is pretty, pleasant, facete, well,
Whate'er Pandora had, she doth excel."

[5395]_Dicebam Trivioe formam nihil esse Dianoe_. Diana was not to be
compared to her, nor Juno, nor Minerva, nor any goddess. Thetis' feet were
as bright as silver, the ankles of Hebe clearer than crystal, the arms of
Aurora as ruddy as the rose, Juno's breasts as white as snow, Minerva wise,
Venus fair; but what of this? Dainty come thou to me. She is all in all,

[5396] ------"Caelia ridens
Est Venus, incedens Juno, Minerva loquens."

[5397] "Fairest of fair, that fairness doth excel."

Ephemerus in Aristaenetus, so far admireth his mistress' good parts, that
he makes proclamation of them, and challengeth all comers in her behalf.
[5398]"Whoever saw the beauties of the east, or of the west, let them come
from all quarters, all, and tell truth, if ever they saw such an excellent
feature as this is." A good fellow in Petronius cries out, no tongue can
[5399]tell his lady's fine feature, or express it, _quicquid dixeris minus
erit_, &c.

"No tongue can her perfections tell,
In whose each part, all tongues may dwell."

Most of your lovers are of his humour and opinion. She is _nulli secunda_,
a rare creature, a phoenix, the sole commandress of his thoughts, queen of
his desires, his only delight: as [5400]Triton now feelingly sings, that
lovesick sea-god:

"Candida Leucothoe placet, et placet atra Melaene,
Sed Galatea placet longe magis omnibus una."

"Fair Leucothe, black Melene please me well,
But Galatea doth by odds the rest excel."

All the gracious elogies, metaphors, hyperbolical comparisons of the best
things in the world, the most glorious names; whatsoever, I say, is
pleasant, amiable, sweet, grateful, and delicious, are too little for her.

"Phoebo pulchrior et sorore Phoebi."

"His Phoebe is so fair, she is so bright,
She dims the sun's lustre, and the moon's light."

Stars, sun, moons, metals, sweet-smelling flowers, odours, perfumes,
colours, gold, silver, ivory, pearls, precious stones, snow, painted birds,
doves, honey, sugar, spice, cannot express her, [5401]so soft, so tender,
so radiant, sweet, so fair is she.--_Mollior cuniculi capillo_, &c.

[5402] "Lydia bella, puelia candida,
Quae bene superas lac, et lilium,
Albamque simul rosam et rubicundam,
Et expolitum ebur Indicum."

"Fine Lydia, my mistr