As if her name and honour had been wronged By being possessed of him for whom she longed. Ay, and she wished, albeit not from her heart That he would leave her turret and depart. The mirthful god of amorous pleasure smiled To see how he this captive nymph beguiled. For hitherto he did but fan the fire, And kept it down that it might mount the higher. Now waxed she jealous lest his love abated, Fearing her own thoughts made her to be hated. Therefore unto him hastily she goes And, like light Salmacis, her body throws Upon his bosom where with yielding eyes She offers up herself a sacrifice To slake his anger if he were displeased. O, what god would not therewith be appeased? Like Aesop’s cock this jewel he enjoyed And as a brother with his sister toyed Supposing nothing else was to be done, Now he her favour and good will had won. But know you not that creatures wanting sense By nature have a mutual appetence, And, wanting organs to advance a step, Moved by love’s force unto each other lep? Much more in subjects having intellect Some hidden influence breeds like effect. Albeit Leander rude in love and raw, Long dallying with Hero, nothing saw That might delight him more, yet he suspected Some amorous rites or other were neglected. Therefore unto his body hers he clung. She, fearing on the rushes to be flung, Strived with redoubled strength; the more she strived The more a gentle pleasing heat revived, Which taught him all that elder lovers know. And now the same gan so to scorch and glow As in plain terms (yet cunningly) he craved it. Love always makes those eloquent that have it. She, with a kind of granting, put him by it And ever, as he thought himself most nigh it, Like to the tree of Tantalus, she fled And, seeming lavish, saved her maidenhead. Ne’er king more sought to keep his diadem, Than Hero this inestimable gem. Above our life we love a steadfast friend, Yet when a token of great worth we send, We often kiss it, often look thereon, And stay the messenger that would be gone. No marvel then, though Hero would not yield So soon to part from that she dearly held. Jewels being lost are found again, this never; ’Tis lost but once, and once lost, lost forever.