University of Virginia Library

Dame Venus once by Mercurye
comprest, a chylde did beare:
For beuty farre excellyng all
that erst before hym weare.
Thys noble chylde by name was calde
Hermaphroditus so,
Of both hys parents names it is

Hermes and Aphrodite, Andrognus.

deryued, as ye kno.
Hys shape it dyd so farre excede
the graces of all other:
That then the countenaūce of the childe
myght well dyserye hys mother.
Hys portrature deuyne, it was
so perfecte in eche poyncte,
Hys noble lyms so fayre to syght,
so set in euery ioynte,
That he might seme Dame Natures warke'
as farre for to excell:
As do the Gods the shape of men,
as auncyent storyes tell.
As to hys face it was so fayre,
and bryght wyth bewtyes shyne:
That it exceld the glysteryng beames
in Phæbus face deuyne.
A paterne playne to mend her moold
Dame Nature there myght see.
Therby appeard how merueylous
the workes of god they bee.

Gaminides sonne of Trois supply }k{ynge of Troye.

The Phrigian boy, by Thegle caught
on Ioue tattend and wayght.
Liriopes, sonne Narsisus fayre,
Nymphe Eccho her daynty bayte,
Not Atis fyne, whych was sumtyme
accepted wel wyth Ioue,

Adonis sonne of Mirrha by her brother invras.

Nor yet the boy in incest got
which Venus so dyd Ioue.
Al these were not to be comparde
with yonge Hermaphrodite.
Nor Cupide sure his brother blynde,
if Poets truly wryte,
Myght not with him in shape compare,
but yet to fortune hee
Was subiecte more then this, as we
by thend may playnly see.
For Cupide he doth yet now lyue
a stoborne wytlesse boye:
But Hermaphrodite death at laste
had power for to dystroye.
How be it by dolefull dome, he lost
hym selfe before he dyed.
Such was his lot. Yet seemes it straūge
one from hym selfe to slyed.
Some wolde not thynke that any man,
myght chaunge hys nature so,
That from hym selfe by desteny,
he myght departe or go.
How be it the straunger that it seemd,
the rather dyd I choose
To wryte of hym whose lot it was
by ill lucke hym selfe to loose.
Amonge a thousand storyes whych
are worthy to be scande,
In golden verse by skylfull pen,
I toke thys same in hande,
To shew my redy wyl to you
tyll greater power in mee:
As corespondent to my mynde
lyke wyse it may agree.
Wherfore the whylst I shall desyre
your Maystershyp to take
This same, in worthe of worthies warke,
and full accompte to make,
That want af wyl is not in mee,
Though power therto do not agree.
But now thys sonne of Mercuryes
in Ida mounte was fed,
And fostred: thear, full fyftene yeres
hys lyfe also hee led.
And then desyrous for to know
the state of countreys straunge,
All Licia land, by trauayle great
to Caria he dyd range.
Wheras vppon a tyme, what wyth
hys trauayle that was great,
And eke the weather being hote
he weryed then wyth heate,
And redy for to rest hym selfe,
by chaunce he dyd espye
A well, wyth water fayre and clere
as Chrystall to the eye.
Whych nether bushe at any tyme
nor wede it ouer grew.
Much lyke vnto the well it was,
wherto Acteon drew,
When that Diana, and her Nymphes
al naked in the same
He saw, by chaunce as he dyd seke
hys lately coursed game.
Aboute thys sprynge an idle Nymphe,
fayre Salmacis dyd vse:
Whych euen as soone as wyth her eies,
the yonge man fayre she vewes,
Strayght set on fyre: The smoldrynge heate
doth strike vnto her harte,
And thorow persed by the dynte,
of cruell Cupydes darte.
She strayght desyres with him to ioyne,
her luste for to fulfyll.
She tryms her selfe, & goes foorthwith
for to declare her will.
To whom when that she came: strayght waie
With comely grace she gan to saye.
O worthy child, whose shape doth shew,
(as it doth seeme to mee.)
That surely thou some god, and not
a earthly wyght shulde bee.
Ryght happy are thy parentes sure,
and eke the Nurce in lap
Which hath the layd oft tymes, & geuen
thy louely lyps the pap.
But happyest of them bothe I saye,
a blessed one is shee,
Whych as thy wyfe within one bead
myght ioyne her selfe with thee.
My dere, vouchsafe to here my sute,
graunt my request I pray,
That if you be not maryed yet
then, then graunt thys I saye,
That I may rest my happy lyms
in blessed bed with thee,
So I with Iuno for to chaunge
my state wolde not agree,
If thou be maryed, let me steale
one turne. My harte, my ioye,
She sayd, and therwyth held her peace.
But lo the shame fast boye
Was dasht, and out of countenaunce cleane.
he blusht as red as blood,
He wyst not then what loue dyd meane.
it wolde haue done one good,
To see how wel the blusshyng shame,
The amased boy as it became.
Such was his lyuely countenaunce,
such was hys comely hew.
Whom when the Nymphe had long beheld,
not able to subdewe
Her heat affection and desyre.
not able to susteyne,
The force of those so feruent flames,
she doth attempte agayne
By other meanes to try the boy,
eche practyce doth she proue.
But nought at al could moue hys harte
being rude, as yet to loue.
She seketh to imbrace his necke,
and asketh for a kysse.
But then the boy resystyng her
was moued much wyth thys,
And sayd leue of these wanton tryckes,
no lenger troble mee,
Els wyll I soone be gone, and leue
the place and all with thee.
Then Salmacis afrayde, dyd make
as thence she wolde be gone,
But in a bushe harde by the same,
she hyd her selfe anon.
The boy thought now that al was safe
from shame as yet now free
Does of hys clothes, and thynketh sure
that none the same doth see.
And lyke a wanton Kyd he skyppes
and in the mead doth run.
Then in the well, to bathe hys feete,
he so at fyrst begon
But thus at last the water cleare
it doth delyght hym so.
He geues hys body to the streames
and wadeth to and fro,
And further foorth with softely foote
he doth begyn to go.
At last wyth armes out stretched hee
hys body clene doth dyp.
By swīming, through the siluer stremes
hys yuery corps doth slyp.
The Nimph this while, beholdyng him,
no longer then could staye,
But of her mantel being throwne
she wold leape in strayght way.
The boy amyd the waues doth swym
as whyte as any snow.
No swan could seme more whyte thē he
that euer any sawe.
The Nimphe her hart doth pant wt ioy,
shee scant abydes to staye,
Untyll her garmentes all were of.
shee plyeth so her praye.
Euen as the eger mastyue Dogge,
whom scant hys keper stayes,
But at the bayted Beare he stryues
for to be gone alwayes.
Euen as the Hauke doth bate, when that
shee sees the Partryge spronge:
So Salmacis, to her it seemes
Eche tyme it is to longe,
That lets her from the pray. But loe,
as mery as a Pye,
The boy doth friske and play, he thyncks
that none may hym espye.
But as the Hare within her fourme,
when shee doth feare no ill:
The hounde is on her sodeynlye,
then prest the foole to kyll.
So Salmacis vnto her praye,
into the water goes:
As though that then for al the worlde
her luste she wolde not lose.
Not to perswade hym now she meanes,
as shee dyd erst before:
But now sheys prest her lust to serue,
or els to dye therfore.
She it to folly so full inclynde:
That nothing then might chaunge her mind.
But lo the boy, as soone as he
dyd theare the Nymphe espy,
Euen as the lytle Roche wyth fynnes
out reched fast both flye,
The rauenyng Pyke, which after hym
in greater hast doth hye:
So vp and downe the springe they flete,
the one hym selfe to saue.
The Nymph, her ioy by spoyle doth seke
of thother for to haue.
The flyghtfull boy, lyke as the Hare,
for lyfe the Hounde doth flie,
The Nymphe alwaies euen as the hoūd,
when he doth come so nye,
That euē his nose may touche her heles:
he gyrdeth foorth amayne,
With gaping mouth, being alwaies like
hys pray for to obteyne.
The Nimphe dyd dryue him vp so neare,
that euen of force at laste
He is compeld for to resyste,
and stryue for hym as faste,
Her rage by strength for to suppresse.
she forseth on hym so,
That weryed nyghe the tender boye,
he wotes not what to do.
To stryue he is compeld, or els
to yelde agaynst hys wyll
Unto hys foe, whych forceth so,
her lust for to fulfyll.
And yet some women say, that they
be innocentes, god wot.
Thys nycy Nymphe doth now dysplay
whether it be true or not.
In goodnes symple sure they be,
Els subtle ynoughe I warrant ye
So nyce and fyne, before that tyme
thys weakyng Nymph dyd seme,
That force and myght to breake an egge
in her ye wolde scantly deme.
And yet by force, she kepeth now
the yonge man at a baye:
As in a corner doth a dogge
kepe vp the stryuyng graye.
And then at last espyenge well
aduantage fyt therto,
She catcheth hym about the necke
as lothe to let hym go.
Euen as the Iuye wyndes aboute
the tree, so doth she claspe
The body of the stryuing boye:
which trembled lyke the Aspe.
Euen as the Crab in cruell clawes
when he hath caught hys foe:
With grype doth gyrd him so as though
he shulde not scape hym fro.
Euen so the Nimph (though Venus sonne
do as he may resyste.
In wordes protestyng playne how that
she shal not haue her lyste.)
Yet hopyng wel, with pressyng wayght
she cleueth to hym so:
That thoughe he stryue and wrythe, she sweares
he shal not from her go.
Wherfore (thou froward boy) she saies,
now strogle on thy fyll.
But now by force I wyl obtayne,
that shal content my wyll.
Thou shalt not scape me sure. Go to
with stoberne stryuyng styll.
With pressed lyps perforce to hym
an hundred kysses she
Doth geue, wherby it may appere,
she lyked hys companie.
This sayd. Unto the heauens on hyghe
she lifteth vp her eyes,
And sayth, o Gods that see all thynges
and syt aboue the skyes,
Graunt that thys wylfull boye
may neuer parte fro mee.
But let vs styll in one remayne.
the Gods they dyd agree
To her request. And Venus then
being moued wyth theyr mone,
She dyd vouchsafe to ioyne
theyr bodyes both in one.
One countenaunce dyd set foorth
a thynge full straunge to see,
A man and woman both
wyth one corps to agree:
And yet the same no parfecte man,
nor woman for to bee.
But now, when that Hermaphrodite
dyd see in water playne,
He entred lyke a man therin,
and shulde come foorth agayne
But halfe a man. Hym selfe he loste.
Hys fortune it was so.
Wherfore he lyfted vp hys handes,
and prayde hys parentes to,
That who so euer entreth here,
hys lot lykewyse may bee:
That he to man and woman both,
in shape may so agree.
Theyr parents hard the plaint, ye which
theyr doble shaped sonne
Had made. And so wyth vertue straūge,
the sprynge was spred anone.
Thus both in wysh they did agree:
And now contentyd well they bee.

Now , Ouid here myght seeme to some,
a tryflyng tale to tell.
But yet it shewes a worthy sence,
if it be marked well.
The Poets vse in pleasaunt toyes
great wysdome for to shew.
A subtle sence thys tale doth beare,
al beit perceyude of few.
By Venus, sonne here vnderstand,
such Youthes as yet be greene,
And from the spot of fylthy luste,
the stryplynges that be clene,
which yet haue not enthrald thē selfes
vnto affection vyle.
Nor know the poyson strong, ye subtle baite,
which louers doth begile.
Euen such as newly haue cast of
a boy, and entred in
A yonge mans age. Such one as dothe
to know hym selfe begin.
Of age well able for to rule
hym selfe without aguyde.
Such one as first into the worlde
begynneth for to slyde,
To lerne and see the trades of men,
to chose the good from ill.
By yonge Hermaphrodite, such one
here vnderstande we will.
By Caria, sygnyfye the worlde
where all temptations be.
Wheras the good and il, alwayes
together we may see.
By Salmacis, intende eche vyce
that moueth one to ill.
And by the spring the pleasant sporte,
that doth content the wyll.
So that when any yonge man fyrste
without a guyde or staye,
Doth enter in the world so wyde,
vnskylfull of the waye,
Not knowyng yet the wylye bayte,
nor the temptations vyle,
Wherby the subtle sorte oft tymes
the sely do beguyle:
He blyndly runneth on ech wheare,
and doubttyng of none ill:
Because hym selfe he meaneth none,
he thynckes that no man wyll
(do otherwyse.)
And so, by pleasaunt shape of vyce
deceyued all vnware,
He drownes hym selfe in fylthy sinne,
& taken in the snare.
The more he striues, entangled once
the faster he is in.
Such is the nature of the bayte,
and sleyght of that same gyn.
But after that he is deceyued:
by practyce to hys payne,
More wyse, alwayes he wil beware
to come in lyke agayne.
Then wil he ioye to see his wyshe,
on others in like sorte,
Which plunged be in pensyue payne,
whylst that they seke for sporte.
A man is sayde to lose hym selfe,
when reason quyte exilde
Enthrald in slauysh woe, he is
constrayned for to yeilde
To lust, and wyl. dame reasons rules
(whych styll shuld rule our race.)
Reiected quyte, to affectyons:
we geue the grounde and place.
And lyke to beastes, esteming more
to serue our sensuall lust,
And to adorne the body braue,
whych shal consume to dust,
More lefe then for to decke the mynd
which is imortall sure.
Such is our beastly nature blynd:
so is our lust vnpure.
So we our cheefe and greatest Good,
the treasure of our minde,
Do lose, and so to slauysh luste,
our nature free we bynd.
And seruauntes bond vnto our wyll,
we warke our wretched woe.
So one may lose hym selfe, and be
vnto hym selfe a foe.
So do we chaunge the happy hope
of euerlastyng ioye,
Euen for the present pastyme, whych
our selues doth moste anoye.
We chaunge our nature cleane,
being made effemynat.
When we do yeeld to serue our lust,
we lose our former state.
It is the nature of that well,
that fylthy lothsome lake,
Of lust, the strengthe from lusty men
by hydden force to take:
And so it may now playne appere,
the Poet trueth dyd tell.
As many as hereafter shall
once enter in thys well
Of vyce. He shalbe weakned so.
Hys nature sure he shall forgo.
Thus muche hereof, as my rude Muse
doth vnderstand the mind
Of Ouid, by thys pleasaunt tale,
no further sence I fynde.

But nowe the fletynge fancyes fonde,
and eke the shuttle wyttes:
The mad desyres of women now,
theyr rage in folysh fyts
I wyl dysplay. Thys Nymphe, ye boy,
dyd for hys bewty loue,
For euen the sodeyne syght of hym,
dyd her affectyon moue.
And Eccho shee Narcissus yonge
euen for his bewtyes sake,
Did choose amonge all other youthes
to be her faythful make.
Medea and Hypsiphile,
dyd loue Iason so,
Euen for hys louely face, that they
wolde from theyr countreyes go,
And leue their parentes & their frēdes
to go, and be wyth hym,
Which to them both, not longe a go
had erst a straunger bene.
Demophon by hys semely shape,
dyd lyke fayre Phyllys eyes.
And Dido she Eneas braue
therfore dyd loue lykewyse.
And in lyke sorte dyd ende her lyfe,
when that she myght no more
Enioye her ioyfull luste as shee
was wonte some tyme before.
It semed death, what so dyd them
deuorse their louers fro.
Fayre Helen, Menelaus wyfe.
Lo Paris fine also
Dyd yeald, with him to Phrigian towne
a straunger for to go.
To Paris armes her selfe she toke:
And Menelaus olde forsoke.
The lusty gerle began to lothe,
such sage pastyme as hee
Could make. She rather chose
with Paris yonge to bee.
The learned Sapho did some time
to comely Phaon sue
For grace. And Biblis, she
her brother dyd pursue
(For bewtye that in him did shine.
She folowed him therfore
So longe: till that her faynting lims
could cary her no more.
King Nisus doughter dere also,
fayre Scylla was beguilde,
By Minos yellow shinyng heare,
whiche as her foe in feilde:
Againste the walles of Megaris,
dyd beare hys seemely sheilde.
And yet kynge Minos wyfe,
was of another mynde.
In Taurus blacke ill faced syre,
more pleasure she dyd fynde,
The captains rousy skuffe, black pol,
to her so fayre did seme
That she her husbandes golden heare
dyd not so much esteme.
The Emperour Othons doughter dere
Adelasie dyd so
Regarde the lyuely Alcran,
that she wyth hym did go
To countreyes straunge content
by hazarde of her lyfe,
Agaynst the wyll of all her freindes,
for to become hys wyfe.
With pryncelyke lyfe, for hym alone
an Empyre she wolde lose.
With hym to leade a symple lyfe
much rather she dyd chose.
All pleasures in the worlde, in hym
alone she then dyd take.
Al freindes, for hym alone also
she gladly dyd forsake.
With hym for nede right wel she was
contented coles to make.
To couche in cotage lowe,
on symple foode to fare.
For all the world, excepted hym,
she toke no kynde of care.
He was her blysse. Her ioye was hee.
And nothing els estemed shee.
And Hero fayre vnto her feare,
Leander fyne dyd take.
And Thisbe she dyd kyll her selfe
for comely Pirames sake.
Orestes lyuely lookes, dyd much
Hermione delyghte.
Kyng Tancreds, doughter Gysmond, dyd
loue Guistardes bewty bryght.
The Nymphes dyd Hiacinthus, for
hys seemely shape desire.
Hys louely chere ful, soone did set
theyr youthly hartes on fyre.
And Iuliet, Romeus yonge,
for bewty dyd imbrace,
Yet dyd hys manhode well agree,
vnto hys worthy grace.
So seemely shape dyd loue procure:
And Venus byrdes came to the lure.
And Aphrodite dame so coye
dyd loue Adonis so,
That she wyth hym, alwayes
contented was to go.
In slender hand, the craggy bowe
she did vouchsafe to beare,
And run a huntyng after hym,
to kyll the flyghtfull Deare.
The stoberne boy, blynd Cupide here,
with shaft, did strike his mother dere.
Sythe bewtyes grace, as pleasaunt baite,
these ladies did deceiue.
What did Adonis mother, in
her father olde perceyue:
Why she shuld seke by incest vyle,
Her mothers bed for to defyle.
What flynging fyt dyd force her so?
what mad desyre doth moue
Her thus? why shulde she seke an olde
and cancred lad to loue?
And why dyd Phædra sue vnto
her boystous sonne in lawe,
Hypolite blunt (being rude to loue)
vnto her lust to drawe.
Why did hys ferce & frownyng face,
hys harde complexion seeme
To her a fayre and manlyke hewe.
what made her so to deme?
Syth beutyes goodly grace, somtyme
so well it lyked her,
That she aboue her countrey, dyd
yonge Theseus prefer.
Her sister Ariadne aye,
hys shape estemed so:
That she her brother did betray,
and fled her parentes fro.
Such be the fond and frantike fits
which in the blinded brayne
Of wanton women often times,
with swinging swey doth reigne.
And Venus eke, which liked so
Adonis louely grace,
That she from hym wolde not
abide in anye place.
In warlike Mars that blody knight:
Sometime also she did delyght.
Sith she for comely bewty then,
these lustie youthes dyd loue.
To marry with dame Iunoes sonne
what od conceyt did moue
Her so: to serue that grislie sire,
the Copersmith deformde.
Whom Nature neither with good grace,
nor learnīg had adornd.
But euen a rude & boystous carle.
whose colour in his face:
A Croyden sangwine right did seme.
This is a doubtfull case.
That she which erst did seke so muche
for bewtyes goodly grace,
To loue Adonis faire alone,
shulde seke sometime to imbrace
Syr Vulcane, with his drousie poll,
A smyth whych did on stythy, {rowl}.
I dare not sure disolue thys doubt.
I feare to iudge on thys.
To haue to do wyth gods aboue,
how daungerous it is:
Tiresias olde, which was sometyme
a Iudge of Iunoes game.
In iestyng stryfe, for tellyng trueth
the Iudge dyd beare the blame.
He loste hys syght, for iudgyng right.
O Iudg vnwise, thou knowest ye price
Of telling trueth, more was ye rueth.
Tiresias, thou Prophet olde,
Whych hadst the grace, for to vnfolde,
the secrets hyd of thynges to come:
Though Iuno shee, did make the blind,
Yet Ioue to thee, was not vnkynd.
He dyd restore, as good therfore.
Thy lacke of sight, thy knowledg doth
Right wel aquight. That is the troth.
For by the same, vnto the skyes,
Thy worthy name, it dyd aryse.
How be it I, am not so bolde
With iudgement thys for to vnfolde.
The Goddesse grace I more regarde:
Then hope, to haue of Ioues reward.
For doubt of blame, I dare not say
Or shew the same, whych erst alway
I thought. For sure, if I may chose,
Dame Venus loue I wyll not lose.
Sith mē bear blame, for telling troth:
To shew the same I wolde be loth.
Wherfore now I, wil cease to writ.
And you hardly, by iudgement ryght,
As one exempt from Venus might:
May be more bolde, thys to vnfolde.
And so to you, I leue it now,
that this moste weyghty doubt:
At further leasure (when you lyste)
your selfe may fynde it out.