The means must them and it confound, Yet are resolved to stand or fall, And win a little, or lose all. From this sad storm of fire and blood She fled to this yet living wood; Where she 'mongst savage beasts doth find Her self more safe then humane<33.19> kind. Then she relates, how Caelia--<33.20> The lady--here strippes her array, And girdles her in home-spunne bayes Then makes her conversant in layes Of birds, and swaines more innocent, That kenne not guile [n]or courtship ment. Now walks she to her bow'r to dine Under a shade of Eglantine, Upon a dish of Natures cheere Which both grew, drest and serv'd up there: That done, she feasts her smell with po'ses Pluckt from the damask cloath of Roses. Which there continually doth stay, And onely frost can take away; Then wagers which hath most content Her eye, eare, hand, her gust or sent. Intranc't Alexis sees and heares, As walking above all the spheres: Knows and adores this, and is wilde,<33.21> Untill with her he live thus milde.<33.22> So that, which to his thoughts he meant For losse of her a punishment, His armes hung up and his sword broke, His ensignes folded, he betook Himself unto the humble crook. And for a full reward of all, She now doth him her shepheard call, And in a see of flow'rs install: Then gives her faith immediately, Which he returns religiously; Both vowing in her peacefull cave To make their bridall-bed and grave. But the true joy this pair conceiv'd, Each from the other first bereav'd, And then found, after such alarmes, Fast-pinion'd in each other's armes, Ye panting virgins, that do meet Your loves within their winding sheet, Breathing and constant still ev'n there; Or souls their bodies in yon' sphere, Or angels, men return'd from hell And separated mindes--can tell. <33.1> The punctuation of this piece is in the original edition singularly corrupt. I have found it necessary to amend it throughout. <33.2> The marigold. <33.3> A flower so called. <33.4> More commonly known as THE GILLIFLOWER. <33.5> i.e. the lady gathers the flowers, and binds them in her hair with a silken fillet, making of them a kind of chaplet or crown. <33.6> i.e. silvery or white milk. <33.7> An uncommon word, signifying WRINKLED. Bishop Hall seems to be, with the exception of Lovelace, almost the only writer who used it. Compare, however, the following passage:-- "Like to a WRITHEL'D Carion I have seen (Instead of fifty, write her down fifteen) Wearing her bought complexion in a box, And ev'ry morn her closet-face unlocks." PLANTAGENET'S TRAGICALL STORY, by T. W. 1649, p. 105. <33.8> Original has PRIZE THEIR. <33.9> The fish with their silvery scales. <33.10> Fins. <33.11> Original reads BUT LOOK. <33.12> Original has THERE. <33.13> i.e. condemned.