shafts of Spaine Headed with death were shot them backe againe 7 It shewed as if two Townes on th' Ocean built Had been at once by Th'eauens lightning fired The shining waters with the bright flames guilt Breathd Clouds of smoke which to the spheres aspired The bloud of Spanish Souldiers that day spilt Which through the Port-holes ran Neptune admired And tooke it for the Red-sea whilst the thunder Of English shot proclaymde the Sea-gods wonder 8 But least this Ordinance should wake from sleepe Our auncient enmity now buried quite The graue of all theyr shame shall be the deepe In which these peopled Sea-townes first did fight Yet that I may a kinde of method keepe And some deseruing Captaines to recite Liue famous Hawkins Frobisher and Drake Whose very name made Spaines Armadoes quake 9 Now to returne vnto Pelagia backe Which Ihoue hath made to him and to his seed Then takes his leaue the people loath to lacke The Prince that from a Tyrant hath them freed Who of their liues and Honors sought the wracke would change his purpose but he hath decreed Pelagia to forsake and I must leaue him To Epires King who gladly will receiue him 10 And to the Forrest to Calisto turne Whose sorrow with her swelling belly growes Alasse how can the Lady chuse but mourne To see hir selfe so necre her painfull throwes T is August now the scortching Dog-starres burne Therefore the Forrest-Queene a set day chose For all her traine to bath them in the floud Calisto mongst them by the riuer stood 11 The Queene with iealous eyes surueies the place Least men or Satyres should be ambusht by them The naked Ladies in the floud to face Or in their cloth-lesse beauty to espie them Now all at once they gin themselues t'vnlace Oh rauishing Harmony had I bin by them I should haue thought so many silken strings Tutcht by such white hands musicke fit for kings 12 They doffe their vpper garments each begins Vnto her Milke-white Linnen sinocke to bare her Small difference twixt their white smocks and their skins And hard it were to censure which were fairer Some plunge into the Riuer past their chins Some feare to venture whilst the others dare her And with her tender foot the riuer feeles Making the waters margent rinsh her heeles 13 Some stand vp to the Ankles some the knees Some to the Brest some diue aboue the Crowne Of this her naked fellow nothing sees Sauing the troubled waues where she slid downe Another sinkes her body by degrees And first her foot and then her legge doth drowne Some their faint fellowes to the deepe are crauing Some sit vpon the banke their white legs lauing 14 One onely discontented shrinks aside Her saint vnbracing idely the doth linger Full faine the Lasle her swelling brest would hide She pins and vnpins with her thumbe and finger Twice Phabe sâ—…nds and musing she denide To bath her she commands the rest to bring her Who betwixt mirth and earnest force and play All but her Cobweb shaddow snatcht away 15 Dian at first perceiues her brests to swell And whispers to Atlanta what she found Who straight perceiu'd Calisto was not well They iudg'd she had her Virgins belt vnbound But when her vaile beneath her nauell fell And that her belly shew'd so plumpe and round They little need to aske if she transgrest Calistoes guilty blush the act confest 26 Therefore she banisht her nor sutes nor teares Can with the Queene of Damsels ought preuaile Who when by strict inquiry made she heares ` Of Iupiter and his deceitfull stale Who seem'd so like a Virgin Phebe sweares Because her iudgement thenceforth shall not faile And to avoide occasion of like venter To search all such as to her traine shall enter 17 Thus is Lycâ—…ns daughter banisht now The Citty by her late assum'd profession Banisht the Cloyster by her breach of vow For by no praiers teares or intercession Diana her reentrance will allow After exilement for her late transgression Therefore asham'd thrugh darke shades she doth run Till time expires and she brings forth a sonne 18 So did our Cynthia Chastity preferre The most admired Queeâ—…ne that euer rained If any of her Virgin traine did erre Or with the like offence their honors stained From her Imperiall Court she banisht her And a perpetuall exile she remained Oh bright Elisa though thy dated daies Confine there is no limit to thy praise 19 Calistos sonne immagine seuen years old Brought vp mongst Lyons Tygers Wolues Beares The sauage impe growes day by day more bold And halfe a bruit no beast at all he feares He brookes both Summers heat and Winters cold And from the Woolfe his pray by force he teares Vpon a time his mother crost his will Whom he inrag'd pursude and saught to kill 20 She flies he followes her with furious rage Till she is forest the Forrest to forsake And seeing no meanes can his spleene asswage She doth the way vnto the citty take The neighbour Citty which is cal'd Pelage Where Iupiter by chance did merry-make Whose hap it was then crossing through the street The mother and th' inraged sonne to meete 21 Calisto spies Ioue and for helpe she cries And at his Royall feet she humbly throwes her He stops the sauage and with heedfull eyes Viewing Calisto well at length he knowes her Though clad in barke and leaues a strange disguise For a kings daughter and a Realms disposer Helpe Ioue quoth she and my pursuer stay Archas thy sonne his mother seekes to slay 22 Ioue gladly doth acknowledge the bold Lad To be his son for all the guifts of nature Pattern'd and shap't by Iupiter he had And of him nothing wants but age and stature He caus'd him in rich garments to be clad And then he seem'd to al a goodly creature For being attir'd in cloath of Gold and Tissew He may be easily knowne to be Ioues Issue 23 The strife betwixt the mother and the childe Is by the father and the husband ended Calisto hath againe her selfe exil'd Scorning the grace that Ioue to her extended She hies her to the groues and forrests wilde With generall mankind for Ioues sake offended But in her flight as through the fields she ranged She feeles her figure and proportion changed 24 Her vpright body now gan forward bend And on the earth she doth directly stare And as her hands she would to heauen extend She sees her fingers clawes o're-growne with haire And those same lips Ioue did of late commend To be for colour peâ—…relesse kissing rare Are rough and stretcht in length hir head down hangs Her skins a rough hide and her teeth be fangs 25 And when she would her strange estate bewaile And speake to heauen the sorrowes of her hart Instead of words she finds her Organs faile And grunts out a harsh sound that makes her starr She feares her shape and ouer hill and dale Runs from her selfe yet
beare backe to Epire. 22 Vnto a Morrowes banquet he inuites them Saying they shall receiue him at that feast The morrow comes full ill the kings requites them He makes th'Epirien to be kild and drest Part to be sod part to be rosted which incites them To horror and amazement they detest So horâ—…ible an obiect Then the King Thus saies Behold your Hostage here I bring 23 Young Iupiter was at the Table seated Sent with the rest by his great soster-Father On th'Ambassie he hauing heard repeated A deed so monstrous or inhumane rather As one that brookt not to be so inâ—…reated His lofty spirits he to his heart doth gather And rising from the Table drawes his sword And beares away the mangled Epyre Lord. 24 Into the Market place his load he beares Before the amazed people to disâ—…lose it The bold vndaunted Worthy nothing seares But beares the body and in publicke shewes it Some roasted and some sod some bak't appeares And cucry soule abhorres the deed that knowes it Who wondering whence so vilde a mischiefe came Behold quoth he your King Lycaons shame 25 Behold the prince the sonne of Titan kept Vpon his honour safely to deliuer Some were asham'd some threatned and some wept Some of their trembling â—…arts with terror shiuer Which Saturnes sonne espying forth he stept And saith shall such a Tirant and badliuer Shall such a bloudy and insatiate diuell Vnpunisht scape for practise of this euill 26 The infamy of this inhuman act 〈◊〉 to you it hath defam'd your nation Where â—…re report shall blazon this base fact Of our Epiâ—…tan murdred in such fashion It will appeare that you the Tirant bact And that it was your deed This short Oration Tooke such effâ—…ct that each man blusht wâ—…hin Feeling himselfe toucht with that horrid sin 27 Much more he spake to bring the king in hate With such his subrects as had neuer lou'd him That fell Lycaon but vsurpt his state And brought a scandall on them all he prou'd him Thus of his murdrous act he doth dilate To which his tirany and ranker mou'd him His â—…ormer cruelty this bloudy sight And Ioues perswasions makes them bent to fight 28 Saturnes bold sonne will no aduâ—…ntage leese But with his many tirannies proceeds He makes such burne whose harts before did freeze At the recitall of his bloudy deedes Then beares againe the course which none that sees But his heart fires with rage or Inly bleeds Then cries aloud you bound that would be free Cast of your seruile yoake and follow me 29 You whom the bloody Tirant hath opprest Now whilst you may reuenge you arme and strike You that haue seene th'Epirian kild and drest Let him not on your bodies act the like Aime all your weapons gainst the Tirants brest With that this catcht a Iauelin that a Pike One takes an Axe another snatcht a Spade Some Swords some Staues the pallace to inuade 30 Their youthfull Captaine they attend and meet With the fierce Tirant arm'd and well prepar'd They Barricado both ends of the street Then to the battell where they no man spar'd By this Ioue layes Lycaon at his feet And there had slaine him but his spleene was bar'd By one of his best Captaines who did bring Happy supply and so preseru'd the king 31 Th' inraged multitude esteemed nought The dauncing Courtiers when they came to blowes They watily the people madly fought And euery man his dauntlesse courage showes Whilst all about young Ioue his kinsman sought And still the clamor of the battell rose So loud that it rebounded gainst the skies And heauen it selfe did Eccho with their cries 32 Yet Ioue triumphant in the first ranke stood His foes fixt battaile he by force displaces It raines sharpe Arrowes till the ground flowes blood And yet no knight his honored fame disgraces It did th'Epiriens and their Captaines good To see the streets pau'd with their enemies faces In this high tumults heat Lycaons fled And sprightly Ioue left Conqueror mongst the dead 33 The Tirant when he saw his seruants slaine To saue his life workes for his secret scape And to the forrest flying from his traine He strangely feeles himselfe trans-form`d in shape Both woluish forme and mind he doth retaine And in the woods he liues by spoile and rape He liu'd a Tirant whilst his kingdome stood And chang'd into a Wolfe still thirsts for blood 34 Where we will leaue him in the desert Groue Trans-formd in body but not chang'd in mind And as my story leads returne to Ioue Who sees Lycaon fled none left behind But such as whilst they breath'd in valour stroue And dying to the fire there corpes resignd To the Pelagians turning he thus saies Be yours the Conquest but to heauen the praise 35 But they his honours backe to him resigne And with a generall shout their caps vp fling Saying ô Ioue thy valour is deuine And thou of vs Pelagians shalt be king They guard him to the pallace and in fine The Crowne and Scepter to his hand they bring And after search finding Lycaon fled They Saturnes sonne inuested in his sted 36 King Iupiter had not yet raignd an hower But with his trusty followers searcheth round About the Pallace royall for the power Of king Lycaon but he no man found Death spares the king that doth his folke deuoure Yet iealous of his state like kings new crown'd To abide all future garboiles and assaults He searcheth all the Sellers nookes and vaults 37 And breaking vp a strong bard iron dore He spies a goodly chamber richly hung Where he might see vpon the catelesse floure A discontented Lady rudely flung Her habite suting with her griefe she wore Her eyes rain'd teares her Iuory hands she wrung Herrobes so blacke were and her face so faire Each other gracst and made both colours rare 38 The Virgin lookt out of her sad attire Like the bright sun out of a dusky cloud Her first aspect set the kings hart afire Who vailing first his bonnet he lowe bowd And to haue seizd her fingers preaseth nyer But she at fight of strangers weepes alowd Her drowned eie she to the Earth directeth And no man saue her owne sad woes respecteth 39 The youthful Prince whom Amorous thoughts surprise With comfortable words the Lady cheeres Supports her by the arme intreats her rise And from her bosome to remoue her feares Yet will not she erect her downe-cast eies Nor to his smooth-sweete language lend her cares Till from the Earth he rais'd her by the arme And thus with words begins her griefe to charme 40 Bright Damsell did you know the worth of all Those pretious drops you prodigally spill You would not let such high-prizd moysture fall Which from your hart your Conduit-eyes distill Oh spare them though you count their valew small To haue them spar'de I le giue you if you will Although not in full paiment yet in part A Princes fauour and a
Coward tast confusion all The Sun looks pale heauen red the green earth blusht To see their bones beneath his Chariot crusht 83 Whos 's valour Thesus seeing nobly spake Great Hector I admire thee though my Foe Thou art too bold why dost thou vndertake Things beyond man to seeke thine ouerthrow I see thee breathlesse wherefore dost thou make So little of thy worth to perish so Fond man retyre thee and recouer breath And being thy selfe pursue the workes of death 84 Prince Hector his debility now finding Thankes royall Thesus and begins to pawse And bout the field with his swift coursers winding Vnto a place remote himselfe withdrawes Meane time King Menelaus the battaile minding Wan in the dangerous conflict much applawse Heere Celidonius valiant Moles slew Moles that his discent from Oreb drew 85 By Mandon King Cedonius lost an eye A Graecian Admirall Sadellus kils And Aix Telamonius doth defie Prince Margareton King Menestheus spils The Galles red blood Prothenor low doth lie By Samuels Speare renowned Hector fils The field with wonder he his Carre forsakes And Milke white Galathee againe he takes 86 At his first entrance he espies his friend Polydamas by thirty souldiers led Amongst whom spurring they themselues defend But scarce one man hath power to guard his head Vnto their dayes great Hectors sword gaue end And freedome to Polydamas nye dead With shame and wrath next to the battell came King Thoas to redeeme the Argiues Fame 87 With him the King Philotas who adrest Themselues gainst two of Priams Bastard Sonnes Young Cassilanus puts his Speare in rest And with great fury against Thoas ronnes He brake his staffe but Thoas sped the best As to their bold encounter Hector comes He sees his young halfe-brother he held deare Through-pierst alas by Thoas fatall Speare 88 Hye-stomackt Hector with this obiect mad hurries through the thicke prease and there had slaine Whole thousands for the death of that young Lad But his red wrath King Nestor did restraine For with six thousand Knights in armor clad he fortifies the late forsaken plaine Gainst whom marcht Philon of the part of Troy Their battailes ioyne each other they destroy 89 Polydamus and Hector taking part With Philon aged-Nestor growes too weake For Cassilanus death the Greekes must smart They through their flankes wings rankes and squadrons breake When Aiax Telamon spide what huge wreake The Troian Worthy made his men take hart And with King Menelaus them dispose To rescue Nestor and assault their Foes 90 Gainst them Aeneas with the hoast arriues And ioynes with Hector on the Argiue side Philoatas with three thousand souldiers striues all proued Greekes whose valors had bin tride Aeneas and great Aiax gage their liues To equall conflict whom their troopes deuide Philoatas on great Hector thinkes to proue him In vaine he from his saddle cannot moue him 91 But him the Woorthy stounded with a blow A flatling blow that on his Beauer glancst Vlisses and Humerus next in row With twice fiue thousands Knights on Hector chancst But Paris hapned with as many moe On Hectors part where numbers lye intrancst Paris a keene shaft from his Quiner drew Whose fatall point the King of Cipresse slew 92 This Ciprian Kinsman to Vlisses was In whose reuenge the Ithacan defies Prince Paris who in Arch'ry did surpasse These two in field against each other rise And with their mutuall blood they staine the grasse But parted by the tumult they deuise On further massacre neere to this place Troylus Vlisses meets and wounds his face 93 Nor scapt the Troian wound-free in this stower Was Galathee beneath Prince Hector slaine And he on foot the Greekes with all their power Begirt him and assault the Prince amaine But he whose fame aboue the Clouds must lower From all their battering strokes still guards his braine Till Dynadorus Priams Bastard son Against well-mounted Polixemus ron 94 A strong Barb'd horse the Noble Greeke bestrid a Worthier Maister now the steed must haue The Bastard youth gainst Polixemus rid Vnhorst him and his Steed to Hector gaue Who mounted farre more deeds of Honor did Leauing the Greekes most Coarses to ingraue a troope of Archers Deiphebus brings Who expell the Greekes with arrowes darts and slings 95 At the first shocke the Prince King Theuter hit and carâ—…'d a deepe wound on his armed face The well steel'd point his sword-proofe Beauer split and now th' assaulted Greekes are all in chace Some saue themselues by swiftnesse some by wit Young Quinteline of Priams Bastard race and King Moderus haue surpriz'd by force Thesus and spoyl'd him both of armes and horse 96 Whom when the Dardan-Worthy saw surpriz d He cals to mind the cur'sie to him done By whom nye breathlesse he was well aduis'd The future eminence of warre to shunne King Thesus whom his Victors much despis'd Hector releast and by the glorious Sunne Sweares not to leaue him till he see him sent With safe conduct vnto his warlike Tent. 97 Here Thoas by whom Cafsilanâ—… fell Is by great Hector beaten from his Steed Who razing of his Helme to send to hell A soule he so much hated was soone freed By Menesteus who makes on Pell-Mell With a huge hoast and rescues with all speed Th' astonisht King not long the day he tride Till Paris with an arrow pierst his side 98 Humerus glaunst a Iauelin through the sight Of Hectors Beauer that it racst the skin Th' inraged Prince on proud Humerus light And with one stroke he cleft him to the chin Proceeding on hee still pursues the fight The Grecians loose and now the Troians win They beate them to their Tents where some inquire For pillage whilst the rest the Nauy fite 99 In this pursute Hector and Aiax meete Who after interchange of hostile blowes Part on eeuen tearmes and with kind language greet For the two kinsmen now each other knowes Aiax intreats the Prince to spare theyr Fleet And saue theyrtents whose flame to heauen-ward grows Which courteous Hector sweares to vndertake For Aiax and his Aunt Hesiones sake 100 Oh Il-stard Hector Thou hast ouerseene A Victory thou canst not reach to more Hadst thou to him inexorable beene Thou hadst sau'd Troy and freed the Dardan Shore Duke Aiax prayet hath wrought Troyes fatall teene And hath the power lost Grecia to restore Oh hadst thou tane the aduantage of this day all Greece had perisht that now liues for aye 101 But there 's a Fate in all things Hector blowes His wel-knowne horne his Souldiers all retreat The Greekes to quench theyr Fleet themselues dispose and re-instaure their tents whose spoile was great The next day from the campe to Priam goes A Herald to surcease all hostile heat Demanding truce till they the dead haue grounded And both of Campe and Citty cur'd the wounded 102 T is granted from the Towne with Coffins com Pale widdowes winpled in their mourning weeds To fetch their husbands coarses cold and nom To
of Troy Oh can you trust the presents of a foe Who came from Greece these high wals to destroy And ten whole yeares haue wrought your ouerthrow What can you in the Danauish Treasons ioy Amongst you all doth none Vlisses know Either this swelling wombe is big with childe Of armed Greekes or gainst your wals compild 16 These brazen hoofes are made to 〈◊〉 your mure The trusty pale that hath so long defended Your sonnes and wiues where they haue liu'd secure Maugre the ruine by the foe intended Against your trusty Guards no wrong endure Whose Bulwarkt strength you haue so oft commended This said against the brazen Steed he flung A steele-head speare which through his entrailes rung 17 The trembling Mole from forth his Cauernes gaue A horrid grone a noyse of armor iar'd Through his transfixed brest if ought could saue Ill-fated Troy this had their ruin bard And they had ript the bowels of that graue From which the sad confused sound was heard Behold the Dardan shepheards with lowd cries Before the King bring bound a Greekish prise 18 Dispersed Troy assembles and attend Some vncoth Nouell manacled now stands The surprisd Greeke his eyes to heauen extend To heauen he likewise would exalt his hands Whilst showers of teares downe by his cheekes discend And thus he sayes Haue I 〈◊〉 the bands Of armed Greekes to 〈◊〉 heere in Troy And whom my foes haue spar'd must foes destroy 19 Relenting Priam is soone mou'd to ruth His misery and teares woo him to passion He thinkes such lookes such teares should harbor truth And pitties him disguisd in wretched fashion With comfortable words he cheares the youth Askes him of whence he is and of what Nation When to the passionate king he thus replide Priam commands and I will nothing hide 20 Who hath not heard of the Duke Palimed By the Pelasgian Princes doom'd to dye Whom false Vlisses to the scaffold led Him aboue all the rest most loued I He was my Kinsman but alas hee 's dead With that swift watry drops drill from his eye Him when I guiltlesse saw condemn'd of Treason I mourn'd my Kinsmans death as I had reason 21 Not could I keepe my tongue vnhappy man But priuate whispering haue I breath'd gainst those That sought his death to threat them I began Who to my friend had bin opposed foes Fox-like Vlisses first obseru'd me than Whom Calchas seconds why should I disclose My miserable state vnhappy wretch Since their reuenge as farre as Troy doth stretch 22 I had but dide there and I heare am dying Griefe stops his speech he can no further speake Still what he wants in words with teares supplying Till they with interruptions silence breake When after farre-fecht sighes himselfe applying To further processe he proceeds the wreake They threatned then since now I must not flye Witnesse you Troians Synon cannot lye 23 Oft would the warre-tyr'd Greekes haue left this Towne But still the Morrow tempests them restraine Threatning their Nauy in the Abisme to drowne And they attempt their wisht returne in vaine But most the angry Neptune seemes to frowne When old Epeus had vpon this plaine Builded this Monumentall Steed of late To the Deuinest Pallas Consecrate 24 Euriphilus is straight to Delos sent ' To know the Oracles aduice heerein He thus returnes A Virgins blood is spent To appease the tempests when these warres begin And in their end the Gods haue like intent That you with sacrifice shall purge your sin In your pursute they humaine bloud desire and you with bloud must purchaso your retyre 25 This when the vulgar knew not one but feares Whose dreaded life offended Phabus craues Oh! Hence proceedes the force of all my teares All prophesie his ruine that depraues The Oyle-tong'd Greeke Vlisses Calchas cheares To point him out that must appease the Waues Ten dayes he scilence kept as loath to name His destin'd life whom Phabus seemes to clayme 26 Scarce with Vlisses clamors is he won To sentence any till with vrgence great He doomes me to the flames the people ron To see him that must tast the Alters heate all glad that this denounced doome is don That I th offended God-hood must intreat And that my bloudy slaughter answers all Which each one feard vpon himselfe might fall 27 The day was com my brows with wreaths wer crown'd and I made ready for the sacred fire My hands behind as you behold them bound The Priest in his Pontificall attyre Ready to strike and I incompast round With fire and death yet Mortals life desire The truth I le tell alasse sinne cannot lie I lcapt from of the Altar thence I fly 28 Pursude in vaine feare gaue my body winges In a deepe saggy couert I obseure me Vntill the night had with her aiery stringes Drawne her blacke vaile o're Heauens face to assure me Hoping to hide me till the Argiue Kings Had sayld from thence but thinking to seeure me Poore wretch I from the Gracians fled a way and now alasse 〈◊〉 made the 〈◊〉 pray 29 Whom neither Heauen nor Earth nor Greece nor Trâ—…y nor ayre nor Sea will take to their protection But all conspire poore Sâ—…non to destroy Then ayre Come lend me part of thy infection Heauen Earth and Sea all your 〈◊〉 powers imploy and like confederates 〈◊〉 in my deiection and then he beates his breast weeps sighes grones Whose griefe King Priâ—…m and all Troy bemones 30 The good old Priâ—…m bids his hands vnbind and cheares him thus Of Greece thou art no more Thou shalt be ours thy Countrey hath resign'd Thy life to vs which freely we restore Then say What meanes this Monster we here find Vpon our Beach Whom should this guist adore Or what Religion 's in t Whence is he bred Or for what cause doth he our Confines tred 31 When with his new loosd hands to heauen vpreard Thus Synon Witnesse you eternal Fires Thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which but late I feard and all you powers to whom our zeale aspytes That I hate Greece and Troy that hath me cheard I am ingra'st too Trâ—…y hath my desires I am a Child of Troy Greece I desye Witnesse you Gods that Synon cannot lye 32 The false pelâ—…gians in great Pallas 〈◊〉 Her Diomed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offended By stealing from her charge with guile vniust Herrare Palladium for which she extended Reuenge gainst Greece they to appease hir must By some Oblation see their guile amended That her commensed 〈◊〉 may be withdrawne From them whose violence spard not her â—…wne 33 And now to make the 〈◊〉 borne Pallas smile Whose anger made the Tempests gainst them war Chalchas 〈◊〉 the high Equinall pile That his huge 〈◊〉 might all entrance bar Through your percullist Gates such was his guile For should you on this Horse print the least 〈◊〉 Of an offensiue hand being for her made You by your 〈◊〉 haue your liues betrayd 34 If you deny it entrance through your wals Or this
tast But when the Couenant long before decided Twixt him and Tytan he records at last It pierst his hart with sorrow for his life Seemes to him tedeous led without a wife 28 What bootes him all his Honours and ritch state His wealths-increase and all his worldly pleasure For whom doth he rise early and sleepe late Hauing no heyre to inherite all his Treasure He knowes he hath incur'd his Brothers hate Yet must his seed make of his kingdome seazure He enuyes his owne wealth bicause he knowes All his life time he toyles t' enrich his foes 29 He loues his Sister Sybill yet not so That if she châ—…dren haue their blouds to spill And yet his timerous passions howerly grow Nor can he on her beauty gaze his fill Faine would he marry her and yet doth know If shee haue Issue he her sonnes must kill So that he wishes now but all too late That for his vow he might Exchange his state 30 In this distraction many dayes he dwelt Till Loue at length in Saturnes hart preuailed Such feruent passions in his brest he felt That spight his Oath which he so much bewailed He feeles his soft thoughts in his bosome melt Needs must he yeild whom such faire Jookes assailed And now vpon this desperate point he stood To wade t' her bed thogh throgh his childrens blood 31 This can great Apis witnesse who that time Peloponessus gouern'd This records Iubalda who the Spanish seat doth clime This Craunus kneel'd to by th' Italian Lords This Satron who the Gaules rul'd in his prime Now to Semiramis Assyria affords The Monarchy who after Ninus dide Married her Sonne and perisht by his pride 32 The marriage rights with solemne feasts are done Sybill both wife and sister the first Queene That raign'd in Creete hath now conceiu'd a sonne Neuer hath lesse applausiue ioy bin seene At such a Brides Conception the time 's come The long suspensiue daies expired beene For if a male his blood the Earth must staine A male she brought forth and the Lad was slaine 33 For so the King commanded being a King He thought it base if he should breake his word Oh golden dayes of which the Poets sing How many can this Iron age afford That hold a promise such a precious thing Rather to yeeld their children to the sword Then that the world should say thy oath thou brakest Or wast so base to eate the word thou spakest 33 Such difference is twixt this and that of gold We in our sinnes are stronger Vertues weaker Words tide them fast but vs no bonds can hold They held it vil'd to be a promise breaker A Lyar was as strange in times of old As to find out amongst vs a true speaker Their harts were of pure mettall ours haue flawes Now lawes are wordes in those daies wordes were lawes 34 The Funerall of the first slaine infant ended And the sad daies of mourning quite expir'd At which the pittious Queene was most offended But now her spirits with dull sorrowes tired The King a second metting hath intended And the Queenes nuptiall bed againe desired Sibill conceiues and in her wombe doth cherish More children ready in their birth to perish 35 And growing neere her time the sorrowfull father Displeas'd to see his wife so apt to beare Who for his vowes-sake wish her barren rather The murther of his first sonne toucht him neare Sends through his Land a kingly traine to gather And makes for Delphos hoping he shall heare Some better comfort from the Delphian shrine Whose Oracles the king esteemes diuine 36 He therefore first his sacrifice prepares And on Apollos Altar Incense burnes Then kneeling to the Oracle his praiers Mount with the sacred sume which neare returnes Tell the pleas'd God acquainted with his cares Lookes downe from heauen sees him how he mourns Desiting that his power would nothing hide But tell what of her next birth should betide 37 With that there fell a storme of Raine and Thunder The Temple was all sire the Alter shooke The golden roofe aboue and pauement vnder Trembled at once about gan Saturne looke To see what heauenly power had caus'd this wonder Faine he the holy place would haue forsooke When th' Oracle thus spake thy wife growes great With one that shall depose thee from thy seat 38 For from her royall wombe shall one proceed That in despight of thee in Creet shall dwell So haue the neuer-changing fares decreed Such is the Oracles thrice sacred spell A sonne shall issue from king Saturnes seed That shall enforce his father downe to Hell This heard the discontented king arose And doubly sad away to Creet he goes 39 What shall he do faire Sibils time drawes neere And if the Lad which she brings forth suruiue The newes will stretch vnto his brothers eare To whom he sware to keepe no male aliue Besides a second cause he hath to feare Least he his father from his kingdome driue Then to preuent these ils he swears on hie Inspight of fate the infant borne shall die 40 Yet when the King his first sonnes death records In his resolued thoughts it breeds relenting The bloudy and vnnaturall act affords His troubled thoughts fresh cause of discontenting None dare approach his presence Queene noâ—… Lords That to his first childs death had bin consenting The first vnnaturall act appeares so vilde The king intends to saue his second childe 41 So oft as he the murder cals to mind So oft he vowes the second son to saue But thinking on his couenant grows vnkind And doomes it straight vnto a timelesse graue Againe the name of sonne would pitty find And for his oth some refuge seekes to haue But when the Oracle he doth recall The very thought of that confounded all 42 So deare to him his Crowne and state appeared That he his pompe before his blood preferred It ioyes him to commaund and to liue feared And now he thinkes his foolish pitty erred And setting light his issue seemes well cheared His fortune to the Goddes he hath referred Rather then loose his Scepter t is decreed Had he ten thousand brats they all should bleed 43 Resolu'd thus newes is brought him by his mother That Sibell late in trauell is deliuer'd Of two faire Twins a Sister and a Brother At this report his heart is well nigh shiuer'd Go spare the â—…one quoth he and kill the tother Alas saith she we women are pale-liuer'd And haue not heart to kill no beast so wilde Or brutish but would spare so sweete a childe 44 And shall a father then so madly fare With his owne issue his childs blood to spill And whom the Tigers and fell beasts would spare Shall reasonable man presume to kill The birds more tender ore their young ones are Fishes are kind vnto their issue still Fish bird and beast in sea Aire â—…arth that breedeth Though reasonlesse her tender young ones feedeth 45
Euen to the Chariot where his Vncle sat And spite of those that would his violence stay He strikes him on the Helme and layes him flat There had he slaine him dead but to the fray Encelad coms and much inrag'd thereat Assayles the Prince whilst he the fight intends The rescude Tytan his high chayre ascends 84 The noyse of his surprisall in small space Was spread through euery wing of this large field Such as beheld him fall ran thence apace And to his sonnes reported he was kild In hast they draw their forces to this place And Ihoue is round incompast Heauen him shield Saturne from his high turret lookt and wondred To see one Knight hold battell gainst an hundred 85 And calling Sybill to the Battlement From whence they might the doubtfull skirmish view They may perceiue how Ihoue incontinent Twenty tall Souldiors of King Tytans slew Amaz'd they stand at his great hardiment One askt another if this Knight they knew When noting well the bold deedes he had done Quoth Sybill may not this be Ihoue our sonne 86 Whilst in this hopefull doubt they stand confounded Behold young Archas hauing vnderstood His Father Ihoue with thousand foes was rounded And mongst the Gyants fought all gul'd in blood He causd a lowd charge to be shrilly sounded And thither makes where Ihoue inuiron'd stood Now grew the battell hot bold Archas pierses Thrugh the mid-hoast strewes his way with herses 87 And at first shocke breakes through th'Iron ring Of armed men that had his Father pend Whose sword by this emboweld the proud King Enceladus and to his daies gaue end But when he saw his sonne fresh succors bring And to large proofe his dreadlesse spirit extend With such essentiall ioy the Prince doth cheare him Each blow deales death and not a man dares near him 88 Saue Tytan who mongst many Corses lying O're which his Armed chariot swiftly ran Amongst the rest Euceladus espying The blood forsooke his cheeke his face look't wan He stampes he stares he strikes still vengeance crying And in disordered fury spares no man Plâ—…mmets of Lead he from his Chariot threw And many of the bold Archadians slew 89 Ioue wondering whence so great a cry should grow Or who so many of his men had slaine Spies Tytan comming on him Ioue doth know And with all speed makes towards him againe Now is the warre at height for many a blow Deales wounds and death thicke shewers of arrows rain Quarters of men and heads with Helmets battered Halfe hid in blood through all the fields are scattered 90 Tytan encounters Ioue Ioue him defies And from his Steely Burgon beates out fire By Tytans side doth proud Hyperion rise Against him Archas doth the field desire And now each other brauely doth despise They combat son to son and Sire to Sire But Ioue and Archas best in power and skill Old Tytan and the young Hyperion kill 91 Iust as they fall comes Typhon hauing late King Milleseus and his battell chaced His enemies swords had hewd off many a plate From that iron coat in which his sides weare laced Who letting out the nailes that bound him straite Waikes in a cloud of his own smoake vnbraced And as vpon his fathers trunke he gazed He pluckes his bold foote backe and starts amazed 92 But when he further looking gan espy The proud Hyperion weltring in his gore And huge Enceladus besides him lie He quite forgets their Obits to deplore The Earth he curses and blasphemes the sky And from his knotty head the blacke locks tore With that inrag'de his Axe alost he heaued And Ihoues broad shield iustin the middle cleaued 93 Both armies giue them field-roome two such spirits Beget in their encounter preparation If Ihoue suruiue King Saturne Creet inherits If Typhon liue great Typhon rules that Nation Both parties stand Spectators of their merits To view this Combat with high admiration Forgetting fight their weapons downe they bend To see these two the best on earth contend 94 Huge Typhon is vnweeldy Ihoue more quicke and better breath'd doth oft-times trauerse round To speed him with a blow or with a pricke Till he hath worne a bloudy circle round about his bulky foe Typhon strikes thicke But his vaine blowes dig Trenches in the ground Had they falne right they to the waast had cleft him and both of Father Crowne and life bereft him 95 Two tedious houres lasts this renowmed fray Yet neither Victor with this fight compard All the dayes bloudy broyle appeard but play Both warde both strike both skorne to be out-dard Ihoue with one blow quite through his Targe makes way It cuts the steele-bars the guilt studs it pared Typhon to be aueng'de of this disgrace Aymes a stiffe stroke full at his armed face 96 It crost his Visor and so downe it glanced And onely rac'st his Gorget when Ihoue stands A Tip-toe with his armes on high aduanced Holding his conquering sword in both his hands He fals it on his Beauer as it chanced The massiy stroake vnreuets all the bands That lockt his Helme his wounded face appeares He mad with his sharpe nayles his Armour teares 97 And now both strike at once steele against steele And armour against armour their lowd strokes Make the woods tremble and the earth to reele Such blowes cleaue Rocks and fell the mountain-Oakes At length they close and grapple Typhons heele Twines about Ihoues mid-legge his armes he yoakes about his Gorget actiue Ihoue le ts slip and by fine slight catcht Typhon on the hip 98 The Gyant scapes the fall and both let goe Their weapons lost they buffet fist to fist and at aduantage lie now hie now low To close againe Ihoue catcht by Typhons wrist Typhon by his both tugge both cunning show Typhon makes play Ihoue catcht him by the twist Heaues him alost and in his armes he brings him To a high Rocke and in the Sea he flings him 99 Typhon thus dead their bands disordred fly Ihoue Archas and the Epyre King pursue them Aegeon scapes hereafter kept to die By him that with his brothers fought and slew them Bri'reus Iapet Athlas Hespery Prometheus too disguis'd that no man knew them Fled with the rest Ihoue tyred in the chace Returnes to Creet his parents to embrace 100 Oh in what ioy was Sybill boue the rest And Grandam Vesta freely to behold him They weepe their teares of Ioy vpon his breast And thousand sighes in their strict armes infold him Saturne for Iuno sends with Ihoue to feast And his two sonnes of whom his wife hath told him With Archas and the Epyre King to meet At generall Triumphs to be made in Creet HEr virgin belt vnbound Stanzo 15. It was the custome in those daies the day of euery virgins mariage to haue hir girdle loosed by him that shoulde bee her husband In the 26. Stanzo where Calisto is sayde to bee turned into a Beare Phurnutius sayth that the Lady hunting was
Ledes Evrotes A'ntiopes Danaes Apollo exilde by Iupiter kept Admetus sheepe which Pindarus in pithicis affirme or his Oxen as Horace 1. carminum And therefore he had the title to be called euer after the god of pastures As Virg. 3. Georgic Te quoque Magne pales te memorande Canemus pastor ab Amphriso The end of the fourth CANTO Argumentum KIng Tantalus before the Troians flyes Saturne arriues in Creet and by Troas ayded Once more intendes his Kingdome to surprise Creet is by Troian Ganimede inuaded In ayde of Iupiter the Centaures rise Aegeons ful-fraught Gallies are disladed Danae and her young sonne are turnd afloate By Arges King into a Mast-lesse boate ARG. 2. PElops the two Atrides and Aegeon Vulcan the Gorgones in Epsilon CANTO 5. 1 WHose inspiration shall my heauy brayne Implore to make my dull Inuention light Or to a loftyer key my pen constraine Or raise my Muse that takes so low a flight Thou Ihoue-borne Pallas o're my numbers raine And musicall Apollâ—… giue me spright With the bright rayes that from thy temples shine To shew me way vnto the Muses nine 2 Of whom the eldest Clio first deuisd To Chronicle the Royall gests of Kings Strutting Melpomene in Gules disguisd In Theaters mongst Tragicke Actors sings But soft Thalya hath such straines despisd And to her Commicke sceanes shrill laughter brings Wind Instruments Entirpe best affects Terpsichore the stringed Lyre directs 3 The Geometricke figures Erato Hath in her charge as first by her disclosed But from Calliope hie Stanzoes flow For the Heroik numbers first composed The course of starres are by Vrania know And how the Planets we aboue disposed But Polihimnia smooth Rhetoricke chuses The youngest of Ioues daughters and the Muses 4 All these at once their sacred gifts aspire That may giue beauty to my taske in hand Affoording helpe when I their aide desire To guide my tost-Bark to desired Land A slender barke slow sayl'd and apt to tire And founder in the Sea weake and vnmand Apollo with the rest my voyage speed Whilst to Troyes fatall ruine we proceed 5 King Tantalus the sonne of Iupiter That rain'd in Attique brought an host 'fore Troy Which his sonne Pelops led how can he erre Being directed by so braue a Boy That vndertakes his army to transferre And Troos with his new Citty to destroy This Pelops with the King of Elis ran And in the course bright Hyppodamia wan 6 Her Father Oenemaus was betraid My Myrtolus his treacherous Chariot-driuer And in the race slaine Pelops by his aide Of many suters dead the sole suruiuer After the goale obtaind inioyes the maide Intending with all pompous state to wiue her Th'espousals ended Time with swift pace runnes And she in processe hath producst two sonnes 7 Thyestes and Atreus nam'd the first Ore-come with burning lusts insatiate heat Rauisht Atreus wife oh deed accurst For which Atreus doth him home intreat And takes his Children where the Babes were nurst To dresse their bodies for their fathers meat Some bak't some rost some sod oh bloody deed To make a father on his owne childe feed 8 Atreus two sonnes had the eldest hight Agamemnon who was after Mycenes king And Greekish Generall of the ten yeares fight Twixt Greece and Troy which we must after sing The second Menelaus in whose right The Argiue Dukes their puisant Armies bring Husband to Hellen when prince Paris sought her And Hellen Iupiter and Laedaes daughter 9 But we digresse gainst Pelops and his Sire Ilion and Ganimed from Troy appeare These are the sonnes of Troos many a bold squire They led with them to Ilion the first yeare He rain'd in Troy in bright celestiall fire Came the Palladium downe from heauens high spheare Which Ilions Towers long after did inioy Continuing till the vtter sacke of Troy 10 Their hostile Instruments to battell sound Ten thousand hands at once to heauen are raised Which in their fals as many strike to ground Cowards are scorn'd none but the bold are praised The Troyans haue begirt the Phrygians round Pelops aboue the rest his fame imblazed And Ganimed that doth bold Pelops see Fights as if none need kill a man but he 11 Such was the valour of this Troian youth Though Troos and Ilion both did wondrous well He onely stands defends breakes and pursueth Their standing battailes by his valour fell The Phrigian host now murdred without ruth Charon is tyr'd with ferring soules to hell The Troians follow with victorious â—…ries Whilst Tantalus and valiant Pelops flies 12 This was that Tantalus bright Plota bare Whom for a speciall grace the Gods admit To their high Counsell where they oft repaire He blabs their secrets therefore they held fit To punnish him in hell with torments rare In Laethe chin-deepe he must euer sit Hungry whilst Apples touch his lips and dry Whilst from his thirsty chin the waters flie 13 And this that Pelops whom his father slew And hewd his body into gobbets smal Whose Massacre the Gods in mercy rew And gathering vp his limbes to match them all They misse that peece to ioyne his body new Which from the throat doth to the shoulder fall Which they with Iuory peece and who more bolder Then new-made Pelops with his Iuory shoulder 14 And yet inforst to flie but had his men Bâ—…n euery one a Pelops none had fled He was the last in field preferring then Fore Coward runners the resolued dead But what can one alone gainst thousands ten Led by so braue a Prince as Ganimed Leaue we triumphant Troos now let our hand Direct sea-toyled Saturne safe a Land 15 Who from his sonne in the last battaile flying his Grand-child Archas to the sea-side chast We left him in a ship the Ocean trying Where he hath plowed strange Seas great dangers past Now entring th' Hellespont from farre espying After his tedious course a Towne at last His Martiners to shore their sailes imploy And Sea-beat Saturne touches land fore Troy 16 Which Troos amidst his plausiue triumphs seeing With Ilion Ganimed and thousand more Makes towards the harbor whilst old Saturne freeing His men from ship-bord hath imprest the shore He makes his habit with his stile agreeing The Troyans wonder at the state he bore Himselfe so well prepar'd his ships so faire Both to the barbarous Troians seeming rare 17 So small a number can no warre pretend Therefore their strange arriue they neede not feare As farre as doth their Hemisphere extend They view the sea but see no shipping neare Which makes the King salute him as a frend And aske the reason of his landing there Saturne replies Behold poore strangers throwne To vnknowne people on a Land vnknowne 18 Yet would you haue his Countrey Nation name That knowes not on whose earth his bold feet tread Nor with what breath he may his stile proclaime From his owne Natiue ayre so farre being fled If you perhaps haue relisht Saturnes
of Iuno of which Ixion begat the Centaurs After adiudged by the Destinies to be tortured with the wheele in hell I hold Ganimed rather surprized by Iupiter in battaile then as some write to be stolne by him as his minion after this rape made his Cup-bearer Apulia where Danae was cast vpon the shore is now a part of Italy bordering vpon the Adriaticke sea Vulcan was Iupiters Smith an excellent workeman on whoÌ„ the Poets Father many rare workes among which I find one not vnnecessary to be remembred which Ouid speaks of and I thus English This Tale is blaz'd through heauen how once vnware Venus and Mars were tooke in Vulcans snare The God of Warre doth in his brow discouer The perfect and true patterne of a Louer Nor could the Goddesse Venus be so crewell To deny Mars soft kindnesse is a Iewell In any woman and becomes her well In this the Queene of loue doth most excell Oh heauen how often haue they mockt and flouted The Smiths polt-foote whilst nothing he misdoubted Made Iests of him and his begrimed trade And his smoog'd visage blacke with Cole-dust made Mars tickled with lowd laughter when he saw Venus like Vulcan limpe to halt and draw One foot behind another with sweet grace To counterfet his lame vneeuen pace Their meetings first the Louers hide with fear From euery iealons eye and captious eare The God of Warre and Loues lasciuious dame In publicke view were full of bashfull shame But the Sunne spies how this sweet paire agree Oh what bright Phoebus can be hid from thee The Sun both sees and blabs the sight forthwith And in all post he speeds to tell the Smith Oh Sunne what bad examples doest thou show What thou in secret seest must all men know For silence aske a bribe from her faire treasure Shee 'le grant thee that shall make thee swell with pleasure The God whose face is smoog'd with smoke and fiar Placeth about their bed a net of Wiar So quaintly made that it deceiues the eye Straight as he feignes to Lemnos he must hie The Louers meet where he the traine hath set And both lie fast catcht in a wiery net He cals the Gods the louers naked sprall And cannot rise the Queene of Loue shewes all Mars chafes and Venus weepes neither can flinch Grappled they lie in vaine they kicke and winch Their legs are one within another tide Their hands so fast that they can nothing hide Amongst these high Spectators one by chance That saw them naked in this pitfall dance Thus to himselfe said If it tedious be Good God of warre bestow thy place on me Of the Gorgons because there are many opinions we wil a little insist vpon their particuler discouery Of them there is a double kind some hairy some bald yet al born of Phorcus Cetus These three Sisters had but one common eye and one common tooth to feed with The Latines call them Lamiae à gutteris amplitudine which Lamia some thinke to bee the daughter of Neptune and the first Prophetesse cald Sibilla among the Aphrians They were also cald Pemphrado Prito and Dino to whom some haue likewise added Iaeno whose name both Aeschilus and Hesiod in their workes remember They were cald Greae and liue in the vtmost Islands of Iberia towards the West Some likewise number Silla amongest the Gorgons Others describe them not with snaky lockes but heads of Dragons and Girdles about their wasts of Vipers All concluding in this that their sight was immediat death which Aeschilus signified in this Sunt tres sorores his volucres non procul Serpentibus dirâ—…sque comptae Gorgones Quas intuens nemo diu spirauerit The Beast Nomades in Libia hath likewise the name of Gor-gon somewhat resembling a sheep which others describe more like a Sea-calfe It is said this monster by the infection of his eyes kils what beast soeuer he meets His hair couers his brows Many of Marius Souldiers marching against Iugurth followed this beast mistaking him for a sheepe and presentlie fell down dead by these Greae Phorci these Gorgons moÌ„sters of the sea is vnderstood nothing else but that knowledge and wisedome which is acquired by experience to purchase which it behoued Perseus to vse the aid of Pallas the helme of Pluto and the sword of Mercury by vertue of which he subdude those monsters Which the Poets haue amongst others thrust into hell Centauri in foris stabulant 〈◊〉 biformes Et centum geminus Briareus ac belua Lernae Horâ—…ndum stridens flammisque armata chimaera Gorgones Harpiaeque forma tricorporis vmbrae Argumentum PErseus the Gorgon kils then takes his way To Ioppen on his flying horse alone Destroyes the Monster frees Andromeda Acrisius saues turnes Atlas into stone King Pricus Wife the beauteous Aurai Doates on the valiant Knight Bellerephon The Troians are with fearfull pests annoyde By Hercules great Troy is first destroyde ARG. 2. IN Zeta Phineus fals Chimer is slaine Dis acts his rape Queene Ceres doth complain CANTO 6. 1 MInerua thou that hadst the power to make Monsters of them that thy high Name despise To turne a golde-Wire to a crawling Snake And change the beauty of bewitching eyes The Patronage of all my labors take More sacred Names thy God-hood may comprise Religion Vertue Zeale we may thee call Whose foes are vgly and with Adders crall 2 The three foule Gorgons by thy power disguised Were Lust insatiate Auarice and Pride These Sisters in Hisperia tyranised All looking with one eye who can deuide Their powers and Natures being three comprised Within one head and Sisters neere allide All such as on their strength themselues assure Sencelesse of good as stones they soone obdure 3 Therefore to arme vs gainst this horrid fiend Behooues vs to implore Myneruaes ayde Perseus bright shield vnto our arme to bind And then we boldly may such foes inuade His shield was Cristall and so bright it shind It dim'd the Gorgons eye and whilst she plaid In darkenesse and her killing sight forsooke Her monstrous head he from her shoulders strooke 4 About the time Perseus the Gorgon slew Busyris gouern'd in Egiptia Cadmus rul'd Thebes to Komos France was due Belochus Emperor of Assyria Othoniall Trumpets before Israel blew Prince Radamant raign'd King in Lycia Tyrhenus Italy and Triton Spaine Whilst Liber Pater all the East doth gaine 5 The Gorgons head with power to turne to stone Vpon his shield he fixt and of the blood That Issued from the wound swift Pegas shone And neigde out of the earth a Stallion good Whom Perseus backt and out of sight is gone Flying o're Mountaine Valley rocke and flood From Arctos vnto Cancers burning tracke And from hot Cancer to cold Arctos backe 6 In his high Airery progresse ouer all The Prouinces and Clymes beneath him spreading Where ere the purple drops from Gorgon fall Adders
Persea by his name Where Bachmon in the kingdome him succeeds Erictreus did all the Nations tame By the red Sea and there his honoured deeds Are Chronicled great Scelemus thy fame Liues in Mecenes the Pontificke weeds Are for thy Royalty reseru'd alone In Thebes remaines twice-married Gorgophon 84 Alceus and Electrion from his line Discend Alceus was Amphitrioes Sire Electrion as Bochas doth deuine Alcmena got whose face all eyes admire Alcmena and Amphitrio combine Themselues by Hymens ceremoniall fire Of this bright Theban dame through Greece commended This Monster-tamer Hercules discended 85 But how great Ihoue with bright Alcmena lay Himselfe transforming to Amphitrioes shape Adding three nights together without day How Iuno enuious of her husbands rape Alcmenaes Child-birth hindred and did slay The vnborne infants who with wonder scape Her Hell-borne charmes how by Galantis smile Iuno was mockt Alcmena scapt her guile 86 How young Alcides in the Cradle lying Check't two inuenomed Snakes by Iuno sent To strangle him how Ypectens dying By those charm'd Serpents to Elisium went And how the Ihoue-star'd Lad his valor trying Vpon th'Olimpicke mount disgraced sent All such as came to haue their valours tride To leape to run to wrastle or to ride 87 How by the K. Eristeus he vvas taught Lou'd beautious Megera and fam'd all Greece And through the world renown'd aduentures sought Conquer'd great Cacus and the golden fleece How Achelous he to ruine brought Doted on Deianeira that faire peece And Iole who the more fame to win Made great Alcides on a distaffe spin 88 All these we leaue as tales too often told And rubs that would our running voyage let Not that our thoughts despise them being old For to antiquity we owe much debt But because Time that hath his acts inrold To many a Common sale his deeds hath set Therefore though no part of his worth to reaue him We now for matters more allide must leaue him 89 And now looke backe to Troy Laomedon Intends new wals about his Towne to reare But wanting coined Gold to deale vpon Solicits all the Gods such as dwelt neare Chiefely those two that rule the Sea and Sun Neptune and Phoebus Mony-maisters vvere Of whose rich Priests for so much coine he cals As may repaire his Citties ruin'd wals 90 They dispuruey their vestry of such Treasure As they may spare the vvork now being ended Demand their sums againe but out of measure At their request the Monarch seemes offended And saies he meanes to pay them at his pleasure The Gods by whom Troy vvas vvith wals defended Inrag'd at his ingratitude conspire With ioynt reuenge to vvreake their spleenfull ire 91 The vvrathfull Neptune first his Billowes raisd Aboue the high-built-Wals thinking to drowne Those lofty spires whom all the world hath praisd Hurrying his brinish waters through the Towne Now Dolphins play where barbed Steeds haue graz'd In euery pau'd-street Neptunes Billowes frowne Till being weary with the Citties sacke He drawes himselfe into his Channels backe 92 For by the fates appointment the proud God Must keepe his falling ebbes as well as flow Else pale-fac'st Cinthia at whose dreadfull nod Obedient Neptune shrinkes her rage will show For she commands his waues and his abod Is pointed by the Moone whether below In his Abisme or rockes appearing hire He guids his lookes by her immortall fire 93 But as he shrinkes his waters at her becke He leaues much slimy filth vpon the shore Now gan the God of Fire his beames reflect Vpon the drownded Continent that wore The sea-Gods wrath and now must bide his checke A hot contagious stemme not knowne before Poysons the Clime and as the heat increast The infectious pest consum'd both man and beast 94 Halfe-perisht Troy vnable to withstand Their double wrath her people from her flye Knowing they both offended Sea and Land And to abide their vengeance must needs dye The King himselfe that wants power to command The all-consuming Plague fears to come nye The wals he reard but must to Delphos trauell To excuse his Pride that with the Gods durst cauell 95 His due Oblations ended t is returnd That he must seeke th' offended Gods t' appease Else the hot plague his peoples entrailes burnd Shall all the remnant of his subiects cease Nor must his fearefull pennance be adiournd Nothing can Neptune and Apollo please But monthly to a Monster of the flood To yeild a beautious maide of the Kings blood 96 This couenanted the Troyan King prepares Alotted Virgins now th' infection slakes At length alas for bold Fate all things dares The lot the beautious maide Hesione takes The Kings sole Daughter Fortune nothing cares For him whose hand th' Imperiall Scepter shakes The hood-winckt Goddesse dare on all sides strike Beggers and Kings in lots are both alike 97 Imagin her with thousand Virgins guided Vnto her fearefull Toombe her Monster-graue Imagin how the hulky Diuell slyded Along the Seas smooth breast parting the waue Alasse poore naked Damsell ill prouided Whom Millions without heauens help cannot saue Yet see help coms behold the pride of Greece Deck't in the conquest of the Golden fleece 98 Along the glassie Hellespont by chance Alcides sayling sees vpon the Land The all-dispoyled Virgin in a Trance Wayling her ruine on the bryny Strand Aboue the Waues he sees a Whale aduance His dreadfull shape at whose sight all that stand Vpon the Beach some sounding as halfe dead Others dismayde backe to the Citty fled 99 Such onely whom the cause concerned most And vnto whom the Virgine was allyde Attend her swallowing on the Marine coast For whom no Mortall safety can prouide Now great Alcides with his Greekish hoast Lands on the Continent vnterrifide And while the Troian King with terrour shakes The Virgins Rescue boldly vndertakes 100 Two barbed Steeds the best that Asia bred Are by the King ordaind the Victors meâ—…d By whose strong hand the Sea-Whale shall fall dead The Virgine liue and Troy from pest be freed Now fals his huge Club on the Monsters head With such impetuous weight and violent speede As if Heauens greatest Collumne should downe fall That beares the high roofe of th'Olimpicke Hall 101 The hydious Augur slaine and she releast The periur'd King the promist meede denies And seeing Troy both wal'd and free from pest Excludes the Greeke for his bold enterprise Who sayles from Greece after few months of rest Doth burne Larisse and Tenedos surprise Ruinates Troy expels Laomedon Beates downe the wals made by the Sea and Sunne 102 In which atchieuement Philicteles fought Made of Alcides vanquisht foe his friend The King Eristheus there for honor sought And Creon to this dreadfull fight gaue end The Noble Theseus his assistance brought Theban Amphitrio did his arme extend Gainst Asiaes pride and with the rest returning Ayded great Hercules in Troyes first burning 103 These as they were a Ship-board hauing fild The vast Wombes of their Barkes
was the first that strung the Lute 4 Nables and Regals holy Dauid found Dirceus an Athenian Clarious shrill And these the Lacedemons did first sound When the Messenians they in armes did kill Vnto the Dulcimer first danced round The Troglodites after the Rebeck still Th' Archadians fought Pises Tyrhenus was The first that fashiond Trumpets made of Brasse 5 Which some to Myses attribute and say The Haebrewes with a Siluer Trumpet led Marcht and retyrd were taught to keepe array When to fall off when on fly or make head Dromslades the Romans taught the Cretans they After the Lute their hostile paces tread Great Haliattes with his sword and shield Marcht not without lowd pipers in the field 6 This as it hath the power in dreadfull Warres Mongst soft effeminate breasts to kindle rage and to relenting grace all entrance barres So hath it power the rudest thoughts t`asswage To musicke moue the Plannets dance the stars It tempers fury makes the wilde man sage In this consent of stringes he that can well May with harmonious Orpheus enter hell 7 We left Queene Ceres in her Daughters Quest Measuring the earth from one side to another Yet can she find no end to her vnrest Her Daughter lost shee is no more a Mother The earth once cherisht she doth now detest Gainst which her spleene she can no longer smother She cals it barbarous vnthankefull base And no more worthy of her Souerâ—…gne grace 8 And much against her ancient pleasure speakes For what she fauour'd earst she now dislikes In euery place she comes the Ploughes she breakes The laborous Oxen she with Murraine strikes Vpon the toyling Swaines her spleene she wreakes Cattell and Men choake vp their new-plasht Dykes The barraine fieldes deceiue the Plow-mans trust The vsuring seede is molded vnto dust 9 Which rather in the parched furrow dries Layd open vnto euery rigorous blast Else to the theeuish Byrds a prey it lies Or if it hap to gather root at last Cockle and Tares euen with the Corn-eares rise Else by the choaking Cooch-grasse it is past Thus through her griefe the earth is barraine made The hoped haruest perisht in the blade 10 Meane time Euridice the new made Bride Of Orpheus with a princely traine consorted As in a Meddow by a Riuers side Vnto her Husbands Harpe one day she sported And by his tune her measured paces guide In a swift Hadegay as some reported She shricking starts for whilst her Husband singes Vnto his Harpe a Snake her Ankle stings 11 In Orpheus armes she dyes her soule discends Ferryed by Charon o're the Stigian Lake The woefull Bridegroome leaues his house and friendes Vowing with her the loath'd world to forsake To the Tenarian part his course he bends And by the way no cheerefull word he spake But by ten thousand pathes turning doth crosse Through Tartary and through the blacke Molosse 12 There is a steepe decliuy way lookes downe Which to th' Infernall Kingdome Orpheus guides Whose loouer vapors breathes he sits not downe But enters the darke Cauerne with large strides With thousand shadowes he is compast round Yet still the suffocating Mists diuides Millions of Ghosts vnbodied bout him play Yet fearelesse Orpheus still keepes no his way 13 Hels restlesse Ferriman with Musicke payd Is pleas'd to giue him waftage too and fro The triple Hell-hound that his entrance stayd Charmed with Musicke likewise lets him go So through the ayry throng he passage made Th' immortall people that remaine below And tuning by the way his siluer stringes To the three fatall Sisters Thus he singes 14 You powers Infernall full of awfull dread Whose dietyes no eye terrestriall sees I know all Creatures that are mortall bred At first or last must stand to your decrees I come not as a spy among the dead To blab your doomes or rob you of your fees I onely pierce these vaults voyd of all crime To seeke my Bride that perisht fore her time 15 By loue whose high commaund was neuer bounded In Earth or Heauen but hath some power belovv By your blacke Ministers by Orcus rounded With Styx whose pitchy Waters ebbe and flow By those three Kings by whom all doomes are sounded The Elisian pleasures and the Lake of Woe By all the dreadfull secrâ—…ts of the dead Fayre Parcae knit againe her vitall thread 16 I seeke not to exempt her from your doome This is our generall home heare we must stay Though now releast as all things hither come So must she too and heare abide for aye Graunt that she now may but bespeake her roome And to her death allot a longer day Or if th'immoued Fates this will not doe Before my time with her detaine me to 17 This with such moouing accents Orpheus sung That Chin-deepe Tantalus forgot to bow Vnto the shrinking Waue Ixion hung Vntost vpon the Wheele and Sisiphe now Rests him vpon his stone His Harpe was strung With such rare art the Danaes knew not how To vse their empty tubbes Stix breath'd not fire Nor can the vulture on Prometheus tyre 18 The Sisters weepe Hels Iudges appeare mild And euery tortur'd Ghost forgets his paine Proserpine laught and the drad Pluto smild To see her chang'd of cheere no soulâ—…s complaine Hels Senate to his grace is reconcild And all agree she shall suruiue againe Through million-Ghosts his Bride is sought found And brought to him still haulting on her wound 19 He takes her with this charge at Plutoes hand Not to looke backe till he Auernus past And the large limits of the Stygian Strand Through darke and obscure wayes through deserts vast Steepe hils and smoaky Caues his Wife he man'd Vntill he came where a thin plancke was pla'st O're a deepe raging Torrent where dismayd Orpheus lookes backe her trembling arme t' haue staid 20 Which the three-throated Cerberus espying Snatches her vp and beares her backe to hell In vaine are all his sighes his teares his crying Lowder then he can play the Dog can yell He blames his too much loue and almost dying Is ready with his Bride mongst shades to dwell So long vpon the barren plaines he trifled Till with hels vapors he was almost stifled 21 At length the Rhodopeian Orpheus turnes His feeble paces to the vpper earth Which now with discontented Ceres mournes The rape of Proserpine still plagu'd with Dearth Either the Sun the gleby Champion burnes Else too much raine doth force abortiue birth To the ranke Corne the world forcst to complaine With widdowed Orpheus and the Queene of Graine 22 Who hauing searcht Earth of her child to know She finds her no where on the earth abiding And skaling heauen Heauen can no daughter showe Therefore both heauen and earth the Queene is chiding Onely she left vnsought the vaults below But heares how Orpheus hath by Musickes guiding Past through Auernus and the Stygian fires Therefore of him she for her childe inquires
such Tortures anguish smart That Gods aboue nor Deuils damd could beare That stung his breast and pierst his Noble hart he growes Impatient that could neuer feare Infernall panges Infusde in euery part he striues the poysonous Shirt away to teare But with the cleauing Linnens forst to draw The Brawnes from off his armes and leaue them raw 101 The poysond boyles and he that could confound Gyants so late to his immortall fame Now from the head to heele is all one wound The raging venom-drops his flesh inflame Sometimes he grouels on the senceleâ—…e ground Sometimes those powerfull hands that Monsters tame plucks down huge rocks cleaues theÌ„ with his stroaks And sometimes by the roots rends vp huge Oakes 102 Mad with these Torments Oeta Mount he traces Where creeping in a hole he Lychas spies When stalking to his Caue with leasurd paces About his head he wheeles him in the skies And that being done the whole Mount he defaces A groue of Trees dispoyld about him lies A thousand Oakes he heapes vp on a pile And kindling thâ—…m sayes with a fâ—…ornfull smile 103 Whom neither Iunoes wrath nor Plutoes hell Whom neither Lyons Buls Dogs Dragons Whales Whom neither Tyrants grim nor Gyants â—…ell against that spirit a womans gift preuailes Her iealousie hath power that hart to quell Whom Serpents feare with their â—…uenomed skales Since none on earth deserues our blood to spill The great Alcides shall Alcides kill 104 The fire burnes bright he Philocletes cals And vnto him bequeaths his shasts and bow Who at his warlike fâ—…et confounded fals The Club and Lyons case his bold hands throw Into the flame then he whom noughts appals Cries Ihoue I come and boldly leaps in so That life that mortall did the heauens aspire Now with Immortall wings climes heauen by fire 105 Alcides dead and Priam backe returnd From his successefull Battailes in the East He sees his Country spoyld his Citty burnd His Father slaine which most his griefe increast These losses with his Sisters rape he mournd Nor are such weighty sorrowes soone surceast we for a while will leaue him to his care His Syre t'intoombe his Citty to repaire MEdea some thinke to be the daughter of Eta some the daughter of the Sun some the Daughter of Hecare Apollod lib. 3. Cals her Aeea Heraclides writes her to be the daughter of Neaera of the Nereides Dionisius Milesius cals her the daughter of Eurelytes others of Ipsaea that Chalciope was her sister She had a sonne cald Medus by Aegeas Demodocus a Harpers name in Homer of whom the Country Medea tooke name Iopas a King of Affrica one of Didoes wooers a skilfull Musition Iason committed to the charge of his Vnkle Pelius in his minority because Pelus was loath to resigne to him his kingdome deuised for his Nephew the dangerous enterprize of the golden Fleece which lason contrary to his Vnckles supposition with his Argonants valiantly atchieued In memory of Absyrtus there are still certaine Islandes in the Venetian Sea cald Absyrtides of Absyrtus there slaine by his sister Medea Phrixus was sonne to Athamas and Brother to Helles of whom the Ram that bore the golden fleece was named Phrixeus Helle with her Brother Phrixus was drowned Of whom that Sea is still called Hellespontus Because we onely remember 〈◊〉 and the Mynotaur and haue no further Trafficke in our History with his life I holde it not much amisse in these Annoaations to remember that History and how the Mynotaure was begot Ouid arte Amandi Ida of Caedars and tall Trees stand full Where fed the glory of the Heard a Bull Snow-white saue twixt his hornes one spot there grew Saue that one staine he was of milky hew This faire Steare did the Heyfers of the Groues Desire to beare as Prince of al the Droues But most Pasiphae with adulterous breath Enuies the wanton Heyfers to the death T is saide that for this Bull the doting lasse Did vse to crop young boughes and mow fresh grasse Nor was the Amorous Cretan Queene affeard To grow a kind Companion to the Heard Thus through the Champion she is madly borne And a wilde Bull to Minos giues the horne T is not for by auery he can loue or loath thee Then why Pasiphae doest thou richly cloath thee Why shouldst thou thus thy face aâ—…d lookes prepare What makest thou with thy glasse ordering thy haire Vnlesse thy glasse could make thee seeme a Cow But how can hornes grow on that tender brow If Mynos please thee no Adulterer seeke thee Or if thy husband Mynos do not leeke thee but thy la â—…ciutous thoughts are still increast Deceiue him with a man not with a beast Thus by the Queene the wilde Woods are frequented And leauing the Kings bed she is contented To vse the groues borne by the rage of mind Euen as a ship with a full Easterne wind Some of these strumpet-Heyfers the Queene slew Their smoaking Alters their warme bloods imbrew Whilst by the sacrificing Priest she stands And gripes their trembling entrailes in her hands At length the Captaine of the Heard beguild With a Cowes skin by curious Art compild The longing Queene obtaines her full desire And in her infants byrth bewrayes the Sire This Mynotaure when he came to groath was inclosed in the Laborinth which was made by the curious Arts-maister Dedalus whose Tale likewise we thus pursue When Dedalus the laborinth had built In which t' include the Queene Pasiphaes guilt And that the time was now expired full To inclose the Mynotaure halfe man halfe Bull Kneeling he sayes Iust Mynos end my mones And let my Natiue soile intoombe my bones Or if dread soueraigne I deserue no grace Looke with a pittious eye on my sonnes face And graunt me leaue from whence we are exild Or pittie me if you dâ—…ny my Child This and much more he speakes but all in vaine The King both Sonne and Father wil detaine Which he perceiuing saies Now now tisfit To giue the world cause to admire thy wit Both Land and Sea are watcht by day and night Nor Land nor Sea lie open to our flight Onely the Ayre remaines then let vs try To cut a passage through the ayre and fly Ihoue be auspicious to my enterprise I couet not to mount aboue the skies But make this refuge since I can prepare No meanes to fly my Lord but through the ayre Make me immortall bring me to the brim Of the blacke Stigian Water Styx I le swim Oh human wit thou canst inuent much ill Thou searchest strange Artes who would thinke by skill A heauy man like a light Bird should stray And through the empty Heauens find a fit way He placeth in iust order all his Quils Whose bottoms with resolued waxe he fils Then binds them with a line and being fast tyde He placeth them like Oares on eyther side The tender Lad the downy Feathers blew And what his Father meant he
nothing knew The wax he fastned with the strings he playde Not thinking for his shoulders they were made To whom his Father spake and then lookt pale With these swift Ships we to our Land must saile All passages doth crewell Mynos stop Onely the empty ayre he stils leaues ope That way must we the Land and the rough deepe Doth Mynos barre the ayre he cannot keepe But in thy way beware thou set no eye On the signe Virgo nor Boetes hye Looke not the blacke Orion in the face That shakes his Sword but iust with me keepe pace Thy wings are now in fastning follow me I will before thee fly as thou shalt see Thy Father mount or stoope so I aread thee Take me thy Guarde and safely I will lead thee If we should soare to neere great Phoebus seate The melting Waxe will not endure the heate Or if we fly to neere the Humid Seas Our moystned wings we cannot shake with ease Fly betweene both and with the gusts that rise Let thy light body saile amidst the skies And euer as his little sonne he charmes He sits the feathers to his tender Armes And shewes him how to moue his body light As Birds first teach their little young ones flight By this he cals to Counsell all his wits And his owne wings vnto his shoulders fits Being about to rise he fearefull quakes and in this new way his faint body shakes First ere he tooke his flight he kist his sonne Whilst by his cheekes the brinish waters ronne There was a Hillocke not so towring tall As lofty Mountaines bee nor yet so small To be with Valleyes euen and yet a hill From this thus both attempt their vncoath skill The Father moues his wings and with respect His eyes vpon his wandering sonne reflect They beare a spacious course and the apt boy Fearlesse of harme in his new tract doth ioy and flyes more boldly Now vpon them lookes The Fishermen that angle in the brookes and with their eyes cast vpward frighted stand By this is Samos Isle on their left hand Vpon the right Lebinthos they for sake Astipalen and the Fishy Lake Shady Pachime ful of Woods and Groues When the rash youth too bold in ventring roues Looseth his guide and takes his flight so hie That the soft wax against the Sun doth frie and the Cords slip that kept the Feathers fast So that his armes haue power vpon no blast He fearefully from the hye clouds lookes downe Vpon the lower heauens whose curld waues frowne at his ambitious height and from the skies He sees blacke night and death before his eyes Stil melts the wax his naked armes he shakes and thinking to catch hold no hold he takes But now the naked Lad downe headlong fals And by the way he Father Father cals Helpe Father helpe I die and as he speakes A violent surge his course of language breakes Th' vnhappy Father but no Father now Cryes out aloud Sonne Icarus where art thou Where art thou Icarus where dost thou flie Icarus where art When loe he may espy The feathers swim aloud he doth exclaime The earth his bones the Sea stil beares his name But least we inâ—…st too much on these impertinent tales we wil proceed in our proposed History The end of the seauenth CANTO Argumentum THE twice sackt Troy with all abundaÌ„ce flowes Her wals mlarg'd hir spacious bounds augmeÌ„ted Fortune on Priam all her fauour strowes Her populous streets from all parts are frequented Proud of his sonnes the King impatient growes And with all Greece for wrongs past discontented Warlike Anthenot by Embassage seekes To haue the Kings faire Sister from the Greeks ARG. 2. THe worth of Poets Who first weapons found Troy the Troians Theta makes hir grouÌ„d CANTO 8. 1 FAyre Poesie both ancient and Deuine Tell me thy true Diuinity and age Emmius oft cals thee Sacred thou didst shine In Moses dayes a Prophet wise and Sage Who sang sweet Hymnes compos'd in measured line To great Iehoua Oft Dauid did asswage His melancholy cares in many an Oade Tun'd to the praises of th' almighty God 2 A sweeter verse then good Isaias wrote Or Salomon in his deuinest song For Number Accent Euphony or note Were neuer set with pen or ayr'd with toong Greeke Pindarus whose meeters made men dote Nor Saphos vaine so Musically strong Could in their fluent Verse or sweet inuention Better delight the rauisht eares attention 3 The rising and soft Cadens of a verse In Deutronomium liuely is expressed He that shall Dauids Haebrew Psalmes reherse Shall find true number in his words professed Not Orpheus Horrace line could sooner pierce Th'inchanted braine not Homer whom so me gessed To be chiefe Poet this approues it holy Not as some hold deriu'd from Apish folly 4 In verse Hexamiter did Moises praise The heauens Creator through the red sea flying Archilochus Iambickes first gan raise Apollo meetred Verse all Prose denying Daphne the sonne of Mercury assaies The Elegeick verse soone after dying Thespis Quintilian Tragedies deuisd Which Sophocles soone after enterprisd 5 A Poëm is the richest Monument And onely liues when Marble toombes decay Shewing Kings deeds their merit and discent Notstab'd by time whom Sepulchers obey Thou proud Achilles with thy great ostent Where stands thy Monumentall graue this day Toome-makers die disgracst then Homer trust By whom thy fame liues now thy graue is dust 6 By Poëm Troyes name is preseru'd from fire Which else long since had perisht with the towne Who in these dayes would for her fame inquire Had not deuine wits Chronicled her downe Those flames that eate her buildings with like Ire Had burnt her Name and swallowed her renowne But Poësy apt all such things to saue Redeems her glory from Obliuions graue 7 Poets are Makers had great Homer pleasd Penelop had beene wanton Hellen chast The Spartan King the mutinous hoast appeasde And smooth Vlisses with the horne disgra'st Thersites had the Imperiall Scepter ceasd And Agamemnon in his rancke beene plast Oh! Homer t' was in thee Troy to subdue Thy pen not Greece the Troyans ouerthrew 8 Achilles durst not looke on Hector when He guld his Siluer armes in Greekish bloud Homer that lou'd him more then other men Gaue him such hart that he gainst Hector stood T was not Achilles sword but Homers pen That drew from Hectors breast a Crimson-flood Hector his Myrindons and him subdude In such hye-blood faint hands were not imbrude 9 T was Poesy that made Achilles bold Stout Aiax valiant and Vlisses wise By Homers guift the great Alcide contrould The hoast of Greekes all such as highly prise The sacred Muse their Names are writ in gold Thersites was well featur'd but denyes The Muse her honor therefore to his shame The Muse hath made him Stigmaticke and lame 10 This made great Scipio Affricanus bring Dead Ennius from the rude Calabrian Coast placing his statuë that his prayse did sing In Romes hye Capitoll
make him way Patroclus had not beene Long in the place but all the Greekes were cheared They that before stood like a haruest screene Gaue backe apace for not a man appeared Patroclus still aduanc'st Achilles shicld And with his Myrmidons maintaines the field 31 Now horrid Massacre pursues apace Th' astonisht Troians Paris wounders most To see Achilles arm'd makes good the place And with such rage assault the Troian hoast That not a man dares their Pauillions face Or gainst the Myrmidons his valour boast He cals him troth-lesse periur'd false forsworne And as he speakes withal is backward borne 32 The cry growes great which Hector ouer-hearing He cals vpon his men to cease base flight And spying one aboue the rest appearing Dreadfull in shape and all imbrude in fight His quakefull hand and sword so often rearing He takes him for the warlike Pelean Knight Achilles of the Graecians great'st in pride Whom he had oft before in battaile tride 33 He chuseth from his Page an Oaken speare Hewed from the hart of Ihoues relentlesse tree And couching it spurres with a full Carriere Against Patroclus his proud Steed was free And like a shot starre doth his Ryder beare At euery plunge the ground neere kist his knee His constant ayme that neuer er'd at need Tops the proud Greeke from off his Noble steed 34 And now Achilles armour strowes the field Patroclus lyes vpon the Verdure spred Heere lay his sword and there his trusty shield The Myrmidons as had their Lord bin dead And neuer more victorious Armes should weild Al in disordred rankes retyr'd and fled Achilles armes ceizd who durst longer stay This was the cause the Dardan wan the day 35 When dead by Hector was Menetius son And that his wounded body strowed the plaine Quoth Hector Now Achilles armes are won These are mine owne and these wil I maintaine He strips the faire Patroclus new foredone And thought at first Achilles he had slaine But when he saw one not of God-like kind The Armes he takes the body leaues behind 36 Achilles franticke with so great disgrace Losse both of friend and of his glorious armes Torments himselfe with fury for a space Threatning to Princely Hector hostile harmes Yet when he thinkes to haue his life in chace And rowse the Worthy with his warres alarmes He now records his friends disgrace in field To combat him he hath nor armes nor Shield 37 The bright-foot Amphetrite his fayre Mother Knowing the griefe her sonne conceiues at hart Her true Maternall pitty cannot smother But with her care she seekes to cure his smart Instead of these she will prouide him other Made by Deuine composure not Mans art And thus resolu'd to Lemnos she doth hie Where Vulcan workes in heauenly Ferrarie 38 She found him with his face all smoog'd and blacke And labouring at his Forge quite hid in smoke The stifling fume kept the faire Goddesse backe About she was her soft steps to reuoke But whilst the Câ—…ps on their Anuiles thwacke She spies faire Charis and to her she spoke That the Lame Mettall-God might vnderstand Thetis his friend the Seas-Queene was at hand 39 Charis the hand-maide grace whose Office still Is to strow Venus louely bed with Flowers And to them both Caelestiall Nectar fill As vnto Ihoue-himselfe faire Hebe powers Prayes the bright Goddesse but to stay vntill The swetty Smith his face and visage skowers And whilst she tels the God of her repaire To ease her selfe in a rich golden Chaire 40 Charis departs she mounts the Inamel'd seat The backe of solid Gold richly ingrau'd Cut and inchac'st it shewed his skill was great and in the Metall too no cost was sau'd So though the frame was large his art was neat The foure supporters round about were stau'd With pillers of white siluer moulded so That by the worke the worke-man you may know 41 Meane time faire Charis to the Smith relates How faire-foote Amphetrite stayes without at this report lame Vulcan thankes the Fates Who had so well his businesse brought about The Queene whose fauour he so highly rates Should take the paine to finde his Concaue out Of whom he falling through the Plannets seauen More fauour found then all the rest in heauen 42 With that his apron from his brest he takes His airy Bellowes haue surceast to blow He sleckes his Coales his smoaky Forge forsakes Spunges his hands and face then gins to throw A rich Roabe ore his shoulders and so makes On to the Queene whose mind he longs to know When after many a limping Curtsie made Thus Amphetrite doth the Smith perswade 43 If euer I was held worthy the name Of the seas-Queene vnfortunate alone For of the seed of Gods deriu'd I came Yet married to a Mortall find you none Thetis except yet i st to me no shame Behold my Deuine beauty I was one Euen Ihoue himselfe lou'd whom cause I denide In spight he gaue me to a Mortals Bride 44 Yet am I not esteem'd amongst them least For when my hye espousals were first made In the Mount Pelion all the Gods increast My glory with their presence for none stayed Or kept away from th'Hymenean feast Sauing the Goddes discord the Spheares plaid Musicke to vs my Peleus me contented To grace whom all the Gods rich gifts presented 45 Ihoue gaue vs Graces on our bed to wait Apollo Ingots of the purest Gold Pluto a smarag'd to be worne in state Iuno a lem worth more then can be told Neptune two Steeds aboue all Mortall rate Xanthus and Ballia whom you may behold Still draw my Coach a rich Knife rarely wrought Mongst other presents you God Vulcan brought 46 But what of these digressions If my hap Hath euer bin to do you any grace When falling from hye Heauen in my soft lap I gently catcht you See behold the place On which your head fel which to fold and wrap In smoothest silkes my robes I did vnlace For this and much more kindnesse by me done Requite all with an Armour for my sonne 47 Inough quoth Vulcan fetch Pyragmon straight A parcell of the best and purest Steele And you Berountes let it finde the waight Of your huge Hammers and their ponders feele The Ciclops fetcht a Plate six Cubes in haight So Massie that the burden made him reele Sceropes stain'd with smoake the Bellowes blew And all at once themselues to worke withdrew 48 They forg'd a Helmet with rich Flowers inchac'st So curiously that Art it much exceeded Borders of sundry workes about were plac'st The precise sight of the best eye they needed That could discerne the closures they were grac'st With God-like skill from God-hood it proceeded For beauty it was glorious to the sight For proofe no Steele could on this Helmet bite 49 The Gorget Vaunt-brace Backe-peece brest and all Came from the selfe-same substance and like skill The Cushes that beneath the girdle fall Impenetrable were
Easy as Silkes his griefe conuerts to rage He dons those armes forgetfull of his age 73 To whom the sad Queene with wet eyes thus sayes What meanes my wofull Lord in his weake hand To tosse this burdenous Steele There is no prayse For men to fight when the high Gods withstand Liu'd puissant Hector in these Fatall dayes Yet could not his stronge Limbs protect thy Land Much lesse these Saplesse branches poore and bare Then let the reuerent Priam keepe his Chayre 74 Heere at these holy Altars let vs cling The Gods if they be pleasd our liues may guard If not we all will perish with the King and die at once there shall not one be spard Behold where broken through th'all-slaughtring ring Of Pyrrhus Myrmidons Slaues rough and hard The young Polytes well-ny breathlesse rons Polytes one of Priams best-lou'd Sons 75 Through many an Entry and blind-turning path The burning Pyrrhus hath the Lad pursude Longing vpon the Youth to vent his wrath now both at once before the King intrude The slaughterd-thoughted Greeke all bale and scath In the Childs bloud his satall Blade imbrude Which plucking from his wounds in the same place Sparkled the Sons bloud in the Fathers face 76 To whom the arm'd King thus You Gods aboue Whose diuine eyes all deedes of horror see as you are â—…ust and actes of pitry loue Behold how this rude man hâ—…th dealt by me What God worthy Heauens Pallace can approue So blacke a deede as this that 's done by thee Before the Fathers eye the Child to kill and in his face his Innocent bloud to spill 77 Thou art a Bastard not Achilles Son Of some she Wolfe or Hyrcan Tygresse bred not to be shrin'd in Heauen would he haue don So horrible a deede so full of dred The shame and scandall thou this night hast won More then Achilles honors shall be spred Thy Father honor'd liude and dide in fame Dishonored thou shalt perish in thy shame 78 With that the Iaâ—…elin in his hand he threw Th' vnprofitable strength of his weake arme Though it had art to guid the Weapon true It wanted power to doe blacke Pyrrhus harme Against the long skirt of his Targe it flew But the round Bosse as if composd by charme Shooke off the ydle steele which on the barre That tooke the blow scarce left the smallest scarre 79 Inflamed Pyrrhus thus to him replies Priam thy soule shall straight discend to hell Euen to the place where great Achilles lyes And my sad deeds vnto my Father Father With that all wrath in Prisms face he flies The prostrate King at Ihoues hye Altar fell With such hot rage he did the King pursue That though he mist the whiske him ouerthrew 80 When being groueled in Polites gore Grim Pyrrhus with his left hand takes the king By his white lockes neuer prophand before His reuerent head against the ground to ding His proud right hand a smoaking Curtlax wore Which to perpetuall rest must Priam bring With which against the good old King he tilts Till his hart bloud flowed much aboue the hilts 81 This was old Prisms Fate his fatall end And ending glory he that Asâ—… swayed Whose spreading Fame did through the earth extend Liu'd till he saw both him and his betraid Euen till he had no subiect Sonne or friend And saw Troyes spyres euen with the groundsils laid Who now before loues golden face lyes dead A namelesse coarse a Trunke without a head 82 All this when good Aeneas saw from farre The ends of Troy and Priam burnt and slaine And no abatement yet of heat or warre To his owne Pallace he returnes againe Where gathered on a heape together are His wife Creausa showring teares amaine His seruants old Anchises and his sonne Askanius these about Aeneas ronne 83 After some short discourse of their affaires Aeneas on his backe Anchises takes For young Askanius he his left hand spares In his right hand his guardant sword he shakes Creusa followes close with teares and Prayers So through the fire and foe Aeneas makes He with his sonne and Syre the right way choose But in the darkenesse they Creusa loose 84 Whom missing they Creusa call alowd Creusa for whose safety they 'l returne But sorne blacke Fate doth her in darkenesse shrowd Either Troyes Funerall fires the Lady burne Else is she stifled in the Hostile crowd For her the Father sonne and husband mourne And seeking her amidst the wrathfull flames They encounter Helenus who thus exclaimes 85 Keepe on Aeneas to the Seâ—…n shore The heauens on Troy and vs haue vengeance powred Onely thy ruind fortunes they restore They smile on thee that haue on Priam lowred The faire Creausa thou shalt see no more Her the none-sparing slaughter hath deuowred But in her stead the Gods to thee shal giue A wife in whom deceased Troy shall liue 86 Follow yon starre whether his Bearded beames Directs thy Nauigation on the fand Thousands attend thy conduct through the streames Whom ruin spares for thee and thy command Obserue yon blazing Meteor whose bright gleames Points thee vnto a rich and fertile Land Where after many strange aduentures past Storme-driu'n Aeneas shall arriue at last 87 They to a spacious Climate thee restore A Prouince which the Gods and fates hold best The Meditteren Sea beats on the shore With the Scicilian waters South and East The Adriaticke Billowes North-ward rore With the hye Alpes incompast on the West These Countries it containes Latium Liguria The Climates of Campania and Hetruria 88 With Fertill I stria and Calabria Full peopled Craunia and Apentium Aemilia else cald Rhomandtola With Gallia Cisalpina and Pycenum Iapidia Vmbria and Venetia Flauinia Apulia Sumnium All these are Italy with great Lucania Which shall in times to come be cald Rhomania 89 Farewell and thriue but leaue vs to our Fates This saide the Deuine Helenus retires And shuts himselfe within those fatall gates Where none commands but foes and raging fires Aeneas hasts to meet his promist Mates And on the Coast their fellow-ship desires Who through the street hewes out a bloody tracke With old Anchises hanging at his backe 90 Still â—…stium burnes nor are the ruthlesse Flames Yet quencht Ihoues sparpled Alters licke the blood Of slaughtred Priam the bright vestall Dames Are puld from Pallas Statuë where they stood About their golden lockes with lowd exclaimes Rough souldiers wind their armes and through a flood Of gore and teares in which the pauement flowes Drag them along that faint beneath their blowes 91 The young Astianax from that hye Tower On which his Fathers valour oft he saw Is tumbled headlong on the rough-pau'd flower His all to bruised limbes lye broke and raw To wofull Hecuba in thrust a power Of blood-staind Greekes without regard or awe and from her aged armes snatcht by rude force Polixena whose beauty begs remorse 92 Shee s hurried to Achilles tombe where stands Sterne
23 He tels her of her Daughter new translated Whom in the vaulted Kingdomes he had seene With Pluto in th' infernall Throne instated Where though against her will she raignes as Queene Oh Ihoue quoth she and hath that God most hated Of Proserpine the hellish raptor beene Monarch of Deuils since thou doest constraine mee Vnto the Gods aboue I must complaine mee 24 This was quoth Hercules about the season When Hyppodamia matcht with Theseus frend Noble Perithous by the Centaures Treason Was rauisht and re-purchast But an end Our watre-toyld limbes we keepe against all reason From Natiue rest I feele soft sleepe discend and close my eye-lids with his downy wings I must to rest For this time farewell Kings 25 Whether being weary of his hoftile paine Tooke in the former fight he couets rest Or whether modesty made him refraine To heare his praise where he deserued best But his returne the Kings intreat in vaine When Theseus thus proceeds at their request Ceres displeasd the hye Olimpus mounts And to the eare of Ihoue this rape recounts 26 Reuenge great Ihoue quoth she thy wrongs and mine And if mine cannot moue thee let thy owne For ours betwixt vs is faire Proserpine By diuellish Pluto into Orcus throwne Long lost long sought my daughter 's found in fine Rather not found her losse is certaine knowne For how alas can I vvell tearme her found Whom I still lose kept low beneath the ground 27 In the rude armes of the blacke Dis shee s plac'st Hels Adamantine gates besides inclose her Let not thy Aunt great Ihoue be thus disgrac'st But of my owne childe make me free disposer Else let my name be from thy Bed-role rac'st and be no more a Goddesse if I lose her But Ihoue by faire words seekes t' appease the Mother and reconcile her to his Stigian Brother 28 But th'vnappeased Goddesse hates the Thiefe That with her daughter all her pleasure stale and since heauen giues no comfort to her griefe Shee le try vvhat Mortal can her daughter bale She comes vvhere Hercules and all the chiefe Of Greece assembled where she tels this tale And weeping sweares to be at sterne defiance With the Tartarian Dis and his alliance 29 Before Alcides on this Iourney went Vnvvares to him my friend and I prepare Noble Perithous to this one discent Thinking to cheare the Queene opprest vvith care But fate was opposite to his intent We scarce well arm'd had tucht the lowest stare But Cerberus my friend vntimely slew and me halfe-dead vpon the Pauement threw 30 Vnto my rescue great Alcides came To Hyppodamias husband much to late The Ihouiall youth that can all Monsters tame Ere he findes leysure to lament our Fate Or on the murdrous Hel-hound to exclaime He fals his huge Club on the Monsters pate Which with such violent fury pasht his braines It stounds him so he leaues him bound in chaines 31 Aduentring forward in his Lyons case Th'vnbodied Ghosts affrighted from him flie Who see such terror in his yrefull face Poore soules they feare by him againe to die Hels Marble gates he beates ope with his Mace And manly might amongst the Deuils try Who as they stop his way his Club makes reele Whilst Furyes fly him with their whips of steele 32 Vast hell is all in vprore Pluto wonders To see his black-fac'st ministers afraide he feares th' Imperiall Lord of fire and Thunders Attempts his lower Kingdoms to inuade From Proserpine his twined armes he sounders Takes vp his sable Mace of Porphyr made And with his blacke Guard forward marcheth still where greatest was the presse the cry most shrill 33 Hell had beene sack't and all hels right displayd had not the Fates whom Gods and Men obey The fury of th'aduentrous Graecian stayde and with their reuerent paces stopt his way Those whom the Gods incline to he obeyd In their Brasse rols that neuer shall decay Alcides by their license reades his Fate and armes layde by more mildly they debate 34 Pluto inquires the cause of his arriue He tels him for the rauisht Proserpine Whom as he heares the King intends to wiue Whose heauenly face must among Angels shine Not be amongst the Deuils damnd aliue Of this the Fate twixt him and his define And thus amongst them they compound the cause According to their neuer-changing Lawes 35 That if Queene Proserpine hath kept strict fast And since her entring Hell not tasted food as she hath once the Stygian riuer past So backe to earth she may re-saile the flood Inquiry made the girle alas did tast Some few Pomgranat graines which vnderstood Her doome the fates amongst themselues compoun d That Proserpine must still liue vnder ground 36 Attonement made with hell the glorious Greeke Arm'd with his club returnes the way he came Vpon the earth archieuements new to seeke Since hell is fild with his victorious name Through many a winding path and turning creeke He comes at last where my deere friend lay slaine I wounded and the triple Hell-hound laid Bound in those Gyues which he for others made 37 To mournefull Hyppodamia he presents The murdrous Dogs with her deere husbands coarse She sings his Dirge in many sad Laments But at the fiend that slew without remorse Her husband shee aimes all her discontent And on his face imprints her womanish force heere Theseus wept nor could he longer hide His priuate sorrow for his friend that dide 38 This is the Noble Theseus Aethraes sonne By King Egeus that durst hell inuade In battaile th' Amazonian Baldrick wonne And stout Hyppolite his Dutchesse made Who when King Minos closd Pasiphaes Sonne The Mynotaure in the Dedalian shade He by her helpe to whom she proou'd vntrue Releast the Tribute and the Monster slew 39 Eristheus and the valiant Theban King That knew the Prince Perithous much lament him But with their teares the day began to spring They wish the Fates a longer date had lent him With kindled Lampes th'attendant Pages bring The Princes to their Cabins He that sent him On this attempt at parting they desire To blesse their shores whilst they the seas aspyre 40 Our thoughts must land them which their Trophyes brought From ruin'd Troy on seuerall Coasts of Greece Remembring Iason who with honor sought The fam'd aduenture of the golden Fleece Duke Aeson in this voyage spared naught Many bold Knights well arm'd at euery peece Assist the Noble Greeke in this aduenter Offâ—…ng the Argoe with the Prince to enter 41 Duke Peleas gaue it furtherance to whose Court Where Iason feasted then Alcides came With Philocletes as his deare Consort From strange aduentures that Imblaze his fame Disankring from the fayre Thessalian Port Accompanied with many Knights of fame Castor and Pollux bold Amphitrion Amphion Zetus and sterne Telamon 42 Amphion was a fayre Harmonious Youth Well skild in Musicke Zethus was his Brother Begot by Cretan Ihoue one happy night Vpon the fayre Antiopa his
whose skill Ouid remembers By art of Sayle and Oare Seas are diuided By art the Chariot runs by art Loue 's guided By art are Bridles rain'd in or let slip Typhis by art did steare th' Hemonian ship And Tymes succeeding shall call me alon Loues expert Typhis and Antomedon The reason why Achilles kept his Tent and was not in the field when Hector breathed his chalenge is not fully resolued some thinke he was discontent about a difference betwixt the Generall Agamemnon and him who kept away perforce Briseis a beauteous Lady claimed by Achilles as his Prise which wee rather follow in our History then to lay his absence on his Loue to Polixena whom hee had not yet seene and the promise which for her sake he made to Hecuba to keepe himselfe and his Mâ—…midons from the battaile Achelous was sonne to Oceanus and Tellus viz the sea and the Earth whence all Riuers are deriued who beeing vanquisht by Hercules hid himselfe in the Riuer called of himselfe Achelous a famous stoud in Greece diuiding Aetolia from Acatnauia This Achelous was before called Thoas and riseth from the Mount Pindus but Plutarch calleth it Thestius of Thestius the son of Mars and Pisidices who had three daughters Calirhoe Castalia and Dirce of whom the famous Greeke Poet Akeloou thugater diska c. Oh Acheloi filia venerande Virgo dierce The Flouds of Achelous were so famous that all the waters vsed in the deuine sacrifices were by the Oracle cald Aquae Acheloae The Poets faine him to transhape himselfe in a Bul because Riuersplow the earth as Oxen make Furrowes or because Buls draw neere to the brinkes of riuers when they bellow for fresh pasture else because waters breaking violently through any fall make a confused noise like the roarings of many Buls together He was â—…ald a Dragon by his many indented windings and turnings Hercules being leagued with King Oeneus vndertooke to suppresse this raging riuer whose many inundations had much damag'd his Kiingdome who extenuating his maine streame by inforcing it into many riualets by that meanes made the country more fertil therefore it was moraliz'd that Hercules breaking off his horn receiu'd in the same all fruits of plenty To this Cornucopia or horne of abundance Iupiter gaue this property that whosoeuer held it and wisht should receiue according to their desire The rarieties of the most choise fruits and wines of all kinds how delicious soeuer to tast the Pallat. This vertue was first prou'd by Amatthea daughter to Hemonius King of Aetolia though some take Amatthea to be the Goat that nurst Iupiter with her milke when Rhea had giuen him to be brought vp to Adrastea and Isde. The end of the twelfth CANTO Argumentum A Chilles dotes on beauteous Polixaine And at her faire request refraines the fielde The Truce expierd both Hoasts prepare againe For battaile with proud harts in valour steel'd The Greekes are beate backe many kild and taine Patroclus don's Achilles Armes and shield Him Hector for Achilles tooke and slew Whose Armor gone his Mother seeks him new ARG. 2. TRuce after Combat Hecuba is wonne By Paris meanes to league with Thetis sonne CANTO 13. 1 AWake soft Muse from sleepe and after rest Shew thy selfe quicke and actiue in thy way Thy labouring flight and trauell long opprest Is comforted no longer then delay But with thy swiftest winges fly in the Quest Of thy prefyxed goale The happy day In which this Kingdome did her wide armes spread To imbrace king Iames our Soueraigne Lord head 2 And you great Lord to whom I Dedicate A second worke the yssue of my braine Accept this Twin to that you saw of late Sib to the first and of the selfe-same straine That onely craue the shelters of your state To keepe it from all stormes of Haâ—…le and Raine Who neither dread the rage of winds or Thunder whilst your faire roofe they may be shadowed vndâ—…r 3 Your fauour and protection deckes my phrase and is to me like Ariadnes clew To guide me through the Laborinthean Maze 〈◊〉 which my brain 's intangled T is by you That euery vulger eye hath leaue to gaze and on this Proâ—…ct takes free enter view Which but t' expresse a due debt yet vnpaid Had still remain'd vnperfect and vnmade 4 Proceed we then and where we left repaire About his head the Tree rough Aiax flings Like to a threatning Meteor in the aire Which where it lights exitiall ruin brings Such seemes th'vngrounded Oake leauelesse and bare Who shakes ore Hectors Crest her rooted strings And with such rude impetuous fury fell T' haue dingd him through the Center downe to hel 5 But Hector with his broad shield waits the fall Which shiuers all the plates of his strong Targe The Graectans too much fury strikes withall The plant from his owne hands in his rough charge Vnarm'd once more they grapple to make thrall Each others strength their armes sinnowy and large About their sides with mutuall strength they cling and wrastling striue which can each other fling 6 When loe the Kings on bothsides much admiting Their neuer equald valour loth to lose Such Champions in whose charging or retyring Their spring of victory declines or Flowes Their Conquests droop towards earth or rise aspiring The generall of each hoast his Warder throwes Betweene the Combattants who still contend By slight of strength to giue the difference end 7 Two Guards from either Army step betweene Their heated furies till their blood retyr'd For with fresh breath they both abate their spleene And cease that Combate thousands late admyr'd Instead of blowes their friendly Armes are seene T'infold each other with new loues inspyr'd Aiax his Belt pluckes from athwart his brest And giues to Hector of all Knights the best 8 Who takes a good sword flesht on many a foe And enter-chang'd with Aiax but oh Fate Two ominous Tokens these good Knights bestow Which to themselues prou'd most vnfortunate To Hectors heeles must Aiax Baldricke grow And three times drag him by each Troian gate Whose sight whole Troy with clamorous shricks shal fill With Hectors sword Aiax must Aiax kil 9 These passages of friendship giuen and tooke Behold a Herald from the Towne appeares Who greets the proud Greekes with a friendly looke From Priam reuerent both in state and yeares Them whom but late the Troians could not brooke Troy now inuites and for a space forbeares All hostile hate betweene both hoasts proclaiming A day of Iubile for feast and gaming 10 The Faith of Hector as best hostage giuen Th'inuasiue Kings in peace the Citty enter Whom Priam feasts with all that vnder heauen Can be found rare or bred aboue the Center The Dames and Damsels all pale feare bereauen Amongst the dreadfull Greekes dare freely venter And they that late did fright them aboue measure Haue liberty to sport and Court their pleasure 11 Vnpeered Hector
who had neuer seene Achilles but on Horse-backe arm'd before Eyes him with pleasure and forgets all spleene And Thetis sonne that but in blood and gore Stain'd and besmear'd had neuer Hector seene Freely surueighs his shape his robes he wore His brawny Limbes broad bulk his face and stature Nor can he but applaud the pride of nature 12 To whom Achilles thus Hector I see A presence I could Loue but his Fame hate T is thy renowne alone doth blemish me And makes me in these warres vnfortunate I neuer yet dropt blood but drain'd by thee For which my teene is growne inueterate Nor could I rellish pleasure but still trusting To end thy dayes by sword-fight or by iusting 13 To him the Heroë mildly thus replies Aeacides pursues a double wrong That comes from Greece our Citty to surprise And race our wals that we haue builded strong Your Loues we hold deere but your hates despise As opposites that dare not front vs long If more thou wouldst To armes referre the rest Sit for th' art welcome freely tast our feast 14 Priam and Agamemnon take chiefe place The rest are rankt vnto their states or fames Troylus and Diomed sit face to face and gin to brall for Diomedes blames Troylus and Troylus him to his disgrace The iarres appeas'd for see the fairest Dames Of the best bloods of Troy richly attired Bring in the Queene whose state the Greekes admired 15 Hellen Troyes Fire-brand sat at this hye feast Nor did she blush to see her husband there Him Paris thinkes a bold vnwelcome guest and that to Hellen he was plac'st too neere Alone he tasts no dainties mongst the rest Her very sight hath cloyd him without cheare On Hecuba faire Pollixene attended Whose beauty great Achilles most commended 16 Now the reuolted Calâ—…has free time found Gainst Troian louely Cresseid to perswade With Arguments and words so firme and sound The Troian now no more may Court the Maid King Diomed must henceforth be the ground Of all her passionate Loue she can be staid In Troy no longer though she wisht it rather Shee 's but a Child and must obey her Father 17 Whilst all the Kingly Leaders had lowd chat Of Chiualty hye Bloods and deeds of warre And as their humors led of this or that Of many a bleeding wound and grisly skarre Whilst some spake much and some sat mute thereat Achilles eye fixt on a brighter starre Then any shines fixt mongst the heauenly fires The rarest Pollixene alone admires 18 He neither can dilate of Noble deeds Nor enter-change discourse of slaughtered Kings What comes of peace or what of warre proceeds What profit rest what hurt inuasion brings His new dissolued heart within him bleeds And from his Rocky brest a Fountaine springs Of passion onely by her sight ingendred In place of which old hate is quite surrendred 19 It now repents him he hath lift a blade Against the Syre that such a childe hath bred Or to the place that foster'd that sweetmaide His bloody Myrmidons to battaile led Or that his dreadfull hand did once inuade Her Brother for whose Loue hee 's well-nye dead To gaine whose beauty he could find in hart Greece to renounce and take the Troians part 20 Queene Hecuba obserues Achilles passion Thinking to make it vse-full to her good That the most strong of all the Argiue Nation Shall for her daughters sake spare Troian blood By this the feast and Royall preparation Breakes vp the Kings that on their honors stood With bounteous thanks take leaue bent on the morrow This Truce-full ioy to mix with hostile sorrow 21 The selfe-same night by Hecubaes aduice Vnto Achilles Tent faire Paris sends Offring his Sisters loue held at hye price Mixt with the aged Queenes most kind commends With courteous words the bold Greeke they intice To leaue the siege which Thetis sonne intends Her nuptiall bed being promist with much ioy Answer 's return'd hee 'l warre no more gainst Troy 22 Now while he rests him in his Idle Tent And to his amorous Harpe Loue-Ditties sings Both Armies sundry Stratagems inuent Great Hector to the field his puissance brings Vpon the plaine appeares incontinent A gallant hoast led by th'incamped Kings Warres Musicke sounds Mars trots vpon his Steed Ore thousand mangled sides that freshly bleed 23 Sometime the Troian Leaders with their powers Euen to their Pallisadoes beat the Foe Whence being repulst the camp the Champion scowers And fore Troyes gates their purple Launces grow Whom th'yssue from the Citty soone deuoures Againe the Greeke sustaines great ouerthrow Againe relieu'd the Troian powers they face Whom to their Tents againe the Dardans chace 24 Full thirty daies together Fortune striues To make their Conquest doubtfull in which time Vnnumbred Knights on both parts lost their liues Some in their waine of yeares some in their prime Some slaine out-right some captiu'd put in Gyues Some loose their Fame and some to honors clime Amongst whom Hector in the first ranke stands For deeds of name wrought by his warlike hands 25 Though farre-fear'd Aiax did hye workes of Fame And blacke-hair'd Agamemnon boldly fought Though strong-limb'd Diomed his worth proclame By Martiall Acts midst fields of slaughter wrought Though Nestor oft-times to the battaile came And to his strength and age for honour sought Though Menelaus oft in field was seene Vlisses too more full of guile then spleene 26 Though these and more among themselues contended With aemulation to atchieue most praise Yet when great Hector to the field discended Back't by his Brothers their swift current stayes Aboue them all his glorious worth extended The Greekes grow warre-tyr'd after thirty dayes And beaten to their Trenches much decayd They ioyntly flocke t'implore Achilles ayd 27 Who with his Myrmidons from field abstaines In hope to gaine the fairest Dame aliue Still through the fields remorselesse slaughter raines The Greekes beyond their Parapets they driue Still they intreat he still their words disdaines Within the Campes skirts he may heare them striue Yet all this notwithstanding he seemes loath To Arme himselfe against a sacred oath 28 But when he saw the wounded souldiers run Their bleeding heads amongst the Tents to hide Heard by their swords so many slaughters done Beheld some mangled that before him dide Found how the foe their Campe had well nye won Perceiu'd the fire burne bright on euery side Himselfe surcharg'd with Flames in his tent sweating And all the princes by his bed intreating 29 He then relents and at their faire request Hee 'l keepe his oath and yet affoord them ayde For now the man whom he esteemed best He whom alone his bosome friend he made Patroclus don's his armes his shield his Crest And to his thigh girts his victorious blade And with three hundred Myrmidons attended He yssues where the Campe was least defended 30 At his appearance when those armes were seene So well among the Troians knowne and feared They