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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[Long, and far wandring Cadmus by the help of an earthborne] |
 | The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch |  |
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[Long, and far wandring Cadmus by the help of an earthborne]
Long, and far wandring Cadmus by the help of an earthborne
Serpents broode, and good aduise of Lady Minerua,
Founded Thebes at last: but alas, no sooner he founded
Thebes, but vnhappy nephew, made grandsire Cadmus vnhappy.
Luckles, vnhappy nephew Acteon, ioyed in hunting,
Ouermuch hunting, til his own hounds hunted his own-self.
And yet no mischiefe did he work, but suffred a mischaunce,
No fault, but Fortune, causd his poore head to be horned.
Serpents broode, and good aduise of Lady Minerua,
Founded Thebes at last: but alas, no sooner he founded
Thebes, but vnhappy nephew, made grandsire Cadmus vnhappy.
Luckles, vnhappy nephew Acteon, ioyed in hunting,
Ouermuch hunting, til his own hounds hunted his own-self.
And yet no mischiefe did he work, but suffred a mischaunce,
No fault, but Fortune, causd his poore head to be horned.
Acteon on a time from his house vntimely departed,
And to the green wood went with his hounds and hunts-men about him.
Morning all was spent, and Phœbus loftily mounted
Iust twixt East and Weast, drew euery shade to be shortest.
And to the green wood went with his hounds and hunts-men about him.
Morning all was spent, and Phœbus loftily mounted
Iust twixt East and Weast, drew euery shade to be shortest.
Mates, sayd Acteon, it's now ful time to be resting;
Wee haue had good sport: now burning Phœbus on each side
Scalds vs, take vp toyles, and cease any more to be toyling;
Next day, eu'n by the break of day, wee'le back to the forrest.
Wee haue had good sport: now burning Phœbus on each side
Scalds vs, take vp toyles, and cease any more to be toyling;
Next day, eu'n by the break of day, wee'le back to the forrest.
Acteons counsel was lik'te, his company rested,
Tooke vp tooles and toyles, and ceas't for a while to be toyling.
Tooke vp tooles and toyles, and ceas't for a while to be toyling.
There was a Dale, with Pine and Cypresse daintily shaded,
Called Gargaphia, sacred to the Lady Diana.
In whose furthest end was a playne and natural harbor,
And yet so pleasant, so sweet, so chearful a harbor,
That no arte could stayne this playne and natural harbor:
Harbor vauted aboue with bending bowes of a thousand
Tall trees: walled about with stones wrought only by nature,
And (which gaue most grace, and was to be chiefly regarded)
Watred sweetly within, with a bubling spring that abounded
with cleare cristal streames: whose brim was cherefuly mantled
With grasse, hearbs, and flowers: And here was lately ariued
Sou'raigne Lady regent of forrests, mighty Diana,
And her mayden troupes; with purpose there to be bathing
Their vnspotted limmes, all weake and weary with hunting.
And no sooner was that Virgin Lady ariued,
But qviuer, sharp dartes, and vnbent bow she deliu'red
Vnto her hand-mayd squire, who them with duety receaued.
Some pluck off buskins, some tuckt-vp roabes be remouing:
Nyphe brings water: Crocale stands still by Diana,
Fine-fingred Crocale, her loose hayre daintily tressing.
Called Gargaphia, sacred to the Lady Diana.
In whose furthest end was a playne and natural harbor,
And yet so pleasant, so sweet, so chearful a harbor,
That no arte could stayne this playne and natural harbor:
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Tall trees: walled about with stones wrought only by nature,
And (which gaue most grace, and was to be chiefly regarded)
Watred sweetly within, with a bubling spring that abounded
with cleare cristal streames: whose brim was cherefuly mantled
With grasse, hearbs, and flowers: And here was lately ariued
Sou'raigne Lady regent of forrests, mighty Diana,
And her mayden troupes; with purpose there to be bathing
Their vnspotted limmes, all weake and weary with hunting.
And no sooner was that Virgin Lady ariued,
But qviuer, sharp dartes, and vnbent bow she deliu'red
Vnto her hand-mayd squire, who them with duety receaued.
Some pluck off buskins, some tuckt-vp roabes be remouing:
Nyphe brings water: Crocale stands still by Diana,
Fine-fingred Crocale, her loose hayre daintily tressing.
But whilst Lady regent with a naked company guarded,
Washt her self in spring, and no-mans company feared,
In comes Acteon, from sleeping company seu'red,
In comes Acteon, by chance, to the company naked.
Washt her self in spring, and no-mans company feared,
In comes Acteon, from sleeping company seu'red,
In comes Acteon, by chance, to the company naked.
Naked Nymphs seeing, that a man saw them to be naked,
Smote their naked breasts, and made so woful an out-cry,
That woods, wells, and caues in like sorte yeelded an out-cry:
And with naked breasts gaue cour'ing vnto the naked
Goddes their mistres, ioynd all in a round, in a compas.
But their matchles Queene, and Sou'raigne Lady Diana
Was too talle to be hid by that same company naked,
Ouer-lookt them quite, and so was seene to be naked:
And like scarlet clowdes, where Tytans beams be reflected,
Was their Mistres face, when she was seene to be naked:
Red for shame, and red for griefe: for shame to be naked,
And for griefe much more, for griefe to be taken vnarmed.
Yet, thogh weaponles, she raught both hands to the wel-spring:
And Acteons face with water deadly besprinkling;
Now, sayd shee, go tel, that thou sawst Lady Diana
Naked, spare not a whit. This short narration ended,
Poore Acteons head with an ould Harts hornes she adorned,
Made eares sharp, nose flat, neck long, made armes to be spindle
Shancks, and fingers feet, and couered al with a specled
Hyde: and least any part of a Hart should seeme to be wanting,
Fearful thoughts, and fleeting legges are giu'n to the hartles
New hart Acteon, who feares, and flies by the forrest,
And, as he flies, wonders, that he flies so fast by the forrest.
Smote their naked breasts, and made so woful an out-cry,
That woods, wells, and caues in like sorte yeelded an out-cry:
And with naked breasts gaue cour'ing vnto the naked
Goddes their mistres, ioynd all in a round, in a compas.
But their matchles Queene, and Sou'raigne Lady Diana
Was too talle to be hid by that same company naked,
Ouer-lookt them quite, and so was seene to be naked:
And like scarlet clowdes, where Tytans beams be reflected,
Was their Mistres face, when she was seene to be naked:
Red for shame, and red for griefe: for shame to be naked,
And for griefe much more, for griefe to be taken vnarmed.
Yet, thogh weaponles, she raught both hands to the wel-spring:
And Acteons face with water deadly besprinkling;
Now, sayd shee, go tel, that thou sawst Lady Diana
Naked, spare not a whit. This short narration ended,
Poore Acteons head with an ould Harts hornes she adorned,
Made eares sharp, nose flat, neck long, made armes to be spindle
Shancks, and fingers feet, and couered al with a specled
Hyde: and least any part of a Hart should seeme to be wanting,
Fearful thoughts, and fleeting legges are giu'n to the hartles
New hart Acteon, who feares, and flies by the forrest,
And, as he flies, wonders, that he flies so fast by the forrest.
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But when he came to a brook, & saw his head to be homed,
And mouth enlarged, poore Hart, with terror amased
Whould haue cryed, Alas: but, alas, poore soule he deliu'red
Not so much as, Alas: sighs and brayes onely remayned
For to bewray his griefe, and teares powr'd foorth with abundance,
Trickling down his cheeks, not his own cheeks now, but a Harts cheeks.
And mouth enlarged, poore Hart, with terror amased
Whould haue cryed, Alas: but, alas, poore soule he deliu'red
Not so much as, Alas: sighs and brayes onely remayned
For to bewray his griefe, and teares powr'd foorth with abundance,
Trickling down his cheeks, not his own cheeks now, but a Harts cheeks.
Of th' ould Acteon, th' ould minde now onely remayneth;
And this same ould minde is tost and turnd with a thousand
Conceits, cares, and feares. For, what shal he doe? shal he go home
Vnto the King and Queene, or wander alone by the desert?
Shame driu's Acteon fro the one; and feare fro the other:
Shame, on a King and Queene with a horned face, to be staring,
Feare, for a man forelorne by the desert stil to be wandring.
And this same ould minde is tost and turnd with a thousand
Conceits, cares, and feares. For, what shal he doe? shal he go home
Vnto the King and Queene, or wander alone by the desert?
Shame driu's Acteon fro the one; and feare fro the other:
Shame, on a King and Queene with a horned face, to be staring,
Feare, for a man forelorne by the desert stil to be wandring.
As thus he stood doubting, his dogs espied his horned
Head, light Lœlaps first, with nimble-footed Aello
Called alowd to the rest; and then whole kennel aproached:
Nebrophonos, Dorceus, Harpya, Lycisca, Melampus,
Pamphagus, Agriodos, Pterelas, Hylæus, Hylactor:
These and as many more, through thick and thinne, by the wayles
Wayes, by the rocks and clyffes, by the hedge and ditch, by the desert
Run for a pray, and poore Acteon runs from his owne houndes,
And is chac'te himself, who was so lately a chacer,
Hunted of hounds himself, who that same day was a hunter:
Acteon makes sporte and play with his houndes in a morning,
And that self same day is a pray to his hounds by the eu'ning.
Oftentimes did he strayne himself, and sought to be speaking
Vnto his houndes, O leaue, leaue your vnnatural outrage,
Let your master alone: But no words could be aforded:
And the redoubled crie in mean time rang by the forrest.
Head, light Lœlaps first, with nimble-footed Aello
Called alowd to the rest; and then whole kennel aproached:
Nebrophonos, Dorceus, Harpya, Lycisca, Melampus,
Pamphagus, Agriodos, Pterelas, Hylæus, Hylactor:
These and as many more, through thick and thinne, by the wayles
Wayes, by the rocks and clyffes, by the hedge and ditch, by the desert
Run for a pray, and poore Acteon runs from his owne houndes,
And is chac'te himself, who was so lately a chacer,
Hunted of hounds himself, who that same day was a hunter:
Acteon makes sporte and play with his houndes in a morning,
And that self same day is a pray to his hounds by the eu'ning.
Oftentimes did he strayne himself, and sought to be speaking
Vnto his houndes, O leaue, leaue your vnnatural outrage,
Let your master alone: But no words could be aforded:
And the redoubled crie in mean time rang by the forrest.
Greedy Melanchætes did pinch him first by the haunches,
Next came Theridamas: Oresitrophos hangd by the shoulder.
These last, though latest, by crossing ouer a hill top,
Gayne-coapte Acteon, and held him fast, til his other
Hounds came trolling in: Who all so greedily fastned
On poore Acteon, that he scarce had so many morsels,
So many seu'ral bits, for so many houndes to be biting.
Acteon stil pluckt, stil powr'd foorth playnts to the forrest,
Groaned at euery gripe, and brayed at euery biting,
Groand as a man, brayd out as a Hart, and playnd as a Hart-man:
And on bended knees, with dolefull lookes he beholdes his
Hounds, and would, if he could, intreate and humbly beseech them.
Next came Theridamas: Oresitrophos hangd by the shoulder.
These last, though latest, by crossing ouer a hill top,
Gayne-coapte Acteon, and held him fast, til his other
Hounds came trolling in: Who all so greedily fastned
On poore Acteon, that he scarce had so many morsels,
So many seu'ral bits, for so many houndes to be biting.
Acteon stil pluckt, stil powr'd foorth playnts to the forrest,
Groaned at euery gripe, and brayed at euery biting,
Groand as a man, brayd out as a Hart, and playnd as a Hart-man:
And on bended knees, with dolefull lookes he beholdes his
Hounds, and would, if he could, intreate and humbly beseech them.
But mery hunts-men cheare their houndes, and neuer imagin
This to be Acteon: but looke each way by the forrest
For their Acteon; and hallow al by the forrest
For their Acteon, (Acteon shaked his horned
Head, when he heard his name) and al complaine, for his absence
From so goodly a sight, from so vnlookt for a pastime;
Where poore Acteon, God knowes, did wish to be absent,
But was forced, alas, to be too vnluckily present,
And saw more then he sought & felt much more thē he lookt for.
Cursed curres, Hell-hounds, their guts too greedily glutting,
Their Lord Acteon, instead of a stagge, be deuouring.
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For their Acteon; and hallow al by the forrest
For their Acteon, (Acteon shaked his horned
Head, when he heard his name) and al complaine, for his absence
From so goodly a sight, from so vnlookt for a pastime;
Where poore Acteon, God knowes, did wish to be absent,
But was forced, alas, to be too vnluckily present,
And saw more then he sought & felt much more thē he lookt for.
Cursed curres, Hell-hounds, their guts too greedily glutting,
Their Lord Acteon, instead of a stagge, be deuouring.
So nothing but death, yea death by so many deaths-wounds
Pleasd the reuenging minde of too too stately Diana,
Yet not so austere, yet not so stately Diana,
But that her owld Mynion with a looke more louely regarding,
Beautiful Endymion she could finde time to be kissing.
Pleasd the reuenging minde of too too stately Diana,
Yet not so austere, yet not so stately Diana,
But that her owld Mynion with a looke more louely regarding,
Beautiful Endymion she could finde time to be kissing.
| The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch | |