Forth came that auncient Lord and aged Queene, v Arayd in antique robes downe to the ground, And sad habiliments right well beseene; A noble crew about them waited round Of sage and sober Peres, all grauely gownd; Whom farre before did march a goodly band Of tall young men, all hable armes to sownd, But now they laurell braunches bore in hand; Glad signe of victorie and peace in all their land. Vnto that doughtie Conquerour they came, vi And him before themselues prostrating low, Their Lord and Patrone loud did him proclame, And at his feet their laurell boughes did throw. Soone after them all dauncing on a row The comely virgins came, with girlands dight, As fresh as flowres in medow greene do grow, When morning deaw vpon their leaues doth light: And in their hands sweet Timbrels all vpheld on hight. And them before, the fry of children young vii Their wanton sports and childish mirth did play, And to the Maydens sounding tymbrels[403] sung In well attuned notes, a ioyous lay, And made delightfull musicke all the way, Vntill they came, where that faire virgin stood; As faire _Diana_ in fresh sommers day[404] Beholds her Nymphes, enraung’d in shadie wood, Some wrestle, some do run, some bathe in christall flood. So she beheld those maydens meriment viii With chearefull vew; who when to her they came, Themselues to ground with gratious[405] humblesse bent, And her ador’d by honorable name, Lifting to heauen her euerlasting fame: Then on her head they set a girland greene, And crowned her twixt earnest and twixt game; Who in her selfe-resemblance well beseene, Did seeme such, as she was, a goodly maiden Queene. And after,[406] all the raskall many ran, ix Heaped together in rude rablement, To see the face of that victorious man: Whom all admired, as from heauen sent, And gazd vpon with gaping wonderment. But when they came, where that dead Dragon lay, Stretcht on the ground in monstrous large extent, The sight with idle feare did them dismay, Ne durst approch him nigh, to touch, or once assay. Some feard, and fled; some feard and well it faynd; x One that would wiser seeme, then all the rest, Warnd him not touch, for yet perhaps remaynd Some lingring life within his hollow brest, Or in his wombe might lurke some hidden nest Of many Dragonets, his fruitfull seed; Another said, that in his eyes did rest Yet sparckling fire, and bad thereof take heed; Another said, he saw him moue his eyes indeed.