After our great laughter and bathing, and all hauing washed with a thousand sweete, amorous, and pleasant wordes, maydenly sportes, and pastimes, wee went out of the water, and leapt vp vppon the accustomed seates, tripping on their toes, where they did annoynt themselues with sweete Odours, Diasdasmatic, and with a Myristic liquor, or water of Nutmegges. And they offered a boxe vnto mee also, and I annoynted my selfe therewithall, and I founde great pleasure therein, for besides the excellent smel and sweete sauour, it was verie good to comfort my bodie, legges, and armes, that had been so wearied in my daungerous flight.
Afterward when we had made ourselues redy, which was somwhat long after the manner of other women, by reason of so many gewgawes and gimmerie whatchets, they did open their vesselles of daintie confections, and refreshed themselues, and I amongst them, and with precious drinke. When they had eaten sufficiently, they returned againe to their looking Glasses, with a scrupulous examination, about their bodies, and the attire of their heades, and dressing of their yealow curling haires depending, and hemicirculately instrophiated about their diuine faces. And when they had made an ende, they sayde vnto mee.
_Poliphilus_, wee are now going vnto our gratious and most excellent Souereigne the Queene _Eutherillida_, where you shal finde and conceiue greater delight, but the water is still in your face, whereat they beganne to renew their laughter, without all measure at mee, glauncing and turning their eyes one to an other, with a louely regarde. At last they set foorth, and as they went rounde togither, they beganne to sing verses in a Phrygial tune, of a pleasaunt metamorphosing of one, who with an oyntment thought to haue transfourmed himselfe into a Byrd, and by mistakyng of the Boxe, was turned into a rude Asse.
Concludyng, that manye tooke Oyntmentes to one purpose, and founde the effecte to contrarie their expectations.
Whereat I beganne to be in a doubt, that they had sung that by mee, because that they still smiled as they turned towardes mee. But seeing that I perceiued no alteration in my selfe, but wel I was contented to let them laugh on. Vpon a sodaine I founde my selfe so lasciuiously bent, and in such a prurient lust, that which way so euer I turned, I could not forbeare, and they as they sung laughed the more, knowing what had happened vnto mee. And it did so increase in mee more and more, that I knew not wherewithal I might bridle and restraine my selfe from catching of one of them, like an eager and hotte Falcon comming downe out of the ayre, vpon a couie of Partriges. I was with such a violent desire prickt forwarde, which I felt more and more to increase in a sault burning. And the more I was to that venerious desire by the violent offers of so oportune and sweete obiects. A foode for suche a pernitious plague, and vnexperienced burning.