blood Were died blacke The roote also bestained as it stoode A déepe darke purple colour straight vpon the Berries cast Anon scarce ridded of hir feare with which she was agast For doubt of disapointing him commes Thisbe forth in hast And for hir louer lookes about reioycing for to tell How hardly she had scapt that night the daunger that befell And as she knew right well the place and facion of the trée As whych she saw so late before euen so when she did sée The colour of the Berries turnde she was vncertaine whither It were the trée at which they both agréed to méete togither While in this doubtfull stounde she stoode she cast hir eye aside And there beweltred in his bloud hir louer she espide Lie sprawling with his dying limmes at which she started backe And looked pale as any Box a shuddring through hir stracke Euen like the Sea which sodenly with whissing noyse doth moue When with a little blast of winde it is but toucht aboue But when approching nearer him she knew it was hir loue She beate hir brest she shricked out she tare hir golden heares And taking him betwéene hir armes did wash his wounds with teares She meynt hir wéeping with his bloud and kissing all his face Which now became as colde as yse she cride in wofull case Alas what chaunce my Pyramus hath parted thée and mée Make aunswere O my Pyramus It is thy Thisb euen shée Whome thou doste loue most heartely that speaketh vnto thée Giue eare and rayse thy heauie heade He hearing Thisbes name Lift vp his dying eyes and hauing séene hir closde the same But when she knew hir mantle there and saw his scabberd lie Without the swoorde Unhappy man thy loue hath made thée die Thy loue she said hath made thée slea thy selfe This hand of mine Is strong inough to doe the like My loue no lesse than thine Shall giue me force to worke my wound I will pursue the dead And wretched woman as I am it shall of me be sed That like as of thy death I was the only cause and blame So am I thy companion eke and partner in the same For death which only coulde alas a sunder part vs twaine Shall neuer so disseuer vs but we will méete againe And you the Parentes of vs both most wretched folke alyue Let this request that I shall make in both our names byliue Entreate you to permit that we whome chaste and stedfast loue And whome euen death hath ioynde in one may as it doth behoue In one graue be together layd And thou vnhappie trée Which shroudest now the corse of one and shalt anon through mée Shroude two of this same slaughter holde the sicker signes for ay Blacke be the colour of thy fruite and mourninglike alway Such as the murder of vs twaine may euermore bewray This said she tooke the sword yet warme with slaughter of hir loue And setting it beneath hir brest did to hir heart it shoue Hir prayer with the Gods and with their Parentes tooke effect For when the frute is throughly ripe the Berrie is bespect With colour tending to a blacke And that which after fire Remained rested in one Tumbe as Thisbe did desire This tale thus tolde a little space of pawsing was betwist And then began Leucothoâ— thus hir sisters being whist This Sunne that with his streaming light al worldly things doth cheare Was tane in loue of Phebus loues now list and you shall heare It is reported that this God did first of all espie For euerie thing in Heauen and Earth is open to his eie How Venus with the warlike Mars adâ—outrie did commit It grieued him to sée the fact and so discouered it He shewed his husband Iunos sonne th' aduoutrie and the place In which this priuie scape was done Who was in such a case That heart and hand and all did faile in working for a space Anon he featly forgde a net of Wire so fine and slight That neyther knot nor nooze therein apparant was to sight This piece of worke was much more fine than any handwarpe oofe Or that whereby the Spider hanges in sliding from the roofe And furthermore the suttlenesse and slight thereof was such It followed euery little pull and closde with euery touch And so he set it handsomly about the haunted couch Now when that Venus and hir mate were met in bed togither Hir husband by his newfound snare before conuayed thither Did snarle them both togither fast in middes of all theyr play And setting ope the Iâ—orie doores callde all the Gods streight way To sée them they with shame inough fast lockt togither lay A certaine God among the rest disposed for to sport Did wish that he himselfe also were shamed in that sort The resdue laught and so in heauen there was no talke a while But of this Pageant how the Smith the louers did beguile Dame Venus highly stomacking this great displeasure thought To be reuenged on the part by whome the spight was wrought And like as he hir secret loues and méetings had bewrayd So she with wound of raging loue his guerdon to him payd What now auayles Hyperions sonne thy forme and beautie bright What now auayle thy glistring eyes with cleare and piercing sight For thou that with thy gleames art wont all countries for to burne Art burnt thy selfe with other gleames that serue not for thy turne And thou that oughtst thy cherefull looke on all things for to show Alonly on Leucothoë doste now the same bestow Thou fastnest on that Maide alone the eyes that thou doste owe To all the worlde Sometime more rathe thou risest in the East Sometime againe thou makste it late before thou fall to reast And for desire to looke on hir thou often doste prolong Our winter nightes And in thy light thou faylest eke among The fancie of thy faultie minde infectes thy feeble sight And so thou makste mens hearts afrayde by daunting of thy light Thou looxte not pale bycause the globe of Phebe is betwéene The Earth and thée but loue doth cause this colour to be séene Thou louest this Leucothoë so far aboue all other That neyther now for Clymenâ— for Rhodos nor the mother Of Circé nor for Clytië who at that present tyde Reiected from thy companie did for thy loue abide Most grieuous torments in hir heart thou séemest for to care Thou mindest hir so much that all the rest forgotten are Hir mother was Eurynome of all the fragrant clime Of Arabie estéemde the flowre of beautie in hir time But when hir daughter came to age the daugher past the mother As far in beautie as before the mother past all other Hir father was king Orchamus and rulde the publike weale Of Persey counted by descent the .vij. from auncient Bele Far vnderneath the Westerne clyme of Hesperus doe runne The pastures of the firie stéedes that draw the golden Sunne There are they fed with Ambrosâ—e in stead of grasse all
should slenderly regarde Hir dutie to hir mistresseward And rather than to fayle The Ladie euen hirselfe with gifts he minded to assayle And all his kingdome for to spend or else by force of hand To take hir and in maintenance thereof by sword to stand There was not vnder heauen the thing but that he durst it proue So far vnable was he now to stay his lawlesse loue Delay was deadly Backe againe with gréedie minde he came Of Prognes â—rrands for to talke and vnderneath the same He workes his owne vngraciousnesse Loue gaue him power to frame His talke at will As oft as he demaunded out of square Upon his wiues importunate desire himselfe he bare He also wept as though his wife had willed that likewise O God what blindnesse doth the heartes of mortall men disguise By working mischiefe Tereus gets him credit for to séeme A louing man and winneth praise by wickednesse extréeme Yea and the foolish Philomele the selfe same thing desires Who hanging on hir fathers necke with flattring armes requires Against hir life and for hir life his licence for to go To see hir sister Tereus beholdes hir wistly tho And in beholding handles hir with heart For when he saw Hir kisse hir father and about his necke hir armes to draw They all were spurres to pricke him forth and wood to féede his fire And foode of forcing nourishment to further his desire As oft as she hir father did betwéene hir armes embrace So often wished he himselfe hir father in that case For nought at all should that in him haue wrought the greater grace Hir father could not say them nay they lay at him so sore Right glad thereof was Philomele and thanked him therefore And wretched wench she thinkes she had obtained such a thing As both to Progne and hir selfe should ioy and comfort bring When both of them in verie déede should afterward it rew To endward of his daily race and trauell Phebus drew And on the shoring side of Heauen his horses downeward flew A princely supper was prepaarde and wine in golde was set And after meate to take their rest the Princes did them get But though the King of Thrace that while were absent from hir sight Yet swelted he and in his minde reuoluing all the night Hir face hir gesture and hir hands imaginde all the rest The which as yet he had not séene as likte his fancie best He féedes his flames himselfe No winke could come within his eyes For thinking ay on hir Assoone as day was in the skies Pandion holding in his hand the hand of Tereus prest To go his way and sheading teares betooke him thus his guest Deare sonneinlaw I giue thee here sith godly cause constraines This Damsell Bythe faith that in thy Princely heart remaines â–ª And for our late aliance sake and by the Gods aboue I humbly thée beseche that as a Father thou doe loue And maintaine hir and that as soone as may be all delay Will vnto me séeme ouer long thou let hir come away The comfort of my carefull age on whome my life doth stay And thou my daughter Philomele it is inough ywis That from hir father set so farre thy sister Progne is If any sparke of nature doe within thy heart remayne With all the haast and spéede thou canst returne to me againe In giuing charge he kissed hir and downe his chéekes did raine The tender teares and as a pledge of faith he tooke the right Handes of them both and ioyning them did eche to other plight Desiring them to beare in minde his commendations to His daughter and hir little sonne And then with much a doe For sobbing at the last he bad adew as one dismaid The foremisgiuing of his minde did make him sore afraid Assoone as Tereus and the Maide togither were a boord And that their ship from land with Ores was haled on the foord The fielde is ours he cride aloude I haue the thing I sought And vp he skipt so barbrous and so beastly was his thought That scarce euen there he could forbeare his pleasure to haue wrought His eye went neuer off of hir as when the scarefull Erne With hooked talants trussing vp a Hare among the Ferne Hath laid hir in his nest from whence the prisoner can not scape The rauening fowle with gréedie eyes vpon his pray doth gape Now was their iourney come to ende now were they gone a land In Thracia when that Tereus tooke the Ladie by the hand And led hir to a pelting graunge that peakishly did stand In woods forgrowen There waxing pale and trembling sore for feare And dreading all things and with teares demaunding sadly where Hir sister was he shet hir vp and therewithall bewraide His wicked lust and so by force bicause she was a Maide And all alone he vanquisht hir It booted nought at all That she on sister or on Sire or on the Gods did call She quaketh like the wounded Lambe which froÌ„ the Wolues hore tâ—th New shaken thinkes hir selfe not safe or as the Doue that feéth Hir fethers with hir owne bloud staynde who shuddring still doth feare The greedie Hauke that did hir late with griping talants teare Anon when that this mazednesse was somewhat ouerpast She rent hir haire and beate hir brest and vp to heauenward cast Hir hands in mourningwise and said â–ª O cankerd Carle O fell And cruell Tyrant neyther could the godly teares that fell A downe my fathers chéekes when he did giue thée charge of meé Ne of my sister that regarde that ought to be in theé Nor yet my chaast virginitie nor conscience of the lawe Of wedlocke from this villanie thy barbrous heart withdraw Behold thou hast confounded all My sister thorough mée Is made a Cucqueane and thy selfe through this offence of thée Art made a husband to vs both and vnto me a foe A iust deserued punishment for lewdly doing so But to thintent O periurde wretch no mischiefe may remaine Unwrought by theé why doest thou from murdring me refraine Would God thou had it done before this wicked rape From hence Then should my soule most blessedly haue gone without offence But if the Gods doe sée this déede and if the Gods I say Be ought and in this wicked worlde beare any kinde of sway And if with me all other things decay not sure the day Will come that for this wickednesse full dearly thou shalt pay Yea I my selfe reiecting shame thy doings will bewray And if I may haue power to come abrode them blase I will In open face of all the world or if thou kéepe me still As prisoner in these woods my voyâ—e the verie woods shall fill And make the stones to vnderstand Let Heauen to this giue eare And all the Gods and powers therein if any God be there The cruell tyrant being chaaft and also put in feare With these and other such hir wordes both causes so him stung That drawing out his naked sworde that
face The which he did immediately with feruent loue embrace He féedes a hope without cause why For like a foolishe noddie He thinkes the shadow that he sées to be a liuely boddie Astraughted like an ymage made of Marble stone he lyes There gazing on his shadowe still with fixed staring eyes Stretcht all along vpon the ground it doth him good to sée His ardant eyes which like two starres full bright and shyning bée And eke his fingars fingars such as Bacchus might beséeme And haire that one might worthely Apollos haire it déeme His beardlesse chinne and yuorie necke and eke the perfect grace Of white and red indifferently bepainted in his face All these he woondreth to beholde for which as I doe gather Himselfe was to be woondred at or to be pitied rather He is enamored of himselfe for want of taking héede And where he lykes another thing he lykes himselfe in déede He is the partie whome he wooes and suâ—er that doth wooe He is the flame that settes on fire and thing that burneth tooe O Lord how often did he kisse that false deceitfull thing How often did he thrust his armes midway into the spring To haue embraste the necke he saw and could not catch himselfe He knowes not what it was he sawe And yet the foolish elfe Doth burne in ardent loue thereof The verie selfe same thing That doth bewitch and blinde his eyes encreaseth all his sting Thou fondling thou why doest thou raught the fickle image so The thing thou séekest is not there And if a side thou go The thing thou louest straight is gone It is none other matter That thou doest sée than of thy selfe the shadow in the water The thing is nothing of it selfe with thée it doth abide With thee it would departe if thou withdrew thy selfe aside No care of meate could draw him thence nor yet desire of rest But lying flat against the ground and leaâ—ing on his brest With gréedâ—e eyes he gazeth still vppon the falced face And through his sight is wrought his bane Yet for a little space He turnes and settes himselfe vpright and holding vp his hands With piteous voyce vnto the wood that round about him stands Cryes out and ses alas ye Woods and was there euer any That looude so cruelly as I you know for vnto many A place of harbrough haue you béene and fort of refuge strong Can you remember any one in all your tyme so long That hath so pinde away as I I sée and am full faine Howbeit that I like and sée I can not yet attaine So great a blindnesse in my heart through doting loue doth raigne And for to spight me more withall it is no iourney farre No drenching Sea no Mountaine hie no wall no locke no barre It is but euen a little droppe that kéepes vs two a sunder He would be had For looke how oft I kisse the water vnder So oft againe with vpwarde mouth he riseth towarde mée A man would thinke to touch at least I should yet able bée It is a trifle in respect that lettes vs of our loue What wight soeuer that thou art come hither vp aboue O pierlesse piece why dost thou mée thy louer thus delude Or whither fliste thou of thy friende thus earnestly pursude Iwis I neyther am so fowle nor yet so growne in yeares That in this wise thou shouldst me shoon To haue me to their Féeres The Nymphes themselues haue sude ere this And yet as should appéere Thou dost pretende some kinde of hope of friendship by thy chéere For when I stretch mine armes to thée thou stretchest thine likewise And if I smile thou smilest too And when that from mine eyes The teares doe drop I well perceyue the water stands in thine Like gesture also dost thou make to euerie becke of mine And as by mouing of thy swéete and louely lippes I wéene Thou speakest words although mine eares conceiue not what they béene It is my selfe I well perceyue it is mine Image sure That in this sort dâ—luding me this furie doth procure I am mamored of my selfe I doe both set on fire And am the same that swelteth too through impotent desire What shall I doe be woode or wo whome shall I wo therefore The thing I séeke is in my selfe my plentie makes me poore O would to God I for a while might from my bodie part This wish is straunge to heare a Louer wrapped all in smart To wish away the thing the which he loueth as his heart My sorrowe takes away my strength I haue not long to liue But in the floure of youth must die To die it doth not grieue For that by death shall come the ende of all my griefe and paine I would this yongling whome I loue might lenger life obtaine For in one soule shall now decay we stedfast Louers twaine This saide in rage he turnes againe vnto the forsaide shade And rores the water with the teares and sloubring that he made That through his troubling of the Well his ymage gan to fade Which when he sawe to vanish so Oh whither dost thou flie Abide I pray thée heartely aloud he gan to crie Forsake me not so cruelly that loueth thée so déere But giue me leaue a little while my dazled eyes to chéere With sight of that which for to touch is vtterly denide Thereby to féede my wretched rage and surie for a tide As in this wise he made his mone he stripped off his cote And with his fist outragiously his naked stomacke smote A ruddie colour where he smote rose on his stomacke shéere Lyke Apples which doe partly white and striped red appéere Or as the clusters ere the grapes to ripenesse fully come An Orient purple here and there beginnes to grow on some Which things assoone as in the spring he did beholde againe He could no longer beare it out But fainting straight for paine As lith and supple waxe doth melt against the burning flame Or morning dewe against the Sunne that glareth on the same Euen so by piecemale being spent and wasted through desire Did he consume and melt away with Cupids secret fire His liuely hue of white and red his chéerefulnesse and strength And all the things that lyked him did wanze away at length So that in fine remayned not the bodie which of late The wretched Echo loued so Who when she sawe his state Although in heart she angrie were and mindefull of his pride Yet ruing his vnhappie case as often as he cride Alas she cride alas likewise with shirle redoubled sound And when he beate his breast or strake his féete against the ground She made like noyse of clapping too These are the woordes that last Out of his lippes beholding still his woonted ymage past Alas swéete boy beloude in vaine farewell And by and by With sighing sound the selfe same wordes the Echo did reply With that he layde his wearie head against the grassie place And death did cloze his
And at hir going out Feare terror griefe and pensiuâ—nesse for companie she tooke And also madnesse with his sâ—aight and gastly staring looke Within the house of Athamas no sooner foote she set But that the postes began to quake and doores looke blacke as Iet The sonne withdrew him Athamas and eke his wife were cast With ougly sighies in such a feare that out of doores agast They would haue fled There sâ—oode the Fiend and stopt their passage out And splaying forth hir filthie armes beknit with Snakes about Did tosse and waue hir hatefull head The swarme of sâ—aled snakes Did make an irksome noyse to heare as she hir tresses shakes About hir shoulders some did craule some trayling downe hir brest Did hisse and spit out poyson gréene and spirt with tongues infest Then from amyd hir haire two snakes with venymd hand she drew Of which shée one at Athamas and one at Ino threw The snakes did craule about their breasts inspiring in their heart Most grieuous motions of the minde the bodie had no smart Of any wound it was the minde that felt the cruell stings A poyson made in Syrup wise shée also with hir brings The filthie fame of Cerberus the casting of the Snake Echidna bred among the Fennes about the Stygian Lake Desirde of gadding foorth abroad forgetfulnesse of minde Delight in mischiefe woodnesse teares and purpose whole inclinde To cruell murther all the which shée did together grinde And mingling them with new shed bloud had boyled them in brasse And stird them with a Hemblock stalke Now whyle that Athamas And Ino stood and quakte for feare this poyson ranke and fell Shée tourned into both their breastes and made their heartes to swell Then whisking often round about hir head hir balefull brand Shée made it soone by gathering winde to kindle in hir hand Thus as it were in triumph wise accomplishing hir hest To Duskie Plutos emptie Realme shée gettes hir home to rest And putteth of the snarled Snakes that girded in hir brest Immediatly King Aeolus sonne stark madde comes crying out Through all the court what meane yee Sirs why go yée not about To pitch our toyles within this chach I sawe euen nowe here ran A Lyon with hir two yong whelpes And there withall he gan To chase his wyfe as if in déede shée had a Lyon béene And lyke a Bedlem boystouslie he snatcheth from betwéene The mothers armes his little babe Loearchus smyling on him And reaching foorth his preatie armes floong him fiercely from him A twice or thrice as from a slyng and dasht his tender head Against a hard and rugged stone vntill he sawe him dead The wretched mother whither griefe did moue hir therevnto Or that the poyson spred within did force hir so to doe Hould out and frantikly with scattered haire about hir eares And with hir little Melicert whome hastely shée heares In naked armes she cryeth out hoe Bacchus At the name Of Bacâ—hus Iuno gan to laugh and scorning sayde in game This guerden loe thy foster child requiteth for the same There hangs a rocke about the Sea the foote whereof is eate So hollow with the saltish waues which on the same doe beate That like a house it kéepeth off the moysting showers of rayne The toppe is rough and shootes his front amiddes the open mayne Dame Ino madnesse made hir strong did climb this cliffe anon And healong downe without regarde of hurt that hoong thereon Did throwe hir burden and hir selfe the water where shée dasht In sprincling vpwarde glisterd red But Venus sore abasht At this hir Néeces great mischaunce without offence or fault Hir Vncle gently thus bespake O ruler of the hault And swelling Seas O noble Neptune whose dominion large Extendeth to the Heauen whereof the mightie Ioue hath charge The thing is great for which I sew But shewe thou sor my sake Some mercie on my wretched friends whome in thine endlesse lake Thou séeest tossed to and fro Admit thou them among Thy Goddes Of right euen here to mée some fauour doth belong At least wise if amid the Sea engendred erst I were Of Froth as of the which yet still my pleasaunt name I beare Neptunus graunted hir request and by and by bereft them Of all that euer mortall was In sted wherof he left them A hault and stately maiestie and altring them in hew With shape and names most méete for Goddes he did them both endew Leucothoë was the mothers name Palemon was the sonne The Thebane Ladies following hir as fast as they could runne Did of hir féete perceiue the print vpon the vtter stone And taking it for certaine signe that both were dead and gone In making mone for Cadmus house they wrang their hands and tare Their haire and rent their clothes and railde on Iuno out of square As nothing iust but more outragious farre than did behoue In so reuenging of his selfe vpon hir husbands loue The Goddesse Iuno could not beare their railing And in faith You also will I make to be as witnesses she sayth Of my outragious crueltie And so shée did in déede For shée that loued Ino best was following hir with spéede Into the Sea But as shée would hir selfe haue downeward cast Shée could not stirre but to the rock as nailed sticked fast The second as shée knockt hir breast did féele hir armes wax stiffe Another as shée stretched out hir hands vpon the cliffe Was made a stone and there stoode still ay stretching forth hir hands Into the water as before And as an other standes A tearing of hir ruffled lockes hir fingers hardened were And fâ—stned to hir frisled toppe still tearing of hir heare And looke what gesture eche of them was taken in that tide Euen in the same transformde to stones they fastned did abide And some were altered into birds which Cadmies called bée And in that goolfe with flittering wings still to and fro doe flée Nought knoweth Cadmus that his daughter and hir little childe Admitted were among the Goddes that rule the surges wilde Compellde with griefe and great mishappes that had ensewd togither And straunge foretokens often séene since first his comming thither He vtterly forsakes his towne the which he builded had As though the fortune of the place so hardly him bestad And not his owne And fléeting long like pilgrims at the last Upon the coast of Illirie his wife and he were cast Where ny forpind with cares and yeares while of the chaunces past Upon their house and of their toyles and former trauails tane They sadly talkt betwéene themselues was my speare head the bane Of that same ougly Snake of Mars ê™ Cadmus when I fled From Sidon or did I his teeth in ploughed pasture spred If for the death of him the Goddes so cruell vengeaunce take Drawen out in length vpon my wombe then traile I like a snake He had no sooner sayde the worde but that he gan to glide Upon his belly like a Snake And
did lay his golden Uiall there And so the stones the sound thereof did euer after beare King Nisus daughter oftentimes resorted to this Wall And strake it with a little stone to raise the sound withall In time of peace And in the warre she many a time and oft Behelde the sturdie stormes of Mars from that same place aloft And by continuance of the siege the Captaines names she knew Their armes horse armor and aray in euerie band and crew But specially aboue the rest she noted Minos face She knew inough and more than was inough as stoode the case For were it that he hid his head in Helme with fethered crest To hir opinion in his Helme he stayned all the rest Or were it that he tooke in hand of stéele his target bright She thought in wéelding of his shielde he was a comly Knight Or were it that he raisde his arme to throw the piercing Dart The Ladie did commend his force and manhode ioynde with Art Or drew he with his arrow nockt his bended Bow in hand She sware that so in all respectes was Phoebus wont to stand But when he shewde his visage bare his Helmet laid aside And on a Milke white Stéede braue trapt in Purple Robe did ride She scarce was Mistresse of hir selfe hir wits were almost straught A happie Dart she thought it was that he in fingars caught And happie called she those reynes that he in hand had raught And if she might haue had hir will she could haue founde in hart Among the enmies to haue gone she could haue found in hart From downe the highest Turret there hir bodie to haue throwne Among the thickest of the Tents of Gnossus to haue flowne Or for to ope the brazen gates and let the enmie in Or whatsoeuer else she thought might Minos fauor win And as she sate beholding still the King of Candies tent She said I doubt me whether that I rather may lament Or of this wofull warre be glad It grieues me at the hart That thou O Minos vnto me thy Louer enmie art But had not this same warfare bene I neuer had him knowne Yet might he leaue this cruell warre and take me as his owne A wife a féere a pledge for peace he might receiue of me O flowre of beautie O thou Prince most pearlesse if that she That bare thée in hir wombe were like in beautie vnto thée A right good cause had Ioue on hir enamored for to bée Oh happie were I if with wings I through the Aire might glide And safely to King Minos Tent from this same Turret slide Then would I vtter who I am and how the firie flame Of Cupid burned in my brest desiring him to name What dowrie he would aske with me in loän of his loue Saue only of my Fathers Realme no question he should take place Adue desire of hoped Loue. Yet oftentimes such grace Hath from the gentle Conqueror procéeded erst that they Which tooke the foyle haue found the same their profit and their stay Assuredly the warre is iust that Minos takes in hand As in reuengement of his sonne late murthered in this land And as his quarrell séemeth iust euen so it cannot faile But rightfull warre against the wrong must I beleue preuaile Now if this Citie in the ende must needes be taken why Should his owne sworde and not my Loue be meanes to win it by It were yet better he should spéede by gentle meanes without The slaughter of his people yea and as it may fall out With spending of his owne bloud too For sure I haue a care O Minos least some Souldier wound thée ere he be aware For who is he in all the world that hath so hard a hart That wittingly against thy head would aime his creull Dart â–ª I like well this deuise and on this purpose will I stand To yéelde my selfe endowed with this Citie to the hand Of Minos and in doing so to bring this warre to ende But smally it auaileth me the matter to intende The gates and yssues of this towne are kept with watch and warde And of the Keyes continually my Father hath the garde My Father only is the man of whome I stand in dréede My Father only hindreth me of my desired spéede Would God that I were Fatherlesse Tush euerie Wight may bée A God as in their owne behalfe and if their hearts be frée From fearefulnesse For fortune works against the fond desire Of such as through faint heartednesse attempt not to aspire Some other féeling in hir heart such flames of Cupids fire Already would haue put in proofe some practise to destroy What thing so euer of hir Loue the furtherance might anoy And why should any womaâ— haue a bolder heart than I Throw fire and sword I boldly durst aduenture for to flie And yet in this behalfe at all there néedes no sword nor fire There néedeth but my fathers haire to accomplish my desire That Purple haire of his to me more precious were than golde That Purple haire of his would make me bleâ—t a thousand folde That haire would compasse my desire and set my heart at rest Night chiefest Nurce of thoughts to such as are with care opprest Approched while she spake these words and darknesse did encrease Hir boldnesse At such time as folke are wont to finde release Of cares that all the day before were working in their heds By sléepe which falleth first of all vpon them in their beds Hir fathers chamber secretly she entered where alasse That euer Maiden should so farre the bounds of Nature passe She robde hir Father of the haire vpon the which the fate Depended both of life and death and of his royall state And ioying in hir wicked pray she beares it with hir so As if it were some lawfull spoyle acquired of the fo And passing through a posterne gate she marched through the mid Of all hir enmies such a trust she had in that she did Untill she came before the King â–ª whom troubled with the sight She thus bespake Enforst O King by loue against all right I Scylla Nisus daughter doe present vnto thée héere My natiue soyle my household Gods and all that else is déere For this my gift none other thing in recompence I craue Thaâ— of thy person which I loue fruition for to haue And in assurance of my loue receyue thou here of mée My fathers Purple haire and thinke I giue not vnto thée A haire but euen my fathers head And as these words she spake The cursed gift with wicked hand she profered him to take But Minos did abhorre hir gift and troubled in his minde With straungenesse of the heynous act so sore against hir kinde He aunswerde O thou slaunder of our age the Gods expell Thée out of all this world of theirs and let thée no where dwell Let rest on neither Sea nor Land be graunted vnto thée Assure thy selfe that as for me I neuer will agrée That
seruing of a Goddesse that is thanklesse for thy payne When Isis had this comfort giuen shée went her way agayne A ioyfull wyght rose Telethuse and lifting too the sky Her hardened hands did pray hir dreame myght woorke effectually Her throwes increast and forth alone anon the burthen came A wench was borne too Lyctus who knew nothing of the same The mother making him beléeue it was a boay did bring It vp and none but shée and nurce were priuie too the thing The father thanking God did giue the chyld the Graundsyres name The which was Iphys Ioyfull was the moother of the same Bycause the name did serue alike too man and woman bothe And so the lye through godly guile forth vnperceyued gothe The garments of it were a boayes The face of it was such As eyther in a boay or gyrle of beawtie vttered much When Iphys was of thirtéene yéeres her father did insure The browne Iänthee vntoo her a wench of looke demure Commended for her fauor and her person more than all The Maydes of Phestos Telest men her fathers name did call He dwelt in Dyctis They were bothe of age and fauor léeke And vnâ—er both one schoolemayster they did for nurture séeke And herevpon the hartes of both the dart of Loue did stréeke And wounded both of them aléeke But vnlike was theyr hope Both longed for the wedding day toogither for too cope For whom Iänthee thinkes too bée a man shée hopes too sée Her husband Iphys loues whereof shée thinkes shée may not bée Partaker and the selfe same thing augmenteth still her flame Herself a Mayden with a Mayd ryght straunge in loue became Shée scarce could stay her teares What end remaynes for mée ê™ shée How straunge a loue how vncoth how prodigious reygnes in mée If that the Gods did fauor mée they should destroy mée quyght Or if they would not mée destroy at least wyse yit they myght Haue giuen mée such a maladie as myght with nature stond Or nature were acquainted with A Cow is neuer fond Uppon a Cow nor Mare on Mare The Ram delyghts the Eawe The Stag the Hynde the Cocke the Hen. But neuer man could shew That female yit was â—ane in loue with female kynd O would Too God I neuer had béene borne Yit least that Candy should Not bring foorth all that monstruous were the daughter of the Sonne Did loue a Bull. Howbéet there was a Male too dote vppon My loue is furioâ—ser than hers if truthe confessed bée For shée was fond of such a lust as myght bée compast Shée Was serued by a Bull beguyld by Art in Cow of trée And one there was for her with whom aduowtrie to commit If all the conning in the worlde and slyghts of suttle wit Were héere or if that Daedalus himselfe with vncowth wing Of Wax should hither fly againe what comfort should he bring Could he with all his conning crafts now make a boay of mée Or could he O Iänthee chaunge the natiue shape of thée Nay rather Iphys settle thou thy mynd and call thy witts Abowt thee shake thou of theis flames that foolishly by fitts With out all reason reigne Thou séest what Nature hathe thée made Onlesse thow wilt deceyue thy selfe So farre foorth wysely wade As ryght and reason may support and loue as women ought Hope is the thing that bréedes desyre hope féedes the amorous thought This hope thy sex denieth thée Not watching doth restreyne Thée from embracing of the thing wherof thou art so fayne Nor yit the Husbands iealowsie nor rowghnesse of her Syre Nor yit the coynesse of the Wench dooth hinder thy desyre And yit thou canst not her enioy No though that God and man Should labor too their vttermost and doo the best they can In they behalfe they could not make a happy wyght of thée I cannot wish the thing but that I haue it Frank and frée The Goddes haue giuen mée what they could As I will so will hée That must become my fathrinlaw so willes my father too But nature stronger than them all consenteth not theretoo This hindreth mée and nothing else Behold the blisfull â—yme The day of Mariage is at hand Iänthee shalbée myne And yit I shall not her enioy Amid the water wée Shall thirst O Iuno president of mariage why with thée Comes Hymen too this wedding where no brydegroome you shall sée But bothe are Brydes that must that day toogither coupled bée This spoken shée did hold hir peace And now the toother mayd Did burne as whote in loue as shée And earnestly shee prayd The brydale day myght come with spéede The thing for which shée longd Dame Telethusa fearing sore from day too day prolongd The tyme oft feyning siknesse oft pretending shée had séene Ill tokens of successe at length all shifts consumed béene The wedding day so oft delayd was now at hand The day Before it taking from her head the kerchéef quyght away And from her daughters head likewyse with scattred heare she layd Her handes vpon the Altar and with humble voyce thus prayd O Isis who doost haunt the towne of Paretonie and The féeldes by Maraeotis lake and Pharos which dooth stand By Alexandria and the Nyle diuided intoo seuen Great channels comfort thou my feare and send mée help from heauen Thyself O Goddesse euen thyself and theis thy relikes I Did once behold and knew them all as well thy company As eke thy sounding rattles and thy â—ressets burning by And myndfully I marked what commaundement thou didst giue That I escape vnpunished that this same wench dooth liue Thy counsell and thy hest it is Haue mercy now on twayne And help vs. With that word the teares ran downe her chéekes amayne The Goddesse séemed for too moue her Altar and in déede She moued it The temple doores did tremble like a réede And hornes in likenesse too the Moone about the Church did shyne And Rattles made a raughtish noyse At this same luckie signe Although not wholy carelesse yit ryght glad shée went away And Iphys followed after her with larger pace than ay Shée was accustomd And her face continued not so whyght Her strength encreased and her looke more sharper was too syght Her heare grew shorter and shée had a much more liuely spryght Than when shée was a wench For thou O Iphys who ryght now A modther wert art now a boay With offrings both of yow Too Church retyre and there reioyce with fayth vnfearfull They With offrings went too Church ageine and there theyr vowes did pay They also set a table vp which this bréef méeter had The vovves that Iphys vovvd a vvench he hath performd a Lad. Next morrow ouer all the world did shine with lightsome flame When Iuno and Dame Venus and Sir Hymen ioyntly came Too Iphys mariage who as then transformed too a boay Did take Iänthee too his wyfe and so her loue enioy Finis noni Libri ¶ THE TENTH BOOKE of Ouids Metamorphosis FRom thence in
saffron colourd robe flew Hymen through y e ayre And into Thracia béeing callâ—d by Orphy did repayre He came in dâ—â—de at Orphyes call buâ— neyther did he sing The woordes of that solemnitie nor merry countnance bring Nor any handâ—ell of good lucke His torch with drizling smoke Was dim the same too burne out cleere no stirrrâ—ng could prouoke The end was woorser than the signe For as the â—ryde did rome Abrode accompanyde with a trayne of Nymphes too bring her home A serpent lurking in the grasse did 〈◊〉 her in the ancle Whereof shée dyde incontinent so swift the 〈◊〉 did â—ancle Whom when the Thracian Poet had bewaylâ— sufficiently On earth the Ghostes departed hence he minding for too trie Downe at the gate of Taenarus did go too Limbo lake And thence by gastly folk and soules late buried he did take His iourney too Persephonâ—e and too the king of Ghosts That like a Lordly tyran reignes in those vâ—â—â—easant coasts And playing on his tuned harp he thus began too sound O you the Souereines of the world set vnderneath the ground Too whome wée all what euer thing is made of mortall kynd Repayre if â—y your leaue I now may fréely speake my mynd I come not hither as a spye 〈…〉 Nor yet the foule thrée headed Eurre whose heares all Adders bée Too tye in cheynes The cause of this my vyage is my wyfe Whose foote a Uiper stinging did abridge her youthfull lyfe I would haue borâ—e it paâ—iently and so too doo I straue But Loue surmounâ—ed powre This God is knowen great force too haue Aboue on earth And whether he reigne héere or no I dowâ— But I beleeue hée reignes héere too If faâ—â—e that flies abowt Of former rape report not wrong Loue coupled also yow By theis same places full of feare by this howge Chaos now And by the stâ—lnesse of this waste and emptye Kingdome I Beséech yée of Eurydicee vâ—â—éele the destinye That was so swiftly reeled vp All things too you belong And though wée lingring for a whyle our pageants doo prolong Yit soone or late wée all too one abyding place doo rome Wée haste vs hither all this place becomes our latest home And you doo ouer humaine kynd reigne longest tyme. Now when This woman shall haue liued full her tyme shée shall agen Become your owne The vse of her but for a whyle I craue And if the Destnyes for my wyfe denye mée for too haue Releace I fully am resolvd for euer héere too dwell Reioyce you in the death of both As he this tale did tell And played on his instrument the bloodlesse ghostes shed teares Too tyre on Titius growing hart the gréedy Grype forbeares The shunning water Tantalus endeuereth not too drink And Danaus daughters ceast too fill theyr tubbes that haue no brink Ixions whéele stood still and downe sate Sisyphus vppon His rolling stone Then first of all so fame for truth hath gone The Furies béeing striken there with pitie at his song Did wéepe And neyther Pluto nor his Ladie were so strong And hard of stomacke too withhold his iust petition long They called foorth Eurydicee who was as yit among The newcome Ghosts and limped of her wound Her husband tooke Her with condicion that he should not backe vppon her looke Untill the tyme that hée were past the bounds of Limbo quyght Or else too lose his gyft They tooke a path that steepe vpryght Rose darke and full of foggye mist. And now they were within A kenning of the vpper earth when Orphye did begin Too dowt him least shée followed not and through an eager loue Desyrous for too see her he his eyes did backward moue Immediatly shée slipped backe He reâ—ching out his hands Desyrous too bée caught and for too ketch her grasping stands But nothing saue the slippry aire vnhappy man he caught Shée dyâ—ng now the second tyme complaâ—nd of Orphye naught For why what had shée too complayne onlesse it were of loue Which made her husband backe agen his eyes vppon her moue Her last farewell shée spake so oft that scarce he heard the sound And then reuolted too the place in which he had her found This double dying of his wyfe set Orphye in a stound No lesse than him who at the syght of Plutos dreadfull Hound That on the middle necke of three dooth beare an iron cheyne Was striken in a sodein feare and could it not restreyne Untill the tyme his former shape and nature béeing gone His body quyght was ouergrowne and turned intoo stone Or than the foolish Olenus who on himself did take Anothers fault and giltlesse néedes himself would giltie make Toogither with his wretched wyfe Lethaea for whose pryde They both becomming stones doo stand euen yit on watry Ide He would haue gone too Hell ageine and â—arnest sute did make But Charon would not suffer him too passe the Stygian lake Seuen dayes he sate forlorne vppon the bank and neuer â—ate A bit of bread Care teares and thought and sorrow were his meate And crying out vppon the Gods of Hell as cruell hée Withdrew too lofty Rhodopee and Heme which beaten bée With Northern wynds Thrée tymes the Sunne had passed through the shéere And watry signe of Pisces and had finisht full the yéere And Orphye were it that his ill successe hée still did rew Or that he vowed so too doo did vtterly eschew The womankynd Yit many a one desyrous were too match With him but he thâ—m with repulse did all alike dispatch He also taught the Thracian folke a stâ—wes of Males too make And of the flowring pryme of boayes the pleasure for too take There was a hyll and on the hyll a verie leuell plot Fayre gréene with grasse But as for shade or couert was there not Assoone as that this Poâ—t borne of Goddes in that same place Sate downe and toucht his tuned strings a shadow came a pace There wanted neyther Chaons trée nor yit the trees too which Fresh Phaetons susters turned were nor Béeche nor Holme nor Wich Nor gentle Asp nor wyuelesse Bay nor lofty Chestnuttrée Nor Hazle spalt nor Ash wherof the shafts of speares made bée Nor knotlesse Firre nor chéerfull Plane nor Maple â—lecked grayne Nor Lote nor Sallow which delights by waters too remayne Nor slender twigged Tamarisk â–ª nor Bor ay gréene of hew Nor Figtrées loden with theyr frute of colours browne and blew Nor double colourd Myrtletrées Moreouer thither came The wrything Iuye and the Uyne that runnes vppon a frame Elmes clad with Uynes and Ashes wyld and Pitchtrées blacke as cole And full of trées with goodly frute red stryped Ortyards whole And Palmetrées lythe which in reward of conquest men doo beare And Pynapple with tufted top and harsh and prickling heare The trée too Cybele mother of the Goddes most déere For why Her minion Atys putting of the shape of man did dye And hardened intoo this same trée Among this companée Was present with a pyked top the Cypresse now
and the land that bred a chyld so voyd of grace I would the land Panchaya should of Amomie be rich And Cinnamom and Costus swéete and Incence also which Dooth issue largely out of trees and other flowers straunge As long as that it beareth Myrrhe not woorth it was the chaunge Newe trées to haue of such a pryce The God of loue denyes His weapons too haue hurted thée O Myrrha and he tryes Himselfe vngiltie by thy fault One of the Furies three With poysonde Snakes and hellish brands hath rather blasted thée To hate ones father is a cryme as heynous as may bee But yit more wicked is this loue of thine than any hate The youthfull Lordes of all the East and Péeres of chéef estate Desyre to haue thée too their wyfe and earnest sute doo make Of all excepting onely one thy choyce O Myrrha take Shee féeles her filthye loue and stryues ageinst it and within Herself sayd whither roonnes my mynd what thinke I to begin Yée Gods I pray and godlynesse yée holy rites and awe Of parents from this heynous cryme my vicious mynd withdrawe And disappoynt my wickednesse At leastwyse if it bée A wickednesse that I intend As farre as I can sée This loue infrindgeth not the bondes of godlynesse a whit For euery other liuing wyght dame nature dooth permit Too match without offence of sin The Hecfer thinkes no shame Too beare her father on her backe The Horse béestrydes the same Of whom he is the syre The Gote dooth bucke the Kid that hée Himself begate and birdes doo tread the self same birdes wée sée Of whom they hatched were before In happye cace they are That may doo so without offence But mans malicious care Hath made a brydle for it self and spyghtfull lawes restreyne The things that nature setteth free yit are their Realmes men sayne In which the moother with the sonne and daughter with the father Doo match where through of godlynesse the bond augments the rather With doubled loue Now wo is mée it had not béene my lot In that same countrie too bée borne And that this lucklesse plot Should hinder mée Why thinke I thus Auaunt vnlawfull loue I ought too loue him I confesse but so as dooth behoue His daughter were not Cinyras my father then Iwis I myght obtaine too lye with him But now bycause he is Myne owne he cannot bée myne owne The néerenesse of our kin Dooth hurt me Were I further of perchauâ—ce I more myght win And if I wist that I therby this wickednesse myght shunne I would forsake my natiue soyle and farre from Cyprus runne This euill heaâ—e dooth hold mée backe that béeing present still I may but talke with Cinyras and looke on him my fill And touch and kisse him if no more may further graunted bée Why wicked wench and canst thou hope for further doost not sée How by thy fault thou doost confound the ryghts of name and kin And wilt thou make thy mother bee a Cucqueane by thy sin Wilt thou thy fathers leman bee wilt thou bée both the moother And suster of thy chyld shall he bée both thy sonne and brother And standst thou not in feare at all of those same susters thrée Whose heads with crawling snakes in stead of heare bematted bée Which pushing with theyr cruell bronds folks eyes and mouthes doo sée Theyr sinfull harts but thou now whyle thy body yit is frée Let neuer such a wickednesse once enter in thy mynd Defyle not myghtye natures hest by lust ageinst thy kynd What though thy will were fully bent yit euen the very thing Is such as will not suffer thée the same too end too bring For why he béeing well disposde and godly myndeth ay So much his dewtye that from ryght and truth he will not stray Would God lyke furie were in him as is in mee this day This sayd her father Cinyras who dowted what too doo By reason of the worthy store of suters which did woo His daughter bringing all theyr names did will her for too show On which of them shée had herself most fancie too bestow At first shée hild her peace a whyle and looking wistly on Her fathers face did boyle within and scalding teares anon Ran downe her visage Cyniras who thought them too procéede Of tender harted shamefastnesse did say there was no néede Of teares and dryed her chéekes and kist her Myrrha tooke of it Excéeding pleasure in her selfe and when that he did wit What husband shée did wish too haue shée sayd one like too yow He vnderstanding not hir thought did well her woordes allow And sayd in this thy godly mynd continew At the name Of godlynesse shée cast mée downe her looke for very shame For why her giltie hart did knowe shée well deserued blame Hygh mydnight came and sléepe bothe care and carkesses opprest But Myrrha lying brode awake could neyther sléepe nor rest Shée fryes in Cupids flames and woorkes continewally vppon Her furious loue One while shée sinkes in déepe despayre Anon Shée fully myndes to giue attempt but shame doth hold her in Shée wishes and shée wotes not what too doo nor how too gin And like as when a mightye trée with axes heawed rownd Now reedye with a strype or twaine to lye vppon the grownd Uncerteine is which way to fall and tottreth euery way Euen so her mynd with dowtfull wound efféebled then did stray Now héere now there vncerteinely and tooke of bothe encreace No measure of her loue was found no rest nor yit releace Saue onely death death likes her best Shée ryseth full in mynd To hang herself About a post her girdle she doth bynd And sayd farewell déere Cinyras and vnderstand the cause Of this my death And with that woord about her necke shée drawes The nooze Her trustye nurce that in another Chamber lay By fortune heard the whispring sound of theis her woordes folk say The aged woman rysing vp vnboltes the doore And whan Shée saw her in that plyght of death shée shréeking out began Too smyght her self and scratcht her brest and quickly too her ran And rent the girdle from her necke Then wéeping bitterly And holding her betwéene her armes shée askt the question why Shée went about too hang her self so vnaduisedly The Lady hilld her peace as dumb and looking on the ground Unmouably was sorye in her hart for béeing found Before shée had dispatcht herself Hernurce still at her lay And shewing her her emptie dugges and naked head all gray Besought her for the paynes shee tooke with her both night and day In rocking and in féeding her shée would vouchsafe to say What ere it were that gréeued her The Ladye turnd away Displeasde and fetcht a sygh The nurce was fully bent in mynd Too bowlt the matter out for which not onely shée did bynd Her fayth in secret things to kéepe but also sayd put mée In trust too fynd a remedye I am not thou shalt sée Yit altoogither dulld by age If
too her naked skin the which was like too myne Or rather if that thou wert made a woman like too thyne He was amazde And holding vp his hands too heauen he sayth Forgiue mée you with whom I found such fault euen now In fayth I did not know the wager that yée ran for As hée prayseth The beawty of her in him selfe the fyre of loue he rayseth And through an enuy fearing least shée should a way be woonne He wisht that nere a one of them so swift as shée might roonne And wherfore ê™ hée put not I myself in preace too trye The fortune of this wager God himself continually Dooth help the bold and hardye sort now whyle Hippomenes Debates theis things within himselfe and other like to these The Damzell ronnes as if her feete were wings And though that shée Did fly as swift as arrow from a Turkye bowe yit hée More woondred at her beawtye than at swiftnesse of her pace Her ronning greatly did augment her beawtye and her grace The wynd ay whisking from her féete the labells of her socks Uppon her back as whyght as snowe did tosse her golden locks And eeke thembroydred garters that were tyde beneathe her ham A rednesse mixt with whyght vppon her tender bodye cam As when a scarlet curtaine streynd ageinst a playstred wall Dooth cast like shadowe making it seeme ruddye therwithall Now whyle the straunger noted this the race was fully ronne And Atalant as shee that had the wager cléerely wonne Was crowned with a garlond braue The vanquisht sighing sore Did lose theyr lyues according too agréement made before Howbéeit nought at all dismayd with theis mennes lucklesse cace He stepped foorth and looking full vppon the maydens face Sayd wherfore doost thou séeke renowne in vanquisshing of such As were but dastards cope with mée If fortune bée so much My fréend too giue mee victorie thou néedest not hold scorne Too yéeld too such a noble man as I am I am borne The sonne of noble Megaree Onchestyes sonne and hée Was sonne to Neptune Thus am I great graundchyld by degrée In ryght descent of him that rules the waters Neyther doo I out of kynd degenerate from vertue méete thertoo Or if my fortune bée so hard as vanquisht for too bée Thou shalt obteine a famous name by ouercomming mée In saying thus Atlanta cast a gentle looke on him And dowting whither shée rather had too lose the day or win Sayd thus What God an enmy to the beawtyfull is bent Too bring this person to his end and therfore hath him sent Too seeke a wyfe with hazard of his lyfe If I should bée Myselfe the iudge in this behalfe there is not sure in mée That dooth deserue so déerely too bée earned neyther dooth His beawty mooue my hart at all yit is it such in sooth As well might mooue mée But bycause as yit a chyld he is His person mooues mée not so much as dooth his age Iwis Béesydes that manhod is in him and mynd vnfrayd of death Béesydes that of the watrye race from Neptune as he seth He is the fowrth béesydes that he dooth loue mée and dooth make So great accompt too win mée too his wyfe that for my sake He is contented for too dye if fortune bée so sore Ageinst him too denye him mée Thou straunger hence therfore Away I say now whyle thou mayst and shonne my bloody bed My mariage cruell is and craues the losing of thy hed There is no wench but that would such a husband gladly catch And shée that wyse were myght desyre too méete with such a match But why now after heading of so many doo I care For thée Looke thou too that For sith so many men as are Alreadye put too slawghter can not warne thée too béeware But that thou wilt bée wéerye of thy lyfe dye doo not spare And shall he perrish then bycause he sought to liue with mee And for his loue vnwoorthely with death rewarded bée All men of such a victory will speake too foule a shame But all the world can testifye that I am not too blame Would God thou wouldst desist Or else bycause thou are so mad I would too God a litle more thy féete of swiftnesse had Ah what a maydens countenance is in this chyldish face Ah foolish boy Hippomenes how wretched is thy cace I would thou neuer hadst mée séene Thou woorthy art of lyfe And if so bée I happy were and that too bée a wyfe The cruell destnyes had not mée forbidden sure thou art The onely wyght with whom I would bée matcht with all my hart This spoken shée yit rawe and but new striken with the dart Of Cupid béeing ignorant did loue and knew it nat Anon her father and the folk assembled willed that They should begin theyr woonted race Then Neptunes issue prayd With carefull hart and voyce too mée and thus dâ—uoutly sayd O Venus fauour myne attempt and send mée downe thyne ayd Too compasse my desyred loue which thou hast on mée layd His prayer movd mée I confesse and long I not delayd Before I helpt him Now there is a certaine féeld the which The Cyprian folk call Damasene most fertile and most rich Of all the Cyprian féelds the same was consecrate too mée In auncient tyme and of my Church the glebland woont too bée Amid this féeld with golden leaues there growes a goodly trée The crackling boughes whereof are all of yellow gold I came And gathered golden Apples thrée and bearing thence the same Within my hand immediatly too Hippomen I gat Inuisible too all wyghts else saue him and taught him what Too doo with them The Trumpets blew and girding forward both Set foorth and on the houering dust with nimble féete eche goth A man would think they able were vppon the Sea too go And neuer wet theyr féete and on the ayles of corne also That still is growing in the féeld and neuer downe them tread The man tooke courage at the showt and woordes of them that sed Now now is tyme Hippomenes too ply it hye a pace Enforce thyself with all thy strength lag not in any cace Thou shalt obteine It is a thing ryght dowtfull whither hée At theis well willing woordes of theyrs reioysed more or shée O Lord how often when shée might outstrippe him did shée stay And gazed long vppon his face right loth too go her way A wéerye breath proceeded from theyr parched lippes and farre They had too ronne Then Neptunes imp her swiftnesse too disbarre Trolld downe a toneside of the way an Apple of the thrée Amazde therat and couetous of the goodly Apple shée Did step asyde and snatched vp the rolling frute of gold With that Hippomenes coted her The folke that did behold Made noyse with clapping of theyr hands She recompenst her slothe And losse of â–ª tyme with footemanshippe and streight ageine outgothe Hippomenes leauing him behind and béeing stayd agen With taking vp the second shée him ouertooke And
thus the nymph her playnt did frame Of Fawne and nymph Simethis borne was Acis whoo became A ioy too bothe his parents but too mée the greater ioy For being but a sixtéene yéeres of age this fayre swéete boy Did take mée too his loue what tyme about his chyldish chin The tender heare like mossy downe too sprowt did first begin I loued him beyond all Goddes forbod and likewyse mée The Giant Cyclops neyther if demaunded it should bée I well were able for too tell you whither that the loue Of Acis or the Cyclops hate did more my stomacke moue There was no oddes betwéene them Oh déere Goddesse Venus what A powre haste thou Behold how euen this owgly Giant that No sparke of meekenesse in him hath whoo is a terrour too The verrye woodes whom neuer guest nor straunger came vntoo Without displeasure whoo the heauens and all the Goddes despyseth Dooth féele what thing is loue The loue of mée him so surpryseth That Polypheme regarding not his sheepe and hollowe Caue And hauing care too please dooth go about too make him braue His sturre stiffe heare he kembeth nowe with strong and sturdy rakes And with a sythe dooth marcussotte his bristled berd and takes Delyght too looke vppon himself in waters and too frame His countnance Of his murtherous hart the wyldnesse wexeth tame â–ª His vnastaunched thyrst of blood is quenched shippes may passe And repasse saufly In the whyle that he in loue thus was One Telemus Evvrymeds sonne a man of passing skill In birdflyght taking land that tyme in Sicill went vntill The orped Gyant Polypheme and sayd This one round eye That now amid thy forehead stands shall one day ere thou dye By sly Vlysses blinded bée The Gyant laught therat And sayd O foolish soothsayre thou deceyued art in that For why another euen a wench already hathe it blynded Thus skorning him that told him truthe bycause he was hygh mynded He eyther made the ground too shake in walking on the shore Or rowzd him in his shadye Caue With wedged poynt before There shoots a hill intoo the Sea whereof the sea dooth beate On eyther syde The one eyd féend came vp and made his seate Theron and after came his shéepe vndriuen Assoone as hée Had at his foote layd downe his staffe which was a whole Pyne trée Well able for too bée a maast too any shippe he takes His pype compact of fyuescore réedes and therwithall he makes So loud a noyse that all the hilles and waters therabout Myght easly â—éere the shirlnesse of the shepeherds whistling out I lying vnderneathe the rocke and leaning in the lappe Of Acis markt theis woordes of his which farre I heard by happe More whyght thou art then Primrose leaf my Lady Galatee More fresh than meade more tall and streyght than lofty Aldertrée â–ª More bright than glasse more wanton than the tender kid forsooth Than Cockleshelles continually with water worne more smoothe More chéerefull than the winters Sun or Sommers shadowe cold More séemely and more comly than the Planetrée too behold Of valew more than Apples bée although they were of gold More cléere than frozen yea more swéete than Grape through rype ywis More soft than butter newly made or downe of Cygnet is And much more fayre and beawtyfull than gardein too myne eye But that thou from my companye continually doost flye And thou the selfsame Galate art more tettish for too frame Than Oxen of the wildernesse whom neuer wyght did tame More fléeting than the waues more hard than warryed Oke too twyne More tough thaÌ„ willow twiggs more lyth thaÌ„ is the wyld whyght vyne More than this rocke vnmouable more violent than a streame More prowd than Peacocke praysd more féerce thaÌ„ fyre more extréeme More rough than Bréers more cruell than the new deliuered Beare More mercilesse than troden snake than sea more deafe of eare And which and if it lay in mée I cheefly would restrayne Not only swifter paced than the stag in chace on playne But also swifter than the wynd and flyghtfull ayre But if Thou knew me well it would thée irke too flye and bée a gréef Too tarrye from mée Yea thou wouldst endeuour all thy powre Too kéepe mée wholly too thy self The Quarry is my bowre Heawen out of whole mayne stone No Sun in sommer there can swelt No nipping cold in wintertyme within the same is felt Gay Apples weying downe the boughes haue I and â–ª Grapes like gold And purple Grapes on spreaded Uynes as many as can hold Bothe which I doo reserue for thée Thyself shalt with thy hand The soft swéete strawbryes gather which in wooddy shadowe stand The Cornell berryes also from the tree thy self shalt pull And pleasant plommes sum yellow lyke new wax sum blew sum full Of ruddy â—ewce Of Chestnutts éeke if my wyfe thou wilt bée Thou shalt haue store and fruteâ— all sortes All trées shall serue for thée This Cattell héere is all myne owne And many mo besyde Doo eyther in the bottoms feede or in the woodes them hyde And many standing at theyr stalles doo in my Caue abyde The number of them if a man should ask I cannot showe Tush beggars of theyr Cattell vse the number for too knowe And for the goodnesse of the same no whit beléeue thou mee But come thyself and if thou wilt the truth ther of too see See how theyr vdders full doo make them straddle Lesser ware Shet vp at home in cloce warme péends are Lambes There also are In other pinfolds Kidds of selfsame yeaningtyme Thus haue I alwayes mylke as whyte as snow wherof I sum doo saue Too drink and of the rest is made good chéese And furthermore Not only stale and common gifts and pleasures wherof store Is too bée had at eche mannes hand as Leuerets Kidds and Dots A payre of pigeons or a nest of birds new found or Roes Shall vntoo thée presented bée I found this toother day A payre of Bearewhelpes eche so lyke the other as they lay Uppon a hill that scarce yée eche discerne from other may And when that I did fynd them I did take them vp and say Theis will I for my Lady kéepe for her therwith too play Now put thou vp thy fayre bryght head good Galat I thée pray Aboue the gréenish waues now come my Galat come away And of my present take no scorne I know my selfe too bée A iollye fellow For euen now I did behold and sée Myne image in the water shéere and sure mée thought I tooke Delyght too sée my goodly shape and fauor in the brooke Behold how big I am not â—oue in heauen for so you men Report one â—oue too reigne of whom I passe not for too ken Is howger than this doughty corce of myne A bush of heare Dooth ouerdréepe my visage grim and shadowes as it were A groue vppon my shoulders twayne And think it not too bée A shame for that with bristled heare my body rough