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Marlowe's passionate shepherd promises to give his nymph (assuming that she is one) a "cap of flowers." Ralegh's reply also mentions "Thy cap." Bill's joke about taking one's hat off reminds me of the garland that naked Adam weaves for naked Eve in *Paradise Lost* just before his fall. I have always thought that garland very erotic in the way it supplements and maybe even compromises Eve's nakedness. Someone (I think it was on a Barnfield website) has suggested that the addressee of Marlowe's passionate shepherd is really a boy (since Marlowe liked boys, and kirtles could be worn by males). I don't think i believe this, but it is an interesting argument. John Leonard %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%