Ran through all shapes and varied all his shifts, To win Love's stay with him, and make him love him. And when he saw no strength of sleight could move him, To make him love or stay, he nimbly turned 211 Into Love's self, he so extremely burned. And thus came Love, with Proteus and his power, T' encounter Eucharis: first, like the flower That Juno's milk did spring,[97] the silver lily, He fell on Hymen's hand, who straight did spy The bounteous godhead, and with wondrous joy Offer'd it Eucharis. She, wonderous coy, Drew back her hand: the subtle flower did woo it, And, drawing it near, mixed so you could not know it: 220 As two clear tapers mix in one their light, So did the lily and the hand their white. She viewed it; and her view the form bestows Amongst her spirits; for, as colour flows From superficies of each thing we see, Even so with colours forms emitted be; And where Love's form is, Love is; Love is form: He entered at the eye; his sacred storm Rose from the hand, Love's sweetest instrument: It stirred her blood's sea so, that high it went, 230 And beat in bashful waves 'gainst the white shore Of her divided cheeks; it raged the more, Because the tide went 'gainst the haughty wind Of her estate and birth: and, as we find, In fainting ebbs, the flowery Zephyr hurls The green-haired Hellespont, broke in silver curls, 'Gainst Hero's tower; but in his blast's retreat, The waves obeying him, they after beat, Leaving the chalky shore a great way pale, Then moist it freshly with another gale; 240 So ebbed and flowed the blood[98] in Eucharis' face, Coyness and Love strived which had greatest grace; Virginity did fight on Coyness' side, Fear of her parent's frowns and female pride Loathing the lower place, more than it loves The high contents desert and virtue moves. With Love fought Hymen's beauty and his valure,[99] Which scarce could so much favour yet allure To come to strike, but fameless idle stood: Action is fiery valour's sovereign good. 250 But Love, once entered, wished no greater aid Than he could find within; thought thought betray'd; The bribed, but incorrupted, garrison Sung "Io Hymen;" there those songs begun, And Love was grown so rich with such a gain, And wanton with the ease of his free reign, That he would turn into her roughest frowns To turn them out; and thus he Hymen crowns King of his thoughts, man's greatest empery: This was his first brave step to deity. 260 Home to the mourning city they repair, With news as wholesome as the morning air, To the sad parents of each savËd maid: But Hymen and his Eucharis had laid This plat[100] to make the flame of their delight