The King his sonne to seeke his daughter sent Fore-doomed to perpetuall banishment Except his fortune to his wish succeed How pious and how impious in one deed Earth wandred-through Ioue's thefts who can exquire He shuns his Country and his Fathers ire With Phoebus Oracle consults to know What Land the Fates intended to bestow Who thus In desart fields obserue a Cow Yet neuer yoaâ—t nor seruile to the plow Follow her slow conduct and where shee shall Repose there build the place Boeotia call Scarce Cadmus from Castalian Caue descended When he a Hecfer saw by no man tended Her neck vngall'd with groning seruitude The God ador'd he foot by foot pursew'd Cephisus floud and Panope now past Shee made a stand to heauen her fore-head cast With loftie horns most exquisitely faire Then with repeated lowings fild the Ayre Looks back vpon the company sheeled And kneeling makes the tender grasse her bed Thanks-giuing Cadmus kift the vnknowne ground The stranger fields and hills saluting round About to sacrifice to heauen's high King He sends for water from the liuing Spring A Wood there was which neuer Axe did hew In it a Caue where Reeds and Osiers grew Rooft with a rugged Arch by Nature wrought With pregnant waters plentifully fraught The lurking Snake of Mars this Hold possest Bright scal'd and shining with a golden crest His bulk with poyson swolne fire-red his eyes Three darting tongues three ranks of teeth comprise This fatall Well th' vnlucky Tyrians found Who with their down-let Pitcher rays'd a sound With that the Serpent his blew head extends And suffering Ayre with horrid hisses rends The water from them fell their colour fled Who all astonisht shook with sudden dread Hee wreaths his scaly foldes into a heape And fetcht a compasse with a mightie leape Then bolt-vpright his monstrous length displayes More than halfe way and all the Woods suruayes Whose body when all seene no lesse appeares Than that which parts the two Coelestiall Beares Whether the Tyrians sought to fight or flie Or whether they through feare could neither trie Some crash the 'twixt his iawes some claspt to death Some kils with poyson others with his breath And now the Sunne the shortest shadowes made Then Cadmus wondring why his seruants stay'd Their foot-steps trac't A hide the Hero's wore Which late he from a slaughtred Lyon tore His Arms a dart a bright steele-pointed Speare And such a minde as could not stoope to feare When he the Wood had entred and there view'd The bodies of the slaine with bloud imbrew'd Th' insulting victor quenching his dire thirst At their suckt wounds he sigh 't as heart would burst Then said I will reuenge O faithfull Mates Your murders or accompany your Fates With that he lifteth vp a mighty stone which with a more than manly force was throwne What would haue batter'd downe the strongest wall And shiuered towres doth giue no wound at all The hardnesse of his skin and scales that grow Vpon his armed back repell the blowe And yet that strong defence could not so well The vigour of his thrilling Dart repell Which through his winding back a passage rends There sticks the steele into his guts descends Rabid with anguish hoe retorts his looke Vpon the wound and then the iaueling tooke Betweene his teeth it euery way doth winde At length tugg'd out yet leaues the head behind His rage increast with his augmenting paines And his thick-panting throte swels with full veines A cold white froth surrounds his poys'nous iawes On thundring Earth his trayling scales he drawes Who from his black and Stygian maw eiect's A blasting breath which all the grasse infects His body now he circularly bends Forthwith into a monstrous length extends Then rusheth on like showr-incensed Floods And with his brest ore-beares the obuious Woods The Prince gaue way who with the Lyon's spoyle Sustayn'd th' assault and fore't a quick recoyle His Lance fixt in his iawes What could not feele He madly wounds and bites the biting steele Th' inuenom'd gore which from his palate bled Conuerts the grasse into a duskie red Yet slight the hurt in that the Snake with-drew And so by yeelding did the force subdew Till Agenorides the steele imbrew'd In his wide throte and still his thrust pursew'd Vntill an Oke his back-retrait with-stood There he his neck transsixt with it the Wood. The Tree bends with a burden so vnknowne And lashed by the Serpents taile doth grone While he suruay'd the hugenesse of his foe This voyce he heard from whence he did not know Why is that Serpent so admir'd by thee Agenor's sonne a Serpent thou shalt bee He speechlesse grew pale feare repeld his blood And now vncurled haire like bristles stood Behold mans Fautresse Pallas from the sky Descending to his needfull aide stood by Who bade him in the turn'd-vp surrowes throw The Serpents teeth that future men might grow He as commanded plow'd the patient Earth And therein sow'd the seeds of humane birth Lo past beliefe the Clods began to moue And tops of Lances first appear'd aboue Then Helmets nodding with their plumed Crefts Forth-with refulgent Pouldrons plated Brests Hands with offensiue weapons charg'd insew And Target-bearing troops of Men vp-grew So in our Theater's solemnities When they the Arras rayse the Figures rise Afore the rest their faces first appeare By little and by little then they reare Their bodies with a measure-keeping hand Vntill their feet vpon the border stand Bold Cadmus though much daunted at the sight Of such an Host addrest him to the fight Forbeare a new-borne Souldier cry'd t' ingage Thy better fortune in our ciuill rage With that he on his earth-bread brother flew At whom a deadly dart another threw Nor he that kild him long suruiucs his death But through wide wounds expires his infant breath Slaughter with equall furie runs through all And by vnciuill ciuill blowes they fall The new-sprung Youth who hardly life possest Now panting kick their Mother's bloudy brest But fiue suruiu'd of whom Echion one His Armes to Earth by Pallas counsell throwne He craues the loue he offers All accord As Brothers should and what they take afford Sidonian Cadmus these assist to build His loftie walls the Oracle fulfild Now flourisht Thebes now did thy exile proue In shew a blessing those that rule in loue And warre thy Nuptials with their daughter grace By such a Wife to haue so faire a race So many sonnes and daughters nephewes too The pledges of their peacefull beds insew And they now growne to excellence and powre But Man must censur'd be by his last houre Whom truly we can neuer happy call Afore his death and closing funerall In this thy euery way so prosperous state Thy first misse-hap sprung from thy Nephew's fate Whose browes vnnaturall branches ill adorne By his vngratefull dogs in pieces torne Yet fortune did offend in him not he For what offence may in an error be With purple bloud slaine Deare the Hills imbrew
well knowne bosom glides her waste And yeelding neck with louing twines imbrac't Amazement all the standers-by possest While glittering combs their slippery heads inuest Now are they two who crept together chayn'd Till they the couert of the Wood attayn'd These gentle Dragons knowing what they were Do hurt to no man nor mans presence feare Yet were those sorrowes by their daughters sonne Much comforted who vanquisht India won To whom th' Achaians Temples consecrate Diuinely magnifi'd through either State Alone Acrisius Abantrades Though of one Progenie dissents from these Who from th' Argolian Citie made his flie And manag'd armes against a Deitie Nor him nor Persâ—us he for Ioue's doth hold Begot on DanaeÌ„ in a showre of gold Yet straight repents so preualent is truth Both to haue forc't the God doom'd the Youth Now is the one inthroned in the skyes The other through Ayr 's emptie Region flyes And beares along the memorable spoyle Of that new Monster conquer'd by his toyle And as he o're the Lybian Deserts flew The bloud that drop's from Gorgen's head streight greâ—â— To various Serpents quickned by the ground With these those much infested Climes abound Hither and thither like a cloud of rayne Borne by crosse windes he cuts the ayrie Mayne Far-distant earth beholding from on high And ouer all the ample World doth flie Thrice saw Aroturus thrice to Cancer prest Oft harried to the East oft to the West And now not trusting to approched night Vpon th' Hesperian Continent doth light And craues some rest till Lucifer displayes Aurora's blush and shee Apollo's rayes Huge-statur'd Atlas Iapetonides Here sway'd the vtmost bounds of Earth and Seas Where Titan's panting steeds his Chariot steepe And bathe their fierie feet-locks in the Deepe A thousand Heards as many Flocks he fed In those large Pastures where no neighbours tread Here to their tree the shining branches sute To them their leaues to those the golden fruit Great King said Perseus if high birth may moue Respect in thee behold the sonne of Ioue If admiration then my Acts admire Who rest and hospitable Rites desire He mindfull of this prophecie of old By sacred Themis of Parnassus told In time thy golden fruit a prey shall proue O Iaphets sonne vnto the sonne of Ioue This fearing he his Orchard had inclos'd With solid Cliffs that all accesse oppos'd The Guard whereof a monstrous Dragon held And from his Land all Forrainers expeld Be gone said he for feare thy glories prooue But counterfeit and thou no sonne to Ioue Then addes vnciuill violence to threats With strength the other seconds his intreats In strength inferiour Who so strong as he Since courtesie nor any worth in me Vext Perseus said can purchase my regard Yet from a guest receiue thy due reward With that Medusa's vgly head he drew His owne reuersed Forthwith Atlas grew Into a Mountayne equall to the man His haire and beard to woods and bushes ran His armes and shoulders ' into ridges spred And what was his is now the Mountaynes head Bones turne to stones and all his parts extrude Into a huge prodigious altitude Such was the pleasure of the euer-blest Whereon the heauens with all their tapers rest Hippotades in hollow rocks did close The strife-full Windes Bright Lucifer â—ose And rous'd-vp Labour Perseus hauing ty'd His wings t' his feet his fauchion to his side Sprung into ayre below on either hand Innumerable Nations left the Land Of Aethiop and the Cepheâ— fields suruay'd There where the innocently wretched maid Was for her mothers proud impietie By vniust Ammon sentenced to die Whom when the Heros saw to hard rocks chain'd But that warm tears from charged eye-springs drain'd And light winds gently fann'd her fluent haire He would haue thought her marble Ere aware He fire attracteth and astonisht by Her beautie had almost forgot to fly Who lighting said O fairest of thy kinde More worthy of those bands which Louers bind Than these rude gyues the Land by thee renownd Thy name thy birth declare and why thus bound At first the silent Virgin was affrayd To speake t' a man and modestly had made A visard of her hands but they were ty'd And yet abortiue teares their fountaines hide Still vrg'd lest she should wrong her innocence As if asham'd to vtter her offence Her Countrie shee discouers her owne name Her beauteous Mothers confidence and blame All yet vntold the Waues began to rore Th' apparant Monster hast'ning to the shore Before his brest the broad-spred Sea vp-beares The Virgin shreeks Her Parents see their feares Both mourne both wretched but shee iustly so Who bring no aid but extasies of woe With teares that sute the time Who take the leaue They loathe to take and to her body cleaue You for your griefe may haue the stranger said A time too long short is the houre of aid If freed by me Ioue's sonne in fruitfull gold Begot on Danaâ— through a brazen Hold Who conquer'd Gorgon with the snakie haire And boldly glide through vn-inclosed aire If for your sonne you then will me prefer Adde to this worth That in deliuering her I 'le trie so fauour me the Powres diuine That shee sau'd by my valour may be mine They take a Law intreat what he doth offer And further for a Dowre their Kingdome proffer Lo as a Gally with fore-fixed prow Row'd by the sweat of slaues the Sea doth plow Euen so the Monster furroweth with his brest The foming floud and to the neere Rocke prest Not farther distant than a man might fling A way-inforcing bullet from a sling Forth-with the youthfull issue of rich showrs Earth pushing from him to the blew skye towrs The furious Monster eagerly doth chace His shadow gliding on the Seas smooth face And as Ioue's bird when shee from high suruayes A Dragon basking in Apollo's rayes Descends vnseene and through his necks blew scales To shun his deadly teeth her talons naile's So swiftly stoops high-pitcht Inachides Through singing ayre then on his backe doth sears And neere his right sin sheaths his crooked sword Vp to the hilts who deeply wounded roar'd Now capers in the ayre now diues below The troubled waues now turn's vpon his foe Much like a chafed â—Bore whom eager hounds Haue at a Bay and terrifie with sounds He with swift wings his greedy iawes auoids Now with his fauchion wounds his scaly sides Now his shell-rough-cast back now where the taile Ends in a Fish or parts expos'd t'assaile A streame mixt with his bloud the Monster flings From his wide throat which wets his heauy wings Nor longer dares the wary Youth rely On their support He sees a rock hard by Whose top aboue the quiet waters stood But vnderneath the winde-incensed flood There lights and holding by the rocks extent His oft-thrust sword into his bowels sent The shore rings with th' applause that fills the skye Then Cepheus and Cassiope with ioy Salute him for their son whom now they call The
dares reprehend him Notwithstanding I will say something not in way of detraction but that we also may be able to grow with his greatnesse Then speaking of his Metamorphosis Bookes deseruing a more fortunate Author that from his last hand they might haue had their perfection which hee himselfe bewaileth in luculent Verses Yet are there in these well-nigh an infinite number which the wit of an other I beleeue could neuer haue equall'd And thus exclaimes against Caesar in the person of OVID. Tyrant with me I would thou badst begun Nor thy black slaughters had my fate fore-run If my licentious Youth incenst thee so Thy owne condemnes thee into exile goe Thy Cabinets are stain'd with horrid deeds And thy soule guilt all monstrous names exceeds Diuine wit innocence nor yet my tongue Next to Apollo's could preuent my wrong I smoeth'd th' old Poets with my fluent vaine And taught the New a far more numerous strain When thee I prais'd then from the truth I sweru'd And banishment for that alone deseru'd can hee said to transcend him What should I say of that singular and well-nigh diuine contexture of Fable with Fable so surpassing that nothing can bee spoken or done more artificially more excellently or indeed more gracefully Who handling such diuersitie of matter so cunningly weaues them together that all appeare but one Series Planudes well knowing that Greece had not a Poem so abounding with delight and beautie translated it into that language What should I say more All Arts which Antiquitie knew are here so fully delineated that a number expert in both tongues of prime vnderstanding and iudgements admire it beyond all expression The first that writ a Commentarie on this booke whereof fiftie thousand were vented and that in his life time was RAPHAEL REGIVS Who thus in his Preface There is nothing appertaining to the knowledge and glorie of warre whereof wee haue not famous examples in the Metamorphosis of OVID not to speake of stratagems nor the Orations of Commanders described with such efficacie and eloquence that often in reading you will imagine your selfe imbroiled in their conflicts Neither shall you finde any Author from whom a ciuill life may gather better instruction IACOBVS MICYLLVS Hardly shall you find a Poem which flowes with greater facilitie For what should I speake of Learning Herein so great so various and abstruse that many places haue neither beene explained nor yet vnderstood no not by the most knowing requiring rather a resolution from the Delian Oracle c. Let the ingenuous that affect not error now rectifie their owne by the iudgements of these But incurable Criticks who warre about words and gail the sound to feed on their sores as not desiring their sanitie I forbeare to disswade and deliuer them vp to the censure of Agrippa QVOD OLIM FACIEBAT VOTVM GERMANIâ—O OVIDIVS IDEM AVGVSTISSâ—MO CAROLO Interpretis sui nomine â—acuâ—nt OVIDIANI MANES EXcipe pacato Caesaâ— Brittannice vultu â—â—oc â—pus 〈◊〉 tim dâ— dirige nauis â—ter Officioqus lâ—uem non auâ—â—â—atuâ— honorem Hu◠〈…〉 dexter ades Hâ—â—c â—e da placâ—â—um dâ—deris in carmine vires Ingenium vnitu statque caditque tuo Pagâ—a◠〈…〉 docte subâ—turâ— moâ—etur Principis vt Clarâ—o missa legenda Deâ— OVID'S METAMORPHOSIS The first Booke THE ARGVMENT THe World form'd out of Chaos Man is made The Ages change The Giants Heauen inuade Earth turnes their blouâ— to men Ioue's flames confound Lâ—caon now a Wolfe The World is drown'd Man-kind cast stones restore All quickning Earth Renews the rest and giues new Monsters birth Apollo Python kills hart-wounded loues Lust-flying Daphâ—é She a Laurel proues Ioue 〈◊〉 made a Cow to maske foule deeds Hermes a Heards-man Syriâ—x chang'd to Reeds Dead Argus eyes adorn the Peacock's traine The Cow to Iâ— loue transform's againe OF formes to other bodies chang'd I sing Assist you Gods from you these wonders spring And from the Worlds first fabrick to these times Deduce my neuer discontinued Rymes The Sea the Earth al-couering Heauen vnfram'd One face had nature which they Chaos nam'd An vndigested lump a barren load Where iarrâ—ing seeds of things ill-ioyn'd aboad No Titan yet the World with light adornes Nor waxing Phoebe fill'd her waned hornes Nor hung the selfe-poiz'd Earth in thin Ayre plac't Nor Amphitrite the vast shore imbrac't With Earth was Ayre and Sea the Earth vnstable The Ayre was darke the Sea vn-nauigable No certaine forme to any one assign'd This that resists For in one body ioyn'd The Cold and Hot the Drie and Humid fight The Soft and Hard the Heauy with the Light But God the better Nature this decides Who Earth from Heauen the Sea from earth diuides And purer Heauen extracts from grosser Ayre All which vnfolded by his prudent care From that blinde Masse the happily dis-ioyn'd With strifelesse peace he to their seats confin'd Forth-with vp-sprung the quicke and waightlesse Fire Whose flames vnto the highest Arch aspire The next in leuitie and place is Ayre Grosse Elements to thicker Earth repayre Selfe-clog'd with waight the Waters flowing round Possesse the last and solid Tellus bound What God soeuer this diuision wrought And euery part to due proportion brought First lest the Earth vnequall should appâ—are He turn'd it round in figure of a Sphere Then Seas diffus'd commanding them to rore With ruffling Winds and giue the Land a shore To those hâ— addeth Springs Ponds Lakes immense And Riuers whom their winding borders fence Of these not few Earth's thirstie iawes deuour The rest their streames into the Ocean pour When in that liquid Plaine with freer waue The fomy Cliffs in stead of Banks they laue Bids Trees increase to Woods the Plaines extend The rocky Mountaynes rise and Vales descend Two equall Zones on either side dispose The measur'd Heauens a fifth more hot than those â—s many Lines th'included Globe diuide â—th'midst vnsufferable beames reside â—now clothes the other two the temperate hold Twixt these their seats the heat well mixt with cold As Earth as Water vpper Ayre out-waighs â—o much doth Ayre Fire's lighter balance raise â—here he commands the changing Clouds to stray â—here thundering terrors mortall mindes dismay And with the Lightning Winds ingendring Snow Yet not permitted euery way to blow Who hardly now to teare the World refraine â—So Brothers iarre thoughâ— they diuided raigne â—o Persis and Sabaea Eurus flies Whose fruits perfume the blushing Mornes vp-rise â—ext to the Euening and the Coast the glowes â—ith setting Phoebus flowry Zeph'rus blowes 〈◊〉 Scythia horrid Boreas holds his raigne â—eneath Bootes and the frozen Waine The Land to this oppos'd doth Auster steep With fruitfull showrs and clouds which euer weep â—boue all these he plac't the liquid Skies Which void of earthly dregs did highest rise Scarce had he all thus orderly dispos'd When-as the Starres their radiant heads disclos'd â— Long 〈◊〉 in Night and shone through all the skie Then that no place should vnpossessed lie
glide By potent Sardis keepe the bankes that lead A long th'incountring Current to his head There where the gushing fountaine fomes diue in And with thy body wash away thy sinne The King obeyes who in the fountaine leaues That golden vertue which the Spring receiues And still those ancient seeds these waters hold Who gild their shores with glittering graines of gold He hating wealth in woods and fields bestowes His time with Pan whom mountaine Caues inclose Yet his gâ—osse wit remaines his shallow braine An sottish senses punish him againe High Tmolus with a steepe ascent vnfolds His rigid browes and vnder-seas beholds Whose stretch-out bases here to Sardis ioyne There to Hypaepis girt in small confine Where boasting Pan while he his verse doth praise To tender Nymph and pipes t' his rurall layes Before Apollo's durst his songs prefer They meet ill-matcht great Tmolus arbiter Th' old Iudge on his owne Mountaine sits and cleares His eares from trees alone a garland weares Of Oke with acorns dangling on his brow Who thus bespake the God of Shepherds Now Your Iudge attends He blowes his wax-bound reeds And Midus fancie with rude numbers feeds Then sacred Tmolus to diuine Apollo Conuerts his lookes his woods his motion follow He his long yellow haire with laurell bound Clad in a Tyrâ—an robe that swept the ground A Violl holds with sparkling gemmes in chac't And Indian teeth the bow his right hand grac't A perfect Artist shew'd The strings then strucke With cunning hand With his sweet musicke tooke Tmolus bids Pan his vanquisht reeds resigne All in the holy Mountaines sentence ioyne But Midas only whose exclaimes traduce The Censure Phoebus for this grosse abuse Transformes his eares his folly to declare Stretcht out in length and couer'd with gray haire Instable and now apt to moue The rest The former figure of a man possest Punisht in that offending part who beares Vpon his skull a slow-pac't Asses eares He striues to couer such a foule defame And with a red Tiara hides his shame But this his seruant saw that cut his haire Who bigge with secrets neither durst declare His Soueraignes seene deformity not yet Could hold his peace Who digs a shallow pit And therein softly whispers his disgrace Then turning in the earth forsooke the place A tuft of whispering Reeds from thence there growes Which comming to maturity disclose The husbandman and by soft South-winds blowne Restore his words and his Lords eares make knowne Reueng'd Apollo leauing Tmolus flies Through liquid aire and on the land which lies On that side Helles streightned surges stands Where far-obey'd Laâ—medon commands Below Rhoeaeuâ— high aboue the flood And on the right hand of Sigaum flood An Altar vow'd to Panomphaean Ioue From whence He saw Laeomedon improue New Troy's scarce founded walls with what adoe And with how great a charge they slowly grew Who with the Father of the tumid Maine Indues a mortall shape and entertaine Themselues for vnregarded gold to build The Pluygian Tyrants walls That worke fulfill'd The King their promised reward denies And perâ—ury by swearing multiplies Reuengefull Neptune his wilde waues vnbound Which all the shores of greedy Troy surround And made the Land a Lake the country Swaine His labour lost beneath that liquid Plaine Besides the daughter of the King demands Who chained to a Rocke exposed stands To seed a Monster of the Sea for free By strenuous Hercules Yet could not Hee The horses of Liomâ—don enioy His valours hire who sackes twice periur'd Troy And giues his fellow Souldier Telamen Hesione for Poleus now had won A Deity nor in his Grandfather Tooke greater pride than in his Sire by her For Iupiter had Nephewes more than one But he a Goddesse had espous'd alone For aged Proteus thus foretold the truth To waue-wet Theth Thou shalt beare a Youth Who shall in glorious armes transcend his birth And Fathers fame Lest any thing on earth Should be more great than Ioue Ioue shuns the bed Of Sea-thron'd Thetis though her beauty led His strong desires who bids Aeacides Succeed his loue and wed the Queene of Seas A Bay within Aemonia lies that bends Much like an arch and fat-stretcht armes extends Which were if deepe a harbor lockt by land Where shallow seas o're spred the yellow sand The sollid shore where-on no sea-weed growes Nor clogs the way nor print of footing showes Haâ—d by a mirtle groue affords a shade In this a caue though doubtfull rather made By art than nature hither Thetis swimmes On Delphins backes here ccucht her naked limbes In this the sleeping Goddesse Peleus caught Who when she could not by his words be wrougt Attempts to force and claspt her in his armes And had she not assum'd her vsuall charmes In varying shapes he had his will obtain'd Now turning to a fowle her flight restrain'd Now seemes a massie tree adorn'd with leaues Close to the bole th'inamor'd Peleus cleaues A spotted Tygresse she presents at last When he with terrour strucke his armes vnclaspt Who powring wine on seas those Gods implores And with perfumes and sacrifice adoreâ— Till the Carpathian Prophet rais'd his head And said Aeacides inicy her bed Doe thou but binde her in her next surprise When in her gelid caue she sleeping lies And though she take a thousand shapes let none Dismay but hold till she resume her owne This Proteus said and diu'd to the Profound His latter word in his owne waters drown'd Now hasty Titan to Hesperian seas Descends when beauteous Thetis bent to ease Forsooke the floud and to her caue repair'd No sooner she by Peleus was insnar'd But forth-with varies formes vntill she found Her Virgin limbes within his fetters bound Then spreading forth her armes She sighing said Thou hast subdude by some immortall aid And Thetis shew'd nor his imbrace repell'd Whose pregnant wombe with great Achilles swell'd Happie was Peleus in his sonne and wife And had not Phocus murder soild his life All-fortunate With brothers bloud defil'd Thee Tracbin harbours from thy home exil'd Where courteous Ceyx free from rigour raign'd The sonne of Lucifer whose lookes retain'd His fathers luster then disconsolate Not like himselfe for his lost brothers fate Hither with trauell tit'd and clog'd with cares The banisht with a slender traine repaires Mrs Hockes and Heards with men for their defence Left in a sâ—adie vale not farre from thence Conducted to his Royall presence Hee With oliue brancht downe bending to his knee His name and birth declares the murder maskes With forâ—ed cause of flight a dwelling askes In field or citie Ceyx thus replyes Our hospitable bounty open lyes To men of vulgar ranke what owes it then To your high spirit so renoun'd by men Of monumentall praise Whose bloud extracts His sourse from Ioue improued by your Acts To sue is times abuse your worth assures Your full desires of all the choice is yours I wish it better And then wept The cause Ioues Nephew askes when after a
feet wide open flies The sounding wicket and the deed descries The seruants shreeke the Vainely raised bore T' his mothers house his father dead before His breathlesse corps she in her bosome plac't And in her armes his key-cold limbs imbrac't Lamenting long as wofull parents vse And hauing paid a wofull mothers dues The mournfull Funerall through the City led And to prepared fires conueyes the dead This sorrowfull Procession passing by Her house which bordering on the way their cry To th' eares of Anaxarete arriues Whom now sterne Nemesis to ruine driues Wee 'l see said she these sad solemnities And forth-with to the lofty window highes When seeing Iphis on his fatall bed Her eyes grew stiffe bloud from her visage sled Vsurpt by palenesse Striuing to retire Her feet stuck fast nor could to her desire Diuert her looks for now her stony heart â—t selfe dilated into euery part This Salamis yet keeps to cleere your doubt â—n Venus temple call'd the Looker-out Inform'd by this ô louely Nymph decline Thy former pride and to thy louer ioyne So may thy fruits suruiue the Vernall frost Nor after by the rapefull winds be tost When this the God who can all shapes indue Had said in vaine againe himselfe he grew Th'abiliments of heatlesse Age depos'd And such himselfe vnto the Nymph disclos'd As when the Sunne subduing with his reyes The muffling clouds his golden brow displaies Who force prepares of force there was no need Strucke with his beauty mutually they bleed Vniust Amulius next th' Ausonian State I'y strength vsurpt The nephews to the late Deposed Numiâ—or him re-inthrone Who Rome in Pales Feasts immur'd with stone Now Tatius leades the Sabine Sires to warre Tarpâ—ia's hands her fathers gates vnbarre To death with aâ— melets prest her treasons meed The Sabine Sires like silent Wolues proceed T' inuade their sleeping sonnes and seeke to seazâ— Vpon their gates barr'd by Iliades One Iuno opens though no noise at all The hinges made yet by the barres lowd fall Descry'd by Venus who had put it too But Gods may not what Gods haue done vndoâ— Ausâ—nian Nymphs the places bordering To Ianus held inchased with a spring Their aid sh'implores The Nymphs could not deny A sute so iust but all their flouds vntie As yet the Fane of Ianus open stood Nor was their way impeached by the flood Beneath the fruitfull spring they sulphure turne Whose hollow veines with blacke bitumen burne With these the vapours penetiate below And waters late as cold as Alpin snow The fire it selfe in seruour dare prouoke Now both the posts with flagrant moisture smoke These now-rais'd streames the Sabine Powre exclude Till Mars his Souldiers had their armes indu'd By Romulus then in Batalia led The Roman fields the slaughtred Sabines spred Their owne the Romans Fathers Sonnes in law With wicked steele bloud from each other draw At length conclude a peace nor would contend Vnto the last Two Kings one throne ascend With equall rule But noble Tatius slaine Both Nations vnder Romulus remaine When Mars laid by his shining caske and then Thus spake vnto the Sire of Gods and men Now Father is the time since Rome is growne To such a greatnesse and depends on One To put in act thy neuer-failing word And Romulus a heauenly throne afford You in a synod of the Gods profest Which still I carry in my thankfull brest That one of mine this ô now ratifie Should be aduanc't vnto the starry skie Ioue condescends with clouds the day benights And with flame-winged thunder earth affrights Mars at the signe of his assumption Leanes on his lance and strongly vaults vpon His bloudy Chariot lashes his hot horses With sounding whips and their full speed inforces Who scouring downe the ayrie region staid On faire mount Palatine obscur'd with shade There Romulus assumeth from his Throne Vn-kinglike rendering iustice to his owne Rapt through the aire his mortall members waste Like melting Bullets by a Slinger cast More heauenly faire more fit for lofty shrines Our great and scaâ—let-clad Quirinus shines Then Iuno to the sad Hersâ—lia Lost in her sorrow by a crooked way Sent Iris to deliuer this Command Star of the Latian of the Sabine land Thy sexes glory worthy then the vow Of such a husband of Quirinus now Suppresse thy teares If thy desire to see Thy husband so exceed then follow mee Vnto those woods which on mount Querin spring And shade the temple of the Roman King Iris obayes and by her painted Bow Downe-sliding so much lets Hersilia know When she scarce lifting vp her modest eyes O Goddesse which of all the Deities I know not sure a Goddesse thou cleere light Conduct me ô conduct me to the sight Of my deare Lord which when the Fates shall shew They heauen on me with all the gifts bestow Then with Tâ—aumantias entering the high Romuâ—aâ— Hills a Star shot from the Skie Whose golden beames inflam'd Hersilia's haire When both together mount th'enlightned Aire The Builder of the Roman City tooke Her in his armes and forth-with chang'd her looke To whom the name of Ora he assign'd This Goddesse now is to Quirinus ioyn'd OVID'S METAMORPHOSIS The Fifteenth Booke THE ARGVMENT BLacke Stones conâ—ert to White Pythagoras In Ilium's lingring warre Euphorbus was Of transmigrations of the change of things and strange effâ—cts the learned Samian sings Recur'd Hippolyâ—us 〈◊〉 deiâ—ide Whom safer Age and name of Virbius bids Aegeria thawes into a Spring From Earth Prophetick Tages takes his wondrous birth A Speare a Tree Graâ—â— Cippus vertues 〈◊〉 The â—rowne his Horues present Appollo's Son Assumes a Serpents shape The Soule of Warre Great Caesar slaine becomes a Blazing Starre MEanewhile a man is sought that might sustaine So great a burthen and succeed the raigne Of such a King when true-foreshewing Fame To God-like Numa destinates the same He with his Sabine rites vnsatisfi'd To greater things his able mind appli'd In Natures search Inticed with these cares He leaues his countries Cures and repaires To Croton's City askes what Grecian hand Those walls erected on Italian land One of the Natiues not vnknowing old Who much had heard and seene this story told Ioues sonne inrich't with his Iberian prey Came from the Ocean to Lacinia With happy steps who while his cattle fed Vpon the tender clouer entered Heroick Croton's roofe a welcome Guest And his long trauell recreates with rest Who said departing In the following age A City here shall stand A true presage There was one Mycilus Argolian Alemons issue in thoso times no man More by the Gods affected He who beares The dreadfull Club to him in sleepe appeares And said Begon thy countries bounds forsake To stony Aesarus thy iourney take And threatens vengeance if he dis-obay The God and Sleepe together flew away He rising on the Vision meditates Which in his doubtfull soule he long debates The God commands the Law forbids to goe Death due to such as left their Country so Cleare