There I beheld in a hard and most black stone, an eagle displayed, and
bearing out of the bignesse of a naturall eagle, which had louingly
seazed and taken in hir foote a sweete babe in the swadling cloutes,[A]
nicely, carefully, and gently houlding the same, least that hir strong,
sharpe, and hooking pounces, should by anye meanes pierce thorough the
tender skynne of the young infant.

[Sidenote A: The Eagle of Iupiter that carryed Ganimed.]

Hir feete were fixed about the rising vp chist of the childe, whome she
had made bare from the nauell vpwarde and downeward so as the naked
hippes might be seene betwixt the fethered thighes of the Eagle. This
little infant and most beautifull babe (worthie and meete for him that
he was seazed for) by his countenance shewed as if he had beene afraide
of his fortune.

And thus lying in the foote of the Eagle, he stretched both his armes
abroade, and with his little fat hands tooke fast hould vpon the
remigiall bones[A] of the Eagles pinions displayed, as aforesaid. And
clasping his swelling prittie legges and feete, about hir suruaighing
spreding traine, which laye behinde the rising vppe of the arche.

[Sidenote A: The bones next the qack in the wing, whiche in a hawke
excelleth all proportions of other birds.]

This little childe was cut of the white vayne of Achates[A] or Onix, and
the Eagle of the other vaine of the same stone called sardius which is
of black couler of some called Cordeoll, ioyning both in one selfe same
stone. Whereat I stood musing and commending to my selfe the ingenious