Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- Next him succeeded Silvius, whoose sonne Latinus hild
- The auncient name and scepter which his graundsyre erst did weeld.
- The famous Epit after this Latinus did succeede.
- Then Capys and king Capetus. But Capys was indeede
- The formest of the two. From this the scepter of the Realme
- Descended unto Tyberine, whoo drowning in the streame
- Of Tyber left that name thereto. This Tyberine begat
- Feerce Remulus and Acrota. By chaunce it hapned that
- The elder brother Remulus for counterfetting oft
- The thunder, with a thunderbolt was killed from aloft.
- From Acrota whoose stayednesse did passe his brothers skill,
- The crowne did come to Aventine, whoo in the selfsame hill
- In which he reygned buryed lyes, and left therto his name.
- The rule of nation Palatine at length to Proca came.
- In this Kings reigne Pomona livd. There was not to bee found
- Among the woodnymphes any one in all the Latian ground
- That was so conning for to keepe an Ortyard as was shee,
- Nor none so paynefull to preserve the frute of every tree.
- And theruppon shee had her name. Shee past not for the woodes
- Nor rivers, but the villages and boughes that bare bothe buddes
- And plentuous frute. In sted of dart a shredding hooke shee bare,
- With which the overlusty boughes shee eft away did pare
- That spreaded out too farre, and eft did make therwith a rift
- To greffe another imp uppon the stocke within the clift.
- And lest her trees should die through drought, with water of the springs
- Shee moysteth of theyr sucking roots the little crumpled strings.
- This was her love and whole delyght. And as for Venus deedes,
- Shee had no mynd at all of them. And forbycause shee dreedes
- Enforcement by the countrye folke, shee walld her yards about,
- Not suffring any man at all to enter in or out.
- What have not those same nimble laddes so apt to frisk and daunce
- The Satyrs doone? Or what the Pannes that wantonly doo praunce
- With horned forheads? And the old Silenus whoo is ay
- More youthfull than his yeeres? And eeke the feend that scares away
- The theeves and robbers with his hooke, or with his privy part
- To winne her love? But yit than theis a farre more constant hart
- Had sly Vertumnus, though he sped no better than the rest.
- O Lord, how often being in a moawers garment drest,
- Bare he in bundells sheaves of come? And when he so was dyght,
- He was the verry patterne of a harvest moawer ryght.
- Oft bynding newmade hay about his temples he myght seeme
- A haymaker. Oft tymes in hand made hard with woork extreeme
- He bare a goade, that men would sweere he had but newly then
- Unyoakt his weerye Oxen. Had he tane in hand agen
- A shredding hooke, yee would have thought hee had a gardener beene,
- Or proyner of sum vynes. Or had you him with ladder seene
- Uppon his necke, a gatherer of frute yee would him deeme.
- With swoord a souldier, with his rod an Angler he did seeme.
- And finally in many shapes he sought to fynd accesse
- To joy the beawty but by syght, that did his hart oppresse.
- Moreover, putting on his head a womans wimple gay,
- And staying by a staffe, graye heares he foorth to syght did lay
- Uppon his forehead, and did feyne a beldame for to bee,
- By meanes wherof he came within her goodly ortyards free.
- And woondring at the frute, sayd: Much more skill hast thou I see
- Than all the Nymphes of Albula. Hayle, Lady myne, the flowre
- Unspotted of pure maydenhod in all the world this howre.
- And with that woord he kissed her a little: but his kisse
- Was such as trew old women would have never given ywis.
- Then sitting downe uppon a bank, he looked upward at
- The braunches bent with harvests weyght. Ageinst him where he sat
- A goodly Elme with glistring grapes did growe: which after hee
- Had praysed, and the vyne likewyse that ran uppon the tree:
- But if (quoth hee) this Elme without the vyne did single stand,
- It should have nothing (saving leaves) to bee desyred: and
- Ageine if that the vyne which ronnes uppon the Elme had nat
- The tree to leane unto, it should uppon the ground ly flat.
- Yit art not thou admonisht by example of this tree
- To take a husband, neyther doost thou passe to maryed bee.
- But would to God thou wouldest. Sure Queene Helen never had
- Mo suters, nor the Lady that did cause the battell mad
- Betweene the halfbrute Centawres and the Lapythes, nor the wyfe
- Of bold Ulysses whoo was eeke ay fearefull of his lyfe,
- Than thou shouldst have. For thousands now (even now most cheefly when
- Thou seemest suters to abhorre) desyre thee, both of men,
- And Goddes and halfgoddes, yea and all the fayryes that doo dwell
- In Albane hilles. But if thou wilt bee wyse, and myndest well
- To match thy self, and wilt give eare to this old woman heere,
- (To whom thou more than to them all art (trust mee) leef and deere,
- And more than thou thyself beleevst) the common matches flee,
- And choose Vertumnus to thy make. And take thou mee to bee
- His pledge. For more he to himself not knowen is, than to mee.
- He roves not like a ronneagate through all the world abrode,
- This countrye heerabout (the which is large) is his abode.
- He dooth not (like a number of theis common wooers) cast
- His love to every one he sees. Thou art the first and last
- That ever he set mynd uppon. Alonly unto thee
- Hee vowes himself as long as lyfe dooth last. Moreover hee
- Is youthfull, and with beawtye sheene endewd by natures gift,
- And aptly into any shape his persone he can shift.
- Thou canst not bid him bee the thing, (though al things thou shouldst name)
- But that he fitly and with ease will streyght becomme the same.
- Besydes all this, in all one thing bothe twayne of you delyght,
- And of the frutes that you love best the firstlings are his ryght:
- And gladly he receyves thy gifts. But neyther covets hee
- Thy Apples, Plommes, nor other frutes new gathered from the tree,
- Nor yit the herbes of pleasant sent that in thy gardynes bee:
- Nor any other kynd of thing in all the world, but thee.
- Have mercy on his fervent love, and think himself to crave
- Heere present by the mouth of mee, the thing that he would have.
- And feare the God that may revenge: as Venus whoo dooth hate
- Hard harted folkes, and Rhamnuse whoo dooth eyther soone or late
- Expresse her wrath with myndfull wreake. And to th'entent thou may
- The more beware, of many things which tyme by long delay
- Hathe taught mee, I will shewe thee one which over all the land
- Of Cyprus blazed is abrode, which being ryghtly skand
- May easly bow thy hardned hart and make it for to yild.
- One Iphis borne of lowe degree by fortune had behild
- The Ladye Anaxarete descended of the race
- Of Tewcer, and in vewwing her the fyre of love apace
- Did spred it self through all his bones. With which he stryving long,
- When reason could not conquer rage bycause it was too strong,
- Came humbly to the Ladyes house: and one whyle laying ope
- His wretched love before her nurce, besought her by the hope
- Of Lady Anaxarete her nurcechylds good successe,
- Shee would not bee ageinst him in that cace of his distresse.
- Another whyle entreating fayre sum freend of hers, he prayd
- Him earnestly with carefull voyce, of furthrance and of ayd.
- Oftymes he did preferre his sute by gentle letters sent.
- Oft garlonds moysted with the deawe of teares that from him went
- He hanged on her postes. Oft tymes his tender sydes he layd
- Ageinst the threshold hard, and oft in sadnesse did upbrayd
- The locke with much ungentlenesse. The Lady crueller
- Than are the rysing narrowe seas, or falling Kiddes, and farre
- More hard than steele of Noricum, and than the stonny rocke
- That in the quarrye hath his roote, did him despyse and mock.
- Besyde her dooings mercylesse, of statelynesse and spyght
- Shee adding prowd and skornefull woordes, defrauds the wretched wyght
- Of verry hope. But Iphis now unable any more
- To beare the torment of his greef, still standing there before
- Her gate, spake theis his latest woordes: Well, Anaxarete,
- Thou hast the upper hand. Hencefoorth thou shalt not neede to bee
- Agreeved any more with mee. Go tryumph hardely:
- Go vaunt thy self with joy: go sing the song of victorye:
- Go put a crowne of glittring bay uppon thy cruell head.
- For why thou hast the upper hand, and I am gladly dead.
- Well, steely harted, well: rejoyce. Compeld yit shalt thou bee
- Of sumwhat in mee for to have a lyking. Thou shalt see
- A poynt wherein thou mayst mee deeme most thankfull unto thee,
- And in the end thou shalt confesse the great desert of mee.
- But yit remember that as long as lyfe in mee dooth last,
- The care of thee shall never from this hart of myne be cast.
- For bothe the lyfe that I doo live in hope of thee, and tother
- Which nature giveth, shall have end and passe away toogither.
- The tydings neyther of my death shall come to thee by fame.
- Myself (I doo assure thee) will bee bringer of the same.
- Myself (I say) will present bee that those same cruell eyen
- Of thyne may feede themselves uppon this livelesse corce of myne.
- But yit, O Goddes, (if you behold mennes deedes) remember mee.
- (My toong will serve to pray no more) and cause that I may bee
- Longtyme heerafter spoken of: and length the lyfe by fame
- The which yee have abridgd in yeeres. In saying of this same
- He lifted up his watrye eyes and armes that wexed wan
- To those same stulpes which oft he had with garlondes deckt ere than,
- And fastning on the topps therof a halter thus did say:
- Thou cruell and ungodly wyght, theis are the wreathes that may
- Most pleasure thee. And with that woord he thrusting in his head,
- Even then did turne him towards her as good as being dead,
- And wretchedly did totter on the poste with strangled throte.
- The wicket which his feerefull feete in sprawling maynely smote,
- Did make a noyse: and flying ope bewrayd his dooing playne.
- The servants shreekt, and lifting up his bodye, but in vayne,
- Conveyd him to his moothers house, his father erst was slayne.
- His moother layd him in her lappe, and cleeping in her armes
- Her sonnes cold bodye, after that shee had bewayld her harmes
- With woordes and dooings mootherlyke, the corce with moorning cheere
- To buryall sadly through the towne was borne uppon a beere.
- The house of Anaxarete by chaunce was neere the way
- By which this piteous pomp did passe. And of the doolefull lay
- The sound came to the eares of her, whom God alreadye gan
- To strike. Yit let us see (quoth shee) the buryall of this man.
- And up the hygh wyde windowde house in saying so, shee ran.
- Scarce had shee well on Iphis lookt that on the beere did lye,
- But that her eyes wext stark: and from her limbes the blood gan flye.
- In stead therof came palenesse in. And as shee backeward was
- In mynd to go, her feete stacke fast and could not stirre. And as
- Shee would have cast her countnance backe, shee could not doo it. And
- The stonny hardnesse which alate did in her stomacke stand,
- Within a whyle did overgrow her whole from sole to crowne.
- And lest you think this geere surmysde, even yit in Salamin towne
- Of Lady Anaxarete the image standeth playne.
- The temple also in the which the image dooth remayne,
- Is unto Venus consecrate by name of Looker Out.
- And therfore weying well theis things, I prey thee looke about
- Good Lady, and away with pryde: and be content to frame
- Thy self to him that loveth thee and cannot quench his flame.
- So neyther may the Lentons cold thy budding frutetrees kill
- Nor yit the sharp and boystous wyndes thy flowring Gardynes spill.
- The God that can uppon him take what kynd of shape he list
- Now having sayd thus much in vayne, omitted to persist
- In beldames shape, and shewde himself a lusty gentleman,
- Appeering to her cheerefully, even like as Phebus whan
- Hee having overcomme the clowdes that did withstand his myght,
- Dooth blaze his brightsum beames agein with fuller heate and lyght.
- He offred force, but now no force was needfull in the cace.
- For why shee beeing caught in love with beawty of his face,
- Was wounded then as well as hee, and gan to yeeld apace.
- Next Proca, reignd Amulius in Awsonye by wrong,
- Till Numitor, the ryghtfull heyre, deposed verry long,
- Was by his daughters sonnes restorde. And on the feastfull day
- Of Pale, foundation of the walles of Rome they gan to lay.
- Soone after Tacye, and the Lordes of Sabine stird debate:
- And Tarpey for her traytrous deede in opening of the gate
- Of Tarpey towre was prest to death according to desert
- With armour heapt uppon her head. Then feerce and stowt of hart
- The Sabines like to toonglesse woolves without all noyse of talke
- Assayld the Romanes in theyr sleepe, and to the gates gan stalke
- Which Ilias sonne had closed fast with lockes and barres. But yit
- Dame Juno had set open one, and as shee opened it
- Had made no noyse of craking with the hindges, so that none
- Perceyvd the opening of the gate but Venus all alone.
- And shee had shet it up, but that it is not lawfull to
- One God to undoo any thing another God hath doo.
- The water nymphes of Awsonie hild all the groundes about
- The Church of Janus where was store of springs fresh flowing out.
- Dame Venus prayd theis nymphes of help. And they considering that
- The Goddesse did request no more but ryght, denyde it nat.
- They opened all theyr fountayne veynes and made them flowe apace.
- Howbee't the passage was not yit to Janus open face
- Forclosed: neyther had as yit the water stopt the way.
- They put rank brimstone underneathe the flowing spring that day,
- And eeke with smokye rozen set theyr veynes on fyre for ay.
- Through force of theis and other things, the vapour perced lowe
- Even downe unto the verry rootes on which the springs did growe.
- So that the waters which alate in coldnesse myght compare
- Even with the frozen Alpes, now hot as burning furnace are.
- The two gate posts with sprinkling of the fyry water smoakt.
- Wherby the gate beehyghted to the Sabines quyght was choakt
- With rysing of this fountaine straunge, untill that Marsis knyght
- Had armed him. Then Romulus did boldly offer fyght.
- The Romane ground with Sabines and with Romanes bothe were spred.
- And with the blood of fathrinlawes which wicked swoord had shed
- Flowde mixt the blood of sonneinlawes. Howbee't it seemed best
- To bothe the partyes at the length from battell for to rest,
- And not to fyght to uttrance: and that Tacye should becoome
- Copartner with king Romulus of sovereintye in Rome.
- Within a whyle king Tacye dyde: and bothe the Sabines and
- The Romanes under Romulus in equall ryght did stand.
- The God of battell putting off his glittring helmet then,
- With such like woordes as theis bespake the syre of Goddes and men:
- The tyme, father (in as much as now the Romane state
- Is wexen strong uppon the good foundation layd alate,
- Depending on the stay of one) is comme for thee to make
- Thy promis good which thou of mee and of thy graundchyld spake:
- Which was to take him from the earth and in the heaven him stay.
- Thou once (I markt thy gracious woordes and bare them well away)
- Before a great assembly of the Goddes didst to mee say
- There shalbee one whom thou shalt rayse above the starry skye.
- Now let thy saying take effect. Jove graunting by and by
- The ayre was hid with darksom clowdes, and thunder foorth did fly,
- And lyghtning made the world agast. Which Mars perceyving to
- Bee luckye tokens for himself his enterpryse to do,
- Did take his rist uppon his speare and boldly lept into
- His bloodye charyot. And he lent his horses with his whippe
- A yirking lash, and through the ayre full smoothely downe did slippe.
- And staying on the woody toppe of mountayne Palatine,
- He tooke away king Romulus whoo there did then defyne
- The pryvate caces of his folk unseemly for a king.
- And as a leaden pellet broade enforced from a sling
- Is woont to dye amid the skye: even so his mortall flesh
- Sank from him downe the suttle ayre. In sted wherof a fresh
- And goodly shape more stately and more meete for sacred shryne
- Succeeded, like our Quirin that in stately robe dooth shyne.
- Hersilia for her feere as lost, of moorning made none end,
- Untill Queene Juno did commaund dame Iris to discend
- Uppon the Raynebowe downe, and thus her message for to doo:
- O of the Latian country and the Sabine nacion too
- Thou peerlesse perle of womanhod, most woorthy for to bee
- The wyfe of such a noble prince as heertofore was hee,
- And still to bee the wyfe of him canonized by name,
- Of Quirin: cease thy teares. And if thou have desyre the same
- Thy holy husband for to see, ensew mee to the queache
- That groweth greene on Quirins hill, whoose shadowes overreache
- The temple of the Romane king. Dame Iris did obey.
- And slyding by her paynted bowe, in former woordes did say
- Her errand to Hersilia. Shee scarce lifting up her eyes
- With sober countnance answerd: O thou Goddesse (for surmyse
- I cannot whoo thou art, but yit I well may understand
- Thou art a Goddesse) leede mee, O deere Goddesse, leede mee, and
- My husband to mee shewe. Whom if the fatall susters three
- Will of theyr gracious goodnesse graunt mee leave but once to see,
- I shall account mee into heaven receyved for to bee.
- Immediatly with Thawmants imp to Quirins hill shee went.
- There glyding from the sky a starre streyght downe to ground was sent,
- The sparkes of whoose bryght blazing beames did burne Hersilias heare.
- And with the starre the ayre did up her heare to heavenward beare.
- The buylder of the towne of Rome receyving streyght the same
- Betweene his old acquaynted handes, did alter both her name
- And eeke her bodye, calling her dame Ora. And by this
- Shee joyntly with her husband for a Goddesse woorshipt is.
- A Persone in the whyle was sought sufficient to susteine
- The burthen of so great a charge, and woorthy for to reigne
- In stead of such a mighty prince. The noble Nume by fame
- (Whoo harped then uppon the truthe before to passe it came)
- Appoynted to the Empyre was. This Numa thought it not
- Inough that he the knowledge of the Sabine rites had got.
- The deepenesse of the noble wit to greater things was bent,
- To serch of things the natures out. The care of this intent
- Did cause that he from Curie and his native Countrye went
- With peynfull travell, to the towne where Hercules did hoste.
- And asking who it was of Greece that in th'Italian coast
- Had buylt that towne, an aged man well seene in storyes old,
- To satisfye his mynd therin the processe thus him told:
- As Hercules enriched with the Spannish kyne did hold
- His voyage from the Ocean sea, men say with lucky cut
- He came aland on Lacine coast. And whyle he there did put
- His beace to grazing, he himself in Crotons house did rest,
- The greatest man in all those parts and unto straungers best:
- And that he there refresht him of his tedious travell, and
- That when he should depart, he sayd: Where now thy house dooth stand,
- Shall in thy childers childrens tyme a Citie buylded bee.
- Which woordes of his have proved trew as playnly now wee see.
- For why there was one Myscelus, a Greeke, Alemons sonne,
- A persone more in favour of the Goddes than any one
- In those dayes was. The God that beares the boystous club did stay
- Uppon him being fast asleepe, and sayd: Go seeke streyght way
- The stonny streame of Aeserie. Thy native soyle for ay
- Forsake. And sore he threatned him onlesse he did obey.
- The God and sleepe departed both togither. Up did ryse
- Alemons sonne, and in himself did secretly devyse
- Uppon this vision. Long his mynd strove dowtfull to and fro.
- The God bad go. His country lawes did say he should not go,
- And death was made the penaltie for him that would doo so.
- Cleere Titan in the Ocean sea had hid his lyghtsomme head,
- And duskye nyght had put up hers most thick with starres bespred.
- The selfsame God by Myscelus did seeme to stand eftsoone,
- Commaunding him the selfsame thing that he before had doone,
- And threatning mo and greater plages onlesse he did obey.
- Then being stricken sore in feare he went about streyghtway
- His household from his natyve land to forreine to convey.
- A rumor heereuppon did ryse through all the towne of Arge
- And disobedience of the lawe was layed to his charge.
- Assoone as that the cace had first beene pleaded and the deede
- Apparantly perceyved, so that witnesse did not neede,
- Arreyned and forlorne to heaven he cast his handes and eyes,
- And sayd: O God whoose labours twelve have purchaste thee the skyes,
- Assist mee, I thee pray. For thou art author of my cryme.
- When judgement should bee given it was the guyse in auncient tyme
- With whyght stones to acquit the cleere, and eeke with blacke to cast
- The giltye. That tyme also so the heavy sentence past.
- The stones were cast unmercifull all blacke into the pot.
- But when the stones were powred out to number, there was not
- A blacke among them. All were whyght. And so through Hercles powre
- A gentle judgement did proceede, and he was quit that howre.
- Then gave he thankes to Hercules, and having prosprous blast,
- Cut over the Ionian sea, and so by Tarent past
- Which Spartanes buylt, and Cybaris, and Neaeth Salentine,
- And Thurine bay, and Emese, and eeke the pastures fyne
- Of Calabrye. And having scarce well sought the coastes that lye
- Uppon the sea, he found the mouth of fatall Aeserye.
- Not farre from thence, he also found the tumb in which the ground
- Did kiver Crotons holy bones, and in that place did found
- The Citie that was willed him, and gave thereto the name
- Of him that there lay buryed. Such originall as this same
- This Citie in th'Italian coast is sayd to have by fame.
- Heere dwelt a man of Samos Ile, who for the hate he had
- To Lordlynesse and Tyranny, though unconstreynd was glad
- To make himself a bannisht man. And though this persone weere
- Farre distant from the Goddes by site of heaven: yit came he neere
- To them in mynd. And he by syght of soule and reason cleere
- Behild the things which nature dooth to fleshly eyes denye.
- And when with care most vigilant he had assuredly
- Imprinted all things in his hart, he set them openly
- Abroade for other folk to lerne. He taught his silent sort
- (Which woondred at the heavenly woordes theyr mayster did report)
- The first foundation of the world: the cause of every thing:
- What nature was: and what was God: whence snow and lyghtning spring:
- And whither Jove or else the wynds in breaking clowdes doo thunder:
- What shakes the earth: what law the starres doo keepe theyr courses under:
- And what soever other thing is hid from common sence.
- He also is the first that did injoyne an abstinence
- To feede of any lyving thing. He also first of all
- Spake thus: although ryght lernedly, yit to effect but small:
- Yee mortall men, forbeare to frank your flesh with wicked foode.
- Yee have both come and frutes of trees and grapes and herbes right good.
- And though that sum bee harsh and hard: yit fyre may make them well
- Both soft and sweete. Yee may have milk, and honny which dooth smell
- Of flowres of tyme. The lavish earth dooth yeeld you plentiously
- Most gentle foode, and riches to content bothe mynd and eye.
- There needes no slaughter nor no blood to get your living by.
- The beastes do breake theyr fast with flesh: and yit not all beastes neyther.
- For horses, sheepe, and Rotherbeastes to live by grasse had lever.
- The nature of the beast that dooth delyght in bloody foode,
- Is cruell and unmercifull. As Lyons feerce of moode,
- Armenian Tigers, Beares, and Woolves. Oh, what a wickednesse
- It is to cram the mawe with mawe, and frank up flesh with flesh,
- And for one living thing to live by killing of another:
- As whoo should say, that of so great abundance which our moother
- The earth dooth yeeld most bountuously, none other myght delyght
- Thy cruell teethe to chawe uppon, than grisly woundes that myght
- Expresse the Cyclops guyse? or else as if thou could not stawnche
- The hunger of thy greedye gut and evill mannerd pawnche,
- Onlesse thou stroyd sum other wyght. But that same auncient age
- Which wee have naamd the golden world, cleene voyd of all such rage,
- Livd blessedly by frute of trees and herbes that grow on ground,
- And stayned not their mouthes with blood. Then birds might safe and sound
- Fly where they listed in the ayre. The hare unscaard of hound
- Went pricking over all the feeldes. No angling hooke with bayt
- Did hang the seely fish that bote mistrusting no deceyt.
- All things were voyd of guylefulnesse: no treason was in trust:
- But all was freendshippe, love and peace. But after that the lust
- Of one (what God so ere he was) disdeyning former fare,
- To cram that cruell croppe of his with fleshmeate did not spare,
- He made a way for wickednesse. And first of all the knyfe
- Was staynd with blood of savage beastes in ridding them of lyfe.
- And that had nothing beene amisse, if there had beene the stay.
- For why wee graunt, without the breach of godlynesse wee may
- By death confound the things that seeke to take our lyves away.
- But as to kill them reason was: even so agein theyr was
- No reason why to eate theyr flesh. This leawdnesse thence did passe
- On further still. Wheras there was no sacrifyse beforne,
- The Swyne (bycause with hoked groyne he rooted up the come,
- And did deceyve the tillmen of theyr hope next yeere thereby)
- Was deemed woorthy by desert in sacrifyse to dye.
- The Goate for byghting vynes was slayne at Bacchus altar whoo
- Wreakes such misdeedes. Theyr owne offence was hurtful to theis two.
- But what have you poore sheepe misdoone, a cattell meeke and meeld,
- Created for to maynteine man, whoose fulsomme duggs doo yeeld
- Sweete Nectar, whoo dooth clothe us with your wooll in soft aray?
- Whoose lyfe dooth more us benefite than dooth your death farreway?
- What trespasse have the Oxen doone, a beast without all guyle
- Or craft, unhurtfull, simple, borne to labour every whyle?
- In fayth he is unmyndfull and unwoorthy of increace
- Of come, that in his hart can fynd his tilman to releace
- From plowgh, to cut his throte: that in his hart can fynde (I say)
- Those neckes with hatchets off to strike, whoose skinne is worne away
- With labring ay for him: whoo turnd so oft his land most tough,
- Whoo brought so many harvestes home. Yit is it not ynough
- That such a great outrageousenesse committed is. They father
- Theyr wickednesse uppon the Goddes. And falsly they doo gather
- That in the death of peynfull Ox the Hyghest dooth delyght.
- A sacrifyse unblemished and fayrest unto syght,
- (For beawtye woorketh them theyr bane) adornd with garlonds, and
- With glittring gold, is cyted at the altar for to stand.
- There heeres he woordes (he wotes not what) the which the preest dooth pray,
- And on his forehead suffereth him betweene his homes to lay
- The eares of come that he himself hath wrought for in the clay,
- And stayneth with his blood the knyfe that he himself perchaunce
- Hathe in the water sheere ere then behild by soodein glaunce.
- Immediatly they haling out his hartstrings still alive,
- And poring on them, seeke therein Goddes secrets to retryve.
- Whence commes so greedy appetyte in men, of wicked meate?
- And dare yee, O yee mortall men, adventure thus to eate?
- Nay doo not (I beseeche yee) so. But give good eare and heede
- To that that I shall warne you of, and trust it as your creede,
- That whensoever you doo eate your Oxen, you devowre
- Your husbandmen. And forasmuch as God this instant howre
- Dooth move my toong to speake, I will obey his heavenly powre.
- My God Apollos temple I will set you open, and
- Disclose the woondrous heavens themselves, and make you understand
- The Oracles and secrets of the Godly majestye.
- Greate things, and such as wit of man could never yit espye,
- And such as have beene hidden long, I purpose to descrye.
- I mynd to leave the earth, and up among the starres to stye.
- I mynd to leave this grosser place, and in the clowdes to flye,
- And on stowt Atlas shoulders strong to rest my self on hye,
- And looking downe from heaven on men that wander heere and there
- In dreadfull feare of death as though they voyd of reason were,
- To give them exhortation thus: and playnely to unwynd
- The whole discourse of destinie as nature hath assignd.
- O men amaazd with dread of death, why feare yee Limbo Styx,
- And other names of vanitie, which are but Poets tricks?
- And perrills of another world, all false surmysed geere?
- For whether fyre or length of tyme consume the bodyes heere,
- Yee well may thinke that further harmes they cannot suffer more.
- For soules are free from death. Howbee't, they leaving evermore
- Theyr former dwellings, are receyvd and live ageine in new.
- For I myself (ryght well in mynd I beare it to be trew)
- Was in the tyme of Trojan warre Euphorbus, Panthewes sonne,
- Quyght through whoose hart the deathfull speare of Menelay did ronne.
- I late ago in Junos Church at Argos did behold
- And knew the target which I in my left hand there did hold.
- Al things doo chaunge. But nothing sure dooth perrish. This same spright
- Dooth fleete, and fisking heere and there dooth swiftly take his flyght
- From one place to another place, and entreth every wyght,
- Removing out of man to beast, and out of beast to man.
- But yit it never perrisheth nor never perrish can.
- And even as supple wax with ease receyveth fygures straunge,
- And keepes not ay one shape, ne bydes assured ay from chaunge,
- And yit continueth alwayes wax in substaunce: so I say
- The soule is ay the selfsame thing it was and yit astray
- It fleeteth into sundry shapes. Therfore lest Godlynesse
- Bee vanquisht by outragious lust of belly beastlynesse,
- Forbeare (I speake by prophesie) your kinsfolkes ghostes to chace
- By slaughter: neyther nourish blood with blood in any cace.
- And sith on open sea the wynds doo blow my sayles apace,
- In all the world there is not that that standeth at a stay.
- Things eb and flow: and every shape is made to passe away.
- The tyme itself continually is fleeting like a brooke.
- For neyther brooke nor lyghtsomme tyme can tarrye still. But looke
- As every wave dryves other foorth, and that that commes behynd
- Bothe thrusteth and is thrust itself: even so the tymes by kynd
- Doo fly and follow bothe at once, and evermore renew.
- For that that was before is left, and streyght there dooth ensew
- Anoother that was never erst. Eche twincling of an eye
- Dooth chaunge. Wee see that after day commes nyght and darks the sky,
- And after nyght the lyghtsum Sunne succeedeth orderly.
- Like colour is not in the heaven when all things weery lye
- At midnyght sound asleepe, as when the daystarre cleere and bryght
- Commes foorth uppon his milkwhyght steede. Ageine in other plyght
- The Morning, Pallants daughter fayre, the messenger of lyght
- Delivereth into Phebus handes the world of cleerer hew.
- The circle also of the sonne what tyme it ryseth new
- And when it setteth, looketh red, but when it mounts most hye,
- Then lookes it whyght, bycause that there the nature of the skye
- Is better, and from filthye drosse of earth dooth further flye.
- The image also of the Moone that shyneth ay by nyght,
- Is never of one quantitie. For that that giveth lyght
- Today, is lesser than the next that followeth, till the full.
- And then contrarywyse eche day her lyght away dooth pull.
- What? Seest thou not how that the yeere as representing playne
- The age of man, departes itself in quarters fowre? First bayne
- And tender in the spring it is, even like a sucking babe.
- Then greene, and voyd of strength, and lush, and foggye, is the blade,
- And cheeres the husbandman with hope. Then all things florish gay.
- The earth with flowres of sundry hew then seemeth for to play,
- And vertue small or none to herbes there dooth as yit belong.
- The yeere from springtyde passing foorth to sommer, wexeth strong,
- Becommeth lyke a lusty youth. For in our lyfe through out
- There is no tyme more plentifull, more lusty, hote and stout.
- Then followeth Harvest when the heate of youth growes sumwhat cold,
- Rype, meeld, disposed meane betwixt a yoongman and an old,
- And sumwhat sprent with grayish heare. Then ugly winter last
- Like age steales on with trembling steppes, all bald, or overcast
- With shirle thinne heare as whyght as snowe. Our bodies also ay
- Doo alter still from tyme to tyme, and never stand at stay.
- Wee shall not bee the same wee were today or yisterday.
- The day hath beene wee were but seede and only hope of men,
- And in our moothers womb wee had our dwelling place as then:
- Dame Nature put to conning hand and suffred not that wee
- Within our moothers streyned womb should ay distressed bee,
- But brought us out to aire, and from our prison set us free.
- The chyld newborne lyes voyd of strength. Within a season tho
- He wexing fowerfooted lernes like savage beastes to go.
- Then sumwhat foltring, and as yit not firme of foote, he standes
- By getting sumwhat for to helpe his sinewes in his handes.
- From that tyme growing strong and swift, he passeth foorth the space
- Of youth: and also wearing out his middle age apace,
- Through drooping ages steepye path he ronneth out his race.
- This age dooth undermyne the strength of former yeares, and throwes
- It downe. Which thing old Milo by example playnely showes.
- For when he sawe those armes of his (which heeretofore had beene
- As strong as ever Hercules in woorking deadly teene
- Of biggest beastes) hang flapping downe, and nought but empty skin,
- He wept. And Helen when shee saw her aged wrincles in
- A glasse wept also: musing in herself what men had seene,
- That by two noble princes sonnes shee twyce had ravisht beene.
- Thou tyme the eater up of things, and age of spyghtfull teene,
- Destroy all things. And when that long continuance hath them bit,
- You leysurely by lingring death consume them every whit.
- And theis that wee call Elements doo never stand at stay.
- The enterchaunging course of them I will before yee lay.
- Give heede therto. This endlesse world conteynes therin I say
- Fowre substances of which all things are gendred. Of theis fower
- The Earth and Water for theyr masse and weyght are sunken lower.
- The other cowple Aire and Fyre, the purer of the twayne,
- Mount up, and nought can keepe them downe. And though there doo remayne
- A space betweene eche one of them: yit every thing is made
- Of themsame fowre, and into them at length ageine doo fade.
- The earth resolving leysurely dooth melt to water sheere.
- The water fyned turnes to aire. The aire eeke purged cleere
- From grossenesse, spyreth up aloft, and there becommeth fyre.
- From thence in order contrary they backe ageine retyre.
- Fyre thickening passeth into Aire, and Ayer wexing grosse,
- Returnes to water: Water eeke congealing into drosse,
- Becommeth earth.
- No kind of thing keepes ay his shape and hew.
- For nature loving ever chaunge repayres one shape anew
- Uppon another. Neyther dooth there perrish aught (trust mee)
- In all the world, but altring takes new shape. For that which wee
- Doo terme by name of being borne, is for to gin to bee
- Another thing than that it was: and likewise for to dye,
- To cease to bee the thing it was. And though that varyably
- Things passe perchaunce from place to place: yit all from whence they came
- Returning, do unperrisshed continew still the same.
- But as for in one shape, bee sure that nothing long can last.
- Even so the ages of the world from gold to Iron past.
- Even so have places oftentymes exchaunged theyr estate.
- For I have seene it sea which was substanciall ground alate,
- Ageine where sea was, I have seene the same become dry lond,
- And shelles and scales of Seafish farre have lyen from any strond,
- And in the toppes of mountaynes hygh old Anchors have beene found.
- Deepe valleyes have by watershotte beene made of levell ground,
- And hilles by force of gulling oft have into sea beene worne.
- Hard gravell ground is sumtyme seene where marris was beforne,
- And that that erst did suffer drowght, becommeth standing lakes.
- Heere nature sendeth new springs out, and there the old in takes.
- Full many rivers in the world through earthquakes heretofore
- Have eyther chaundgd theyr former course, or dryde and ronne no more.
- Soo Lycus beeing swallowed up by gaping of the ground,
- A greatway off fro thence is in another channell found.
- Even so the river Erasine among the feeldes of Arge
- Sinkes one whyle, and another whyle ronnes greate ageine at large.
- Caycus also of the land of Mysia (as men say)
- Misliking of his former head, ronnes now another way.
- In Sicill also Amasene ronnes sumtyme full and hye,
- And sumtyme stopping up his spring, he makes his chanell drye.
- Men drank the waters of the brooke Anigrus heretofore,
- Which now is such that men abhorre to towche them any more.
- Which commes to passe, (onlesse wee will discredit Poets quyght)
- Bycause the Centaures vanquisshed by Hercules in fyght
- Did wash theyr woundes in that same brooke. But dooth not Hypanis
- That springeth in the Scythian hilles, which at his fountaine is
- Ryght pleasant, afterward becomme of brackish bitter taste?
- Antissa, and Phenycian Tyre, and Pharos in tyme past
- Were compast all about with waves: but none of all theis three
- Is now an Ile. Ageine the towne of Lewcas once was free
- From sea, and in the auncient tyme was joyned to the land.
- But now environd round about with water it dooth stand.
- Men say that Sicill also hath beene joynd to Italy
- Untill the sea consumde the bounds beetweene, and did supply
- The roome with water. If yee go to seeke for Helicee
- And Burye which were Cities of Achaia, you shall see
- Them hidden under water, and the shipmen yit doo showe
- The walles and steeples of the townes drownd under as they rowe.
- Not farre from Pitthey Troyzen is a certeine high ground found
- All voyd of trees, which heeretofore was playne and levell ground,
- But now a mountayne. For the wyndes (a woondrous thing to say)
- Inclosed in the hollow caves of ground, and seeking way
- To passe therefro, in struggling long to get the open skye
- In vayne, (bycause in all the cave there was no vent wherby
- To issue out,) did stretch the ground and make it swell on hye,
- As dooth a bladder that is blowen by mouth, or as the skinne
- Of horned Goate in bottlewyse when wynd is gotten in.
- The swelling of the foresayd place remaynes at this day still,
- And by continuance waxing hard is growen a pretye hill.
- Of many things that come to mynd by heersay, and by skill
- Of good experience, I a fewe will utter to you mo.
- What? Dooth not water in his shapes chaunge straungely to and fro?
- The well of horned Hammon is at noonetyde passing cold.
- At morne and even it wexeth warme. At midnyght none can hold
- His hand therin for passing heate. The well of Athamane,
- Is sayd to kindle woode what tyme the moone is in the wane.
- The Cicons have a certeine streame which beeing droonk dooth bring
- Mennes bowwelles into Marble hard: and whatsoever thing
- Is towcht therwith, it turnes to stone. And by your bounds behold
- The rivers Crathe and Sybaris make yellow heare like gold
- And Amber. There are also springs (which thing is farre more straunge)
- Which not the bodye only, but the mynd doo also chaunge.
- Whoo hath not heard of Salmacis, that fowle and filthye sink?
- Or of the lake of Aethyop, which if a man doo drink,
- He eyther ronneth mad, or else with woondrous drowzinesse
- Forgoeth quyght his memorie? Whoo ever dooth represse
- His thirst with drawght of Clitor well, hates wyne, and dooth delyght
- In only water: eyther for bycause there is a myght
- Contrary unto warming wyne by nature in the well,
- Or else bycause (for so the folk of Arcadye doo tell)
- Melampus, Amythaons sonne (when he delivered had
- King Praetus daughters by his charmes and herbes from being mad),
- Cast into that same water all the baggage wherewithall
- He purdgd the madnesse of theyr mynds. And so it did befall,
- That lothsomnesse of wyne did in those waters ay remayne.
- Ageine in Lyncest contrarie effect to this dooth reigne.
- For whoo so drinkes too much therof, he reeleth heere and there
- As if by quaffing wyne no whyt alayd he droonken were.
- There is a Lake in Arcadye which Pheney men did name
- In auncient tyme, whoose dowtfulnesse deserveth justly blame.
- A nyght tymes take thou heede of it, for if thou taste the same
- A nyghttymes, it will hurt. But if thou drink it in the day
- It hurteth not.
- Thus lakes and streames (as well perceyve yee may)
- Have divers powres and diversly. Even so the tyme hathe beene
- That Delos which stands stedfast now, on waves was floting seene.
- And Galyes have beene sore afrayd of frusshing by the Iles
- Symplegads which togither dasht uppon the sea erewhyles,
- But now doo stand unmovable ageinst bothe wynde and tyde.
- Mount Aetna with his burning Oovens of brimstone shall not byde
- Ay fyrye: neyther was it so for ever erst. For whither
- The earth a living creature bee, and that to breathe out hither
- And thither flame, great store of vents it have in sundry places,
- And that it have the powre to shift those vents in divers caces,
- Now damming theis, now opening those, in moving to and fro:
- Or that the whisking wynds restreynd within the earth bylowe,
- Doo beate the stones ageinst the stones, and other kynd of stuffe
- Of fyrye nature, which doo fall on fyre with every puffe:
- Assoone as those same wynds doo cease, the caves shall streight bee cold.
- Or if it bee a Rozen mowld that soone of fyre takes hold,
- Or brimstone mixt with clayish soyle on fyre dooth lyghtly fall:
- Undowtedly assoone as that same soyle consumed shall
- No longer yeeld the fatty foode to feede the fyre withall,
- And ravening nature shall forgo her woonted nourishment,
- Then being able to abyde no longer famishment,
- For want of sustenance it shall cease his burning. I doo fynd
- By fame, that under Charlsis wayne in Pallene are a kynd
- Of people which by dyving thryce three tymes in Triton lake
- Becomme all fethred, and the shape of birdes uppon them take.
- The Scythian witches also are reported for to doo
- The selfsame thing (but hardly I give credit therunto)
- By smearing poyson over all theyr bodyes. But (and if
- A man to matters tryde by proof may saufly give beleef,)
- Wee see how flesh by lying still a whyle and ketching heate
- Dooth turne to little living beastes. And yit a further feate,
- Go kill an Ox and burye him, (the thing by proof man sees)
- And of his rotten flesh will breede the flowergathering Bees,
- Which as theyr father did before, love feeldes exceedingly,
- And unto woork in hope of gayne theyr busye limbes apply.
- The Hornet is engendred of a lustye buryed Steede.
- Go pull away the cleas from Crabbes that in the sea doo breede,
- And burye all the rest in mowld, and of the same will spring
- A Scorpion which with writhen tayle will threaten for to sting.
- The Caterpillers of the feelde the which are woont to weave
- Hore filmes uppon the leaves of trees, theyr former nature leave,
- (Which thing is knowen to husbandmen) and turne to Butterflyes.
- The mud hath in it certeine seede wherof greene frosshes ryse.
- And first it brings them footelesse foorth. Then after, it dooth frame
- Legges apt to swim: and furthermore of purpose that the same
- May serve them for to leape afarre, theyr hinder part is mych
- More longer than theyr forepart is. The Bearwhelp also which
- The Beare hath newly littred, is no whelp immediatly.
- But like an evill favored lump of flesh alyve dooth lye.
- The dam by licking shapeth out his members orderly
- Of such a syse, as such a peece is able to conceyve.
- Or marke yee not the Bees of whom our hony wee receyve,
- How that theyr yoong ones which doo lye within the sixsquare wax
- Are limblesse bodyes at the first, and after as they wex
- In processe take bothe feete and wings? What man would think it trew
- That Ladye Venus simple birdes, the Dooves of silver hew,
- Or Junos bird that in his tayle beares starres, or Joves stowt knyght
- The Earne, and every other fowle of whatsoever flyght,
- Could all bee hatched out of egges, onlesse he did it knowe?
- Sum folk doo hold opinion when the backebone which dooth growe
- In man, is rotten in the grave, the pith becommes a snake.
- Howbee't of other things all theis theyr first beginning take.
- One bird there is that dooth renew itself and as it were
- Beget it self continually. The Syrians name it there
- A Phoenix. Neyther come nor herbes this Phoenix liveth by,
- But by the jewce of frankincence and gum of Amomye.
- And when that of his lyfe well full fyve hundred yeeres are past,
- Uppon a Holmetree or uppon a Date tree at the last
- He makes him with his talants and his hardened bill a nest.
- Which when that he with Casia sweete and Nardus soft hathe drest,
- And strowed it with Cynnamom and Myrrha of the best,
- He rucketh downe uppon the same, and in the spyces dyes.
- Soone after, of the fathers corce men say there dooth aryse
- Another little Phoenix which as many yeeres must live
- As did his father. He (assoone as age dooth strength him give
- To beare the burthen) from the tree the weyghty nest dooth lift,
- And godlyly his cradle thence and fathers herce dooth shift.
- And flying through the suttle aire he gettes to Phebus towne,
- And there before the temple doore dooth lay his burthen downe.
- But if that any noveltye woorth woondring bee in theis,
- Much rather may we woonder at the Hyen if we please.
- To see how interchaungeably it one whyle dooth remayne
- A female, and another whyle becommeth male againe.
- The creature also which dooth live by only aire and wynd,
- All colours that it leaneth to dooth counterfet by kynd.
- The Grapegod Bacchus, when he had subdewd the land of Inde,
- Did fynd a spotted beast cald Lynx, whoose urine (by report)
- By towching of the open aire congealeth in such sort,
- As that it dooth becomme a stone. So Corall (which as long
- As water hydes it is a shrub and soft) becommeth strong
- And hard assoone as it dooth towch the ayre. The day would end,
- And Phebus panting steedes should in the Ocean deepe descend,
- Before all alterations I in woordes could comprehend.
- So see wee all things chaungeable. One nation gathereth strength:
- Another wexeth weake: and bothe doo make exchaunge at length.
- So Troy which once was great and strong as well in welth as men,
- And able tenne yeeres space to spare such store of blood as then,
- Now beeing bace hath nothing left of all her welth to showe,
- Save ruines of the auncient woorkes which grasse dooth overgrowe,
- And tumbes wherin theyr auncetours lye buryed on a rowe.
- Once Sparta was a famous towne: Great Mycene florisht trim:
- Bothe Athens and Amphions towres in honor once did swim.
- A pelting plot is Sparta now: great Mycene lyes on ground.
- Of Theab the towne of Oedipus what have we more than sound?
- Of Athens, king Pandions towne, what resteth more than name?
- Now also of the race of Troy is rysing (so sayth fame)
- The Citie Rome, which at the bank of Tyber that dooth ronne
- Downe from the hill of Appennyne) already hath begonne
- With great advysement for to lay foundation of her state.
- This towne then chaungeth by increase the forme it had alate,
- And of the universall world in tyme to comme shall hold
- The sovereintye, so prophesies and lotts (men say) have told.
- And as (I doo remember mee) what tyme that Troy decayd,
- The prophet Helen, Priams sonne, theis woordes ensewing sayd
- Before Aenaeas dowting of his lyfe in weeping plyght:
- O Goddesse sonne, beleeve mee (if thou think I have foresyght
- Of things to comme) Troy shalnot quyght decay whyle thou doost live.
- Bothe fyre and swoord shall unto thee thy passage freely give.
- Thou must from hence: and Troy with thee convey away in haste,
- Untill that bothe thyself and Troy in forreine land bee plaast
- More freendly than thy native soyle. Moreover I foresee,
- A Citie by the offspring of the Trojans buylt shall bee,
- So great as never in the world the lyke was seene before
- Nor is this present, neyther shall be seene for evermore.
- A number of most noble peeres for manye yeeres afore
- Shall make it strong and puyssant: but hee that shall it make
- The sovereine Ladye of the world, by ryght descent shall take
- His first beginning from thy sonne the little Jule. And when
- The earth hathe had her tyme of him, the sky and welkin then
- Shall have him up for evermore, and heaven shall bee his end.
- Thus farre (I well remember mee) did Helens woordes extend
- To good Aenaeas. And it is a pleasure unto mee
- The Citie of my countrymen increasing thus to see:
- And that the Grecians victorie becommes the Trojans weale.
- But lest forgetting quyght themselves our horses happe to steale
- Beyond the mark: the heaven and all that under heaven is found,
- Dooth alter shape. So dooth the ground and all that is in ground.
- And wee that of the world are part (considring how wee bee
- Not only flesh, but also sowles, which may with passage free
- Remove them into every kynd of beast both tame and wyld)
- Let live in saufty honestly with slaughter undefyld,
- The bodyes which perchaunce may have the spirits of our brothers,
- Our sisters, or our parents, or the spirits of sum others
- Alyed to us eyther by sum freendshippe or sum kin,
- Or at the least the soules of men abyding them within.
- And let us not Thyesteslyke thus furnish up our boordes
- With bloodye bowells. Oh how leawd example he afoordes.
- How wickedly prepareth he himself to murther man
- That with a cruell knyfe dooth cut the throte of Calf, and can
- Unmovably give heering to the lowing of the dam
- Or sticke the kid that wayleth lyke the little babe, or eate
- The fowle that he himself before had often fed with meate.
- What wants of utter wickednesse in woorking such a feate?
- What may he after passe to doo? well eyther let your steeres
- Weare out themselves with woork, or else impute theyr death to yeeres.
- Ageinst the wynd and weather cold let Wethers yeeld yee cotes,
- And udders full of batling milk receyve yee of the Goates.
- Away with sprindges, snares, and grinnes, away with Risp and net.
- Away with guylefull feates: for fowles no lymetwiggs see yee set.
- No feared fethers pitche yee up to keepe the Red deere in,
- Ne with deceytfull bayted hooke seeke fishes for to win.
- If awght doo harme, destroy it, but destroy't and doo no more.
- Forbeare the flesh: and feede your mouthes with fitter foode therfore.
- Men say that Numa furnisshed with such philosophye
- As this and like, returned to his native soyle, and by
- Entreatance was content of Rome to take the sovereintye.
- Ryght happy in his wyfe which was a nymph, ryght happy in
- His guydes which were the Muses nyne, this Numa did begin
- To teach Religion, by the meanes whereof hee shortly drew
- That people unto peace whoo erst of nought but battell knew.
- And when through age he ended had his reigne and eeke his lyfe,
- Through Latium he was moorned for of man and chyld and wyfe
- As well of hygh as low degree. His wyfe forsaking quyght
- The Citie, in vale Aricine did hyde her out of syght,
- Among the thickest groves, and there with syghes and playnts did let
- The sacrifyse of Diane whom Orestes erst had fet
- From Taurica in Chersonese, and in that place had set.
- How oft ah did the woodnymphes and the waternymphes perswade
- Egeria for to cease her mone. What meanes of comfort made
- They. Ah how often Theseus sonne her weeping thus bespake.
- O Nymph, thy moorning moderate: thy sorrow sumwhat slake: '
- Not only thou hast cause to heart thy fortune for to take.
- Behold like happes of other folkes, and this mischaunce of thyne
- Shall greeve thee lesse. Would God examples (so they were not myne)
- Myght comfort thee. But myne perchaunce may comfort thee. If thou
- In talk by hap hast heard of one Hippolytus ere now,
- That through his fathers lyght beleefe, and stepdames craft was slayne,
- It will a woonder seeme to thee, and I shall have much payne
- To make thee to beleeve the thing. But I am very hee.
- The daughter of Pasyphae in vayne oft tempting mee
- My fathers chamber to defyle, surmysde mee to have sought
- The thing that shee with al her hart would fayne I should have wrought.
- And whither it were for feare I should her wickednesse bewray,
- Or else for spyght bycause I had so often sayd her nay,
- Shee chardgd mee with hir owne offence. My father by and by
- Condemning mee, did banish mee his Realme without cause whye.
- And at my going like a fo did ban me bitterly.
- To Pitthey Troyzen outlawelike my chariot streight tooke I.
- My way lay hard uppon the shore of Corinth. Soodeinly
- The sea did ryse, and like a mount the wave did swell on hye,
- And seemed huger for to growe in drawing ever nye,
- And roring clyved in the toppe. Up starts immediatly
- A horned bullocke from amid the broken wave, and by
- The brest did rayse him in the ayre, and at his nostrills and
- His platter mouth did puffe out part of sea uppon the land.
- My servants harts were sore afrayd. But my hart musing ay
- Uppon my wrongfull banishment, did nought at all dismay.
- My horses setting up theyr eares and snorting wexed shye,
- And beeing greatly flayghted with the monster in theyr eye,
- Turnd downe to sea: and on the rockes my wagon drew. In vayne
- I stryving for to hold them backe, layd hand uppon the reyne
- All whyght with fome, and haling backe lay almost bolt upryght.
- And sure the feercenesse of the steedes had yeelded to my might,
- But that the wheele that ronneth ay about the Extree round,
- Did breake by dashing on a stub, and overthrew to ground.
- Then from the Charyot I was snatcht the brydles beeing cast
- About my limbes. Yee myght have seene my sinewes sticking fast
- Uppon the stub: my gutts drawen out alyve: my members, part
- Still left uppon the stump, and part foorth harryed with the cart:
- The crasshing of my broken bones: and with what passing peyne
- I breathed out my weery ghoste. There did not whole remayne
- One peece of all my corce by which yee myght discerne as tho
- What lump or part it was. For all was wound from toppe to toe.
- Now canst thou, nymph, or darest thou compare thy harmes with myne?
- Moreover I the lightlesse Realme behild with theis same eyne,
- And bathde my tattred bodye in the river Phlegeton,
- And had not bright Apollos sonne his cunning shewde uppon
- My bodye by his surgery, my lyfe had quyght bee gone.
- Which after I by force of herbes and leechecraft had ageine
- Receyvd by Aesculapius meanes, though Pluto did disdeine,
- Then Cynthia (lest this gift of hers myght woorke mee greater spyght)
- Thicke clowds did round about mee cast. And to th'entent I myght
- Bee saufe myself, and harmelessely appeere to others syght:
- Shee made mee old. And for my face, shee left it in such plyght,
- That none can knowe mee by my looke. And long shee dowted whither
- To give mee Dele or Crete. At length refusing bothe togither,
- Shee plaast mee heere. And therwithall shee bade me give up quyght
- The name that of my horses in remembrance put mee myght.
- For whereas erst Hippolytus hath beene thy name (quoth shee)
- I will that Virbie afterward thy name for ever bee.
- From that tyme foorth within this wood I keepe my residence,
- As of the meaner Goddes, a God of small magnificence,
- And heere I hyde mee underneathe my sovereine Ladyes wing
- Obeying humbly to her hest in every kynd of thing.
- But yit the harmes of other folk could nothing help nor boote
- Aegerias sorrowes to asswage. Downe at a mountaines foote
- Shee lying melted into teares, till Phebus sister sheene
- For pitie of her greate distresse in which shee had her seene,
- Did turne her to a fountaine cleere, and melted quyght away
- Her members into water thinne that never should decay.