seme This is a doubtfull case That she which erst did seke so muche for bewtyes goodly grace To loue Adonis faire alone shulde seke sometime to imbrace Syr Vulcane wiâ—h his drousie poll A smyth whych did on stythy towl ¶ I dare not sure disolue thys doubt I feare to iudge on thys To haue to do wyth gods aboue how do ungeâ—ous it is Tiresias olde which was sometyme a Iudge of Iunoes game In iestyng stryfe for tellyng trueth the Iudge dyd beare the blame He loste hys syght for iudgyng right O Iudg vnwise thou knowest y â— price Of telling trueth more was y â— â—uoth Tiresias thou Prophet olde whych hadst the grace for to vnfolde the secrets hyd of thynges to come Though Iuno shee did make the blind Yet loue to thee was not vnkynd He dyd restore as good therfore Thy lacke of sight thy knowledg doth Right wel aquight That is the troth For by the same vnto the skyes Thy worthy name it dyd aryse How be it I am not so bolde With iudgement thys for to vnfolde The Goddesse graâ—e I more regarde Then hope to haue of loues reward For doubt of blame I dare not say Or shew the same whych erst alway I thought For sure if I may chose Dame Venus loue I wyll not lose Sith meÌ„ bear blame for telling troth To shew the same I wolde be loth Wherfore now I wil cease to writ And you hardly by iudgement ryght As one exempt from Venus might May be more bolde thys to vnfolde And so to you I leue it now that this moste weyghty doubt At further leasure when you lyste your selfe may fynde it out T. D. Peend ¶ That the vnlearned myght the better vnderstande these I haue compendeouslye noted the histories names not familier to oure englysh phrase VEnus wyfe to Vulcane fayned of the Poets to be the Godesse of loue And by another name is called Aphrodite MErcurye the sonne of Iupiter and Maia one of the daughters of Atlas Whom the Poets called god of eloquence and is called Hermes otherwise the messenger of Iupiter PHaebus Apollo And is taken for the Sonne NArcissus sonne of â—iriope a chylde of passyng bewtye whych did so much delyght in hys owne shape as the Poets fayned that he died for loue of his owne shadowe and was turned into a flowre PHrigian One of the Lande of Phrigia CVpide sonne of Bacchus and Venus and is fayned of the Poets to be the God of loue And is called blynde because luste blindeth iudgementes of men ECcho A Nymphe whiche loued Narcissus And the sounde that commeth from the valleys and hollowe places doth sounde againe syx or seuen words in some places by reason of the reuerberatioÌ„ of the aire as some saye IOue sonne of Saturne and Ops. King of Creta and was fayned cheefe of the Gods IVno Sysâ—er wyfe of Ioue or Iupiter MEdea doughter of Oeta Kynge of Cholcus which loued Iason Who when he had sworne neuer to forsake her She did help him to kill the Serpente and wyn the golden fleece And so when she did pryuely go away with Iason she kyled her yonge brother Absirtus and did plucke him in peces to stay her father which pursued after her when she had lyued many yeres in Grece with Iason and had children by hym At last Iason forsoke her and maryed Glauca doughter of kynge Creon Medea so refused slew the sones which she had by Iason settynge hys Palace on fyre she burned Glauca and her father therin HIpsiphile doughter of Thoas Kyng of Lemnus whyche loâ—ed Iason excedinglye bare hym two chyldren at a burden IAson sonne of Aeson whom Pelias hys Unkell being kyng of Thessalye dyd sende wyth manye other valyente Gentlemen to fetche the Golden Fleece Whych the aduenters ther of achyeued by the helpe of Medea he wan and brought it away DEmophon soÌ„ne of Theseus Phaedra Which returninge from the batayle of Troy was by tempeste broughte into Thracia wheare Phillis doughter of Licurgus then Queene receyued hym and after maryed hym whyche from thence wente to Athens promysynge her to returne shortlye Which when he performed not Phillis not able to susteine the ragyng fyttes of so feruent loue Honge her selfe on an Almonde tree And so the Poets fained that she was turned into an Almonde tree DIdo doughter of Belus kynge of Tirus And wyfe of Sicheus whom when Pigmalion the kinge brother to Dido had sâ—aâ—ne for his richesse Dido sayled into Africa with hys treasure and theare buylded the famous Cytie of Carthage And afterwarde in loue with Aeneas when he had departed from her to seke the lande of Italye according to Cassandra her prophesie she brake her necke for sorow falling into the fire c. Or according to Virgill flew her selfe with Aeneas his swerde AEneas A noble man of Troy sonnâ— of Anchises and Venus Which escapynge with his father wyfe and other hys countrey men After great trauaile and many chaunces aryued in Italy wheare after great batayle he slewe kyng Turnus and maryed Lauinia daughter to kyng Latinus And so became king of Italy HElena Begotten of Iupiter in the lykenes of a Swanne on Laeda wyfe of Tindarâ—s kynge of Laconia And was for her passyng bewtie â—wyse stollen Fyrst by Thâ—sâ—us being but a gerle the seconde time being wife to Menelaus by Paris For whom the Grecians warred ten yeares space with the Troyans And so Troy beyng burned receyued her agayne PAris Sonne of Priam kynge of Troy by hys wyfe Hecuba with whom when shee was greate with chylde shee dreamed that shee had broughte foorthe a fyrebrande whych shulde burne Troye whearfore the kynge afrayde coÌ„maunded that the chylde shulde be kylled as soone as hee was borne Hys mother Hecuba moued wyth motherly pytie did pryuelye sende hym to a Shepard to be brought vp And wheÌ„ he waxed a yonge man Iuno Pallas and Venus Goddesses stryuynge in beutye for a golden Apple wheron was written be it geuen to the fayrest They were sente by Iupiter to the iudgemente of Paris To whom when Iuno had promysed rule and kyngdome Pallas wysedome and Venus pleasure and the fayrest woman in the worlde He gaue the apple to Venus And so after came in fauour with his father and sayling to Sparta he brought fayre Helen away wyth hym And so the batayle of Troy began SApho A womaÌ„ of the Ile Lesbos lerned in Poetrye beinge forsaken of a yonge man called Phaon whom she loued she caste her selfe from the hyll Leucates into the Sea so peryshed by loue of hym PHaon When he had caryed Veenus ouer a Fery she gaue hym to be the fairest and best shaped man alyue BIblis daughter of Miletus which inflamed with detestable loue of her brother Caunus when he forsoke hys couÌ„trey to auoyde that myscheyfe she folowed hym tyl she dyed for faynâ—nes
SCylla Daughter of Nisus kynge of Megaris Whyche for the loue of Minos then besegyng the Cytie of Megaris she brought to hym a purple heare which she cut of from her fathers heade And that heare being on hys heade he could not be ouercome and by lyke destenye w t the heare he loste hys kyngdome And Minos dyspysed her for her mischeuous dede And tyenge her with a corde to the ende of hys shyp he hanged her in the water MInos begotten by Iupitâ—r in the likenes of a white Bull on the fayre Europa daughter to Agenor kyng of Phaenicia And for his iustyce is fayned of the Poets to be a Iudge in Hell ADonis A yonge man of passing bewtye whom Cinaras kynge of Phaenicia made dronke by polycy of hys doughter a Nurce â—egat on his owne doughter Mâ—rrha whom Venus loued Hippolitus SoÌ„ne of Theseus duke of Athens by Hippolite Whom when hys stepmother Phaedra could not winne to her lust she accused him to Theseus as thoughe hee woulde haue oppressed her by force Thesâ—us then trustynge hys wyfe to much desyred hys father Aegeus a God of the Sea that he wolde kyll hys sonne Wherfore when Hippolitus dyd ryde in a Charyot by the Sea syde Aegeus sente out certaine monsters of the Sea called Phoces wherwith his horses afraide brake the Charyot and rente hym in peces But at the requeste of Diana Goddesse of Chastytie louyng her chast knight Hippolitus Aesculapius the fyrste that inuented Physyke restored hym to lyfe agayne MEnelaus Sonne of Aâ—reus brother to Agamemnâ—n and kyng of the Cytie of Sparta VVlcane Sonne of Iupiter Iuno whyche being borne ill fauored and liked not Iuno he was cast into the Ile Lemnus who are being noryshed wyth Apes he became lame of one foote therby And he is fayned to be the god of fyre and the Smyth to make thunder boltes for Iupitâ—r Whych askyng to marrye Minerua Iupiters doughter and Goddesse of wysdome he was denyed Wherfore Virgill 〈◊〉 * The Gods wolde not vouchsafe that hee shulde at theyr table fyt And to her bed the Goddesse shee wolde neuer hym admyt But afterwarde thys gay Squyer maried to Venus when he had taken her a bed wyth lustye Maâ—s the god of batayle He had framed such fine chaynes to bynde them that they could not get a sunder tyll he had brought all the Gods to laugh at the game PAsiphae Wyâ—e of Minos kynge of Creta whych loued a stowte Captayne called Taurus and conceyued by him the cruel and deformed Minotaurus whoÌ„ for his fiercenes and ill shape the Poets fayned to haue bene halfe a man and halfe a bull therfore was enclosed in a Laberinthe made by the coâ—ynge Dedalus and theare fed wych fleshe of men HEro A mayden of synguler bewtye of the Cytye Sestos in â—ellespont LEander A yonge gentleman of the Cyty Abidos whych a great Ryuer dyd deuyde from Sestos who are he was wonte to swym by nyghte to hys louer Hero and so at laste was drowned PIramus A yonge gentleman of Babylon whyche loued Thisbe THisbe A mayde of synguler bewtye whyche when shee loued Pâ—riamus excedyngly And they were kept a sunder by their pareÌ„ts yet oâ—e night they escaped out and had agreed before to haue met vnder a tree without the towne Thisbe commynge thyther fyrste seinge a Lyon dyd flye into the wood her rayle beynge fallen of the Lyon 〈◊〉 it in peces Piramus commynge after fyndynge the cloth renâ—e thoughte that Thisbe had bene denoured of some beast and so 〈◊〉 hym selfe Whyche when Thisbe returnynge agayne dyd see shee kylled her selfe wyth the same sweâ—de OResteâ— Sonne of kynge Agameâ—â—ion Whyche â—lew hys mother Clitemnestia because that shee for loue of Aegisthus had slayne hys father And he maryed Hâ—rmione And after being 〈◊〉 hys most faythful frend Pylades kepyng him he came into the country of Tauricâ— Where accordyng to the custome he shulde haue bene slayne and sacryfysed But being knowen of hys syster Iphigenia hee slewe the kynge Thoas and escaped with hys syster And after had hys wyttes perfecte agayne HErmione Daughter of Menelaus and that Helen so renowmed for her bewtye Whych being a gerle was marryed to Orestes And when kyng Pirrhus sonne of the valyante Achilles had marryed her afterward Hermione by letters requyred him humbly to claime his right and delyuer her And so Orestes slew Pirrhus receyued Hermione agayne HIacinthus A yong man of passynge bewtye MArs God of warre and soÌ„ne of Iupiter and Iuno THeseus Sonne of Aegeus kyng of Athens of Aethra doughter to Pytheus kyng of the Cytye Troezen A puyssante knyghte whych dyd many greate feates aâ—d aduentures As Hercules dyd Being but a yonge man he foughte wyth Hercules against the Amazones warfull women He slew Creon kynge of Thebes which suffered not meÌ„ slaine in warre to be buryed He slew Minotaurus and deliuered hys couÌ„trey from the trybute of fourtene noble chyldren euery nyne yeres sent to Creta to be slayne for that the Cytyzens of Athens had slaine Androgeus sonne of Minos kynge of Creta Hee slewe a monstrous Bull whych had spoyled the couÌ„trey Attica He slew â—eyron and Procustes robbers And afterwarde wyth his faythfull freind Pirithous he wente to Hell to fetche Proserpina whom Pluto had stollen from her mother Câ—res Goddesse of corne and Queene of Sicilye But Pirithâ—uis beynge slayne by the three headed Hounde Cerberus Porter of Hell Theseus was kept in prison theare tyll he was delyuered by myghty Hercules ARiadne Doughter to Minos king of Creta whyche by a botom of thred taught Theseus to come out of the Laberinthe after he had kylled her brother Minotaurus She forsoke her countrey and folowed hym whom he lefte in the Ile of Naxus â–ª So Bacchus the God of wyne tooke her to wyfe And Venus gaue her a crowne wheron Bacchus seâ— nyne starres fyred it in the skye And so the starre is called the Gnossian crowne PHaedâ—a Doughter of kynge Minos and Pasiphae wyth her syster Ariadne dyd flye her countrey with Theseus and became hys wyfe after he had forsaken Ariadne ADelasie Doughter and onelye chylde of the Emperour Otho the thyrde so excedynglye she was enamoured of the most valiant Aleran sonne of a Duke of Saxony that she procured hym pryuelye to conuey her awaye whych by the helpe of an old lady her nurce he brought to passâ— And afterwarde beinge robed of suche money as they had prouyded they lyued long in a woode and made coles for theyr lyuynge and bare hym seucn sonnes theare and afterwarde by the valyante feates of her eldest sonne they were knowen to the Emperoure â–ª and so had hys fauoure agayne and enioyed the Empyre after hym IVliet A noble mayden of the Cytye Veâ—ona in Italye whyche loued Romeus eldest sonne of the Lorde Montesche and beinge pryuely maryed togyther he at last poysoned hym selfe for loue of her she for sorowe of hys deathe slewe her selfe in the same Tombe wyth hys dagger â–ª TIresias An olde Prophet of the Cytie Thebes in Boetia a countrey in Attica And is nowe called Vandaâ—ia DIana Daughter of Iupiter and Latona and syâ—er of Apollo is called goddesse of hunting and Chastytie is the Moone also NYmphes were maydens which folowed Diana and worshyppyng her did lyue solytarye in woodes by ryuers sides and other pleasant places to auoyde companye And cheifly vsed huntyng to subdue the tedyousnes of tyme. ACteon Sonne of Aristaeus by Aâ—tonoe daughter of Camus buylder of the Cytye Thebes whych after he had bene a hunting came by chaunce to a secret wel or spryng where he saw Diana naked wasshyng of her selfe Wherat shee takyng displeasure turned him into a Harte and so as he wold haue returned home he was rente in peces of his owne houÌ„ds Ouid Epist. Acteon once â—vnwyttyng did Dianâ— naked â–ª see Wherfoâ—e vnto his Houndes shee made Him then a praye to bee ¶ All whych was â—ained for that he had spente hys substaunce and vndone him selfe by hunâ—ynge and kepyng of houndes GYsmonde Onelye daughter of Tancâ—ede kyng of Saâ—eâ—ne which loued a seruaunte of her fathers beinge taken in adultery together in a Caue in the grounde the kinge caused her louer Guistarde to be hanged therfore and sent his harte vnto her â–ª whych imbracynge it layd it on her breste agaynste her owne hart and dranke a cuppe of poyson immedyatly wherof dyenge shee desyred that they myghte be buryed together FINIS ¶ Faultes escaped In A. the .6 page in the margent for Gaminides read Ganimedes In the same page the .7 lyne for Narsisus read Narcissus In A. the .7 page the .19 line for worthy warke read worthier warke In A. the .12 page the .25 line for how read now In A. the .14 page the 13. line for the read that In the same page the .14 line for weakyng read weaklyng In B. the fyrst page the .16 line for springlinges read striplinges In the same page the .27 line for into worlde read into the worlde In B. the .4 page the .22 lyne for the Poet thus dyd tell reade the Poet trueth dyd tell In B. the .6 page the last vers for Sylla read Scylla In B. the .15 page the 21. lyne for aduenters read aduentures In C. the .12 page the 15. line for Antonoc reade Autonoe In the same page the same lyne for Camus read Cadmus ¶ Imprinted at London in Fletestreat beneath the Conduyt at the sygne of S. Iohn Euangelyste by Thomas Col well Hermâ—s and Aphrodite Andrognus â—aminiâ—es sonne â—f Trois 〈◊〉 ynge of â—roye Adonis â—â—nne of Mirrâ—a 〈◊〉 her 〈◊〉 â—inâ—raâ— Venus Mercurie Phaebus Narcissus Phrigian Cupide Eccho Ioue Iuno Medea Hipsiphil Iason DemophoÌ„ Dido Aeneas Helena Paris Sapho Phaon Biblis Scylla Mâ—nos Adonis Hippolitus Menelaus Vulcane Neâ— deus hunc men sa Dea nec dignata cubili est Pasiphae Hero Leander Piramus Thisbe Orestes Hermione Hiacinthus Mars Theseus Ariadne Phaedia Adelasie Iuliet Tiresias Diana Nymphes Acteon Inscius Acteon vidit sine veste DianaÌ„ Atque suis canibus â–ª c. Gysmond
beguyle He blyndly runneth on ech wheare and doubtryng of none ill Because hym selfe he meaneth none he thynckes that no man wyll do otherwyse And so by pleasaunt shape of vyce deceyued all vnware He drownes hym selfe in fylthy sinne â— taken in the snare The more he striues entangled once the faster he is in Such is the nature of the â—ayte and sleyght of that same gyn But after that he is deceyued by practyâ—â— to hys payne More wyse alwayes he wil beware to come in lyke agayne Then wil be ioye to see his wyshe on others in like sorte Which plunged be in pensyue payne whylst that they seke for sporte A man is sayde to lose hym selfe when reason quyte exilde Enthrald in slauysh wee he is constrayned for to yeâ—â—de To lust and wyl dame reasons rules whych styll shuld rule our race Reiected quyte to affecâ—yons we geue the grounde and place And lyke to beastes esteming more to serue our sensuall â—ust And to adorne the body braue whych shal consume to dust More lefe then for to decke the mynd which is imortall sure Such is our beastly nature blynd so is our lust vnpure So we our cheefe and greatest Good the treasure of our minde Do lose and so to slauysh luste our nature free we bynd And seruauntes bond vnto our wyll we warke our wretched woe So one may lose hym selfe and be vnto hym selfe a foe So do we chaunge the happy hope of euerlastyng ioye Euen for the present pastyme whych our selues doth moste anoye We chaunge our nature cleane being made effemynat When we do yeeld to serue our lust we lose our former state It is the nature of that well that fylthy lothsome lake Of lust the strengthe from lusty men by hydden force to take And so it may now playne appere the Poet thus dyd tell As many as hereafter shall once enter in thys well Of vyce He shalbe weakned so Hys nature sure he shall forgo ¶ Thus muche here of as my rude Muse doth vnderstand the mind Of Ouid by thys pleasaunt tale no further sence I fynde BUt nowe the fletynge fancyes fonde and eke the shuttle wyttes The mad desyres of women now theyr rage in folysh fyts I wyl dysplay Thys Nymphe y â— boy dyd for hys bewâ—y loue For euen the sodeyne syght of hym dyd her affectyon moue And Eccho shee Narcissus yonge euen for his bewtyes sake Did choose amonge all other youthes to be her faythful make Medea and Hypsiphâ—le dyd loue â—ason so Euen for hys louely face that they wolde from theyr countreyes go And leue their parentes their freÌ„des to go and be wyth hym Which to them both not longe a go had erst a straunger bene Demophon by hys semely shape dyd lyke fayre Phyllys eyes And Dido she Eneas braue therfore dyd loue lykewyse And in lyke sorte dyd ende her lyfe when that she myght no more Enioye her ioyfull luste as shee was wonte some tyme before It semed death what so dyd them deuorse their louers fro Fayre Helen Menelaus wyâ—e To Paris fine also Dyd yeâ—ld with him to Phrigian towne a straunger for to go To Paris armes her selfe she toke And Menelaus olde forsoke ¶ The lusty gerle began to lothe such sage pastyme as hee Could make She rather chose with Paris yâ—nge to bee The learned Sapho did some time to comely Phaon sue For grace And Biblis she her brother dyd pursue For bewâ—ye that in him did shine She folowed him therfore So longe till that her faynting lims could cary her no more King Nisus dâ—ughter dere also fayre Sylla was beguilde By Minos yellow shinyng heare whiche as her foe in feilde Againste the walles of Megaris dyd be are hys seemely sheilde And yet kynge Minos wyfe was of another mynde In Taurus blacke ill faced â—yre more pleasure she dyd fynde The captains rousy skuffe black pol to her so fayre did seme â–ª That she her husbandes goâ—den heare dyd not so much esteme The Emperour Othons doughter dere A delasie dyd so Regarde the lyuely Alâ—ran that she wyth hym did go To countreyes straunge â–ª content by hazarde of her lyfe Agaynst the wyll of all her freindes for to become hys wyfe With pryncelyke lyfe for hym alone an Empyre she wolde lose With hym to leade a symple lyfe much rather she dyd chose All pleasures in the worlde in hym alone she then dyd take Al freindes for hym alone also she gladly dyd forsake With hym for nede right wel she was contented coles to make To couche in cotage lowe on symple foode to fare For all the world excepted hym she toke no kynde of care He was her blysse Her ioye was hee And nothing els estemed shee ¶ And Hero fayre vnto her feare Leander fyne dyd take And Thishe she dyd kyll her selfe for comely Pirames sake Orestes lyuely lookes dyd much Hermione delyghte Kyng Tancreds doughter Gysmond dyd loue Guistardes bewty bryght The Nymphes dyd Hiacinthus for hys seemely shape desire Hys louely chere ful soone did set theyr youthly hartes on fyre And Iuliet Romeus yonge for bewty dyd imbrace Yet dyd hyâ— manhode well agree vnto hys worthy grace So seemely shape dyd loue procuâ—e And Venuâ— byrdes came to the lure ¶ 〈◊〉 Aphrodite dame so coye 〈◊〉 loue Adonis so 〈◊〉 she wyth hym alwayes â—â—â—tented was to go â–ª In slender hand the craggy bowe she did vouchsafe to beare And run a huntyng after hym to kyll the flyghtfull Deare The stoberne boy blynd Cupide here with shaft did strike his mother dere ¶ Sythe bewtyes grace as pleasaunt baite these ladies did deceiue What did Adonis mother in her father olde perceyue Why she shuld seke by incest vyle Her mothers bed for to defyle ¶ What flynging fyt dyd force her so what mad desyre doth moue Her thus why shulde she seke an olde and cancred lad to loue And why dyd Phaedra sue vnto her boystous sonne in lawe Hypolite blunt being rude to loue vnto her lust to drawe Why did hys ferce frownyng face hys harde complexion seeme To her a fayre and manlyke hewe what made her so to deme Syth beutyes goodly grace somtyme so well it lyked her That the aboue her countrey dyd yonge Theseus prefer Her sister Ariadne aye hys shape estemed so That she her brother did betray and fled her parentes fro Such be the fond and frantike fits which in the blinded brayne Of wanton women often times with swinging swey doth reigne And Venus eke which liked so Adâ—nis louely grace Thaâ— she from hym wolde not abide in anye place In warlike Mars that blody knight Sometime also she did delyght ¶ Sith she for comely bewty then these lustie youthes dyd loue To marry with dame Iunoes sonne what od conceyt did moue Her so to serue that grislie sire the Coperâ—mith deformde Whom Nature neither with good grace nor learning had adornd But euen a rude boystous carle whose colour in his face A Croyden sangwine right did