wee clouen footed beene Since Cupids mother is wed vnto him That hath a pool-foote and halts of a lim And well I wot wee Joue our shape did take When to Antiope he loue did make Therefore I must conclude if Nature had This perfect shape of ours imperfect made Because in heauen and earth the like there are Mongst God and men to be excus'd it were This sayd he threw her downe vpon the sand For O her force too weake was to withstand And there in spight of her he puld the flower The fragrant Rose which neare before that hower Tho ofted sought by any was obtayned Hard was her hap that so vile slaue it gained That done he shooke her off as great men now Those that their turnes haue serued vse to do And thence departed leauing her full woe And sorrowfull behind for she did know She like the Rose was cropt from natiue stem Whose vertues wholy lost do nor younge men Nor louely Maydes delight or ought content Either for shew or for their pleasing sent Yet went she home againe but did not tell What hard misfortune was to her befell But proudly as before when she was free Shee presseth next her Mistris still to bee And iets it by her side she neuer showde By any action she awry had trode Nor did her fellowes ere her fault perceiue So studied she their eye sight to deceiue Yet after this scarce Phaebe the ninth time Had showne her selfe to this our northerne Clime When Isis almost fainting thorow heate And hunting in the chace being in a sweate By chaunce a faire and pleasant Lawne espyed Through midst of which a shallow Brooke did slide And liking well the place the vpper brimme Toucht with her foote and finding coole and trimme The water willed all her Maydens there To bath themselues which when Medwaie did heare She hung the head afraid she should bewray That yet none knew and onely sought delay Till iealous Thams whether she would or no Caused her Maydes her garments to vndo Where with her naked body straight was showne Her shame the which vnwilling to haue knowne She couerd with her hands but all serud nought T was knowne and she confest where it was wrought Desiring pardon cause t was forced on her And gainst her will she suffred that dishonour But as Diana raged when she knew Calisto one of her faire retinew By Ioue was forced so did ISIS now And straight commaunded her from thence to goe And tolde her for her leawd fact angered That whether to the Northerne Pole she fled Where windie Boreas doth dayly strow The tops of Hyperborean hilles with Snow Or to the Tropicks where Apollos torch With extreame heate the sandy ground doth scortch Yet therefore should she not escape or flie The iust reward of her hypocisie Which could so vilde a fact so long time hide From being by her or her fellowes spide Which when poore Medwaie heard discomfited Vnwitting what to doe for feare halfe dead From thence she traueld by vncertaine wayes Like a great Shippe in the wide Ocean Seas Whose stately Maste being spent and proud Sayles lost Is by each waue hither and thither tost And still bewailde her miserable state Her wretched life brought to so low a rate Life seeming long to folke in miserie But short to those liue in felicitie Yet comfortlesse as she was like that wight Which on the high Alpes hauing lost by night His way and knoweth not which hand to turne Sits on a Bancke where while as he doth mourne His happes vnto the sable mantled Skies Farre off some Sheapheards by a fier espies She farde hearing the iangling of a Bell Following the which she came vnto a Cell Amidd the shadow of faire spreading trees Through which did breath a coole refreshing brees Where the woods Burgeses did dayly sing Sweete Laies vnto a pleasant purling Spring That thereby ranne which pleasing melodie Might well delight with his rare harmonie Each mortall creature whereas she did see An olde Man clad in russet on his knee Deuoutly mumbling Mattens which good sight At that time cheard her ouer dulled spright And till his mourning dueties he had ended At th'entrance of the Cell she him attended Which finisht in she went whom when he spied What wight she was much mus'd and more her eied All in a stoond for sillie man he nere Before that time like strange sight had seene there If she some Goddesse were he wist not well For of strange Goddesses he had heard tell That would leaue hautie heauen and resort To earthly Springes and Groues to take their sport Or if some Nimph to neighbour-woods belonging He did not know yet for he had a longing To wit what mister wight she was he did After he thither had her welcome bid Intreate her shew by knowing which quoth he You may be duely honoured by me To which Medwaie reuiud by 's courtesie Him mildly answered Father take not me For other then a wretched wight opprest With mightie griefe who craue but roome to rest Till wearie limbes I haue refresht againe Wherewith from foorth her eyes great shewers of raine Fell downe her blubbred cheekes whereat th' old man Rewing her sad distressed state began Entreat her tell the causes of her griefe Who sighing did her fortunes tell in briefe Both how the Satire in the Caue had vs'd her And how therefore her Mistris had refus'd her Which when the olde man heard rewing her paine Alas faire daughter quoth he do not plaine For plaintes in these extreames do nothing vaile And t is not good in vaine to weepe and waile What woman know there is no maladie So hard to cure but hath his remedie Ioue doth not alwayes foorth his thunder cast Nor still doth the hot raging Sommer last Still Boreas doth not with impetuous sway Raise mighty tempestes in the Ocean Sea Nor will these sorrowes dayly on thee tende Thy patience prowd away from thee they 'll wende All humaine accidents about do wheele And in one place do neuer soiorne still No more then this great heau'n which dayly wee To turne with an vnwearie course do see Then euen as Heauen the which is Fortunes horse sourse About the earth doth keepe a lasting course So must we thinke those fortunes which do fall Bred by high heauen yet not perpetuall Cold Winter past the healthy Spring doth come Then cholericke Sommer after sicke Autum Nor doth the influence of the heauens each hower Downe in one place still good or bad lucke power Therefore sad Nimph since what is thee befall Thou canst by no art backe againe recall Comfort thy selfe and hope that God will send To these thy griefe when he sees time an end In the meane season and till thou haue reard Th'vnwildie burthen and thy selfe hast cheard Stay heere with me So downe he wild her sit And ease her wearie limbes who glad of it Did rest her selfe straight on the dustie ground As glad so good
E. W. HIS THAMESEIDOS Deuided into three Bookes or Cantos Nunquam stigias ibit ad vmbras Inclita virtus AT LONDON Printed by W. W. for Simon Waterson 1600. THAMESEIDOS Liber Primus NOw gentle blastes forerunners of the day Had summond hatefull Darknes packe away And Horror Coachman vnto ougly night Made his blacke Steedes poast with all speed he might From foorth our Hemisphere not daring bide To looke vpon Aurorás gorgious pride And now from new sows'd wife the fierie Sunne Was risen and from Ocean seas begunne To driue his golden Chariot that he might To all the world declare his glorious light When Thamesis the fairest Queene on earth To solemnise her annuall day of birth Appareled in Robe of purest white All thicke of golden shimiring Spangles dight Which gainst the Sunne reflecting beames did cast As do the Starres that in the heauens are plâst Her haire bound vp in knots like golden Wier And crownd with Garlands of sweete smelling Brier Vnto a Meddow by his flowing streames Did goe where she from heat of Phoebus beames Vnder the coole shade of the spreading Trees Did meane to sport and sing sweete virolees With her faire Nimphes each hauing in her hand To fill with precious flowers a little maund It was about the selfe same time of yeare When from the midst of heauen the Sunne doth beare His scorching heate and makes it swiftly role Vnto the Starres of the Antartique Pole Then when Pomona lades her slender bowes To serue Autumnus her discased spowse Autumnus who in presse with naked feete From sweete ripe Grapes make pleasant Wines to fleete In Inorie hand faire Thames a Maund did hold Most rarely painted and adornd with gold Which precious Iewell great Ocean did To Doris giue what time he did her wed Which precious rich Maund louely Doris after Did giue to Thames her derling and her daughter Vpon that Maund were many Histories Depicted in such rare and curious wise That seemd as Art with Nature stroue t' excell In the rare workmanshyp for none could tell Saue Vulcane who some sayd did make the same How like to it an other Maund to frame There might y'haue seene a very stately Bed Made like a Boat which certaine Tritons did With their strong scalie backes vphold and stay All armde with Oares all coullard like the Sea Bout whom faire Sea-Nimphs sported chearfully Delighted with the Tritons company Where on the poop stood Neptune who did hold In his right hand his Trident tinde with gold And vnder his left arme a winding Shell Like those from whence as ancient Poets tell The heades of Tiber and of Nilus ran Or ere their floodes vnto the salt Sea came Ioues braine-bred-daughrer at the prow was placed Armed as then when she from heauen chaced The hundred handed Titan to his graue Vpon the Fish that did Orion saue The Testerne like a Tile all couered With purple Veluet richly imbrodered With orient round Pearle was supported by Certaine faire Sea-Nimphes on whose head did lie The Arched Ribbes in very stately order As on so many columnes on a border Bout which was painted the imagerie Of many Sea-gods very curiously With Curtaines sutable thereto whereon The Romaine Lucrece liuelesse pale and wan Lay all besmeared in her owne goare blood Which with a Poyniard her owne hand had shod As sacrifice vnto her chastitie Which was bereau'd by Tarquine spightfully And there by cunning Woorkman curiously Was made a Land-shaft in which one might see Steepe craggie Rockes high Mountaines shady Woodes Greene pleasing Fieldes and crooked winding Floodes Where in the middle of a pleasant Lawne There was a stately Fountaine sweetely drawne Whose water from a Harpies breast did fall Of Brasse into a Cesterne paued all With polisht Marblé and with Porphire stone In which the Painter had his cunning showne In neately laying of his cullours that It seemd a true Fount and no counterfect In which was chast Diana with her Nimphes All naked bathing of their tender limbes On whom Acteon in the changed shape Of fearefull Deare full greedily did gape Turned thereto because he should not tell Had seene Diana naked in a Well By whom were made his wearie Hound that lapped The water which from foorth the Fountaine drapped Whom fearing he did seeke to flie for as His body so his minde transformed was And on the hanger of a Hill hard by The Dogges pinching his hantches you might see A rewfull sight yet could not be amended Since he Dianas grace had so offended And bout the Verges seemely to behold Trailes of Morisco workes were wrought in gold Thus louely Isis with his comely traine Of beauteous Nimphes into the Meddow came Where on one side a shady Forrest grew To which Aurora oft her selfe withdrew To heare her Loues complaint and where the Moone Oft stayde to looke vpon the Latmian Lowne In which did grow the tough and hardie Ashe The builder Oke Holme fit for Carters lash Chast louely Daphne closed vnder rinde Incestuous Mirh that weepeth still of kind Then peacefull Oliue and the holsome Pine The sayling Firre and eke the drunken Vine Vpon whose boughes pearcht the lasciuious Sparrow The temperate Turtle and the wight wingd Swallow Who flying singes and singing studieth where With more art then with cost her nest to reare The which as patterne may be looked on By rarest Archytect and cunningst man The little Owsle and the mounting Larke The prettie Quaile and charitable Storke Whose kindnesse to olde Parents children learne For oft to aged Parents you are more sterne High flying Cranes by whose orderly flight Mars first was taught in rancked squadrons fight And Peacoks which against the Sunne do reare Their painted tayles with Argus eyes made faire With little Nightingales who diuersly With changed notes do make sweete melodie Feigning sometime a base sometime a trebble Often a meane then sweetely foorth do warble A descant which the mindes of standers by Doth rauish hearing such sweete harmonie On th' other side a secret Caue was seene Which for his fitnesse often times hath beene A refuge for those Nimphes the which would shunne The scortching heate of Midday of the Sunne The entrance deckt with Mosse pleasing the sight And alway fresh and greene for more delight To land-ward did there rise a Hill so high That wel-nie it did face the azurd skie From foote of which did runne a purling Brooke Through the Meade with many a winding crooke Whose slyding streames the heauens calme seemd blew Whence store of pleasure to the eye-sight grew Yet clearer then was Aganippe Fount Or Acidalia where the Charicts wount To bath their Iuorie breastes and golden haire Ere they make readie Cithereas care About whose bankes did grow small tangled Trees Which made it seeme a heauen to gasers eyes Whose boughes the needie Wood-man neare had cut Nor hungrie Beast the tender shootes had brut And in the middle of that Meddow grew A stately Beech which his large armes foorth threw
To shadow them that vnder her should sport To which with Lea Isis did resort With Lea on whose bankes Ardea was turned Into a Bitterne cause she Glaucus scorned Whilst Colne and Kenet with the faire Chrew went To gather Flowers of most pleasing sent For there were Roses with Virmilion died Coole Dasies and white Lillies Summers pride The Marigold that doth affect the Sunne Hiding her beautie when his light is gonne The Bee alluring Thime the sweete Costmarie Gray Lauender and strong senting Rosemarie And what else might be pleasing to the view Within this faire and princely Meddow grew But that which garnisht most this Paradise Were Isis louely looke and sparkling eyes For marke how brighter Cinthia doth appeare Aboue the Starres within her motiue Spheere So much more fairer did this louely Dame Exceede those comely Nimphes that which here came Not shee whom Venus gaue for the rich Ball The cause of tenne yeares warre and Troyes fall Nor that faire Dame whom Ioue in shape of Swan Whylome did court when he her loue first wan Nor yet Europa whose loue made him take A proude Bulles shape tho then when he did make To looke like a faire vntamed Heyfer Had he turnd to a Bull it had been better For Beautie might in any poynt compare To Isis tho they were exceeding faire You learned Muses race of mighty Ioue That often sport within a sacred Groue In pleasant Tempe and do dayly drinke Of those cleare waues that flow from Pinples brinke O you that guide their enterprises right Who take in hand to graue with rarest slight Vpon the Alter of Muemosine Within the Temple of Immortalitie Sweete pleasing beautie which else subiect were In shade of lasting silence still to ere Guide me that with your helpe I may begin To frame Thams beautie whose like neare hath bin And graunt these Rithmes which slenderly are done May shew hereafter when as I am gone She was the fairst and most accomplisht Dame Excelling ' all whom Nature ere did frame Her heauenly Head the miracle of Nature Surpassing farre the fairest earthly creature With yelow Tramels all of beaten gold VVhich gasers thoughts in curled knots did hold Seemd ouerspred with flowers fresh and gay The mirtle Forests where the loues do play Like to a Table was her Front to see Of whitest Marble seate of Maiestie VVell polished as on a summers daie VVithouten waues vnited seemes the Sea VVhere Cupid had an Alter built to offer Their hartes that did refuse his lawes to suffer Her Eye-lids blacke of Heben arches made VVere like the bow that Psiches husband had In which so liberall was Nature to her That euery one suspected that did view her She onely ' made faire Isis to deceaue them And both of sight and iudgement to bereaue them Of different force were her two sparckling eyes Disdaine in th' one grace in the other lyes Two eyes O no rather two heauenly Starres Th' one proffering Peace the other threatning Warres In which Mars bastard Boy his lodging tooke Thence wounding them which at those starres did looke Her Nose did seeme being somewhat highly raysed A little Hill betweene two Vallies placed Her round and tender Eare white polished VVith Rubies hung her Cheekes embellished Cheekes which with liuely Cynab're ore spred Seemd like the Morning new risse from her bed Not all those Flowers sprung from Princes gore Nor Amaranthus loues Flower made of Yore Like colour had to hers which did amaze Those carelesse eyes that on her cheekes did gaze Full was her Mouth of thousand Odours sweete VVhere there in single ranckes did seemely meete Bright orientall Peatles in stead of Teeth All which embalmd the Heauens with their breath From thence sweete word and pleasing smiles did come All made to charme and make beholders dome And which hard Rockes that stand in Seas aloft Could by their mighty power of hard make soft Round was her Chin with in whose dimples lay Enchaunting spels tho seeming faire and gay Her Neck a stay this little worlde to'pholde Of Iuorie was or Alabaster mould Plast on two hils in whitnes that did passe Her snow-white Breasts that was Agenous lasse Betweene which hils Loue often times did lurke When cruell stratagems he meant to worke Her little but long fingered Hand more white Then whitest Lillies that the Spring doth dight With enterchanged Vaines adorned was Her small Feete such as some say Tethis has With which she nimbly could trip ore the Lawns And chace swift Row-bucks and young wanton Fawns But for those parts the which her Garments hid What should we say Surely dame Nature did Keepe those thinges secret least they should excell All she had made in heauen in earth in hell But O! what boots it to haue thinges surpasse Since fairest thinges do fade like Sommers grasse Alas nought in this worlde doth firmely stay But turneth still like Billowes of the Sea VVhich neare do cease to roule till with great rore Their rushing beat and breake against the shore And thou the cause of this vnstablenesse That dost delight in nought but ficklenesse VVhose customes neuer to abide in one But vseth headlong dayly throw vs downe VVhen we are rays'd by thy benignitie Vnto the top of all felicitie While thus with their faire Nimphs this louely Queene VVas in this pleasant Meade by them was seene A Sheapheard in the pride of all his dayes VVho whilst his tender Flocke on salts did grase Sate sencelesse like an Image made of stone Long while at last fetching a deepe sad grone Of inward griefe the trewest signe of all They foorth his eyen perceiud salt teares to fall So after great Ioues hidious thunders past A cloude of raine the heauens doth ouercast And when his teares were spent with heauie cheare Sang to his Pipe this Song which they did heare And hearing could not choose but simpathise His heauie griefe with water in their eyes O whither quoth he whither shall I flie To purchase ende vnto my miserie VVithin what Rocke or to what desart place That neuer is enricht by Phaebus face Shall I vnfold in great and greeuous paine Which makes me wretcheder then any Swaine If there be any place where dayly cries The Night-rau'n and the Owle that by night flies Whereto no liuing wight doth ere resort From whence foule Winter neuer doth depart And where the Spring her verdure will not sowe A place of deadly horror and foule woe Where ougly sorrow dayly may present Her selfe before mine eyes me to torment That will I choose as best befitting mee In this distresse and great extremitie And you my little flocke the small remaine Of a farre greater which once more my payne Might with most neighbour flockes haue made compare For number or for wooll both fine and faire Then when for change of pasture sillie I In th'Aprill of mine age left Germanie Where I mongst Stadian bowers had nigh been slaine Cause I my Princesse honour did maintaine Which was and
bootelesse were these Wordes which seeing hee A loude vnto her thus againe gan crie Stay cruell ISIS harder farre then Flint And rougher then the Oake on Ida stint Thy hastie pace and cause the Nimphos thou dost Excell in fairenes do not therefore bost But thinke that as thy flood beares to my realme with an infatigable course his streame Returning nere againe vnto his head So th'howre the day the day thy youth will lead Till on it death or wrinckled age will sease Which come thou 'lt rue the time which thou didst lease Loue therefore while as time is offerd thee And while thou mayst againe like loued bee For times do change and alter euery day And in those times we change and doe decay Then present time 's better then time to come Since Golden Siluer Brasen age is done And nought is left but Irons cankred rust Which dayly turneth all from worse to worst Looke but vpon the faire sweete senting Rose Which cropped from the tree whereon he growes Straight loseth all the fairenesse that it had And know thy beautie one day so will fade Nor thinke thou canst the Gods in heauen excell Since thundring loue loues fier could not quell Since bright Apollo spite of all his art With Cupids shafts was wounded to the heart Since the faire Ciprian Queene wanton Loues Mother By no means could her youngling fier smother And that Diana on Endimion doated Yet for a maide and chast is still reputed But rather thinke though now from loue th' art free That loue will one day shew his power on thee Thou knowest how late disdainefull Ardea Who Glaucus scornde a God and of the Sea Had her due merits on thy maidens strond Be warn'd by her that God which can commund The greatest Gods will take reuenge on thee If thus thou dost persist in crueltee And if thou knowst me not then stay and view What one he is that for thy loue doth sue I am not one that hauntes the craggie Rocks Yet Lord of Seas nor tend I fleecie flocks From whom thou fleest I thinke thou dost not know For if thou didst thou wouldst not vse me so Were I a Saluadge that mans flesh doth eate A foule blacke Moore a Tartar or a Gete Had I bin fosterd in Hircanian wood By wilde Beares milke or cruell Tygers blood Then mightst thou scorne me iustly and hold mee Too too presumptuous thus to follow thee Then mightst thou haue excuse and not be blam'd To let me die with beauties fire inslam'd But I in Seas keepe Court my Temples stand At Istmus and within Calabria land In Italie the people do me honour And Ioue himselfe is knowne to be my brother With crooked Keele men learned first by mee To cut the Seas and tame the Horse was free And though my Beard seeme white my Carkas olde Prooue mee and thou shalt finde mee hot and colde Prooue mee my artires wants no strength and though That I seeme light yet haue I pith enough Still pleasure shall yeelde force vnto my raines Prooue I will not deceiue thee of thy paines For oft vnidelie I haue spent the night And when I rose I haue bin fresh and light O runne no further then but stay and proue Stay and let 's mutually ioy others loue Faine more he would haue spoke but she afrayd Fled fast away not heeding what he sayd And as she ranne so meeting windes did blow That naked skinne aboue her knee did show And her gold haire now fallen loose and slacke At euery step did waue behinde her backe All which farre more did set his hart a fier And farre more did encrease his hot desier So that he lustely did mende his pace Hopeing to catch her whom he had in chace But as a Pirate hath bin long at Sea Whose Shippe foule and vnwasht makes but small way Doth nerethelesse if that he spies a chace Vnto his courses straight his drablers lace And vp a trip hoyse topsailes though in vaine For foule the more they sayle the lesse they gaine So was it twixt faire ISIS and her foe For she more lighter did him faire outgoe Which when he saw vexed to be so crost Even like a Tyger fell the which hath lost Vnwares her sucking Whelpes doth rage and fling Amid the shrubbes and bushes that do spring On Ganges golden strond so tooke he on Stamping and stareing like a franticke man After staying his rage and lookeing round about In broken speaches thus he did breake out Now Heauens I see my Godhead is but small My power far lesse my might iust nought at all But shall I leaue her tho No I will after And neuer lin till these same hands haue caught her Yet she is young and wight I oâ—â—e and slowe And as I followe she doth me outgoe Oh Cupid why art thou mine enemie And to my griefe dost giue no remedie Why ad'st thou starres to heauen leaues to green trees Why gathered waters vnto growen Seas Why dost thou make me languish for that Lady That is more coy then euer I knew anie Yet you mine eyes were cause first of this same For thorow you descended beauties flame That in mine entrailes burnes like Mongibell But were mine eyes in fault no I wot well Had my weake minde ore-rulde my greedie eye Then from this torment had I now bin free Here did he stop againe and as you see Some well skilde actor in a tragedie Whose purpose bent to execute his will Is countermaunded by some vnlookt ill Falles like a madde man in a raging vaine Euen so did he and thus began againe My Haruest is in Grasse I now do see And feare that it ripe Corne will neuer bee What tho I am the selfe same God that hath The Scepter of the Seas who in my wrath Can cause my raging Billowes to arise And armde with furie buckle with the skies Then shal't be sayd that I shall suffer this And thus be crost by scornefull Thamisis No Who will then acknowledge me a King Or on my Aulters offer any thing T is onely force must purchase me what Loue And my long woeing from her nere could moue And though it be not gotten by constraint But kinde and gentle meane they say must gaint Yet since I long haue gently woed her And all in vaine by reuerend Stix I sweare Hence foorth I will no â—â—â—ger woe nor sew But ha'er in spight of all that she can do O which of all the sacred Muses now Shall I entreat to shew the base meanes how False Neptune sought to gaine his wished pleasure But one 's too few helpe therefore all together For well I wot you hearing her sad chaunce Did leaue your Springs bout which you wont to daunce And went to waile with her sad Maydens which Did nothing else but cry nought else but scritch Now wearie Phaebus had vnharnised His fierie steedes and got him selfe to bed To his faire Loue and now the sable Night Had causd sleepe