The pleasant fable of Hermaphroditus and Salmacis. by T. Peend Gent. With a morall in English verse

¶That the vnlearned myght the better vnderstande these, I haue compendeouslye noted the histories, & names not familier to oure eng∣lysh phrase.

VEnus,* 1.1 wyfe to Vulcane, fayned of the Poets to be the Godesse of loue. And by another name is called Aphrodite.

MErcurye,* 1.2 the sonne of Iupiter and Maia, one of the daughters of Atlas. Whom the Poets called god of eloquence, and is called Hermes, otherwise the messenger of Iupiter.

PHaebus, Apollo.* 1.3 And is taken for the Sonne.

NArcissus,* 1.4 sonne of ••iriope, a chylde of passyng bewtye, whych did so much delyght in hys owne shape, as the Poets fayned, that he died for loue of his owne shadowe, and was turned into a flowre.

PHrigian.* 1.5 One of the Lande of Phri∣gia.

CVpide,* 1.6 sonne of Bacchus and Venus, and is fayned of the Poets, to be the God of loue. And is called blynde: because luste blindeth iudge∣mentes of men.

ECcho.* 1.7 A Nymphe, whiche loued Narcissus. And the sounde that commeth from the valleys and hollowe places, & doth sounde againe syx or seuen words, in some places, by reason of the reuerberatiō of the aire. (as some saye.)

IOue,* 1.8 sonne of Saturne and Ops. King of Creta, and was fayned cheefe of the Gods.

IVno.* 1.9 Sys••er & wyfe of Ioue or Iupiter.

MEdea,* 1.10 doughter of Oeta, Kynge of Cholcus, which loued Iason. Who, when he had sworne neuer to forsake her. She did help him to kill the Serpente, and wyn the golden fleece. And so when she did pryuely go away with Iason, she kyled her yonge brother

Absirtus, and did plucke him in peces, to stay her father which pursued after her: & when she had lyued many yeres in Grece, with Iason, and had children by hym. At last Iason forsoke her, and ma∣ryed Glauca, doughter of kynge Creon. Medea so refused, slew the sones which she had by Iason, & settynge hys Palace on fyre: she burned Glauca, and her fa∣ther therin.

HIpsiphile,* 1.11 doughter of Thoas, Kyng of Lemnus, whyche lo••ed Iason ex∣cedinglye, & bare hym two chyl∣dren at a burden.

IAson,* 1.12 sonne of Aeson, whom Pelias hys Unkell being kyng of Thessalye, dyd sende wyth manye other valy∣ente Gentlemen, to fetche the Golden Fleece. Whych (the aduenters ther of achyeued,) by the helpe of Medea, he wan, and brought it away.

DEmophon,* 1.13 sōne of Theseus & Phaedra. Which returninge from the ba∣tayle of Troy, was by tempeste broughte into Thracia, wheare Phillis

doughter of Licurgus, then Queene, re∣ceyued hym, and after maryed hym, whyche from thence wente to Athens, promysynge her to returne shortlye. Which when he performed not, Phillis not able to susteine the ragyng fyttes of so feruent loue. Honge her selfe on an Almonde tree.

And so the Poets fained that she was turned into an Almonde tree.

DIdo,* 1.14 doughter of Belus, kynge of Tirus. And wyfe of Sicheus: whom when Pigmalion the kinge, & bro∣ther to Dido had s••a••ne for his richesse. Dido sayled into Africa with hys trea∣sure, and theare buylded the famous Cytie of Carthage. And afterwarde in loue with Aeneas, when he had depar∣ted from her, to seke the lande of Italye: (according to Cassandra her prophesie.) she brake her necke for sorow, falling into the fire. &c. Or according to Virgill flew her selfe with Aeneas his swerde.

AEneas.* 1.15 A noble man of Troy, sonn•• of Anchises and Venus. Which es∣capynge with his father, wyfe, and other hys countrey men. After

great trauaile, and many chaunces: aryued in Italy, wheare after great batayle he slewe kyng Turnus, and maryed Lauinia, daughter to kyng Latinus. And so became king of Italy.

HElena.* 1.16 Begotten of Iupiter, in the lykenes of a Swanne, on Laeda wyfe of Tindar••s, kynge of Laconia. And was for her passyng bewtie ••wyse stollen Fyrst by Th••s••∣us, being but a gerle: & the seconde time being wife to Menelaus, by Paris. For whom the Grecians warred ten yeares space with the Troyans. And so Troy beyng burned, receyued her agayne.

PAris.* 1.17 Sonne of Priam kynge of Troy, by hys wyfe Hecuba, with whom when shee was greate with chylde, shee dreamed that shee had broughte foorthe a fyrebrande, whych shulde burne Troye: whear∣fore the kynge afrayde, cōmaunded that the chylde shulde be kylled as soone as hee was borne. Hys mo∣ther Hecuba, moued wyth motherly

pytie, did pryuelye sende hym to a Shepard to be brought vp. And whē he waxed a yonge man, Iuno, Pallas, and Venus, Goddesses, stryuynge in beutye for a golden Apple, wheron was written: be it geuen to the fay∣rest They were sente by Iupiter, to the iudgemente of Paris. To whom when Iuno had promysed rule and kyngdome, Pallas wysedome, and Venus pleasure, and the fayrest wo∣man in the worlde. He gaue the ap∣ple to Venus. And so after came in fauour with his father, and sayling to Sparta, he brought fayre Helen a∣way wyth hym. And so the batayle of Troy began.

SApho.* 1.18 A womā of the Ile Lesbos, lerned in Poetrye, beinge for∣saken of a yonge man, called Phaon, whom she loued: she caste her selfe from the hyll Leucates, into the Sea, & so peryshed by loue of hym.

PHaon.* 1.19 When he had caryed Vee∣nus ouer a Fery: she gaue hym to be the fairest, and best shaped man alyue.

BIblis.* 1.20 daughter of Miletus, which inflamed with detestable loue of her brother Caunus, when he forsoke hys coūtrey to auoyde that myscheyfe: she folowed hym tyl she dyed for fayn••nes.

SCylla.* 1.21 Daughter of Nisus, kynge of Megaris. Whyche for the loue of Minos then besegyng the Cy∣tie of Megaris, she brought to hym a purple heare, which she cut of from her fathers heade. And that heare being on hys heade, he could not be ouercome, and by lyke destenye: w^t the heare, he loste hys kyngdome. And Minos dyspysed her for her mis∣cheuous dede. And tyenge her with a corde to the ende of hys shyp: he hanged her in the water.

MInos.* 1.22 begotten by Iupit••r in the likenes of a white Bull, on the fayre Europa, daughter to Agenor kyng of Phaenicia. And for his iustyce is fayned of the Poets to be a Iudge in Hell.

ADonis.* 1.23 A yonge man of passing bewtye, whom Cinaras kynge of Phaenicia, made dronke by polycy of hys doughter, & a Nurce, ••egat on his owne doughter M••rrha. whom Venus loued.

Hippolitus.* 1.24 Sōne of Theseus, duke of Athens, by Hippolite. Whom when hys stepmother Phaedra could not winne to her lust, she ac∣cused him to Theseus, as thoughe hee woulde haue oppressed her by force. Thes••us then trustynge hys wyfe to much, desyred hys father Aegeus, a God of the Sea, that he wolde kyll hys sonne. Wherfore when Hippo∣litus dyd ryde in a Charyot by the Sea syde, Aegeus sente out certaine monsters of the Sea, called Phoces, wherwith his horses afraide, brake the Charyot, and rente hym in pe∣ces. But at the requeste of Diana, Goddesse of Chastytie (louyng her chast knight Hippolitus,) Aesculapius, the fyrste that inuented Physyke: restored hym to lyfe agayne.

MEnelaus.* 1.25 Sonne of A••reus, bro∣ther to Agamemn••n, and kyng of the Cytie of Sparta.

VVlcane.* 1.26 Sonne of Iupiter & Iuno, whyche being borne ill fauo∣red, and liked not Iuno: he was cast into the Ile Lemnus, who are be∣ing noryshed wyth Apes, he became lame of one foote therby. And he is fayned to be the god of fyre, and the Smyth to make thunder boltes for Iupit••r. Whych askyng to marrye Minerua, Iupiters doughter, and God∣desse of wysdome: he was denyed. Wherfore Virgill 〈◊〉〈◊〉

* The Gods wolde not vouchsafe,* 1.27 that hee shulde at theyr table fyt. And to her bed, the Goddesse shee wolde neuer hym admyt:

But afterwarde, thys gay Squyer maried to Venus, when he had taken her a bed wyth lustye Ma••s, the god of batayle. He had framed such fine chaynes to bynde them, that they could not get a sunder: tyll he had brought all the Gods to laugh at the game.

PAsiphae.* 1.28 Wy••e of Minos kynge of Creta, whych loued a stowte Captayne called Taurus, and conceyued by him the cruel and de∣formed Minotaurus, whō for his fierce¦nes, and ill shape, the Poets fayned to haue bene halfe a man, and halfe a bull: & therfore was enclosed in a Laberinthe, (made by the co••ynge De∣dalus,) and theare fed wych fleshe of men.

HEro.* 1.29 A mayden of synguler bewtye, of the Cytye Sestos, in ••ellespont.

LEander.* 1.30 A yonge gentleman of the Cyty Abidos, whych a great Ryuer dyd deuyde from Sestos, who are he was wonte to swym by nyghte, to hys louer Hero, and so at laste was drowned.

PIramus.* 1.31 A yonge gentleman of Babylon whyche loued Thisbe.

THisbe.* 1.32 A mayde of synguler bewtye, whyche when shee

loued P••riamus excedyngly: And they were kept a sunder by their parēts, yet o••e night they escaped out, and had agreed before, to haue met vn∣der a tree without the towne: Thisbe commynge thyther fyrste, seinge a Lyon? dyd flye into the wood, her rayle beynge fallen of, the Ly∣on 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it in peces. Piramus com∣mynge after, fyndynge the cloth ren••e, thoughte that Thisbe had bene denoured of some beast, and so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hym selfe. Whyche when Thisbe returnynge agayne dyd see: shee kylled her selfe wyth the same swe••de.

OReste••.* 1.33 Sonne of kynge Aga∣me••••ion. Whyche ••lew hys mo∣ther Clitemnestia, because that shee for loue of Aegisthus, had slayne hys father. And he maryed H••rmi∣one. And after being 〈◊〉〈◊〉, (hys most faythful frend Pylades kepyng him) he came into the country of Tauric••: Where, accordyng to the custome, he shulde haue bene slayne, and sa∣cryfysed.

But being knowen of hys syster Iphigenia, hee slewe the kynge Thoas, and escaped with hys syster. And after had hys wyttes perfecte agayne.

HErmione.* 1.34 Daughter of Menelaus, and that Helen: so renowmed for her bewtye, Whych being a gerle was marryed to Orestes. And when kyng Pirrhus, sonne of the va∣lyante. Achilles, had marryed her af∣terward. Hermione by letters requy∣red him humbly, to claime his right and delyuer her. And so Orestes slew Pirrhus, & receyued Hermione agayne.

HIacinthus.* 1.35 A yong man, of pas∣synge bewtye.

MArs.* 1.36 God of warre, and sōne of Iupiter and Iuno.

THeseus.* 1.37 Sonne of Aegeus kyng of Athens, & of Aethra, dough∣ter to Pytheus, kyng of the Cy∣tye Troezen. A puyssante knyghte, whych dyd many greate feates a••d

aduentures: As Hercules dyd. Being but a yonge man, he foughte wyth Hercules against the Amazones, war∣full women. He slew Creon kynge of Thebes, which suffered not mē slaine in warre to be buryed. He slew Mi∣notaurus, and deliuered hys coūtrey, from the trybute of fourtene noble chyldren, euery nyne yeres, sent to Creta to be slayne, for that the Cyty∣zens of Athens had slaine Androgeus, sonne of Minos kynge of Creta. Hee slewe a monstrous Bull whych had spoyled the coūtrey Attica. He slew ••eyron, and Procustes, robbers. And af∣terwarde wyth his faythfull freind Pirithous he wente to Hell to fetche Proserpina, whom Pluto had stollen, from her mother C••res, Goddesse of corne, and Queene of Sicilye.

But Pirith••uis beynge slayne by the three headed Hounde Cerberus, Por∣ter of Hell: Theseus was kept in pri¦son theare, tyll he was delyuered by myghty Hercules.

ARiadne.* 1.38 Doughter to Minos, king of Creta, whyche by a botom of

thred, taught Theseus to come out of the Laberinthe, after he had kylled her brother Minotaurus. She forsoke her countrey and folowed hym, whom he lefte in the Ile of Naxus▪ So Bacchus the God of wyne, tooke her to wyfe. And Venus gaue her a crowne, wheron Bacchus se•• nyne starres, & fyred it in the skye. And so the starre is called the Gnossian crowne.

PHaed••a.* 1.39 Doughter of kynge Minos, and Pasiphae, wyth her syster Ariadne dyd flye her countrey, with Theseus: and became hys wyfe, after he had for∣saken Ariadne.

ADelasie* 1.40 Doughter and onelye chylde of the Emperour Otho the thyrde, so excedynglye she was enamoured of the most valiant Ale∣ran, sonne of a Duke of Saxony that she procured hym pryuelye to con∣uey her awaye, whych by the helpe of an old lady her nurce, he brought to pass••. And afterwarde beinge

robed of suche money as they had prouyded, they lyued long in a woode, and made coles for theyr ly∣uynge, and bare hym seucn sonnes theare, and afterwarde by the va∣lyante feates of her eldest sonne, they were knowen to the Empe∣roure▪ and so had hys fauoure a∣gayne, and enioyed the Empyre af∣ter hym.

IVliet.* 1.41 A noble mayden of the Cy∣tye Ve••ona in Italye, whyche loued Romeus, eldest sonne of the Lorde Montesche, and beinge pryuely ma∣ryed togyther: he at last poysoned hym selfe for loue of her. she for so∣rowe of hys deathe, slewe her selfe in the same Tombe, wyth hys dag∣ger▪

TIresias.* 1.42 An olde Prophet of the Cytie Thebes, in Boetia, a countrey in Attica. And is nowe called Vanda••ia.

DIana.* 1.43 Daughter of Iupiter and Latona, and sy••er of Apollo, & is called goddesse of hunting, and Chastytie. & is the Moone also.

NYmphes,* 1.44 were maydens which fo¦lowed Diana, and worshyppyng her, did lyue solytarye, in woodes, by ryuers sides, and other pleasant places: to auoyde companye. And cheifly vsed huntyng: to subdue the tedyousnes of tyme.

ACteon.* 1.45 Sonne of Aristaeus, by A••tonoe daughter of Camus, buylder of the Cytye Thebes, whych after he had bene a hunting, came by chaunce to a secret wel or spryng, where he saw Diana naked, wasshyng of her selfe. Wherat shee takyng displeasure, turned him in∣to a Harte, and so, as he wold haue returned home,* 1.46 he was rente in pe∣ces of his owne hoūds.

Ouid Epist.Acteon once ••vnwyttyng, did Dian•• naked▪ see: Wherfo••e vnto his Houndes, shee made Him then a praye to bee.

¶All whych was ••ained, for that he had spente hys substaunce, and vndone him selfe by hun••ynge, and kepyng of houndes.

GYsmonde.* 1.47 Onelye daughter of Tanc••ede, kyng of Sa••e••ne: which loued a seruaunte of her fathers: & beinge taken in adultery together, in a Caue in the grounde the kinge caused her louer Guistarde to be han∣ged therfore, and sent his harte vn∣to her▪ whych imbracynge it, layd it on her breste, agaynste her owne hart, and dranke a cuppe of poyson immedyatly, wherof dyenge: shee desyred that they myghte be buryed together.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Venus.
• * 1.2

  Mercurie
• * 1.3

  Phaebus.
• * 1.4

  Narcissus
• * 1.5

  Phrigian.
• * 1.6

  Cupide.
• * 1.7

  Eccho.
• * 1.8

  Ioue.
• * 1.9

  Iuno.
• * 1.10

  Medea.
• * 1.11

  Hipsiphil
• * 1.12

  Iason.
• * 1.13

  Demophō
• * 1.14

  Dido.
• * 1.15

  Aeneas
• * 1.16

  Helena.
• * 1.17

  Paris.
• * 1.18

  Sapho.
• * 1.19

  Phaon.
• * 1.20

  Biblis.
• * 1.21

  Scylla.
• * 1.22

  M••nos.
• * 1.23

  Adonis.
• * 1.24

  Hippoli∣tus.
• * 1.25

  Menela∣us.
• * 1.26

  Vulcane.
• * 1.27

  Ne•• deus hunc men¦ sa, Dea nec digna¦ta cubili est.
• * 1.28

  Pasiphae
• * 1.29

  Hero.
• * 1.30

  Leander.
• * 1.31

  Piramus.
• * 1.32

  Thisbe.
• * 1.33

  Orestes.
• * 1.34

  Hermio∣ne.
• * 1.35

  Hiacin∣thus.
• * 1.36

  Mars.
• * 1.37

  Theseus.
• * 1.38

  Ariadne
• * 1.39

  Phaedia.
• * 1.40

  Adelasie.
• * 1.41

  Iuliet.
• * 1.42

  Tiresias.
• * 1.43

  Diana.
• * 1.44

  Nymphes
• * 1.45

  Acteon.
• * 1.46

  Inscius Acteon vi¦dit sine veste Dia¦nā, At{que} suis cani∣bus▪ &c.
• * 1.47

  Gysmond