all the Winter time doe passe Vnseene of any till Hyperious rayes Increase in hot influence and the dayes Are drawne in length by Natures annuall course The Swallow is a signe of Summers force 59 Vpon her breast her marke of guilt she beares Her back head wings and traine doe mourne in fable No pleasant note she sings as any heares But sounds forth accents fad and untunable Her flesh unfit to furnish any table And if in any's hand she chance to dye 'T is counted ominous I know not why 60 In signe of her unnaturall cookery Within a smokie Chimney still she builds While I with other Birds abrod doe flye In pleasant woods forrests and fragrant fields My tune a comfort unto mankind yeelds When April comes then Country milkmaids long And strive to heare the Nightingales sweet song 61 Yet still alone I love to sit and sing Delighted best in melancholy shade My Harmony doth make the woods to ring And by some learned Clerkes it hath been said That if a snake whereof I am afraid Should me devoure a Scorpions forme shee 'l take Which to prevent I keepe my selfe awake 62 Tereus was made a Lapwing he doth cry For his sonne Jtis as aloft he flyes Which words being reverst doe signifie 'T is I who by one horrid enterprise Did cause such floods of mischiefe to arise My wife her sister and my owne deare child I have quite overthrone oh monster vild 63 Vpon his head a tuft of feathers grow A signe of Regall state which he did wrong And if you marke his nature it doth shew His sordid deeds for he delights in dung He hath a bill exceeding sharp and long A figure of that knife it seemes to be Wherewith he did cut out the tongue of me 64 Thus all of us were rest of humane shape A just reward for our inhumane deeds All this was first occasion'd by the rape Of Philomel Rape further mischiefe breeds The nature of these birds who-ever reads Shall finde so correspondent to my words That no vaine syllable my song affords 65 When old Pandion heard this tragicke newer You will not marvell if I say he wept All transitory joyes he did refuse And spent those houres wherein he should have slept In sobs and grones which him awake still kept Ah miserable man methinks I see The character of Priam now in thee 66 Alas saith he you gods why are you so Vnkind to let me live against my will Why am I kept more misery to know More said I no that cannot be yes still To beare the burden of ones former ill Addes every houre more horror to the heart Nothing but death can case my carefull smart 67 I that within few yeeres was so inrich'd As no Prince could be more with daughters twaine Which at an instant both away are twitch'd With Son in law and grandchild none remaine Why then doth time procrastinate my paine Ah Philomel thou and the little boy Above the rest procure my sad annoy 68 VVretch that I was why did I suffer thee To goe with that capritious ravisher Had I at home detain'd thee still with mee Thou mightest have bin now safe could I preferre The sly perswasions of a flatterer Before my care paternall over thee The world may say the greatest fault 's in me 69 No father I le excuse thee for no harme Thou meant'st to mee nor would'st have let me goe But I as well as Tereus did thee charme VVith oyly words lov'd my sister so And that fond love was cause of this my woe VVho would have thoght her husband could have bin So impious to attempt that horrid sinne 70 The aged Prince having with languishment A little while inforcedly drawne breath His gray haires were to th' earth with sorrowes sent Never went man more willing to his death His living vertues wonne a Cypresse wreath And his true loving subjects with salt teares VVatred his Sepulcher for many yeares 71 The reason why the Poet sayes wee three I and my sister with her husband were Transformed into birds was cause that we Were all unworthy humane shapes to beare As by our deedes prodigious doth appeare The morall of the story is the chiefe As for the changing formes 't is past beliefe 72 Yet there 's no doubt but I poore Philomel Have nothing sung but what you may believe Birds seldome use any untruthes to tell If you 'l not take my warrant I shall grieve Whether you doe or no let me perceive That you all shun the vices mention'd in 't Then I le rejoyce because my song's in print FINIS
Pandion cryes This sorrow did presage what woe insewd Yet Tereus his petition still renewd Quoth he I will as carefull of her be As heaven I wish should have respect to me 15 Her will I cherish like my owne deare Child And I was overwilling to goe see My sister Progue then the old man smild Sweet Girle if thou desires to goe quoth he It something mitigates my griefe for thee Farewell my joy but till thy safe returne My hourely exercise shall be to mourne 16 Here take her Terens and my blessing with her Be carefull of her if thou wish mee life Thus went the Wolfe and silly Lambe together I towards my sister he towards his wife O now alas my senses are at strife Whether I should relate his monstrous blame Or hold my peace and so save manhoods shame 17 But fith I thus have undertooke the taske I must proceed and tell the story right Wherein such horrid deedes I will unmaske As may the Auditors with woe affright O monstrous caitiffe arm'd with hellish spight No time before nor after ere could tell Of any deed that thine may paralell 18 Lucretia that Roman Lady had Great cause of woe yet not so great as I For Tarquin though his fact was worse than bad In ravishing the flower of chastity He was no kin to her but Tereus thy Vnnaturall deed can no way be excus'd For thou thy wives owne sister hast abus'd 19 When in his ship the Fox had got the Kid Poore innocent I dreading no such ill Against the lawes of gods and men he did Begin to tempt me to his lawlesse will But I by vertue alwaies tutor'd still Defi'd him and his impious desire And us'd these words to quench his lust-bred fire 20 Ah brother Tereus spring these words from jest To try my constitution if they doe I pardon them but if your foule request Be fram'd in earnest then I let you know You are not as you seeme i' th outward show A man I thought you were by forme and statute But your interior parts shame humane nature 21 Hast thou me ravish'd from my fathers sight Pretending that my sister for me sent And seek'st thou thus to rob her of her right Whom once thou thoughtst Natures chiefe ornament Dost thinke the gods would not thy will prevent To wrong thy wife if thou in lust dost burne Can none but her owne sister serve thy turne 22 For shame leave off thy brutish enterprize And let not future times speake such a thing Even for thine honours sake I thee advise Stayne not the sacred title of a King Thinke what a scandall it to thee would bring Kings like the gods should practise actions just Methinks this thoght should quēch thy bestial lust 23 These arguments and many more as good To him past sense I did in vaine produce My tongue more than my face inflam'd his lust All pious thoughts with him were out of use No teares no prayers no reason no excuse Could pierce his bosome made obdure with sin Hee 's now more fierce than when he did begin 24 Yet in the ship his will he could not have Because of those which were within the same Whereby poore wretch I had good hope to save That Iewell which he did unjustly claime But more and more this hellish fire did flame Therefore another course he tooke in hand Being deny'd at Sea he try'd on land 25 Charging his men upon his native soyle To land both him and mee O is' t not strange That men should worke so many waies to spoyle Their soules when thus from vertues path they range Now to be briefe he brought me to a Graunge That stood remote from any towne or place And there perforce he did my corps imbrace 26 Which having done I tore my amber tresses Rayling against the Panther truculent And by my furious spleene the Tyrant ghesses Of his foule fact what would be the event Therefore he thought his mischiefe to prevent And cause to none I should bewray my wrong He drew his knife and quite cut out my tongue 27 Thus rape was seconded by cruelty One vice another alwaies doth succeede When Satan hath mans heart in custodie By heavens ordinance it is decreed The reprobate cannot from bonds be freed Till the full measure of his sinne runnes o'r Vice unrepented still increaseth more 28 So this fell miscreant shame of his kind Having by force stolne my virginity Was loth to leave that instrument behind Which to the world might blaze his villanie O monstrous rape perfidious treachery What words shall I or any use t' expresse This mans nay rather monsters wickednesse 29 Or unto whom may I him well compare To th'Emperour Nero surely and no other Who in this sacrilegious kind did dare Incestuously to ravish his owne mother And after kild her thou mayst be his brother For he that his wives sister will deflower Would use his mother so were she in 's power 30 Now what becomes of me poore Philomel Being left spoyld and mangled in this manner I by my selfe alone am left to dwell Where none mee knowes or heares of my dishonour Tereus goes to his Queene and fawnes upon her Patiently praying her his newes to brooke For death her sister Philomel had tooke 31 She shriekes and cries with lachrimable meane And by no meanes can pacified bee Sister saith shee alas and art thou gone I 'le not be long before I follow thee Deere love set boundes unto thy griefe quoth he Thou shalt in me finde husband father sister With that as Iudas did his Lord he kist her 32 With these his subtle words of adulation And many fained teares to force beliefe The Queene at last left off her lamentation Or at the least gave limits to her griefe Little mistrusting him her bosome thiefe O how hypocrisie can for a while Cover mens sinnes and Iudgments wit beguile 33 But such foule crimes though in darke corners done When heaven doth see fit time shall be reveal'd And open laid in the sight of the Sun Even when the Author thinks it's most conceal'd So I having to the just gods appeal'd For justice and revenge at last did finde A meanes to fit the monster in his kinde 34 I with my needle show'd my curious skill A handkerchiefe with letters plaine I wrought Which being finisht by Ioves sacred will Did publish what I in my bosome thought A Gentleman by chance that way was brought He having lost his way i' th dead of night Found out this lodge afarre off seeing light 35 Thither he rode and at the window cal'd I prisoner like look't out but could not tell With words my mind yet how I came in thrall And how abus'd with signes I show'd him well He pittying me wretched Philomel The handkerchiefe wherein my mind was seene I threw to him to carry to the Queene 36 He faithfully delivered his charge As did befit one whom he seem'd to bee The Queene by this did
understand at large My woe wrought by her husbands villanie Yet what she knew she covered secretly Vntill she found a time revenge to worke O marke what plots in womens minds do lurke 37 For such revenge at length she wrought indeed As staynes her sex as foule as be did his O that I might now from my taske be freed I mourne for all the story chiefely this I coadjutor was in her amisse Ah now methinkes I heare some bashfull dame Say Philomel fye hold thy peace for shame 38 To this I answere T were a deed unjust Seeing I haue so lavish bin to tell Each circumstance of Terous lawlesse lust And barbarous cruelty both sprung from hell To hide my sisters fault no Philomel Proceed aright the second part to sing Of thy sad song without dissembling 39 And tell thine owne blame too as well as hers So shalt thou not of falshood be accus'd Be bold for he or she that truth prefers And loth to be by flattery abus'd If thou tell true will hold thee more excus'd Come briefly to 't or else thy long digression Will lengthen out the list of thy transgression 40 Then this it is when Progne as I sayd Well understood where I her sister was She studying how to have me thence convay'd Marke what the Destinies soone brought to passe It was a custome through the realme of Thrace For women like mad Bedlams forth to range About the country clad in garments strange 41 In celebration of mad Bacchus feasts A gesture proper to his Deity Whose power doth metamorphose men to beasts When wâ—â— of them hath got the masterie Among these Bachanalian â—ides went shee I meane my sister through which preteâ—â— She came to visit me with woe perpleâ—â— 42 She tooke me from that place disconsolate And brought me with her privately to th' Court Tereus mistrusting no such divelish hate Nor that he was detected in such sort Did entertaine his Queene with Princely sport And she for him a sumptuous feast did make To tell what Cares she got my heart doth ake 43 Her owne deare Sonne by Tereus on her got Vnnaturally she kil'd Oh bloody beast Nay worse than any beast for they will not Suffer their yong of harme to taste the least This Banquet did excell Lycaons feast For here a Mother of her Sonne made meat Which his owne Father greedily did eat 44 Oh flinty-hearted Progne what although Tereus offended thee beyond compare Could nothing serve but to requite him so Hadst thou not in thy child the greatest share Which in thy body thou nine moneths didst beare Yet blaming thee I must my selfe condemne For I consented to the death of him 45 The pretty Infant seeing her to sit So pensively as one depriv'd of joy He runs to her according to his wit And askes the cause of her so sad annoy Mother saith he am I not your best boy Come kisse me then and I le goe call my Dad To come and play with you and make you glad 46 But she not like a Woman but a Tyger Did cast him from her in disdainefull wise Then did she take him Oh unheard-of rigour And cut his head off this could not suffice But of his little limbs she made mine'd pies Which at the banquet was the chiefest dish Thus cursed Tereus fed on his owne flesh 47 This barbarous action gives the world good cause To enter into consultation just For surely none can tell without great pause Which fact was worst or Tereus beastly lust Or Pragnes monstrous murther Sure I must Censure her deed o th' two to be the worst To kill her infant whom she bare and nurst 48 He that upon his foe would vengeance take And in most wrathfull manner wreak his spleene Let him a woman of his counsell make Their hearts most cruell are as may be seene By the relation of this furious Queene Fye Philomel thou wilt thy selfe abuse If for her sake thou all her sex accuse 49 Tush why should I be partiall in this case I 'l tell the truth and yet I doe not say Though this one woman did her sex disgrace That others imitate her wicked way And yet alas too many goe astray In these last times for Infants every yeere Are by their mothers murthered as I heare 50 Which makes me to take up a just complaint Against the female sex for cruelty And as my owne disaster I doe paint Procured by my brothers luxurie â—â—en so I have and t is but equitie Demonstrated or will ere I have done Progne's foule crime in killing her owne sonne 51 Tereus having well fed calls for young Jtis Deere Queene where is my little boy quoth he In whom next thee my temporall delight is I thinke he 's neere enough to you quoth shee Neerer than he is now he cannot be Much good may 't doe you Sir for you have eate I tell you true no ordinary meate 52 With that I Philomel that stood unseene Behind a cloath of arras with the head O' th infant given me by my sister Queene Step'd forth and hearing what before she said Of the event I nought at all did dread That Tereus more might see his wretched case I threw the head of Jtis in his face 53 Looke how a Lion roused from his sleepe Runnes furiously ' gainst those did him wake So Tereus to the heart was struck so deepe That more than terror made his joynts to quakes O wife quoth he what vengeance didst thou take 'T was I offended why didst not kill mee As for young Jtis what offence did hee 54 Was he not thine owne flesh aswell as mine How hadst thou then the heart to see him bleed My fault I doe confesse was great but thine As far and more from nature doth exceed No woman ever did so vile a deed Oh how am I accurst of all that be I have devour'd what was begot by me 55 But I his guiltlesse death will vindicate On both your bodies monsters that you are This said he did no time procrastinate But drew his sword and both our deaths did sweare Because in the childs death we both had share Mine was the wrong at first yet I confesse I must plead guilty though my fault was lesse 56 We fled his fury he with sword in hand Pursu'd us armed with revenge and steele But heavenly powers that had my wrongs well scan'd Though we were worthy would not let us feele The stroke of death all three from head to heele Transformed were if you 'l trust Ovids words From humane Creatures unto senselesse Birds 57 I Philomel turn'd to a Nightingale Fled to the woods and ' gainst a bryer or thorne I sit and warble out my mournfull tale To sleepe I alwaies have with heed forborne But sweetly sing at euening noone and morne No time yeelds rest unto my dulcide throat But still I ply my lachrimable note 58 My sister Progne metamorphos'd was Into a Swallow as the Poet sayes Both of us