Englands Parnassus: or the choysest flowers of our moderne poets, with their poeticall comparisons Descriptions of bewties, personages, castles, pallaces, mountaines, groues, seas, springs, riuers, &c. Whereunto are annexed other various discourses, both pleasaunt and profitable.

Noctis initium.

When low the night with mistie mantle spread, Gan darke the day, and dimme the azure skies, And Ʋenus in her message Hermes sped To bloudy Mars, to will him not to rise, While shee her selfe approacht in speedie wise, And Ʋirgo hiding her disdainfull breast, VVith Thetis now had layd her downe to rest, While Scorpio dreading Sagitarius dart, Whose bow prest bent, in fight the string had slipt▪ Downe slid into the Ocean floud a part, The beare that in the irish seas had dipt Hs grisly feete, with speede from thence he whipt, For Thetis hasting from the virgins bed, Pursude the beare that ere she came was fled, And Phaethon now neere reaching to his race, With glistering beames gold streaming where they bent▪ VVas prest to enter in his resting place, Enryhius that in the carte first went, Had euen now attain'd his iourneyes stent, And fast declining hid away his head, Where Titan coucht him in his purple bed, And now pale Cynthia with her borrowed light, Beginning to supplie her brothers place, Was past the noone-sted sixe degrees in sight, When sparkling starres amidst the heauens face, With twinckling light shone on the earth apace, That while they brought about the nights chaire, The dark had dimd the day ere I was ware. M. Sac.

Such time as from her mothers tender lap The night arose, garded with gentle winds,

And with h••r precious dew refresht the sappe, Of bloome and darke, (whilst that her mantle blinds The vaile of heauen) and euery birde was still, Saue Philomele that did bemone her ill: When in the West Orion lift aloft His stately crest, and smilde vpon the twins, And Cynthia seemely bright (whose eye full oft Had watcht her loue) with radiant light begins, To pierce the vaile of silence with her beames, Sporting with wanton cleere in Ocean streames. VVhen little winds in beating of their wings, Did woe the eyes to leaue their constant walke, And all was husht saue Zephirus that sings, With louely breathings for the sea nymphs sake, My wrathfull greefes perplexe my mind so sore, That forth I walkt, my sorrowes to deplore. D. Lodge.