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.

Description of Seas, VVaters, Riuers, &c.

The fertile Nile which creatures new doth foame, Long Rhodanus whose sourse springs from the skie, Faire Ister flowing from the mountaines hie, Diuine Scamander purpled yet with blood Of Greekes and Troians which therein did lie: Pactolus glistering with his golden flood, And Tigris fierce, whose streames of none may be withstood. Ed. Spencer.

Great Ganges and immortall Euphrates, Deepe Indus, and Meander intricate, Slowe Peneus and tempestuous Phasides, Swift Rhene, and Alpheus still immaculate, Oraxes feared for great Cyrus fate, Tibris renowned for the Romains name. Idem.

The Cydnus streame (who for his siluer flood, Esteemd a King) ran now with humane blood. Th. Hudson.

— Beside their trickled softly downe A gentle streame, whose murmuring waue did play Amongst the pumy stones and made a sound To lull himselfe a sleepe that by it lay. The wearie traueller wandring that way, Therein did often quench his thirstie heate, And then by it his wearie limmes display, Whiles creeping slumber made him to forget His former paine, and wipe away his toylsome sweate. Ed. Spencer.

Faire Danubie is praisd for being wide, Nylus commended for his seuenfold head, Euphrates for the swiftnesse of the tide, And for the garden whence his course is lead, The bankes of Rhene with wines are ouerspread. Take Loyre and Po, yet all may not compare With English Thamesis for building rare. Th. Storer.

Great Nylus land where raine doth neuer fall. Th. Hudson.

Anon he stalketh with an easie stride, By some cleare Riuers lillie paued side, Whose sands pure gold, whose pibbles precious gems, And liquid siluer all the curling streams: Whose chiding murmure mazing in and out, With Christall cesterns, moates a meade about. And th'artlesse bridges ouerthwart this torrent, Are Rocks selfe-arched by the eating current.

Or louing palmes, whose lustie females willing, Their marrow-boiling loues to be fulfilling, And reach their husband trees on th'other bankes, Bow their stiffe necks, and serue for passing plankes. I. Syluester.