growed there Then streight without commission or election of the rest The formost of them preasing forth vndecently profest The chalenge to performe and song the battels of the Goddes She gaue the Giants â–ª all the praise the honor and the oddes Abasing sore the worthie déedes of all the Gods She telles How Typhon issuing from the earth and from the déepest helles Made all the Gods aboue afraide so greatly that they fled And neuer staide till Aegypt land and Nile whose streame is shed In channels seuen receiued them forwearied all togither And how the Helhound Typhon did pursue them also thither By meanes wherof the Gods eche one were faine themselues to hide In forged shapes She saide the Ioue the Prince of Gods was wride In shape of Ram which is the cause that at this present tide Ioues ymage which the Lybian folke by name of Hammon serue Is made with crooked welked hornes that inward still doe terue That Phebus in a Rauen lurkt and Bacchus in a Geate And Phebus sister in a Cat and Iuno in a Neate And Venus in the shape of Fish and how that last of all Mercurius hid him in a Bird which Ibis men doe call This was the summe of all the tale which she with rolling tung And yelling throteboll to hir harpe before vs rudely sung Our turne is also come to speake but that perchaunce your grace To giue the hearing to our song hath now no time nor space Yes yes quoth Pallas tell on forth in order all your tale And downe she sate among the trées which gaue a pleasant swale The Muse made aunswere thus To one Calliope here by name This chalenge we committed haue and ordring of the same Then rose vp faire Calliope with goodly bush of heare Trim wreathed vp with yuie leaues and with hir thumbe gan steare The quiuering strings to trie them if they were in tune or no. Which done she playde vpon hir Lute and song hir Ditie so Dame Ceres first to breake the Earth with plough the maner found She first made corne and stouer soft to grow vpon the ground She first made lawes For all these things we are to Cerâ—s bound Of hir must I as now intreate would God I could resound Hir worthie laude she doubtlesse is a Goddesse worthie praise Bicause the Giant Typhon gaue presumptuously assayes To conquer Heauen the howgie I le of Trinacris is layd Upon his limmes by weight whereof perforce he downe is weyde He striues and strugles for to rise full many a time and oft But on his right hand toward Rome Pelorus standes aloft Pachynnus standes vpon his left his legs with Lilybie Are pressed downe his monstrous head doth vnder Aetna lie From whence he lying bolt vpright with wrathfull mouth doth spit Out flames of fire â–ª he wrestleth oft and walloweth for to wit And if he can remoue the weight of all that mightie land Or tumble downe the townes and hilles that on his bodie stand By meanes whereof it commes to passe that oft the Earth doth shake And euen the King of Ghostes himselfe for verie feare doth quake Misdoubting least the Earth should cliue so wide that light of day Might by the same pierce downe to Hell and there the Ghostes affray Forecasting this the Prince of Fiendes forsooke his darksome hole And in a Chariot drawen with Stéedes as blacke as any cole The whole foundation of the I le of Sicill warely vewde When throughly he had sercht eche place that harme had none ensewde As carelessely he raungde abrode he chaunced to be séene Of Venus sitting on hir hill who taking streight betwéenâ— hir armes hir winged Cupid said my sonne mine only stay My hand mine honor and my might go take without delay Those â—ooles which all wightes do subdue and strike them in the hart Of that same God that of the world enioyes the lowest part The Gods of Heauen and Ioue himselfe the powre of Sea Land And he that rules the powres on Earth obey thy mightie hand And wherefore then should only Hell still â—nsubdued stand Thy mothers Empire and thine own why doste thou not aduaunce The third part of al the world now hangs in doubtful chaunce And yet in heauen too now their déedes thou séest me faine to beare We are despisde the strength of loue with me away doth weare Séeste not the Darter Diane and dame Pallas haue already Exempted them from my behestes and now of late so heady Is Ceres daughter too that if we let hir haue hir will She will continue all hir life a Maid vnwedded still For that is all hir hope and marke whereat she mindes to shoote But thou if ought this gracious turne our honor may promote Or ought our Empire beautifie which ioyntly we doe holde This Damsell to hir vncle ioyne No sooner had she tolde These wordes but Cupid opening streight his quiuer chose therefrâ— One arrow as his mother bade among a thousand mo But such a one it was as none more sharper was than it Nor none went streighter from the Bow the amed marke to hit He set his knée against his Bow and bent it out of hande And made his forked arrowes steale in Plutos heart to stande Neare Enna walles there standes a Lake Pergusa is the name Cayster heareth not mo songs of Swannes than doth the same A wood enuirons euerie side the water round about And with his leaues as with a veyle doth kéepe the Sunne heate out The boughes doe yéelde a coole fresh Ayre the moystnesse of the grounde Yéeldes sundrie flowres continuall spring is all the yeare there founde While in this garden Proserpine was taking hir pastime In gathering eyther Uiolets blew or Lillies white as Lime And while of Maidenly desire she fillde hir Maund and Lap Endeuoring to outgather hir companions there By hap Dis spide hir loude hir caught hir vp and all at once well nere So hastie hote and swift a thing is Loue as may appeare The Ladie with a wailing voyce afright did often call Hir Mother and hir waiting Maides but Mother most of all And as she from the vpper part hir garment would haue rent By chaunce she let hir lap slip downe and out hir flowres went And such a sillie simplenesse hir childish age yet beares That euen the verie losse of them did moue hir more to teares The Catcher driues his Chariot forth and calling euery horse By name to make away apace he doth them still enforce And shakes about their neckes and Manes their rustie bridle reynes And through the déepest of the Lake perforce he them constreynes And through the Palik pooles the which from broken ground doe boyle And smell of Brimstone verie ranke and also by the soyle Where as the Bacchies folke of Corinth with the double Seas Betwéene vnequall Hauons twaine did réere a towne for ease Betwéene the fountaines of Cyane and Arethuse of Pise An arme of Sea that meetes enclosde with narrow hornes there lies Of
That such destruction vtterly on all mankinde should fall Demaunding what he purposed with all the Earth to doe When that he had all mortall men so cleane destroyde and whoe On holie Altars afterward should offer frankinsence And whother that he were in minde to leaâ—e the Earth fro thence To sauage beastes to wast and spoyle bicause of mans offence The king of Gods bade cease their thought questions in that case And cast the care thereof on him within a little space He promist for to frame a newe an other kinde of men By wondroâ—s meanes vnlike the first to fill the world agen And now his lightning had he thought on all the earth to throw But that he feared least the flames perhaps so hie should grow As for to set the Heauen on fire and burne vp all the skie He did remember furthermore how that by destinie A certaine time should one day come wherein both Sea and Lond And Heauen it selfe shoulde féele the force of Vulâ—ans scorching brond â–ª So that the huge and goodly worke of all the worlde so wide Should go to wrecke for doubt whereof forthwith he laide aside His weapons that the Cyclops made intending to correct Mans trespasse by a punishment contrary in effect And namely with incessant showres from heauen ypoured downe He did determine with himselfe the mortall kinde to drowne In Aeölus prison by and by he fettred Boreas fast With al such winds as chase y â— cloudes or breake theÌ„ with their blast And set at large the Southerne winde who straight with watry wings And dreadfull face as blacke as pitch forth out of prison flings His beard hung full of hideous stormes all dankish was his head With water streaming downe his haire that on his shoulders shead His vgly forehead wrinkled was with foggie mistes full thicke And on his fethers and his breast a stilling dew did sticke Assoone as he betwéene his hands the hanging cloudes had crusht With ratling noyse adowne from heauen the raine full sadly gusht The Rainbow Iunos messenger bedect in sundrie hue To maintaine moysture in the cloudes great waters thither drue The corne was beaten to the grounde the Tilmans hope of gaine For which he toyled all the yeare lay drowned in the raine â–ª Ioues indignation and his wrath began to grow so hot That for to quench the rage thereof his Heauen suffisde not His brother Neptune with his waues was faine to doe him ease Who straight assembling all the streames that fall into the seas Said to them standing in his house Sirs get you home apace You must not looke to haue me vse long preaching in this case Poure out your foree for so is néede your heads ech one vnpende And from your open springs your streames with flowing waters sende He had no sooner said the word but that returning backe Eche one of them vnlosde his spring and let his waters slacke And to the Sea with flowing streames yswolne aboue their bankes One rolling in anothers necke they rushed forth by rankes Himselfe with his threetyned Mace did lend the earth a blow That made it shake and open wayes for waters forth to flow The flouds at randon where they list through all the fields did stray Men beastes trées corne with their gods were Churches washt away If any house were built so strong against their force to stonde Yet did the water hide the top and turrâ—ts in that ponde Were ouerwhelmde no difference was betwéene the sea and ground For all was sea there was no shore nor landing to be found Some climbed vp to tops of hils and some rowde to and fro In Botes where they not long before to plough and Cart did go One ouer corne and tops of townes whome waues did ouerwhelme Doth saile in ship an other sittes a fishing in an Elme In meddowes gréene were Anchors cast so fortune did prouide And crooked ships did shadow vynes the which the floud did hide And where but tother day before did féede the hungry â—ote The vgly Seales and Porkepisces now to and fro did flote The Seanymphes wondred vnder waues the townes and groues to â—ée And Dolphines playd among the tops and boughes of euery trée The grim and gréedy Wolfe did swim among the siely shéepe The Lion and the Tyger fierce were borne vpon the déepe It booted not the foming Boare his crooked tuskes to whet The running Hart coulde in the streame by swiftnesse nothing get The fléeting fowles long hauing sought for land to rest vpon Into the Sea with werie wings were driuen to fall anon Th' outragious swelling of the Sea the lesser hillockes drownde Unwonted waues on highest tops of mountaines did rebownde The greatest part of men were drownde and such as scapte the floode Forlorne with fasting ouerlong did die for want of foode Against the fieldes of Aonie and Atticke lies a lande That Phocis hight a fertile ground while that it was a lande But at that time a part of Sea and euen a champion fielde Of sodaine waters which the floud by forced rage did yéelde Where as a hill with forked top the which Parnasus hight Doth pierce the cloudes and to the starres doth raise his head vpright When at this hill for yet the Sea had whelmed all beside Deucalion and his bedfellow without all other guide Arriued in a little Barke immediatly they went And to the Nymphes of Corycus with full deuout intent Did honor due and to the Gods to whome that famous hill Was sacred and to Themis eke in whose most holie will Consisted then the Oracles In all the world so rounde A better nor more righteous man could neuer yet be founde Than was Deucalion nor againe a woman mayde nor wife That feared God so much as shée nor led so good a life When Ioue behelde how all the worlde stoode lyke a plash of raine And of so many thousand men and women did remaine But one of eche howbeit those both iust and both deuout He brake the Cloudes and did commaund that Boreas with his stout And sturdie blasts should chase the floud that Earth might see the skie And Heauen the Earth the Seas also began immediatly Their raging furie for to cease Their ruler laide awaye His dreadfull Mace and with his wordes their woodnesse did alaye He called Tryton to him straight his trumpetter who stoode In purple robe on shoulder cast aloft vpon the floode And bade him take his sounding Trumpe and out of hand to blow Retreat that all the streames might heare and rease from thence to flow He tooke his Trumpet in his hand hys Trumpet was a shell Of some great Whelke or other â—â—she in facion like a Bell That gathered narrow to the mouth and as it did descende Did waxe more wide and writhen still downe to the nether ende When that this Trumpe amiâ— the Sea was set to Trytons mouth He blew so loude that all the streames both East West North South Might easâ—y heare him blow
face The which he did immediately with feruent loue embrace He féedes a hope without cause why For like a foolishe noddie He thinkes the shadow that he sées to be a liuely boddie Astraughted like an ymage made of Marble stone he lyes There gazing on his shadowe still with fixed staring eyes Stretcht all along vpon the ground it doth him good to sée His ardant eyes which like two starres full bright and shyning bée And eke his fingars fingars such as Bacchus might beséeme And haire that one might worthely Apollos haire it déeme His beardlesse chinne and yuorie necke and eke the perfect grace Of white and red indifferently bepainted in his face All these he woondreth to beholde for which as I doe gather Himselfe was to be woondred at or to be pitied rather He is enamored of himselfe for want of taking héede And where he lykes another thing he lykes himselfe in déede He is the partie whome he wooes and suâ—er that doth wooe He is the flame that settes on fire and thing that burneth tooe O Lord how often did he kisse that false deceitfull thing How often did he thrust his armes midway into the spring To haue embraste the necke he saw and could not catch himselfe He knowes not what it was he sawe And yet the foolish elfe Doth burne in ardent loue thereof The verie selfe same thing That doth bewitch and blinde his eyes encreaseth all his sting Thou fondling thou why doest thou raught the fickle image so The thing thou séekest is not there And if a side thou go The thing thou louest straight is gone It is none other matter That thou doest sée than of thy selfe the shadow in the water The thing is nothing of it selfe with thée it doth abide With thee it would departe if thou withdrew thy selfe aside No care of meate could draw him thence nor yet desire of rest But lying flat against the ground and leaâ—ing on his brest With gréedâ—e eyes he gazeth still vppon the falced face And through his sight is wrought his bane Yet for a little space He turnes and settes himselfe vpright and holding vp his hands With piteous voyce vnto the wood that round about him stands Cryes out and ses alas ye Woods and was there euer any That looude so cruelly as I you know for vnto many A place of harbrough haue you béene and fort of refuge strong Can you remember any one in all your tyme so long That hath so pinde away as I I sée and am full faine Howbeit that I like and sée I can not yet attaine So great a blindnesse in my heart through doting loue doth raigne And for to spight me more withall it is no iourney farre No drenching Sea no Mountaine hie no wall no locke no barre It is but euen a little droppe that kéepes vs two a sunder He would be had For looke how oft I kisse the water vnder So oft againe with vpwarde mouth he riseth towarde mée A man would thinke to touch at least I should yet able bée It is a trifle in respect that lettes vs of our loue What wight soeuer that thou art come hither vp aboue O pierlesse piece why dost thou mée thy louer thus delude Or whither fliste thou of thy friende thus earnestly pursude Iwis I neyther am so fowle nor yet so growne in yeares That in this wise thou shouldst me shoon To haue me to their Féeres The Nymphes themselues haue sude ere this And yet as should appéere Thou dost pretende some kinde of hope of friendship by thy chéere For when I stretch mine armes to thée thou stretchest thine likewise And if I smile thou smilest too And when that from mine eyes The teares doe drop I well perceyue the water stands in thine Like gesture also dost thou make to euerie becke of mine And as by mouing of thy swéete and louely lippes I wéene Thou speakest words although mine eares conceiue not what they béene It is my selfe I well perceyue it is mine Image sure That in this sort dâ—luding me this furie doth procure I am mamored of my selfe I doe both set on fire And am the same that swelteth too through impotent desire What shall I doe be woode or wo whome shall I wo therefore The thing I séeke is in my selfe my plentie makes me poore O would to God I for a while might from my bodie part This wish is straunge to heare a Louer wrapped all in smart To wish away the thing the which he loueth as his heart My sorrowe takes away my strength I haue not long to liue But in the floure of youth must die To die it doth not grieue For that by death shall come the ende of all my griefe and paine I would this yongling whome I loue might lenger life obtaine For in one soule shall now decay we stedfast Louers twaine This saide in rage he turnes againe vnto the forsaide shade And rores the water with the teares and sloubring that he made That through his troubling of the Well his ymage gan to fade Which when he sawe to vanish so Oh whither dost thou flie Abide I pray thée heartely aloud he gan to crie Forsake me not so cruelly that loueth thée so déere But giue me leaue a little while my dazled eyes to chéere With sight of that which for to touch is vtterly denide Thereby to féede my wretched rage and surie for a tide As in this wise he made his mone he stripped off his cote And with his fist outragiously his naked stomacke smote A ruddie colour where he smote rose on his stomacke shéere Lyke Apples which doe partly white and striped red appéere Or as the clusters ere the grapes to ripenesse fully come An Orient purple here and there beginnes to grow on some Which things assoone as in the spring he did beholde againe He could no longer beare it out But fainting straight for paine As lith and supple waxe doth melt against the burning flame Or morning dewe against the Sunne that glareth on the same Euen so by piecemale being spent and wasted through desire Did he consume and melt away with Cupids secret fire His liuely hue of white and red his chéerefulnesse and strength And all the things that lyked him did wanze away at length So that in fine remayned not the bodie which of late The wretched Echo loued so Who when she sawe his state Although in heart she angrie were and mindefull of his pride Yet ruing his vnhappie case as often as he cride Alas she cride alas likewise with shirle redoubled sound And when he beate his breast or strake his féete against the ground She made like noyse of clapping too These are the woordes that last Out of his lippes beholding still his woonted ymage past Alas swéete boy beloude in vaine farewell And by and by With sighing sound the selfe same wordes the Echo did reply With that he layde his wearie head against the grassie place And death did cloze his
And at hir going out Feare terror griefe and pensiuâ—nesse for companie she tooke And also madnesse with his sâ—aight and gastly staring looke Within the house of Athamas no sooner foote she set But that the postes began to quake and doores looke blacke as Iet The sonne withdrew him Athamas and eke his wife were cast With ougly sighies in such a feare that out of doores agast They would haue fled There sâ—oode the Fiend and stopt their passage out And splaying forth hir filthie armes beknit with Snakes about Did tosse and waue hir hatefull head The swarme of sâ—aled snakes Did make an irksome noyse to heare as she hir tresses shakes About hir shoulders some did craule some trayling downe hir brest Did hisse and spit out poyson gréene and spirt with tongues infest Then from amyd hir haire two snakes with venymd hand she drew Of which shée one at Athamas and one at Ino threw The snakes did craule about their breasts inspiring in their heart Most grieuous motions of the minde the bodie had no smart Of any wound it was the minde that felt the cruell stings A poyson made in Syrup wise shée also with hir brings The filthie fame of Cerberus the casting of the Snake Echidna bred among the Fennes about the Stygian Lake Desirde of gadding foorth abroad forgetfulnesse of minde Delight in mischiefe woodnesse teares and purpose whole inclinde To cruell murther all the which shée did together grinde And mingling them with new shed bloud had boyled them in brasse And stird them with a Hemblock stalke Now whyle that Athamas And Ino stood and quakte for feare this poyson ranke and fell Shée tourned into both their breastes and made their heartes to swell Then whisking often round about hir head hir balefull brand Shée made it soone by gathering winde to kindle in hir hand Thus as it were in triumph wise accomplishing hir hest To Duskie Plutos emptie Realme shée gettes hir home to rest And putteth of the snarled Snakes that girded in hir brest Immediatly King Aeolus sonne stark madde comes crying out Through all the court what meane yee Sirs why go yée not about To pitch our toyles within this chach I sawe euen nowe here ran A Lyon with hir two yong whelpes And there withall he gan To chase his wyfe as if in déede shée had a Lyon béene And lyke a Bedlem boystouslie he snatcheth from betwéene The mothers armes his little babe Loearchus smyling on him And reaching foorth his preatie armes floong him fiercely from him A twice or thrice as from a slyng and dasht his tender head Against a hard and rugged stone vntill he sawe him dead The wretched mother whither griefe did moue hir therevnto Or that the poyson spred within did force hir so to doe Hould out and frantikly with scattered haire about hir eares And with hir little Melicert whome hastely shée heares In naked armes she cryeth out hoe Bacchus At the name Of Bacâ—hus Iuno gan to laugh and scorning sayde in game This guerden loe thy foster child requiteth for the same There hangs a rocke about the Sea the foote whereof is eate So hollow with the saltish waues which on the same doe beate That like a house it kéepeth off the moysting showers of rayne The toppe is rough and shootes his front amiddes the open mayne Dame Ino madnesse made hir strong did climb this cliffe anon And healong downe without regarde of hurt that hoong thereon Did throwe hir burden and hir selfe the water where shée dasht In sprincling vpwarde glisterd red But Venus sore abasht At this hir Néeces great mischaunce without offence or fault Hir Vncle gently thus bespake O ruler of the hault And swelling Seas O noble Neptune whose dominion large Extendeth to the Heauen whereof the mightie Ioue hath charge The thing is great for which I sew But shewe thou sor my sake Some mercie on my wretched friends whome in thine endlesse lake Thou séeest tossed to and fro Admit thou them among Thy Goddes Of right euen here to mée some fauour doth belong At least wise if amid the Sea engendred erst I were Of Froth as of the which yet still my pleasaunt name I beare Neptunus graunted hir request and by and by bereft them Of all that euer mortall was In sted wherof he left them A hault and stately maiestie and altring them in hew With shape and names most méete for Goddes he did them both endew Leucothoë was the mothers name Palemon was the sonne The Thebane Ladies following hir as fast as they could runne Did of hir féete perceiue the print vpon the vtter stone And taking it for certaine signe that both were dead and gone In making mone for Cadmus house they wrang their hands and tare Their haire and rent their clothes and railde on Iuno out of square As nothing iust but more outragious farre than did behoue In so reuenging of his selfe vpon hir husbands loue The Goddesse Iuno could not beare their railing And in faith You also will I make to be as witnesses she sayth Of my outragious crueltie And so shée did in déede For shée that loued Ino best was following hir with spéede Into the Sea But as shée would hir selfe haue downeward cast Shée could not stirre but to the rock as nailed sticked fast The second as shée knockt hir breast did féele hir armes wax stiffe Another as shée stretched out hir hands vpon the cliffe Was made a stone and there stoode still ay stretching forth hir hands Into the water as before And as an other standes A tearing of hir ruffled lockes hir fingers hardened were And fâ—stned to hir frisled toppe still tearing of hir heare And looke what gesture eche of them was taken in that tide Euen in the same transformde to stones they fastned did abide And some were altered into birds which Cadmies called bée And in that goolfe with flittering wings still to and fro doe flée Nought knoweth Cadmus that his daughter and hir little childe Admitted were among the Goddes that rule the surges wilde Compellde with griefe and great mishappes that had ensewd togither And straunge foretokens often séene since first his comming thither He vtterly forsakes his towne the which he builded had As though the fortune of the place so hardly him bestad And not his owne And fléeting long like pilgrims at the last Upon the coast of Illirie his wife and he were cast Where ny forpind with cares and yeares while of the chaunces past Upon their house and of their toyles and former trauails tane They sadly talkt betwéene themselues was my speare head the bane Of that same ougly Snake of Mars ê™ Cadmus when I fled From Sidon or did I his teeth in ploughed pasture spred If for the death of him the Goddes so cruell vengeaunce take Drawen out in length vpon my wombe then traile I like a snake He had no sooner sayde the worde but that he gan to glide Upon his belly like a Snake And
heart was so With sorrowe hardned that she grew more bolde Hir daughters tho Were standing all with mourning wéede and hanging haire before Their brothers coffins One of them in pulling from the sore An Arrow sticking in his heart sanke downe vpon hir brother With mouth to mouth and so did yéelde hir fléeting ghost Another In comforting the 〈…〉 and sorrow of hir mother Upon the sodaine helde hir peace She stricken was within With double wound which caused hiâ— hir talking for to blin And shut hir mouth But first hir ghost was gone One all in vaine Attempting for to scape by flight was in hir flying slaine Another on hir sisters corse doth tumble downe starke dead This quakes and trembles piteously and she doth hide hir head And when that sixe with sundrye woundes dispatched were and gone â–ª At last as yet remained one and for to saue that one Hir mother with hir bodie whole did cling about hir fast And wrying hir did ouer hir hir garments wholy cast And cried out O leaue me one this little one yet saue Of many but this only one the least of all I craue But while she prayd for whome she prayd was kild Then down she sate Bereft of all hir children quite and drawing to hir fate Among hir daughters and hir sonnes and husband newly dead Hir chéekes waxt hard the Ayre could stirre no haire vpon hir head The colour of hir face was dim and clearly voide of blood And sadly vnder open lids hir eyes vnmoued stood In all hir bodie was no life For euen hir verie tung And palat of hir mouth was hard and eche to other clung Hir Pulses ceased for to beaâ—e hir necke did cease to bow Hir armes to stir hir féete to go all powre forwent as now And into stone hir verie wombe and bowels also bind But yet she wept and being hoyst by force of whirling wind Was caried into Phâ—ygie There vpon a mountaines top She wéepeth still in stone from stone the drerie teares do drop Then all both men and women fearde â–ª Latonaas open ire And far with greater 〈…〉 and earnestâ—r desire Did wâ—rship the great maâ—estie of this their Goddesse who Did beare at once both Phebus and his sister Phebe to And through occasion of this chaunce as men are wont to do In cases like the people fell to telling things of old Of whome a man among the rest this tale 〈◊〉 told The 〈◊〉 folke that in the field 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Lyâ—ia dwelt Du◠〈◊〉 also for their spight to this â—ame Goddesse felt The basenesse of the parties make the thing it selfe obscure Yet is the matter wonderfull My selfe I you assure Did presently beholde the Pond and saw the very place In which this wondrous thing was done My father then in case Not able for to trauell well by reason of his age To fetch home certaine Oxen thence made me to be his page Appointing me a countryman of Lycia to my guide With whome as I went plodding in the pasture groundes I spide Amids a certaine Pond an olde square Aultar colourd blacke With cinder of the sacrifice that still vpon it stacke About it round grew wauering Réedes My guide anon did stay And softly O be good to me he in himselfe did say And I with like soft whispering did say be good to mée And then I askt him whether that the Altar wée did sée Belonged to the Waternymphes or Faunes or other God Peculiar to the place it selfe vpon the which we yod He made me aunswere thus My guest no God of countrie race Is in this Altar worshipped That Goddesse claymes this place From whome the wife of mightie Ioue did all the world forfend When wandring restlesse here and there full hardly in the end Unsetled Delos did receyue then floting on the waue As tide and weather to and fro the swimming Iland draue There maugre Iuno who with might and main against hir straue Latona staying by a Date and Olyf trée that sted In trauell of a paire of twinnes was safely brought a bed And after hir deliurance folke report that she for feare Of Iunos wrath did flie from hence and in hir armes did beare Hir babes which afterwarde became two Gods In which hir trauell In Sommer when the scorching Sunne is wont to burne the grauell Of Lycie countrie where the fell Chymera hath his place The Goddesse wearie with the long continuance of hir race Waxt thirstie by the meanes of drought with going in the Sunne Hir babes had also suckt hir brestes as long as milke wold runne By chaunce she spide this little Pond of water here bylow And couÌ„trie Carles were gathering there these Oysyer twigs that grow So thicke vpon a shrubbie stalke and of these rushes gréene And flags that in these moorish plots so rife of growing béene She comming hither knéeled downe the water vp to take To coole hir thirst The churlish cloynes forfended hir the Lake Then gently said the Goddesse Sirs why doe you me forfend The water Nature doth to all in common water send For neither Sunne nor Ayre nor yet the Water priuate bée I séeke but that which natures gift hath made to all things frée And yet I humbly craue of you to graunt it vnto mée I did not go about to wash my werie limmes and skin I would but only quench my thirst My throte is scalt within For want of moysture and my chappes and lippes are parching drie And scarsly is there way for wordes to issue out thereby A draught of water will to me be heauenly Nectar now And sure I will confesse I haue receiued life of you Yea in your giuing of a drop of water vnto mée The case so standeth as you shall preserue the liues of thrée Alas let these same sillie soules that in my bosome stretch Their little armes by chaunce hir babes their pretie dolles did reâ—ch To pitie moue you What is he so hard that would not yéeld To this the gentle Goddesses entreatance méeke and méeld Yet they for all the humble wordes she could deuise to say Continued in their willfull moode of churlish saying nay And threatned for to sende hir thence onlesse she went away Reuiling hir most spightfully And not contented so With handes and feete the standing Poole they troubled to and fro Until with trampling vp and downe maliciously the soft And â—â—imie mud that lay beneath was raised vp aloft With that the Goddesse was so wroth that thirst was quight forgot â–ª And vnto such vnworthie Carles hirselfe she humbleth not Ne speaketh meaner wordes than might beséeme a Goddesse well But holâ—ing vp hir handes to heauen for euer mought you dwell In this same Pond she said hir wish did take effect with spéede For vnderneath the water they delight to be in déede Now diue they to the bottome downe now vp their heades they pop Another whâ—le with sprawling legs they swim vpon the top And oftentâ—â—es vpon the bankes they haue a minde to stond
And oftentâ—â—es from thence againe to leape into the Pond And there they now doe practise still their filthy tongues to scold And shamelessely though vnderneath the water they doe hold Their former wont of brawling still amid the water cold Their voices stil are hoarse and harsh their throtes haue puffed goawles Their chappes with brawling widened are their haÌ„mer headed Ioawles Are ioyned to their shoulders iust the neckes of them doe séeme cut off the ridgebone of their backe stickes vp of colour greene Their paunch which is the greatest part of all their trunch is gray And so they vp and downe the Pond made newly Frogges doe play When one of Lyce I woâ—e not who had spoken in this sort Another of a Satyr streight began to make report Whome Phebus ouercomming on a pipe made late ago By Pallas put to punishment Why fleaëst thou me so Alas he cride it irketh me Alas a sorie pipe Deserueth not so cruelly my skin from me to stripe For all his crying ore his eares quight pulled was his skin Nought else he was than one whole wounde The griesly bloud did spin From euery part the sinewes lay discouered to the eye The quiuering veynes without a skin lay beating nakedly The panting bowels in his bulke ye might haue numbred well And in his brest the shere small strings a man might easly tell The Countrie Faunes the Gods of Woods the Satyrs of his kin The Mount Olympus whose renowne did ere that time begin And all the Nymphes and all that in those mountaines kept their shéepe Or grazed cattell thereabouts did for this Satyr wéepe The â—â—uâ—tfull earth waxt moyst therewith and moysâ—ed did receyue Their teares and in hir bowels deepe did of the same conceyue And when that she had turned them to water by and by She sent them forth againe aloft to sée the open Skie The Riuer that doth rise thereof beginning there his race In verie déepe and shoring bankes to Seaward runnes a pace Through Phrygie and according as the Satyr so the streame Is called Marsias of the brookes the clearest in that Realme With such examples as these same the common folke returnde To present things and euery man through all the Citie moornde For that Amphion was destroyde with all his issue so But all the fault and blame was laide vpon the mother tho For hir alonly Pelops mournde as men report and hée In opening of his clothes did shewe that euerie man might see His shoulder on the left side bare of Iuorie for to bée This shoulder at his birth was like his tother both in hue And flesh vntill his fathers handes most wickedly him slue And that the Gods when they his limmes againe togither drue To ioyne them in their proper place and forme by nature due Did finde out all the other partes saue only that which grue Betwene the throteboll and the arme which when they could not get This other made of Iuorie white in place thereof they set And by that meanes was Pelops made againe both whole and sound The neyghbor Princes thither came and all the Cities round About besought their Kings to go and comfort Thebe as Arge And Sparta and Mycene which was vnder Pelops charge And Calydon vnhated of the frowning Phebe yit The welthie towne Orchomenos and Corinth which in it Had famous men for workmanship in mettals and the stout Messene which full twentie yeares did hold besiegers out And Patre and the lowly towne Cleona Nelies Pyle And Troyzen not surnamed yet Pittheia for a while And all the other Borough townes and Cities which doe stand Within the narrow balke at which two Seas doe méete at hand Or which do bound vpon the balke without in maine firme land Alonly Athens who would thinke did neither come nor send Warre barred them from courtesie the which they did entend The King of Pontus with an host of sauage people lay In siege before their famous walles and curstly did them fray Untill that Tereus King of Thrace approching to their ayde Did vanquish him and with renowne was for his labor payde â–ª And sith he was so puissant in men and ready coyne And came of mightie Marsis race Pandion sought to ioyne Aliance with him by and by and gaue him to his Féere His daughter Progne At this match as after will appeare Was neyther Iuno President of mariage wont to bée Nor Hymen no nor any one of all the graces thrée The Furies snatching Tapers vp that on some Herce did stande Did light them and before the Bride did beare them in their hande The Furies made the Bridegroomes bed And on the house did rucke A cursed Owle the messenger of yll successe and lucke And all the night time while that they were lying in their beds She sate vpon the bedsteds top right ouer both their heds Such handsell Progne had the day that Tereus did hir wed Such handsell had they when that she was brought of childe a bed All Thracia did reioyce at them and thankt their Gods and wild That both the day of Prognes match with Tereus should be hild For feastfull and the day likewise that Itys first was borne So little know we what behoues The Sunne had now outworne Fiue Haruests and by course fiue times had run his yearly race When Progne flattring Tereus saide If any loue or grace Betweene vs be send eyther me my sister for to sée Or finde the meanes that hither she may come to visit mée You may assure your Fathrinlaw she shall againe returne Within a while Ye doe to me the highest great good turne That can be if you bring to passe I may my sister sée Immediatly the King commaundes his shippes a flote to bée And shortly after what with sayle and what with force of Ores In Atheâ—s hauen he arriues and landes at Pyrey shores Assoone as of his fathrinlaw the presence he obtainde And had of him bene courteously and friendly entertainde Unhappie handsell entred with their talking first togither The errandes of his wife the cause of his then comming thither He had but new begon to tell and promised that when She had hir sister séene she should with spéede be sent agen When sée the chaunce came Philomele in raiment very rich And yet in beautie farre more rich euen like the Fairies which Reported are the pleasant woods and water springs to haunt So that the like apparell and attire to them you graunt King Tereus at the sight of hir did burne in his desire As if a man should chaunce to set a gulfe of corne on fire Or burne a stacke of hay Hir face in déede deserued loue But as for him to fleshly lust euen nature did him moue For of those countries commonly the people are aboue All measure prone to lecherie And therefore both by kinde His flame encreast and by his owne default of vicious minde He purposde fully to corrupt hir seruants with reward Or for to bribe hir Nurce that she
voyd of strength and lush and foggye is the blade â–ª And chéeres the husbandman with hope Then all things florish gay The earth with flowres of sundry hew then seemeth for too play And vertue small or none too herbes there dooth as yit belong The yeere from spring tyde passing foorth too sommer wexeth strong Becommeth lyke a lusty youth For in our lyfe through out There is no tyme more plentifull more lusty whote and stout Then followeth Haruest when the heate of youth growes sumwhat cold Rype méeld disposed meane betwixt a yoongman and an old And sumwhat sprent with grayish heare Then vgly winter last Like age steales on with trembling steppes all bald or ouercast With shirle thinne heare as whyght as snowe Our bodies also ay Doo alter still from tyme too tyme and neuer stand at stay Wée shall not bée the same wée were too day or yisterday The day hath béene wée were but séede and only hope of men And in our moothers womb wée had our dwelling place as then Dame Nature put too conning hand and suffred not that wée Within our moothers streyned womb should ay distressod bée But brought vs out too aire and from our prison set vs frée The chyld newborne lyes voyd of strength Within a season tho He wexing fowerfooted lernes like sauage beastes too go Then sumwhat foltring and as yit not firme of foote he standes By getting sumwhat for too helpe his sinewes in his handes From that tyme growing strong and swift he passeth foorth the space Of youth and also wearing out his middle age a pace Through drooping ages stéepye path he ronneth out his race This age dooth vndermyne the strength of former yeares and throwes It downe which thing old Milo by example playnely showes For when he sawe those armes of his which héeretoofore had béene As strong as euer Hercules in woorking deadly téene Of biggest beastes hang flapping downe and nought but empty skin He wept And Helen when shée saw her aged wrincles in A glasse wept also musing in herself what men had séene That by twoo noble princes sonnes shée twyce had rauisht béene Thou tyme the eater vp of things and age of spyghtfull téene Destroy all things And when that long continuance hath them bit You leysurely by lingring death consume them euery whit And theis that wée call Elements doo neuer stand at stay The enterchaunging course of them I will before yée lay Giue héede thertoo This endlesse world conteynes therin I say Fowre substances of which all things are gendred Of theis fower The Earth and Water for theyr masse and weyght are sunken lower The other cowple Aire and Fyre the purer of the twayne Mount vp nought can kéepe theÌ„ downe And though there doo remayne A space betwéene eche one of them yit euery thing is made Of themsame fowre and intoo them at length ageine doo fade The earth resoluing leysurely dooth melt too water shéere The water fyned turnes too aire The aire éeke purged cléere From grossenesse spyreth vp aloft and there becommeth fyre From thence in order contrary they backe ageine retyre Fyre thickening passeth intoo Aire and Ayër wexing grosse Returnes too water Water éeke congealing intoo drosse Becommeth earth No kind of thing kéepes ay his shape and hew For nature louing euer chaunge repayres one shape a new Uppon another â–ª neyther dooth there perrish aught trust mée In all the world but altring takes new shape For that which wée Doo terme by name of being borne is for too gin too bée Another thing than that it was And likewise for too dye Too cease too bée the thing it was And though that varyably Things passe perchaunce from place too place yit all from whence they came Returning doo vnperrisshed continew still the same But as for in one shape bée sure that nothing long can last Euen so the ages of the world from gold too Iron past Euen so haue places oftentymes exchaunged theyr estate For I haue séene it sea which was substanciall ground alate Ageine where sea was I haue séene the same become dry lond And shelles and scales of Seafish farre haue lyen from any strond And in the toppes of mountaynes hygh old Anchors haue béene â—ound Déepe valleyes haue by watershotte béene made of leuell ground And hilles by force of gulling oft haue intoo sea béene worne Hard grauell ground is sumtyme séene where marris was beforne And that that erst did suffer drowght becommeth standing lakes Héere nature sendeth new springs out and there the old in takes Full many riuers in the world through earthquakes heretoofore Haue eyther chaundgd theyr former course or dryde and ronne no more Soo Lycus béeing swallowed vp by gaping of the ground A greatway of fro thence is in another channell found Euen so the riuer Erasine among the feeldes of Arge Sinkes onewhyle and another whyle ronnes greate ageine at large â–ª Caycus also of the land of Mysia as men say Misliking of his former head ronnes now another way In Sicill also Amasene ronnes sumtyme full and hye And sumtyme stopping vp his spring he makes his chanell drye Men drank the waters of the brooke Anigrus heretoofore Which now is such that men abhorre too towche them any more Which commes too passe onlesse wée will discredit Poets quyght Bycause the Centaures vanquisshed by Hercules in fyght Did wash theyr woundes in that same brooke But dooth not Hypanis That springeth in the Scythian hilles which at his fountaine is Ryght pleasant afterward becomme of brackish bitter taste Antissa and Phenycian Tyre and Pharos in tyme past Were compast all about with waues but none of all theis thrée Is now an I le Ageine the towne of Levvcas once was frée From sea and in the auncient tyme was ioyned too the land But now enuirond round about with water it dooth stand Men say that Sicill also hath béene ioynd too Italy Untill the sea consumde the bounds béetwéene and did supply The roome with water If yee go too séeke for Helicee And Burye which were Cities of Achaia you shall sée Them hidden vnder water and the shipmen yit doo showe The walles and stéeples of the townes drownd vnder as they rowe Not farre from Pitthey Troyzen is a certeine high ground found All voyd of trées which héeretoofore was playne and leuell ground But now a mountayne for the wyndes a woondrous thing too say Inclosed in the hollow caues of ground and séeking way Too passe therefro in struggling long too get the open skyeâ— In vayne bycause in all the caue there was no vent wherby Too issue out did stretch the ground and make it swell on hye As dooth a bladder that is blowen by mouth or as the skinne Of horned Goate in bottlewyse when wynd is gotten in The swelling of the foresayd place remaynes at this day still And by continuance waxing hard is growen a pretye hill Of many things that come too mynd by héersay and by skill Of good experience I a