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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[Cadmeian Semele was great with child by the thundrer] |
 | The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch |  |
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[Cadmeian Semele was great with child by the thundrer]
Cadmeian
Semele was great with child by the thundrer,
Great with childe and quick. Whereat Saturnian Empres
Iuno, frets and fumes; and brawles and scoldes with her husband,
Great with childe and quick. Whereat Saturnian Empres
Iuno, frets and fumes; and brawles and scoldes with her husband,
At last, what bootes it, qd shee, my winde to be wasting,
As though in fore-times Ioue gaue any eare to my scolding?
Nay nay, workes, not wordes must plague that drabbe, that adultres
What? shall Iuno the Queene by a shameles queane be abused?
Iuno the Sou'raigne Queene? shal I raigne in skies with a golden
Mace and scepter in hand, and yet parte stakes with a strumpet?
If that an outcome whore be my mistres, why am I called
Ioues wife and sister? Nay sister alone: for I beare this
Name of a wife for a shew, Ioues secret scapes to be cou'ring.
Secret? nay shee vaunts, and takes a delight in her open
Shame; shee's bagd forsooth, and great with childe with a vengeance;
And lookes euery day and howre to be called a mother
Of some brat, by a God, by a greatest God, by a thundring
Ioue; which scarce hath chaunc'te in so many yeares to a Iuno.
But let my mistres no more take mee for a Iuno,
If that I make her not with her owne mouth aske for her owne death,
If that I make not Ioue, yea Ioue himselfe, to be autor
Of this death. This sayd, inclosde in a clowde, she remoued:
And to the huswifes house, in a ielous fury repayred.
Foltring toung, hoare hayre, sunck eyes, legs lasily limping,
Face plowde with wrinckles, did make her like to the olde nurse,
Olde Beldam Beroe, Semeles nurse. And, of a purpose,
After long tatling, at length shee came to the name of
Iupiter, and then sight and sayd: Deare daughter, I pray God,
That this prooue to be Ioue; but I doubt: for, alas, many harlots
Vnder a fained name of Gods haue fouly deceaued
Good-naturd damsels, and them with follie defiled.
But suppose he be Ioue: yet that's not enough for a maydens
Minde, vnles that he shew himselfe to be truly the thundring
Ioue: for, a disguisde Ioue is no Ioue: aske him a token,
Aske him a signe thereof, deare childe: and surely, beleeue mee,
No signe's sufficient, vnles that he company with thee,
In that self-same sort as he doth with Iuno the Goddes,
In that Princelike guise, in that maiestical order,
With Sou'raigne scepter, with fire and thunder about him.
As though in fore-times Ioue gaue any eare to my scolding?
Nay nay, workes, not wordes must plague that drabbe, that adultres
What? shall Iuno the Queene by a shameles queane be abused?
Iuno the Sou'raigne Queene? shal I raigne in skies with a golden
Mace and scepter in hand, and yet parte stakes with a strumpet?
If that an outcome whore be my mistres, why am I called
Ioues wife and sister? Nay sister alone: for I beare this
Name of a wife for a shew, Ioues secret scapes to be cou'ring.
Secret? nay shee vaunts, and takes a delight in her open
Shame; shee's bagd forsooth, and great with childe with a vengeance;
And lookes euery day and howre to be called a mother
Of some brat, by a God, by a greatest God, by a thundring
Ioue; which scarce hath chaunc'te in so many yeares to a Iuno.
But let my mistres no more take mee for a Iuno,
If that I make her not with her owne mouth aske for her owne death,
If that I make not Ioue, yea Ioue himselfe, to be autor
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And to the huswifes house, in a ielous fury repayred.
Foltring toung, hoare hayre, sunck eyes, legs lasily limping,
Face plowde with wrinckles, did make her like to the olde nurse,
Olde Beldam Beroe, Semeles nurse. And, of a purpose,
After long tatling, at length shee came to the name of
Iupiter, and then sight and sayd: Deare daughter, I pray God,
That this prooue to be Ioue; but I doubt: for, alas, many harlots
Vnder a fained name of Gods haue fouly deceaued
Good-naturd damsels, and them with follie defiled.
But suppose he be Ioue: yet that's not enough for a maydens
Minde, vnles that he shew himselfe to be truly the thundring
Ioue: for, a disguisde Ioue is no Ioue: aske him a token,
Aske him a signe thereof, deare childe: and surely, beleeue mee,
No signe's sufficient, vnles that he company with thee,
In that self-same sort as he doth with Iuno the Goddes,
In that Princelike guise, in that maiestical order,
With Sou'raigne scepter, with fire and thunder about him.
Simple soule Semele, instructed thus by the Beldam,
Asked a boone of Ioue, as soone as he came to the entry,
But tolde not what boone: Ioue graunts, & sweares by the sacred
Horror of hellish Stix, that he would performe what he graūted.
Asked a boone of Ioue, as soone as he came to the entry,
But tolde not what boone: Ioue graunts, & sweares by the sacred
Horror of hellish Stix, that he would performe what he graūted.
Why then, qd Semele, let mee kisse Ioue as a thundring
And bright lightning Ioue, no lesse then Iuno the Goddes.
Ioue would fayne haue stopt her foolish mouth: but a fooles bolt
Was soone, too soone shot, which Ioue extreamly molested:
For, neither Semele could vnwish what she had once wisht,
Nor lamenting Ioue vnsweare that which he had once sworne.
And bright lightning Ioue, no lesse then Iuno the Goddes.
Ioue would fayne haue stopt her foolish mouth: but a fooles bolt
Was soone, too soone shot, which Ioue extreamly molested:
For, neither Semele could vnwish what she had once wisht,
Nor lamenting Ioue vnsweare that which he had once sworne.
Therefore sore displeased, he gets himselfe to Olympus,
And with a stearne countnance and grim look, heaps on a cluster
Thick clowds, blustring winds, black storms, fires fearfuly flashing,
And th' vndaunted dint of thunders mightily roaring:
And yet he makes himselfe as milde as he possibly may bee,
And allayes his Sou'raigne force, and leaues the deuouring
Fearful thunderbolt, that stroke downe griesly Typhoeus.
There is an other kinde of thunder: there is a lightning
Framed much more light, and of lesse might, by the Cyclops,
Cald the second scepter: this he takes, and comes to the chamber
Of longing Semele: who prowd and vayne as a woman,
With fond selfe conceit drew self-destruction onwards.
For, mortal Semele was quite consum'd in a moment
By th' immortal strength, and matchles might of a thundrer.
Yet, th' imperfect fruite fro the mothers wombe he remoued,
And (so ran the report) in his owne thigh strangely receau'd it,
Til by continuance of time it grew to a ripenes,
And the apoynted time by degrres was come to a fullnes.
And with a stearne countnance and grim look, heaps on a cluster
Thick clowds, blustring winds, black storms, fires fearfuly flashing,
And th' vndaunted dint of thunders mightily roaring:
And yet he makes himselfe as milde as he possibly may bee,
And allayes his Sou'raigne force, and leaues the deuouring
Fearful thunderbolt, that stroke downe griesly Typhoeus.
There is an other kinde of thunder: there is a lightning
Framed much more light, and of lesse might, by the Cyclops,
Cald the second scepter: this he takes, and comes to the chamber
Of longing Semele: who prowd and vayne as a woman,
With fond selfe conceit drew self-destruction onwards.
For, mortal Semele was quite consum'd in a moment
By th' immortal strength, and matchles might of a thundrer.
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And (so ran the report) in his owne thigh strangely receau'd it,
Til by continuance of time it grew to a ripenes,
And the apoynted time by degrres was come to a fullnes.
Then by his aunt Ino, for a while was he charily fostred,
And soone after that, to the Nimphs of Nysa, deliu'red:
And good-natur'd Nymphs from Iuno warily kept him
In bowres and harbors, and gaue him milk for a season.
And soone after that, to the Nimphs of Nysa, deliu'red:
And good-natur'd Nymphs from Iuno warily kept him
In bowres and harbors, and gaue him milk for a season.
This same twice-borne babe at length was called Iacchus,
Sweete boy, pleasant impe, fayre lad, braue yonker Iacchus,
Neuer sad, free-tongd, free-hart, free-handed Iacchus,
And, when he wanteth his horns, as milde as a maiden, Iacchus,
But, when he hath on his horns, as fierce as a Tyger, Iacchus.
Sweete boy, pleasant impe, fayre lad, braue yonker Iacchus,
Neuer sad, free-tongd, free-hart, free-handed Iacchus,
And, when he wanteth his horns, as milde as a maiden, Iacchus,
But, when he hath on his horns, as fierce as a Tyger, Iacchus.
| The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch | |