Cvpid and Psiche Or an Epick Poem of Cupid, and his Mistress. As it was lately presented to the Prince Elector. Written by, Shakerly Marmion |
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The Second Section.
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The Second Section.
Thus Psyche on a grassy bed did lye,Adorn'd with Floraes richest tapestry,
Where all her sences with soft slumber bound,
At last awakt, and rising from a swound
She spies a wood, with faire trees beautif'd,
And a pure christall Fountaine by the side;
A Kingly Palace stood not farr apart,
Built not with humane hands, but devine Art;
For by the structure men might guesse it be
The habitation of fome Deity:
The Roofe within was curiously, o're spread
With Ivory, and Gold enamelled;
The Gold was burnisht, glistering like a flame,
And Golden pillers did support the same;
The walles were all with Silver wainscott lin'd,
With severall Beasts, and Pictures there inshrin'd,
The Floure, and Pavement with like glory shone,
Cut in rare figures, made of pretious Stone,
You might behold the house through its owne day.
Sure 'twas some wondrous power by arts extent
That fancied forth so great an argument:
And no lesse happy they, that did command,
And with their feet trod on so rich a land,
Psyche amaz'd, fixt her delighted eye,
On the magnificence, and treasury,
And wondred most, that such a masse of wealth
Was by no doore, nor guard, preserv'd from stealth:
For looking when some servant should appeare,
She onely heard voices attending there,
That said, faire Mistresse why are you afraide?
All these are yours, and we to doe you ayd.
Come up into the roomes, where shall be showne
Chambers all ready furnisht, all your owne:
From thence descend, and take the spiced aire,
Or from your bath unto your bed repaire,
Whilst each of vs, that Eccho represents,
Devoyd of all corporeall instruments,
Shall waite your Minister: no Princely fare
Shall wanting be, no dilligence, no care,
To doe you service. Psyche had the sence
To tast, and thanke the Gods beneficence:
VVhen straight, a mighty golden dish was brought,
Repleat with all the dainties can be thought;
And next a bowle was on the table set,
Fraught with the richest Nectar, that ere yet
Faire Hebe fill'd to Iuno, Heavens Queene,
Or Ganimed to Iove; yet none was seene,
Nor creature found to pledge, or to begin,
But some impulsive spirit brought it in.
A consort of celestiall harmony:
And Musick, mixt with sounds articulate,
That Phœbus selfe might strive to emulate.
All pleasures finisht, Psyche went to rest,
But could finde none, because her troubled breast
Labour'd with strange events, and now the noone
Of night began t'approach, and the pale Moone
Hid her weake beames, and sleepe had seiz'd all eyes,
But Lovers, vext with feares and jealousies.
What female heart, or conscience so strong
Through the discharge of sinne? but yet among
So many fancies of her active braine,
She must a hundred terrours entertaine?
And more, and greater her amazements were,
Because she knew not, what she was to feare.
In came her dreadfull husband, so conceiv'd,
Till his sweet voyce told her, she was deceiv'd.
For drawing neare, he sate upon the bed,
Then laid his gentle hand upon her head,
And next embrac'd, and kist, and did imbrew
Her balmy lips with a delicious dew:
So, so, sayes he, let each give up his treasure,
Quite bankrupt through a rich exchange of pleasure.
So lets sweet Loves preludiums begin,
My armes shall be thy Spheare to wander in,
Circled about with spells, to charme thy feares.
Instead of Morpheus to provoke thy teares,
With horrid dreames, Venus shall thee entrance
With thousand shapes of wanton dalliance:
Each of thy senses thou shalt perfect find,
All but thy sight, for Love ought to be blind.
Enjoy'd his spouse, and got her Maydenhead:
And least that sly his feature should disclose,
He went away before the morning rose:
Her vocall servants watching at the dore,
With their mild whispers enterd in before
Psyche awak't, and joy'd the bride to see,
And cheer'd her for her slaine virginity.
These things being acted in continued time,
And as all humane natures doe incline
To take delight by custome, Psyche so
With these aëreall comforts eas'd her woe:
But yet her Parents with unwearied griefe
Waxt old in teares, and hated all reliefe.
Her Sisters too forsooke their house, and home,
And came to adde unto their fathers moane.
That night her husband Psyche thus bespake,
Alas sweet heart, what comfort can I take,
That spend the day in sighes, when you are gone,
Rob'd of all humane conversation:
My undistinguisht friends are banisht quite,
That almost weepe their eyes out for my sight,
Not one of all to beare me company:
O let me see my sisters, or I dye.
Her husband her imbrac'd, and kist away
Those hurtfull teares, and thus began to say:
Psyche my sweet, and dearest wife, I see,
Fortune beginnes to threat thy misery.
What envious Fate suggests this banefull boone,
To force my griefe, and thy destruction?
Thy sisters both, through their vaine fancies led,
And troubled with the thought that thou art dead,
Their fruitlesse teares, or speake to them a word,
Or by their wicked counsell seeke to pry
With sacrilegious curiosity,
And view my shape, how quickly wouldst thou throw
Thy selfe downe headlong to the depth of woe?
Thy wretched state for ever to deplore,
Nor must thou hope to touch me any more.
Psyche regardlesse, what his love, or feares
Did prompt unto her good, still perseveres
In her rash vote: for all (though to their cost)
Desire forbidden things; but women most.
My honey husband, my sweet love, quoth she,
How doe I prize thee, whatsoere thou be?
Above my soule, more then my owne deare life:
Nor would I change to be young Cupids wife.
And rather vow'd a thousand deaths to dye,
Then live divorc'd from his society.
Her husband overcome through his owne fire,
VVhich her impressive kisses did inspire:
Gives way to his new spouse, and a strict charge
To Zephirus, that he should spread at large
His plumy sayles, and bring her sisters twaine,
Both safe in presence of his wife, in paine,
To be in prison, and strict durance bound,
VVith the earths weighty fetters under ground,
And a huge mountaine to be laid upon
His ayerie backe, which if it once were done,
No power could e're redeeme his liberty,
Nor Æolus himselfe might set him free.
Lovers commands are still imperious:
VVhich made the fierce and haughty Zephyrus
To see his service slighted so, but yet
Not daring to proclaime his discontent,
Made a soft noise, and murmur'd as he went.
By chance her sisters at that instant time,
With long laborious steps the Hill did clime,
Where Psyche first was left, and with their plaine,
Waken the rocks, still they result againe.
Calling their sister by her proper name,
With hideous cryes, untill the west winde came,
And as command was, in a winged chaire,
With harmelesse portage bore them through the aire.
All three together by this meanes combin'd,
Embrace each other with a mutuall mind.
Vntill their spirits, and the day was spent
In long, and ceremonious complement.
Sometimes faire Psyche, proud her friends were by,
To witnesse her majestick bravery:
Vshering her sisters with affected gate,
VVould shew them all her glory, and her state,
And round about her golden house display
The massie wealth that unregarded lay.
Sometimes she would demonstrate to their eares
Her easie power on those familiars,
That like a numerous family did stand,
To execute the charge of her command.
Nor was there wanting any thing, that might
Procure their admiration, or delight:
That whereas erst they pittied her distresse,
Now swell with envy of her happinesse.
There is a Goddesse flyes through the earths globe
Girt with a cloud, and in a squalid robe,
Whose direfull presence does the Sun affright.
Her name is Ate, venome is her food,
The very Furies and Tartarian brood
Doe hate her for her uglinesse, she blacks
Her horrid visage with so many Snakes:
And as her tresses 'bout her necke she hurles,
The Serpents hisse within their knotty curles.
Sorrow, and shame, death, and a thousand woes,
And discord waites her, wheresoe're she goes,
Who riding on a whirle wind through the sky,
She saw faire Psyche in her jollity,
And grudg'd to see it; for she does professe
Her selfe a foe, to every good successe:
Then cast to ruine her; but found no way,
Lesse she could make her sisters her betray.
Then dropt foure Snakes out of her hayry nest,
And as they slept, cast two on eithers brest;
Who peircing through their bosomes in a trice,
Poyson'd their soules, but made no Orifice:
And all this while the powerfull bane did lurke
Within their hearts, and now began to worke:
For one of them, too farre inquisitive,
With crafty malice did begin to dive
Into her councell, studious for to learne,
Whom so divine possession might concerne;
But all in vaine, no lineall respect,
No Syren charmes, might move her to reject
His precepts; nothing they could doe, or say,
Might tempt her, his sweet councell to betray.
Yet least too much suspence of what he is,
Should trouble their loose thoughts, shee told them this,
Was newly deckt with natures coverin,
And he that vs'd with hunting still to rome
About the woods, and seldome was at home:
But fearing their discourse might her entrap,
She powres forth gold and jewels in their lap,
And turning all their travell to their gaine,
Commands the windes to beare them back againe.
This done, her sisters after their returne,
With envies fuell, both begin to burne,
Vnable to containe their discontent,
And to their swell'd up malice give a vent.
Sayes one unto the other, what's the cause
That we both priviledg'd by natures lawes,
And of the selfe-same parents both begot,
Should yet sustaine such an indifferent lot?
You know that we are like to hand-maids wed
To strangers, and like strangers banished.
When she, the off-spring of a latter birth,
Sprung from a wombe, that like the tyred earth
Grew old with bearing, nor yet very wise,
Enjoyes that wealth, whose use, whose worth, whose prize
She knowes not; what rich furniture there shone,
What Gemmes, what gold, what silkes we trode upon?
And if her husband be so brave a man
As she affirmes and boasts, what woman can
In the whole world compare with her? at length
Perhaps by customes progresse, and the strength
Of Love, he may her like himselfe translate
And make her with the gods participate:
She has already for to come, and goe
Voyces her hand-maids, and the windes, 'tis so;
And breath'd out nothing but Divinity:
But I poore wretch, the more to aggravate
My cares, and the iniquity of Fate,
Have got a Husband, elder then my Sire,
And then a boy farre weaker in desire;
Who, though he have nor will, nor power, to use
What he enjoyes, does miser like refuse,
To his owne wife this benefit to grant,
That others should supply, his, and my want:
Her Sister answers, Doe not I embrace
A man farre worse, and is't not my owne case?
I have a husband too not worth a point,
And one, that has the Gout in every joynt:
His Nose is dropping, and his eyes are gumm'd,
His body crooked, and his fingers numm'd:
His head, which should of wisedome be the place,
Is growne more bald than any Looking-glasse;
That I am faine the part to undergoe,
Not of a wife, but a Physitian too;
Still plying him, how ere my sense it loaths,
VVith Oyles and Balmes, and cataplasmes & cloaths:
Yet you see, with what patience I endure
This servile office, and this fruitlesse cure,
The whilst the minkes our Sister, you beheld
With how great pride, and arrogance she swell'd,
And though much wealth lay scatter'd all along,
Yet out of it, how small a portion
She gave to us, and how unwillingly,
Then blew, or hist us from her company.
Let me not breath, nor me a woman call,
Vnlesse I straight her ruine, or enthrall
In this one poynt, i'll render her accurst.
We will not any into wonder draw,
Nor comfort, by relating what we saw;
For they can not be sayd true joy to owne,
Whose neither wealth nor happinesse is knowne.
It is enough that we have seene, and grieve
That we have seene it, let none else believe
The truth from our report. So let's repaire
To our own home, and our owne homely fare,
And then returne to vindicate her pride,
With fraud and malice strongly fortifi'd:
Which to confirme, ungratefull as they were,
(For wicked counsell ever is most deare
To wicked people,) home againe they drew
And their fain'd griefe most impiously renew.
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