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The Moral.
In Dactylon, which is Digitus, a finger, please to receive direction to the whole discourse, as the key to the Cabinet, or Observation of Times and Humours. Wherein taking the habit of a palmer (who is a religious traveller), under that umbrage of gravity he is the fitter to discover dispositions. He lives with old Geron, and is pretended Geron's heir; signifying, that Observation is the pretended heir of Age; but Areton (which is Virtue), that travails, lives abroad, and is active, is the proper inheritor of the goods of Time.
That he is the genius of those plains, signifies the intelligence of affairs, which conduceth to observation.
Dalon is Titio, a brand that is fired at one end; denoting conjugal love. And, as a brand is lasting, shows constancy of affection. A brand is to set other fuel on fire, burning not well alone; conjugal affection in like manner kindleth each other's chaste flame.
That they keep the feast some time after the marriage, is the sobriety of their affection, as well as continuance.
The feast is the happiness of each other's enjoyment.
The best lamb of their flock is a religious example.
Dalon is wisdom.
Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. The alphabet deciphers a family. Alpha is Pater-familias, the lord and master. Beta is the lady, mistress, or dame of the house. The other vowels are the children. The rest of the consonants are the servants.
In Beta you may read the understanding. Or, if you please to undraw the curtain, you may behold love, modesty and obedience, and the proper portrait of a wife, who seeks knowledge from wisdom as the husband.
The shepherd's bower is the shadow of sober pleasure and contentment.
Bilkin is the character of temperance, moderation, discretion and judgment, who, under the shepherd's life, commends innocence of life and retirement from the world.
That Bilkin and Vida with Dalon and Beta sit as moderators, shews that Dalon's wisdom and knowledge, Beta's love and modesty, Vida's experience, and Bilkin's discretion, are all conducent to the fair decision of controversy, which cannot be ended till
Vida is experience.
Vota intimates virginity, innocence in single life, devotion and contemplation, delighting in freedom, and avoiding marriage, as the commixture with the cares of the world. It signifies also liberty and a desire to command.
She is lost in Lover's Maze, that is, amused amidst the passions of the mind.
The Lover's Maze represents the world, wherein there are varieties of paths, of temptations, and turnings.
Echo is flattery.
She finds her company by a song; which is, that consideration does reduce her to herself again, but not without Divine Grace.
Her garland is bordered with primrose, signifying timorousness: briar's rose, modesty: sky-coloured virgin's-bower, serenity: violets, gracefulness of look
Lipsona signifies chaste desire, inclines to a married life, and defends lawful subjection. It is derived from the figure Liptote, which is the shortness of expression according to greatness of matter, and Sonus, a sound: which is the nature of chaste desire, that its modesty is difficult of speech to deliver the largeness of its apprehensions and the greatness of its subject.
Her garland of marriage is bordered with marigolds, that is, duty and obedience. The ground is made of pinks, that is, modesty which appears in blushes. It is made of mother-of-time, good housewifery. Much-good specifies virtue: money-wort, a proper portion and reasonable maintenance: all-heal is meekness: angelica, charity: rose-willow, continence: roses, love and piety, which live in the fragrance of their
Tompkin shows youth and natural affection and inclination, too much led away with worldly human desires and intemperate passions, in whom you may read such excess of love.
Jaclin mentioneth humour and pleasance of wit: a despiser of love.
Sylvans are rustic neighbourhood, that frolic it at solemnities.
Geron is Age or Time.
Pega shadows out Truth. As springs rise from underground, so truth, though some time in obscurity, at last appeareth as clear as those springs, flowing continually.
Pega appears by invocation, and the light of truth is obtained from the Divine Hand by prayer. Pega is a fountain. She is a virgin for her purity, yet married to Cumathalas, a Triton of the seas.
κυμα is Unda, a wave; θαλασσαι is Mare, the sea. She is married to a wave of the sea, that is, subject to be tossed and tumbled up and down the wide ocean of error and sea of the world.
Cumathalas is a favourite to Ops, because the earth receives the waters into her bosom through her many caverns.
Cumathalas warms her with embraces, both in respect of the saltness of the water, coming first from
By this time, ladies, I have led you a long walk. Tis time to rest you, and for me to kiss your hands with my best wishes, and with most cordial thanks to render you acknowledgment for all your noble favours to
Your most obliged friendand
humble servant,
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