It was an hill placed in an open plain,
That round about was bordered with a wood
Of matchless height, that seemed th’earth to disdain,
In which all trees of honour stately stood,
And did all winter as in summer bud,
Spreading pavilions for the birds to bower,
Which in their lower branches sung aloud;
And in their tops the soaring hawk did tower,
Sitting like king of fowls in majesty and power.
And at the foot thereof, a gentle flood
His silver waves did softly tumble down,
Unmarred with ragged moss or filthy mud,
Ne mote wild beasts, ne mote the ruder clown
Thereto approach, ne filth mote therein drown:
But nymphs and fairies by the banks did sit,
In the wood’s shade, which did the waters crown,
Keeping all noisome things away from it,
And to the water’s fall tuning their accents fit.
And on the top thereof a spacious plain
Did spread itself, to serve to all delight,
Either to dance, when they to dance would fain,
Or else to course about their bases light;
Ne aught there wanted, which for pleasure might
Desired be, or thence to banish bale:
So pleasantly the hill with equal height
Did seem to overlook the lowly vale;
Therefore it rightly cleped was mount Acidale.
They say that Venus, when she did dispose
Herself to pleasance, used to resort
Unto this place, and therein to repose
And rest herself, as in a gladsome port,
Or with the Graces there to play and sport;
That even her own Citheron, though in it
She used most to keep her royal court,
And in her sovereign majesty to sit,
She in regard hereof refused and thought unfit.
Unto this place when as the Elfin Knight
Approached, him seemed that the merry sound
Of a shrill pipe he playing heard on height,
And many feet fast thumping th’ hollow ground,
That through the woods their echo did rebound.
He nigher drew, to wit what mote it be;
There he a troop of ladies dancing found
Full merrily, and making gladful glee,
And in the midst a shepherd piping he did see.
He durst not enter into th’ open green,
For dread of them unwares to be descried,
For breaking of their dance, if he were seen;
But in the covert of the wood did bide,
Beholding all, yet of them unespied.
There he did see, that pleased much his sight,
That even he himself his eyes envied,
An hundred naked maidens lily white,
All ranged in a ring, and dancing in delight.
All they without were ranged in a ring,
And danced round; but in the midst of them
Three other ladies did both dance and sing,
The whilst the rest them round about did hem,
And like a garland did in compass stem:
And in the midst of those same three was placed
Another damsel, as a precious gem,
Amidst a ring most richly well enchased,
That with her goodly presence all the rest much graced.
Look how the crown, which Ariadne wore
Upon her ivory forehead that same day,
That Theseus her unto his bridal bore,
When the bold Centaurs made that bloody fray,
With the fierce Lapithes, which did them dismay,
Being now placed in the firmament,
Through the bright heaven doth her beams display,
And is unto the stars an ornament,
Which round about her move in order excellent:
Such was the beauty of this goodly band,
Whose sundry parts were here too long to tell:
But she, that in the midst of them did stand,
Seemed all the rest in beauty to excel,
Crowned with a rosy garland, that right well
Did her beseem. And ever, as the crew
About her danced, sweet flowers, that far did smell,
And fragrant odours they upon her threw;
But most of all, those three did her with gifts endue.
Those were the Graces, daughters of delight,
Handmaids of Venus, which are wont to haunt
Upon this hill, and dance there day and night:
Those three to men all gifts of grace do grant,
And all, that Venus in herself doth vaunt,
Is borrowed of them. But that fair one,
That in the midst was placed paravaunt,
Was she to whom that shepherd piped alone,
That made him pipe so merrily, as never none.
She was to wit that jolly shepherd’s lass,
Which piped there unto that merry rout;
That jolly shepherd, which there piped, was
Poor Colin Clout (who knows not Colin Clout?);
He piped apace, whilst they him danced about.
Pipe jolly shepherd, pipe thou now apace
Unto thy love, that made thee low to lout:
Thy love is present there with thee in place,
Thy love is there advanced to be another Grace.
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