can defend his life When th'vnauoyded destinies assayle against the Sisters bootlesse wee make strife Mortall preuention then of force must fayle In vaine then hast thou laboured Peleus wife To guirt his body in a steely wall Since thy Achilles must by Paris fall 21 No sooner was he borne but the fayre Queene Plung'd him into the Sea all saue the heele By which she held him fast that which was seene Beueath the waues was wound-free against Steele Had she but drown'd her hand the Prince had beene Sword-proofe euen there her nicenesse would not feele The coldnesse of the waues therefore that part Was left vnarm'd for Paris poysoned Dart. 22 Who therefore would against the Fates contend By whom our elementall parts are swayde Since euery thing that 's borne must haue his end and Nature still decayes what she hath made T is Heauen not Earth that can our liues defend The hygh powers must in all things be obayd But leaue the fayre-foot Thet is and proceede To what the Campe hath against Troy decreed 23 By this great discords monges the Gracians fall Twixt Duke Palamides and Mecenes King But no man knowes the byrth of this great brall Or from what Fountaine these dissentions spring Achilles thinkes his warlike meed too small He will not fight not Diomedes bring His Men to battayle while their Soueraigne head Is Nawlus sonne the generall Palamed 24 Whom some affirme the amorous Paris slew In euen Incounter of opposed hate But others say gainst him Vlisses drew Such points of Treason as concern'd his fate About Palamides strange rumours flew Twixt whom and great Atrides fell debate About the Soueraigne sway enuies fire nurst Long in their bosomes into flashes burst 25 The King of Ithaca marryed but newly Vnto the chastest Queene that hath beene crown'd When all the Grectan Kings appointed duly To make their meeting and assemble round Gaue out he was turn'd Frantique but not truely Which craft of his the Son of Nawlus found For comming where Vlisses Plowd the Sand and steer'd the crooked Rafter with his hand 26 Palumides iust in the Mad-mans way Layd young Telemachus his first borne Son Which made the Greeke his yoaked teeme to stay and where his Issuelay the place to shon Palumides dilcouers his delay Finds that his Lunacy by craft was don That whilst the Gracians were with Troy at strife He might at home sleepe with his constant wife 27 In ill time did the Son of Nawlus this The vengfull King rouz'd from so fayre a Bride who by this meanes now quite abandon'd is Doth in his bosome spleene and rankor hide and for the losse of euery amorous kisse Threatens a wide wound in the Princes side Oh treacherous Greeke to want thy wife in Bed Mustat Troyes siedge cost the great Generals hed 28 Arnea was Sole-Daughter to the King Icarius and faire peribea his wife who feeles a young Babe in her VVombe to spring The Father when he knew th'Infant had life after conception doubting some strange thing To Delphos hyes where answers then were ryfe When th' Oracle thus spake the princely Dame Shall child one full of Honor full of Shame 29 A beauteous Maide the troubled Mother beares The Father misinterprets Phoebus minde And to auoyde her shame his future feares Commits her to the rage of Seas and Wind The Birds that bred of Meleagers teares Cald Meleagrides by Nature kind With their broad wings about the Cock-boat houer And from all stormes the beautious Infant couer 30 And hauing nourisht her for a certaine space Into the selfe-same Port her Barke they driue Where the sad King without paternall grace First launcht it forth and finding her aliue Circled with Birds of Meleagers race Their melting harts against their furies striue They take the young Arnea from the Sea And call her of those Birds Penelope 31 In beauty stature and in wit she growes But when her Father findes her apt to marry Fearing the Oracle whom still he knowes Sooth in his words perswades the dame to tarry A safer course to keepe her chast he chose Virginiti's a heauy loade to carry And to deuise to haue her nobly sped At a high rate he sets her Maiden-head 32 When all the Graecian Princes sought her grace And lay their Crownes and Scepters at her feete Icarius leades them to a Martiall race where the young Kinges in hot incounter meete Aboue them all Vlisses won chiefe place The shamefast Queene must her new Husband greete The bashfull modesty of this chast Dame The earefull Father did misconster shame 33 For woman-hood this Lady had no Peere witnesse her many Suters in the time Her Husband absent was some twice ten yeare who though much woo'd and in her youthfull prime Yet in their force or fayre meanes could appeare Not the least taynt of any amorous cryme Though many Suters through her doores intruded They by her Bow and Web were all deluded 33 Whether Vlisses breast doth malice shrowde And being at full groath now out it must Whether his loue to Agamemnon vowde Bred in the Nawlian Prince some great distrust Or whether great Palamides grew proude And in the Ballance of his awe vniust But the great Duke vnto the Barre he brings And there arraignes him by a Bench of Kings 34 Vnto this royall Sessions men are brought That sweare Palamides would Greece betray And that King Priam had by Factors wrought To make the Argiue Campe the Troyans pray The Generals priuate Tent is forthwith sought Where Bags of Troyan Coyne conceiled lay This euidence condems the Prince betrayd For there that Gold before Vlisses layd 35 And Agamemnon is againe restord With whose election the late Truce expires The maimd are cur'd the victors are ador'd The bodyes slaine receiue the funerall fires The Obits on both sides are full deplord And eyther party the fayre field desires The great Atrides Martials his fayre hoast Who shine in Steele by the Sygean Coast. 36 Vpon the aduerse party Hector leades His m◅n to battaile flanct with sleeues and winges His nimble Horsemen forrage round the Meads The maine well-fen'st with Skirts of Shafts and Slings In forehead of the battayle Hector treads This day the Generall ouer thirty Kings The charge is giuē arm'd knights meet breast to breast Striking bright starres out of each others Crest 37 The doughty Greekes after their long tru'st ease Are full of breath and vigor they fight well The Troyans that but late droue to the seas The scattred Camp thinke likewise to excell Euen Ballan'st is the field as the Scales please who Victors be who vanquisht none can tell On both sides some are conquer'd some subdue And as the day increast the conflict grew 38 Broad breasted Diomed gainst Paris rides and lifts him from his Saddle with his Speare The Prince the Buttockes of his Horse bestrydes And hardly can the Troyan keepe him there Whilst Diomed his quicke remoue derides
at once the Prince doth lacke Stor'd with nought else saue wounds alacke the day Yet like a stedfast rocke the worthy stood From whom ran twenty seuerall springs of blood 107 This when the fresh-breath'd Greeke beheld and saw So much effuse of blood about him run He chargd his warlike Myrmidons withdraw And crying out alowd Now Troy is won With shamefull oddes against all Knight-hoods law Gainst naked Hector well-arm'd Thetis son Aymes a stiffe Iauelin and against him rides The ruthlesse staffe through picrst his Royall sides 108 With him King Priam and whole Asiaes glory Queene Hecuba with all her daughters faire Sinke into Lethe euen the Gods are sorry To see the man they made without compare So basely fall to make Achilles story Reproachfull to all eares that would not spare So great a Worthy but with oddes strike vnder Him that atchiâ—…ud things beyond strength wonder 109 Hector thus falne the Troians whose whole power Lay in the arme of Hector flye the field And now th'incourag'd Greekes Scamander scower The head subdude the body needs must yeild Behold the Prince that aw'd within this hower Millions of Greekes lyes dead vpon his shield He gone whose Atlas Arme vpheld their states Amazed Troy rams-vp her sieged Gates 110 At sight of which Achilles sweld with rage From Hectors breast the Belt Aiax him gaue Snatcheth in hast and his sad spleene t' asswage Fetters his Legges and like a conquerd slaue Voyde of all honor ruth or Counsell sage at his Horse-heeles he drags him like a slaue Hauing Troyes wall first three-times circled round hurdling the Dardan Heroâ—… on the ground 111 To thinke so braue a Peere should basely bleede A Prince t'insult vpon a slaughter'd Foe and gaâ—…nst a worthy act so base a deede Makes my soft eye with Springs of Sorrow flow Nor can I further at this time procâ—…ede The Greekes blacke practise doth offend me so Heare therefore I desist my Tragicke verse To mourne in silence o're Prince Hectors hearse Aeacides a name we sometimes giue to Achilles is a deriuatiue of Aeacus and is as much as to say the Grand childe of Aeacus sometime we call him Pelias Issue viz the Sonne of Peleas the Sonne of Aeacus Patroclus a Noble Greeke sonne to Menetius and Stheuele he was brought up under Chiron the Centaure with Achilles who euer after entirely loued him Chiron likewise whom we haâ—…e before in some places mentioned is thought to be Sonne of Saturne Vt Saturnus Equo geminum Chirona creauit His Mother was cald Philyra Ad mare descendit montis de parte suprema Chiron Philerides Saturne deflowring the faire Philiris Daughter to the old Oceanus and fearing leaft his â—…ife Rhea otherwise cald Sibilla should discouer his wantonnesse transhapes him selfe into a Horse and then beg at in the Islands Philerides Chiton the Centaure from the Nauell vpwardes hauing the perfect semblance of Man the rest downewards the shape of an Horse Others haue thought him to be the Sonne of Ixion Brother to the race of the Centaurs He taught Aesculapius Phisicke Hercules Astronomy and Apollo to play on the Lute or Harpe Of Thetis otherwise cald Amph 〈◊〉 it is thus reported that she was the most beautifull of all the Goddesses when Apollo Neptune and Iuâ—…ter contended about her which should â—…ioy her bed being all frustrate Iupiter inraged doom'd her to be a mortals Bride because shee had so peremptorily despised their God hoods The Goddesse much agrieu'd to be so abiectly bestowed despised Pelcus who extreamely doted on her beauty and still when hee would haue comprest her she metamorphised her selfe somtimes to a flame of Fire sometimes to a Lyon then a serpent so dreadfull that he was still deter'd from his purpose till after by the aduice of Chiron the Centaure neglecting all terror she helde her fast so long till hauing run through all her Protean shapes he wearted her in her transformation till she return'd into her owne shape of the most beautiful Goddesse of whom he begat Achilles Tython for his beauty beloued of Aurora the morning is said to be the son of Laomedon and Brother to Priam thogh by diuers mothers he gat Prâ—…am of Leucippe and Tython of Sâ—…ma or else of Rhoea the daughter of Scamander Aurora begd of the Fates for her Husband Tython Imortality which being imediately graunted her she had for got with his length of life to beg withal that he should neuer wax old and decrepit wherefore he is said to be euer bed rid till the Gods pittying his feeblenesse turn'd him after into a Grashopper Longa Tithonum minuit senâ—…ctus suâ—…a a chiefe Citty in Persia where the great Sophies keepe their Courts it is seated neare the famous riuer Choaspes and was builded by Tython Pclasgians are an auncient people of Greece dwelling in Peloponesus in the edge of Macedonia of whom the generall Graecians sometimes haue vsurpt that name The end of the thirteenth CANTO Argumentum TRoylus Achilles wounds and is betraid By his fell Myrmidons which being spredd The bloody Greeke still loues the beautious Maid Pollixena and for her loue is lead To Pallas Church whom Paris doth inuade And with an Arrow in the heele strikes dead Penthisilea with her valiant Maydes Assists sad Troy Greece lofty Pyrthus ayds ARG. 2. IN this last fight fall by the Argiue spleene Paris Amphimachus Scithiaes Queene CANTO 14. 1 TO whom Andromache may I compare Thy Funerall teares ore Hectors body shed If mongst late Widdowes none suruiue so rare To equall thee le ts search among the dead The Carian Queene that was as chast as faire Bright Artimesia a wonder bred Galathian Camna did likewise constant proue And â—…al'd her in firme Coniugall Loue. 2 What Fathers griefe could equall Priams teares Who lost a sonne no age no world could match Whose arme vpheld his glory many yeares Whose vigilant eye did on his safety watch Englands third Edward in thy face appeares Like griefe when timelesse death did soone dispatch Thy braue sonnes life Edward Sirnam'd the blacke By whom Spaine flag'd and France sustained wracke 3 Noâ—… Margaret when at Teuxbury her sonne Was stab'd to death by Tyrant Glosters hand Felt from her riueld cheekes more Pearle drops ronne Then Hecuba when she did vnderstand The thred of Hectors life already sponne Whose glories stretcht through Heauen aire sea land Though he of semblant hope to England were With him whom Asia did account most deare 4 Nor could the Countesse Mary sorrow more To heare her Brother the braue Sidney wounded Whose death the seuenteene Belgian states deplore Whose Fame for Arts and armes the whole world sounded Then did Cassandra who her garments tore Creusa who with extreame griefe confounded With whom Polyxena bare a sad straine To heare a third part of the earth complaine 5 Nor when the hopefull youth Prince Arthur dide Leauing his Brother both his
of Histaspes called in the Scripture Ashuerosh Husband to Hester called by 〈◊〉 Aristona as the Name of Vasts was Atossa Some refer the History of Iudith to these times Fourth Xerxes raigned 20. He 〈◊〉 Greece with an Armye of 10000000. Souldiers his cheese Captaine was Mardonius his chiefe Counseller Artabanus He was first repulsed by Pausanias of Sparta after expeld Greece by 〈◊〉 In these warres were famous Artstides and Cimon 4. Artaxerxus with the long hand ruld 40. He was thought to bee the Son to Darius and Hester In his time liued Esdras Haggeus Zachartus and Nehemiah About the time of the Pelloponesian Warre And now was Rome gouerned by the 〈◊〉 forme of gouernment infamous in the lust of 〈◊〉 to the chast Roman Lady Virginia Darius Nothus raigned 19 In his time hued famous Alcibiades and Sophocles Euripides two famous Tragedians Artaxerxes Memnon 40. he loued the famous Lady Aspatia the Noblest Greekes in his daies were Clearchus Anaxilaus Lisander who conquered Athens after gouerned by 30. Tyrants who were supprest by the 〈◊〉 of Thrasibulus Now happened the Wars betweene the Phocenses and the Locri with 〈◊〉 Leuctricum And now 〈◊〉 Conon and 〈◊〉 EpamaminoÌ„das in Greece about the 〈◊〉 that English Brennus sackt Rome Artaxerxes Ochus next Memnon raigned 26. In his time happened the Warre which was called Bellum sacrum 〈◊〉 raigned foure yeares he was slaine by Bagoas Him Darius succeeded in the sixt yeare of his raigne was slaine by Alexander the Great in whom began the third Monarchy translated to the Gracians Alexander by his Father Phillip deriueth his byrth from Hercules by his Mother Olimpius from Aeacus He conquered the World raigned as Emperor 12. years In the 32. of his age He dead the Monarchy was dâ—…ded into four parts Aegipt Syria Asia Mynor and Macedon The Kinges of Egypt after Alexander were these Ptolomeus the Sonne of Lagus Ptolomeus Philodelphus Alexander Philopater Epiphanes Philometer Euergetes Phiscon Alexander Lathurus Auletes Father to Câ—…patra Dionisius her Brother in whom ended the race of the Ptolomees and now Egypt came vnder the Iâ—…risdiction of the Romans The Kings of Macedon were Perdicas Craterus Antipater Cassander Antigonus 1. Antigonus 2. Demetrius Philippus and Perseus who was surprised by the Romans The Kings of Syria who after the death of Alexander possest Babylon Syria and Asia Minor were Antiochus Soter Antiochus Theos Antiochus Magnus who had these three Sons Seleucus Philopater Antiochus Epiphanes and Demetrius Demetrius after his Brothers decease had two Sonnes Demetrius Nicanor and Antiochus Sedetes The Son of Nicanor was Antiochus Griphus The Son of Sedetes was Antiochus Cyzenius These hauing slaine each other from theyr Issue Tygranes King of Armenia reâ—…t the Kingdome of Syria which first Lucullus and after Pompeius Magnus annext to the Roman Empyre These in the time of the third Monarchy were Captaines and Gouernors among the Iewes Nehemiah Ioconias Selathiel Zorobabel Resa Mesollam â—…ohanna Ben Resa Iudas Hircanus primus in his Dukedome Alexander flew Darius Iosephus primus Abner Semei Eli matathai Asa mahat Nagid Artaxad Haggai Eli Maslot Nahum Amos Sirach Matathia Siloah Iosephus Iunâ—…r Ianua secunâ—…s Hircanus And then began the race of the Machabees in Matathias whose Sons succeeded him Iudas Ionathas Simon Iohannes Hercanus The Kinges of that line were Aristobulus son to Hercanus Alexander Iâ—…neus Queen Alixandra his Wife otherwise cald Salome The Sonnes of Alexander were Hircanus and Aristobulus in theyr death ended the line of the Machabees Succeeding these in the 30. yeare of the raigne of Herod Tetrache was borne the Sauiour of the World vnto which we haue studyed to reduce the best knowne Nations of the Earth leauing the 4. Monarchy among the Romans who by this time awed the Earth whose warres and Fortunes being so commonly from many worthy Writers translated into our moderne tongue We here omâ—… letting this short Epitome onley serue in the Front of our Booke to instruct your memories and guide your thoughts through those vnknown Deserts in which without this direction many Readers may loose themselues bee this therefore their Pylot to direct them to the harbour of these latter Ages more familiarly knowne Argumentum TYTAN and Saturne differ their great strife Is by their carefull mother VESTA ended Saturane his Sister Sybill takes to wife And the heyre-males that are from theÌ„ descended He doomes to death faire Sybil saues the life Of Iupiter grim Saturne is offended And to the Oracle at Delphos hyes Whiles Titan thrugh the earth his fortune tries ARG. 2. The Worlds Creation gold from the earths veines Neptune and Plutoes birth ALPHA conteines CANTO 1. THis VNIVERSH with all therein conteined Was not at first of Water fashioned Nor of the Fire as others oft haue fcyned Nor of the Ayre as some haue vainly spred Nor the foure Elements in order trained Nor of Vacuitie and Atom's bred Nor hath it beene Eternall as is thought By naturall men that haue no further sought 2 Neither hath man in perpetuity bin And shall on earth eternally perseuer By endlesse Generation running in One circuit In corruption lasting euer Nor did that Nation first on earth begin Vnder the mid Equator some indeuour So to perswade that man was first begunne In the place next to the life-giuing Sunne 3 Neither was he of Earth and water framed Tempered with liuely heat as others write Nor were we in a former world first named As in their curious Problems some recite Others more ripe in Iudgement haue proclaimed Man fram'd of clay in fashion exquisite In whom were breath'd sparkes of Celestiall fire Whence he still keepes his Nature to aspire 4 But this most glorious Vniuerse was made Of nothing by the great Creators will The Ocean bounded in not to inuade Or swallow vp the Land so resteth still The azure Firmament to ouer-shade Both Continent and Waters which fulfil The Makers word one God doth sole extend Without beginning and shall see no end 5 That powerfull Trinity created man Adam of Earth in the faire field Damaske And of his rib he Euah formed than Supplying them with all things they can aske In these first two Humanity began In whom confinde IHBHOVAHS fix-daâ—…es taske From Adam then and Euahs first Creation It followes we deriue our Brittish Nation 6 Inspire me in this taske Ihoues seede I pray With Hippocrenes drops besprinke my head To comfort me vpon this tedious way And quicken my cold braine nigh dull and dead Direct my wandring spirits when they stray Least forren and forbidden paths they tread My iourney 's tedious blame not then my feares My voyage aymes at many thousand yeares 7 Oh giue me leaue from the Worlds first Creation The ancient names of Britons to deriue From Adam to the Worlds first Invndation And so from Noah to vs that yet suruâ—…e And hauing of Troyes
Worthies made relation Your spurs the Chariot of my Muse must driue Through all past Ages and precedent times To fill this new World with my worthlesse rymes 8 Oh may these Artlesse numbers in your eares Renowmed IAMES seeme Musically strung Your fame oh IOVES-star'd Prince spread euery where First gaue my still and speech-lesse Muse a tung From your Maiestike vertues prised deare The infant life of these harsh meeters sprung Oh take not then their industrie in skorne Who but to emblaze you had beene yet vnboâ—…e 9 Not let your Princely Peeres hold in disdaine To haue their Auncestry stild'e and inrolde In this poore Register a higher straine Their merits aske since brazen leaues vnfold Their neuer-dying Fame yet thus much daine Not to despise to heare your vertues told In a plaine stile by one whose wish and hart Supplies in zeale want both of Skill and Art 10 Times faithfully conferd the first inuention Of most thinges now in vse heare you shall finde Annext with these the vse and comprehention Of Poesâ—… once to the Goddes desceind Suffer our bluntnesse then since our intention Is to good vse sent from a zealous mind If Stones in Lead set keepe their vertues then Your worth 's the same though blazde by a rude Pen. 11 In the Worldes Child-hood and those Infant-daies When the first earth was in her strength and prime Ofher owne nature yeilding plants and Spraies Flowers both for smell and Medicine when each time The chearefull beames of the bright Sunne displaies To ripen fruites in their conuenient time Before the labouring Swaine with' is iron plow Made furrowed wrinkles in the Earths smooth brow 2 When men were gouernd more by Will then Art And had their appetites by Nature swayde When Fraud was vnbegot and had no part In the worlds Empire before Coyne was made When man his mutuall fortunes did impart Without Extortion Guile or Vsurers trade Before smooth Cunning was to ripenesse growne Or diuellish Wax and Parchment yet were knowne 3 I meane the golden world the purest Age That knew not brazen warre or fatall steele For war was in his cradle yron age Bred but his teeth yet did the world not feele His rauenous phangs no man did battell wage Or try the inconstant course of Fortunes wheele There was twixt king and king no grim defiance Nor bands saue of affection and alliance 4 Then liu'd Vranus a great Lord in Creet To Aethra and great Demogorgon heire He married with a Lady bright and sweet Vesta through all those climes sur-nam'd the faire With two young lads she did her Husband greet Tytan and Saturne at two births she bare Tytan the eldest crooked and il-fac't Saturne well shap't faire spoke and comely grac't 5 Vranus in his hopefull issue famed Begot on Vesta two faire Daughters more The first Sibilla the last Ceres named Fairer were neuer seene in Creet before Both were by Nature in her cunning framed Out of her beauties choise and purest store Tytan was for his vgly shape abhord But Saturne for his comlinesse adord 6 This Saturne was the first by whose inuention The Earth was Til'd and Ear'd and gaue increase Before his fruitfull daies was neuer mention To sowe or plant Till then a generall peace Was made twixt th' earth and vs our apprehention Strecht not to know her secrets Now gan cease Blind Ignorance in man Saturne first found To till to plow to sow to reape the ground 7 He likewise was the first that strung the bow And with a feathered Arrow pierst the Aire Phâ—…bus at first admired and did not know What new made Birds could flie so swift and faire Mistaking Saturnes shafts for who would trow Mans wisedome could inuent a thing so rare Being Earth-bred to stretch his braine so hie As teach his shafts way through the empty skie 8 And now began th' amaz'd Earth to admire To see such strange fruites in her bosome growing To see her head weare such vnknowne attire To see the Swaines some planting others sowing Now first began the birds to pearch them hier And shun mans sight still wondering but not knowing How men below on th' earths verdure lying Should reach into the aire and sttike them flying 9 To kill the Sauadge beast he likewise taught And how to pierce the Serpents skale from farre By him the wilde-swift-running Hart was caught He first deuis'd for vs the vse of warre He shewd which mines of earth be good which naught Which be the veines of Gold which siluer are He Minerals first found and from the mold To decke his Pallace brought refined gold 10 Yet some great Saturnes glory would deface And say that Cadmus first this mettall found In high Pangeus a huge hill in Thrace Else Thoas and Eaclis searcht the ground For gold ore and Panchaia was the place Knowne in such precious mettals to abound Some twixt Erichthon and Ceacus deuide Finding bright siluer first in Athens tride 11 Idei Dactili Iron mettall wrought In Creet some deeme two Iewes in Cipres made it Selmentes and Damnameneus brought The Ore from thence and to their vse assaide it For yellow Brasse the fly Pannonians sought The Scithian Lydus with the fire allaid it And taught it first to melt which some suppose The Phrigian Delos did by Art disclose 12 Midacritus a Minerall more then these Brought from a Prouince that belongs to Spaine Lead from the Ilands Cassiterides Which some would Attribute to Tuball-Caine Glaucus all Mettals brought beyond the seas Taught how to sother else their vse were vaine The first Smiths-forge the blacke Calibians made And after taught the Ciclopes their trade 13 Cyniras the Stythee leuer Tongs and File Pyrodes was the first from flint stroke fire Which how to keepe in matches longer while Prometheus taught This Vulcan did acquire The bellowes Anacharsis in the Isle Cal'd Scithes and thus men did still aspire For knowledge and in seuerall Countries nurst These Arts of whom we hold king Saturne first 14 Therefore the Cretan people much esteemed him And cal'd him God on earth for his rare wit Much honor he receiu'd which they beteem'd him And in their populer iudgements held it fit To burne him Mirrhe and Insence for they deem'd him Worthy alone amongst the Gods to sit Perswaded such a high inuentious straine Could not proceed from any Mortals braine 11 As these rare guifts the giddy Commons noted So in his mothers hart they tooke Impression Who on her sonnes perfections inly doted Making for him her daily intercession Thus in a Sea of sweet content he floted For who but of his vertues made confession In processe and the chiefe of Saturnes pride The old Vranus craz'd fell sicke and dide 12 After a few sad funerall sighes and teares By Vesta o're her husbands body shed In crooked Tytan to the world appeares A strong intention to impale his head
deuoured of a Beare and being seene no more was thought to be metamorphosed into a Beare There be two Beares in the heauens the greater and the lesse into which Ovid saith Atchas and his mother were translated one of them Nauphus first obserued the other Thales Milesius Homer cals them Helicopes The warres twixt Iupiter and the Tytanoys is called by the Poets Gygantomachia Of which Ovid the first of his Metamor Aff classe ferunt regnum coeleste gigantes Attaque congestes struxisse ad sidera mantes c. Of this there are diuers Fables extant Briaceus they cald Centimanem Gigantem the Gyant with a hundred hands alluding to his valour and his creditious strokes which he gaue so thicke as if he had strook with an hundred hands at once And of Typhon Ovid in his Metamorph. 5. most ingeniously thus speakes Vasta Gyganteis Iuierta est Insula memoris Tynacris magnis subiectum motibus vrgit Aethercas ausum sperare Typhocaledes et sic deinceps Iapetus is certeinly thought to be sonne of Iaphet the 3. sonne of Noah Tantalus some thinke to be the sonne of Iupiter and the Nymph Plota Others of Iupiter and Plutus as Iohannes Diaconus and Didimus Others haue thought him to be the sonne of Imolus King of Lydia as Zezes Others the son of Aethon Talia ferre Puto quoque Tantalou aethone natum Qui nullo potuit fonte leuare sitim Tantalus being to feast the Gods for the more magnificence of the banquet and as the richest dish slew his sonne Pelops and serued him in which the Goddes knowing all refused to eate onely Ceres almost distraught with the losse of hir daughter rashly eate of the shoulder The Goddes pittying the murder of his sonne floung al his limbes intoa Caldron which boyling a space they restored him againe to life whom bicause he came out of the Caldron yonger then when he was slaine he was called Pelops but when his shoulder wanted of which Ceres had hungerly fed the Goddes made vp the place with Iuory which shoulder of Iuory was after a badge of all the Pelopidans Of his torments in hell the report is common His children were Broteus Pelops and Niobes The end of the third CANTO Argumentum IHoue Esculapius kils Apollo drtues To keepe Admetus sheepe in Thessaly And next his beautious sister Iuno wiues At her returne from Creet to Parthemy The father with the sonne in battell striues But by his puissance is insorst to fly Acrisius keepes his daughter in a Tower Which amorous Ihoue skales in a golden shower ARG. 2. To deuine physicke Gods made first of men And Perseus birth swift Delta guids my pen CANTO 4. THou deuine Art of Physiâ—… let me sing Thy hononred praise and let my pen aspire To giue thee life that vnto life canst bring Men halfe departed whether thy first Syre Was that Prometheus whoâ—…om the Heauens King Stole by his skill part of the vitall fier That kindles life in man thereby to saue Sicke men that stand with one foot in the graue 2 Or whether Aesculapius was thy father Sonne to the Sun-god by whose liuely heat Symples and Plants their saps and vertues gather Let it suffice I know thy power is greate And my vnable muse admires thee rather Then comprehends thy worth let them intreat Of thy perfection that with fame professe thee And in their Arts vnto the life expresse thee 3 As famous Butler Pady Turner Poe Atkinson Lyster Lodge who still suruiue Besides these English Gallens thousands moe Who where they come death and diseases driue From pale sicke creatures and all Cordials know Spirits spent and wasted to preserue aliue In this with Gods and Kings they are at strife Physitians Kings and Gods alone giue life 4 Some hold young Mercury deuisd the skill Of Phisicke first and taught that Art abroad Some vnto Arabus impute it still Someyeild that honour to th' Egiptian God Cal'd Apis or Serapis others wil Apollo chiefe what time he made aboad With king Admetus but mostvoyces runne The first renown'd was Esculap his sonne 5 Hippocrates reduc't it to an Art Gallen and Auicenna him succeed Cassius and Calpitanus too impart His soueraigne skill Rubrius taught first to bleed Antonius Musa chear'd the wasted hart Aruntius too helpt euery griefe at need Archagathus profest this first in Rome But all submit to Noble Gallens doome 6 The first that did this sacred Art renowne And gaue it fame on earth was as I read Great Aesculape who tracing vp and downe To gather Simples in the flowry Mead Hard by a rocke that weares a bushy crowne And boue the neighbour champion lifts his head He spies a Swaine in habit neate and briske Hold battell with a dreadfull Bassiliske 7 A monster that kils onely with his eie Which from th'vnarmed Shepheard shrunke and ran Apolles sonne with wonder stands him â—…e And thinks or that no beast or this no man Admiring by what hidden Diety The piercing Cockatrice out-gaze he gan Vnlesse by chance there lodg'd a Vertue rare In some one simple in the wreath he ware 8 All the strong armour gainst this horrid beast Was but a Chaplet which begirt his braine Which Esculape suspecting much increast His Ardency to know what hidden straine Slept in strange working herbs thus being possest He begs the Garland from the ignorant Swaine Who now vnwreath'd againe the beast defies Who straight returnes and kils him with hir eies 9 Apolloes sonne by certaine proofe now finds Th'inuertued hearbes haue gainst such poyson power To combate with th'eie-killing Beast he minds Thirsting for fame the wreath with many a Flower And hearbe and plant about his braine he binds And so with speed hasts to her Rocky tower Skales her foule den and threatens present warre T'out-gaze her neare who seeing kils from farre 10 The big-swolne Serpent with broad eye-lids stares And through the aire her subtle poison flings The Sunnes-hearbe charmed soone her venom dares And shrinkes not at her persaunt eie-bals stings The Basiliske in her owne strength dispaires And to flie thence she shakes her flaggy wings But his Dart takes her as she meant to rise And pierst her hart that pierst harts with her eies 11 Proud of this Trophy he returning sees The harmelesse Swaine vpon the ground lie dead Whom pittying he discends vnto his knees Taking the vertued Chaplet from his head And hearbe by hearbe into his mouth doth squeeze And downe his throat their powerfull liquor shed But when the iuice of one pure herbe was draind The new departed life it backe constraind 11 Nor wonder if such force in hearbs remaine What cannot iuice of deuine Simples bruisd The Dragon finding his young Scrpent slaine Hauing th'herbe-Balin in his wounds infusd Restores his life and makes him whole againe Who taught the Heart how Dettany is vsed Who being pierced through the bones and marrow Can with that hearbe expell th'offensiue arrow 13 Who
got from him discended Bright Danae of whom we now intreat Whose beauties fame is through the earth extended Acrisius iealous of his Fathers seat To Egipt hies and there his prayers commended Offering large quantities of Gold and Wheat At the God Belus his great Grandsires shrine Of his faire daughters fortunes to deuine 72 This answere he returnes Away be gone Thou sonne of Abas Danae forth shall bring A gallant boy shall turne thee into stone And after thee in Arges raine sole-King Acrisius now hath turn'd his mirth to mone From whence his ioyes should grow his sorrows spring His hoped Issue and successiue heire Late al his pleasure now is all his care 73 He intimates that from her wombe shall rise A gallant boy that shall his Grandfire kill And Arges Crowne by force of armes supprize He sweares the maid shall liue a Virgin still And to preuent his fate doth straight deuise A Tower impregnable built on a hill Strong of it selfe but yet to make it sure He girts it with a treble brazen Mure. 74 The guiltlesse Lady wonders at the state Of this new worke not knowing why t is built To see sharpe Pynacles themselues elate So high towards heauen the Arches richly guilt Huge Marble collumnes to support the gate In euery place rich tinctures largely spilt The Tarras with white Iuory pillers rail'd And the Crosse-ebon bars with guilt stoods nail'd 60 It seemes too strong for pleasure and for warre It shewes too neat but now the worke is ended Who that beholds it shining from a farre But with admiring thoughts the worke commended The nearer you approach the more you are Inflam'd with wonder not a staire ascended But of white Marble not a doore but Brasse The windowes glaz'd with Cristals not with glasse 61 All things prepard the King will Danae carry To view the Tower she giues it due with praise He thus proceeds Child thou shalt neuer marry But in this place of pleasure end thy daies And in this brazen circuit euer tarry The Lady starts and thinkes too long she staies In that loath'd place which now to her appeares No Pallace but a dungeon full offeares 62 And asking why she must be kept a slaue Or how she hath deseru'd so strict a doome To be so young put in her Marble graue For what 's a Prison but a liuing Toombe Or for what cause she may no husband haue But liue an Ancresse in so strict a roome Knowing her selfe a Princesse ripe and sit Wrongd as she thinkes not to be married yet 63 Acrisius tels her what great Belus spake When hee with Orisons kneeld at his throne That from her wombe the world a sonne should take That shall his Grandsire change into a stone She interrupts him and thus scilence brake Oh would you be eternall liu'd alone And neuer die What would Acrisius haue More then an heire to lodge him in his graue 79 Did you not into stone great Abas turne And Abas to his Father Linceus so Their funerall trunkes to sacred ashes burne O're which their monumentall marbles grow Oh Father no man can his Fate adiorne Shall these your eyes be closed vp by a Foe Or can you deeme your owne bloud shall betray you Who are more fit within your stone to lay you 80 What you did to your Father let my sonne Performe'to you successiuely succeed Your Fathers glasse is out yours must be run Leaue then your Crowne to one of Abas breed In vaine quoth he we cannot thus be wun To alter what 's vnchangeably decreed Here shalt thou liue but royally attended Like a bright Queene and from a King descended 81 So leaues her guarded with a troope of Mayds And envious Beldams that were past their lust These with rewardes and threats the King invades In his high charge to be seuere and iust But most the Matrons fittest for such trades Rather than wanton wenches he dare trust Louers may Louers fauour Crones are past it and enuy but not pitty those would tast it 82 So doth the full-fed stomach meate deny Vnto the famisht So the Drunkard spils Wine in aboundance which would cheare the dry Cold age the appetite of hot lust kils Danae thy beauties fame is sounded hie Mongst many other Kings Ihoues eares it fils He loues her by her fame and longs to see her Nor are her thoughts at peace before he see her 83 A thousand bracelets Iewels Pearls and Rings With gold of sundry stamps the King prepares And hauing readied all these costly things In a poore Pedlers trusse he packs his wares So hies to Danaes Tower loue gaue him wings Hope sometime cheeres him sometimes he dispaires At length arriues there in an euening late And fals his rich packe at the Castle gate 84 Where two leane wrinkled Crones stand Centinell To giue the watchword to Acrisius guard Appointed straight to ring the larum Bell If any man once neere the Castle dar'd The Pedler askes who in that pallace dwell Or how they call the place Hast thou not heard Of Danae quoth the Beldam looking sower Whom Arges King closd in this-brazen Tower 85 He viewes the place and finds it strongly seared Not to be won by armes but skal'd by slight I came from Creet quoth he and was intreated Heere to deliuer tokens of some weight From great king Iupiter their cold blouds heated With hope of gaine they cheare their age-duld sight And with a couetous longing earne to view What precious knackes he from his Hamper drew 86 A thousand seuerall Trinckets he displaies If this be Danaes Tower quoth he then these Belong to you the Crones his bounty praise And in their hands two costly lewels cease The younger Ladies now are come to gaze Not one amongst them but he seekes to please Some Gold some stones some Rings some Pearles he gaue And all haue something though they nothing craue 87 Blear'd with these gifts their charge they quite forget And euery Ladies eâ—…e dwels on her prize Comming fore Danae she beholds them set With sundry brouches sparkling in her eyes And asking whence they had them they bid fet The Pedler vp who hath of fairer size Brighter Aspect and for a Queene to weare In worth not to be valewed yet not deare 88 Danae commands him vp he glad ascends And through their brib'd hands freely is admitted Euen to her chamber Gold thy might extends Beyond all opposition the best witted Thou canst corrupt diue through the hearts of friends By thee are wal'd Townes entred skonces splitted By thee are armies swayed Camps ouer-runne Children the Fathers spoile and Sire the sonne 89 No wonder then if Gold the Pedler brought To enter where besides him no man came Behold the Goddesse this great King hath sought Oh how her bright eie doth his soule inflame Pearles Iewels Rings and Gold he sets at naught yea all the world if valewed vvith this Dame Variety of costly gems he shewes her And makes her of them
Browne trameld lockes best grace the brightest hew Are her lockes yellow Such Auroraes glasse Presents in her attyring to her view Is haite orient bright It doth surpasse If Chesnuâ—… coloured Such do I pursue My eies still aime at beauties rare perfections and I all colours loue and all complexions 76 My loue can fit it selfe to euery story I loue a young girle and a woman staid Her fresh yeares please me and I should be sorry To loose her youth who would not loue a Maid anothers lookes are Matron-like I glory In her and I her person must inuade To end as many as the world can hold M'ambitious loue likes be they young or old 77 Now to proceed of Danae and her sonne Long tost vpon the Oceans ruthlesse streames at length her barke th' Apulian shores hath won about the houre when Phoebus dons his beame and to ascend the Easterne hill begun When she new wakt out of her horrid dreames Her selfe halfe dead with cold her Babe neare frozen Finds that her barke hath a faire harbor chosen 78 Which a poore Naples Fisherman espying Kenning a Barke that had nor Oare nor saile He leaues the nets that on the shore were drying and puts to Sea the mastlesse boat to hale Which boording on the bare plankes he sees lying A beautious Goddesse couer'd with a vaile And on her knee a babe or dead or sleeping To which she sange not but was softly weeping 79 It mou'd the poore man to behold her teares He sees th' extremity they both are in Her sailesse boat vnto the Land he steares And her young infant that was bare and thin A wraps in his Capootch and softly beares Vnto his cottage where no Prince hath bin He makes a chearefull Fire and in a while The halfe-staru'd babe doth on his mother smile 80 And being refresht with what the Cottage lent Their Natiue beauties repossest their faces Whose rarenesse the poore man admiring went To acquaint the King with one so full of graces Who sends for her to Court incontinent And hauing seene her beauty Danae places In his throne Royall swearing by his life The bounteous seas haue sent him this rare wife 81 This King Pelonnus hight who gently praies To acquaint him with her birth and fortunes past The blushing Dame her modest eye gan raise And to his faire demaund replies at last She tels him she hath spent her youthfull dayes In Arges next how she to Sea was cast Of Darraines Tower of her vntimely fate Of Iupiters forg'd loue Acrisius hate 82 Discoursing orderly the sum of all At which the King oft wept her fortunes ruing blaming the cause of her vntimely fall At euery Inter-medium loue renewing He thinkes Acrisius hate too great too small â—…houes loue that left such beautie for pursuing he wooes she yeelds that did the King besot And married Danaus is betweene them got 83 Of whom and of young Perseus forbeare To speake of Saturne through the world notorious And Iupiter subduing Climats ncare As Cecill Lemnos Cipres stil victorious Piercing large Italy and welcom'd there By Ianus for mongst Kings his stile was glorious This Ianus byfrons was of auncient name Of him our Ianuary tooke first name 84 Ianus tels Ihoue King Saturne dwels them by Teaching rude Nations Tillage there vnknowne And held in reuerence for the Princes nie Receiue his exilde people as their owne He shewes him plowes teemes yokes and harrowes lie And fields of ripened graine already growne This King at length brought Saturne to Ihoues view And by his meanes attonement twixt them grew 85 The good old Ianus in Taurentum raignde So did Euander in Mount Auentine Since one of Roomes seauen hils and proudly nam'd By these King Italus of auncient line This Italus from Ciracuse constraind Built the great Citty Albe by which shine Bright Tyber Streames al these at once desire Peace and accord betweene the sonne and Syrc 86 Saturne surrenders Creet hauing erected A Citty where Roomes Capitoll now stands And a chast Virgin to his wife elected Philicis cald colleagued in nuptiall bands Of whom he Picus got Picus protected That Citty after Saturne and commands The Realme adiacent Faunus was his sonne and from this Faunus did Latinus come 87 The Poets make this Faunus for his care O're husbandry the auncient Sire and Father Of all the Rural-gods His Queene was fayre And Fatua hight who would haue bedded rather With Hercules suppos'd Amphitrites heire But our dispersed story we must gather And of Nicostrate wife to Euander A little speake before too farre we wander 88 Who dotes on Iupiter and laught him charmes With Negromanticke Charracters in which He expert growes and hauing left off armes Studies the blacke spels of this sorcering Witch Abandons horrid sound of shrill alarmes Now onely labours to be wise and rich And leaues the Iatian Kings where long he staid After the league twixt him and Saturne made 89 To Ceâ—…t returning where Queene Iunâ—… was Deliuered of a foule mishapen Lad Cald Vulcan Ceres of a louely Lasse Hight Proserpine the enuious Queene growes sad To see her Aunts child in bright lookes surpasse Hers in deformed foulenesse Ihoue's more glad Of Proserpine then Vulcan which espide The iealous Queene doth with her husband chide 90 She chafes he laughes she blames his wanton ryat He giues her liberall scandall a deafe eare She counts her selfe food to suffice his diat and tels of all his scapes how when and where That he is forst to keepe his Queene in quiat To marry Ceres to a great Lord there With whom he gaue t' augment his name and power Sicill and Syracusa for her dower 91 To Vulcan he the Isle of Lemnos gaue To be instructed in his Geomancy In the deepe bowels of the earth to raue To learne the force of fire in Pyromancy Taught by Beroutes and Piragma graue The third Sceropes red him Negromancy Himselfe the God of Smiths Lemnos his seat Where these three Cyclops on his Anuiles beat 92 And frame Ihoues trisulck thunders some dcuine Lame Vulcan in his birth was straight and faire And being in Ihoues lap where Planets shine And stars like golden studs sticke round his chaire The Mansion of the Gods th' heauens Christaline Dandling his smiling babe he spies the ayre Al in guilt flames earth burne the Meteors drinke The boyling Seas and heauens huge Collumes shrink 93 For Phaeton had set the world on fire At which Ihoue rising from his throne in hast To thunder-strike the youth that durst aspire Downe drops his sonne towards earth and falling past Through al the Planets by Apollo hier Then al the rest So by the Moone at last Twixt heauen and earth who can describe the way When he was falling a long Summers day 94 He lights in Lemnos nor can Vulcan die By this occase being borne of heauenly seed Though on the earth amaz'd the infant lie He breaths at last so haue
find rest Oh Magicke by thy power what cannot they To whom the Seas submit the winds obey 81 Amongst those Princes that with Iason vvent and vvere at home receiu'd the great Alcide amidst this generall Ioy seemes discontent His spleene to Troy he can no longer hide To be reueng'd he holds his firme intent He that to their distresse reliefe denide Must knovv whatt'is to scorne his firme alliance So through all Greece he breaths gainst Troy defiance 82 And vvith a gallant army taking Land attaines the shore perforce and in his way No Village Fortresse Tovvne or Tower can stand But to his ruthlesse fury must giue way This hearing King Laomedon hath mand a Noble army to make good the day Which ere the Sun into the West-sea fall Must see ten thousand Troians kild and thrall 83 Laomedon remembring what great vvracke Twelue-labord Hercules before time made Recounts to them his vvrongs his Citties sack Their tyranies to al vvhom they inuade Therefore incites them to repulse those backe That haue too long vpon his confines staid Behold quoth he these would your freedomes barre Then with a generall showt prepare for warre 84 The hoast of Greekes that heare their exclamation Wait but to heare Alcides watch-word giuen Who cheares them thus You are that warlike Nation Whose fame fils all the Clymates vnder heauen Sincâ—… you are strangers let your salutations Be with your swords not words for yet ere Euen You standing hoast in their owne bloods wee 'l drown And part the rich spoyle of yon rampierd Towne 85 Lowd chearing Instruments on both sides sound The battailes ioyne both Greekes and Troians sinke They that but late the firme Earth proudly bound Now must below the waues of Lethe drinke The great Alcides borne to sway the ground Against his strength opposd al mortals shrinke Who being more then man must needs haue ods To fight with any that are lesse then Gods 86 Him whome th'all-doming Fates will haue to sway How can Laomedon in armes subdue Though Troy be strong yet must it Greece obey Alcides with his Club whole thousands slew By his sole-strength the Greekes obtaine the day And to the Citty gates the foe pursue Who mingled with their troopes in this aduenture Slaughter the bold and with the Cowards enter 87 So by the English was great Cales suprisd And entred with the Spaniards that retire they that at first the generals name despisd Now at the last are forc'st his fame t' admire English and Dutch in Spanish wealth disguisd Laden their fleet with pillage whilst bright fire Consumes the Towne which twice the English take As Greece did Troy great Essex and bold Drake 88 Stout Aiax Telamon amongst the rest Set his first foot in Troy but him succeed Ten thousand Greeks and many a warlike brest Pierst with the Argiue weapons freshly bleed They sacke the populous Towne from East to West Troyes second sacke is by the Fates decreed They sacke and ransacke spoile and freely kill And all the Towne with shreekes and clamors fill 89 Amongst the rest that perisht in this broile Laomedon fals by Alcides hand Whilst euery where the conquering Graecians spoile No man so bold that dares against them stand Great is the booty in so rich a soile They pillage all the substance of the land Beat downe the wals the Temples ruine quite And kill poore infants in their mothers sight 90 The Matrons in their husbands armes deflowâ—… The reuerent Virgins in their parents eye And such as interdict their awfull power By their remorselesse bloudy weapons die Hie looking Troy is ruin'd in an houre Those Towres quite racst whose sharpe spyres mockt the sky and that proud towne the Asian glory ones Is now a confus'd heape of men and stones 91 Al-conquering Hercules reueng'd at last Of Troyes ingratefull Soueraigne takes full ceasure Of Asiaes Monarchy his fury past amongst his host he parts the Citties treasure But Telamonus Aiax most he gracst and gaue him her that pleas'd him aboue measure The bright Hesione his valours meed The beautious Virgin from the sea-Whale freed 92 Well was it for young Priam the Kings sonne That he was else-where in the East imployd The Lybian else that Asia ouer-ronne and conquered Troy had likewise him destroid Thâ—… laden Greekes after the conquest woon Are fraught with wealth with pleasure ouer-ioyd Poore Troy whilst they in their full miâ—…h abound Liues desolate and leueld with the ground 93 The Monster-maister hauing fild the sky With martiall clangor in the lowdest straine After reuenge on Cacus Tyranny and the great Gyants of Cremona slaine King Pricus death King Affer raised hie And the two Collumnes that he reard in Spaine To include in few his many deeds we thus In narrow roome his labors twelue discusse 94 1. The Eremanthion Bore 2. and the fire-breathing Bul 3. The Lernan Hydra 4 and the winged Hind 5. Stymphalidus 6. The Amazonian trull 7. Th' Aegean stables the seauenth taske assind 8. The Cleonean Lyon 9. with the scull Of Diomed who fed his Steeds gainst kind 10. The golden fruit made ripe by bright Heperion 11. Grim Cerbarus 12. and triple-headed Gerion 95 These taskes by Iunoes imposition ended Whilst he on Ictes attractiue face Doted and her deserts alone commended Faire Deyaneyr imputes it her disgrace With such great wrongs vnto her bed offended Because his vassaile had supplied her place She sends a shirt and meanes her husband good Dipt in the poyson of the Centaures blood 96 The traitor Nessus passing a deepe foord With Deianeyre away with her he flyes Alcides cannot reach him with his sword But after him his wounding arrow hies The dying Centaure speakes this latest word Faire Deiancyre before death close mine eyes Receiue a guift in signe I lou'd thee deerely Which though I die in time may stead thee neerely 97 I know thy Lord a Conqueror yet subdude By womens beauty therefore when you find The lustfull Prince mongst Forraine Queenes intrude and that their amorous Court-ships change his mind Send him a Shirt with this my bloud Imbrude The vertue is to make Alcides kind This said his life he ended in a trice She for it was his last trusts his aduise 98 Hearing faire Iole the hart had ceasd Of her deare Lord and that she kept away She feeles her thoughts within themselues diseas'd and hopes to call him backe that went astray The Centaures dying guist the Lady pleasd Her seruant Lychas posts it without stay Oh! Thou weake woman thou his death maist vant Whom Hell-hounds Gyants Monsters could not daunt 99 Hoping alasse his fauour to regaine The Innocent Lady her deare Lord destroyd He d'ons her present whose inuenomed Bane Cleaues to his bones Oh! Who can Fate auoyde More then a man before he would complaine Alcides beares and no whit seemes annoyd Such tortures as the strongest might strike dead he brookes yet no part of his coulour fled 100 But when he felt
such Tortures anguish smart That Gods aboue nor Deuils damd could beare That stung his breast and pierst his Noble hart he growes Impatient that could neuer feare Infernall panges Infusde in euery part he striues the poysonous Shirt away to teare But with the cleauing Linnens forst to draw The Brawnes from off his armes and leaue them raw 101 The poysond boyles and he that could confound Gyants so late to his immortall fame Now from the head to heele is all one wound The raging venom-drops his flesh inflame Sometimes he grouels on the senceleâ—…e ground Sometimes those powerfull hands that Monsters tame plucks down huge rocks cleaues theÌ„ with his stroaks And sometimes by the roots rends vp huge Oakes 102 Mad with these Torments Oeta Mount he traces Where creeping in a hole he Lychas spies When stalking to his Caue with leasurd paces About his head he wheeles him in the skies And that being done the whole Mount he defaces A groue of Trees dispoyld about him lies A thousand Oakes he heapes vp on a pile And kindling thâ—…m sayes with a fâ—…ornfull smile 103 Whom neither Iunoes wrath nor Plutoes hell Whom neither Lyons Buls Dogs Dragons Whales Whom neither Tyrants grim nor Gyants â—…ell against that spirit a womans gift preuailes Her iealousie hath power that hart to quell Whom Serpents feare with their â—…uenomed skales Since none on earth deserues our blood to spill The great Alcides shall Alcides kill 104 The fire burnes bright he Philocletes cals And vnto him bequeaths his shasts and bow Who at his warlike fâ—…et confounded fals The Club and Lyons case his bold hands throw Into the flame then he whom noughts appals Cries Ihoue I come and boldly leaps in so That life that mortall did the heauens aspire Now with Immortall wings climes heauen by fire 105 Alcides dead and Priam backe returnd From his successefull Battailes in the East He sees his Country spoyld his Citty burnd His Father slaine which most his griefe increast These losses with his Sisters rape he mournd Nor are such weighty sorrowes soone surceast we for a while will leaue him to his care His Syre t'intoombe his Citty to repaire MEdea some thinke to be the daughter of Eta some the daughter of the Sun some the Daughter of Hecare Apollod lib. 3. Cals her Aeea Heraclides writes her to be the daughter of Neaera of the Nereides Dionisius Milesius cals her the daughter of Eurelytes others of Ipsaea that Chalciope was her sister She had a sonne cald Medus by Aegeas Demodocus a Harpers name in Homer of whom the Country Medea tooke name Iopas a King of Affrica one of Didoes wooers a skilfull Musition Iason committed to the charge of his Vnkle Pelius in his minority because Pelus was loath to resigne to him his kingdome deuised for his Nephew the dangerous enterprize of the golden Fleece which lason contrary to his Vnckles supposition with his Argonants valiantly atchieued In memory of Absyrtus there are still certaine Islandes in the Venetian Sea cald Absyrtides of Absyrtus there slaine by his sister Medea Phrixus was sonne to Athamas and Brother to Helles of whom the Ram that bore the golden fleece was named Phrixeus Helle with her Brother Phrixus was drowned Of whom that Sea is still called Hellespontus Because we onely remember 〈◊〉 and the Mynotaur and haue no further Trafficke in our History with his life I holde it not much amisse in these Annoaations to remember that History and how the Mynotaure was begot Ouid arte Amandi Ida of Caedars and tall Trees stand full Where fed the glory of the Heard a Bull Snow-white saue twixt his hornes one spot there grew Saue that one staine he was of milky hew This faire Steare did the Heyfers of the Groues Desire to beare as Prince of al the Droues But most Pasiphae with adulterous breath Enuies the wanton Heyfers to the death T is saide that for this Bull the doting lasse Did vse to crop young boughes and mow fresh grasse Nor was the Amorous Cretan Queene affeard To grow a kind Companion to the Heard Thus through the Champion she is madly borne And a wilde Bull to Minos giues the horne T is not for by auery he can loue or loath thee Then why Pasiphae doest thou richly cloath thee Why shouldst thou thus thy face aâ—…d lookes prepare What makest thou with thy glasse ordering thy haire Vnlesse thy glasse could make thee seeme a Cow But how can hornes grow on that tender brow If Mynos please thee no Adulterer seeke thee Or if thy husband Mynos do not leeke thee but thy la â—…ciutous thoughts are still increast Deceiue him with a man not with a beast Thus by the Queene the wilde Woods are frequented And leauing the Kings bed she is contented To vse the groues borne by the rage of mind Euen as a ship with a full Easterne wind Some of these strumpet-Heyfers the Queene slew Their smoaking Alters their warme bloods imbrew Whilst by the sacrificing Priest she stands And gripes their trembling entrailes in her hands At length the Captaine of the Heard beguild With a Cowes skin by curious Art compild The longing Queene obtaines her full desire And in her infants byrth bewrayes the Sire This Mynotaure when he came to groath was inclosed in the Laborinth which was made by the curious Arts-maister Dedalus whose Tale likewise we thus pursue When Dedalus the laborinth had built In which t' include the Queene Pasiphaes guilt And that the time was now expired full To inclose the Mynotaure halfe man halfe Bull Kneeling he sayes Iust Mynos end my mones And let my Natiue soile intoombe my bones Or if dread soueraigne I deserue no grace Looke with a pittious eye on my sonnes face And graunt me leaue from whence we are exild Or pittie me if you dâ—…ny my Child This and much more he speakes but all in vaine The King both Sonne and Father wil detaine Which he perceiuing saies Now now tisfit To giue the world cause to admire thy wit Both Land and Sea are watcht by day and night Nor Land nor Sea lie open to our flight Onely the Ayre remaines then let vs try To cut a passage through the ayre and fly Ihoue be auspicious to my enterprise I couet not to mount aboue the skies But make this refuge since I can prepare No meanes to fly my Lord but through the ayre Make me immortall bring me to the brim Of the blacke Stigian Water Styx I le swim Oh human wit thou canst inuent much ill Thou searchest strange Artes who would thinke by skill A heauy man like a light Bird should stray And through the empty Heauens find a fit way He placeth in iust order all his Quils Whose bottoms with resolued waxe he fils Then binds them with a line and being fast tyde He placeth them like Oares on eyther side The tender Lad the downy Feathers blew And what his Father meant he
Which towards heauen their hye tops eleuate Staples of Forraine Marchants now begun Free Traffickt-Marts and Wares of euery rate By which much wealth may be acquird and wun Nothing is wanting in this New-built-Towne That may acquire Troy Riches or Renowne 51 Midst this young Citties hart a Riuer glydes Bleeding her Azure veines through euery streete Whose meeting streames a spacious Channell guids To the maine Ocean where the Troyan fleete In all tempestuous sea-stormes safely rides The Merchant ferried for his pleasure meets His laden Lyters Barkes and ships of trade Whom at their rich keyes they with Cranes vnlade 52 Vpon the highest hill the rest o're-peering The Pallace royall doth the King erect On her wind-mouing vanes Troyes Scutchion wearing Whose shyning guilt vpon the Towne reflect The Marble posts and Porphyr-Collumnes bearing Roofes of pure-gold from the best Mines select By good aduise they Islium Towers inuest A Citadell to ouer-looke the rest 53 The glorious Sunne from whose all-seeing eye Nothing on earth can be conceiled long In his Diurnall trauels through the sky Saw neuer Pallace built so faire and strong The square Pyramides appeared hye As if they had bin rear'd the Clouds among The Porches Tarras windowes Arches Towers Resembling one of Ihoues Celestiall Bowers 54 More then the rest his great Hall men admire Built like th Olimpicke pallace where Ihoue feasts Paued with bright Starres like those of Heauenly fire On which he treads when he inuites his guests The roofe hung round with Angels a rich Quire With Diamond eyes red Rubies in their breasts Holding like Grapes long branches in their fists Of Emeralds greene and purple Amethists 55 At one end of the Hall stands Priams Throne To which by twelue degrees the King ascended His chaire all Gold and set with many a Stone By curled Lyons and grim Beares defended Who seem'd to fawne on him that sat thereon The curious Grauer all his Art extended The sauage Monsters that support his chaire Euen to the life cut and proportiond are 56 Next this from twenty hie steps looking downe Towards the Skreene aloft inthroned stands Ihoues Statuë on 's head a glorious Crowne An vniuerse and Scepter grac'st both hands His length full fifteene foot his colour browne His front Maiesticke like him that commands His state as when with Gods he was couersing His face so dreadfull and his eye so piersing 57 By his Stone-shining Alter rooted growes The rich Palladium the two Thrones betwixt Whose golden roote enameld Branches strowes Through the vast Hall the leaues with blossomes mixt Mongst which ripe Fruits their coloured sides dispose As mellowed with the Sun Deuinely fixt A wonder t was this Arbor to behold The Fruit and blossomes Stones the branches Gold 58 Of selfe-same Metall was his dining boord Where with his Sonnes and Peeres oft times inuested He eat in state and sometimes would affoord That stranger Peeres were at his Table feasted In stead of plate they precious Lycours powr'd Into bright hollowed Pearle rarely digested Gold was thought base and therefore for the nones They diu'd for Pearle and pierst the rockes for stones 59 With as great state as Troian Priam could I haue beheld our Soueraign Strangers feast In Boules as precious Cups as deerely sould and hy-prizd Lyquors equall with the rest When from the Lands-graue and the Browns-wicke bold The Arch-duke and the Spaniard Legats prest But chiefely when the royall Brittish Iames at Greenwitch feasted the great King of Danes 60 No King for wealth was to this King compared Fortune showrd all her bounties on his head No King had bold Sonnes that like Priams dared Or Dames with greater beauties garnished Kings and Kings sonnes were in their eyes insnared Whom their imperious beauties captiue led Prince Hector more his Fathers Crowne to grace Addes by his sword Pannonia Phrigia Thrace 61 Full with all plenty with aboundance stored Seeing his wals so strong his Towne so faire Himselfe by forraigne Potentates ador'd And his Exchequer rich without compare Fifty tall sonnes the least to vse a sword And most of them in Martiall Turneyes rare His Counsell graue his Lords of hie degree As prouident as full of Chiualry 62 He therefore now bethinkes him of his shame Done by the Argiues in Alcides dayes Therefore against all Greece will warre proclame And to their opposition forces rayse He summons all his Lords who forthwith came To whom assembled thus King Priam sayes Oh! which of all this faire and princely traine Hath not by Greece a friend or Kinsman slaine 63 Shew me the man hath not inricht their Treasure With his owne substance by his Father lost Whose wiues daughters haue not serud their pleasure If they be rich they Reuell at our cost Their Barbarous Tyranies exceed all measure They spoil'd our Nauy on the salt Sea Coast Beate downe our Wals they pillag'd all our goods And waded knee-deepe in our Fathers bloods 64 Amongst vn-numbred of your neare allyes My royall Father treacherously they slew Were not your Fathers in the selfe-same wyse Butcher'd and mangled by that murdrous erew I see my words confirm'd in your wet eyes Remembrance of these wrongs their moist teares drew Besides they slewe my Sister in their spleene A free borne princesse Daughter to a Queene 65 Behold my state surueigh your priuate powers Is it for Priams honor this to beare Being your Soueraigne my disgrace is yours And that which troubles me should touch you neare We haue defer'd reuenge to these last howers Till we had gathered Armes strength wealth and feare And now since heauen supplies our generall need I aske your Counsel Is reuenge decreed 66 So deepely did the Kings words pierce their brests That with a generall voyce Reuenge they cry Now euery man the inuasiue Greeke detests And thinkes it long tili they-can Greece defie Soone after this the King his Nobles feasts Longing till some aduantage they can spy To make their warre seeme iust at length deuise This colour to their Hostile enterprise 67 That Pryam shall in courteous manner send To al the Graecian Kings to aske againe His captiue Sister like a royall frend Which if they grant in friend-ship to remaine But if this Embassie their eares offend And they the faire Hesione detaine To Menace warre Anthenor Nobly mand At Priams vrgence takes this taske in hand 68 In Thessaly where Peleus that time raign'd Anthenor after some few moneths aâ—…iues And of Hesiones estate complain'd That her returne might saue ten thousand liues But if to bondage shee were still constrain'd Her Brother that as yet by faire meanes striues Must in his Honour seeke by armes to gaine her Vnto their costs that proudly dare detaine her 69 Peleus inrag'd commands Anthenor thence Nor will he grace the Troian with reply That dare to him so proud a sute commence He therefore makes with speed from Thessaly Great Telamonis Aiax to incense Who keepes the Princesse in base Slauery In Salaminaes Port he
the Messean Land where Theutram raign'd Was fettile they from thence demand supply Of Victuall for the hoast but he disdaind T' assist them therefore him the Greekes defie The Kings hye blood Achilles Faulchion stain'd Theutram alas by him is forest to dye And Telephus crown'd King from whose rich Coast With store Victuall he relieues the hoast 45 Twelue Moones were past since first the Greeks took land When Duke Palamides at th' host ariues Whose absence murmur'd long yet the command Of the whole Army with the Princes liues Are made his charge none seeming to withstand his principality this Duke deriues His byrth from Naulus and is made the head Of the stout Greekes in Agamemnons stead 46 But in desaster houre Vlisses friend To Agamemnon by his crafty fraud Both to his life and his command gaue end He that but late the Argiue Princes aw'd And foyld the common foe cannot defend his owne deere life but whilst the hoast applaud Atrides honor in vnhappy season Is forcst to perrish for suspected Treason 47 Tenedos sackt the Greekes insult vpon 't And from that place made leuell with the plaine The Fleet disanchors whose proud Nauall front Prothesilaus proudly doth maintaine Hoysing the first Sayles in the Hellespont A hundred Ships whose Flags and Pendants staine The Ayre with various Colours he commands And twice repulst vpon the Beach he Lands 48 His ships tough ribs vpon the sands he brake And many Greekes some drown'd some landing fall As well the boldest that the Ship forsake As those that keepe aboord must perish all Onely the bold King makes the Troians quake Who whilst his maymed traine for rescue call Makes good the place till with an hundred more Archelaus and Prothenor mans the shore 49 Now growes the battle hot for the rude rout Of the disordered Troians madly flocke To impeach their Landing who with courage stout Leape on the shore and there abide the shocke Of the proud Foe who murder all about And with rude taunts their proud Inuasion mocke But Askalus and Agabus draw neare Two Kings whose landed souldiers change their chear 50 Yet at the length into the Sea driuen backe Till Nestor seconds them with fresh supply and now th'astonisht Troians suffer wracke Yet still make good the shores with fresh supply againe repulst the Greekes made good the lacke Of more arm'd men Vlisses Ships prest ny Whose dreaded Ensignes on the Margent spred Conquer the Beach the whilst the Troians fled 51 King Philomenes enuious of his Fame A pointed Speare brake on Vlisses face and stounded him but when the bold King came T'himselfe againe he quitted that disgrace So much did wrath his Noble thoughts inflame he wounded him in such a speeding place That had not Ihoue kept backe his Weapons force The late victorious had dropt downe a Corse 52 Whilst these two Kings contend the Greekes retire And backe into the blood-stain'd Sea are driuen When Thoas with his fleet doth Land desire Now Agamemnons Ships are all to riuen Vpon the Strond his men halfe blood halfe mire Tugge for the shore whilst many die vnshriuen Next Menelaus hath vnmand his Ship And from his Barke doth stormy Aiax skip 53 At whose approach neere to the brinish brinke Th' amazed Troians yeild him Landing free Beneath his ponderous Arme the strongest shrinke Before his sword th' affrighted people flee Their soules below the waues of Lethe drinke Whose deeds of valor when King Perses see He with a band of Moores their violence stayde Making th'astonisht Greekes expect more ayde 54 When the great Duke Palumides discends Vpon the Continent and in his traine A thousand Armed Knights his Noble Friends Whose swords the Beach with blood of Troians slaine Palumides gainst Symagon extends His pointed Iauelin Symagon lies slaine A valiant Moore to Perses neere alide Though strong he by the sonne of Naulus dide 55 Now gainst the beaten Troians rose lowd cries Which puissant Hector hearing from the Towne Issues from forth the gates and soone applies His fortitude where Warre seem'd most to frowne His armor Siluer-white his shields deuise A Lyon Gules the field Or after knowne And dreaded mongst the Greeks where ere he marches The Flowers grasse with blood of Greeks he parches 56 Prothesilaus him encounters first and at his Steely Beauer aymes his Speare The King his Staffe vpon his Visor burst But from the Worthy Hector past not cleare All that encounter him must tast the worst The steel-head Lance from off his steed doth beare The dreadlesse King who rose by great indeuour But Hector cleft his head quite through his Beauer 57 So passeth on strowing his way with Corses That in a while his smoaking blade was feared Whom ere he meets he to the ground inforces His valour hath the drooping Troians cheared He without riders leaues fiue hundred horses Whose broken limbes lie on the earth besmeared Death Marshals him the way where ere he traces Pauing the Margent of the Sea with faces 58 His courser Galathee the Noblest Steed That euer Knight bestrid i' th morning white In euery bare place seemes from farre to bleed His valiant ryder shun'd no dangerous fight Hee 's flak't all ore and where no wounds indeed Were hewed great gashes grisly to the sight Appeare vpon him Galathee still stood Sound and yet stain'd all ore with Gracian blood 59 Nor wonder if his white Steed were so painted When his sharpe sword so many Riuers shed This day a thousand Knights beneath him fainted And on the verdure by his hand lye dead With this mortality the ayre is tainted The spatious plaines with wounded Greekes are spred Charon the sweat wipes from his ghastly face And neuer wrought so hard in so short space 60 Hels Iudges and the Gods of Darkenesse wonder What 's now to do on earth that such a throng Of Ghosts whose threds the fatall Sisters sunder Presse in such multitudes for sentence long The Princes of the Vaults and regions vnder Were not so troubled to iudge right and wrong For neuer in one day it hath befell So great a Sessions hath bin seene in Hell 61 Th'inuincible Dardanian Heroe tyr'd With purple Massacre towards night with-drew Horse Armes and Plumes the brightest morne admir'd For whitenesse at his yssue purple grew And he returnes Vermilion all attir'd In Crimson scarce the royall Priam knew Great Hector from the Torras where he stood Seeing his onset white Retrait all blood 62 Soone was the Noble Troian mist in field For with his Myrmidons proudly attended Achilles Lands and that renowned sheild God Vulcan made in which his art extended He vaunteth yet the daunted Troians yeild Th'vnconquered shores Hector so late defended Lie open to inuaders whole Greece Lands For gainst the great Achilles no man stands 63 Euen to the Citty wals the Troians fly Whom the maine hoast with hostile showtes pursude And had not Noble Troylus heard the cry Paris and Deiphebus where they view'd So
Coward tast confusion all The Sun looks pale heauen red the green earth blusht To see their bones beneath his Chariot crusht 83 Whos 's valour Thesus seeing nobly spake Great Hector I admire thee though my Foe Thou art too bold why dost thou vndertake Things beyond man to seeke thine ouerthrow I see thee breathlesse wherefore dost thou make So little of thy worth to perish so Fond man retyre thee and recouer breath And being thy selfe pursue the workes of death 84 Prince Hector his debility now finding Thankes royall Thesus and begins to pawse And bout the field with his swift coursers winding Vnto a place remote himselfe withdrawes Meane time King Menelaus the battaile minding Wan in the dangerous conflict much applawse Heere Celidonius valiant Moles slew Moles that his discent from Oreb drew 85 By Mandon King Cedonius lost an eye A Graecian Admirall Sadellus kils And Aix Telamonius doth defie Prince Margareton King Menestheus spils The Galles red blood Prothenor low doth lie By Samuels Speare renowned Hector fils The field with wonder he his Carre forsakes And Milke white Galathee againe he takes 86 At his first entrance he espies his friend Polydamas by thirty souldiers led Amongst whom spurring they themselues defend But scarce one man hath power to guard his head Vnto their dayes great Hectors sword gaue end And freedome to Polydamas nye dead With shame and wrath next to the battell came King Thoas to redeeme the Argiues Fame 87 With him the King Philotas who adrest Themselues gainst two of Priams Bastard Sonnes Young Cassilanus puts his Speare in rest And with great fury against Thoas ronnes He brake his staffe but Thoas sped the best As to their bold encounter Hector comes He sees his young halfe-brother he held deare Through-pierst alas by Thoas fatall Speare 88 Hye-stomackt Hector with this obiect mad hurries through the thicke prease and there had slaine Whole thousands for the death of that young Lad But his red wrath King Nestor did restraine For with six thousand Knights in armor clad he fortifies the late forsaken plaine Gainst whom marcht Philon of the part of Troy Their battailes ioyne each other they destroy 89 Polydamus and Hector taking part With Philon aged-Nestor growes too weake For Cassilanus death the Greekes must smart They through their flankes wings rankes and squadrons breake When Aiax Telamon spide what huge wreake The Troian Worthy made his men take hart And with King Menelaus them dispose To rescue Nestor and assault their Foes 90 Gainst them Aeneas with the hoast arriues And ioynes with Hector on the Argiue side Philoatas with three thousand souldiers striues all proued Greekes whose valors had bin tride Aeneas and great Aiax gage their liues To equall conflict whom their troopes deuide Philoatas on great Hector thinkes to proue him In vaine he from his saddle cannot moue him 91 But him the Woorthy stounded with a blow A flatling blow that on his Beauer glancst Vlisses and Humerus next in row With twice fiue thousands Knights on Hector chancst But Paris hapned with as many moe On Hectors part where numbers lye intrancst Paris a keene shaft from his Quiner drew Whose fatall point the King of Cipresse slew 92 This Ciprian Kinsman to Vlisses was In whose reuenge the Ithacan defies Prince Paris who in Arch'ry did surpasse These two in field against each other rise And with their mutuall blood they staine the grasse But parted by the tumult they deuise On further massacre neere to this place Troylus Vlisses meets and wounds his face 93 Nor scapt the Troian wound-free in this stower Was Galathee beneath Prince Hector slaine And he on foot the Greekes with all their power Begirt him and assault the Prince amaine But he whose fame aboue the Clouds must lower From all their battering strokes still guards his braine Till Dynadorus Priams Bastard son Against well-mounted Polixemus ron 94 A strong Barb'd horse the Noble Greeke bestrid a Worthier Maister now the steed must haue The Bastard youth gainst Polixemus rid Vnhorst him and his Steed to Hector gaue Who mounted farre more deeds of Honor did Leauing the Greekes most Coarses to ingraue a troope of Archers Deiphebus brings Who expell the Greekes with arrowes darts and slings 95 At the first shocke the Prince King Theuter hit and carâ—…'d a deepe wound on his armed face The well steel'd point his sword-proofe Beauer split and now th' assaulted Greekes are all in chace Some saue themselues by swiftnesse some by wit Young Quinteline of Priams Bastard race and King Moderus haue surpriz'd by force Thesus and spoyl'd him both of armes and horse 96 Whom when the Dardan-Worthy saw surpriz d He cals to mind the cur'sie to him done By whom nye breathlesse he was well aduis'd The future eminence of warre to shunne King Thesus whom his Victors much despis'd Hector releast and by the glorious Sunne Sweares not to leaue him till he see him sent With safe conduct vnto his warlike Tent. 97 Here Thoas by whom Cafsilanâ—… fell Is by great Hector beaten from his Steed Who razing of his Helme to send to hell A soule he so much hated was soone freed By Menesteus who makes on Pell-Mell With a huge hoast and rescues with all speed Th' astonisht King not long the day he tride Till Paris with an arrow pierst his side 98 Humerus glaunst a Iauelin through the sight Of Hectors Beauer that it racst the skin Th' inraged Prince on proud Humerus light And with one stroke he cleft him to the chin Proceeding on hee still pursues the fight The Grecians loose and now the Troians win They beate them to their Tents where some inquire For pillage whilst the rest the Nauy fite 99 In this pursute Hector and Aiax meete Who after interchange of hostile blowes Part on eeuen tearmes and with kind language greet For the two kinsmen now each other knowes Aiax intreats the Prince to spare theyr Fleet And saue theyrtents whose flame to heauen-ward grows Which courteous Hector sweares to vndertake For Aiax and his Aunt Hesiones sake 100 Oh Il-stard Hector Thou hast ouerseene A Victory thou canst not reach to more Hadst thou to him inexorable beene Thou hadst sau'd Troy and freed the Dardan Shore Duke Aiax prayet hath wrought Troyes fatall teene And hath the power lost Grecia to restore Oh hadst thou tane the aduantage of this day all Greece had perisht that now liues for aye 101 But there 's a Fate in all things Hector blowes His wel-knowne horne his Souldiers all retreat The Greekes to quench theyr Fleet themselues dispose and re-instaure their tents whose spoile was great The next day from the campe to Priam goes A Herald to surcease all hostile heat Demanding truce till they the dead haue grounded And both of Campe and Citty cur'd the wounded 102 T is granted from the Towne with Coffins com Pale widdowes winpled in their mourning weeds To fetch their husbands coarses cold and nom To
tree vppon the same she strangled her Others report that Hellen waxing old seeing her beauty wrinkled and quite faded in griefe therof hanged her selfe as a iust reward of her former incontinence Some thinke the Palladium to be bought by Vlisses of the priest of Pallas Others that it was stole by Vlisses and Diomed others that it was Merchandized by Aeneas and Antenor In which sale the famous Citty of Troy was betrayed to the Greekes These opinions are vncertaine but when Ilus was to build the Pallace of Islion following a party-couloured Oxe he praied to the Gods that some auspicious signe might satisfie him from the Heauens that his buildinges were pleasing to the dietyes then to him descended the Palladium an Image of three Cubits height which seemed to haue motion and to walke of it selfe in the right hand holding a Speare in the left hand a Distaffe or Rocke and a Spindle and where he further proceeded to the Oracle to know the vertue of this Palladium it was them aunswered him that as long as that was kept free inviolate and vnprophaned so long TIOY shold be in peace and security which accordingly happened For till Vlisses had either bought or stolne away the Palladium the Greekes had neuer any apportunity or meanes to vse any vielence vpon the Citty The end of the 14. Canto Argumentum ON th'Hellesponticke Sands Epâ—…us reares A brazen horse the Graecians hoise vp saile And feigning to depart Synon with teares Tels to the inuaded King an ominous tale The Fleetereturnes by night After ten yeares Troy is surprisde and the proud Greeks preuaile The Citty a burnt and after tragicke broyles The Greekes returne laden with Asiaes spoyles ARG. 2. LAocon and Polites Hectors Ghost K. Priams death Troyes Fate Crevsa lost CANTO 15. 1 TReason whose horrid Front I must vnmaske And pluck the Vizor from thy Fiend-like face To paint thee out in coulours is my taske And by thy clouen foote thy steps to trace In which I still Diâ—…ine assistance aske Hell gaue thee Byrth and thou 〈◊〉 thy race From the grand Prince of darkenesse in whose Cell Thou first tookst life and 〈◊〉 returne to dwell 2 Tâ—…y thou wast strong and thy defence was good But Treason through thy strength made bloody way Hadst thou not harbour'd Traitors thou hadst stood And to thy age annext the longest day But Treason that most thirsts for Princes blood And of the hyest kingdomes seekes decay Enters thy Court and couets to destroy With thy proud buildings euen the name of Troy 3 Thy enuy stretcht to our Chast Maiden-Queene Whose Vertues euen her foes could not but praise Yet gainst her graces didst thou Arme thy 〈◊〉 Thinking by Parries hand to end her dayes But God and Truth whose Patron she was seene Against their Cannons did hye Bulwarkes raise Such Bullet-proofe that neither priuate Traine Could reach her â—…or the open arme of Spaine 4 What Parry mist fourteene fierce Traitors moe Stir'd vp by Rome tooke Sacramentall vowes That God that kept her 〈◊〉 th'invasiue foe Against these bloody Butchers knit their browes Heauen gaue them all a fatall ouerthrow For heauen no such 〈◊〉 act allowes But to all them a blacke end hath appointed Whose bold hand dares to touch the Lords anointed 5 If such Aeneas and Antenor were That would for Coyne their King and Country sell Like plots with them our late Arch-traitors beare To whom for aye they may be ranked well And thou Gui 〈◊〉 that neuer yet foundst peere For a damn'd purpose bred in Earth or hell He whom all pens with most reproaches taint Symon with thee compat'd is found a Saint 6 He told a forg'd tale to a forraigne King With hope his King and Countries fame to raise But thou from strangers didst thy complots bring He a strange Countrey not his owne betraies The poysons from the head of Treasons spring False Guide suckt which fed him many dayes Treasons Milkt tasted seemes to quench the thurst But once tooke downe it 〈◊〉 men till they burst 7 That fate which he and his confederates had May all receiue that beare their Treacherous mind Their purpose cuill and their ends were bad A Fate to all men of their ranke affignd And that great King whose safety hath made glad The hearts of three great Kingdomes 〈◊〉 confind Long may he raigne still guarded by those powers Whose hands Crowne Vertue her foes devowers 8 That the same state that was in hazard then May in this peacefull Kingdome long endure The King to guide his Peeres Peetes Common men Whose summon'd Parliaments may plant secure Brittaines faire Peere for many a worthy pen To Chronicle These acts black and impure We cannot iustly on Aeneas lay In whose reproach we must our Censures stay 9 Since some whose hy workes to the world are deere Whose grauity we reuerence and admire His Fame vnto posterity would cleare And in his Innocent applause desire T' were pitty he that two New-Troyes did reare As famous as that one consumde by fire Rome and our London for the double gaine Of one lost Troy should weare a Traytors staine 10 The bruised Greekes 〈◊〉 with rough stormes of War By Pallas art 〈◊〉 a Timber-steede Whose Backs Tree 〈◊〉 of such huge vastnesse are That they in all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wonder breed The Mountaine structure may be seene from far Which finisht they amongst them haue agreed To stuffe his hollow 〈◊〉 with great store Of Harnest men so 〈◊〉 it on the shore 11 This done their new-calkt Nauy they winde thence As if they to Myâ—…ne would backe repaire Beneath a promontory not farre thence They Anchor East where they concealed are Now Troy secure and dreadlesse of offence Looseth her selfe from her Diurnall care Wide stand the Ports the people yssue free Th'vnsouldierd fields and Deserts plaine to see 12 Where Hector did 〈◊〉 inuade Where Nestor pitcht where Troylus wan the day Where grim Achilles log'd where Aiax made His hot incursions hewing out his way Where Agamemnon with his forces plaid Where with his 〈◊〉 Vlisses lay Where such men fought and such their valours tride Where some men conquered others brauely dide 13 Some wonder at Myneruaes stately piece Saying t' were good to place it in her fawne Since the Pelasgians are return'd to Greece Their brazen horse may through their wals be drawne Other more staide know they are come to Fleece And pillage them this leauing as a pawne Of some strange Treason whose suspected guile Seemes to frowne inward though it outward smile 14 Thus is the multitude in parts deuided Some wonder at the Module being so rare Others whose braines are with more iâ—…dgement guided would rip his wombe which some desire to spare Ardent Laocoon thinking to haue decided This generall doubt as one that all things dare Is seene from top of a high Tower discending A threatning speare against the Machiâ—…e bending 15 Crying from farre you foolish men
vnweildy frame in ought despise Well guarded Troy by Pallas anger fals The Greekes returne and long-liu'd 〈◊〉 dies But if this Steede for whom the 〈◊〉 cals Pierce through your 〈◊〉 mure or if it rise And mount aboue your wals to Pallas shrine Troy still shall stand and Greece the wracke is thine 35 Priam and his consederate Kings shall then To Sparta and Meceane the Greekes pursue Deuast their losty spyring Cittiâ—…s when The clamorous Land shall their destruction rue Loosing by Troy whole infinites of men Witnesse you Gods poore Synons words are true Such lookes such teares such protestations chiefe Wins in all Troy remorse the King beliefe 36 What many a well-rig'd barke and armed Keele What not the bloudy â—…edge of ten whole yeare To make Troy tast inconstant Fortunes wheele Vlisses wisedome nor Achilles Speare What not King Diomeds through piercing Steele All this did periurd 〈◊〉 with a teare Bâ—…old whilst all the rowt on Synon gaze a dread portent that doth all Troy amaze 37 Along the troubled Billowes towards the shore Two Blacke-scal'd Serpents on their bellyes glide at whose approach the foaming Surges rore These â—…ery Serpents to the Beach applyde and in Laocons bloud who that time wore The Priest-hoods roabes their arming Scales they dide Their winding traines they with loud hissinges roule About his breast till they inlarg'd his Soule 38 The Monster-multitude before dismayd At the recourse of these infernall Snakes Thinke bold Laocon to be iustly payd Because he yet his harmefull Iauelin shakes Some Cables fetch some with their Leauers stayd The Pondrous Engine which deepe â—…urrowes rakes Along the Earth others the Wals hurle downe To giue the Horse free passage to the Towne 39 Wide stand the yron-bard gates whilst all the rout Buckle to worke the fatall Muchine climes Thâ—…thronged Bulwarkes big with Souldiers stout Ready to be deliuered hallowed rimes The Virgins sing and nimbly dance about Myneruas Steed the wonder of these times Thinking themselues boue others highly blest That can be more officious then the rest 40 Foure times the Brazen Horse entring stuck fast Anenst the ruinde guirdle of the Towne Foure times was armour heard yet vnagast The fatall Beast with sacred wreathes they Crowne Sunke in blind ignorance and now at last Before Mineruaes shrine they place it downe In Himnes and Feasts the ominous day they spend Offring to her that must their liues defend 41 Meane time heauen turnes night from the Ocean fals Inuoluing with blacke darkenesse earth and ayre And call the Gracian craft about the wals The scattred Troians slumber far from care and now his Pilots great Atrides cals Who backe to Tenedos with speed repayre The Vniuersall Phalanx lands in hast And through the silence of the Moone are past 42 Now startles Synon and a flaming-brand He wafts from top of one of 〈◊〉 Towers Which like a Beacon in the night must stand To guide the Greekes and their nocturnall powers Then with a Key graspt in his fatall hand Feareless he through the palped darknesse scowres To the big bellied Stallion turnes the spring and through the doore the Harnest Grecians fling 43 First blacke-hayrd Pyrrhus fixes in the ground His Oaken Speare and from the loft he slydes Vlisses next yet halting of his wound and then the younger of the two Atrides Tysandar from the structure next doth bound Thoas and Athanas two warlike guides With Stheuelus downe by a Cable fall and bruisde with leaping on the Pauement sprall 44 Pelidus followes these and then the man That in his braine first cast this fatall mould Epeus th'enginer whom Synon than Did in his blacke and penurd armâ—…s in fould Their sweatty browes they with the darknesse fan Each chearing vp his Mate with courage bould Strip their bright Swords by whose quicke glimering light They find their way in the darke star-lesse night 45 The Citty sunke in Wine and Mirth they'nuade Slaughter the Watch that on the ground lie spred Then through the broken Wals but late decayde The Generals Army is by Synon led And Agamemnons coulours are displayde Now tumults and confusions first are bred Hauocke begins loude showtes and clamors rise Lifting their Tragicke vprore through the skyes 46 Heauens lamps were halfe burntout t' was past midnight When to Aeneas in his bed appear'd Sad Hector 〈◊〉 and wan full of affright His hayre clotterd with bloud his ruffled Beard Disordred all those deepe caru'd wounds in sight Which in defence of Trâ—…y and his indeard Were graude vpon his flesh behind him fall Those thongs that drag'd him round about Troyes wall 47 Oh how much from that great King-killer chang'd Hye spirited Hector when being proudly deckt In great Achilles spoyles he freely rang'd Through guards of Steele whilst from his Helme reflect Trophies of Greece Oh me How much estrang'd From him that did all Asiaes pride protect Euen to their Fleet the Achiue Kings pursue And mongst their ships round Bals of Wild-fire flew 48 When to the sleeping Prince approaching nye He with a sigh from his decpe intrailes fetcht Thus sayes Thou Goddesse sonne Aeneas flye And from these burnings that by this are stretcht Quite o're your glorious buildings climbing hye Deliuer thee the Arme of warre hath retcht Euen to the Crest of Troy and with one blow Giuen it a sad and certaine ouâ—…throw 49 Greece hath your wals the Vniuersall roofe Of Troy is sunke and falne her bearers fayld Destruction that hath houered long aloose Hath ceaz'd her towers and her spires auayld Could might haue kept her by the manly proofe Of this right hand the Prisoner had bin bayld But Troy alas is sentenc'st and must dye Then from her funerall Flames Aeneas flye 50 To thee her Gods and Reliques she commends Thee that must her posterity râ—…uiue For though her glory heere in seeming end Yet dying Troy in thee is kept aliue Now cleaues the earth and the sad Ghost discends Aeneas with dull sleepe begins to striue And waking heares a noise of clattering Warre And many 〈◊〉 Clamors 〈◊〉 and farre 51 When mounting on a Turret he might spy The Citty all on Flame and by the light A thousand seuerall Conflicts sparkles flye As farre as to the Sea the waues shine bright And now at length he sees Synon can lie His Treasons manifest still this blacke night Clamors of men and Trumpets clangors grow Whilst with warme recking blood the chanels flow 52 Aeneas armes in hast graspes in his hand A two-edg'd Semiter to guard his life Knowes not to whom to run or where to stand In euery 〈◊〉 is danger rage and strife Yet longes for skirmish and on some proud band To proue his strength now whilst the tumults rife For since th'Achiue fires such splendor giue To dye in armes seemes sweeter then to liue 53 Behold where from the forraine slaughter flying Panthus Otriades Priest of the Sunne Scoures through the streetes Aeneas him espying Cals to him thus Whether doth Panthus run
life and Crowne Could the prince Henry lesse his sorrowes hide Then Hectors Brothers who still guard the Towne The vniuersall Citty doffes her pride The King himselfe puts on a Mourners gowne The Queene and Ladies with their leagued Kings Bury with him their best and costliest things 6 So when from Rome great Tully was exild Full twenty thousand Cittizens the best In garments Tragicke and in countenance wild For twelue sad Moones their loues to him profest But Troy euen from the Bed-rid to the Child From Crutch vnto the Cradle haue exprest A generall griefe in their lamenting cryes Lookes gestures habits mournefull harts and eyes 7 Now when the Fountaine of their teares grew dry And Men and Maâ—…ons him bewayld their fill With one Ioynt-voyce for iust reuenge they cry On him that did the Prince by Treason kill They lay their sad and Funerall Garments by The souldiets long to proue their Martiall skill And try their strengths vpon Scamander plaine Thinking themselues too long Inmut'd in vaine 8 T is Questionable whether greater woe In Troy then glee within the Campe abounded They hold themselues free from that late dread foe Who with his Steed had oft their trenches rounded And neuer but to th' Argiues ouerthrow appear'd in field or to the battaile sounded With shrill applause they proud Aehilles Crowne And with Brauadoes oft-times front the Towne 9 Thus when re-spirited Greece had Dominear'd and brau'd the fieged Troians at their gates Old Priam for his age now little fear'd With Troylus and the rest of warres debates For Hectors slaughter to them all indeer'd They vow reuenge on those hye Potentates That were spectators of the ruthlesse deed When Hectors coarse thrice round the wals did bleed 10 And yssuing with their power the aged King Puts acts in execution much aboue His age or strength he youthfully doth spring Vpon his Steed and for his Hectors loue Amongst the throng of Greekes dares any thing Himselfe gainst Diomed he longs to prone and scapes vntoucht then gainst Vlisses rides and still his age doth equipage their prides 11 Forthwith gainst Agamemnâ—… he contends and on his Beauer raught him many a blow Who like a souldier his renowne defends amazd that weake age should assacult him so The King his puissance further yet extends Against the Spartan King an equall foe Whom with his speare he did so ill inrreat Faire Hellens husband sits beside his seat 12 From them he further to the throng proceeds And deales about great Larges of grim wounds Admir'd alone for his renowned deeds Some with his sword vpon the Caske he stounds This day old Nestor by his Iauelin bleeds With many more and still the field he rounds Against old Priam not a Greeke dare stay Who soly claimes the honour of that day 13 Yet the meane time the King was in this broyle Bold Deiphebus kept the rest in fee With bloods and death whilst Paris made great spoyle Of such as in their valour seem'd most free Aeneas strongly mounted gaue the foyle Vnto th' Athenian Duke whose warlike knee Bended to him yet in an vpright hart Achilles in his rescue claimes a part 14 The King Epistropus amongst them fought So did Sarpedon gainst th'incamped Kings The stout Pelasgian strength they dreaded nought Now mongst their renged squadrons Treylus flings And on their foyl'd troopes much effusion wrought In him the life and spirit of Hector springs Twice he Achilles met and twice him feld Who all the other Kings of Greece exeld 15 A hundred thousand Troians were that day Led to the field to auenge Prince Hectors life Double their number on Scamander stay To entertaine them in their aemulous strife Duke Aiax Telamon then kept in play Troylus whilst murder through the field grew rife The sterne Polydamas did Nobly fight And was the death of many a gallant Knight 16 But Troylâ—…s that succeeds Hector in force In courage and in all good Thewes beside Whom ere he met that day did braueâ—… vnhorse Till his white Armour was with Crimson dide For Hectors sake his sword vsd no remorse His warre-steel'd spirits to slaughter he applyde No man that saw him his bright weapons weild But sware another Hector was in field 17 This day is Troyes and now repose they borrow From the still night to giue the wounded cure And such of note as dide t'intombe with sorrow They that 〈◊〉 themselues with armes assure And so prepare for battaile on the morrow Some to be siedge the rest the siedge t' indure Or if they can to their eternall praise The forren Legions from their Trenches raise 18 Six Moones gaue nightly rest to th'Hostile paines Ofiust so many dayes for full so long Troy without respight the proud Campe constraines Howerly to proue whose puissance is most strong Blood-drops by Plannets on Scamander â—…nes Horrid destruction flyes the Greekes among Troylus still held the Noblest Armes professor And Hectors equall though his late successor 19 T'omit a thousand Combats and Contentions Hostile Encounters Oppositions braue Such as exceed all human apprehensions Where some win liuing honour some a graue With Stratagems and sundry rare inuentions The Towne to fortefie the Campe to saue And contrary to stretch all human reach The Hoast t'indamage and the Towne t' impeach 20 In all which Troylus wondrous Fame atchieued His sword and Armour were best knowne and feared Aboue the rest the Argiue Dukes he gricued By his sole valour were the Troians cheared In acting wonders scarce to be beleâ—…ud The life of Hector in his blood appeared Priam and Troy now thinke themselues secure So long as Troylus mongst them may indure 21 Achilles by his valour mated oft And as he thinkes much blemisht in renowne To see anothers valor soare aloft But his owne bruitfull fame still sinking downe His downy bed to him appeares vnsoft He takes no pleasure in his regall Crowne The best delights to him are harsh and sower Since in one arme rests a whole Citties power 22 The Greekes thinke Hector in this youth aliue To stop whose honors torrent they deuise For since by force of armes in vaine they striue To catch at that which soares aboue the skies They to the depth of all their Counsels diue How they by cunning may the Prince surprise Being well assur'd that whilst his honors grow In vaine they seeke Troyes fatall ouerthrow 23 The sonne of Theâ—…is feeles his armes yet sore By the rude stroakes that from his fury came His armour heere and there be sprinkt with gore Of his owne wounds that he is well-nye lame With often iustles and can no more Indure the vertue of his strength or Fame For since his brest 's in many places seard Hee 'l flye vnto the rescue of his guard 24 Since neyther the broad-brested Diomed Can in the course his rude incounter stay Since last when Telamon against him sped He was perforc'st to giue his fury way Since all those 〈◊〉 Agamemâ—…