On Six Cambridge Lasses Bathing Themselves

1     When bashfull daylight now was gone
2     And night, that hides a blush, came on.
3     Sixe Pretty Nymphes to wash away
4     The sweatinge of a Summers daye
5     In Chams fair streames did gently swim
6     And naked bathd each curious limbe.
7     O Who had this blist sight but seene
8     Would thinke they all had Cl{oe}lia=s beene.
9         A Scholer that a walke did take
10   Perchance for Meditation sake.
11   This blessed Obiect chan'cd to find
12   Straight all thinges else went out of mind
13   No Studye=s better in this life
14   For Practicke or Contemplatiue:
15   Who thought Poore soule these hee had seene,
16   Fair Dian and her Nymphes had beene.
17   And therefore thought in piteous feare
18   Act{ae}ons fortune was too neere.
19   Or that the Water=Nymphes they were
20   Together met to sport 'um there
21   And that to him such loue they bore
22   As to Iolas once before.
23       What could hee thinke but that his eye
24   Sixe Venusses at once did spie
25   Rise from the waues, or that perchaunce
26   Fresh=Water Syrens came to dance
27   Vpon our streames, with songes and lookes
28   To tempt Poore Scholers from their bookes.
29       Hee cannot thinke they Graces are
30   Vnlesse their number doubled were.
31       Nor can hee thinke they muses bee
32   Bicause alasse they wanted three.
33       I should haue rather guess'd that here
34       Another brood of Helens were
35   Begot by Ioue upon |y+e+| playnes
36   Watchd by some L{ae}da of the Swans.
37   The maydes betrayd were in a fright
38   And blush'd (but twas not seene ith night.)
39   At last all by |y+e+| banke did stand
40   And hee, good harte lent them his hand.
41       Where twas his blisse to feele all ore
42   Soft Paps, smooth thighes and somethinge more.
43   But Enuious Night masqued from his eyes
44   The place where loue and pleasure lyes.
45       Guesse Louers guesse, o you |y+t+| dare
46   What then might bee this Scholers praier
47   That hee were but a Cat to spye
48   Or had but now Tyberius eyes.
49       Yet since this hope was all in Vaine
50   Hee helpes 'um don there cloths agayne.
51   Makes Promise thye shall none bee shent
52   So with them to the Tauerne went.
53       Where how hee then might sport or play
54       Pardon mee Muse I must not say
55       Guesse you that haue a mind to knowe
56   Whither hee were a Foole of no.