Metamorphoses
Ovid
Ovid. The XV bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, entytuled Metamorphosis. Golding, Arthur, translator. London: W. Seres (printer), 1567.
- With that
- The River ceast and all men there did woonder much thereat.
- Pirithous being over hault of mynde and such a one
- As did despyse bothe God and man, did laugh them everychone
- To scorne for giving credit, and sayd thus: The woords thou spaakst
- Are feyned fancies, Acheloy: and overstrong thou maakst
- The Gods: to say that they can give and take way shapes. This scoffe
- Did make the heerers all amazde, for none did like thereof.
- And Lelex of them all the man most rype in yeeres and wit,
- Sayd thus: Unmeasurable is the powre of heaven, and it
- Can have none end. And looke what God dooth mynd to bring about,
- Must take effect. And in this case to put yee out of dout,
- Upon the hilles of Phrygie neere a Teyle there stands a tree
- Of Oke enclosed with a wall. Myself the place did see.
- For Pithey untoo Pelops feelds did send mee where his father
- Did sumtyme reigne. Not farre fro thence there is a poole which rather
- Had bene dry ground inhabited. But now it is a meare
- And Moorecocks, Cootes, and Cormorants doo breede and nestle there.
- The mightie Jove and Mercurie his sonne in shape of men
- Resorted thither on a tyme. A thousand houses when
- For roome to lodge in they had sought, a thousand houses bard
- Theyr doores against them. Nerethelesse one Cotage afterward
- Receyved them, and that was but a pelting one in deede.
- The roofe therof was thatched all with straw and fennish reede.
- Howbee't two honest auncient folke, (of whom she Baucis hight
- And he Philemon) in that Cote theyr fayth in youth had plight:
- And in that Cote had spent theyr age. And for they paciently
- Did beare theyr simple povertie, they made it light thereby,
- And shewed it no thing to bee repyned at at all.
- It skilles not whether there for Hyndes or Maister you doo call,
- For all the houshold were but two: and both of them obeyde,
- And both commaunded. When the Gods at this same Cotage staid,
- And ducking downe their heads, within the low made Wicket came,
- Philemon bringing ech a stoole, bade rest upon the same
- Their limmes: and busie Baucis brought them cuishons homely geere.
- ihich done, the embers on the harth she gan abrode to steere,
- And laid the coales togither that were raakt up over night,
- And with the brands and dried leaves did make them gather might,
- And with the blowing of hir mouth did make them kindle bright.
- Then from an inner house she fetcht seare sticks and clifted brands,
- And put them broken underneath a Skillet with hir hands.
- Hir Husband from their Gardenplot fetcht Coleworts. Of the which
- She shreaded small the leaves, and with a Forke tooke downe a flitch
- Of restie Bacon from the Balke made blacke with smoke, and cut
- A peece thereof, and in the pan to boyling did it put.
- And while this meate a seething was, the time in talke they spent,
- By meanes whereof away without much tedousnesse it went.
- There hung a Boawle of Beeche upon a spirget by a ring.
- The same with warmed water filld the two old folke did bring
- To bathe their guests foule feete therein. Amid the house there stood
- A Couch whose bottom sides and feete were all of Sallow wood,
- And on the same a Mat of Sedge. They cast upon this bed
- A covering which was never wont upon it to be spred
- Except it were at solemne feastes: and yet the same was olde
- And of the coursest, with a bed of sallow meete to holde.
- The Gods sate downe. The aged wife right chare and busie as
- A Bee, set out a table, of the which the thirde foote was
- A little shorter than the rest. A tylesherd made it even
- And tooke away the shoringnesse: and when they had it driven
- To stand up levell, with greene Mintes they by and by it wipte.
- Then set they on it Pallas fruite with double colour stripte.
- And Cornels kept in pickle moyst, and Endive, and a roote
- Of Radish, and a jolly lump of Butter fresh and soote,
- And Egges reare rosted. All these Cates in earthen dishes came.
- Then set they downe a graven cup made also of the same
- Selfe kinde of Plate, and Mazers made of Beech whose inner syde
- Was rubd with yellow wax. And when they pawsed had a tyde,
- Hot meate came pyping from the fyre. And shortly thereupon
- A cup of greene hedg wyne was brought. This tane away, anon
- Came in the latter course, which was of Nuts, Dates, dryed figges,
- Sweete smelling Apples in a Mawnd made flat of Osier twigges,
- And Prunes and Plums and Purple grapes cut newly from the tree,
- And in the middes a honnycomb new taken from the Bee.
- Besydes all this there did ensew good countnance overmore,
- With will not poore nor nigardly. Now all the whyle before,
- As ofen as Philemon and Dame Baucis did perceyve
- The emptie Cup to fill alone, and wyne to still receyve,
- Amazed at the straungenesse of the thing, they gan streyght way
- With fearfull harts and hands hilld up to frame themselves to pray.
- Desyring for theyr slender cheere and fare to pardoned bee.
- They had but one poore Goose which kept theyr little Tennantree,
- And this to offer to the Gods theyr guestes they did intend.
- The Gander wyght of wing did make the slow old folke to spend
- Theyr paynes in vayne, and mokt them long. At length he seemd to flye
- For succor to the Gods themselves, who bade he should not dye.
- For wee bee Gods (quoth they) and all this wicked towneship shall
- Abye their gylt. On you alone this mischeef shall not fall.
- No more but give you up your house, and follow up this hill
- Togither, and upon the top therof abyde our will.
- They bothe obeyd. And as the Gods did lead the way before,
- They lagged slowly after with theyr staves, and labored sore
- Ageinst the rysing of the hill. They were not mickle more
- Than full a flyghtshot from the top, when looking backe they saw
- How all the towne was drowned save their lyttle shed of straw.
- And as they wondred at the thing and did bewayle the case
- Of those that had theyr neyghbours beene, the old poore Cote so base
- Whereof they had beene owners erst, became a Church. The proppes
- Were turned into pillars huge. The straw uppon the toppes
- Was yellow, so that all the roof did seeme of burnisht gold:
- The floore with Marble paved was. The doores on eyther fold
- Were graven. At the sight hereof Philemon and his make
- Began to pray in feare. Then Jove thus gently them bespake:
- Declare thou ryghtuowse man, and thou woman meete to have
- A ryghtuowse howsband, what yee would most cheefly wish or crave.
- Philemon taking conference a little with his wyfe,
- Declared bothe theyr meenings thus: We covet during lyfe,
- Your Chapleynes for to bee to keepe your Temple. And bycause
- Our yeeres in concord wee have spent, I pray when death neere drawes,
- Let bothe of us togither leave our lives: that neyther I
- Behold my wyves deceace, nor shee see myne when I doo dye.
- Theyr wish had sequele to theyr will. As long as lyfe did last,
- They kept the Church. And beeing spent with age of yeares forepast,
- By chaunce as standing on a tyme without the Temple doore
- They told the fortune of the place, Philemon old and poore
- Saw Baucis floorish greene with leaves, and Baucis saw likewyse
- Philemon braunching out in boughes and twigs before hir eyes.
- And as the Bark did overgrow the heades of both, eche spake
- To other whyle they myght. At last they eche of them did take
- Theyr leave of other bothe at once, and therewithall the bark
- Did hyde theyr faces both at once. The Phrygians in that park
- Doo at this present day still shew the trees that shaped were
- Of theyr two bodies, growing yit togither joyntly there.
- Theis things did auncient men report of credit verie good.
- For why there was no cause why they should lye. As I there stood
- I saw the garlands hanging on the boughes, and adding new
- I sayd: Let them whom God dooth love be Gods, and honor dew
- Bee given to such as honor him with feare and reverence trew.
- He hilld his peace, and bothe the thing and he that did it tell
- Did move them all, but Theseus most. Whom being mynded well
- To heere of woondrous things, the brooke of Calydon thus bespake:
- There are, O valiant knyght, sum folke that had the powre to take
- Straunge shape for once, and all their lyves continewed in the same.
- And other sum to sundrie shapes have power themselves to frame,
- As thou, O Protew, dwelling in the sea that cleepes the land.
- For now a yoonker, now a boare, anon a Lyon, and
- Streyght way thou didst become a Snake, and by and by a Bull
- That people were afrayd of thee to see thy horned skull.
- And oftentymes thou seemde a stone, and now and then a tree,
- And counterfetting water sheere thou seemedst oft to bee
- A River: and another whyle contrarie thereunto
- Thou wart a fyre. No lesser power than also thus to doo
- Had Erisicthons daughter whom Awtolychus tooke to wyfe.
- Her father was a person that despysed all his lyfe
- The powre of Gods, and never did vouchsauf them sacrifyse.
- He also is reported to have heawen in wicked wyse
- The grove of Ceres, and to fell her holy woods which ay
- Had undiminisht and unhackt continewed to that day.
- There stood in it a warrie Oke which was a wood alone.
- Uppon it round hung fillets, crownes, and tables, many one,
- The vowes of such as had obteynd theyr hearts desyre. Full oft
- The Woodnymphes underneath this tree did fetch theyr frisks aloft
- And oftentymes with hand in hand they daunced in a round
- About the Trunk, whose bignesse was of timber good and sound
- Full fifteene fadom. All the trees within the wood besyde,
- Were unto this, as weedes to them: so farre it did them hyde.
- Yit could not this move Triops sonne his axe therefro to hold,
- But bade his servants cut it downe. And when he did behold
- Them stunting at his hest, he snatcht an axe with furious mood
- From one of them, and wickedly sayd thus: Although thys wood
- Not only were the derling of the Goddesse, but also
- The Goddesse even herself: yet would I make it ere I go
- To kisse the clowers with her top that pranks with braunches so.
- This spoken, as he sweakt his axe asyde to fetch his blow,
- The manast Oke did quake and sygh, the Acornes that did grow
- Thereon togither with the leaves to wex full pale began,
- And shrinking in for feare the boughes and braunches looked wan.
- As soone as that his cursed hand had wounded once the tree,
- The blood came spinning from the carf, as freshly as yee see
- It issue from a Bullocks necke whose throte is newly cut
- Before the Altar, when his flesh to sacrifyse is put.
- They were amazed everychone. And one among them all
- To let the wicked act, durst from the tree his hatchet call.
- The lewd Thessalian facing him sayd: Take thou heere to thee
- The guerdon of thy godlynesse, and turning from the tree,
- He chopped off the fellowes head. Which done, he went agen
- And heawed on the Oke. Streight from amid the tree as then
- There issued such a sound as this: Within this tree dwell I
- A Nymph to Ceres very deere, who now before I dye
- In comfort of my death doo give thee warning thou shalt bye
- Thy dooing deere within a whyle. He goeth wilfully
- Still thorrough with his wickednesse, untill at length the Oke
- Pulld partly by the force of ropes, and cut with axis stroke,
- Did fall, and with his weyght bare downe of under wood great store.
- The Wood nymphes with the losses of the woods and theyrs ryght sore
- Amazed, gathered on a knot, and all in mourning weede
- Went sad to Ceres, praying her to wreake that wicked deede
- Of Erisicthons. Ceres was content it should bee so.
- And with the moving of her head in nodding to and fro,
- Shee shooke the feeldes which laden were with frutefull Harvest tho,
- And therewithall a punishment most piteous shee proceedes
- To put in practyse: were it not that his most heynous deedes
- No pitie did deserve to have at any bodies hand.
- With helpelesse hungar him to pyne, in purpose shee did stand.
- And forasmuch as shee herself and Famin myght not meete
- (For fate forbiddeth Famin to abyde within the leete
- Where plentie is) shee thus bespake a fayrie of the hill:
- There lyeth in the utmost bounds of Tartarie the chill
- A Dreerie place, a wretched soyle, a barreine plot: no grayne,
- No frute, no tree, is growing there: but there dooth ay remayne
- Unweeldsome cold, with trembling feare, and palenesse white as clowt,
- And foodlesse Famin. Will thou her immediatly withowt
- Delay to shed herself into the stomacke of the wretch,
- And let no plentie staunch her force but let her working stretch
- Above the powre of mee. And lest the longnesse of the way
- May make thee wearie, take thou heere my charyot: take I say
- My draggons for to beare thee through the aire.
- In saving so
- She gave hir them. The Nymph mounts up, and flying thence as tho
- Alyghts in Scythy land, and up the cragged top of hye
- Mount Caucasus did cause hir Snakes with much adoo to stye.
- Where seeking long for Famin, shee the gaptoothd elfe did spye
- Amid a barreine stony feeld a ramping up the grasse
- With ougly nayles and chanking it. Her face pale colourd was.
- Hir heare was harsh and shirle, her eyes were sunken in her head.
- Her lyppes were hore with filth, her teeth were furd and rusty red.
- Her skinne was starched, and so sheere a man myght well espye
- The verie bowels in her bulk how every one did lye.
- And eke above her courbed loynes her withered hippes were seene.
- In stead of belly was a space where belly should have beene.
- Her brest did hang so sagging downe as that a man would weene
- That scarcely to her ridgebone had hir ribbes beene fastened well.
- Her leannesse made her joynts bolne big, and kneepannes for to swell.
- And with exceeding mighty knubs her heeles behynd boynd out.
- Now when the Nymph behild this elfe afarre, (she was in dout
- To come too neere her:) shee declarde her Ladies message. And
- In that same little whyle although the Nymph aloof did stand,
- And though shee were but newly come, yit seemed shee to feele
- The force of Famin. Wheruppon shee turning backe her wheele
- Did reyne her dragons up aloft: who streyght with courage free
- Conveyd her into Thessaly. Although that Famin bee
- Ay contrarye to Ceres woork, yit did shee then agree
- To do her will and glyding through the Ayre supported by
- The wynd, she found th'appoynted house: and entring by and by
- The caytifs chamber where he slept (it was in tyme of nyght)
- Shee hugged him betweene her armes there snorting bolt upryght,
- And breathing her into him, blew uppon his face and brest,
- That hungar in his emptie veynes myght woorke as hee did rest.
- And when she had accomplished her charge, shee then forsooke
- The frutefull Clymates of the world, and home ageine betooke
- Herself untoo her frutelesse feeldes and former dwelling place.
- The gentle sleepe did all this whyle with fethers soft embrace
- The wretched Erisicthons corse. Who dreaming streight of meate
- Did stirre his hungry jawes in vayne as though he had to eate
- And chanking tooth on tooth apace he gryndes them in his head,
- And occupies his emptie throte with swallowing, and in stead
- Of food devoures the lither ayre. But when that sleepe with nyght
- Was shaken off, immediatly a furious appetite
- Of feeding gan to rage in him, which in his greedy gummes
- And in his meatlesse maw dooth reigne unstauncht. Anon there cummes
- Before him whatsoever lives on sea, in aire or land:
- And yit he crieth still for more. And though the platters stand
- Before his face full furnished, yit dooth he still complayne
- Of hungar, craving meate at meale. The food that would susteine
- Whole householdes, Towneships, Shyres and Realmes suffyce not him alone.
- The more his pampred paunch consumes, the more it maketh mone
- And as the sea receyves the brookes of all the worldly Realmes,
- And yit is never satisfyde for all the forreine streames,
- And as the fell and ravening fyre refuseth never wood,
- But burneth faggots numberlesse, and with a furious mood
- The more it hath, the more it still desyreth evermore,
- Encreacing in devouring through encreasement of the store:
- So wicked Erisicthons mouth in swallowing of his meate
- Was ever hungry more and more, and longed ay to eate.
- Meate tolld in meate: and as he ate the place was empty still.
- The hungar of his brinklesse Maw, the gulf that nowght might fill,
- Had brought his fathers goods to nowght. But yit continewed ay
- His cursed hungar unappeasd: and nothing could alay I
- The flaming of his starved throte. At length when all was spent,
- And into his unfilled Maw bothe goods and lands were sent,
- An only daughter did remayne unworthy to have had
- So lewd a father. Hir he sold, so hard he was bestad.
- But shee of gentle courage could no bondage well abyde.
- And therfore stretching out her hands to seaward there besyde,
- Now save mee, quoth shee, from the yoke of bondage I thee pray,
- O thou that my virginitie enjoyest as a pray.
- Neptunus had it. Who to this her prayer did consent.
- And though her maister looking backe (for after him shee went)
- Had newly seene her: yit he turnd hir shape and made hir man,
- And gave her looke of fisherman. Her mayster looking than
- Upon her, sayd: Good fellow, thou that on the shore doost stand
- With angling rod and bayted hooke and hanging lyne in hand,
- I pray thee as thou doost desyre the Sea ay calme to thee,
- And fishes for to byght thy bayt, and striken still to bee,
- Tell where the frizzletopped wench in course and sluttish geere
- That stoode right now uppon this shore (for well I wote that heere
- I saw her standing) is become. For further than this place
- No footestep is appeering. Shee perceyving by the cace
- That Neptunes gift made well with her, and beeing glad to see
- Herself enquyrd for of herself, sayd thus: Who ere you bee
- I pray you for to pardon mee. I turned not myne eye
- A t'one syde ne a toother from this place, but did apply
- My labor hard. And that you may the lesser stand in dowt,
- So Neptune further still the Art and craft I go abowt,
- As now a whyle no living Wyght uppon this levell sand
- (Myself excepted) neyther man nor woman heere did stand.
- Her maister did beleeve her words: and turning backward went
- His way beguyld: and streight to her her native shape was sent.
- But when her father did perceyve his daughter for to have
- A bodye so transformable, he oftentymes her gave
- For monny. But the damzell still escaped, now a Mare
- And now a Cow, and now a Bird, a Hart, a Hynd, or Hare,
- And ever fed her hungry Syre with undeserved fare.
- But after that the maladie had wasted all the meates
- As well of store as that which shee had purchast by her feates:
- Most cursed keytife as he was, with bighting hee did rend
- His flesh, and by diminishing his bodye did intend
- To feede his bodye, till that death did speede his fatall end.
- But what meene I to busye mee in forreine matters thus?
- To alter shapes within precinct is lawfull even to us,
- My Lords. For sumtime I am such as you do now mee see,
- Sumtyme I wynd mee in a Snake: and oft I seeme to bee
- A Capteine of the herd with homes. For taking homes on mee
- I lost a tyne which heeretofore did arme mee as the print
- Dooth playnly shew. With that same word he syghed and did stint.
- What ayleth thee (quoth Theseus) to sygh so sore? and how
- Befell it thee to get this mayme that is uppon thy brow?
- The noble streame of Calydon made answer, who did weare
- A Garland made of reedes and flags upon his sedgie heare:
- A greeveus pennance you enjoyne. For who would gladly show
- The combats in the which himself did take the overthrow?
- Yit will I make a just report in order of the same.
- For why? to have the woorser hand was not so great a shame,
- As was the honor such a match to undertake. And much
- It comforts mee that he who did mee overcome, was such
- A valiant champion. If perchaunce you erst have heard the name
- Of Deyanyre, the fayrest Mayd that ever God did frame
- Shee was in myne opinion. And the hope to win her love
- Did mickle envy and debate among hir wooers move.
- With whome I entring to the house of him that should have bee
- My fathrilaw: Parthaons sonne (I sayd) accept thou mee
- Thy Sonnylaw. And Hercules in selfsame sort did woo.
- And all the other suters streight gave place unto us two.
- He vaunted of his father Jove, and of his famous deedes,
- And how ageinst his stepdames spyght his prowesse still proceedes.
- And I ageine a toother syde sayd thus: It is a shame
- That God should yeeld to man. (This stryfe was long ere he became
- A God). Thou seeist mee a Lord of waters in thy Realme
- Where I in wyde and wynding banks doo beare my flowing streame.
- No straunger shalt thou have of mee sent farre from forreine land:
- But one of household, or at least a neyghbour heere at hand.
- Alonly let it bee to mee no hindrance that the wyfe
- Of Jove abhorres mee not, ne that upon the paine of lyfe
- Shee sets mee not to talk. For where thou bostest thee to bee
- Alcmenas sonne, Jove eyther is not father unto thee:
- Or if he bee it is by sin. In making Jove thy father,
- Thou maakst thy mother but a whore. Now choose thee whither rather
- Thou had to graunt this tale of Jove surmised for to bee,
- Or else thy selfe begot in shame and borne in bastardee.
- At that he grimly bendes his browes, and much adoo he hath
- To hold his hands, so sore his hart inflamed is with wrath.
- He said no more but thus: My hand dooth serve mee better than
- My toong. Content I am (so I in feighting vanquish can)
- That thou shalt overcome in wordes. And therewithall he gan
- Mee feercely to assaile. Mee thought it was a shame for mee
- That had even now so stoutly talkt, in dooings faint to bee.
- I casting off my greenish cloke thrust stifly out at length
- Mine armes and streynd my pawing armes to hold him out by strength,
- And framed every limme to cope. With both his hollow hands
- He caught up dust and sprincked mee: and I likewise with sands
- Made him all yelow too. One whyle hee at my necke dooth snatch
- Another whyle my cleere crisp legges he striveth for to catch,
- Or trippes at mee: and everywhere the vauntage he dooth watch.
- My weightinesse defended mee, and cleerly did disfeate
- His stoute assaults as when a wave with hideous noyse dooth beate
- Against a Rocke, the Rocke dooth still both sauf and sound abyde
- By reason of his massinesse. Wee drew a whyle asyde.
- And then incountring fresh ageine, wee kept our places stowt
- Full minded not to yeeld an inch, but for to hold it owt.
- Now were wee stonding foote to foote. And I with all my brest
- Was leaning forward, and with head ageinst his head did rest,
- And with my gryping fingars I ageinst his fingars thrust.
- So have I seene two myghtie Bulles togither feercely just
- In seeking as their pryse to have the fayrest Cow in all
- The feeld to bee their make, and all the herd bothe greate and small
- Stand gazing on them fearfully not knowing unto which
- The conquest of so greate a gayne shall fall. Three tymes a twich
- Gave Hercules and could not wrinch my leaning brest him fro
- But at the fourth he shooke mee off and made mee to let go
- My hold: and with a push (I will tell truthe) he had a knacke
- To turne me off, and heavily he hung upon my backe.
- And if I may beleeved bee (as sure I meene not I
- To vaunt my selfe vayngloriusly by telling of a lye,)
- Mee thought a mountaine whelmed me. But yit with much adoo
- I wrested in my sweating armes, and hardly did undoo
- His griping hands. He following still his vauntage, suffred not
- Mee once to breath or gather strength, but by and by he got
- Mee by the necke. Then was I fayne to sinke with knee to ground,
- And kisse the dust. Now when in strength too weake myself I found,
- I tooke mee to my slights, and slipt in shape of Snake away
- Of wondrous length. And when that I of purpose him to fray
- Did bend myself in swelling rolles, and made a hideous noyse
- Of hissing with my forked toong, he smyling at my toyes,
- And laughing them to scorne sayd thus: It is my Cradle game
- To vanquish Snakes, O Acheloy. Admit thou overcame
- All other Snakes, yet what art thou compared to the Snake
- Of Lerna, who by cutting off did still encreasement take?
- For of a hundred heades not one so soone was paarde away,
- But that uppon the stump therof there budded other tway.
- This sprouting Snake whose braunching heads by slaughter did revive
- And grow by cropping, I subdewd, and made it could not thryve.
- And thinkest thou (who being none wouldst seeme a Snake) to scape?
- Who doost with foorged weapons feyght and under borowed shape?
- This sayd, his fingars of my necke he fastned in the nape.
- Mee thought he graand my throte as though he did with pinsons nip.
- I struggled from his churlish thumbes my pinched chappes to slip
- But doo the best and worst I could he overcame mee so.
- Then thirdly did remayne the shape of Bull, and quickly tho
- I turning to the shape of Bull rebelld ageinst my fo.
- He stepping to my left syde cloce, did fold his armes about
- My wattled necke, and following mee then running maynely out
- Did drag mee backe, and made mee pitch my homes against the ground,
- And in the deepest of the sand he overthrew mee round.
- And yit not so content, such hold his cruell hand did take
- Uppon my welked horne, that he asunder quight it brake,
- And pulld it from my maymed brew. The waterfayries came
- And filling it with frute and flowres did consecrate the same,
- And so my horne the Tresory of plenteousnesse became.
- As soone as Acheloy had told this tale a wayting Mayd
- With flaring heare that lay on both hir shoulders and arrayd
- Like one of Dame Dianas Nymphes with solemne grace forth came
- And brought that rich and precious home, and heaped in the same
- All kynd of frutes that Harvest sendes, and specially such frute
- As serves for latter course at meales of every sort and sute.
- As soone as daylight came ageine, and that the Sunny rayes
- Did shyne upon the tops of things, the Princes went their wayes.
- They would not tarry till the floud were altogither falne
- And that the River in his banks ran low ageine and calme.
- Then Acheloy amid his waves his Crabtree face did hyde
- And head disarmed of a home.
- And though he did abyde
- In all parts else bothe sauf and sound, yit this deformitye
- Did cut his comb: and for to hyde this blemish from the eye
- He hydes his hurt with Sallow leaves, or else with sedge and reede.
- But of the selfsame Mayd the love killd thee, feerce Nesse, in deede,
- When percing swiftly through thy back an arrow made thee bleede.
- For as Joves issue with his wyfe was onward on his way
- In going to his countryward, enforst he was to stay
- At swift Euenus bank, bycause the streame was risen sore
- Above his bounds through rage of rayne that fell but late before.
- Agein so full of whoorlpooles and of gulles the channell was,
- That scarce a man could any where fynd place of passage. As
- Not caring for himself but for his wyfe he there did stand,
- This Nessus came unto him (who was strong of body and
- Knew well the foordes), and sayd: Use thou thy strength, O Hercules,
- In swimming. I will fynd the meanes this Ladie shall with ease
- Bee set uppon the further bank. So Hercules betooke
- His wyfe to Nessus. Shee for feare of him and of the brooke
- Lookte pale. Her husband as he had his quiver by his syde
- Of arrowes full, and on his backe his heavy Lyons hyde,
- (For to the further bank he erst his club and bow had cast)
- Said: Sith I have begonne, this brooke bothe must and shalbee past.
- He never casteth further doubts, nor seekes the calmest place,
- But through the roughest of the streame he cuts his way apace.
- Now as he on the furthersyde was taking up his bow,
- His heard his wedlocke shreeking out, and did hir calling know:
- And cryde to Nesse (who went about to deale unfaythfully
- In running with his charge away): Whoa, whither doost thou fly,
- Thou Royster thou, uppon vaine hope by swiftnesse to escape
- My hands? I say give eare thou Nesse for all thy double shape,
- And meddle not with that thats myne. Though no regard of mee
- Might move thee to refrayne from rape, thy father yit might bee
- A warning, who for offring shame to Juno now dooth feele
- Continuall torment in his limbes by turning on a wheele.
- For all that thou hast horses feete which doo so bolde thee make,
- Yit shalt thou not escape my hands. I will thee overtake
- With wound and not with feete. He did according as he spake.
- For with an arrow as he fled he strake him through the backe,
- And out before his brist ageine the hooked iron stacke.
- And when the same was pulled out, the blood amayne ensewd
- At both the holes with poyson foule of Lerna Snake embrewd:
- This blood did Nessus take, and said within himselfe: Well: sith
- I needes must dye, yet will I not dye unrevendgd. And with
- The same he staynd a shirt, and gave it unto Dyanyre,
- Assuring hir it had the powre to kindle Cupids fyre.
- A greate whyle after when the deedes of worthy Hercules
- Were such as filled all the world, and also did appease
- The hatred of his stepmother, as he uppon a day
- With conquest from Oechalia came, and was abowt to pay
- His vowes to Jove uppon the Mount of Cenye, tatling fame
- (Who in reporting things of truth delyghts to sauce the same
- With tales, and of a thing of nowght dooth ever greater grow
- Through false and newly forged lyes that shee hirself dooth sow)
- Told Dyanyre that Hercules did cast a liking to
- A Ladie called Iolee. And Dyanyra (whoo
- Was jealous over Hercules,) gave credit to the same.
- And when that of a Leman first the tidings to hir came,
- She being striken to the hart, did fall to teares alone,
- And in a lamentable wise did make most wofull mone.
- Anon she said: what meene theis teares thus gushing from myne eyen?
- My husbands Leman will rejoyce at theis same teares of myne.
- Nay, sith she is to come, the best it were to shonne delay,
- And for to woork sum new devyce and practyse whyle I may,
- Before that in my bed her limbes the filthy strumpet lay.
- And shall I then complayne? or shall I hold my toong with skill?
- Shall I returne to Calydon? or shall I tarry still?
- Or shall I get me out of doores, and let them have their will?
- What if that I (Meleager) remembring mee to bee
- Thy suster, to attempt sum act notorious did agree?
- And in a harlots death did shew (that all the world myght see)
- What greef can cause the womankynd to enterpryse among?
- And specially when thereunto they forced are by wrong.
- With wavering thoughts ryght violently her mynd was tossed long.
- At last shee did preferre before all others, for to send
- The shirt bestayned with the blood of Nessus to the end
- To quicken up the quayling love. And so not knowing what
- She gave, she gave her owne remorse and greef to Lychas that
- Did know as little as herself: and wretched woman, shee
- Desyrd him gently to her Lord presented it to see.
- The noble Prince receyving it without mistrust therein,
- Did weare the poyson of the Snake of Lerna next his skin.
- To offer incense and to pray to Jove he did begin,
- And on the Marble Altar he full boawles of wyne did shed,
- When as the poyson with the heate resolving, largely spred
- Through all the limbes of Hercules. As long as ere he could,
- The stoutnesse of his hart was such, that sygh no whit he would.
- But when the mischeef grew so great all pacience to surmount,
- He thrust the altar from him streight, and filled all the mount
- Of Oeta with his roring out. He went about to teare
- The deathfull garment from his backe, but where he pulled, there
- He pulld away the skin: and (which is lothsum to report)
- It eyther cleaved to his limbes and members in such sort
- As that he could not pull it off, or else it tare away
- The flesh, that bare his myghty bones and grisly sinewes lay.
- The scalding venim boyling in his blood, did make it hisse,
- As when a gad of steel red hot in water quenched is.
- There was no measure of his paine. The frying venim hent
- His inwards, and a purple swet from all his body went.
- His sindged sinewes shrinking crakt, and with a secret strength
- The povson even within his bones the Maree melts at length.
- And holding up his hands to heaven, he sayd, with hideous reere:
- O Saturnes daughter, feede thy selfe on my distresses heere.
- Yea feede, and, cruell wyght, this plage behold thou from above
- And glut thy savage hart therewith. Or if thy fo may move
- Thee unto pitie, (for to thee I am an utter fo)
- Bereeve mee of my hatefull soule distrest with helplesse wo,
- And borne to endlesse toyle. For death shall unto mee bee sweete,
- And for a cruell stepmother is death a gift most meetc.
- And is it I that did destroy Busiris, who did foyle
- His temple floores with straungers blood? Ist I that did dispoyle
- Antaeus of his mothers help? Ist I that could not bee
- Abashed at the Spanyard who in one had bodies three?
- Nor at the trypleheaded shape, O Cerberus, of thee?
- Are you the hands that by the homes the Bull of Candie drew?
- Did you king Augies stable clenze whom afterward yee slew?
- Are you the same by whom the fowles were scaard from Stymphaly?
- Caught you the Stag in Maydenwood which did not runne but fly?
- Are you the hands whose puissance receyved for your pay
- The golden belt of Thermodon? Did you convey away
- The Apples from the Dragon fell that waked nyght and day?
- Ageinst the force of mee, defence the Centaures could not make,
- Nor yit the Boare of Arcadie: nor yit the ougly Snake
- Of Lerna, who by losse did grow and dooble force still take.
- What? is it I that did behold the pampyred Jades of Thrace
- With Maungers full of flesh of men on which they fed apace?
- Ist I that downe at syght thereof theyr greazy Maungers threw,
- And bothe the fatted Jades themselves and eke their mayster slew?
- The Nemean Lyon by theis armes lyes dead uppon the ground.
- Theis armes the monstruous Giant Cake by Tyber did confound.
- Uppon theis shoulders have I borne the weyght of all the skie.
- Joves cruell wyfe is weerye of commaunding mee. Yit I
- Unweerie am of dooing still. But now on mee is lyght
- An uncoth plage, which neyther force of hand, nor vertues myght,
- Nor Arte is able to resist. Like wasting fyre it spreedes
- Among myne inwards, and through out on all my body feedes.
- But all this whyle Eurysthye lives in health. And sum men may
- Beeleve there bee sum Goddes in deede. Thus much did Hercule say.
- And wounded over Oeta hygh, he stalking gan to stray,
- As when a Bull in maymed bulk a deadly dart dooth beare,
- And that the dooer of the deede is shrunke asyde for feare.
- Oft syghing myght you him have seene, oft trembling, oft about
- To teare the garment with his hands from top to toe throughout,
- And throwing downe the myghtye trees, and chaufing with the hilles,
- Or casting up his handes to heaven where Jove his father dwelles.
- Behold as Lychas trembling in a hollow rock did lurk,
- He spyed him. And as his greef did all in furie woork,
- He sayd: Art thou, syr Lychas, he that broughtest unto mee
- This plagye present? of my death must thou the woorker bee?
- Hee quaakt and shaakt, and looked pale, and fearfully gan make
- Excuse. But as with humbled hands hee kneeling to him spake,
- The furious Hercule caught him up, and swindging him about
- His head a halfe a doozen tymes or more, he floong him out
- Into th'Euboyan sea with force surmounting any sling.
- He hardened into peble stone as in the ayre he hing.
- And even as rayne conjeald by wynd is sayd to turne to snowe,
- And of the snow round rolled up a thicker masse to growe,
- Which falleth downe in hayle: so men in auncient tyme report,
- That Lychas beeing swindgd about by violence in that sort,
- (His blood then beeing drayned out, and having left at all
- No moysture,) into peble stone was turned in his fall.
- Now also in th'Euboyan sea appeeres a hygh short rocke
- In shape of man ageinst the which the shipmen shun to knocke,
- As though it could them feele, and they doo call it by the name
- Of Lychas still. But thou Joves imp of great renowme and fame,
- Didst fell the trees of Oeta high, and making of the same
- A pyle, didst give to Poeans sonne thy quiver and thy bow,
- And arrowes which should help agein Troy towne to overthrow.
- He put to fyre, and as the same was kindling in the pyle,
- Thy selfe didst spred thy Lyons skin upon the wood the whyle,
- And leaning with thy head ageinst thy Club, thou laydst thee downe
- As cheerfully, as if with flowres and garlonds on thy crowne
- Thou hadst beene set a banquetting among full cups of wyne.
- Anon on every syde about those carelesse limbes of thyne
- The fyre began to gather strength, and crackling noyse did make,
- Assayling him whose noble hart for daliance did it take.
- The Goddes for this defender of the earth were sore afrayd
- To whom with cheerefull countnance Jove perceyving it thus sayd:
- This feare of yours is my delyght, and gladly even with all
- My hart I doo rejoyce, O Gods, that mortall folk mee call
- Their king and father, thinking mee ay myndfull of their weale,
- And that myne offspring should doo well your selves doo show such zeale.
- For though that you doo attribute your favor to desert,
- Considring his most woondrous acts: yit I too for my part
- Am bound unto you. Nerethelesse, for that I would not have
- Your faythfull harts without just cause in fearfull passions wave,
- I would not have you of the flames in Oeta make account.
- For as he hath all other things, so shall he them surmount.
- Save only on that part that he hath taken of his mother,
- The fyre shall have no power at all. Eternall is the tother,
- The which he takes of mee, and cannot dye, ne yeeld to fyre.
- When this is rid of earthly drosse, then will I lift it hygher,
- And take it unto heaven: and I beleeve this deede of myne
- Will gladsome bee to all the Gods. If any doo repyne,
- If any doo repyne, I say, that Hercule should become
- A God, repyne he still for mee, and looke he sowre and glum.
- But let him know that Hercules deserveth this reward,
- And that he shall ageinst his will alow it afterward.
- The Gods assented everychone. And Juno seemd to make
- No evill countnance to the rest, untill hir husband spake
- The last. For then her looke was such as well they might perceyve,
- Shee did her husbands noting her in evil part conceyve.
- Whyle Jove was talking with the Gods, as much as fyre could waste
- So much had fyre consumde. And now, O Hercules, thou haste
- No carkesse for to know thee by. That part is quyght bereft
- Which of thy mother thou didst take. Alonly now is left
- The likenesse that thou tookst of Jove. And as the Serpent slye
- In casting of his withered slough, renewes his yeeres thereby,
- And wexeth lustyer than before, and looketh crisp and bryght
- With scoured scales: so Hercules as soone as that his spryght
- Had left his mortall limbes, gan in his better part to thryve,
- And for to seeme a greater thing than when he was alyve,
- And with a stately majestie ryght reverend to appeere.
- His myghty father tooke him up above the cloudy spheere,
- And in a charyot placed him among the streaming starres.
- Huge Atlas felt the weyght thereof. But nothing this disbarres
- Eurysthyes malice. Cruelly he prosecutes the hate
- Uppon the offspring, which he bare ageinst the father late.
- But yit to make her mone unto and wayle her miserie
- And tell her sonnes great woorkes, which all the world could testifie,
- Old Alcmen had Dame Iolee. By Hercules last will
- In wedlocke and in hartie love shee joyned was to Hill,
- By whome shee then was big with chyld: when thus Alcmena sayd:
- The Gods at least bee mercifull and send thee then theyr ayd,
- And short thy labor, when the fruite the which thou goste withall
- Now beeing rype enforceth thee wyth fearfull voyce to call
- Uppon Ilithya, president of chyldbirthes, whom the ire
- Of Juno at my travailing made deaf to my desire.
- For when the Sun through twyce fyve signes his course had fully run,
- And that the paynfull day of birth approched of my sonne,
- My burthen strayned out my wombe, and that that I did beare
- Became so greate, that of so huge a masse yee well myght sweare
- That Jove was father. Neyther was I able to endure
- The travail any lenger tyme. Even now I you assure
- In telling it a shuddring cold through all my limbes dooth strike,
- And partly it renewes my peynes to thinke uppon the like.
- I beeing in most cruell throwes nyghts seven and dayes eke seven,
- And tyred with continuall pangs, did lift my hands to heaven,
- And crying out aloud did call Lucina to myne ayd,
- To loose the burthen from my wombe. Shee came as I had prayd:
- But so corrupted long before by Juno my most fo,
- That for to martir mee to death with peyne she purposde tho.
- For when shee heard my piteous plaints and gronings, downe shee sate
- On yon same altar which you see there standing at my gate.
- Upon her left knee shee had pitcht her right ham, and besyde
- Shee stayd the birth with fingars one within another tyde
- In lattiswyse. And secretly she whisperde witching spells
- Which hindred my deliverance more than all her dooings ells.
- I labord still: and forst by payne and torments of my Fitts,
- I rayld on Jove (although in vayne) as one besyde her witts.
- And av I wished for to dye. The woords that I did speake,
- Were such as even the hardest stones of very flint myght breake.
- The wyves of Thebee beeing there, for sauf deliverance prayd
- And giving cheerfull woords, did bid I should not bee dismayd.
- Among the other women there that to my labor came,
- There was an honest yeomans wyfe, Galantis was her name.
- Her heare was yellow as the gold, she was a jolly Dame.
- And stoutly served mee, and I did love her for the same.
- This wyfe (I know not how) did smell some packing gone about
- On Junos part. And as she oft was passing in and out,
- Shee spyde Lucina set uppon the altar holding fast
- Her armes togither on her knees, and with her fingars cast
- Within ech other on a knot, and sayd unto her thus:
- I pray you who so ere you bee, rejoyce you now with us,
- My Lady Alcmen hath her wish, and sauf is brought abed.
- Lucina leaped up amazde at that that shee had sed,
- And let her hands asunder slip. And I immediatly
- With loosening of the knot, had sauf deliverance by and by.
- They say that in deceyving Dame Lucina Galant laught.
- And therfore by the yellow locks the Goddesse wroth hir caught,
- And dragged her. And as she would have risen from the ground,
- She kept her downe, and into legges her armes shee did confound.
- Her former stoutnesse still remaynes: her backe dooth keepe the hew
- That erst was in her heare: her shape is only altered new.
- And for with lying mouth shee helpt a woman laboring, shee
- Dooth kindle also at her mouth. And now she haunteth free
- Our houses as shee did before, a Weasle as wee see.
- With that shee syghes to think uppon her servants hap, and then
- Her daughtrinlaw immediatly replied thus agen:
- But mother, shee whose altred shape dooth move your hart so sore,
- Was neyther kith nor kin to you. What will you say therefore,
- If of myne owne deere suster I the woondrous fortune show,
- Although my sorrow and the teares that from myne eyes doo flow,
- Doo hinder mee, and stop my speeche? Her mother (you must know
- My father by another wyfe had mee) bare never mo
- But this same Ladie Dryopee, the fayrest Ladye tho
- In all the land of Oechalye. Whom beeing then no mayd
- (For why the God of Delos and of Delphos had her frayd)
- Andraemon taketh to hys wyfe, and thinkes him well apayd.
- There is a certaine leaning Lake whose bowing banks doo show
- A likenesse of the salt sea shore. Uppon the brim doo grow
- All round about it Mirtletrees. My suster thither goes
- Unwares what was her destinie, and (which you may suppose
- Was more to bee disdeyned at) the cause of comming there
- Was to the fayries of the Lake fresh garlonds for to beare.
- And in her armes a babye her sweete burthen shee did hold.
- Who sucking on her brest was yit not full a twelvemoonth old.
- Not farre from this same pond did grow a Lote tree florisht gay
- With purple flowres and beries sweete, and leaves as greene as Bay.
- Of theis same flowres to please her boy my suster gathered sum,
- And I had thought to doo so too, for I was thither cum.
- I saw how from the slivered flowres red drops of blood did fall,
- And how that shuddring horribly the braunches quaakt withall.
- You must perceyve that (as too late the Countryfolk declare)
- A Nymph cald Lotos flying from fowle Pryaps filthy ware,
- Was turned into this same tree reserving still her name.
- My suster did not know so much, who when shee backward came
- Afrayd at that that shee had seene, and having sadly prayd
- The Nymphes of pardon, to have gone her way agen assayd:
- Her feete were fastned downe with rootes. Shee stryved all she myght
- To plucke them up, but they so sure within the earth were pyght,
- That nothing save her upper partes shee could that present move.
- A tender barke growes from beneath up leysurly above,
- And softly overspreddes her loynes, which when shee saw, shee went
- About to teare her heare, and full of leaves her hand shee hent.
- Her head was overgrowen with leaves. And little Amphise (so
- Had Eurytus his Graundsyre naamd her sonne not long ago)
- Did feele his mothers dugges wex hard. And as he still them drew
- In sucking, not a whit of milke nor moysture did ensew.
- I standing by thee did behold thy cruell chaunce: but nought
- I could releeve thee, suster myne. Yit to my powre I wrought
- To stay the growing of thy trunk and of thy braunches by
- Embracing thee. Yea I protest I would ryght willingly
- Have in the selfesame barke with thee bene closed up. Behold,
- Her husband, good Andraemon, and her wretched father, old
- Sir Eurytus came thither and enquyrd for Dryopee.
- And as they askt for Dryopee, I shewd them Lote the tree.
- They kist the wood which yit was warme, and falling downe bylow,
- Did hug the rootes of that their tree. My suster now could show
- No part which was not wood except her face. A deawe of teares
- Did stand uppon the wretched leaves late formed of her heares.
- And whyle she might, and whyle her mouth did give her way to speake,
- With such complaynt as this, her mynd shee last or all did breake:
- If credit may bee given to such as are in wretchednesse,
- I sweare by God I never yit deserved this distresse.
- I suffer peyne without desert. My lyfe hath guiltlesse beene.
- And if I lye, I would theis boughes of mine which now are greene,
- Myght withered bee, and I heawen downe and burned in the fyre.
- This infant from his mothers wombe remove you I desyre:
- And put him forth to nurce, and cause him underneath my tree
- Oft tymes to sucke, and oftentymes to play. And when that hee
- Is able for to speake I pray you let him greete mee heere,
- And sadly say: in this same trunk is hid my mother deere.
- But lerne him for to shun all ponds and pulling flowres from trees,
- And let him in his heart beleeve that all the shrubs he sees,
- Are bodyes of the Goddesses. Adew deere husband now,
- Adew deere father, and adew deere suster. And in yow
- If any love of mee remayne, defend my boughes I pray
- From wound of cutting hooke and ax, and bite of beast for ay.
- And for I cannot stoope to you, rayse you yourselves to mee,
- And come and kisse mee whyle I may yit toucht and kissed bee.
- And lift mee up my little boy. I can no lenger talke, ^
- For now about my lillye necke as if it were a stalke
- The tender rynd beginnes to creepe, and overgrowes my top.
- Remove your fingars from my face. The spreading barke dooth stop
- My dying eyes without your help. Shee had no sooner left
- Her talking, but her lyfe therewith togither was bereft.
- But yit a goodwhyle after that her native shape did fade,
- Her newmade boughes continewed warme. Now whyle that Iole made
- Report of this same woondrous tale, and whyle Alcmena (who
- Did weepe) was drying up the teares of Iole weeping too,
- By putting to her thomb: there hapt a sodeine thing so straunge,
- That unto mirth from heavinesse theyr harts it streight did chaunge.
- For at the doore in manner even a very boy as then
- With short soft Downe about his chin, revoked backe agen
- To youthfull yeares, stood Iolay with countnance smooth and trim.
- Dame Hebee, Junos daughter, had bestowde this gift on him,
- Entreated at his earnest sute. Whom mynding fully there
- The giving of like gift ageine to any to forsweare,
- Dame Themis would not suffer. For (quoth shee) this present howre
- Is cruell warre in Thebee towne, and none but Jove hath powre
- To vanquish stately Canapey. The brothers shall alike
- Wound eyther other. And alyve a Prophet shall go seeke
- His owne quicke ghoste among the dead, the earth him swallowing in.
- The sonne by taking vengeance for his fathers death shall win
- The name of kynd and wicked man, in one and selfsame cace.
- And flayght with mischeefes, from his wits and from his native place
- The furies and his mothers ghoste shall restlessely him chace,
- Untill his wyfe demaund of him the fatall gold for meede,
- And that his cousin Phegies swoord doo make his sydes to bleede.
- Then shall the fayre Callirrhoee, Achelous daughter, pray
- The myghty Jove in humble wyse to graunt her children may
- Retyre ageine to youthfull yeeres, and that he will not see
- The death of him that did revenge unvenged for to bee.
- Jove moved at her sute shall cause his daughtrinlaw to give
- Like gift, and backe from age to youth Callirrhoes children drive.
- When Themis through foresyght had spoke theis woords of prophesie,
- The Gods began among themselves vayne talke to multiplie,
- They mooyld why others myght not give like gift as well as shee.
- First Pallants daughter grudged that her husband old should bee.
- The gentle Ceres murmurde that her Iasions heare was hore.
- And Vulcane would have calld ageine the yeeres long spent before
- By Ericthonius. And the nyce Dame Venus having care
- Of tyme to come, the making yong of old Anchises sware.
- So every God had one to whom he speciall favor bare.
- And through this partiall love of theyrs seditiously increast
- A hurlyburly, till the time that Jove among them preast,
- And sayd: So smally doo you stand in awe of mee this howre,
- As thus too rage? Thinkes any of you himself to have such powre,
- As for to alter destinye? I tell you Iolay
- Recovered hath by destinye his yeeres erst past away,
- Callirrhoes children must returne to youth by destiny,
- And not by force of armes, or sute susteynd ambitiously.
- And to th'entent with meelder myndes yee may this matter beare,
- Even I myself by destinyes am rulde. Which if I were
- Of power to alter, thinke you that our Aeacus should stoope
- By reason of his feeble age? or Radamanth should droope?
- Or Minos, who by reason of his age is now disdeynd,
- And lives not in so sure a state as heretofore he reygnd?
- The woords of Jove so movd the Gods that none of them complaynd,
- Sith Radamanth and Aeacus were both with age constreynd:
- And Minos also: who (as long as lusty youth did last,)
- Did even with terror of his name make myghty Realmes agast.
- But then was Minos weakened sore, and greatly stood in feare
- Of Milet, one of Deyons race: who proudly did him beare
- Uppon his father Phoebus and the stoutnesse of his youth.
- And though he feard he would rebell: yit durst he not his mouth
- Once open for to banish him his Realme: untill at last
- Departing of his owne accord, Miletus swiftly past
- The Gotesea and did build a towne uppon the Asian ground,
- Which still reteynes the name of him that first the same did found.
- And there the daughter of the brooke Maeander which dooth go
- So often backward, Cyane, a Nymph of body so
- Exceeding comly as the lyke was seldome heard of, as
- Shee by her fathers wynding bankes for pleasure walking was,
- Was knowen by Milet: unto whom a payre of twinnes shee brought,
- And of the twinnes the names were Caune and Byblis. Byblis ought
- To bee a mirror unto Maydes in lawfull wyse to love.
- This Byblis cast a mynd to Caune, but not as did behove
- A suster to her brotherward. When first of all the fyre
- Did kindle, shee perceyvd it not. Shee thought in her desyre
- Of kissing him so oftentymes no sin, ne yit no harme
- In cleeping him about the necke so often with her arme.
- The glittering glosse of godlynesse beguyld her long. Her love
- Began from evill unto woorse by little too remove.
- Shee commes to see her brother deckt in brave and trim attyre,
- And for to seeme exceeding fayre it was her whole desyre.
- And if that any fayrer were in all the flocke than shee,
- It spyghts her. In what case she was as yit shee did not see.
- Her heate exceeded not so farre as for to vow: and yit
- Shee suffred in her troubled brist full many a burning fit.
- Now calleth shee him mayster, now shee utter hateth all
- The names of kin. Shee rather had he should her Byblis call
- Than suster. Yit no filthy hope shee durst permit to creepe
- Within her mynd awake. But as shee lay in quiet sleepe,
- Shee oft behild her love: and oft she thought her brother came
- And lay with her, and (though asleepe) shee blushed at the same.
- When sleepe was gone, she long lay dumb still musing on the syght,
- And said with wavering mynd: Now wo is mee, most wretched wyght.
- What meenes the image of this dreame that I have seene this nyght?
- I would not wish it should bee trew. Why dreamed I then so?
- Sure hee is fayre although hee should bee judged by his fo.
- He likes mee well, and were he not my brother, I myght set
- My love on him, and he were mee ryght woorthy for to get,
- But unto this same match the name of kinred is a let.
- Well, so that I awake doo still mee undefylde keepe,
- Let come as often as they will such dreamings in my sleepe.
- In sleepe there is no witnesse by. In sleepe yit may I take
- As greate a pleasure (in a sort) as if I were awake.
- Oh Venus and thy tender sonne, Sir Cupid, what delyght,
- How present feeling of your sport hath touched mee this nyght.
- How lay I as it were resolvd both maree, flesh, and bone.
- How gladdes it mee to thinke thereon. Alas too soone was gone
- That pleasure, and too hastye and despyghtfull was the nyght
- In breaking of my joyes. O Lord, if name of kinred myght
- Betweene us two removed bee, how well it would agree,
- O Caune, that of thy father I the daughtrinlaw should bee.
- How fitly myght my father have a sonneinlaw of thee.
- Would God that all save auncesters were common to us twayne.
- I would thou were of nobler stocke than I. I cannot sayne,
- O perle of beautie, what shee is whom thou shalt make a mother.
- Alas how ill befalles it mee that I could have none other
- Than those same parents which are thyne. So only still my brother
- And not my husband mayst thou bee. The thing that hurts us bothe
- Is one, and that betweene us ay inseparably gothe.
- What meene my dreames then? what effect have dreames? and may there bee
- Effect in dreames? The Gods are farre in better case than wee.
- For why? the Gods have matched with theyr susters as wee see.
- So Saturne did alie with Ops, the neerest of his blood.
- So Tethys with Oceanus: So Jove did think it good
- To take his suster Juno to his wyfe. What then? the Goddes
- Have lawes and charters by themselves. And sith there is such oddes
- Betweene the state of us and them, why should I sample take,
- Our worldly matters equall with the heavenly things to make?
- This wicked love shall eyther from my hart be driven away,
- Or if it can not bee expulst, God graunt I perish may,
- And that my brother kisse me, layd on Herce to go to grave.
- But my desyre the full consent of both of us dooth crave.
- Admit the matter liketh me. He will for sin it take.
- But yit the sonnes of Aeolus no scrupulousnesse did make
- In going to theyr susters beds. And how come I to know
- The feates of them? To what intent theis samples doo I show?
- Ah whither am I headlong driven? avaunt foule filthy fyre:
- And let mee not in otherwyse than susterlyke desyre
- My brothers love. Yit if that he were first in love with mee,
- His fondnesse to inclyne unto perchaunce I could agree.
- Shall I therefore who would not have rejected him if hee
- Had sude to mee, go sue to him? and canst thou speake in deede?
- And canst thou utter forth thy mynd? and tell him of thy neede?
- My love will make mee speake. I can. Or if that shame doo stay
- My toong, a sealed letter shall my secret love bewray.
- This likes her best. Uppon this poynt now restes her doubtful mynd.
- So raysing up herself uppon her leftsyde shee enclynd,
- And leaning on her elbow sayd: Let him advyse him what
- To doo, for I my franticke love will utter playne and flat.
- Alas to what ungraciousnesse intend I for to fall?
- What furie raging in my hart my senses dooth appall?
- In thinking so, with trembling hand shee framed her to wryght
- The matter that her troubled mynd in musing did indyght.
- Her ryght hand holdes the pen, her left dooth hold the empty wax.
- She ginnes. Shee doutes, shee wryghtes: shee in the tables findeth lacks.
- She notes, she blurres, dislikes, and likes: and chaungeth this for that.
- Shee layes away the booke, and takes it up. Shee wotes not what
- She would herself. What ever thing shee myndeth for to doo
- Misliketh her. A shamefastnesse with boldenesse mixt thereto
- Was in her countnance. Shee had once writ Suster: Out agen
- The name of Suster for to raze shee thought it best. And then
- She snatcht the tables up, and did theis following woords ingrave:
- The health which if thou give her not shee is not like to have
- Thy lover wisheth unto thee. I dare not ah for shame
- I dare not tell thee who I am, nor let thee heare my name.
- And if thou doo demaund of mee what thing I doo desyre,
- Would God that namelesse I myght pleade the matter I requyre,
- And that I were unknowen to thee by name of Byblis, till
- Assurance of my sute were wrought according to my will.
- As tokens of my wounded hart myght theis to thee appeere:
- My colour pale, my body leane, my heavy mirthlesse cheere,
- My watry eyes, my sighes without apparent causes why,
- My oft embracing of thee: and such kisses (if perdye
- Thou marked them) as very well thou might have felt and found
- Not for to have beene Susterlike. But though with greevous wound
- I then were striken to the hart, although the raging flame
- Did burne within: yit take I God to witnesse of the same,
- I did as much as lay in mee this outrage for to tame.
- And long I stryved (wretched wench) to scape the violent Dart
- Of Cupid. More I have endurde of hardnesse and of smart,
- Than any wench (a man would think) were able to abyde.
- Force forceth mee to shew my case which faine I still would hyde,
- And mercy at thy gentle hand in fearfull wyse to crave.
- Thou only mayst the lyfe of mee thy lover spill or save.
- Choose which thou wilt. No enmy craves this thing: but such a one
- As though shee bee alyde so sure as surer can bee none,
- Yit covets shee more surely yit alyed for to bee,
- And with a neerer kynd of band to link her selfe to thee.
- Let aged folkes have skill in law: to age it dooth belong
- To keepe the rigor of the lawes and search out ryght from wrong.
- Such youthfull yeeres as ours are yit rash folly dooth beseeme.
- Wee know not what is lawfull yit. And therefore wee may deeme
- That all is lawfull that wee list: ensewing in the same
- The dooings of the myghtye Goddes. Not dread of worldly shame
- Nor yit our fathers roughnesse, no nor fearfulnesse should let
- Our purpose. Only let all feare asyde be wholy set.
- ~Wee underneath the name of kin our pleasant scapes may hyde.
- Thou knowest I have libertie to talke with thee asyde,
- And openly wee kysse and cull. And what is all the rest
- That wants? Have mercy on mee now, who playnly have exprest
- My case: which thing I had not done, but that the utter rage
- Of love constreynes mee thereunto the which I cannot swage.
- Deserve not on my tumb thy name subscribed for to have,
- That thou art he whose cruelnesse did bring mee to my grave.
- Thus much shee wrate in vayne, and wax did want her to indyght,
- And in the margent she was fayne the latter verse to wryght.
- Immediatly to seale her shame shee takes a precious stone,
- The which shee moystes with teares: from tung the moysture quight was gone.
- She calld a servant shamefastly, and after certaine fayre
- And gentle woords: My trusty man, I pray thee beare this payre
- Of tables (quoth shee) to my (and a great whyle afterward
- Shee added) brother. Now through chaunce or want of good regard
- The table slipped downe to ground in reaching to him ward.
- The handsell troubled sore her mynd. But yit shee sent them. And
- Her servant spying tyme did put them into Caunyes hand.
- Maeanders nephew sodeinly in anger floong away
- The tables ere he half had red, (scarce able for to stay
- His fistocke from the servants face who quaakt) and thus did say:
- Avaunt, thou baudye ribawd, whyle thou mayst. For were it not
- For shame I should have killed thee. Away afrayd he got,
- And told his mistresse of the feerce and cruell answer made
- By Caunye. By and by the hew of Byblis gan to fade,
- And all her body was benumd with Icie colde for feare
- To heere of this repulse. Assoone as that her senses were
- Returnd ageine, her furious flames returned with her witts.
- And thus shee sayd so soft that scarce hir toong the ayer hitts:
- And woorthely. For why was I so rash as to discover
- By hasty wryghting this my wound which most I ought to cover?
- I should with dowtfull glauncing woords have felt his humor furst,
- And made a trayne to trye him if pursue or no he durst.
- I should have vewed first the coast, to see the weather cleere,
- And then I myght have launched sauf and boldly from the peere.
- But now I hoyst up all my sayles before I tryde the wynd:
- And therfore am I driven uppon the rockes against my mynd,
- And all the sea dooth overwhelme mee. Neyther may I fynd
- The meanes to get to harbrough, or from daunger to retyre.
- Why did not open tokens warne to bridle my desyre,
- Then when the tables falling in delivering them declaard
- My hope was vaine? And ought not I then eyther to have spaard
- From sending them as that day? or have chaunged whole my mynd?
- Nay rather shifted of the day? For had I not beene blynd
- Even God himself by soothfast signes the sequele seemd to hit.
- Yea rather than to wryghting thus my secrets to commit,
- I should have gone and spoke myself, and presently have showde
- My fervent love. He should have seene how teares had from mee flowde.
- Hee should have seene my piteous looke ryght loverlike. I could
- Have spoken more than into those my tables enter would.
- About his necke against his will, myne armes I myght have wound
- And had he shaakt me off, I myght have seemed for to swound.
- I humbly myght have kist his feete, and kneeling on the ground
- Besought him for to save my lyfe. All theis I myght have proved,
- Wherof although no one alone his stomacke could have moved,
- Yit all togither myght have made his hardened hart relent.
- Perchaunce there was some fault in him that was of message sent.
- He stept unto him bluntly (I beleeve) and did not watch
- Convenient tyme, in merrie kew at leysure him to catch.
- Theis are the things that hindred mee. For certeinly I knowe
- No sturdy stone nor massy steele dooth in his stomacke grow.
- He is not made of Adamant. He is no Tygers whelp.
- He never sucked Lyonesse. He myght with little help
- Bee vanquisht. Let us give fresh charge uppon him. Whyle I live
- Without obteyning victorie I will not over give.
- For firstly (if it lay in mee my dooings to revoke)
- I should not have begonne at all. But seeing that the stroke
- Is given, the second poynt is now to give the push to win.
- For neyther he (although that I myne enterpryse should blin)
- Can ever whyle he lives forget my deede. And sith I shrink,
- My love was lyght, or else I meant to trap him, he shall think.
- Or at the least he may suppose that this my rage of love
- Which broyleth so within my brest, proceedes not from above
- By Cupids stroke, but of some foule and filthy lust. In fyne
- I cannot but to wickednesse now more and more inclyne.
- By wryghting is my sute commenst: my meening dooth appeere:
- And though I cease: yit can I not accounted bee for cleere.
- Now that that dooth remayne behynd is much as in respect
- My fond desyre to satisfy: and little in effect
- To aggravate my fault withall.
- Thus much shee sayd. And so
- Unconstant was her wavering mynd still floting to and fro,
- That though it irkt her for to have attempted, yit proceedes
- Shee in the selfsame purpose of attempting, and exceedes
- All measure, and, unhappy wench, shee takes from day to day
- Repulse upon repulse, and yit shee hath not grace to stay.
- Soone after when her brother saw there was with her no end,
- He fled his countrie forbycause he would not so offend,
- And in a forreine land did buyld a Citie. Then men say
- That Byblis through despayre and thought all wholy did dismay.
- Shee tare her garments from her brest, and furiously shee wroong
- Her hands, and beete her armes, and like a bedlem with her toong
- Confessed her unlawfull love. But beeing of the same
- Dispoynted, shee forsooke her land and hatefull house for shame,
- And followed after flying Caune. And as the Froes of Thrace
- In dooing of the three yeere rites of Bacchus: in lyke cace
- The maryed wyves of Bubasie saw Byblis howling out
- Through all theyr champion feeldes, the which shee leaving, ran about
- In Caria to the Lelegs who are men in battell stout,
- And so to Lycia. Shee had past Crag, Limyre, and the brooke
- Of Xanthus, and the countrie where Chymaera that same pooke
- Hath Goatish body, Lions head and brist, and Dragons tayle,
- When woods did want: and Byblis now beginning for to quayle
- Through weerynesse in following Caune, sank down and layd her hed
- Ageinst the ground, and kist the leaves that wynd from trees had shed.
- The Nymphes of Caria went about in tender armes to take
- Her often up. They oftentymes perswaded her to slake
- Her love. And woords of comfort to her deafe eard mynd they spake.
- Shee still lay dumbe: and with her nayles the greenish herbes shee hild,
- And moysted with a streame of teares the grasse upon the feeld.
- The waternymphes (so folk report) put under her a spring,
- Whych never myght be dryde: and could they give a greater thing?
- Immediatly even like as when yee wound a pitchtree rynd,
- The gum dooth issue out in droppes: or as the westerne wynd
- With gentle blast toogither with the warmth of Sunne, unbynd
- The yee: or as the clammy kynd of cement which they call
- Bitumen issueth from the ground full fraughted therewithall:
- So Phoebus neece, Dame Byblis, then consuming with her teares,
- Was turned to a fountaine, which in those same vallyes beares
- The tytle of the founder still, and gusheth freshly out
- From underneath a Sugarchest as if it were a spowt.