Montanus his Madrigal

It was a valley gaudy-green
Where Dian at the fount was seen i
Green it was,
And did pass
All other of Diana's bowers
In the pride of Flora's flowers.

A fount it was that no sun sees,
Circled in with cypress trees;
Set so nigh.
As Phoebus' eye
Could not do the virgins .scathe,
To see them naked when they bathe.

She sat there all in white.
Colour fitting her delight;
Virgins so
Ought to go.
For white in armoury is placed
To be the colour that is chaste.

Her taffeta cassock you might see,
Tucked up above her knee,
Which did show
There below
Legs as white as whale's-bone;
So white and chaste was never none.

Hard by her, upon the ground,
Sat her virgins in a round.
Bathing their
Golden hair.
And singing all in notes high:
" Fie on Venus' flattering eye!

" Fie on Love! it is a toy,
Cupid witless and a boy.
All his fires
And desires
Are plagues that God sent from on high.
To pester men with misery."

As thus the virgins did disdain
Lovers' joy and lovers' pain,
Cupid nigh
Did espy.
Grieving at Diana's song,
Silly stole these maids among.

His bow of steel, darts of fire,
He shot amongst them sweet desire,
Which straight flies
In their eyes.
And at the entrance made them start.
For it ran from eye to heart.

Calisto straight supposed Jove
Was fair and frolic for to love;
Dian she
Scaped not free.
For, well I wot, hereupon
She loved the swain Endymion.

Clytie Phoebus, and Chloris' eye
Thought none so fair as Mercury;
Venus thus
Did discuss
By her son in darts of fire,
None so chaste to check desire.

Dian rose with all her maids,
Blushing thus at Love's braids;
With sighs, all
Show their thrall.
And flinging thence, pronounced this saw:
" What so strong as Love's sweet law?"