Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- The Trumpets blew: and girding forward, both
- Set foorth, and on the hovering dust with nimble feete eche goth.
- A man would think they able were uppon the Sea to go
- And never wet theyr feete, and on the ayles of come also
- That still is growing in the feeld, and never downe them tread.
- The man tooke courage at the showt and woordes of them that sed:
- Now, now is tyme, Hippomenes, to ply it, hye apace:
- Enforce thyself with all thy strength: lag not in any cace:
- Thou shalt obteine. It is a thing ryght dowtfull whither hee
- At theis well willing woordes of theyrs rejoysed more, or shee.
- For old religion, not unlike a cave: wher priests of yore
- Bestowed had of Images of wooden Goddes good store.
- Hippomenes entring herinto defyld the holy place,
- With his unlawfull lust: from which the Idolls turnd theyr face.
- And Cybell with the towred toppes disdeyning, dowted whither
- Shee in the lake of Styx might drowne the wicked folk togither.
- The pennance seemed over lyght. And therefore shee did cawse
- Thinne yellow manes to growe uppon theyr necks: and hooked pawes
- In stead of fingars to succeede. Theyr shoulders were the same
- They were before: with woondrous force deepe brested they became.
- Theyr looke beecame feerce, cruell, grim, and sowre: a tufted tayle
- Stretcht out in length farre after them upon the ground dooth trayle.
- In stead of speech they rore: in stead of bed they haunt the wood:
- And dreadful unto others they for all theyr cruell moode
- With tamed teeth chank Cybells bitts in shape of Lyons. Shonne
- Theis beastes deere hart: and not from theis alonely see thou ronne,
- But also from eche other beast that turnes not backe to flight
- But offreth with his boystows brest to try the chaunce of fyght:
- Lest that thyne overhardinesse bee hurtfull to us both.
- This warning given, with yoked swannes away through aire she goth.
- But manhod by admonishment restreyned could not bee.
- By chaunce his hounds in following of the tracke, a Boare did see,
- And rowsed him. And as the swyne was comming from the wood,
- Adonis hit him with a dart askew, and drew the blood.
- The Boare streyght with his hooked groyne the hunting staffe out drew
- Bestayned with his blood, and on Adonis did pursew.
- Who trembling and retyring back, to place of refuge drew.
- And hyding in his codds his tuskes as farre as he could thrust
- He layd him all along for dead uppon the yellow dust.
- Dame Venus in her chariot drawen with swannes was scarce arrived
- At Cyprus, when shee knew afarre the sygh of him depryved
- Of lyfe. Shee turnd her Cygnets backe and when shee from the skye
- Beehilld him dead, and in his blood beweltred for to lye:
- Shee leaped downe, and tare at once hir garments from her brist,
- And rent her heare, and beate upon her stomack with her fist,
- And blaming sore the destnyes, sayd: Yit shall they not obteine
- Their will in all things. Of my greefe remembrance shall remayne
- (Adonis) whyle the world doth last. From yeere to yeere shall growe
- A thing that of my heavinesse and of thy death shall showe
- The lively likenesse. In a flowre thy blood I will bestowe.
- Hadst thou the powre, Persephonee, rank sented Mints to make
- Of womens limbes? and may not I lyke powre upon mee take
- Without disdeine and spyght, to turne Adonis to a flowre?
- This sed, shee sprinckled Nectar on the blood, which through the powre
- Therof did swell like bubbles sheere that ryse in weather cleere
- On water. And before that full an howre expyred weere,
- Of all one colour with the blood a flowre she there did fynd
- Even like the flowre of that same tree whose frute in tender rynde
- Have pleasant graynes inclosde. Howbee't the use of them is short.
- For why the leaves do hang so looce through lightnesse in such sort,
- As that the windes that all things perce, with every little blast
- Doo shake them off and shed them so as that they cannot last.
- Now whyle the Thracian Poet with this song delyghts the mynds
- Of savage beastes, and drawes both stones and trees ageynst their kynds,
- Behold the wyves of Ciconie with red deer skinnes about
- Their furious brists as in the feeld they gadded on a rout,
- Espyde him from a hillocks toppe still singing to his harp.
- Of whom one shooke her head at him, and thus began to carp:
- Behold (sayes shee) behold yoon same is he that doth disdeine
- Us women. And with that same woord shee sent her lawnce amayne
- At Orphyes singing mouth. The Lawnce armd round about with leaves,
- Did hit him, and without a wound a marke behynd it leaves.
- ' Another threw a stone at him, which vanquisht with his sweete
- And most melodius harmonye, fell humbly at his feete
- As sorye for the furious act it purposed. But rash
- And heady ryot out of frame all reason now did dash,
- And frantik outrage reigned. Yit had the sweetenesse of his song
- Appeasd all weapons, saving that the noyse now growing strong
- With blowing shalmes, and beating drummes, and bedlem howling out,
- And clapping hands on every syde by Bacchus drunken rout,
- Did drowne the sownd of Orphyes harp. Then first of all stones were
- Made ruddy with the prophets blood, and could not give him eare.
- And first the flocke of Bacchus froes by violence brake the ring
- Of Serpents, birds, and savage beastes that for to heere him sing
- Sate gazing round about him there. And then with bluddy hands
- They ran uppon the prophet who among them singing stands.
- They flockt about him like as when a sort of birds have found
- An Owle a daytymes in a tod: and hem him in full round,
- As when a Stag by hungrye hownds is in a morning found,
- The which forestall him round about and pull him to the ground.
- Even so the prophet they assayle, and throwe their Thyrses greene
- At him, which for another use than that invented beene.
- Sum cast mee clods, sum boughes of trees, and sum threw stones. And lest
- That weapons wherwithall to wreake theyr woodnesse which increast
- Should want, it chaunst that Oxen by were tilling of the ground
- And labring men with brawned armes not farre fro thence were found
- A digging of the hardned earth, and earning of theyr food,
- With sweating browes. They seeing this same rout, no longer stood,
- But ran away and left theyr tooles behynd them. Every where
- Through all the feeld theyr mattocks, rakes, and shovells scattred were.
- Which when the cruell feends had caught, and had asunder rent
- The horned Oxen, backe ageine to Orphy ward they went,
- And (wicked wights) they murthred him, who never till that howre
- Did utter woordes in vaine, nor sing without effectuall powre.
- And through that mouth of his (oh lord) which even the stones had heard,
- And unto which the witlesse beastes had often given regard,
- His ghost then breathing into aire, departed. Even the fowles
- Were sad for Orphye, and the beast with sorye syghing howles:
- The rugged stones did moorne for him, the woods which many a tyme
- Had followed him to heere him sing, bewayled this same cryme.
- Yea even the trees lamenting him did cast theyr leavy heare.
- The rivers also with theyr teares (men say) encreased were.
- Yea and the Nymphes of brookes and woods uppon theyr streames did sayle
- With scattred heare about theyr eares, in boats with sable sayle.
- His members lay in sundrie steds. His head and harp both cam
- To Hebrus, and (a woondrous thing) as downe the streame they swam,
- His Harp did yeeld a moorning sound: his livelesse toong did make
- A certeine lamentable noyse as though it still yit spake,
- And bothe the banks in moorning wyse made answer to the same.
- At length adowne theyr country streame to open sea they came,
- And lyghted on Methymnye shore in Lesbos land. And there
- No sooner on the forreine coast now cast aland they were,
- But that a cruell naturde Snake did streyght uppon them fly,
- And licking on his ruffled heare the which was dropping drye,
- Did gape to tyre uppon those lippes that had beene woont to sing
- Most heavenly hymnes. But Phebus streyght preventing that same thins,
- Dispoynts the Serpent of his bit, and turnes him into stone
- With gaping chappes. Already was the Ghost of Orphye gone
- To Plutos realme, and there he all the places eft beehild
- The which he heretofore had seene. And as he sought the feeld
- Of fayre Elysion (where the soules of godly folk doo woonne,)
- He found his wyfe Eurydicee, to whom he streyght did roonne,
- And hilld her in imbracing armes. There now he one while walks
- Togither with hir cheeke by cheeke: another while he stalks
- Before her, and another whyle he followeth her. And now
- Without all kinde of forfeyture he saufly myght avow
- His looking backward at his wyfe. But Bacchus greeved at
- The murther of the Chapleine of his Orgies, suffred not
- The mischeef unrevengd to bee. For by and by he bound
- The Thracian women by the feete with writhen roote in ground,
- As many as consenting to this wicked act were found.
- And looke how much that eche of them the prophet did pursew,
- So much he sharpening of their toes, within the ground them drew.
- And as the bird that fynds her legs besnarled in the net
- The which the fowlers suttletye hathe clocely for her set,
- And feeles shee cannot get away, stands flickering with her wings,
- And with her fearefull leaping up drawes clocer still the strings:
- So eche of theis when in the ground they fastned were, assayd
- Aflayghted for to fly away. But every one was stayd
- With winding roote which hilld her downe. Her frisking could not boote.
- And whyle she lookte what was become of Toe, of nayle, and foote,
- Shee sawe her leggs growe round in one, and turning into woode.
- And as her thyghes with violent hand shee sadly striking stoode,
- Shee felt them tree: her brest was tree: her shoulders eeke were tree.
- Her armes long boughes yee myght have thought, and not deceyved bee.
- But Bacchus was not so content: he quyght forsooke their land:
- And with a better companye removed out of hand
- Unto the Vyneyarde of his owne mount Tmolus, and the river
- Pactolus though as yit no streames of gold it did deliver,
- Ne spyghted was for precious sands. His olde accustomd rout
- Of woodwards and of franticke froes envyrond him about.
- But old Silenus was away. The Phrygian ploughmen found
- Him reeling bothe for droonkennesse and age, and brought him bound
- With garlands unto Midas, king of Phrygia, unto whom
- The Thracian Orphye and the preest Eumolphus comming from
- The towne of Athens erst had taught the Orgies. When he knew
- His fellowe and companion of the selfesame badge and crew,
- Uppon the comming of this guest, he kept a feast the space
- Of twyce fyve dayes and twyce fyve nyghts togither in that place.
- And now th'eleventh tyme Lucifer had mustred in the sky
- The heavenly host, when Midas commes to Lydia jocundly
- And yeeldes the old Silenus to his fosterchyld. He, glad
- That he his fosterfather had eftsoones recovered, bad
- King Midas ask him what he would. Right glad of that was hee,
- But not a whit at latter end the better should he bee.
- He minding to misuse his giftes, sayd: Graunt that all and some
- The which my body towcheth bare may yellow gold become.
- God Bacchus graunting his request, his hurtfull gift performd,
- And that he had not better wisht he in his stomacke stormd.
- Rejoycing in his harme away full merye goes the king:
- And for to try his promis true he towcheth every thing.
- Scarce giving credit to himself, he pulled yoong greene twiggs
- From off an Holmetree: by and by all golden were the spriggs.
- He tooke a flintstone from the ground, the stone likewyse became
- Pure gold. He towched next a clod of earth, and streight the same
- By force of towching did become a wedge of yellow gold.
- He gathered eares of rypened come: immediatly beholde
- The come was gold. An Apple then he pulled from a tree:
- Yee would have thought the Hesperids had given it him. If hee
- On Pillars high his fingars layd, they glistred like the sonne.
- The water where he washt his hands did from his hands so ronne,
- As Danae might have beene therwith beguyld. He scarce could hold
- His passing joyes within his harr, for making all things gold.
- Whyle he thus joyd, his officers did spred the boord anon,
- And set downe sundry sorts of meate and mancheate theruppon.
- Then whither his hand did towch the bread, the bread was massy gold:
- Or whither he chawde with hungry teeth his meate, yee might behold
- The peece of meate betweene his jawes a plat of gold to bee.
- In drinking wine and water mixt, yee myght discerne and see
- The liquid gold ronne downe his throte. Amazed at the straunge
- Mischaunce, and being both a wretch and rich, he wisht to chaunge
- His riches for his former state, and now he did abhorre
- The thing which even but late before he cheefly longed for.
- No meate his hunger slakes: his throte is shrunken up with thurst:
- And justly dooth his hatefull gold torment him as accurst.
- Then lifting up his sory armes and handes to heaven, he cryde:
- O father Bacchus, pardon mee. My sinne I will not hyde.
- Have mercy, I beseech thee, and vouchsauf to rid mee quyght
- From this same harme that seemes so good and glorious unto syght.
- The gentle Bacchus streight uppon confession of his cryme
- Restored Midas to the state hee had in former tyme.
- And having made performance of his promis, hee beereft him
- The gift that he had graunted him. And lest he should have left him
- Beedawbed with the dregges of that same gold which wickedly
- Hee wished had, he willed him to get him by and by
- To that great ryver which dooth ronne by Sardis towne, and there
- Along the chanell up the streame his open armes to beare
- Untill he commeth to the spring: and then his head to put
- Full underneathe the foming spowt where greatest was the gut,
- And so in washing of his limbes to wash away his cryme.
- The king (as was commaunded him) ageinst the streame did clyme.
- And streyght the powre of making gold departing quyght from him,
- Infects the ryver, making it with golden streame to swim.
- The force whereof the bankes about so soked in theyr veynes,
- That even as yit the yellow gold uppon the cloddes remaynes.
- Then Midas, hating riches, haunts the pasturegrounds and groves,
- And up and down with Pan among the Lawnds and mountaines roves.
- But still a head more fat than wyse, and doltish wit he hath,
- The which as erst, yit once againe must woork theyr mayster scath.
- The mountayne Tmole from loftye toppe to seaward looketh downe,
- And spreading farre his boorely sydes, extendeth to the towne
- Of Sardis with the t'one syde and to Hypep with the tother.
- There Pan among the fayrye elves that dawnced round togither
- In setting of his conning out for singing and for play
- Uppon his pype of reedes and wax, presuming for to say
- Apollos musick was not like to his, did take in hand
- A farre unequall match, wherof the Tmole for judge should stand.
- The auncient judge sitts downe uppon his hill, and ridds his eares
- From trees, and onely on his head an Oken garlond weares,
- Wherof the Acornes dangled downe about his hollow brow.
- And looking on the God of neate he sayd: Yee neede not now
- To tarry longer for your judge. Then Pan blew lowd and strong
- His country pype of reedes, and with his rude and homely song
- Delighted Midas eares, for he by chaunce was in the throng.
- When Pan had doone, the sacred Tmole to Phebus turnd his looke,
- And with the turning of his head his busshye heare he shooke.
- Then Phebus with a crowne of Bay uppon his golden heare
- Did sweepe the ground with scarlet robe. In left hand he did beare
- His viol made of precious stones and Ivorye intermixt.
- And in his right hand for to strike, his bowe was redy fixt.
- He was the verrye paterne of a good Musician ryght
- Anon he gan with conning hand the tuned strings to smyght.
- The sweetenesse of the which did so the judge of them delyght,
- That Pan was willed for to put his Reedepype in his cace,
- And not to fiddle nor to sing where viols were in place.
- The judgement of the holy hill was lyked well of all,
- Save Midas, who found fault therwith and wrongfull did it call. '
- Apollo could not suffer well his foolish eares to keepe
- Theyr humaine shape, but drew them wyde, and made them long and deepe.
- And filld them full of whytish heares, and made them downe to sag,
- And through too much unstablenesse continually to wag.
- His body keeping in the rest his manly figure still,
- Was ponnisht in the part that did offend for want of skill.
- And so a slowe paaste Asses eares his heade did after beare.
- This shame endevereth he to hyde. And therefore he did weare
- A purple nyghtcappe ever since. But yit his Barber who
- Was woont to notte him spyed it: and beeing eager to
- Disclose it, when he neyther durst to utter it, nor could
- It keepe in secret still, he went and digged up the mowld,
- And whispring softly in the pit, declaard what eares hee spyde
- His mayster have, and turning downe the clowre ageine, did hyde
- His blabbed woordes within the ground, and closing up the pit
- Departed thence and never made mo woordes at all of it.
- Soone after, there began a tuft of quivering reedes to growe
- Which beeing rype bewrayd theyr seede and him that did them sowe.
- For when the gentle sowtherne wynd did lyghtly on them blowe,
- They uttred foorth the woordes that had beene buried in the ground
- And so reprovde the Asses eares of Midas with theyr sound.
- Apollo after this revenge from Tmolus tooke his flyght:
- And sweeping through the ayre, did on the selfsame syde alvght
- Of Hellespontus, in the Realme of king Laomedon.
- There stoode uppon the right syde of Sigaeum, and uppon
- The left of Rhetye cliffe that tyme, an Altar buylt of old
- To Jove that heereth all mennes woordes. Heere Phebus did behold
- The foresayd king Laomedon beginning for to lay
- Foundation of the walles of Troy: which woork from day to day
- Went hard and slowly forward, and requyrd no little charge,
- Then he togither with the God that rules the surges large,
- Did put themselves in shape of men, and bargaynd with the king
- Of Phrygia for a summe of gold his woork to end to bring.
- Now when the woork was done, the king theyr wages them denayd,
- And falsly faaste them downe with othes it was not as they sayd.
- Thou shalt not mock us unrevendgd (quoth Neptune). And anon
- He caused all the surges of the sea to rush uppon
- The shore of covetous Troy, and made the countrye like the deepe.
- The goodes of all the husbandmen away he quight did sweepe,
- And overwhelmd theyr feeldes with waves. And thinking this too small
- A pennance for the falsehod, he demaunded therwithall
- His daughter for a monster of the Sea. Whom beeing bound
- Untoo a rocke, stout Hercules delivering saufe and sound,
- Requyrd his steeds which were the hyre for which he did compound.
- And when that of so great desert the king denyde the hyre.
- The twyce forsworne false towne of Troy he sacked in his ire.
- And Telamon in honour of his service did enjoy.
- The Lady Hesion, daughter of the covetous king of Troy.
- For Peleus had already got a Goddesse to his wife,
- And lived unto both theyr joyes a right renowmed lyfe.
- And sure he was not prowder of his graundsyre, than of thee
- That wert become his fathrinlaw. For many mo than hee
- Have had the hap of mighty Jove the nephewes for to bee.
- But never was it heeretofore the chaunce of any one
- To have a Goddesse to his wyfe, save only his alone.
- For unto watry Thetis thus old Protew did foretell:
- Go marry: thou shalt beare a sonne whose dooings shall excell
- His fathers farre in feates of armes, and greater he shall bee
- In honour, high renowme, and fame, than ever erst was hee.
- This caused Jove the watry bed of Thetis to forbeare
- Although his hart were more than warme with love of her, for feare
- The world sum other greater thing than Jove himself should breede,
- And willd the sonne of Aeacus this Peleus to succeede
- In that which he himself would faine have done, and for to take
- The Lady of the sea in armes a mother her to make.
- There is a bay of Thessaly that bendeth lyke a boawe.
- The sydes shoote foorth, where if the sea of any depth did flowe
- It were a haven. Scarcely dooth the water hyde the sand.
- It hath a shore so firme, that if a man theron doo stand,
- No print of foote remaynes behynd: it hindreth not ones pace,
- Ne covered is with hovering reeke. Adjoyning to this place,
- There is a grove of Myrtletrees with frute of dowle colour,
- And in the midds thereof a Cave. I can not tell you whither
- That nature or the art of man were maker of the same.
- It seemed rather made by arte. Oft Thetis hither came
- Starke naked, ryding bravely on a brydled Dolphins backe.
- There Peleus as shee lay asleepe uppon her often bracke.
- And forbycause that at her handes entreatance nothing winnes,
- He folding her about the necke with both his armes, beginnes
- To offer force. And surely if shee had not falne to wyles
- And shifted oftentymes her shape, he had obteind erewhyles.
- But shee became sumtymes a bird: he hilld her like a bird.
- Anon shee was a massye log: but Peleus never stird
- A whit for that. Then thirdly shee of speckled Tyger tooke
- The ugly shape: for feare of whose most feerce and cruell looke,
- His armes he from her body twicht. And at his going thence,
- In honour of the watry Goddes he burned frankincence,
- And powred wyne uppon the sea, with fat of neate and sheepe:
- Untill the prophet that dooth dwell within Carpathian deepe,
- Sayd thus: Thou sonne of Aeacus, thy wish thou sure shalt have
- Alonely when shee lyes asleepe within her pleasant Cave,
- Cast grinnes to trappe her unbewares: hold fast with snarling knot:
- And though shee fayne a hundreth shapes, deceyve thee let her not.
- But sticke unto't what ere it bee, untill the tyme that shee
- Returneth to the native shape shee erst was woont to bee.
- When Protew thus had sed, within the sea he duckt his head,
- And suffred on his latter woordes the water for to spred.
- The lyghtsum Titan downeward drew, and with declyning chayre
- Approched to the westerne sea, when Neryes daughter fayre
- Returning from the sea, resorts to her accustomd cowch.
- And Peleus scarcely had begon hir naked limbes to towch,
- But that shee chaungd from shape to shape, untill at length shee found
- Herself surprysd. Then stretching out her armes with sighes profound,
- She sayd: Thou overcommest mee, and not without the ayd
- Of God. And then she, Thetis like, appeerd in shape of mayd.
- The noble prince imbracing her obteynd her at his will,
- To both theyr joyes, and with the great Achylles did her fill.
- A happye wyght was Peleus in his wyfe: a happy wyght
- Was Peleus also in his sonne. And if yee him acquight
- Of murthring Phocus, happy him in all things count yee myght.
- But giltye of his brothers blood, and bannisht for the same
- From bothe his fathers house and Realme, to Trachin sad he came.
- The sonne of lyghtsum Lucifer, king Ceyx (who in face
- Exprest the lively beawtye of his fathers heavenly grace,)
- Without all violent rigor and sharpe executions reignd
- In Trachin. He right sad that tyme unlike himself, remaynd
- Yit moorning for his brothers chaunce transformed late before.
- When Peleus thither came, with care and travayle tyred sore,
- He left his cattell and his sheepe (whereof he brought great store)
- Behynd him in a shady vale not farre from Trachin towne,
- And with a little companye himself went thither downe.
- Assoone as leave to come to Court was graunted him, he bare
- A braunche of Olyf in his hand, and humbly did declare
- His name and lynage. Onely of his crime no woord hee spake,
- But of his flyght another cause pretensedly did make:
- Desyring leave within his towne or countrye to abyde.
- The king of Trachin gently thus to him ageine replyde:
- Our bownty to the meanest sort (O Peleus) dooth extend:
- Wee are not woont the desolate our countrye to forfend.
- And though I bee of nature most inclyned good to doo:
- Thyne owne renowme, thy graundsyre Jove are forcements thereunto.
- Misspend no longer tyme in sute. I gladly doo agree
- To graunt thee what thou wilt desyre. Theis things that thou doost see
- I would thou should account them as thyne owne, such as they bee
- I would they better were. With that he weeped. Peleus and
- His freends desyred of his greef the cause to understand.
- He answerd thus: Perchaunce yee think this bird that lives by pray
- And putts all other birds in feare had wings and fethers ay.
- He was a man. And as he was right feerce in feats of armes,
- And stout and readye bothe to wreake and also offer harmes:
- So was he of a constant mynd. Daedalion men him hyght.
- Our father was that noble starre that brings the morning bryght,
- And in the welkin last of all gives place to Phebus lyght.
- My study was to maynteine peace, in peace was my delyght,
- And for to keepe mee true to her to whom my fayth is plyght.
- My brother had felicite in warre and bloody fyght.
- His prowesse and his force which now dooth chase in cruell flyght
- The Dooves of Thisbye since his shape was altred thus anew,
- Ryght puyssant Princes and theyr Realmes did heeretofore subdew.
- He had a chyld calld Chyone, whom nature did endew
- With beawtye so, that when to age of fowreteene yeeres shee grew,
- A thousand Princes liking her did for hir favour sew.
- By fortune as bryght Phebus and the sonne of Lady May
- Came t'one from Delphos, toother from mount Cyllen, by the way
- They saw her bothe at once, and bothe at once were tane in love.
- Apollo till the tyme of nyght differd his sute to move.
- But Hermes could not beare delay. He stroked on the face
- The mayden with his charmed rod which hath the powre to chace
- And bring in sleepe: the touch whereof did cast her in so dead
- A sleepe, that Hermes by and by his purpose of her sped.
- As soone as nyght with twinckling starres the welkin had beesprent,
- Apollo in an old wyves shape to Chyon clocely went,
- And tooke the pleasure which the sonne of Maya had forehent.
- Now when shee full her tyme had gone, shee bare by Mercurye
- A sonne that hyght Awtolychus, who provde a wyly pye,
- And such a fellow as in theft and filching had no peere.
- He was his fathers owne sonne right: he could mennes eyes so bleere,
- As for to make the black things whyghlt, and whyght things black appeere.
- And by Apollo (for shee bare a payre) was borne his brother
- Philammon, who in musick arte excelled farre all other,
- As well in singing as in play. But what avayled it
- To beare such twinnes, and of two Goddes in favour to have sit?
- And that shee to her father had a stowt and valeant knight,
- Or that her graundsyre was the sonne of Jove that God of might?
- Dooth glorie hurt to any folk? It surely hurted her.
- For standing in her owne conceyt shee did herself prefer
- Before Diana, and dispraysd her face, who there with all
- Inflaamd with wrath, sayd: Well, with deedes we better please her shall.
- Immediatly shee bent her bowe, and let an arrow go,
- Which strake her through the toong, whose spight deserved
- wounding so.
- Her toong wext dumb, her speech gan fayle that erst was over ryfe,
- And as shee stryved for to speake, away went blood and lyfe.
- How wretched was I then, O God? how strake it to my hart?
- What woordes of comfort did I speake to ease my brothers smart?
- To which he gave his eare as much as dooth the stony rocke
- To hideous roring of the waves that doo against it knocke.
- There was no measure nor none ende in making of his mone,
- Nor in bewayling comfortlesse his daughter that was gone.
- But when he sawe her bodye burne, fowre tymes with all his myght
- He russhed foorth to thrust himself amid the fyre in spyght.
- Fowre tymes hee beeing thence repulst, did put himself to flyght.
- And ran mee wheras was no way, as dooth a Bullocke when
- A hornet stings him in the necke. Mee thought hee was as then
- More wyghter farre than any man. Yee would have thought his feete
- Had had sum wings. So fled he quyght from all, and being fleete
- Through eagernesse to dye, he gat to mount Parnasos knappe
- And there Apollo pitying him and rewing his missehappe,
- When as Daedalion from the cliffe himself had headlong floong,
- Transformd him to a bird, and on the soodaine as hee hung
- Did give him wings, and bowwing beake, and hooked talants keene,
- And eeke a courage full as feerce as ever it had beene.
- And furthermore a greater strength he lent him therwithall,
- Than one would thinke conveyd myght bee within a roome so small.
- And now in shape of Gossehawke hee to none indifferent is,
- But wreakes his teene on all birds. And bycause him selfe ere this
- Did feele the force of sorrowes sting within his wounded hart,
- Hee maketh others oftentymes to sorrow and to smart.
- As Caeyx of his brothers chaunce this wondrous story seth,
- Commes ronning thither all in haste and almost out of breth
- Anaetor the Phocayan who was Pelyes herdman. Hee
- Sayd: Pelye Pelye, I doo bring sad tydings unto thee.
- Declare it man (quoth Peleus) what ever that it bee.
- King Ceyx at his fearefull woordes did stand in dowtfull stowne.
- This noonetyde (quoth the herdman) Iche did drive your cattell downe
- To zea, and zum a them did zit uppon the yellow zand
- And looked on the large mayne poole of water neere at hand.
- Zum roayled zoftly up and downe, and zum a them did zwim
- And bare their jolly horned heades aboove the water trim.
- A Church stondes neere the zea not deckt with gold nor marble stone
- But made of wood, and hid with trees that dreeping hang theron.
- A visherman that zat and dryde hiz netts uppo the zhore
- Did tell'z that Nereus and his Nymphes did haunt the place of yore,
- And how that thay beene Goddes a zea. There butts a plot vorgrowne
- With zallow trees uppon the zame, the which is overblowne
- With tydes, and is a marsh. From thence a woolf, an orped wyght,
- With hideous noyse of rustling made the groundes neere hand afryght.
- Anon he commes mee buskling out bezmeared all his chappes
- With blood daubaken and with vome as veerce as thunder clappes.
- Hiz eyen did glaster red as vyre, and though he raged zore
- Vor vamin and vor madnesse bothe, yit raged he much more
- In madnesse. Vor hee cared not his hunger vor to zlake,
- Or i'the death of oxen twoo or three an end to make.
- But wounded all the herd and made a havocke of them all,
- And zum of us too, in devence did happen vor to vail,
- In daunger of his deadly chappes, and lost our lyves. The zhore
- And zea is staynd with blood, and all the ven is on a rore.
- Delay breedes losse. The cace denyes now dowting vor to stond,
- Whyle owght remaynes let all of us take weapon in our hond.
- Let's arme our zelves, and let uz altogither on him vall.
- The herdman hilld his peace. The losse movde Peleus not at all.
- But calling his offence to mynde, he thought that Neryes daughter,
- The chyldlesse Ladye Psamathe, determynd with that slaughter
- To keepe an Obit to her sonne whom hee before had killd.
- Immediatly uppon this newes the king of Trachin willd
- His men to arme them, and to take their weapons in theyr hand,
- And he addrest himself to bee the leader of the band.
- His wyfe, Alcyone, by the noyse admonisht of the same,
- In dressing of her head, before shee had it brought in frame,
- Cast downe her heare, and ronning foorth caught Ceyx fast about
- The necke, desyring him with teares to send his folk without
- Himself, and in the lyfe of him to save the lyves of twayne.
- O Princesse, cease your godly feare (quoth Peleus then agayne).
- Your offer dooth deserve great thanks. I mynd not warre to make
- Ageinst straunge monsters. I as now another way must take.
- The seagods must bee pacifyde. There was a Castle hye,
- And in the same a lofty towre whose toppe dooth face the skye,
- A joyfull mark for maryners to guyde theyr vessells by.
- To this same Turret up they went, and there with syghes behilld
- The Oxen lying every where stark dead uppon the feelde
- And eeke the cruell stroygood with his bluddy mouth and heare.
- Then Peleus stretching foorth his handes to Seaward, prayd in feare
- To watrish Psamath that she would her sore displeasure stay,
- And help him. She no whit relents to that that he did pray.
- But Thetis for hir husband made such earnest sute, that shee
- Obteynd his pardon. For anon the woolfe (who would not bee
- Revoked from the slaughter for the sweetenesse of the blood)
- Persisted sharpe and eager still, untill that as he stood
- Fast byghting on a Bullocks necke, shee turnd him intoo stone
- As well in substance as in hew, the name of woolf alone
- Reserved. For although in shape hee seemed still yit one,
- The verry colour of the stone beewrayd him to bee none,
- And that he was not to bee feard. How be it froward fate
- Permitts not Peleus in that land to have a setled state.
- He wandreth like an outlaw to the Magnets. There at last
- Acastus the Thessalien purgd him of his murther past.
- In this meane tyme the Trachine king sore vexed in his thought
- With signes that both before and since his brothers death were wrought,
- For counsell at the sacret Spelles (which are but toyes to foode
- Fond fancyes, and not counsellers in perill to doo goode)
- Did make him reedy to the God of Claros for to go.
- For heathenish Phorbas and the folk of Phlegia had as tho
- The way to Delphos stopt, that none could travell to or fro.
- But ere he on his journey went, he made his faythfull make
- Alcyone preevye to the thing. Immediatly theyr strake
- A chilnesse to her verry bones, and pale was all her face
- Like box and downe her heavy cheekes the teares did gush apace.
- Three times about to speake, three times shee washt her face with teares,
- And stinting oft with sobbes, shee thus complayned in his eares:
- What fault of myne, husband deere, hath turnd thy hart fro mee?
- Where is that care of mee that erst was woont to bee in thee?
- And canst thou having left thy deere Alcyone merrye bee?
- Doo journeyes long delyght thee now? dooth now myne absence please
- Thee better then my presence dooth? Think I that thou at ease
- Shalt go by land? Shall I have cause but onely for to moorne?
- And not to bee afrayd? And shall my care of thy returne
- Bee voyd of feare? No no. The sea mee sore afrayd dooth make.
- To think uppon the sea dooth cause my flesh for feare to quake.
- I sawe the broken ribbes of shippes alate uppon the shore.
- And oft on Tumbes I reade theyr names whose bodyes long before
- The sea had swallowed. Let not fond vayne hope seduce thy mynd,
- That Aeolus is thy fathrinlaw who holdes the boystous wynd
- In prison, and can calme the seas at pleasure. When the wynds
- Are once let looce uppon the sea, no order then them bynds.
- Then neyther land hathe priviledge, nor sea exemption fynds.
- Yea even the clowdes of heaven they vex, and with theyr meeting stout
- Enforce the fyre with hideous noyse to brust in flashes out.
- The more that I doo know them, (for ryght well I know theyr powre,
- And saw them oft a little wench within my fathers bowre)
- So much the more I think them to bee feard. But if thy will
- By no intreatance may bee turnd at home to tarry still,
- But that thou needes wilt go: then mee, deere husband, with thee take.
- So shall the sea us equally togither tosse and shake.
- So woorser than I feele I shall bee certeine not to feare.
- So shall we whatsoever happes togitherjoyntly beare.
- So shall wee on the broad mayne sea togither joyntly sayle.
- Theis woordes and teares wherewith the imp of Aeolus did assayle
- Her husbond borne of heavenly race, did make his hart relent.
- (For he lovd her no lesse than shee lovd him.) But fully bent
- He seemed, neyther for to leave the journey which he ment
- To take by sea, nor yit to give Alcyone leave as tho
- Companion of his perlous course by water for to go.
- He many woordes of comfort spake her feare away to chace.
- But nought hee could perswade therein to make her like the cace.
- This last asswagement of her greef he added in the end,
- Which was the onely thing that made her loving hart to bend:
- All taryance will assuredly seeme over long to mee.
- And by my fathers blasing beames I make my vow to thee
- That at the furthest ere the tyme (if God therto agree)
- The moone doo fill her circle twyce, ageine I will heere bee.
- When in sum hope of his returne this promis had her set,
- He willd a shippe immediatly from harbrough to bee fet,
- And throughly rigged for to bee, that neyther maast, nor sayle,
- Nor tackling, no nor other thing should apperteyning fayle.
- Which when Alcyone did behold, as one whoose hart misgave
- The happes at hand, shee quaakt ageine, and teares out gusshing drave.
- And streyning Ceyx in her armes with pale and piteous looke,
- Poore wretched soule, her last farewell at length shee sadly tooke,
- And swounded flat uppon the ground. Anon the watermen
- (As Ceyx sought delayes and was in dowt to turne agen)
- Set hand to Ores, of which there were two rowes on eyther syde,
- And all at once with equall stroke the swelling sea devyde.
- Shee lifting up her watrye eyes behilld her husband stand
- Uppon the hatches making signes by beckening with his hand:
- And shee made signes to him ageine. And after that the land
- Was farre removed from the shippe, and that the sight began
- To bee unable to discerne the face of any man,
- As long as ere shee could shee lookt uppon the rowing keele.
- And when shee could no longer tyme for distance ken it weele,
- Shee looked still uppon the sayles that flasked with the wynd
- Uppon the maast. And when shee could the sayles no longer fynd,
- She gate her to her empty bed with sad and sorye hart,
- And layd her downe. The chamber did renew afresh her smart,
- And of her bed did bring to mynd the deere departed part.
- From harbrough now they quyght were gone: and now a plasant gale
- Did blowe. The mayster made his men theyr Ores asyde to hale,
- And hoysed up the toppesayle on the hyghest of the maast,
- And clapt on all his other sayles bycause no wind should waast.
- Scarce full t'one half, (or sure not much above) the shippe had ronne
- Uppon the sea and every way the land did farre them shonne,
- When toward night the wallowing waves began to waxen whyght,
- And eeke the heady easterne wynd did blow with greater myght,
- Anon the Mayster cryed: Strike the toppesayle, let the mayne
- Sheate flye and fardle it to the yard. Thus spake he, but in vayne,
- For why so hideous was the storme uppon the soodeine brayd,
- That not a man was able there to heere what other sayd.
- And lowd the sea with meeting waves extreemely raging rores.
- Yit fell they to it of them selves. Sum haalde asyde the Ores:
- Sum fensed in the Gallyes sydes, sum downe the sayleclothes rend:
- Sum pump the water out, and sea to sea ageine doo send.
- Another hales the sayleyards downe. And whyle they did eche thing
- Disorderly, the storme increast, and from eche quarter fling
- The wyndes with deadly foode, and bownce the raging waves togither.
- The Pilot being sore dismayd sayth playne, he knowes not whither
- To wend himself, nor what to doo or bid, nor in what state
- Things stood. So huge the mischeef was, and did so overmate
- All arte. For why of ratling ropes, of crying men and boyes,
- Of flusshing waves and thundring ayre, confused was the noyse.
- The surges mounting up aloft did seeme to mate the skye,
- And with theyr sprinckling for to wet the clowdes that hang on hye.
- One whyle the sea, when iirom the brink it raysd the yellow sand,
- Was like in colour to the same. Another whyle did stand
- A colour on it blacker than the Lake of Styx. Anon
- It lyeth playne and loomethwhyght with seething froth thereon.