Phoebe's eyes
Dovelike mild:
Dovelike eyes, both mild and cruel.
Montan swears,
In your lamps
He will die for to delight her.
Phoebe yield,
Or I die:
Shall true hearts be fancy's fuel?[1]
[Footnote 1: This poem was parodied by one of Lodge's contemporaries
under the title "Ronsard's Description of his Mistress" in allusion to
Lodge's habit of imitating foreign poets.]
Montanus had no sooner ended his sonnet, but Corydon with a low
courtesy rose up and went with his fellow, and shut their sheep in the
folds; and after returning to Aliena and Ganymede, conducted them home
weary to his poor cottage. By the way there was much good chat with
Montanus about his loves, he resolving Aliena that Phoebe was the
fairest shepherdess in all France, and that in his eye her beauty was
equal with the nymphs.
"But," quoth he, "as of all stones the diamond is most clearest, and
yet most hard for the lapidary to cut: as of all flowers the rose is
the fairest, and yet guarded with the sharpest prickles: so of all our
country lasses Phoebe is the brightest, but the most coy of all to
stoop unto desire.
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