uers times I had purposed with a lamentable voice to desire hir helpe,
for that I was at the point of death: but as one drowned and
ouerwhelmed, I deemed that way to be vaine, and to no purpose, and
therfore furiously, and as one of a raging spirit I thought thus: Why
doest thou doubt, _Poliphilus_? Death for loue is laudable, and
therefore my greeuous and malignant fortune, my sorrowful accident and
hard hap in the loue of so beautifuil a Nymph, will be writ and reported
when I shall lie interred. The same will be sung in doleful tunes vpon
sweete instruments of musicke, manifesting the force of hurtfull loue.

And thus continuing the follie of my thoughts, I said: It may be that
this Nymph, by al likelihoods, is some reuerend goddesse, and therefore
my speeches will be but as the crackling reedes of Archadia in the moist
and fennie sides of the riuer Labdone, shaken with the sharpe east wind,
with the boisterous north, cloudy south & rainie south west wind.
Besides this, the gods will be seuere reuengers of such an insolencie,
for the companions of _Vlysses_ had been preserued from drowning and
shipwracke, if they had not stolne _Apollos_ cattell kept by _Phaetusa_
and hir sister _Lampetia_. _Orion_ had not beene slaine by a scorpion,
if he had not attempted the cold & chast _Diana_, and therefore if I
should vse any indecencie against the honor of this Nymph in any sort,
such like reuenge or woorse woulde be vsed vpon me. At last getting
foorth of these changeable thoughts, I did greatly comfort my selfe in
beholding and contemplating the excellent proportion and sweete sauour
of this ingenuous and most rare Nymph, containing in hir al whatsoeuer
that may prouoke amorous conceits and sweete loue, giuing from hir faire
eies so gratious and fauorable regards, as thereby I somewhat tempered
my troublesome and vnbrideled thoughts. And my resounding sighes
reflexed with a flattering hope (oh the amorous foode of louers and
sauce of salt teares) by these and no other rains I did manage my
vehement thoughts, and made them stop in a conceiued hope, fixing mine
eies with excessiue delight vpon hir faire bodie and well disposed
members, by all which, my discontented desires were gently mitigated and
redeemed from that furie and amorous fire, which so neere had bred the
extremitie of my passions.

_The Nymph leadeth the inamored Poliphilus to other pleasant places,
where he beheld innumerable Nymphs solacing them, and a