yeare he chose Forsooth thou hadst more skill in signes of warres To curb thy neighbours then in signes of starres Yet he by reasons was to this induc'd His errour Caesar may be well excus'd What time the mother in her womb doth bear Her breeding child just that he made his yeare That time the widow from the fatall burning Of her dead mate did wear the signes of mourning These arguments did Romulus regard When he the seasons to his peasants shar'd Mars had the first the next was Venus place He father and she mother of his race The third from Eld the fourth from Yongth is nam'd The number titles for the rest hath fram'd But Numa willing Janus to adore And dead mens ghosts prepos'd a couple more Now you the duties of each day must know For every day did not the like allow That was Non-leet-day which the three words scap't That Leet-day was wherein the courts were kept These offices were not all day performing 'T is Leet at noon but 't was a Non-leet morning Before the Praetour pleading then begun And suits of law when sacrifice was done Some dayes the people in the rails include Some on the ninth day still their course renew'd Queen Juno's care our Romane Calends shield A fat white lamb in th' Ides to Jove is kill'd The Nones are blank and want a sacrifice Take heed I pray the next a black day is The reason 's from th' events In them they say Our Romane host have often lost the day But once of these it shall suffice to speak In all our book lest I my order break GErmanick lo our Janus thee doth bring A happy yeare he is the first I sing Tway-faced Janus our still-pac't yeares guide Who onely of the gods seest thy back-side Come gracious to our captains by whose care Both sea and land secure of tumult are Come gracious to our Romane lords and states And in good will unlock thy temple-gates A good day comes let tongues from hearts salute Good words and greetings this good day do suit Let idle wranglings not molest the eare Ye brawling people now your suits deferre See how the heavens with spicy fires do shine And spikenard crackles on the hearths divine Transplendent flames do lash the temples gold A twinkling lustre to the roof extoll'd White robes now walk to our Tarpeian wall The people 's deckt in gaytie festivall New purple shines new rods now stalk in state The ivory'd benches bear another weight The fair fat ox whose neck ne're felt the yoke Now yields it to the sacrificing stroke Jove when he views the world from towring skies Hath nought but Romane to imploy his eyes Hail holy-day come alwayes fortunate Deserving worship of a world-great state But Janus now what god shall I thee call For Greece hath nere a god like thee at all Rehearse the reason why thou hast such ods Of looking both wayes more then all the gods I walkt my note-book in mine hand I mus'd The temple brighter shines then earst it us'd Majestick Janus turns immediately His double visage to my wondring eye Amazement makes my hairs upright to start A sudden terrour chills me to the heart His staff in 's right hand in his left his key From former face he thus replies to me Time's studious prophet cast aside all fear And from my mouth what thou desirest heare Old times did call me Chaos I 'm a thing Of deepest eld mark what old acts I sing All these foure elements the Aire so clear Fire Earth and Water one whole bodie were When strife they ceas'd and this laborious masse To severall houses separated was Fire mounted heaven the next the Aire possess'd The Earth and Water in the midst were press'd Then I who was a rude and shapelesse load Came to the true proportion of a god Because my badge of that rude lump is small My fore and back parts differ not at all The other reason of my shape I 'le show Which with my office thou shalt also know What-ere thou seest heaven aire and sea and land Are all lockt up and open'd by mine hand This vast worlds guard is in my onely power The wheeling of the hinge of heaven is our When peace I please into calm courts to send She in safe paths about doth freely wend. With fatall bloud the world would drenched be Should I not curb stern warre with this my key I with the gentle Houres heavens portalls guard Jove's self goes in and out too by my ward Thence Janus call'd And when the priest doth make A wafer for me and a salt-meal-cake The name doth seem ridiculous some whiles He me Patusius and then Clusius styles My double office rude antiquitie By this alternate name would signifie Thou seest my office now will I make known My figure's ground in part alreadie shown Two fronts thou know'st belong to every gate This tow'rds the people tow'rds the houshold that And as the porter at his gate with you Does both the ingresse and the egresse view So I the porter or heavens court survey Just at a wink the East and Western bay See Hecate her faces three wayes bends And so she eas'ly three-leet wayes defends So without motion I two wayes can see Lest losse of time there should in moving be This said he promis'd with a courteous eye If more I askt he would not me denie I courage took and thankt S r Janus then And casting down mine eye thus spake again Why doth the New yeare in the cold begin The gentle spring a fitter time had bin Times age renews then and renews all things On swelling twigs the pearly vine-bud springs Leaves deck the trees in summer-green attire Both grasse and grain above the ground doth spire Birds descants warble in the calmed aire Both birds and beasts do sport about and pair The sun shines warm Then comes the vagrant swallow And on a beam her morter-work doth follow The farmers ploughes his fallow grounds manure This should have been the yeares beginning sure I largely ask't he made no large replies But in two verses doth his speech comprize Sols first and last day doth in winter fall The yeare the same beginning hath with Sol. Then marvell'd I why with some suits of laws This day is kept Sayes Janus Learn the cause Upon the first day some affairs we raise Lest from the Omen all the yeare should laze Each in his art for that some businesse does And by those acts his yearly studies shews But why said I do we bring myrrh and wine To thee before the other powers divine That you sayes he by me who keep the doore May have accesse to any other power And why said I on this first day such greetings And hearty wishes do we use at meetings Replies he leaning on his staff in 's hand In their beginnings do all Omens stand Your jealous eares you turn to each first word The watchfull Augur marks the first-spy'd bird Gods eares and temples
again The Tuscane conquerour Furius of eld Did vow thee and his solemn vow fulfill'd The cause The commons ' gainst the nobles were In arms and Rome did her own greatnesse fear This last is best Brave Prince thy thundring knocks Made Germany cut short her dangling locks Then gav'st thou gifts of that triumphed nation And rais'd'st a church for Concords adoration This did thy mother Joves bed-worthy bride Endow with altars and rich gifts beside These things thus past Sol leaving Capricorn His race-horse to the Water-boy doth turn The seventh day hence when Sol his fierie wheels Cools in the sea the Harp a part conceals Next morn to this the bright starre that doth shine In Leo's breast is quench'd in Neptune's brine Three or foure times I search'd the Calendar But could not find a Seed-day any where My Muse perceiving said Seek thou alway For Holy-dayes that 's but a Bidden day The day 's uncertain certain is the time When seed-big fields do sprout forth in their prime Crown'd oxen now at full-stuft mangers feed The thriving spring more work for you will breed His well-wrought plow the farmer on a post Hangs up the ground fears every wound in frost Farmers let plowmen and manured soil Your seed-time finish'd rest and sport a while Now plowmen feast and now surround your corn And yearly gifts on Countrey-altars burn Ceres and Terra mothers of your seed Please with big sow and fruits themselves do breed These two one common benefit maintein This yields the place and she the cause of grain These two co-workers ancient times renew'd That nobler food condemned akorns rude Fill up the Farmers gapings with rich crops Yield some requitall to their pains and hopes With constant growths encrease you still their corn Let not chill snows the blade yet tender burn In sowing seed let smooth gales ope the skies Rain down soft showr's when underground it lies Scare grain-devouring flocks of birds away Because that they our Cereall wealth destroy Ye toyling pismires spare the corn new sown In harvest-time more plenty will be grown Thus let it thrive from rusty blasting free Nor by the heav'ns distemper sickly be Not too too thin nor yet too rank whereby To faint through too much prodigality Free all the grounds from eye-annoying darnel Let not an eare bring forth a chaffie kernel Let fields all yield in huge encrease rich wheat And rie and barley twice enduring heat Thus I for you thus for your own affairs Ye Farmers pray may both Pow'rs heare our prayers Warres long have vext us swords were more in course Then shares the ox gave place to th' haughty horse Rakes idle lay and mattocks turn'd to piles In fire the spade to make a helmet boils Thanks to the Gods and to thy house that long Warres under foot have lain in fetters strong Let th' ox be in his yoke in soil the seed Peace Ceres mother Ceres still doth feed The fifth before the Calends first begins Were temples rais'd to those Ledean twins Two brother-Gods to brother-Gods did make These fabricks seated neare Juturna lake To Peace her altar hath our verse us brought Which is one day before the month goes out Sweet Peace approch with Actian garlands crown'd And through the world continue thou renown'd Adieu all foes though here no triumphs be Peace more then Warre doth Princes magnifie Let souldiers carry arms arms to confound Let blaring trumpets nought but pomp resound Let Troy's brave race the world with terrour move Let every land that dreads not Rome her love On peacefull flames ye Priests sweet incense lay And cattel with wine-dabbled forelocks slay Let pious pray'rs the yielding Gods attend That this calm house in Peace may time transcend But now the first piece of my task is done And with our book we through this month are run The end of the first Book OVIDS FESTIVALLS OR ROMANE CALENDAR The second Book or FEBRUARIE The Argument THe Etymologie of this months name S t Safety 's chapell And Arions fame Great Cesars title Nymph Calisto fair The Fabii slain The Crow Lupercals bare Pans love the cheat A Wolf the Martiall twins Expos'd doth nurse Wives pregnant made with skins Quirinus deifi'd Fools-Holy-day To Parents tombs and Silence rites they pay Charistia Terminus Young Tarquines lust Lucrece from life himself from 's throne doth thrust JAnus is done Our yeare with rhythmes doth run And with the Month another book 's begun Now Elegies your sails you 'gin display Me thoughts you were but little flags to day You were my nimble pages in my love When first our Muse in youthfull sports did rove Now Calendary Holy dayes you sing How should this new from that old subject spring This is my chivalry these arms I wear Our hands not void of all imployments are What though our arm no javelins flight doth force Nor check the chidings of a foming horse Nor girt with sword nor with a helmet fens'd None but may vaunt in those habiliments We studiously brave Cesar search thy names And trace the Titles thy desert proclaims Accept this service with a calmed brow If freed a while from curbing of the foe Old Romanes did Purgations Februa call And now good signes they guard this word withall The Nobles from th' High Priest and Flamen by Took locks of wooll call'd Februa anciently Thus were those purgings styl'd that hot-salt cake Which at some houses Lictours us'd to take The bough was termed thus which was cut down From Laurel-tree the Priests chast brows to crown I 've seen a Pine-branch to Flaminia's hand Deliver'd when she Februa did demand What-ever lastly us doth purifie Was styl'd thus by unshorn Antiquity Hence comes this month because Luperci run With goat skin-thongs in that purgation Or else because the balefull dayes now rid The season 's pure and grave-ghosts quieted By due purgation men in times of eld All crimes and evils expiable held Greece thought which first this custome did begin By sprinkling men were quitted from their sinne Once Peleus did Patroclus purge in water And him Acastus purg'd from Phocus slaughter Fond Aegeus vainly Phasis purifi'd Who on curb'd dragons in the aire did ride Alcmaeon did to Achelous say Purge me from sinne he purg'd his sinne away Ah too too silly who imagine water Can wash away that heavy crime of slaughter But that you may the ancient order know Know Janus as before the first is now The next to Janus was the old yeares last And Terminus did end the rites all past Janus the first month is as 't were the Gate The next was last to Ghosts being consecrate Long after our Decemviri 't is thought These months farre-distanc'd both together brought In this months entrance near the Phrygian Dame New Temples once enlarg'd S t Safety 's fame Where are those buildings in these Calends rais'd If you enquire Time them hath quite defac'd Our sacred Princes Care and Providence Our other from the like decay prevents And
Nor I to have a Sonne-in-law thus got What heavier thrall could Gyges conquest bring Then now sh ' endures the while her Father's King Shall he go scot-free we revengelesse mourn Make him repent his crime and her return Jove pacifies Let Love excuse saith he Nor be asham'd of his affinity He is our Equall Heaven 's my throne One Brother Reigns in the Ocean and in Styx the other But if no reason can thy will perswade But thou wilt break a match already made We 'll try this means Sh' is thine if meat sh ' abstein If not she must th' Infernall Bride remain Caduceus sails to Styx on nimble wings And quick as thought eye-witness'd tidings brings She had her stomach staid with kernels three Of th' apple pluck'd from the pomegranate-tree She mourns as much as if herself had now Been forc'd away and scarce could grief out-grow And thus she cries Your heaven to me is hatefull Let me go live in Tartary more gratefull This had she done too but that Jove did swear In heaven her Daughter should be half the yeare With this was Ceres chear'd and comforted And put a corn-ear'd garland on her head The rested fields gave huge encrease of grain Whose crouded treasures barns could scarce contein White pleases Ceres in her Cereals wear White vestures black is out of date with her Jove surnam'd Victor April's Ides doth ow This day a Temple unto him did vow And Liberty most fitting for our Nation This day unlesse I erre enjoy'd her station Next day let Sea-men in their ports strike sail Out of the West come vapouring storms of hail And be it so yet in these stony storms Did Caesar quell the Mutinensian arms Now when the third day next the Ides doth rise A Fordy Cow the high Priests sacrifice A Cow they Forda and Foecunda name From Fero Hence some think that Foetus came Now beasts are pregnant pregnant are all seeds Please pregnant Earth a pregnant beast must needs Some in Joves Tower are offer'd Thirty more Dye in the Wards whose bloud doth drench the floore And when the Priests have drawn the yong calves forth And laid the Cow's slic'd entrails on the hearth The eldest Nun the Calves to ashes drie Doth burn on Pales day to purifie In Numa's time the Earth the Plowmans pain Did not requite but all his pray'rs prov'd vain Sometimes 't was fear'd w th cold raw Northern drought Sometimes 't was dropsi'd by th' excessive South Corn in the blade did oft delude the Lord And Oaten stalks did nought but husks afford Beasts slunk their young with most untimely throws The Ew in giving life her own did lose A wood devoted to Menalian Pan There stood not lately cut by any man There he his notions to the soul asleep By night infus'd Here Numa kills two sheep The first to Pan the next to Sleep they slay And both their fleeces on the ground display Twice with spring-water he bedews his brows And twice his temples binds with beechen boughs Flesh-meat and Wives that night they must forbear Nor any ring upon their fingers wear At even to th' God in his set form he prayes Then on those new skins down himself he layes Anon comes poppy-headed Night and brings Calm Sleep and floating Dreams on mortall things Pan comes and trampling on the sheep-skins spread With horny hoof thus on the right side said The Earth King Numa must be reconcil'd With two kine's lives which one alone must yield Fear shakes off sleep About his thoughts he roll'd The Mysterie the meaning to unfold Grove-lov'd Aegeria doth the meaning shew A Cow with calf is claim'd saith she of you A Cow with calf is sacrific'd The yeare Becomes more fruitfull Ground and Cattel bear This day once Venus did compell to run Full speed and spurr'd the horses of the Sunne That this style Emperour might Augustus young Salute next day from his Victorious throng But when the fourth morn from the Ides gives light The Hyads enter Doris court that night The third day next the Hyades are gone The Race-horse in the lists are plac'd to run Here let me tell why Foxes in the rails Run loose with fire-links at their backs and tails Through cold Carseoli a soil but slow In olives thrift but apt for corn to grow I took my journey to my native seat Pelignus small but fed with waters sweet Into an old acquaintance-house I turned Just as Sol's coach-horse had their day's task journey'd He many stories us'd to tell me there 'Mong which was this which I must mention here Here in this field sayes he and shews the field A hardy peasant with his houswife dwell'd He in his ground continually did work With ripping plow with sickle spade or fork She in the meadows would sometimes make hay Or troden eggs beneath her clock hens lay Or mushromes bald or mallows would she pluck Then makes a fire at her low chimney's stock Yet every day she at her wheel did stint her To arm her self against the frowns of winter A sonne some dozen years of age they had That kept the fields a perk unhappy lad Beyond the furthest willows in yon field He caught a Fox that had much poultry kill'd His pris'ner up he wraps in straw and hay Sets it on fire the Fox escapes away And fires the fields of corn where 's ' ere he came The winds advantag'd that pernicious flame That 's still remembred for now when they burn This beast with stubble as he burn'd the corn It is a law 'mongst our Carseoli To keep no fox on purpose so to dye When Memnon's gold-lock'd mother next comes forth In crimson coach to view th' uncover'd earth Sol leaving that fair Ram that Helle lost Is enterteined by a stouter Host Yet doubt I whether 't is an Ox or Cow None but the former parts thereof do show But be it Bull or Cow I 'm sure of this At that preferment Juno vexed is Next morning comes Palilia now requires me I 'll make reply if Pales but inspires me Kind Pales help Thy pastorall rites I sing As I devoutly do discharge each thing I oft Calves-ashes and Bean-straws have held With burn'd purgations in a hand well fill'd Oft o're the bone-fires have I tane three hops And dew'd my self with Holy-water drops The Lady mov'd did my petition mind Our ship is lanch'd forth and hath got fair wind Sirs fetch perfume from Vesta's Altars she Affords it you your selves to purifie With these three Simples fumigate you must With Horse-bloud Bean-straw and a slunk Calf's dust In th' evening Shepherds purge your pastur'd Sheep First sprinkle waters and your stall-floores sweep Trim up your sheepfolds with green herbs and boughs And with long garlands hang your gates and house Raise up blue fumes of brimstone pure and clean And smoke your cattel till they bleat again Gumme Sabine weeds and barren Olives lay Upon the fire withall the crackling Bay First-fruits of Millet with the
basket fire This countrey-Dame that meat doth much desire Then adde the Milk-bowl with her cates and pray To her presenting luke-warm milk and say Great Queen for ay both Sheep and Shepherds shield Be all offenses from our stalls expell'd If under holy trees I 've laid my head If flocks on holy ground or graves have fed Or enter'd groves divine if that cur eye Have made the Goat-foot-God or Nymphs to flie If that my hook your groves of boughs bereaves To feed my sick sheep with a trusse of leaves Forgive the crime and when it hails my croud Admit with me into Pan's caves to shroud Forgive O Nymphs if we your fountains sweet Have troubled or our cattel with their feet Dear Queen thou all the Fountains with their Powers For us appease with Gods of grovy Bowers Nor Nymphs nor Cynthia in her cistern play Let us not see nor Pan in fields all day Let men and beasts be hail and freed from griefs Preserve our dogs that us preserve from thiefs Let 's not at even bring tale uneven with morn Nor sadly shew the skins of cattel torn Keep off base Dearth let grasse and trees spring fresh And springs of water both to drink and wash Let kine give milk milk cheese and cheese good coin Let wholesome whey through osier-cheese-bowls drain Let rams be frolick and the ews their seed In time bring forth and many young lambs breed All yield full fleeces work not harsh but fine For maids and pliant to the fingers twine Grant these our pray'rs and we will every yeare To thee the Queen of Shepherds make this chear Thus pray And turn'd to th' East four times this matter Repeat then wash thy hands in fresh spring-spring-water Then in a beaker or a milk-dish for it Carouse milk mingled with decocted claret Then o're the crackling stubble at the last Your sturdy bodies in a quick leap cast The manner 's told th' originall remains Whose number troubles and our work deteins Fire is a purger it refines each metall Therefore may purge the Shepherd with his cattel For since all things have two contrary seeds The Fire and Water whence each compound breeds These Simples Fire and Water Fathers old The best purgations for our bodies hold Or ' cause these are the very grounds of life The exuls losse the portion of the wife I scarce believe 't Some think there 's understood The fire of Phaethon and Deucalion's floud Some say a Shepherd striking of a flint Perceiv'd some sudden seeds of fire within 't The first spark dy'd the next doth tinder take This th' argument of Pales fire they make Or from Aeneas to whose flight the flame Did give a harmlesse way this custome came This is the likelier Rome now rais'd the King Commands his Gods to their new seats to bring The Shepherds all in their new transmigrations Set fire upon their old thatch'd habitations Then with their flocks they all leap'd through the lay Which still is acted on Romes natall day Mere chance to Romes first birth me now doth bring Quirinus favour while thy deeds I sing Amulius bloud his tyrants score had paid The crue of shepherds now two Lords obey'd They both agreed into one town to call The Boores but argu'd who should build the wall Sayes Romulus What need this strife or words Birds will direct us let 's consult with birds Agreed To grovy Palatine he climbs And he the top of Aventine betimes Six Remus spies his Brother twelve he yields And Romulus at his election builds A day is chose to furrow out the wall They worship Pales and to work they fall Down to the firm ground do they dig a ditch Then cast in corn From neighbouring lands they fetch Earth to fill 't up and on the fill'd ditch raise An altar and there make a fresh fire blaze Thence with a dike he marks the wall The plow Is carry'd by a snow-white Ox and Cow Jove prosper our designe the King thus pray'd Thou father Mars and mother Vesta ayd And all ye Gods on whom I ought to call With all your favours let me raise this wall Be this the Lady of the world for ay Both to the rising and the setting day Thus pray'd the King Jove prosp'rously reply'd From heaven with thunder on the left-hand-side All joy'd at th' omen their foundation laid And in short time a perk new wall is made The King appoints S r Celer t' oversee The work Sr Celer have a care saith he That no man o're the wall or ditch doth passe Who-ever dares it knock him down i' th' place This Remus knew not but the walls so low Begins to flout Will these keep out the foe Straight leaps he over Celer knocks him down He in his bloud falls headlong with a grone This news the King soon as it touch'd his ears Wounds to the soul He swallows bosome-tears And shrines his sorrow for his honour's sake Such leaps cries he let all our foes here take Yet at his exequies he could not choose But weep imprison'd piety breaks loose He kiss'd the herse whereon his body lies Adieu dear brother to my wo he cries Then mournfull Acca in her loose attire With Faustulus anoint him for the fire The youth not yet enstall'd Quirites mourn The wept-o're pile is lastly fir'd to burn The City 's built O who would then have dream'd She e're should trample o're the whole world tam'd Reigne ever under our victorious Caesar Of this great title still reserve a treasure And while thou stand'st above the world extoll'd Beneath thy skirts the Earth subjected hold I 've done with Pales Now Vinalia I 'll sing Yet 'twixt the twain there is one day All common harlots Venus now adore She furthers your Professions gain the more With incense fum'd ask beauty all mens love Alluring gestures and quaint jests to move Give water-Mint and Myrtle to your Queen With weaves of Roses ty'd with rush-films green Her Chapell next Collina's portall fill Which takes its name from th' old Sicilian hill Mark Claudius Arethusian Syracuse And Eryx mountain both in warre subdues Then Venus by the aged Sibylls verse Was brought to her Sonne 's land which she preferres Why then you ask call we Vinalia This Venus-feast and why is it Joves day Prince Turnus and Aeneas for a Maid Made warres Young Turnus seeks th' Etruscane aid Mezentius was a warriour of great note On horse-back furious but more fierce on foot Whom Turnus with his Rutuls to their side Intreat The Tuscane Captain thus repli'd These wounds and arms oft dy'd in my own bloud Can witnesse Prowesse me some price hath stood Petitioners no great reward I ask But half your vintage in the next years cask We 'll straight to work The conquest 's ours get you But wine The foe shall our agreement rue The Rutuls yield Mezentius is array'd So is Aeneas and to Jove thus pray'd Our foes have vow'd their wines to th' Tyrrhene King Jove wine to
sayes Take thy desert and him to heaven doth raise Why does Orion with his fellows force Their lights from heaven Night contract her course Why does white Day by her bright Usher led More soon then earst extoll her sparkling head Did not arms rattle yes sure arms did rattle Mars comes and coming sounds the signes of battle The grand Revengers self descends his sport And Tow'r to see in Augusts ample Court Great God great work Even thus did it become God Mars to dwell in his Sonne 's city Rome Gigantick tropheys best befit this wall From hence his squadrons Mars should march and call Be any Rebell in the utmost East Or by departing Sol to be suppress'd The God approving that invicted Powers Do hold his Temple views the lofty Towers He views i' th' Court arms of a sundry fashion The whole worlds weapons wonne by his own nation Next eyes Aeneas with his load divine And all those Nobles of the Julian line Then Romulus with arms of Acron tam'd With acts and statues of more Worthies fam'd He views the walls grac'd with Augustus name Which makes it shew a work of greater fame That Prince did vow it in his pious warre Fit for a Prince such great beginnings are Just as the fight began with heav'd-up hands He vents these prayers against the Traitours bands If for my father Vesta's Priest I make These warres and vengeance for both titles take Come Mars and with their base bloud glut thy sword And favour to the juster cause affoord My conquest thee shall Ultor style and raise Thy temple Having vow'd his foes he slayes Nor was this name deserved once alone He gain'd our Ensignes which the Parthians wonne That nation was with broad plains fens'd secure With horses streams and arrows deadly sure The Crassi's slaughter now had flesh'd them well When Ensignes Souldiers Generalls all fell Romes Colours glory of the warres were lost With Romane Eagles did the Parthian boast That shame had still remain'd had not our land Protected been by Caesars valiant hand He took away that old disgrace and stain Our Flags redeem'd saluted Rome again What good O Parthian did thy back-shot-flight Thy Countrey do thee or thy race-horse light Thou yield'st our Eagles and thy conquer'd Bow Nor hast one badge of our dishonour now A Temple as both vow and merit claim'd To Mars he rais'd and him Bis-ultor nam'd Ye Peeres solemnize on the Circus playes No Scene doth suit a warlike Powers praise Now see the sister Pleiades whole train Just when two nights before the Ides remain Then enters Summer surest Authours write The gentle Spring concludes his soft delight The night before the Ides the Bull doth rear His sparkling brows Of whom the story heare Once Jove well horn'd and turned to a Bull Pack'd up the Tyrian Virgin by the gull Her right his mane her gown her left hand held Pale fear her cheeks with other beauty fill'd The wanton air her coats doth swell and move Her golden hairs Such looks best pleased Jove Her pretty feet she from the water saves And shuns the tacture of the leaping waves The subtile God his back doth often dive That to his neck she might the closer cleave Come to the shore himself unhorn'd Jove shew'd And of an Ox his shape Divine indu'd There swells her womb while heaven the Bull receives And Earth's third part the name from her derives The Pharian Heifer some suppose this Signe Made Beast of Humane of a Beast Divine Now from the timber-bridge the Vestall chast The rushie pictures of old men doth cast Who thinks old men of sixty years to be Thus drown'd too much doth tax Antiquitie Old fame reports that when Saturnia This land was call'd th' old Prophet thus did say Ye people to the Sickle God deliver Two men thrown down into the Tuscane river This gift each yeare to that Leucadian power Was given till Hercules pitch'd on this shore He strawy Nobles o're the bridge threw down From whose example pictures since were thrown Some think young men that so they might engrosse Their voice craz'd Seniours o're the bridge did tosse Inform me Tyber thou art farre beyond Our city's age and know'st this custome 's ground His reedy brows out of his murmuring source Old Tyber rouz'd and vents these accents hoarce This place of old a plain unwall'd and wide I knew Few oxen graz'd on either side Old Tyber known of all the world and fear'd Now in those dayes was scorn'd of every herd Thou know'st Arcadian Evander's name He rowing in my chanel hither came The next Alcides with his Greeks I saw Then call'd as I remember Albula Th' Arcadian King him freely here embrac'd And Cacus had his due desert at last Away he travels with his Spanish spoil As for his mates they would no further toil A great part of them in this land remains And pitch'd their hopes and houses on these plains Yet of their countrey they had oft a sense And divers dying left these testaments My body into Tyber throw that so My dust at length may to my countrey go The Heir was much displeas'd at his command And tombs his father in th' Ausonian land A rush-weav'd image into me is cast In stead of him to float to Greece at last His dewy cave of vitall stone this said He shrinks into at which the River stay'd Brave Lad of Atlas whom of Joviall seed Fair Maia on th' Arcadian hills did breed Thou wing-foot Arbiter between the Gods Of heaven and hell in friendship and at ods Thou who delight'st to touch the Harp and sense And varnishest the tongue with Eloquence Old times thy Chapell near the Circus fram'd In th' Ides since when this day to thee is nam'd All Tradesmen that their wares now ope thee crave With incense fum'd some gains in sale to save Mercurius Pool is near Capena's Port A spring divine believe experience for 't The coat-girt Chapman here his pitcher brings And water draws to purifie his things He dips a bay-bough with the dabbled bay His wares he sprinkles to be sold away Then with the bough he sprinkles his own hair And with his glozing tongue thus makes his prayer Purge thou away my former perjuries My cheating words and broken promises When by thy witnesse I untruths did prove Or falsely swore by by-abhorring Jove What Power soever broker to my lie I 've made now let them vanish all and die Wink thou at all my slie deceits to day Let not the Gods take notice what I say Afford me gains and joy that my desire Of gain is fed and that I 've gull'd the Buyer These prayers make Mercury in heaven to smile Remembring his Ortygian cheat yerwhile But heare quaint God this better prayer of mine What time doth Phoebus to the Twins combine Just when the dayes of this month equall'd be In number to Alcides toils saith he Relate said I the reason of this Signe The smooth-tongu'd God replies with voice