Emongst the rest the clambring yvie grew,
Knitting his wanton armes with grasping hold,
Least that the poplar happely should rew
Her brothers strokes, whose boughes she doth enfold 220
With her lythe twigs, till they the top survew,
And paint with pallid greene her buds of gold. 
Next did the myrtle tree to her approach,
Not yet unmindfull of her olde reproach.

But the small birds in their wide boughs embowring 225
Chaunted their sundrie tunes with sweete consent;
And under them a silver spring, forth powring
His trickling streames, a gentle murmure sent;
Thereto the frogs, bred in the slimie scowring
Of the moist moores, their iarring voyces bent; 230
And shrill grashoppers chirped them around: 
All which the ayrie echo did resound.

In this so pleasant place the shepheards flocke
Lay everie where, their wearie limbs to rest,
On everie bush, and everie hollow rocke, 235
Where breathe on them the whistling wind mote best;
The whiles the shepheard self, tending his stocke,
Sate by the fountaine side, in shade to rest,
Where gentle slumbring sleep oppressed him
Displaid on ground, and seized everie lim. 240

Of trecherie or traines nought tooke he keep,
But, looslie on the grassie greene dispredd,
His dearest life did trust to careles sleep;
Which, weighing down his drouping drowsie hedd,
In quiet rest his molten heart did steep, 245
Devoid of care, and feare of all falshedd: 
Had not inconstant Fortune, bent to ill,
Bid strange mischance his quietnes to spill.

For at his wonted time in that same place
An huge great Serpent, all with speckles pide, 250
To drench himselfe in moorish slime did trace,
There from the boyling heate himselfe to hide: 
He, passing by with rolling wreathed pace,
With brandisht tongue the emptie aire did gride*,
And wrapt his scalie boughts** with fell despight, 255
That all things seem’d appalled at his sight.
  [* Gride, pierce]
  [** Boughts, knots]

Now more and more having himselfe enrolde,
His glittering breast he lifteth up on hie,
And with proud vaunt his head aloft doth holde;
His creste above, spotted with purple die, 260
On everie side did shine like scalie golde;
And his bright eyes, glauncing full dreadfullie,
Did seeme to flame out flakes of flashing fyre,
And with sterne lookes to threaten kindled yre.

Thus wise long time he did himselfe dispace 265
There round about, when as at last he spide,
Lying along before him in that place,
That flocks grand captaine and most trustie guide: 
Eftsoones more fierce in visage and in pace,
Throwing his firie eyes on everie side, 270
He commeth on, and all things in his way
Full stearnly rends that might his passage stay.