those bolts vnlosed Oh heauens what mortall wit what humane skil Can keepe a woman chast against her wil 57 Thou gealous foole why dost thou gayle thy wife When Darrains strong Tower cannot loue expel Better thou hadst to graunt her a free life If she be honest she wil guide it well If otherwise adicted vaine is strife Though in the circuit of Brasse walles she dwel Inmure her body fast as thou canst thinke Shee 'l make thee Cuckold bee 't but through a chinke 58 Perhaps her body in strict bonds thou hast Yet canst thou not the thoughts within her stay Not she that dares not sinne is counted chast Not she that 's matcht and cannot step astray Not she that feares is mongst the vertuous placst Alone shee 's Chast that will not though she may Their Natures are to couet things demde And in forbidden pathes to tread aside 59 Oft haue I seene a Steed would keepe no Tract But fling and bound when he was too much raynde But when he felt his curbe and bridle slackt Play with the Byt that he so much disdaind And so that Steed by gentle meanes is backt Which brookes no Ryder being much constraind So doth a sicke man stil though he be chid Most couet what the Doctors most forbid 60 Had Danae mongst a thousand suters playd And reueld in her Fathers pallace then I doubt not but she still had beene a mayd And as she did before despised men Her ruthlesse Father her fresh youth betraid When he inclos'd her in her brazen den Though thousand gates and doores her beuty smother Loue breakes through al to make the maide a mother 61 Her time expires her father spies her great And threats the Beldams to consuming fire New Guardiens are appointed in this heat Acrisuâ—… doth by sundry meanes inquire Of her and of her guard by no intreat Or forced torment made to glut his ire Will they confesse the Ladies all dare sweare Saâ—…th ' vnsuspected Pedler none came there 62 Nor will bright Danae yet disclose her shame Vntill the long lamented houre draw neare Nine Moones o'repast her houre of Childing came Deniall bootes not when such signes appeare And now gainst Cretan Ihoue shee gins t'exclaime And gainst all them that will themselues forsweare A childe is borne the Lad she Perseus names Cleares all her maids and on her selfe exclaimes 63 Th' offended King hath doom'd them both to die And being inexorable that doome stands The Seas they in a mastlesse boat must try Where both th' Imperious wind and waue commands The pitteous Marâ—…ers themselues apply To their vnwilling taske In their loth hands They Perseus take and the faire Danae guide To tast the mercy of the rigorous tide 64 The Argiue Lord heere sighes but heere Ihoue rages Threatning Acrisius cursing his delay But Ganimed at length his spleene asswages And aymes his threatned thoughts another way Hauing lost Danae quite he now ingages His loue to Iuno and beside her lay Of whom he got a sonne In small time after From his Aunt Ceres he deriu'd a daughter 65 None comes amisse to him stranger nor kin Of his owne Nation or of climes remote His daughter Venus tels him t is no sin For men to practise dalliance where they dote Prince Ganimed that long in grace had bin And did this loosenesse in his Hauior note Demanded how he could his thoughts deuide To loue so many thus the King repli'de 66 I will not in my owne vaine errors stand Nor boldly that which some condemne maintaine The fault is great if it bee truely scand I knew it bad but can it not refraine For mad-man like I striue to plow the sand In seeking my free humor to restraine I burne and seeking ease run to the fire I loath my fault and yet my guilt desire 67 I want the power to gouerne mine owne will My head-strong appetite beares all the sway I know my waies losse yet I wander still I see the path and yet I turne astray Thus like a Ship misguided without skill Whom a stiffe violent Tempest beares away To wracke it on some Rocke or shallow sounds I am transported quite beyond my bounds 68 I loue but yet I know not in what fashion I loue a thousand for a thousand reasons My mouing thoughts abide in no firme station My hart is subiect to my blind thoughts Treasons For euery sundry Lasse I enter passion And am of loue prouided at all seasons That wench is modest oh shee s in my Bookes I onely loue her for her modest lookes 69 Yon lasse is bold see see my heart she easeth I like her shee s not like a Milke-sop bred And straight this thought my apprchension seyseth She will be much more plyant in the bed This is a Shrew her sharpenesse my soule pleaseth Because no sheepe I would the Damsell wed And in that thought I skale her amorous fort Sharpe Noses are all Shrewes yet apt for sport 70 Is she a Scholler Then her Art delights me Is she a Dunce Her simplenesse contents me Doth she applaud my loue Her praise incites me Or discommend me Yet she represents me With matter of new loue Admit she spights me I loue her for her spight no whit torments me For though her words be rough smooth is her skin What in the first I loose the last I win 71 Hath she a tripping gate Her short steps moue me And in her quicker motion I take Pride Takes she large steps in going As you loue me Let me haue her I like her for her stride Sings she I am inchanted let her proue me I on her lips can quauer and deuide Is she vnweâ—…ldy Yet my hart she charmes And may be much more actiue in my armes 72 Her I affect she is so sweet a Singer And I loue her though she can tune no note She playes vpon the Lute that nâ—…mble finger Would please me better in a place remote Yoâ—… dances I affect a lusty springer And on such capting legges who could not dote This cannot dance yet when she lies in bed She will find Art to haue thy fancies fed 73 All things Inchant me that these Ladies do And in my frozen breast bright bon-fires make Thou art a Bona-roba and I wo Thee for thy bredth and length thy Stature sake Thou art a little Lasse I like thee too And were I sleepy thou wouldst keepe me wake Not one can come amisse I can find sport Both with the fat and leane the long and short 74 You Lady manners wants I straight suppose Would she learne Court-ship how it would beseem her This court-ship hath and I must needs disclose What loue I for her manners can bet â—…me her That hath a whitely face and a long nose And for them both I wondcrous well esteeme her This the greene sicknesse hath I long to proue her This lookes not greene but black I therfore loue her 75 Is her haire browne So louely Ladaes was
all the free disposer 90 So wils the Cretan King not vvill he take One mite in way of Chaffer or set price She thankes the Pedler for his Maisters sake And hovv to please him askes her maids aduice But they so much of their ovvne Ouches spake Whose brightnesse did their thoughts imparadice That they contend whose Iewell rarest glisters Whilst Ioue in Danaes eare thus softly whispers 91 Behold vvhat loue can do that King of Creet That prizes Danae aboue any rate Wrapt in course Garments for a King vnmeet For Danaes Loue and grace despising state Proftrates himselfe at thy Imperiall feet Resolud before he entred Darrains gate Thy beauty vertue youth and fame to saue Buried already in this brazen graue 92 For Lady to vvhat purpose are you faire as good to haue a tan`d and vvrinkled hide Why is your hands so vvhite your brovv so rare An Ethiops face maskt shevves as full of Pride These brazen walles that only Iudges are Of your bright lookes al wonder are denide Your Goddesse-shape is to the sencelesse stone No better than the beauty of yon Crone 93 What difference makes the dead twixt grace and skorne What luster giues Apollo to the blind What are the choyseft dainties if forborne What 's musicke to the eares whom deafnesse binde What is the costlyest garment if not worne Or being worne if none his riches mind What shewe's in Iewels hid behind a skreene What 's state vnknowne what 's beauty if not seene 94 The Princesse sighes as knowing all is true When Iupiter proceedes Renowned Dame Set this ritch beauty to the broad-worlds view These rare perfections let the world proclaime Whom thousand Kingly Sutors shall pursue Vnmaske this beauty to that end I came Oh leade not here a base condemned life That may abroad liue a free Queene and wife 95 Pitty yout seruant Iupiter whose treasure Whose life whose Crowne whose fortunes are al yours Robbe not your selfe of all earths glorious pleasure Pitty your youth whose pride a gayle deuours A dungeon takes of such perfections ceasure That should command all free enthroned powers And die not here t'eternal bonds betraide Rob'd of all sweets that for your tast were made 96 You are a woman desperate here and lost Kept from mans sight for which you were created And beauteous Princesse which should touch you most Your gealous father by the world is rated As one that coopes you but to spare his cost And enuying you a Queene fhould be instated A Tyrant that prefers his gealous feares Before your vertue beauty youth and yeares 97 Graunt me your loue oh grant it blush not Queene That loue shall be your ransome from this place This prisoned beauty shall abroad be seene and Empresses shall homage to your face and then this Gaile where you haue cloystred beene You will despise and tearme Acrisius base That gold in Brasse and pearle in stone would shrowd Muffling the bright Sunne in so base a clowd 98 Her tender hart relents his amorous shape Appeares out of his base vnknowne disguise and if her hart his sweet words cannot scape No wonder if his feature charme hir eies She knowes no Peasant dares attempt her rape Nor any base thought ayme at her surprise and saue King Iupiter by fame held peerlesse She knowes no prince so bold so rich so fearlesse 99 But as she would reply her Virgin-guard Began to leaue their conference and draw neere them Which Iupiter espying straight prepar'd His bounteous packe with more rewards to cheere them and whilst they askt the Princesse how she far'd He ransacks for more trifles and doth beare them Vnto the female waiters Danaes traine So with fresh toyes he bribes them once againe 100 They throng about him round to be seru'd first and as they tast his bounty start aside Comparing which is best and whose the worst More words and wagers must the strife decide and whilst these gemmes are by the Ladies pu◅st and none neere Danae and the King abide She viewes the amorous Prince with more satictic and he the Princesse courts with fresh variety 101 She neither giues him promise nor deniall Neither repulse nor graunt so Women vse When men in sight of others make their tryall They will not say you shall least you abuse Their friendly grant but take them free from spyall And say withall they shall nor will nor chuse Then you shall find them weakly fighting fall And willingly vnwilling prostrate all 102 Giue louers opportunity their loues Are halfe won to their hands without more sute The man that verball Court-ship onely moues Shall all his life time in vaine words dispute When one that proffers faire and fine force proues Speeds with his Action though his tongue be mute For euery maid takes one thing from her mother Whilst her tongue one thing speaks to think another 103 The night growes old and the bright Lamps of heauen Are halfe burnt out the Beldams call to rest What shall the Pedler do so late be driuen Out of his Inne the lodge that likes him best To lie with Charles-Waine and the Hyads seauen He hath deseru'd more grace they dare protest To turne him out at this time might seeme cruell That bought his bed with many a high priz'd Iewell 104 And yet to harbor him they needs must feare Because they shall incurre Acrisius ire If such a tiding should arriue his care Their bodies all were doomd vnto the fire But by what meanes can King Acrisius heare Beside what pesant pedler dares aspire To Danaes bed and all their liues betray Faine they would haue him gone and faine to stay 105 His bounty hath preuail'd and he prouided A priuate lodging in a place remote Danae vnto her Princely couch is guided So much her Hand-maids on their fauours dote They carelesse plucke her doore too the locke flided Besides his fastning place which none doth note Then take their toyes and to their beds they bear thē Longing for day that they in sight may weare them 106 A generall hushtnesse hath the world possest And all the Tower surpriz'd with golden dreames Alone King Iupiter abandons rest Still wishing for Apolloes Golden beames Desperate of hope he knowes not what is best When rising from a farre he spies bright gleames Pierce from his window as from Danaes Tower In th'humid nights most taciturnall houre 107 He knowes sad sleepe hath ceas'd vpon the many He heares no waking clocke nor watch to iarre He venters forth and searching finds not any And in his way to this new blazing-starre He layes his eare to euery ri◅t and crany Till he with fearefull strides hath woon so farre That he must now these Marble steps ascend Which led vnto the bower of his fair friend 108 Wher comming with a soft and trembling pace To touch the doore he feeles it yeild him way And freely giues him entrance to the place Where his diuinest Mistresse Danae lay He kist her finger hand necke brest and
of Iuno of which Ixion begat the Centaurs After adiudged by the Destinies to be tortured with the wheele in hell I hold Ganimed rather surprized by Iupiter in battaile then as some write to be stolne by him as his minion after this rape made his Cup-bearer Apulia where Danae was cast vpon the shore is now a part of Italy bordering vpon the Adriaticke sea Vulcan was Iupiters Smith an excellent workeman on whoÌ„ the Poets Father many rare workes among which I find one not vnnecessary to be remembred which Ouid speaks of and I thus English This Tale is blaz'd through heauen how once vnware Venus and Mars were tooke in Vulcans snare The God of Warre doth in his brow discouer The perfect and true patterne of a Louer Nor could the Goddesse Venus be so crewell To deny Mars soft kindnesse is a Iewell In any woman and becomes her well In this the Queene of loue doth most excell Oh heauen how often haue they mockt and flouted The Smiths polt-foote whilst nothing he misdoubted Made Iests of him and his begrimed trade And his smoog'd visage blacke with Cole-dust made Mars tickled with lowd laughter when he saw Venus like Vulcan limpe to halt and draw One foot behind another with sweet grace To counterfet his lame vneeuen pace Their meetings first the Louers hide with fear From euery iealons eye and captious eare The God of Warre and Loues lasciuious dame In publicke view were full of bashfull shame But the Sunne spies how this sweet paire agree Oh what bright Phoebus can be hid from thee The Sun both sees and blabs the sight forthwith And in all post he speeds to tell the Smith Oh Sunne what bad examples doest thou show What thou in secret seest must all men know For silence aske a bribe from her faire treasure Shee 'le grant thee that shall make thee swell with pleasure The God whose face is smoog'd with smoke and fiar Placeth about their bed a net of Wiar So quaintly made that it deceiues the eye Straight as he feignes to Lemnos he must hie The Louers meet where he the traine hath set And both lie fast catcht in a wiery net He cals the Gods the louers naked sprall And cannot rise the Queene of Loue shewes all Mars chafes and Venus weepes neither can flinch Grappled they lie in vaine they kicke and winch Their legs are one within another tide Their hands so fast that they can nothing hide Amongst these high Spectators one by chance That saw them naked in this pitfall dance Thus to himselfe said If it tedious be Good God of warre bestow thy place on me Of the Gorgons because there are many opinions we wil a little insist vpon their particuler discouery Of them there is a double kind some hairy some bald yet al born of Phorcus Cetus These three Sisters had but one common eye and one common tooth to feed with The Latines call them Lamiae à gutteris amplitudine which Lamia some thinke to bee the daughter of Neptune and the first Prophetesse cald Sibilla among the Aphrians They were also cald Pemphrado Prito and Dino to whom some haue likewise added Iaeno whose name both Aeschilus and Hesiod in their workes remember They were cald Greae and liue in the vtmost Islands of Iberia towards the West Some likewise number Silla amongest the Gorgons Others describe them not with snaky lockes but heads of Dragons and Girdles about their wasts of Vipers All concluding in this that their sight was immediat death which Aeschilus signified in this Sunt tres sorores his volucres non procul Serpentibus dirâ—…sque comptae Gorgones Quas intuens nemo diu spirauerit The Beast Nomades in Libia hath likewise the name of Gor-gon somewhat resembling a sheep which others describe more like a Sea-calfe It is said this monster by the infection of his eyes kils what beast soeuer he meets His hair couers his brows Many of Marius Souldiers marching against Iugurth followed this beast mistaking him for a sheepe and presentlie fell down dead by these Greae Phorci these Gorgons moÌ„sters of the sea is vnderstood nothing else but that knowledge and wisedome which is acquired by experience to purchase which it behoued Perseus to vse the aid of Pallas the helme of Pluto and the sword of Mercury by vertue of which he subdude those monsters Which the Poets haue amongst others thrust into hell Centauri in foris stabulant 〈◊〉 biformes Et centum geminus Briareus ac belua Lernae Horâ—…ndum stridens flammisque armata chimaera Gorgones Harpiaeque forma tricorporis vmbrae Argumentum PErseus the Gorgon kils then takes his way To Ioppen on his flying horse alone Destroyes the Monster frees Andromeda Acrisius saues turnes Atlas into stone King Pricus Wife the beauteous Aurai Doates on the valiant Knight Bellerephon The Troians are with fearfull pests annoyde By Hercules great Troy is first destroyde ARG. 2. IN Zeta Phineus fals Chimer is slaine Dis acts his rape Queene Ceres doth complain CANTO 6. 1 MInerua thou that hadst the power to make Monsters of them that thy high Name despise To turne a golde-Wire to a crawling Snake And change the beauty of bewitching eyes The Patronage of all my labors take More sacred Names thy God-hood may comprise Religion Vertue Zeale we may thee call Whose foes are vgly and with Adders crall 2 The three foule Gorgons by thy power disguised Were Lust insatiate Auarice and Pride These Sisters in Hisperia tyranised All looking with one eye who can deuide Their powers and Natures being three comprised Within one head and Sisters neere allide All such as on their strength themselues assure Sencelesse of good as stones they soone obdure 3 Therefore to arme vs gainst this horrid fiend Behooues vs to implore Myneruaes ayde Perseus bright shield vnto our arme to bind And then we boldly may such foes inuade His shield was Cristall and so bright it shind It dim'd the Gorgons eye and whilst she plaid In darkenesse and her killing sight forsooke Her monstrous head he from her shoulders strooke 4 About the time Perseus the Gorgon slew Busyris gouern'd in Egiptia Cadmus rul'd Thebes to Komos France was due Belochus Emperor of Assyria Othoniall Trumpets before Israel blew Prince Radamant raign'd King in Lycia Tyrhenus Italy and Triton Spaine Whilst Liber Pater all the East doth gaine 5 The Gorgons head with power to turne to stone Vpon his shield he fixt and of the blood That Issued from the wound swift Pegas shone And neigde out of the earth a Stallion good Whom Perseus backt and out of sight is gone Flying o're Mountaine Valley rocke and flood From Arctos vnto Cancers burning tracke And from hot Cancer to cold Arctos backe 6 In his high Airery progresse ouer all The Prouinces and Clymes beneath him spreading Where ere the purple drops from Gorgon fall Adders
bold Too ventrous Greeke for loues sake leaue this place Thou knowst not what thou seekst the fleece of Gold A royall prize it is yet amorous stranger It hath not worth to countervaile the danger 62 For the least blood shall drop downe by thy skin Or in the' combat staine the Colchian grasse Is of more worth then all that thou canst win Yet doth the riches of this Fleece surpasse But stay What blind maze am I entred in What louing laborinth Forgetfull Lasse Oh canst thou to a strangers grace appeale Who comes from farre thy Fathers fleece to steale 63 This Iason is our foe dwels in a Land Remote and of another Clyme indeed If thou wilt loue about thee Princes stand Of thine owne Nation let this stranger bleed Despise him then and all his forraine band That in thy Fathers pillage haue agreed Instead of loue the amorous Greeke defie And by th'inchanted Monsters let him die 64 But shall Medea view that Tragicke sight And see his faire limbes by her Monsters rent Shall his white fingers with grim Hell-hounds sight That might Medea in her loue content Apollo may I neuer tast thy light Pertake thy earthly rise or low discent But by my Art I shall so well prouide To be the Gold-Fleece-conquering Iasons Bride 65 But how Medea Wilt thou then forsake Thy Country Father Friends All which are great and to thy Lord a rouing Pyrate take One that perchance hath no abiding seat Fond Girle thou wrongst him these faint doubts to make A Royall Prince and in all acts compleat Thy Country Father Friends trifles but small And this one warlike Iason worth them all 66 That he is louely witnesseth mine eye And valiant what can better record beare Then this attempt whose fame to heauen will flye T' amaze the Gods that shall this Nouell heare I leaue a barraine kingdome to discry A populous Nation what then should I feare In seeking with this amorous Greeke to dwell I aske Elisum in exchange for Hell 67 A Land where if his people him resemble Humanity and all good Thewes are rife Who if they loue their Lord cannot dissemble Their harts to her that shall safegard his life Th'inchanted Buls whose bellowing made heauen trēble Shall by their ruines make me Iasons wife Whom all the faire and potent Queenes of Greece Shall better welcome then the conquerd Fleece 68 Opinion'd thus at their next enter-view After their diuers oaths betweene them past That he the fam'd aduenture shall pursue Whose conquests with inchantments she binds fast And when his hands these monsters shall imbrew He to receiue her as his Bride at last Night passeth on at the next birth of day Aurora frights the Feare◅ll Stars away 66 Much confluence of people throng together In the large field of Mars they take their places The Princes of the Land in Scarffe and Feather And Triumph robes expect the Greekes disgraces The burdend earth grones with spectators whether The King himselfe martiald with golden Maces In person comes his Ba◅ns him inuest In a high Throne degr◅d aboue the rest 70 To such prepared ioyes the Frenchmen came To see the valiaunt Mount-morensi roon against Charles Brandon who for Englands fame Vanquisht their Knight at which their ioy was doon The French who to disgrace the English came Saw how bold Charles at one incounter woon Their Champions armes the French Qu. to his pheer Which chang'd their promist mirth to sadder cheere 71 Behold where Polymelaes sonne vndanted against the brazen-hoofed Beasts appeares How richly armd his sword aloft he vanted T' incounter with the two infernall steares Who as he strikes still breaths out words inchanted The Graecians stand amaz'd Medea feares To see young Iason Lord of her desire Betwixt two Buls their Nosthrils breathing fire 72 And least her Incantatious force might faile She mumbles to her selfe more powerfull charmes Still doth the dreadlesse Greeke those Buls assaile Reddy to scorch him in his twice-guilt armes His sharpe edg'd sword their horned crests makes vaile That fire that scaldeth others him scarce warmes Such power hath Magicke the fell Buls grovv tame And Iason tugs with them amidst the flame 73 And first he by the dangling dew-laps takes them Who force perforce his valour must obey He twixt his sinnowy armes together shakes them They bellowing yeeld themselves his glorious prey To bow their stubborne necke bold Iason makes them On which th'obedient yoake he gently lay The Greekes applaud his conquest with shrill cries The Colchians shew their sorrowes in their eyes 74 But all 's not furnisht yet he makes them draw The teemed plow to furrow vp his field The rusty yron doth the greene verdure flaw Quite vanquisht now the conqu◅d Oxen yeild Yet more then this the Colchian Princes saw The Vipers teeth he cast vpon his shield And sow'd them in the furrowes they straight grew To armed men and all on Iason flew 75 The Greekes dismay th'incourag'd Colchians showt Onely Medea doth their ioy detest With magicke she assists her Champion stout Her Exorcismes haue power to arme his brest Those that but late incompast him about And with their steele strooke Stars out of his Crest Seeke mutuall armes amongst themselues they brall So by seditious weapons perish all 76 It now remaines the three-tongu'd venomous Snake The Riuer-waking-Serpent to make sleepe Whose horride crest blew skales and vnces blacke Threat euery one a death vnto his keepe The Fleece is put Medea bids him take Grasse in blacke Lethe laid three nights to steepe Vttering such powerfull charmes as calme the winds And the mou'd Billowes in their Channell binds 77 Those drops being spinkled on the Dragons head The words thrice spoke the wakefull Serpent lies Drownd in forgetfull slumbers seeming dead and sleepe till now not knowne seales vp his eyes Iason in safety may the Mansion tread Where Colchos long preseru'd the golden prize and now at length faire Polimelaes sonne Inioyes the Fleece that he with danger wonne 78 Proud of this purchase but of her more glad That by the Vertue of a powerfull word More hy command vpon these Monsters had Then he in vse of his remorslesse sword Vnto his Argoe he Medea Lad Commanding all his merry mates aboord But secretly least when King Aeta knew his daughters rape he might her flight pursue 79 Which to preuent the Negerous Lady takes The young Absyrtes a faire hopefull youth And when her father after Iason makes And with rough fury her escape pursuth She chops the Lads limbes into bits and flakes and in the Kings way strowes him without ruth And whilst he gathers vp with watry eyes His peece-meale body she in safety flies 80 With triumphs they in Greece are welcomd all And Iason famous for his royal Quest The Bed red Father will his sonne install In his owne kingdome and with him his guest Deepe-speld-Medea at whose Magicke call The Seas and winds or trauell or
was attributed to the shafts of Hercules giuen to Philocteres by dying Hercules in the Mount Oeta betweene Thessaly and Macedonia when the Delphian Oracles had signified to the Greeks that Troy could neuer be surprised without the shaftes of Hercules they sought Philoctetes and demaunding of him those spoiles which hee vvas bound by oath to conceale being extreamely vrged hee pointed with his foote to the place where they vvere buried vvhich the ioyfull Greeks inioying they receaued by them victory and the Troians the ouerthrow The end of the eight CANTO Argumentum PAris departs from Troy Greece doth enter Whom Menelaus welcomes hauing seene The King is cald thence by a strange aduenter And to his Troian-guest he trusts his Queene Paris fayre Hellen Loues doth present her With a long sute to heale his wound yet greene First Paris writes she answers Then with ioy Greece they for sake both are shipt for Troy ARG. 2. BRight Hellen courted Paris birth and Fate With his Loue-trickes Iota shall relate CANTO 9. WHo can describe the purity of those Whose beauties are by Sacred Vertues guided Or who their vgly pictures that oppose Their beautiâ—…s against Chastity deuided Proud Lucifer an Angell was but chose Vice Vertue to eschew and from heauen slided Women like him in shape Angellicall are Angels whilst they stand Deuils when they fall 2 Their gifts well vsd haue power t'inchant the wise To daunt the bold and ruinate the strong Which well applyde can make the ruin'd rise The Coward valiant weake to tast no wrong They are all poyson when they wantonize All Soueraigne where ther 's Vertue mixt among Chast nothing better wanton nothing worse The grate-fulst Blessing or the greatest Curse 3 Had Spartan Hellen bin as chast as faire her Vertue sooner might haue raisd a Troy Then her loose gestures great without compare Had power so rich a Citty to destroy By this time all the Troians Landed are and Paris of the Queene receiu'd with ioy To whom th'inamored Prince in priuate sends These lines in which his duty he commends The Epistle of Paris to Hesten HEalth vnto Laedaes daughter Priains son Sends in these lines whose health cannot be won But by your guift in whose power it may lie To make me whole or sicke to liue or die Shall I then speaks Or doth my flame appeare Plaine without Index Oh t is that Ifeare My Loue without discouering smile takes place And more then I could wish shines in my face When I could rather in my thoughts desire To hide the smoke til time display the fire Time that can make the fire of Loue shine cleare Vntroubled with the misty smoke of feare But I dissemble it for who I pray Can fire conceale that will it selfe betray yet if you looke I should affirme that plaine In words which in my countenance Imaintaine I burne I burne my fault I haue confest My words beare witnesse how my lookes transgrest Oh pardon me that haue confest my error Cast not vpon my lines a looke of terror But as your beautic is beyond compare Suite vnto that your lookes oh you most faire That you my Letter haue receiu'd by this The supposition glads me and I wish By hope incourag'd hope that makes me strong you will receiue me in some sort ere long I aske no more then what the Queene of Beauty Hath promist me for you are mine by duty By her I claime you you for me were made And she it was my iourney did perswade Nor Lady thinke your beauty vainely sought I by deuine instinct was hether brought And to this enterprize the heauenly powers Haue giuen consent the Gods proclaime me yours I ayme at wonders for I couet you yet pardon me I aske but what 's my due Venus her selfe my iourney hether led And giues you freely to my promist bed Vnder her safe conduct the seas I past Till I arriu'd vpon these Coasts at last Shipping my selfe from the Sygean shore Whence vnto these Confines my course I bore She made the Surges gentle the winds fayre Nor maruell whence these calmes proceeded are Needs must she power vpon the salt-Seas haue That was sea-borne created from a waue Still may she potent stand in her ability And as she made the seas vvith much facility To be through-saild so may she calme my heat And beare my thoughts to their desired seat My flames I found not Here no I protest I brought them with me closed in my brest My selfe transported then without Atturney Loue was the Motiue to my tedious iourney Not blustring Winter when he triumpht most Nor any error droue me to this Coast Nor led by Fortune where the rough winds please Nor Marchant-like for gaine crost I the Seas Fulnesse of wealth in all my Fleet I see I am rich in all things saue in wanting thee No spoile of petty Nations my Ship seekes Nor Land I as a spie among the Greekes What need we See of all things we haue store Compar'd with Troy alas your Greece is pore For thee I come thy fame hath thus farre driuen me Whom golden Venus hath by promise giuen me I Wisht thee ere I knew thee long ago Before these eyes dwelt on this glorious show I saw thee in my thoughts know beautious Dame I first beheld you with the eyes of Fame Nor maruell Lady I was stroke so farre Thus Darts or Arrowes sent from â—…owes of warre Wound a great distance off so was I hit With a deepe smarting wound that ranckles yet For so it pleas'd the Fates whom least you blame I le tell a true Tale to confirme the same When in my Mothers wombe full ripe I lay Ready the first houre to be hold the day And she at point to be deliuered streight And to vnlade her of her Royall freight My Byrth-houre was delaid and that sad night A fearefull vision did the Queene affright In a sonnes stead to please the aged Sire She dreampt she had brought forth a Brand of fire Frighted she rises and to Priam goes To the old King this ominous dreame she showes He to the Priest the Priest doth this returne That the Child borne shall stately Islium burne Better then he was ware the Prophet guest For loe a kindled Brand flames in my brest To preuent Fate a Pesant I was held Till my faire shape all other Swaines exeld And gaue the doubtfull world assurance good your Paris was deriu'd from royall blood Amid the Idean Fields there is a place Remote full of hie Trees which hide the face Of the greene mantled Earth where in thicke rowes The Oake the Elme the Pine the Pitch-tree growes Heere neuer yet did browze the wanton Ewe Nor from this plot the slow Oxe licke the dew The sauage Goat that feeds among the Rockes Hath not graz'd heere nor any of their Flockes Hence the Dardanian wals I might espy The lofty Towers of Islium reared by Hence I the Seas might from the firme
Land see Which to behold I leant me to a Tree Beleeue me for I speake but what is true Downe from the skies with feathered pynions flew The Nephew to great Atlas and doth stand With Golden Caducens in his hand This as the Gods to me thought good to show I hold it good that you the same should know Three Goddesses behind young Hermes moue Great Iuno Pallas and the Queene of Loue Who as in pompe and Pride of gate they passe Scarse with their weight they bend the tops of grasse Amaz'd I start and endlong stands my haire When Mayus Sonne thus sayes abandon feare Thou Curteous Swaine that to these groues repairest And freely Iudge which of these three is fairest And least I should this curious sentence shun He tels me by Iboues sentence all is done And to be Iudge I no way can eschew This hauing saide vp through the Ayre he flew I straight take Hart a grace and grow more bold And there their beauties one by one behold Why am I made the Iudge to giue this dome Methinkes all three are Worthy to o're-come To iniure two such Beauties what tongue dare Or preserre one where they be all faire Now this seemes fairest now againe that other Now would I speake and now my thoughts I smother And yet at length the praise of one most sounded And from that one my present Loue is grounded The Goddesses out of their earnest care And pride of Beauty to be held most faire Seeke with large Ariues and gifts of wondrous price To their owne thoughts my censure to intice Inno the Wife of Ihoue doth first inchant me To Iudge her fairest she a Crowne will grant me Pallas her Daughter next doth vnder take me Giue her the price and valiant she will make me I straight deuise which can most pleasure bring To be a valiant Souldier or a King Last Venus smiling came with such a grace As if she swayed an Empire in her face Let not said she these guifts the Conquest be are Combats and Kingdomes are both fraught with feare I le giue thee what thou louest best louely Swaine The furest Saint that doth on earth remaine Shal be thine owne make thou the Conquest mine Faire Laedaes fairest daughter shal be thine This said when with my se'se I had deuised And her rich guift and beauty ioyntly prised Venus victor ore the rest is plac'st Iuno and Pallas leaue the Mount disgrac'st Meane time my Fates a prosperous course had ron And by knowne signes King Priam cald me Son The day of my restoring is kept holy Among the Saints-dates consecrated soly To my remembrance being a day of ioy For euer in the Calenders of Troy As I wish you I haue bin wisht by others The fairest maids by me would haue bin Mothers Of all my fauours I bestow'd not any you onely may inioy the Loues of many Nor by the Daughters of great Dukes and Kings Haue I alone bin sought whose marriage Rings I haue turn'd backe but by a straine more hie By Nimphs and Phairies such as neuer die No sooner were you promist as my due But I al hated to remember you Waking I saw your Image if I dreampt Your beautious figure stil appeard to tempt And vrge this voyage Til your face excelling These eies beheld my dreames were all of Hellen. Imagine how your face should now incite me Being seene that vnseene did so much delite me If I was scorcht so farre off from the Fyer How am I burnt to Cinders thus much nyer Nor could I longer owe my selfe this treasure But through the Ocean I must search my pleasure The Phrygian Hatchets to the rootes are put Of the Idean Pines asunder cut The Wood-land Mountaine yeilded me large fees Being despoyl'd of all her tallest Trees From whence we haue squar'd out vn-numbred beames That must be washt within the Marine streames The grounded Oakes are bowed though stiffe as steele And to the tough Ribs is the bending Keele Wouen by Ship-wrights craft then the Maine-mast Acrosse whos 's middle is the Saile yard plast Tackles and sailes and next you may discerne Our painted Gods vpon the hooked stearne The God that beares me on my happy way And is my guide is Cupid Now the day In which the last stroke of the Hammer's heard Within our Nauy in the East appeard And I must now lanch forth so the Fates please To seeke aduentures in the Egean Seas My Father and my Mother moue delay And by intreaties would inforce my stay They hang about my necke and with their teares Woo me deferre my iourney but their feares Can haue no power to keepe me from thy sight And now Cassandra full of sad affright With loose disheuel'd Tramels madly skips Iust in the way betwixt me and my Ships Oh whether wilt thou head-long run she cries Theu bearest fire with thee whose smoake vp flies Vnto the heauens Oh Ihoue thou little fearest What quenchlesse flames thou through the water bearest Caffandra was too true a Prophetesse Her quenchlesse flames she spake of I confesse My hot desires burne in my breast so fast That no Red Furnace hotter flames can cast I passe the Citty gates my Barke I boord The fauourable winds calme gales affoord And fill my sailâ—…s vnto your Land I steare For whether else his course should Paris beare Your Husband entertaines me as his guest And all this hapneth by the Gods behest He shewes me all his Pastures parts and Fields And euery rare thing Lacedemon yeilds He holds himselfe much pleased with my being And nothing hides that he esteems worth seeing I am on fire till I behold your face Of all Achayas Kingdome the sole grace All other Curious obiects I defie Nothing but Hellen can content mine eie Whom when I saw I stood transformd with wonder Sencelesse as one strooke dead by Ihoues sharpe Thunder As I reuiue my eyes Irowle and turne Whilst my flam'd thoughts with hotter fancies burne Euen so as I remember lookt Loues Queene When she was last in Phrygian Ida seene Vnto which place by Fortune I was trained Where by my censure she the Conquest gained But had you made a fourth in that contention Of Venus beauty there had bin no mention Hellen assuredly had borne from all The prize of beauty the bright Golden Ball. Onely of you may this your Kingdome boast by you it is renown'd in euery Coast Rumor hath euery where your beautie blazed In what remote Clyme is not Hellen praised From the bright Eastern Suns vprise Inquire Euen to his downfall where he slakes his fire There liues not any of your Sex that dare Contend with you that are proclaimd so faire Trust me for truth I speake Nay vvhat 's most true Too sparingly the vvorld hath spoke of you Fame that hath vndertooke your name to blaze Plaid but the envious Husvvife in your praise More then report could promise or fame blazon Are these Deuine perfections that I
gaze on These were the same that made Duke Theseus lauish Who in thy prime and Nonage did thee rauish A vvorthie Rape for such a vvorthie Man Thrice happie Rauisher to ceize thee than When thou vvert stript starke naked to the skin A sight of force to make the Gods to sin Such is your Countries guise at seasons vvhen vvith naked Ladies they mixe naked Men That he did steale thee from thy Friends I praise him And for that deed I to the Heauens will raise him That he return'd thee backe by Ihoue I wonder Had I bin Theseus he that should assonder Haue parted vs or snacht thee from my bed First from my shoulders should haue par'd my head So rich a purchase such a glorious pray Should constantly haue bin detai'nd for aye Could these my strong Armes possibly vnclaspe Whilst in their amorous Foulds they Hellen graspe Neither by free constraint nor by free-giuing Could you depart that compasse and I liuing But if by rough inforce I must restore you Some fruits of Loue which I so long haue bore you I first would reape and some sweet fauour gaine That all my suite were not bestowd in vaine Either with me you should abide and stay Or for your passe your maiden-head should pay Or say I spar'd you that yet would I try What other fauour I could else come by All that belongs to loue I would not misse You should not let me both to clip and kisse Giue me your heart faire Queene my hart you owe And what my resolution is you knowe Til the last fire my breathlesse body take The fire within my breast can neuer slake Before large kingdomes I preferd your face And Iunoes loue and potent gifts disgrace To sold you in my amorous Armes I chusd And Pallas vertues scornefully refusd When they with Venus in the Hil of Idc Made mee the Iudge their beauties to decide Nor do I yet repent me hauing tooke Beauty and strength and Scepter'd rule for sooke Methinkes I chusd the best nor thinke it strange I still persist and neuer meane to change Onely that my imployment be not vain Oh you more worth then any Empires gaine Let me intreat least you my byrth should scorne Or parentage know I am royall borne By marrying me you shall not wrong your State Nor be a wife to one degenerate Search the Records where vve did first begin And you shall find the Pleyads of our Kin Nay Ihoâ—…e himselfe all others to forbeare That in our stocke renowned Princes were My Father of all Asia raignes sole-King Whose boundlesse Coast scarce any featheredwing Can giue a girdle too a happier Land A neighbor to the Ocean cannot stand There in a narrovv compasse you may see Citties and Towers more then may numbred be The houses guilt rich Temples that exell And you will say I neere the great Gods dwell You shall behold hie Issiums lofty Towers And Troyes braue Wals built by Immortall powers But made by Phoebus the great God of Fire And by the touch of his melodious Lyer If we haue people to inhabit vvhen The sad earth grones to beare such troopes of men Iudge Hellen Likevvise when you come to Land The Asian Women shall admiring stand Saluting thee with welcome more and lesse Inpreasing throngs and numbers numberlesse More then our Courts can hold of you most faire You to your selfe will say alasse how bare And poore Achaya is when with great pleasure You see each house containe a Citties Treasure Mistake me not I Sparta do not scorne I hold the Land blest where my Loue was borne Though barren else rich Sparta Hellen bore And therefore I that Prouince must adore Yet is your Land methinkes but leane and empty You worthy of a Clyme that flowes with plenty Full Troy I prostrate it is yours by duty This petty-seat becomes not your rich beauty Attendance Preparation Curtsie state Fit such a Heauenly forme on which should waite Cost fresh variety Delicious diet Pleasure Contentment and Luxurious ryet What Ornaments we vse what fashions faigne You may perceiue by me and my proud traine Thus we attyre our men but with more cost Of Gold and Pearle the rich Gownes are Imbost Of our chiefe Ladies guesse by what you see you may be soone induc'st to credit me Be tractable faire Spartan nor contemne A Troian borne deriu'd from Royall stemne He was a Troian and allyde to Hector That waits vpon Ihoues cup and fils him Nector A Troian did the faire Aurora wed And nightly slept within her Roseat bed The Goddesse that ends night and enters day From our faire Troian Coast stole him away Anchises was a Troian whom Loues Queene Making the Trees of Ida a thicke Screene Twixt Heauen and her oft lay with view me vvell I am a Troian too in Troy I dwell Thy Husband Menelaus hether bring Compare our shapes our yeares and euery thing I make you Iudgesse wrong me if you can you needs must say I am the properer man None of my line hath turn'd the Sun to blood And rob'd his Steeds of their Ambrosiall food My Father grew not from the Caucasse Rocke Nor shall I graft you in a bloody Stocke Priam nere wrong'd the guiltlesse soule or further Made the Myrtoan Sea looke red with murder Nor thirsteth my great Grand-sire in the Lake Of Lethe Chin-deepe yet no thirst can slake Nor after ripened Apples vainely skips Who flie him still and yet still touch his lips But what of this If you be so deriu'd You notwithstanding are no right depriu'd You grace your Stocke and being so deuine Ihoue is of force compeld into your Liue. Oh mischiefe Whilst I vainely speake of this Your Husband all vnworthy of such blisse Inioyes you this long night enfolds your wast And where he list may boldly touch and tast So when you sat at Table many a toy Passeth betweene you my vext soule t'annoy At such hie feasts I wish my enemy sit Where discontent attendes on euery bit I neuer yet was plac'st at any Feast But oft it irkt me that I was your Guest That which offends me most thy rude Lord knowes For still his arme about thy necke he throwes Which I no sooner spy but I grow mad And hate the man whose courting makes me sad Shall I be plaine I am ready to sinke downe When I behold him wrap you in his Gowne While you sit smiling on his amorous knee His fingers presse where my hands itch to bee But when he hugs you I am forc'st to frowne The meat I 'am eating will by no meanes downe But stickes halfe way amidst these discontents I haue obseru'd you laugh at my laments And with a scornefull yet a wanton smile Deride my sighes and grones oft to beguile My passions and to quench my fiery rage By quaffing healths I'haue thought my flame t' asswage But Bacchus full cups make my flame burne hyer Add wine to loue and you adde fire to
fire To shun the sight of many a wanton feat Betwixt your Lord and you I shift my seat And turne my head but thinking of your grace Loue skrewes my bead to gaâ—…e backe on your face What were I best to do To see you play Mads me and I perforce must turne away And to forbeare the place where you abide Would kill me dead should I but start aside As much as lyes in me I striue to bury The shape of Loue in mirths spight I seeme mery But oh the more I seeke it to suppresse The more my blabbing lookes my loue professe You know my Loue which I in vaine should hide Would God it did appeare to none beside Oh Ihoue how often haue I turnd my cheeke To hide th'apparant teares that passage seeke From forth my etes and to a corner stept Least any man should aske wherefore Iwept How often haue I told you pittious tales Of constant louers and how Loue preuailes When such great heed to my discourse I tooke That euery accent suited to your looke In forged names my selfe I represented The Louer so perplext and so torâ—…ented If you will know Behold I am the same Paris was ment in that true Louers name As often that I might the more securely Speake loose immodest words that sound impurely That they offencelesse might your sweet eares tutch I haue lispt them out like one had drunke too mutch Once I remember your loose vayle betraid Your naked skin and a fayre passage made To my inamored eye Oh skin much brighter Then snow or purest milk in colour whiter Then your faire mother Laeda when Ihoue grac'st her And in the shape of Feathered Swan imbrac'st her Whilst at this rauishing sight I stand amazed And without interruption freely gazed The wreathed handle of the Boule I graspt Fell from my hold my strengthlesse hand vnclaspt A Goblet at that time I held by chanee And downe it fell for I was in a trance Kisse your faire daughter and to her I skip And snatch your kisses from your sweet Childs lip Sometimes I throw my selfe along and lie Singing Loue-songs and if you cast your eie On my effeminate gesture I still find Some pretty couered signes to speake my mind And then my earnest suit bluntly inuades Aethra and Climâ—…nca your two chiefe maides But they returne me answeres full of feare And to my motions lend no further eare Oh that you were the prize of some great strife And he that wins might claime you for his wife Hyppomanes with swift Atlanta ran And at one course the Goale and Lady wan Euen she by whom so many Suters perisht Was in the bosome of her new Loue cherisht So Hercules for Deyaneira stroue Brake Achelous horne and gain'd his loue Had I such liberty such freedome graunted My resolution neuer could be daunted Your selfe should find and all the world should see Hellen a prize alone reseru'd for me There is not left me any meanes most faire To Court you now but by intreats and praire Vnlesse as it becoms me you thinke meet That I should prostrate fall and kisse your feet Oh all the honour that our last age wins Then glory of the two Tyndarian Twins Worthy to be Ihoues Wife in heauen to raigne Were you not Ihoues owne daughter of his straine To the Sygean confines I will carry thee And in the Temple of great Pallas marry thee Or in this Island where I vent my mones I le beg a Toombe for my exiled bones My wound is not a slight race with an arrow But it hath pierst my hart and burnt my marrow This Prophesie my Sister oft hath sounded That by an heauenly dart I should be wounded Oh then forbeare fayre Hellen to oppose you Against the Gods they say I shall not lose you Yeeld you to their beheast and you shall find The Gods to your petitions likewise kind A thousand things at once are in my braine Which that I may essentially complaine And not in papers empty all my head Anon at night receiue me to your bed Blush you at this or Lady doe you feare To violate the Nuptiall lawes austearc Oh simple Hellen Foolish I might say What profite reape you to be Chast I pray 1st possible that you a World to winne Should keepe that face that beauty without sinne Rather you must your glorious face exchange For one lesse Faire or else not seeme so strange Beauty and Chastity at variance are T is hard to finde one Woman chast and faire Venus will not haue beauty ouer aw'de Hie Ihoue him selfe stolne pleasures will applaude And by such theeuish pastimes we may gather How Ihoue gainst Wedlocks lawes became your father He and your mother Laeda both transgrest When you were got she bare a tender breast What glory can you gaine Loues sweets to smother Or to be counted Chaster then your mother Professe strict chastity when vvith great ioy I lead you as my Bride-espousd through Troy Then Ientreat you raine your pleasures in I wish thy Paris may be all thy sinne If Citherea her firme Couenant keepe Though I within your bosome nightly sleepe We shall not much misdoo but so offend That we by marriage may our guilt amend Your husband hath himselfe this businesse ayded And though not with his toung he hath per swaded By all his deedes as much least he should stay Our priuate meetings he is farre away Of purpose rid vnto the farthest West That he might leaue his wife vnto his guest No fitter time he could haue found to visit The Chrisean royall Scepter and to ceize it Oh simple simple Husband but hee s gone And going left you this to thinke vpon Faire Wife quoth he I prethe in my place Regard the Troian Prince and do him grace Behold a witnesse I against you stand You haue beene carelesse of his kinde command Count from his first dayes iourney neuer since Did you regard or grace the Troian Prince What thinke you of your Husband that he knowes The worth and value of the face he owes Who but a Fool such beauty would indanger Or trust it to the mercy of a Stranger Then royall Queene if neither may intreat My quenchlesse passion nor Loues raging heate Can win you we are wooed both to this crime Euen by the fit aduantage of the time Either to Loues sweet sport we must agree Or shew our selues to be worse fooles then he He tooke you by the hand the hower he rode And knowing I with you must make abode Brings you to me What should I further say It was his minde to giue you quite away What meant he else Then le ts be blithe and iolly And make the best vse of your Husbands folly What should we doe Your husband is farre gone And this colde night poore soule you lie alone I want a bedfellow so doe we eather What lets vs then but that we lie together You slumbring thinke on me On you I dreame Both our desires are
at last come downe Therefore I am your valour I your Crowne Your kindnesse conquers me do what I can I were hard-harted not to loue this man Obdurate I was neuer and yet coy To fauour him whom I can ner'e enioy What profits it the barren sandes to plow And in the furrowes our affections sow In the sweete theft of Venus I am rude And know not how my Husband to delude Now I these Loue-lines write my pen I vow Is a new office taught not knowne till now Happy are they that in this Trade haue skill Alasse I am a Foole and shall be still And hauing till this houre not slept astray Feare in these sports least I should mis my way The feare no doubt is greater then the blame I stand confounded and amaz'd with shame And with the very thought of what you seeke Thinke euery eie fixt on my guilty cheeke Nor are these suppositions meerely vaine The murmuring people whisperingly complaine And my maid Aethra hath by listning slily Brought me such newes as toucht mine honor hily Wherefore deere Lord dissemble or desist Being ouer-eyde we cannot as we list Fashion our sports our Loues pure haruest gather But why should you desist dissemble rather Sport but in secret sport where none may see The greater but not greatest liberty Is limitted to our Lasciuious play That Menalaus is farre hence away My Husband about great affaires is pousted Leauing his royall guest securely hoasted His businesse was important and materiall Being employd about a Crowne Imperiall And as he now is mounted on his Steed Ready on his long iourney to proceede Euen as he questions to depart or stay Sweet hart quoth I oh be not long away With that he reacht me a sweet parting kisse How loath he was to leaue me ghesse by this Farwell fayre Wife saith he bend all thy cares To my domesticke businesse home affayres But as the thing that I affection best Sweet Wife looke well vnto my Troian guest It was no sooner out but with much paine My itching spleene from laughter Irestraine Which striuing to keepe in and bridle still At length Iwrung forth these few words I wil. Hee 's on his iourney to the Isle of Creet But thinke not we may therefore safely meet He is so absent that as present I Am still within his reach His Eare his Eye And though abroad his power at home commands For know you not Kings haue long reaching hads The fame for beauty you besides haue giuen me Into a great exigent hath driuen me The more your commendation fild his care The more iust cause my husband hath to fear Nor maruell you the King hath left me so Into remoate and forraine Climes to goe Much confidence he dares repose in me My carriage hauiour and my modesty My beauty he mistrusts my hart relies in my face he feares my Chast life he affies in To take time now when time is you perswade me And with his apt fit absence you invade me I would but feare nor is my mind well set my Will would further what my feare doth let I haue no husband here and you no wife I loue your shape you mine deare as your life The nights seeme long to such as sleepe alone Our letters meet to enterchange our mone You iudge me beauteous I esteeme you faire Vnder oue Roofe vve Louers lodged are And let me die but euery thing consider Each thing perswades vs we should lie together Nothing we see molests vs naught we heare And yet my forward will is slackt through feare I would to God that what you ill perswade You could as well compell So I were made Vn-willing willing pleasingly abusde So my simplicity might be excusde Iniurious force is oft-times wondrous pleasing To such as suffer ease in their diseasing If what I will you gainst my vvill should doe I with such force could be well pleased too But whilst our loue is young and in the bud Suffer his Infant vigor be withstood A flame new kindled is as easily quench't And sudden sparkles in little drops are drencht A Trauellours Loue is like himselfe vnstaid And wanders where he walkes It is not layde On any firmer ground for when vve alone Thinke him to vs the winde blovves faire hee s gone Witnesse Hypsipile alike betraide Witnesse vvith her the bright Mynoyan maide Nay then your selfe as you your selfe haue spoken To fayre Oenone haue your promise broken Since I beheld your face first my desire Hath beene of Troyan Paris to inquire I know you now in euery true respect I le grant you thus much then say you affect Me whom you terme your owne I le grow thus farre Do not the Phagian marriners prepare Their sailes and Oares and now whilst we recite Exchange of words about the wished night Say that euen now you vvere prepard to clime my long wisht bed iust at th' appointed time The wind should alter and blow fayre for Troy You must breake off in midst of all your ioy And leaue me in the infancy of pleasure Amid my riches I shall lose my treasure You will for sake the sweets my bed affoords T' exchange for Cabins Hatches and pitcht boords Then what a fickle Courtship you commence When with the first vvind all your Loue blowes hence But shall I follow you vvhen you are gone And be the graund-child to Laomedon And Islium see whose beauty you proclaime I doe not so despise the bruit of fame That she to whom I am in debt such thanks Should fill the Earth with such adulterate pranks What will Achaia What will Sparta say What will your Troy report and Asia What may old Priam or his reuerent Queene What may your Sisters hauing Hellen seene Or your Dardanian brothers deeme of me Will they not blame my loose â—…nchastity Nay how can you your self faithfull deem me And not amongst the loosest dames esteem me No stranger shall your Asian Ports com neare But he shall fill your guilty soule with feare How often angry at some small offence Will you thus say Adultresse get thee hence Forgetting you your selfe haue been the chiefe In my transgression though not in my griefe Consider what it is forgetfull Louer To be sinnes Author and sinnes sharpe reprouer But ere the least of all these Illes betide me I wish the earth may in her bosome hide me But I shall all your Phrygian wealth possesse And more then your Epistle can expresse Gifts wouen gold Imbrodery rich attire Purple and Plate or what I can desire Yet giue me leaue thinke you all this extends To counter-vaile the losse of my chiefe friends Whose friendship or whose ayde shall I imploy To succour me when I am wrong'd in Troy Or whether can I hauing thus misdone Vnto my Father or my Brothers ronne As much as you to me false Iason swore Vnto Medea yet from Aesons dore He after did exile her Now poore hart Where is thy Father that should take thy part Old
whom they offer solemne Funerall deeds The Children fetch their Sires and Fathers some Their slaughtred sons which generall mourning breeds The Greekes likewise their fellow-mates desire And yeild their bodies to the hallowed fire 103 But whilst these odoriferous piles they reare And sacrifiz'd their friends in holy flames And in perfumed Boxes prized deare Coffin their precious ashes least their names Should die in Lethe Nouell broyles appeare And Ate through the Campe discord proclames But now to truce our spirits we haue intention Before twixt them we moue a new dissention TO omit all our English worthies whose names wee haue only memoriz'd not hauing roome to insert their deeds in so little a compasse as we haue prescrib'd to our History we rather couet to touch matter more forraigne and lesse familiar to some with whome our Booke must necessarily Traficke In the description of Fame we haue rather imitated Ouid then Virgill his Fama malum quo non c. In the description of King Priams state we must needes imagine it great where so many forraigne Kings assembled in his ayde in whose names we haue confer'd Dares the Troian Dictes the Greeke Homer Virgill and others who though in some particuler thinges not momentarily they differ yet they generally concurre in this that such Princes with such populous and almost inuincible assistance succored Troy Telephus ioynd in commission with Achilles to saile to the land of Messe was sonne to Hercules whom Theutam hauing before in the battayle receiued his deaths wound voluntarily adopted his successour for the great loue that he for many benefits formerly receiued had borne to his father Hercules The passages of Loue betwixt Troylus and Cressida the reuerent Poet Chaucer hath sufficiently discourst to whom I wholy refer you hauing past it ouer with little circumstance The description of the first battailes seruice disordred and confused we must excuse with this necessity that beeing to remember so many and to imploy them all we could not do it with a directer method then to set downe things done without order disorderly and actions hapning by accident accidentally and confused things confusedly King Prothesilaus was the first King that perisht before Troy for though it were foretold by Oracle that he that first set foot a shore should perish by the sword of Hector yet hee fearelesse of death first landed and in his too much valor made the fayre Laodomeia a desolate widdow Ate Goddesse of reuenge or strife she is cald by Homer one of Ihoues daughters Lesio Homerus Iliad 7. Presba dios thugater ate H pantas a-atai Ate prisca Iouis proles quae leserit omnes Mortales The Tale of Cephalus and Procris because I haue omitted in my former Cantons especially in that which seemes to inueigh against Iealousie I thinke not altogither vnnecessary to insert in this Skolia knowing that which was ill forgot cannot be amisse remembred at any seasonable opportunity Here therefore though out of his ranke I intend to admit him BEneath Hymettus hill well cloath'd with flowers A holy Well her soft springs gently powers Where stands a Cops in which the Wood-Nymphs shroue No wood It rather seemes a slender Groue The humble shrubs and bushes hide the grasse Heere Lawrell Rosemary heare Myrtle was Heere grew thicke Box and Tam'rix that excels And made a meere confusion of sweet smels The Triffoly the Pine and on this Heath Stands many a plant that feeles coole Zephirs breath Heere the young Cephalus tyr'd in the chace Vsd his repose and rest alone t' embrace And where he sat these words he would repeate Come Ayre sweet Ayre come coole my heatâ—… Come gentle Ayre I neuer will for sake thee I le hug thee thus and in my bosome take thee Some double dutious Tel-tale hapt to heare this And to his Iealous wife doth straight-way beare this Which Proctis hearing and with all the Name Of Ayre sweete Ayre which he did oft proclaime She stands confounded and amazd with griefe By giuing this fond tale too sound beleefe And lookes as doe the Trees by winter nipt Whom Frost and cold of fruit and leaues hath stript She bends like Corueile when too ranke it growes Or when the ripe fruits clog the Quinch-tree bowes But when she comes to her selfe she teares Her Garments and her eyes her cheekes and heares And then she starts and to her feet applies her Then to the Woods storke Wood in rage she hies her Approaching somewhat neare her seruants they By her appointment in a Vally stay Whilst she alone with creeping paces steales To take the Strumpet whom her Lord conceales What mean'st thou Procris in these Groues to hide thee What rage of loue doth to this madnesse guide thee Thou hopst the Arye he cals in all her brauery Will straight approach and thou shalt see their knauery and now againe it Irkes her to be there For such a killing sight her heart will teare No truce can with her troubled thoughts dispence She would not now he there nor yet be thence Behold the place her iealous mind fortels Here doe they vse to meet and no where els The Grasse is layd and see their true impression Euen heere they lay I heere was their transgression A bodies print she saw it was his seat Which makes her faint hart gainst her ribs to beat Phoebus the lofty Easterne Hill had scald And all moist vapours from the earth exhald Now in his noone-tide point he shineth bright It was the middle houre twixt noone and night Behold young Cephalus drawes to the place And with the Fountaine water sprinkes his face Procris is hid vpon the grasse he lyes And come sweet Zephir Come sweet Ayre he cryes She sees her error now from where he stood Her mind returnes to her and her fresh blood Among the Shrubs and Briars she moues and rustles And the iniurious boughes away she â—…stles Intending as he lay there to repose him Nimbly to run and in her armes inclose him He quickly casts his eye vpon the bush Thinking therein some sauage Beast did rush His bow he bends and a keene shaft he drawes Vnhappy man what doost thou Stay and pause It is no bruite beast thou wouldst reaue of life Oh man vnhappy thou hast slaine thy wife Oh Heauen she cries Oh helpe me I am slaine Stil doth thy Arrow in my wound remaine Yet though by timelesse Fate my bones heere lye It glads me most that I no Cuck-queane dye Her breath thus in the Armes she most affected She breaths into the Ayre before suspected The whilst he lifts her body from the ground And with his teares doth wash her bâ—…eeding wound The end of the eleuenth CANTO Argumentum A Chilles transformation Palimed Accusd of Treason and condemnd to die After long battaile honor Hector led The boldest Argiue Champion to defie The Graecians storme to be so chalenged Hector and Aiax the fierce Combat try A Truce a Banquet at this pompous feast
whose skill Ouid remembers By art of Sayle and Oare Seas are diuided By art the Chariot runs by art Loue 's guided By art are Bridles rain'd in or let slip Typhis by art did steare th' Hemonian ship And Tymes succeeding shall call me alon Loues expert Typhis and Antomedon The reason why Achilles kept his Tent and was not in the field when Hector breathed his chalenge is not fully resolued some thinke he was discontent about a difference betwixt the Generall Agamemnon and him who kept away perforce Briseis a beauteous Lady claimed by Achilles as his Prise which wee rather follow in our History then to lay his absence on his Loue to Polixena whom hee had not yet seene and the promise which for her sake he made to Hecuba to keepe himselfe and his Mâ—…midons from the battaile Achelous was sonne to Oceanus and Tellus viz the sea and the Earth whence all Riuers are deriued who beeing vanquisht by Hercules hid himselfe in the Riuer called of himselfe Achelous a famous stoud in Greece diuiding Aetolia from Acatnauia This Achelous was before called Thoas and riseth from the Mount Pindus but Plutarch calleth it Thestius of Thestius the son of Mars and Pisidices who had three daughters Calirhoe Castalia and Dirce of whom the famous Greeke Poet Akeloou thugater diska c. Oh Acheloi filia venerande Virgo dierce The Flouds of Achelous were so famous that all the waters vsed in the deuine sacrifices were by the Oracle cald Aquae Acheloae The Poets faine him to transhape himselfe in a Bul because Riuersplow the earth as Oxen make Furrowes or because Buls draw neere to the brinkes of riuers when they bellow for fresh pasture else because waters breaking violently through any fall make a confused noise like the roarings of many Buls together He was â—…ald a Dragon by his many indented windings and turnings Hercules being leagued with King Oeneus vndertooke to suppresse this raging riuer whose many inundations had much damag'd his Kiingdome who extenuating his maine streame by inforcing it into many riualets by that meanes made the country more fertil therefore it was moraliz'd that Hercules breaking off his horn receiu'd in the same all fruits of plenty To this Cornucopia or horne of abundance Iupiter gaue this property that whosoeuer held it and wisht should receiue according to their desire The rarieties of the most choise fruits and wines of all kinds how delicious soeuer to tast the Pallat. This vertue was first prou'd by Amatthea daughter to Hemonius King of Aetolia though some take Amatthea to be the Goat that nurst Iupiter with her milke when Rhea had giuen him to be brought vp to Adrastea and Isde. The end of the twelfth CANTO Argumentum A Chilles dotes on beauteous Polixaine And at her faire request refraines the fielde The Truce expierd both Hoasts prepare againe For battaile with proud harts in valour steel'd The Greekes are beate backe many kild and taine Patroclus don's Achilles Armes and shield Him Hector for Achilles tooke and slew Whose Armor gone his Mother seeks him new ARG. 2. TRuce after Combat Hecuba is wonne By Paris meanes to league with Thetis sonne CANTO 13. 1 AWake soft Muse from sleepe and after rest Shew thy selfe quicke and actiue in thy way Thy labouring flight and trauell long opprest Is comforted no longer then delay But with thy swiftest winges fly in the Quest Of thy prefyxed goale The happy day In which this Kingdome did her wide armes spread To imbrace king Iames our Soueraigne Lord head 2 And you great Lord to whom I Dedicate A second worke the yssue of my braine Accept this Twin to that you saw of late Sib to the first and of the selfe-same straine That onely craue the shelters of your state To keepe it from all stormes of Haâ—…le and Raine Who neither dread the rage of winds or Thunder whilst your faire roofe they may be shadowed vndâ—…r 3 Your fauour and protection deckes my phrase and is to me like Ariadnes clew To guide me through the Laborinthean Maze 〈◊〉 which my brain 's intangled T is by you That euery vulger eye hath leaue to gaze and on this Proâ—…ct takes free enter view Which but t' expresse a due debt yet vnpaid Had still remain'd vnperfect and vnmade 4 Proceed we then and where we left repaire About his head the Tree rough Aiax flings Like to a threatning Meteor in the aire Which where it lights exitiall ruin brings Such seemes th'vngrounded Oake leauelesse and bare Who shakes ore Hectors Crest her rooted strings And with such rude impetuous fury fell T' haue dingd him through the Center downe to hel 5 But Hector with his broad shield waits the fall Which shiuers all the plates of his strong Targe The Graectans too much fury strikes withall The plant from his owne hands in his rough charge Vnarm'd once more they grapple to make thrall Each others strength their armes sinnowy and large About their sides with mutuall strength they cling and wrastling striue which can each other fling 6 When loe the Kings on bothsides much admiting Their neuer equald valour loth to lose Such Champions in whose charging or retyring Their spring of victory declines or Flowes Their Conquests droop towards earth or rise aspiring The generall of each hoast his Warder throwes Betweene the Combattants who still contend By slight of strength to giue the difference end 7 Two Guards from either Army step betweene Their heated furies till their blood retyr'd For with fresh breath they both abate their spleene And cease that Combate thousands late admyr'd Instead of blowes their friendly Armes are seene T'infold each other with new loues inspyr'd Aiax his Belt pluckes from athwart his brest And giues to Hector of all Knights the best 8 Who takes a good sword flesht on many a foe And enter-chang'd with Aiax but oh Fate Two ominous Tokens these good Knights bestow Which to themselues prou'd most vnfortunate To Hectors heeles must Aiax Baldricke grow And three times drag him by each Troian gate Whose sight whole Troy with clamorous shricks shal fill With Hectors sword Aiax must Aiax kil 9 These passages of friendship giuen and tooke Behold a Herald from the Towne appeares Who greets the proud Greekes with a friendly looke From Priam reuerent both in state and yeares Them whom but late the Troians could not brooke Troy now inuites and for a space forbeares All hostile hate betweene both hoasts proclaiming A day of Iubile for feast and gaming 10 The Faith of Hector as best hostage giuen Th'inuasiue Kings in peace the Citty enter Whom Priam feasts with all that vnder heauen Can be found rare or bred aboue the Center The Dames and Damsels all pale feare bereauen Amongst the dreadfull Greekes dare freely venter And they that late did fright them aboue measure Haue liberty to sport and Court their pleasure 11 Vnpeered Hector
Easy as Silkes his griefe conuerts to rage He dons those armes forgetfull of his age 73 To whom the sad Queene with wet eyes thus sayes What meanes my wofull Lord in his weake hand To tosse this burdenous Steele There is no prayse For men to fight when the high Gods withstand Liu'd puissant Hector in these Fatall dayes Yet could not his stronge Limbs protect thy Land Much lesse these Saplesse branches poore and bare Then let the reuerent Priam keepe his Chayre 74 Heere at these holy Altars let vs cling The Gods if they be pleasd our liues may guard If not we all will perish with the King and die at once there shall not one be spard Behold where broken through th'all-slaughtring ring Of Pyrrhus Myrmidons Slaues rough and hard The young Polytes well-ny breathlesse rons Polytes one of Priams best-lou'd Sons 75 Through many an Entry and blind-turning path The burning Pyrrhus hath the Lad pursude Longing vpon the Youth to vent his wrath now both at once before the King intrude The slaughterd-thoughted Greeke all bale and scath In the Childs bloud his satall Blade imbrude Which plucking from his wounds in the same place Sparkled the Sons bloud in the Fathers face 76 To whom the arm'd King thus You Gods aboue Whose diuine eyes all deedes of horror see as you are â—…ust and actes of pitry loue Behold how this rude man hâ—…th dealt by me What God worthy Heauens Pallace can approue So blacke a deede as this that 's done by thee Before the Fathers eye the Child to kill and in his face his Innocent bloud to spill 77 Thou art a Bastard not Achilles Son Of some she Wolfe or Hyrcan Tygresse bred not to be shrin'd in Heauen would he haue don So horrible a deede so full of dred The shame and scandall thou this night hast won More then Achilles honors shall be spred Thy Father honor'd liude and dide in fame Dishonored thou shalt perish in thy shame 78 With that the Iaâ—…elin in his hand he threw Th' vnprofitable strength of his weake arme Though it had art to guid the Weapon true It wanted power to doe blacke Pyrrhus harme Against the long skirt of his Targe it flew But the round Bosse as if composd by charme Shooke off the ydle steele which on the barre That tooke the blow scarce left the smallest scarre 79 Inflamed Pyrrhus thus to him replies Priam thy soule shall straight discend to hell Euen to the place where great Achilles lyes And my sad deeds vnto my Father Father With that all wrath in Prisms face he flies The prostrate King at Ihoues hye Altar fell With such hot rage he did the King pursue That though he mist the whiske him ouerthrew 80 When being groueled in Polites gore Grim Pyrrhus with his left hand takes the king By his white lockes neuer prophand before His reuerent head against the ground to ding His proud right hand a smoaking Curtlax wore Which to perpetuall rest must Priam bring With which against the good old King he tilts Till his hart bloud flowed much aboue the hilts 81 This was old Prisms Fate his fatall end And ending glory he that Asâ—… swayed Whose spreading Fame did through the earth extend Liu'd till he saw both him and his betraid Euen till he had no subiect Sonne or friend And saw Troyes spyres euen with the groundsils laid Who now before loues golden face lyes dead A namelesse coarse a Trunke without a head 82 All this when good Aeneas saw from farre The ends of Troy and Priam burnt and slaine And no abatement yet of heat or warre To his owne Pallace he returnes againe Where gathered on a heape together are His wife Creausa showring teares amaine His seruants old Anchises and his sonne Askanius these about Aeneas ronne 83 After some short discourse of their affaires Aeneas on his backe Anchises takes For young Askanius he his left hand spares In his right hand his guardant sword he shakes Creusa followes close with teares and Prayers So through the fire and foe Aeneas makes He with his sonne and Syre the right way choose But in the darkenesse they Creusa loose 84 Whom missing they Creusa call alowd Creusa for whose safety they 'l returne But sorne blacke Fate doth her in darkenesse shrowd Either Troyes Funerall fires the Lady burne Else is she stifled in the Hostile crowd For her the Father sonne and husband mourne And seeking her amidst the wrathfull flames They encounter Helenus who thus exclaimes 85 Keepe on Aeneas to the Seâ—…n shore The heauens on Troy and vs haue vengeance powred Onely thy ruind fortunes they restore They smile on thee that haue on Priam lowred The faire Creausa thou shalt see no more Her the none-sparing slaughter hath deuowred But in her stead the Gods to thee shal giue A wife in whom deceased Troy shall liue 86 Follow yon starre whether his Bearded beames Directs thy Nauigation on the fand Thousands attend thy conduct through the streames Whom ruin spares for thee and thy command Obserue yon blazing Meteor whose bright gleames Points thee vnto a rich and fertile Land Where after many strange aduentures past Storme-driu'n Aeneas shall arriue at last 87 They to a spacious Climate thee restore A Prouince which the Gods and fates hold best The Meditteren Sea beats on the shore With the Scicilian waters South and East The Adriaticke Billowes North-ward rore With the hye Alpes incompast on the West These Countries it containes Latium Liguria The Climates of Campania and Hetruria 88 With Fertill I stria and Calabria Full peopled Craunia and Apentium Aemilia else cald Rhomandtola With Gallia Cisalpina and Pycenum Iapidia Vmbria and Venetia Flauinia Apulia Sumnium All these are Italy with great Lucania Which shall in times to come be cald Rhomania 89 Farewell and thriue but leaue vs to our Fates This saide the Deuine Helenus retires And shuts himselfe within those fatall gates Where none commands but foes and raging fires Aeneas hasts to meet his promist Mates And on the Coast their fellow-ship desires Who through the street hewes out a bloody tracke With old Anchises hanging at his backe 90 Still â—…stium burnes nor are the ruthlesse Flames Yet quencht Ihoues sparpled Alters licke the blood Of slaughtred Priam the bright vestall Dames Are puld from Pallas Statuë where they stood About their golden lockes with lowd exclaimes Rough souldiers wind their armes and through a flood Of gore and teares in which the pauement flowes Drag them along that faint beneath their blowes 91 The young Astianax from that hye Tower On which his Fathers valour oft he saw Is tumbled headlong on the rough-pau'd flower His all to bruised limbes lye broke and raw To wofull Hecuba in thrust a power Of blood-staind Greekes without regard or awe and from her aged armes snatcht by rude force Polixena whose beauty begs remorse 92 Shee s hurried to Achilles tombe where stands Sterne