fountaine by her, she said vnto me. Why hast thou (good brother) left me so long alone? It is (sweete Ladie) said I againe, a good while since I hauing sought thee in euerie place, & found not any, that could tell me what was become of thee, my hart at last coniectured where thou wert: Buttel me now (I pray thee) what certaintie hast thou, that we are brother and sister? No other (saide she) then of the great loue I beare thee, and to see, how euerie one doth call vs so, and that my father doth bring vs vp like his sonne and daughter. And if we were not brother and sister (saide I) wouldest thou then loue me so much as thou dost? Oh seest thou not (saide she) that we shuld not be suffered to go so cōtinually together, & al alone, if we were not. But if we were depriued of this ioy, that which I feele in my selfe is a great deale more: At which words her faire face being tainted with a vermillion blush, she said vnto me. What couldest thou leese by it, if we were brother and sister? My selfe and thee to, said I. I vnderstand thee not said she, but (me thinkes) (being brother and sister) it binds vs to loue one another naturally. Thy onely beautie (said I) doth oblige me to this brotherhood, which rather qualifieth my loue, and sometimes distempers my thoughts: At which words blushing for too much boldnes, casting downe mine eies, I saw her diuine figure in the cristalline fountaine so liuely represented, as if it had beene she her selfe, and in such sort, that wheresoeuer she turned her head, I still beheld her image, and goodly counterfaite truely translated into verie hart. Then said I softly to my selfe. O, if I were now drowned in this fountaine, where with pride I behold my sweete Lady, how more fortunate should I die then Narcissus? And if she loued me as I do her, how happie should I be? And if fortune would let vs liue euer together, what a happie life should I then lead? These words I spake to my selfe, and it would haue greeued me, that another had heard them. But hauing spoken this, I rose vp, and reaching vp my hand to certaine Iesemynes that grew round about that fountaine, I made of them, and of some Orenge flowers a faire and redo∣lent garland, and putting it vpon my head, I sat downe againe crowned, and con∣quered. Then did she cast her eies vpon me (to my thinking) more sweetly then be∣fore, and taking it from my head, did put it vpon her owne, seeming then more faire then Venus. And looking vpon me, she said. How dost thou like me now Abynda∣raez? That in beautie (said I) and sweete perfections, thou ouercomest al the world, and that crowned Queene and Ladie of it. At which words rising out of her place, she tooke me by the hand, and said vnto me. If it were so indeed (b•…er) thou shoul∣dest leese nothing by it; and so without answering her againe, I followed her out of the garden. But now from that time certaine daies after, wherein cruell Loue thought he was too long from discouering vnto me the deceit that I had of my selfe, and time meaning then to lay open hidden and secret things, we came to perfect know∣ledge, that the kinred between vs was as much as nothing, whereupon our firme affections were confirmed more strongly in their former and true places. All my de∣light was in her, and my soule cut out so iust to the proportion of hers, that all, that was not in her face, seemed to mine eies foule, friuolous, and vnprofitable in the whole world. And now were our pastimes far different from our first, and I beheld her with a certaine kind of feare, and suspect to be perceiued of any: And now had I also a certaine enuie and iealousie of the sunne, that did touch her. Who, though she looked on me again with the verie same desire and intent, wherewith she had beheld me before; yet thought it was not so, bicause ones owne distrust is the most assured and certaine thing in an enamoured hart. It fell out afterwardes, that she being on a day it the cleere fountaine of the Iesmynes, I came by chaunce thi∣ther,
