whence all wisdome springs What man is he but would suppose the author of this booke The first foundation of his woorke from Moyses wryghtings tooke â–ª Not only in effect he dooth with Genesis agree But also in the order of creation saue that hee Makes no distinction of the dayes For what is else at all That shapelessâ— rude and pestred heape which Chaos he dooth call Than euen that vniuersall masse of things which God did make In one whole lump before that ech their proper place did take Of which the Byble saith that in the first beginning God Made heauen and earth the earth was waste and darknesse yit abod Uppon the deepe which holy wordes declare vntoo vs playne That fyre ayre water and the earth did vndistinct remayne In one grosse bodie at the first ¶ For God the father that Made all things framing out the world according too the plat Conceyued euerlastingly in mynd made first of all Both heauen and earth vncorporall and such as could not fall As obiects vnder sense of sight and also aire lykewyse And emptynesse and for theis twaine apt termes he did deuyse He called ayer darknesse for the ayre by kynd is darke And emptynesse by name of depth full aptly he did marke For emptynesse is deepe and waste by nature Ouermorâ— He formed also bodylesse as other things before The natures both of water and of spirit And in fyne The lyght which beeing made too bee a patterne most diuine Whereby too forme the fixed starres and wandring planets seuen With all the lyghts that afterward should beawtifie the heauen Was made by God both bodylesse and of so pure a kynd As that it could alonly bee perceyued by the mynd To thys effect are Philos words And certainly this same Is it that Poets in their worke confused Chaos name Not that Gods woorkes at any tyme were pact confusedly Toogither but bicause no place nor outward shape whereby To shew them too the feeble sense of mans deceytfull syght Was yit appointed vntoo things vntill that by his myght And wondrous wisdome God in tyme set open too the eye The things that he before all tyme had euerlastingly Decreëd by his prouidence But let vs further see How Ouids scantlings with the whole true patterne doo agree The first day by his mighty word sayth Moyses God made lyght The second day the firmament which heauen or welkin hyght The third day he did part the earth from sea and made it drie Commaunding it too beare all kynd of frutes abundantly The fowrth day he did make the lyghts of heauen to shyne from hye And stablished a law in them too rule their courses by The fifth day he did make the whales and fishes of the deepe With all the birds and fethered fowles that in the aire doo keepe The sixth day God made euery beast both wyld and tame and woormes That creepe on ground according too their seuerall kynds and foormes And in the image of himself he formed man of clay Too bee the Lord of all his woorkes the very selfsame day This is the sum of Moyses woords And Ouid whether it were By following of the text aright or that his mynd did beare Him witnesse that there are no Gods but one dooth playne vphold That God although he knew him not was he that did vnfold The former Chaos putting it in forme and facion new As may appeere by theis his woordes which vnderneath ensew This sâ—ryfe did God and nature breake and set in order dew The earth from heauen the sea from earth he parted orderly And from the thicke and foggie aire he tooke the lyghtsome skye In theis few lynes he comprehends the whole effect of that Which God did woork the first three dayes about this noble plat And then by distributions he entreateth by and by More largely of the selfsame things and paynts them out too eye With all their bounds and furniture And whereas wee doo fynd The terme of nature ioynd with God according too the mynd Of lerned men by ioyning so is ment none other thing But God the Lord of nature who did all in order bring The distributions beeing doone right lernedly anon Too shew the other three dayes workes he thus proceedeth on The heauenly soyle too Goddes and starres and planets first he gaue The waters next both fresh and salt he let the fishes haue The suttle ayre to flickering fowles and birds he hath assignd The earth too beasts both wyld and tame of sundry sorts and kynd Thus partly in the outward phrase but more in verie deede He seemes according too the sense of scripture too proceede And when he commes to speake of man he dooth not vainly say As sum haue written that he was before all tyme for ay Ne mencioneth mo Gods than one in making him But thus He both in sentence and in sense his meening dooth discusse Howbeâ—it yit of all this whyle the creature wanting was Farre more diuine of nobler mynd which should the resdew passe In depth of knowledge reason wit and hygh capacitee And which of all the resdew should the Lord and ruler bee Then eyther he that made the world and things in order set Of heauenly seede engendred man or else the earth as yet But late before the seedes thereof as yit hild inwardly The which Prometheus tempring streyght with water of the spring Did make in likenesse to the Goddes that gouerne euery thing What other thing meenes Ouid heere by terme of heauenly seede Than mans immortall sowle which is diuine and commes in deede From heauen and was inspyrde by God as Moyses sheweth playne And whereas of Prometheus he seemes too adde a vayne Deuyce as though he ment that he had formed man of clay Although it bee a tale put in for pleasure by the way Yit by thinterpretation of the name we well may gather He did include a misterie and secret meening rather This woord Prometheus signifies a person sage and wyse Of great foresyght who headily will nothing enterpryse It was the name of one that first did images inuent Of whom the Poets doo report that hee too heauen vp went And there stole fyre through which he made his images alyue And therfore that he formed men the Paynims did contryue Now when the Poet red perchaunce that God almyghty by His prouidence and by his woord which euerlastingly Is ay his wisdome made the world and also man to beare His image and too bee the lord of all the things that were Erst made and that he shaped him of earth or slymy clay Hee tooke occasion in the way of fabling for too say That wyse Prometheus tempring earth with water of the spring Did forme it lyke the Gods aboue that gouerne euery thing Thus may Prometheus seeme too bee theternall woord of God His wisdom and his prouidence which formed man of clod And where all other things behold the ground with groueling eye He gaue too man a stately looke replete with
as in his owne bée soong Wherein although for pleasant style I cannot make account Too match myne author who in that all other dooth surmount Yit gentle Reader doo I trust my trauell in this cace May purchace fauour in thy sight my dooings too embrace Considring what a sea of goodes and Iewelles thou shalt fynd Not more delyghtfull too the eare than frutefull too the mynd For this doo lerned persons déeme of Ouids present woorke That in no one of all his bookes the which he wrate doo lurke Mo darke and secret misteries mo counselles wyse and sage Mo good ensamples mo reprooues of vyce in youth and age Mo fyne inuentions too delight mo matters clerkly knit No nor more straunge varietie too shew a lerned wit The high the lowe the riche the poore the mayster and the slaue The mayd the wife the man the chyld the simple and the braue The yoong the old the good the bad the warriour strong and stout The wyse the foole the countrie cloyne the lerned and the lout And euery other liuing wight shall in this mirrour sée His whole estate thoughtes woordes and déedes expresly shewd too bée Whereof if more particular examples thou doo craue In reading the Epistle through thou shalt thy longing haue Moreouer thou mayst fynd herein descriptions of the tymes With constellacions of the starres and planettes in theyr clymes The Sites of Countries Cities hilles seas forestes playnes and floods The natures both of fowles beastes wormes herbes mettals stones woods And finally what euer thing is straunge and delectable The same conueyed shall you fynd most featly in some fable And euen as in a cheyne eche linke within another wynds And both with that that went before and that that followes binds So euery tale within this booke dooth séeme too take his ground Of that that was reherst before and enters in the bound Of that that folowes after it and euery one giues light Too other so that whoo so méenes too vnderstand them ryght Must haue a care as well too know the thing that went before As that the which he presently desyres too sée so sore Now too thintent that none haue cause héereafter too complaine Of mee as setter out of things that are but light and vaine If any stomacke be so weake as that it cannot brooke The liuely setting forth of things described in this booke I giue him counsell too absteine vntill he bée more strong And for too vse Vlysses feat ageinst the Meremayds song Or if he néedes will héere and sée and wilfully agrée Through cause misconstrued vntoo vice allured for too bée Then let him also marke the peine that dooth therof ensue And hold himself content with that that too his fault is due FINIS ¶ The first booke of Ouids Metamorphosis translated into Englyshe Meter OF shapes transformde to bodies straunge I purpose tâ— entreate Ye gods vouchsafe for you are they y â—wrought this woÌ„drous feate To further this mine enterprise And from the world begunne Graunt that my verse may to my time his course directly runne Before the Sea and Lande were made and Heauen that all doth hide In all the worlde one onely face of nature did abide Which Chaos hight a huge rude heape and nothing else but euen A heauie lump and clottred clod of séedes togither driuen Of things at strife among themselues for want of order due No sunne as yet with lightsome beames the shapelesse world did vew No Moone in growing did repayre hir hornes with borowed light Nor yet the earth amiddes the ayre did hang by wondrous slight Iust peysed by hir proper weight Nor winding in and out Did Amphitrytee with hir armes embrace the earth about For where was earth was sea and ayre so was the earth vnstable The ayre all darke the sea likewise to beare a ship vnable No kinde of thing had proper shape but ech confounded other For in one selfe same bodie stroue the hote and colde togither The moyst with drie the soft with hard the light with things of weight This strife did God and Nature breake and set in order streight The earth from heauen the sea from earth he parted orderly And from the thicke and foggie ayre he tooke the lightsome skie Which when he once vnfolded had and seuered from the blinde And clodded heape He setting eche from other did them binde In endlesse friendship to agree The fire most pure and bright The substance of the heauen it selfe bicause it was so light Did mount aloft and set it selfe in highest place of all The second roume of right to ayre for lightnesse did befall The earth more grosse drew down with it eche weighty kinde of matter And set it selfe in lowest place Againe the wauing water Did lastly chalenge for his place the vtmost coast and bound Of all the compasse of the earth to close the stedfast ground Now when he in this foresaid wise what God so ere he was Had broke and into members put this rude confused masse Then first bicause in euery part the earth should equall bée He made it like a mighty ball in compasse as we sée And here and there he cast in seas to whome he gaue a lawe To swell with euery blast of winde and euery stormie flawe And with their waues continually to beate vpon the shore Of all the earth within their boundes enclosde by them afore Moreouer Springs and mighty Méeres and Lakes he did augment And flowing streames of crooked brookes in winding bankes he pent Of which the earth doth drinke vp some and some with rest lesse race Do séeke the sea where finding scope of larger roume and space In steade of bankes they beate on shores He did coÌ„maund the plaine And champion groundes to stretch out wide and valleys to remaine Aye vnderneath and eke the woods to hide them decently With tender leaues and stonie hilles to lift themselues on hie And as two Zones doe cut the Heauen vpon the righter side And other twaine vpon the left likewise the same deuide The middle in outragious heat excéeding all the rest Euen so likewise through great foresight to God it séemed best The earth encluded in the same should so deuided bée As with the number of the Heauen hir Zones might full agrée Of which the middle Zone in heate the vtmost twaine in colde Excéede so farre that there to dwell no creature dare be bolde Betwéene these two so great extremes two other Zones are fixt Where temprature of heate and colde indifferently is mixt Now ouer this doth hang the Ayre which as it is more sleightie Than earth or water so againe than fire it is more weightie There hath he placed mist and cloudes and for to feare mens mindes The thunder and the lightning eke with colde and blustring windes But yet the maker of the worlde permitteth not alway The windes to vse the ayre at will For at this present day Though ech from other placed be in sundry coasts
That such destruction vtterly on all mankinde should fall Demaunding what he purposed with all the Earth to doe When that he had all mortall men so cleane destroyde and whoe On holie Altars afterward should offer frankinsence And whother that he were in minde to leaâ—e the Earth fro thence To sauage beastes to wast and spoyle bicause of mans offence The king of Gods bade cease their thought questions in that case And cast the care thereof on him within a little space He promist for to frame a newe an other kinde of men By wondroâ—s meanes vnlike the first to fill the world agen And now his lightning had he thought on all the earth to throw But that he feared least the flames perhaps so hie should grow As for to set the Heauen on fire and burne vp all the skie He did remember furthermore how that by destinie A certaine time should one day come wherein both Sea and Lond And Heauen it selfe shoulde féele the force of Vulâ—ans scorching brond â–ª So that the huge and goodly worke of all the worlde so wide Should go to wrecke for doubt whereof forthwith he laide aside His weapons that the Cyclops made intending to correct Mans trespasse by a punishment contrary in effect And namely with incessant showres from heauen ypoured downe He did determine with himselfe the mortall kinde to drowne In Aeölus prison by and by he fettred Boreas fast With al such winds as chase y â— cloudes or breake theÌ„ with their blast And set at large the Southerne winde who straight with watry wings And dreadfull face as blacke as pitch forth out of prison flings His beard hung full of hideous stormes all dankish was his head With water streaming downe his haire that on his shoulders shead His vgly forehead wrinkled was with foggie mistes full thicke And on his fethers and his breast a stilling dew did sticke Assoone as he betwéene his hands the hanging cloudes had crusht With ratling noyse adowne from heauen the raine full sadly gusht The Rainbow Iunos messenger bedect in sundrie hue To maintaine moysture in the cloudes great waters thither drue The corne was beaten to the grounde the Tilmans hope of gaine For which he toyled all the yeare lay drowned in the raine â–ª Ioues indignation and his wrath began to grow so hot That for to quench the rage thereof his Heauen suffisde not His brother Neptune with his waues was faine to doe him ease Who straight assembling all the streames that fall into the seas Said to them standing in his house Sirs get you home apace You must not looke to haue me vse long preaching in this case Poure out your foree for so is néede your heads ech one vnpende And from your open springs your streames with flowing waters sende He had no sooner said the word but that returning backe Eche one of them vnlosde his spring and let his waters slacke And to the Sea with flowing streames yswolne aboue their bankes One rolling in anothers necke they rushed forth by rankes Himselfe with his threetyned Mace did lend the earth a blow That made it shake and open wayes for waters forth to flow The flouds at randon where they list through all the fields did stray Men beastes trées corne with their gods were Churches washt away If any house were built so strong against their force to stonde Yet did the water hide the top and turrâ—ts in that ponde Were ouerwhelmde no difference was betwéene the sea and ground For all was sea there was no shore nor landing to be found Some climbed vp to tops of hils and some rowde to and fro In Botes where they not long before to plough and Cart did go One ouer corne and tops of townes whome waues did ouerwhelme Doth saile in ship an other sittes a fishing in an Elme In meddowes gréene were Anchors cast so fortune did prouide And crooked ships did shadow vynes the which the floud did hide And where but tother day before did féede the hungry â—ote The vgly Seales and Porkepisces now to and fro did flote The Seanymphes wondred vnder waues the townes and groues to â—ée And Dolphines playd among the tops and boughes of euery trée The grim and gréedy Wolfe did swim among the siely shéepe The Lion and the Tyger fierce were borne vpon the déepe It booted not the foming Boare his crooked tuskes to whet The running Hart coulde in the streame by swiftnesse nothing get The fléeting fowles long hauing sought for land to rest vpon Into the Sea with werie wings were driuen to fall anon Th' outragious swelling of the Sea the lesser hillockes drownde Unwonted waues on highest tops of mountaines did rebownde The greatest part of men were drownde and such as scapte the floode Forlorne with fasting ouerlong did die for want of foode Against the fieldes of Aonie and Atticke lies a lande That Phocis hight a fertile ground while that it was a lande But at that time a part of Sea and euen a champion fielde Of sodaine waters which the floud by forced rage did yéelde Where as a hill with forked top the which Parnasus hight Doth pierce the cloudes and to the starres doth raise his head vpright When at this hill for yet the Sea had whelmed all beside Deucalion and his bedfellow without all other guide Arriued in a little Barke immediatly they went And to the Nymphes of Corycus with full deuout intent Did honor due and to the Gods to whome that famous hill Was sacred and to Themis eke in whose most holie will Consisted then the Oracles In all the world so rounde A better nor more righteous man could neuer yet be founde Than was Deucalion nor againe a woman mayde nor wife That feared God so much as shée nor led so good a life When Ioue behelde how all the worlde stoode lyke a plash of raine And of so many thousand men and women did remaine But one of eche howbeit those both iust and both deuout He brake the Cloudes and did commaund that Boreas with his stout And sturdie blasts should chase the floud that Earth might see the skie And Heauen the Earth the Seas also began immediatly Their raging furie for to cease Their ruler laide awaye His dreadfull Mace and with his wordes their woodnesse did alaye He called Tryton to him straight his trumpetter who stoode In purple robe on shoulder cast aloft vpon the floode And bade him take his sounding Trumpe and out of hand to blow Retreat that all the streames might heare and rease from thence to flow He tooke his Trumpet in his hand hys Trumpet was a shell Of some great Whelke or other â—â—she in facion like a Bell That gathered narrow to the mouth and as it did descende Did waxe more wide and writhen still downe to the nether ende When that this Trumpe amiâ— the Sea was set to Trytons mouth He blew so loude that all the streames both East West North South Might easâ—y heare him blow
lust Of one what God so ere he was disdeyning former fare Too cram that cruell croppe of his with fleshmeate did not spare He made a way for wickednesse And first of all the knyfe Was staynd with blood of sauage beastes in ridding them of lyfe And that had nothing béene amisse if there had béene the stay For why wée graunt without the breach of godlynesse wée may By death confound the things that séeke too take our lyues away But as too kill them reason was euen so agein theyr was No reason why too eate theyr flesh This leawdnesse thence did passe On further still Wheras there was no sacrifyse beforne The Swyne bycause with hoked groyne he wrooted vp the corne And did deceyue the tillmen of theyr hope next yéere thereby Was déemed woorthy by desert in sacrifyse too dye The Goate for byghting vynes was slayne at Bacchus altar whoo Wreakes such misdéedes Theyr owne offence was hurtful to theis twoo But what haue you poore shéepe misdoone a cattell méeke and méeld Created for too maynteine man whoos 's fulsomme duggs doo yéeld Swéete Nectar whoo dooth clothe vs with your wooll in soft aray Whoose lyfe dooth more vs benefite than dooth your death farreway What trespasse haue the Oxen doone a beast without all guyle Or craft vnhurtfull simple borne too labour euery whyle In fayth he is vnmyndfull and vnwoorthy of increace Of corne that in his hart can fynd his tilman too releace From plowgh too cut his throte that in his hart can fynde I say Those neckes with hatchets of too strike whoos 's skinne is worne away With labring ay for him whoo turnd so oft his land most tough Whoo brought so many haruestes home yit is it not ynough That such a great outrageousenesse committed is They father Theyr wickednesse vppon the Goddes And falsly they doo gather That in the death of peynfull Ox the hyghest dooth delyght A sacrifyse vnblemished and fayrest vntoo syght For beawtye woorketh them theyr bane adornd with garlonds and With glittring gold is cyted at the altar for too stand There héere 's he woordes he wotes not what y â— which y â— préest dooth pray And on his forehead suffereth him betwéene his hornes too lay The eares of corne that he himself hath wrought for in the clay And stayneth with his blood the knyfe that he himself perchaunce Hathe in the water shéere ere then behild by soodein glaunce Immediatly they haling out his hartstrings still aliue And poring on them séeke therein Goddes secrets too reâ—ryue Whence commes so gréedy appetyte in men of wicked meate And dare yée O yée mortall men aduenture thus too eate Nay doo not I beséeche yée so But giue good â—are and héede Too that that I shall warne you of and trust it as your créede That whensoeuer you doo eate your Oxen you deuowre Your husbandmen And forasmuch as God this instant howre Dooth moue my toong too speake I will obey his heauenly powre My God Apollos temple I will set you open and Disclose the woondrous heauens themselues and make you vnderstand The Oracles and secrets of the Godly maiestye Greate things and such as wit of man could neuer yit espye And such as haue béene hidden long I purpose too descrye I mynd too leaue the earth and vp among the starres too slye I mynd too leaue this grosser place and in the clowdes too flye And on stowt Atlas shoulders strong too rest my self on hye And looking downe from heauen on men that wander heere and there In dreadfull feare of death as though they voyd of reason were Too giue them exhortation thus and playnely too vnwynd The whole discourse of destinie as nature hath assignd O men amaazd with dread of death why feare yée Limbo Styx And other names of vanitie which are but Poets tricks And perrills of another world all false surmysed géere For whither fyre or length of tyme consume the bodyes héere Yee well may thinke that further harmes they cannot suffer more For soules are frée from death Howbéet they liuing euermore Theyr former dwellings are receyud and liue ageine in new For I myself ryght well in mynd I beare it too be trew Was in the tyme of Troian warre Euphorbus Panthevves sonne Quyght through whoos 's hart the deathfull speare of Menelay did ronne I late age in Iunos Church at Argos did behold And knew the target which I in my left hand there did hold Al things doo chauÌ„ge But nothing sure dooth perrish This same spright Dooth fléete and fisking héere and there dooth swiftly take his flyght From one place too another place and entreth euery wyght Remouing out of man too beast and out of beast too man But yit it neuer perrisheth nor neuer perrish can And euen as supple wax with ease receyueth fygures straunge And kéepes not ay one shape ne bydes assured ay from chaunge And yit continueth alwayes wax in substaunce So I say The soule is ay the selfsame thing it was and yit astray It fléeteth intoo sundry shapes Therfore least Godlynesse Bée vanquisht by outragious lust of belly beastlynesse Forbeare I speake by prophesie your kinsfolkes ghostes too chace By slaughter neyther nourish blood with blood in any cace And sith on open sea the wynds doo blow my sayles apace In all the world there is not that that standeth at a stay Things eb and flow and euery shape is made too passe away The tyme itself continually is fléeting like a brooke For neyther brooke nor lyghtsomme tyme can tarrye still But looke As euery waue dryues other foorth and that that commes behynd Bothe thrusteth and is thrust itself Euen so the tymes by kynd Doo fly and follow bothe at once and euermore renew For that that was before is left and streyght there dooth ensew Anoother that was neuer erst Eche twincling of an eye Dooth chaunge Wée see that after day commes nyght and darks the sky And after nyght the lyghtsum Sunne succéedeth orderly Like colour is not in the heauen when all things wéery lye At midnyght â—ound a sléepe as when the daystarre cléere and bryght Commes foorth vppon his milkwhyght stéede Ageine in other plyght The morning Pallants daughter fayre the messenger of lyght Deliuereth intoo Phebus handes the world of cléerer hew The circle also of the sonne what â—yme it ryseth new And when it setteth looketh red â–ª but when it mounts most hye Then lookes it whyght bycause that there the nature of the skye Is better and from filthye drosse of earth dooth further flye The image also of the Moone that shyneth ay by nyght Is neuer of one quantitie For that that giueth lyght Too day is lesser than the next that followeth till the full And then contrarywyse eche day her lyght away dooth pull What seest thou not how that the yéere as representing playne The age of man departes itself in quarters fowre first bayne And tender in the spring it is euen like a sucking babe Then gréene and
maiesty And willd him too behold the heauen with countnance cast on hye Too mark and vnderstand what things are in the starrie skye In theis same woordes both parts of man the Poet dooth expresse As in a glasse and giueth vs instruction too addresse Our selues too know our owne estate as that wee bee not borne Too follow lust or serue the paunch lyke brutish beasts forlorne But for too lyft our eyes as well of body as of mynd Too heauen as too our natiue soyle from whence wee haue by kynd Our better part and by the sight thereof too lerne too know And knowledge him that dwelleth there and wholly too bestow Our care and trauell too the prayse and glorie of his name Who for the sakes of mortall men crated first the same Moreouer by the golden age what other thing is ment Than Adams tyme in Paradyse who beeing innocent Did lead a blist and happy lyfe vntill that thurrough sin He fell from God From which tyme foorth all sorrow did begin The earth accursed for his sake did neuer after more Yeeld foode without great toyle Both heate and cold did vexe him sore Disease of body care of mynd with hunger thirst and neede Feare hope ioy greefe and trouble fell on him and on his seede And this is termd the siluer age Next which there did succeede The brazen age when malice first in peoples harts did breede Which neuer ceased growing till it did so farre outrage That nothing but destrucion could the heate thereof asswage For why mens stomackes wexing hard as steele ageinst their God Prouoked him from day too day too strike them with his rod. Prowd Gyants also did aryse that with presumptuous wills Heapt wrong on wrong and sin on sin lyke howge and lofty hilles Whereby they stroue too clâ—mb too heauen and God from thence too draw In scorning of his holy woord and breaking natures law For which anon ensewd the slood which ouerflowed all The whole round earth and drowned quyght all creatures great and smal Excepting feaw that God did saue as seede whereof should grow Another ofspring All these things the Poet heere dooth show In colour altring both the names of persons tyme and place For where according too the truth of scripture in this cace The vniuersall flood did fall but sixteene hundred yeeres And sixâ—nd fifty after the creation as appeeres By reckening of the ages of the fathers vnder Noy With whom seuen other persons mo like saufgard did enioy Within the arke which at the end of one whole yeere did stay Uppon the hilles of Armenie The Poet following ay The fables of the glorying Greekes who shamelessely did take The prayse of all things too themselues in fablyng wyse dooth make It happen in Deuâ—alions tyme who reignd in Thessaly Eyght hundred winters since Noyes flood or therevpon well nye Bicause that in the reigne of him a myghty flood did fall That drownde the greater part of Greece townes cattell folk and all Saue feaw that by the help of boats atteyned vntoo him And too the highest of the forkt Parnasos top did swim And for bycause that hee and his were driuen a whyle to dwell Among the stonny hilles and rocks vntil the water fell The Poets herevpon did take occasion for too feyne That he and Pyrrha did repayre mankynd of stones ageyne So in the sixth booke afterward Amphions harp is sayd The first foundation of the walles of Thebee too haue layd Bycause that by his cloquence and iustice which are ment By true accord of harmonie and musicall consent He gathered intoo Thebee towne and in due order knit The people that disperst and rude in hilles and rocks did sit So Orphey in the tenth booke is reported too delyght The sauage beasts and for too hold the fleeting birds from flyght Too moue the senselesse stones and stay swift riuers and too make The trees too follow after him and for his musick sake Too yeeld him shadow where he went By which is signifyde That in his doctrine such a force and sweetnesse was implyde That such as were most wyld stowre feerce hard witlesse rude and bent Ageinst good order were by him perswaded too relent And for too bee conformable too liue in reuerent awe Like neybours in a common weale by iustyce vnder law Considring then of things before reherst the whole effect I trust there is already shewd sufficient too detect That Poets tooke the ground of all their cheefest fables out Of scripture which they shadowing with their gloses went about Too turne the truth too toyes and lyes And of the selfsame rate Are also theis Their Phlegeton their Styx their blisfull state Of spirits in th' Elysian feelds Of which the former twayne Seeme counterfetted of the place where damned soules remaine Which wee call hell The third dooth seeme too fetch his pedegree From Paradyse which scripture shewes a place of blisse too bee If Poets then with leesings and with fables shadowed so The certeine truth what letteth vs too plucke those visers fro Their doings and too bring ageine the darkened truth too lyght That all men may behold thereof the cleernesse shining bryght The readers therefore earnestly admonisht are too bee Too seeke a further meening than the letter giues too seâ— The trauell â—ane in that behalf although it haue sum payne Yit makes it double recompence with pleasure and with gayne With pleasure for varietie and straungenesse of the things With gaine for good instruction which the vnderstanding brings And if they happening for too meete with any wanton woord Or matter lewd according as the person dooth aâ—oord In whom the euill is describde doo feele their myndes thereby Prouokte too vyce and wantonnesse as nature commonly Is proâ—e to euill let them thus imagin in their mynd Behold by sent of reason and by perfect syght I fynd A Panther heere whose peinted cote with yellow spots like gold And pleasant smell allure myne eyes and senses too behold But well I know his face is grim and feerce which he dooth hyde Too this intent that whyle I thus stand gazing on his hyde He may deuour mee vnbewares Ne let them more offend At vices in this present woork in lyuely colours pâ—â—d Than if that in a chrystall glasse fowle images they found Resembling folkes fowle visages that stand about it round For sure theis fables are not put in wryghting too th entent Too further or allure too vyce but rather this is ment That men beholding what they bee when vyce dooth reigne in stead Of vertue should not let their lewd affections haue the head For as there is no creature more diuine than man as long As reason hath the souereintie and standeth firme and strong So is there none more beastly vyle and deuâ—lish than is hee If reason giuing ouer by affection mated bee The vse of this same booke therfore is this that euery man Endeuoring for too know himself as neerly as he can As though he in
thus No maruell though thou be so proude and full of wordes ywâ—s For euerie fonde and trifling tale the which thy mother makes Thy gyddie wit and hairebrainde heade forthwith for gospell takes Well vaunt thy selfe of Phoebus still for when the truth is séene Thou shalt perceyue that fathers name a forged thing to béene At this reproch did Phaëton wax as red as any fire Howbeit for the present tyme did shame represse his ire Unto his mother Clymen straight he goeth to detect The spitefull wordes that Epaphus against him did obiect Yea mother quoth he and which ought your greater griefe to bée I who at other tymes of talke was wont to be so frée And stoute had néere a worde to say I was ashamde to take So fowle a foyle the more because I could none answere make But if I be of heauenly race exacted as ye say Then shewe some token of that highe and noble byrth I pray And vouche me for to be of heauen With that he gently cast His armes about his mothers necke and clasping hir full fast Besought hir as she loude his life and as she loude the lyfe Of Merops and had kept hir selfe as vndefiled wyfe And as she wished welthily his sisters to bestowe She would some token giue whereby his rightfull Sire to knowe It is a doubtfull matter whither Clymen moued more With this hir Phaëtons earnest sute exacting it so sore Or with the slaunder of the brute layde to hir charge before Did holde vp both hir handes to heauen and looking on the Sunne My right deare childe I safely sweare quoth she to Phaëton That of this starre the which so bright doth glister in thine eyâ— Of this same Sunne that cheares the world with light indifferently Wert thou begot and if I fayne then with my heart I pray That neuer may I sée him more vnto my dying day But if thou haue so great desire thy father for to knowe Thou shalt not néede in that behalfe much labour to bestowe The place from whence he doth arise adioyneth to our lande And if thou thinke thy heart will serue then go and vnderstande The truth of him When Phaëton heard his mother saying so He gan to leape and skip for ioye He fed his fansie tho Upon the Heauen and heauenly things and so with willing minde From Aâ—thiop first his natiue home and afterwarde through Inde Set vnderneath the morning starre he went so long till as He founde me where his fathers house and dayly rising was Finis primi Libri THE SECONDE BOOKE of Ouids Metamorphosis THe Princely Pallace of the Sunne stood gorgeous to beholde On stately Pillars builded high of yellow burnisht golde Beset with sparckling Carbuncles that like to fire did shine The roofe was framed curiously of Yuorie pure and fine The two doore leaues of siluer cleare a radiant light did cast But yet the cunning workemanship of things therein farre past The stuffe wherof the doores were made For there a perfect plat Had Vulcane drawne of all the worlde Both of the sourges that Embrace the earth with winding waues and of the stedfast ground And of the heauen it selfe also that both encloseth round And first and formest in the Sea the Gods thereof did stande Loude sounding Tryton with his shirle writhen Trumpe in hande Unstable Protevv chaunging aye his figure and his hue From shape to shape a thousande sithes as list him to renue Aëgeon leaning boystrously on backes of mightie Whales And Doris with hir daughters all of which some cut the wales With splaied armes some sate on rockes and dride their goodly haire And some did ryde vppon the backes of fishes here and theare Not one in all poyntes fully lyke an other coulde ye sée Nor verse farre vnlike but such as sisters ought to bée The Earth had townes men beasts Woods with sundrie trées rods And running Ryuers with their Nymphes and other countrie Gods Directly ouer all these same the plat of heauen was pight Upon the two doore leaues the signes of all the Zodiak bright Indifferently six on the left and six vpon the right When Clymens sonne had climbed vp at length with wéerie pace And set his foote within his doubted fathers dwelling place Immediately he preaced forth to put him selfe in sight And stoode aloofe For néere at hande he could not bide the light In purple Robe and royall Throne of Emeraudes freshe and gréene Did Phoebus sitte and on eche hande stoode wayting well beséene Dayes Monthes yeares ages seasons times eke the equall houres There stoode the springtime with a crowne of fresh and fragrant floures There wayted Sommer naked starke all saue a wheaten Hat And Autumne smerde with treading grapes late at the pressing Fat. And lasâ—â—y quaking for the colde stood Winter all forlorne With rugged heade as white as Doue and garments all to torne Forladen with the Isycles that dangled vp and downe Uppon his gray and hoarie bearde and â—nowie frozen crowne The Sunne thus sitting in the middes did cast his piercing eye With which full lightly when he list he all thinges doth espye Upon his childe that stood aloofe agast and trembling sore At sight of such vnwoonted things and thus bespake him thore O noble ympe O Phaëton which art not such I sée Of whome thy father should haue cause ashamed for to bée Why hast thou traueld to my court what is thy will with mée Then answerde he of all the worlde O onely perfect light O Father Phoebus if I may vsurpe that name of right And that my mother for to saue hir selfe from worldely shame Hyde not hir fault with false pretence and colour of thy name Some signe apparant graunt whereby I my be knowne thy Sonne And let mée hang no more in doubt He had no sooner donne But that his father putting off the bright and fierie beames That glistred rounde about his heade like cleare and golden streames Commaunded him to draw him néere and him embracing sayde To take mée for thy rightfull Sire thou néede not be afrayde Thy mother Clymen of a truth from falshood standeth frée And for to put thée out of doubt aske what thou wilt of mée And I will giue thée thy desire the Lake whereby of olde We Gods do sweare the which mine eyes did neuer yet béeholde Beare witnesse with thée of my graunt he scarce this tale had tolde But that the foolish Phaëton straight for a day did craue The guyding of his winged Stéedes and Chariot for to haue Then did his Father by and by forethinke him of his oth And shaking twentie tymes his heade as one that was full wroth Béespake him thus thy wordes haue made me rashly to consent To that which shortly both of vs I feare mée shall repent Oh that I might retract my graunt my sonne I doe protest I would denie thée nothing else saue this thy fond request I may disswade there lyes herein more perill than thou wéene The things
the which thou doest desire of great importance béene More than thy weakenesse well can wielde a charge as well appeares Of greater weight than may agree with these thy tender yeares Thy state is mortall weake and frayle the thing thou doest desire Is such whereto no mortall man is able to aspire Yea foolish boy thou doest desire and all for want of wit A greater charge than any God coulde euer haue as yet For were there any of them all so ouerséene and blinde To take vpon him this my charge full quickly should he finde That none but I could sit vpon the fierie Axeltrée No not euen he that rules this wast and endlesse space we sée Not he that darts with dreadfull hande the thunder from the Skie Shall driue this chare And yet what thing in all the world perdie Is able to compare with Ioue Now first the morning way Lyes stéepe vpright so that the stéedes in coolest of the day And béeing fresh haue much a doe to climbe against the Hyll Amiddes the heauen the gastly heigth augmenteth terror still My heart doth waxe as colde yse full many a tyme and oft For feare to sée the Sea and land from that same place aloft The Euening way doth fall plump downe requiring strength to guide That Tethis who doth harbrowgh mée within hir sourges wide Doth stand in feare least from the heaueÌ„ I headlong down should slide Besides all this the Heauen aye swimmes and whéeles about full swift And with his rolling dryues the starres their proper course to shift Yet doe I kéepe my natiue course against this brunt so stout Not giuing place as others doe but boldely bearing out The force and swiftnesse of that heauen that whyrleth so about Admit thou had my winged Stéedes and Chariot in thine hande What couldste thou doe dost thinke thy selfe well able to withstande The swiftnesse of the whyrled Pooles but that their brunt and sway Yea doe the best and worst thou can shall beare thée quite away Perchaâ—nce thou dost imaginee there some townes of Gods to â—inde With groues and Temples richt with giftes as is among mankinde Thou art deceyude vtterly thou shalt not finde it so By blinde bywayes and vgly shapes of monsters must thou go And though thou knewe the way so well as that thou could not stray Betwéene the dreadful bulles sharp hornes yet must thou make thy way Agaynst the cruell Bowe the which the Aemonian archer drawes Against the ramping Lyon armde with gréedie téeth and pawes Against the Scorpion stretching farre his fell and venymd clawes And eke the Crab that casteth forth his crooked clées awrie Not in such sort as th' other doth and yet as dreadfully Againe thou neyther hast the powre nor yet the skill I knowe My lustie coursers for to guide that from their nosetrilles throwe And from their mouthes the fierie breath that bréedeth in their brest For scarcely will they suffer mée who knowes their nature best When that their cruell courages begin to catch a heate That hardely should I deale with them but that I know the â—eate But least my gift should to thy griefe and vtter perill tend My Sonne beware and whyle thou mayst thy fonde request amend Bycause thou woulde be knowne to bée my childe thou séemst to craue A certaine signe what surer signe I pray thée canst thou haue Than this my feare so fatherly the which I haue of thée Which proueth me most certainly thy father for to bée Beholde and marke my countenaunce O would to God thy sight Coulde pierce within my wofull brest to sée the heauie plight And heapes of cares within my heart Looke through the worlde so round Of all the wealth and goodes therein if ought there may be found In Heauen or Earth or in the Sea aske what thou lykest best And sure it shall not be denide This onely one request That thou hast made I heartely beséech thée to relent Which for to tearme the thing aright is euen a punishment And not an honour as thou thinkest my Phaëton thou dost craue In stead of honour euen a scourge and punishment for to haue Thou fondling thou what dost thou meane with fawning armes about My necke thus flattringly to hang Thou néedest not to dout I haue alreadie sworne by Styx aske what thou wilt of mée And thou shalt haue Yet let thy next wish somewhat wiser bée Thus ended his aduertisment and yet the wilfull Lad Withstood his counsell vrging still the promisse that he had Desiring for to haue the chare as if he had béene mad â–ª His father hauing made delay as long as he could shift Did lead him where his Chariot stood which was of Vulcans gift The Axeltrée was massie golde the Bucke was massie golde The vtmost fellies of the whéeles and where the trée was rolde The spokes were all of syluer bright the Chrysolites and Gemmes That stood vppon the Collars Trace and hounces in their hemmes Did cast a shéere and glimmering light as Phoebus shone thereon Now while the lustie Phaëton stood gazing here vpon And wondered at the workemanship of euerie thing béeholde The earely morning in the East béegan mée to vnfolde Hir purple Gates and shewde hir house bedeckt with Roses red The twinckling starres withdrew which by the morning star are led Who as the Captaine of that Host that hath no péere nor match Dooth leaue his standing last of all within that heauenly watch Now when his Father sawe the worlde thus glister red and trim And that his waning sisters hornes began to waxen dim He had the fetherfooted howres go harnesse in his horse The Goddesses with might and mayne themselues thereto enforce His fierifoming Stéedes full fed with iuice of Ambrosie They take from Maunger trimly dight and to their heades doe tie Strong reyned â—its and to the Charyot doe them well appoint Then Phoebus did with heauenly salue his Phaëtons heade annoint That scorching fire coulde nothing hurt which done vpon his haire He put the fresh and golden rayes himselfe was wont to weare And then as one whose heart misgaue the sorrowes drawing fast With sorie sighes he thus bespake his retchlesse sonne at last And if thou canst at least yet this thy fathers lore obay Sonne spare the whip reyne them hard they run so swift away As that thou shalt haue much a doe their fléeing course to stay Directly through the Zones all â—iue beware thou doe not ride A brode byway cut out a skew that bendeth on the side Contaynde within the bondes of thrée the midmost Zones doth lie Which from the grisely Northren beare Southren Pole doth flie Kéepe on this way my Charyot rakes thou plainely shalt espie And to thintent that heauen and earth may well the heate endure Driue neyther ouer high nor yet too lowe For be thou sure And if thou mount aboue thy boundes the starres thou burnest cleane Againe beneath thou burnst the Earth most safetie is the meane And least perchaunce
Of Snakes and Todes the filthie foode that kéepes hir vices fresh It lothde hir to beholde the sight Anon the Elfe arose And left the gnawed Adders flesh and slouthfully she goes With lumpish leysure like a Snayle and when she saw the face Of Pallas and hir faire attire adournde with heauenly grace She gaue a sigh a sorie sigh from bottome of hir heart Hir lippes were pale hir chéekes were wan and all hir face was swart Hir bodie leane as any Rake She looked eke a skew Hir téeth were furde with filth and drosse hir gums were waryish blew The working of hir festered gall had made hir stomacke gréene And all bevenimde was hir tongue No sléepe hir eyes had séene Continuall Carke and cankred care did kéepe hir waking still Of laughter saue at others harmes the Helhound can no skill It is against hir will that men haue any good successe And if they haue she frettes and fumes within hir minde no lesse Than if hir selfe had taken harme In séeking to annoy And worke distresse to other folke hir selfe she doth destroy Thus is she torment to hir selfe Though Pallas did hir hate Yet spake she briefly these few wordes to hir without hir gate Infect thou with thy venim one of Cecrops daughters thrée It is Aglauros whome I meane for so it néedes must bee This said she pight hir speare in ground and tooke hir rise thereon And winding from that wicked wight did take hir flight anon The Caitife cast hir eye aside and séeing Pallas gon Began to mumble with hir selfe the Diuels Paternoster And fretting at hir good successe began to blow and bluster She takes a crooked staffe in hand bewreathde with knubbed prickes And couered with a coly cloude where euer that she stickes Hir filthie féete she tramples downe and seares both grasse and corne That all the fresh and fragrant fieldes séeme vtterly forlorne And with hir staffe she tippeth of the highest poppie heades Such poyson also euery where vngraciously she sheades That euery Cottage where she comes â–ª â—nd euery Towne and Citie Doe take infection at hir breath At length the more is pitie She found the faire Athenian towne that flowed freshly then In feastfull peace and ioyfull welth and learned witts of men And forbicause she nothing saw that might prouoke to wéepe It was a corsie to hir heart hir hatefull teares to kéepe Now when she came within the Court she went without delay Directly to the lodgings where King Cecrops daughters lay There did she as Minerua bad she laide hir scuruie fist besmerde with venim and with filth vpon Aglauros brist The whiche she fillde with hooked thornes and breathing on hir face Did shead the poyson in hir bones which spred it selfe apace As blacke as euer virgin pitch through Lungs and Lights and all And to thintent that cause of griefe abundantly should fall She placed ay before hir eyes hir sisters happie chaunce In being wedded to the God and made the God to glaunce Continually in heauenly shape before hir wounded thought And all these things she painted out which in conclusion wrought Such corsies in Aglauros brest that sighing day and night She gnawde and fretted in hir selfe for very cancred spight And like a wretche she wastes hir selfe with restlesse care and pine Like as the yse whereon the Sunne with glimering light doth shine Hir sister Herses good successe doth make hir heart to yerne In case as when that fire is put to gréenefeld wood or fearne Whych giueth neyther light nor heate but smulders quite away Sometime she minded to hir Sire hir sister to bewray Who well she knew would yll abide so lewde a part to play And oft she thought with wilfull hande to brust hir fatall threede Bicause she woulde not sée the thing that made hir heart to bléede At last she sate hir in the doore and leaned to a post To let the God from entring in To whome now hauing lost Much talke and gentle wordes in vayne she said Sir leaue I pray For hence I will not be you sure onlesse you go away I take thée at thy word quoth he and therewithall he pusht His rod against the barred doore and wide it open rusht She making proffer for to rise did féele so great a waight Through all hir limmes that for hir life she could not stretch hir straight She stroue to set hirself vpright but striuing booted not Hir hamstrings and hir knées were stiffe a chilling colde had got In at hir nayles through all hir limmes and eke hir veynes began For want of bloud and liuely heate to waxe both pale and wan And as the freting Fistula forgrowne and past all cure Runnes in the flesh from place to place and makes the sound and pure As bad or worser than the rest euen so the cold of death Strake to hir heart and closde hir veines and lastly stopt hir breath She made no profer for to speake and though she had done so It had bene vaine For way was none for language forth to go Hir throte congealed into stone hir mouth became hard stone And like an image sate she still hir bloud was clearely gone The which the venim of hir heart so fowly did infect That euer after all the stone with freckled spots was spect When Mercurie had punisht thus Aglauros spightfull tung And cancred heart immediatly from Pallas towne he flung And flying vp with flittering wings did pierce to heauen aboue His father calde him straight aside but shewing not his loue Said sonne my trustie messenger and worker of my will Make no delay but out of hand flie downe in hast vntill The land that on the left side lookes vpon thy mothers light Yonsame where standeth on the coast the towne that Sidon hight The King hath there a heirde of Neate that on the Mountaines féede Go take and driue them to the sea with all conuenient speede He had no sooner said the word but that the heirde begun Driuen from the mountaine to the shore appointed for to run Whereas the daughter of the King was wonted to resort With other Ladies of the Court there for to play and sport Betwéene the state of Maiestie and loue is set such oddes As that they can not dwell in one The Sire and King of Goddes Whose hand is armd with triplefire who only with his frowne Makes Sea and Land and Heauen to quake doth lay his scepter downe With all the graue and stately port belonging therevnto And putting on the shape of Bull as other cattell doe Goes lowing gently vp and downe among them in the field The fairest beast to looke vpon that euer man beheld For why his colour was as white as any winters snow Before that eyther trampling féete or Southerne winde it thow His necke was brawnd with rolles of flesh and from his chest before A dangling dewlap hung me downe good halfe a foote and more His hornes were small but yet so fine as that ye would
Iaueling steale that sticked out betwene his téeth doth gripe The which with wresting to and fro at length he forth did winde Saue that he left the head thereof among his bones behinde When of his courage through the wound more kindled was the ire His throteboll swelde with puffed veines his eyes gan sparkle fire There stoode about his smeared chaps a lothly foming froth His skaled brest ploughes vp the ground the stinking breath that goth Out from his blacke and hellish mouth infectes the herbes full fowle Sometime he windes himselfe in knots as round as any Bowle Sometime he stretcheth out in length as straight as any beame Anon againe with violent brunt he rusheth like a streame Encreast by rage of latefalne raine and with his mightie sway Beares downe the wood before his breast that standeth in his way Agenors sonne retiring backe doth with his Lions spoyle Defend him from his fierce assaults and makes him to recoyle Aye holding at the weapons point The Serpent waxing wood Doth crashe the stéele betwene his téeth and bites it till the blood Dropt mixt with poyson from his mouth did die the gréene grasse blacke But yet the wound was verie light bicause he writhed backe And puld his head still from the stroke and made the stripe to die By giuing way vntill that Cadmus following irefully The stroke with all his powre and might did through y ◠throte him riue And naylde him to an Oke behind the which he eke did cliue The Serpents waight did make the trée to bend It grieude the trée His bodie of the Serpents taile thus scourged for to bée While Cadmus wondred at the hugenesse of the vanquisht foe Upon the sodaine came a voyce from whence he could not know But sure he was he heard the voyce Which said Agenors sonne What gazest thus vpon this Snake the time will one day come That thou thy selfe shalt be a Snake He pale and wan for feare Had lost his speach and ruffled vp stiffe staring stood his heare Behold mans helper at his néede Dame Pallas gliding through The vacant Ayre was straight at hand and bade him take a plough And cast the Serpents téeth in ground as of the which should spring Another people out of hand He did in euery thing As Pallas bade he tooke a plough and earde a forrow low And sowde the Serpents téeth whereof the foresaid folke should grow Anon a wondrous thing to tell the clods began to moue And from the forrow first of all the pikes appearde aboue Next rose vp helmes with fethered crests and then the Poldrens bright Successiuely the Curets whole and all the armor right Thus grew vp men like corne in field in rankes of battle ray With shields and weapons in their hands to feight the field that day Euen so when stages are attirde against some solemne game With clothes of Arras gorgeously in drawing vp the same The faces of the ymages doe first of all them showe And then by peecemeale all the rest in order séemes to grow Untill at last they stand out full vpon their féete bylow Afrighted at this new found foes gan Cadmus for to take Him to his weapons by and by resistance for to make Stay stay thy selfe cride one of them that late before were bred Out of the ground and meddle not with ciuill warres This sed One of the brothers of that brood with launcing sworde he slue Another sent a dart at him the which him ouerthrue The third did straight as much for him and made him yéelde the breath The which he had receyude but now by stroke of forced death Likewise outraged all the rest vntill that one by one By mutuall stroke of ciuill warre dispatched euerychone This broode of brothers all behewen and weltred in their blood Lay sprawling on their mothers womb the ground where erst they stood Saue only fiue that did remaine Of whom Echion led By Pallas counsell threw away the helmet from his head And with his brothers gan to treat attonement for to make The which at length by Pallas helpe so good successe did take That faithfull friendship was confirmd and hand in hand was plight These afterward did well assist the noble Tyrian knight In building of the famous towne that Phebus had behight Now Thebes stoode in good estate now Cadmus might thou say That when thy father banisht thée it was a luckie day To ioyne aliance both with Mars and Venus was thy chaunce Whose daughter thou hadst tane to wife who did thée much aduaunce Not only through hir high renowne but through a noble race Of sonnes and daughters that she bare whose children in like case It was thy fortune for to sée all men and women growne But ay the ende of euery thing must marked be and knowne For none the name of blessednesse deserueth for to haue Onlesse the tenor of his life last blessed to his graue Among so many prosprous happes that flowde with good successe Thine eldest Nephew was a cause of care and sore distresse Whose head was armde with palmed hornes whose own hoūds in y ◠wood Did pull their master to the ground and fill them with his bloud But if you sift the matter well ye shall not finde desart But cruell fortune to haue bene the cause of this his smart For who could doe with ouersight great slaughter had bene made Of sundrie sortes of sauage beastes one morning and the shade Of things was waxed verie short It was the time of day That mid betwéene the East and West the Sunne doth séeme to stay When as the Thebane stripling thus bespake his companie Still raunging in the waylesse woods some further game to spie Our weapons and our toyles are moist and staind with bloud of Deare This day hath done inough as by our quarrie may appeare Assoone as with hir scarlet whéeles next morning bringeth light We will about our worke againe But now Hiperion bright Is in the middes of Heauen and seares the fieldes with firie rayes Take vp your toyles and cease your worke and let vs go our wayes They did euen so and ceast their worke There was a valley thicke With Pinaple and Cipresse trées that armed be with pricke Gargaphie hight this shadie plot it was a sacred place To chast Diana and the Nymphes that wayted on hir grace Within the furthest end thereof there was a pleasant Bowre So vaulted with the leauie trées the Sunne had there no powre Not made by hand nor mans deuise and yet no man aliue A trimmer piece of worke than that could for his life contriue With flint and Pommy was it wallde by nature halfe about And on the right side of the same full freshly flowed out A liuely spring with Christall streame whereof the vpper brim Was gréene with grasse and matted herbes that smelled verie trim When Phebe felt hir selfe waxe faint of following of hir game It was hir custome for to come and bath hir in the same That
mouthes did painfully sustaine â–ª And nimbly vp the rugged barke their beaten path maintaine As wondring at the swarme I stoode I said O father déere As many people giue thou me as Ants are créeping héere And fill mine empty walles againe Anon the Oke did quake And vnconstreynde of any blast his loftie braunches shake The which did yéeld a certaine sound With that for dreadfull feare A â—huddring through my bodie strake and vp stoode stiffe my heare But yet I kissed reuerently the ground and eke the trée Howbeit I durst not be so bolde of hope acknowne to bée Yet hoped I and in my heart did shroude my secret hope Anon came night and sléepe vpon my carefull carcasse crope Me thought I saw the selfe same Oke with all his boughes and twigs And all the Pismeres créeping still vpon his tawnts and sprigs Which trembling with a sodaine brayd these Haruest folke of threw And shed them on the ground about who on the sodaine grew In bignesse more and more and from the earth themselues did lift And stoode vpright against the trée and therewithall did shift Their meygernesse and coleblacke hue and number of their féete And clad their limmes with shape of man Away my sléepe did fléete And when I wooke misliking of my dreame I made my mone That in the Gods I did perceiue but slender helpe or none But straight much trampling vp and downe and shuffling did I heare And which to me that present time did verie straunge appeare Of people talking in my house me thought I heard the reare Now while I musing on the same supposde it to haue béen Some fancie of the foolish dreame which lately I had séen Behold in comes me Telamon in hast and thrusting ope My Chamber doore said Sir a sight of things surmounting hope And credit shall you haue come forth Forth came I by and by And euen such men for all the world there standing did I spie As in my sléepe I dreamed of and knew them for the same They comming to me gréeted me their souereigne Lord by name And I my vowes to Ioue performde my Citie did deuide Among my new inhabiters and gaue them land beside Which by decease of such as were late owners of the same Lay wast And in remembrance of the race whereof they came The name of Emets I them gaue Their persons you haue séen Their disposition is the same that erst in them hath béen They are a sparing kinde of folke on labor wholy set A gatherer and an hoorder vp of such as they doe get These fellowes being like in yeares and courage of the minde Shall go a warfare wy assone as that the Easterne winde Which brought you hither luckely the Easterne winde was it That brought them thither turning to the Southerne coast doe 〈◊〉 With this and other such like talke they brought the day to ende The Euen in feasting and the night in sléeping they did spende The Sunne next Morrow in the heauen with golden beames did burne And still the Easterne winde did blow and hold them from returne Sir Pallas sonnes to Cephal came for he their elder was And he and they to Aeacus Court togither forth did passe The King as yet was fast a sléepe Duke Phocus at the gate Did méete them and receyued them according to their state For Telamon and Peleus alreadie forth were gone To muster Souldiers for the warres So Phocus all alone Did leade them to an inner roume where goodly Parlours were And caused them to sit them downe As he was also there Now sitting with them he beheld a Dart in Cephals hand With golden head the steale whereof he well might vnderstand Was of some strauÌ„ge and vnknowne trée when certaine talke had past A while of other matters there I am quoth he at last A man that hath delight in woods and loues to follow game And yet I am not able sure by any meanes to ame What wood your Iaueling steale is of Of Ash it can not bée For then the colour should be browne and if of Cornell trée It would be full of knubbed knots I know not what it is But sure mine eâ—es did neuer sée a fairer Dart than this The one of those same brethren twaine replying to him said Nay then the speciall propertie will make you more dismaid Than doth the beautie of this Dart. It hitteth whatsoeuer He throwes it at The stroke thereof by Chaunce is ruled neuer For hâ—uing done his feate it flies all bloudie backe agen Without the helpe of any hand The Prince was earnest then To know the truth of all as whence so riche a present came Who gaue it him and whereâ—pon the partie gaue the same Duke Cephal answerde his dâ—maund in all points one except The which as knowne apparantly for shame he ouerlept â—is beautie namely for the which he did receiue the Dart. And â—or the losse of his deare wife right pensiue at the hart He thus began with wéeping eies This Dart O Goddesse sonne Ye ill would thinke it makes me yirne long shall make me donne If long the Gods doe giue me life This weapon hath vndonne My deare beloued wife and me O would to God this same Had neuer vnto me bene giuen There was a noble Dame That Procris hight but you perchaunce haue oftner heard the name Of great Orythia whose renowne was bruâ—ed so by fame That blustring Boreas rauisht hir To this Orythia shée Was sister If a bodie should compare in ech degrée The face and natures of them both he could none other déeme But Procris worthier of the twaine of rauishment should séeme Hir father and our mutuall loue did make vs man and wife Men said I had and so I had in déede a happie life Howbeit Gods will was otherwise for had it pleased him Of all this while and euen still yet in pleasure should I swim The second Month that she and I by band of lawfull bed Had ioynde togither bene as I my masking Toyles did spred To ouerthrow the horned Stags the early Morning gray Then newly hauing chased night and gun to breake the day From Mount Hymettus highest tops that freshly flourish ay Espide me and against my will conueyde me quight away I trust the Goddesse will not be offended that I say The troth of hir Although it would delight one to beholde Hir ruddie chéekes although of day and night the bounds she holde Although on iuice of Ambrosie continually she feede Yet Procris was the only Wight that I did loue in déede On Procris only was my heart none other word had I But Procris only in my mouth still Procris did I crie It vpned what a holy thing was wedlocke and how late It was ago since she and I were coupled in that state Which band and specially so soone it were a shame to breake The Goddesse being moued at the words that I did speake Said cease thy plaint thou Carle and kéepe thy Procris still
floong him out Into th' Euboyan sea with force surmounting any sling He hardened intoo peble stone as in the ayre he hing And euen as rayne conieald by wynd is sayd too turne too snowe And of the snow round rolled vp a thicker masse too growe Which falleth downe in hayle so men in auncient tyme report That Lychas béeing swindgd about by violence in that sort His blood then béeing drayned out and hauing left at all No moysture intoo peble stone was turned in his fall Now also in th' Euboyan sea appéeres a hygh short rocke In shape of man ageinst the which the shipmen shun too knocke As though it could them faéele â–ª and they doo call it by the name Of Lychas still But thou Ioues imp of great renowme and fame Didst fell the trées of Oeta high and making of the same A pyle didst giue too Poeans sonne thy quiuer and thy bow And arrowes which should help agein Troy towne too ouerthrow He put too fyre and as the same was kindling in the pyle Thy selfe didst spred thy Lyons skin vpon the wood the whyle And leaning with thy head ageinst thy Club thou laydst thée downe As chéerfully as if with flowres and garlonds on thy crowne Thou hadst beene set a banquetting among full cups of wyne Anon on euery syde about those carelesse limbes of thyne The fyre began too gather strength and crackling noyse did make Assayling him whose noble hart â—or daliance did it take The Goddes for this defender of the earth were sore afrayd Too whom with chéerefull countnance Ioue perceyuing it thus sayd This feare of yours is my delyght and gladly euen with all My hart I doo reioyce O Gods that mortall folk mée call Their king and father thinking mée ay myndfull of their weale And that myne ofspring should doo well your selues doo show such zeale For though that you doo attribute your fauor too desert Considring his most woondrous acts yit I too for my part Am bound vntoo you Nerethelesse for that I would not haue Your faythfull harts without iust cause in fearfull passions waue I would not haue you of the flames in Oeta make account For as he hath all other things so shall he them surmount Saue only on that part that he hath taken of his mother The fyre shall haue no power at all Eternall is the tother The which he takes of mée and cannot dye ne yéeld too fyre When this is rid from earthly drosse then will I lift it hygher And take it intoo heauen and I beléeue this déede of myne Will gladsome bée too all the Gods If any doo repyne If any doo repyne I say that Hercule should become A God repyne he still for mée and looke he sowre and glum But let him know that Hercules deserueth this reward And that he shall ageinst his will alow it afterward The Gods assented eueryâ—hone And Iuno séemd too make No euill countnance too the rest vntill hir husband spake The last for then her looke was such as well they might perceyue Shée did her husbands noting her in euill part conceyue Whyle Ioue was talking with the Gods as much as fyre could waste So much had fyre consumde And now O Hercules thou haste No carkesse for too know thee by That part is quyght bereft Which of thy mother thou didst take Alonly now is left The likenesse that thou tookst of Ioue And as the Serpent slye In casting of his withered slough renewes his yéeres thereby And wexeth lustyer than before and looketh crisp and bryght With scoured scales so Hercules as soone as that his spryght Had left his mortall limbes gan in his better part too thryue And for too séeme a greater thing than when he was alyue And with a stately maiestie ryght reuerend too appéere His myghty father tooke him vp aboue the cloudy sphéere And in a charyot placed him among the streaming starres Howge Atlas felt the weyght thereof But nothing this disbarres Eurysthyes malice Cruelly he prosecutes the hate Uppon the ofspring which he bare ageinst the father late But yit too make her mone vntoo and wayle her miscrie And tell her sonnes great woorkes which all the world could testifie Old Alcmen had Dame Iölee By Hercules last will In wedlocke and in hartie loue shée ioyned was too Hill By whome shée then was big with chyld when thus Alcmena sayd â–ª The Gods at least bée mercifull and send thée then theyr ayd And short thy labor when the frute the which thou goste withall Now béeing rype enâ—orceth thee wyth fearfull voyce too call Uppon Ilithya president of chyldbirthes whom the ire Of Iuno at my trauelling made deaf too my desire For when the Sun through twyce fyue signes his course had fully run And that the paynfull day of birth approched of my sonne My burthen strayned out my wombe and that that I did beare Became so greate that of so howge a masse yée well myght sweare That Ioue was father Neyther was I able too endure The trauell any lenger tyme. Euen now I you assure In telling it a shuddring cold through all my limbes dooth strike And partly it renewes my peynes too thinke vppon the like I beeing in most cruell throwes nyghts seuen and dayes eke seuen And tyred with continuall pangs did lift my hands too heauen And crying out aloud did call Lucina too myne ayd Too loose the burthen from my wombe Shée came as I had prayd But so corrupted long before by Iuno my most fo That for too martir mée too death with peyne she purposde tho For when shee heard my piteous plaints and gronings downe shée sate On you same altar which you sée there standing at my gate Upon her left knée shée had pitcht her right ham and besyde Shée stayd the birth with fingars one within another tyde In lattiswyse And secretly she whisperde witching spells Which hindred my deliuerance more than all her dooings ells I labord still and forst by payne and torments of my fitts I rayld on Ioue although in vayne as one besyde her witts And ay I wished for too dye The woords that I did speake Were such as euen the hardest stones of very flint myght breake The wyues of Thebee béeing there for sauf deliuerance prayd And giuing chéerfull woords did bid I should not bée dismayd Among the other women there that too my labor came There was an honest yeomans wyfe Galantis was her name Her heare was yellow as the gold she was a iolly Dame And stoutly serued mée and I did loue her for the same This wyfe I know not how did smell some packing gone about On Iunos part And as she oft was passing in and out Shée spyde Lucina set vppon the altar holding fast Her armes toogither on her knées and with her fingars cast Within ech other on a knot and sayd vntoo her thus I pray you who so ere you bee reioyce you now with vs My Lady Alcmen hath her wish and sauf is brought a bed
furiousenesse it bée I haue bothe charmes and chaunted herbes to help If any wyght Bewitcheth thée by witchcraft I will purge and set thée quyght Or if it bée the wrath of God we shall with sacrifyse Appease the wrath of God right well What may I more surmyse No théeues haue broken in vppon this house and spoyld the welth Thy mother and thy father bothe are liuing and in helth When Myrrha heard her father naamd a gréeuous sygh she fet Euen from the bottom of her hart Howbeet the nurce as yet Misdéemd not any wickednesse But nerethelesse shée gest There was some loue and standing in one purpose made request Too breake her mynd vntoo her And shée set her tenderly Uppon her lappe The Ladye wept and sobbed bitterly Then culling her in feeble armes shée sayd I well espye Thou art in loue My diligence in this behalf I sweare Shall seruisable too thâ—e bée Thou shalt not néede too feare That ere thy father shall it knowe At that same woord shee lept From nurces lappe like one that had béene past her witts and stept With fury to her bed at which shée leaning downe hir face Sayd hence I pray thee force mée not to shewe my shamefull cace And when the nurce did vrge her still shée answered eyther get The hence or ceace too aske mée why myself I thus doo fret The thing that thou desyrste too knowe is wickednesse The old Poore nurce gan quake and trembling both for age and feare did hold Her handes to her And knéeling downe right humbly at her féete One whyle shee fayre intreated her with gentle woordes and swéete Another whyle onlesse shée made her priuie of her sorrow Shée threatned her and put her in a feare shée would next morrow Bewray her how shée went about to hang herself But if Shée told her shée did plyght her fayth and help too her reléef Shée lifted vp her head and then with teares fast gusshing out Béesloobered all her nurces brest and going oft about Too speake shée often stayd and with her garments hid her face For shame and lastly sayd O happye is my moothers cace That such a husband hath with that a gréeuous sygh shée gaue And hilld her peace Theis woordes of hers a trembling châ—lnesse draue In nurcis limbes which perst her bones for now shée vnderstood The cace and all her horye heare vp stiffâ—y staring stood And many things she talkt to put away her cursed loue If that it had béene possible the madnesse to remoue The Mayd herself to be full trew the councell dooth espye Yit if shée may not haue her loue shée fully myndes to dye Liue still ê™ nurce thou shalt obteine shée durst not say thy father But stayd at that And forbycause that Myrrha should the rather Beléeue her shée confirmd her woordes by othe The yéerely feast Of gentle Ceres came in which the wyues bothe moste and least Appareld all in whyght are woâ—nt the firstlings of the féeld Fyne garlonds made of eares of corne too Ceres for to yéeld And for the space of thryce thrée nyghts they counted it a sin To haue the vse of any man or once too towche his sâ—in Among theis women did the Quéene fréequent the secret rites Now whyle that of his lawfull wyfe his bed was voyd a nightes The nurce was dooble diligent and fynding Cinyras Well washt with wyne shée did surmyse there was a pretye lasse In loue with him And hyghly shée her beawty setteth out And béeing asked of her yéeres she sayd shée was about The age of Myrrha well ê™ he then bring her too my bed Returning home shée sayd bée glad my nurcechilde we haue sped Not all so wholly in her hart was wretched Myrrha glad But that her fore misgiuing mynd did also make her sad Howbéete shée also did reioyce as in a certaine kynd Such discord of affections was within her combred mynd It was the tyme that all things rest And now Boötes bryght The driuer of the Oxen seuen about the northpole pyght Had sumwhat turnd his wayne asyde when wicked Myrrha sped About her buysnesse Out of heauen the golden Phoebee fled With clowds more black than any pitch the starres did hyde their hed The nyght béecommeth vtter voyd of all her woonted lyght And first before all other hid their faces out of syght Good Icar and Erigonee his daughter who for loue Most vertuous too her fatherward was take vp aboue And made a starre in heauen Three tymes had Myrrha warning giuen By stumbling to retyre Thrée tymes the deathfull Owle that éeuen With doolefull noyse prognosticates vnhappie lucke Yet came Shée forward still the darknesse of the nyght abated shame Her left hand held her nurce her right the darke blynd way did grope Anon shée too the chamber came anon the doore was ope Anon shée entred in with that her foltring hammes did quake Her colour dyde her blood and hart did cleerly her forsake The néerer shee approched too her wickednesse the more Shée trembled Of her enterpryse it irked her full sore And fayn shée would shée might vnknowneÌ„ haue turned back Nurce led Her pawsing forward by the hand and putting her too bed Héere take this Damzell Cinyras shée is thine owne shée sed And so shée layd them brest too brest The wicked father takes His bowelles intoo filthy bed and there with wordes asslakes The maydens feare and chéeres her vp And least this cryme of theyres Myght want the ryghtfull termes by chaunce as in respect of yéeres He daughter did hir call and shée him father Béeing sped With cursed séede in wicked womb shée left her fathers bed Of which soone after shee became greate bagged with her shame Next night the lewdnesse doubled And no end was of the same Untill at length that Cinyras desyrous for to knowe His louer that so many nyghts vppon him did bestowe Did fetch a light by which he sawe his owne most heynous cryme And éeke his daughter nathelesse his sorrow at that time Represt his speeche Then hanging by he drew a Rapier bryght Away ran Myrrha and by meanes of darknesse of the nyght Shée was deliuered from the death and straying in the broade Datebearing féeldes of Arabye shée through Panchaya yode And wandring full nyne moonethes at length shée rested béeing tyrde In Saba land And when the tyme was néere at hand expyrde And that vneath the burthen of her womb shâ—e well could beare Not knowing what she might desyre distrest betwéene the feare Of death and tediousnesse of lyfe this prayer shée did make O Goddes if of repentant folk you any mercye take Sharpe vengeance I confesse I haue deserued and content I am to take it paciently How bée it too th entent That neyther with my lyfe the quick nor with my death the dead Anoyed bée from both of them exempt mée this same sted And altring mée deny too mée both lyfe and death we sée Too such as doo confesse theyr faults sum mercy shewd â—oo
banish mée his Realme without cause whye And at my going like a fo did ban me bitterly Too Pitthey Troyzen outlawelike my chariot streight tooke I My way lay hard vppon the shore of Corinth Soodeinly The sea did ryse and like a mount the waue did swell on hye And séemed howger for too growe in drawing euer nye And roring clyued in the toppe Up starts immediatly A horned bullocke from amid the broken waue and by The brest did rayse him in the ayre And at his nosethrills and His platter mouth did puffe out part of sea vppon the land My seruants harts were sore afrayd But my hart musing ay Uppon my wrongfull banishment did nought at all dismay My horses setting vp theyr eares and snorting wexed shye And béeing greatly flayghted with the monster in theyr eye Turnd downe too sea and on the rockes my wagon drew In vayne I stryuing for too hold them backe layd hand vppon the reyne All whyght with â—ome and haling backe lay almost bolt vpryght And sure the feercenesse of the stéedes had yéelded too my might But that the whaele that ronneth ay about the Extrée round Did breake by dashing on a stub and ouerthrew too ground Then from the Charyot I was snatcht the brydles béeing cast About my limbes Yée myght haue séene my sinewes sticking fast Uppon the stub my guâ—ts drawen out alyue my members part Still left vppon the stump and part foorth harryed with the cart The crasshing of my broken bones and with what passing peyne I breathed out my wéery ghoste There did not whole remayne One peece of all my corce by which yée myght discerne as tho What lump or part it was For all was wound from toppe too to Now canst thou nymph or darest thou compare thy harmes with myne Moreouer I the lightlesse Realme behild with theis same eyne And bathde my tattred bodye in the riuer Phlegeton And had not bright Apollos sonne his cunning shewde vppon My bodye by his surgery my lyfe had quyght bée gone Which after I by force of herbes and léeâ—hecraft had ageine Receyud by Aesâ—ulapius meanes though Pluto did disdeine Then Cynthia least this gift of hers myght woorke mée greater spyght Thicke clowds did round about mée cast And too th entent I myght Bée saufe myself and harmelessely appéere too others syght Shée made mee old And for my face shée left it in such plyght That none can knowe mée by my looke And long shee dowted whither Too giue mée Dele or Crete At length refusing bothe toogither Shée plaast mée héere And therwithall shée bade me giue vp quyght The name that of my horses in remembrance put mée myght For whereas erst Hippolytus hath béene thy name ê™ shée I will that Virbie afterward thy name for euer bée From that tyme foorth within this wood I kéepe my residence As of the meaner Goddes a God of small magnificence And héere I hyde mée vnderneathe my souereine Ladyes wing Obeying humbly too her hest in euery kynd of thing But yit the harmes of other folk could nothing help nor boote Aegerias sorrowes too asswage Downe at a mountaines foote Shée lying melted intoo teares till Phebus sister shéene For pitie of her greate distresse in which shee had her séene Did turne her too a fountaine cléere and melted quyght away Her members intoo water thinne that neuer should decay The straungenesse of the thing did make the nymphes astonyed and The Ladye of Amazons sonne amaazd therat did stand As when the Tyrrhene Tilman sawe in earing of his land The fatall clod first stirre alone without the help of hand And by and by forgoing quyght the earthly shape of clod Too take the séemely shape of man and shortly like a God Too tell of things as then too comme The Tyrrhenes did him call By name of Tages He did teach the Tuskanes first of all Too gesse by searching bulks of beastes what after should befall Or like as did king Romulus when soodeinly he found His lawnce on mountayne Palatine fast rooted in the ground And bearing leaues no longer now a weapon but a trée Which shadowed such as woondringly came thither for too sée Or else as Cippus when he in the ronning brooke had séene His hornes For why he saw them and supposing there had béene No credit too bée giuen vntoo the glauncing image hée Put oft his fingers too his head and felt it so too bée And blaming now no more his eyes incomming from the chase With conquest of his foes he stayd And lifting vp his face And with his face his hornes too heauen he sayd what euer thing Is by this woonder meant O Goddes If ioyfull newes it bring I pray yée let it ioyfull too my folk and countrye bée But if it threaten euill let the euill light on mée In saying so an altar gréene of clowwers he did frame And offred fuming frankincence in fyre vppon the same And powred boawles of wyne theron and searched therwithall The quiuering inwards of a shéepe too know what should befall A Tyrrhene wizard hauing sought the bowelles saw therin Great chaunges and attempts of things then readye too begin Which were not playnly manifest But when that he at last His eyes from inwards of the beast on Cippus hornes had cast Hayle king he sayd For vntoo thée O Cippus vntoo thée And too thy hornes shall this same place and Roome obedyent bée Abridge delay and make thou haste too enter at the gates Which tarrye open for thée So commaund the soothfast fates Thou shalt bée king assoone as thou hast entred once the towne And thou and thyne for euermore shalt weare the royall crowne With that he stepping back his foote did turne his frowning face From Roome ward saying Farre O farre y e Goddes such handsel chace More ryght it were I all my lyfe a bannisht man should bée Than that the holy Capitoll mée reigning there should sée Thus much he sayd and by and by toogither he did call The people and the Senators But yit he first of all Did hyde his hornes with Lawrell leaues and then without the wall â–ª He standing on a mount the which his men had made of soddes And hauing after auncient guyse made prayer too the Goddes Sayd héere is one that shall onlesse yée bannish him your towne Immediatly bée king of Roome and weare a royall crowne What man it is I will by signe but not by name bewray He hath vppon his brow twoo hornes The wizard héere dooth say That if he enter Roome you shall lyke seruants him obey He myght haue entred at your gates which open for him lay But I did stay him thence And yit there is not vntoo mée A néerer fréend in all the world Howbéet forbid him yée O Romanes that he comme not once within your walles Or if He haue deserued bynd him fast in fetters like a théef Or in this fatall Tyrants death of feare dispatch your mynd Such noyse as Pynetrées make what
in which shée hid Aenaeas when shée from the swoord of Diomed did him rid Or Paris when from Menelay shée did him saufe conuey But Ioue her father staying her did thus vntoo hir say Why daughter myne wilt thou alone bée stryuing too preuent Unuanquishable destinie In fayth and if thou went Thy self intoo the house in which the fatall susters thrée Doo dwell thou shouldest there of brasse and stéele substantiall sée The registers of things so strong and massye made too bee That â—auâ— and euerlasting they doo neyther stand in feare Of thunder nor of lyghtning nor of any ruine there The destnyes of thyne ofspring thou shalt there fynd grauen déepe In Adamant I red them and in mynd I doo them kéepe And forbycause thou shalt not beiquyght ignorant of all I will declare what things I markt herafter too befall The man for whom thou makest sute hath liued full his tyme And hauing ronne his race on earth must now too heauen vp clyme Where thou shalt make a God of him ay honord for too bée With temples and with Altars on the earth Moreouer hée That is his heyre and beares his name shall allalone susteyne The burthen layd vppon his backe and shall our help obteyne His fathers murther too reuenge The towne of Mutinye Beséedged by his powre shall yéeld The féelds of Pharsaly Shall féele him and Philippos in the Realme of Macedonne Shall once ageine bée staynd with blood The greate Pompeius sonne Shall vanquisht be by him vppon the sea of Sicilye The Romane Capteynes wyfe the Quéene of Aegypt through her hye Presumption trusting too her match too much shall threate in vayne Too make her Canop ouer our hygh Capitoll too reigne What should I tell thee of the wyld and barbrous nacions that At bothe the Oceans dwelling bée The vniuersall plat Of all the earth inhabited shall all be his The sea Shall vntoo him obedient bée likewyse And when that he Hathe stablisht peace in all the world then shall he set his mynd Too ciuill matters vpryght lawes by iustice for too fynd And by example of himself all others he shall bynd Then hauing care of tyme too comme and of posteritye A holy wyfe shall beare too him a sonne that may supply His carefull charge and beare his name And lastly in the end He shall too heauen among the starres his auncetors ascend But not before his lyfe by length too drooping age doo tend â—nd therfore from the murthred corce of Iulius Caesar take â—is sowle with spéede and of the same a burning cressed make That from our heauenly pallace he may euermore looke downe Uppon our royall Capitoll and Court within Roome towne He scarcely ended had theis woordes but Venus out of hand Amid the Senate house of Roome inuisible did stand And from her Caesars bodye tooke his new expulsed spryght The which shée not permitting too resolue too ayer quyght Did place it in the skye among the starres that glister bryght And as shée bare it shée did féele it gather heauenly myght And for too wexen fyrye Shée no sooner let it flye But that a goodly shyning starre it vp a lost did stye And drew a greate way after it bryght beames like burning heare Whoo looking on his sonnes good déedes confessed that they were Farre greater than his owne and glad he was too sée that hée Excelled him Although his sonne in no wyse would agrée Too haue his déedes preferd beforâ— his fathers yit dooth fame Whoo ay is frée and bound too no commaund withstand the same And stryuing in that one behalf ageinst his hest and will Procéedeth too preferre his déedes before his fathers still Euen so too Agamemnons great renowne giues Atreus place Euen so Achilles déedes the déedes of Peleus doo abace Euen so beyond Aegaeus farre dooth Theseyes prowesse go And that I may examples vse full matching theis euen so Is Saturne lesse in fame than Ioue Ioue rules the heauenly spheres And all the trâ—ple shaped world And our Augustus beares Dominion ouer all the earth They bothe are fathers They Are rulers both Yee Goddes too whom both fyre and swoord gaue way What tyme yée with Aenaeas came from Troy yée Goddes that were Of mortall men canonyzed Thou Quiâ—in whoo didst réere The walles of Roome and Mars whoo wart the valcant Quirins syre And Vesta of the household Goddes of Caesar with thy fyre Most holy and thou Phebus whoo with Vesta also art Of household and thou Iupiter whoo in the hyghest part Of mountayne Tarpey haste thy Church and all yee Goddes that may With conscience sauf by Poëts bée appealed too I pray Let that same day bée slowe too comme and after I am dead In which Augustus whoo as now of all the world is head Quyght giuing vp the care therof ascend too heauen for ay There absent hence to fauour such as vntoo him shall pray Now haue I brought a woork too end which neither Ioues féerce wrath Nor swoord nor fyre nor freating age with all the force it hath Are able too abolish quyght Let comme that fatall howre Which sauing of this brittle flesh hath ouer mée no powre And at his pleasure make an end of myne vncerteyne tyme. Yit shall the better part of mée assured bée too clyme Aloft aboue the starry skye And all the world shall neuer Be able for too quench my name For looke how farre so euer The Romane Empyre by the ryght of conquest shall extend So farre shall all folke reade this woork And tyme without all end If Poets as by prophesie about the truth may ame My lyfe shall euerlastingly bée lengthened still by fame Finis Libri decimi quinti. Laus honor soli Deo ⧠IMPRINTED AT LONdon by Willyam Seres dwelling at the west end of Paules church at the signe of the Hedgehogge Out of the first booke Out of the second Out of the iij. Out of the iiij Out of the v. Out of the vj. Out of the vij Out of the viij Out of the ix Out of the x. Out of the xj Out of the xij Out of the xiij Out of the xiiij Out of the xv * Lydia * A Ware wolfe * Castor 〈◊〉 * Plexippus Toxeus * Eurytus Câ—eatus * Admetus * Enesimus Alcâ—n Dexippus †Laâ—rtes * Mopsus †Amphiaraus Mopsus Castor Pollux * Olyss * Philoctetâ— * 〈◊〉 The house of sleepe * The kings fisher * Pirithoâ—s * Now called Tyber The Elk. * It may be interpreted Applebee * Turner * Hercules * Horsesâ—aine * Twyce man