Ouids banquet of sence A coronet for his mistresse philosophie, and his amorous zodiacke. VVith a translation of a Latine coppie, written by a fryer, anno Dom. 1400.

The amorous Zodiack.

1

I Neuer see the Sunne, but s••ddainly My soule is mou'd, with spite and ielousie Of his high blisse in his sweete co••rse discerned: And am displeasde to see so many signes As the bright S••ye vnworthily diuines, Enioy an honor they haue neuer earned.

2

To thinke heauen decks with such a beautious show A Harpe, a Shyp, a Serpent, and •• Crow, And such a crew of creatures of no prises, But to excite in vs th'vnshamefast flames, With which (long since) Ioue wrongd so many Dames, Reuiuing in his rule, theyr names and vices.

3

Deare Mistres, whom the Gods bred heere belowe T'expresse theyr wondrous powre and let vs know That before thee they nought did perfect make Why may not I (as in those signes the Sunne) Shine in thy beauties, and as roundly r••••ne, To frame (like him) an endlesse Zodiack.

4

With thee Ile furnish both the yeere and Sky, Running in thee my course of destinie: And thou shalt be the rest of all my mouing, But of thy numberles and perfect graces (To giue my Moones theyr ful in twelue months spaces) I chuse but twelue in guerdon of my louing.

5

Keeping euen way through euery excellence, Ile make in all, an equall residence Of a newe Zodiack: a new Phoebus guising, When (without altering the course of nature) Ile make the seasons good, and euery creature Shall henceforth reckon day, from my first rising.

6

To open then the Spring-times golden gate, And flowre my race with ardor temperate, Ile e••ter by thy head, and haue for house In my first month, this heauen-Ram-curled tresse: Of which, Loue all his charme-chaines doth addresse: A Signe fit for a Spring so beau••io••s.

7

Lodgd in that fleece of hayre, yellow, and curld, Ile take high pleasure to enlight the world, And fetter me in gold, thy crisps implies, Earth (at this Spring spungie and langorsome With enuie of our ioyes in loue become) Shall swarme with flowers, & ayre with painted flie••▪

8

Thy smooth embowd brow, where all grace I see, My second month, and second house shall be: Which brow, with her cleere beauties shall delight The Earth (yet sad) and ouerture confer To herbes, buds, flowers, and verdure gracing Ver, Rendring her more then Sommer exquisite.

9

All this fresh Aprill, this sweet month of Venus, I will admire this browe so bounteous: This brow, braue Court for loue, and vertue builded, This brow where Chastitie holds garrison, This brow that (blushlesse) none can looke vpon, This brow with euery grace and honor guilded.

10

Resigning that, to perfect this my yeere Ile come to see thine eyes: that now I feare: Thine eyes, that sparckling like two Twin-borne fires, (Whose lookes benigne, and shining sweets doe grace Mays youthfull mo••th with a more pleasing face) Iustly the Twinns signe▪ hold in my desires,

11

Scorcht with the beames these sister-flames eiect, The liuing sparcks thereof Earth shall effect The shock of our ioynd-fires the Sommer starting: The season by degrees shall change againe The dayes, theyr longest durance shall retaine, The starres their amplest light, and ardor dar••ing.

12

But now I feare that thronde in such a shine, Playing with obiects, pleasant and diuine, I should be mou'd to dwell there thirtie dayes: O no, I could not in so little space, With ioy admire enough theyr plen••eous grace, But euer liue in sun-shine of theyr rayes:

13

Yet this should be in vaine, my forced will My course designd (begun) shall follow still; So forth I must, when forth this month is wore, And of the neighbor Signes be borne anew, Which Signe perhaps may stay mee with the view More to conceiue, and so desire the more.

14

It is thy nose (sterne to thy Barke of loue) Or which Pyne-like doth crowne a flowrie Groue, Which Nature striud to fashion with her best, That shee might neuer turne to show more skill: And that the enuious foole, (vsd to speake ill) Might feele pretended fault chokt in his brest.

15

The violent season in a Signe so bright, Still more and more, become more proude of light, Should still incense mee in the following Signe: A signe, whose sight desires a gracious kisse, And the red confines of thy tongue it is, Where, hotter then before, mine eyes would shine.

16

So glow those Corrals, nought but fire respiring With smiles, or words, or sighs her thoughts attiring Or, be it she a kisse diuinely frameth; Or that her tongue, shookes forward, and retires, Doubling like feruent Syrius, summers fires In L••os mouth, which all the world enflameth.

17

And now to bid the Boreall signes adew I come to giue thy virgin-cheekes the view To temper all my fire, and tame my heate, Which soone will feele it selfe extinct and dead, In those fayre courts with modestie dispred With holy, humble, and chast thoughts repleate.

18

The purple tinct, thy Marble cheekes retaine, The Marble tinct, thy purple cheekes doth staine The Lillies dulie equald with thine eyes, The tinct that dyes the Morne with deeper red, Shall hold my course a Month, if (as I dread) My fires to issue want not faculties.

19

To ballance now thy more obscured graces Gainst them the circle of thy head encha••es (Twise three Months vsd, to run through twise three houses To render in this heauen my labor lasting, I hast to see the rest, and with one hasting, The dripping tyme shall fill the Earth carowses.

20

Then by the necke, my Au••umne Ile commence, Thy necke, that merrits place of excellence Such as this is, where with a certaine Sphere In ballancing the darknes with the light, It so might vvey, vvith skoles of equall weight Thy be••uties seene with those doe not ••ppeare.

21

Now past my month t'admire for built most pure This Marble piller and her ly••eature, I come t'inhabit thy most gracious teates, Teates that ••eede loue vpon the white riphees, Teates where he hangs his glory and his trophes When victor from the Gods war he retreats.

22

Hid in the vale twixt these two hils confined This vale the nest of loues, and ioyes diuined Shall I inioy mine ease; and fayre be passed Beneath these parching Alp••; and this sweet cold Is first, thys month, heauen doth to vs vnfold But there shall I still greeue to bee displaced.

23

To sort from this most braue and pompous signe (Leauing a little my ecliptick lyne Lesse superstitious then the other S••nne) The rest of my Autumnall race Ile end To see thy hand, (whence I the crowne attend,) Since in thy past parts I haue slightly runne.

24

Thy hand, a Lilly gendred of a Rose That wakes the morning, hid in nights repose: And from Apollos bed the vaile doth twine, That each where doth th'Idalian Minion guide; That bends his bow; that tyes, and leaues vntyed The siluer ribbands of his little Ensigne.

25

In fine, (still drawing to th'Antartick Pole) The Tropicke signe, Ile runne at for my Gole, Which I can scarce expresse with chastitie, I know in heauen t'is called C••pricorne And with the suddaine thought, my case takes horne, So (heauen-like,) Capricorne the name shall be.

26

This (wondrous fit) the wintry Solstice seaseth, Where darknes greater growes and day decreseth, Where rather I would be in night then day, But when I see my iournies doe encrease Ile straight dispatch me thence, and goe in peace To my next house, where I may safer stay.

27

This house alongst thy naked thighs is found, Naked of spot; made fleshy, firme and round, To entertayne loues friends with feeling sport▪ These, Cupids secret misteries enfold, And pillers are that Venus Phane vphold, Of her deare ioyes the glory, and support.

28

Sliding on thy smooth thighs to thys months end; To thy well fashiond Calues I will descend That soone the last house I may apprehend, Thy slender feete, fine slender feete that shame Thetis sheene feete, which Poets so much fame, And heere my latest season I will end.