Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- Yit suffred not the destinyes all hope to perrish quyght
- Togither with the towne of Troy. That good and godly knyght
- The sonne of Venus bare away by nyght uppon his backe
- His aged father and his Goddes, an honorable packe.
- Of all the riches of the towne that only pray he chose,
- So godly was his mynd: and like a bannisht man he goes
- By water with his owne yoong sonne Ascanius from the Ile
- Antandros, and he shonnes the shore of Thracia which ere whyle
- The wicked Tyrants treason did with Polydores blood defyle.
- And having wynd and tyde at will, he saufly wyth his trayne
- Arryved at Apollos towne where Anius then did reigne.
- Whoo being both Apollos preest and of that place the king,
- Did enterteyne him in his house and unto church him bring,
- And shewd him bothe the Citie and the temples knowen of old,
- And eeke the sacred trees by which Latona once tooke hold
- When shee of chyldbirth travailed. As soone as sacrifyse
- Was doone with Oxens inwards burnt according to the guyse,
- And casting incence in the fyre, and sheading wyne thereon,
- They joyfull to the court returnd, and there they took anon
- Repaste of meate and drink. Then sayd the good Anchyses this:
- O Phebus, sovereine preest, onlesse I take my markes amisse,
- (As I remember) when I first of all this towne did see,
- Fowre daughters and a sonne of thyne thou haddest heere with thee.
- King Anius shooke his head wheron he ware a myter whyght,
- And answerd thus: O noble prince, in fayth thou gessest ryght.
- Of children fyve a father then, thou diddest mee behold,
- Whoo now (with such unconstancie are mortall matters rolld)
- Am in a manner chyldlesse quyght. For what avayles my sonne
- Who in the Ile of Anderland a great way hence dooth wonne?
- Which country takes his name of him, and in the selfsayd place,
- In stead of father, like a king he holdes the royall mace.
- Apollo gave his lot to him: and Bacchus for to showe
- His love, a greater gift uppon his susters did bestowe
- Then could bee wisht or credited. For whatsoever they
- Did towche, was turned into come, and wyne, and oyle streyghtway.
- And so theyr was riche use in them. As soone as that the fame
- Hereof to Agamemnons eares, the scourge of Trojans, came,
- Lest you myght tast your stormes alone and wee not feele the same
- In part, an hoste he hither sent, and whither I would or no
- Did take them from mee, forcing them among the Greekes to go
- To feede the Greekish army with theyr heavenly gift. But they
- Escapde whither they could by flyght. A couple tooke theyr way
- To Ile Ewboya: tother two to Anderland did fly,
- Theyr brothers Realme. An host of men pursewd them by and by,
- And threatened warre onlesse they were deliverde. Force of feare
- Subdewing nature, did constreyne the brother (men must beare
- With fearfulnesse) to render up his susters to theyr fo.
- For neyther was Aenaeas there, nor valeant Hector (who
- Did make your warre last ten yeeres long) the countrye to defend.
- Now when they should like prisoners have beene fettred, in the end
- They casting up theyr handes (which yit were free) to heaven, did cry
- To Bacchus for to succour them, who helpt them by and by,
- At leastwyse if it may bee termd a help, in woondrous wyse
- To alter folke. For never could I lerne ne can surmyse
- The manner how they lost theyr shape. The thing it selfe is knowen.
- With fethered wings as whyght as snow they quyght away are flowen
- Transformed into doovehouse dooves, thy wyfe dame Venus burdes.
- When that the time of meate was spent with theis and such like woordes,
- The table was removed streyght, and then they went to sleepe.
- Next morrow rysing up as soone as day began to peepe,
- They went to Phebus Oracle, which willed them to go
- Unto theyr moother countrey and the coastes theyr stocke came fro.
- King Anius bare them companie. And when away they shoold,
- He gave them gifts. Anchises had a scepter all of goold.
- Ascanius had a quiver and a Cloke right brave and trim.
- Aenaeas had a standing Cup presented unto him.
- The Thebane Therses whoo had been king Anius guest erewhyle
- Did send it out of Thessaly: but Alcon one of Myle
- Did make the cuppe. And hee theron a story portrayd out.
- It was a Citie with seven gates in circuit round about,
- Which men myght easly all discerne. The gates did represent
- The Cities name, and showed playne what towne thereby was ment.
- Without the towne were funeralls a dooing for the dead,
- With herces, tapers, fyres, and tumbes. The wyves with ruffled head
- And stomacks bare pretended greef. The nymphes seemd teares to shead,
- And wayle the drying of theyr welles. The leavelesse trees did seare.
- And licking on the parched stones Goats romed heere and there.
- Behold amid this Thebane towne was lyvely portrayd out
- Echions daughters twayne, of which the one with courage stout
- Did prefer bothe her naked throte and stomacke to the knyfe:
- And tother with a manly hart did also spend her lyfe,
- For saufgard of her countryfolk: and how that theruppon
- They both were caryed solemly on herces, and anon
- Were burned in the cheefest place of all the Thebane towne.
- Then (least theyr linage should decay whoo dyde with such renowne,)
- Out of the Asshes of the maydes there issued twoo yong men,
- And they unto theyr moothers dust did obsequies agen.
- Thus much was graved curiously in auncient precious brasse,
- And on the brim a trayle of flowres of bearbrich gilded was.
- The Trojans also gave to him as costly giftes agen.
- Bycause he was Apollos preest they gave to him as then
- A Chist to keepe in frankincence. They gave him furthermore
- A Crowne of gold wherin were set of precious stones great store.
- Then calling to remembrance that the Trojans issued were
- Of Tewcers blood, they sayld to Crete. But long they could not there
- Abyde th'infection of the aire: and so they did forsake
- The hundred Cities, and with speede to Itayleward did make.
- The winter wexed hard and rough, and tost them verry sore.
- And when theyr shippes arrived were uppon the perlous shore
- Among the Strophad Iles, the bird Aello did them feare.
- The costes of Dulich, Ithaca, and Same they passed were,
- And eeke the Court of Neritus where wyse Ulysses reignd,
- And came to Ambrace for the which the Gods strong stryfe maynteind.
- There sawe they turned into stone the judge whoose image yit
- At Actium in Appollos Church in signe therof dooth sit.
- They vewed also Dodon grove where Okes spake: and the coast
- Of Chaon where the sonnes of king Molossus scapt a most
- Ungracious fyre by taking wings. From thence they coasted by
- The countrye of the Pheaks fraught with frute abundantly.
- Then tooke they land in Epyre, and to Buthrotos they went
- Wheras the Trojane prophet dwelt, whoose reigne did represent
- An image of theyr auncient Troy. There being certifyde
- Of things to come by Helen (whoo whyle there they did abyde
- Informed them ryght faythfully of all that should betyde)
- They passed into Sicilie. With corners three this land
- Shootes out into the Sea: of which Pachinnus front dooth stand
- Ageinst the southcoast: Lilibye dooth face the gentle west,
- And Pelore unto Charlsis wayne dooth northward beare his brest.
- The Trojanes under Pelore gat with ores and prosprous tydes
- And in the even by Zanclye shore theyr fleete at anchor rydes.
- Uppon the left syde restlessely Charybdis ay dooth beate them,
- And swalloweth shippes and spewes them up as fast as it dooth eate them.
- And Scylla beateth on theyr ryght: which from the navell downe
- Is patched up with cruell curres: and upward to the crowne
- Dooth keepe the countnance of a mayd, and (if that all bee trew
- That Poets fayne) shee was sumtyme a mayd ryght fayre of hew.
- To her made many wooers sute: all which shee did eschew.
- And going to the salt Sea nymphes (to whom shee was ryght deere)
- She vaunted, to how many men shee gave the slippe that yeere.
- To whom the Lady Galate in kembing of her heare
- Sayd thus with syghes: But they that sought to thee (O Lady) were
- None other than of humane kynd, to whom without all feare
- Of harme, thou myghtest (as thou doost) give nay. But as for mee
- Although that I of Nereus and gray Doris daughter bee,
- And of my susters have with mee continually a gard,
- I could not scape the Cyclops love, but to my greef full hard.
- (With that her teares did stoppe her speeche.) As soone as that the mayd
- Had dryde them with her marble thomb, and moande the nymph, she sayd:
- Deere Goddesse, tell mee all your greef, and hyde it not from mee:
- For trust mee, I will unto you bothe true and secret bee.
- Then unto Cratyes daughter thus the nymph her playnt did frame:
- Of Fawne and nymph Simethis borne was Acis, whoo became
- A joy to bothe his parents, but to mee the greater joy.
- For being but a sixteene yeeres of age, this fayre sweete boy
- Did take mee to his love, what tyme about his chyldish chin
- The tender heare like mossy downe to sprowt did first begin.
- I loved him beyond all Goddes forbod, and likewyse mee
- The Giant Cyclops. Neyther (if demaunded it should bee)
- I well were able for to tell you whither that the love
- Of Acis, or the Cyclops hate did more my stomacke move.
- There was no oddes betweene them. Oh deere Goddesse Venus, what
- A powre haste thou? Behold how even this owgly Giant that
- No sparke of meekenesse in him hath, whoo is a terrour to
- The verrye woodes, whom never guest nor straunger came unto
- Without displeasure, whoo the heavens and all the Goddes despyseth,
- Dooth feele what thing is love. The love of mee him so surpryseth,
- That Polypheme regarding not his sheepe and hollowe Cave,
- And having care to please dooth go about to make him brave.
- His sturre stiffe heare he kembeth nowe with strong and sturdy rakes,
- And with a sythe dooth marcussotte his bristled berd: and takes
- Delyght to looke uppon himself in waters, and to frame
- His countnance. Of his murtherous hart the wyldnesse wexeth tame.
- His unastaunched thyrst of blood is quenched: shippes may passe
- And repasse saufly. In the whyle that he in love thus was,
- One Telemus, Ewrymeds sonne, a man of passing skill
- In birdflyght, taking land that tyme in Sicill, went untill
- The orped Gyant Polypheme, and sayd: This one round eye
- That now amid thy forehead stands shall one day ere thou dye
- By sly Ulysses blinded bee. The Gyant laught therat,
- And sayd: O foolish soothsayre, thou deceyved art in that.
- For why another (even a wench) already hathe it blynded.
- Thus skorning him that told him truthe bycause he was hygh mynded,
- He eyther made the ground to shake in walking on the shore,
- Or rowzd him in his shadye Cave. With wedged poynt before
- There shoots a hill into the Sea: whereof the sea dooth beate
- On eyther syde. The one eyd feend came up and made his seate
- Theron, and after came his sheepe undriven. As soone as hee
- Had at his foote layd downe his staffe which was a whole Pyne tree
- Well able for to bee a maast to any shippe, he takes
- His pype compact of fyvescore reedes, and therwithall he makes
- So loud a noyse that all the hilles and waters therabout
- Myght easly heere the shirlnesse of the shepeherds whistling out.
- I lying underneathe the rocke, and leaning in the lappe
- Of Acis markt theis woordes of his which farre I heard by happe:
- More whyght thou art then Primrose leaf, my Lady Galatee.
- More fresh than meade, more tall and streyght than lofty Aldertree.
- More bright than glasse, more wanton than the tender kid forsooth.
- Than Cockleshelles continually with water worne, more smoothe.
- More cheerefull than the winters Sun, or Sommers shadowe cold,
- More seemely and more comly than the Planetree to behold,
- Of valew more than Apples bee although they were of gold.
- More cleere than frozen yce, more sweete than Grape through rype ywis,
- More soft than butter newly made, or downe of Cygnet is.
- And much more fayre and beawtyfull than gardein to myne eye,
- But that thou from my companye continually doost flye.
- And thou the selfsame Galate art more tettish for to frame
- Than Oxen of the wildernesse whom never wyght did tame.
- More fleeting than the waves, more hard than warryed Oke to twyne,
- More tough than willow twiggs, more lyth than is the wyld whyght vyne.
- More than this rocke unmovable, more violent than a streame.
- More prowd than Peacocke praysd, more feerce than fyre and more extreeme.
- More rough than Breers, more cruell than the new delivered Beare,
- More mercilesse than troden snake, than sea more deafe of eare.
- And which (and if it lay in mee I cheefly would restrayne)
- Not only swifter paced than the stag in chace on playne,
- But also swifter than the wynd and flyghtfull ayre. But if
- Thou knew me well, it would thee irke to flye and bee a greef
- To tarrye from mee. Yea thou wouldst endeavour all thy powre
- To keepe mee wholly to thy self. The Quarry is my bowre
- Heawen out of whole mayne stone. No Sun in sommer there can swelt.
- No nipping cold in wintertyme within the same is felt.
- Gay Apples weying downe the boughes have I, and Grapes like gold,
- And purple Grapes on spreaded Vynes as many as can hold.
- Bothe which I doo reserve for thee. Thyself shalt with thy hand
- The soft sweete strawbryes gather, which in wooddy shadowe stand.
- The Cornell berryes also from the tree thy self shall pull:
- And pleasant plommes, sum yellow lyke new wax, sum blew, sum full
- Of ruddy jewce. Of Chestnutts eeke (if my wyfe thou wilt bee)
- Thou shalt have store: and frutes all sortes: all trees shall serve for thee.
- This Cattell heere is all myne owne. And many mo besyde
- Doo eyther in the bottoms feede, or in the woodes them hyde,
- And many standing at theyr stalles doo in my Cave abyde.
- The number of them (if a man should ask) I cannot showe.
- Tush, beggars of theyr Cattell use the number for to knowe.
- And for the goodnesse of the same, no whit beleeve thou mee.
- But come thyself (and if thou wilt) the truth therof to see.
- See how theyr udders full doo make them straddle. Lesser ware
- Shet up at home in cloce warme peends, are Lambes. There also are
- In other pinfolds Kidds of selfsame yeaning tyme. Thus have
- I alwayes mylke as whyte as snow. Wherof I sum doo save
- To drink, and of the rest is made good cheese. And furthermore
- Not only stale and common gifts and pleasures wherof store
- Is to bee had at eche mannes hand, (as Leverets, Kidds, and Does,
- A payre of pigeons, or a nest of birds new found, or Roes,)
- Shall unto thee presented bee. I found this tother day
- A payre of Bearewhelpes, eche so lyke the other as they lay
- Uppon a hill, that scarce yee eche discerne from other may.
- And when that I did fynd them I did take them up, and say
- Theis will I for my Lady keepe for her therwith to play.
- Now put thou up thy fayre bryght head, good Galat, I thee pray,
- Above the greenish waves: now come my Galat, come away.
- And of my present take no scorne. I know my selfe to bee
- A jollye fellow. For even now I did behold and see
- Myne image in the water sheere, and sure mee thought I tooke
- Delyght to see my goodly shape, and favor in the brooke.
- Behold how big I am: not Jove in heaven (for so you men
- Report one Jove to reigne, of whom I passe not for to ken)
- Is huger than this doughty corce of myne. A bush of heare
- Dooth overdreepe my visage grim, and shadowes as it were
- A grove uppon my shoulders twayne. And think it not to bee
- A shame for that with bristled heare my body rough yee see.
- A fowle ilfavored syght it is to see a leavelesse tree.
- A lothely thing it is, a horse without a mane to keepe.
- As fethers doo become the birdes, and wooll becommeth sheepe,
- Even so a beard and bristled skin becommeth also men.
- I have but one eye, which dooth stand amid my frunt. What then?
- This one round eye of myne is lyke a myghty target. Why?
- Vewes not the Sun all things from heaven? Yit but one only eye
- Hath hee. Moreover in your Seas my father beares the sway.
- Him will I make thy fathrinlaw. Have mercy I thee pray,
- And harken to myne humble sute. For only unto thee
- Yeeld I. Even I of whom bothe heaven and Jove despysed bee
- And eeke the percing thunderbolt, doo stand in awe and feare
- Of thee, O Nerye. Thyne ill will is greevouser to beare
- Than is the deadly Thunderclappe. Yit could I better fynd
- In hart to suffer this contempt of thyne with pacient mynd
- If thou didst shonne all other folk as well as mee. But why
- Rejecting Cyclops doost thou love dwarf Acis? Why say I
- Preferst thou Acis unto mee? Well, let him liked bee
- Both of himself, and also (which I would be lothe) of thee.
- And if I catch him he shall feele that in my body is
- The force that should bee. I shall paunch him quicke. Those limbes of his
- I will in peeces teare, and strew them in the feeldes, and in
- Thy waters, if he doo thee haunt. For I doo swelt within.
- And being chaafte the flame dooth burne more feerce to my unrest.
- Mee thinks mount Aetna with his force is closed in my brest.
- And yit it nothing moveth thee. As soone as he had talkt
- Thus much in vayne, (I sawe well all) he rose: and fuming stalkt
- Among his woodes and woonted Lawndes, as dooth a Bulchin, when
- The Cow is from him tane. He could him no where rest as then.
- Anon the feend espyed mee and Acis where wee lay,
- Before wee wist or feared it: and crying out gan say:
- I see yee. And confounded myght I bee with endlesse shame,
- But if I make this day the last agreement of your game.
- Theis woordes were spoke with such a reere as verry well became
- An angry Giant. Aetna shooke with lowdnesse of the same.
- I scaard therwith dopt underneathe the water, and the knyght
- Simethus turning streyght his backe, did give himself to flyght,
- And cryed: Help mee Galate, help parents I you pray,
- And in your kingdome mee receyve whoo perrish must streyghtway.
- The roundeyd devill made pursewt: and rending up a fleece
- Of Aetna Rocke, threw after him: of which a little peece
- Did Acis overtake. And yit as little as it was,
- It overwhelmed Acis whole. I wretched wyght (alas)
- Did that which destnyes would permit. Foorthwith I brought to passe
- That Acis should receyve the force his father had before.
- His scarlet blood did issue from the lump, and more and more
- Within a whyle the rednesse gan to vannish: and the hew
- Resembled at the first a brooke with rayne distroubled new,
- Which wexeth cleere by length of tyme. Anon the lump did clyve,
- And from the hollow cliffe therof hygh reedes sprang up alyve.
- And at the hollow issue of the stone the bubling water
- Came trickling out. And by and by (which is a woondrous matter)
- The stripling with a wreath of reede about his horned head
- Avaunst his body to the waste. Whoo (save he was that stead
- Much biggar than he erst had beene, and altogither gray)
- Was Acis still. And being turnd to water, at this day
- In shape of river still he beares his former name away.
- The Lady Galat ceast her talk and streyght the companye brake.
- And Neryes daughters parting thence, swam in the gentle lake.
- Dame Scylla home ageine returnd. (Shee durst not her betake
- To open sea) and eyther roamd uppon the sandy shore
- Stark naakt, or when for weerinesse shee could not walk no more,
- Shee then withdrew her out of syght and gate her to a poole,
- And in the water of the same, her heated limbes did coole.
- Behold the fortune. Glaucus (whoo then being late before
- Transformed in Ewboya Ile uppon Anthedon shore,
- Was new becomme a dweller in the sea) as he did swim
- Along the coast was tane in love at syght of Scylla trim,
- And spake such woordes as he did think myght make her tarry still.
- Yit fled shee still, and swift for feare shee gate her to a hill
- That butted on the Sea. Ryght steepe and upward sharp did shoote
- A loftye toppe with trees, beneathe was hollowe at the foote.
- Heere Scylla stayd and being sauf by strongnesse of the place,
- (Not knowing if he monster were, or God, that did her chace,)
- Shee looked backe. And woondring at his colour and his heare
- With which his shoulders and his backe all wholly covered were,
- Shee saw his neather parts were like a fish with tayle wrythde round
- Who leaning to the neerest Rocke, sayd thus with lowd cleere sound:
- Fayre mayd, I neyther monster am nor cruell savage beast:
- But of the sea a God, whoose powre and favour is not least.
- For neyther Protew in the sea nor Triton have more myght
- Nor yit the sonne of Athamas that now Palaemon hyght.
- Yit once I was a mortall man. But you must know that I
- Was given to seawoorkes, and in them mee only did apply.
- For sumtyme I did draw the drag in which the fishes were,
- And sumtyme sitting on the cliffes I angled heere and there.
- There butteth on a fayre greene mede a bank wherof t'one half
- Is cloasd with sea, the rest is clad with herbes which never calf,
- Nor horned Ox, nor seely sheepe, nor shakheard Goate did feede.
- The busye Bee did never there of flowres sweet smelling speede.
- No gladsum garlonds ever there were gathered for the head.
- No hand those flowers ever yit with hooked sythe did shred.
- I was the first that ever set my foote uppon that plot.
- Now as I dryde my dropping netts, and layd abrode my lotte,
- To tell how many fishes had bychaunce to net beene sent,
- Or through theyr owne too lyght beeleefe on bayted hooke beene hent:
- (The matter seemeth like a lye, but what avayles to lye?)
- As soone as that my pray had towcht the grasse, it by and by
- Began to move, and flask theyr finnes, and swim uppon the drye,
- As in the Sea. And as I pawsd and woondred at the syght,
- My draught of fishes everychone to seaward tooke theyr flyght,
- And leaping from the shore, forsooke theyr newfound mayster quyght.
- I was amazed at the thing: and standing long in dowt,
- I sought the cause if any God had brought this same abowt,
- Or else sum jewce of herb. And as I so did musing stand,
- What herb (quoth I) hath such a powre? And gathering with my hand
- The grasse, I bote it with my toothe. My throte had scarcely yit
- Well swallowed downe the uncouth jewce, when like an agew fit
- I felt myne inwards soodeinly to shake, and with the same,
- A love of other nature in my brest with violence came.
- And long I could it not resist, but sayd: Deere land, adeew,
- For never shall I haunt thee more. And with that woord I threw
- My bodye in the sea. The Goddes thereof receyving mee,
- Vouchsaved in theyr order mee installed for to bee,
- Desyring old Oceanus and Thetis for theyr sake,
- The rest of my mortalitie away from mee to take.
- They hallowed mee, and having sayd nyne tymes the holy ryme
- That purgeth all prophanednesse, they charged mee that tyme
- To put my brestbulk underneathe a hundred streames. Anon
- The brookes from sundry coastes and all the Seas did ryde uppon
- My head. From whence as soone as I returned, by and by
- I felt my self farre otherwyse through all my limbes, than I
- Had beene before. And in my mynd I was another man.
- Thus farre of all that mee befell make just report I can.
- Thus farre I beare in mynd. The rest my mynd perceyved not.
- Then first of all this hory greene gray grisild beard I got,
- And this same bush of heare which all along the seas I sweepe,
- And theis same myghty shoulders, and theis grayish armes, and feete
- Confounded into finned fish. But what avayleth mee
- This goodly shape, and of the Goddes of sea to loved bee?
- Or for to be a God my self, if they delyght not thee?
- As he was speaking this, and still about to utter more,
- Dame Scylla him forsooke: wherat he wexing angry sore,
- And beeing quickened with repulse, in rage he tooke his way
- To Circes, Titans daughters, Court which full of monsters lay.
- Now had th'Ewboyan fisherman (whoo lately was becomme
- A God of sea to dwell in sea for ay,) alreadye swomme
- Past Aetna which uppon the face of Giant Typho lyes,
- Toogither with the pasture of the Cyclops which defyes
- Both Plough and harrowe, and by teemes of Oxen sets no store:
- And Zancle, and crackt Rhegion which stands a tother shore:
- And eeke the rough and shipwrecke sea which being hemmed in
- With two mayne landes on eyther syde, is as a bound betwin
- The frutefull Realmes of Italy and Sicill. From that place
- He cutting through the Tyrrhene sea with both his armes apace,
- Arryved at the grassye hilles and at the Palace hye
- Of Circe, Phoebus imp, which full of sundry beastes did lye.
- When Glaucus in her presence came, and had her greeted, and
- Receyved freendly welcomming and greeting at her hand,
- He sayd: O Goddesse, pitie mee a God, I thee desyre.
- Thou only (if at least thou think mee woorthy so great hyre)
- Canst ease this love of myne. No wyght dooth better know than I
- The powre of herbes, whoo late ago transformed was therby.
- And now to open unto thee of this my greef the ground,
- Uppon th'Italyan shore ageinst Messene walls I found
- Fayre Scylla. Shame it is to tell how scornfull shee did take
- The gentle woordes and promises and sute that I did make.
- But if that any powre at all consist in charmes, then let
- That sacret mouth of thyne cast charmes: or if more force bee set
- In herbes to compasse things withall, then use the herbes that have
- Most strength in woorking. Neyther think, I hither come to crave
- A medcine for to heale myself and cure my wounded hart:
- I force no end. I would have her bee partener of my smart.
- But Circe (for no natures are more lyghtly set on fyre
- Than such as shee is) (whither that the cause of this desyre
- Were only in herself, or that Dame Venus bearing ay
- In mynd her fathers deede in once disclosing of her play,
- Did stirre her heereunto) sayd thus: It were a better way
- For thee to fancye such a one whoose will and whole desyre
- Is bent to thine, and whoo is sindgd with selfsame kynd of fyre.
- Thou woorthye art of sute to thee. And (credit mee) thou shouldst
- Bee woode in deede, if any hope of speeding give thou wouldst.
- And therefore dowt not. Only of thy beawtye lyking have.
- Lo, I whoo am a Goddesse and the imp of Phoebus brave,
- Whoo can so much by charmes, whoo can so much by herbes, doo vow
- My self to thee. If I disdeine, disdeine mee also thow.
- And if I yeeld, yeeld thou likewyse: and in one only deede
- Avenge thy self of twayne. To her intreating thus to speede,
- First trees shall grow (quoth Glaucus) in the sea, and reeke shall thryve
- In toppes of hilles, ere I (as long as Scylla is alyve)
- Doo chaunge my love. The Goddesse wext ryght wroth: and sith she could
- Not hurt his persone beeing falne in love with him, ne would:
- Shee spyghted her that was preferd before her. And uppon
- Displeasure tane of this repulse, shee went her way anon.
- And wicked weedes of grisly jewce toogither shee did bray,
- And in the braying, witching charmes shee over them did say.
- And putting on a russet cloke, shee passed through the rowt
- Of savage beastes that in her court came fawning round abowt,
- And going unto Rhegion cliffe which standes ageinst the shore
- Of Zancle, entred by and by the waters that doo rore
- With violent tydes, uppon the which shee stood as on firme land,
- And ran and never wet her feete a whit. There was at hand
- A little plash that bowwed like a bowe that standeth bent,
- Where Scylla woonted was to rest herself, and thither went
- From rage of sea and ayre, what tyme the sonne amid the skye
- Is hotest making shadowes short by mounting up on hye.
- This plash did Circe then infect ageinst that Scylla came,
- And with her poysons which had powre most monstrous shapes to frame
- Defyled it. Shee sprincled there the jewce of venymd weedes,
- And thryce nyne tymes with witching mouth shee softly mumbling, reedes
- A charme ryght darke of uncouth woordes. No sooner Scylla came
- Within this plash, and to the waast had waded in the same,
- But that shee sawe her hinderloynes with barking buggs atteint.
- And at the first, not thinking with her body they were meynt
- As parts therof, shee started back, and rated them. And sore
- Shee was afrayd the eager curres should byght her. But the more
- Shee shonned them, the surer still shee was to have them there.
- In seeking where her loynes, and thyghes, and feet and ancles were,
- Chappes like the chappes of Cerberus in stead of them shee found.
- Nought else was there than cruell curres from belly downe to ground.
- So underneathe misshaped loynes and womb remayning sound,
- Her mannish mastyes backes were ay within the water drownd.
- Her lover Glaucus wept therat, and Circes bed refusde
- That had so passing cruelly her herbes on Scylla usde.
- But Scylla in that place abode. And for the hate shee bore
- To Circeward, (assoone as meete occasion servde therfore)
- Shee spoyld Ulysses of his mates. And shortly after, shee
- Had also drownd the Trojane fleete, but that (as yit wee see)
- Shee was transformd to rock of stone, which shipmen warely shonne.
- When from this Rocke the Trojane fleete by force of Ores had wonne,
- And from Charybdis greedye gulf, and were in manner readye
- To have arryvde in Italy, the wynd did ryse so heady,
- And that it drave them backe uppon the coast of Affricke. There
- The Tyrian Queene (whoo afterward unpaciently should beare
- The going of this Trojane prince away) did enterteine
- Aenaeas in her house, and was ryght glad of him and fayne.
- Uppon a Pyle made underneathe pretence of sacrifyse
- Shee goard herself upon a swoord, and in most wofull wyse
- As shee herself had beene beguyld: so shee beguyled all.
- Eftsoone Aenaeas flying from the newly reered wall
- Of Carthage in that sandy land, retyred backe agen
- To Sicill, where his faythfull freend Acestes reignd. And when
- He there had doone his sacrifyse, and kept an Obit at
- His fathers tumb, he out of hand did mend his Gallyes that
- Dame Iris, Junos messenger, had burned up almost.
- And sayling thence he kept his course aloof along the coast
- Of Aeolye and of Vulcanes lies the which of brimston smol
- And passing by the Meremayds rocks, (His Pilot by a stroke
- Of tempest being drownd in sea) he sayld by Prochite, and
- Inarime, and (which uppon a barreine hill dooth stand)
- The land of Ape Ile, which dooth take that name of people s'ie
- There dwelling. For the Syre of Goddes abhorring utterly
- The leawdnesse of the Cercops, and theyr wilfull perjurye,
- And eeke theyr guylefull dealing did transforme them everyclone
- Into an evillfavored kynd of beast: that beeing none
- They myght yit still resemble men. He knit in lesser space
- Theyr members, and he beate mee flat theyr noses to theyr face,
- The which he filled furrowlike with wrinckles every where.
- He clad theyr bodyes over all with fallow coulourd heare,
- And put them into this same Ile to dwell forever there.
- But first he did bereeve them of the use of speeche and toong,
- Which they to cursed perjurye did use bothe old and yoong.
- To chatter hoarcely, and to shreeke, to jabber, and to squeake,
- He hath them left, and for to moppe and mowe, but not to speake.
- Aenaeas having past this Ile, and on his ryght hand left
- The towne of Naples, and the tumb of Mysen on his left,
- Toogither with the fenny grounds: at Cumye landed, and
- Went unto longlyvde Sybills house, with whom he went in hand
- That he to see his fathers ghoste myght go by Averne deepe.
- Shee long uppon the earth in stownd her eyes did fixed keepe,
- And at the length as soone as that the spryght of prophesye
- Was entred her, shee raysing them did thus ageine reply:
- O most renowmed wyght, of whom the godlynesse by fyre
- And valeantnesse is tryde by swoord, great things thou doost requyre.
- But feare not, Trojane: for thou shalt bee lord of thy desyre.
- To see the reverend image of thy deerebeeloved syre,
- Among the fayre Elysian feeldes where godly folke abyde,
- And all the lowest kingdoomes of the world I will thee guyde.
- No way to vertue is restreynd. This spoken, shee did showe
- A golden bowgh that in the wood of Proserpine did growe,
- And willed him to pull it from the tree. He did obey:
- And sawe the powre of dreadfull hell, and where his graundsyres lay
- And eeke the aged Ghost of stowt Anchises. Furthermore
- He lernd the customes of the land arryvd at late before,
- And what adventures should by warre betyde him in that place.
- From thence retyring up ageine a slow and weery pace,
- He did asswage the tediousnesse by talking with his guyde.
- For as he in the twylyght dim this dreadfui way did ryde,
- He sayed: Whither present thou thyself a Goddesse bee,
- Or such a one as God dooth love most dearly, I will thee
- For ever as a Goddesse take, and will acknowledge mee
- Thy servant, for saufguyding mee the place of death to see,
- And for thou from the place of death hast brought me sauf and free.
- For which desert, what tyme I shall atteyne to open ayre,
- I will a temple to thee buyld ryght sumptuous, large, and fayre,
- And honour thee with frankincence. The prophetisse did cast
- Her eye uppon Aenaeas backe, and syghing sayd at last:
- I am no Goddesse. Neyther think thou canst with conscience ryght,
- With holy incence honour give to any mortall wyght.
- But to th'entent through ignorance thou erre not, I had beene
- Eternall and of worldly lyfe I should none end have seene,
- If that I would my maydenhod on Phebus have bestowde.
- Howbeeit whyle he stood in hope to have the same, and trowde
- To overcome mee with his gifts: Thou mayd of Cumes (quoth he)
- Choose what thou wilt, and of thy wish the owner thou shalt bee.
- I taking full my hand of dust, and shewing it him there,
- Desyred like a foole to live as many yeeres as were
- Small graynes of cinder in that heape. I quight forgot to crave
- Immediately, the race of all those yeeres in youth to have.
- Yit did he graunt mee also that, uppon condicion I
- Would let him have my maydenhod, which thing I did denye.
- And so rejecting Phebus gift a single lyfe I led.
- But now the blessefull tyme of youth is altogither fled,
- And irksome age with trembling pace is stolne uppon my head,
- Which long I must endure. For now already as you see
- Seven hundred yeares are come and gone and that the number bee
- Full matched of the granes of dust, three hundred harvestes mo,
- I must three hundred vintages see more before I go.
- The day will come that length of tyme shall make my body small,
- And little of my withered limbes shall leave or naught at all.
- And none shall think that ever God was tane in love with mee.
- Even out of Phebus knowledge then perchaunce I growen shall bee,
- Or at the least that ever he mee lovde he shall denye,
- So sore I shall be altered. And then shall no mannes eye
- Discerne mee. Only by my voyce I shall bee knowen. For why
- The fates shall leave mee still my voyce for folke to know mee by.
- As Sybill in the vaulted way such talk as this did frame,
- The Trojane knyght Aenaeas up at Cumes fro Limbo came.
- And having doone the sacrifyse accustomd for the same,
- He tooke his journey to the coast which had not yit the name
- Receyved of his nurce. In this same place he found a mate
- Of wyse Ulysses, Macare of Neritus, whoo late
- Before, had after all his long and tediouse toyles, there stayd.
- He spying Achemenides (whom late ago afrayd
- They had among mount Aetnas Cliffs abandond when they fled
- From Polypheme): and woondring for to see he was not dead,
- Sayd thus: O Achemenides, what chaunce, or rather what
- Good God hathe savde the lyfe of thee? What is the reason that
- A barbrous shippe beares thee a Greeke? Or whither saylest thou?
- To him thus, Achemenides, his owne man freely now
- And not forgrowen as one forlorne, nor clad in bristled hyde,
- Made answer: Yit ageine I would I should in perrill byde
- Of Polypheme, and that I myght those chappes of his behold
- Beesmeared with the blood of men, but if that I doo hold
- This shippe more deere than all the Realme of wyse Ulysses, or
- If lesser of Aenaeas I doo make account than for
- My father, neyther (though I did as much as doone myght bee,)
- I could ynough bee thankfull for his goodnesse towards mee.
- That I still speake and breathe, that I the Sun and heaven doo see,
- Is his gift. Can I thanklesse then or myndlesse of him bee,
- That downe the round eyed gyants throte this soule of myne went not?
- And that from hencefoorth when to dye it ever be my lot
- I may be layd in grave, or sure not in the Gyants mawe?
- What hart had I that tyme (at least if feare did not withdrawe
- Both hart and sence) when left behynd, you taking shippe I sawe?
- I would have called after you but that I was afrayd
- By making outcrye to my fo myself to have beewrayd.
- For even the noyse that you did make did put Ulysses shippe
- In daunger. I did see him from a cragged mountaine strippe
- A myghty rocke, and into sea it throwe midway and more.
- Ageine I sawe his giants pawe throwe huge big stones great store
- As if it were a sling. And sore I feared lest your shippe
- Should drowned by the water bee that from the stones did skippe,
- Or by the stones themselves, as if my self had beene therin.
- But when that flyght had saved you from death, he did begin
- On Aetna syghing up and downe to walke: and with his pawes
- Went groping of the trees among the woodes. And forbycause
- He could not see, he knockt his shinnes ageinst the rocks eche where.
- And stretching out his grisly armes (which all beegrymed were
- With baken blood) to seaward, he the Greekish nation band,
- And sayd: O if that sum good chaunce myght bring unto my hand
- Ulysses or sum mate of his, on whom to wreake myne ire,
- Uppon whose bowells with my teeth I like a Hawke myght tyre:
- Whose living members myght with theis my talants teared beene:
- Whoose blood myght bubble down my throte: whose flesh myght pant between
- My jawes: how lyght or none at all this losing of myne eye
- Would seeme. Theis woordes and many mo the cruell feend did cry.
- A shuddring horror perced mee to see his smudged face,
- And cruell handes, and in his frunt the fowle round eyelesse place,
- And monstrous members, and his beard beslowbered with the blood
- Of man. Before myne eyes then death the smallest sorrow stood.
- I loked every minute to bee seased in his pawe.
- I looked ever when he should have cramd mee in his mawe.
- And in my mynd I of that tyme mee thought the image sawe
- When having dingd a doozen of our fellowes to the ground
- And lying lyke a Lyon feerce or hunger sterved hownd
- Uppon them, very eagerly he downe his greedy gut
- Theyr bowwels and theyr limbes yit more than half alive did put,
- And with theyr flesh toogither crasht the bones and maree whyght.
- I trembling like an aspen leaf stood sad and bloodlesse quyght.
- And in beholding how he fed and belked up againe
- His bloody vittells at his mouth, and uttred out amayne
- The clottred gobbets mixt with wyne, I thus surmysde: Like lot
- Hangs over my head now, and I must also go to pot.
- And hyding mee for many dayes, and quaking horribly
- At every noyse, and dreading death, and wisshing for to dye,
- Appeasing hunger with the leaves of trees, and herbes and mast,
- Alone, and poore, and footelesse, and to death and pennance cast,
- A long tyme after I espyde this shippe afarre at last,
- And ronning downeward to the sea by signes did succour seeke.
- Where fynding grace, this Trojane shippe receyved mee, a Greeke.
- But now I prey thee, gentle freend, declare thou unto mee
- Thy Capteines and thy fellowes lucke that tooke the sea with thee.
- He told him how that Aeolus, the sonne of Hippot, he
- That keepes the wyndes in pryson cloce did reigne in Tuskane sea.
- And how Ulysses having at his hand a noble gift,
- The wynd enclosde in leather bagges, did sayle with prosperous drift
- Nyne dayes toogither: insomuch they came within the syght
- Of home: but on the tenth day when the morning gan give lyght,
- His fellowes being somewhat toucht with covetousenesse and spyght,
- Supposing that it had beene gold, did let the wyndes out quyght.
- The which returning whence they came, did drive them backe amayne
- That in the Realme of Aeolus they went aland agayne.
- From thence (quoth he) we came unto the auncient Lamyes towne
- Of which the feerce Antiphates that season ware the crowne.
- A cowple of my mates and I were sent unto him: and
- A mate of myne and I could scarce by flyght escape his hand.
- The third of us did with his blood embrew the wicked face
- Of leawd Antiphate, whoo with swoord us flying thence did chace,
- And following after with a rowt threw stones and loggs which drownd
- Both men and shippes. Howbeeit one by chaunce escaped sound,
- Which bare Ulysses and my self. So having lost most part
- Of all our deare companions, we with sad and sory hart
- And much complayning, did arryve at yoonder coast which yow
- May ken farre hence. A great way hence (I say) wee see it now
- But trust mee truly over neere I saw it once. And thow
- Aenaeas, Goddesse Venus sonne, the justest knight of all
- The Trojane race (for sith the warre is doone, I can not call
- Thee fo) I warne thee get thee farre from Circes dwelling place.
- For when our shippes arryved there, remembring eft the cace
- Of cruell king Antiphates, and of that hellish wyght
- The round eyed gyant Polypheme, wee had so small delyght
- To visit uncowth places, that wee sayd wee would not go.
- Then cast we lotts. The lot fell out uppon myself as tho,
- And Polyte, and Eurylocus, and on Elpenor who
- Delyghted too too much in wyne, and eyghteene other mo.
- All wee did go to Circes houses. As soone as wee came thither,
- And in the portall of the Hall had set our feete toogither,
- A thousand Lyons, wolves and beares did put us in a feare
- By meeting us. But none of them was to bee feared there.
- For none of them could doo us harme: but with a gentle looke
- And following us with fawning feete theyr wanton tayles they shooke.
- Anon did Damzells welcome us and led us through the hall
- (The which was made of marble stone, floore, arches, roof, and wall)
- To Circe. Shee sate underneathe a traverse in a chayre
- Aloft ryght rich and stately, in a chamber large and fayre.
- Shee ware a goodly longtreynd gowne: and all her rest attyre
- Was every whit of goldsmithes woork. There sate mee also by her
- The Sea nymphes and her Ladyes whoose fyne fingers never knew
- What toozing wooll did meene, nor threede from whorled spindle drew.
- They sorted herbes, and picking out the flowers that were mixt,
- Did put them into mawnds, and with indifferent space betwixt
- Did lay the leaves and stalks on heapes according to theyr hew,
- And shee herself the woork of them did oversee and vew.
- The vertue and the use of them ryght perfectly shee knew,
- And in what leaf it lay, and which in mixture would agree.
- And so perusing every herb by good advysement, shee
- Did wey them out. Assoone as shee us entring in did see,
- And greeting had bothe given and tane, shee looked cheerefully,
- And graunting all that we desyrde, commaunded by and by
- A certeine potion to bee made of barly parched drye
- And wyne and hony mixt with cheese. And with the same shee slye
- Had meynt the jewce of certeine herbes which unespyde did lye
- By reason of the sweetenesse of the drink. Wee tooke the cup
- Delivered by her wicked hand, and quaft it cleerely up
- With thirstye throtes. Which doone, and that the cursed witch had smit
- Our highest heare tippes with her wand, (it is a shame, but yit
- I will declare the truth) I wext all rough with bristled heare,
- And could not make complaint with woordes. In stead of speech I there
- Did make a rawghtish grunting, and with groveling face gan beare
- My visage downeward to the ground. I felt a hooked groyne
- To wexen hard uppon my mouth, and brawned neck to joyne
- My head and shoulders. And the handes with which I late ago
- Had taken up the charmed cup, were turnd to feete as tho.
- Such force there is in Sorcerie. In fyne wyth other mo
- That tasted of the selfsame sawce, they shet mee in a Stye.
- From this missehappe Eurilochus alonly scapte. For why
- He only would not taste the cup, which had he not fled fro,
- He should have beene a bristled beast as well as we. And so
- Should none have borne Ulysses woorde of our mischaunce, nor hee
- Have come to Circe to revenge our harmes and set us free.
- The peaceprocurer Mercurie had given to him a whyght
- Fayre flowre whoose roote is black, and of the Goddes it Moly hyght
- Assurde by this and heavenly hestes, he entred Circes bowre.
- And beeing bidden for to drink the cup of baleful powre,
- As Circe was about to stroke her wand uppon his heare,
- He thrust her backe, and put her with his naked swoord in feare.
- Then fell they to agreement streyght, and fayth in hand was plyght.
- And beeing made her bedfellowe, he claymed as in ryght
- Of dowrye, for to have his men ageine in perfect plyght.
- Shee sprincled us with better jewce of uncowth herbes, and strake
- The awk end of her charmed rod uppon our heades, and spake
- Woordes to the former contrarie. The more shee charmd, the more
- Arose wee upward from the ground on which wee daarde before.
- Our bristles fell away, the clift our cloven clees forsooke.
- Our shoulders did returne agein: and next our elbowes tooke
- Our armes and handes theyr former place. Then weeping wee enbrace
- Our Lord, and hing about his necke whoo also wept apace.
- And not a woord wee rather spake than such as myght appeere
- From harts most thankfull to proceede. Wee taryed theyr a yeere.
- I in that whyle sawe many things, and many things did heere.
- I marked also this one thing with store of other geere
- Which one of Circes fowre cheef maydes (whoose office was alway
- Uppon such hallowes to attend) did secretly bewray
- To mee. For in the whyle my Lord with Circe kept alone,
- This mayd a yoongmannes image sheawd of fayre whyght marble stone
- Within a Chauncell. On the head therof were garlonds store
- And eeke a woodspecke. And as I demaunded her wherfore
- And whoo it was they honord so in holy Church, and why
- He bare that bird uppon his head: shee answeering by and by
- Sayd: Lerne hereby, sir Macare, to understand the powre
- My lady hathe, and marke thou well what I shall say this howre.