whyght and twyce a day shée washt Her visage in the spring that from the toppe of Pagase past And in the streame shee twyce a day did bath her limbes and on Her leftsyde or her shoulders came the comlyest things And none But fynest skinnes of choycest beasts Alike eche loued other Toogither they among the hilles roamd vp and downe toogither They went too couert and that tyme toogither they did enter The Lapithes house and there the fray toogither did aduenter A dart on Cyllars left syde came I know not who it sent Which sumwhat vnderneathe his necke his brest a sunder splent As lyghtly as his hart was raazd no sooner was the dart Pluckt out but all his bodye wext stark cold and dyëd swart Immediatly Hylonome his dying limbes vp stayd And put her hand vppon the wound too stoppe the blood and layd Her mouth too his and labored sore too stay his passing spryght But when shée sawe him throughly dead then speaking woordes which might Not too my hearing come for noyse shée stikt herself vppon The weapon that had gored him and dyde with him anon Embracing him béetwéene her armes There also stood before Myne eyes the grim Pheöcomes both man and horse who wore A Lyons skinne vppon his â—acke fast knit with knotts afore He snatching vp a timber log which scarcely twoo good téeme Of Oxen could haue stird did throwe the same with force extréeme At Phonolenyes sonne The logge him all in fitters strake And of his head the braynepan in a thousand peeces brake That at his mouth his eares and eyes and at his nosethrills too His crusshed brayne came roping out as creame is woont too doo From siues or riddles made of wood or as a Cullace out From streyner or from Colender But as he went about Too strippe him from his harnesse as he lay vppon the ground Your father knoweth this full well my sword his gutts did wound Teleboäs and Cthonius bothe were also slaine by mée Sir Cthonius for his weapon had a forked bough of trée The toother had a dart His dart did wound mée you may sée The scarre therof remayning yit Then was the tyme that I Should sent haue béene too conquer Troy Then was the tyme that I Myght through my force and prowesse if not vanquish Hector stout Yit at the least haue hilld him wag I put you out of Dout. But then was Hector no body or but a babe And now Am I forspent and worne with yéeres What should I tell you how Piretus dyde by Periphas Or wherefore should I make Long processe for too tell you of sir Ampycus that strake The fowrefoote Oecle on the face with dart of Cornell trée The which had neyther head nor poynt Or how that Macaree Of Mountaine Pelithronye with a leauer lent a blowe Too Erigdupus on the brest which did him ouerthrowe Full well I doo remember that Cymelius threw a dart Which lyghted full in Nesseyes flank about his priuie part And think not you that Mops the sonne of Ampycus could doo No good but onely prophesye This stout Odites whoo Had bothe the shapes of man and horse by Mopsis dart was slayne And labouring for too speake his last he did but striue in vayne For Mopsis dart toogither nayld his toong and neather chappe And percing through his throte did make a wyde and deadly gappe Fyue men had Cene already slayne theyr wounds I cannot say The names and nomber of them all ryght well I beare away The names of them were Stiphelus and Brome and Helimus Pyracmon with his forest bill and stout Antimachus Out steppes the biggest Centavvre there howge Latreus armed in Alesus of Aemathias spoyle slayne late before by him His yéeres were mid twéene youth and age his courage still was yoong And on his abrun head hore heares péerd héere and there amoong His furniture was then a swoord a target and a lawnce Aemathian like Too bothe the parts he did his face aduaunce And brandishing his weapon braue in circlewyse did prawnce About and stoutly spake theis woordes And must I beare with yow Dame Cenye for none other than a moother I auow No better than a moother will I couâ—t thée whyle I liue Remembrest not what shape by birth dame nature did the giue Forgettst thou how thou purchasedst this counterfetted shape Of man Consyderest what thou art by birth and how for rape Thou art become the thing thou art Go take thy distaffe and Thy spindle and in spinning yarne go exercyse thy hand Let men alone with feates of armes As Latreus made this stout And scornefull taunting in a ring still turning him about This Cenye with a dart did hit him full vppon the syde Where as the horse and man were ioynd toogither in a hyde The strype made Latreus mad and with his lawnce in rage he stracke Uppon sir Cenyes naked ribbes The lawnce rebounded backe Like haylestones from a tyled house or as a man should pat Small stones vppon a dromslets head He came more néere with that And in his brawned syde did stryue too thrust his swoord There was No way for swoord too enter in Yit shalt thou not so passe My handes sayd he Well sith the poynt is blunted thou shalt dye Uppon the edge and with that woord he fetcht his blow awrye And sydling with a swéeping stroke along his belly smit The strype did giue a clinke as if it had on marble hit And therewithall the swoord did breake and on his necke did lyght When Ceny had sufficiently giuen Latreus leaue too smyght His flesh which was vnmaymeable Well now ê™ he le ts see If my swoord able bée or no too byght the flesh of thée In saying so his dreadfull swoord as farre as it would go He vnderneathe his shoulder thrust and wrinching too and fro Among his gutts made wound in wound Behold with hydeous crye The dowblemembred Centavvres sore abasht vppon him flye And throwe theyr weapons all at him Theyr weapons downe did fall As if they had rebated béene and Cenye for them all Abydes vnstriken through Yea none was able â—lood too drawe The straungenesse of the cace made all amazed that it sawe Fy fy for shame ê™ Monychus that such a rable can Not ouercome one wyght alone who scarcely is a man Although too say the very truthe he is the man and wée Through fayntnesse that that he was borne by nature for too bée What profits theis huge limbes of ours what helpes our dowble force Or what auayles our dowble shape of man as well as horse By puissant nature ioynd in one I can not thinke that wée Of souereigne Goddesse Iuno were begot or that wée bée Ixions sonnes who was so stout of courage and so hault As that he durst on Iunos loue attempt too giue assault The emny that dooth vanquish vs is scarcely half a man Whelme blocks stones mountaynes whole vppon his hard brayne pan And presse yée out his liuely ghoste with trées Let
gazing eyes that woondred at the grace And beautie which did late adorne their Masters heauenly face And afterward when into Hell receyued was his spright He goes me to the Well of Styx and there both day and night Standes tooting on his shadow still as fondely as before The water Nymphes his sisters wept and wayled for him sore And on his bodie strowde their haire clipt off and shorne therefore The Woodnymphes also did lament And Echo did rebound To euery sorowfull noyse of theirs with like lamenting sound The fire was made to burne the corse and waxen Tapers light A Herce to lay the bodie on with solemne pompe was dight But as for bodie none remaind In stead thereof they found A yellow floure with milke white leaues new sprong vpon the ground This matter all Achaia through did spreade the Prophets fame That euery where of iust desert renowmed was his name But Penthey olde Echions sonne who proudely did disdaine Both God and man did laughe to scorne the Prophets words as vaine Upbrading him most spitefully with loosing of his sight And with the fact for which he lost fruition of this light The good olde father for these wordes his pacience much did moue Saidâ— O how happie shouldest thou be and blessed from aboue If thou wert blinde as well as I so that thou might not sée The sacred rytesof Bacchus band For sure the time will bée And that full shortely as I gesse that hither shall resort Another Bacchus Semelles sonne whome if thou not support With pompe and honour like a God thy carcasse shall be tattred And in a thousand places eke about the Woods be scattred And for to reade thée what they are that shall perfourme the déede It is thy mother and thine Auntes that thus shall make thée bléede I know it shall so come to passe for why thou shalt disdaine To honour Bacchus as a God and then thou shalt with paine Féele how that blinded as I am I sawe for thée too much As olde Tiresias did pronounce these wordes and other such Echions sonne did trouble him His wordes proue true in déede For as the Prophet did forespeake so fell it out with spéede Anon this newefound Bacchus commes the woods and fieldes rebound With noyse of shouts and howling out and such confused sound The folke runne flocking out by heapes men Mayds and wiues togither The noble men and rascall sorte ran gadding also thither The Orgies of this vnknowne God full fondely to performe The which when Penthey did perceyue he gan to rage and storme And sayde vnto them O ye ympes of Mars his snake by kinde What ayleth you What fiend of hell doth thus enrage your minde Hath tinking sound of pottes and pannes hath noyse of crooked horne Haue fonde illusions such a force that them whome heretoforne No arming sworde no bloudie trumpe no men in battail ray Coulde cause to shrinke no shéepish shriekes of simple women fray And dronken woodnesse wrought by wine roughts of filthie freakes And sound of toying timpanes dauntes quite their courage breakes Shall I at you yée auncient men which from the towne of Tyre To bring your housholde Gods by Sea in safetie did aspyre And setled them within this place the which ye nowe doe yéelde In bondage quite without all force and fighting in the fielde Or woonder at you yonger sorte approching vnto mée More neare in courage and in yeares whome méete it were to sée With speare and not with thirse in hande with glittring helme on hed And not with leaues Now call to minde of whome ye all are bred And take the stomackes of that Snake which being one alone Right stoutly in his owne defence confounded many one He for his harbrough and his spring his lyfe did nobly spend Doe you no more but take a heart your Countie to defende He put to death right valeant Knightes Your battaile is with such As are but Meicocks in effect and yet ye doe so much In conquering them that by the déede the olde renowne ye saue Which from your fathers by discent this present time ye haue If fatall destnies doe forbid that Thebae long shall stande Would God that men with Canon shot might raze it out of hande Would God the noyse of fire and sworde did in our hearing sound For then in this our wretchednesse there could no fault be found Then might we iustly waile our case that all the world might sée Wée should not néede of sheading teares ashamed for to bée But now our towne is taken by a naked beardelesse boy Who doth not in the feates of armes nor horse nor armour ioy But for to moyst his haire with Mirrhe and put on garlands gay And in soft Purple silke and golde his bodie to aray But put to you your helping hand and straight without delay I will compell him poynt by poynt his lewdnesse to bewray Both in vsurping Ioues high name in making him his sonne And forging of these Ceremonies lately now begonne Hath King Atrisius heart inough this fondling for to hate That makes himselfe to be a God and for to shit the gate Of Argus at his comming there and shall this rouer make King Penthey and the noble towne of Thebae thus to quake Go quickly sirs these wordes he spake vnto his seruaunts go And bring the Captaine hither bound with spéede why stay ye so His Grandsire Cadmus Athamas and others of his kinne Reproued him by gentle meanes but nothing could they winne The more-intreatance that they made the fiercer was he still The more his friendes did go about to breake him of his will The more they did prouoke his wrath and set his rage on fire They made him worse in that they sought to bridle his desire So haue I séene a brooke ere this where nothing let the streame Runne smooth with little noyse or none but where as any beame Or cragged stones did let his course and make him for to stay It went more fiercely from the stoppe with â—omie wroth away Beholde all bloudie come his men and straight he them demaunded Where Bacchus was and why they had not done as he commaunded Sir aunswerde they we saw him not but this same fellow héere A chiefe companion in his traine and worker in this géere Wée tooke by force And therewithall presented to their Lord A certaine man of Tirrhene lande his handes fast bound with cord Whome they frequenting Bacchus rites had found but late before A grim and cruell looke which yre did make to séeme more sore Did Penthey cast vpon the man And though he scarcely stayd From putting him to tormentes strait O wretched man he sayde Who by thy worthie death shalt be a sample vnto other Declare to me the names of thée thy father and thy mother And in what Countrie thou wert borne and what hath caused thée Of these straunge rites and sacrifice a follower for to bée He voyd of feare made aunswere thus Acetis
aside The violence of their boystrous blasts things scarsly can abide They so turmoyle as though they would the world in pieces rende So cruell is those brothers wrath when that they doe contende And therefore to the morning graye the Realme of Nabathie To Persis and to other lands and countries that doe lie Farre vnderneath the Morning starre did Eurus take his flight Likewise the setting of the Sunne and shutting in of night Belong to Zephyr And the blasts of blustring Boreas raigne In Scythia and in other landes set vnder Charles his waine And vnto Auster doth belong the coast of all the South Who beareth shoures and rotten mistes continuall in his month Aboue all these he set aloft the cleare and lightsome skie Without all dregs of earthly filth or grossenesse vtterlie The boundes of things were scarsly yet by him thus pointed out But that appeared in the heauen starres glistring all about Which in the said confused heape had hidden bene before And to thintent with liuely things eche Region for to store The heauenly soyle to Gods and Starres and Planets first he gaue The waters next both fresh and salt he let the fishes haue The suttle ayre to flickring fowles and birdes he hath assignde The earth to beasts both wilde and tame of sundrie sort and kinde Howbeit yet of all this while the creature wanting was Farre more deuine of nobler minde which should the residue pasâ—e In depth of knowledge reason wit and high capacitie And which of all the residue should the Lord and ruler bée Then eyther he that made the worlde and things in order set Of heauenly séede engendred Man or else the earth as yet Yong lustie fresh and in hir floures and parted from the kie But late before the séede thereof as yet held inwardlie The which Prometheus tempring straight with waâ—er of the spring Did make in likenesse to the Gods that gouerne euerie thing And where all other beasts behold the ground with groueling eie He gaue to Man a stately looke replâ—â—e with maiestie And willde him to behold the Heâ—â—en wyth countnance cast on hie â–ª To marke and vnderstand what things were in the starrie skie And thus the earth which late before had neyther shape nor hew Did take the noble shape of man and was transformed new Then sprang vp first the golden age which of it selfe maintainde The truth and right of euery thing vnforst and vnconstrainde There was no feare of punishment there was no thrâ—â—ining lawe In brazen tables nayled vp to â—éepe the folke inlawe There was no man would cronch or créepe to Iudge with cap in hand They liued safe without a Iudge in euerie Realme and lande The loftie Pynetrée was not hewen from mountaines where it stood In séeking straunge and forren landes to roue vpon the flood Men knew none other countries yet than where themselues did kéepe There was no towne enclosed yet with walles and diches déepe No horne nor trumpet was in vse no sword nor helmet worne The worlde was suche that souldiers helpe might easly be forborne The fertile earth as yet was frée vntoucht of spade or plough And yet it yéelded of it selfe of euery things inough And men themselues contented well with plaine and simple foode That on the earth of natures gift without their trauell stoode Did liue by Raspis heppes hawes by cornelles plummes and cherries By sloes and apples nuttes and peares and lothsome bramble berries And by the acornes dropt on ground from Ioues brode trée in fielde The Springtime lasted all the yeare and Zephyr with his milde And gentle blast did cherish things that grew of owne accorde The ground vntilde all kinde of fruits did plenteously auorde No mucke nor tillage was bestowde on leane and barren land To make the corne of better head and ranker for to stand TheÌ„ streames ran milke then streames ran wine yellow honny flowde From ech gréene trée whereon the rayes of firie Phebus glowde But when that into Lymbo once Saturnus being thrust The rule and charge of all the worlde was vnder Ioue vniust And that the siluer age came in more somewhat base than golde More precious yet than freckled brasse immediatly the olde And auncient Spring did Ioue abridge and made therof anon Foure seasons Winter Sommer Spring and Autumne of and on Then first of all began the ayre with feruent heate to swelt Then Isyeles hung roping downe then for the colde was felt Men gan to shroud themselues in house their houses were the thickes And bushie queaches hollow caues or hardels made of stickes Then first of all were furrowes drawne and corne was cast in ground The simple Oxe with sorie sighes to heauie yoke was bound Next after this succeded streight the third and brazen age More hard of nature somewhat bent to cruell warres and rage But yet not wholy past all grace Of yron is the last In no part good and traetable as former ages past For when that of this wicked Age once opened was the veyne Therein all mischief rushed forth then Fayth and Truth were faine And honest shame to hide their heades for whom stept stoutly in Craft Treason Uiolence Enuie Pride and wicked Lust to win The shipman hoyst his sailes to wind whose names he did not knowe And shippes that erst in toppes of hilles and mountaines had ygrowe Did leape and daunce on vncouth waues and men began to bound With dowles and diches drawen in length the frée and fertile ground Which was as common as the Ayre and light of Sunne before Not onely corne and other fruites for sustnance and for store Were now exacted of the Earth but eft thy gan to digge And in the bowels of the ground vnsaciably to rigge For Riches coucht and hidden déepe in places nere to Hell The spurres and stirrers vnto vice and foes to doing well Then hurtfull yron came abrode then came forth yellow golde More hurtfull than the yron farre then came forth battle bolde That feightes with bothe and shakes his sword in cruell bloudy hand Men liue by rauine and by stelth the wandring guest doth stand In daunger of his host the host in daunger of his guest And fathers of their sonne in lawes yea seldome time doth rest Betwéene borne brothers such accord and loue as ought to bée The goodman séekes the goodwiues death and his againe séekes shée The stepdames fell their husbandes sonnes with poyson do assayle To sée their fathers liue so long the children doe bewayle All godlynesse lies vnder foote And Ladie Astrey last Of heauenly vertues from this earth in slaughter drowned past And to thintent the earth alone thus should not be opprest And heauen aboue in slouthfull ease and carelesse quiet rest ¶ Men say that Giantes went about the Realme of Heauen to win To place themselues to raigne as Gods and lawlesse Lordes therein And hill on hill they heaped vp aloft vnto the skie Till God almighty from the Heauen did let his
And at hir going out Feare terror griefe and pensiuâ—nesse for companie she tooke And also madnesse with his sâ—aight and gastly staring looke Within the house of Athamas no sooner foote she set But that the postes began to quake and doores looke blacke as Iet The sonne withdrew him Athamas and eke his wife were cast With ougly sighies in such a feare that out of doores agast They would haue fled There sâ—oode the Fiend and stopt their passage out And splaying forth hir filthie armes beknit with Snakes about Did tosse and waue hir hatefull head The swarme of sâ—aled snakes Did make an irksome noyse to heare as she hir tresses shakes About hir shoulders some did craule some trayling downe hir brest Did hisse and spit out poyson gréene and spirt with tongues infest Then from amyd hir haire two snakes with venymd hand she drew Of which shée one at Athamas and one at Ino threw The snakes did craule about their breasts inspiring in their heart Most grieuous motions of the minde the bodie had no smart Of any wound it was the minde that felt the cruell stings A poyson made in Syrup wise shée also with hir brings The filthie fame of Cerberus the casting of the Snake Echidna bred among the Fennes about the Stygian Lake Desirde of gadding foorth abroad forgetfulnesse of minde Delight in mischiefe woodnesse teares and purpose whole inclinde To cruell murther all the which shée did together grinde And mingling them with new shed bloud had boyled them in brasse And stird them with a Hemblock stalke Now whyle that Athamas And Ino stood and quakte for feare this poyson ranke and fell Shée tourned into both their breastes and made their heartes to swell Then whisking often round about hir head hir balefull brand Shée made it soone by gathering winde to kindle in hir hand Thus as it were in triumph wise accomplishing hir hest To Duskie Plutos emptie Realme shée gettes hir home to rest And putteth of the snarled Snakes that girded in hir brest Immediatly King Aeolus sonne stark madde comes crying out Through all the court what meane yee Sirs why go yée not about To pitch our toyles within this chach I sawe euen nowe here ran A Lyon with hir two yong whelpes And there withall he gan To chase his wyfe as if in déede shée had a Lyon béene And lyke a Bedlem boystouslie he snatcheth from betwéene The mothers armes his little babe Loearchus smyling on him And reaching foorth his preatie armes floong him fiercely from him A twice or thrice as from a slyng and dasht his tender head Against a hard and rugged stone vntill he sawe him dead The wretched mother whither griefe did moue hir therevnto Or that the poyson spred within did force hir so to doe Hould out and frantikly with scattered haire about hir eares And with hir little Melicert whome hastely shée heares In naked armes she cryeth out hoe Bacchus At the name Of Bacâ—hus Iuno gan to laugh and scorning sayde in game This guerden loe thy foster child requiteth for the same There hangs a rocke about the Sea the foote whereof is eate So hollow with the saltish waues which on the same doe beate That like a house it kéepeth off the moysting showers of rayne The toppe is rough and shootes his front amiddes the open mayne Dame Ino madnesse made hir strong did climb this cliffe anon And healong downe without regarde of hurt that hoong thereon Did throwe hir burden and hir selfe the water where shée dasht In sprincling vpwarde glisterd red But Venus sore abasht At this hir Néeces great mischaunce without offence or fault Hir Vncle gently thus bespake O ruler of the hault And swelling Seas O noble Neptune whose dominion large Extendeth to the Heauen whereof the mightie Ioue hath charge The thing is great for which I sew But shewe thou sor my sake Some mercie on my wretched friends whome in thine endlesse lake Thou séeest tossed to and fro Admit thou them among Thy Goddes Of right euen here to mée some fauour doth belong At least wise if amid the Sea engendred erst I were Of Froth as of the which yet still my pleasaunt name I beare Neptunus graunted hir request and by and by bereft them Of all that euer mortall was In sted wherof he left them A hault and stately maiestie and altring them in hew With shape and names most méete for Goddes he did them both endew Leucothoë was the mothers name Palemon was the sonne The Thebane Ladies following hir as fast as they could runne Did of hir féete perceiue the print vpon the vtter stone And taking it for certaine signe that both were dead and gone In making mone for Cadmus house they wrang their hands and tare Their haire and rent their clothes and railde on Iuno out of square As nothing iust but more outragious farre than did behoue In so reuenging of his selfe vpon hir husbands loue The Goddesse Iuno could not beare their railing And in faith You also will I make to be as witnesses she sayth Of my outragious crueltie And so shée did in déede For shée that loued Ino best was following hir with spéede Into the Sea But as shée would hir selfe haue downeward cast Shée could not stirre but to the rock as nailed sticked fast The second as shée knockt hir breast did féele hir armes wax stiffe Another as shée stretched out hir hands vpon the cliffe Was made a stone and there stoode still ay stretching forth hir hands Into the water as before And as an other standes A tearing of hir ruffled lockes hir fingers hardened were And fâ—stned to hir frisled toppe still tearing of hir heare And looke what gesture eche of them was taken in that tide Euen in the same transformde to stones they fastned did abide And some were altered into birds which Cadmies called bée And in that goolfe with flittering wings still to and fro doe flée Nought knoweth Cadmus that his daughter and hir little childe Admitted were among the Goddes that rule the surges wilde Compellde with griefe and great mishappes that had ensewd togither And straunge foretokens often séene since first his comming thither He vtterly forsakes his towne the which he builded had As though the fortune of the place so hardly him bestad And not his owne And fléeting long like pilgrims at the last Upon the coast of Illirie his wife and he were cast Where ny forpind with cares and yeares while of the chaunces past Upon their house and of their toyles and former trauails tane They sadly talkt betwéene themselues was my speare head the bane Of that same ougly Snake of Mars ê™ Cadmus when I fled From Sidon or did I his teeth in ploughed pasture spred If for the death of him the Goddes so cruell vengeaunce take Drawen out in length vpon my wombe then traile I like a snake He had no sooner sayde the worde but that he gan to glide Upon his belly like a Snake And
necke And eke his haire perfumde with Myrrhe a costly crowne did decke Full sixtene yeares he was of age such cunning skill he coulde In darting as to hit his marke farre distant when he would Yet how to handle Bow and shaftes much better did he know Now as he was about that time to bende his horned Bowe A firebrand Persey raught that did vpon the Aultar smoke And dasht him ouertwhart the face with such a violent stroke That all bebattred was his head the bones a sunder broke When Lycabas of Assur lande his moste assured friend And deare companion being no dissembler of his miend Which most entierly did him loue behelde him on the ground Lie weltring with disfigurde face and through that grieuous wound Now gasping out his parting ghost his death he did lament And taking hastly vp the Bow that Atys erst had bent Encounter thou with me he saide thou shalt not long enioy Thy triumphing in brauerie thus for killing of this boy By which thou getst more spight than praise All this was scarsly sed But that the arrow from the string went streyned to the head Howbeit Persey as it hapt so warely did it shunne As that it in his coteplights hung then to him did he runne With Harpe in his hand bestaind with grim Medusas blood And thrust him through the brest therwith â–ª he quothing as he stood Did looke about where Atys lay with dim and dazeling eyes Now wauing vnder endlesse night and downe by him he lies And for to comfort him withall togither with him dies Behold through gredie haste to feight one Phorbas Methions son A Svveuite and of Lybie lande one callde Amphimedon By fortune sliding in the blood with which the ground was weâ— Fell downe and as they woulde haue râ—se Perseus fauchon met With both of them Amphimedon vpon the ribbes he smote And with the like celeritie he cut me Phorbas throte But vnto Erith Actors sonne that in his hand did holde A brode browne Bill with his short sword he durst not be too bolde To make approch With both his handes a great and massie cup Embost with cunning portrayture aloft he taketh vp And sendes it at him He spewes vp red bloud and falling downe Upon his backe against the ground doth knocke his dying crowne Then downe he Polydemon throwes extract of royall race And Abaris the Scithian and Clytus in like case And Elice with his vnshorne lockes and also Phlegias And Lycet olde Speâ—chefies sonne with diuers other mo That on the heapes of corses slaine he treades as he doth go And Phyney daring not presume to méete his foe at hand Did cast a Dart which hapt to light on Idas who did stand Aloofe as neuter though in vaine not medling with the Fray Who casting backe a frowning looke at Phyney thus did say Sith whether that I will or no compeld I am perforce To take a part haue Phyney here him whome thou doste enforce To be thy â—oe and with this wound my wrongfull wound requite But as he from his body pullde the Dart with all his might To throw it at his foe againe his limmes so féebled were With losse of bloud that downe he fell and could not after steare There also lay Odites slaine the chiefe in all the land Next to King Cephey put to death by force of Clymens hand Protenor was by Hypsey killde and Lyncide did as much For Hypsey In the throng there was an auncient man and such a one as loued righteousnesse and greatly feared God Emathion called was his name whome sith his yeares forbod To put on armes he feights with tongue inueying earnestly Against that wicked war the which he banned bitterly As on the Altar he himselfe with quiuering handes did stay One Cromis tipped of his head his head cut off streight way Upon the Altar fell and there his tongue not fully dead Did bable still the banning wordes the which it erst had sed And breathed forth his fainting ghost among the burning brandes Then Brote Hammon brothers twins stout chaÌ„pions of their haÌ„ds In wrestling Pierlesse if so be that wrestling could sustaine The furious force of slicing swordes were both by Phyney slaine And so was Alphit Ceres Priest that ware vpon his crowne A stately Miter faire and white with Tables hanging downe Thou also Iapets sonne for such affaires as these vnméete But méete to tune thine instrument with voyce and Ditie swéete The worke of peace wert thither callde th'assemblie to reioyce And for to set the mariage forth with pleasant singing voyce As with his Uiall in his hand he stoode a good way off There commeth to him Petalus and sayes in way of scoffe Go sing the resdue to the ghostes about the Stygian Lake And in the left side of his heade his dagger poynt he strake He sanke downe deade with fingers still yet warbling on the string And so mischaunce knit vp with wo the song that he did sing But fierce Lycormas could not beare to sée him murdred so Without reuengement Up he caught a mightie Leauer tho That wonted was to barre the doore a right side of the house And therewithall to Petalus he lendeth such a souse Full in the noddle of the necke that like a snetched Oxe Streight tuÌ„bling downe against the ground his groueling face he knox And Pelates a Garamant attempted to haue caught The left doore barre but as thereat with stretched hand he raught One Coryt sonne of Marmarus did with a Iauelin stricke Him through the hand that to the wood fast nayled did it sticke As Pelates stoode fastned thus one Abas goard his side He could not fall but hanging still vpon the poste there dide Fast nayled by the hand And there was ouerthrowne a Knight Of Perseyes band callde Melaney and one that Dorill hight A man of greatest landes in all the Realme of Nasamone That occupide so large a grounde as Dorill was there none Nor none that had such store of corne there came a Dart a skew And lighted in his Coddes the place where present death doth sew When Alcion of Barcey he that gaue this deadly wound Beheld him yesking forth his ghost and falling to the ground With warrie eyes the white turnde vp content thy selfe he said With that same litle plot of grounde whereon thy corse is layde In steade of all the large fat fieldes which late thou didst possesse And with that word he left him dead Perâ—eus to redresse This slaughter and this spightfull taunt streight snatched out the Dart That sticked in the fresh warme wound and with an angrie hart Did send it at the throwers head the Dart did split his nose Euen in the middes and at his necke againe the head out goes So that it péered both the wayes Whiles fortune doth support And further Persey thus he killes but yet in sundrie sort Two brothers by the mother tone callde Clytie tother Dane For on a Dart through both his thighes did Clytie take
at his girdle hung He tooke hir rudely by the haire and wrung hir hands behind hir Compelling hir to holde them there while he himselfe did bind hir When Philomela sawe the sworde she hoapt she should haue dide And for the fame hir naked throte she gladly did prouide But as she yirnde and called ay vpon hir fathers name And striued to haue spoken still the cruell tyrant came And with a paire of pinsons fast did catch hir by the tung And with his sword did cut it off The stumpe whereon it hung Did patter still The tip fell downe and quiuering on the ground As though that it had murmured it made a certaine sound And as an Adders tayle cut off doth skip a while euen so The tip of Philomelaas tongue did wriggle to and fro And nearer to hir mistresseward in dying still did go And after this most cruell act for certaine men report That he I scarcely dare beleue did oftentimes resort To maymed Philomela and abusde hir at his will Yet after all this wickednesse he kéeping countnance still Durst vnto Progne home repaire And she immediatly Demaunded where hir sister was He sighing feynedly Did tell hir falsly she was dead and with his suttle teares He maketh all his tale to séeme of credit in hir eares Hir garments glittring all with golde she from hir shoulders teares And puts on blacke and setteth vp an emptie Herce and kéepes A solemne obite for hir soule and piteously she wéepes And waileth for hir sisters fate who was not in such wise As that was for to be bewailde The Sunne had in the Skies Past through the twelue celestiall signes and finisht full a yeare But what should Philomela doe She watched was so neare That start she could not for hir life the walles of that same graunge Were made so high of maine hard stone that out she could not raunge Againe hir tunglesse mouth did want the vtterance of the fact Great is the wit of pensiuenesse and when the head is ract With hard misfortune sharpe forecast of practise entereth in A warpe of white vpon a frame of Thracia she did pin And weaued purple letters in betwéene it which bewraide The wicked déede of Tereus And hauing done she praide A certaine woman by hir signes to beare them to hir mistresse She bare them and deliuered them not knowing nerethelesse What was in them The Tyrants wife vnfolded all the clout And of hir wretched fortune red the processe whole throughout She held hir peace a wondrous thing it is she should so doe But sorrow tide hir tongue and wordes agréeable vnto Hir great displeasure were not at commaundment at that stound And wéepe she could not Ryght and wrong she reckeneth to confound And on reuengement of the déede hir heart doth wholy ground It was the time that wiues of Thrace were wont to celebrate The thrée yeare rites of Bacchus which were done a nighttimes late A nighttimes soundeth Rhodope of tincling pannes and pots A nighttimes giuing vp hir house abrode Quéene Progne trots Disguisde like Bacchus other froes and armed to the proofe With all the frenticke furniture that serues for that behoofe Hir head was couered with a vine About hir loose was tuckt A Reddéeres skin a lightsome Launce vpon hir shoulder ruckt In poast gaddes terrible Progne through the woods and at hir héeles A flocke of froes and where the sting of sorrow which she féeles Enforceth hir to furiousnesse she feynes it to procéede Of Bacchus motion At the length she finding out in déede The outset Graunge howlde out and cride now well and open brake The gates and streight hir sister thence by force of hand did take And veyling hir in like attire of Bacchus hid hir head With Iuie leaues and home to Court hir sore amazed led Assoone as Philomela wist she set hir foote within That cursed house the wretched soule to shudther did begin â–ª And all hir face waxt pale Anon hir sister getting place Did pull off Bacchus â—â—ad attire and making bare hir face Embraced hir betwéene hir armes But she considering that Quéene Progne was a Cucqueane made by meanes of hir durst nat Once raise hir eyes but on the ground fast fixed helde the same And where she woulde haue taken God to witnesse that the shame And villanie was wrought to hir by violence she was fayne To vse hir hand in stead of speache Then Progne chaaft a maine And was not able in hir selfe hir choler to restraine But blaming Philomela for hir wéeping said these wordes Thou must not deale in this behalfe with wéeping but with swordes Or with some thing of greater force than swords For my part I Am readie yea and fully bent all mischiefe for to trie This pallace will I eyther set on fire and in the same Bestow the cursed Tereus the worker of our shame Or pull away his tongue or put out both his eyes or cut Away those members which haue thée to such dishonor put Or with a thousand woundes expulse that sinfull soule of his The thing that I doe purpose on is great what ere it is I know not what it may be yet While Progne herevnto Did set hir minde came Itys in who taught hir what to doe She staring on him cruelly said Ah how like thou art Thy wicked father and without moe wordes a sorowfull part She purposed such inward ire was boyling in hir heart But notwithstanding when hir sonne approched to hir neare And louingly had gréeted hir by name of mother deare And with his pretie armes about the necke had hugde hir fast And flattring wordes with childish toyes in kissing forth had cast The mothers heart of hirs was then constreyned to relent Asswaged wholy was the rage to which she erst was bent And from hir eyes against hir will the teares enforced went But when she saw how pitie did compell hir heart to yeelde She turned to hir sisters face from Itys and behelde Now tone now tother earnestly and said why tattles he And she sittes dumbe bereft of tongue as well why calles not she Me sister as this boy doth call me mother Séest thou not Thou daughter of Pandion what a husband thou hast got Thou growest wholy out of kinde To such a husband as Is Tereus pitie is a sinne No more delay there was She dragged Itys after hir as when it happes in Inde A Tyger gets a little Calfe that suckes vpon a Hynde And drags him through the shadie woods And when that they had found A place within the house far off and far aboue the ground Then Progne strake him with a sword now plainly séeing whother He should and holding vp his handes and crying mother mother And flying to hir necke euen where the brest and side doe bounde And neuer turnde away hir face Inough had bene that wound Alone to bring him to his ende The tother sister slit His throte And while some life and soule was in his members yit
hir hornes in one Three nightes were yet as then to come Assoone as that she shone Most full of light and did behold the earth with fulsome face Medea with hir haire not trust so much as in a lace But flaring on hir shoulders twaine and barefoote with hir gowne Ungirded gate hir out of doores and wandred vp and downe Alone the dead time of the night both Man and Beast and Bird Were fast a sléepe the Serpents slie in trayling forward stird So softly as ye would haue thought they still a sléepe had bene The moysting Ayre was whist no leafe ye could haue mouing sene The starres alonly faire and bright did in the welkin shine To which she lifting vp hir handes did thrise hirselfe encline And thrice with water of the brooke hir haire besprincled shée And gasping thrise she opte hir mouth and bowing downe hir knée Upon the bare hard ground she said O trusâ—ie time of night Most faithfull vnto priuities O golden starres whose light Doth iointly with the Moone succéede the beames that blaze by day And thou thrée headed Hecà té who knowest best the way To compasse this our great attempt and art our chiefest stay Ye Charmes Witchcrafts thou Earth which both with herbe wéed Of mightie working furnishâ—st the Wizardes at their néede Ye Ayres and windes ye Elues of Hilles of Brookes of Woods alone Of standing Lakes and of the Night approche ye euerychone Through helpe of whom the crooked bankes much wondring at the thing I haue compelled streames to run cleane backward to their spring By charmes I make the calme Seas rough make y e rough Seas plaine â–ª And couer all the Skie with Cloudes and chase them thence againe By charmes I rasse and lay the windes and burst the Uipers law And from the bowels of the Earth both stones and trées doe draw Whole woods and Forestes I remoue I make the Mountaines shake And euen the Earth it selfe to grone and fearfully to quake I call vp dead men from their graues and thée O light some Moone I darken oft though beaten brasse abate thy perill soone Our Sorcerie dimmes the Morning faire and darkes y e Sun at Noone The flaming breath of firie Bulles ye quenched for my sake And caused their vnwieldie neckes the bended yoke to take Among the Earthbred brothers you a mortall war did set And brought a sléepe the Dragon fell whose eyes were neuer shet By meanes whereof deceiuing him that had the golden fléece In charge to kéepe you sent it thence by Iason into Greece Now haue I néede of herbes that can by vertue of their iuice To flowring prime of lustie youth old withred age reduce I am assurde ye will it graunt For not in vaine haue shone These twinâ—ling starres ne yet in vaine this Chariot all alone By draught of Dragons hither comes With that was fro the Skie A Chariot softly glaunced downe and stayed hard thereby Assoone as she had gotten vp and with hir hand had coyd The Dragons reined neckes and with their bridles somewhat toyd They mounted with hir in the Ayre whence looking downe she saw The pleasant Temp of Thessalie and made hir Dragons draw To places further from resort and there she tooke the view What herbes on high mount Pelion and what on Ossa grew And what on mountaine Othris and on Pyndus growing were And what Olympus greater than mount Pyndus far did beare Such herbes of them as liked hir she pullde vp roote and rinde Or cropt them with a hooked knife And many she did finde Upon the bankes of Apidane agréeing to hir minde And many at Amphrisus foords and thou Enipeus eke Didst yeelde hir many pretie wéedes of which she well did like Peneus and Sperchius streames contributarie were And so were Boebes rushie bankes of such as growed there About Anthedon which against the I le Euboea standes A certaine kind of liuely grasse she gatherd with hir handes The name whereof was scarsly knowen or what the herbe could doe Untill that Glauâ—us afterward was chaunged thereinto Nine dayes with winged Dragons drawen nine nights in Chariot swift She searching euerie field and frith from place to place did shift She was no sooner home returnde but that the Dragons fell Which lightly of hir gathered herbes had taken but the smell Did cast their sloughes and with their sloughes their riueled age forgo She would none other house than heauen to hide hir head as tho But kept hir still without the doores and as for man was none That once might touch hir Altars twayne of Turfe she builded one Upon hir lefthand vnto Youth another on the right To Heâ—at Both the which assoone as she had dight With Ueruin and with other shrubbes that on the fieldes doe rise Not farre from thence she digde two pits and making sacrifice Did cut a couple of blacke Rams throtes and filled with their blood The open pits on which she pourde of warme milke pure and good A boll full and another boll of honie clarifide And babling to hir selfe therewith full bitterly she cride On Pluto and his rauisht wife the souereigne states of Hell And all the Elues and Gods that on or in the Earth doe dwell To spare olde Aesons life a while and not in hast depriue His limmes of that same aged soule which kept them yet aliue Whome when she had sufficiently with mumbling long besought She bade that Aesons â—éebled corse should out of doores be brought Before the Altars Then with charmes she cast him in so déepe A slumber that vpon the herbes he lay for dead a sléepe Which done she willed Iason thence a great way off to go And likewise all the Ministers that serued hir as tho And not presume those secretes with vnhallowed eyes to sée They did as she commaunded them When all were voyded shée With scattred haire about hir eares like one of Bacchus froes Deuoutly by and by about the burning Altars goes And dipping in the pits of bloud a sort of clifâ—ed brandes Upon the Altars kindled them that were on both hir handes And thrise with brimstone thrise with fire and thrise with water pure She purged Aesons aged corse that slept and slumbred sure The medicine séething all the while a wallop in a pan Of brasse to spirt and leape a loft and gather froth began There boyled she the rootes séeds flowres leaues stalkes iuice togither Which from the fieldes of Thessalie she late had gathered thither She cast in also precious stones fetcht from the furthest East And which the ebbing Ocean washt fine grauell from the West She put thereto the deaw that fell vpon a Monday night And flesh and feathers of a Witch a cursed odious wight Which in the likenesse of an Owle abrode a nightes did flie And Infants in their cradels chaunge or sucke them that they die The singles also of a Wolfe which when he list could take The shape of man and when he list the same againe
forsake And from the Riuer Cyniphis which is in Lybie lande She had the fine shéere scaled filmes of water snayles at hand And of an endlesseliued heart the liuer had she got To which she added of a Crowe that then had liued not So little as nine hundred yeares the head and Bill also Now when Medea had with these and with a thousand mo Such other kinde of namelesse things bestead hir purpose through For lengthning of the old mans life she tooke a withered bough Cut lately from an Olyf trée and iumbling all togither Did raise the bottome to the brim and as she stirred hither And thither with the withered sticke behold it waxed gréene Anon the leaues came budding out and sodenly were séene As many berries dangling downe as well the bough could beare And where the fire had from the pan the scumming cast or where The scalding drops did fall the ground did springlike florish there And flowres with fodder fine and soft immediatly arose Which when Medea did behold with naked knife she goes And cuttes the olde mans throte and letting all his old bloud go Supplies it with the boyled iuice the which when Aeson tho Had at his mouth or at his wounde receyued in his heare As well of head as beard from gray to coleblacke turned were His leane pale hore and withered corse grew fulsome faire and fresh His furrowed wrincles were fulfilde with yong and lustie flesh His limmes waxt frolicke baine and lithe at which he wondring much Remembred that at fortie yeares he was the same or such And as from dull vnwieldsome age to youth he backward drew Euen so a liuely youthfull spright did in his heart renew The wonder of this monstruous act had Bacchus séene from hie And finding that to youthfull yeares his Nurses might thereby Restored bée did at hir hand receiue it as a gift And least deceitfull guile should cease Medea found a shift To feyne that Iason and hir selfe were falne at oddes in wroth And therevpon in humble wise to Pelias Court she goth Whâ—re forbicause the King himselfe was féebled sore with age His daughters entertainde hir whome Medea being sage Within a while through false pretence of feyned friendship brought To take hir baite For as she tolde what pleasures she had wrought For Iason and among the rest as greatest sadly tolde How she had made his father yong that withred was and olde And taried long vpon that point they hoped glad and faine That their olde father might likewise his youthful yeares regaine And this they crauing instantly did proffer for hir paine What recompence she would desire She helde hir peace a while As though she doubted what to doe and with hir suttle guile Of counterfetted grauitie more eger did them make Assone as she had promisde them to doe it for their sake For more assurance of my graunt your selues quoth she shall sée The oldest Ram in all your flocke a Lambe streight made to bée By force of my confections strong Immediatly a Ram So olde that no man thereabouts remembred him a Lam â–ª Was thither by his warped hornes which turned inward to To his hollow Temples drawne whose withred throte she slit in two And when she cleane had drayned out that little bloud that was Upon the fire with herbes of strength she set a pan of brasse And cast his carcasse thereinto The Medcine did abate The largenesse of his limmes and seard his dossers from his pate And with his hornes abridgde his yeares Anon was plainly heard The bleating of a new yeaâ—d Lambe from mid the Ketleward And as they wondred for to heare the bleating streight the Lam Leapt out and frisking ran to séeke the vdder of some Dam. King Pelias daughters were amazde and when they did beholde Hir promise come to such effect they were a thousand folde More earnest at hir than before Thrise Phoebus hauing pluckt The Collars from his horses neckes in Iber had them duckt And now in Heauen the streaming starres the fourth night shined cleare When false Medea on the fire had hanged water shere With herbes that had no powre at all The King and all his garde Which had the charge that night about his person for to warde Were through hir nightspels and hir charmes in deadly sléepe all cast And Pelias daughters with the Witch which eggde them forward past Into his chamber by the watch and compast in his bed Then wherefore stand ye doubting thus like fooles Medea sed On draw your swordes and let ye out his old bloud that I may Fill vp his emptie veynes againe with youthfull bloud streight way Your fathers life is in your handes it lieth now in you To haue him olde and withred still or yong and lustie Now If any nature in ye be and that ye doe not féede A fruitelesse hope your dutie to your father doe with spéede Expulse his age by sword and let the filthy matter out Through these persuasions which of them so euer went about To shewe hirselfe most naturall became the first that wrought Against all nature and for feare she should be wicked thought She executes the wickednesse which most to shun she sought Yet was not any one of them so bolde that durst abide To looke vpon their father when she strake but wride aside Hir eyes and so their cruell handes not marking where they hit With faces turnde another way at all auenture 〈◊〉 He all beweltred in his bloud awaked with the smart And maimde and mangled as he was did giue a sodeyne start Endeuoring to haue risen vp but when he did beholde Himselfe among so many swordes he lifting vp his olde Pale waryâ—sh armes said daughters mine what doe ye who hath put These wicked weapons in your hands your fathers throte to cut With that their heartes and handes did faint And as he talked yet Medea breaking of his wordes his windpipe quickly slit And in the scalding liquor torne did drowne him by and by But had she not with winged wormes streight mounted in the skie She had not scaped punishment but stying vp on hie She ouer shadie Pelion flew where Chyron erst did dwell And ouer Othrys and the grounds renowinde for that befell To auncient Ceramb who such time as old Deucalions flood Upon the face of all the Earth like one maine water stood By helpe of Nymphes with fethered wings was in the Ayer lift And so escaped from the floud vndrowned by the shift She left Aeolian Pytanie vpon hir left hand and The Serpent that became a stone vpon the Lesbian sand And Ida woods where Bacchus hid a Bullocke as is sayd In shape of Stag the which his sonne had théeuishly conuayde And where the Sire of Corytus lies buried in the dust The fieldes which Meras when he first did into barking brust Affraide with straungenesse of the noyse And eke Eurypils towne In which the wiues of Cos had hornes like Oxen on their crowne Such time as Hercles
flying fame And now the folke that in the land of rich Achaia dwelt Praid him of succor in the harmes and perils that they felt Although the land of Calydon had then Meleager Yet was it faine in humble wise to Theseus to prefer A supplication for the aide of him The cause wherfore They made such humble suit to him was this There was a Bore The which Diana for to wreake hir wrath conceyude before Had thither as hir seruant sent the countrie for to waast For men report that Oenie when he had in storehouse plaast The full encrease of former yeare to Ceres did assigne The firstlings of his corne and fruits to Bacchus of the Uine And vnto Pallas Olife oyle This honoring of the Gods Of graine and fruits who put their help to â—oyling in the clods Ambitiously to all euen those that dwell in heauen did clime Diannas Altars as it hapt alonly at that time Without reward of Frankincense were ouerskipt they say Euen Gods are subiect vnto wrath He shall not scape away Unpunisht Though vnworshipped he passed me wyth spight He shall not make his vaunt he scapt me vnreuenged quight Quoth Phoebe And anon she sent a Bore to Oenies ground Of such a hugenesse as no Bull could euer yet be found In Epyre But in Sicilie are Bulles much lesse than hée His eâ—es did glister blud and fire right dreadfull was to sée His brawned necke right dredfull was his haire which grew as thicke With pricking points as one of them could well by other â—â—icke And like a front of armed Pikes set close in battell ray The sturdie bristles on his back stoode staring vp alway The scalding â—ome with gnashing hoarse which he did cast aside Upon his large and brawned shield did white as Curdes abide Among the greatest Oliphants in all the land of Inde A greater tush than had this Boare ye shall not lightly finde Such lightning flashed from his chappes as seared vp the grasse Now trampled he the spindling corne to ground where he did passe Now ramping vp their riped hope he made the Plowmen weepe And chankt the kernell in the eare In vaine their floores they swéepe In vaine their Barnes for Haruest long the likely store they kéepe The spreaded Uines with clustred Grapes to ground he rudely sent And full of Berries loden boughes from Olife trées he rent On cattell also did he rage The shepeherd nor his dog Nor â—et the Bulles could saue the herdes from outrage of this Hog The folke themselues were faine to flie And yet they thought theÌ„ not In safetie when they had themselues within the Citie got Untill their Prince Meleager and with their Prince a knot Oâ— Lords and lustie gentlemen of hand and courage stout With chosen fellowes for the nonâ—â— of all the Lands about Inflamed were to win renowne The chiefe that thither came Were both the twinnes of Tyndarus of great renowne and fame The one in all actiuitie of manhode strength and force The other for his cunning skill in handling of a horse And Iason he that first of all the Gallie did inuent And Theseus with Pirithous betwene which two there wont A happie leage of amitie And two of Thesties race And Lynce the sonne of Apharie and Idas swift of pace And fierce Leucyppus and the braue Acastus with his Dart In handling of the which he had the perfect skill and Art And Caeny who by birth a wench the shape of man had wonne And Drias and Hippothous and Phoenix eke the sonne Of olde Amyntor and a paire of Actors ympes and Phyle Who came from Elis. Telamon was also there that while And so was also Peleus the great Achilles Sire And Pherets sonne and Iölay the Thebane who with fire Helpt Hercules the monstruous heades of Hydra of to â—eare The liuely Lad Eurytion and Echion who did beare The pricke and prise for footemanship were present also there And Lelex of Narytium to And Panopie beside And Hyle and cruell Hippasus and Naestor who thâ—t tide Was in the Prime of lustie youth Moreouer thither went Thrée children of Hippocoön from old Amicle sent And he that of Penelope the fathrinlaw became And eke the sonne of Parrhasus Ancaeus cald by name There was the sonne of Ampycus of great forecasting wit And Oeclies sonne who of his wife was vnbetrayed yit And from the Citie Tegea there came the Paragone Of Lycey forrest Atalant a goodly Ladie one Of Schoenyes daughters then a Maide The garment she did weare A brayded button fastned at hir gorget All hir heare Untrimmed in one only knot was trussed From hir left Side hanging on hir shoulder was an Iuorie quiuer deft Which being full of arrowes made a clattring as she went And in hir right hand she did beare a Bow already bent Hir furniture was such as this Hir countnance and hir grace Was such as in a Boy might well be cald a Wenches face And in a Wench be cald a Boyes The Prince of Calydon No sooner cast his eâ—e on hir but being caught anon In loue he wisht hir to his wife but vnto this desire God Cupid gaue not his consent The secret flames of fire He haling inward still did say O happy man is he Whom this same Ladie shall vouchsaue hir Husband for to be The shortnesse of the time and shame would giue him leaue to say No more a worke of greater weight did draw him then away A wood thick growen with trées which stoode vnfelled to that day Beginning from a plaine had thence a large prospect throughout The falling grounds that euery way did muster round about Assone as that the men came there some pitched vp the toyles Some tooke the couples from the Dogs and some pursude the foyles In places where the Swine had tract desiring for to spie Their owne destruction Now there was a hollow bottom by To which the watershots of raine from all the high grounds drew Within the compasse of this pond great store of Oysyers grew And Sallowes lithe and flackring Flags and moorish Rushes eke And lazie Réedes on little shankes and other baggage like From hence the Bore was rowzed out and fiersly forth he flies Among the thickest of his foes like thunder from the Skies When Clouds in meeting force the fire to burst by violence out He beares the trées before him downe and all the wood about Doth sound of crashing All the youth with hideous noyse and shout Against him bend their Boarspeare points with hand courage stout He rushes forth among the Dogs that held him at a bay And now on this side now on that as any come in way He rippes their skinnes and splitteth them and chaseth theÌ„ away Echion first of all the rout a Dart at him did throw Which mist and in a Maple trée did giue a little blow The next if he that threw the same had vsed lesser might The backe at which he
bard Theyr doores against them Nerethelesse one Cotage afterward Receyued them and that was but a pelting one in déede The roofe therof was thatched all with straw and fennish réede Howbéet twoo honest auncient folke of whom shee Baucis hight And he Philemon in that Cote theyr fayth in youth had plight And in that Cote had spent theyr age And for they paciently Did beare theyr simple pouertie they made it light thereby And shewed it no thing to bée repyned at atall It skilles not whether there for Hyndes or Maister you doo call For all the houshold were but two and both of them obeyde And both commaunded When the Gods at this same Cotage staid And ducking downe their heads within the low made Wicket came Philemon bringing ech a stoole bade rest vpon the same Their limmes and busie Baucis brought them quishons homely géere Which done the embers on the harth she gan abrode to stéere And laid the coales togither that were raakâ— vp ouer night And with the brands and dried leaues did make them gather might And with the blowing of hir mouth did make them kindle bright Then from an inner house she fetcht seare sticks and clifted brands And put them broken vnderneath a Skillet with hir hands Hir Husband from their Gardenplot fetcht Coleworts Of the which She shreaded small the leaues and with a Forke tooke downe a flitch Of restie Bacon from the Balke made blacke with smoke and cut A péece thereof and in the pan to boyling did it put And while this meate a séething was the time in talke they spent By meanes whereof away without much tedousnesse it went There hung a Boawle of Béeche vpon a spirget by a ring The same with warmed water filld the twoo old folke did bring Too bathe their guests foule féete therein Amid the house there stood A Couch whose bottom sides and féete were all of Sallow wood And on the same a Mat of Sedge They cast vpon this bed A couering which was neuer wont vpon it too be spred Except it were at solemne feastes and yet the same was olde And of the coursest with a bed of sallow méete too holde The Gods sate downe The aged wife right chare and busie as A Bée sâ—t out a table of the which the thirde foote was A little shorter than the rest A tyleshâ—rd made it euen And tooke away the shormgnesse and when they had it driuen To stand vp leuell with gréene Mintes they by and by it wipte Then set they on it Pallas fruite with double colour stripte And Cornels kept in pickle moyst and Endiue and a roote Of Radish and a iolly lump of Butter fresh and â—oote And Egges reare rosted All these Eates in earthen dishes came Then set they downe a grauen cup made also of the same Selfe kinde of Plate and Mazers made of Béech whose inner syde Was rubd with yellow wax And when they pawsed had a tyde Whote meate came pyping from the fyre And shortly therevpon A cup of gréene hedg wyne was brought This tane away anon Came in the latter course which was of Nuts Dates dryed figges Swéete smelling Apples in a Mawnd made flat of Oysyer twigges And Prunes and Plums and Purple grapes cut newly from the trée And in the middes a honnycomb new taken from the Bée Besydes all this there did ensew good countnance ouermore With will not poore nor nigardly Now all the whyle before As ofen as Philemon and Dame Baucis did perceyue The emptie Cup to fill alone and wyne too still receyue Amazed at the straungenesse of the thing they gan streyght way With fearfull harts and hands hilld vp too frame themselues too pray Desyring for theyr slendâ—r chéere and fare too pardoned bée They had but one 〈◊〉 Goose which kept theyr little Tennantrée And this too offer too the Gods theyr guestes they did intend The Gander wyght of wing did make the slow old folke too spend Theyr paynes in vayne and mokt them long At length he séemd too flye For succor too the Gods themselues who bade he should not dye For wée bée Gods quoth they and all this wicked towneship shall Abye their gylt On you alone this mischeef shall not fall No more but giue you vp your house and follow vp this hill Toogither and vpon the top thereof abyde our will They bothe obeyd And as the Gods did lead the way before They lagged slowly after with theyr staues and labored sore Ageinst the rysing of the hill They were not mickle more Than full a flyghtshot from the top when looking backe they saw How all the towne was drowned saue their lyttle shed of straw And as they woondred at the thing and did bewayle the case Of those that had theyr neyghbours béene the old poore Cote so base Whereof they had béene owners erst became a Church The proppes Were turned into pillars howge The straw vppon the toppes Was yellow so that all the roof did séeme of burnisht gold The floore with Marble paued was The doores on eyther fold Were grauen At the sight hereof Philemon and his make Began too pray in feare Then Ioue thus gently them bespake Declare thou ryghtuowse man and thou O woman meete too haue A ryghtuowse howsband what yée would most chéefly wish or craue Philemon taking conference a little with his wyfe Declared bothe theyr méenings thus We couet during lyfe Your Chapleynes for too bée too kéepe your Temple And bycause Our yéeres in concord wée haue spent I pray when death néere drawes Let bothe of vs toogither leaue our liues that neyther I Behold my wyues deceace nor shée sée myne when I doo dye Theyr wish had sequele to theyr will As long as lyfe did last They kept the Church And béeing spent with age of yeares forepast By chaunce as standing on a tyme without the Temple doore They told the fortune of the place Philemon old and poore Saw Baucis floorish gréene with leaues Baucis saw likewyse Philemon braunching out in boughes and twigs before hir eyes And as the Bark did ouergrow the heades of bothe eche spake Too other whyle they myght At last they eche of them did take Theyr leaue of other bothe at once and therewithall the bark Did hyde theyr faces both at once The Phrygians in that park Doo at this present day still shew the trées that shaped were Of theyr twoo bodies growing yit togither ioyntly there Theis things did auncient men report of credit verie good For why there was no cause why they should lye As I there stood I saw the garlands hanging on the boâ—ghes and adding new I sayd let them whom God dooth loue be Gods and honor dew Bée giuen to such as honor him with feare and râ—uerence trew He â—â—lld his peace and bothe the thing and he that did it tell Did moue them all but Theseus most Whom being mynded well To héere of woondrous things the brooke of Calydon thus bespake There are O valiant knyght sum
a trée Sumtime a boay beloued of the God that with a string Dooth arme his bow and with a string in tune his Uiall bring For hallowed too the Nymphes that in the féeldes of Carthye were There was a goodly myghty Stag whose hornes such bredth did beare As that they shadowed all his head His hornes of gold did shyne And downe his brest hung from his necke a chyne with iewels fyne Amid his fruâ—t with prettie strings a tablet béeing tyde Did wauer as he went and from his cares on eyther syde Hung perles of all one growth about his hollow temples bryght This goodly Spitter béeing voyd of dread as hauing quyght Forgot his natiue fearefulnesse did haunt mens houses and Would suffer folk yea though vnknowen too coy him with theyr hand But more than vntoo all folke else he déerer was too thée O Cyparisse the fayrest Wyght that euer man did sée In Coea Thou too pastures thou too water springs him led Thou wreathedst sundry flowres betwéene his hornes vppon his hed Sumtyme a horsman thou his backe for pleasure didst bestryde And haltring him with silken bit from place too place didst ryde In summer tyme about hygh noone when Titan with his heate Did make the hollow crabbed cleas of Cancer for too sweate Unwéeting Cyparissus with a Dart did strike this Hart Quyght through And when that of the wound he saw he must depart He purposd for too die himself What woords of comfort spake Not Phoebus too him willing him the matter lyght too take And not more sorrow for it than was requisite too make But still the Lad did sygh and sob and as his last request Desyred God he myght thenceforth from moorning neuer rest Anon through wéeping ouermuch his blood was drayned quyght His limbes wert gréene his heare which hung vpoÌ„ his forehead whyght Began too bée a bristled bush and taking by and by A stiffnesse with sharpened top did face the starrie skye The God did sigh and sadly sayd Myselfe shall moorne for thée And thou for others and ay one in moorning thou shalt bée Such wood as this had Orphye drawen about him as among The herdes of beasts and flocks of Birds he sate amyds the throng And when his thumbe sufficiently had tryed euery string And found that though they seuerally in sundry sounds did ring Yit made they all one Harmonie He thus began too sing O Muse my mother frame my song of Ioue for euery thing Is subiect vntoo royall Ioue Of Ioue the heauenly King I oft haue shewed the glorious power I erst in grauer verse The Gyants slayne in Phlaegra féeldes with thunder did reherse But now I néede a méelder style too tell of prettie boyes That were the derlings of the Gods and of vnlawfull ioyes That burned in the brests of Girles who for theyr wicked lust According as they did deserue receyued penance iust The King of Goddes did burne erewhyle in loue of Ganymed The Phrygian and the thing was found which Iupiter that sted Had rather bée than that he was Yit could â—e not betéeme The shape of any other Bird than Aegle for too séeme And so he soring in the ayre with borrowed wings trust vp The Troiane boay who still in heauen euen yit dooth beare his cup And brings him Nectar though against Dame Iunos will it bée And thou Amyclys sonne had not they heauy destinée Abridged thée before thy tyme hadst also placed béene By Phoebus in the firmament How bée it as is séene Thou art eternall so farre forth as may bée For as oft As warrie Piscis giueth place too Aries that the soft And gentle springtyde dooth succéede the winter sharp and stowre So often thou renewest thyself and on the fayre gréene clowre Doost shoote out flowres My father bare a speciall loue too thee Aboue all others So that whyle the God went oft too sée Eurotas and vnwalled Spart he left his noble towne Of Delphos which a mid the world is situate in renowne Without a souereigne â–ª Neyther Harp nor Bow regarded were Unmyndfull of his Godhead he refused not too beare The nets nor for too hold the hounds nor as a peynfull mate Too trauell ouer cragged hilles through which continuall gate His flames augmented more and more And now the sunne did stand Well néere midway betwéene the nyghts last past and next at hand They stript themselues and noynted them with oyle of Olyfe fat And fell to throwing of a Sledge that was ryght howge and flat Fyrst Phoebus peysing it did throw it from him with such strength As that the weyght draue downe the clouds in flying And at length It fell vpon substantiall ground where plainly it did show As well the cunning as the force of him that did it throw Immediatly vpon desyre himself the sport too trie The Spartane lad made haste too take vp vnaduisedly The Sledge before it still did lye But as he was in hand Too catch it it rebounding vp ageinst the hardened land Did hit him full vpon the face The God himselfe did looke As pale as did the lad and vp his swounding body tooke Now culles he him now wypes he from the wound the blood away Anotherwhyle his fading lyfe he stryues with herbes too stay Nought booted Léechcraft Helplesse was the wound And like as one Broosd violet stalkes or Poppie stalkes or Lillies growing on Browne spindles streight they withering droope with heauy heads are Not able for too hold them vp but with their tops doo stare Uppon the ground So Hyacinth in yéelding of his breath Chopt downe his head His necke bereft of strength by meanes of death Was euen a burthen too itself and downe did loosely wrythe On both his shoulders now a tone and now a toother lythe Thou faadst away my Hyacinth defrauded of the pryme Of youth quoth Phoebus and I sée thy wound my heynous cryme Thou art my sorrow and my fault this hand of myâ—e hath wrought Thy death I like a murtherer haue too thy graue thée brought But what haue I offended thow onlesse that too haue playd Or if that too haue loued an offence it may be sayd Would God I render myght my lyfe with and in stead of thée Too which syth fatall destinée denyeth too agrée Both in my mynd and in my mouth thou euermore shalt bée My Uâ—all striken with my hand my songs shall sound of thée And in a newmade flowre thou shalt with letters represent Our syghings â–ª And the tyme shall come ere many yéeres bée spent That in thy flowre a valeant Prince shall ioyne himself with thée And leaâ—e his name vppon the leaues for men too réede and sée Whyle Phoebus thus did prophesie behold the blood of him Which dyde the grasse ceast blood too bée and vp there sprang a trim And goodly flowre more orient than the Purple cloth ingrayne In shape a Lillye were it not that Lillyes doo remayne Of syluer colour whereas theis of purple hew are séene Although