of their owne accord thy fields shall load Their Barnes and for thy seasonable fruit Their store-house neighb'ring lands shall thee salute This said her Dragons haste and she arriues Vpon Mount Ida where Cybete liues Her Temple there with marble statue stands That worshipt is by many vprear'd hands Couer'd with thickest boughes of blazing Pine That seldome subiect is to stormes or winde The furious Ayre doth seldome lash or beate This consecrated Tree to goddesse great But gently whistling ' mongst the leaues it beares And formes soft musicke to the hearers eares VVithin the Temple nought but dancing is To Bacchus and confused melodies Of men that with their howling consorts round Of squeaking Pipes and rusticke Tabors sound Shake Idas top the holy shrines within The Temple groane mou'd with the noyse and dinne At sight of Ceres all growes husht and still The balling Quire the Drumme and Trumpets shrill Desist the Corybantes cease to waue Their glitt'ring blades the Lions fierce and braue Are tamed and their gentlenesse is such As they their shaggy maines to euery touch Submit the longing Ceres enters in And by the mother of the gods within She welcom'd is that at first entring place Bowes downe her Towr's to do the goddesse grace Ioue from his supreme throne of maiestie This passage viewes and his most strict decree To Venus lou'd reueales to thee I will Saith he ô Cytherea shew my will And heauenly pleasure know I am resolu'd That my firme purpose long agoe reuolu'd In hidden thoughts doe now it selfe declare Be now fulfill'd that Ceres daughter faire Be giuen to hels blacke king for Destinies Do so command and Themis prophecies Haue thus foretold the time inuites to this Her carelesse mother farre off wandring is Goe then and to Sicilia take thy flight That when bright Sol the mournfull robe of night Displayes and clads the fields in gorgeous ray Entice thou maist the mayd to sport and play In Floras walkes that when thy skill is tri'd Pluto may seyze vpon his louely Bride Vnfitting 'twere since all the gods and me Thou burn'st the lowerkingdomes should be free No no let fell Erynnis feele thy flame And Acheron acknowledge the great name Of Venus she gaue eare and hauing heard Her fathers mind to iourney straight prepar'd Pallas and she that with the horne-bent bowe Arcadian Maenalus affrights both goe Together with their sister for so Ioue Commanded had they out of filiall loue Their Sire obey and taking solemne leaue Of all the gods them of their sight bereaue Looke how a Comet seldome seene appeares To vulgar eyes and fils men with strange feares When streaming o're the world with bloudy light It boades vnto the peoples gazing sight Some rare euent as death of Monarke great Or rage of sicknes sprung from Dog-dayes heate That to the trembling Mariner at hand Threatens huge stormes plagues famine to the land So shew'd the ayry tracke this troope diuine Had made amazing with it's glorious shine At length they Ceres palace had espy'd And glorious lust're of it's top descride And pinacles that as they neerer drew The goodly frame they might at leisure view A wondrous worke erected first of all By the blacke lab'ring Cyclop's the high wall Of hard and strongest Thracian Ir'n was made The massy posts that sustain'd and stai'd The weightie building vp of steele and wrought The rest was with the Metall thither brought By those industrious Chalybes who found The first vse of it vnderneath the ground Neuer was great Pyracmon busied more Or toyling Sterops sweate so much before As 'bout this curious worke neuer till then So puffing breathlesse Vulcans iourny-men Knocke on their batter'd Anuiles sparkling steele Held by the crooked biting tongs that feele Their hammers loade neuer was huger flame Rais'd from the weary Fornace then that same Which from the softned masse of metall thence Arose nor bellowes with more violence Breath'd on the burning Forge Behold you might From far the gates shining with yu'ry white The top and battlements that outwardly Appear'd with siluer and blacke Ebonie Checkr'd the sollid beames the roofe vphold VVithin of brasse and pillars of pure gold Here louely Proserpine with melting tone Sat to her dying honour all alone VVarbling a swan-like farewell for she meant VVith worke in hand and needle to present Vnto her Mother whom she longs to see And still expects her painefull industrie Drawne out in curious sampler and so thought In vaine to frame a robe of it being wrought There she her fathers kingdome first began In liuely colours to paint out and than Foure Elements each in their order plac't With cunning hand she flourisht and so grac't The patterne with her skill you could not know Whether the fire were burning there or no Somewhat beneath in region cleere and faire She figur'd had the fresh and liuely aire And next the water where she often makes A period to her handy-worke and takes Fresh silke to thred her needle for she here Had much adoe to make the Sea appeare In all his formes the waues she to the life Describes and set out their tumultuous strife The waters were with purple wrought the shore With Emeralds and Pearles all shadow'd o're Behold you might the sedge and greenish weed Flote from the Rockes as if they there did breed Where she had plac't them with such Art conceiu'd That warie Pilots well might be deceiu'd In viewing them then forth a different skeine Of silke she sorts and fresh to worke againe Begins those sands the brackish waters drinke Those sands so like that lookers on would thinke They heard the Seas hoarse murmure last of all To th' earth she comes yet for th' originall Was but a dull piece and grosse element Lesse labour in describing that she spent Only some greene and yellow would bestow Vpon the fields and flowr's that in them grow And for vartety amongst the rest That of Narcissus story she exprest Where opposite the new transformed Rose The thorne-prick't goddesse loue to Adon showes These Elements thus finisht to her mind Fiue diff'rent Zones each in a seu'rall kinde And quality she notes a crimson thred The middle woue flaming all fiery redde Inhabitable on both sides of that She plac't the other two more temperate The two most cold as needlesse to be drawne She prettily thus figur'd in the Lawne Wherein she work't a space there left and so The Samplers white alone exprest their snow Next to her Vncles palace she descends Proportioning his Furies Fates and Fiends But here she stopp't for looking on her worke As if some ominous euent did lurke Vnder these dismall Pictures from her eyes Teares forming pearles dropt on the Destinies And weary of that sad taske she began To sort new colours to the Ocean VVhose Crystall winding streames she there drew out Vpon the vtmost border of her clowt But suddainely the hinges of her dore With creaking noyse were turn'd and her before The goddesses she spies so
home could'st range And leaue her in this solitarie place Farre from her fathers kingdome that the face Of heauen scarce she sees and that which most Doth pittie moue her conuersation lost With kindred gods the simple Mayd gaue care Caught by this wily chat and free from feare The goddesses she makes her welcome ghests Whom with quaint cates and Nectar store she feasts The banquet done in sport and merriment She wore Diana's robe and her bowe bent With tender finger drew and sought to wield Minerua's golden head-piece and huge shield But Venus straight deceitfully ' gan prayse Aetna's high top and to the skies to rayse The Vallies flow'rs and something her admir'd Of which she wittingly witlesse enquir'd She could not thinke or easily beleeue The Rose from all those frosts preseru'd should liue Or that the colder Months should there retaine The Summers grasse all winter to remaine Nor that the tender blossomes of the Spring Are nip't by ang'ry Bootes blustering Thus praysing and thus doubting with desire To see the place her brest was set on fire Thy tender Virgins fraile vnwary yeeres Made her consent to goe t' encrease my feares What teares spent I to hinder her in vaine How little did my'ntreaties fruitlesse gaine From her that now resolu'd and confident In sisters guard together with them went And a large traine of Nymphs t' attend them seene Vnto the Medowes cloth'd in lasting greene With the first morning light when as the field Yet chill with dewe heau'ns liquid iuice doth yeeld To banke of Violets they gather'd there The moyst'ned flow'rs that with perle drops appeare But when the Sunne grew to the mid-dayes height The Pole was ceaz'd on by vnlook't-for night The trembling Island then began to reele And nod shak't by the noyse of Chariot wheele Of horses neighing nor could it appeare Whether the Coach-man Deaths fore-runner were Or death her selfe the grasse and riuers great Were dri'd the fields straight burnt with parching heat All things were blasted there the Priuet white We sawe the Rose and Lilly alter'd quite From natiue sent and colour eu'ry flow'r The pestilent contagion blasteth o're And as the hoarse fell steers-man turn'd againe With horrid out-cries of each beast the raine Backe with the hell-blacke Chariot returnes night And to the World the day-restored light Discouers our sad losse and heauinesse For now no Proserpine nor goddesses Were seene for she deare soule was rapt away And they that act performed made no stay Poore Cyane vpon the Meddow ground Strooke dead with cold amazement next we found And as she lay the garland from her browe We tooke whose fresher flow'rs were wither'd now VVith the hot steame there each of vs enquires And of our Mistris hap to know desires Of her who neerest was to the successe Each of vs with vncertaine doubtfulnesse Demands the colour of the Steeds and who The Coach-man was but she that melts in woe Nothing replyes of nothing vs resolues But metamorphos'd secretly dissolues Her selfe into a Fountaine that soft haire Vpon her head her feet new turned are Into a dew those armes diffused growe In streams that following our foot-steps o're-flow The rest fled and our Mer-mayds with swift wing Trudge to Pelorus and for griefe to sing Since cease and now in stead of melody Plagues they portend and dire mortality And their soft voices now serue but t' entice Th'vnheedy Mariner that in a trice Answ'ring their calls finds his vnhappy end Of all thy seruants I alone t' attend Thy sorrowes liue Ceres in deepe suspence Foole that she was hop't that yet no offence Was past and still to come but by and by That moode she changeth and with fi'ry eye Turn'd in her head her brest enrag'd aboue Vp to the gods she flings with plaints to moue As a fierce Tygresse when her den's forlorne Of tender young by fearefull horse-man borne To Persian king madding out strips the wind Dispersing all her rage and fury blind In shining spots at length she ouertakes The Hunter and with yawning wide mouth makes Him leaue his prey but in a shape of glasse He coozens the poore beast and safe doth passe Onward his way th' enraged Mother thus Throughout all heauen stormes restore to vs Restore sh'exclaimes we are no wandring brood Of some base Riuer nor Plebeian blood Of Driades flowes from vs Saturne high Begot me on the tow'ry Cybele Where is the priuiledge of gods then where You gods of those drad lawes the sacred feare What bootes a vertuous life or what the faire Title of good if Cytherea dare If shamelesse she presume to shew that face Vnmask't by Lemnian nets to her disgrace That wholsome sleep the couch those twynings chaste Of her and Mars made her thus bold at last With me and mine since when no maruaile though Such deeds and such base actions from her flowe But what are you turn'd Pandoresses your Dian and Pallas that yet neuer knew What lust meant Is your mayden honour gone Are your vowes chang'd that thus you waited on Venus and her bolde Ruffian suffice You both deseru'd the bloudy sacrifice Of thirsty Scythian altar let me know The reason of your rage what mou'd you so ' Gainst Proserpine did she in word or thought Offend you euer had she euer sought Texpell thee Delia from thy groues or e're Did she Tritonia thy strong armes beare Or was sh'offenfiue in her speech or rude Her selfe into your dances to intrude Oh no Trinacria was her loued home She neuer stirr'd neuer from thence would roame But what auail'd such priuacie no day No time could keepe your enuious eyes away Thus she the goddesses that silent were Aw'd by great Ioue blam'd with her speech seuere Silent they nought would know and no reliefe Could giue but teares sad Eccho's to her griefe VVhat should she doe yet to another straine She falls into intreaties mild againe Pardon quoth shee yee deities if loue If my too strong affection did moue A wretch to those extremes that were vnfit Pardon ye Powr's diuine and pittie it Looke how I kneele looke how mine age doth bow Lowe at your feete thus prostrate let me know Only the certainty of my sad state The manner of my woes vnfortunate VVhat e're let me but knowe it I shall thinke That fate not mischiefe made my fortunes sinke Let me but see my daughter once not no Shall I the search of mine owne bloud forgoe But feare not whosoe're thou art thy prey Safely enioy I to thy choyse giue way And if the Rauisher you goddesses Haue brib'd you for your silence yet confesse At least Latona thou thou that too well Lucina's name and our great paines canst tell That double birth the twinnes which thou didst beare VVell testifie how much the loue and feare Of children costs vs thou still happy art In two whil'st I of one haue lost my part So maist thou euer to thy wisht desire Enioy thy yellow sonne and daughter deere
beare her companie MY loftie Muse is full and bids me sing The robbery of Hell's infernall king Grimme Pluto and the Carre of Taenarus That whilome with portentionsominous And giddie hurrie through the blasted ayre Presagd the Rape of Proserpine the fayre Ioues daughter and the marriges euent Profaner eares be you from hence exempt And now the furie of a Spirit Diuine Expell's all humane feare from this of mine Apollo breathes in me Phoebus inspires My braine my quill with his most sacred fires Now now me thinkes I on a suddaine see The Shrine of each immortall deitie Shake in it's quiu'ring seate vnus'd to moue And the Coelestiall rayes that from aboue Disperse their glim'ring light forerunners are Of Pluto's iourny and sad Ceres care The noyse that in the earth 's deepe wombe doth sound I heare and Athens Temple so renown'd For her King Cecraps painfully doth grone Doubling shrill Eccho's to the Cities mone And Ceres lou'd Eleusis tapers blaze With flaring lights which to the skies they raise Triptolem's snakes their bloudie crests aloft Vpstretch and with confused murmur soft Glide their spot-painted bodies here and there At which Spectators tremble themselues feare They hisse and with strange accent to my Verse Hasten the Tragicke song that I rehearse The three-folde Hecate appear's in sight And lazy Bacchus madding doth affright The eyes of mortals with his shiu'ring lance Of wreathed Vines and in a drunken dance Loading his Temples with an Yuie crowne Whose weight keepes his vnweldy body downe Knits to his necke a Parthian Tyger's pawes And skinne that from his shoulder downe he drawes You gods on whom Auernus wandring soules And multitudes of wights blacke Styx enroules Attend and such as of their worldly crimes In burning Phlegeton bewaile the times You gods you fathers shew declare to me The secrets of earths vaste concauity Your gouernments reueale and mysteries Of all those great and powerfull deities Tell me since Loue so lowe would neuer bend His shafts what fire could Pluto thus incend As snatching off from earth this Proserpine He makes her his eternall Concubine Yet comforts her that in the Tyrants pow'r Laments by giuing Lethe for her dow'r Tell me did Ceres her grieu'd mother know Before what should succeed or if not so When she was lost in her distracted minde Where could she hope her Proserpine to finde That longing for good newes shee makes a vowe The barren earth with fairest wheate to sowe Long since the dismall Prince of Erebus Through wrath and fury growne outragious To see that he a god and young alone Must leade a solitary life in mone Wanting a mate that dayes moneths yeeres retire And passe regardlesse of his quenchlesse fire Impatient of delaies and full of iarre He summons all the supreme gods to warre Disdaining they aboue should note his want Of happy marriage to be ignorant Redde lips faire eyes sweet lookes soft cherishing Confus'd embraces limbes proportioning To their proportion all strange delight Two soules combin'd in one which make one white Like yuie twining yuorie necke that one One body which one common breath alone Giues life vnto this one and yet not one For louers each hath a Companion So two when as two bodies striuing moue In Cuptds lists made one by mutuall loue These two that one and all as motiues are Egging sterne Pluto to ambitious warre The name of father and proud hope of sonnes Each a fore-runner of new strife becomes Forth-with the Monsters of infemall deepe Ranke out their squadrons and good order keepe The vgly Fiends coniur'd by Plutos wroth Gainst highest Iupiter take solemne oath And menacing the gods in sad array Of battell hels blacke banners they display Before heauens walls and discord first appeares Cladde all in ruth in armes of steele she beares The portraict of her name and next to her Imperious Famine rageth and base feare Plac't as a Scout or as a Runnagate Against the foe to annoy them cankred hate Despairefull sorrow rashnesse out of breath March last led in the rere by conqu'ring death Gainst thundring Ioue the pallid Furies three Combine themselues and bold Tisiphone That bout her head those curled Snakes doth twine With spinie fist that of combustions pine A fire-brand brandisheth whose boading light Compassion moues and megar lookes affright Of her the sad beholder 'gins to sound Through all the Campe and mongst the hel-hounds round A soft retreat at whose well-knowne voyce The pale fac't Monsters couch and hush their noyse The Elements whose equall qualities For many an Age in peace could simpathize Scarce now containe but into discord turne And faine to their olde Chaos would returne Proud Titans off-spring hope at length to see Their gyues knockt off and former libertie That breaking vp hels dung'ons once againe Punish they may the Author of their shame Pluto Aegaeons fancie now can please That long hath layne cubb'd vp in little ease And losing straight the Gyants hundred hands Arm'd to obey the threatning Gods commands He musters vp his seu'nteene brothers more Vnto a second Combate for before They plotted had gainst heau'n and now they long Ioues thunder to retort the gods among VVhen soone the reu'rend Destinies that see Sterne warres approach and hels infantery Range into battaile with stout puissance And fearefull march ' gainst heauens gates aduance So many horrid fiends that likely were To put the gods and all Ioues hoast in feare And doubting lest the terror of this fight The Orbes Celestiall endanger might Eu'n in the heate and danger of the rowt They gently tread and pace the Campe throughout And prouidently thus themselues intrude With modest threats to tame the multitude Then prostrate 'fore the valiant General With bended knees and humble lookes they fall Spreading their aged Cheekes and frontes seuere With dangling tresses of their snowie haire Their hands they ioyne those hands that spun the thred Of many liuing many thousans dead Those hands they ioyne to whose high soueraign'ty The World and all things breathing Vassals be First Lachesis the eldest of the three And most austere diuides in modestie The hoary threds which for she nastie keepes Vncomb'd they thwart and hide her wrinkled cheekes In her owne name and sisters both she greets Blacke Pluto and to mitigate his threats ' Gainst Ioue first weepes then wiping her sad eyes With fainting voice she to him gently cries And thus begins Thou mighty king saith she Great Ruler of our vaste obscuritie Thou to whose sacred iudgement the least wight That groanes in darkenesse and hels horrid night Is subiect thou whom loyall Fates haue seru'd So long and from thy precepts neuer sweru'd With web and spindle thou that first giu'st breath To all things liuing thou whom life and death Equally waite on thou to whom the sage Fleet time what ruines he in euery age Collects doth giue and vnto thee the state Of present things doth likewise consecrate And lastly thou by whom the Soules condemn'd Haue
second being torture without end Seeke not great Prince to haue thine honor stain'd By breach of sacred lawes wee first ordain'd Cause thy robustious troopes retire and cease T' incense them further ' gainst high heauens peace Desist from hostile armes impietie Of making brother gods thine enemy But if thou needs wilt venter be no more A pow'r Diuine but some wilde sauage Bore Must Gyant race enioy a second light And once againe outbraue in Martiall fight Th' vnconquer'd gods Fye Pluto do not thus Attempt a Warre so sacrilegious And headlong cast thy Maiestie forbeare If Marri'ge be the cause or if thou feare Lest Ioue deny thee issue mildly proue Great Iupiter first let him heare thy loue Pluto heares Lachesis and though his rage Were such as her faire speech could scarce asswage Yet when the loftie loue strooke god might see The Sisters both to her soft prayers agree The bloud that riseth in each blacke swolne vaine He tempereth the Furies straight proclaime His alter'd purpose cu'ry Fiend that droopes To see this change they lash and force hels troopes Retire thus was this fatall enterprise Dismist and Pluto calm'd by Destinies So blust'ring Boreas when with roaring gust And whirle-winde arm'd he first doth lay the dust Then with a suddaine and tempestuous blast Enrag'd he faine vpon earth's face would cast Thicke stormes of hayle eu'n at the instant when With full swolne cheekes he breakes his loathed denne And scowring the vaste Seas would cause their flouds Arise to drowne the fields and neighb'ring woods Eu'n then the milder Aeolus restraines His force and keepes him fetter'd in strong chaines Pluto commands that subtill Mercury Ioue's sonne being summon'd to appeare from high Approach his presence and from thence be sent To tell the gods his Vncles discontent The winged messenger without delay Swifter then thought through the dull ayre makes way And with his colour'd hat and charming rod Forth-with appeares before th' infernall god Who in the darkest Vault of all sate plac't Vpon a blacke rude throne so meanly grac't VVith scepter course only his visage stout The horrour of his Maiestie set out Ouer his head hangs vp a dismall Cloud Which serues for cloth of state and now aloud 'Twixt rage and griefe he groans and faine would speak When at first accent of his words that breake Through hearers eares at their first hideous sound The royall palace and moyst chambers round All shake againe and at the fearefull note The triple Porter stops his howling throat The three sad riuers at th'vnusuall voyce Affrighted stand and stop their murm'ring noise All hell was silent but their king exceeds And to his yelling Embassie proceeds Ioues high-borne brood Cylenian Mercurie Olde Atlas Nephew common deity To heauen and hell thou that hast passage free Through both the Poles and equall liberty Thou that of all the gods both high and low The mysteries and strict comerce dost know Fly hence with speedy wing cut through the winde To thy vngratefull Sirethus speake our minde What right hast thou or what prioritie Cruel'st of all thy brothers ouer me Say Fortune blind with an vnequall hand To me denying gaue thee heau'ns command Yet are these temples honour'd with a crowne As well as thine nor can thy pride beate downe Our glory though we want the light thou shalt Perceiue our strength when I thy walls assault Think'st thou the Cyclop's handy-worke I feare Or those vaine claps that mocke the yeelding ayre Cast downe thy darts of thunder let them strike Affrighted mortals we are farte vnlike To such Know Iupiter I keepe my vowe And to reuenge my griefes am sure though slowe VVas 't not enough I then repined not At Fates that first to my accursed lot Gaue this third kingdome and depriued quite Though satisfied I neuer sought for light Nor wisht bright Phoebus might descend so farre As my sad palace or the morning starre Lighten these vaults when vnto thee the seau'n That make Charles-wayne twinkle in spangled heau'n And millions more thy glorious state adorne Poore I that all in darknesse sit forlorne Discomfortably mournfull no glad sight Enioy but waste in a perpetuall night VVhere are no comforts to the eye or eare Nothing but noyse and notes of ghastly feare For what harmonious musicke hath hells king Where ghosts keep howling time whil'st scriech-owles sing Yet thou that see'st me bare of all reliefe The more to aggrauate my sullen griefe Forbidd'st me Nuptiall rites thus Ioue repines At Pluto's wishes when his Concubines Are numberlesse the Sea-god happier is Though lesse in power then I and hath more blisse That when the raging billowes he allayes Faire Amphitrite with her Neptune playes And he intangled in her soft embrace Forgets the vse of his three-forked mace When thou in midst of Tytans scorching heate With labour of thy thunder-claps dost sweate To coole the partch't earth with moist drops of raine And weary of thy toyle turn'st backe againe Incestuous Iuno sits in longing state VVith open lap her Lord to recreate Latona Ceres Themis each of which Sufficient were but all of these enrich Thee with the name of father and thy seate Keepe still with hopefull successors repleace Thus thou in lustfull ryot varying Liu'st at thine ease whil'st I thy brother king In darkest dungeon like a slane am voyde Of those delights with which thou most art cloid And thus my prime of youth doth fade and pride Of issue failes by wanting alov'd Bride But come reuenge awake dull patience Suffice long pardon for so iust offence By all the shades of night by all the Ghosts That houer o're blacke Styx by all the hosts Of dreadfull horror mischiefe vengeance dire If Iupiter denie this last desire The walls of Tartarus shall open wide Thorough whose breach the soules that there abide Condemn'd to endlesse ruth shall sally out And hast thy downfall with confused rowt Mongst whom old Saturne once againe shall free The golden age from her captiuitie This sayd the Tyrant ceast and to his ire Gaue respit Mercury like nimble fire Meane while ascends vp to the highest Spheare And tells his message to great Iupiter The god vnto this vnexpected newes Gaue strict attention and forth-with ' gins muse In his diuine brest what would be th' euent Of such a marri'ge who would be content Of all the goddesses to lose the light In lieu she may be queene of lasting night And like a Iudge reuoluing many a doubt At length resolu'd his sentence thus breakes out One only child the goddesse Ceres had One daughter which doth make her mother glad For though Lucina blest her with no more Yet is she happy in this first she bore This serues for many and the want supplies That second birth her barren wombe denies This as her dearest darling and delight She often hugges still tends and from her sight She neuer let 's her part so Heifer young Or first yeeres Calfe that other beasts among Scarce presseth the soft