haste provided her of robes, and Alinda, from her
royal weeds, put herself in more homelike attire. Thus fitted to the
purpose, away go these two friends, having now changed their names,
Alinda being called Aliena, and Rosalynde Ganymede. They travelled
along the vineyards, and by many by-ways at last got to the forest
side, where they travelled by the space of two or three days without
seeing any creature, being often in danger of wild beasts, and pained
with many passionate sorrows. Now the black ox[2] began to tread on
their feet, and Alinda thought of her wonted royalty; but when she
cast her eyes on her Rosalynde, she thought every danger a step to
honor. Passing thus on along, about midday they came to a fountain,
compassed with a grove of cypress trees, so cunningly and curiously
planted, as if some goddess had entreated nature in that place to make
her an arbor. By this fountain sat Aliena and her Ganymede, and forth
they pulled such victuals as they had, and fed as merrily as if they
had been in Paris with all the king's delicates, Aliena only grieving
that they could not so much as meet with a shepherd to discourse them
the way to some place where they might make their abode. At last
Ganymede casting up his eye espied where on a tree was engraven
certain verses; which as soon as he espied, he cried out:

"Be of good cheer, mistress, I spy the figures of men; for here in
these trees be engraven certain verses of shepherds, or some other
swains that inhabit hereabout."

[Footnote 1: packed.]

[Footnote 2: ill-luck.]

With that Aliena start up joyful to hear these news, and looked, where
they found carved in the bark of a pine tree this passion:

_Montanus's Passion_

Hadst thou been born whereas perpetual cold
Makes Tanais hard, and mountains silver old;
Had I complained unto a marble stone,
Or to the floods bewrayed my bitter moan,