_The Nymph leadeth the inamored Poliphilus to other pleasant places, where he beheld innumerable Nymphs solacing them, and also the triumph of Vertumnus and Pomona._
By no meanes I was able to resist the violent force of _Cupids_ artillerie, and therefore the elegant Nymph hauing amorously gotten an irrevocable dominion ouer me a miserable louer, I was inforced to follow still after hir moderate steps, which led me into a spatious and large plaine, the conterminate bound of the flowered greene & sweet smelling vallie, where also ended the adorned mountaines and fruitfull hils, shutting vp the entrance into this golden countrie, full of incredible delight with their ioining togither: couered ouer with green trees of a cõspicuous thicknes & distance, as if they had been set by hand, as Yew trees, wild Pynes, vnfruitfull but dropping Resin, tall pineapple, straight Firre, burning Pitch trees, the spungie Larix[A], the aierie Teda[B] beloued of the mountains, celebrated and preserued for the festiuall Oreades[C]. There both of vs walked in the greene and flowering plaine, shee being my guide through the high cypres trees, the broad leaued beech, coole shadie okes full of maste, and other hornebeames, pricking iuniper, weake hasell, spalt ash, greene lawrell, and humbryferous esculies, knottie plane trees & lyndens[D] moouing by the sweet breath of the pleasant Zephirus, whistling through their tender branches, with a benigne and fauorable impulsion.
[Sidenote A: _Larix_, is a tree hauing leaues like a pine, & good for building, it will neither rot, woormeate, nor burne to coales.]
[Sidenote B: _Teda_, is a tree out of the which issueth a liquor more thinne than pitch.]
[Sidenote C: _Oreades_, be countrie Nymphs.]
[Sidenote D: _Lyndens_ or teile trees, in Latin _Tiliæ_, they beare a fruit as big as a bean, hauing within seedes like anyse seeds.]
All which greene trees were not thickly twisted togither, but of a conuenient distaunce one from another, and all of them so aptly distributed as to the eie the sight thereof bred great delight.
This place was frequented with countrie Nymphs and _Dryades_[A], their small and slender wastes being girded with a brayding of tender corules of sprigs, leaues, and flowers and vpon their heads their rising vp haires, were compassed about as with garlands. Amongst them were the horned faunes, and lasciuious satyres, solemnising their faunall feasts, being assembled togither out of diuers places, within this fertile & pleasant cuntrie: bearing in their hands so tender green and strãge boughs, as are not to be foũd in the wood of the goddes _Feronia_,[B] when the inhabitants carrie hir image to the fire.