She made an ende: and at hir tale all wondred: some denideHir saying to be possible: and other some replide That such as are in deede true Gods may all things worke at will:But Bacchus is not any such. Thys arguing once made still,To tell hir tale as others had Alcithoes turne was come.Who with hir shettle shooting through hir web within the Loome,Said: Of the shepeheird Daphnyes love of Ida whom erewhile A jealouse Nymph (bicause he did with Lemans hir beguile)For anger turned to a stone (such furie love doth sende: )I will not speake: it is to knowe: ne yet I doe entendeTo tell how Scython variably digressing from his kinde,Was sometime woman, sometime man, as liked best his minde. And Celmus also wyll I passe, who for bicause he cloongMost faithfully to Jupiter when Jupiter was yoong,Is now become an Adamant. So will I passe this howreTo shew you how the Curets were engendred of a showre:Or how that Crocus and his love faire Smylax turned were To little flowres. With pleasant newes your mindes now will I chere.Learne why the fountaine Salmacis diffamed is of yore,Why with his waters overstrong it weakeneth men so soreThat whoso bathes him there commes thence a perfect man no more.The operation of this Well is knowne to every wight. But few can tell the cause thereof, the which I will recite.The waternymphes did nurce a sonne of Mercuries in IdeBegot on Venus, in whose face such beautie did abide,As well therein his father both and mother might be knowne,Of whome he also tooke his name. As soone as he was growne To fiftene yeares of age, he left the Countrie where he dweltAnd Ida that had fostered him. The pleasure that he feltTo travell Countries, and to see straunge rivers with the stateOf forren landes, all painfulnesse of travell did abate.He travelde through the lande of Lycie to Carie that doth bound Next unto Lycia. There he saw a Poole which to the groundWas Christall cleare. No fennie sedge, no barren reeke, no reedeNor rush with pricking poynt was there, nor other moorish weede.The water was so pure and shere a man might well have seeneAnd numbred all the gravell stones that in the bottome beene. The utmost borders from the brim environd were with clowresBeclad with herbes ay fresh and greene and pleasant smelling flowres.A Nymph did haunt this goodly Poole: but such a Nymph as neytherTo hunt, to run, nor yet to shoote, had any kinde of pleasure.Of all the Waterfairies she alonly was unknowne To swift Diana. As the bruit of fame abrode hath blowne,Hir sisters oftentimes would say: take lightsome Dart or bow,And in some painefull exercise thine ydle time bestow.But never could they hir persuade to runne, to shoote or hunt,Or any other exercise as Phebes knightes are wont. Sometime hir faire welformed limbes she batheth in hir spring:Sometime she downe hir golden haire with Boxen combe doth bring.And at the water as a glasse she taketh counsell ayHow every thing becommeth hir. Erewhile in fine arayOn soft sweete hearbes or soft greene leaves hir selfe she nicely layes: Erewhile againe a gathering flowres from place to place she strayes.And (as it chaunst) the selfesame time she was a sorting gayesTo make a Poisie, when she first the yongman did espie,And in beholding him desirde to have his companie.But though she thought she stoode on thornes untill she went to him: Yet went she not before she had bedect hir neat and trim,And pride and peerd upon hir clothes that nothing sat awrie,And framde hir countnance as might seeme most amrous to the eie.Which done she thus begon: O childe most worthie for to beeEstemde and taken for a God, if (as thou seemste to mee) Thou be a God, to Cupids name thy beautie doth agree.Or if thou be a mortall wight, right happie folke are they,By whome thou camste into this worlde, right happy is (I say)Thy mother and thy sister too (if any bee): good hapThat woman had that was thy Nurce and gave thy mouth hir pap. But farre above all other, far more blist than these is sheeWhome thou vouchsafest for thy wife and bedfellow for to bee.Now if thou have alredy one, let me by stelth obtaineThat which shall pleasure both of us. Or if thou doe remaineA Maiden free from wedlocke bonde, let me then be thy spouse, And let us in the bridelie bed our selves togither rouse.This sed, the Nymph did hold hir peace, and therewithall the boyWaxt red: he wist not what love was: and sure it was a joyTo see it how exceeding well his blushing him became.For in his face the colour fresh appeared like the same That is in Apples which doe hang upon the Sunnie side:Or Ivorie shadowed with a red: or such as is espideOf white and scarlet colours mixt appearing in the MooneWhen folke in vaine with sounding brasse would ease unto hir done.When at the last the Nymph desirde most instantly but this, As to his sister brotherly to give hir there a kisse,And therewithall was clasping him about the Ivorie necke:Leave off (quoth he) or I am gone and leave thee at a beckeWith all thy trickes. Then Salmacis began to be afraide,And, To your pleasure leave I free this place, my friend, she sayde. Wyth that she turnes hir backe as though she would have gone hir way:But evermore she looketh backe, and (closely as she may)She hides hir in a bushie queach, where kneeling on hir kneeShe alwayes hath hir eye on him. He as a childe and free,And thinking not that any wight had watched what he did Romes up and downe the pleasant Mede: and by and by amidThe flattring waves he dippes his feete, no more but first the soleAnd to the ancles afterward both feete he plungeth whole.And for to make the matter short, he tooke so great delightIn coolenesse of the pleasant spring, that streight he stripped quight His garments from his tender skin. When Salmacis behildeHis naked beautie, such strong pangs so ardently hir hilde,That utterly she was astraught. And even as Phebus beamesAgainst a myrrour pure and clere rebound with broken gleames:Even so hir eys did sparcle fire. Scarce could she tarience make: Scarce could she any time delay hir pleasure for to take:She wolde have run, and in hir armes embraced him streight way:She was so far beside hir selfe, that scarsly could she stay.He clapping with his hollow hands against his naked sides,Into the water lithe and baine with armes displayed glydes. And rowing with his hands and legges swimmes in the water cleare:Through which his bodie faire and white doth glistringly appeare,As if a man an Ivorie Image or a Lillie whiteShould overlay or close with glasse that were most pure and bright.The prize is won (cride Salmacis aloud) he is mine owne. And therewithall in all post hast she having lightly throwneHir garments off, flew to the Poole and cast hir thereintoAnd caught him fast between hir armes, for ought that he could doe:Yea maugre all his wrestling and his struggling to and fro,She held him still, and kissed him a hundred times and mo. And willde he nillde he with hir handes she toucht his naked brest:And now on this side now on that (for all he did resistAnd strive to wrest him from hir gripes) she clung unto him fast:And wound about him like a Snake which snatched up in hastAnd being by the Prince of Birdes borne lightly up aloft, Doth writhe hir selfe about his necke and griping talants oft:And cast hir taile about his wings displayed in the winde:Or like as Ivie runnes on trees about the utter rinde:Or as the Crabfish having caught his enmy in the Seas,Doth claspe him in on every side with all his crooked cleas.But Atlas Nephew still persistes, and utterly deniesThe Nymph to have hir hoped sport: she urges him likewise.And pressing him with all hir weight, fast cleaving to him still,Strive, struggle, wrest and writhe (she said) thou froward boy thy fill:Doe what thou canst thou shalt not scape. Ye Goddes of Heaven agree That this same wilfull boy and I may never parted bee.
The Gods were pliant to hir boone. The bodies of them twaineWere mixt and joyned both in one. To both them did remaineOne countnance: like as if a man should in one barke beholdeTwo twigges both growing into one and still togither holde. Even so when through hir hugging and hir grasping of the totherThe members of them mingled were and fastned both togither,They were not any lenger two: but (as it were) a toyOf double shape. Ye could not say it was a perfect boyNor perfect wench: it seemed both and none of both to beene.Now when Hermaphroditus saw how in the water sheeneTo which he entred in a man, his limmes were weakened soThat out fro thence but halfe a man he was compelde to go,He lifteth up his hands and said (but not with manly reere):O noble father Mercurie, and Venus mother deere, This one petition graunt your son which both your names doth beare,That whoso commes within this Well may so be weakened there,That of a man but halfe a man he may fro thence retire.Both Parentes moved with the chaunce did stablish this desireThe which their doubleshaped sonne had made: and thereupon Infected with an unknowne strength the sacred spring anon.Their tales did ende and Mineus daughters still their businesse plieIn spight of Bacchus whose high feast they breake contemptuously.When on the sodaine (seeing nought) they heard about them roundOf tubbish Timbrels perfectly a hoarse and jarring sound, With shraming shalmes and gingling belles, and furthermore they feltA cent of Saffron and of Myrrhe that verie hotly smelt.And (which a man would ill beleve) the web they had begunImmediatly waxt fresh and greene, the flaxe the which they spunDid flourish full of Ivie leaves. And part thereof did run Abrode in Vines. The threede it selfe in braunches forth did spring.Yong burgeons full of clustred grapes their Distaves forth did bring.And as the web they wrought was dide a deepe darke purple hew,Even so upon the painted grapes the selfesame colour grew.The day was spent, and now was come the time which neyther night Nor day, but even the bound of both a man may terme of right.The house at sodaine seemde to shake, and all about it shineWith burning lampes, and glittering fires to flash before their eyen,And Likenesses of ougly beastes with gastfull noyses yeld.For feare whereof in smokie holes the sisters were compeld To hide their heades, one here and there another, for to shunThe glistring light. And while they thus in corners blindly run,Upon their little pretie limmes a fine crispe filme there goes,And slender finnes in stead of handes their shortned armes enclose.But how they lost their former shape of certaintie to know The darknesse would not suffer them. No feathers on them grow,And yet with shere and velume wings they hover from the groundAnd when they goe about to speake they make but little sound,According as their bodies give, bewayling their despightBy chirping shirlly to themselves. In houses they delight And not in woods: detesting day they flitter towards night:Wherethrough they of the Evening late in Latin take their name,And we in English language Backes or Reermice call the same.
Then Bacchus name was reverenced through all the Theban coast,And Ino of hir Nephewes powre made every where great boast. Of Cadmus daughters she alone no sorowes tasted had,Save only that hir sisters haps perchaunce had made hir sad.Now Juno noting how she waxt both proud and full of scorne,As well by reason of the sonnes and daughters she had borne,As also that she was advaunst by mariage in that towne To Athamas, King Aeolus sonne, a Prince of great renowne,But chiefly that hir sisters sonne who nourced was by hirWas then exalted for a God: began thereat to stir,And freating at it in hirselfe said: Coulde this harlots burdTransforme the Lydian watermen, and drowne them in the foord? And make the mother teare the guttes in pieces of hir sonne?And Mineus al three daughters clad with wings, bicause they sponneWhiles others howling up and down like frantick folke did ronne?And can I Juno nothing else save sundrie woes bewaile?Is that sufficient? can my powre no more than so availe? He teaches me what way to worke. A man may take (I see)Example at his enmies hand the wiser for to bee.He shewes inough and overmuch the force of furious wrathBy Pentheys death: why should not Ine be taught to tread the path The which hir sisters heretofore and kinred troden hath? There is a steepe and irksome way obscure with shadow fellOf balefull yewgh, all sad and still, that leadeth downe to hell.The foggie Styx doth breath up mistes: and downe this way doe waveThe ghostes of persons lately dead and buried in the grave.Continuall colde and gastly feare possesse this queachie plot On eyther side: the siely Ghost new parted knoweth notThe way that doth directly leade him to the Stygian CitieOr where blacke Pluto keepes his Court that never sheweth pitie.A thousand wayes, a thousand gates that alwayes open stand,This Citie hath: and as the Sea the streames of all the lande Doth swallow in his gredie gulfe, and yet is never full:Even so that place devoureth still and hideth in his gullThe soules and ghostes of all the world: and though that nere so manyCome thither, yet the place is voyd as if there were not any.The ghostes without flesh, bloud, or bones, there wander to and fro, Of which some haunt the judgement place: and other come and goTo Plutos Court: and some frequent the former trades and ArtesThe which they used in their life: and some abide the smartesAnd torments for their wickednesse and other yll desartes.So cruell hate and spightfull wrath did boyle in Junos brest, That in the high and noble Court of Heaven she coulde not rest:But that she needes must hither come: whose feet no sooner touchtThe thresholde, but it gan to quake. And Cerberus erst couchtStart sternely up with three fell heades which barked all togither.She callde the daughters of the night, the cruell furies, thither: They sate a kembing foule blacke Snakes from off their filthie heareBefore the dungeon doore, the place where Caitives punisht were,The which was made of Adamant. When in the darke in partThey knew Queene Juno, by and by upon their feete they start.There Titius stretched out (at least) nine acres full in length, Did with his bowels feede a Grype that tare them out by strength.The water fled from Tantalus that toucht his neather lip,And Apples hanging over him did ever from him slip.There also laborde Sisyphus that drave against the hillA rolling stone that from the top came tumbling downeward still. Ixion on his restlesse wheele to which his limmes were boundDid flie and follow both at once in turning ever round.And Danaus daughters forbicause they did their cousins kill,Drew water into running tubbes which evermore did spill.When Juno with a louring looke had vewde them all through- out, And on Ixion specially before the other rout,She turnes from him to Sisyphus, and with an angry cheereSayes: Wherefore should this man endure continuall penance here,And Athamas his brother reigne in welth and pleasure freeWho through his pride hath ay disdainde my husband Jove and mee? And therewithall she poured out th'occasion of hir hate,And why she came and what she would. She would that Cadmus stateShould with the ruine of his house be brought to swyft decay,And that to mischiefe Athamas the Fiendes should force some way.She biddes, she prayes, she promises, and all is with a breth,And moves the furies earnestly: and as these things she seth,The hatefull Hag Tisiphone with horie ruffled heare,Removing from hir face the Snakes that loosely dangled there,Sayd thus: Madame there is no neede long circumstance to make.Suppose your will already done. This lothsome place forsake, And to the holsome Ayre of heaven your selfe agayne retire.Queene Juno went right glad away with graunt of hir desire.And as she woulde have entred heaven, the Ladie Iris cameAnd purged hir with streaming drops.
Anon upon the sameThe furious Fiende Tisiphone doth cloth hir out of hand In garment streaming gorie bloud, and taketh in hir handA burning Cresset steepte in bloud, and girdeth hir aboutWith wreathed Snakes and so goes forth. And at hir going out,Feare, terror, grief and pensivenesse for companie she tooke,And also madnesse with his flaight, and gastly staring looke. Within the house of Athamas no sooner foote she set,But that the postes began to quake and doores looke blacke as Jet.The sonne withdrew him, Athamas and eke his wife were castWith ougly sightes in such a feare, that out of doores agastThey would have fled. There stoode the Fiend, and stopt their passage out, And splaying forth hir filthie armes beknit with Snakes about,Did tosse and wave hir hatefull head. The swarme of scaled snakesDid make an irksome noyse to heare as she hir tresses shakes.About hir shoulders some did craule: some trayling downe hir brestDid hisse and spit out poyson greene, and spirt with tongues infest. Then from amyd hir haire two snakes with venymd hand she drewOf which shee one at Athamas and one at Ino threw.The snakes did craule about their breasts, inspiring in their heartMost grievous motions of the minde: the bodie had no smartOf any wound: it was the minde that felt the cruell stings. A poyson made in Syrup wise, shee also with hir brings.The filthie fome of Cerberus, the casting of the SnakeEchidna, bred among the Fennes about the Stygian Lake:Desire of gadding foorth abroad: forgetfulnesse of minde:Delight in mischiefe: woodnesse: teares: and purpose whole inclinde To cruell murther: all the which shee did together grinde:And mingling them with new shed bloud had boyled them in brasse,And stird them with a Hemblock stalke. Now whyle that AthamasAnd Ino stood and quakte for feare, this poyson ranke and fellShee tourned into both their breastes and made their heartes to swell. Then whisking often round about hir head hir balefull brand,She made it soone by gathering winde to kindle in hir hand.Thus as it were in triumph wise accomplishing hir hest,To Duskie Plutos emptie Realme shee gettes hir home to rest,And putteth off the snarled Snakes that girded in hir brest. Immediatly King Aeolus sonne starke madde comes crying outThrough all the court: What meane yee Sirs? why go yee not aboutTo pitch our toyles within this chace? I saw even nowe here ranA Lyon with hir two yong whelpes. And there withall he ganTo chase his wyfe as if in deede shee had a Lyon beene And lyke a Bedlem boystouslie he snatcheth from betweeneThe mothers armes h's little babe Loearchus smyling on himAnd reaching foorth his preatie armes, and floong him fiercely from himA twice or thrice as from a slyng: and dasht his tender headAgainst a hard and rugged stone until he sawe him dead. The wretched mother (whither griefe did move hir thereuntoOr that the poyson spred within did force hir so to doe)Howld out and frantikly with scattered haire about hir earesAnd with hir little Melicert whome hastely shee bearesIn naked armes she cryeth out, Hoe Bacchus. At the name Of Bacchus Juno gan to laugh and scorning sayde in game:This guerden loe thy foster child requiteth for the same.There hangs a rocke about the Sea the foote whereof is eateSo hollow with the saltish waves which on the same doe beate,That like a house it keepeth off the moysting showers of rayne. The toppe is rough and shootes his front amiddes the open mayne.Dame Ino (madnesse made hir strong) did climb this cliffe anonAnd headlong downe (without regarde of hurt that hoong thereon)Did throwe hir burden and hir selfe, the water where shee dashtIn sprincling upwarde glisterd red. But Venus sore abashtAt this hir Neeces great mischaunce without offence or fault,Hir Uncle gently thus bespake: O ruler of the haultAnd swelling Seas, O noble Neptune whose dominion largeExtendeth to the Heaven, whereof the mightie Jove hath charge,The thing is great for which I sue. But shewe thou for my sake Some mercie on my wretched friends whome in thine endlesse lakeThou seest tossed to and fro. Admit thou them amongThe Goddes. Of right even here to mee some favour doth belongAt least wise if amid the Sea engendred erst I wereOf Froth, as of the which yet still my pleasaunt name I beare. Neptunus graunted hir request, and by and by bereft themOf all that ever mortall was. Insted wherof he left themA hault and stately majestie: and altring them in hewWith shape and names most meete for Goddes he did them both endew.Leucothoe was the mothers name, Palemon was the sonne. The Thebane Ladies following hir as fast as they could runne,Did of hir feete perceive the print upon the utter stone.And taking it for certaine signe that both were dead and gone,In making mone for Cadmus house, they wrang their hands and tareTheir haire, and rent their clothes, and railde on Juno out of square, As nothing just, but more outragious farre than did behoveIn so revenging of hir selfe upon hir husbands love.The Goddesse Juno could not beare their railing. And in faith:You also will I make to be as witnesses (she sayth)Of my outragious crueltie. And so shee did in deede. For shee that loved Ino best was following hir with speedeInto the Sea. But as shee would hir selfe have downeward cast,She could not stirre, but to the rock as nailed sticked fast.The second as shee knockt hir breast, did feele hir armes wax stiffe.Another as shee stretched out hir hands upon the cliffe, Was made a stone, and there stoode still ay stretching forth hir handsInto the water as before. And as an other standesA tearing of hir ruffled lockes, hir fingers hardened wereAnd fastned to hir frisled toppe still tearing of hir heare,And looke what gesture eche of them was taken in that tide,Even in the same transformde to stones, they fastned did abide.And some were altered into birds which Cadmies called beeAnd in that goolfe with flittering wings still to and fro doe flee.
Nought knoweth Cadmus that his daughter and hir little childeAdmitted were among the Goddes that rule the surges wilde. Compellde with griefe and great mishappes that had ensewd togither,And straunge foretokens often seene since first his comming thither,He utterly forsakes his towne the which he builded had,As though the fortune of the place so hardly him bestad,And not his owne. And fleeting long like pilgrims, at the last Upon the coast of Illirie his wife and he were cast.Where ny forpind with cares and yeares, while of the chaunces pastUpon their house, and of their toyles and former travails taneThey sadly talkt betweene themselves: Was my speare head the baneOf that same ougly Snake of Mars (quoth Cadmus) when I fled From Sidon? or did I his teeth in ploughed pasture spred?If for the death of him the Goddes so cruell vengeaunce take,Drawen out in length upon my wombe then traile I like a snake.He had no sooner sayde the worde but that he gan to glideUpon his belly like a Snake. And on his hardened side He felt the scales new budding out, the which was wholy fretWith speccled droppes of blacke and gray as thicke as could be set.He falleth groveling on his breast, and both his shankes doe groweIn one round spindle Bodkinwise with sharpned point below.His armes as yet remayned still: his armes that did remayne, He stretched out, and sayde with teares that plentuously did raineAdowne his face, which yet did keepe the native fashion sownd:Come hither wyfe, come hither wight most wretched on the ground,And whyle that ought of mee remaynes vouchsafe to touche the same.Come take mee by the hand as long as hand may have his name, Before this snakish shape doe whole my body over runne.He would have spoken more when sodainely his tongue begunneTo split in two and speache did fayle: and as he did attemptTo make his mone, he hist: for nature now had cleane exemptAll other speach. His wretched wyfe hir naked stomack beete And cryde: What meaneth this? deare Cadmus, where are now thy feete?Where are thy shoulders and thy handes? thy hew and manly face?With all the other things that did thy princely person graceWhich nowe I overpasse? But why yee Goddes doe you delayMy bodie into lyke misshape of Serpent to convay? When this was spoken, Cadmus lickt his wyfe about the lippes:And (as a place with which he was acquaynted well) he slippesInto hir boosome, lovingly embracing hir, and castHimselfe about hir necke, as oft he had in tyme forepast.Such as were there (their folke were there) were flaighted at the sight, For by and by they sawe their neckes did glister slicke and bright.And on their snakish heades grew crests: and finally they bothWere into verie Dragons tournd, and foorth together gothT'one trayling by the tothers side, untill they gaynd a wood,The which direct against the place where as they were then stood. And now remembring what they were themselves in tymes forepast,They neyther shonne nor hurten men with stinging nor with blast.
But yet a comfort to them both in this their altred hewBecame that noble impe of theirs that Indie did subdew,Whom al Achaia worshipped with temples builded new. All only Acrise, Abas sonne, (though of the selfesame stocke)Remaind, who out of Argos walles unkindly did him locke,And moved wilfull warre against his Godhead: thinking thatThere was not any race of Goddes, for he beleved notThat Persey was the sonne of Jove: or that he was conceyved By Danae of golden shower through which shee was deceived.But yet ere long (such present force hath truth) he doth repentAs well his great impietie against God Bacchus meant,As also that he did disdaine his Nephew for to knowe.But Bacchus now full gloriously himselfe in Heaven doth showe. And Persey bearing in his hand the monster Gorgons head,That famous spoyle which here and there with snakish haire was spread,Doth beat the ayre with wavyng wings. And as he overflewThe Lybicke sandes, the droppes of bloud that from the head did sewOf Gorgon being new cut off, upon the ground did fal. Which taking them (and as it were conceyving therwithall)Engendred sundrie Snakes and wormes: by meanes wherof that clymeDid swarme with Serpents ever since, even to this present tyme.From thence he lyke a watrie cloud was caried with the weather,Through all the heaven, now here, now there as light as any feather. And from aloft he viewes the earth that underneath doth lie,And swiftly over all the worlde doth in conclusion flie,Three times the chilling Beares, three times the Crabbes fel cleas he saw:Oft times to Weast, oftimes to East did drive him many a flaw.Now at such time as unto rest the sonne began to drawe, Bicause he did not thinke it good to be abroad all night,Within King Atlas western Realme he ceased from his flight,Requesting that a little space of rest enjoy he might,Untill such tyme as Lucifer should bring the morning gray,And morning bring the lightsome Sunne that guides the cherefull day. This Atlas, Japets Nephewe, was a man that did excellIn stature everie other wight that in the worlde did dwell.The utmost coast of all the earth and all that Sea whereinThe tyred steedes and wearied Wayne of Phoebus dived bin,Were in subjection to this King. A thousande flockes of sheepe, A thousand heirdes of Rother beastes he in his fields did keepe:And not a neighbor did anoy his ground by dwelling nie.To him the wandring Persey thus his language did applie:If high renowne of royall race thy noble heart may move,I am the sonne of Jove himselfe: or if thou more approve The valiant deedes and hault exploytes, thou shalt perceive in meeSuch doings as deserve with prayse extolled for to bee.I pray thee of thy courtesie receive mee as thy guest,And let mee only for this night within thy palace rest.King Atlas called straight to minde an auncient prophesie Made by Parnassian Themys, which this sentence did implie:The time shall one day, Atlas, come in which thy golden treeShall of hir fayre and precious fruite dispoyld and robbed bee.And he shall be the sonne of Jove that shall enjoy the pray.For feare hereof he did enclose his Orchard everie way With mightie hilles, and put an ougly Dragon in the sameTo keepe it. Further he forbad that any straunger cameWithin his Realme, and to this knight he sayde presumtuouslie:Avoyd my land, onlesse thou wilt by utter perill trieThat all thy glorious actes whereof thou doest so loudly lie And Jove thy father be too farre to helpe thee at thy neede.To these his wordes he added force, and went about in deedeTo drive him out by strength of hand. To speake was losse of windeFor neyther could intreating faire nor stoutnesse tourne his minde.Well then (quoth Persey) sith thou doest mine honour set so light, Take here a present: and with that he turnes away his sight,And from his left side drewe mee out Medusas lothly head.As huge and big as Atlas was he tourned in that steadInto a mountaine: into trees his beard and locks did passe:His hands and shoulders made the ridge: that part which lately was His head, became the highest top of all the hill: his bonesWere turnd to stones: and therewithall he grew mee all at onceBeyond all measure up in heighth (for so God thought it best)So farre that Heaven with all the starres did on his shoulders rest.In endlesse prison by that time had Aeolus lockt the wind And now the cheerely morning starre that putteth folke in mindTo rise about their daylie worke shone brightly in the skie.Then Persey unto both his feete did streight his feathers tieAnd girt his Woodknife to his side, and from the earth did stie.And leaving nations nomberlesse beneath him everie way At last upon King Cepheyes fields in Aethiop did he stay.Where cleane against all right and law by Joves commaundementAndromad for hir mothers tongue did suffer punishment.Whome to a rocke by both the armes when fastned hee had seene,He would have thought of Marble stone shee had some image beene, But that hir tresses to and fro the whisking winde did blowe,And trickling teares warme from hir eyes adowne hir cheeks did flow,Unwares hereat gan secret sparkes within his breast to glow.His wits were straught at sight thereof and ravisht in such wise,That how to hover with his wings he scarsly could devise. As soone as he had stayd himselfe: O Ladie faire (quoth hee)Not worthie of such bands as these, but such wherewith we seeTogither knit in lawfull bed the earnest lovers bee,I pray thee tell mee what thy selfe and what this lande is namedAnd wherefore thou dost weare these Chains. The Ladie ill ashamedWas at the sodaine striken domb: and lyke a fearfull maidShee durst not speake unto a man. Had not hir handes beene staidShe would have hid hir bashfull face. Howbeit as she mightWith great abundance of hir teares shee stopped up hir sightBut when that Persey oftentimes was earnestly in handTo learne this matter, for bicause shee would not seeme to standIn stubborne silence of hir faultes, shee tolde him what the landAnd what she hight: and how hir mother for hir beauties sakeThrough pride did unadvisedly too much upon hir take.And ere shee full had made an ende, the water gan to rore: An ougly monster from the deepe was making to the shoreWhich bare the Sea before his breast. The Virgin shrieked out.Hir father and hir mother both stood mourning thereabout,In wretched ease both twaine, but not so wretched as the maidWho wrongly for hir mothers fault the bitter raunsome paid. They brought not with them any help: but (as the time and caceRequird) they wept and wrang their hands, and streightly did embraceHir bodie fastened to the rock. Then Persey them bespake,And sayde: The time may serve too long this sorrow for to make:But time of helpe must eyther now or never else be take. Now if I, Persey, sonne of hir whome in hir fathers towreThe mightie Jove begat with childe in shape of golden showre,Who cut off ougly Gorgons head bespred with snakish heare,And in the ayre durst trust these winges my body for to beare,perchaunce should save your daughters life, I think ye should as then Accept mee for your sonne in lawe before all other men.To these great thewes (by the help of God) I purpose for to addeA just desert in helping hir that is so hard bestadde.I covenaunt with you by my force and manhod for to save hir,Conditionly that to my wife in recompence I have hir. Hir parents tooke his offer streight: for who would sticke thereat?And praid him faire, and promisde him that for performing thatThey would endow him with the ryght of al their Realme beeside.
Like as a Gally with hir nose doth cut the waters wide,Enforced by the sweating armes of Rowers wyth the tideEven so the monster with his brest did beare the waves aside,And was now come as neere the rocke as well a man myght flingAmid the pure and vacant aire a pellet from a sling.When on the sodaine Persey pusht his foote against the ground,And stied upward to the clouds his shadow did rebound Upon the sea: the beast ran fierce upon the passing shade.And as an Egle when he sees a Dragon in a gladeLie beaking of his blewish backe against the sunnie rayes,Doth seize upon him unbeware, and with his talants layesSure holde upon his scalie necke lest writhing back his head His cruell teeth might doe him harme: so Persey in that steadDiscending downe the ayre amaine with all his force and mightDid seize upon the monsters backe: and underneath the rightFinne hard unto the verie hilt his hooked sworde did smight.The monster being wounded sore did sometime leape aloft,And sometime under water dive, bestirring him full oftAs doth a chaufed Boare beset with barking Dogges about.But Persey with his lightsome wings still keeping him withoutThe monsters reach, with hooked sword doth sometime hew his backWhere as the hollow scales give way: and sometime he doth hacke The ribbes on both his maled sides: and sometime he doth woundHis spindle tayle where into fish it growes most smal and round.The Whale at Persey from his mouth such waves of water cast,Bemixed with the purple bloud, that all bedreint at lastHis feathers verie heavie were: and doubting any more To trust his wings now waxing wet, he straight began to soreUp to a rocke which in the calme above the water stood:But in the tempest evermore was hidden with the flood.And leaning thereunto and with his left hand holding justThe top thereof a dozen times his weapon he did thrust Among his guttes. The joyfull noyse and clapping of their handsThe which were made for loosening of Andromad from hir bands,Filde all the coast and heaven it selfe. The parents of the MaideCassiope and Cepheus were glad and well appayde:And calling him their sonne in law confessed him to bee The helpe and savegarde of their house. Andromade the feeAnd cause of Perseys enterprise from bondes now beyng free,He washed his victorious hands. And lest the Snakie headeWith lying on the gravell hard should catch some harme, he spredSoft leaves and certaine tender twigs that in the water grew, And laid Medusas head thereon: the twigs yet being newAnd quicke and full of juicie pith full lightly to them drewThe nature of this monstrous head. For both the leafe and boughFull straungely at the touch thereof became both hard and tough.The Sea nymphes tride this wondrous fact in divers other roddes And were full glad to see the chaunge, bicause there was no oddesOf leaves or twigs or of the seedes new shaken from the coddes.For still like nature ever since is in our Corall founde:That looke how soone it toucheth Ayre it waxeth hard and sounde,And that which under water was a sticke, above is stone. Three altars to as many Gods he makes of Turfe anon:Upon the left hand Mercuries: Minervas on the right:And in the middle Jupiters: to Pallas he did dightA Cow: a Calfe to Mercurie: a Bull to royall Jove.Forthwith he tooke Andromade the price for which he strove Endowed with hir fathers Realme. For now the God of LoveAnd Hymen unto mariage his minde in hast did move.Great fires were made of sweete perfumes, and curious garlandes hungAbout the house, which every where of mirthful musicke rungThe gladsome signe of merie mindes. The Pallace gates were set Wide open. None from comming in were by the Porters let.All Noblemen and Gentlemen that were of any portTo this same great and royall feast of Cephey did resort.When having taken their repast as well of meate as wineTheir hearts began to pleasant mirth by leysure to encline, The valiant Persey of the folke and facions of the landBegan to be inquisitive. One Lincide out of handThe rites and manners of the folke did doe him t'understand.Which done he sayd: O worthie knight I pray thee tell us byWhat force or wile thou gotst the head with haires of Adders slie. Then Persey tolde how underneath colde Atlas lay a plaineSo fenced in on every side with mountaines high, that vaineWere any force to win the same. In entrance of the whichTwo daughters of King Phorcis dwelt whose chaunce and hap was suchThat one eye served both their turnes: whereof by wilie slight And stealth in putting forth his hand he did bereve them quight,As they from t'one to tother were delivering of the same.From whence by long blind crooked wayes unhandsomly he cameThrough gastly groves by ragged cliffes unto the drerie placeWhereas the Gorgons dwelt: and there he saw (a wretched case) The shapes as well of men as beasts lie scattered everie whereIn open fields and common wayes, the which transformed wereFrom living things to stones at sight of foule Medusas heare,But yet that he through brightnesse of his monstrous brazen shieldThe which he in his left hand bare, Medusas face beheld. And while that in a sound dead sleepe were all hir Snakes and she,He softly pared off hir head: and how that he did seeSwift Pegasus the winged horse and eke his brother growOut of their mothers new shed bloud. Moreover he did showA long discourse of all his happes and not so long as trew: As namely of what Seas and landes the coasts he overflew,And eke what starres with stying wings he in the while did vew.But yet his tale was at an ende ere any lookt therefore.Upon occasion by and by of wordes reherst beforeThere was a certaine noble man demaunded him wherefore Shee only of the sisters three haire mixt with Adders bore.Sir (aunswerde Persey) sith you aske a matter worth reportI graunt to tell you your demaunde. She both in comly portAnd beautie, every other wight surmounted in such sort,That many suters unto hir did earnestly resort. And though that whole from top to toe most bewtifull she were,In all hir bodie was no part more goodly than hir heare.I know some parties yet alive, that say they did hir see.It is reported how she should abusde by Neptune beeIn Pallas Church: from which fowle facte Joves daughter turnde hir eye, And with hir Target hid hir face from such a villanie.And lest it should unpunisht be, she turnde hir seemely heareTo lothly Snakes: the which (the more to put hir foes in feare)Before hir brest continually she in her shield doth beare.