Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- The Lordes and Capteynes being set toogither with the King,
- And all the souldiers standing round about them in a ring,
- The owner of the sevenfold sheeld, to theis did Ajax ryse.
- And (as he could not brydle wrath) he cast his frowning eyes
- Uppon the shore and on the fleete that there at Anchor lyes
- And throwing up his handes: God and must wee plead (quoth hee)
- Our case before our shippes? and must Ulysses stand with mee?
- But like a wretch he ran his way when Hector came with fyre,
- Which I defending from theis shippes did force him to retyre.
- It easyer is therefore with woordes in print to maynteine stryfe,
- Than for to fyght it out with fists. But neyther I am ryfe
- In woordes, nor hee in deedes. For looke how farre I him excell
- In battell and in feates of armes: so farre beares hee the bell
- From mee in talking. Neyther think I requisite to tell
- My actes among you. You your selves have seene them verry well.
- But let Ulysses tell you his doone all in hudther mudther,
- And wherunto the only nyght is privy and none other.
- The pryse is great (I doo confesse) for which wee stryve. But yit
- It is dishonour unto mee, for that in clayming it
- So bace a persone standeth in contention for the same.
- To think it myne already, ought to counted bee no shame
- Nor pryde in mee: although the thing of ryght great valew bee
- Of which Ulysses standes in hope. For now alreadye hee
- Hath wonne the honour of this pryse, in that when he shall sit
- Besydes the cuishon, he may brag he strave with mee for it.
- And though I wanted valiantnesse, yit should nobilitee
- Make with mee. I of Telamon am knowne the sonne to bee
- Who under valeant Hercules the walles of Troy did scale,
- And in the shippe of Pagasa to Colchos land did sayle.
- His father was that Aeacus whoo executeth ryght
- Among the ghostes where Sisyphus heaves up with all his myght
- The massye stone ay tumbling downe. The hyghest Jove of all
- Acknowledgeth this Aeacus, and dooth his sonne him call.
- Thus am I Ajax third from Jove. Yit let this Pedegree,
- O Achyves, in this case of myne avaylable not bee,
- Onlesse I proove it fully with Achylles to agree.
- He was my brother, and I clayme that was my brothers. Why
- Shouldst thou that art of Sisyphs blood, and for to filch and lye
- Expressest him in every poynt, by foorged pedegree
- Aly thee to the Aeacyds, as though we did not see
- Thee to the house of Aeacus a straunger for to bee?
- And is it reason that you should this armour mee denye
- Bycause I former was in armes, and needed not a spye
- To fetch mee foorth? Or think you him more woorthye it to have,
- That came to warrefare hindermost, and feynd himself to rave,
- Bycause he would have shund the warre? untill a suttler head
- And more unprofitable for himself, sir Palamed,
- Escryde the crafty fetches of his fearefull hart, and drew
- Him foorth a warfare which he sought so cowardly to eschew?
- Must he now needes enjoy the best and richest armour, whoo
- Would none at all have worne onlesse he forced were thertoo?
- And I with shame bee put besyde my cousin germanes gifts
- Bycause to shun the formest brunt of warres I sought no shifts?
- Would God this mischeef mayster had in verrye deede beene mad,
- Or else beleeved so to bee: and that wee never had
- Brought such a panion unto Troy. Then should not Paeans sonne
- In Lemnos like an outlawe to the shame of all us wonne.
- Who lurking now (as men report) in woodes and caves, dooth move
- The verry flints with syghes and grones, and prayers to God above
- To send Ulysses his desert. Which prayer (if there bee
- A God) must one day take effect. And now beehold how hee
- By othe a Souldier of our Camp, yea and as well as wee
- A Capteine too, alas, (who was by Hercules assignde
- To have the keeping of his shafts,) with payne and hungar pynde,
- Is clad and fed with fowles, and dribs his arrowes up and downe
- At birds, which were by destinye preparde to stroy Troy towne.
- Yit liveth hee bycause hee is not still in companie
- With sly Ulysses. Palamed that wretched knyght perdie,
- Would eeke he had abandond beene. For then should still the same
- Have beene alyve: or at the least have dyde without our shame.
- But this companion bearing (ah) too well in wicked mynd
- His madnesse which sir Palamed by wisdome out did fynd,
- Appeached him of treason that he practysde to betray
- The Greekish hoste. And for to vouch the fact, he shewd streyght way
- A masse of goold that he himself had hidden in his tent,
- And forged Letters which he feynd from Priam to bee sent.
- Thus eyther by his murthring men or else by banishment
- Abateth hee the Greekish strength. This is Ulysses fyght.
- This is the feare he puttes men in. But though he had more might
- Than Nestor hath, in eloquence he shal not compasse mee
- To think his leawd abandoning of Nestor for to bee
- No fault: who beeing cast behynd by wounding of his horse,
- And slowe with age, with calling on Ulysses waxing hoarce,
- Was nerethelesse betrayd by him. Sir Diomed knowes this cryme
- Is unsurmysde. For he himselfe did at that present tyme
- Rebuke him oftentymes by name, and feercely him upbrayd
- With flying from his fellowe so who stood in neede of ayd.
- With ryghtfull eyes dooth God behold the deedes of mortall men.
- Lo, he that helped not his freend wants help himself agen.
- And as he did forsake his freend in tyme of neede: so hee
- Did in the selfsame perrill fall forsaken for to bee.
- He made a rod to beat himself. He calld and cryed out
- Uppon his fellowes. Streight I came: and there I saw the lout
- Bothe quake and shake for feare of death, and looke as pale as clout.
- I set my sheeld betweene him and his foes, and him bestrid:
- And savde the dastards lyfe. Small prayse redoundes of that I did.
- But if thou wilt contend with mee, lets to the selfesame place
- Agein: bee wounded as thou wart: and in the foresayd case
- Of feare, beset about with foes: cowch underneath my sheeld:
- And then contend thou with mee there amid the open feeld.
- Howbee't, I had no sooner rid this champion of his foes,
- But where for woundes he scarce before could totter on his toes,
- He ran away apace, as though he nought at all did ayle.
- Anon commes Hector to the feeld and bringeth at his tayle
- The Goddes. Not only thy hart there (Ulysses) did thee fayle,
- But even the stowtest courages and stomacks gan to quayle.
- So great a terrour brought he in. Yit in the midds of all
- His bloody ruffe, I coapt with him, and with a foyling fall
- Did overthrowe him to the ground. Another tyme, when hee
- Did make a chalendge, you my Lordes by lot did choose out mee,
- And I did match him hand to hand. Your wisshes were not vayne.
- For if you aske mee what successe our combate did obteine,
- I came away unvanquished. Behold the men of Troy
- Brought fyre and swoord, and all the feendes our navye to destroy.
- And where was slye Ulysses then with all his talk so smooth?
- This brest of myne was fayne to fence your thousand shippes forsooth,
- The hope of your returning home. For saving that same day
- So many shippes, this armour give. But (if that I shall say
- The truth) the greater honour now this armour beares away.
- And our renownes togither link. For (as of reason ought)
- An Ajax for this armour, not an armour now is sought
- For Ajax.
- Let Dulychius match with theis, the horses whyght
- Of Rhesus, dastard Dolon, and the coward carpetknyght
- King Priams Helen, and the stelth of Palladye by nyght.
- Of all theis things was nothing doone by day nor nothing wrought
- Without the helpe of Diomed. And therefore if yee thought
- To give them to so small deserts, devyde the same, and let
- Sir Diomed have the greater part. But what should Ithacus get
- And if he had them, who dooth all his matters in the dark,
- Who never weareth armour, who shootes ay at his owne mark
- To trappe his fo by stelth unwares? The very headpeece may
- With brightnesse of the glistring gold his privie feates bewray
- And shew him lurking. Neyther well of force Dulychius were
- The weyght of great Achilles helme uppon his pate to weare.
- It cannot but a burthen bee (and that ryght great) to beare
- (With those same shrimpish armes of his) Achilles myghty speare.
- Agen his target graven with the whole huge world theron
- Agrees not with a fearefull hand, and cheefly such a one
- As taketh filching even by kynd. Thou Lozell, thou doost seeke
- A gift that will but weaken thee, which if the folk of Greeke
- Shall give thee through theyr oversyght, it will be unto thee
- Occasion, of thyne emnyes spoyld not feared for to bee,
- And flyght (wherein thou, coward, thou all others mayst outbrag)
- Will hindred bee when after thee such masses thou shalt drag.
- Moreover this thy sheeld that feeles so seeld the force of fyght
- Is sound. But myne is gasht and hakt and stricken thurrough quyght
- A thousand tymes, with bearing blowes. And therfore myne must walk
- And put another in his stead. But what needes all this talk?
- Lets now bee seene another whyle what eche of us can doo.
- The thickest of our armed foes this armour throwe into,
- And bid us fetch the same fro thence. And which of us dooth fetch
- The same away, reward yee him therewith. Thus farre did stretch
- The woordes of Ajax. At the ende whereof there did ensew
- A muttring of the souldiers, till Laertis sonne the prew
- Stood up, and raysed soberly his eyliddes from the ground
- (On which he had a little whyle them pitched in a stound)
- And looking on the noblemen who longd his woordes to heere
- He thus began with comly grace and sober pleasant cheere:
- My Lordes, if my desyre and yours myght erst have taken place,
- It should not at this present tyme have beene a dowtfull cace,
- What person hath most ryght to this great pryse for which wee stryve.
- Achilles should his armour have, and wee still him alyve.
- Whom sith that cruell destinie to both of us denyes,
- (With that same woord as though he wept, he wypte his watry eyes)
- What wyght of reason rather ought to bee Achilles heyre,
- Than he through whom to this your camp Achilles did repayre?
- Alonly let it not avayle sir Ajax heere, that hee
- Is such a dolt and grossehead, as he shewes himself to bee
- Ne let my wit (which ay hath done you good, O Greekes) hurt mee.
- But suffer this mine eloquence (such as it is) which now
- Dooth for his mayster speake, and oft ere this hath spoke for yow,
- Bee undisdeynd. Let none refuse his owne good gifts he brings.
- For as for stocke and auncetors, and other such like things
- Wherof our selves no fownders are, I scarcely dare them graunt
- To bee our owne. But forasmuch as Ajax makes his vaunt
- To bee the fowrth from Jove: even Jove the founder is also
- Of my house: and than fowre descents I am from him no mo.
- Laertes is my father, and Arcesius his, and hee
- Begotten was of Jupiter. And in this pedegree
- Is neyther any damned soule, nor outlaw as yee see.
- Moreover by my moothers syde I come of Mercuree,
- Another honor to my house. Thus both by fathers syde
- And moothers (as you may perceyve) I am to Goddes alyde.
- But neyther for bycause I am a better gentleman
- Then Ajax by the moothers syde, nor that my father can
- Avouch himself ungiltye of his brothers blood, doo I
- This armour clayme. Wey you the case by merits uprightly,
- Provyded no prerogatyve of birthryght Ajax beare,
- For that his father Telamon, and Peleus brothers were.
- Let only prowesse in this pryse the honour beare away.
- Or if the case on kinrid or on birthryght seeme to stay,
- His father Peleus is alive, and Pyrrhus eeke his sonne.
- What tytle then can Ajax make? This geere of ryght should woone
- To Phthya, or to Scyros Ile. And Tewcer is as well
- Achilles uncle as is hee. Yit dooth not Tewcer mell.
- And if he did, should hee obteyne? Well, sith the cace dooth rest
- On tryall which of us can prove his dooings to bee best,
- I needes must say my deedes are mo than well I can expresse:
- Yit will I shew them orderly as neere as I can gesse.
- Foreknowing that her sonne should dye, the Lady Thetis hid
- Achilles in a maydes attyre. By which fyne slyght shee did
- All men deceyve, and Ajax too. This armour in a packe
- With other womens tryflyng toyes I caryed on my backe,
- A bayte to treyne a manly hart. Appareld like a mayd
- Achilles tooke the speare and sheeld in hand, and with them playd.
- Then sayd I: O thou Goddesse sonne, why shouldst thou bee afrayd
- To raze great Troy, whoose overthrowe for thee is onely stayd?
- And laying hand uppon him I did send him (as you see)
- To valeant dooings meete for such a valeant man as hee.
- And therfore all the deedes of him are my deedes. I did wound
- King Teleph with his speare, and when he lay uppon the ground,
- I was intreated with the speare to heale him safe and sound.
- That Thebe lyeth overthrowne, is my deede. You must think
- I made the folk of Tenedos and Lesbos for to shrink.
- Both Chryse and Cillas, Phebus townes, and Scyros I did take.
- And my ryght hand Lyrnessus walles to ground did levell make.
- I gave you him that should confound (besydes a number mo)
- The valeant Hector. Hector, that our most renowmed fo,
- Is slayne by mee. This armour heere I sue agein to have
- This armour by the which I found Achilles. I it gave
- Achilles whyle he was alive: and now that he is gone
- I clayme it as myne owne agein. What tyme the greefe of one
- Had perst the harts of all the Greekes, and that our thousand sayle
- At Awlis by Ewboya stayd, bycause the wyndes did fayle,
- Continewing eyther none at all or cleene ageinst us long,
- And that our Agamemnon was by destnyes overstrong
- Commaunded for to sacrifyse his giltlesse daughter to
- Diana, which her father then refusing for to doo
- Was angry with the Godds themselves, and though he were a king
- Continued also fatherlyke: by reason, I did bring
- His gentle nature to relent for publike profits sake.
- I must confesse (whereat his grace shall no displeasure take)
- Before a parciall judge I undertooke a ryght hard cace.
- Howbeeit for his brothers sake, and for the royall mace
- Committed, and his peoples weale, at length he was content
- To purchace prayse wyth blood. Then was I to the moother sent,
- Who not perswaded was to bee, but compast with sum guyle.
- Had Ajax on this errand gone, our shippes had all this whyle
- Lyne still there yit for want of wynd. Moreover I was sent
- To Ilion as ambassadour. I boldly thither went,
- And entred and behilld the Court, wherin there was as then
- Great store of princes, Dukes, Lords, knyghts, and other valeant men.
- And yit I boldly nerethelesse my message did at large
- The which the whole estate of Greece had given mee erst in charge.
- I made complaint of Paris, and accusde him to his head.
- Demaunding restitution of Queene Helen that same sted
- And of the bootye with her tane. Both Priamus the king
- And eeke Antenor his alye the woordes of mee did sting.
- And Paris and his brothers, and the resdew of his trayne
- That under him had made the spoyle, could hard and scarce refrayne
- There wicked hands. You, Menelay, doo know I doo not feyne.
- And that day was the first in which wee joyntly gan susteyne
- A tast of perrills, store whereof did then behind remayne.
- It would bee overlong to tell eche profitable thing
- That during this long lasting warre I well to passe did bring,
- By force as well as pollycie. For after that the furst
- Encounter once was overpast, our emnyes never durst
- Give battell in the open feeld, but hild themselves within
- Theyr walles and bulwarks till the tyme the tenth yeere did begin,
- Now what didst thou of all that whyle, that canst doo nought but streeke?
- Or to what purpose servedst thou? For if thou my deedes seeke,
- I practysd sundry pollycies to trappe our foes unware:
- I fortifyde our Camp with trench which heretofore lay bare:
- I hartned our companions with a quiet mynd to beare
- The longnesse of the weery warre: I taught us how wee were
- Bothe to bee fed and furnished: and to and fro I went
- To places where the Counsell thought most meete I should bee sent.
- Behold the king deceyved in his dreame by false pretence
- Of Joves commaundement, bade us rayse our seedge and get us hence.
- The author of his dooing so may well bee his defence.
- Now Ajax should have letted this, and calld them backe ageine
- To sacke the towne of Troy. He should have fought with myght and maine.
- Why did he not restreyne them when they ready were to go?
- Why tooke he not his swoord in hand? why gave he not as tho
- Sum counsell for the fleeting folk to follow at the brunt?
- In fayth it had a tryfle beene to him that ay is woont
- Such vaunting in his mouth to have. But he himself did fly
- As well as others. I did see, and was ashamed, I,
- To see thee when thou fledst, and didst prepare so cowardly
- To sayle away. And thereuppon I thus aloud did cry:
- What meene yee, sirs? what madnesse dooth you move to go to shippe
- And suffer Troy as good as tane, thus out of hand to slippe?
- What else this tenth yeere beare yee home than shame? with such like woord
- And other, (which the eloquence of sorrowe did avoord,)
- I brought them from theyr flying shippes. Then Agamemnon calld
- Toogither all the capteines who with feare were yit appalld.
- But Ajax durst not then once creake. Yit durst Thersites bee
- So bold as rayle uppon the kings, and he was payd by mee
- For playing so the sawcye Jacke. Then stood I on my toes
- And to my fearefull countrymen gave hart ageinst theyr foes.
- And shed new courage in theyr mynds through talk that fro mee goes.
- From that tyme foorth what ever thing hath valeantly atcheeved
- By this good fellow beene, is myne, whoo him from flyght repreeved.
- And now to touche thee: which of all the Greekes commendeth thee?
- Or seeketh thee? But Diomed communicates with mee
- His dooings, and alloweth mee, and thinkes him well apayd
- To have Ulysses ever as companion at the brayd.
- And sumwhat woorth you will it graunt (I trow) alone for mee
- Out of so many thousand Greekes by Diomed pikt to bee.
- No lot compelled mee to go, and yit I setting lyght
- As well the perrill of my foes as daunger of the nyght,
- Killd Dolon who about the selfsame feate that nyght did stray,
- That wee went out for. But I first compelld him to bewray
- All things concerning faythlesse Troy, and what it went about.
- When all was learnd, and nothing left behynd to harken out,
- I myght have then come home with prayse. I was not so content.
- Proceeding further to the Camp of Rhesus streyght I went,
- And killed bothe himself and all his men about his tent.
- And taking bothe his chariot and his horses which were whyght,
- Returned home in tryumph like a conquerour from fyght.
- Denye you mee the armour of the man whoose steedes the fo
- Requyred for his playing of the spye a nyght, and so
- May Ajax bee more kynd to mee than you are. What should I
- Declare unto you how my sword did waste ryght valeantly
- Sarpedons hoste of Lycia? I by force did overthrowe
- Alastor, Crome, and Ceranos, and Haly on a rowe.
- Alcander, and Noemon too, and Prytanis besyde,
- And Thoon and Theridamas, and Charops also dyde
- By mee, and so did Ewnomos enforst by cruell fate.
- And many mo in syght of Troy I slew of bacer state.
- There also are (O countrymen) about mee woundings, which
- The place of them make beawtyfull. See heere (his hand did twich
- His shirt asyde) and credit not vayne woordes. Lo heere the brist
- That alwayes to bee one in your affayres hath never mist.
- And yit of all this whyle no droppe of blood hath Ajax spent
- Uppon his fellowes. Woundlesse is his body and unrent.
- But what skills that, as long as he is able for to vaunt
- He fought against bothe Troy and Jove to save our fleete? I graunt
- He did so. For I am not of such nature as of spyght
- Well dooings to deface: so that he chalendge not the ryght
- Of all men to himself alone, and that he yeeld to mee
- Sum share, whoo of the honour looke a partener for to bee.
- Patroclus also having on Achilles armour, sent
- The Trojans and theyr leader hence, to burne our navye bent.
- And yit thinks hee that none durst meete with Hector saving hee,
- Forgetting bothe the king, and eeke his brother, yea and mee.
- Where hee himself was but the nyneth, appoynted by the king,
- And by the fortune of his lot preferd to doo the thing.
- But now for all your valeantnesse, what Issue had I pray
- Your combate? Shall I tell? Forsoothe, that Hector went his way
- And had no harme. Now wo is mee how greeveth it my hart
- To think uppon that season when the bulwark of our part
- Achilles dyde. When neyther teares, nor greef, nor feare could make
- Mee for to stay, but that uppon theis shoulders I did take,
- I say uppon theis shoulders I Achilles body tooke,
- And this same armour claspt theron, which now to weare I looke.
- Sufficient strength I have to beare as great a weyght as this,
- And eeke a hart wherein regard of honour rooted is.
- Think you that Thetis for her sonne so instantly besought
- Sir Vulcane this same heavenly gift to give her, which is wrought
- With such exceeding cunning, to th'entent a souldier that
- Hath neyther wit nor knowledge should it weare? He knowes not what
- The things ingraven on the sheeld doo meene. Of Ocean se,
- Of land, of heaven, and of the starres no skill at all hath he.
- The Beare that never dyves in sea he dooth not understand,
- The Pleyads, nor the Hyads, nor the cities that doo stand
- Uppon the earth, nor yit the swoord that Orion holdes in hand.
- He seekes to have an armour of the which he hath no skill.
- And yit in fynding fault with mee bycause I had no will
- To follow this same paynfull warre and sought to shonne the same,
- And made it sumwhat longer tyme before I thither came,
- He sees not how hee speakes reproch to stout Achilles name.
- For if to have dissembled in this case, yee count a cryme,
- Wee both offenders bee. Or if protracting of the tyme
- Yee count blame woorthye, yit was I the tymelyer of us twayne.
- Achilles loving moother him, my wyfe did mee deteyne.
- The former tyme was given to them, the rest was given to yow.
- And therefore doo I little passe although I could not now
- Defend my fault, sith such a man of prowesse, birth and fame
- As was Achilles, was with mee offender in the same.
- But yit was he espyed by Ulysses wit, but nat
- Ulysses by sir Ajax wit. And lest yee woonder at
- The rayling of this foolish dolt at mee, hee dooth object
- Reproche to you. For if that I offended to detect
- Sir Palamed of forged fault, could you without your shame
- Arreyne him, and condemne him eeke to suffer for the same?
- But neyther could sir Palamed excuse him of the cryme
- So heynous and so manifest: and you your selves that tyme
- Not onely his indytement heard, but also did behold
- His deed avowched to his face by bringing in the gold.
- And as for Philoctetes, that he is in Lemnos, I
- Deserve not to bee toucht therwith. Defend your cryme: for why
- You all consented therunto. Yit doo I not denye,
- But that I gave the counsell to convey him out of way
- From toyle of warre and travell that by rest he myght assay
- To ease the greatnesse of his peynes. He did thereto obey
- And by so dooing is alyve. Not only faythfull was
- This counsell that I gave the man, but also happye, as
- The good successe hath shewed since. Whom sith the destnyes doo
- Requyre in overthrowing Troy, appoynt not mee thertoo:
- But let sir Ajax rather go. For he with eloquence
- Or by some suttle pollycie, shall bring the man fro thence
- And pacyfie him raging through disease, and wrathfull ire.
- Nay, first the river Simois shall to his spring retyre,
- And mountaine Ida shall theron have stonding never a tree,
- Yea and the faythlesse towne of Troy by Greekes shall reskewd bee,
- Before that Ajax blockish wit shall aught at all avayle,
- When my attempts and practyses in your affayres doo fayle.
- For though thou, Philoctetes, with the king offended bee,
- And with thy fellowes everychone, and most of all with mee,
- Although thou cursse and ban mee to the hellish pit for ay,
- And wisshest in thy payne that I by chaunce myght crosse thy way,
- Of purpose for to draw my blood: yit will I give assay
- To fetch thee hither once ageine. And (if that fortune say
- Amen,) I will as well have thee and eeke thyne arrowes, as
- I have the Trojane prophet whoo by mee surprysed was,
- Or as I did the Oracles and Trojane fates disclose,
- Or as I from her chappell through the thickest of her foes
- The Phrygian Pallads image fetcht: and yit dooth Ajax still
- Compare himself with mee. Yee knowe it was the destinyes will
- That Troy should never taken bee by any force, untill
- This Image first were got. And where was then our valeant knight
- Sir Ajax? Where the stately woordes of such a hardy wyght?
- Why feareth hee? Why dares Ulysses ventring through the watch
- Commit his persone to the nyght his buysnesse to dispatch?
- And through the pykes not only for to passe the garded wall
- But also for to enter to the strongest towre of all
- And for to take the Idoll from her Chappell and her shryne
- And beare her thence amid his foes? For had this deede of myne
- Beene left undoone, in vayne his sheeld of Oxen hydes seven fold
- Should yit the Sonne of Telamon have in his left hand hold.
- That nyght subdewed I Troy towne. That nyght did I it win,
- And opened it for you likewyse with ease to enter in.
- Cease to upbrayd mee by theis lookes and mumbling woordes of thyne
- With Diomed: his prayse is in this fact as well as myne.
- And thou thy selfe when for our shippes thou diddest in reskew stand,
- Wart not alone: the multitude were helping thee at hand.
- I had but only one with mee. Whoo (if he had not thought
- A wyseman better than a strong, and that preferment ought
- Not alway followe force of hand) would now himself have sought
- This Armour. So would toother Ajax better stayed doo,
- And feerce Ewrypyle, and the sonne of hault Andremon too.
- No lesse myght eeke Idominey, and eeke Meriones,
- His countryman, and Menelay. For every one of these
- Are valeant men of hand, and not inferior unto thee
- In martiall feates. And yit they are contented rulde to bee
- By myne advyce. Thou hast a hand that serveth well in fyght.
- Thou hast a wit that stands in neede of my direction ryght.
- Thy force is witlesse. I have care of that that may ensew.
- Thou well canst fyght: the king dooth choose the tymes for fyghting dew
- By myne advyce. Thou only with thy body canst avayle.
- But I with bodye and with mynd to profite doo not fayle,
- And looke how much the mayster dooth excell the gally slave,
- Or looke how much preheminence the Capteine ought to have
- Above his souldyer: even so much excell I also thee.
- A wit farre passing strength of hand inclosed is in mee.
- In wit rests cheefly all my force. My Lordes, I pray bestowe
- This gift on him who ay hath beene your watchman as yee knowe.
- And for my tenne yeeres cark and care endured for your sake
- Full recompence for my deserts with this same honour make.
- Our labour draweth to an end, all lets are now by mee
- Dispatched. And by bringing Troy in cace to taken bee
- I have already taken it. Now by the hope that yee
- Conceyve, within a whyle of Troy the mine for to see,
- And by the Goddes of whom alate our emnyes I bereft,
- And as by wisedome to bee doone yit any thing is left,
- If any bold aventrous deede, or any perlous thing,
- That asketh hazard both of lyfe and limb to passe to bring,
- Or if yee think of Trojane fates there yit dooth ought remayne,
- Remember mee. Or if from mee this armour you restrayne,
- Bestowe it on this same. With that he shewed with his hand
- Minervas fatall image, which hard by in syght did stand.
- The Lords were moved with his woordes, and then appeared playne
- The force that is in eloquence. The lerned man did gayne
- The armour of the valeant. He that did so oft susteine
- Alone both fyre, and swoord, and Jove, and Hector could not byde
- One brunt of wrath. And whom no force could vanquish ere that tyde,
- Now only anguish overcommes. He drawes his swoord and sayes:
- Well: this is myne yit. Unto this no clayme Ulysses layes.
- This must I use ageinst myself: this blade that heretofore
- Hath bathed beene in Trojane blood, must now his mayster gore
- That none may Ajax overcome save Ajax. With that woord
- Into his brest (not wounded erst) he thrust his deathfull swoord.
- His hand to pull it out ageine unable was. The blood
- Did spout it out. Anon the ground bestayned where he stood,
- Did breede the pretye purple flowre uppon a clowre of greene,
- Which of the wound of Hyacinth had erst engendred beene.
- The selfsame letters eeke that for the chyld were written than,
- Were now againe amid the flowre new written for the man.
- The former tyme complaynt, the last a name did represent.
- Ulysses, having wonne the pryse, within a whyle was sent
- To Thoants and Hysiphiles realme, the land defamde of old
- For murthering all the men therin by women over bold.
- At length attayning land and lucke according to his mynd,
- To carry Hercles arrowes backe he set his sayles to wynd.
- Which when he with the lord of them among the Greekes had brought,
- And of the cruell warre at length the utmost feate had wrought,
- At once both Troy and Priam fell. And Priams wretched wife
- Lost (after all) her womans shape, and barked all her lyfe
- In forreine countrye. In the place that bringeth to a streight
- The long spred sea of Hellespont, did Ilion burne in height.
- The kindled fyre with blazing flame continewed unalayd,
- And Priam with his aged blood Joves Altar had berayd.
- And Phebus preestesse casting up her handes to heaven on hye,
- Was dragd and haled by the heare. The Grayes most spyghtfully
- (As eche of them had prisoners tane in meede of victorye)
- Did drawe the Trojane wyves away, who lingring whyle they mought
- Among the burning temples of theyr Goddes, did hang about
- Theyr sacred shrynes and images. Astyanax downe was cast
- From that same turret from the which his moother in tyme past
- Had shewed him his father stand oft fyghting to defend
- Himself and that same famous realme of Troy that did descend
- From many noble auncetors. And now the northerne wynd
- With prosperous blasts, to get them thence did put the Greekes in mynd.
- The shipmen went aboord, and hoyst up sayles, and made fro thence.
- Adeew deere Troy (the women cryde), wee haled are from hence.
- And therwithall they kist the ground, and left yit smoking still
- Theyr native houses. Last of all tooke shippe ageinst her will
- Queene Hecub: who (a piteous cace to see) was found amid
- The tumbes in which her sonnes were layd. And there as Hecub did
- Embrace theyr chists and kisse theyr bones, Ulysses voyd of care
- Did pull her thence. Yit raught shee up, and in her boosom bare
- Away a crum of Hectors dust, and left on Hectors grave
- Her hory heares and teares, which for poore offrings shee him gave.
- Ageinst the place where Ilion was, there is another land
- Manured by the Biston men. In this same Realme did stand
- King Polemnestors palace riche, to whom king Priam sent
- His little infant Polydore to foster, to th'entent
- He might bee out of daunger from the warres: wherin he ment
- Ryght wysely, had he not with him great riches sent, a bayt
- To stirre a wicked covetous mynd to treason and deceyt.
- For when the state of Troy decayd, the wicked king of Thrace
- Did cut his nurcechylds weazant, and (as though the sinfull cace
- Toogither with the body could have quyght beene put away)
- He threw him also in the sea. It happened by the way,
- That Agamemnon was compeld with all his fleete to stay
- Uppon the coast of Thrace, untill the sea were wexen calme,
- And till the hideous stormes did cease, and furious wynds were falne.
- Heere rysing gastly from the ground which farre about him brake,
- Achilles with a threatning looke did like resemblance make
- As when at Agamemnon he his wrongfull swoord did shake,
- And sayd: Unmyndfull part yee hence of mee, O Greekes, and must
- My merits thanklesse thus with mee be buryed in the dust?
- Nay, doo not so. But to th'entent my death dew honour have,
- Let Polyxene in sacrifyse bee slayne uppon my grave.
- Thus much he sayd: and shortly his companions dooing as
- By vision of his cruell ghost commaundment given them was,
- Did fetch her from her mothers lappe, whom at that tyme, well neere,
- In that most great adversitie alonly shee did cheere.
- The haultye and unhappye mayd, and rather to bee thought
- A man than woman, to the tumb with cruell hands was brought,
- To make a cursed sacrifyse. Whoo mynding constantly
- Her honour, when shee standing at the Altar prest to dye,
- Perceyvd the savage ceremonies in making ready, and
- The cruell Neoptolemus with naked swoord in hand
- Stand staring with ungentle eyes uppon her gentle face,
- She sayd: Now use thou when thou wilt my gentle blood. The cace
- Requyres no more delay. Bestow thy weapon in my chest,
- Or in my throte: (in saying so shee proferred bare her brest,
- And eeke her throte). Assure your selves it never shalbee seene,
- That any wyght shall (by my will) have slave of Polyxeene.
- Howbee't with such a sacrifyse no God yee can delyght.
- I would desyre no more but that my wretched moother myght
- Bee ignorant of this my death. My moother hindreth mee,
- And makes the pleasure of my death much lesser for to bee.
- Howbeeit not the death of mee should justly greeve her hart:
- But her owne lyfe. Now to th'entent I freely may depart
- To Limbo, stand yee men aloof: and sith I aske but ryght
- Forebeare to touch mee. So my blood unsteyned in his syght
- Shall farre more acceptable been what ever wyght he bee
- Whom you prepare to pacifye by sacrifysing mee.
- Yit (if that these last woordes of myne may purchace any grace),
- I, daughter of king Priam erst, and now in prisoners cace,
- Beeseeche you all unraunsomed to render to my moother
- My bodye: and for buriall of the same to take none other
- Reward than teares: for whyle shee could shee did redeeme with gold.
- This sayd: the teares that shee forbare the people could not hold.
- And even the verry preest himself full sore ageinst his will
- And weeping, thrust her through the brest which she hild stoutly still.
- Shee sinking softly to the ground with faynting legges, did beare
- Even to the verry latter gasp a countnance voyd of feare.
- And when shee fell, shee had a care such parts of her to hyde,
- As womanhod and chastitie forbiddeth to be spyde.
- The Trojane women tooke her up, and moorning reckened
- King Priams children, and what blood that house alone had shed.
- They syghde for fayer Polyxeene: they syghed eeke for thee
- Who late wart Priams wyfe, whoo late wart counted for to bee
- The flowre of Asia in his flowre, and Queene of moothers all:
- But now the bootye of the fo as evill lot did fall,
- And such a bootye as the sly Ulysses did not passe
- Uppon her, saving that erewhyle shee Hectors moother was.
- So hardly for his moother could a mayster Hector fynd.
- Embracing in her aged armes the bodye of the mynd
- That was so stout, shee powrd theron with sobbing syghes unsoft
- The teares that for her husband and her children had so oft
- And for her countrye sheaded beene. Shee weeped in her wound
- And kist her pretye mouth, and made her brist with shrekes to sound,
- According to her woonted guyse, and in the jellyed blood
- Beerayed all her grisild heare, and in a sorrowfull mood
- Sayd theis and many other woordes with brest bescratcht and rent:
- O daughter myne, the last for whom thy moother may lament,
- (For what remaynes?) O daughter, thou art dead and gone. I see
- Thy wound which at the verry hart strikes mee as well as thee.
- And lest that any one of myne unwounded should depart,
- Thou also gotten hast a wound. Howbee't bycause thou wart
- A woman, I beleeved thee from weapon to bee free.
- But notwithstanding that thou art a woman, I doo see
- Thee slayne by swoord. Even he that kild thy brothers killeth thee,
- Achilles, the decay of Troy and maker bare of mee.
- What tyme that he of Paris shaft by Phebus meanes was slayne,
- I sayd of feerce Achilles now no feare dooth more remayne.
- But then, even then he most of all was feared for to bee.
- The asshes of him rageth still ageinst our race I see.
- Wee feele an emny of him dead and buryed in his grave.
- To feede Achilles furie, I a frutefull issue gave.
- Great Troy lyes under foote, and with a ryght great greevous fall
- The mischeeves of the common weale are fully ended all.
- But though to others Troy be gone, yit standes it still to mee:
- My sorrowes ronne as fresh a race as ever and as free.
- I late ago a sovereine state, advaunced with such store
- Of daughters, sonnes, and sonneinlawes, and husband over more
- And daughtrinlawes, am caryed like an outlawe bare and poore,
- By force and violence haled from my childrens tumbes, to bee
- Presented to Penelope a gift, who shewing mee
- In spinning my appoynted taske, shall say: This same is shee
- That was sumtyme king Priams wyfe, this was the famous moother
- Of Hector. And now after losse of such a sort of other,
- Thou (whoo alonly in my greefe my comfort didst remayne,)
- To pacifye our emnyes wrath uppon his tumb art slayne.
- Thus bare I deathgyfts for my foes. To what intent am I
- Most wretched wyght remayning still? Why doo I linger? Why
- Dooth hurtfull age preserve mee still alive? To what intent,
- Yee cruell Goddes, reserve yee mee that hath already spent
- Too manye yeeres, onlesse it bee new buryalls for to see?
- And whoo would think that Priamus myght happy counted bee
- Sith Troy is razed? Happy man is hee in being dead.
- His lyfe and kingdoome he forwent toogither: and this stead
- He sees not thee, his daughter, slaine. But peradventure thou
- Shall like the daughter of a king have sumptuous buryall now,
- And with thy noble auncetors thy bodye layd shall bee.
- Our linage hath not so good lucke. The most that shall to thee
- Bee yeelded are thy moothers teares, and in this forreine land
- To hyde thy murthered corce withall a little heape of sand.
- For all is lost. Nay yit remaynes (for whome I well can fynd
- In hart to live a little whyle) an imp unto my mynd
- Most deere, now only left alone, sumtyme of many mo
- The yoongest, little Polydore, delivered late ago
- To Polemnestor, king of Thrace, whoo dwelles within theis bounds.
- But wherefore doo I stay so long in wasshing of her wounds,
- And face berayd with gory blood? In saying thus, shee went
- To seaward with an aged pace and hory heare beerent.
- And (wretched woman) as shee calld for pitchers for to drawe
- Up water, shee of Polydore on shore the carkesse sawe,
- And eeke the myghty wounds at which the Tyrants swoord went thurrow.
- The Trojane Ladyes shreeked out. But shee was dumb for sorrow.
- The anguish of her hart forclosde as well her speech as eeke
- Her teares devowring them within. Shee stood astonyed leeke
- As if shee had beene stone. One whyle the ground shee staard uppon.
- Another whyle a gastly looke shee kest to heaven. Anon
- Shee looked on the face of him that lay before her killd.
- Sumtymes his woundes, (his woundes I say) shee specially behilld.
- And therwithall shee armd her selfe and furnisht her with ire:
- Wherethrough as soone as that her hart was fully set on fyre,
- As though shee still had beene a Queene, to vengeance shee her bent
- Enforcing all her witts to fynd some kynd of ponnishment.
- And as a Lyon robbed of her whelpes becommeth wood,
- And taking on the footing of her emnye where hee stood,
- Purseweth him though out of syght: even so Queene Hecubee
- (Now having meynt her teares with wrath) forgetting quyght that shee
- Was old, but not her princely hart, to Polemnestor went
- The cursed murtherer, and desyrde his presence to th'entent
- To shew to him a masse of gold (so made shee her pretence)
- Which for her lyttle Polydore was hid not farre from thence.
- The Thracian king beleeving her, as eager of the pray,
- Went with her to a secret place. And as they there did stay,
- With flattring and deceytfull toong he thus to her did say:
- Make speede I prey thee, Hecuba, and give thy sonne this gold.
- I sweare by God it shall bee his, as well that I doo hold
- Already, as that thou shalt give. Uppon him speaking so,
- And swearing and forswearing too, shee looked sternely tho,
- And beeing sore inflaamd with wrath, caught hold uppon him, and
- Streyght calling out for succor to the wyves of Troy at hand
- Did in the traytors face bestowe her nayles, and scratched out
- His eyes, her anger gave her hart and made her strong and stout.
- Shee thrust her fingars in as farre as could bee, and did bore
- Not now his eyes (for why his eyes were pulled out before)
- But bothe the places of the eyes berayd with wicked blood.
- The Thracians at theyr Tyrannes harme for anger wexing wood,
- Began to scare the Trojane wyves with darts and stones. Anon
- Queene Hecub ronning at a stone, with gnarring seazd theron,
- And wirryed it beetweene her teeth. And as shee opte her chappe
- To speake, in stead of speeche shee barkt. The place of this missehappe
- Remayneth still, and of the thing there done beares yit the name.
- Long myndfull of her former illes, shee sadly for the same
- Went howling in the feeldes of Thrace. Her fortune moved not
- Her Trojans only, but the Greekes her foes to ruthe: her lot
- Did move even all the Goddes to ruthe: and so effectually,
- That Hecub to deserve such end even Juno did denye.
- Although the Morning of the selfsame warres had favorer beene:
- Shee had no leysure to lament the fortune of the Queene,
- Nor on the slaughters and the fall of Ilion for to think.
- A household care more neerer home did in her stomacke sink,
- For Memnon her beloved sonne, whom dying shee behild
- Uppon the feerce Achilles speare amid the Phrygian feeld.
- She saw it, and her ruddy hew with which shee woonted was
- To dye the breaking of the day, did into palenesse passe:
- And all the skye was hid with clowdes. But when his corce was gone
- To burningward, shee could not fynd in hart to looke theron:
- But with her heare about her eares shee kneeled downe before
- The myghtye Jove, and thus gan speake unto him weeping sore:
- Of al that have theyr dwelling place uppon the golden skye
- The lowest (for through all the world the feawest shrynes have I)
- But yit a Goddesse, I doo come, not that thou shouldst decree
- That Altars, shrynes, and holydayes bee made to honour mee.
- Yit if thou marke how much that I a woman doo for thee,
- In keeping nyght within her boundes, by bringing in the light,
- Thou well mayst thinke mee worthy sum reward to clayme of ryght.
- But neyther now is that the thing the Morning cares to have,
- Ne yit her state is such as now dew honour for to crave.
- Bereft of my deere Memnon who in fyghting valeantly
- To help his uncle, (so it was your will, O Goddes) did dye
- Of stout Achilles sturdye speare even in his flowring pryme,
- I sue to thee, O king of Goddes, to doo him at this tyme
- Sum honour as a comfort of his death, and ease this hart
- Of myne which greatly greeved is with wound of percing smart.
- No sooner Jove hadgraunted dame Aurora her desyre
- But that the flame of Memnons corce that burned in the fyre
- Did fall: and flaky rolles of smoke did dark the day, as when
- A foggy mist steames upward from a River or a fen,
- And suffreth not the Sonne to shyne within it. Blacke as cole
- The cinder rose: and into one round lump assembling whole
- Grew grosse, and tooke bothe shape and hew. The fyre did lyfe it send,
- The lyghtnesse of the substance self did wings unto it lend.
- And at the first it flittred like a bird: and by and by
- It flew a fethered bird in deede. And with that one gan fly
- Innumerable mo of selfsame brood: whoo once or twyce
- Did sore about the fyre, and made a piteous shreeking thryce.
- The fowrth tyme in theyr flying round, themselves they all withdrew
- In battells twayne, and feercely foorth of eyther syde one flew
- To fyght a combate. With theyr billes and hooked talants keene
- And with theyr wings couragiously they wreakt theyr wrathfull teene.
- And myndfull of the valeant man of whom they issued beene,
- They never ceased jobbing eche uppon the others brest,
- Untill they falling both downe dead with fyghting overprest,
- Had offred up theyr bodyes as a woorthy sacrifyse
- Unto theyr cousin Memnon who to Asshes burned lyes.
- Theis soodeine birds were named of the founder of theyr stocke:
- For men doo call them Memnons birds. And every yeere a flocke
- Repayre to Memnons tumb, where twoo doo in the foresayd wyse
- In manner of a yeeremynd slea themselves in sacrifyse.
- Thus where as others did lament that Dymants daughter barkt,
- Auroras owne greef busyed her, that smally shee it markt
- Which thing shee to this present tyme with piteous teares dooth shewe:
- For through the universall world shee sheadeth moysting deawe.
- Yit suffred not the destinyes all hope to perrish quyght
- Togither with the towne of Troy. That good and godly knyght
- The sonne of Venus bare away by nyght uppon his backe
- His aged father and his Goddes, an honorable packe.
- Of all the riches of the towne that only pray he chose,
- So godly was his mynd: and like a bannisht man he goes
- By water with his owne yoong sonne Ascanius from the Ile
- Antandros, and he shonnes the shore of Thracia which ere whyle
- The wicked Tyrants treason did with Polydores blood defyle.
- And having wynd and tyde at will, he saufly wyth his trayne
- Arryved at Apollos towne where Anius then did reigne.
- Whoo being both Apollos preest and of that place the king,
- Did enterteyne him in his house and unto church him bring,
- And shewd him bothe the Citie and the temples knowen of old,
- And eeke the sacred trees by which Latona once tooke hold
- When shee of chyldbirth travailed. As soone as sacrifyse
- Was doone with Oxens inwards burnt according to the guyse,
- And casting incence in the fyre, and sheading wyne thereon,
- They joyfull to the court returnd, and there they took anon
- Repaste of meate and drink. Then sayd the good Anchyses this:
- O Phebus, sovereine preest, onlesse I take my markes amisse,
- (As I remember) when I first of all this towne did see,
- Fowre daughters and a sonne of thyne thou haddest heere with thee.
- King Anius shooke his head wheron he ware a myter whyght,
- And answerd thus: O noble prince, in fayth thou gessest ryght.
- Of children fyve a father then, thou diddest mee behold,
- Whoo now (with such unconstancie are mortall matters rolld)
- Am in a manner chyldlesse quyght. For what avayles my sonne
- Who in the Ile of Anderland a great way hence dooth wonne?
- Which country takes his name of him, and in the selfsayd place,
- In stead of father, like a king he holdes the royall mace.
- Apollo gave his lot to him: and Bacchus for to showe
- His love, a greater gift uppon his susters did bestowe
- Then could bee wisht or credited. For whatsoever they
- Did towche, was turned into come, and wyne, and oyle streyghtway.
- And so theyr was riche use in them. As soone as that the fame
- Hereof to Agamemnons eares, the scourge of Trojans, came,
- Lest you myght tast your stormes alone and wee not feele the same
- In part, an hoste he hither sent, and whither I would or no
- Did take them from mee, forcing them among the Greekes to go
- To feede the Greekish army with theyr heavenly gift. But they
- Escapde whither they could by flyght. A couple tooke theyr way
- To Ile Ewboya: tother two to Anderland did fly,
- Theyr brothers Realme. An host of men pursewd them by and by,
- And threatened warre onlesse they were deliverde. Force of feare
- Subdewing nature, did constreyne the brother (men must beare
- With fearfulnesse) to render up his susters to theyr fo.
- For neyther was Aenaeas there, nor valeant Hector (who
- Did make your warre last ten yeeres long) the countrye to defend.
- Now when they should like prisoners have beene fettred, in the end
- They casting up theyr handes (which yit were free) to heaven, did cry
- To Bacchus for to succour them, who helpt them by and by,
- At leastwyse if it may bee termd a help, in woondrous wyse
- To alter folke. For never could I lerne ne can surmyse
- The manner how they lost theyr shape. The thing it selfe is knowen.
- With fethered wings as whyght as snow they quyght away are flowen
- Transformed into doovehouse dooves, thy wyfe dame Venus burdes.
- When that the time of meate was spent with theis and such like woordes,
- The table was removed streyght, and then they went to sleepe.
- Next morrow rysing up as soone as day began to peepe,
- They went to Phebus Oracle, which willed them to go
- Unto theyr moother countrey and the coastes theyr stocke came fro.
- King Anius bare them companie. And when away they shoold,
- He gave them gifts. Anchises had a scepter all of goold.
- Ascanius had a quiver and a Cloke right brave and trim.
- Aenaeas had a standing Cup presented unto him.
- The Thebane Therses whoo had been king Anius guest erewhyle
- Did send it out of Thessaly: but Alcon one of Myle
- Did make the cuppe. And hee theron a story portrayd out.
- It was a Citie with seven gates in circuit round about,
- Which men myght easly all discerne. The gates did represent
- The Cities name, and showed playne what towne thereby was ment.
- Without the towne were funeralls a dooing for the dead,
- With herces, tapers, fyres, and tumbes. The wyves with ruffled head
- And stomacks bare pretended greef. The nymphes seemd teares to shead,
- And wayle the drying of theyr welles. The leavelesse trees did seare.
- And licking on the parched stones Goats romed heere and there.
- Behold amid this Thebane towne was lyvely portrayd out
- Echions daughters twayne, of which the one with courage stout
- Did prefer bothe her naked throte and stomacke to the knyfe:
- And tother with a manly hart did also spend her lyfe,
- For saufgard of her countryfolk: and how that theruppon
- They both were caryed solemly on herces, and anon
- Were burned in the cheefest place of all the Thebane towne.
- Then (least theyr linage should decay whoo dyde with such renowne,)
- Out of the Asshes of the maydes there issued twoo yong men,
- And they unto theyr moothers dust did obsequies agen.
- Thus much was graved curiously in auncient precious brasse,
- And on the brim a trayle of flowres of bearbrich gilded was.
- The Trojans also gave to him as costly giftes agen.
- Bycause he was Apollos preest they gave to him as then
- A Chist to keepe in frankincence. They gave him furthermore
- A Crowne of gold wherin were set of precious stones great store.
- Then calling to remembrance that the Trojans issued were
- Of Tewcers blood, they sayld to Crete. But long they could not there
- Abyde th'infection of the aire: and so they did forsake
- The hundred Cities, and with speede to Itayleward did make.
- The winter wexed hard and rough, and tost them verry sore.
- And when theyr shippes arrived were uppon the perlous shore
- Among the Strophad Iles, the bird Aello did them feare.
- The costes of Dulich, Ithaca, and Same they passed were,
- And eeke the Court of Neritus where wyse Ulysses reignd,
- And came to Ambrace for the which the Gods strong stryfe maynteind.
- There sawe they turned into stone the judge whoose image yit
- At Actium in Appollos Church in signe therof dooth sit.
- They vewed also Dodon grove where Okes spake: and the coast
- Of Chaon where the sonnes of king Molossus scapt a most
- Ungracious fyre by taking wings. From thence they coasted by
- The countrye of the Pheaks fraught with frute abundantly.
- Then tooke they land in Epyre, and to Buthrotos they went
- Wheras the Trojane prophet dwelt, whoose reigne did represent
- An image of theyr auncient Troy. There being certifyde
- Of things to come by Helen (whoo whyle there they did abyde
- Informed them ryght faythfully of all that should betyde)
- They passed into Sicilie. With corners three this land
- Shootes out into the Sea: of which Pachinnus front dooth stand
- Ageinst the southcoast: Lilibye dooth face the gentle west,
- And Pelore unto Charlsis wayne dooth northward beare his brest.
- The Trojanes under Pelore gat with ores and prosprous tydes
- And in the even by Zanclye shore theyr fleete at anchor rydes.
- Uppon the left syde restlessely Charybdis ay dooth beate them,
- And swalloweth shippes and spewes them up as fast as it dooth eate them.
- And Scylla beateth on theyr ryght: which from the navell downe
- Is patched up with cruell curres: and upward to the crowne
- Dooth keepe the countnance of a mayd, and (if that all bee trew
- That Poets fayne) shee was sumtyme a mayd ryght fayre of hew.
- To her made many wooers sute: all which shee did eschew.
- And going to the salt Sea nymphes (to whom shee was ryght deere)
- She vaunted, to how many men shee gave the slippe that yeere.
- To whom the Lady Galate in kembing of her heare
- Sayd thus with syghes: But they that sought to thee (O Lady) were
- None other than of humane kynd, to whom without all feare
- Of harme, thou myghtest (as thou doost) give nay. But as for mee
- Although that I of Nereus and gray Doris daughter bee,
- And of my susters have with mee continually a gard,
- I could not scape the Cyclops love, but to my greef full hard.
- (With that her teares did stoppe her speeche.) As soone as that the mayd
- Had dryde them with her marble thomb, and moande the nymph, she sayd:
- Deere Goddesse, tell mee all your greef, and hyde it not from mee:
- For trust mee, I will unto you bothe true and secret bee.
- Then unto Cratyes daughter thus the nymph her playnt did frame:
- Of Fawne and nymph Simethis borne was Acis, whoo became
- A joy to bothe his parents, but to mee the greater joy.
- For being but a sixteene yeeres of age, this fayre sweete boy
- Did take mee to his love, what tyme about his chyldish chin
- The tender heare like mossy downe to sprowt did first begin.
- I loved him beyond all Goddes forbod, and likewyse mee
- The Giant Cyclops. Neyther (if demaunded it should bee)
- I well were able for to tell you whither that the love
- Of Acis, or the Cyclops hate did more my stomacke move.
- There was no oddes betweene them. Oh deere Goddesse Venus, what
- A powre haste thou? Behold how even this owgly Giant that
- No sparke of meekenesse in him hath, whoo is a terrour to
- The verrye woodes, whom never guest nor straunger came unto
- Without displeasure, whoo the heavens and all the Goddes despyseth,
- Dooth feele what thing is love. The love of mee him so surpryseth,
- That Polypheme regarding not his sheepe and hollowe Cave,
- And having care to please dooth go about to make him brave.
- His sturre stiffe heare he kembeth nowe with strong and sturdy rakes,
- And with a sythe dooth marcussotte his bristled berd: and takes
- Delyght to looke uppon himself in waters, and to frame
- His countnance. Of his murtherous hart the wyldnesse wexeth tame.
- His unastaunched thyrst of blood is quenched: shippes may passe
- And repasse saufly. In the whyle that he in love thus was,
- One Telemus, Ewrymeds sonne, a man of passing skill
- In birdflyght, taking land that tyme in Sicill, went untill
- The orped Gyant Polypheme, and sayd: This one round eye
- That now amid thy forehead stands shall one day ere thou dye
- By sly Ulysses blinded bee. The Gyant laught therat,
- And sayd: O foolish soothsayre, thou deceyved art in that.
- For why another (even a wench) already hathe it blynded.
- Thus skorning him that told him truthe bycause he was hygh mynded,
- He eyther made the ground to shake in walking on the shore,
- Or rowzd him in his shadye Cave. With wedged poynt before
- There shoots a hill into the Sea: whereof the sea dooth beate
- On eyther syde. The one eyd feend came up and made his seate
- Theron, and after came his sheepe undriven. As soone as hee
- Had at his foote layd downe his staffe which was a whole Pyne tree
- Well able for to bee a maast to any shippe, he takes
- His pype compact of fyvescore reedes, and therwithall he makes
- So loud a noyse that all the hilles and waters therabout
- Myght easly heere the shirlnesse of the shepeherds whistling out.
- I lying underneathe the rocke, and leaning in the lappe
- Of Acis markt theis woordes of his which farre I heard by happe:
- More whyght thou art then Primrose leaf, my Lady Galatee.
- More fresh than meade, more tall and streyght than lofty Aldertree.
- More bright than glasse, more wanton than the tender kid forsooth.
- Than Cockleshelles continually with water worne, more smoothe.
- More cheerefull than the winters Sun, or Sommers shadowe cold,
- More seemely and more comly than the Planetree to behold,
- Of valew more than Apples bee although they were of gold.
- More cleere than frozen yce, more sweete than Grape through rype ywis,
- More soft than butter newly made, or downe of Cygnet is.
- And much more fayre and beawtyfull than gardein to myne eye,
- But that thou from my companye continually doost flye.
- And thou the selfsame Galate art more tettish for to frame
- Than Oxen of the wildernesse whom never wyght did tame.
- More fleeting than the waves, more hard than warryed Oke to twyne,
- More tough than willow twiggs, more lyth than is the wyld whyght vyne.
- More than this rocke unmovable, more violent than a streame.
- More prowd than Peacocke praysd, more feerce than fyre and more extreeme.
- More rough than Breers, more cruell than the new delivered Beare,
- More mercilesse than troden snake, than sea more deafe of eare.
- And which (and if it lay in mee I cheefly would restrayne)
- Not only swifter paced than the stag in chace on playne,
- But also swifter than the wynd and flyghtfull ayre. But if
- Thou knew me well, it would thee irke to flye and bee a greef
- To tarrye from mee. Yea thou wouldst endeavour all thy powre
- To keepe mee wholly to thy self. The Quarry is my bowre
- Heawen out of whole mayne stone. No Sun in sommer there can swelt.
- No nipping cold in wintertyme within the same is felt.
- Gay Apples weying downe the boughes have I, and Grapes like gold,
- And purple Grapes on spreaded Vynes as many as can hold.
- Bothe which I doo reserve for thee. Thyself shalt with thy hand
- The soft sweete strawbryes gather, which in wooddy shadowe stand.
- The Cornell berryes also from the tree thy self shall pull:
- And pleasant plommes, sum yellow lyke new wax, sum blew, sum full
- Of ruddy jewce. Of Chestnutts eeke (if my wyfe thou wilt bee)
- Thou shalt have store: and frutes all sortes: all trees shall serve for thee.
- This Cattell heere is all myne owne. And many mo besyde
- Doo eyther in the bottoms feede, or in the woodes them hyde,
- And many standing at theyr stalles doo in my Cave abyde.
- The number of them (if a man should ask) I cannot showe.
- Tush, beggars of theyr Cattell use the number for to knowe.
- And for the goodnesse of the same, no whit beleeve thou mee.
- But come thyself (and if thou wilt) the truth therof to see.
- See how theyr udders full doo make them straddle. Lesser ware
- Shet up at home in cloce warme peends, are Lambes. There also are
- In other pinfolds Kidds of selfsame yeaning tyme. Thus have
- I alwayes mylke as whyte as snow. Wherof I sum doo save
- To drink, and of the rest is made good cheese. And furthermore
- Not only stale and common gifts and pleasures wherof store
- Is to bee had at eche mannes hand, (as Leverets, Kidds, and Does,
- A payre of pigeons, or a nest of birds new found, or Roes,)
- Shall unto thee presented bee. I found this tother day
- A payre of Bearewhelpes, eche so lyke the other as they lay
- Uppon a hill, that scarce yee eche discerne from other may.
- And when that I did fynd them I did take them up, and say
- Theis will I for my Lady keepe for her therwith to play.
- Now put thou up thy fayre bryght head, good Galat, I thee pray,
- Above the greenish waves: now come my Galat, come away.
- And of my present take no scorne. I know my selfe to bee
- A jollye fellow. For even now I did behold and see
- Myne image in the water sheere, and sure mee thought I tooke
- Delyght to see my goodly shape, and favor in the brooke.
- Behold how big I am: not Jove in heaven (for so you men
- Report one Jove to reigne, of whom I passe not for to ken)
- Is huger than this doughty corce of myne. A bush of heare
- Dooth overdreepe my visage grim, and shadowes as it were
- A grove uppon my shoulders twayne. And think it not to bee
- A shame for that with bristled heare my body rough yee see.
- A fowle ilfavored syght it is to see a leavelesse tree.
- A lothely thing it is, a horse without a mane to keepe.
- As fethers doo become the birdes, and wooll becommeth sheepe,
- Even so a beard and bristled skin becommeth also men.
- I have but one eye, which dooth stand amid my frunt. What then?
- This one round eye of myne is lyke a myghty target. Why?
- Vewes not the Sun all things from heaven? Yit but one only eye
- Hath hee. Moreover in your Seas my father beares the sway.
- Him will I make thy fathrinlaw. Have mercy I thee pray,
- And harken to myne humble sute. For only unto thee
- Yeeld I. Even I of whom bothe heaven and Jove despysed bee
- And eeke the percing thunderbolt, doo stand in awe and feare
- Of thee, O Nerye. Thyne ill will is greevouser to beare
- Than is the deadly Thunderclappe. Yit could I better fynd
- In hart to suffer this contempt of thyne with pacient mynd
- If thou didst shonne all other folk as well as mee. But why
- Rejecting Cyclops doost thou love dwarf Acis? Why say I
- Preferst thou Acis unto mee? Well, let him liked bee
- Both of himself, and also (which I would be lothe) of thee.
- And if I catch him he shall feele that in my body is
- The force that should bee. I shall paunch him quicke. Those limbes of his
- I will in peeces teare, and strew them in the feeldes, and in
- Thy waters, if he doo thee haunt. For I doo swelt within.
- And being chaafte the flame dooth burne more feerce to my unrest.
- Mee thinks mount Aetna with his force is closed in my brest.
- And yit it nothing moveth thee. As soone as he had talkt
- Thus much in vayne, (I sawe well all) he rose: and fuming stalkt
- Among his woodes and woonted Lawndes, as dooth a Bulchin, when
- The Cow is from him tane. He could him no where rest as then.
- Anon the feend espyed mee and Acis where wee lay,
- Before wee wist or feared it: and crying out gan say:
- I see yee. And confounded myght I bee with endlesse shame,
- But if I make this day the last agreement of your game.
- Theis woordes were spoke with such a reere as verry well became
- An angry Giant. Aetna shooke with lowdnesse of the same.
- I scaard therwith dopt underneathe the water, and the knyght
- Simethus turning streyght his backe, did give himself to flyght,
- And cryed: Help mee Galate, help parents I you pray,
- And in your kingdome mee receyve whoo perrish must streyghtway.
- The roundeyd devill made pursewt: and rending up a fleece
- Of Aetna Rocke, threw after him: of which a little peece
- Did Acis overtake. And yit as little as it was,
- It overwhelmed Acis whole. I wretched wyght (alas)
- Did that which destnyes would permit. Foorthwith I brought to passe
- That Acis should receyve the force his father had before.
- His scarlet blood did issue from the lump, and more and more
- Within a whyle the rednesse gan to vannish: and the hew
- Resembled at the first a brooke with rayne distroubled new,
- Which wexeth cleere by length of tyme. Anon the lump did clyve,
- And from the hollow cliffe therof hygh reedes sprang up alyve.
- And at the hollow issue of the stone the bubling water
- Came trickling out. And by and by (which is a woondrous matter)
- The stripling with a wreath of reede about his horned head
- Avaunst his body to the waste. Whoo (save he was that stead
- Much biggar than he erst had beene, and altogither gray)
- Was Acis still. And being turnd to water, at this day
- In shape of river still he beares his former name away.
- The Lady Galat ceast her talk and streyght the companye brake.
- And Neryes daughters parting thence, swam in the gentle lake.
- Dame Scylla home ageine returnd. (Shee durst not her betake
- To open sea) and eyther roamd uppon the sandy shore
- Stark naakt, or when for weerinesse shee could not walk no more,
- Shee then withdrew her out of syght and gate her to a poole,
- And in the water of the same, her heated limbes did coole.
- Behold the fortune. Glaucus (whoo then being late before
- Transformed in Ewboya Ile uppon Anthedon shore,
- Was new becomme a dweller in the sea) as he did swim
- Along the coast was tane in love at syght of Scylla trim,
- And spake such woordes as he did think myght make her tarry still.
- Yit fled shee still, and swift for feare shee gate her to a hill
- That butted on the Sea. Ryght steepe and upward sharp did shoote
- A loftye toppe with trees, beneathe was hollowe at the foote.
- Heere Scylla stayd and being sauf by strongnesse of the place,
- (Not knowing if he monster were, or God, that did her chace,)
- Shee looked backe. And woondring at his colour and his heare
- With which his shoulders and his backe all wholly covered were,
- Shee saw his neather parts were like a fish with tayle wrythde round
- Who leaning to the neerest Rocke, sayd thus with lowd cleere sound:
- Fayre mayd, I neyther monster am nor cruell savage beast:
- But of the sea a God, whoose powre and favour is not least.
- For neyther Protew in the sea nor Triton have more myght
- Nor yit the sonne of Athamas that now Palaemon hyght.
- Yit once I was a mortall man. But you must know that I
- Was given to seawoorkes, and in them mee only did apply.
- For sumtyme I did draw the drag in which the fishes were,
- And sumtyme sitting on the cliffes I angled heere and there.
- There butteth on a fayre greene mede a bank wherof t'one half
- Is cloasd with sea, the rest is clad with herbes which never calf,
- Nor horned Ox, nor seely sheepe, nor shakheard Goate did feede.
- The busye Bee did never there of flowres sweet smelling speede.
- No gladsum garlonds ever there were gathered for the head.
- No hand those flowers ever yit with hooked sythe did shred.
- I was the first that ever set my foote uppon that plot.
- Now as I dryde my dropping netts, and layd abrode my lotte,
- To tell how many fishes had bychaunce to net beene sent,
- Or through theyr owne too lyght beeleefe on bayted hooke beene hent:
- (The matter seemeth like a lye, but what avayles to lye?)
- As soone as that my pray had towcht the grasse, it by and by
- Began to move, and flask theyr finnes, and swim uppon the drye,
- As in the Sea. And as I pawsd and woondred at the syght,
- My draught of fishes everychone to seaward tooke theyr flyght,
- And leaping from the shore, forsooke theyr newfound mayster quyght.
- I was amazed at the thing: and standing long in dowt,
- I sought the cause if any God had brought this same abowt,
- Or else sum jewce of herb. And as I so did musing stand,
- What herb (quoth I) hath such a powre? And gathering with my hand
- The grasse, I bote it with my toothe. My throte had scarcely yit
- Well swallowed downe the uncouth jewce, when like an agew fit
- I felt myne inwards soodeinly to shake, and with the same,
- A love of other nature in my brest with violence came.
- And long I could it not resist, but sayd: Deere land, adeew,
- For never shall I haunt thee more. And with that woord I threw
- My bodye in the sea. The Goddes thereof receyving mee,
- Vouchsaved in theyr order mee installed for to bee,
- Desyring old Oceanus and Thetis for theyr sake,
- The rest of my mortalitie away from mee to take.
- They hallowed mee, and having sayd nyne tymes the holy ryme
- That purgeth all prophanednesse, they charged mee that tyme
- To put my brestbulk underneathe a hundred streames. Anon
- The brookes from sundry coastes and all the Seas did ryde uppon
- My head. From whence as soone as I returned, by and by
- I felt my self farre otherwyse through all my limbes, than I
- Had beene before. And in my mynd I was another man.
- Thus farre of all that mee befell make just report I can.
- Thus farre I beare in mynd. The rest my mynd perceyved not.
- Then first of all this hory greene gray grisild beard I got,
- And this same bush of heare which all along the seas I sweepe,
- And theis same myghty shoulders, and theis grayish armes, and feete
- Confounded into finned fish. But what avayleth mee
- This goodly shape, and of the Goddes of sea to loved bee?
- Or for to be a God my self, if they delyght not thee?
- As he was speaking this, and still about to utter more,
- Dame Scylla him forsooke: wherat he wexing angry sore,
- And beeing quickened with repulse, in rage he tooke his way
- To Circes, Titans daughters, Court which full of monsters lay.