Observes their rampires and their buildings yet; And, for your sweet discourse with mouths, is heard Giving instructions with his very beard; Hath gone with an ambassador, and been A great man's mate in travelling, even to Rhene; 120 And then puts all his worth in such a face As he saw brave men make, and strives for grace To get his news forth: as when you descry A ship, with all her sail contends to fly Out of the narrow Thames with winds unapt, Now crosseth here, then there, then this way rapt, And then hath one point reach'd, then alters all, And to another crookËd reach doth fall Of half a bird-bolt's[120] shoot, keeping more coil Than if she danc'd upon the ocean's toil; 130 So serious is his trifling company, In all his swelling ship of vacantry And so short of himself in his high thought Was our Leander in his fortunes brought, And in his fort of love that he thought won; But otherwise he scorns comparison. O sweet Leander, thy large worth I hide In a short grave! ill-favour'd storms must chide Thy sacred favour;[121] I in floods of ink Must drown thy graces, which white papers drink, 140 Even as thy beauties did the foul black seas; I must describe the hell of thy decease, That heaven did merit: yet I needs must see Our painted fools and cockhorse peasantry Still, still usurp, with long lives, loves, and lust, The seats of Virtue, cutting short as dust Her dear-bought issue: ill to worse converts, And tramples in the blood of all deserts. Night close and silent now goes fast before The captains and the soldiers to the shore, 150 On whom attended the appointed fleet At Sestos' bay, that should Leander meet, Who feigned he in another ship would pass: Which must not be, for no one mean there was To get his love home, but the course he took. Forth did his beauty for his beauty look, And saw her through her torch, as you behold Sometimes within the sun a face of gold, Formed in strong thoughts, by that tradition's force That says a god sits there and guides his course. 160 His sister was with him; to whom he show'd His guide by sea, and said, "Oft have you view'd In one heaven many stars, but never yet In one star many heavens till now were met. See, lovely sister! see, now Hero shines, No heaven but her appears; each star repines, And all are clad in clouds, as if they mourned To be by influence of earth out-burned. Yet doth she shine, and teacheth Virtue's train Still to be constant in hell's blackest reign, 170 Though even the gods themselves do so entreat them As they did hate, and earth as she would eat them." Off went his silken robe, and in he leapt,