Agamede Who of Erginus were the famous seed Impos'd the stonie Entrie and the Heart Of euery God had for their excellent Art About the Temple dwelt of humane Name Vnnumbred Nations it acquir'd such Fame Being all of stone built for eternall date And neare it did a Fountaine propagate A fayre streame farr away when Ioues bright seed The King Apollo with an arrow freed From his strong string destroid the Dragonesse That Wonder nourisht being of such excesse In size and horridnesse of monstrous shape That on the forc't earth she wrought many a rape Many a spoile made on it many an ill On crooke-hancht Herds brought being impurpl'd still With blood of all sorts Hauing vndergone The charge of Iuno with the golden Throne To nourish Typhon the abhorr'd affright And bane of mortalls Whom into the light Saturnia brought forth being incenst with Ioue Because the most renowm'd fruit of his loue Pallas he got and shooke out of his braine For which Maiestique Iuno did complaine In this kinde to the blest Court of the skies Know all ye sex-distinguisht Deities That Ioue assembler of the cloudie throng Beginns with me first and affects with wrong My right in him made by himselfe his wife That knowes and does the honor'd marriage life All honest offices and yet hath he Vndulie got without my companie Blew-eyd Minerua who of all the skie Of blest Immortalls is the absolute Grace Where I haue brought into the heauenly Race A Sonne both taken in his feet and head So oughly and so farr from worth my bedd That rauisht into hand I tooke and threw Downe to the vast sea his detested view Where Nereus Daughter Thetis who her waie With siluer feet makes and the faire araie Of her bright sisters sau'd and tooke to guard But would to heauen another yet were spar'd The like Grace of his God-head Craftie mate What other scape canst thou excogitate How could thy hears sustaine to get alone The grey-eyd Goddesse her conception Nor bringing forth had any hand of mine And yet know all the Gods I goe for thine To such kinde vses But I 'le now employ My braine to procreate a masculine Ioy That'mongst th'Immortalls may as eminent shine With shame affecting nor my bedd nor thine Nor will I euer touch at thine againe But farr fly it and thee and yet will raigne Amongst th'Immortalls euer This spleene spent Still yet left angrie farre away she went From all the Deathlesse and yet praid to all Aduanc't her hand and e're she let it fall Vs'd these excitements Heare me now O Earth Brode Heauen aboue it and beneath your birth The Deified Titanoys that dwell about Vast Tartarus from whence sprung all the Rout Of Men and Deities Heare me all I say With all your forces and giue instant way T' a sonne of mine without Ioue who yet may Nothing inferiour proue in force to him But past him spring as farre in able lim As he past Saturne This pronounc't she strooke Life-bearing Earth so strongly that she shooke Beneath her numb'd hand which when she beheld Her bosome with abundant comforts sweld In hope all should to her desire extend From hence the Yeare that all such proofes giues end Grew round yet all that time the bed of Ioue Shee neuer toucht at neuer was her loue Enflam'd to fit nere his Dedalian Throne As she accustomed to consult vpon Counsells kept darke with many a secret skill But kept her Vow-frequented Temple still Pleas'd with her sacrifice till now the Nights And Daies accomplish't and the yeares whole rights In all her reuolutions being expir'de The Howres and all run out that were requir'd To vent a Birth-right she brought forth a Sonne Like Gods or Men in no condition But a most dreadfull and pernicious thing Call'd Typhon who on all the humane Spring Confer'd confusion which receiu'd to hand By Iuno instantly she gaue command Ill to ill adding that the Dragonesse Should bring it vp who tooke and did oppresse With many a misery to maintaine th' excesse Of that inhumane Monster all the Race Of Men that were of all the world the grace Till the farre-working Phoebus at her sent A fierie Arrow that inuok't euent Of death gaue to her execrable life Before which yet she lay in bitter strife With dying paines grâ—ueling on earth and drew Extreme short respirations for which slew A shout about the aire whence no man knew But came by power diuine And then she lay Tumbling her Trâ—ncke and winding euery way About her nastie Nest quite leauing then Her murtherous life embrâ—'d with deaths of Men. Then Phoebus gloried saying Thy selfe now lie On Men-sustaining Earth and putrifie Who first of Putrifaction was inform'd Now on thy life haue Deaths cold vapors stormd That stormd'st on Men the Earth-fâ—d so much death In enuie of the Of-spring they made breathe Their liues out on my Altars Now from thee Not Typhon shall enforce the miserie Of merited death nor shee whose name implies Such scath Chymaera but blacke earth make prise To putrifaction thy Immanities And bright Hyperion that light all eyes showes Thyne with a night of rottennesse shall close Thus spake he glory'ng and then seas'd vpon Her horrid heape with Putrifaction Hyperions louely powrs from whence her name Tooke sound of Python and heauens soueraigne flame Was surnam'd Pythius since the sharp-eyd Sunn Affected so with Putrifaction The hellish Monster And now Phoebus minde Gaue him to know that falsehood had strooke blinde Euen his bright eye because it could not finde The subtle Fountaines fraud To whom he flew Enflam'd with anger and in th' instant drew Close to Delphusa vsing this short vow Delphusa you must looke no longer now To vent your fraud's on me for well I know Your scituation to be louely worth A Temples Imposition It poures forth So delicate a streame But your renowne Shall now no longer shine here but mine owne This said he thrust her Promontorie downe And damn'd her fountaine vp with mightie stones A Temple giuing consecrations In woods adioining And in this Phane all On him by surname of Delphusius call Because Delphusa's sacred flood and fame His wrath affected so and hid in shame And then thought Phoebus what descent of Men To be his Ministers he should retein To doe in stonie Pythos sacrifice To which his minde contending his quicke eies He cast vpon the blew Sea and beheld A ship on whose Masts sailes that wing'd it sweld In which were men transferr'd many and good That in Minoian Gnossus eate their food And were Cretensians who now are those That all the sacrifising dues dispose And all the lawes deliuer to a word Of Daies great King that weares the golden sword And Oracles out of his Delphian Tree That shrowds her faire armes in the Cauitie Beneath Parnassus Mount pronounce to Men. These now his Priests that liu'd as Merchants then In trafficks and Pecuniarie Rates For sandie Pylos and the Pylean States Were vnder saile
nor would staie Till one winck seas'd myne eyes and so I laie Sleeplesse and pain'de with headach till first light The Cock had crow'd vp Therefore to the fight Let no God goe assistent lest a lance Wound whosoeuer offers to aduance Or wishes but their aid that skorne all foes Should any Gods accesse their spirits oppose Sit we then pleas'd to see from heauen their fight She said and all Gods ioin'd in her delight And now both Hosts to one field drew the iarre Both Heralds bearing the ostents of warre And then the wine-Gnats that shrill Trumpets sound Terriblie rung out the encounter round Ioue thundred all heauen sad warrs signe resounded And first Hypsiboas Lychenor wounded Standing th' impression of the first in fight His lance did in his Lyuers midsts alight Along his bellie Downe he fell his face His fall on that part swaid and all the grace Of his soft hayre fil'd with disgracefull dust Then Troglodytes his thick iaueline thrust In Pelions bosome bearing him to ground Whom sad death seas'd his soule flew through his wound Sentlaeus next Embasichytros slew His heart through thrusting then Artophagus threw His lance at Polyphon and strooke him quite Through his midd-bellie downe he fell vpright And from his fayre limms took his soule her flight Lymnocharis beholding Polyphon Thus done to death did with as round a stone As that the mill turnes Troglodytes wound Neare his mid-neck ere he his onset found Whose eyes sad darknes seas'd Lychenor cast A flying dart off and his ayme so plac't Vpon Lymnocharis that Sure he thought The wound he wisht him nor vntruely wrought The dire successe for through his Lyuer flew The fatall lance which when Crambaphagus knew Downe the deepe waues neare shore he diuing fled But fled not fate so the sterne enimie fed Death with his life in diuing neuer more The ayre he drew in his Vermilian gore Staind all the waters and along the shore He lay extended his fat entrailes laie By his small guts impulsion breaking waie Out at his wound Lymnisius neare the shore Destroid Tyroglyphus which frighted sore The soule of Calaminth seeing comming on For wreake Pternoglyphus who got him gon With large leapes to the lake his Target throwne Into the waters Hydrocharis slew King Pternophagus at whose throte he threw A huge stone strooke it high and beate his braine Out at his nostrills earth blusht with the staine His blood made on her bosom For next Prise Lichopinax to death did sacrifice Borborocoetes faultlesse faculties His lance enforc't it darknes clos'd his eyes On which when Brassophagus cast his looke Cnisodioctes by the heeles he tooke Dragg'd him to fenn from off his natiue ground Then seas'd his throte and souc't him till he droun'd But now Psycharpax wreakes his fellows deaths And in the bosome of Pelusius sheathes In center of his Lyuer his bright lance He fel before the Author of the chance His soule to hell fled Which Pelobates Taking sad note of wreakefully did sease His hands gripe full of mudd and all besmear'd His forhead with it so that scarce appeard The light to him Which certainely incenst His fierie splene who with his wreake dispenst No point of tyme but rer'd with his strong hand A stone so massie it opprest the land And hurld it at him when below the knee It strooke his right legge so impetuouslie It peece-meale brake it be the dust did sease Vpwards euerted But Craugasides Reuendg'd his death and at his enimie Dischardg'd a dart that did his point implie In his mid-bellie All the sharp-pil'de speare Got after in and did before it beare His vniuersall entrailes to the earth Soone as his swolne hand gaue his iaueline birth Sitophagus beholding the sad sight Set on the shore went halting from the fight Vext with his wounds extremelie And to make Waie from extreme fate lept into the lake Troxartes strooke in th'insteps vpper part Physignathus who priuie to the smart His wound imparted with his vtmost hast Lept to the lake and fled Troxartes cast His eye vpon the foe that fell before And see'ng him halfe-liu'de long'd againe to gore His gutlesse bosome and to kill him quite Ranne fiercely at him Which Prassaeus sight Tooke instant note of and the first in fight Thrust desp'rate way through casting his keene lance Off at Troxartes whose shield turn'd th'aduance The sharpe head made checkt the mortall chance Amongst the Mise fought an Egregiouse Young spring all and a close-encountring Mouse Pure Artepibulus-his deare descent A Prince that Mars himselfe shewd where he went Call'd Meridarpax Of so huge a might That onely He still dominer'd in fight Of all the Mouse-Host He aduancing close Vp to the Lake past all the rest arose In glorious obiect and made vant that He Came to depopulate all the progenie Of Froggs affected with the lance of warre And certainely he had put on as farre As he aduanc't his vant he was indude With so vnmatcht a force and fortitude Had not the Father both of Gods and Men Instantly knowne it and the Froggs euen then Giuen vp to ruine rescude with remorse Who his head mouing thus began discourse No meane amaze affects me to behold Prince Meridarpax rage so vncontrold In thirst of Frogg-blood all along the lake Come therefore still and all addression make Dispatching Pallas with tumultuous Mars Downe to the field to make him leaue the wars How Potently soeuer he be said Where he attempts once to vphold his head Mars answered O Ioue neither she nor I With both our aides can keepe depopulacie From off the Froggs And therefore arme we all Euen thy lance letting brandish to his call From off the field that from the field withdrew The Titanois the Titanois that slew Though most exempt from match of all earths seedes So great and so inaccessible deeds It hath proclaim'd to men bound hand and foot The vast Enceladus and rac't by th'root The race of vpland Gyants This speech past Saturnius a smoking lightening cast Amongst the armies thundring then so sore That with a rapting circumflexe he bore All huge heauen ouer But the terrible ire Of his dart sent abroad all wrapt in fire Which certainely his very finger was Amazde both Mise and Froggs Yet soone let passe Was all this by the Mise who much the more Burnd in desire t'exterminate the store Of all those lance-lou'd souldiers Which had beene If from Olympus Ioues eye had not seene The Froggs with pittie and with instant speede Sent them assistents Who ere any heede Was giuen to their approch came crawling on With Anuiles on their backs that beat vpon Neuer so much are neuer wearied yet Crook-pawd and wrested on with foule clouen feet Tongues in their mouths Brick-backt all
string extend With an exploratorie spirit assaid To all the parts that could on it be plaid It sounded dreadfully to which he sung As if from thence the first and true force sprâ—ng That fashions Virtue God in him did sing His play was likewise an vnspeakable thing Yet but as an extemporall Assay Of what showe it would make being the first way It tryed his hand or a tumultuous noise Such as at feasts the first-flowr'd spirits of Boies Poure out in mutuall contumelies still As little squaring with his curious will Or was as wanton and vntaught a Store Of Ioue and Maia that rich shoes still wore He sung who sufferd ill reports before And foule staines vnder her faire titles bore But Hermes sung her Nation and her Name Did itterate euer All her high-flowne fame Of being Ioues Mistresse celebrating all Her traine of seruants and collaterall Sumpture of Houses all her Tripods there And Caldrons huge encreasing euery yeare All which she knew yet felt her knowledge flung With her fames losse which found she more wisht sung But now he in his sacred cradle laid His Lute so absolute and strait conuaid Himselfe vp to a watch-towre forth his house Rich and diuinely Odoriferous A loftie wile at worke in his conceipt Thirsting the practise of his Empires height And where Impostors rule since sable Night Must serue their deeds he did his deeds their right For now the neuer-resting Sunne was turn'd For th'vnder earth and in the Ocean burn'd His Coch and Coursers When th'ingenious spie Pieria's shadie hill had in his eye Where the immortall Oxen of the Gods In ayres flood solac't their select Abods And earths sweet greene floure that was neuer shorne Fed euer downe And these the wittie-borne Argicides set serious spie vpon Seuering from all the rest and setting gone Full fiftie of the violent Bellowers Which driuing through the sands he did reuerse His births-craft trait remembring all their houes And them transpos'd in opposite remoues The fore behinde set The behinde before T' employ the eyes of such as should explore And he himselfe as slye-pac't cast away His sandalls on the sea-sands Past display And vnexcogitable thoughts in Act Putting to shunn of his stolne steps the Tract Mixing both Tamrisk and like-Tamrisk sprayes In a most rare confusion to raise His footsteps vp from earth Of which sprayes he His armefull gathering fresh from off the Tree Made for his sandalls Tyes both leaues and tyes Holding together and then fear'd no eyes That could affect his feets discoueries The Tamrisk boughs he gather'd making way Backe from Pieria but as to conuaie Prouision in them for his iourney fit It being long and therefore needing it An ould man now at labour nere the field Of greene Onchestus knew the verdant yield Of his fayre armefull whom th'ingenious Sonne Of Maia therefore salutation Did thus beginn to Ho ould man That now Art crooked growne with making Plants to grow Thy nerues will farr be spent when these boughs shall To these their leaues confer me fruit and All. But see not thou what euer thou dost see Nor heare though heare But all as touching me Conceale since nought it can endamage thee This and no more he said and on draue still His brode-browd Oxen. Many a shadie Hill And many an echoing valley many a field Pleasant and wishfull did his passage yield Their safe Transcension But now the diuine And black-browd Night his Mistresse did decline Exceeding swiftly Daies most earely light Fast hasting to her first point to excite Wordlings to worke and in her Watch-towre shone King Pallas-Megamedes seed the Moone When through th' Alphaean flood Ioues powerfull Sonne Phoebus-Apollo's ample-foreheaded Herd Whose necks the laboring yoke had neuer spher'd Draue swiftly on and then into a stall Hillie yet past to through an humble vale And hollow Dells in a most louely Meade He gatherd all and them diuinely fedd With Odorous Cypresse and the rauishing Tree That makes his Eaters lose the memorie Of name and countrie Then he brought withall Much wood whose sight into his serch let fall The Art of making fire Which thus he tried He tooke a branch of Lawrell amplified Past others both in beautie and in sise Yet lay next hand rubb'd it and strait did rise A warme fume from it Steele being that did raise As Agent the attenuated Baies To that hot vapor So that Hermes found Both fire first and of it the seede close bound In other substances and then the seed He multiplied of sere-wood making feed The apt heat of it in a pile Combin'de Laid in a lowe Pit that inflames strait shin'de And cast a sparkling crack vp to the Skye All the drie parts so feruent were and hye In their combustion And how long the force Of glorious Vulcan kept the fire in course So long was he in dragging from their stall Two of the crook-hancht Herd that ror'd withall And rag'd for feare t'approch the sacred fire To which did all his dreadfull powrs aspire When blustring forth their breath He on the soile Cast both at length though with a world of toile For long he was in getting them to ground After their through-thrust and most mortall wound But worke to worke he ioin'd the flesh and cut Couerd with fat and on treene broches put In peeces rosted But in th'Intestines The black blood and the honorarie chines Together with the carcases lay there Cast on the cold earth as no Deities chere The Hydes vpon a rugged rock he spred And thus were these now all in peeces shred And vndistinguisht from Earths common herd Though borne for long date and to heauen endeard And now must euer liue in dead euent But Hermes hâ—rehence hauing his content Car'd for no more but drew to places euen The fat-works that of force must haue for heauen Their capitall ends though stolne and therefore were In twelue parts cut for twelue choice Deities chere By this deuotion To all which he gaue Their seuerall honors and did wish to haue His equall part thereof as free and well As th' other Deities but the fattie smell Afflicted him though he immortall were Play'ng mortall parts and being like mortalls here Yet his proud minde nothing the more obayde For being a God himselfe and his owne aide Hauing to cause his due And though in heart Hee highly wisht it but the weaker part Subdu'd the stronger and went on in ill Euen heauenly Powre had rather haue his Will Then haue his Right and will 's the worst of All When but in least sort it is criminall One Taint being Author of a Number still And thus resolu'd to leaue his hallow'd Hill First both the fat parts and the fleshie All Taking away at the steepe-entryed stall He laid all All the feet and heads entire And all the sere-wood making cleare with fire And now he leauing there then all things done And finisht in their fit perfection The Coles put out and their black Ashes
All the Incorruptible to their view On heavens steepe Mountaine made return'd repaire Hermes and He that light hurls through the ayre Before the Thunderers knees stood who begunn To question thus farr his Illustrious Sonne Phoebus To what end bringst thou Captiue here Him in whom my Minde putts delights so deare This New-borne Infant that the place supplies Of Herrald yet to all the Deities This serious busines you may witnesse drawes The Deities whole Court to discusse the cause Phoebus replied And not vnworthie is The cause of all the Court of Deities For you shall heare it comprehends the weight Of Deuastation and the verie height Of spoile and rapine euen of Deities rights Yet you as if my selfe lou'd such delights Vse words that wound my heart I bring you here An Infant that euen now admits no Pere In rapes and robb'ries Finding out his Place After my measure of an infinite space In the Cyllenian Mountaine Such a one In all the Art of opprobration As not in all the Deities I haue seene Nor in th'Obliuion-marckt-whole Race of men In Night he draue my Oxen from their Leas A long the loftie rore-resounding Seas From out the Rode way quite the steps of them So quite transpos'd as would amaze the beamâ— Of any mindes eye being so infinite much Inuolu'd in doubt as showd a Deified touch Went to the works performance All the way Through which my cross-hou'd Cows hee did conuaie Had dust so darklie-hard to serch and He So past all measure wrapt in subtiltie For nor with feet nor hands be form'd his steps In passing through the drie waies sandie heap's But vs'd another counsaile to keepe hidd His monstrous Tracts that showd as one had slid On Oke or other Boughs That swept out still The footsteps of his Oxen and did fill Their prints vp euer to the Daffodill Or daintie feeding Meddow as they trodd Driuen by this cautelous and Infant God A Mortall Man yet saw him driuing on His Prey to Pylos Which when he had done And got his Passe sign'd with a sacred fire In peace and freely though to his desire Not to the Gods he offerd part of these My rauisht Oxen he retires and lies Like to the gloomie Night in his dimm Denn All hid in darknesse and in clouts againe Wrapt him so closely that the sharpe-seene eye Of your owne Eagle could not see him lye For with his hands the ayre he rarified This way and that mou'd till bright gleames did glide About his Being that if any eye Should dare the Darknesse Light appos'd so nie Might blinde it quite with her Antipathie Which wile he woue in curious care t'illude Th' Extreame of any eye that could intrude On which relying he outrageouslie When I accus'd him trebled his replie I did not see I did not heare nor I Will tell at all that any other stole Your brode-browd Beeues Which an Impostors soule Would soone haue done and any Author faine Of purpose onely a Reward to gaine And thus he colourd truth in euery lie This said Apollo sate and Mercurie The Gods Commander pleas'd with this replie Father I 'le tell the truth for I am true And farr from Art to lie He did pursue Euen to my Caue his Oxen this selfe daie The Sunn new raising his illustrious raie But brought with him none of the Bliss-indu'd Nor any ocular witnesse to conclude His bare assertion But his owne command Laid on with strong and necessarie hand To showe his Oxen. Vsing Threats to cast My poore and Infant powrs into the Vast Of ghastlie Tartarus because he beares Of strength-sustayning youth the flaming yeares And I but yesterday produc't to light By which it fell into his owne fre sight That I in no similitude apper'd Of powre to be the forcer of a Herde And credite me O Father since the Grace Of that name in your stile you please to place I draue not home his Oxen no nor preast Past mine owne threshold for t is manifest I reuerence with my soule the Sunn and all The knowing dwellers in this heauenly Hall Loue you obserue the least and t is most cleare In your owne knowledge that my Merits beare No least guilt of his blame To all which I Dare adde heauens great oath boldly swearing by All these so well-built Entries of the Blest And therefore when I saw my selfe so prest With his reproches I confesse I burn'd In my pure gall and harsh replie return'd Adde your aid to your Yonger then and free The scruple fixt in Phoebus Ielousie This said he winckt vpon his Sire and still His swath-bands held beneath his arme no Will Discernd in him to hide but haue them showne Ioue laught aloud at his Ingenious Sonne Quitting himselfe with Art so likely wrought As showd in his heart not a rapinous thought Commanding Both to beare attoned mindes And seeke out th'Oxen In which serch he bindes Hermes to play the Guide and show the Sunn All grudge exilde the Shrowd to which he wunn His fayre-eyd Oxen. Then his forehead bow'd For signe it must be so and Hermes show'd His free obedience So soone he inclin'd To his perswasion and command his minde Now then Ioues Iarring Sonnes no longer stood But sandie Pylos and th' Alphaean flood Reacht instantly and made as quick a fall On those rich-feeding fields and loftie stall Where Phoebus Oxen Hermes safelie kept Driuen in by night When sodainely he stept Vp to the stonie Caue and into light Draue forth the Oxen Phoebus at first sight Knew them the same and saw apart dispread Vpon a high-rais'd rock the hydes new flead Of th'Oxen sacrifis'd Then Phoebus said O thou in craftie counsailes vndisplaid How couldst thou cut the throtes and cast to Earth Two such huge Oxen being so young a birth And a mere Infant I admire thy force And will behinde thy back But this swift course Of growing into strength thou hadst not need Continue any long Date O thou seed Of honor'd Maia Hermes to shew how He did those Deedes did forthwith cut and bow Strong Osiers in soft folds and strappl'd strait One of his hugest Oxen all his weight Lay'ng prostrate on the earth at Phoebus feet All his foure clouen houes easly made to greete Each other vpwards all together broâ—ght In all which bands yet all the Beasts powres wrought To rise and stand when all the Herd about The mighty Hermes rusht in to help out Their fellow from his fetters Phoebus view Of all this vp to Admiration drew Euen his high forces And sterne lookes he threw At Hermes for his Herds wrong and the place To which he had retir'd them being in grace And fruitfull riches of it so entire All which set all his force on enuious fire All whose heat flew out of his eyes in flames Which faine he would haue hidd to hide the shames Of his ill gouern'd passions But with ease Hermes could calme them and his humors please Still at his pleasure were he