Sixe idillia that is, sixe small, or petty poems, or aeglogves, chosen out of the right famous Sicilian Poet Theocritus, and translated into English verse |
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| THE XXXI. JDILLION.
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 | Sixe idillia |  |
THE XXXI. JDILLION.
Adonis.
Argument.
The conceit of this Idillion is verie delicate. Wherein it is imagined, how Venus did send for the Bore, who in hunting slew Adonis, a daintie yuth, whom she loued; And how the Bore aunswering for himselfe, that he slew him against his wil, as beeing inamored on him, & thinking onlie to kisse his naked thigh, she forgaue him. The Poets drift is, to shew the power of loue, not onlie in men, but also in brute beasts. Although in the two last verses, by the burning of the Bores amorous teeth, he intimateth, that extrauagant and vnorderly passions, are to be restrained by reason.
When
Venvs first did see,
Adonis dead to be,
With woeful tatterd heare,
And cheekes so wan and seare,
The winged Loues she bad,
The Bore should straight be had.
Forthwith like birdes thay flie,
And through the wood thay hie.
The woefull beast thay finde,
And him with cordes thay binde.
One with a rope before,
Doth lead the captiue Bore.
Another on his backe,
Doth make his bow to cracke.
The beast went wretchedly,
For Venus horribly
Hee fearde, who thus him curst.
Adonis dead to be,
With woeful tatterd heare,
And cheekes so wan and seare,
The winged Loues she bad,
The Bore should straight be had.
Forthwith like birdes thay flie,
And through the wood thay hie.
The woefull beast thay finde,
And him with cordes thay binde.
One with a rope before,
Doth lead the captiue Bore.
Another on his backe,
Doth make his bow to cracke.
The beast went wretchedly,
For Venus horribly
Hee fearde, who thus him curst.
Of all the beasts the wurst,
Didst thou this thigh so wounde?
Didst thou my Loue confounde?
The beast thus spake in feare;
Venus, to thee J sweare,
By thee, and husband thine,
And by these bands of mine,
And by these hunters all,
Thy husband faire and tall,
J minded not to kill,
But as an image still,
J him beheld for loue,
Which made me forward shoue,
His thigh, that naked was,
Thinking to kisse alas.
And that hath hurt me thus.
Didst thou this thigh so wounde?
Didst thou my Loue confounde?
The beast thus spake in feare;
Venus, to thee J sweare,
By thee, and husband thine,
And by these bands of mine,
And by these hunters all,
Thy husband faire and tall,
J minded not to kill,
But as an image still,
J him beheld for loue,
Which made me forward shoue,
His thigh, that naked was,
Thinking to kisse alas.
And that hath hurt me thus.
Wherfore these teeth, Venus,
Or punish, or cut out.
Why beare I in my snowt,
These needlesse teeth about?
If this maie not suffise,
Cut off my chaps likewise.
Or punish, or cut out.
Why beare I in my snowt,
These needlesse teeth about?
If this maie not suffise,
Cut off my chaps likewise.
To ruth he Venus moues,
And she commands the Loues,
His bands for to vntie.
After, he came not nie
The wood, but at her wil,
He followde Venus still.
And cumming to the fire,
He burnt vp his desire.
And she commands the Loues,
His bands for to vntie.
After, he came not nie
The wood, but at her wil,
He followde Venus still.
And cumming to the fire,
He burnt vp his desire.
Embleme.
Raris forma viris, sæcula prospice, Impunita fuit.
FINIS.
| Sixe idillia | |