ouer curious and inquisitiue in spying and prying into those matters which be aboue our reache least we be rewarded as Actaeon was Ouid. 2. de tristib Inscius Actaeon vidit sine veste dianam Praeda fuit canibus non minus ille suis. Scilicet in superis etiam fortuna luenda est Nec veniam laeso numine casus habet Or lastly thus a wiseman ought to refraine his eyes from beholding sensible and corporall bewty figured by Diana least as Actaeon was deuoured of his owne doggs so he be distracted and torne in peeces with his owne affections and perturbations The names of his hounds are all fet from the naturall qualities and proprieties of doggs Laelaps Aello Nebrophonos Dorceus Harpya Lycisca Melampus Pamphagus Agriodos Pterelas Hylaeus Hylactor Melanchaetes Theridamas Oresitrophos signifying Swift Tempest Killbuck Spy Snatch Woolfe Blackefoote Eateal Sauage Lightfoote Woodman Ringwood Black Kildeare Hillebread Endymion watching in the night to obserue the course of the Moone in the Hill Latmos was said to be kissed of the Moone Which may also be the cause why they of Thessalia were saide to force the Moone downe from Heauen with their charmes and incantations for that they were very curious in noting her nature and reuolution Endymion by some others is a figure of the soule of man kissed of Diana in the hill that is rauished by celestiall contemplation Pan enticed the Moone into the woods by giuing her a faire fleece of white wooll that is to say nature doth induce and perswade the soule by the gift of sensible bewty to come downe into this world of generation and propagation signified by the wood Virgil hath some such thing 3. Georgeâ—on Munere sic niueo lanae si credere dignum est Pan deus Arcadiae captam te Luna fefellit In nemora alta vocans nec tu aspernata vocantem Faire Venus was now left for faire Cassiopaea who thus discouered the loue betweene her and Adonis MYrrha the fathers hoore and brothers mother a myrrhor Of most monstrus lust was late transformd to a Myrrh-tree O how could sweete Myrrh come from so sinful a Myrrha Myrrha made Myrrh-tree brought forth incestuus ofspring And yet most delicate most sweete most bewtiful ofspring Dame Natur 's dearling heu'ns ioy worlds woonder Adonis Either take wings bowe and shafts from louely Cupido Or giue bowe and shafts and wings to the loued Adonis And let louely Cupid stand hard by loued Adonis Either on others side and aske who list the beholders Which is louely Cupid which is this loued Adonis Euery man will swere that both are louely Cupidoes Both are Lords of loue and neither loued Adonis So like euery way were loue and loued Adonis Yea such grace such face such eyes had loued Adonis That very Enuies eyes must needes praise loued Adonis Lord how swift is time and slideth away on a sudden Vnperceaud vnspide That wretched lewdly begotten Sisters grandsires son closd yesterday in a Myrrhe-tree Borne but yesterday is now so louely an infant Sweete childe tall springall braue youth that Queene Cytheraea Loues natures dearling heu'ns ioy worlds woonder Adonis Lord of loue by a chaunce as he playd with Queene Aphrodite His louing mother did rase her breast with an arrowe Hence qd Lady Venus with this same paltery arrowe And putts back her son but that same paltery arrow Gaue her a deeper wound indeede then first she beleeued Now Cytheraean bowres and towres Cytheraea renounceth Fishy Cnidos with watry Paphos Cytheraea refuseth Yea leaues heau'n it selfe for loue for loue of Adonis Now she delites to be gay and frames her lookes to be louely Trims and tricks her selfe and all for loue of Adonis Sometimes downe by a well with Adonis sweetly she sitteth And on Adonis face in well-spring louely she looketh And then Adonis lipps with her owne lipps kindely she kisseth Rolling tongue moyst mouth with her owne mouth all to be sucking Mouth and tong and lipps with Ioues drinck Nectar abounding Sometimes louely records for Adonis sake she reciteth How Laeander dyde as he swamme to the bewtiful Hero How great Alcides was brought from a club to a distaffe How Medea the witch causd golden fleece to be conquerd What lost Euridice who first came safely to Circe Sometimes vnto the shade of a braunched beech she repaireth Where sweete bubling brooke with streames of siluer aboundeth And faire-feathred birde on tree-top cherefuly chirpeth There her voyce which makes eu'n Ioue himselfe to be ioying Vnto the waters fall and birds chirpe ioyfuly tuning Sometimes vnto the woods and pleasant parks she resorteth With tuckt-vp garments and Quiuer like to Diana And there harmeles game pursu's with loued Adonis Trembling hare swift hart and Roebuck loftyly horned As for Beares and Woolu's and such wilde beasts she detested Lest any harme might chaunce by the chace thereof to Adonis Whilst that Lady Venus did thus conuerse with Adonis Making more account of a heauens-ioy then a heauen Ioue sent forth summons through purple-veiled Olympus Forth-with commaunding all Gods and euery goddes There at a stately triumph on a certeine time to be present Then was Lady Venus compelld to returne to Olympus Greatly against her minde and leaue her loued Adonis And yet afore she returnd shee turnd herselfe to Adonis And thus tooke her leaue last leaue of loued Adonis Sweete boy sith that I must of force now goe to Olympus Neuer afore did I so vnwilling goe to Olympus Make much of thyself and I le make haste from Olympus Sweete boy looke to thyself goe not too oft to the forrest Where sharpe-tusked boares and rau'nous woolus be resorting And strong stoordy Lyons are each where fearefuly roaring Parks and launds are walkes more meete for yonker Adonis Harts and Hyndes are game more fit for gentle Adonis T is no wit sweete boy with a greater foe to be striuing T is no wit to be stout with strong to be haughty with hardy Forbeare for my sake for my feare learne to be fearefull Meddle not with beasts whose euery limme is a weapon Euery stroake is death least too stowtharted Adonis Buy his praise too deare thy face yeares bewty behauiour Which possesse my soule wil neuer moue the deuouring Woolues and bristled swine wil neuer finde any fauour In blood-thirsting eyes of a rugged bare or a raging Ougly Lyon most ougly Lyon whose merciles ofspring Chiefly of all other wilde beasts Cytheraea detesteth Then she begins to recount how fayre and swift Atalanta Chaunst at length in race to be ouercome by the golden Apples which herselfe of her owne grace gaue to the thanckles Hippomenes whose loue was therefore turnd to a lewd lust So lewd that Cybeles temple was fowly defiled And themselues to Lyons for a iust plague speedily changed Drawing her chariot whose church they lately prophaned Then qd shee fly these and not these only but all those Beasts that will not fly Such counsel gaue she Adonis But no such counsel would serue
tales such sweete inuentions as of the learned vnfolder may well be deemed vonderfull though to a vulgar conceit they seeme but friuolus imaginations Yea that song of the most wise Salomon called for the excellencie thereof the song of songs is altogether mysticall and allegoricall least any man thinke my speech but a tale in attributing so much to poeticall tales which mee thinkes may well bee compared to sweete grapes couered with leaues and braÌ„ches or to the old Sileni which being but ridiculous in shew did yet inwardly conteine the sacred image of some God He that cannot conceaue any sufficient cause which might induce antiquitie to deale thus warilie in matters of such importance let him knowe that rerum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the picturing fashioning figuring or as it were personall representing of things in verse after this manner is most effectuall and auayleable to moue mens mindes to stirre vp delight to confirme memorie and to allure and entice our cogitations by such familiar and sensible discourses to matters of more diuine and higher contemplation Poeticall songs are Galeries set forth with varietie of pictures to hold euery mans eyes Gardens stored with flowers of sundry sauours to delite euery mans sence orchyards furnished with all kindes of fruite to please euery mans mouth He that is but of a meane conceit hath a pleasant and plausible narration concerning the famous exploites of renowmed Heroes set forth in most sweete and delightsome verse to feede his rurall humor They whose capacitie is such as that they can reach somewhat further then the external discourse and history shall finde a morall sence included therein extolling vertue condemning vice euery way profitable for the institution of a practicall and common wealth man The rest that are better borne and of a more noble spirit shall meete with hidden mysteries of naturall astrologicall or diuine and metaphysicall philosophie to entertaine their heauenly speculation That this is true let vs make triall and first in Saturnus and Chaos offered vnto vs by Thirsis whereof before we speake it shall not be amisse to note this generally for the better conceauing of ensuing particularities Iupiter Iuno Neptune Ceres with the rest are therfore called Gods and goddesses for that in the superior and fierie region of the ayre noted by Iupiter in the inferior represented by Iuno in the bowells of the earth figured by Ceres in the deapth of the Seaes shadowed by Neptune and so in others there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certaine celestiall and diuine power so called by Hippocrates and by the ancient Poets more particularly expressed by the sundry titles of seuerall Deities proportionable thereunto And if the copulation or coniunction of these deified elements obserue the natural order of generation it is called of the Poets a mariage of such a god and goddesse if it swarue and degenerate from the wonted course of nature they tearme it adulterie and libidinous loue the parties louers not man and wife as in the former kinde of copulation so that no maÌ„ hath cause to think it a ridiculous repugnancy impossibilitie wheÌ„ as Poets in their songs make mention of the loue mariage procreation affinity ofspring pedegrees and discents of their superior inferior gods Now for the transformation of Thirsis his Chaos true it is that Ouid much after this manner discourseth of the creation of the world of the reducing of the confused Chaos into distinct formes of Prometheus his framing of man of the very earth it selfe which things no doubt as also the distinction of times into foure seuerall ages of gold siluer brasse and yron were taken although in part mistaken out of the sacred monuments of Moyses Leo Hebraeus â—â—t of some ancieÌ„t Poet whom he calleth Pronapides reporteth another history of the same matter albeit not after the same manner Demogorgon sâ—ith he the great and terrible God of heauen and earth accompanied only with Aeternitie Chaos perceaued on a time an outragious vprore and tumult stirred vp in the bely and bowels of the forenamed Chaos therefore to ease her he stretched forth his oâ—ne hand and opened her wombe whence presently came forth a filthie and deformed ofspring called LitigiuÌ„ Strife which no sooner apeared but immediately it bred brabbles made a foule stirre stird vp contentions and stroue to mount vp toward heauen but that by Demogorgon he was ouerruled and throwne downe to the lower partes elementall regions Chaos as yet had not ended her chile-bearing labor trauaile but was troubled with heauie burdens fainty sweats languishing groanes fierie tormeÌ„ting agonies so that Demogorgon could not for pitie withdraw his helping hand till by his assistance she had brought forth Pan with his three fatall sicters and also Erebus Aether and Dies Pan found such fauour that Demogorgon committed vnto him the whole charge of his familie commaunding his three sisters continually to waite and attend vpon him as his handmaydes And thus was Chaos at last deliuered and easâ—d of her childe-birth By Demogorgon or peraduenture Demiurgon is here vnderstood that one only creator of al to whom Aeternitie is inseparably conioyned sith himselfe is was and will be eternall and euerlasting Chaos in his eternall societie obteineth the third place because she is that common confused and vndistinct matter which the ancient Philosophers made Coeternall with the Creator calling the one the Father the other the mother of al things formed yet so as they alwaies esteemed Demogorgon the chiefe and efficient Chaos only the subsequent and secondary cause in this procreation The reason why they ioyned Chaos with the Creator as a companion from all eternitie was this they thought it proceeded from him by a certaine eternall generation so proceeding as eternall because alwaies proceeding yet so eternall as proceeding because not of her selfe proceeding but from the procreator And as they made Chaos procâ—ede from Demogorgon eternally without limitation of time so they affirmed that he afâ—erwards framed all things of this vnformed Chaos not eternally but in time The tumult and vprore styrd vp in the bowels of Chaos is her naturall inclination and desire of bringing forth things variable and disagreeing The hand of Demogorgon which opened her bely is that celestiall power reducing the vniuersall and confused possibilities of Chaos to distinct formes and actuall particularities and giueth vs also to vnderstand that this first production of things was not vsuall and accustomed as naturall generation is which afterwards succeeded this supernaturall creation but strang and wonderful did therefore require the vse of Demogorgons hand that is the most mighty and effectuall instrument of all others Strife came first forth for from prima materia that â—irst and generall matter of all that was made the diuision and distinction of things which before were confused and vndistinct proceeded this diuision is called strife sith it conuerseth among foure striuing contrary elemeÌ„ts the one alwaies maligning
her selfe sitteth on a throne with a scepter in her hand a crowne on her head and her Peacocke standing by her * Iunoes picture Iupiter iesting with Iuno whether man or woman had more pleasure the matter was referred to Tiresias who had been both woman and man but giuing sentence with Iupiter was depriued of his sight by Iuno It is not good therefore to iudge betweene our betters Tiresias was a sage and contemplatiue man and such are commonly blinde to other matters for that they scorne these inferior things as hauing vowed their whole soules to more heauenly cogitations Eccho is Iunoes daughter for she is nothing els but the reuerberation and reduplication of the ayre Eccho noteth bragging and vaunting which being contemned and despised turneth to a bare voyce a winde a blast a thing of nothing Narcissus is a louer of himselfe and so it falleth out that vaunting and bragging loues self-loue He is turned to a flower florishing to day and fading to morrow as such ouerweeners alwayes doe Ixion graced by Ioue would needes dishonour Iuno Iupiter framed a counterfait Iuno intruth nought but a clowde which Ixion vsing in stead of Iuno begat the Centaures This is a note of ambitious and aspiring loue And these Centaures hereupon were called Nubigenae Historically they liued in high mountaines in Thessalia which gaue occasion to this fiction They were called halfemen for that being practised in riding they grew most expers therein sitting on horses continually so that they seemed not men and horses distinct but a thing made of horse and man together These rude fellowes enraged with wine and lust set all on an vprore at Pyrithous his wedding But to returne to Eccho I remember an odde conceited dialogue between her the affectionate louer which as I heard it of late of a forren Pastor so here for nouelties sake I repeate it that some of our company may another time either worke on the same ground or lay himselfe a new foundation VAlli sassi montagne antri herbe piaggie Colli selue fontane augelli fere Satyri Fauni voi ninfe leggiadre Odite per pietà la pena mia Vdite come amor mi mena a morte Legato in duro e indissolubil nodo odo Voce odo deh chi sei tu che rispondi A l'amaro dolente pià nger miò Io. Ninfa sei forse di se ninfa sei Tu che di questa voce formi il suono Sono Ninfa sei dunque deh dimmi anco il nome Ch'io sappia chi si moue à pianger meco Echo Hora poi ch' Echo sei porgimi orecchio Odimi se l'udir non ti dispiace Piace Tu vedi com'io piango amaramente Deh mouati pietà del mio cordoglio Doglio Se di me duolti vuoi porger consiglio Al profondo pensier in cui m'inuoglio Voglio Ma che premio fia'l tuo se'l mio tormento In qualche parte almen perte si annulla Nulla I'ti ringratio Hor dunque mi consiglia Poiche piu altro premio non richiedi Chiedi Tu vedi Ninfa com'amor mi strugge Chi'ò corro à morte e à pena me n'aueggio Veggio Che mi consigli che faro perch'io Troui pietá là dou ' amor mi chiama Ama. Vorrei saper che cosa è quest ' amore Questo che tutto m'arde e che m'infiamma Fiamma Che fiamma è questa come non finisce Di consumar se mai non si rallenta Lenta In che loco s'annida oue soggiorna Che parte è quella ou'arde a mio dispetto Petto Com'entra dimmi oue troua la via Perch'ella dentro al petto si trabocchi Occhi. Entra per gliocchi parmi hauer inteso Che molti per vdir s'namoraro Raro Dimmi che cibo è'l suo doue si pasce Che par che dicontinuo ella m'acore Core Se m'arde ' lcor debbo durare ancora Al giogo ou i'o mia liberta perdei Dei Adunque vuoi chi'o stia nel mio pensiero Constante ancor benche sia afflitto e stanco Anco Tante lagrime spargo e nulla gioua Dimmi sarebbe forse il pianto in vano Vano Che faro dunque acciò al mio casto ardire Che m'arde honesto premio si reserui Serui. Credi che l'amor mio le sera grato Et ch'ella fia del mio seruir contenta Tenta Ogni via tentaro se credi ch'io Possa allcun premio riportarne poi Poi Hor qual esser deuro se pur talhora Il dolor mi fara tremante infermo Fermo Ma che faro s'egli cosi mi strugge Ch'in pianto la mia vita si distempra Tempra Com'io la temprero s'amor non cessa Di saettarmi da la terza Spera Spera Dunque ninfa gentil lo sperar gioua E la mortale passion raffrena Frena Qual sia la vita mia se senza speme Terrammi preso amor con man ' accorta Corta Se siano corti i giorni di mia vita Non saran lieti almen benc'hor m'attristi Tristi Che sperero mi lice sperar forse Che far mi debba vn giorno amor felice Lice Vorrei saper chi mi dara speranza Poich'a sperar la tua ra gion m'inuita Vita Vita haura dunque hauro poi altro sâ—o Non mi las'io giamai mancar di Spene Pene. Pene Sperando adonque che mi gioua Ma chi sia causa che di pene i tema Tema Tema la causa fia deh dimmi il vero Dunque tema potra farmi mendico Dico Ahi lasso ahi discortese empio timore Hor questo dunque il mio piacer conturba Turba Pommi far peggio dimmi se puo peggio Seguir à queste membra afflitte e smorte Morte Morte se dunque il timor passa'l segno Talhor si more per souerchio amore More Come lo scacciero l'alma si strugge Che non lo vuole piange e si dispera Spera Tu pur dici ch'io spera speme forse Credi che sola sia ch'altri consola Sola Leuera tutto ò parte del tormento Lasso che mi consuma e'l cor mi parte Parte Adunque la speranza per se sola Beato non potra far mi giamai Mai. Ma oltre amore seruitute e speme Che ci vuol dimmi'l tutto a parte a parte Arte. Chi mi dara quest ' arte forsi amore Altri chi sia se no' è amor istesso Esso Insegna dunque amor dunque a gli amanti Amor delver amor l'arte dimostra Mostra Dimmi di gratia scopriro la fiamma ò mi consigli ch'io non la discopri Scopri A cui debbo scoprirla ad ogn'un forse ó bastera che sol l'intenda alcuno Vno Vuoi che ad vn sol amico fia palese Celato à gli altri sia'l colpo mortale Tale.