A Handful of Pleasant Delights/The Historie of Diana and Acteon
The Historie of Diana and Acteon.
Iana and her darlings deare,
Walkt once as you shall heare:
Through woods and waters cleare,
themselues to play:
The leaues were gay and green,
And pleasant to be seen:
They went the trees between,
in coole aray,
So long, that at the last they found a place,
of waters full cleare:
So pure and faire a Bath neuer was
found many a yeare.
There shee went faire and gent,
Her to sport, as was her wonted sort:
In such desirous sort:
Thus goeth the report:
Diana dainteously began her selfe therein to bathe
And her body for to laue,
So curious and braue.
¶As they in water stood,
Bathing their liuelie blood:
Acteon in the wood,
chaunst to come by:
And vewed their bodies bare,
Maruailing what they weare,
And stil deuoid of care,
on them cast his eie:
But when the Nymphs had perceiued him,
aloud then they cried,
Enclosed her, and thought to hide her skin,
which he had spied:
But too true I tell you,
She scene was,
For in height she did passe,
Ech Dame of her race.
Harke then Acteons case:
When Diana did perceue, where Acteon did stand,
She took bowe in her hand,
And to shoot she began.
¶As she began to shoot, Acteon ran about,
To hide he thought no boote,
his sights were dim:
And as he thought to scape,
Changed was Acteons shape,
Such was vnluckie fate,
yeelded to him:
For Diana brought it thus to passe,
and plaied her part,
So that poore Acteon changed was
to a hugie Hart,
And did beare, naught but haire:
In this change,
Which is as true as strange,
And thus did he range,
[Leaf B. vj is wanting.]