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.

Ceston.

That girdle gaue the vertue of chast loue, And wiuehood true to all that did it beare: But whosoeuer contrary doth proue, Might not the same about her middle weare, But it would loose or else asunder teare, Whilom it was (as Faieries wont report) Dame Venus girdle by her esteemd deare What time she vsde to liue in wiuely sort. But laid aside when so she vsde her sport. Her husband Vulcan whilome for her sake, When first he loued her with heart intire, This precious ornament they say did make. And wrought in Lemnos with vnquenched fire, And afterward did for her first loues hire,

Giue it to her for euer to remaine, Therewith to bind lasciuious desire, And loose affections straightly to restraine, Which vertue it for euer did retaine. This goodly Belt, was Ceston call'd by name. Ed. Spencer.

* The noble Lyon neuer slaies the least, But alwaies praies vpon some worthy beast. The thunder throwes his sulphured shafts adowne, On Atlas high, or cold Riphins crowne. The tempest fell more feruently doth fall On houses high, then on the homely hall. Th. Hudson.

*Saturn taught men vntaught before, to eare the lusty land, And how to pierce the pathlesse aire with shafts from bow∣mans hand. God Dis did quaile to see his gold so fast conuaid from hell, And fishes quakt, when men in ships amidst their flouds did dwell. ƲƲ. ƲƲarner.