XXXV.
[When first mine eyes were blinded with Desire]
In this Passion the Authour, as being blinded with Loue, firste
compareth himselfe with Tiresias the old Soothsayer of Thebes,
whome Iuno depriued of sight; but Ioue rewarded him
with the spirit of prophecy. Then he alludeth vnto Actæon:
And lastly he sheweth why he is in worse case, then those,
which by vewing Medusaes heade were turned into stoanes,
leesing both life and light at once; and so concludeth, that
olde accursed Oedipus of all other best befitteth him for a
companion.
When
first mine eyes were blinded with Desire,
They had newe seene a Second Sunne whose face
Though cleere as beaten snowe, yet kindled fire
Within my brest, and moulte my heart apase:
Thus learned I by proofe, what others write,
That Sunne, and fire, and snowe offend the sight.
O ten times happie blinded Theban wight,
Whose losse of sight did make him halfe diuine,
Where I (alas) haue lost both life and light,
Like him, whose hornes did plague his heedles eyen;
And yet was he in better case then I,
Which neither liue, nor can obtaine to dye.
All Perseus foes that sawe Medusaes heade,
By leesing shape and sense were quitte from thrall;
But I feele paines, though blinde and double deade,
And was my selfe efficient cause of all:
Wherefore, of all that ere did cease to see
Vide Sophocl. aut Senecam in tragedijs suis de Oedipi miserijs.
Old Oedipus were meetest mate for me.
