The. xv. bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis, translated oute of Latin into English meeter, by Arthur Golding Gentleman, a worke very pleasaunt and delectable. 1567.
Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 or 18 A.D., Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606.
Page 173
¶THE .XIIII. BOOKE OF Ouids Metamorphosis.
NOw had th' Evvboyan fisherman (whoo lately was becomme
A God of sea too dwell in sea for ay,) alreadye swomme
Past Aetna which vppon the face of Giant Typho lyes,
Toogither with the pasture of the Cyclops which defyes
Both Plough and harrowe, and by téemes of Oxen sets no store:
An Zancle, and crackt Rhegion which stands a toother shore:
And éeke the rough and shipwrecke sea which being hemmed in
With twoo mayne landes on eyther syde, is as a bound betwin
The frutefull Realmes of Italy and Sicill. From that place
He cutting through the Tyrrhene sea with both his armes a pace,
Arryued at the grassye hilles and at the Palace hye
Of Circe Phoebus imp which full of sundry beastes did lye.
When Glaucus in her presence came, and had her gréeted, and
Receyued fréendly welcomming and gréeting at her hand,
He sayd. O Goddesse pitie mée a God I thee desyre.
Thou only (if at least thou think mée woorthy so great hyre)
Canst ease this loue of myne. No wyght dooth better know than I
The powre of herbes, whoo late ago transformed was therby.
And now too open vntoo thee of this my gréef the ground,
Uppon th'Italyan shore ageinst Messene walls I found
Fayre Scylla. Shame it is too tell how scornfull shée did take
The gentle woordes and promises and sute that I did make.
But if that any powre at all consist in charmes, then let
That sacret mouth of thyne cast charmes: or if more force bée set
In herbes too compasse things withall, then vse the herbes that haue
Most strength in woorking. Neyther think, I hither come too craue
A medcine for too heale myself and cure my wounded hart:
I force no end. I would haue her bée partener of my smart.
But Circe (for no natures are more lyghtly set on fyre
Than such as shée is) (whither that the cause of this desyre
Were only in herself, or that Dame Venus bearing ay
In mynd her fathers déede in once disclosing of her play,
Did stirre her héere vntoo) sayd thus. It were a better way
For thée too fancye such a one whoose will and whole desyre
Page [unnumbered]Is bent too thine, and whoo is sindgd with selfsame kynd of fyre.
Thou woorthye art of sute too thée. and (credit mee) thou shouldst
Bée woode in déede, if any hope of spéeding giue thou wouldst.
And therefore dowt not. Only of thy beawtye lyking haue.
Lo, I whoo am a Goddesse and the imp of Phoebus braue,
Whoo can so much by charmes, whoo can so much by herbes, doo vow
My self too thée. If I disdeine, disdeine mée also thow.
And if I yéeld, yéeld thou likewyse: and in one only déede
Auenge thy self of twayne. Too her intreating thus too spéede,
First trées shall grow ({quod} Glaucus) in the sea, and réeke shall thryue
On toppes of hilles, ere I (as long as Scylla is alyue)
Doo chaunge my loue. The Goddesse wext ryght wroth: & sith she could
Not hurt his persone béeing falne in loue with him, ne would:
Shée spyghted her that was preferd before her. And vppon
Displeasure tane of this repulse, shée went her way anon.
And wicked wéedes of grisly iewce toogither shée did bray,
And in the braying, witching charmes shée ouer them did say.
And putting on a russet cloke, shée passed through the rowt
Of sauage beastes that in her court came fawning round abowt,
And going vntoo Rhegion clifte which standes ageinst the shore
Of Zancle, entred by and by the waters that doo rore
With violent tydes, vppon the which shée stood as on firme land,
And ran and neuer wet her féete awhit. There was at hand
A little plash that bowwed like a bowe that standeth bent,
Where Scylla woonted was too rest herself, and thither went
From rage of sea and ayre, what tyme the sonne amid the skye
Is whotest making shadowes short by mounting vp on hye.
This plash did Circe then infect ageinst that Scylla came,
And with her poysons which had powre most mōstrous shapes too frame
Defyled it. Shée sprincled there the iewce of venymd wéedes.
And thryce nyne tymes wt witching mouth shée softly mumbling, réedes
A charme ryght darke of vncouth woordes. No sooner Scylla came
Within this plash, and too the waast had waded in the same,
But that shée sawe her hinderloynes with barking buggs atteint.
And at the first, not thinking with her body they were meynt
As parts therof, shée started back, and rated them. And sore
Shée was afrayd the eager curres should byght her. But the more
Page 174Shée shonned them, the surer still shée was too haue them there.
In séeking where her loynes, and thyghes, and féete and ancles were,
Chappes like the chappes of Cerberus in stead of them shée found.
Nought else was there than cruell curres from belly downe too ground.
So vnderneathe misshapen loynes and womb remayning sound,
Her mannish mastyes backes were ay within the water drownd.
Her louer Glaucus wept therat, and Circes bed refusde
That had so passing cruelly her herbes on Scylla vsde.
But Scylla in that place abode. And for the hate shée bore
Too Circe ward, (assoone as méete occasion serude therfore)
Shée spoyld Vlysses of his mates. And shortly after, shée
Had also drownd the Troiane fléete, but that (as yit wée sée)
Shée was transformd too rock of stone, which shipm•n warely shonne.
When from this Rocke the Troiane fléete by force of Ores had wonne,
And from Charybdis gréedye gulf, and were in maner readye
Too haue arryude in Italy, the wynd did ryse so heady,
As that it draue them backe vppon the coast of Affricke. There
The Tyrian Queene (whoo afterward vnpaciently should beare
The going of this Troiane prince away) did enterteine
Aenaeas in her house, and was ryght glad of him and fayne.
Uppon a Pyle made vnderneathe pretence of sacrifyse
Shée goard herself vpon a swoord, and in most wofull wyse
As shée herself had beene beguyld: so shée beguyled all.
Eftsoone Aenaeas flying from the newly réered wall
Of Carthage in that sandy land, retyred backe agen
Too Sicill, where his faythfull fréend Acestes reignd. And when
He there had doone his sacrifyse, and kept an Obit at
His fathers •umb, he out of hand did mend his Gallyes that
Dame Iris Iunos messenger had burned vp almost.
And sayling thence he kept his course aloof along the coast
Of Aeolye and of Vulcanes Iles the which of brimston smoke.
And passing by the Meremayds rocks, (His Pilot by a s•roke
Of tempest being drownd in sea) he sayld by Prochite, and
Inarime, and (which vppon a barreine hill dooth stand)
The land of Ape Ile, which dooth take that name of people slye
There dwelling. For the Syre of Goddes abhorring vtterly
The leawdnesse of the Cercops, and theyr wilfull periurye,
Intoo an euillfauored kynd of beast: that béeing none
They myght yit still resemble men. He knit in lesser space
Theyr members, and he beate mée flat theyr noses too theyr face,
The which he filled furrowlike with wrinckles euery where.
He clad theyr bodyes ouer all with fallow coulourd heare,
And put them intoo this same Ile too dwell for euer there.
But first he did beréeue them of the vse of spéeche and toong,
Which they too cursed periurye did vse bothe old and yoong.
Too chatter hoarcely, and too shreeke, too iabber, and too squeake,
He hath them left, and for too moppe and mowe, but not too speake.
Aenaeas hauing past this Ile, and on his ryght hand left
The towne of Naples, and the tumb of Mysen on his left,
Toogither with the fenny grounds: at Cumye landed, and
Went vntoo longlyvde Cybills house, with whom he went in hand
That he too sée his fathers ghoste myght go by Auerne déepe.
Shee long vppon the earth in s•ownd her eyes did fixed kéepe.
And at the length assoone as that the spryght of prophesye
Was entred her, shée raysing them did thus ageine reply.
O most renowmed wyght, of whom the godlynesse by fyre
And valeantnesse is tryde by swoord, great things thou doost requyre.
But feare n•t Troiane. for thou shalt bée lord of thy desyre.
Too sée the reuerend image of thy déere béeloued syre,
Among the fayre Elysian féeldes where godly folke abyde,
And all the lowest kingdoomes of the world I will thee guyde.
No way too vertue is restreynd. This spoken, shée did showe
A golden bowgh that in the wood of Proserpine did growe,
And willed him too pull it from the trée. He did obey:
And sawe the powre of dreadfull hell, and where his graundsyres lay
And éeke the aged Ghost of stowt Anchises. Furthermore
He lernd the customes of the land arryvd at late before,
And what aduentures should by warre betyde him in that place.
From thence retyring vp ageine a slow and wéery pace,
He did asswage the tediousnesse by talking with his guyde.
For as he in the twylyght dim this dreadfull way did ryde,
He sayëd: whither present thou thyself a Goddesse bée.
Or such a one as God dooth loue most déerly, I will thée
Page 175For euer as a Goddesse take, and will acknowledge mée
Thy seruant, for saufguyding mée the place of death too sée,
And for thou from the place of death haste brought mée sauf and frée.
For which desert, what tyme I shall atteyne too open ayre,
I will a temple to thée buyld ryght sumptuous, large, and fayre,
And honour thée with frankincence. The prophetisse did cast
Her eye vppon Aenaeas backe, and syghing sayd at last.
I am no Goddesse. Neyther think thou canst with conscience ryght,
With holy incence honour giue too any mortall wyght.
But too thentent through ignorance thou erre not, I had béene
Eternall and of worldly lyfe I should none end haue séene,
If that I would my maydenhod on Phebus haue bestowde.
Howbéeit whyle he stood in hope too haue the same, and trowde
Too ouercome mée with his gifts, thou mayd of Cumes ({quod} he)
Choose what thou wilt, and of thy wish the owner thou shalt bée.
I taking full my hand of dust, and shewing it him there,
Desyred like a foole too liue as many yéeres as were
Small graynes of cinder in that heape. I quight forgot too craue
Immediately, the race of all those yéeres in youth too haue.
Yit did he graunt mée also that, vppon condicion I
Would let him haue my maydenhod, which thing I did denye.
And so reiecting Phebus gift a single lyfe I led.
But now the blessefull tyme of youth is altoogither fled,
And irksome age with trembling pace is stolne vppon my head.
Which long I must endure. For now already as you sée
Seuen hundred yeares are come and gone and that the number bée
Full matched of the granes of dust, thréehundred haruestes mo
I must three hundred vintages sée more before I go.
The day will come that length of tyme shall make my body small,
And little of my withered limbes shall leaue or naught at all.
And none shall think that •uer God was tane in loue with mée.
Euen out of Phebus knowledge then perchaunce I growen shall bée.
Or at the least that euer he mée lov•e he shall denye.
So sore I shall be altered. And then shall no mannes eye
Discerne mée. Only by my voyce I shall bée knowen. For why
The fates shall leaue mée still my voyce for folke too know mée by.
As Sybill in the vaulted way such talk as this did frame,
And hauing doone the sacrifyse accustomd for the same,
He tooke his iourney too the coast which had not yit the name
Receyued of his nurce. In this same place he found a mate
Of wyse Vlysses Macare of Neritus whoo late
Before, had after all his long and tediouse toyles, there stayd.
He spying Achemenides (whom late ago afrayd
They had among mount Aetnas Cliffs abandond when they fled
From Polypheme:) and woondring for too sée he was not dead,
Sayd thus. O Achemenides▪ what chaunce, or rather what
Good God hathe savde the lyfe of thée? What is the reason that
A barbrous shippe beares thée a Gréeke? or whither saylest thou?
Too him thus, Achemenides his owne man fréely now
And not forgrowen as one forlorne, nor clad in bristled hyde,
Made answer. Yit ageine I would I should in perrill byde
Of Polypheme, and that I myght those chappes of his behold
Béesmeared with the blood of men, but if that I doo hold
This shippe more déere than all the Realme of wyse Vlysses, or
If lesser of Aenaeas I doo make account than for
My father. neyther (though I did as much as doone myght bee,)
I could ynough bée thankfull for his goodnesse towards mée.
That I still speake and breathe: That I the Sun and heauen doo sée:
Is his gift. Can I thanklesse then or myndlesse of him bée?
That downe the round eyed gyants throte this soule of myne went not?
And that from hencefoorth when too dye it euer be my lot
I may bée layd in graue, or sure not in the Gyants mawe?
What hart had I that tyme (at least if feare did not withdrawe
Both hart and sence) when left behynd, you taking shippe I sawe?
I would haue called after you but that I was afrayd
By making outcrye too my to myself too haue béewrayd.
For euen the noyse that you did make did put Vlysses shippe
In daunger. I did sée him from a cragged mountaine strippe
A myghty rocke, and intoo sea it throwe midway and more.
Ageine I sawe his giants pawe throwe howge big stones great store
As if it were a sling. And sore I feared least your shippe
Should drowned by the water bée that from the stones did skippe,
Or by the stones themselues, as if my self had béene therin.
Page 176But when that flyght had saued you from death, he did begin
On Aetna syghing vp and downe too walke: and with his pawes
Went groping of the trées among the woodes. And forbycause
He could not sée, he knockt his shinnes ageinst the rocks eche where.
And stretching out his grisly armes (which all beegrymed were
With baken blood) too seaward, he the Gréekish nation band,
And sayd. O if that sum good chaunce myght bring vntoo my hand
Vlysses or sum mate of his, on whom too wreake myne ire.
Uppon whose bowells with my téeth I like a Hawke myght tyre:
Whose liuing members myght with theis my talants teared béene.
Whoose blood myght bubble down my throte: whose flesh myght pant be∣twéene
My iawes: how lyght or none at all this losing of myne eye
Would séeme? Theis woordes and many mo the cruell féend did cry.
A shuddring horror perced mée too sée his smudged face,
And cruell handes, and in his frunt the fowle round eyelesse place,
And monstruous members, and his beard bestowbered with the blood
Of man. Before myne eyes then death the smallest sorrow stood.
I loked euery minute too bée seased in his pawe.
I looked euer when he should haue cramd mée in his mawe.
And in my mynd I of that tyme mée thought the image sawe
When hauing dingd a doozen of our fellowes too the grownd
And lying lyke a Lyon féerce or hunger sterued hownd
Uppon them, very eagerly he downe his gréedy gut
Theyr bowwels and theyr limbes yit more than half aliue did put,
And with theyr flesh toogither crasht the bones and marée whyght.
I trembling like an aspen leaf stood sad and bloodlesse quyght.
And in beholding how he fed and belked vp againe
His bloody vittells at his mouth, and vttred out amayne
The clottred gobbets mixt with wyne, I thus surmysde: like lot
Hangs ouer my head now, and I must also go too pot.
And hyding mée for many dayes, and quaking horribly
At euery noyse, and dreading death, and wisshing for too dye,
Appeasing hunger with the leaues of trées, and herbes and mast,
Alone, and poore, and footel•sse, and too death and pennance cast,
A long tyme after I espyde this sh•ppe a farre at last,
And ronning downeward too the sea by fignes did succour séeke.
Where fynding grace, this Troianeshippe receyued mée a Greeke.
Page [unnumbered]But now I prey thée gentle fréend declare thou vntoo mée
Thy Capteines and thy fellowes lucke that tooke the sea with thee.
He told him how that Aeölus the sonne of Hippot, hea
That kéepes the wyndes in pryson cloce did reigne in Tuskane sea,
And how Vlysses hauing at his hand a noble gift
The wynd enclosde in leather bagges, did sayle with prosperous drift
nyne dayes toogither: insomuch they came within the syght
Of home: but on the tenth day when the morning gan giue lyght,
His fellowes being somewhat toucht with couetousenesse and spyght.
Supposing that it had béene gold, did let the wyndes out quyght.
The which returning whence they came, did driue them backe a mayne
That in the Realme of Aeölus they went a land agayne.
From thence ({quod} he) we came vntoo the auncient Lamyes towne
Of which the féerce Antiphates that season ware the crowne.
A cowple of my mates and I were sent vntoo him: and
A mate of myne and I could scarce by flyght escape his hand.
The third of vs did with his blood embrew the wicked face
Of leawd Antiphate, whoo with swoord vs flying thence did chace,
And following after with a rowt threw stones and loggs which drownd
Both men and shippes. Howbéeit one by chaunce escaped sound,
Which bare Vlysses and my self. So hauing lost most part
Of all our deare companions, we with sad and sory hart
And much complayning, did arryue at yoonder coast which yow
May ken farre hence. A great way hence (I say) wée sée it now
But trust mée truly ouer néere I saw it once. And thow
Aenaeas Goddesse Venus sonne the iustest knight of all
The Troiane race (for sith the warre is doone, I can not call
thée to) I warne thée get thée farre from C•rces dwelling place.
For when our shippes arryued there, remembring eft the cace
Of cruell king Antiphates, and of that hellish wyght
The round eyed gyant Polypheme, wée had so small delyght
Too visit vncowth places, that wée sayd wée would not go.
Then cast we lotts. The lot fell out vppon myself as tho,
And Polyte, and Eurylocus, and on Elpenor who
Delyghted tootoomuch in wyne, and eyghtéene other mo.
All wee did go too Circes house. Assoone as wée came thither,
And in the portall of the Hall had set our féete toogither,
Page 177A thousand Lyons woolues and beares did put vs in a feare
By méeting vs. But none of them was too bée feared there.
For none of them could doo vs harme: but with a gentle looke
And following vs with fawning féete theyr wanton tayles they shooke.
Anon did Damzells welcome vs and led vs through the hall
(The which was made of marble stone, floore, arches, roof, and wall)
Too Circe. Shée sate vnderneathe a trauerse in a chayre
Aloft ryght rich and stately, in a chamber large and fayre.
Shée ware a goodly longtreynd gowne: and all her rest attyre
Was euery whit of goldsmithes woork. There sate mée also by her
The Seanymphes and her Ladyes whoose fyne fingers neuer knew
What •oozing wooll did méene, nor threede from whorled spindle drew,
They sorted herbes, and picking out the flowers that were mixt,
Did put them intoo mawnds, and with indifferent space betwixt,
Did lay the leaues and stalks on heapes according too theyr hew.
And shée herself the woork of them did ouersée and vew.
The vertue and the vse of them ryght perfectly shée knew,
And in what leaf it lay, and which in mixture would agrée.
And so perusing euery her• by g•od aduysement, shée
Did wey them out. Assoone as shée vs entring in did see,
And gréeting had bothe giuen and tane, shée looked chéerefully,
And graunting all that wée desyrde, commaunded by and by
A certeine potion too bée made of barly parched drye
And wyne and hony mixt with chéese. and with the same shée slye
Had meynt the iewce of certeine herbes which vnespyde did lye
By reason of the swéetenesse of the drink. Wée tooke the cup
Deliuered by her wicked hand, and quaft it cléerly vp
With thirstye throtes. Which doone, and that the cursed witch had smit
Our highest heare tippes with her wand, (it is a shame, but yit
I will declare the truth) I wext all rough with bris•led heare,
And could not make complaint with woordes. In stead of spéech I there
Did make a rawghtish grunting, and with groueling face gan beare
My visage downeward too the ground. I felt a hooked groyne
Too wexen hard vppon my mouth, and brawned neck too ioyne
My head and shoulders. And the handes with which I late ago
Had taken vp the charmed cup, were turnd t•o feete as tho.
Such force there is in Sorcerie. In fyne wyth other mo
Page [unnumbered]〈1 page duplicate〉Page 177〈1 page duplicate〉Page [unnumbered]That tasted of the selfsame sawce, they shet mée in a Stye.
From this missehappe Furilochus alonly scapte. For why
He only would not taste the cup. which had he not fled fro,
He should haue béene a bristled beast as well as we. And so
Should none haue borne Vlysses woorde of our mischaunce, nor hée
Haue cōme too Circe too reuenge our harmes and set vs free.
The peaceprocurer Mercurie had giuen too him a whyght
Fayre flowre whoose roote is black, and of the Goddes it Moly hyght
Assurde by this and heauenly hestes, he entred Circes bowre.
And béeing bidden for too drink the cup of balefull powre,
As Circe was about too stroke her wand vppon his heare,
He thrust her backe, and put her with his naked swoord in feare.
Then fell they too agréement streyght, and fayth in hand was plyght.
And béeing made her bedfellowe, he claymed as in ryght
Of dowrye, for too haue his men ageine in perfect plyght.
Shée sprincled vs with better iewce of vncowth herbes, and strake
The awk end of her charmed rod vppon our heades, and spake
Woordes too the former contrarie. The more shée charmd, the more
Arose wée vpward from the ground on which wée daarde before.
Our bristles fell away, the •lift our clouen elées forsooke.
Our shoulders did returne agein: and next our elbowes tooke
Our armes and handes theyr former place. Then weeping wée enbrace
Our Lord, and hing about his necke whoo also wept apace.
And not a woord wée rather spake than such as myght appéere
From harts most thankfull too procéede. Wée taryed theyr a yéere
I in that whyle sawe many things, and many things did héere.
I marked also this one thing with store of other geere
Which one of Circes fowre chéef maydes (whoose office was alway
Uppon such hallowes too attend) did secretly bewray
Too mée. For in the whyle my Lord with Circe kept alone,
This mayd a yoongmannes image sheawd of fayre whyght marble stone
Within a Chauncell. On the head therof were garlonds store
And éeke a woodspecke. And as I demaunded her wherfore
And whoo it was they honord so in holy Church, and why
He bare that bird vppon his head: Shée answéering by and by
Sayd: lerne hereby sir Macare too vnderstand the powre
My Lady hathe, and marke thou well what I shall say this howre.
Whoo loued warlike horse and had delyght too sée them ronne.
He was of feature as yée sée. And by this image héere
The verry beawtye of the man dooth lyuelely appéere.
His courage matcht his personage. And scarcely had he well
Séene twentye yéeres. His countnance did allure the nymphes y• dwell
Among the Latian hilles. The nymphes of fountaines and of brookes,
As those that haunted*Albula were rauisht with his lookes
And so were they that Numicke beares, and Anio too, and Alme
That ronneth short, and heady Nar, and Farfar coole and calme.
And all the nymphes that vsde too haunt Dianas shadye poole,
Or any lakes or méeres néere hand, or other waters coole.
But he disdeyning all the rest did set his loue vppon
A lady whom Venilia bare (so fame reporteth) on
The stately mountayne Palatine by Ianus that dooth beare
The dowble face. Assoone as that her yéeres for maryage were
Thought able, shée pre•erring him before all other men,
Was wedded too this Picus whoo was king of Lavvrents then.
Shée was in beawtye excellent. but yit in singing, much
More excellent: and thervppon they naamd her Singer. Such
The swéetenesse of her musicke was, that shée therwith delyghts
The sauage beastes, and caused birdes too cease theyr wandring flyghts,
And moued stones and trées, and made the ronning streames too stay.
Now whyle that shée in womans tune recordes her pleasant lay
At home, her husband rode abrode vppon a lustye horse
Too hunt the Boare, and bare in hand twoo hunting staues of force.
His cloke was crymzen butned with a golden button fast.
Intoo the selfsame forest éeke was Phebus daughter past
From those same féeldes that of herself the name of Circe beare,
Too gather vncowth herbes among the frutefull hillocks there.
Assoone as lurking in the shrubbes shée did the king espye,
Shée was a•trawght. Downe fell her herbes too ground. And by and by
Through all her bones the flame of loue the marée gan too frye.
And when shée from this forced heate had cald her witts agen,
Shée purposde too bewray her mynd. But vntoo him as then
Shée could not come for swiftnesse of his horse and for his men
That garded him o• euery syde. Yit shalt thou not ({quod} shée)
Page [unnumbered]So shift thée fro my handes although the wynd should carrye thée,
If I doo knowe myself, if all the strength of herbes fayle not,
Or if I haue not quyght and cléene my charmes and spelles forgotte.
In saying theis same woordes, shée made the likenesse of a Boare
Without a body, causing it too swiftly passe before
King Picus eyes, and for too séeme too get him too the woode,
Where for the thickenesse of the trées a horse myght doo no good.
Immediatly the king vnwares a who•e pursute did make
Uppon the shadowe of his pray, and quikly did forsake
His foming horses sweating backe: and following vayne wan hope,
Did runne a foote among the woodes, and through the bushes crope.
Then Circe fell a mumbling spelles, and praying like a witch
Did honour straunge & vncowth Goddes wt vncowth charmes, by which
Shee vsde too make the moone looke dark, and wrappe her fathers head
In watry clowdes. And then likewyse the heauen was ouerspred
With darknesse, and a foggye mist steamd vpward from the ground.
And neare a man about the king too gard him could beé found,
But euery man in blynd by wayes ran scattring in the chace,
Through her inchauntments. At the length shée getting tyme & place,
Sayd▪ By those lyghtsum eyes of thyne which late haue rauisht myne,
And by that goodly personage and louely face of thyne,
The which compelleth mée that am a Goddesse too enclyne
Too make this humble sute too thée that art a mortall wyght,
Asswage my flame, and make this sonne (whoo by his heauenly syght
Foresées all things) thy fathrinlawe: and hardly hold not scorne
Of Circe whoo by long discent of Titans stocke am borne.
Thus much sayd Circe. He ryght féerce reiecting her request,
And her, sayd: whooso ere thou art go set thy hart at rest.
I am not thyne, nor will not bée. Another holdes my hart:
And long God graunt shée may it hold, that I may neuer start
Too leawdnesse of a forreine lust from bond of lawfull bed,
As long as Ianus daughter my swéete singer is not dead.
Dame Circe hauing oft renewd her sute in vayne beefore,
Sayd: dearely shalt thou by thy scorne. For neuer shalt thou more
Returne too Singer. Thou shalt lerne by proof what one can doo
That is prouoked, and in loue, yea and a woman too.
But Circe is bothe stird too wrath, and also tane in loue,
Page 179Yea and a woman. Twyce her fa•e too westward she did moue,
And twyce too Eastward. Thryce shée layd her rod vppon his head.
And therwithall thrée charmes shée cast. Away king Picus fled.
And woondring that he fled more swift than •arst he had béene woont,
He saw the fethers on his skin, and at the sodein brunt
Became a bird that haunts the wooddes. wherat he taking spyght,
With angrye bill did iob vppon hard Okes with all his myght,
And in his moode made hollowe holes vppo• theyr boughes. The hew
Of Crimzen which was in his cloke, vppon his fethers grew.
The gold that was a clasp and did his cloke toogither hold,
Is fethers, and about his necke goes circlewyse like gold.
His seruants luring in that whyle oft ouer all the ground
In vayne, and fynding no where of theyr kyng no incling, found.
Dame Circe. (For by that tyme shée had made the ay•r shéere,
And suffred both the sonne and wyndes the mistye steames too cléere)
And charging her with matter trew, demaunded for theyr kyng,
And offring force, began theyr darts and Iauelings for too fling.
Shée sprincling noysom venim streyght and iewce of poysoning myght,
Did call toogither Eribus and Chaos, and the nyght,
And all the féendes of darknesse, and with howling out along
Made prayers vntoo Hecate. Scarce ended was her song,
But that (a woondrous thing too tell) the woodes lept from theyr place
The ground did grone: the trées néere hand lookt pale in all the chace:
The grasse besprent with droppes of blood lookt red: the stones did séem•
Too roare and bellow hoarce: and doggs too howle and raze extréeme:
And all the ground too crawle wt snakes blacke scaald: & gastly spryghts
Fly whisking vp and downe. The folke were flayghted at theis syghts.
And as they woondring stood amaazd, shée strokte her witching wand
Uppon theyr faces. At the touche wherof, there out of hand
Came woondrous shapes of sauage beastes vppon them all. Not one
Reteyned still his natiue shape. The setting sonne was gone
Beyond the vtmost c•ast of Spaine, and Singer longd in vayne
Too sée her husband. Bothe her folke and people ran agayne
Through all the woodes. And euer as they went, they sent theyr eyes
Before them for too fynd him out, but no man him espyes.
Then Singer thought it not ynough too wéepe and teare her heare,
And beat herself (all which shée did.) Shée gate abrode, and there
Page [unnumbered]Raundgd ouer all the broade wyld féelds like one besyds her witts.
Six nyghts and full as many dayes (as fortune led by fitts)
She strayd mée ouer hilles and dales, and neuer tasted rest,
Nor meate, nor drink of all the whyle. The seuenth day, sore opprest
And tyred bothe with trauell and with sorrowe, downe shée sate
Uppon cold Tybers bank, and there with teares in moorning rate
Shée warbling on her gréef in tune not shirle nor ouer hye,
Did make her moane, as dooth the swan: whoo ready for too dye
Dooth sing his buriall song before. Her marée molt at last
With moorning, and shée pynde away: and finally shée past
Too lither ayre. But yit her fame remayned in the place.
For why the auncient husbandmen according too the cace,
Did name it Singer of the nymph that dyed in the same.
Of such as these are, many things that yéere by fortune came
Bothe too my héering and my sight. Wée we•ing resty then
And sluggs by discontinuance, were commaunded yit agen
Too go a boord and hoyse vp sayles. And Circe told vs all
That long and dowtfull passage and rowgh seas should vs befall.
I promis thée those woordes of hers mée throughly made afrayd:
And therfore hither I mée gate, and héere I haue mée stayd.
This was the end of Macars tale. And ere long tyme was gone,
Aenaeas Nurce was buryed in a tumb of marble stone,
And this short verse was set theron. In this same verry place
My Nurcechyld whom the world dooth know too bée a chyld of grace
Deliuering mée Ca•eta quicke from burning by the Grayes,
Hathe burnt mée dead with such a fyre as iustly winnes him prayse.
Theyr Cables from the grassye strond were loozde, and by and by
From Circes slaunderous house and from her treasons •arre they fly.
And making too the thickgrowen groues where through the yellow dust
The shady Tyber intoo sea his gu••hing streame dooth thrust,
Aenaeas got the Realme of king Latinus Favvnus sonne
And éeke his daughter, whom in f•yght by force of armes he wonne.
He enterprysed warre ageinst a Nation féerce and strong.
And Turne was wrothe for holding of his wyfe away by wrong.
Ageinst the Shyre of Latium met all Tyrrhene, and long
With busys car• hawlt victorie by force of armes was sought.
Eche partie too augment theyr force by forreine succour wrought.
Page 180And many sent the Rutills help, and many came too ayd
The Troianes: neyther was the good Aenaeas ill apayd
Of going too Euanders towne. But Venulus in vayne
Too outcast Diomeds citie went his succour too obteine.
This Diomed vnder Davvnus king of Calabrye did found
A myghtye towne, and with his wyfe in dowrye hild the ground.
Now when from Turnus, Venulus his message had declaard,
Desyring help: Th' Actolian knyght sayd none could well bee spaard.
And in excuce, he told him how he neyther durst be bold
Too prest his fathers folk too warre of whom he had no hold,
Nor any of his countrymen had left as then alyue
Too arme. And least yée think ({quod} hée) I doo a shift contryue,
Although by vppening of the thing my bitter greef reuyue
I will abyde too make a new rehersall. After that
The Gréekes had burned Troy and on the ground had layd it flat,
And that the Prince of Narix by his rauishing the mayd
In Pallas temple, on vs all the pennance had displayd
Which he himself deserud alone: Then scattred héere and there
And harryed ouer all the seas, wée Gréekes were fayne too beare
Nyght, thunder, tempest, wrath of heauen and sea, and last of all
Sore shipwrecke at mount Capharey too mend our harmes withall.
And least that mée too make too long a processe yée myght déeme
In setting forth our heauy happes, the Gréekes myght that tyme séeme
Ryght rewfull euen too Priamus. Howbéet Minerua shee
That weareth armour tooke mée from the waues and saued mée.
But from my fathers Realme ageine by violence I was driuen.
For Venus bearing still in mynd the wound I had her giuen
Long tyme before, did woork reuendge. By meanes wherof such toyle
Did tosse mée on the sea, and on the land I found such broyle
By warres, that in my hart I thought them blist of God whom erst
The violence of the raging sea and hideous wynds had perst,
And whom the wrathfull Capharey by shipwrecke did confound:
Oft wisshing also I had there among the rest béene drownd.
My company now hauing felt the woorst that sea or warre
Could woorke, did faynt, and wisht an end of straying out so farre.
But Agmon whot of nature and too féerce through slaughters made
Sayd. What remayneth sirs through which our pacience cannot wade?
Page [unnumbered]What further spyght hath Venus yit too woork ageinst vs more?
When woorse misfortunes may bée feard than haue béene felt before,
Then prayer may aduauntadge men, and vowwing may them boote.
But when the woorst is past of things, then feare is vnder foote.
And when that bale is hygh•st growne, then boote must next ensew.
Although shée héere mée, and doo hate vs all (which thing is trew)
That serue héere vnder Diomed: Yit set wée lyght her hate.
And déerely it should stand vs on too purchase hygh estate.
With such stowt woordes did Agmon stirre dame Venus vntoo ire
And raysd ageine her settled grudge. Not many had desyre
Too héere him talk thus out of square. the moste of vs that are
His fréendes rebuk•e him for his woordes. And as he did prepare
Too answere, bothe his voyce and throte by which his voyce should go,
Were small: his heare too feathers turnd: his necke was clad as tho
With feathers: so was brist and backe. The greater fethers stacke
Uppon his armes: and intoo wings his elbowes bowwed backe.
The greatest portion of his féete was turned intoo toes.
A hardened bill of horne did growe vppon his mouth and noze,
And sharpened at the neather end. His fellowes Lycus, Ide,
Rethenor, Nyct, and Abas all stood woondring by his syde.
And as they woondred, they receyvd the selfsame shape and hew.
And finally the greater part of all my band vp flew,
And clapping with theyr newmade wings, about the ores did gird.
And if yée doo demaund the shape of this same dowtfull bird,
Euen as they bée not verry Swannes: so drawe they verry néere
The shape of Cygnets whyght.* With much a doo I settled héere,
And with a little remnant of my people doo obteyne
The drygrownds of my fathrinlaw king Davvnus whoo did reigne
In Calabry.•hus much the sonne of Oenye sayd. Anon
Sir Venulus returning from the king of Calydon,
Forsooke the coast of Puteoll and the féeldes of Messapie,
In which hée saw a darksome denne forgrowne with busshes hye▪
And watred with a little spring. The halfegoate Pan that howre
Possessed it: but héertoofore it was the fayryes bowre.
A shepeherd of Appulia from that countrye scaard them fur••.
But afterward recouering hart and hardynesse they durst
Despyse him when he chaced them, and with theyr ••mble féete
Page 181Continewed on theyr dawncing still in tyme and measure méete
The shepeherd fownd mée fault with them: and with his lowtlike leapes
Did counterfette theyr minyon dawnce, and rapped out by heapes
A rabble of vnsauery taunts euen like a country cloyne,
Too which, most leawd and filthy termes of purpose he did ioyne.
And after he had once begon, he could not hold his toong,
Untill that in the timber of a trée his throte was cloong.
For now he is a trée, and by his iewce discerne yée may
His manners. For the Olyfwyld dooth sensibly bewray
By berryes full of bitternesse his rayling toong. For ay
The harshnesse of his bitter woordes the berryes beare away.
Now when the kings Ambassadour returned home without
The succour of th' Aetolian prince, the Rutills being stout
Made luckelesse warre without theyr help: and much on eyther syde
Was shed of blood. Behold king Turne made burning bronds too glyde
Uppon theyr shippes, and they that had escaped water, stoode
In feare of fyre. The flame had sindgd the pitch, the wax, and wood,
And other things that nourish fyre, and ronning vp the maste
Caught hold vppon the sayles, and all the takling gan too waste,
The Rowers seates did also smoke: when calling too her mynd
That theis same shippes were pynetrées erst and shaken with the wynd
On Ida mo•nt, the moother of the Goddes dame Cybel filld
The ayre with sound of belles, and noyse of shalmes. And as shée hilld
The reynes that rulde the Lyons tame which drew her charyot, Shée
Sayd thus. O Turnus all in vayne theis wicked hands of thée
Doo cast this fyre. for by myself dispoynted it shall bée.
I wilnot let the wasting fyre consume theis shippes which are
A parcell of my forest Ide of which I am most chare.
It thundred as the Goddesse spake, and with the thunder came
A storme of rayne and skipping hayle. and soodeyne with the same
The sonnes of Astrey méeting féerce and feyghting verry sore,
Did trouble bothe the sea and ayre and set them on a rore.
Dame Cybel vsing one of 〈…〉 serue her turne that tyde,
Did breake the Cables at 〈◊〉 which the Troiane shippes did ryde,
And bare them pro•e, 〈◊〉 vnderneathe the water did them dryue
The Timber of them so•tning •urnd 〈◊〉•odyes streyght alyue.
The stemmes were turnd too heades, the 〈◊〉 too swimming féete & toes,
Page [unnumbered]The sydes too ribbes, the kéele that through the middle gally goes
Became the ridgebone of the backe, the sayles and tackling, heare:
And intoo armes on eyther syde the sayleyards turned were.
Theyr hew is duskye as before, and now in shape of mayd
They play among the waues of which euen now they were afrayd.
And béeing Seanymphes, wheras they were bred in mountaynes hard,
They haunt for ay the water soft, and neuer afterward
Had mynd too see theyr natyue soyle. But yit forgetting not
How many perills they had felt on sea by lucklesse lot,
They often put theyr helping hand too shippes distrest by wynd,
Onlesse that any caryed Gréekes. For bearing still in mynd
The burning of the towne of Troy, they hate the Gréekes by kynd.
And therfore of Vlysses shippes ryght glad they were too sée
The shiuers. and as glad they were as any glad myght bée,
Too sée Alcinous shippes wex hard and turned intoo stone.
Theis shippes thus hauing gotten lyfe and béeing turnd eche one
Too nymphes, a body would haue thought the miracle so greate
Should intoo Turnus wicked hart sum godly feare haue beate,
And made him cease his wilfull warre. But he did still persist.
And eyther partye had theyr Goddes theyr quarrell too assist,
And courage also: which as good as Goddes myght well be thought.
In fyne they neyther for the Realme nor for the scepter sought,
Nor for the Lady Lauine: but for conquest. And for shame
Too séeme too shrinke in leauing warre, they still prolongd the same.
At length dame Venus sawe her sonne obteyne the vpper hand
King Turnus fell, and éeke the towne of Ardea which did stand
Ryght strong in hygh estate as long as Turnus liued. But
Assoone as that Aenaeas swoord too death had Turnus put,
The towne was set on fyre: and from amid the embers flew
A fowle which till that present tyme no persone euer knew,
And béete the ashes féercely vp with flapping of his wing.
The leanenesse, palenesse, dolefull sound, and euery other thing
That may expresse a Citie sakt, yea and the Cities name
Remayned still vntoo the bird. And now the verrye same
With Hernesewes fethers dooth bewayle the towne wherof it came.
And now Aenaeas prowesse had compelled all the Goddes
And Iuno also (whoo with him was most of all at oddes)
Page 182Too cease theyr old displeasure quyght. And now he hauing layd
Good ground wheron the growing welth of Iuly myght be stayd,
Was rype for heauen. And Venus had great sute already made
Too all the Goddes. and cléeping Ioue did thus with him perswade.
Déere father whoo hast neuer béene vncurtuous vntoo mée,
Now shewe the greatest courtesie (I pray thée) that may bée.
And on my sonne Aenaeas (whoo a graundchyld vntoo thée
Hath got of my blood) if thou wilt vouchsafe him awght at all)
Uouchsafe sum Godhead too bestowe, although it bée but small.
It is ynough that once he hathe alreadye séene the Realme
Of Pluto vtter pleasurelesse, and passed Styxis streame.
The Goddes assented: neyther did Quéene Iuno then appéere
In countnance straunge, but did consent with glad and merry chéere.
Then Ioue. Aenaeas woorthy is a saynct in heauen too bée.
Thy wish for whom thou doost it wish I graunt thée frank and frée.
This graunt of his made Venus glad. Shée thankt him for the same.
And glyding through the aire vppon her yoked doues, shee came
Too Lavvrent shore, where clad with reede the riuer Numicke déepe
Too seaward (which is néere at hand) with stealing pace dooth créepe.
Shée bade this riuer wash away what euer mortall were
In good Aenaeas bodye, and them vnder sea too beare.
The horned brooke fulfilld her hest, and with his water shéere
Did purge and clenze Aenaeas from his mortall body cléere.
The better porcion of him did remayne vntoo him sownd.
His moother hauing hallowed him did noynt his bodye rownd
With heauenly odours, and did touch his mouth with Ambrosie
The which was mixt with Ne•ar swéete, and made him by and by
A God too whom the Romanes giue the name of Indiges,
Endeuering with theyr temples and theyr altars him too please.
Ascanius with the dowble name from thence began too reigne,
In whom the rule of Alba and of Latium did remayne.
Next him succéeded Siluius, whoose sonne Latinus hild
The auncien• name and scepter which his graundsyre erst did wéeld.
The famous Ep•t after this Latinus did succéede.
Then Capys and king Capetus. But Capys was indéede
The formest of the twoo. From this the scepter of the Realme
Descended vntoo Tyberine, whoo drowning in the streame
Féerce Remulus and Acrota. By chaunce it hapned that
The elder brother Remulus for counterfetting oft
The thunder, with a thunderbolt was killed from aloft.
From Acrota whoose stayëdnesse did passe his brothers skill,
The crowne did cōme too Auentine, whoo in the selfsame hill
In which he reygned buryed lyes, and left thertoo his name.
The rule of nation Palatine at length too Proca came.
In this Kings reigne*Pomona livd. There was not too bée found
Among the woodnymphes any one in all the Latian ground
That was so conning for too keepe an Ortyard as was shée,
Nor none so paynefull too preserue the frute of euery trée.
And thervppon shée had her name. Shée past not for the woodes
Nor riuers, but the villages and boughes that bare bothe buddes
And plentuous frute. In sted of dart a shredding hooke shée bare,
With which the ouerlusty boughes shée eft away did pare
That spreaded out too farre, and eft did make therwith a rift
Too greffe another imp vppon the stocke within the clift.
And least her trées should die through drought, with water of the springs
Shée moystech of theyr sucking roots the little crumpled strings.
This was her loue and whole delyght. And as for Venus déedes,
Shée had no mynd at all of them. And forbycause shée dréedes
Enforcement by the countrye folke, shée walld her yards about,
Not suffring any man at all too enter in or out.
What haue not those same nimble laddes so apt too frisk and daunce
The Satyrs doone? or what the Pannes that wantonly doo praunce,
With borned forheads? and the old Silenus whoo is ay
More youthfull than his yéeres? and éeke the féend that scares away
The theeues and robbers with his hooke, or with his priuy part?
Too winne her loue? But yit than theis a farre more constant hart
Had sly*Vertumnus, though he sped no better than the rest.
O Lord, how often being in a moawers garment drest,
Bare he in bundells sheaues of corne? and when he so was dyght,
He was the verry patterne of a haruest moawer ryght.
Oft bynding newmade hay about his temples he myght séeme
A haymaker. Oft tymes in hand made hard with woork extreeme
He bare a goade, that men would sweere he had but newly then
Page 183Unyoakt his wéerye Oxen. Had he tane in hand agen
A shredding hooke, yée would haue thought hée had a gardener béene,
Or proyner of sum vynes. Or had you him with ladder séene
Uppon his necke, a gatherer of frute yée would him déeme.
With swoord a souldier, with his rod an Angler he did séeme.
And finally in many shapes he sought too fynd accesse
Too ioy the beawty but by syght, that did his hart oppresse.
Moreouer, putting on his head a womans wimple gay,
And staying by a staffe, graye heares he foorth too syght did lay
Uppon his forehead, and did feyne a beldame for too bée.
By meanes whereof he came within her goodly ortyards frée.
And woondring at the frute, sayd. Much more skill hast thou I sée
Than all the Nymphes of Albula. Hayle Lady myne, the flowre
Unspotted of pure maydenhod in all the world this howre.
And with that woord he kissed her a little: but his kisse
Was such as trew old women would haue neuer giuen ywis.
Then sitting downe vppon a bank, he looked vpward at
The braunches bent with haruests weyght. Ageinst him where he sat
A goodly Elme with glistring grapes did growe: which after hée
Had praysed, and the vyne, likewyse that ran vppon the trée,
But if ({quod} hée) this Elme without the vyne did single stand,
It should haue nothing (sauing leaues) too bée desyred: and
Ageine if that the vyne which ronnes vppon the Elme had nat
The trée too leane vntoo, it should vppon the ground ly flat.
Yit art not thou admonisht by example of this trée
Too take a husband, neyther doost thou passe too maryed bée.
But would too God thou wouldest. Sure Quéene Helen neuer had
Mo •uters, nor the Lady that did cause the battell mad
Betwéene the halfbrute Centavvres and the Lapythes, nor the wyfe
Of bold Vlysses whoo was éeke ay fearefull of his lyfe,
Than thou shouldst haue. For thousands now (euē now most chéefly whē
Thou séemest suters too abhorre) desyre thée, both of men,
And Goddes and halfgoddes, yea and all the fayryes that doo dwell
In Albane hilles. But if thou wilt bée wyse, and myndest well
Too match thy self, and wilt giue eare too this old woman héere,
(Too whom thou more than too them all art (trust mée) léef and déere,
And more than thou thyself beleevst) the common matches flée,
Page [unnumbered]And choose Vertumnus too thy make. And take thou mée too bée
His pledge. For more he too himself not knowen is, than too mée.
He roues not like a ronneagate through all the world abrode,
This countrye héerabout (the which is large) is his abode.
He dooth not (like a nomber of theis common wooers) cast
His loue to euery one he sées. Thou art the first and last
That euer he set mynd vppon. Alonly vntoo thée
Hée vowes himself as long as lyfe dooth last. Moreouer hée
Is youthfull, and with beawtye shéene endewd by natures gift,
And aptly intoo any shape his persone he can shift.
Thou canst not bid him bée the thing, (though al things yu shouldst name)
But that he fitly and with ease will streyght becomme the same.
Besydes all this, in all one thing bothe twayne of you delyght,
And of the frutes that you loue best the firstlings are his ryght:
And gladly he receyues thy gifts. But neyther couets hée
Thy Apples, Plommes, nor other frutes new gathered from the trée,
Nor yit the herbes of pleasant sent that in thy gardynes bée:
Nor any other kynd of thing in all the world, but thée.
Haue mercy on his feruent loue, and think himself too craue
Héere present by the mouth of mée, the thing that he would haue.
And feare the God that may reuenge: as Venus whoo dooth hate
Hard harted folkes, and Rhamnuse whoo dooth eyther soone or late
Expresse her wrath with myndfull wreake. And too thentent thou may
The more beware, of many things which tyme by long delay
Hathe taught mée, I will shewe thée one which ouer all the land
Of Cyprus blazed is abrode, which being ryghtly skand
May easly bow thy hardned hart and make it for too yild.
One Iphis borne of lowe degrée by fortune had behild
The Ladye Anaxarete descended of the race
Of Tevvcer, and in vewwing her the fyre of loue a pace
Did spred it self through all his bones. With which he stryuing long,
When reason could not conquer rage bycause it was too strong,
Came humbly too the Ladyes house: and one whyle laying ope
His wretched loue before her nurce, besought her by the hope
Of Lady Anaxarete her nurcechylds good successe,
Shée would not bee ageinst him in that cace of his distresse.
Anoother whyle entreating fayre sum fréend of hers, he prayd
Page 184Him earnestly with carefull voyce, of furthrance and of ayd.
Oftymes he did preferre his sute by gentle letters sent.
Oft garlonds moysted with the deawe of teares that from him went
He hanged on her postes. Oft tymes his tender sydes he layd
Ageinst the threshold hard, and oft in sadnesse did vpbrayd
The locke with much vngentlenesse. The Lady crueller
Than are the rysing narrowe seas, or falling kiddes, and farre
More hard than stéele of Noricum, and than the stonny rocke
That in the quarrye hath his roote, did him despyse and mocke.
Besyde her dooings mercylesse, of statelynesse and spyght
Shée adding prowd & skornefull woordes, defrauds the wretched wyght
Of verry hope. But Iphis now vnable any more
Too beare the torment of his greef, still standing there before
Her gate, spake theis his latest woordes, well Anaxarete,
Thou hast the vpper hand. Hencefoorth thou shalt not néede too bée
Agréeued any more with mée. Go tryumph hardely:
Go vaunt thy self with ioy: go sing the song of victorye:
Go put a crowne of glittring bay vppon thy cruell head.
For why thou hast the vpper hand, and I am gladly dead.
Well stéely harted well: reioyce. Compeld yit shalt thou bée
Of sumwhat in mée for too haue a lyking. Thou shalt sée
A poynt wherein thou mayst mee déeme most thankfull vntoo thée,
And in the end thou shalt confesse the great desert of mée.
But yit remember that as long as lyfe in mée dooth last,
The care of thée shall neuer from this hart of myne be cast.
For bothe the lyfe that I doo liue in hope of thée, and toother
Which nature giueth, shall haue end and passe away toogither.
The tydings neyther of my death shall come too thée fame.
Myself (I doo assure thée) will bée bringer of the same.
Myself (I say) will present bée that those same cruell eyen
Of thyne may féede themselues vppon this linelesse corce of myne.
But yit O Goddes, (if you behold mennes déedes) remember mée.
(My toong will se•ue too pray no more) and cause that I may bée.
Longtyme heerafter spoken of: and length the lyfe by fame
The which yée haue abridgd in yéeres. In saying of this same
He lifted vp his watrye eyes and armes that wexed wan
Too those same stulpes which oft he had with garlondes deckt ere than,
Page [unnumbered]And fastning on the toppe therof a halter thus did say.
Thou cruell and vngodly wyght, theis are the wreathes that may
Most pleasure thée. And with that woord he thrusting in his head,
Euen then did turne him towards her as good as being dead,
And wretchedly did totter on the poste with strangled throte.
The wicket which his féerefull féete in sprawling maynely smote,
Did make a noyse: and flying ope bewrayd his dooing playne.
The seruants shreekt, and lifting vp his bodye, but in vayne,
Conueyd him too his moothers house, his father erst was slayne.
His moother layd him in her lappe, and cléeping in her armes
Her sonnes cold bodye, after that shée had bewayld her harmes
With woordes and dooings mootherlyke, the corce with moorning chéere
Too buryall sadly through the towne was borne vppon a beere.
The house of Anaxarete by chaunce was néere the way
By which this piteous pomp did passe, and of the doolefull lay
The sound came too the eares of her, whom God alreadye gan
Too strike▪ Yit let vs sée ({quod} shée) the buryall of this man.
And vp the hygh wyde windowde house in saying so, shée ran.
Scarce had shée well on Iphis lookt that on the béere did lye,
But that her eyes wert stark: and from her limbes the blood gan flye.
In stead therof came palenesse in. And as shée backeward was
In mynd too go, her féete stacke fast and could not stirre. And as
Shée would haue cast her countnance backe, shée could not doo it. And
The stonny hardnesse which a late did in her stomacke stand,
Within a whyle did ouergrow her whole from sole too crowne.
And least you think this géere surmysde, euen yit in Salamin towne
Of Lady Anaxarete the image standeth playne.
The temple also in the which the image dooth remayne,
Is vntoo Venus consecrate by name of looker out.
And therfore weying well theis things, I prey thée looke about
Good Lady, and away with pryde: and be content too frame
Thy self too him that loueth thée and cannot quench his flame.
So neyther may the Lentons cold thy budding frutetrées kill
Nor yit the sharp and boystous wyndes thy flowring Gardynes spill.
The God that can vppon him take what kynd of shape he list
Now hauing sayd thus much in vayne, omitted too persist
In b•••ames shape, and shewde himself a lusty gentleman,
Page 185Appéering too her chéerefully, euen like as Phebus whan
Hée hauing ouercomme the clowdes that did withstand his myght,
Dooth blaze his brightsum beames agein with fuller heate and lyght.
He offred force. but now no force was néedfull in the cace.
For why shée béeing caught in loue with beawty of his face,
Was wounded then as well as hée, and gan to yéeld a pace.
Next Proca reignd Amulius in Avvsonye by wrong.
Till Numitor the ryghtfull heyre deposed verry long,
Was by his daughters sonnes restorde. And on the feastfull day
Of Pale, foundation of the walles of Rome they gan too lay.
Soone after Tacye, and the Lordes of Sabine stird debate:
And Tarpey for her traytrous déede in opening of the gate
Of Tarpey towre was prest too death according too desert
With armour heapt vppon her head. Then féerce and stowt of hart
The Sabines like too toonglesse woolues without all noyse of talke
Assayld the Romanes in theyr sléepe, and too the gates gan stalke
Which Ilias sonne had closed fast with lockes and barres. But yit
Dame Iuno had set open one, and as shée opened it
Had made no noyse of craking with the hindges, so that none
Perceyud the opening of the gate but Venus allalone.
And shée had shet it vp, but that it is not lawfull too
One God too vndoo any thing another God hath doo.
The waternymphes of Avvsonie hild all the groundes about
The Church of Ianus where was store of springs fresh flowing out.
Dame Venus prayd theis nymphes of help. And they con•i•ering that
The Goddesse did request no more but ryght, denyde it nat.
They opened all theyr fountayne veynes and made them flowe apace.
Howbéet the passage was not yit too Ianus open face
Forclosed: neyther had as yit the water stopt the way.
They put rank brimstone vnderneathe the flowing spring that day,
And éeke with smokye rozen set theyr veynes on fyre for ay.
Through force of theis and other things, the vapour perced lowe
Euen downe vnto the verry rootes on which the springs did growe.
So that the waters which a late in coldnesse myght compare
Euen with the frozen Alpes, now whot as burning furnace are.
The twoo gate posts with sprinkling of the fyry water smoakt.
Wherby the gate béehyghted too the Sabines quyght was choakt
Page [unnumbered]With rysing of this fountaine straunge, vntill that Marsis knyght
Had armed him. Then Romulus did boldly offer fyght.
The Romane ground with Sabines & with Romanes bothe were spred.
And with the blood of fathrinlawes which wicked swoord had shed
Flowde mixt the blood of sonn•inlawes. Howbéet it séemed best
Too bothe the partyes at the length from battell for too rest,
And not too fyght too vttrance: And that Tacye should becoome
Copartner with king Romulus of souereintye in Roome.
Within a whyle king Tacye dyde: And bothe the Sabines and
The Romanes vnder Romulus in equall ryght did stand.
The God of battell putting of his glittring helmet then,
With such like woordes as theis bespake the fyre of Goddes and men.
The tyme O father (in as much as now the Romane state
Is wexen strong vppon the good foundation layd alate,
Depending on the stay of an•) is comme for thee too make
Thy promis good which thou of mée and of thy graundchyld spake.
Which was too take him from the earth and in the heauen him stay.
Thou once (I markt thy gracious woordes and bare them well away)
Before a great assembly of the Goddes didst too mee say.
There shalbée one whom thou shalt rayse aboue the starry skye.
Now let they saying take effect. Ioue graunting by and by
The ayre was hid with darksom clowdes, and thunder foorth did fly,
And lyghtning made the world agast. Which Mars perceyuing too
Bée lackye tokens for himself his enterpryse too doo,
Did take his 〈◊〉 vppon his speare and boldly lept intoo
His bloodye charyot. And he lent his horses with his whippe
A yirking lash, and through the ayre full smoothely downe did •lippe.
And staying on the woody toppe of mountayne Palatine,
He tooke away king Romulus whoo there did then defyne
The pryuate caces of his folk vnseemly for a king.
And as a leaden peller broade enforced from a •ling
Is woont too dye amid the skye: euen so his mortall flesh
Sank from him downe the suttle ayre. In sted wherof a fresh
And goodly shape more stately and more méete for sacred shryne.
Succéeded, like our Quirin that in stately robe dooth shyne.
Hersilia for her féere as lost, of moorning made none end,
Untill Quéene Iuno did commaund dame Iris too discend
Page 186Uppon the Raynebowe downe, and thus her message for too doo.
O of the Latian country and the Sabine nacion too
Thou péerlesse perle of womanhod, most woorthy for too bée
The wyfe of such a noble prince as héertoofore was hée,
And still too bée the wyfe of him canonized by name,
Of Quirin: cease thy teares. And if thou haue desyre the same
Thy holy husband for too sée, ensew mée too the queache
That groweth gréene on Quirins hill, whoose shadowes ouerreache
The temple of the Romane King. Dame Iris did obey.
And •yding by her paynted bowe, in former woordes did say
〈…〉 too Hersilia. Shée scarce lifting vp her eyes,
With sober countnance answerd. O thou Goddesse (for surmyse
I cannot whoo thou art, but yit I well may vnderstand
Thou art a Goddess) leede mée O déere Goddesse léede mée, and
My husband too mée shewe. Whom if the fatall susters thrée
Will of they: gracious goodnesse graunt mée leaue but once too sée,
I shall account mée intoo heauen receyued for too bée.
Immediatly with Thavvmants imp too Quirins hill shée went.
There glyding from the sky a starre streyght downe too groūd was sent,
The sparkes of whoose bryght blazing beames did burne Hersilias heare.
And with the starre the ayre• did vher heare too heauenward beare.
The buylder of the towne of Roome receyuing streyght the same
Betweene his old acquaynted handes, did alter both her name
And eeke her bodye, calling her dame Ora. And by this
Shée ioyntly with her husband for a Goddesse woorshipt is.
Finis Libri decimi quarti.
