SYLVA 285 



A thousand seeds within in order lye. 

 Thus, when industrious bees do undertake 

 To raise a waxen empire, first they make 

 Rooms for their honey in divided rows ; 

 And last of all, on twigs the combs dispose. 

 So ev'ry seed a narrow cell contains, 

 Made of hard skin, which all the frame sustains. 

 Neither too sharp or sweet the seeds incline 

 Too much, but in one mixture both conjoin. 



From whence this crown, this tincture is deriv'd, 

 We now relate ; the nymph in Africk liv'd : 

 Descended from the old Numidians race, 

 Beauty enough adorn'd her swarthy face ; 

 As much as that tann'd nation can admit, 

 Too much, unless her stars had equall'd it. 

 Mov'd by ambition, she desir'd to know 

 What e're the priests or oracles could show 

 Of things to come. A kingdom they dispense 

 In words including an ambiguous sense. 

 She thought a crown no less had signify'd, 

 But in the priests she did in vain confide. 

 When Bacchus th' author of the fruitful vine 

 From India came, her for his concubine 

 He takes ; and to repair her honour lost, 

 Presents her with a crown ; by fate thus crost, 

 The too ambitious virgin ceas'd to be ; 

 Transmitting her own beauty to this tree. 



Sharp pa/iurus, ramnus, (which by some 



Is white-thorn term'd) your garden will become. 



There leavy caprifoil, alcaea too, 



Th' Idaean bush, and halimus may grow. 



Woody acanthus^ ruscus there may spring, 



With other shrubs, these skilful gard'ners bring 



Into a thousand forms ; but 'tis not fit 



To tell their species almost infinite. 



From brighter woods the prospect may descend 

 Into your garden, there it self extend 

 In spacious walks, divided equally, 

 Where the same angles in all parts agree. 

 In oblique windings others plant their groves, 



