Hercules going on a day to recreate himselfe with his loue Iole along the shado∣wed woods and pleasant groues, to eschew the heate of the Sunne, Pan from a hill aloft beheld them, but especially cast an earnest eie vpon Iole, a woman of a most sweete and faire countenance. He saw her, and seeing burned in her loue, and said. I haue not now, O yee deities of these mountaines, to do with you any more, nor to see you from this time forward. Farewell, farewell. For she is onely my delight. Iole had her shoulders and brest shining like golde with her yellow haire that from her head fell dangling downe vpon them. The sunne now waxing pale, and shining but a little, began to giue as little heate, and the moist welkin with the euening dewe of approching night, came stealing on apace with her sable coloured horses, when Hercules with his company tooke vp a caue neere to the vineyards of Lidia: wherein, while supper was a preparing for the seruants, Iole for her pleasure, or for some other merrie conceit that she had in her head, did put her apparell vpon mightie Hercules, vnripping the seames to make it fitter for him, and tearing that which was too streight. On her-selfe she put the Lyons skin, and tooke his club on hir shoulder, and in her hands, her husbands bowe and arrowes. In this sort they supped, and laid them downe to sleepe, and with this habite each of them in a bed by themselues (as time and place affoorded them) began to sleepe: for it was not lawfull for them that night to lie togither, bicause the next day they were to offer vp sacrifice to Bacchus. And now (Pan burning in impatient loue) about midnight, which was very darke (for what doth not a louer enterprize) came into the caue, and found the ser∣uants, what with their great cheere and wine at supper, and what with their sports afterwards, fast a sleepe, thinking the same might be also the cause of their Master and Mistresse sleepe. His good fortune therefore falling out so well, conducted him to the place, where Iole was (happie man if he had knowne his good happe) where groping vp and down, and feeling the Lyons pawe, with feare he lifted vp his hand, (thinking it was Hercules that lay there) as the musing traueller by the high way, his foote, that hath vnawares troden vpon some snake or hidden adder he sawe not. Going therefore from thence he met by chance with the couch where Hercules in a habite different from his person, lay a sleepe, whom when Pan touched, and selt Ioles soft and delicate garments, thinking he had founde that he sought for, at the beds feete began to mount vp, and lifting vp his clothes, in lieu of finding a soft and tender skin, felt a hard flesh and full of haire. Hercules awaked out of his sleepe, gaue the poore louer such a blowe with his fist, that he smote him from the bed to the ground, where he laie all along. Iole awaked at the noise, and calling to her ser∣uants for light, found the sillie God on the grounde complaining for the blowe he had receiued, which made not onely Hercules and his men, but his beloued Iole laugh apace at the infortunate louer. You therefore see heere (my friends) why the God deceiued by the garments, doth so much hate them. It is well (saide Syrenus.) But tell vs I beseech you, as you haue begun, how we should know him to bee the God of all by his picture. They paint him with two hornes, answered Parisiles, like to the sunne beames, and to the hornes of the Moone, his face redde like a firie flame, in imitation of the firie Element. In his brest a star called Nebrides in re∣presentation of the starres, which starre I thinke was made of a wilde goates or Hearts skinne, bicause Nebrides is as much in signification as a wilde Goate or Heart: which skins they vsed in Bacchus sacrifices: whereby we may easily gather, that he is God of all aboue. From the mids of his body downward, they paint him full of haire and bristled, to signifie the trees and wilde beasts; with Goates feete,
