thy praises and to describe thy dreadfull warres I do not sing vnbidden things yet if any one shall also reade these verses if any one enamoured with the loue of thee will reade them Oh Varus our heath shall sing thy praises Euery wood shall sing of thee for there is not any writing more pleasing to Apollo then that which beares the name of Varus Yee Muses of the hill Pierius proceede The lads Chromis and Mnasilus saw Silenus lying fast asleepe in a caue Hauing his veines blowne vp with wine the day before as alwayes hee was wont His garlands lay a good way off onely slipped from his head And a great kan hanged by hauing the eare all worne They setting on him for the old man had oft times mocked them both with hope of a song cast bonds vpon him made of his very garlands Egle adioyned her selfe as a companion and came to helpe these timorous youths Euen Egle the fairest of the. water Nymphs and painted both the forehead and the temples of the head of him now ‖ seeing her with bloudie coloured mulberies Hee laughing at their subtiltie to what end knit you these bands quoth he Yee boyes loose me it is enough that I could be seene of you Chuse ye what songs you will haue you shall haue songs She shall haue another reward And so withall doth he begin And then indeede you might behold both the Fawnes and wilde beasts too to dance in measure and in time then might you see the sturdie oakes to waue their tops So that Parnassus rock doth not so much reioyce in Phoebus Nor Rhodope and Ismarus do so admire Orpheus For he sang how the seeds of the earth and of the aire and also of the water and likewise of the liquid fire were first gathered together thorough out the great vast space how all things tooke their beginnings of the first seeds and how the tender globe it selfe of the round world did grow together Then loe the earth began to harden and to separate the Ocean sea from Pontus and by litle and litle to take the shapes of things And also how the earth is now astonished to see the new Sunne to begin to shine And how the showres do fall from clouds remoued on high from th' earth When first the woods began to grow vp and at what time the beasts wandered vp and downe throughout the vnknowne mountaines After this he sang of the stones cast by Pyrrha and of Saturnes kingdomes And withall he sings of the birds of the hill Caucasus and the theft of Prometheus c. THE SEVENTH ECLOGVE called Meliboeus THe Argument of this Eclogue is taken from the Pastorals of Theocritus And here the Poet brings in the sheepheard Melibeus reporting a Pastorall contention betweene Corydon and Thyrsis whereat by chance as he sought a goate which had strayed from his flocke hee was present being called thereto by Daphnis the iudge of the maistery whom he intimates to haue giuen sentence with Corydon whenas he saith at the end of the Eclogue These things I remember that Thyrsis ouercome contended all in vaine The speakers are Meliboeus Corydon Thyrsis Mel. DAphnis as it fell out sate downe vnder a whizzing holme And both Corydon and Thyrsis had gathered their flockes into one Thyrsis his sheepe Corydon his goates bagd with milke Both of them flourishing in age both Arcadians Also matches in singing and prepared to answer one another by turnes Whilst I was fencing my tender myrtles from the cold the goate himselfe the leader of the flocke had strayed from me hither and then I spied Daphnis who when he saw me ouer against him spake quickly thus vnto me Come hither Melibeus thy goate is safe and so likewise thy kids And if thou canst stay any whit rest with me vnder the shade The bullockes will come hither to drinke thorough the medowes of their owne accord Al. Here the greene riuer Mincius hath couered his banks with tender reeds and the swarmes of bees resound from the holy oake What should I do for neither had I Alcippe my wife nor my daughter Phillis al. at home which might shut vp my lambes weaned from the milke And there was a great match to be tried betweene Corydon and Thyrsis Yet set I mine owne serious businesses after their sport Then both of them began to trie with verses sung by course The Muses wold haue them record their songs by turnes Corydon rehearsed these first and Thyrsis related in order those that follow C. O Nymphs of Lybethris who are our chiefe delight either grant vnto me such a verse as yee vouchsafed to my Codrus for he makes verses next vnto the verses of Apollo or if all of vs cannot make such My shrill sounding pipe shall hang here vpon this sacred pine Th. Yee Arcadian sheepheards adorne with ivie your Poet growing in his skill that Codrus guts may burst for enuie Or if he shall praise me more then he would willingly compasse yee my browes about with Saint Iohns wort lest his ill tongue should hurt me now ready to be a Poet. Cor. Oh Diana thou hunting Goddesse my little Mycon offers vnto thee this head of the bristly boare and these branched hornes of the long liued Stag. If this wager shall be mine owne thou shalt stand made wholly of smooth marble in purple buskins Thyrs Priapus it is enough for thee to expect euery yeare a boll of milke and these cakes thou art but the keeper of the poore orchard Now we haue made thee of marble for the time but if increase of yong shall store our flocke then be thou all of gold Cor. O Nymph Galatea daughter of Nereus sweeter to me then the thyme of Hybla to the bees Whiter then the swans fairer then white ivie So soone as the buls being fed shall returne vnto their stals if thou haue any care of thy Corydon then come thou Th. Yea let me seeme to thee more bitter then the Sardinian herbes more rough to touch then butchers broome more vile then wrake cast vp on shore If that this day be not
vpon the crab tree blossomes and gray sallowes and Casia and red saffron and vpon the ranke linden trees and also vpon the ironish coloured hyacinth There is one rest from worke to all of them one labour is vnto them all In the morning they rush out of their gates there is no stay againe whenas the euening admonisheth them to depart at length out of the fields from feeding then go they home and then do they cherish their weary bodies A sound is made and they do buz about the bounds and entrances of their hiues Afterwards whenas they haue reposed themselues to rest in their chambers there is silence all the night euery ones owne sleepe possesseth all their wearie lims Nor yet indeede do they depart farre from their hiues if it be like to raine or trust vnto the aire when the Eastwindes will arise But they are watered safely vnder the walls of the citie round about And they aduenture but short courses and oft times do they take vp little stones as floating boates do take vp balasse in a rough water With these same little stones they beare themselues leuell thorough the emptie cloudie aire You wil wonder that that same manner of liuing hath so pleased the bees that they do neither giue themselues to ingendring nor being slothfull do let loose their bodies vnto lust or bring foorth yong with pangs in birth But they do gather their yong ones with their mouth from flowers and sweete herbes They hence prouide their king and their yong progenie and establish their courts and their waxen kingdomes Oft times also they weare their wings by wandring among hard rockes and of their owne accord yeeld vp their liues vnder their burden They haue so great a loue of flowers and such a glory of making hony Therefore although the compasse of a small age entertaines them for they do not liue aboue seuen yeares Yet their stock remaines immortall and the fortune of their house abides for many yeares and the grandsires of their grandfathers are numbred amongst them Moreouer Egypt and great Lydia or the Parthian ‖ the Mede or Indian do not so obserue their king as bees do theirs The king being safe the same mind is in them all But he being lost they breake their faith and they themselues spoile their hony made vp in their cels burst the frames of their hony combes He is the protector of their workes him they admire and all of them stand about him with great humming noise and guard him thicke And oft times they lift him vp with their shoulders and hazard their bodies in warre for him and do desire a glorious death by wounds sustained for his sake Some by these signes and following these examples haue said that there is a part of the diuine vnderstanding and also heauenly spirits in bees for why they say that God goeth thorow all both lands and coasts of the sea and the high heauen Hereupon they haue affirmed both the small and great cattell men and euery kind of wilde beast Yea euery one that is borne to fetch his life from hence Know this that they haue said all things to be restored hither finally and being resolued to be surrendred again and that there is no place for death but that all things so dissolued do flie aliue into the number of the starres and so succeed by course in the high heauen If at any time you will emptie their Al. stately seate and the hony which they haue preserued in their treasuries first spurt vpon them some draughts of water warmed in your mouth and hold before you in your hand smokes following one another They gather their great increase twise in the yeare they haue two times of haruest So soone as Taygete hath shewed her honest face vnto the earth And Pleias hath pushed backe with her foote the scorned waues of the Ocean sea ‖ Or whenas the same Pleias shunning the signe of waterish Piscis Goeth downe more sad from heauen into the Winter waters The bees haue anger aboue measure and being hurt they breathe in poison with their biting and also leaue blind stings hauing fastned them in the veines yea and lay downe their liues in the verie wound But if you feare a hard Winter and will spare for the time to come And shall haue pitie of their bruised hearts and their decayed estates Who then would doubt to perfume their hiues with thyme and pare away the emptie waxe for oft times the newt not knowne of eates away the hony combes and beds are made for moathes which flie the light And also the droane sitting scotfree at others meate Or else the cruel hornet thrusts in himselfe with his vnequall weapons Or that direfull kind of moath or finally the spider odious to Minerua hangs her nets loose in the entrances of the hiues The emptier the bees shall be so much the more eagerly all of them wil bestirre themselues to repaire the ruines of their decayed stocke And will fill vp their hatches and weaue their barnes with flowers But if their bodies shall languish by some sore disease because life hath brought euen our misfortunes vnto bees Which thing you may presently know by vndoubted signes There is forthwith another colour to them when they are sicke an vgly leannesse doth deforme their looke then carry they foorth the bodies of the dead out of their hiues and make dolefull funerals Or they hang at the entries of their hiues clung by their feete Or else they all abide lingring within in their houses shut both sluggish thorough famishment and slothfull by cold which they haue caught Then their sound is heard more heauie and they hum trailingly As sometimes the cold South wind doth sound in th'woods Or as the troubled sea doth make a noise with her rebounding waues
ones bred in common of them all and haue a common care of them * Children viz. yong brood common * They haue also roofes viz. some houses of their citie common viz. common hals * Whereof they are alike partakers or partners in * And oft passe ouer their time or the time of their life viz. liue perpetually * Vnder great lawes * And the bees alone have knowne their natiue countrey and their certaine houshold gods or priuate and severall houses viz. their owne hiues or cels * And they being mindfull of c. That they onely of all creatures know their natiue country their certaine dwelling houses * About to come * They trie labour by experience viz. they make experieÌ„ce of labours * And lay vp things gotten in the midst That they are mindfull of Winter before it 〈◊〉 and take great 〈◊〉 in Summer to prouide and lay vp in store for the common vse against that time * For some bees do watch diligantly for liuing or food viz. do take all occasions to labour for liuing and bring in proâ—ision Victu for victui * Are exercised viz occupied After he sheweth how they deuide their workes ‖ By a certain appointment or order * Agreed of or 〈◊〉 That some of them are busied in the fields to seeke and fetch in prouision as by a couenant amongst themselues ‖ Other some of them * Hedges or bounds * The teare of Narcissus alluding to the fable because the boy Narcissus was turned into a flower whereof before * Cleauing or sticking glue Others worke within their houses laying the first foundations of their hony combs with iuyces of herbes and gums of trees * From the barke ‖ As or for the first foundations ‖ To their hony combes * And then they hang vpon them stiffe waxe such as iâ— stiffe and clammy called propolis viz. bee-glue And so build thereupon framing and fashioning their combes * Other bees bring forth out of the huskes or skinnes wherein they are bred the yong ones growne to perfection viz. as the hen hatcheth the chickens by sitting on them or else do leade them abroad and accustome them to labour Others breede and bring forth their yong and leade them out when they are come to perfect growth thus accustoming them to labour * Of the nation viz. of the continuance and increase of their swarmes or hiues ‖ Do fill the celâ— or combes with the purest and finest hony Others of them fill vp their cels with the purest and finest 〈◊〉 hony ‖ Fill full or stuffe out * With liquid or pure â—ectar viz. the 〈◊〉 and most excellent part of the hony Others are appointed to ward at their gates * Custodie viz. keeping or watching at the gates hath fallen to lot viz. as to their lot or by lot speaking after the maner as it is in warre to keepe out the enemie * And they do behold or obserue by course the waters viz. drops of raine and clouds of heauen that is clouds ouercasting and all signes of the wâ—ather as of showers or stormes And these by turnes do watch the raine and clouds ‖ They receiue Or else take 〈◊〉 burdens of tho e which come loaden home and work them in their hiues ‖ Loades ‖ Of such bees as come loaden home and do helpe them Or making an army doe driue away the drones * Or an armie of them being made viz. hauing gathered a troupe of them together * Stalls Metaph. ‖ The droane bees without stings ‖ A sluggish or slothfuli beast onely consuming their hony and getting none And generally he declareâ—h how all of them do bestirte themselues in their worke cach in their proper place as sweating at it ‖ They plie their worke viz as men vntill they sweate ‖ Their hiues * Yeelds a sauour or a sweete sent ‖ By the herbs from whence they gather their hony and waxe o Which diligence and haste of theirs he illustrateth by a notable similitude taken from the Cyclopians Vulcans Smiths framing thunderbolts for Iupiter * When the Cyclopes viz. a people of Sicily hauing but one eie in their forehead fained to be Vulcanâ— smiths and to make thunderbolts for Iupiter * Hasten * Lightnings * Out of masses or wedges of iron or other mettall softened in the fire or pliant to worke on That like as they making vp their bolts in haste out of the soft ned iron lumps * Some of them take in blasts or wind and send it forth againe with bellows of bull-hides Some of them blow the bellowes * Dip their mettals hizzing viz. coming out of the glowing fier Others quench their mettals hizzing in the troughes * Brasses in a lake or trough of water as smiths vse * Etna a mountaine in Sicily burning with perpetuall fiers through the abundance of brimstone and other matter in it fained to be the shop or workhouse of Vulcan and the Cyclops for the often and great thundring and lightning in those parts Etna in the meane while groaning vnder the stithies that are placed thereon * With the stithies * Layed vpon it Those among them who weild the hammers do lift vp their armes to smite in order and oft with their pinsers turne the iron holding it fast ‖ Others of them ‖ Making as it were a musicall harmonie by the order of their strokes vpoÌ„ the iron to fashion it on the stithy * With a paire of pinsers holding fast the iron Euen so to compare small things with great * If it be lawfull to compare A naturall loue of gathering and making hony enforceth the litle bees to bestirre themselues and euery bee in her owne place ‖ With great * A loue bred in them viz. a naturall loue * Of hauing * Doth vrge viz. vehemently presse or charge * Of Cecropia viz. of the citie Athens so called of Cecrops builder and king of Athens where is most excellent hony in abundance for the store of thyme neare vnto it ‖ Euery one in her owne office p Thus still going on in the former distribution of their workes he she weth that the elder bees haue the charge of the whole hiues committed to them ‖ The ancient viz. elder bees haue the charge of the townes viz. of the whole hiues committed to them * A care to the ancient To fence their hony combes and to make them houses in a most artificiall and exquisite maner * To fortifie * To fashion or frame them Dedalian roofes viz. houses built with admirable art * Dedalus like viz. artificiall like as if framed by Dedalus that most cunning workman The yonger labour abroad in the fields returne home wearie and loaden late at night * But the lesser bees betake themselues home weary at late night viz. late in the euening How they seeke and trauell for their prouision euery where both on the blossomes of crab-trees on fallowes which we call palmes * Full in regard of
yet how Orpheus himselfe though exceedingly bewailing his deare wife yet labored to asswage his sorowful loue with doleful songs with his hollow Iute Which harmony of his is set out both by the places and times and things on which it wrought and how farre it did auaile That he sang of his sweete wife both by himselfe all alone in the desert shore and also how he sang of her in the morning at the breaking of the day in the eurning likewise at the departure of the same still sounding out Eâ—ridice in most 〈◊〉 sort * Comforting his sicke or pensiue loue with his hollow lute made of a torteise shell or after the fashion of a torteise shell for thence was as they say the first inuention of the lute ‖ He sang of thee continually * Louely shore * The day coming * The day departing * And hauing entred into the Tenarian iawes or mouthes or gaping holes * Tenarus is a Promontâ—ry in Laconia where for the deepe concauities is thought to be the descent into hell ‖ Dungeons * Of Dis. And so entring into the very iawes of hell and into the deep dungeons of Pluto and into a groue all blacke with fearfull darknesse he went to the infernall spirits and to the dreadfull king euen vnto Pluto himselfe * A groue or wood dark with a black feare because there is perpatuall and most dread full darknesse ‖ Infernall spirits ghosts or diuels ‖ To Pluto * Not knowing or being ignorant how to waxe gentle or 〈◊〉 by humane prayers viz. that 〈◊〉 can be quieted or appeased by any prayers or meanes This appeasing them by Orpheus was extraordinary and onely for a time by the sweetnesse of his melodie And vnto the ghosts which cannot be appeased or quieted by any prayers of men * But the thinne shadowes moued together But yet were moued by the sweetnesse of his harmonie So that they came from the lowest seates of hel to heare him lâ—te and sing ‖ Came and flocked to heare Orpheâ—s to sing and play * Erebus is properly a certain darknesse vsed for a riuer of hell here for hell it selfe Which comming of theirs is amplified by their multitudes and also by their sorts * Of men * How many thousands of birds viz as many or as thicke as birds which flie to the woods c. That they came in such numbers as birds flocking to the woods in the euening time * When the euening doth driue them Or when a Winter shower driues them from the hils ‖ A wet or sharpe storme And for the sorts of them that there came both mothers and husbands couragious nobles boyes and girles * Mountaines * These ghosts are mothers and husbands ‖ Departed Yong men also which had bene burnt to ashes before their parents faces ‖ Lads ‖ Burnt to ashes in the fiers made for that purpose * Before the faces of their parents Euen all the ghosts of all sorts whith were within the bounds of hel came to heare him which bounds are limited by Cocytus that lothsome riuer of hell made so noisome for that the water neuer moueth * Cocytus is a riuer of hell flowing out of Styx * Vnlouely with slow water viz. because the water neuer moueth Al. Vnfit to be swâ—mme in And by Styx the infernall fen compassing all nine times about * Styx is said to be a fountaine or fen of Arcadia so cold that it kills whatsoeuer â—rinketh of it here taken for the fen of hell à nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tristis ‖ For the vnderstanding of these words nouâ—es Styx interfusa Seruius saith that by the nine circles are meant the seuen circles of the seuen plannets and the two circles of fire and aire which nine circles compasse the earth intermixt with water and so this Styx which is said to be in the midst of the earth but for this I leaue it to better iudgement This is yet further amplified that not only thesâ— but also the very helâ—ish houses théselues were astonied therewith the deepest dungeons called Tartaâ—a And not they alone but that euen the hellish furies were wrapt therewith Which furies are described as hauing their haire all intangled with blackish snakes ‖ The fiends inhabiting the hellish houses * Haue bene astonied or amazed * The inmost deep dungeons called Tartara * And the Eumenides furies or hags of hell daughters to Acheron and Nox being intangled or hauing intangled or wrapped skie coloured snakes with their haires stood astonied to heare Orpheus Yea that Cerberus the gaping curre of hell left off his yolping And moreouer that the very wheele of Ixion whereon he was tormented stood still and euen the wind did stay whereby it was whiâ—lde about before * Cerberus a dog with three heads which as the Poets fained was porter of hell * Kept viz. left off his yolping * Of Ixions orbe viz. the round engine whereon he was tormented by Iupiters appointment because he had sollicited Iuno to adultery stood still or stayed with the wind viz. together with the winde of it by which winde it rolled about before to the end that they might heare Orpheus b And finally the Prophet sheweth that his musick so farre preuailed as that he had recouered his Euridice againe vpon this condition and law that he looke â—ot behind him vnto her vntil they were both quite forth of hel wherunto they had proceeded which is thus set forth by the Poet. That he was returning back from hell had escaped al dangers with his wife restored vnto him and was coming out of the infernall darknesse into the light of this world and yet euen there ouerthrew all his labours and hopes again onely forgetting that law of Proserpina the Queene of hel in looking back vnto his Euridice * Carrying backe or plucking backe his foote ‖ Was past * Chances 〈◊〉 misfortunes ‖ Whom he had recouered againe ‖ Was comming into the vpper aire viz. into the light of the world out of the darknesse of hell ‖ Proserpina Plutoes wife had giuen this law that if Orpheus looked backe vpon his wife vntill she was quite out of hell and in the vpper light of the world he should lose her againe for that she should returne backe into hell c Which is also further amplified by the causes and manner thereof That a sudden madnes through the vehemencie of his affection caught away his vnwarie minde to looke backe vnto his Euridice which though it was a great fault against such a law and vpon such a perill yet was it a fault that in that case might wel haue bin pardoned if the infernall spirits could pardoÌ„ any thing Notwithstanding hee onely standing still and but casting his eye behind him to her at the first glimpse of the light lost all his hope the grant of the mercilesse tyrant being vtterly made voide ‖ Folly of too much loue * Tooke viz had surprised or caught away the
with mosse and a little brook running through the grasse And let the palme-tree ouershade the entrance of their hiues or the huge wilde oliue That when the new kings shall leade forth their first swarmes In their owne spring time and their youth sent out from their hony combes shall sport abroad The banke neareby may inuite them to get themselues out of the heate And that the tree full in their way may entertaine them with her branching harborowes Whether the water shall stand still or whether it runne cast sallowes ouerthwart and great stones into the midst of it That the bees may rest vpon bridges layde thicke together and may lay open their wings vnto the Summer Sunne if that perhaps the violent Easterne winde shall scatter them lingring ouerlong or shall plunge them into the water About these places let there grow greene Cassia and wilde thyme smelling all abroad and store of winter sauory smelling strong and let the banks of violets drink the moistening water-springs And also the hiues themselues whether you haue them sewed and made with hollow barks or wouen with limber twigs Let them haue narrow entrances for Winter hardens hony with the cold and heate in the Summer dissolues and melts the same The violence of both these is to be feared alike to bees neither do the bees themselues in vaine besmeare with waxe most painefully who shall do best the little breathing holes within their hiues and fill vp the rifts with mosse and flowers and preserue a glue gathered to these same seruices more clammie then birdlime or then the pitch of Ida hill in Phrygia Oft times also if the report be true the bees haue made their houses in caues digd within the ground and they haue bene found deepe in hollow pumeise stones and in the trunke of an eaten tree Yet both daâ—be their clifted hiues with mud layd smoothly on defending them round about and also cast aloft vpon them leaues thinly strewd And suffer not the yough tree to grow neare vnto their houses nor burne red sea-crabs on your hearth nor trust the deepe fen too much Or where there is a noisome smell of mud or where the hollow rockes do sound with the beating of waters and where the likenesse of the voice beat backe rebounds That which remains is this that when the golden Sunne hath chased away the Winter driuen vnder the earth and hath again set open the skie with Summer light They forthwith trauell through forrests and woods And suck the purple coloured flowers and also being light of bodie do sip the vpmost streames Hereupon being chearfull with what delight I know not they cherish their brood and maintaine their hiues Yea hereupon they fashion out new waxe by skill and make their clammie hony Hence whenas you shall behold a swarme sent forth euen now out of their hiues vnto the skies to waue through the cleare Summer aire And shall maruell at a darke cloud to be drawne with the wind Marke well they do alwayes seeke sweete waters and houses among the boughes of trees To this end sprinkle the appointed iuyces Bruz'd balme-mint and the common grasse of hony-suckle And make a ringing noise and tinkle round about the cymbals Al. of the mother of the Gods The bees will settle all together vpon their sprinkled seates yea * they will get themselues into the inmost cabbines after their manner But if they shall go foorth to fight for discord oftentimes hath growne betweene two kings with great adoe You may both presently foreknow the stomackes of the common fort and also you may perceiue long before their trembling hearts prepared for warre For why that warlike noise of a brazen trumpet sounding harsh doth checke those which do linger long And after a voice is heard resembling the broken sounds of trumpets Then hastily they go together and glister with their wings They likewise sharpen their stings with their snouts and fit their lims to fight And are gathered thicke about their king and euen vnto the Emperours pauillion and call forth the enemie with great cries Therefore when they haue got a faire and cleare Spring time and open fields they rush out of their gates they runne violently together a sound is made high in the aire they mixt are gathered into a great round heape And fall downe headlong The haile falls not more thicke out of the aire Nor yet such store of acornes raine from th' shaken oake The kings themselues flying thorough the midst of the armies Al. with gallant wings Do exercise braue minds within their narrow breasts Endeuouring stoutly with all their power not to yeeld vntill the heauie conquerour hath compelled either these or those to turne their backs in flight These stirrings vp of their courages and these so great skirmishes Will ceasse being repressed with the casting vp of a litle dust But when you haue recall'd both the leaders from the battell Put him to death that seemes the worst lest being a spend-all he do hurt but suffer him that seemes the better that he may reigne in the pallace all alone One of the kings will be bright burning red with spots shining like gold For there are two kinds of kings this which is the better is notable in countenance And bright with glistering specks that other king is ill fauoured Through sloth and draggeth his broad belly without all honour As there are two fashions of their kings so the bodies of the common sort are two differing each from other For why some of them are rough and ill-fauoured like as when a thirstie traueller comes out of the deepe dust and spits vpoÌ„ the ground with his drie mouth others do shine and glister with cleare brightnesse Gloring like gold and hauing their bodies dasht with equall spots This is the better brood
threefold loues of th' Gods euen from the Chaos With which discourse the Nymphs being caught whilst that they spin the dolefull moane of Aristeus pierst into his mothers eares and all the Nymphes were amazed sitting on their glassie seates but Arethusa looking forth before her other sisters lift vp her yellow head aboue th' top of the water And being farre off thus she spake Oh sister Cyrene affrighted not without iust cause for so great a wailing Aristeus himself thy greatest care sad for thy sake stands weeping at the waues of Peneus thy father and cals thee cruel by name The mother smitten in her mind with a new feare saith to her Go to bring him hither bring him vnto vs it may be lawfull for him to touch the thresholds of the Gods and withall she commands the deepe riuers to depart all abroad where the yong man should enter in But the water stood round about bowed after the manner of a hill And entertained him in her vast bosome and sent him vnderneath the riuer And now admiring his mothers house and her watery realmes And also the lakes shut vp in caues and the sounding groues He went forward and being astonied at the mightie mouing of the waters Beheld all the riuers flowing vnder the great earth both Phasis and Lycus And thâ— head from whence the deepe Eâ—ipeus first Al. bursts forth and shewes it selfe From what place father Tiberine and from whence the streams of Anien do come And Hipanis making a great sound amongst the stones and Caicus flowing out of Mysia And eke Eridanus hauing two golden hornes in a buls face then which not any other riuer flowes more violently thorough the fertile fields into the purple sea After that he was come vnder the roofe of the bed-chamber of his mother Cyrene hanging all with pumish stone and that Cyrene knew the needlesse weeping of her sonne her sister Nymphes giue in order faire spring water for his hands and bring him towels with the nap shorne off Part of them furnish the tables with dainties and oft do fill the cups the altars waxe full sweete with fiers of Panchean wood And then his mother said Take thou these cups of Lydian wine Let vs offer to God Oceanus quoth she And herewith she prayes both vnto Oceanus the father of all things and to the Nymphs her sisters A hundred of them which keepe the woods and also an hundred which keep the riuers Thrise did she sprinkle the burning fire with pure sweete wine Thrise the flame being vnderneath flasht backe againe to th' top of the house With which luckie signe she confirming her mind began thus There is a Prophet of the sea in the Carpathian gulfe Called the skie coloured Proteus who measures out the great sea borne vpon fishes backs And in a chariot drawne by two footed horses He is now gone to renew the ports of Emathia and his countrey Palene Him do the Nymphs adore and ancient Nereus himself for that Prophet knoweth all things Which are which haue bene and which may be protracted to come ere long Because it hath so seemed good to Neptune whose monstrous heards of cattell and huge sea-calues he feeds vnderneath the gulfe This Prophet my sonne is to be bound of thee before thou aske him any thing that he may speedily tell thee euery cause of the diseases of thy bees and may giue thee good successe For he will not giue thee any precepts without constraint neither shalt thou moue him by intreatie * Lay hard hands and bonds vpon him being caught His deceits about these things will at length be vtterly frustrate I my selfe about the noone-tide whenas the Sunne hath kindled his middle heate When the herbes are thirstie and the shadow is more welcome to the cattell Will bring thee into the secret places of th' old man Al. whither he being wearie doth retire himselfe from the waues that thou mayest easily set vpon him lying fast asleepe But when thou shalt hold him taken with hands and bands Then diuers shapes will delude thee and faces of wilde beasts for he will be of a sudden a rough bristled swine and a blacke tiger And also a scaly dragon and a lionesse with a tawnie yellow necke Or else he will giue forth a crackling noise of fire and so he will escape out of thy bands or slipping aside from thee he will go quite away into the thin waters But how much more he turnes himselfe into all shapes So much the more my sonne tie hard his bands to hold him fast Vntill he shall be such a one his bodie being changed againe as thou sawest him when he closed his eyes beginning first to sleepe These things she spake and cast abroad a pure odour of Ambrosia Wherewith she Al. sok't the bodie of her sonne throughout but a sweete sent blew to him hauing his haire neatly drest And an able vigour entred into his lims There is a huge caue in the side of a hill eaten all away whereinto very much water is driuen by the wind and parts it selfe into reflowing creakes Which sometime was a most safe harbour for sea-men caught by tempest Within it doth Proteus close himselfe with the couer of a huge great stone * Here doth the Nymph Cyrene place the yong man turned from the light within the lurking holes and she her selfe Al. went backe farre off obscured with clouds Now the wood Dog-starre called Syrius broyling the thirstie Indians burned in the skie and the fierie Sunne had gone halfe his daily course herbes withered and the sun-beames boyled the hollow riuers warmed to the mud their vpper parts being drie When Proteus went from the riuers going vnto his wonted caues the waterish nation of the vast sea leaping about him sprinkled the bitter dew all abroad The sea-calues
viz. date trees or the like * The porch Secondly trees plants or herbes Trees as the palme ouershadowing the entrance of their hiues or the wilde oliue to the same purpose ‖ Great oliue tree viz. some other great trees which the bees like best Also banks of herbs or lesse plants to allure the yong ones in the Spring to sport abroad and to get them out of the heate * In their spring viz. the time meet for their first going out * Yong bees * The banke neare may inuite viz. allure or entice them to depart or giue place to or from the heate of the Sunne into the shadow * And the tree meeting them may hold or receiue them And great trees in the way to serue them to light and rest vpon Thirdly that they should haue boughes of trees as of â—allowes or the like to be layed ouerthwart in the water ‖ With her boughes full of greene leaues for the yong bees to light vpon * Whether the moâ—sture viz. water shall stand sluggish viz. still not mouing or whether it flow viz. run continually ‖ Cast into the midst thereof willowes layed acrosse and big stones Or great stones to be set therein for the beeâ— to saue themselues 〈◊〉 for to rest vpon ‖ Into the midst of the water for the bees to light vpon * That the bees may stand sure vpon And that they may spread their wings laying them open against the Sunne if the windes shall plunge any of them into the water * Often bridges viz. lying thicke together or many ‖ Spread abroad * The headlong East wind Fourthly that they should haue store of sweete smelling herbes to be planted round about the waters and about the hiues as namely Cassia wilde marioram winter sauorie ‖ Staying long abroad * Or shall drowne viz. dip them into Neptune viz shall cast them headlong into the water * Let greene Cassi flourish about these places or bee-gardens * Of Cassia see before in the second Eclogue Also bankes of violets c. * Wilde bettâ—nie smelling like wilde marjoram or it may be taken for sauorie ‖ Hysope * Casting out a sauour grieuously viz. smelling very strong or being strong of sent * Beds or borders of violets * Drinke the watering or maistening spring viz. let them be planted neare the water sides where they may draw moisture c Hitherto the Poet hath described the bee-garden viz. the place fit for the staÌ„ding of bees now he commeth to a second precept concerning the hiues to shew what ones they must be both for the matter and fashion * Whether they shall be sowed to them with hollowed barks viz. whether you shall make them of barkes of trees sewed together or whether they shall be wouen with a limber twig or ozier viz. made of rods First for the matter that they be made of hollow barks sewed together or of rods or twigs Secondly for the entranceâ— of the hiues that they be narrow to keep our both cold and heate because the Winter cold hardens the hony and Summer heate dissolues it * Doth make thick or doth thicken or make hard the honies * And heate remits viz. dissolues the same honies being molten viz. made thin that is heate â—elts and dissolues them That the violence and danger of both these is to be feared prenented alike he proues further froÌ„ the endeuoâ—rs of the bees themselues against such iniuries of the weather * Both the violence of cold and heate is to be feared ‖ To be feared to bees viz. to be preuented * Neither they do daâ—be in vaine or without iust câ—se * Daubâ— ouer That they stop close all the little holes and tifts in their hiues with waxe mosse flowers and with a kind of glue more slimie then birdlime or pitch * Striuingly or by strife * In the roofes or houses ‖ And stop * Vtmost parts or skirts viz. clifts or chinkes * With fucus some take this to be meant of a counterfet kind of waxe but more pitchie gathered of the gums of trees others for a kinde of mosse * Keepe or saue * Offices or businesses ‖ Tough or gummie ‖ The pitch of the pitch trees of Ida an hill in Phrygia * The Phrygian Ida. And that for more safetie against all such perill they haue bene found to haue made their houses within the ground * Haue digged their house in holes digd out vnder the ground And in pumeise stones all eaten And so in trunkes of hollow trees * Altogether or deeply Thirdly for the better preseruing the hiues from all such violence of weather and other inconueniâ—ces to daub them smoothly with mud to strew leaues thereon to keepe the hiues moist from chopping * Caue viz. the hollownesse * Of a tree all eaten with rottennesse ‖ Howbeit * Annoint thou their lodgings full of clifts or rifts or chinkes * With smooth raud viz. smoothed on the outside or finely tempered ‖ Oxe dung or the like * Cherishing them viz. to preserue them from all violence both of heate and cold ‖ And moreouer cast vpon the hiues thus daubed leaues here and there viz. to keepe the mud or dung moist and from chinking d After he proceedeth to giue warning of such things as are noisome to the hiues like as he had before for the bee-gardens as that the good husband should not suffer yough trees to grow too neare them nor to burne the shels of sea-crabs neare vnto them nor to let them stand ouer neare to deepe fens or standing waters * Neither suffer * Nearer to their roofes viz. hiues ‖ Crabs or creuisses which are red when they are sod or burnt * In thy hearth or chimney whereby the smell may come to the bees ‖ Let not your bees stand neare vnto a moore or watery place being deepe * Or where the smell of mud or dirt is grieucus Nor neare vnto any filthy smell of mud nor any great sounding of waters Nor where there is a loud â—ccho * Stones ‖ Do make a noise * By beating vpon e Here now followeth a third precept concerning the worke of the Bees in the Spring and in the Summer time Where first the Poet describes the Spring by the efficient cause of it to wit the Sunne viz. when the Sunne coming nearer vnto vs hath with his light chased away the Winter and begins to bring the Summer that then the bees trauell forthwith far and neare thorough forrests and woods and all other places where they may gather their prouision ‖ Vnto the Antipodes where it is Winter when it is Summer with vs. * The image of the voice offended leapes backe viz. where there is a great Eccho which comes by the beating backe of the voice ‖ The bees presently passe through vplands or launds * Hath vnshut or opened heauen with the Summer light viz. the pleasant Sunne in the spring How they sucke it chitfly from the
after what manner endiue viz. the herbes called endiue or suecory might reioyce in the riuers well drunke of Also the manner of planting endiue and succorie neare water sides ‖ Greene parsly banks And how to haue the greene bankes of parsly ‖ A pium taken for common parsly and not for garden parsly * And the cucumber Likewise how to haue faire great cucumbers * The herbe viz. herbes or weeds * Might increase into a belly * Had I held my peace of or said nothing of the Narcissus or white daffadill bearing leaues or flowering late With store of Narcissus * Sera pro serò a Newter Adiectiue for an Aduerbe * The twig viz. of the herbe called branke vrsine * Bowed or bent Branke vrsine ‖ Acanthus or beare breech See before in the third Eclogue Ivies Miâ—le trees and the like ‖ Delighting to grow neare the sea-shores This he confirmeth by the example of an old man of Corycus neare vnto Tarent * For I remember me to haue seene viz. that I once saw an old Corycian fellow vnder the high towers of Oebalia c. ‖ By Oebalia he meaneth Tarent built by the Oebalians viz. the Lacedemonians in the countrey of Calabria ‖ Watereth * The tilled fields waxing yellow with ripe câ—rne ‖ Of Cilicia for Corycus is a towne of Cilicia * To whom there were a few acres of the country left viz after the diuision of the fields of Tarent made by Pompey to the old soldiers not left for saken as contemned by the owners Some thinke it is meant left by his ancestors and made fruitfull by his husbandrie Who hauing but a few acres of ground left after the diuision of the countrey The soile whereof was neither fruitfull for grasse nor corne nor yet commodious for vines * Neither was that ground fertile for bullockes viz. for pasture nor the corne growing on it or puise ‖ Good for other cattell or thuu nor a fit crop for cattell viz for sheep * Neither was the ground * To Bacchus viz. fit or good for vines Yet this old man planting herbes in that ground thinly here and there ‖ Yet this man c. * He pressing or pricking downe viz. setting * Pot-herbes viz. herbes fit to be eaten of diuers sorts thinne in the bushes ‖ All herbes vsed about religious câ—remonies or to holy ends ‖ Meete to be eaten sparingly Thought himselfe as rich as a king thereby * In his minds viz. in conceit the wealth of kings because it is the mind not the cheft that maketh rich And could at any time furnish his table with dainties of his owne growing without any further cost ‖ Meates or proâ—ision of his owne * At late night or late in the euening Hauing abundance of roses in the Spring and 〈◊〉 in Autumne and those ripe with the first * He loaded his tables * He begun or was wâ—nt to pluâ—ke roses first viz. with the first Or carpere for carpebat Enal * And also he plucked apples first viz. his were first ripe And also store of greene herbes in the hardest Winter when all elsewhere were killed with the frost * And when the sad or terrible Winter euen now did burst the stones * with cold and bridled the coâ—rses of 〈◊〉 viz. of the riâ—ers * With ice Thus he proceeded still watching his oportunities waiting on the time and oft thinking iâ— long before it came * Euen now did he sheare the tops of soft branke vrsiâ—e viz. new sprung that is he had fresh herbes ‖ Late * Staying long or making long delayes because the West windes are the first messengers of the Spring Hereby he was wont to abound with breeding bees and store of swarmes * With bees full of yong ones and with many a swarme And plentie of hony ‖ Crushed or strained Hauing all trees wherein the bees delight as both linden trees and also pine-trees * There were to him linden trees and the most plentifull pine tree or great abundance of pine trees ‖ Most fruitfull or profitable viz. for making their hoâ—y combes * And with how many apples each fruitfull tree had clothed or arayed it selfe in the new flower viz. at the first knotting it held euen so many ripe apples in Autumne viz. at the gathering that is they did all prosper And maruellous increase of apples so that looke how many yong apples he had set on the trees presently after the blooming so many ripe ones 〈◊〉 gathered in the Autumâ—e all â—med to prosper * He also remoâ—ed or translated into order viz. into rowes after the maner of a Quineuâ—x late 〈◊〉 viz. elmes that grow but showly * Very hard or the 〈◊〉 and strong 〈◊〉 He moreouer planâ—ed 〈◊〉 And withall peare-trees and plâ—m trees ‖ Plums or damosiâ—s not sloes because the nature of the trees were changed by the change of the ground through his husbandrie And alâ—o plâ—ne 〈◊〉 for shade * Now ministring viz. affoording a shadow to men drinking vnder the same But he concludeth this digression that he is enforced to cut off all loÌ„ger discourse of these things through lacke of time leaues them to be recorded by others H Ouerpasse or omit * Being separated or excluded by vnequall spaces viz. being hindred from hauing the like or from finishing the worke by the short time of my life or of my leisure compared to that old mans * Leaue them to others to be rehearsed hereafter And first he toucheth a fable concerning the originall or their first receiuing of their excellent qualities which they are said to haue had from Iupiter for a reward of feeding him when he was new born m Here he cometh to a seuenth precept concerning the nature and qualities of bees where their whole work is expressed in diuers parts * The natures or gifts ‖ Hath giuen to bees besides what they had before ‖ What reward the bees had for following c. and feeding Iupiter * Of the Curetes viz. of Cybeles priests called Corybantes or of the people called Curetes being the first inhabitants of Creet who vndertooke the nursing of Iupiter to hide him and his crying from his father Saturne in a caue at the foote of the hill Dicte in Candie That bees following the shrill sound that Cybeles priests made at his birth to the end that his crying should not be heard found him in a caue of the hill Dicte in Creete where he was hid from his father Saturne and fed him there with their hony Of which fable see Ramus his Com. more at large * And their ratling brasses ‖ Iupiter * Vnder the Dictean caue n Then he proceedeth to shew their admirable qualities as that they haue their yong ones in common both bred in coÌ„mon and all hauing a common care of them and also that they haue a citie and common halls leade their liues vnder worthy lawes ‖ Onely the bees of all other creatures haue their yong
mother of Aristeus and her answer wherein first he sheweth how she perceiued a dolefull voice and then describes her both by the place wher she was viz. in her bedchamber vnder the deep riuer Peneus and also by her attendants the Nymphs round about her Which Nymphs are againe set out by their work that they toosed Milesian wooll of a deepe glassie colour and by their names to wit Drymo Zantho Ligea Philodoce and these like wise commended by their beautie in their haire viz. hauing their faire haire spred about their white neckes ‖ A dolefull noise viz. the complaint of her sonne Aristeus * The Nymphs standing about her ‖ Caried * Milesian fleeces viz. of the citie Miletum * Counterfeited * With a full colour of glasse Al. A Saturan colour of Saturum a citie neare Tarent where such colours were much died * For the reason of these names set Ramus com on this place * Being powred out or spred in regard of their bright haire or locks by or about their white necks ‖ Gay or gallant And with these Nesea Spio Thalia Cymodoce Cydippe and Lycorias which two last are noted that one of them was a virgin * And yellow Lycorias viz. Lycorias with her golden lockes The other of them hauing had one onely child * Th' other then first hauing tried by experience the labours or trauels of Lucina By Lucina is vnderstood Iuno or Diana so called because they two ruled the trauell of women and helped in bringing the child to light ‖ Where the Poet counts adulterie theft Vnto these are added Clio and Beroe which two are honoured by their descent that they were the daughters of Oceanus * Girded in with gold And also by their attire that they were clothed in gold and spotted skins * And with painted skins viz. garments or girdles made of speckled Deere skins With these in like manner are numbred others as Ephyre Opis Asia and Deiopeia * And also * And Deiopeia of Asia or Asia Goddeslike And also Arethusa who is commended for her swiftnesse hauing layed away her shafts wherewith she pursued the chase * Her shafts being layed away at last viz. after that she had layed away her shafts and left off her hunting * Amongst which Nymphs the Nymph Clymene * Shewed or related viz. sang of * The vaine or needlesse care of Vulcan * The deceits of Mars Hereof see Ouids Met. And amongst them all Clymene who told them merrie tales to passe away the time make their work more pleasant Of which tales some few are noted to giue a â—aste to the rest * Sweet thefts viz. stolne delights betweene Mars and Venus * And Clymene numbred the thicke loues ‖ From the beginning of the world Metam I. i But here the Poet returns to declare the effect of Aristeus moane that thogh the Nymphs were caught with much delight whilest they were spinning through the pleasantnesse of her discourse and her pretie tales yet the dolefull moan of Aristeus pierst into his mothers eares * With which verse * Catched or taken with delight * Whilst they roll downe or twist the soft yarne with their spindles * The mourning of Aristeus inforced or entered violently into his mothers eares And that all the Nymphes sitting on their glassie seates were much amazed therewith * From their glassie seates ‖ Their seates being bright like glasse as water which is shining that it may be discerned thorough And thirdly how Arethusa looking forth before her other sisters to know the noise and what it meant lift vp her golden head aboue the top of the water ‖ Shining head or golden head * From the vppermost waue viz. the vppermost part of the water * Waue * And farre off And that she perceiuing what it was thogh standing a far off spake vnto her sister Cyrene who was exceedingly affrighted at the dolefull moane shewed her the whole matter * Exceedingly terrified * By so great a groane viz. pitifull mourning * To or for thee How her son Aristeus who was her greatest care being very sad for her cause stood weeping at the riuer side called her cruell * Waue viz. at the side of the riuer Peneus * Smitten in regard of her minde Synech ‖ Astonished Wherunto the answer of Cyrâ—nes his mother is adioyned and first is set downe a preparatioÌ„ to her speech How she being smitten with a new feare returned againe this answer vnto Arethusa That she should go and bring him in vnto her That it might be lawfull for him to approch and enter within the thresholds of the Gods sith he was the sonne of a Nymph and of a God * To this Arethusa ‖ For him because he was the sonne of a God and of a Nymph And withall how she commanded the waters to depart and to make way where her sonne should enter in ‖ To auoide or giue place viz. to make a way How thereupon the waters obeyed stood about him * Should bring in his steps or the going of the yong man might bring him in * The waue ‖ Crooked or bowed crooks into the face viz. after the maner or fashion of a mountaine or hill And receiued him accordingly and sent him vnderneath the riuer vnto his mothers house ‖ And receiued him in her huge chanell ‖ Streame k Then the Poet shews his wondering at the things he saw in this his passage amongst the waters How he admired his mothers house her watery realmes the great standing ponds within â—he ground froÌ„ whence the fountaines and diâ—ers riuers issued and also how he wondered at the sounding groues * Maruelling or wondering at the house of his mother which had bred him * Kingdomes ‖ These are fained to be the Theaters of the Nymphes ‖ Huge motion or tumbling ‖ Large or spacious How he still going forward was astoâ—ied at the huge tumbling of the waters and 〈◊〉 great riuers flowing vnderâ—e atâ— the earth * And admiring the lakes viz. standing ponds or meeres the receptacles of the fountains or from whence the heads of diuers riuers issued * Sliding * And did behold ‖ Issues forth Aâ— Phasis and Lycus And to behold the heads of diuers great riuers 〈◊〉 both of the deepe riuer Eâ—ipous Al Snatcheth forth it selfe * From whence And also of the ancient riuer Tiber. ‖ The ancient riuer Tiber doth burst forth And so likewise the head of Anien of Hipanis Caicus Eridanus Which three riuers are set forth by their seuerall circumstances As Hipanis for making a great sound running amongst stones Caicus flowing out of Mysia ‖ Anio a riuer neare Tibur * Sounding as amongst stones viz. roughly and vehemently Saxosum pro Saxo◠‖ Caicus a riuer of Phrygia coming out of Mysia Eridanus that it hath two golden hornes in a buls face * And Eridanus being golden in regard of his double hornes in or with a buls countenance Synec It seemeth to be called
promiseth that she her selfe will conduct him to the very place where he may finde Proteus asleepe That about the noone time of the day when as the Sunne is most hote so that the herbs begin to parch and that the cattell seeke after the shadow to stand vnder to saue them from the heate she would guide him to the secret place of this old man * Do thirst or parch as crying for water ‖ Pleasant or delight some ‖ Gods of the sea are fained to be old men and gray haired because of the foame of the sea * Al. Whither he being wearied of the waues or with the water * Doth receiue or betake himselfe Whither he being wearied by reason of his age toyling amongst the waues retires himselfe to rest ‖ Come vpon him * Lying in sleepe p And here she rehearseth againe the maner how her son should inforce him when he had caught him That he must hold him fast and binde him sure because he would change himselfe into diuers shapes to the end to delude him or to affright him so to cause him to let him go * Catched with That so he might come vpon him of a sudden lying fast asleep ‖ Shewes or likenesses * Mouthes * For he will be made suddenly a horrible or dreadfull swine ‖ A cruell tiger That he would be turned of a sudden into a swine and to a blacke tiger ‖ A dragon full of scales ‖ A she lion Likewise into a scaly dragon * With a necke of a deepe yellow shining like gold And into a fierce lionesse * Or else he will giue a sharpe or shrill sound of a flame of fire Or else he would seeme like a flame of fire making a crackling noise to escape out of his bonds * Fall out viz. get away * Or sliding away he will go into the thin waters Or to slip away into the water * But by how much more he shall turne himselfe Against all which she forewarneth him to looke well to it that the more he should so change himselfe he should tie and hold him so much the harder ‖ Change * Formes * My sonne stretch more by so much the bands holding him fast Vntill he come vnto his right shape againe as he was at the first * What a one thou hast seene him * Couered * With sleepe begun or his sleepe begun viz. beginning to sleepe q Cyrene hauing thus directed her sonne she moreouer prouides that he may be liuely valorous against the time of this his conflict with Proteus the better to preuaile And to this purpose she cast vpon him a pure odour of Ambrosia ‖ Thus she spake * Saâ—d ‖ And withall * Powred abroad * A liquid smell or sauour or iuyce r Ambrosia ab a priâ—atiua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mortalis because it is â—aid to make them immortall who taste thereof as Nectar of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occido non occido Ramus ‖ By Ambrosia is either meant an herbe commonly called Oke of Ierusalem or Oke of Paradise or else it is taken for the meate of the Gods as vsually in the Poets like as Nectar is the drinke of the Gods * With which she powred or wet throughout the whole bodie of her sonne * A sweete winde or blast breathed vnto him his haires being composed viz combed and neatly set in order ‖ A liuely ablenesse Al. Throughly annointed or led thoroughout * Came. s After all this doth the Poet describe the place of Proteus reâ—t more fully where Cyrene sets her sonne to catch him in such sort as she had directed ‖ A mightie great hoâ—e * Of a mountaine all eaten away with the waters Wherewith she soked his whole bodie thoroughout blew vpon with so sweete a sent that a liuely vigour entred into his lims ‖ Great store of water * Is gathered by the wind * And the waue doth cut or deuide it selfe into bosomes brought backe viz. hollow turnings of water banks where the water is beate backe * In time past a most safe standing or rode to the mariners being catched * Within Proteus doth couer viz. is wont to couer or hide himselfe for his retire That there is a huge caue in the side of a hill eaten with the water where the waues driuen in by the windes are beaten backe * Barre or shut * Vaste or mightie * Here the Nymph his mother doth place the yong man viz. Aristeus turned from the light that is aside from the caues mouth whereby the light came into the caue that Proteus should not see him Which place was sometime a most safe harbour for sea-men caught by tempest ‖ In a secret place How within this caâ—e Proteus vsed to retire rest himselfe couering the mouth of it with a very great stone ‖ She also withdrew her selfe a far off couered with a cloud And how within a creake hereof she placed her sonne secretly that he might stand close and not be seene Al. resistit stands backe viz. stood aside * Obscure with clouds viz. much hidden t Then he declares the effect of her aduice how all things came to passe accordingly and first sets out the time of his surprising him in such sort that it was the beginning of the dog-days viz when the dog-star burnes in the skie and about the midtime of the day which is thus set forth by causes and effects That the Sunne had gone halfe his daily course the herbes withered the hollow riuers waxed warme euen vnto the mud hauing their banks drie * Now Syrius vehement in burning parching or scorching ‖ Syrius is a starre in the mouth of the signe called the Dog at the arising whereof are great and intemperate heates That she withdrew her selfe farre off obscuted with a cloud * Did burne in the heauen viz. did cast his fiery influence from heauen * Had drawne halfe the orbe viz. had past halfe the world that is was come to the midst or height of heauen viz to the noonesteed ‖ The scorching sun had warmed the riuers to the mud * Iawes viz. mouthes or tops of the riuers viz. their banks drie all about the tops u Secondly Proteus his going to sleepe is amplified by the place whither he went viz. to his wonted caues * Flouds * Seeking his accustomed holes or priuie lurking places ‖ The fishes of the sea ‖ Huge great sea ‖ Bounsing about him as triumphing for excessiue ioy ‖ The seawater which is bitter in taste ‖ Far abroad like as fishes do when they leape ‖ The sea monsters * Strew themselues in sleepe in a diuers shore And likewise by his attendants the sea-calues bounsing vp about him as reioycing at his presence and sprinkling the water all abroad ‖ Proteus himselfe ‖ Whenas his cattell go home from feeding And thirdly by the sea monsters laying themselues to sleep on euery shoare Lastly Proteus reposing himselfe to rest