[Sidenote: Oliva speciosa in campis. Nota[1636] excellentiam virtutis in oliva.] Whos flagraunt flower was chefe preseruatyue Ageynst all infeccyons with cancour[1637] enflamyd, Ageynst all baratows broisiours of olde, It passid all bawmys that euer were namyd, Or gummis of Saby so derely that be solde: There blew in that gardynge a soft piplyng colde Enbrethyng of Zepherus with his pleasant wynde; All frutis and[1638] flowris grew there in there kynde. Dryades there daunsid vpon that goodly soile, With[1639] the nyne Muses, Pierides by name; 680 Phillis and Testalis,[1640] ther tressis with oyle Were newly enbybid; and rownd about the same Grene tre of laurell moche solacyous game They made, with chapellettes and garlandes grene; And formest of all dame Flora, the quene Of somer, so formally she fotid the daunce; There Cintheus sat twynklyng vpon his harpe stringis; And Iopas his instrument did auaunce, The poemis and storis auncient inbryngis Of Athlas astrology, and many noble thyngis, 690 Of wandryng of the mone, the course of the sun, Of men and of bestis, and whereof they begone, What thynge occasionyd the showris of rayne, Of fyre elementar in his supreme spere, And of that pole artike whiche doth remayne Behynde the taile of Vrsa so clere; Of Pliades he prechid with ther drowsy chere, Immoysturid with mislyng and ay droppyng dry, And where the two Trions[1641] a man shold aspy, And of the winter days that hy them so fast, 700 And of the wynter nyghtes that tary so longe, And of the somer days so longe that doth[1642] last, And of their shorte nyghtes; he browght in his songe How wronge was no ryght, and ryght was no wronge: There was counteryng of carollis in meter and[1643] verse So many, that longe it[1644] were to reherse. _Occupacyon to Skelton._ How say ye? is this after your appetite? May this contente you and your mirry mynde? Here dwellith pleasure, with lust and delyte; Contynuall comfort here ye may fynde, 710 Of welth and solace no thynge left behynde; All thynge conuenable[1645] here is contryuyd,[1646] Wherewith your spiritis may be reuyuid. _Poeta Skelton answeryth._ Questionles no dowte of that ye say; Jupiter hymselfe this lyfe myght endure; This ioy excedith all worldly[1647] sport and play, Paradyce this place is of syngular pleasure: O wele were hym that herof myght be sure, And here to inhabite and ay for to dwell! But, goodly maystres, one thynge ye me tell. 720 _Occupacyon to Skelton._