likewise offered to Aesculapius the god of health because the Goat is never without a fever e In those old playes which the Athenians instituted in the honour of Bacchus the people danced with wine bottles made of Goat-skinnes to insult as it were over the Goats after they were dead Of these Goat-skinnes 〈…〉 in Greeke signifieth a 〈…〉 up first the name of Tragaedies â— These playes were instituted to Bacchus by the Athenians for this reason Bacchus bestowed a bottle of sweet wine upon Icarus an Athenian Shepheard This Icarus coming to the company of some other labouring people of the country set his bottle of wine before them The plaine labourers not knowing the quality of the liquor but delighted with the sweetnesse of it drunke intemperately and feeling themselves much altered in their braines and their whole bodies they killed Icarus supposing that he had given them poyson The dog of Icarus returning home to Erigone his daughter conducted her who followed the dogge unto her fathers dead body Erigone impatient of griefe hanged her selfe upon a pine tree and the dogge parting not from the two bodies starved himselfe for which piety both Erigone and the dogge were taken and made signes in heaven But not long after for these murders unrevenged the Athenians were visited with a great pestilence and the virgins of Athens were possessed with a strange frenzie and in their fits hanged themselves The Oracle being asked the cause of this pestilence returned them answer that it should cease when they in devotion had interred the bodies of Icarus and Erigone and revenged their murders this being done the plague ceased and the people in honour of Bacchus celebrated yearely playes and in remembrance of their former frenzy upon pines or other trees were hanged up the images of virgins FINIS GEORGICON The third BOOKE THE ARGVMENT THe art of grazing with the different cares Of different cattell this third book declares Of warlike Horses of the labouring Oxe Shag-bearded Goats and snow-white woolly flocks Their breeding feeding profitable use Last their diseases and the cures it shewes But by the way our Poet promising This subiect done great Caesar's deeds to sing Makes present mention of them and declares His glorious triumphs and late finish'd wars Which Nile swift Tigris and Euphrates saw And Crassus ensignes fetch'd from Parthia OF thee great Pales and Apollo now Thou fam'd Amphrysian Shepheard and of you Arcadian woods streams I le sing Those known Old strains that would have pleas'd light minds are growne Vulgar who cannot of Eurysteus fell Or of Busiris blood-stain'd altars tell Who of Latonian Dele or Hylas now Or ivory-shoulder'd Pelops does not know For riding fam'd or his a Hippodame Some new attempted straine must lift up me From ground and spread my fame to every eare I first returning to my countrey deare Will from th' Aonian mountaine bring with me The Muses liveâ— and first honour thee Mantua with Idumaean Palmes of praise A marble temple in the field I le raise Neare to the streame where winding Minclus flow Cloathing his banks with tender reedes doth flow In midst shall Caesars altar stand whose power Shall guard the Fane to him I Conquerer Will on the shore with Purple cloath'd in state Circensian Playes in chariots celebrate All Greece shall gladly celebrate our fames Leaving th' Olympicke and Nemaean games With racing and the whorlebat fight whilest I Crown'd with a tender branch of Olive tree My offerings bring Oh how I long to see The sacrificing pompe in order rang'd To th' Temple come or how the Scene oft chang'd Varies her face or how the b Brittaines raise That purple Curtaine which themselves displaies About the doores the Indian victory Describ'd in gold and polish'd ivory With great Quirinus c armes shall stand there showing Great Nile with d Wars as wel as Waters flowing And navall Triumphs in brasse Pillars cut The conquer'd Asian Cities there I le put Niphates and the Parthian e foes that fight Retiring and direct their shafts in flight Two Trophees tane from th' East Western shore And both those Nations twice triumphed ore In Parian marble carv'd with cunning hand The race of great Assaracus shall stand And Tros that from high Iove their birth derive And Phoebus too who first did Troy contrive Those wretches that shall envie this shall feare The Furies dire Cocytus stood severe And Sisyphus still rowling stone or feele Ixion's wreathed Snakes or racking Wheele Meanewhile let us follow the Woods and Lands Vntouch'd such are Mecaenas thy commands My breast without thee no high rapture fils Inspire me then without delay the hills Cythaeron high of Dogs Taygeta proud And Epire fam'd for Horses call aloud Whose noise the ecchoing Woods redoubled bring After of Caesars glorious warres I le sing And through as many ages spred his praise As have already past to â—esar's dayes Who ere in hope to win th' Olympick prize Would keep good Horses or else exercise Strong Steeres to plow best choise from Dams it tooke That Cow proves best that has the roughest looke Great head and neck and downe unto her knee Her dangling dewlaps hang sides long and high All must be great yea even her feet her eare Vnder her crooked hornes must rough appeare I like the colour spotted partly white Loath to endure the yoke and apt to fight In all most like the Bull in stature tall Her sweeping taile down to the ground doth fall Best age to go to bull or calve we hold Begins at foure and ends at ten yeare old All other ages nor for breeding fit Nor strong for plow but i' th' mean time whilst yet The flocks have lusty youth let the males go Without restraint to Venery and so By timely broodes preserve a perfect kinde Their first age best all wretched mortals finde After diseases and old age do come Labour and deaths inexorable doome There still will be whose bodies with thy will Thou wouldst wish chang'd Therefore repaire theÌ„ still And lest thy kinde quite lost thou finde too late Prevent the losse and yearly propagate And such a choise you must in horses make But him whom you for stallion meane to take As hope of all the race elect with care Even from a tender colt such colts as are Of generous race straight when they first are fol'd Walke proudly their sost ioynts scarce knit bold Daâ—e lead the way into the rivers enter And dare themselves on unknown seas to venture Not frighted with vaine noises lofty neck'd Short headed slender belly'd and broad back'd Broad and full breasted let his colour be Bright bay or grey white proves not commonly Nor flesh-colour When Waâ—s alarumes sound His nostrils gather and breathe fire no ground Can hold his shaking ioynâ—s his care advances His thick shag'd mane on his right shoulder daÌ„ces His back bones broad strong the hollow'd grouÌ„d Trampled beneath his hard rouÌ„d hoof doth sound Such was that horse which
one maner do All kindes of Olives the long Radii grow Nor Olives orchites or Pausia nam'd Nor apples nor Alcinous fruit so fam'd Nor must all shootes of peares alike be set Crustumian Syrian peares and wardens great Nor hang the vines upon our trees as do Those that in Lesbian Methymna grow The Thasian vines in barren soile abound The Maâ—â—otike thrive in richer ground The Psithian grapes are best of all to dry Besides these strong Lagaean wines there be Whose strength makes drunkards stagger doth tye Their tongues â—ath-ripe purple grapes there be But in what verse shall â— enough commend The Rhetian grape yet let it not contend With the Tabernian Aminean vines There are besides which beare the firmest wines Cilician and Phanaean grapes there are And white grapes lesse than those none may compare With these for store of iuice and lasting long Nor will I passe thy vintage in my song O Rhodes for feasts and sacrifices fam'd Nor that great grape from a Cowes udder nam'd But all the kindes and names of grapes that are T is numberlesse and needlesse to declare Which he that seekes to do as soon may know How many Libyan sands the West winds blow Or when fierce Eurus 'gainst the Sailers rores How many waves rowle to th' Iônian shores Nor can all grounds bring forth all plants we see By rivers Willowes prosper th' Alder tree Oâ— moâ—ish grounds on rocky mountaines grow Wilde Ashes Myrtles on the shores below Vines love warm open heights the Northren cold Makes Yew trees prosper And again behold The conquer'd worlds farthest inhabitants Easterne Arabians painted Scythians See there all trees their proper countries know In India only does black Eben grow None but Sabaea boasts of Frankincense Why should I name that fragrant wood froÌ„ whence Sweet Balsam sweats the berries or the buds Of Bears-foot ever greene those hoary woods Of Aethiopia cloath'd with snowy wooll Or how the Seres their rich fleeces pull From leaves of trees or those fair woods w ch grow Neere to the Indian sea whose highest bough No Arrowes flight can reach none shoot so high Although that Nation no bad Archers be Slow-tasted Apples Media doth produce And bitter too but of a happy use Than which no surer Antidote is known T' expell a poyson-temper'd potion When cruell step-dames their sad cups have us'd With chaâ—ming words and banefull herbs infus'd The tree is faire iust like a Laurell tree And were indeed a Laurell perfectly But that their smels far differ no winds blast Shakes off her leaves her blossomes still stick faâ—t With this the Mede short-winded old men eases And cures the lungs unsavory diseases But not the richest land not Median woods Not golden Hermus nor faire Ganges sloods May ought for praise contend with c Italy Nor faire Panchaia fam'd for spiceâ—y Bactia nor India no Bulls that blow Fire from their nostrels did that Region plow No Dragons teeth therein were sow'd to beare A crop of Souldiers arm'd with shield and speare Besides this land a spring perpetuall sees Twice breeding Cattell twice fruit-beaâ—ing trees And summers there in moneths unusuall shine But no wilde Tigers in that coast are seene No savage Lions breed nor in that land Do poisonous c herbs deceive the gatherers hand No huge and sâ—aly snake on those faire grounds Makes fearful tracks or twines in hideous rounds Adde to all these so many structures faire Of beauteous Cities of strong Townes that are Fenced with rocks impregnable and how Vnder those Antient walls great Rivers flow Shall I insist on those two seas that flow 'Bout Italy above it and below Or her great lakes thee mighty Larius Or thee tempestuous sea-like Benacus Or praise her havens or the Lucrine lake Where the imprison'd Iulian waters make A loud wrathfull noise through which the great Sea-tides into Avernus lake are let Besides the land abounds with mettals store With veines of â—ilver gold and brazen ore It nurturs Nations bold the Marsians The â—iâ—â—ce Sabellians dart-arm'd Volâ—cians Hardy Ligurians in particular The Decii Marii those brave names of war The great Camilli valiant Scipio's And thee great Caesar now victorious In Asia's utmost bounds whose conquering powers From flying Indians guard the Roman towers Haile Saturns land in riches great and great In men for thee I will presume t' entreat Of th' ancient praised arts ope sacred springs And through Romes townes Aâ—crean poems sing Now all soiles severall natures let us see Their strengths their colours and fertility First barren hils and hard unfruitfull ground Where clay is scarce and gravell doth abound Is good for Pallas long-liv'd Olive tree For in such soiles we by experience see Wilde Olive trees do in abundance grow And all the fields with their wilde Olives strow But ground more fertile with sweet moisture fill'd Well cloath'd with grasse and fruitfull to be till'd Such as in valleyes we doe oft espy Whither the waters flow from hils on high Leaving a fruitful slime where South-winds blow And Brakes great hinderers of all plowing grow Will yeeld thee spreading vines and full of iuice And lusty wines such as we sacrifice In golden goblets to the gods as soon As the swoln Tuscan trumpeter has done His sounding at the Altar which we load With reeking entrailes brought in chargers broad But if thou rather Heards or Calves wouldst keep Or Goats whose grazing burns the fields or sheep Then seek Tarentums lawnes and farthest coast Such fields as happlesse Mantua has lost Where snowy Swans feed in the meadowes neere The rivers side nor grasse nor water there Thy Heards can want what grasse they eat by dayes The dewy night back to the field repayes But ground in colour blacke and fat below Putrid and loose for such we wish to plow Is best for coâ—ne for from no ground do come Mo lâ—den waggons and tir'd Oxen home Or where of late the plowman grubb'd up wood Which quiet there for many yeares had stood And birds old nests has from the roots orethrown They â—est of dwellings now from thence are flown The new-made ground once plow'd most fruitfull grows Course barren sand hilly scarce bestows Casia and â—lowers for Bees to feed upon Nor chaulk nor that so soft though rugged stone Eat by black snakes no ground on snakes so good Close holes bestowes nor such delicious food But that rich land which doth exhale like smoakes Thin vapors up that showrs of raine in soakes And when â—he lists returns them forth againe Whose mould with â—ust the iron doth not staine Which cloaths herselfe in her own grassie greeneâ— That Land as well in tillage may be seene Is good to pasture cattell good to plow There Vines and Olives prosperously grow Such Lands by Capua by Vesuvius high And Clanius that oâ—eâ—lowes Acerrae ly â— How to discerne each soile â—le teach thee now Which mould is thick and which is loose to know For one â—â—aeus tother Ceres loves Vines love
cover'd ore Cold North-west-winds stil freezing blow nor ere Do â—hoeâ—us beames their pallid darknesse cleare Not whan he rises to his height nor whan His ruddy chariot falls in th' Ocean The running streames so hard are freezed there The waters back will Cart-wheeles iron'd beare In stead of Ships there Horse and Wagons run Brasse cleaves with cold asunder Cloaths put on Freeze hard whole Ponds by Frosts which never thaw Are turn'd to solid Ice they do not draw But cut their Wine with Hatchets and upon Their Beards hang Isiclâ—s congealed downe Meane time perpetuall snowing fils the ayre The Cattell dy the Beeves most great and faire Are starv'd in drifts of Snow whole Heards of Deer So far are hid that scarce their hornes appeare For these they spread no toiles nor hunt they there With Dogs but kill them with a sword or speare While they in vaine strive to remove away Those hils of Snow and pitifully bray And home with ioyful shouts they bear them then For under ground in deep-digg'd Caves the men Secure and warmly dwell the night they turne To mirth and sport and at one fire do burne Whole oakes and elmes and in full bowles they please Their tasts with fresh sowre iuice of services In stead of wine a people rough and bold Like these beneath the Northren Wagons cold Do live which beasts skins warmest furs do weare Bleake Eastern windes still beat upon them there If thou regard their Wooll let them not go Where bushes are where burs and thistles grow Nor in a grasse too rich Be sure to choose Thy flocks with white soft fleeces but refuse That Ram although the fleece upon his backe Be nere so white whose only tongue is blacke Lest he do staine the fleeces of his Lambs With spots but chuse another 'mongst the Rams So with a Snowy fleeced Ram if we Trust fame did Paâ— the god of Arcady Deceive thee 〈◊〉 nor didst thou disdaine Within the Woods to ease a Lovers paine But who so loves their Milke to them must hee store With his own hands bring Claver Trifoly And â—aâ—test grasse which makes them drink more Than else they would swells their Vdders more And tasts of salt do in their milke remaine Some from their Dams the tender Kids restraine And with sharpe muzzles bar their sucking quite Their morning meale of milk they presse at night That which they milk at night as Sun goes down The Shepheard carries to his market town Next morne in Panyers or with salt bestowes And layes it up till Winter colder growes Nor let thy Dogs be thy last care but feede With fattest Whey as well as Dogs of speede Which Spaâ—ta sends thy Mastives fierce for nere Whilst they do guard thy folds needst thou to fear The Wolves invasion nor the Thiefe by night Nor Mountainers that do in stealth delight Thou oft with Dogs mayst ore the Plaines apace Wilde Asses Deere or Hares for pleasure chace Or â—owâ—e with their loud yelps the chafed Bore From out his rough and desart Den or ore The lofty Mountaines in delightfull view A lusty Stag into thy toiles pursue But learn to burne within thy sheltering rooms Sweet Iuniper and with Galbanean gums Drive Adders thence for Vipers that do fly The light oft under unmov'd Stals do ly Or Snakes that use within the house for shade Securely luâ—k and like a plague invade Thy Cattell with their venom Shepheard take A staffe or stones with thee and kill the Snake Swellling and hissing from his threatning throte For though his head into a hole be got His middle twines his taile and parts behinde Lye ope and slowly after tother winde As bad 's that snake which in Calabrian Lawns Doth live and his proud neck aloft advance And rowling makes a long and winding track His belly 's spotted sealed is his back Whom the spring when showery Southwindes blow When grounds are moist and rivers overflow Lives upon ponds and banks and ravening still With Frogs and Fishes his black maw doth fill But when all grounds yea fens themselves are dry And cleft with chinks upon dry ground is he And rowling then his fiery eyes doth threat The fields and rages vex'd with drought heat Oh let not me then take sweet sleepes abroade Nor lye secure under the shady wood When he his skin new cast his youth renewing Lifts up his head his tongue threeforked shewing In heat of day and through the field doth rome His egges or young ones having left at home He teach thee now the signes and causes all Of each diseases On sheep the scab will fall When cold raw humours pierce them to the quick Or searching frosts or sweat unwash'd off stick Vpon their new-shorne skins or brambles teare Their flesh for that wise Shepheards every where Do in sweet Rivers wash their new-shorn flocks The drenched Ram down the streame swimming sokes His Fleece Skin Or else with oiles fat lees They ' noint their new-shorn Sheep mix with these â—daean pitch quick Sulphur silvers spume Sea Onyon Hellebore and black Bitume No kinde of cure 's more full of present hope Than with a knife to cut the Vlâ—â—r ope For else the hidden venome let alone Both lives and growes whilst making of his mone Vnto the gods the idle Shepheard stands And to the wound denies his lancing hands But when a Fever dry shall seize upon Their loynts and pierce into the inmost Bone â—Tis best to keep them then from heat and cut That fall swellâ—d Veine at bottome of the foot As the Bisaltian Macedonians do And fierce Gelonians when they â—ly unto High Rodope or the Getes farthest wood And drink their milk mingled with horses blood But where thou seest one Sheep too often ly In shade at rest and crop too lazily The tops of grasse or keep aloofe from all Or ly along to feed or to the stall Returne home late alone straight kill that sheep Before th infection through th' whole flocke doe creep No seas are subiect to mo tempests still Than sheep are to diseases which do kil Not single ones but the whole hopefull flocke And at one blow rob thee of all they stocke Then who has known the Alpes th' Illyrian high Castles and Fields that by Timavus lye May yet behold after so long the land Lye wast and Shepheards dwellings empty stand Here by corruption of the ayre so strong A plague arose and rag'd all Autumn long That all wilde Beasts all Cattell perished All pasture fields and ponds were poisoned Nor single was the way to death but when A thirsty fire burnt up their flesh even then Moist humours flow'd againe and not at once But by degrees did melt away the bones An Oxe that is for the gods service prest In all his trimmings and white garlands drest Before the Altar dyes as there he stands Preventing the slow sacrificers hands Or if that slaine by the Priests hand â—e fall His entrailes fired yeeld no flame