dares reprehend him Notwithstanding I will say something not in way of detraction but that we also may be able to grow with his greatnesse Then speaking of his Metamorphosis Bookes deseruing a more fortunate Author that from his last hand they might haue had their perfection which hee himselfe bewaileth in luculent Verses Yet are there in these well-nigh an infinite number which the wit of an other I beleeue could neuer haue equall'd And thus exclaimes against Caesar in the person of OVID. Tyrant with me I would thou badst begun Nor thy black slaughters had my fate fore-run If my licentious Youth incenst thee so Thy owne condemnes thee into exile goe Thy Cabinets are stain'd with horrid deeds And thy soule guilt all monstrous names exceeds Diuine wit innocence nor yet my tongue Next to Apollo's could preuent my wrong I smoeth'd th' old Poets with my fluent vaine And taught the New a far more numerous strain When thee I prais'd then from the truth I sweru'd And banishment for that alone deseru'd can hee said to transcend him What should I say of that singular and well-nigh diuine contexture of Fable with Fable so surpassing that nothing can bee spoken or done more artificially more excellently or indeed more gracefully Who handling such diuersitie of matter so cunningly weaues them together that all appeare but one Series Planudes well knowing that Greece had not a Poem so abounding with delight and beautie translated it into that language What should I say more All Arts which Antiquitie knew are here so fully delineated that a number expert in both tongues of prime vnderstanding and iudgements admire it beyond all expression The first that writ a Commentarie on this booke whereof fiftie thousand were vented and that in his life time was RAPHAEL REGIVS Who thus in his Preface There is nothing appertaining to the knowledge and glorie of warre whereof wee haue not famous examples in the Metamorphosis of OVID not to speake of stratagems nor the Orations of Commanders described with such efficacie and eloquence that often in reading you will imagine your selfe imbroiled in their conflicts Neither shall you finde any Author from whom a ciuill life may gather better instruction IACOBVS MICYLLVS Hardly shall you find a Poem which flowes with greater facilitie For what should I speake of Learning Herein so great so various and abstruse that many places haue neither beene explained nor yet vnderstood no not by the most knowing requiring rather a resolution from the Delian Oracle c. Let the ingenuous that affect not error now rectifie their owne by the iudgements of these But incurable Criticks who warre about words and gail the sound to feed on their sores as not desiring their sanitie I forbeare to disswade and deliuer them vp to the censure of Agrippa QVOD OLIM FACIEBAT VOTVM GERMANIâ—O OVIDIVS IDEM AVGVSTISSâ—MO CAROLO Interpretis sui nomine â—acuâ—nt OVIDIANI MANES EXcipe pacato Caesaâ— Brittannice vultu â—â—oc â—pus 〈◊〉 tim dâ— dirige nauis â—ter Officioqus lâ—uem non auâ—â—â—atuâ— honorem Hu◠〈…〉 dexter ades Hâ—â—c â—e da placâ—â—um dâ—deris in carmine vires Ingenium vnitu statque caditque tuo Pagâ—a◠〈…〉 docte subâ—turâ— moâ—etur Principis vt Clarâ—o missa legenda Deâ— OVID'S METAMORPHOSIS The first Booke THE ARGVMENT THe World form'd out of Chaos Man is made The Ages change The Giants Heauen inuade Earth turnes their blouâ— to men Ioue's flames confound Lâ—caon now a Wolfe The World is drown'd Man-kind cast stones restore All quickning Earth Renews the rest and giues new Monsters birth Apollo Python kills hart-wounded loues Lust-flying Daphâ—é She a Laurel proues Ioue 〈◊〉 made a Cow to maske foule deeds Hermes a Heards-man Syriâ—x chang'd to Reeds Dead Argus eyes adorn the Peacock's traine The Cow to Iâ— loue transform's againe OF formes to other bodies chang'd I sing Assist you Gods from you these wonders spring And from the Worlds first fabrick to these times Deduce my neuer discontinued Rymes The Sea the Earth al-couering Heauen vnfram'd One face had nature which they Chaos nam'd An vndigested lump a barren load Where iarrâ—ing seeds of things ill-ioyn'd aboad No Titan yet the World with light adornes Nor waxing Phoebe fill'd her waned hornes Nor hung the selfe-poiz'd Earth in thin Ayre plac't Nor Amphitrite the vast shore imbrac't With Earth was Ayre and Sea the Earth vnstable The Ayre was darke the Sea vn-nauigable No certaine forme to any one assign'd This that resists For in one body ioyn'd The Cold and Hot the Drie and Humid fight The Soft and Hard the Heauy with the Light But God the better Nature this decides Who Earth from Heauen the Sea from earth diuides And purer Heauen extracts from grosser Ayre All which vnfolded by his prudent care From that blinde Masse the happily dis-ioyn'd With strifelesse peace he to their seats confin'd Forth-with vp-sprung the quicke and waightlesse Fire Whose flames vnto the highest Arch aspire The next in leuitie and place is Ayre Grosse Elements to thicker Earth repayre Selfe-clog'd with waight the Waters flowing round Possesse the last and solid Tellus bound What God soeuer this diuision wrought And euery part to due proportion brought First lest the Earth vnequall should appâ—are He turn'd it round in figure of a Sphere Then Seas diffus'd commanding them to rore With ruffling Winds and giue the Land a shore To those hâ— addeth Springs Ponds Lakes immense And Riuers whom their winding borders fence Of these not few Earth's thirstie iawes deuour The rest their streames into the Ocean pour When in that liquid Plaine with freer waue The fomy Cliffs in stead of Banks they laue Bids Trees increase to Woods the Plaines extend The rocky Mountaynes rise and Vales descend Two equall Zones on either side dispose The measur'd Heauens a fifth more hot than those â—s many Lines th'included Globe diuide â—th'midst vnsufferable beames reside â—now clothes the other two the temperate hold Twixt these their seats the heat well mixt with cold As Earth as Water vpper Ayre out-waighs â—o much doth Ayre Fire's lighter balance raise â—here he commands the changing Clouds to stray â—here thundering terrors mortall mindes dismay And with the Lightning Winds ingendring Snow Yet not permitted euery way to blow Who hardly now to teare the World refraine â—So Brothers iarre thoughâ— they diuided raigne â—o Persis and Sabaea Eurus flies Whose fruits perfume the blushing Mornes vp-rise â—ext to the Euening and the Coast the glowes â—ith setting Phoebus flowry Zeph'rus blowes 〈◊〉 Scythia horrid Boreas holds his raigne â—eneath Bootes and the frozen Waine The Land to this oppos'd doth Auster steep With fruitfull showrs and clouds which euer weep â—boue all these he plac't the liquid Skies Which void of earthly dregs did highest rise Scarce had he all thus orderly dispos'd When-as the Starres their radiant heads disclos'd â— Long 〈◊〉 in Night and shone through all the skie Then that no place should vnpossessed lie
arriues To chace the former times so flye persue At once each other and are euer new What was before is not what was not is All in a moment change from that to this See how the Night on Light extends her shades See how the Light the gloomy Night inuadâ—s Nor such Heauens hew when Mid-night crown's Repose As when bright Lucifer his taper showes Yet changing when the Harbinger of Day Th'inlightned World resignes to Phoebus sway His raised Shield earths shaddowes scarely fled Lookes ruddy and low sinking lookes as red Yet bright at Noone because that purer skie Doth farâ—e from Earth and her contagion flie Nor can Night-wandring Dian's wauering light Be euer equall or the same this night Lesse than the following if her hornes she fill If the contract her Circle greater still Doth not the image of our age appeare In the successiue quarters of the Yeare The Spring-tide tender sucking Infancie Resembling then the iuyâ—efull blade sprouts high Though tender weake yâ—t hope to Plough-men yeelds All things then flourish flowers the gaudy fields Wâ—â—h colours paint no virtue yet in leaues Then following Summer greater strength receiues A lusty Youth no age more strength acquires Moâ—â— fruitfull or more burning in desires Maturer Autumne heat of Youth alaid The sober meane twixt youth and age more staid And temperate in Summers waine repaires His reuerend temples sprinckled with gray haires Then comes old Winter void of all delight With trembling steps his head or bal'd or white So change our â—odies without rest or stay What we were yester-day not what to day Shall be to morâ—â—w Once alone of men The seeds and hope the wombe our mansion when Kind Nature shew'd her cunning not content That our vext bodies should be longer pent In mothers stetched entrailes forth-with bare Them from that prison to the open aire We strengthlesse lye when first of light possest Straight creepe vpon all foure much like a beast Then staggering with weake nerues stand by degrees And by some stay support our feeble knees Now lusty swiftly run Youth quickly spent And those our middle times incontinent We sinke in setting Age this last deuoures The former and dimolisheth their powres Old Milo wept when he his armes beheld Which late the strongest beast in strength excel'd Big as Alâ—ides brawnes in flaggie hide Now hanging by slake sinewes Helen cry'd When she beheld her wrinkles in her Glasse And asks her selfe why she twice rauisht was Still-eating Time and thou ô enuious Age All ruinate diminisht by the rage Of your deuouring teeth All that haue breath Consume and languish by a lingring death Nor can these Elements stand at a stay But by exchanging alter euery day Th' eternall world foure bodies comprehends Ingendring all The heauy Earth descends So Water clog'd with weight two light aspire Deprest by none pure Aire and purer Fire And though they haue their seuerall fites yet all Of these are made to these againe they fall Resolued Earth to Water rarifies To Aire extenuated Waters rise The Aire when it it selfe agiane refines To element all Fire extracted shines They in like order backe againe repaire The grosser Fire condenseth into Aire Aire into water Water thickning then Growes solid and conuerts to Earth againe None holds his owne for Nature euer ioyes In change and with new formes the old supplies In all the world not any perish quite But onely are in various habits dight For to begin to be what we before Were not is to be borne to dye no more Than ceasing to be such although the frame Be changeable the substance is the same For nothing long continues in one mold You Ages you to Siluer grew from Gold To Brasse from Siluer and to Yâ—'ne from Brasse Euen place oft such change of fortunes passe Where once was solid land Seas haue I'seene And solid land where once deepe Seas haue beene Shâ—ls far from Seas like quarries in the ground And anchors haue on mountaine tops beene found Torrents hue made a valley of a plaine High hils by delâ—ges â—oâ—ne to the Maine Deepe standing lakes suck't dry by thirsty sand And on late thirsty earth now lakes doe stand Here Nature in her charges manifold Sends forth new fountaines there shuts vp the old Streams with impetuous earth-quakes heretofore Hâ—ue broken forth or sunke and run no more So â—ycus swallowed by they yawning Earth Takes in an other world his second birth So Erasinus now conceales now yeelds His rising waters to Argolian fields And Mysus hating his first head and brayes Calcus nam'd else-where his streame displayes Coole Amasenus watering Sicily Now flowes now spring-lockt leaues his channell dry Men formerly drunke of Anigrus streames Not to be drunke if any thing but dreames The Poets tell since Centaures therein washt Their wounded limbs by Alcides arrowes gasht So Hypaâ—tis deriu'd from Sâ—ythian Hills Long sweet with bitter streames his channel fills Antissa Tyrus and Aegyptian Phare The flouds imbrac't yet now no Ilands are Th' old Colon knew Leucadia Continent Which now the labouring surges circumuent So Zancle once on Italie conâ—n'd Till interposing waues their bounds dis-ioyn'd If Bura and Helice Graecian townes You seeke behold the Sea their glory drownes Whose buildings and declined walls below Th' ambitious floud as yet the Sailers show A Hill by Pitthean Troezen mounts vncrown'd With syluan shades which once was leuell ground For furious winds a story to admire Pent in blinde cauernes strugling to expire And vainly seeking to inioy th'extent Of freer aire the prison wanting vent Th'vnpassable tuffe earth inflated so As when with swelling breath we bladders blow The tumor of the place remained still In time growne sollid like a lofty hill To speake a little more of many things Both heard and knowne New habits sundry Springs Now giue now take Horn'd Hammâ—ns Well at Noone Is cold hot at Sun-rise and setting Sun Wood put in bubling Athamas then fires When farthest from the Sun the Moone retires Ciconian streames congeale his guts to stone That thereof drinkes and what therein is throwne Crathis and Sybaris from your mountaines rold Colour the haire like Amber or pure gold Some fountaines of a more prodigious kind Not onely change the body but the mind Who hath not heard of obscene Salmacis Of th' AeTHiopian Lake who drinke of this Runne forth-with mad or if their wits they keepe Fall suddenly into a deadly sleepe Who at Clitoâ—iâ—â— Fountaine thirst remoue Loath wine and abstinent meere water loue Whether it by antipathie expell Desire or wine or as the Natiues toll 〈◊〉 hauing with his herbs and charmes Snatcht Proeâ—uâ— franticke daughters from the harmes Of entred â—â—ries their wit's physicke cast Into this spring infusing such distast With streames to these oppos'd Lyncestus flowes They 〈◊〉 as drunke who drinke too much of those A Lake in faire Arcadia stands of old Call'd Pheâ—â—us suspected as two fold Feare and forbeare to drinke thereof by night By night vnwholsome wholsome by
my sleepe he purposeth to kill Nor with so foule an enterprize content An Hostage murders from Moloâ—sus sent Part of his seuer'd scarce-dead lims he boyles An other part on hissing Embers broyles This set before me I the house ore-turn'd With vengefull flames which round about him burn'd He frighted to the silent Desart flies There howles and speech with lost indeuour â—ries His selfe-like iawes still grin more than for food He slaughters beasts and yet delights in bloud His armes to thighs his clothes to bristles chang'd A Wolfe not much from his first forme estrang'd So horie hair'd his lookes so full of rape So fiery ey'd so terrible his shape One house that fate which all deserue sustaines For through the World the fierce Eriâ—â—ys raignes You 'ld thinke they had conspir'd to sinnâ— But all Shall swiftly by deserued vengeance fall Ioue's words apart approue and his intent Exasperate the rest giue their consent Yet all for Mans destruction grieu'd appeare And aske what forme the widowed Earth shall beare Who shall with odours their cold Altars feast Must Earth be onely by wilde beasts possess The King of Gods re-comforts their despaire And biddeth them impose on him that care Who promis'd by a strange originall Of better people to supply their fall And now about to let his lightning flie He fear'd lest so much flame should catch the skie And burne heauens Axeltree Besides by doome Of certaine Eaâ—e he knew the time shoul'd come When Sea Earth rauisht Heauen the curioâ—s Frames Of this World's masse should shrinke in purging flame He therefore those Cyclopean darts reiects And different-natur'd punishments elects To open all the Flood-gates of the skie And Man by inundation to destroy Rough Boreas in Aeollan prison laid And those drie blasts which gathered Clouds inuade Out flyes the South with dropping wings who shrouds His terrible aspect in pitchy clouds His white hair streams his swolne Beard big with showres Mists bind his brows Rain from his bosom poures As with his hands the hanging clouds he crusht They roar'd and downe in showres together rusht All-colour'd Iris Iuno's messenger To weeping Clouds doth nourishment confer The Corne is lodg'd the Husband-men despaire Their long yeares labour lost with all their care Ioue not content with his aethereall rages His Brother 's auxiliaric flouds ingages The Streames conuented 'T is too late to vse Much speech said Neptune all your powres effuse Your dores vnbarre remoue what-ere restraines Your liberall Waues and giue them the full raynes Thus charged they returne their Springs vnfold And to the Sea with head-long furie rol'd He with his Trident strikes the Earth Shee shakes And way for Water by her motion makes Through open fields now rush the spreading Floods And hurry with them Cattell People Woods Houses and Temples with their Gods inclos'd What such a force vn-ouerthrowne oppos'd The higher-swelling Water quite deuoures Which hides the aspiring tops of swallowed towres Now Land and Sea no different visage bore For all was Sea nor had the Sea a shore He takes a Hill He in a Boat deplores And where He lately plow'd now strikes his Oares O're Corne o're drowned Villages He sailes He from high Elmes intangled Fishes hales In Fields they anchor cast as Chance did guide And Ships the vnder-lying Vineyards hide Where Mountayne-louing Goats did lately graze The Sea-calfe now his vgly body layes Groues Cities Temples couer'd by the Deep The Nymphs admire in woods the Delphins keep And chace about the boughs the Wolfe doth swim Amongst the Sheepe the Lyon now not grim And Tygres tread the Waues Swift feet no more Auaile the Hart nor wounding tuskes the Bore The wandring Birds hid Earth long sought in vaine With weary wings descend into the Mayne Licentious Seas o're drowned Hills now fret And vnknowne surges Ayerie Mountaynes beat The Waues the greater part deuoure the rest Death with long-wanted sustenance opprest The Land of Phocis fruitfull when a Land Diuides Aâ—nia from th' Actaean strand But now a part of the insulting Mayne Of sudden-swelling waters a vast Playne There his two heads Parnassus doth extend To touched Stars whose tops the Clouds transcend On this Deucalion's little Boat was throwne With him his Wife the rest all ouer-flowne Corycian Nymphs and Hill-gods he adores And Themis then oraculous implores None was there better none more iust than Hee And none more reuerenc't the Gods than Shee Ioue when he saw that all a Lake was growne And of so many thousand men but one One of so many thousand women left Both guiltlesse pious both of all bereft The clouds now chac't by Boreas from him throwes And Earth to Heauen Heauen vnto Earth he showes Nor Seas persist to rage their awfull Guide The wilde waues calmes his Trident laid aside And calls blew Triton riding on the Deep Whoso mantle Nature did in purple steep And bids him his lowd-sounding shell inspire And giue the Flouds a signall to retire He his wreath'd trumpet takes as giuen in charge That from the turning bottom growes more large To which when he giues breath 't is heard by all From farre-vprising Phoebus to his Fall When this the watery Deitie had set To his large mouth and sounded a retreat All Flouds it heard that Earth or Ocean knew And all the Flouds that heard the same with-drew Seas now haue shores full streames their channels keep They sink and hils aboue the waters peep Earth re-ascends as waues decrease so grow The formes of things and late-hid figures show And after a long day the trees extend Their bared tops with mud their branches bend The World 's restor'd Which when in such a state So deadly silent and so desolate Deucalion saw with teares which might haue made An other Floud he thus to Pyrrha said O Sister O my Wife the poore Remaines Of all thy Sex which all in one containes Whom humane Nature one paternall Line Then one chaste Bed and now like dangers ioyne Of what the Sunne beholds from East to West We two are all the Sea intombs the rest Nor yet can we of life be confident The threatning clowds strange terrors still present O what a heart would'st thou haue had if Fate Had ta'ne me from thee and prolong'd thy date So wilde a feare such sorrowes so forlorne And comfortlesse how couldest thou haue borne If Seas had suckt thee in I would haue follow'd My Wife in death and Sea should me haue swallow'd O would I could my Father's cunning vse And soules into well-modul'd Clay infuse Now all our mortall Race we two contayne And but a pattern of Man-kind remaine This said both wept both pray'rs to heauen addresse And seeke the Oracle in their distresse Forth-with descending to Cephisus Floud Which in known banks now ran though thick with mud They on their heads and garments water throw And to the Temple of the Goddesse goe At that time all defil'd with mosse and mire The vnfrequented Altar without fire Then
The King his sonne to seeke his daughter sent Fore-doomed to perpetuall banishment Except his fortune to his wish succeed How pious and how impious in one deed Earth wandred-through Ioue's thefts who can exquire He shuns his Country and his Fathers ire With Phoebus Oracle consults to know What Land the Fates intended to bestow Who thus In desart fields obserue a Cow Yet neuer yoaâ—t nor seruile to the plow Follow her slow conduct and where shee shall Repose there build the place Boeotia call Scarce Cadmus from Castalian Caue descended When he a Hecfer saw by no man tended Her neck vngall'd with groning seruitude The God ador'd he foot by foot pursew'd Cephisus floud and Panope now past Shee made a stand to heauen her fore-head cast With loftie horns most exquisitely faire Then with repeated lowings fild the Ayre Looks back vpon the company sheeled And kneeling makes the tender grasse her bed Thanks-giuing Cadmus kift the vnknowne ground The stranger fields and hills saluting round About to sacrifice to heauen's high King He sends for water from the liuing Spring A Wood there was which neuer Axe did hew In it a Caue where Reeds and Osiers grew Rooft with a rugged Arch by Nature wrought With pregnant waters plentifully fraught The lurking Snake of Mars this Hold possest Bright scal'd and shining with a golden crest His bulk with poyson swolne fire-red his eyes Three darting tongues three ranks of teeth comprise This fatall Well th' vnlucky Tyrians found Who with their down-let Pitcher rays'd a sound With that the Serpent his blew head extends And suffering Ayre with horrid hisses rends The water from them fell their colour fled Who all astonisht shook with sudden dread Hee wreaths his scaly foldes into a heape And fetcht a compasse with a mightie leape Then bolt-vpright his monstrous length displayes More than halfe way and all the Woods suruayes Whose body when all seene no lesse appeares Than that which parts the two Coelestiall Beares Whether the Tyrians sought to fight or flie Or whether they through feare could neither trie Some crash the 'twixt his iawes some claspt to death Some kils with poyson others with his breath And now the Sunne the shortest shadowes made Then Cadmus wondring why his seruants stay'd Their foot-steps trac't A hide the Hero's wore Which late he from a slaughtred Lyon tore His Arms a dart a bright steele-pointed Speare And such a minde as could not stoope to feare When he the Wood had entred and there view'd The bodies of the slaine with bloud imbrew'd Th' insulting victor quenching his dire thirst At their suckt wounds he sigh 't as heart would burst Then said I will reuenge O faithfull Mates Your murders or accompany your Fates With that he lifteth vp a mighty stone which with a more than manly force was throwne What would haue batter'd downe the strongest wall And shiuered towres doth giue no wound at all The hardnesse of his skin and scales that grow Vpon his armed back repell the blowe And yet that strong defence could not so well The vigour of his thrilling Dart repell Which through his winding back a passage rends There sticks the steele into his guts descends Rabid with anguish hoe retorts his looke Vpon the wound and then the iaueling tooke Betweene his teeth it euery way doth winde At length tugg'd out yet leaues the head behind His rage increast with his augmenting paines And his thick-panting throte swels with full veines A cold white froth surrounds his poys'nous iawes On thundring Earth his trayling scales he drawes Who from his black and Stygian maw eiect's A blasting breath which all the grasse infects His body now he circularly bends Forthwith into a monstrous length extends Then rusheth on like showr-incensed Floods And with his brest ore-beares the obuious Woods The Prince gaue way who with the Lyon's spoyle Sustayn'd th' assault and fore't a quick recoyle His Lance fixt in his iawes What could not feele He madly wounds and bites the biting steele Th' inuenom'd gore which from his palate bled Conuerts the grasse into a duskie red Yet slight the hurt in that the Snake with-drew And so by yeelding did the force subdew Till Agenorides the steele imbrew'd In his wide throte and still his thrust pursew'd Vntill an Oke his back-retrait with-stood There he his neck transsixt with it the Wood. The Tree bends with a burden so vnknowne And lashed by the Serpents taile doth grone While he suruay'd the hugenesse of his foe This voyce he heard from whence he did not know Why is that Serpent so admir'd by thee Agenor's sonne a Serpent thou shalt bee He speechlesse grew pale feare repeld his blood And now vncurled haire like bristles stood Behold mans Fautresse Pallas from the sky Descending to his needfull aide stood by Who bade him in the turn'd-vp surrowes throw The Serpents teeth that future men might grow He as commanded plow'd the patient Earth And therein sow'd the seeds of humane birth Lo past beliefe the Clods began to moue And tops of Lances first appear'd aboue Then Helmets nodding with their plumed Crefts Forth-with refulgent Pouldrons plated Brests Hands with offensiue weapons charg'd insew And Target-bearing troops of Men vp-grew So in our Theater's solemnities When they the Arras rayse the Figures rise Afore the rest their faces first appeare By little and by little then they reare Their bodies with a measure-keeping hand Vntill their feet vpon the border stand Bold Cadmus though much daunted at the sight Of such an Host addrest him to the fight Forbeare a new-borne Souldier cry'd t' ingage Thy better fortune in our ciuill rage With that he on his earth-bread brother flew At whom a deadly dart another threw Nor he that kild him long suruiucs his death But through wide wounds expires his infant breath Slaughter with equall furie runs through all And by vnciuill ciuill blowes they fall The new-sprung Youth who hardly life possest Now panting kick their Mother's bloudy brest But fiue suruiu'd of whom Echion one His Armes to Earth by Pallas counsell throwne He craues the loue he offers All accord As Brothers should and what they take afford Sidonian Cadmus these assist to build His loftie walls the Oracle fulfild Now flourisht Thebes now did thy exile proue In shew a blessing those that rule in loue And warre thy Nuptials with their daughter grace By such a Wife to haue so faire a race So many sonnes and daughters nephewes too The pledges of their peacefull beds insew And they now growne to excellence and powre But Man must censur'd be by his last houre Whom truly we can neuer happy call Afore his death and closing funerall In this thy euery way so prosperous state Thy first misse-hap sprung from thy Nephew's fate Whose browes vnnaturall branches ill adorne By his vngratefull dogs in pieces torne Yet fortune did offend in him not he For what offence may in an error be With purple bloud slaine Deare the Hills imbrew
brest displayes The blowes that solid snow with crimson stripe Like Apples party-red or Grapes scarce ripe But in the water when the same appeare He could no longer such a sorrow beare As Virgin wax dissolues with feruent heat Or morning frost whereon the Sun-beams beat So thawes he with the ardor of desire And by degrees consumes in vnseene fire His meger checks now lost their red and white That life that fauour lost which did delight Nor those diuine proportions now remaine So much by Eccbo lately lou'd in vaine Which when shee saw although she angry were And still in minde her late repulse did beare As often as the miserable cry'd Alas Alas the wofull Nymph reply'd And euer when he struck his sounding brest Like sounds of mutuall sufferance exprest His last words were still hanging o're his shade Ah Boy belou'd in vaine so Eccho said Farewell Farewell sigh't she Then downe he Iyes Deaths cold hand shuts his selfe-admiring eyes Which now eternally their gazes fix Vpon the Waters of infernall Styx The wofull Naiades lament the dead And their clipt haire vpon their brother spred The wofull Dryades partake their woes With both sad Eccho ioynes at cuery close The funerall Pyle prepar'd a Herse they brought To fetch his body which they vainely sought In stead whereof a yellow flowre was found With tufos of white about the button crown'd This through Achaia spred the Prophets fame Who worthily had purchas 't a great name But proud Echion's sonne who did despise The righteous Gods derides his prophecies And twits Tiresias with his rauisht sight He shook his head which age had cloth'd-in white And said 'T were well for thee hadst thou no eyes To see the Bacchanal solemnities The time shall come which I presage is neere When Semeleian Liber will be here Whom if thou honour not with Temples due Thy Mother and her sisters shall imbrue Their furious hands in thy effused blood And throw thy seuered lims about the Wood. 'T will be thy malice cannot but rebell And then thou l't say The blinde did see too well His mouth proud Pentheus stops Beliefe succeeds Fore-runing threats and words are seal'd by deeds 〈◊〉 is come the fields with clamor sound They in his Orgies tread a frantick Round Women with Men the base and nobler sort Together to those vnknowne Rites resort You sonnes of Mars you of the Dragons race Said be what furie doth your minds imbase Is Brafse of such a power which drunkards beaâ— Or sound of Hornes or Magicall deceit That you whom Trumpets clangor horrid fight Nor death with all his terrors could affright Loud Women wine-bread rage a lustfull crew Of Beasts and Kettle-drums should thus subdew At you graue Fathers can I but admire Who brought with you your flying Gods from Tyre And sixt them here now from that care so farre Estranged as to lose them without warre Or you who of my able age appeare Whose heads should helmets and not garlands weare Not leauy Iauelins but good Swords adorne The hands of Youth O you so nobly borne That Dragon 's fiery fortitude indue Whose single valour such a number flue He in defending of his Fountayne fell Doe you th' Inuadets of your fame repell He flue the strong doâ— you the weake destroy And free your Country from foule imfamy If Destinies decree that â—bâ—bâ—s must fall May men may warlike engines raze her wall I et sword and fire our famisht liues assault Then should we not be wretched through our fault Nor striue to hide out guilt but Fortune blame And vent our pittyed sorrowes without shame Now by a naked Boy we are put to flight Whom bounding Steeds nor glorious Arms delight But haire perfum'd with Myrrhe soft Anadems And purple Robes inchac't with gold and gems Who shall confesse if you your aid denie His forged Father and false Deitie What Had Acrisius vertue to withstand Th'Impostor chaced from the Argiue strand And shall this vagabond this forainer Me Pentheus and the Thehan State deterre Goe said he to his seruants goe your way And drag him hither bound preuent delay Him Cadmus Athamas and all disswade By opposition more intemperate made Furie increaseth when it is with-stood And then good counsell doth more harme than good So haue I seen and vnstopt torrent glide With quiet waters scarcely heard to chide But when faln Trees or Rocks impeacht his course To some and roare with vncontrolled force All bloudy they returne Where is said hee This Bacchus Bacchus none of vs did see Reply'd they This his minister we found Presenting one with hands behinde him bound A Lydian zealous in those mystories On whom fierce Pentheus looks with wrathfull eyes Who hardly could his puishment deferre Then thus thou wretch that others shalt deterre Declare thy Name thy Nation Parentage And why thou followest this new-fangled Rage He in whom innnocency feare o're-came Made this reply Acetes is my name My life I owe to the Maeonian earth To none my fortunes borne of humble birth No land my Father left me to manure Nor Herds nor bleating Flocks himselfe was poore The tempted Fish with hook and line he caught His skill was all his wealth His skill he taught And said My heire successor to my Art Receiue the riches which I can impart He dying left me nothing and yet all The Sea may I my patrimony call Yet lest I still should on those Rocks abide To nauigation I my time apply'd Obseru'd th' Olenian kids that raine portend The Hyades who weepe when thy descend Taygeta and Arcturur the resort Of seuerall windes and harbour-giuing Ports For Delos bound we made the Cbian shores And there arriued with industrions Oares Leaping a-shore I made the beach my bed When aged Night Aurora's blushes fled I rose and bade my men fresh water bring Shewing the way that guided to the Spring Then from a Hill obseru'd the windes accords My Mates I cald and forth-with went abord All here the Master's Mate Ophelies cryes And thinking he had light vpon a prize Along the shore a louely Boy conuay'd Adorned with the beautie of a Maid Heauy with wine and sleepe he reeled so That thought supported he could hardly goâ— When I beheld his habit gait and feature I could not thinke it was a humane Creature Fellowes I doubt nay without doubt said I This excellence includes a Deitic O be propitious who-so-'ere thou art And to out industrie successe impart And pardon these who haue offended thus Then Dictys said Forbeare to pray for vs Than he none could the top saile-yard bestride With lighter speed nor thence more nimbly slide This Libys swart Melanthus who the Provâ— Commanded and Alcimedon allow Epopeus the Boats-man so all say Bewitched with the blind desire of prey This ship said I you shall not violate With sacriledge of so diuine a weight Wherein I haue most int'rest and command And on the hatches their ascent with-stand Whereat the desperate Lycabas grew wild Who
In Sipylus and in Maonia staid Yet slights that home example still rebels Against the Gods and with proud lâ—â—guage swels Many things sweld her Yet Amphiâ—â—s towne Their high descents not glory of a crowne So pleas'd her though she pleas'd her selfe in all As her faire race We Niobe might call The happiest mother that yet euer brought Life vnto light had not her selfe so thought Tiresian Manto in presages skild The streets inspir'd by holy fury fild With these exhorts Ismenides prepare To great Latona and her Twins with prayer Mix sweet perfumes your brows with Laurel bindâ— By me Latona bids The Thebans wind About their temples the commaunded Bay And sacred fires with incense feeding pray Behold the Queene in height of state appeares A Phrygian mantle weauâ—d with gold she weares Her face as much as rage would suffer faire She stops and shaking her disheueled haire The godly troope with hauty eyes suruayes What madnesse is it Here-say Gods she sayes Before the seene Coelestials to prefer Or while I Altars want to worship her Me Tantalus begot alowd to feast In heauenly bowres my mother not the least Pleias greatest Atlas fire to those On whose high shoulders all the stars repose Ioue is my other Grandfather and he My father in law a double grace to me Me Phrygia Cadmus kingdomes me obay My husbands harp-rais'd walls we ioyntly sway Through-out my Court behold in euery place Infinite riches adde to this a face Worthy a Goddesse Then to crowne my ioyes Seuen beauteous daughters and as many boyes All these by marriage to be multiply'd Say now haue we not reason for our pride How dare you then Latona Caeus birth Before me place to whom the ample Earth Deny'd a little spot t'vnlade her wombe Heauen Earth nor Seas afford your Goddesse roome A Vagabond till Delas harbor gaue Thou wandrest on the land I on the waue It said and granted an vnstable place She brought forth two the seuenth part of my race Happy who doubts I happy will abide Or who doubts that with plentie fortifi'd My state too great for fortune to bereaue Though much she rauish she much more must leaue My blessings are aboue low feare Suppose Some of my hopefull sons this people lose They cannot be reduc't to such a few Off with your bayes these idle Rites eschew They put them off the sacrifice forbore And yet Latona silently adore As far as free from barrennesse so much Disdaine and griefe th' inraged Goddesse touch Who on the top of Cynthus thus begins To vent her passion to her sacred Twins Lo I your mother proud in you alone Excepting Iuno second vnto none Am question'd if a Goddesse and must loose If you assist not all religious dews Nor is this all that curst Tantalian Seeds Adds soule reproaches to her impious deede She dares her children before you prefer And calls me childlesse may it light on her Whose wicked words her fathers tongue declarâ— About to second her report with praier Peace Phoebus said complaint too long delayes Conceau'd reuenge the same vext Phoebe sayes Then swiftly through the yielding ayre they glide To Cadmus towres whom thickned vapors hide A spacious plaine before the citty lieâ— Made dusty with the daily exercise Of trampling hooues by strife-full chariots tracke Part of Amphions actiue sons here backt High-bounding steeds whose rich caparison With scarlet blusht with gold their bridles shone Ismenus Ioe her pregnant wombs first spring As with his ready horse he bears a Ring And checks his fomy iawes ay me â—he cryes While through his groâ—ing brest an arrow flyâ—â— His bridle slackning with his dying force He leasurely sinks side-long from his horse Next Siphilus from clashing quiuer flieâ— With slackned raignes as when a Pilot spies A growing storme and least the gentle gaile Should scape besides him claps on all his saile His haste th'vneuitable bowe O're-took And through his throte the deadly arrow strook Who by the horses mane and speedy thighes Drops headlong and the earth in purple dies Now Phoedimus and Tantalus the heire This Grand-â—ires names that labour done prepare To wrastle Whilst with oyled lims they prest Each others power close grasping brest to brest A shaft which from th'impulsiue bow-string flew Them in that sad Coniunction ioyntly slew Both grone at once at once their bodyes bend With bitter pangs at once to earth descend Her tongue and pallat rob'd of inward heat At once congeale her pulse forbeares to beat Her neck wants power to turne her feet to goe Her armes to moue her very bowels grow Into a stone She yet retaines her teares Whom straight a hurle-wind to her Countrie beares And fixes on the summit of a hill Now from that mourning marble teares distill Th'exemplary reuenge struck all with feare Who offerings to Latona's altars beare With doubled zeale When one as oft befalls By present accidents the past recalls In fruitfull Lyciâ— once said he there dwelt A sort of Pesants who her vengeance felt 'T was of no note in that the men were base Yet wonderfull I saw the poole and place Sign'd with the prodigie My father spent Almost with age ill brooking trauell sent Me thither for choice Steeres and for my guide A natiue gaue Those pastures searcht we spy'd An ancient Altar black with cinders plac't Amidst a Lake with shiuering reeds imbrac't O fauour me he softly murmuring said O fauour me I softly murmuring praid Then askt if Nymph or Faune therein reside Or rurall God The stranger thus reply'd O youth no mountaine Powres this altar hold Shee calls it hers to whom Ioues wife of old Earth interdicted till that floting I le Waue-wandring Delo finisht her exile Where coucht on palmes and oliues she in spight Of freâ—full Iuno brought her Twins to light Thence also frighted from her painefull bed With her two infant Deities she fled Now in Chimara-breeding Lycia fir'd By burning beames and with long trauell tyr'd Heat-raised thirst the Goddesse sore opprest By their exhausting of her milk increast By fortune in a dale with longing eyes A Lake of shallow water she descries Where Clownes were then a gathering picked weeds With shrubby osiers and plash-louing reedes Approcht Titania kneeles vpon the brink And of the cooling liquor stoops to drinke The Clownes with-stood Why hinder you said she The vse of water that to all is free The Sun aire water Nature did not frame Peculiar a publick gift I clame Yet humbly I intreat it not to drench My weary lims but killing thirst to quench My tongue wants moysture my iawes are dry Scarce is there way for speech For drink I dye Water to me were Nectar If I liue 'T is by your fauour life with water giue Pitty these babes for pitty they aduance Their little armes their armes they stretcht by chancâ— With whom would not such gentle words preuaile But they perseuering to prohibit raile The place with threats command her to forsake Then with their hands and
Cities which in these far-distant parts Are famous with ciuilitie and arts And Aesonâ— son whom I more dearely prize Than wealthy Earth and all her Monarchies In him most happy and affected by The bounteous gods my crown shall reach the sky They tell of Rocks that iustle in the maine Charybdis that sucks in and casts againe The wrackfull waues how rauâ—nous Scylla waits With barking dogs in rough Sicilian straits My loue poslest in Iasons besome laid Let seas swell high I cannot be dismaid While I infold my husband in my armes Or should I feare I should but feare his harmes Call'st thou him husband wilt thou then thy blame Mâ—dea varnish with an honest name Consider well what thou intendst to doe And while thou maist so foule a crime eschue Thus she When honour pictie the right Before her stood and Cupid put to flight Then goes where Hecates old Altar stood O're-shadowed by a dark and secret wood Her broken ardor she had now reclaim'd Which Iasons presence forth-with re-inflam'd Her cheeks blush fire her face with feruor flashes And as a dying cinder rak't in ashes Fed by reuiuing windes augmenting glowes And tossed to accustom'd fury growes So sickly Loue which lare appear'd to dye New life assum'd from his inflaming eye Whose looks by chance more beauty now discouer Than heretofore you might forgiue the louer Her eager eyes she riuets on his face And frantick thinks him of no humane race Nor could diuert her lookes As he his tongue Began t' vnloose her faire hand softly wrung Implor'd her aide and promis'd her his bed She answer made with tearrs profusely shed I see to what euents m' intentions moue Nor ignorance deceiues me thus but loue You by the vertue of my art shall liue In recompence your faithfull promise giue He by the Altar of the Triple Powre The groues which that great Deity imbowre Her fathers Sire to whom the hid appeares His owne successe and so great danger sweares Beleeu'd from her th' inchanted herbs receiues With them their vse and his Protectresse leaues The Morrow had the sparkling stars defac't When all in Marse's field assemble plac't On circling ridges Seated on a throne The iuory-scepter'd King in scarlet shone From adamant nostrils bras-hoou'd Buls now cast Hot Vulcan and the grasse with vapors blast And as full forges blowne by art resound As puluer'd flints infurnest vnder ground By sprinkled water fire conceiue so they Pent flames inuolu'd in noysefull brests betray So rumble their scorcht throtes Yet Aesons Heire Came brauely on on whom they trune and stare With terrible aspects his ruine threat With steele-tipt hornes Inrag'd their cleft hooues beat The thundring ground whence clouds of dust arise And with their smoky bellowings rend the skies The Minya freeze with feare but he remaines Vntoucht such vertue Sorcery containes Their dew-laps boldly with his hand he strokes Inforc't to draw the plough with heauy yokes The Colchians at so strange a sight admire The Minya shout and set his powres on fire Then in his caske the vipers teeth assumes Those in the turn'd-vp furrowes he inhumes Earth mollifies the poys'nous seeds which spring And forth a haruest of new People bring And as an Embrion in the womb inclos'd Assumes the forme of man within compos'd Through all accomplisht numbers nor comes forth To breathe in ayre till his maturer growth So when the bowels of the teeming Earth Grew great she gaue mens perfect shapes their birth And what 's more strange with them their armes ascend Who at th' Aemonian Youth their lances bend When this th' Achaians saw they hung the head And all their courages for terror fled Euen she who had secur'd him was affraid When she beheld so many one inuade A chil cold checks her bloud death looks lesse pale And left the hearbs she gaue should chance to faile Vnheard auxiliarie charmes imparts And calls th' assistance of her secret Arts. He hurles a massiâ— stone among his foes Who on themselues conuert their deadly blowes The Earth-borne brothers mutuall wounds destroy And ciuill warre The Achiues skip for ioy And throng t' imbrace the Victor Her the same Affection spurd but was with-held by shame Yet that too weake if none had lookt vpon her Not vertue checkt her but the wrack of honor Now in conceit she hugs him in her armes Applauds th' inuentiue Gods with them her charmes To make the Dragon sleepe that neuer slept Remaines whose care the golden purchace kept Bright crested triple tongu'd his cruell iawes Arm'd with sharpe phangs his feet with dreadfull claweâ— When once besprinkled with Lethaean iuyce And words repeated thrice which sleepe produce Calme the rough seas and make swift riuers stand His eye-lids vail'd to sleepes vnknowne command The Heros of the Golden Fleece possest Proud of the spoyle with her whose fouour blest His enterprize an other Spoyle now bore To sea and lands on safe Iolcian shore Aemonian parents for their sons returne Bring gratefull gifts coniested incense burne And chearfully with horne-gilt offrings pay Religious vowes But Aeson was away Opprest with redious age now neere his tomb When thus Aesonides O wife to whom My life I owe though all I hold in chiefe From thy deserts which far surpasse beliefe If magick can what cannot magick do Take yeeres from me and his with mine renue Then wept His pietie her passion stirs Who sighs to thinke how vnlike she had beene to hers Yet this concealing answers What a crime Hath slipt thy tongue thinkst thou that with thy time I can or will anothers life inuest Hecat ' fore-fend nor is 't a iust request Yet Iason we a greater gift will giue Thy father by our art renew'd shall liue Without thy losse if so the triple Powre Assist me with her presence in that howre Three nights yet wanted ere the Moone could ioyne Her growing hornes When with replenisht shine She fac't the earth the Court she leaues her haire Vntrest her garments loose her ankles bare And wanders through the dead of drowsie Night With vnseene steps Men beasts and birds of flight Deepe Rest had bound in humid gyues who crept So silently as if her selfe had slept No Aspen wags moyst ayre no sound receiues Stars onely shine to which her armes she heaues Thrice turnes about besprinkles thrice her crowne With gather'd deaw thrice yawnes and kneeling down O Night thou friend to Secrets you cleare fires That with the Moone succeed when Day retires Great Hecate that know'st and aid imparts To our designes you Charmes and magick Arts And thou O Earth that to Magicians yeelds Thy powerfull simples aires winds mountaines fields Soft murmuring springs still lakes and riuers cleare You Gods of woods you Gods of night appeare By you at will I make swift streames retire To their first fountaynes whilst their banks admire Seas tosse and smooth cleere clouds with clouds deforme Stormes turne to calmes and make a calme a Storme With spels and charmes I breake
life Before the Couch of his vnhappy wife His beard all wet the haire vpon his head With water dropt who leaning on her bed Thus spake while teares from seeming passion flow Dost thou ô wretched Wife thy Câ—yx know Or am I chang'd in death looke on the Lost And for thy husband thou shalt see his Ghost No fauour could thy pious prayers obtaine For I am drown'd no longer hope in vaine Cloud-crushing South-winds in Aegaeum caught Our rauisht ship and wrackt her with her fraught My voice the flouds opprest while on thy name I vainely call'd This neither wandring Fame Nor doubtfull Author tels this I relate I that there perisht by vntimely fate Arise weepe put on blacke nor vndeplor'd For pity send me to the Stygian Ford. To this he addes a voice such a she knew Exprest her Lords with teares appearing true And gesture of his hand She sigh't and wept Stretch out her armes t' imbrace him as she slept But claspt the empty aire Then cry'd O stay Ah whither wilt thou goe we both one way Wak't with her voice and husbands shade with feare She lookes about for that which was not there For now the maids rais'd with her shreekes had brought A Taper in Not finding what she sought She strikes her cheeks her nightly linnen tare Inuades her brests nor staies t'vubind her haire But tugs it off Her Nurse the cause demands Of such a violence She wrings her hands And in the passion of her griefe replyde There 's no Alcyone none none she dyde Together with her Ceyx Silent be All sounds of comfort These these eyes did see My ship-wrackt Lord. I knew him and my hands Thrust forth t' haue held him but no mortall bands Could force his stay A Ghost yet manifest My husbands ghost which ô but ill exprest His forme and beauty late diuinely rare Now pale and naked with yet dropping haire Here stood the miserable in this place Here here and sought his aiery steps to trace O this my sad mis-giuing soule diuin'd When thou forsook'st me to persue the wind But since imbarqu'd for death would I with thee Had put to sea a happy face for me Then both together all the time assign'd For life had liu'd nor in our death dis-ioyn'd Now here I perisht there on that profound Poore I was wrackt yet thou without me drown'd O I then flouds more cruell should I striue To lengthen life and such a griefe suruiue Nor will I nor for sake thee nor defer Though one Vrne hold not both one Sepulcher Shall ioyne out titles though thy bones from mine The seas disseuer yet our names shall ioyne Griefe chok't the rest Sobs euery accent part And sighes ascend from her astonisht heart Day springs She to the shore addrest her haste Euen to that place from whence she saw him last And while she sadly vtters Here he staid Here parting kist me from thence anchor waid While she such sighs recalls her steady eyes Fixt on the Sea far off she something spies But knows not what yet like a cor's First shee Doth doubt driuen neerer though not neere might see A body plainly Though vnknowne yet much The Omen mou'd her since his fate was such Poore wretch who'ere thou art and such she said Thy wife if wed by thee a widdow made By flouds driuen neerer the more neere the more Her spirits faint now nigh th' adioyning shore Now sees she what she knowes her husbands cor's Woe 's me 't is He she cries at once doth force Her face haire habit trembling hands extends To soule-lesse Ceyx and then said Here ends My last of hopes thus ô then life more deare O husband thus return'st thou Art a Peere Had stretcht into the surges Which with-stood And brake the first incursion of the flood Thither forth-with ô wonderfull she springs â—eating the passiue aire with new-growne wings Who now a bird the waters summit rakes About she â—ies and full of sorrow makes A mournfull noise lamenting her diuorce Anon she toucht his dumbe and bloudlesse cor's With stretched wings imbrac't her perisht bliffe And gaue his colder lips a heatlesse kisse Whether he felt it or the flouds his looke â—duanc't the vulgar doubt vetsure he tooke Sense from touch The Gods commiserate And change them both obnoxious to like fate As erst they loue their nuptiall faiths they shew In little birds ingender parents grow Seuen winter dayes with peacefull calmes possest Alcyon sits vpon her floting nest Then safely saile then Aeolus incaues For his the winds and smoothes the stooping waues Some old man seeing these their pinions moue O're broad-spread Seas extols their endlesse loue By theirs a Neighbour or Himselfe teuiues An others fate Yon'sable fowle that diues And therewith shewes the wide-mouth'd Cormorant Of royall parentage may also vaunt Whose ancestors from Tros their branches spred Ilas Assaracus Ioues Ganymod Laomedon and Priamus the last That raign'd in Troy to Hector Who surpast In fortitude a brother If by powre Of Fate vnchanged in his youths first flowre He might perhaps as great a name haue wonne Thought Hector were great Dymas daughters sonne For Alixothâ—â— a country Maid Bare Aesacus by stealth in Idas shade He hating Cities and the discontents Of glittering Courts the louely woods frequents And vnambitious fields but made repaire To Ilium rarely yet he debonaire Nor vnexpugnable to loue Who splde Eperia oft desir'd by Cebrens side Her fathers riuer drying in the Sun Her fluent haire Away the Nymph did run Swift as a frighted Hinde the Wolfe at hand Or like a fearefull fowle thrust ouer-land Beneath a falcon He persues the chace Feare wings her feet and loue inforc't his pace Behold a lurking Viper in this strife Ceaz'd on her heele repressing flight with life Franticke his trembling armes the dead include Who cry'd Alas that euer I persude â— fear'd not this nor was the victory Worth such a losse Ay me two one destroy Thy wound the Serpent I the occasion gaue ◠ô more wicked yet thy death shall haue My life for satisfaction There-with flung His body from a cliffe which ouer-hung The vndermining Seas His falling limmes Vpheld by Tethys pitie as he swimmes Sh' his person plumes nor power of dying giues To be compel'd to liue the Louer grieues Disdaining that his soule so well appai'd To leaue her wretched seat should thus be staid And mounting on new wings againe on Seas His body throwes the fall his feathers ease With that inrag'd into the deepe he diues And still to drowne himselfe as vainly striues Loue makes him leane A long neck doth sustaine His sable head long-ioynted legs remaine Nor euer the affected Seas for sakes And now a suted name from diuing takes OVID'S METAMORPHOSIS The twelfth Booke THE ARGVMENT A Snake a snake-like Stone Cvâ—nus aâ—wan Caenis the maid now Caenens and a man Becomes a Fowle Neleius varies shaâ—es At last an Eagle nor Alcides scaepet OLd Priaus mournes for Aesacus nor knew That he
feet wide open flies The sounding wicket and the deed descries The seruants shreeke the Vainely raised bore T' his mothers house his father dead before His breathlesse corps she in her bosome plac't And in her armes his key-cold limbs imbrac't Lamenting long as wofull parents vse And hauing paid a wofull mothers dues The mournfull Funerall through the City led And to prepared fires conueyes the dead This sorrowfull Procession passing by Her house which bordering on the way their cry To th' eares of Anaxarete arriues Whom now sterne Nemesis to ruine driues Wee 'l see said she these sad solemnities And forth-with to the lofty window highes When seeing Iphis on his fatall bed Her eyes grew stiffe bloud from her visage sled Vsurpt by palenesse Striuing to retire Her feet stuck fast nor could to her desire Diuert her looks for now her stony heart â—t selfe dilated into euery part This Salamis yet keeps to cleere your doubt â—n Venus temple call'd the Looker-out Inform'd by this ô louely Nymph decline Thy former pride and to thy louer ioyne So may thy fruits suruiue the Vernall frost Nor after by the rapefull winds be tost When this the God who can all shapes indue Had said in vaine againe himselfe he grew Th'abiliments of heatlesse Age depos'd And such himselfe vnto the Nymph disclos'd As when the Sunne subduing with his reyes The muffling clouds his golden brow displaies Who force prepares of force there was no need Strucke with his beauty mutually they bleed Vniust Amulius next th' Ausonian State I'y strength vsurpt The nephews to the late Deposed Numiâ—or him re-inthrone Who Rome in Pales Feasts immur'd with stone Now Tatius leades the Sabine Sires to warre Tarpâ—ia's hands her fathers gates vnbarre To death with aâ— melets prest her treasons meed The Sabine Sires like silent Wolues proceed T' inuade their sleeping sonnes and seeke to seazâ— Vpon their gates barr'd by Iliades One Iuno opens though no noise at all The hinges made yet by the barres lowd fall Descry'd by Venus who had put it too But Gods may not what Gods haue done vndoâ— Ausâ—nian Nymphs the places bordering To Ianus held inchased with a spring Their aid sh'implores The Nymphs could not deny A sute so iust but all their flouds vntie As yet the Fane of Ianus open stood Nor was their way impeached by the flood Beneath the fruitfull spring they sulphure turne Whose hollow veines with blacke bitumen burne With these the vapours penetiate below And waters late as cold as Alpin snow The fire it selfe in seruour dare prouoke Now both the posts with flagrant moisture smoke These now-rais'd streames the Sabine Powre exclude Till Mars his Souldiers had their armes indu'd By Romulus then in Batalia led The Roman fields the slaughtred Sabines spred Their owne the Romans Fathers Sonnes in law With wicked steele bloud from each other draw At length conclude a peace nor would contend Vnto the last Two Kings one throne ascend With equall rule But noble Tatius slaine Both Nations vnder Romulus remaine When Mars laid by his shining caske and then Thus spake vnto the Sire of Gods and men Now Father is the time since Rome is growne To such a greatnesse and depends on One To put in act thy neuer-failing word And Romulus a heauenly throne afford You in a synod of the Gods profest Which still I carry in my thankfull brest That one of mine this ô now ratifie Should be aduanc't vnto the starry skie Ioue condescends with clouds the day benights And with flame-winged thunder earth affrights Mars at the signe of his assumption Leanes on his lance and strongly vaults vpon His bloudy Chariot lashes his hot horses With sounding whips and their full speed inforces Who scouring downe the ayrie region staid On faire mount Palatine obscur'd with shade There Romulus assumeth from his Throne Vn-kinglike rendering iustice to his owne Rapt through the aire his mortall members waste Like melting Bullets by a Slinger cast More heauenly faire more fit for lofty shrines Our great and scaâ—let-clad Quirinus shines Then Iuno to the sad Hersâ—lia Lost in her sorrow by a crooked way Sent Iris to deliuer this Command Star of the Latian of the Sabine land Thy sexes glory worthy then the vow Of such a husband of Quirinus now Suppresse thy teares If thy desire to see Thy husband so exceed then follow mee Vnto those woods which on mount Querin spring And shade the temple of the Roman King Iris obayes and by her painted Bow Downe-sliding so much lets Hersilia know When she scarce lifting vp her modest eyes O Goddesse which of all the Deities I know not sure a Goddesse thou cleere light Conduct me ô conduct me to the sight Of my deare Lord which when the Fates shall shew They heauen on me with all the gifts bestow Then with Tâ—aumantias entering the high Romuâ—aâ— Hills a Star shot from the Skie Whose golden beames inflam'd Hersilia's haire When both together mount th'enlightned Aire The Builder of the Roman City tooke Her in his armes and forth-with chang'd her looke To whom the name of Ora he assign'd This Goddesse now is to Quirinus ioyn'd OVID'S METAMORPHOSIS The Fifteenth Booke THE ARGVMENT BLacke Stones conâ—ert to White Pythagoras In Ilium's lingring warre Euphorbus was Of transmigrations of the change of things and strange effâ—cts the learned Samian sings Recur'd Hippolyâ—us 〈◊〉 deiâ—ide Whom safer Age and name of Virbius bids Aegeria thawes into a Spring From Earth Prophetick Tages takes his wondrous birth A Speare a Tree Graâ—â— Cippus vertues 〈◊〉 The â—rowne his Horues present Appollo's Son Assumes a Serpents shape The Soule of Warre Great Caesar slaine becomes a Blazing Starre MEanewhile a man is sought that might sustaine So great a burthen and succeed the raigne Of such a King when true-foreshewing Fame To God-like Numa destinates the same He with his Sabine rites vnsatisfi'd To greater things his able mind appli'd In Natures search Inticed with these cares He leaues his countries Cures and repaires To Croton's City askes what Grecian hand Those walls erected on Italian land One of the Natiues not vnknowing old Who much had heard and seene this story told Ioues sonne inrich't with his Iberian prey Came from the Ocean to Lacinia With happy steps who while his cattle fed Vpon the tender clouer entered Heroick Croton's roofe a welcome Guest And his long trauell recreates with rest Who said departing In the following age A City here shall stand A true presage There was one Mycilus Argolian Alemons issue in thoso times no man More by the Gods affected He who beares The dreadfull Club to him in sleepe appeares And said Begon thy countries bounds forsake To stony Aesarus thy iourney take And threatens vengeance if he dis-obay The God and Sleepe together flew away He rising on the Vision meditates Which in his doubtfull soule he long debates The God commands the Law forbids to goe Death due to such as left their Country so Cleare
day-light So other lakes and streames haue other powre Ortygia sloted once fixt at this houre Once Argo fear'd the iustling Cyenes Which rooted now resist both winds and seas Nor Aeâ—na burning with imbowel'd fire Shall euer or did alwayes flames expire For whether Tellus be an Animall Haue lungs and mouthes that smoking flames exhale Her organs alter when her motions close These yawning passages and open those Or whether winds in caues impris'ned raue Iustling the stones and minerals which haue The seed of fire inkindled with their rage They then extinguish when the winds asswage Or if Bitumen doe the fire prouoke Or sulpher burning with more subtill smoke When Earth that food and oylie nourishment With drawes the matter by long feeding spent The hungry fire of sustenance beâ—eft Ill-brooking famine leaues by being left In Hyperboâ—ean Pallene liue A People if to Fame we credit giue Who diuing three times thrice in Tritons lake Of Fowle the feathers and the figure take The like they say the the Scythâ—â—n Witches doe With magicke oyles incredible though true If we may trust to triall see you not Small creatures of corrupted flesh begot Bury your slaughtred Steere a thing in vse And his corrupted bowels will produce Flowre-sucking-Bees who like their parent slaine Loue labour fields and toile in hope of gaine Hornets from buried horses take their birth Breake off the Crabs bent clawes and in the earth Bury the rest a Scorpion without faile From thence will creepe and menace with his taile The Catterpillers who their cop-webs weaue On tender leafes as Hindes from proofe receiue Conuert to poysnous Butterflies in time Greene Frogs ingendred by the seed of slime First without feet then leg assume now strong And apt to swimme their hinder parts more long Then are their former fram'd to skip add iumpe The Beares deformed birth is but a lumpe Of liuing flesh when lâ—â—ked by the Old It takes a forme agreeing with the mold Who sees the Young of honie-bearing Bees In their sexangular inelosure sees Their bodies limb-lesse these vnformed things In time put forth their feet and after wings The starre-imbellâ—sht Fowle which Iuno loues Iones Armour-beaâ—er Cytharea's Doues And birds of euery kinde did we not know Them hatch't of egges who would coniecture so Some thinke the pith of dead men Snakes becomes When their back-bones corrupt in hollow tombs Yet these from others doe deriue their birth One onely Fâ—wle there is in all the Earth Call'd by th' Assyrian Phoenix who the waine Of age râ—paires and sâ—wes her selfe againe No 〈◊〉 on graine noâ— heâ—â—s but on the gumme Oâ— Frankinâ—ense and mycre Amomum Now when her life â—iue ages hath fulfil'd A neither 〈◊〉 beake and tallons build Vpon the 〈◊〉 of a trembling Palme This strewâ—d with Caâ—â—ia Spicknard precious Balme Bruz'd Cinamon and Myrrh thereon she bends Her body and her age in odors ends This breeding Corp's a little Phoenix beares Which is it selfe to liue as many yeeres Growne strong that load now able to transferre Her Cradle and her parents sepulcher Deuoutly carries to Hyperions towne And on his flamie Altar layes it downe If these be wonderfull admire like strange Hyaena's who their sex so often change Those foodlesse creatures fed by ayre alone Who euery colour which they touch put on The Lynx first brought from conquered India By vine bound Bacchus his hot pisse they say Congeales to stone So Corall which below The water is a limber weed doth grow Stone-hard when toucht by aire But Day will end And Phoebus panting Steeds to Seas descend Before my scant oration could persue All sorts of shapes that change their old for new For this we see in all is generall Some Nations gather strength and others fall Troy rich and powrefull which so proudly stood That could for ten yeeres spend such streames of blood For buildings onely her old ruines showes For riches tombs which slaughtred Sires inclose Sparta Mycenae were of Greece the flowres So Cecrop's City and Amphion's towres Now glorious Sparta lies vpon the ground Lofty Mycenae hardly to be found Of OEdipus his Thebes what now remaines Or of Pandion's Athens but their names Now Fame reports that Rome by Dardans Sons Begins to rise where yellow Tybris runs From fountfull Appenines and there the great Foundation of so great a fabricke seat This therefore shall by changing propagate And giue the World a Head Of such a fate The Prophets haue diuin'd And this of old As I remember Priam's Helen told To sad Aeneas of all hope forlorne In sinking Troy's eclipse O Goddesse-borne If our Appollo can presage at all Troy thou in safety shall not wholly fall Both fire and sword shall giue thy vertue way Flying with thee thou Ilium shalt conuay Vntill thou finde a Land as yet vnknowne To Troy and thee more friendly than thy owne A City built by Phrygians I fore-see So great none euer was is or shall bee Others shall make it great but He whose birth Springs from â—â—lus Soueraigne of the Earth He hauing rul'd the World shall then ascend Aethereall thrones and Heauen shall be his End This I remember with propheticke tongue Sage Helen to diuine Aeneas sung We ioy to see our kindreds City grow The Phrygians happy in their Ouer-throw But lest our heedlesse Steeds too far should range From their proposed course All suffer change The heauens themselues what vnder them is found We of the World a part since we as well Haue Soules as Bodies which in beasts may dwell To those which may our parents Soules inuest Our brothers dearest friends or men at least Let vs both safety and respect afford Nor heape their bowels on Thyestes boord How ill â—ur'd to shed the bloud of man How wickedly is he pâ—epar'd who can Asunder cut the throats of calues and heares The bellowing â—reeder with relentlesse eates Or silly kids which like poore infants cry Sticke with his knife or his voracitie Feed with the fowle he fed ô to what ill Are they not prone who are so bent to kill Let Oxen till the ground and die with age Let Sheepe defend thee from the winters rage Goats bring their vdders to thy paile Away With nets grâ—ns snares and arts that doe betray Deceiue not birds with lime nor Deere inclose With terrors nor thy baits to fish expose The hurtfull kill yet only kill nor eat Defiling flesh but feed on fitter meat With other and the like Philosophy Instructed Nâ—â—ma now return'd was by Th'intreating Latâ—neâ— crown'd Taught by his Bride The Nymph Aegeria by the Muses guide Religion institutes a People rude And prone to warre with lawes and peace imbu'd His raigne and age resign'd to funerall Plebeians Roman Danies Patricians all For Numa mouâ—ne His wife the Citie fled Hid in Aricia's Vale the ground her bed The woods her â—hroud disturbes with grones and cries Orestean Diana's sacrifice How oft the Nymphs who haunt that Groue and Lake Reprou'd her teares and words of