 | Andromeda Liberata |  |
This plague thus preying vpon all the land,
With so incomprehensible a hand:
The pious virgin of the father sought,
By Oracles to know, what cause had brought
Such banefull outrage ouer all his State,
And what might reconcile the Deities hate.
His orisons and sacrifices past,
The Oracle gaue answere, that the waste
His Country suffered, neuer would conclude,
Till his Andromeda he did extrude,
To rapine of the Monster, he (good man,)
Resolu'd to satiate the Leuiathan:
With her, before his Country, though he lou'd
Her past himselfe, and bore a spirit mou'd
To rescue Innocence in any one
That was to him, or his, but kindly knowne,
To grace, or profite; doe them any good
That lay in swift streame of his noblest blood,
Constant to all, yet to his deerest seed,
(For rights sake) flitting: thinking true indeed,
The generall vprore, that t'was sinne in her,
That made men so exclaime, and gods conferre
Their approbation: saying the Kingdomes bale
Must end by her exposure to the Whale:
With whom the Whale-like vulgare did agree,
And their foule spleenes, thought her impiety,
Her most wise mother yet, the sterne intent,
Vow'd with her best endeauour to preuent.
And tolde her what her father did addresse;
Shee (fearefull) fled into the wildernesse:
And to th' instinct of sauage beasts would yeeld,
Before a father that would cease to shield
A daughter, so diuine and Jnnocent:
Her feet were wing'd, and all the search out went,
That after her was ordered: but shee flew,
And burst the winds that did incenst pursue,
And with enamoured sighes, her parts assaile,
Plaide with her haire, and held her by the vaile:
From whom shee brake, and did to woods repaire:
Still where shee went, her beauties dide the ayre,
And with her warme blood, made proud Flora blush:
But seeking shelter in each shadie bush:
Beauty like fire, comprest, more strength receiues
And shee was still seene shining through the leaues.
Hunted from thence, the Sunne euen burn'd to see,
So more then Sunne-like a Diuinity,
Blinded her eyes, and all inuasion seekes
To dance vpon the mixture of her cheekes,
Which show'd to all, that follow'd after far,
As vnderneath the roundure of a starre,
The euening skie is purple'd with his beames:
Her lookes fir'd all things with her loues extreames.
Her necke a chaine of orient pearle did decke,
The pearles were faire, but fairer was her necke:
Her breasts (laid out) show'd all enflamed sights
Loue, lie a sunning, twixt two Crysolites:
Her naked wrists showde, as if through the skie,
A hand were thrust, to signe the Deitie
Her hands, the confines, and digestions were
Of Beauties world; Loue fixt his pillars there.
With so incomprehensible a hand:
The pious virgin of the father sought,
By Oracles to know, what cause had brought
Such banefull outrage ouer all his State,
And what might reconcile the Deities hate.
His orisons and sacrifices past,
The Oracle gaue answere, that the waste
His Country suffered, neuer would conclude,
Till his Andromeda he did extrude,
To rapine of the Monster, he (good man,)
Resolu'd to satiate the Leuiathan:
Her past himselfe, and bore a spirit mou'd
To rescue Innocence in any one
That was to him, or his, but kindly knowne,
To grace, or profite; doe them any good
That lay in swift streame of his noblest blood,
Constant to all, yet to his deerest seed,
(For rights sake) flitting: thinking true indeed,
The generall vprore, that t'was sinne in her,
That made men so exclaime, and gods conferre
Their approbation: saying the Kingdomes bale
Must end by her exposure to the Whale:
With whom the Whale-like vulgare did agree,
And their foule spleenes, thought her impiety,
Her most wise mother yet, the sterne intent,
Vow'd with her best endeauour to preuent.
And tolde her what her father did addresse;
Shee (fearefull) fled into the wildernesse:
And to th' instinct of sauage beasts would yeeld,
Before a father that would cease to shield
Her feet were wing'd, and all the search out went,
That after her was ordered: but shee flew,
And burst the winds that did incenst pursue,
And with enamoured sighes, her parts assaile,
Plaide with her haire, and held her by the vaile:
From whom shee brake, and did to woods repaire:
Still where shee went, her beauties dide the ayre,
And with her warme blood, made proud Flora blush:
But seeking shelter in each shadie bush:
Beauty like fire, comprest, more strength receiues
And shee was still seene shining through the leaues.
Hunted from thence, the Sunne euen burn'd to see,
So more then Sunne-like a Diuinity,
Blinded her eyes, and all inuasion seekes
To dance vpon the mixture of her cheekes,
Which show'd to all, that follow'd after far,
As vnderneath the roundure of a starre,
The euening skie is purple'd with his beames:
Her lookes fir'd all things with her loues extreames.
The pearles were faire, but fairer was her necke:
Her breasts (laid out) show'd all enflamed sights
Loue, lie a sunning, twixt two Crysolites:
Her naked wrists showde, as if through the skie,
A hand were thrust, to signe the Deitie
Her hands, the confines, and digestions were
Of Beauties world; Loue fixt his pillars there.
| Andromeda Liberata | |