Don Zara del Fogo a mock-romance / written originally in the Brittish tongue, and made English by a person of much honor, Basilius Musophilus ; with a marginall comment, expounding the hard things of the history.

CHAP. II.

Soto courts Lapida. The Inchantress turns him into a Horse. She raises the Ghost of Hercules, whom Zara encoun∣ters with, and is knockt down. He is ex∣treamly inraged, but at length appeased by Lamia, who recreates his senses with many rare sports and pastimes.

WHile his Master was thus Bil∣ling, it had been shame for Soto to sit as a Mute, or whistle upon his thumbs ends, when so many beaute∣ous Objects (as it were) offered themselves to his imbraces; there∣fore (after Solemnization of the Health) he rose up, and addressed himselfe to Lapida (the fairest and most portly of all the Attendant Nymphs) * 1.1 Most pellucid Paragon, quoth hee, whose Fulgor famishes the Fame of HERO, HELEN,

or Hebe; vouchsafe most illustrious morsell of Maids flesh, to accept of Squire Soto his service, chief Cham∣berlain and sole Secretary to the mag∣nanimous and munificent Don Zara del Fogo, whose body and soul shall cringe to thy commands; Lapida re∣turned him no answer, save what her Virgin blushes afforded, which ani∣mated Soto to a neerer approach, fold∣ing his sinewy arms about her slender waste, and clinging close to her coral lips, which occasioned many mops and mowes from the other Marble Maidens, and caused Lapida to desert his desired imbraces with a cloudy brow: Soto being thus shaken off, re∣turned to his quondam station, find∣ing his Master in deep discourse with the inchantress, who (at his request) informed him, That (those her Hand-Maids vvere the legitimate issue of * 1.2 Pigmalion, vvhom (though the anci∣ent Bards knew it not) the compassi∣onate Gods (pittying Pigmalions suf∣ferance) graciously trans-elemented, furnishing her with the finest flesh, and all other Feminie endowments. I perceive Madam (said Zara) that

your bright self can bring marvelous things to pass by your occult perpe∣trations, I vvas once so bewitcht that I could not shite, till two or three Candls ends were thrust up—; Pray Madam, give your servant to know what miraculous things may be effected by Inchantments: I will not hide from thee (my dearest Zara) said the Soceres, * 1.3 that by the potency of my Spells, and Incantations, I can take off the top of St. Marks Steeple in Venice, and clap it upon St. Peters in Rome, I can contract the Elements, and (but that I would not destroy this goodly Mass of things) jumble all to its originall Chaos; I can se∣clude Aeolus and his sons in a Hawk∣ing-bag. I can turn the tide o•• Tygris or Nyle, cloath the Earth with Flow∣ers, the Trees with leavs, & the Fields with verdure; in the midst of winter I can call down Luna when I list from her sphere, give life to the dead, and death to the living; Metamorphose men into beasts, and beasts into men; cause Thunder and Lightning, Blast∣ing and Mildews, Storms and Tem∣pests, Earth-quakes & Water-quakes,

demollish the stoutest Structures by land, and the goodly Vessels by Sea with a nod: having thus spoken, she called Soto unto her, and taking Zara by the hand, she said, That thou maist have proofe of my abilities, and that thou art respected by her who can countermand the councels of the Gods, behold the transmutation of thy Squire; With that, rising up, she waived her Wand three times over Soto's scull, thrice she turned unto the East, & as many times unto the West, mumbling over some mysterious Mat∣tens, till Soto by degrees * 1.4 was tran∣shaped into a goodly Steed, who sha∣king his crested main, and pawing on the pavement, neighed aloud, like a∣nother Phobos or Dimos, insomuch that the Champion (had not the love he bare to his servant overcome his hasty wishes) could have been contented that Soto should have continued in that shape, Founder-foot being turned to grass to the wide world: Soto had not long proved himself a perfect prauncing Palfray, but the courteous Inchantress restored him to his pri∣stine shape, to the Champions excee∣ding

contentment, but to Soto's ex∣tream dejectment, who never after that could (faithfully) fancy himself any other save a very beast: This bu∣siness over, the Inchantress willing to delight the Champion, demanded of him which of the ancient Worthies (Goliah, Judas Maccab••us, &c.) he had most mind to behold; I would fain feast my eyes, quoth he, with peru∣sing the person of that monster-ta∣ming Hercules, the son of Jupiter and Alcmena, he that made no more of a Lion then of an Izeland Cur, who wielded Mountains as Pibbles, drew Cacus out of his Den by the heels, and demollished mighty Cities with a fil∣lip of his finger: The Champion had scarce spoke, but a Tree sprang up, * 1.5 whose top almost touched the Clouds, its broad branches were lo∣den with Apples of Gold, most radi∣ant to the eye, about whose body a Dragon (of an un-measured great∣ness) twined it selfe, evomorating flames of fire mingled with hail-stones of an incredible magnitude, Hercules had soon vanquished the Dragon, wrything his neck with as much dex∣terity

as a Poulterer would spoil the cackling of a Brittish Hen: the Cham∣pion (though dehorted from it by the Inchantress) would needs salute this noble Shade, but received a very rough return of his Congratulation; for Alcides very rudely smote him on the head with his huge Club, so that he sank to the ground as dead, wal∣lowing up and down, as their manner is, who are suddenly surprized with fits of the Mother, or (Hercules his own disease) the Falling-sickness: Alcides having done this scathe, slipt away very slily, leaving the Champi∣on (almost soul-less) sprawling up∣on the Floor: Soto was in an exteam Agony for his Master: Lamia was grieved and her Hand-Maids heavie, but the Inchantress soon recovered him by watering his Visnomy with her warm Urine (the customary way (it seems) of that Countrey to revive the enfeebled) which not onely illu∣minated his dim eyes, but circum∣gyring about his weasand, enforced him to a manly neese, so that with∣in a little time (to their great com∣fort) he sate up, calling for some

Wine, which being brought, he drank a hearty draught to the In∣chantress, though one might per∣ceive (with half an eye) wrath and disdain in Capitall Characters on his front; which Lamia perceiving, ad∣ministred this Julip to allay his fiery Choller.

Sir, quoth she, I perceive your soul sits heavy on its strings (wounded with dolour for Hercules his rigid contumacie, and that your heart has entered into Covenant with your hands (justly inraged to be sha∣ken in pieces by a shaddow) to in∣flict a sudden and severe Revenge; but know (most redoubted Champi∣on) that Spirits are of a substance al∣together impenetrable, and your an∣ger cannot dilate it self to a deserved punishment; how much did I dehort you from so dangerous a••t Attempt; but the best on't is, your Sun-like Fame cannot be, Ecclipsed by this Interpositon; for you were not fel∣led by a Gyant, but a Goblin; by a Don, but a Daemon; not by Achilles,

but by Aloides himselfe; O Heaven, said the Champion (pointing to the place where he was knoct down) that what neither man nor Monster durst to have put in practice, should be consummated by a paltrey Spectar, a subteranean shade, and ayerie Incu∣bus; O Alcides, that thy soul werein flesh, that I might grasp thy Gygan∣tick bulk betwixt my mighty arms; thou shouldst finde me no * 1.6 Anteus, or Achelous; but I powr out my plaints to the vacant Ayre, and fruitlesly deplore a helpless ill. Lamia (whose privie parts melted in the Paphian fire) purposing to put a period to the good Knights grief, by the potent vigour of her Thessalian Art, called up the Ghosts of * 1.7 Orpheus and Am∣phion, who playing upon their hea∣venly Harps, made most dulcid me∣lody; Then entered Flora, accom∣panid with a drove of Dryades (clad in green, their heads encircled with Flowery Anadems) who hand in hand danced the Spanish way, to the Champions unspeakeable Content∣ment; By this time the Sunne was

sunk neer his Evening Region, to Glaucas infinite joy, who thought each minute an Age, till she had tasted those Oily sweets (which she resolved to retalliate with Amber-Suds) that every Errant Knight pro∣strates at the Port-Cullis of his Pa∣ramour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈2 lines〉〈2 lines〉 Lapida in a most ele∣gant, ela∣borate stile, perhaps h••••¦ving r••ad the Acade¦my of 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.2

  Pigmalion proved to have had issue by his Marble Mi∣stris, a rare piece of an∣tiquity, hi∣therto not made pub∣like.
• * 1.3

  The In∣chantress de∣clares what wonde••ous things may be done by Witch〈…〉〈…〉ft, a fine story, and undoub∣tedly 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 having be〈…〉〈…〉 an Article of faith in all former Ages, and believed by very wise men of our time.
• * 1.4

  Soto's Me∣〈…〉〈…〉phosis.
• * 1.5

  By this it appears that the Roof was not vaul••••••.
• * 1.6

  Two sturdy Wrestlers.
• * 1.7

  Two fa∣mous Fid∣〈…〉〈…〉.