THE Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch Entituled Amintas Dale Wherein are the most conceited tales of the Pagan Gods in English Hexameters together with their auncient descriptions and Philosophicall explications By ABRAHAM FRAVNCE 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At LVNDON Printed for Thomas Woodcocke dwelling in Paules Church-yeard at the signe of the blacke Beare 1592. Illustrissimae atque ornatissimae Heroinae piae formosae eruditae Dominae Mariae Comitissae Pembrokiensi NYmpha Charis Charitωn morientis imago Philippi Accipe spirantem post funerarursus Amintam Accipe nobilium dulcissima dogmata vatum Delicias Musas mysteria denique quicquid Graecia docta dedit vel regia Roma reliquit Quod fructum flori quod miscuit vtile dulci. Deuotiss Ab. Fr. ¶ The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurche Entituled Amintas Dale NOw that solempne feast of murdred Amyntas aproached And by the late edict by Pembrokiana pronounced Yuychurches nymphs and pastors duely prepared With fatall Garlands of newfound flowre Amaranthus Downe in Amyntas dale on Amyntas day be asembled Pastymes ouerpast and death's celebration ended Matchles Lady regent for a further grace to Amyntas Late transformd to a flowre wills euery man to remember Some one God transformd or that transformed an other And enioynes each nymph to recount some tale of a Goddesse That was changd herself or wrought some change in an other And that as euery tale and history drew to an ending Soe sage Elpinus with due attention harckning Shuld his mynd disclose and learned opinion vtter Thirsis turne was first whoe after his humble obeissance Made to the Lady regent thus fram'de himself to be singing When noe fyre noe ayre noe earth noe water apeared Confusd fyre rude ayre vast earth dull water abyded Water th' earth and ayre and fyre extreamely defaced And fyre th' earth and ayre and water fowly deformed For where water or earth where ayre or fyre was abyding Fyre ayre earth water were also ioyntly remaynyng Fyre and ayre and earth with a shapeles water abounded And earth ayre and fyre that shapeles water aforded Eueryone was in all and all was in euery one thing Soe each one made all made this rude All to be nothing Nothing els but a heape but a masse but a lump but a cluster Cluster lump masse heape where seedes of things disagreeing Fyre ayre earth water lay all confusd in a corner Hoate things fled fro the colde dry could not abide to be moystned Hard contemned soft and light fro the heauy retyred Noe peace noe concord noe good conformable order Nought but warrs and iarrs all strife and all on an vproare Noe aire transparent noe Sunne was cause of a daylight Noe nights-light Phoebe was a chearfull guide to the darcknes Earth was not yet firme fire could not yeeld any sparkles Water would not flow til sou'raigne God Demogorgon Ends these broyles brings peace setts euery thing in an order Heau'n fro the earth he dyuides and earth fro the water he parteth And pure Christall skye from grosse thick ayre he remoueth These things thus distinct in seu'rall places he setleth Light fyre mounteth aloft and lyfts it-self to the heauen Ayre next in lightnes next him was placed in highnes Grosse earth drew downeward and stayd herselfe by the centre Water cleaues to the earth and there as a border abydeth Fyre ayre earth water were euery howre in an vproare Whilst they lay on a heape and all dwelt ioyntly togeather Fyre ayre earth water were brought to a peacable order When they lodged apart each one in seueral harbor Thus by a disioyning Elements were mightily ioyned And by disunyting vnyted fyrmely for euer Each part thus placed round earth was cast in a compas Lyke to a globe or a ball that noe syde might be vnequall Then were swelling Seas powrd foorth in places apoynted Here and there by the earth whose braunches duly dyuyded Kyngdomes from kyngdomes then first came springs fro the mountayns Pooles were pitcht in moores and lakes lay downe by the valleys Ryuers flowd by the fyelds with a thowsand slippery wyndings Some suckt vp by the earth some ran to the sea with a restles race his shoare for a banck with billowes mightyly beating Then fyelds stretcht themselues then meddowes gan to be flowring Greene leaues cou'red trees and trees gaue shade to the forrests Mountayns mounted aloft and dales drew speedyly downewarde Ouer sea and earth the relenting ayre he reposed And there foggs and mystes and clustred clowds he apoynted Thence come thunder-clapps thence lightnings there be the blustring Wyndes whose roaring blasts would teare this world in a thousand Peeces might they rage at randon but the prefixed Coastes are known for these fowre brawling brethren apoynted Eurus flew to the East where Memnons mother ariseth Sweete Zephyrus to the Weast where Sunnes reuolution endeth Cold Boreas to the North whence frosts are dayly proceeding Moyst Auster to the South where showres are euer abounding Next to the ayre bright sky as a royall throane he reposed And eache parte thereof with starrelight all to beesprinckled Thus was an ougly Chaos transformd at last to a braue worlde Soe braue that t' was a world soe woorthy a world to be seeing Euery quarter of it with such lyue things was adorned As were conuenyent and seemely for euery quarter Gods dwelt in bright skyes and Christall-mantled Olympus Fowles did fly by the ayre and Fishes swam by the waters Mylde beastes fed by the fyelds and wylde beasts rangde by the Forrests But man was wanting who might be the absolut owner And haue perfect rule and iurisdiction ouer Mylde beasts and wylde beasts and Foules and slippery fishes At length Man was made of mould by the crafty Prometheus Crafty Prometheus whoe by degrees contriued a picture And gaue life to the same with fyre that he stole fro the heauens And where other beasts lay poaring downe to the grownd-wards Man with a greater state had a looke lyft vp to Olympus Whence his better part was then but lately deryued Thiswas an age of gold then was Saturnus an Emprour Sythe-bearing Saturne rul'de iustly without any iudges Noe lawes noe lawyers were then yet noebody lawlesse Noe theeues and robbers were hangd yet noebody robbed Noe bloody manqueller was kyld yet noebody murdred Vndissembled loue and playne symplycyty ruled Vncorrupted fayth and pure synceryty raigned Hart conceaud noe harme tong harts interpreter only Playnly without any glose or dissimulation op'ned Harts harmeles conceipts hands true and trusty to practyse Did what his hart contryu'd or tong had truly delyu'red Pinetrees pitcht vpon hills gaue wonted grace to the hill-topp Not with gaping gulfs of Auernus dayly bedashed But with trickling showres of Olympus sweetly bedeawed Euery man kept home and where he receau'd a beginning There did he make his graue and drew his dayes to an ending Noebodie was soe mad by the ragged rocks to be ranging And with clowds windes seaes nay heau'n and hell to be stryuyng Only
Elpinus Neptune was the second of the three brethren and sons of Saturne which had the whole frame of the world parted among them Ioue had the heauens Neptune the seaes all the rest was Plutoes Historically as some thinke Ioue had the East Pluto the West Neptune the seacosts howsoeuer Neptune is soueraigne of the seas who also many times shaketh with his imperiall mace the very foundations of the earth according to that of Ouid Ipse tridente suo terram percussit at illa Intremuit motuque vias patefecit aquarum For in coast adioyning to the sea earthquakes and inundations of waters are most vsuall Homer for this cause calleth Neptune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earth-shaker And as Pallas was president of Towres and Iuno a gouernesse of Gates so Neptune had care of the groundworkes and foundations of buildings which are neuer said to be firme vnles they be laide as deepe as the water Therefore as Neptune was hired by Laomedon to builde those stately walls of Troy so in the subuersion of the same himself is as busie afterwards as apeareth by that of Virgil 2. Aeneid Neptunus muros magnoque emota tridente Fundamenta quatit totamque è sedibus vrbem Eruit c. For towres Virgil 2. Aeglo Pallas quas condiditarces Ipsa colat And 2. Aeneid Iam summas arces Tritonia respice Pallas Obsedit nymbo effulgens gorgone saeua For gates Virgil 2. Aeneid hic Iuno Scaeas saeuissima portas Prima tenet sociumque furens à nauibus ignem Ferro accincta vocat Cymothoe is Neptunes seruant signifying the swifâ—nes of the waues and billowes for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a waue and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to run as if a man would say a running waue Triton is his trumpeter Plyny reporteth that the Vlyssiponenseâ— sent ambassadors to Tiberius Caesar giuing him to vnderstand that in then countrey there was one of these Tritons seene and heard singing being a sea-monster resembling a man by his vpper partes and a fish by those belowe this colour was like the sea-water his skinne hard with shels and is called Neptunes trumpeter to sound the retreite when his master would haue the sea to be calme because when he is heard thus singing or seene apearing in the water it is a signe of calme and fayre weather Neptunes mace is also Tridens three-forked for that there is a triple and threefold vertue in waters the first in wells which are sweete the second in seaes and they are salte the third in lakes being vnpleasant and vnsauory or rather because euery one of the three brethren hath somewhat to doe in euery part of the tripertite kingdome which may also be a cause why Iupiters lightning is also Trisulcum and Plutoes Scepter Tridens For albeit Iupiter is especially predominant in heauen Neptune in the seaes and Pluto in the lower regions yet that almighty and all-ouerruling power is indifferently aparant in euery of these three kingdomes and in heauen is called Iupiter in seaes Neptune below Pluto whome therefore Virgil calleth stigium Iouem the stigian Iupiter Neptunes wife is Amphitrite the water it selfe gouerned by Neptune noting the eâ—ficacie of nature ruling in seaes deeps She is called Amphitrite of compassing enuyroning or turning about as the sea embraceth and incloseth the earth Neptune had an infinite number of sons and daughters moysture is fit for generation which was the cause that Thales the Philosopher made water to be the ground and beginning of euery thing and Virgil calleth the sea the father of things Oceanumque patrem rerum Oceanus of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swift for so is the flowing of the sea When Neptune was kept from Saturnes deuouring mouth his mother shewed a colt insteede of him and when Pallas and Neptune contended who as most beneficiall should giue name to Athens he with his mace stroke the earth whence issued a horse either for that a horse is swift and the sea is violent or because Neptune first taught how to ride a horse or by reason that a horse loueth plaines and large places where free scope is to run as is the sea for that cause called aequor Therefore the Romaine sports called Ludi circenses wherein the race of horses was vsual were celebrated in honor of Neptune and Horace maketh Vlysses his sonne speake thus to Menelaus Non est aptus equis Ithacae locus vt neque planis Porrectus spatijs neque multae prodigus herbae Neptune with his Queene Amphitrite standeth in a great shell as in a chariot drawne with two horses whose hinder parts ende in fishes a Tridens in his hand a white and froathy crowne on his head with hayre beard and roabe of color like the sea-water * â—eptunes â—icture His Nymphs are called Nereides of which kinde Theodorus Gaza saith that himself sawe one cast on a shore fashioned like a woman in her vpper parts but ended like a fish Galathea is so called of whitenes and noteth the very froath of the Sea Humor and moysture be the chiefe causes of augmentation Neptune therefore as hee hath many children so hath hee some of them great and monstrous among others Polyphemus who though vast and rude yet loued such is the force of loue but loued like a lowte such is the home-borne education of rurall clownes Polyphemus as the rest of that rout was called Cyclops of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hauing but one round eye in his forehead in truth meaning a buckler framed round like an eye although Seruius doe otherwise expound it Hee is reported to bee a bloudy and theeuish manqueller robbing and spoyling all along the Sicilian shore from whome Vlisses wiselie escâ—ped and was therefore said to haue bored out his great eye with a firebrand This tyran Polypheme loued a noble Lady named Galathea but could not obteine her at last vsing force for law kept her violently and perceauing that she affected one Acis more then himselfe murdered the youth Acis and threw his bodie into a riuer which thereof bare that name Allegorically as some will haue it Polyphemus is a miserable and worldly keeper of sheepe and kine he loueth Galathea the Lady of milke and knowing that moyst places be best for milke cannot abide that Galathea should come nere Acis a riuer in Sicilia whose naturall proprietie was saide to be such as that it would drie vp and consume milke Glaucus loued Scylla but being reiected of her he intreated Circe to make her affectionate by charming Circe at first sight falleth in loue with Glaucus who in like sort refuseth her whereupon she infecting the waters where Scylla vsually bathed herselfe transformed her into a monster which afterwardes became a rock This Glaucus perceauing the fish which he had caught by tasting a certaine herbe presently to leap againe into the water himselfe for triall did pluck and eate and by vertue thereof transformed threw
skinne renueth her selfe so the sick and crased body restored to his former health seemeth to be young agayne * Aesculapius his picture The morning is the fore-runner to the sunne yet caused of the sunne She is called the daughter of Thia and Hyperion she is ruddie like roses she hath yellow hayre golden roabes and sitteth on a golden throne Aurora loued Tithonus Laomedons sonne because he fett his wyfe from the East hee being extreamly olde was turned to a Grashopper olde men neuer cease tatling and chirping The distinctions of times called howres Horae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to keepe doe guide conserue and keepe in order all proceedings whatsoeuer and are the daughters of Ioue and Themis to weete Eunomie Dice Eirene for no way better shall a man perceaue the good or bad dealing of men and the merciful or reuenging power of the Gods then by the change of times howrs therefore they keepe heauen gates and attend on the Sun causing fayre or fowle weather when they lust for the profite or plague of mortall men * The picture â—f Aurora Now to Alphesiboeus his tale Phoebus kild Pytho the heat of the Sun consumed those pestilent vapors left after the deluge causing putrefaction signified by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon some think he was called Apollo of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to kill Pontanus Tum tellus grauis imbre adhuc stagnantibus vndis Humida anhela vagos tollebat ad aethera tortus Inuoluens caelum nube caligine opaca Hinc ille immanis Python c. This made Phoebus vaunt yet was he daunted by Cupid and forced affectionately to loue Daphne daughter to the riuer Penaeus whereby is vnderstood that naturall and radicall humor of the earth proceeding from the waters and riuers that moysten her and make her fruitefull The sunne coueteth this moysture sends downe his attractiue beames to draw it vp resolues it into vapors and makes it fit for himselfe On the other side this moysture flieth and withdraweth herselfe from the heate of the sunne as from her deadly foe Againe the violent and piercing beames of the sunne compell this moysture to forsake the vppermost and superficiall parts of the earth retyring backward into the deepest and remotest parts thereof Which being thither come and yet euen thither and there persecuted by the scalding and searching rayes of Phoebus is at last by the meanes of the celestiall powers and help of the watery floods and riuers defended from the violence of Apollo and conuerted into fruitefull trees and plants Daphne is transformed into a laurell tree rather then any other for that by reason of her excellencie continuance florishing greenenesse odoriferous sent and naturall heate shee aboue all other doth shew her constitution to be tempered with due and proportionable commixtion of terrene moysture and celestiall heatâ— Daphne is Penaeus his daughter for by the bankes and meddowes adioyning thereunto an infinite number of lawrell trees were growing Apollo garnished his Lute and Quiuer with Lawrell leaues so should only famous poets worthy of Apollos Lute and renowmed conquerors figured by his Quiuer be crowned with Laurel in token of their neuer-dying glory Laurell is long kept so is the fame of learned and valyant men Laurell is alwaies greene so is their praise eternall and euer-florishing Laurell is hoate and odoriferous so dooth the heauenly-inspired spirit of poets and all-contemning courage of Heroicall mindes breath foorth the sweete sauour of vertues excellency Lastly Laurell is neuer tutcht with lightning and their names are neuer defaced by Obliuion The other tale of youthfull Phaeton and his father Phoebus may first giue vs warning neither to wish vnaduisedly nor sodainely to yeeld to rash demaunds nor vnconsiderately to performe a promise foolishly made Phaeton Semele Theseus and others by their owne wishes procured their owne confusion Phaeton was the sonne of Phoebus and Clymene toweet the heat and inflammation proceeâ—ing from the sunne For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to burne and Clymene is the water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ouerflowe and when these ouerflowing vapors eleuated by the sunne are once inflamed then doth this outragious heate breake out Phaeton fell downe into the riuer Eridanus after extraordinary drought folow commonly inundations of waters Phaeton is beaten downe with thunder for these vapors raised vp by the sunne and by the enuironing coldnes of the middle region of the ayre thrust into a narrow straite by strugling for passage cause thunder and lightning til the outrage of that heate bee so consumed Phaetons sisters Phaetusa and Lampetie noting heate and brightnes did so sorowfully lament their brothers death that for pity they were turned into poplar trees that is of this humor and exceeding heate of the sunne many kindes of trees and plants doe plentifully proceede Lucian expoundeth it historically thus Phaeton began seriously to obserue the course and reuolution of the sunne but preuented by death could not finish his attempted enterprise The ethicall moralization which Ouid himselfe tutcheth in his bookes de Tristibus may be this Phaeton a youth and therefore vnable to gouerne will needes be a magistrate but alas it is too great a burden for his weake shoulders Magna petis Phaeton quae non viribus istis Munera conueniunt nec tam iuuenilibus annis The gouernement and administration of a common wealth or kingdome is a heauenly charge Sors tua mortalis non est mortale quod optas It is also as heauy as heauenly The beginning and climing vp is hard and difficult the top thereof subiect to a thousand perills and dangers which make euen the most experienced much to feare and the discent or comming downe is headlong Ardua prima via est quà vix manè recentes Enituntur equi medio est altissima caelo Vnde mare terras ipsi mihi saepe videre Sit timor pauida trepidet formidine pectus Vltima prona via est eget moderamine certo Besides this in a common wealth there be Bulls Centaurs Lyons Scorpions and such like that is sauage and rude people vngentle cruel crafty and enuious to whose open violence and secreate supplanting the gouerner is euer subiect Forsitan lucos illic vrbesque deorum Concipias animo delubraque diti a donis Esse per insidias iter est formasque ferarum Vtque viam teneas nulloque errore traharis Per tainen aduersi gradieris cornua tauri Haemoniosque arcus violentique ora Leonis Saeuaque circuitu curuantem brachia longo Scorpion atque aliter curuantem brachia cancrum Againe the rude rablement of the vulgar sort will hardly be maistred or brought to any conformitie Nec tibi quadrupedes animosos ignibusillis Quos in pectore habent quos ore naribus efflant In promptu regere est vix me patiuntur vbi acres Incaluêre animi ceruixque repugnat habenis These and such other imminent