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good intent. The most religious intent, sweete and fairest Stela (said Delicius) and that which toucheth our soules neerest, is thy gracious command to haue vs staie still in this countrey, bicause we may not leese so pleasant howers as these be. I will not hinder so commendable a purpose (said Stela) although I would be glad, if (now returned, and your fathers found) it liked you to liue stil heere in these parts, to spend those few howers, that we vse to come abroad, in honest & seemly recreation. Then I calling that to minde which Parthenius had sung, That Delicius on a pride and bra∣uerie had despised all women for onely one, whom hee loued more then himselfe, with smiling I answered. And now Shepherd I will command thee to staie, at the least to see if I must also be put in the number of disdained women, or if I am onely beloued of thee. With these and such like speeches we passed away the heate of the day, with this agreement in the end, that they should stay a certain time therabouts, to inquire out some newes of their vnknowne parents in those parts, and not for∣get to passe away the heate of the day in that same place, where we would not faile to keepe them companie. Which being agreed on, Stela said vnto me; Let vs now go, if thou thinkest good, my friend Crimine, for it is a pretie while since we came foorth, bicause we will not giue our keeper an occasion to blame vs for our long ta∣rying. But bicause you may better vnderstand this, which Stela said, you must know, that by all meanes possible we procured to giue Stela all the content and pleasure we could, for which cause we did let her go with company to disport her-selfe vp and downe in that greene forrest. But being afraide of fierce Gorphorost, one of vs euer remained at the riuers side vnder a palme tree, that stoode almost right ouer against that part, where there was but one passage, to the end, that if the vgly Shep∣herd had come downe, she might haue warned vs by sounding of a cornet, to hie vs home againe with Stela. Taking our leaues therefore of the Shepherds (no doubt without some inward sighes of theirs) we returned to our dwelling places, and they staied still in the forrest. The next day going very softly about the same hower, and by secret places to see how they were occupied, we founde them sitting vpon the greene grasse, and Sleeping in such sort, that they shewed, that that was not their principall intent; for the christalline teares, that trickled downe their burning cheekes in corriualitie, signified more store of sorrowfull thoughts in their harts, then heauy vapours in their heads. The face of the one was right against the others, as though they had beene talking togither, leaning their cheekes vpon the one hand, and with the other arme sustaining the waight of the arme and head, in which sort they lay casting out somtimes profound & greeuous sighs. Which thing moo∣uing vs to no small compassion, for nowe we were somewhat affected to them, we determined to withdraw our selues, least being awaked, they might (perhaps) haue had an occasion to be ashamed to be seene in that sort: And from thence a little way off, of purpose to awake them, but as though we had seene nothing, we began to sing, taking for the ground and subiect of our song, the teares, that they had shed before vs. That which we sung was this.