More, more; hang Mayden-heads, Christian Maiden-heads.

Her long loose yellow locks lyke golden wyre, Sprinckled with perle, and perling flowres atweene, Doe lyke a golden mantle her attyre, 156 And, being crowned with a girland greene, Seem lyke some mayden queene.

Crowne ye god Bacchus with a coronall, And Hymen also crowne with wreaths of vine; And let the Graces daunce unto the rest, For they can doo it best: The whiles the maydens doe theyr carroll sing, To which the woods shall answer, and theyr eccho ring.

Walkt forth to ease my payne 10 Along the shoare of silver streaming Themmes; Whose rutty** bank, the which his river hemmes, Was paynted all with variable flowers, And all the meades adornd with dainty gemmes, Fit to decke maydens bowres, 15 And crowne their paramours Against the brydale day, which is not long@: Sweet Themmes!

[Footnote 3: "Tisbina," says Panizzi, in a note on this passage, "very wisely acted like Emilia (in Chaucer), who, when she saw she could not marry Arcita, because he was killed, thought of marrying Palemone, rather than 'be a mayden all hire lyf.'

Marke but the flow'rs That now as morning fresh, fragrant and faire, Lay ope their beautys to the courting sunne, And amongst all the modest mayden rose: These wanton with the aire until unleavd They die and so loose their virginitie.

And zif the husbonde fynde his wif mayden, that other next nyghte, aftre that she scholde have ben leyn by of the man, that is assigned therefore, perauntes for dronkenesse or for some other cause, the husbonde schalle pleyne upon him, that he hathe not don his deveer, in suche cruelle wise, as thoughe he wolde have him slayn therfore.

And in tho yles, thei prophecyed the incarnacioun of oure Lord Jesu Crist, how he scholde ben born of a mayden; 3000 zeer or more or oure Lord was born of the Virgyne Marie.

Other then Pembrooke Katharine never vowes Shall be authoriz'd in her mayden thoughts.

the majesty of heaven Sit in a mayden slumber on the earth?

Marry, for maydens; Woold I knewe howe to catch them.

But understand mee: Itt is meare pitty and no bad intent, No unchast thought but my meare charity In the remembrans of our longe lost child, To showe som love to these distressed maydens.

And when he had prayed God that he should not be surmounted with no fleshly desyre, anon these maydens were so overcome with slepe, that they myght not take neither meat ne drinke as long as they were there, but as soon as they were out, they took both meat and drinke.

Yclad in Scarlot, like a mayden Queene, And ermines white: Upon her head a Cremosin coronet, With Damaske roses and Daffadillies set: Bay leaves betweene, And primroses greene, Embellish the sweete Violet.