The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch Entituled, Amintas Dale. Wherein are the most conceited tales of the Pagan Gods in English Hexameters together with their auncient descriptions and Philosophicall explications. By Abraham Fravnce |
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[Phœbus too too prowd for killing Pytho the serpent] |
 | The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch |  |
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[Phœbus too too prowd for killing Pytho the serpent]
Phœbus
too too prowd for killing Pytho the serpent,
Saw yong Lord of loue, with a bended bowe in Olympus:
And must boyes beare bowes, qd Apollo? must a Cupido
Leaue his mothers papps, and handle dangerus arrowes?
Leaue sharp tooles, poore child, and take vp a lamp or a firestick,
Kindle a foolish fire in a harebraine boy, or a frantick
Gyrle; or shoote at crowes, if boyes will needes be a shooting,
Such warlike weapons are far more meet for Apollo,
Who with a thousand shafts of late, confounded an ougly
Snake, whose poysned panch all ouerwhelmed a countrey.
Saw yong Lord of loue, with a bended bowe in Olympus:
And must boyes beare bowes, qd Apollo? must a Cupido
Leaue his mothers papps, and handle dangerus arrowes?
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Kindle a foolish fire in a harebraine boy, or a frantick
Gyrle; or shoote at crowes, if boyes will needes be a shooting,
Such warlike weapons are far more meet for Apollo,
Who with a thousand shafts of late, confounded an ougly
Snake, whose poysned panch all ouerwhelmed a countrey.
Well, qd winged boy, content: let mighty Apollo
Shoote at snakes: and Lord of Loue at mighty Apollo:
And as much as a snake is lesse then mighty Apollo,
Soe much, Lord of Loue is more then mighty Apollo.
Shoote at snakes: and Lord of Loue at mighty Apollo:
And as much as a snake is lesse then mighty Apollo,
Soe much, Lord of Loue is more then mighty Apollo.
This sayd, yeelding ayre with fluttring wings he deuideth,
And Parnassus mount in a moment nymbly recou'reth:
There two feath'red shafts from painted quiuer he plucketh,
Of strong, yet diuers operation: one with a golden
Sharp head, breeding loue: and th' other fram'd with a leaden
Blunt head, feeding hate: Loue-breeder woundeth Apollo,
Hate-feeder Daphne: and eu'n as much as Apollo
Lou's Daphne, so much this Daphne hateth Apollo.
Daphne goes to the woods and vowes herself to Diana;
Phœbus growes starke wood, for loue and fancie to Daphne.
And Parnassus mount in a moment nymbly recou'reth:
There two feath'red shafts from painted quiuer he plucketh,
Of strong, yet diuers operation: one with a golden
Sharp head, breeding loue: and th' other fram'd with a leaden
Blunt head, feeding hate: Loue-breeder woundeth Apollo,
Hate-feeder Daphne: and eu'n as much as Apollo
Lou's Daphne, so much this Daphne hateth Apollo.
Daphne goes to the woods and vowes herself to Diana;
Phœbus growes starke wood, for loue and fancie to Daphne.
When that he looks on her haire, fayre haire and sweetly beseeming,
Though vndrest, vntrest, blowne here and there by the shoulders:
Then doth he think: ô if these loose, yet sweetly beseeming
Locks, were drest, and trest, and not left loose by the shoulders,
How-much more would they seeme fayre and sweetly beseeming?
When that he lookes on her eies, like sparkling stars in a frostie
Night: and lips, (yet lips to be kissed, not to be lookt on)
And armes all naked, fro the milk-white wrist to the elbow:
Then doth he think: If I ioy these outward partes to be viewing,
O, what a heau'n were it, those secret partes to be tutching?
Though vndrest, vntrest, blowne here and there by the shoulders:
Then doth he think: ô if these loose, yet sweetly beseeming
Locks, were drest, and trest, and not left loose by the shoulders,
How-much more would they seeme fayre and sweetly beseeming?
When that he lookes on her eies, like sparkling stars in a frostie
Night: and lips, (yet lips to be kissed, not to be lookt on)
And armes all naked, fro the milk-white wrist to the elbow:
Then doth he think: If I ioy these outward partes to be viewing,
O, what a heau'n were it, those secret partes to be tutching?
O, what auailes it now, with scorneful words to be bragging,
And with winged boy, nay wicked boy, to be striuing?
O, what auails it now to be Titan, Phœbus, Apollo,
Bright, burning, radiant, with sight, light, beauty abounding?
Thou, whose beames did burne heu'n, earth, and watery Empire,
Art now scorcht, nay burnt, yea burnt to the bones with a wilde-fire:
Thou, who shouldst by right, be the due and daily beholder
Of both land and sea, doost now looke only on one thing,
Only vpon Daphne: fixing those eyes on a Virgin,
Which thou owst to the world: and getst vp rath in a morning,
For to behold her face: and goest downe late in an eu'ning,
Sory to leaue her sight: sometimes thy beames be eclipsed,
Thy face discolored, thy countnance chearful, apaled,
And makst mortal men with a soddayne terror amazed,
And all this for loue; for, loue makes strong to be weakned,
Loue all-seeing sunne, on a soddayne makes to be darkned:
And with winged boy, nay wicked boy, to be striuing?
O, what auails it now to be Titan, Phœbus, Apollo,
Bright, burning, radiant, with sight, light, beauty abounding?
Thou, whose beames did burne heu'n, earth, and watery Empire,
Art now scorcht, nay burnt, yea burnt to the bones with a wilde-fire:
Thou, who shouldst by right, be the due and daily beholder
Of both land and sea, doost now looke only on one thing,
Only vpon Daphne: fixing those eyes on a Virgin,
Which thou owst to the world: and getst vp rath in a morning,
For to behold her face: and goest downe late in an eu'ning,
Sory to leaue her sight: sometimes thy beames be eclipsed,
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And makst mortal men with a soddayne terror amazed,
And all this for loue; for, loue makes strong to be weakned,
Loue all-seeing sunne, on a soddayne makes to be darkned:
Simple Daphne feares, and flies, for feare, from Apollo:
Louer Apollo runs, and thus complains as he runneth.
O, stay deare Daphne, thy best friend hasteneth after,
Fly not away, sweet soule; for so sheep run fro the Woolu's-iawes,
Hart fro the greedy Lyons, and fearful Doue fro the AEgle,
Euery one from a foe: but Daphne flies from a faithful
Friend, from a wounded soule, from a constant louer Apollo.
Looke to thy selfe, Daphne, take heede, for feare of a falling,
O, stay, haste makes waste, these thorns may chāce to be pricking
Those thy tender legs, and all through fault of Apollo:
O, these waies are rough, and ouer-growne with a thousand
Briers, if Daphne needs will goe, let her easily goe on,
Easily goe on afore, and Ile haste easily after.
And yet let Daphne not scorne to regard, to remember,
And mark wel, what he is, that beares such fancie to Daphne.
Noe brute mountaine bird, no swayne, no rustical Hoblob,
No threed-bare pastor, with an hyred flock by the forrest,
Prowd of a bawling curre, of a iarring pipe, or a sheep-hooke,
But burning Tytan, bright Phœbus, chearful Apollo.
Delos mine Honnor, my fame and glory denounceth,
And Clarian temples doe yeeld mee duetiful offrings.
Simple wench, God knowes, thou knowst not Phœbus Apollo,
And therfore thou runst as a simple wench, from Apollo,
Worlds sight, and worlds light, worlds comfort, Phœbus Apollo,
Soothsayer, singer, Ioues ofspring, Phœbus Apollo,
Yea, and most stedfast, most cunning archer, Apollo,
Had not that vile boy more stedfast hand then Apollo.
Healing hearbs, strange rootes, sweet balmes, odoriferus oyntments
Were found out, set forth, first taught by Phœbus Apollo,
And yet alas, not an hearb, not a roote, not a balme, not an oyntment
Is to be found that can cure cureles wound of Apollo.
Louer Apollo runs, and thus complains as he runneth.
O, stay deare Daphne, thy best friend hasteneth after,
Fly not away, sweet soule; for so sheep run fro the Woolu's-iawes,
Hart fro the greedy Lyons, and fearful Doue fro the AEgle,
Euery one from a foe: but Daphne flies from a faithful
Friend, from a wounded soule, from a constant louer Apollo.
Looke to thy selfe, Daphne, take heede, for feare of a falling,
O, stay, haste makes waste, these thorns may chāce to be pricking
Those thy tender legs, and all through fault of Apollo:
O, these waies are rough, and ouer-growne with a thousand
Briers, if Daphne needs will goe, let her easily goe on,
Easily goe on afore, and Ile haste easily after.
And yet let Daphne not scorne to regard, to remember,
And mark wel, what he is, that beares such fancie to Daphne.
Noe brute mountaine bird, no swayne, no rustical Hoblob,
No threed-bare pastor, with an hyred flock by the forrest,
Prowd of a bawling curre, of a iarring pipe, or a sheep-hooke,
But burning Tytan, bright Phœbus, chearful Apollo.
Delos mine Honnor, my fame and glory denounceth,
And Clarian temples doe yeeld mee duetiful offrings.
Simple wench, God knowes, thou knowst not Phœbus Apollo,
And therfore thou runst as a simple wench, from Apollo,
Worlds sight, and worlds light, worlds comfort, Phœbus Apollo,
Soothsayer, singer, Ioues ofspring, Phœbus Apollo,
Yea, and most stedfast, most cunning archer, Apollo,
Had not that vile boy more stedfast hand then Apollo.
Healing hearbs, strange rootes, sweet balmes, odoriferus oyntments
Were found out, set forth, first taught by Phœbus Apollo,
And yet alas, not an hearb, not a roote, not a balme, not an oyntment
Is to be found that can cure cureles wound of Apollo.
Phœbus spake; and more by Phœbus was to be spoken,
Daphne breakes his speech, and runs for life fro the speaker.
Sweet windes encountring Daphne (as loth to be leauing
So braue lasse, and glad such tender lims to be tutching)
With milde blasts did blow her garments easily backward,
That bare skin, more white then snowe vntroaden, apeared,
And wauing loose locks flew here and there by the shoulders.
Flight augments her forme, and barest parts be the brauest:
Flight augments his loue, and nearest ioyes be the dearest:
And as a nimble youth, as a youthful God, to the damsel
Strayght with might and mayne, and all inraged he flieth,
And leaues intreating and frames himself to a forcing.
Daphne breakes his speech, and runs for life fro the speaker.
Sweet windes encountring Daphne (as loth to be leauing
So braue lasse, and glad such tender lims to be tutching)
With milde blasts did blow her garments easily backward,
That bare skin, more white then snowe vntroaden, apeared,
And wauing loose locks flew here and there by the shoulders.
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Flight augments his loue, and nearest ioyes be the dearest:
And as a nimble youth, as a youthful God, to the damsel
Strayght with might and mayne, and all inraged he flieth,
And leaues intreating and frames himself to a forcing.
Like as a light-foot hound, and trembling hare, in an open
Field, when as either runs, and either feares to be out-run,
Either runs for life, and either runs for a hares life,
Hare to prolong her life, and murdring hound to abridge it:
Hound thrusts forth his snowt, girds out, and greedily snatcheth:
Prest to deuour poore hare; poore hare scarce fully resolued
Whether shee's yet caught or not caught, shrinkes fro the murdrers
Teeth all on water: so Daphne, so was Apollo.
Feare driues on Daphne, and loue stil lifts vp Apollo:
Loue so lifts louer, that neare and nearer he vrgeth
Poore fainting Daphne, now hard at her heeles he aprocheth.
Eu'n so hard at her heeles, that Daphnes hayre by Apollo,
Daphnes scattered hayre was blow'n by the breath of Apollo.
Field, when as either runs, and either feares to be out-run,
Either runs for life, and either runs for a hares life,
Hare to prolong her life, and murdring hound to abridge it:
Hound thrusts forth his snowt, girds out, and greedily snatcheth:
Prest to deuour poore hare; poore hare scarce fully resolued
Whether shee's yet caught or not caught, shrinkes fro the murdrers
Teeth all on water: so Daphne, so was Apollo.
Feare driues on Daphne, and loue stil lifts vp Apollo:
Loue so lifts louer, that neare and nearer he vrgeth
Poore fainting Daphne, now hard at her heeles he aprocheth.
Eu'n so hard at her heeles, that Daphnes hayre by Apollo,
Daphnes scattered hayre was blow'n by the breath of Apollo.
Then weake and all spent, turning her face to the waters,
Pœnæus waters, there this last boone she desireth.
Father Pœnæus, lend helping hand to thy daughter,
If you brookes are Gods, and haue such grace from Olympus,
Let this gaping earth conuey mee downe to Auernus,
Or, let this my face, too pleasing face, be defaced,
Let this forme, which causd my former woe, be deformed,
And to an other shape by transformation altred.
Pœnæus waters, there this last boone she desireth.
Father Pœnæus, lend helping hand to thy daughter,
If you brookes are Gods, and haue such grace from Olympus,
Let this gaping earth conuey mee downe to Auernus,
Or, let this my face, too pleasing face, be defaced,
Let this forme, which causd my former woe, be deformed,
And to an other shape by transformation altred.
Her words scarce vttred, lims al were starck in a moment,
And her tender breast, all ouer-grow'n with a tender
Barck, and locks were leaues, & bare armes grew to be branches:
Swift foot was slow root, and crowne transformd to a tree-top;
In stead of Daphne by the riuer sprang vp a Laurel,
Laurel fresh and fayre, as fayre and fresh as a Daphne.
And her tender breast, all ouer-grow'n with a tender
Barck, and locks were leaues, & bare armes grew to be branches:
Swift foot was slow root, and crowne transformd to a tree-top;
In stead of Daphne by the riuer sprang vp a Laurel,
Laurel fresh and fayre, as fayre and fresh as a Daphne.
Phœbus comes sweating and blowing vnto the new tree,
And, for his old loues sake, beares endles loue to the new tree:
Yet when he tutcht new tree, new tree was afrayd of a tutching;
Vnder a bark of a tree, Daphne was felt to be panting;
Yea, when he offred a kisse to the tree, in stead of a Daphne,
Tree bent back fro the kisse, and started aside as a Daphne.
And, for his old loues sake, beares endles loue to the new tree:
Yet when he tutcht new tree, new tree was afrayd of a tutching;
Vnder a bark of a tree, Daphne was felt to be panting;
Yea, when he offred a kisse to the tree, in stead of a Daphne,
Tree bent back fro the kisse, and started aside as a Daphne.
Well, qd he, though Daphne shall neuermore be Apolloes
Wife, yet Daphnes tree shall euermore be Apolloes
Tree, and deck both head, and hayre, and bow of Apollo.
Yea, those noble Dukes, great Lords, and martial Emprors.
Daphnes Laurel leaues at feasts and stately triumphings,
In signe of conquest, shall euermore be adorning:
And as Apolloes face is fresh and lyuely for euer,
So shall Daphnes leaues grow greene and louely for euer,
Thus did Apollo speak, and Laurell tree for a Daphne,
Bowes her top for a head, and condiscends to Apollo.
Wife, yet Daphnes tree shall euermore be Apolloes
Tree, and deck both head, and hayre, and bow of Apollo.
Yea, those noble Dukes, great Lords, and martial Emprors.
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In signe of conquest, shall euermore be adorning:
And as Apolloes face is fresh and lyuely for euer,
So shall Daphnes leaues grow greene and louely for euer,
Thus did Apollo speak, and Laurell tree for a Daphne,
Bowes her top for a head, and condiscends to Apollo.
Daphne thus transformd: Clymene was lou'd of Apollo,
Lou'd, and bare him a son; Phaeton; too youthful a yonker,
Whose ouer-weening was his ouerthrow, by presuming
Rashly beyond his reach, his fathers coach to be guiding:
Like to the foolish boy, who mounting vp to Olympus,
Burnt his wings and wax, and soe fell downe to Auernus.
Lou'd, and bare him a son; Phaeton; too youthful a yonker,
Whose ouer-weening was his ouerthrow, by presuming
Rashly beyond his reach, his fathers coach to be guiding:
Like to the foolish boy, who mounting vp to Olympus,
Burnt his wings and wax, and soe fell downe to Auernus.
| The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch | |