Cephalus & Procris Narcissus.

CEPHALVS and Procris.

FAire and bright Cynthia, Ioues great ornament, Richly adorning nightes darke firmament, Scoured amidst the starry Canapie,* 1.1 Of heauens celestiall gouernement, well nie Downe to the euer ouer-swelling tide, Where old Oceanus was wont t' abide, At last began to crie, and call amaine, Oh what is he, my loue so long detaines! Or i'st Ioues pleasure Cynthia shall alone, Obscure by night, still walke as one forlorne: Therewith away she headlong postes along Salt washing waues, rebellious cloudes among, So as it seem'd minding the heauens to leaue, And them of light, thus strangely to bereaue. * 1.2 With that Aurora starting from her bed, As one that standes deuising, shakes his head, Not minding either this or that to doe, So are her thoughtes, nor quicke, nor ouerslow; Phebus halfe wrothe to see the globe stand still, The world want light, a woman haue her will:

To post foorth gan another Phaeton, And swore once more, he should the world vppon, Or as tis thought to trie th'aduentrous boy. Yet some suppose, he meant vpon this day, A Sympathy of sorrowes to aduaunce. The boy thus proude-made, hotly gan to praunce, And now heauens coape, Ioues pallace chrystaline Downe dingeth Atlas, and straight doth decline In such aboundant measure, as tis said, Since that same day the light of heauen's decaide, A metamorphosis on earth mong'st men, As touching constancy hath bene since then, And this is true maidens, since that same day, Are saide for louers neuer more to pray. But to returne, Phebe in million teares, Moanes to her selfe, and for a time forbeares, Aurora she her swift bright shining rayes, On Phebus charyot tosse, and oft assayes, With her sweete lookes, her fathers wroth t' appease, But all she doth, he tels her, doth disease, Like to the vncorrected headstrong childe, That neuer felt his parentes strokes but milde, Growne vp to ryper yeares, disdaines a checke: (For nature ouergon comes to defect:) So now Aurora hauing felt the pride Of heauen and earth, turning her selfe a side, Rapt with a suddaine extasie of minde, Vnto her selfe (thus said) Goddesse diuine: How hapt that Phebus mou'd amid his chase, Should such kinde frendship scorne for to imbrace, I will no more (quoth she) godd it along Such vnaccustom'd wayes, ne yet among

Such as is Titan, better fittes it me, With Vesper still to liue, then such as he, Though well I wot, honor is set on high, Yet gentle Humilitie, is best say I. No more she spake, but like the swelling tide, That hauing passage skymes, scorning a guide, Vntill the vaste receipte of Neptunes bower, Kils the hoat fume, euen so, away she skoures, Lawlesse as twere sans thought or any dread, Like to banditos mong'st the mountaine heard. And now vpon her gentle louely* 1.3 mother, Bright as the morning, comes the mornings honor, All snowy white, saue purpled heere and there, So beautifull as beauty might despaire, And stand amaz'd, noting her wanton eie, Which at a trice could all the world espie, Vpon her head, a coronet did stand, Of seuerall flowers gathered by Titan. * 1.4 A vale she wore downe trayling to her thighes, The stuffe whereof, I gesse, of such emprize, As Gods themselues are doubtfull of the arte, Seeming as aire with otomie disperst, Her handes, a meny Poets* 1.5 dead and gone, Haue heretofore (excelling) wrote vpon. It shall suffize Venus doth grace to her, In that she waites before, like to a Starre, Directing of her steps along'st the zone, Neuer ouertaken by the Horizon, Ne yet in daunger put of any Lake, The frozen Pole she warnes her to forsake: And all* 1.6 Licurgus daughters Dion noates, Base in respect of duetie, and out-coates,

Notes

• * 1.1

  A pariphrisis of the Night.
• * 1.2

  A description of the Morning.
• * 1.3

  Aurora filia Titanis & Terrae.
• * 1.4

  An imitation taken from the Thra∣cians called Acroconiae that vsually weare long haire downe to their wasts.
• * 1.5

  Dead as mē.
• * 1.6

  Pleiades the seauen starres, supposed to be the daughters of Licurgus.