obiected to them. They had not yet scarce begun to goe vp a little farther, when the brooke forsaking her right course towardes the left hand, made them turne their steps backe againe, where they discouered a great thicket, and spring of diuers trees. Comming to the which, they saw a very narrow entrance, and somwhat long, whose sides were not of wals fabricated by artificiall hand, but made of trees by nature (the mistresse of all things:) so that the wooddy place was no lesse enobled and im∣belished with the naturall verdure, then the stately chambers with embossed gold. For there was seene the deadly Cypresse, the triumphant Laurell, the hard Oke, the low sallow, the inuincible palme, the blacke and ruggie Elme, the Oliue, the prickie Chestenut, & the high Pineapple, one amongst another; whose bodies were bound about with greene Iuie and the fruitfull vine, and beset with sweet Iesmines & many other redolent flowers, that grew very thicke togither in that place. Amongst the which many little birds (inhabitants of that wood) went leaping from bough to bough, as in scornefull cages, making the place more pleasant with their sweete and siluer notes. The trees were in such order set togither, that they denied not the gol∣den sunbeames to haue an entrance in betweene the boughes and leaues, to paint forth the greene ground with diuers colours, which reuerberated from the flowers, that were neuer steadie in one place, by reason that the mooueable leaues did dis∣quiet them. This narrow way did also lead to a little greene, couered all ouer with fine grasse, and not touched with the hungrie mouthes of deuouring flockes. At the side of it, was the fountaine of the brooke, hauing a care, that that place should not drie vp, sending forth on euerie side her flowing waters. The water of this cleere fountaine came out of a stony rocke, which a great Oke with his hard rootes did im∣brace, on either side whereof stood two great Laurell trees. This fountaine did rise towards that place, where the sunne beginnes to mount, declining somewhat to the septentrionall part. The same rockie stone, whereby the water ranne out, serued both for a mouth and channell, which was not wrought with the blow of the hard Che∣sil; but by the continuall running of the gentle water: and so it was in some places a little more worne, then in others, being more soft, or (to say more properly) lesse hard in one place then in another; and by reason of the concauitie of the stone, there was seene an inequalitie, that represented a more pleasant and gracious running, bi∣cause it made the water come out more merily with high and low fals, representing certaine cristalline in cleeres, and shadows, a pleasant and delightfull sight to the greedie eie. The water fell into a fountaine of the same rockie stone, wrought after the same forme, as the channell was: It was fouresquare, and euery side was fower foote in bredth, and in depth sixe or a little more. The Petrenall was not right, to smite fire with the blowe of hard steele, bicause it was not blacke, but so white, that had it not beene for the hardnes thereof, none would haue thought, but that it had beene Alablaster. And though it was not so curiously cut out, and wrought like marble, yet was it maruellous and strange for the turne it serued. And so for the clecrenes of the water, as also for the whitenes of the rockie stone it was so christal∣line, that if any foule thing did fall therein, it was so apparant to his sight that came thither, that (maugre his will) hee was forced not to suffer it to receiue such in∣iurie, but to bring it againe to the former purenes: For which cause it was euer kept verie cleere, and cleane. The water ranne out of it into an Ilande on both sides, to enuironne the greene plat, which was set round about with white Poplars, blacke Elmes, and greene Sallowes. It was in length about a hundred and fiftie paces, and a hundred and twentie in bredth. There was no entrance into
