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he sung, whilest they could heare him (giuing great eare vnto him) was to the pur∣pose of that, which he had told them before he shewed them the letter.

They maruelled not a little at the sweetenes of his song, & were no lesse sorrie, bicause they knew not what Shepherd he was; but seeing it was not then possible to know him, they went on their nighest waies. Some haste they made to passe away the heate of the day in that Iland, where they found the desperate Shepherdesse Be∣lisa, taking the same to be a more fresh and pleasant place, and more quiet for their recreation then any other. Whereunto being come, they saw how a little brooke, couered almost all ouer with sweet and smelling herbs, ranne gently thorow a little greene meadow amongst a ranke of diuers trees, that were nourished and maintai∣ned by the cleere water; vnder the shadowes of which, as they were now determi∣ned to rest themselues, Syrenus said. Let vs see (if you thinke good) from whence this little spring doth issue foorth: It may be the place is more fresh and cooler therea∣bouts; if not, or if we cannot finde out the fountaine, from whence it flowes, we will come hither againe. It liked his company well, and so they desired him to leade the way. Euerie place and part, that all the brooke vpwards they troad on, inuited them to pleasant rest, being all alike to the verie fountaine, whereupon Seluagia said. If we cannot finde out the beginning of this spring, we shall not finde (at the least) any discontent for our selues, or suffer any trouble in returning backe againe, since so conuenient places (as better, and more pleasant we cannot wish for our desired rest) in going vp higher, are offered vnto vs. Hauing now gone vp a little along the run∣ning brooke, and not found out the head, and that euerie step (as I said) presented vn∣to them a pleasant place of rest, they went staying somtimes, & somtimes reasoning with themselues, where they might sit, one of them saying: This place is more fresh: and another answering, no, but this, let vs sit downe heere, for this is more pleasant: no, but here (said another:) So that the pleasant obiect of euerie place held them in such suspence, that none of them could choose out the best. But resoluing at the last vpon one, they tooke the scrips of their shoulders, and passing their sheepe∣hookes from their left hands, they tooke them in their right to lay them downe to rest, when they saw, that with greater quantitie of waters and fresher shades of green trees the brooke ranne vp higher; so that for a new hope, a new aire and place was