Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- Of shapes transformde to bodies straunge, I purpose to entreate,
- Ye gods vouchsafe (for you are they ywrought this wondrous feate)
- To further this mine enterprise. And from the world begunne,
- Graunt that my verse may to my time, his course directly runne.
- Before the Sea and Lande were made, and Heaven that all doth hide,
- In all the worlde one onely face of nature did abide,
- Which Chaos hight, a huge rude heape, and nothing else but even
- A heavie lump and clottred clod of seedes togither driven,
- Of things at strife among themselves, for want of order due.
- No sunne as yet with lightsome beames the shapelesse world did vew.
- No Moone in growing did repayre hir hornes with borowed light.
- Nor yet the earth amiddes the ayre did hang by wondrous slight
- Just peysed by hir proper weight. Nor winding in and out
- Did Amphitrytee with hir armes embrace the earth about.
- For where was earth, was sea and ayre, so was the earth unstable.
- The ayre all darke, the sea likewise to beare a ship unable.
- No kinde of thing had proper shape, but ech confounded other.
- For in one selfesame bodie strove the hote and colde togither,
- The moist with drie, the soft with hard, the light with things of weight.
- This strife did God and Nature breake, and set in order streight.
- The earth from heaven, the sea from earth, he parted orderly,
- And from the thicke and foggie ayre, he tooke the lightsome skie.
- Which when he once unfolded had, and severed from the blinde
- And clodded heape, he setting eche from other did them binde
- In endlesse friendship to agree. The fire most pure and bright,
- The substance of the heaven it selfe, bicause it was so light
- Did mount aloft, and set it selfe in highest place of all.
- The second roume of right to ayre, for lightnesse did befall.
- The earth more grosse drew down with it eche weighty kinde of matter,
- And set it selfe in lowest place. Againe, the waving water
- Did lastly chalenge for his place, the utmost coast and bound,
- Of all the compasse of the earth, to close the stedfast ground.
- Now when he in this foresaid wise (what God so ere he was)
- Had broke and into members put this rude confused masse,
- Then first bicause in every part, the earth should equall bee,
- He made it like a mighty ball, in compasse as we see.
- And here and there he cast in seas, to whome he gave a lawe:
- To swell with every blast of winde, and every stormie flawe.
- And with their waves continually to beate upon the shore,
- Of all the earth within their boundes enclosde by them afore.
- Moreover, Springs and mighty Meeres and Lakes he did augment,
- And flowing streames of crooked brookes in winding bankes he pent.
- Of which the earth doth drinke up some, and some with restlesse race
- Do seeke the sea: where finding scope of larger roume and space,
- In steade of bankes, they beate on shores. He did commaund the plaine
- And champion groundes to stretch out wide: and valleys to remaine
- Aye underneath: and eke the woods to hide them decently
- With tender leaves: and stonie hilles to lift themselves on hie.
- And as two Zones doe cut the Heaven upon the righter side,
- And other twaine upon the left likewise the same devide,
- The middle in outragious heat exceeding all the rest:
- Even so likewise through great foresight to God it seemed best,
- The earth encluded in the same should so devided bee,
- As with the number of the Heaven, hir Zones might full agree.
- Of which the middle Zone in heate, the utmost twaine in colde
- Exceede so farre, that there to dwell no creature dare be bolde.
- Betweene these two so great extremes, two other Zones are fixt,
- Where temprature of heate and colde indifferently is mixt.
- Now over this doth hang the Ayre, which as it is more fleightie
- Than earth or water: so againe than fire it is more weightie.
- There hath he placed mist and cloudes, and for to feare mens mindes,
- The thunder and the lightning eke, with colde and blustring windes.
- But yet the maker of the worlde permitteth not alway
- The windes to use the ayre at will. For at this present day,
- Though ech from other placed be in sundry coasts aside,
- The violence of their boystrous blasts, things scarsly can abide.
- They so turmoyle as though they would the world in pieces rende,
- So cruell is those brothers wrath when that they doe contende.
- And therefore to the morning graye, the Realme of Nabathie,
- To Persis and to other lands and countries that doe lie
- Farre underneath the Morning starre, did Eurus take his flight.
- Likewise the setting of the Sunne, and shutting in of night
- Belong to Zephyr. And the blasts of blustring Boreas raigne,
- in Scythia and in other landes set under Charles his waine.
- And unto Auster doth belong the coast of all the South,
- Who beareth shoures and rotten mistes, continuall in his mouth.
- Above all these he set aloft the cleare and lightsome skie,
- Without all dregs of earthly filth or grossenesse utterlie.
- The boundes of things were scarsly yet by him thus pointed out,
- But that appeared in the heaven, starres glistring all about,
- Which in the said confused heape had hidden bene before,
- And to th'intent with lively things eche Region for to store,
- The heavenly soyle, to Gods and Starres and Planets first he gave.
- The waters next both fresh and salt he let the fishes have.
- The suttle ayre to flickring fowles and birdes he hath assignde.
- The earth to beasts both wilde and tame of sundrie sort and kinde.
- Howbeit yet of all this while, the creature wanting was,
- Farre more devine, of nobler minde, which should the residue passe
- In depth of knowledge, reason, wit, and high capacitie,
- And which of all the residue should the Lord and ruler bee.
- Then eyther he that made the worlde, and things in order set,
- Of heavenly seede engendred Man: or else the earth as yet
- Yong, lustie, fresh, and in hir floures, and parted from the skie,
- But late before, the seede thereof as yet held inwardlie.
- The which Prometheus tempring straight with water of the spring,
- Did make in likenesse to the Gods that governe everie thing.
- And where all other beasts behold the ground with groveling eie,
- He gave to Man a stately looke replete with majestie.
- And willde him to behold the Heaven wyth countnance cast on hie,
- To marke and understand what things were in the starrie skie.
- And thus the earth which late before had neyther shape nor hew,
- Did take the noble shape of man, and was transformed new.
- Then sprang up first the golden age, which of it selfe maintainde
- The truth and right of every thing unforct and unconstrainde.
- There was no feare of punishment, there was no threatning lawe
- In brazen tables nayled up, to keepe the folke in awe.
- There was no man would crouch or creepe to Judge with cap in hand,
- They lived safe without a Judge, in everie Realme and lande.
- The loftie Pynetree was not hewen from mountaines where it stood,
- In seeking straunge and forren landes, to rove upon the flood.
- Men knew none other countries yet, than where themselves did keepe:
- There was no towne enclosed yet, with walles and diches deepe.
- No horne nor trumpet was in use, no sword nor helmet worne,
- The worlde was such, that souldiers helpe might easly be forborne.
- The fertile earth as yet was free, untoucht of spade or plough,
- And yet it yeelded of it selfe of every things inough.
- And men themselves contented well with plaine and simple foode,
- That on the earth of natures gift without their travail stoode,
- Did live by Raspis, heppes and hawes, by cornelles, plummes and cherries,
- By sloes and apples, nuttes and peares, and lothsome bramble berries,
- And by the acornes dropt on ground, from Joves brode tree in fielde.
- The Springtime lasted all the yeare, and Zephyr with his milde
- And gentle blast did cherish things that grew of owne accorde,
- The ground untilde, all kinde of fruits did plenteously afforde.
- No mucke nor tillage was bestowde on leane and barren land,
- To make the corne of better head, and ranker for to stand.
- Then streames ran milke, then streames ran wine, and yellow honny flowde
- From ech greene tree whereon the rayes of firie Phebus glowde.
- But when that into Lymbo once Saturnus being thrust,
- The rule and charge of all the worlde was under Jove unjust,
- And that the silver age came in, more somewhat base than golde,
- More precious yet than freckled brasse, immediatly the olde
- And auncient Spring did Jove abridge, and made therof anon,
- Foure seasons: Winter, Sommer, Spring, and Autumne off and on:
- Then first of all began the ayre with fervent heate to swelt.
- Then Isycles hung roping downe: then for the colde was felt
- Men gan to shroud themselves in house. Their houses were the thickes,
- And bushie queaches, hollow caves, or hardels made of stickes.
- Then first of all were furrowes drawne, and corne was cast in ground.
- The simple Oxe with sorie sighes, to heavie yoke was bound.
- Next after this succeded streight, the third and brazen age:
- More hard of nature, somewhat bent to cruell warres and rage.
- But yet not wholy past all grace. Of yron is the last
- In no part good and tractable as former ages past.
- For when that of this wicked Age once opened was the veyne
- Therein all mischief rushed forth: then Fayth and Truth were faine
- And honest shame to hide their heades: for whom crept stoutly in,
- Craft, Treason, Violence, Envie, Pride and wicked Lust to win.
- The shipman hoyst his sailes to wind, whose names he did not knowe:
- And shippes that erst in toppes of hilles and mountaines had ygrowe,
- Did leape and daunce on uncouth waves: and men began to bound
- With dowles and diches drawen in length the free and fertile ground,
- Which was as common as the Ayre and light of Sunne before.
- Not onely corne and other fruites, for sustnance and for store,
- Were now exacted of the Earth: but eft they gan to digge,
- And in the bowels of the ground unsaciably to rigge,
- For Riches coucht and hidden deepe, in places nere to Hell,
- The spurres and stirrers unto vice, and foes to doing well.
- Then hurtfull yron came abrode, then came forth yellow golde,
- More hurtfull than the yron farre, then came forth battle bolde,
- That feightes with bothe, and shakes his sword in cruell bloudy hand.
- Men live by ravine and by stelth: the wandring guest doth stand
- In daunger of his host: the host in daunger of his guest:
- And fathers of their sonne in lawes: yea seldome time doth rest,
- Betweene borne brothers such accord and love as ought to bee.
- The goodman seekes the goodwifes death, and his againe seeks shee.
- The stepdames fell their husbandes sonnes with poyson do assayle.
- To see their fathers live so long the children doe bewayle.
- All godlynesse lies under foote. And Ladie Astrey, last
- Of heavenly vertues, from this earth in slaughter drowned past.
- And to th'intent the earth alone thus should not be opprest,
- And heaven above in slouthfull ease and carelesse quiet rest,
- Men say that Giantes went about the Realme of Heaven to win
- To place themselves to raigne as Gods and lawlesse Lordes therein.
- And hill on hill they heaped up aloft into the skie,
- Till God almighty from the Heaven did let his thunder flie,
- The dint whereof the ayrie tops of high Olympus brake,
- And pressed Pelion violently from under Ossa strake.
- When whelmed in their wicked worke those cursed Caitives lay,
- The Earth their mother tooke their bloud yet warme and (as they say)
- Did give it life. And for bicause some ympes should still remaine
- Of that same stocke, she gave it shape and limmes of men againe.
- This offspring eke against the Gods did beare a native spight,
- In slaughter and in doing wrong was all their whole delight.
- Their deedes declared them of bloud engendred for to bee.
- The which as soone as Saturns sonne from Heaven aloft did see,
- He fetcht a sigh, and therwithall revolving in his thought
- The shamefull act which at a feast Lycaon late had wrought,
- As yet unknowne or blowne abrode: He gan thereat to storme
- And stomacke like an angry Jove. And therfore to reforme
- Such haynous actes, he sommonde streight his Court of Parliament,
- Whereto resorted all the Gods that had their sommons sent.
- Highe in the Welkin is a way apparant to the sight
- In starrie nights, which of his passing whitenesse Milkie hight:
- It is the streete that to the Court and Princely Pallace leades,
- Of mightie Jove whose thunderclaps eche living creature dreades.
- On both the sides of this same waye do stand in stately port
- The sumptuous houses of the Peeres. For all the common sort
- Dwell scattring here and there abrode: the face of all the skie
- The houses of the chiefe estates and Princes doe supplie.
- And sure and if I may be bolde to speake my fancie free
- I take this place of all the Heaven the Pallace for to bee.
- Now when the Goddes assembled were, and eche had tane his place,
- Jove standing up aloft and leaning on his yvorie Mace,
- Right dreadfully his bushie lockes did thrise or four times shake,
- Wherewith he made both Sea and Land and Heaven it self to quake,
- And afterward in wrathfull wordes his angrie minde thus brake:
- I never was in greater care nor more perplexitie,
- How to maintaine my soveraigne state and Princelie royaltie,
- When with their hundreth handes apiece the Adderfooted rout,
- Did practise for to conquere Heaven and for to cast us out.
- For though it were a cruell foe: yet did that warre depende
- Upon one ground, and in one stocke it had his finall ende.
- But now as farre as any sea about the worlde doth winde,
- I must destroy both man and beast and all the mortall kinde.
- I sweare by Styxes hideous streames that run within the ground,
- All other meanes must first be sought: but when there can be found
- No helpe to heale a festred sore, it must away be cut,
- Lest that the partes that yet are sound, in daunger should be put.
- We have a number in the worlde that mans estate surmount,
- Of such whom for their private Gods the countrie folkes account,
- As Satyres, Faunes, and sundry Nymphes, with Silvanes eke beside,
- That in the woods and hillie grounds continually abide.
- Whome into Heaven since that as yet we vouch not safe to take,
- And of the honour of this place copartners for to make,
- Such landes as to inhabite in, we erst to them assignde,
- That they should still enjoye the same, it is my will and minde.
- But can you thinke that they in rest and safetie shall remaine
- When proud Lycaon laye in waite by secret meanes and traine
- To have confounded me your Lorde, who in my hand doe beare
- The dreadfull thunder, and of whom even you doe stand in feare?
- The house was moved at his words and earnestly requirde,
- The man that had so traiterously against their Lord conspirde.
- Even so when Rebels did arise to stroy the Romane name,
- By shedding of our Cesars bloud, the horror of the same
- Did pierce the heartes of all mankinde, and made the world to quake.
- Whose fervent zeale in thy behalfe (O August) thou did take,
- As thankfully as Jove doth heare the loving care of his,
- Who beckning to them with his hand, forbiddeth them to hisse.
- And therewithall through all the house attentive silence is.
- As soone as that his majestie all muttring had alayde,
- He brake the silence once againe, and thus unto them sayde:
- Let passe this carefull thought of yours: for he that did offende,
- Hath dearely bought the wicked Act, the which he did entende.
- Yet shall you heare what was his fault and vengeance for the same.
- A foule report and infamie unto our hearing came
- Of mischiefe used in those times: which wishing all untrew
- I did descend in shape of man, th'infamed Earth to vew.
- It were a processe overlong to tell you of the sinne,
- That did abound in every place where as I entred in.
- The bruit was lesser than the truth, and partiall in report.
- The dreadfull dennes of Menalus where savage beastes resort
- And Cyllen had I overpast, with all the Pynetrees hie
- Of cold Lyceus, and from thence I entred by and by
- The herbroughlesse and cruell house of late th'Arcadian King,
- Such time as twilight on the Earth dim darknesse gan to bring.
- I gave a signe that God was come, and streight the common sort
- Devoutly prayde, whereat Lycaon first did make a sport
- And after said: By open proufe, ere long I minde to see,
- If that this wight a mighty God or mortall creature bee.
- The truth shall trie it selfe: he ment (the sequele did declare)
- To steale upon me in the night, and kyll me unbeware.
- And yet he was not so content: but went and cut the throte,
- Of one that laye in hostage there, which was an Epyrote:
- And part of him he did to rost, and part he did to stewe.
- Which when it came upon the borde, forthwith I overthrew
- The house with just revenging fire upon the owners hed,
- Who seeing that, slipt out of doores amazde for feare, and fled
- Into the wilde and desert woods, where being all alone,
- As he endevorde (but in vaine) to speake and make his mone,
- He fell a howling: wherewithall for verie rage and moode
- He ran me quite out of his wits and waxed furious woode.
- Still practising his wonted lust of slaughter on the poore
- And sielie cattle, thirsting still for bloud as heretofore,
- His garments turnde to shackie haire, his armes to rugged pawes:
- So is he made a ravening Wolfe: whose shape expressely drawes
- To that the which he was before: his skinne is horie graye,
- His looke still grim with glaring eyes, and every kinde of waye
- His cruell heart in outward shape doth well it selfe bewraye.
- Thus was one house destroyed quite, but that one house alone
- Deserveth not to be destroyde: in all the Earth is none,
- But that such vice doth raigne therein, as that ye would beleve,
- That all had sworne and solde themselves to mischiefe us to greve.
- And therefore as they all offende: so am I fully bent,
- That all forthwith (as they deserve) shall have due punishment.
- These wordes of Jove some of the Gods did openly approve,
- And with their sayings more to wrath his angry courage move.
- And some did give assent by signes. Yet did it grieve them all
- That such destruction utterly on all mankinde should fall,
- Demaunding what he purposed with all the Earth to doe,
- When that he had all mortall men so cleane destroyde, and whoe
- On holie Altars afterward should offer frankinsence,
- And whother that he were in minde to leave the Earth fro thence
- To savage beastes to wast and spoyle, bicause of mans offence.
- The king of Gods bade cease their thought and questions in that case,
- And cast the care thereof on him. Within a little space
- He promist for to frame a newe, an other kinde of men
- By wondrous meanes, unlike the first to fill the world agen.
- And now his lightning had he thought on all the earth to throw,
- But that he feared lest the flames perhaps so hie should grow
- As for to set the Heaven on fire, and burne up all the skie.
- He did remember furthermore how that by destinie
- A certaine time should one day come, wherein both Sea and Lond
- And Heaven it selfe shoulde feele the force of Vulcans scorching brond,
- So that the huge and goodly worke of all the worlde so wide
- Should go to wrecke, for doubt whereof forthwith he laide aside
- His weapons that the Cyclops made, intending to correct
- Mans trespasse by a punishment contrary in effect.
- And namely with incessant showres from heaven ypoured downe,
- He did determine with himselfe the mortall kinde to drowne.
- In Aeolus prison by and by he fettred Boreas fast,
- With al such winds as chase the cloudes or breake them with their blast,
- And set at large the Southerne winde: who straight with watry wings
- And dreadfull face as blacke as pitch, forth out of prison flings.
- His beard hung full of hideous stormes, all dankish was his head,
- With water streaming downe his haire that on his shoulders shead.
- His ugly forehead wrinkled was with foggie mistes full thicke,
- And on his fethers and his breast a stilling dew did sticke.
- As soone as he betweene his hands the hanging cloudes had crusht,
- With ratling noyse adowne from heaven the raine full sadly gusht.
- The Rainbow, Junos messenger, bedect in sundrie hue,
- To maintaine moysture in the cloudes, great waters thither drue:
- The corne was beaten to the grounde, the Tilmans hope of gaine,
- For which he toyled all the yeare, lay drowned in the raine.
- Joves indignation and his wrath began to grow so hot
- That for to quench the rage thereof, his Heaven suffised not.
- His brother Neptune with his waves was faine to doe him ease:
- Who straight assembling all the streames that fall into the seas,
- Said to them standing in his house: Sirs get you home apace,
- (You must not looke to have me use long preaching in this case.)
- Poure out your force (for so is neede) your heads ech one unpende,
- And from your open springs, your streames with flowing waters sende.
- He had no sooner said the word, but that returning backe,
- Eche one of them unlosde his spring, and let his waters slacke.
- And to the Sea with flowing streames yswolne above their bankes,
- One rolling in anothers necke, they rushed forth by rankes.
- Himselfe with his threetyned Mace, did lend the earth a blow,
- That made it shake and open wayes for waters forth to flow.
- The flouds at randon where they list, through all the fields did stray,
- Men, beastes, trees, come, and with their gods were Churches washt away.
- If any house were built so strong, against their force to stonde
- Yet did the water hide the top: and turrets in that ponde
- Were overwhelmde: no difference was betweene the sea and ground,
- For all was sea: there was no shore nor landing to be found.
- Some climbed up to tops of hils, and some rowde to and fro
- In Botes, where they not long before, to plough and Cart did go,
- One over come and tops of townes, whome waves did overwhelme,
- Doth saile in ship, an other sittes a fishing in an Elme.
- In meddowes greene were Anchors cast (so fortune did provide)
- And crooked ships did shadow vynes, the which the floud did hide.
- And where but tother day before did feede the hungry Gote,
- The ugly Seales and Porkepisces now to and fro did flote.
- The Sea nymphes wondred under waves the townes and groves to see,
- And Dolphines playd among the tops and boughes of every tree.
- The grim and greedy Wolfe did swim among the siely sheepe,
- The Lion and the Tyger fierce were borne upon the deepe.
- It booted not the foming Boare his crooked tuskes to whet,
- The running Hart coulde in the streame by swiftnesse nothing get.
- The fleeting fowles long having sought for land to rest upon,
- Into the Sea with werie wings were driven to fall anon.
- Th'outragious swelling of the Sea the lesser hillockes drownde,
- Unwonted waves on highest tops of mountaines did rebownde.
- The greatest part of men were drownde, and such as scapte the floode,
- Forlorne with fasting overlong did die for want of foode.
- Against the fieldes of Aonie and Atticke lies a lande
- That Phocis hight, a fertile ground while that it was a lande:
- But at that time a part of Sea, and even a champion fielde
- Of sodaine waters which the floud by forced rage did yeelde,
- Where as a hill with forked top the which Parnasus hight,
- Doth pierce the cloudes and to the starres doth raise his head upright.
- When at this hill (for yet the Sea had whelmed all beside)
- Deucalion and his bedfellow, without all other guide,
- Arrived in a little Barke immediatly they went,
- And to the Nymphes of Corycus with full devout intent
- Did honor due, and to the Gods to whome that famous hill
- Was sacred, and to Themis eke in whose most holie will
- Consisted then the Oracles. In all the world so rounde
- A better nor more righteous man could never yet be founde
- Than was Deucalion, nor againe a woman, mayde nor wife,
- That feared God so much as shee, nor led so good a life.
- When Jove behelde how all the worlde stoode lyke a plash of raine,
- And of so many thousand men and women did remaine
- But one of eche, howbeit those both just and both devout,
- He brake the Cloudes, and did commaund that Boreas with his stout
- And sturdie blasts should chase the floud, that Earth might see the skie
- And Heaven the Earth: the Seas also began immediatly
- Their raging furie for to cease. Their ruler laide awaye
- His dreadfull Mace, and with his wordes their woodnesse did alaye.
- He called Tryton to him straight, his trumpetter, who stoode
- In purple robe on shoulder cast, aloft upon the floode,
- And bade him take his sounding Trumpe and out of hand to blow
- Retreat, that all the streames might heare, and cease from thence to flow.
- He tooke his Trumpet in his hand, hys Trumpet was a shell
- Of some great Whelke or other fishe, in facion like a Bell
- That gathered narrow to the mouth, and as it did descende
- Did waxe more wide and writhen still, downe to the nether ende:
- When that this Trumpe amid the Sea was set to Trytons mouth,
- He blew so loude that all the streames both East, West, North and South,
- Might easly heare him blow retreate, and all that heard the sounde
- Immediatly began to ebbe and draw within their bounde.
- Then gan the Sea to have a shore, and brookes to finde a banke,
- And swelling streames of flowing flouds within hir chanels sanke.
- Then hils did rise above the waves that had them overflow,
- And as the waters did decrease the ground did seeme to grow.
- And after long and tedious time the trees did shew their tops
- All bare, save that upon the boughes the mud did hang in knops.
- The worlde restored was againe, which though Deucalion joyde
- Then to beholde: yet forbicause he saw the earth was voyde
- And silent like a wildernesse, with sad and weeping eyes
- And ruthfull voyce he then did speake to Pyrrha in this wise:
- O sister, O my loving spouse, O sielie woman left,
- As onely remnant of thy sexe that water hath bereft,
- Whome Nature first by right of birth hath linked to me fast
- In that we brothers children bene: and secondly the chast
- And stedfast bond of lawfull bed: and lastly now of all,
- The present perils of the time that latelye did befall.
- On all the Earth from East to West where Phebus shewes his face
- There is no moe but thou and I of all the mortall race.
- The Sea hath swallowed all the rest: and scarsly are we sure,
- That our two lives from dreadfull death in safetie shall endure.
- For even as yet the duskie cloudes doe make my heart adrad.
- Alas poore wretched sielie soule, what heart wouldst thou have had
- To beare these heavie happes, if chaunce had let thee scape alone?
- Who should have bene thy consort then: who should have rewd thy mone?
- Now trust me truly, loving wife, had thou as now bene drownde,
- I would have followde after thee and in the sea bene fownde.
- Would God I could my fathers Arte, of claye to facion men
- And give them life that people might frequent the world agen.
- Mankinde (alas) doth onely now wythin us two consist,
- As mouldes whereby to facion men. For so the Gods doe lyst.
- And with these words the bitter teares did trickle down their cheeke,
- Untill at length betweene themselves they did agree to seeke
- To God by prayer for his grace, and to demaund his ayde
- By aunswere of his Oracle. Wherein they nothing stayde,
- But to Cephisus sadly went, whose streame as at that time
- Began to run within his bankes though thicke with muddie slime,
- Whose sacred liquor straight they tooke and sprinkled with the same
- Their heads and clothes: and afterward to Themis chappell came,
- The roofe whereof with cindrie mosse was almost overgrowne.
- For since the time the raging floud the worlde had overflowne,
- No creature came within the Churche: so that the Altars stood
- Without one sparke of holie fyre or any sticke of wood.
- As soon as that this couple came within the chappell doore,
- They fell downe flat upon the ground, and trembling kist the floore.
- And sayde: If prayer that proceedes from humble heart and minde
- May in the presence of the Gods, such grace and favor finde
- As to appease their worthie wrath, then vouch thou safe to tell
- (O gentle Themis) how the losse that on our kinde befell,
- May now eftsoones recovered be, and helpe us to repaire
- The world, which drowned under waves doth lie in great dispaire.
- The Goddesse moved with their sute, this answere did them make:
- Depart you hence: Go hille your heads, and let your garmentes slake,
- And both of you your Graundames bones behind your shoulders cast.
- They stoode amazed at these wordes, tyll Pyrrha at the last,
- Refusing to obey the hest the which the Goddesse gave,
- Brake silence, and with trembling cheere did meekely pardon crave.
- For sure she saide she was afraide hir Graundames ghost to hurt
- By taking up hir buried bones to throw them in the durt.
- And with the aunswere here upon eftsoones in hand they go,
- The doubtfull wordes wherof they scan and canvas to and fro.
- Which done, Prometheus sonne began by counsell wise and sage
- His cousin germanes fearfulnesse thus gently to asswage:
- Well, eyther in these doubtfull words is hid some misterie,
- Whereof the Gods permit us not the meaning to espie,
- Or questionlesse and if the sence of inward sentence deeme
- Like as the tenour of the words apparantly doe seeme,
- It is no breach of godlynesse to doe as God doth bid.
- I take our Graundame for the earth, the stones within hir hid
- I take for bones, these are the bones the which are meaned here.
- Though Titans daughter at this wise conjecture of hir fere
- Were somewhat movde, yet none of both did stedfast credit geve,
- So hardly could they in their heartes the heavenly hestes beleve.
- But what and if they made a proufe? what harme could come thereby?
- They went their wayes and heild their heades, and did their cotes untie.
- And at their backes did throw the stones by name of bones foretolde.
- The stones (who would beleve the thing, but that the time of olde
- Reportes it for a stedfast truth?) of nature tough and harde,
- Began to warre both soft and smothe: and shortly afterwarde
- To winne therwith a better shape: and as they did encrease,
- A mylder nature in them grew, and rudenesse gan to cease.
- For at the first their shape was such, as in a certaine sort
- Resembled man, but of the right and perfect shape came short.
- Even like to Marble ymages new drawne and roughly wrought,
- Before the Carver by his Arte to purpose hath them brought.
- Such partes of them where any juice or moysture did abound,
- Or else were earthie, turned to flesh: and such as were so sound,
- And harde as would not bow nor bende did turne to bones: againe
- The part that was a veyne before, doth still his name retaine.
- Thus by the mightie powre of God ere lenger time was past,
- The mankinde was restorde by stones, the which a man did cast.
- And likewise also by the stones the which a woman threw,
- The womankinde repayred was and made againe of new.
- Of these are we the crooked ympes, and stonie race in deede,
- Bewraying by our toyling life, from whence we doe proceede.
- The lustie earth of owne accorde soone after forth did bring
- According to their sundrie shapes eche other living thing,
- As soone as that the moysture once caught heate against the Sunne,
- And that the fat and slimie mud in moorish groundes begunne
- To swell through warmth of Phebus beames, and that the fruitfull seede
- Of things well cherisht in the fat and lively soyle in deede,
- As in their mothers wombe, began in length of time to grow,
- To one or other kinde of shape wherein themselves to show.
- Even so when that seven mouthed Nile the watrie fieldes forsooke,
- And to his auncient channel eft his bridled streames betooke,
- So that the Sunne did heate the mud, the which he left behinde,
- The husbandmen that tilde the ground, among the cloddes did finde
- Of sundrie creatures sundrie shapes: of which they spied some,
- Even in the instant of their birth but newly then begonne,
- And some unperfect, wanting brest or shoulders in such wise,
- That in one bodie oftentimes appeared to the eyes
- One halfe thereof alive to be, and all the rest beside
- Both voyde of life and seemely shape, starke earth to still abide.
- For when that moysture with the heate is tempred equally,
- They doe conceyve: and of them twaine engender by and by
- All kinde of things. For though that fire with water aye debateth
- Yet moysture mixt with equall heate all living things createth.
- And so those discordes in their kinde, one striving with the other,
- In generation doe agree and make one perfect mother.
- And therfore when the mirie earth bespred with slimie mud,
- Brought over all but late before by violence of the flud,
- Caught heate by warmnesse of the Sunne, and calmenesse of the skie,
- Things out of number in the worlde, forthwith it did applie.
- Whereof in part the like before in former times had bene,
- And some so straunge and ougly shapes as never erst were sene.
- In that she did such Monsters breede, was greatly to hir woe,
- But yet thou, ougly Python, wert engendred by hir thoe.
- A terror to the newmade folke, which never erst had knowne
- So foule a Dragon in their lyfe, so monstrously foregrowne;
- So great a ground thy poyson paunch did underneath thee hide.
- The God of shooting who no where before that present tide
- Those kinde of weapons put in ure, but at the speckled Deare,
- Or at the Roes so wight of foote, a thousand shaftes well neere,
- Did on that hideous serpent spende: of which there was not one,
- But forced forth the venimd bloud along his sydes to gone.
- So that his quiver almost voyde, he nailde him to the grounde,
- And did him nobly at the last by force of shot confounde.
- And least that time might of this worke deface the worthy fame,
- He did ordeyne in mynde thereof a great and solemne game,
- Which of the serpent that he slue of Pythians bare the name.
- Where who so could the maistrie winne in feates of strength, or sleight
- Of hande or foote or rolling wheele, might claime to have of right,
- An Oken garland fresh and brave. There was not any wheare
- As yet a Bay: by meanes whereof was Phebus faine to weare
- The leaves of every pleasant tree about his golden heare.