Her yuorie necke, her alablaster brest, xlii Her paps, which like white silken pillowes were, For loue in soft delight thereon to rest; Her tender sides[535], her bellie white and clere, Which like an Altar did it selfe vprere, To offer sacrifice diuine thereon; Her goodly thighes, whose glorie did appeare Like a triumphall Arch, and thereupon The spoiles of Princes hang’d, which were in battel won. Those daintie parts, the dearlings of delight, xliii Which mote not be prophan’d of common eyes, Those villeins vew’d with loose lasciuious sight, And closely tempted with their craftie spyes; And some of them gan mongst themselues deuize, Thereof by force to take their beastly pleasure. But them the Priest rebuking, did aduize To dare not to pollute so sacred threasure, Vow’d to the gods: religion held euen theeues in measure. So being stayd, they her from thence directed xliv Vnto a litle groue not farre asyde, In which an altar shortly they erected, To slay her on. And now the Euentyde His brode black wings had through the heauens wyde By this dispred, that was the tyme ordayned For such a dismall deed, their guilt to hyde: Of few greene turfes an altar soone they fayned, And deckt it all with flowres, which they nigh hand obtayned. Tho when as all things readie were aright, xlv The Damzell was before the altar set, Being alreadie dead with fearefull fright. To whom the Priest with naked armes full net Approching nigh, and murdrous knife well whet, Gan mutter close a certaine secret charme, With other diuelish ceremonies met: Which doen he gan aloft t’aduance his arme, Whereat they shouted all, and made a loud[536] alarme. Then gan the bagpypes and the hornes to shrill, xlvi And shrieke aloud, that with the peoples voyce Confused, did the ayre with terror fill, And made the wood to tremble at the noyce: The whyles she wayld, the more they did reioyce. Now mote ye vnderstand that to this groue Sir _Calepine_ by chaunce, more then by choyce, The selfe same euening fortune hether droue, As he to seeke _Serena_ through the woods did roue. Long had he sought her, and through many a soyle xlvii Had traueld still on foot in heauie armes, Ne ought was tyred with his endlesse toyles[537], Ne ought was feared of his certaine harmes: And now all weetlesse of the wretched stormes, In which his loue was lost[538], he slept full fast, Till being waked with these loud alarmes, He lightly started vp like one aghast, And catching vp his arms streight to the noise forth past.