And al that ever in this world is fayre

Doe make and still repayre.

And ye three handmayds of the Cyprian Queene,
The which doe still adorne her beauties pride,
Helpe to addorne my beautifullest bride:

And as ye her array, still throw betweene

Some graces to be seene,

And as ye use to Venus, to her sing,

The whiles the woods shal answer and your eccho ring.

Now is my love all ready forth to come,

Let all the virgins therefore well awayt,

And ye fresh boyes that tend upon her groome
Prepare your selves; for he is comming strayt.
Set all your things in seemely good aray
Fit for so joyfull day,

The joyfulst day that ever sunne did see.
Faire Sun, shew forth thy favourable ray,
And let thy lifull heat not fervent be
For feare of burning her sunshyny face,
Her beauty to disgrace.

O fayrest Phoebus, father of the Muse,
If ever I did honour thee aright,

Or sing the thing, that mote thy mind delight,
Doe not thy servants simple boone refuse,
But let this day let this one day be myne,

Let all the rest be thine.

Then I thy soverayne prayses loud wil sing,

ΠΙΟ

120

That all the woods shal answer and theyr eccho ring.

Harke how the Minstrels gin to shrill aloud
Their merry Musick that resounds from far,
The pipe, the tabor, and the trembling Croud,
That well agree withouten breach or jar.
But most of all the Damzels doe delite,
When they their tymbrels smyte,

130

And thereunto doe daunce and carrol sweet,
That all the sences they doe ravish quite,

The whyles the boyes run up and downe the street,
Crying aloud with strong confused noyce,

As if it were one voyce.

Hymen io Hymen, Hymen they do shout,

That even to the heavens theyr shouting shrill
Doth reach, and all the firmament doth fill,
To which the people standing all about,

As in approvance doe thereto applaud

And loud advaunce her laud,

And evermore they Hymen Hymen sing,

140

That al the woods them answer and theyr eccho ring.

Loe where she comes along with portly pace
Lyke Phoebe from her chamber of the East,
Arysing forth to run her mighty race,

Clad all in white, that seemes a virgin best.
So well it her beseemes that ye would weene
Some angell she had beene.

Her long loose yellow locks lyke golden wyre,

Sprinckled with perle, and perling flowres a tweene,
Doe lyke a golden mantle her attyre,

And being crowned with a girland greene,
Seeme lyke some mayden Queene.

Her modest eyes abashed to behold
So many gazers, as on her do stare,
Upon the lowly ground affixed are.

Ne dare lift up her countenance too bold,
But blush to heare her prayses sung so loud,
So farre from being proud.

Nathlesse doe ye still loud her prayses sing.

150

160

That all the woods may answer and your eccho ring.

Tell me ye merchants daughters did ye see

So fayre a creature in your towne before,

So sweet, so lovely, and so mild as she,

Adornd with beautyes grace and vertues store,
Her goodly eyes lyke Saphyres shining bright,

Her forehead yvory white,

Her cheekes lyke apples which the sun hath rudded,

Her lips lyke cherryes charming men to byte,

Her brest like to a bowle of creame uncrudded,

Her paps lyke lyllies budded,

Her snowie necke lyke to a marble towre,
And all her body like a pallace fayre,
Ascending uppe with many a stately stayre,
To honors seat and chastities sweet bowre.
Why stand ye still ye virgins in amaze,
Upon her so to gaze.

Whiles ye forget your former lay to sing,

170.

180

To which the woods did answer and your eccho ring.

But if ye saw that which no eyes can see,
The inward beauty of her lively spright,
Garnisht with heavenly guifts of high degree,
Much more then would ye wonder at that sight,
And stand astonisht lyke to those which red
Medusaes mazeful hed.

There dwels sweet love and constant chastity,
Unspotted fayth and comely womanhood,
Regard of honour and mild modesty,

There vertue raynes as Queene in royal throne,
And giveth lawes alone.

The which the base affections doe obay,
And yeeld theyr services unto her will,
Ne thought of thing uncomely ever may
Thereto approch to tempt her mind to ill.
Had ye once seene these her celestial threasures,
And unrevealed pleasures,

Then would ye wonder and her prayses sing,

190

200

That al the woods should answer and your echo ring.

Open the temple gates unto my love,
Open them wide that she may enter in,
And all the postes adorne as doth behove,
And all the pillours deck with girlands trim,
For to recyve this Saynt with honour dew,
That commeth in to you.

With trembling steps and humble reverence,
She commeth in, before th'almighties vew,
Of her ye virgins learne obedience,
When so ye come into those holy places,
To humble your proud faces:

Bring her up to th'high altar, that she may
The sacred ceremonies there partake,
The which do endlesse matrimony make,
And let the roring Organs loudly play
The praises of the Lord in lively notes,
The whiles with hollow throates

The Choristers the joyous Antheme sing,

210

220

That al the woods may answere and their eccho ring.

Behold whiles she before the altar stands
Hearing the holy priest that to her speakes
And blesseth her with his two happy hands,
How the red roses flush up in her cheekes,
And the pure snow with goodly vermill stayne,
Like crimsin dyde in grayne,

That even th'Angels which continually,

About the sacred Altare doe remaine,

Forget their service and about her fly,

Ofte peeping in her face that seemes more fayre,
The more they on it stare.

But her sad eyes still fastened on the ground,
Are governed with goodly modesty,

That suffers not one looke to glaunce awry,

Which may let in a little thought unsownd.

230

Why blush ye love to give to me your hand,

The pledge of all our band?

Sing ye sweet Angels, Alleluya sing,

240

That all the woods may answere and your eccho ring.

Now al is done; bring home the bride againe,

Bring home the triumph of our victory,
Bring home with you the glory of her gaine,
With joyance bring her and with jollity.
Never had man more joyful day then this,
Whom heaven would heape with blis.

Make feast therefore now all this live long day,
This day for ever to me holy is,

Poure out the wine without restraint or stay,
Poure not by cups, but by the belly full,
Poure out to all that wull,

And sprinkle all the postes and wals with wine,
That they may sweat, and drunken be withall.
Crowne ye God Bacchus with a coronall,
And Hymen also crowne with wreathes of vine,
And let the Graces daunce unto the rest;

For they can doo it best :

The whiles the maydens doe theyr carroll sing,

250

To which the woods shal answer and theyr eccho ring.

Ring ye the bels, ye yong men of the towne,

And leave your wonted labors for this day :
This day is holy; doe ye write it downe,
That ye for ever it remember may.
This day the sunne is in his chiefest hight,
With Barnaby the bright,

From whence declining daily by degrees,
He somewhat loseth of his heat and light,

261

When once the Crab behind his back he sees.
But for this time it ill ordained was,

270

To chose the longest day in all the yeare,