His armour was all intermixed with lilies and roses, and the bases
thereof bordered with nettles and weeds, signifying stings, crosses
and overgrowing encumbrances in his love, his helmet round proportioned l
ike a gardener’s water-pot, from which seemed to issue forth small
threads of water, like cittern-strings, that not only did moisten the
lilies and roses, but did fructify as well the nettles and weeds, and
made them overgrow their liege lords. Whereby he did import thus much,
that the tears that issued from his brains, as those artificial
distillations issued from the well counterfeit water-pot on his head,
watered and gave life as well to his mistress’ disdain (resembled to
nettles and weeds) as increase of glory to her carecausing beauty
comprehended under the lilies and roses).