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The verse has been extracted from prose text.

[Now that solempne feast of murdred Amyntas aproached]

Now that solempne feast of murdred Amyntas aproached:
And by the late edict by Pembrokiana pronounced,
Yuychurches nymphs and pastors duely prepared
With fatall Garlands of newfound flowre Amaranthus,
Downe in Amyntas dale, on Amyntas day be asembled.
Pastymes ouerpast, and death's celebration ended,
Matchles Lady regent, for a further grace to Amyntas
Late transformd to a flowre; wills euery man to remember
Some one God transformd, or that transformed an other:
And enioynes each nymph to recount some tale of a Goddesse
That was changd herself, or wrought some change in an other:
And that as euery tale and history drew to an ending,
Soe sage Elpinus with due attention harckning,
Shuld his mynd disclose, and learned opinion vtter.
Thirsis turne was first: whoe after his humble obeissance
Made to the Lady regent, thus fram'de himself to be singing.
When noe fyre, noe ayre, noe earth, noe water apeared,
Confusd fyre, rude ayre, vast earth, dull water abyded.
Water, th' earth and ayre and fyre extreamely defaced,
And fyre, th' earth and ayre and water fowly deformed.
For where water or earth, where ayre or fyre was abyding,
Fyre, ayre, earth, water were also ioyntly remaynyng.
Fyre and ayre and earth with a shapeles water abounded,
And earth ayre and fyre, that shapeles water aforded,
Eueryone was in all, and all was in euery one thing,
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Soe each one made all, made this rude All, to be nothing,
Nothing els but a heape, but a masse, but a lump, but a cluster;
Cluster, lump, masse, heape, where seedes of things disagreeing
Fyre, ayre, earth, water lay all confusd in a corner.
Hoate things fled fro the colde, dry could not abide to be moystned,
Hard contemned soft, and light fro the heauy retyred.
Noe peace, noe concord, noe good conformable order,
Nought but warrs and iarrs, all strife, and all on an vproare.
Noe aire transparent, noe Sunne was cause of a daylight,
Noe nights-light Phœbe was a chearfull guide to the darcknes;
Earth was not yet firme, fire could not yeeld any sparkles,
Water would not flow: til sou'raigne God Demogorgon
Ends these broyles, brings peace, setts euery thing in an order.
Heau'n fro the earth he dyuides, and earth fro the water he parteth,
And pure Christall skye from grosse thick ayre he remoueth.
These things thus distinct, in seu'rall places he setleth,
Light fyre mounteth aloft, and lyfts it-self to the heauen,
Ayre next in lightnes, next him was placed in highnes,
Grosse earth drew downeward, and stayd herselfe by the centre,
Water cleaues to the earth, and there as a border abydeth.
Fyre, ayre, earth, water were euery howre in an vproare,
Whilst they lay on a heape, and all dwelt ioyntly togeather;
Fyre, ayre, earth, water were brought to a peacable order,
When they lodged apart, each one in seueral harbor.
Thus by a disioyning, Elements were mightily ioyned,
And by disunyting vnyted fyrmely for euer.
Each part thus placed, round earth was cast in a compas
Lyke to a globe or a ball, that noe syde might be vnequall.
Then were swelling Seas powrd foorth in places apoynted
Here and there by the earth; whose braunches duly dyuyded
Kyngdomes from kyngdomes: then first came springs fro the mountayns,
Pooles were pitcht in moores, and lakes lay downe by the valleys,
Ryuers flowd by the fyelds with a thowsand slippery wyndings,
Some suckt vp by the earth, some ran to the sea with a restles
race, his shoare for a banck with billowes mightyly beating.
Then fyelds stretcht themselues, then meddowes gan to be flowring,
Greene leaues cou'red trees, and trees gaue shade to the forrests,
Mountayns mounted aloft, and dales drew speedyly downewarde.
Ouersea and earth, the relenting ayre he reposed,
And there foggs and mystes and clustred clowds he apoynted.
Thence come thunder-clapps, thence lightnings, there be the blustring
Wyndes, whose roaring blasts would teare this world in a thousand
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Peeces, might they rage at randon: but the prefixed
Coastes are known, for these fowre brawling brethren apoynted.
Eurus flew to the East, where Memnons mother ariseth,
Sweete Zephyrus to the Weast, where Sunnes reuolution endeth,
Cold Boreas to the North, whence frosts are dayly proceeding,
Moyst Auster to the South, where showres are euer abounding.
Next to the ayre, bright sky, as a royall throane he reposed,
And eache parte thereof with starrelight all to beesprinckled.
Thus was an ougly Chaos transformd at last to a braue worlde,
Soe braue, that t'was a world soe woorthy a world to be seeing.
Euery quarter of it with such lyue things was adorned,
As were conuenyent and seemely for euery quarter.
Gods dwelt in bright skyes, and Christall-mantled Olympus,
Fowles did fly by the ayre, and Fishes swam by the waters,
Mylde beastes fed by the fyelds, and wylde beasts rangde by the Forrests.
But man was wanting, who might be the absolut owner,
And haue perfect rule and iurisdiction ouer
Mylde beasts and wylde beasts, and Foules and slippery fishes.
At length Man was made of mould by the crafty Prometheus,
Crafty Prometheus, whoe by degrees contriued a picture,
And gaue life to the same with fyre that he stole fro the heauens.
And, where other beasts lay poaring downe to the grownd-wards,
Man with a greater state had a looke lyft vp to Olympus,
Whence his better part was then but lately deryued.
This was an age of gold, then was Saturnus an Emprour,
Sythe-bearing Saturne rul'de iustly without any iudges,
Noe lawes, noe lawyers were then, yet noebody lawlesse,
Noe the eues and robbers were hangd, yet noebody robbed,
Noe bloody manqueller was kyld, yet noebody murdred.
Vndissembled loue and playne symplycyty ruled,
Vncorrupted fayth and pure synceryty raigned.
Hart conceaud noe harme; tong, harts interpreter only,
Playnly without any glose or dissimulation op'ned
Harts harmeles conceipts: hands, true and trusty to practyse,
Did, what his hart contryu'd, or tong had truly delyu'red.
Pinetrees pitcht vpon hills, gaue wonted grace to the hill-topp,
Not with gaping gulfs of Auernus dayly bedashed,
But with trickling showres of Olympus sweetly bedeawed.
Euery man kept home, and where he receau'd a beginning,
There did he make his graue, and drew his dayes to an ending.
Noebodie was soe mad by the ragged rocks to be ranging,
And with clowds, windes, seaes, nay heau'n and hell to be stryuyng,
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Only to spy and ly, and feede fooles eares with a wonder,
How fro Geneua to Gaunt, from Gaunt he repair'd to Vienna,
How fro the Turk to the Pope, fro the Pope to the Souldan of Ægipt,
And at last came back fro the new found world as an old foole,
With fowre Dutch-french woords, with a strange-cutt beard, or a Cassock.
Noe townes were walled, noe walls were loftyly towred,
Noe towres were planted with diu'ls inuention ord'nance.
Euery bush was a bowre, and euery rustical harbor
Was sort sufficient, where noe force was to be feared.
Deaths-forerunner Drum did sownd no dreadful Alarum;
Noe man-murdring man with a teare-flesh pyke, or a pollax,
Or blood-sacking sweard was known by the name of a Sowldyer.
Peace made euery man secure, securyty careles,
Carelesnes causd myrth, myrth neuer dreeds any danger.
Fruytefull ground vntorne, vntutcht, was free fro the plough snare,
And self-sufficient, of her owne selfe yeelded aboundance.
Noe new-found dishes were sought, noe costly deuises
Farr-fetcht and deare bought: men simple lyued a simple
Lyfe, vsd symple foode, sloe, nutt, plum, strawbery, apple,
Ackorne falln fro the oake, and blackbery pluckt fro the bramble
Tygers were then tame, sharpe-tusked boare was obeissant,
Stoordy Lyons lowted, noe woolf was knowne to be mankinde,
Beares did bow at a beck, no serpent breathd any poyson.
Spring was still-springing, whole yeare was wholly a spring-tyme,
Euer-shyning sunne with clowds was neuer eclipsed,
Euer-flowring flowrs with frosts were neuer anoyed.
Lyfe-breathing Zephyrus with sweete blast charyly fostred
Euery fruite, which th' earth of her owne free bounty aforded.
Yea good-natur'd ground at last gaue plentiful haruest,
Neuer sowd, still mowd, not tyld, yet fyld with aboundance.
Then floods slowde with mylke, each wel-spring then was a wyne-spring,
Euery greene-hewde tree bare sweete and sugered honny.
Happy the age, and happy the men, that lyu'd in a happy
Age: age all of gold, where noe bad thing was abyding,
All of gold indeede, where each good thing was abounding.
But when good Saturne by force was dryu'n to Auernus,
And vsurping Ioue did rule and raigne in Olympus,
Golden dayes were gone, and siluer time was aproaching,
New Lords made new lawes: th' owld spring tyme Iupiter altred,
And chang'd it to a yeare, and new-made yeare he dyuyded
In fowre parts, each part with a seu'rall season apoynted,
Warme Spring, hoate Sommer, cold wynter, changeable Autumne.
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Then swelting doggstarre, then scalding breath of Apollo,
Then northern Boreas causd better bowres to be builded.
Then ground gan to rebell from a mother changd to a stepdame,
Naught but thorns and weeds of her owne accord she aforded,
But by force constraind and by compulsion vrged:
Now plow's chaynd to the yoake; and yoake bound fast to the oxen,
Now are furrowes drawn, and seede cast into the furrowes.
Iupiter of purpose made fruitefull ground to be fruyteles,
And sowld nought for naught, and sweetenes mixt with a sowrenes,
Least that too much ease might make men stil to be careles,
Whereas want breedes care, and care coynes dayly deuises.
Next came brazen tyme, whose hoate and furius of-spring
With bould brazen face was greedily geu'n to reuenging,
Yet not past all grace. Last age was named of Iron,
And her cursed brood in like sort framed of Iron,
Merciles, hard, vniust vnkinde, vntractable, hatefull,
Ireful, of Iron ful, yea too ful of ire, ful of Iron,
Faith, and truth, and shame, for shame lay downe in a dungeon,
And in-came whooredome, pride, robbery, treacherie, treason.
Grownd with ditch and hedg was now exactly dyuyded,
Shippe with waues, and sayles with wyndes were all to be tossed,
Sea scowrd with rouers, land scowrged dayly by robbers,
Myne, not thyne, came in; Myne and thyne, quite was abandond.
Corne is now contemnd, and fruitefull tree's but á tryfle,
Their minde's all on mynes of brasse, lead, copper, or Iron,
Or gold, gold farre worse, then brasse, lead, copper, or Iron.
Earth's very bowells now are torne eu'n downe to Auernus,
All for gold, gold worse then a thousand feends of Auernus.
First, was an age of gold, then golden goodnes abounded,
Last, was an age for gold, for then gold only triumphed.
Weake are thrust to the wall, and strong men striue to be mighty,
Mighty men hope to be Kings, and Kings still looke to be emprours,
Might rule's right, lust law, rage reason, worlde's at a world's ende,
World runs all on wheeles: guest fear's to be robd as he sleepeth,
Hoast can skarce trust guest; wife longs for death of her husband,
Husband loath's his wife, and brethren skarcely be brethren.
Infamous stepdames keepe cups with poyson abounding
For theyr sons in law: and sons (ô viperus of-spring)
Dayly before theyre dayes wish fathers dayes to be ending,
All's turnd vpside downe. At last Astræa departed,
And from damnable earth, to the spotles skie she remoued.
Then came gryesly Gyants, and needes would clymbe to Olympus
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With mounts on mountaines, till thundring Ioue in a fury
Brake their scorched bones, and bullwarkes all to be battred:
Whose congealed bloud transformd to a most bloody ofspring
By th' earth theire mother that causd that desperat vproare,
Stil contemned Gods, and heauens dayly maligned.
Wherewith Ioue incenst, and moou'd of late, by Lycaons
Owtrage, ouer-whelmd whole earth with a mightyly flowing
All ouer-flowing water: soe that, not a man now,
But good Deucalion was lyuing, and not a woeman,
But good Pyrrha remaynd, which mankynde newly repayred,
And, by casting stones, brought foorth foe stoany an ofspring.
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[Arcadian Syrinx was a Nymph most noble, amongst all]

Arcadian Syrinx was a Nymph most noble, amongst all
Naiades and Dryades, that, in olde times highly renowned
Arcadian fountaines and mountains euer aforded.
Fleshly Satyrs, Fauni, Siluani dayly desired
Braue bony Syrinx loue, yet loueles braue bony Syrinx
Fleshly Satyrs, Fauni, Siluani dayly deceaued.
Syrinx tooke noe ioy in ioyes of Queene Cytheræa,
But vowd life and loue, and hart and hand to Diana.
Lyke to Diana she lyu'd, for a virgins lyfe she professed,
Lyke to Diana she went, for in hunting roabes she delighted,
And with bow and shafts stil practysd lyke to Diana;
Onely the diffrence was, that, in-hunting-mighty Dianaes
Bow, was made of gowld, and Syrinx bow of a cornell:
Which noe great diffrence was not so greatly regarded,
But that Nymphs and Gods eu'n so were dayly deceaued,
And hunting Syrinx for mighty Diana reputed,
So nere by Syrinx was mighty Diana resembled.
Pan, with a garland greene of Pinetree gayly bedecked
Saw this Nymph on a time come back from lofty Lycæus,
And his rurall loue in rurall sort he bewraied.
Scarce had he sayd, Bony sweete: but away went braue bony Syrinx,
Went through hills and dales and woods: and lastly aryued,
Where gentle Ladon with mylde streames sweetely resounded,
Ladon stopt her course, Ladon too deepe for a damsell.
Then, quod Syrinx, Help, deare sisters; let not a virgin,
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Immaculate virgin by a rurall Pan be defyled.
Rather let Syrinx be a mourning read by the ryuer,
Soe that Syrinx may be a mayden reade by the ryuer.
By and by Syrinx was turnd to a reade by the ryuer:
By and by came Pan, and snatcht at a reade for a Syrinx,
And there sight and sobd, that the found but a reade for a Syrinx.
Whilst Pan sighs and sobds, new tender reades by the whistling
Wyndes, did shake and quake, and yeelded a heauy resounding,
Yeelded a dolefull note and murmur like to a playning.
Which Pan perceauing, and therewith greatly delighted,
Sayd, that he would thenceforth of those reades make him a Syrinx.
Then, when he had with wax, many reedes conioyned in order,
His breath gaue them life: and soe Pan framed a Pastors
Pipe, which of Syrinx is yet still called a Syrinx.
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[Ioue, as he looked downe fro the skies, sawe beautiful Io]

Ioue , as he looked downe fro the skies, sawe beautiful Io,
Saw, and said, well mett, faire mayde, well woorthy the thundrer
Toyle not thy sweete self, it's too hoate, come fro the scorching
Sunne, to the cooling shade: loe, here, and here is a harbor.
If thou darst not alone passe through these desolat harbors
Fore feare of wilde beasts; let a God be thy guide by the forrest,
And noe trifling God, but a God that welds the triumphant
Mace, and hurls lightnings, and thunderbolts from Olympus.
Io fled for feare, for loue Ioue hastened after;
And for a quick dispatch, both lands and seaes on a soddaine
Ouer-cast with a cloude, and soe caught bewtiful Io.
In meane time Iuno Ioues wife lookes downe fro the heauens,
(Seeing lightsome skies at myd-day soe to be darkned,
Yet noe foggs or mystes from pooles or moores to be lyfted)
Meruailes much, and asks, if her husband were in Olympus,
Who transformd sometimes to a Bull, sometimes to a golden
Showre, was woont each where such slippery prancks to be playing,
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Ioue was not to be founde; why then, qd Iuno, without doubt
Fowly deceaued I am this day, or fowly abused.
Down straight way fro the skies in a iealous fury, she flingeth,
And those coosning clowdes, and darcknes roundly remoueth.
Ioue foresawe this geare: and faire white bewtiful Io,
Straight with a tryce transformde to a fayre white bewtiful heyfat.
Iuno geu's good woords (although, God knows, with an ill will,)
And commends this Cow, and sais; ô happy the Bullock
Whoe might once enioy this fayre white bewtiful Heyfar.
Then she begins to demaunde, who brought that Cow to the pasture,
Of what kynde shee came, and what man might be the owner.
Ioue, that he might shyft off busy Iuno, towld her a lowde lye,
That nought els but th' earth brought forth that bewtiful Heyfar.
Iuno wel acquainted with her husbands wyly deuises,
Askt this Cow for a guift: Then Ioue was brought to a mischif:
What shal he dooe? shal he geue his louing Io to Iuno?
That were too too harde: shal he not geue Iuno the Heyfar?
That would breede mystruste: shame spurrs on, Loue is a brydle:
And shame-brydling loue, noe doubt, had lastly preuayled,
But that, alas, if a wife, if a syster, a Lady, a Iuno,
Eu'n of a Ioue, of a Lorde, nay eu'n of a brother, a husband
Shuld be denyed a Cow, then might it seeme to be noe Cowe.
Thus gate Iuno the Cowe: but yet shee feared a Bull stil:
And, to be more secure, she deliuered Io to Argus
For to be carefuly kept, whose waking head had an hundred
Eyes; two slept by course, and but two only; the other
Stil kept watch and warde; Which way soeuer he looked,
Euer he lookt to the Cowe, Argus lookt euer on Io.
In day tyme shee feedes, yet feedes stil watched of Argus,
Feedes on boughes and grasse, (foode too too sowre for a sweete lasse)
Drincks of pitts and pooles, drinck noething fit for a damsell.
All night long shee's tyde by the ouer-dutiful Argus,
And on bare could ground her tender side she reposeth.
When she begins her griefe, and woefull case to remember,
And would lyft vp her handes, to beseech vnmerciful Argus,
Noe hands are left her, to beseech vnmerciful Argus.
When she recounts her smart, and meanes her woe to be vttring,
Io lowes as a Cow, insteede of an heauy bewayling,
Io the lowing Cow frights Io the lasse, by the lowing.
When to the syluer streames of fathers brooke she repayreth,
Fathers syluer streames shewe daughters head to be horned,
Io the horned Cow, with her hornes feares Io the damsell.
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Euery water-nymph stil lookt and gazed on Io,
Neuer a water-nymph thought this same Cow to be Io,
Inachus her father still lookt and gazed on Io,
Ioes owne father did neuer thinck her his Io:
And yet poore Io went euery day to the aged
Inachus: once himselfe pluckt grasse, and gaue to the heyfar:
Io the guift for giuers sake, very kindly receaued,
And with streaming teares her fathers hand she besprinckled,
Lykt and kissed his hand: and would haue gladly reuealed
Her mischaunce; and this new transformation vttred,
But stil, grones and lowes, insteede of woords, she deliu'red.
At last, two letters with her hoofe shee prynts by the ryuer,
I, and, O, for a signe of late transfigured Io.
Inachus howld when he read this doleful letter of Io.
Inachus howld, and cride, and clipt disfigured Io,
Hangd on her horns and neck: and art thou Io my daughter?
Io my daughter, alas, ô most vnfortunat Io.
Inachus euery where hath sought for beutiful Io,
And now findes her a Cow, insteede of a beutiful Jo.
Io better lost then found: for I lost her a braue lasse,
But now haue found her, not a lasse, not a wench, not a woman,
Found her a Cow, dumbe Cow, whose language is but a lowing:
Whereas I, suspecting no such thing, sought for a husband
For my deare Io, and Io hoapte for a yong son;
Io must haue calues for sons, and bull for a husband.
Inachus and Io thus leaning either on others
Neck, complaind and wept: then coms illuminat Argus,
And driues father away from daughters sight, to the fountains,
And driues daughter away from fathers sight, to the mountains.
Iupiter impatient to behold disconsolat Io,
Commaunds Mercurius, to deceaue vntractable Argus.
Mercury putts on his hat, takes staffe and wings in a moment,
Flyes to the earth: where hat for a time, and wings he remoueth,
And th' inchaunted staffe, as a sheepehooke, only reteigneth,
And so plods to the downe with an oaten pipe as a pastor,
And stil playes, as he plods, which strange mirth greatly delighted
Cow-keeping Argus: who could not rest, til he called
Mercury vp to the mount. Now Mercury sits on a mountaine
Hard by Argus side, and tells him there, of a purpose,
This tale, and that tale: how worthily Phœbus Apollo
Plagued prowd Niobe, and Pallas scorneful Arachne;
And each tale had a song, and euery song had a piping.
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Argus twixt nodding and gaping lastly demaunded
Who found out that pipe. Then Mercury gins to remember
Pan and Syrinx loue: but or halfe was brought to an ending,
Argus his hundred lights were all obscur'd with a darcknes,
Al bade him good night. Here Mercury quickly repressed
Both his pipe and voyce, and slumbring Argus he blessed
With th' inchaunted staffe, that much more soundly he sleeped:
By and by, fro the neck, his nodding head he diuided,
And so by one clowd, one hundred starrs he eclipsed.
Iuno was all in a chafe; and Argus death she bewayled,
And with self-same eyes her Peacocks traine she be-painted:
And made poore Io, possest with an hellish Erinnis,
Run fro the east to the west, and neuer finde any resting:
Til by Ioues good meanes, fel Iunoe's fury relented,
Forgaue poore Io, and gaue her leaue to be lightned,
And, for a further blisse, to be call'd Ægyptian Isis.
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[Tiresias, Iunoes and Ioues iudge, blinde, yet a seer]

Tiresias , Iunoes and Ioues iudge, blinde, yet a seer,
Foretolde Narcissus this destinie. This pretie yong Boy
Shalbe a man many yeares; if he neuer looke on his owne face.
This seemde strange for a while, but th' end proou'd all to be too true.
For, braue Narcissus (when he came at length to the sixteenth
Yeare of his age, and might seeme either a boy, or a batchler)
Had so louely a looke, soe sweete and cheareful a countnance,
That Nymphes and Ladies Narcissus dayly desired:
Yet soe loueles a looke, so prowd and scorneful a countnance,
That Nymphes and Ladies, Narcissus dayly refused.
Eccho once a day, the resounding Eccho, that aunswers
Euery question askt, and yet no question asketh,
Saw this gallant youth, as he hunted a deere by the forrest.
Eccho the tatling Nymph was a true bodie then, not an onely
Voyce, as now: although eu'n then that voyce was abridged
Like as now: and this was done by Iuno the Empresse,
Mother, as it was thought, to the prating Dandiprat Eccho.
For when Ioue with Nymphs himselfe did meane to recomfort
Here and there by the woods, and fetch his flings by the forrests,
Shee with a long discourse her mother Iuno deteigned,
Till Nymphs all were gone, and Ioues deuotion ended.
Iuno perceauing these tricks, cut short the deluding
Tong of pratling elf: yet pratling elf thus abridged
Of too much tatling and babling in the beginning,
Vseth her ould custome, by redoubling words in an ending.
Therefore when she see's Narcissus goe to the forrest,
Step for step thither by a secret path she repayreth,
Burning still for loue: and as she nearer aproacheth
Vnto the loued boy, soe she more mightily burneth.
How-many thousand times, poore soule, she desirde a desiring
And intreating speech to the wandring boy to be vttring?
But fatall nature would noe-way grant a beginning.
And yet, what nature permits, she greedily listneth
For some sound, which may make her to be quickly resounding.
At last Narcissus from his hunting company straying
Wisht and sayd, O God, that I could see, some-body comming.
Eccho repeated agayne these last words, Some-bodie comming.
Some-bodie comming? Where? qd wandring hunter amased,
Come then apace: And, Come then apace, poore Eccho replied.
Narcissus wonders, lookes back, see's noe-body comming;
Why, qd he, callst-thou me, and yet stil runst fro my calling?
Cryest and fliest? And, Cryest and flyest? were dolefuly doobled.
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Then, qd Narcissus, let's meete, and both be together:
Eccho, these last words with most affection hearing,
Answered him fiue times, Let's meete, and both be together,
And soe runs to the boy, in a fond conceipt, fro the bushes,
Clips him fast by the neck, and offers friendly to kisse him.
But prowd boy, as prowd as fayre, disdainfuly frowning,
Flies from her embracements, and sayes, Let greedie deuouring
Boares and beares be my graue, if I euer yeeld to thy pleasure.
Eccho sayd nothing, but, I euer yeeld to thy pleasure.
And, for griefe and shame to be too too proudly repulsed,
Hides her-selfe in woods and caues, and dwels by the deserts,
And yet loues him still, still pines with vnhappily louing.
Careful loue, and sleeples cares brought Eccho to nothing,
Nothing but bare bones with an hollow heauie resounding.
For flesh was cleane gone, and quite consum'd to a powder,
And life-giuing blood went all to an ayre from a vapor.
Yea, very bones at last, were made to be stones: the resounding
Voyce, and onely the voyce of forelorne Eccho remaineth:
Eccho remaineth a voyce, in deserts Eccho remaineth,
Eccho noc-where seene, heard euery where by the deserts.
Iuno laught no lesse, then when shee saw in Auernus
Prowd Ixions wheele turne with reuolution endles.
But th' ouer-weening princox, was iustly rewarded;
Who, for not louing others soe loued his owne-self,
That selfe-will, selfe-loue, as he saw himselfe in a fountaine,
Made him loose himselfe, for a fading shade of his owne-self.
18

[Scilla sate her down, then a mayd, now changd to a monster]

Scilla sate her down, then a mayd, now changd to a monster,
Sate her down on a banck with sea-borne Dame Galathea,
Down on a flowring banck, not far from sulphurus Ætna.
And there gan to recount ten thousand wilie deuises,
Wherewith poore young youths in scornful sort she deluded.
Yea, but alas, sayd then, with a far-fet sigh Galathea,
They that seeke thy loue, yet suffer dayly repulses,
Beare mens face, mens heart, and so are safely repulsed.
But Galathea the wretch, (o woful wretch Galathea)
Could not auoyd leawd lust and rage of lout Polyphemus,
Capten of Ætna'es feends, but alas, but alas with a danger,
Nay with a death, ô death: and there grief stopt Galathea.
At length, inward woe with weeping somwhat abated,
Thus, for Scillaes sake her dearlings death she remembred.
There was (woeworth was) was a fayre boy, beautiful Acis,
Acis, Faunus boy, and boy of louely Simethis,
Acis, Faunus ioy, and ioy of louely Simethis,
Best boy of Faunus, best boy of louely Simethis,
Most ioy of Faunus, most ioy of louely Simethis:
And yet better boy, and greater ioy by a thousand
Parts, to the blessed then, but now accurst Galathea,
Then to the syre Faunus, to the mother louely Simethis.
As Galathea thus did loue her beautiful Acis,
So Polyphemus alas did loue his lasse Galathea,
And Galathea still did loath that lusk Polyphemus.
O deare Lady Venus, what a sou'raigne, mighty, triumphant,
And most imperious princesse art thou in Olympus?
This rude asse, brute beast, foule monster, sidebely Cyclops,
This Polyphemus loues: this grim Polyphemus, a mocker
Of both Gods and men: this blunt Polyphemus, a terror
Vnto the wildest beasts: this vast Polyphemus, a horror
Eu'n to the horrible hils and dens, where no man abideth,
This Polyphemus lou's, and doates, and wooes Galathea:
Forgoes his dungeons, forsakes his vnhospital harbors,
18

Leaues his sheepe and Goates, & frames himself to be finish,
Learns to be braue, forsooth, and seeks thereby to be pleasing,
Cuts his bristled beard with a syth, and combs with an Iron
Rake, his staring bush, and viewes himselfe in a fishpond;
And there frameth a face, and there composeth a countnance,
Face for a diu'ls good grace, & countnance fit for a hell-hound.
His bloodthirsting rage, for a while is somwhat abated,
His brutish wildenes transformd to a contrary mildenes:
Strangers come and goe, sail-bearing Ships by the Cyclops
Passe and safely repasse, and neuer feare any danger;
This Polyphemus now, is changd from that Polyphemus.
Telemus in meane time, as he sayld by Sicilian Ætna,
(Telemus in birds-flight had a passing singuler insight)
Came to the ougly Gyant, and said, that he should be depriued
Of that his one broad eie (which stood there filthily glooming
In middle forehead) by crafts-contriuer Vlysses.
Blinde foole, qd Polypheme, can a blinde man loose any eie-sight?
Poore Polypheme of his eye was by Galathea depriued
Long since, and cares not for crafts-contriuer Vlysses.
Thus contemning that which after proued a true-tale,
Either in hellish caues his diu'lish carkas he rouzeth,
Or, by the shaking shore and sea-side lazily stalketh,
Or, very rockes themselues with a lubbers burden he crusheth.
There was a hill, that stretcht with sharpned point to the sea-ward,
And had both his sides with Neptune dayly bedashed:
Hither he climes, and here his cart-load lims he reposeth,
Here his fellow Goates, and Rams, and Sheepe he beholdeth:
Then layes downe his staffe (his walking staffe was a Pine-tree,
One whole huge Pine-tree, that might wel serue for a main mast
Vnto an Armado) and after, takes vp a iarring
Pipe (fit for piper Polypheme, fit lute for a lowby)
Compact of fiue-score and fifteene reedes, with a clumsie
Fist, and scrapes, and blowes, and makes so shameful an out-cry.
That both lands and seas did groane with a deadly resounding,
Hearing this fowle Swad such rustical harmony making;
For there vnder a rock, as I lay, and leaned in Acis
Lap, this song I did heare, and beare with a heauy remembrance.
More white then Lillies, then Primerose flowre Galathea,
More fresh then greene grasse, more slyke & smooththē a cockle
Shell, thats washt and worne by the sea, more coy then a wanton
Kyd, more brigt then glasse, more ioy to the heart then a winters
Sunne, or sommers shade, more fayre and seemly to looke on
19

Then straight vp-mounting plante-tree, more cleare then a Christall
Streame all froz'n, more woorth then a hoorde of melloed apples,
More sweete then ripe grapes, more soft then downe of a cignet,
And, (so that thou couldst accept poore woorme Polyphemus)
More deare then Diamond to the louing woorme Poylphemus.
And yet more stubborne then an vntam'de Ox, Galathea,
More light then floating billowes, more hard then an aged
Oake, more rude then a rock, more tough then twig of a Willow,
More violent then streame of a brooke, more fierce then a wilde-fire,
More sharpe and pricking then thorns, more prowd then a Peacock,
More spiteful then a troaden snake, more curst then a whelping
Beare, more deafe then seaes, and (which most greeues Polyphemus)
More swift-pac't then a Hart, then winged windes, Galathea.
O, but alas, run not, looke back, and know Polyphemus.
My bowre with maine rocks and mounts is mightily vawted,
That scalding sunbeames in summer neuer aproach it,
And blustring tempests in winter neuer anoy it:
My trees bend with fruite, my vines are euer abounding
With grapes, some like gold, some others like to the purple:
And both golden grapes, and purpled grapes be reserued
For my sweete purpled, my golden wench Galathea.
Thou with thine owne hands maist easily pluck fro the bushes
Blackbery, hipps, and hawes, and such fine knacks by the forrest,
Damsons, sloes, and nutts: and if thou wilt be my wedded
Wife, each tree and twig, and bush shall bring thee a present,
Euery bush, twig, tree, shall serue my wife Galathea.
All these sheepe be my owne, which quickly without any calling
Come and run to the pipe of their good Lord Polyphemus:
And many thousands more, which either range by the mountains,
Or feede in valleys, or keepe their places apointed
And stalls hard by my bowre: and if thou aske me the number
Of them, I know it not, for beggers vse to be telling
How-many sheepe they keepe, my goodes, Galathea, be endles,
My sheepe nomberles: yet among these so-many thousand
Flocks of sheepe, not a sheepe did I euer prooue to be fruitles.
Thou thy-self maist see my goates and sheepe to be stradling
With bagging vdders, thou maist see how-many lambkins,
And yong kyds I doe keepe, kyds and lambs both of a yeaning.
Milke I doe neuer want, and part I reserue to be drunken,
Part in curds and cheese, with thrift I prepare to be eaten.
Neither shall my loue Galathea be only presented
With birds neasts, kyds, doues, and such like paltery stale-stuffe,
19

And common loue-toyes, which easily may be aforded
By each carters swaine: Polyphemus found on a mountaine
Two braue yong Beare-whelps, either so like to an other,
That who marks not well, will soone take one for an other:
These did I finde of late, and these doe I keepe for a token,
For to be playfellowes for my bonilasse Galathea.
O then scorne not me, scorne not my guiftes, Galathea;
This body shalbe thy spoyle, and this bloud shalbe thy bootie,
These sheepe shalbe thy goods, and these hills shalbe thy dowry.
Sweete pig, scorne not mee; for I know myselfe to be comely,
Often I looke in a lake, and set my selfe by a fishpond,
Making mine owne eyes of mine owne eyes the beholders,
And when I see my face, I delite my face to be seeing.
Looke how big I doe looke, how strong and stordily squared,
Mark how mighty I am: no thundring Ioue in Olympus,
(You fooles tell many tales of a thundring Ioue in Olympus)
No great thundring Ioue is greater then Polyphemus.
See what a swinging bush giues cou'ring vnto my countnance,
And, as a thickset groaue, makes dreadful shade to my shoulders.
My Flesh's hard indeede, all ouer-grown with a bristled
Hyde, and rugged skin; but that's but a signe of a mans hart,
And is no-more shame to the strong and stowt Polyphemus,
Then broade leaues to a tree, then faire long mane to a foming
Steede, then fynnes to a fish, then feathers vnto a flying
Fowle, or woolle to a sheepe. One eye stands steedily pitched
In my front: but an eye, yet an eye as broade as a buckler.
And what, I pray you, hath this sunne any more but his one eye?
And yet he sees all things, and all things only with one eye.
Lastly, my syre Neptune with threeforckt mace, as a sou'raigne
Rul's in Sea's: and so shall sea-borne dame Galathea
By taking Polypheme, best ympe of Seaes, for a husband,
Haue also Neptune, chiefe Lord of Seaes, for a father,
Earth-shaking Neptune, that stroue with mighty Minerua
For the renowned Athens (as he often towld me his own-selfe)
And raisd vp Troy walls with threatning towres to the heauens:
With whose rage both Lands and seaes are fearefuly trembling,
At whose beck springs, wels, floods, brooks, pooles, lakes be obeying,
As soone as they heare his Triton mightily sounding.
Then, Galathea relent, and yeeld to thy owne Polyphemus,
Sith Polyphemus yeelds himselfe to his owne Galathea,
Sith Polyphemus yeelds: who cares not a rush for a thundring
Heu'n, and heauens King: thy frowning's worse then a thousand
20

Lightnings and thunders. Yet I could forbeare thee the better.
If thou didst aswell scorne others, as Polyphemus.
But why should Galathea refuse well growne Polyphemus,
And yet like and loue and wooe, effœminat Acis?
Whome if I catch, Ile make him know, that great Polyphemus
Arm's as strong as great. Ile paunce that paltery princox,
Trayle his gutts by the fields, and teare his flesh in a thousand
Gobbets, yea ile powre his bloud, hart-bloud to the waters:
Eu'n thine owne waters, if I euer take Galathea
Dealing with that boy, dwarfe Acis, dandiprat Acis,
Elfe Acis: for I boyle with most outragius anger
And most raging loue: me thinkes whole sulphurus Ætna.
Ætna with all his flames in my brest makes his abiding,
And yet neither loue nor wrath can moue Galathea.
Thus when he had this sweete loues lamentation ended,
Vp-gets th' one eyde feende, and rangeth abroade by the forrest,
Roaring out, as a bull, driu'n back with force from a heyfar:
And at length spies out vs two there downe in a valley,
Mee and Acis alas vnawares; and cries in a fury,
Endles griefe and shame confound forelorne Polyphemus.
If that I make not now your louetoyes all, to be ended.
This did he roare, but he roarde this with so hellish an outcry,
That mount Ætna with eccho resounds, and griesly Typhoeus
Groanes for feare, and breaths foorth flashing flames to the heauens,
Vulcan starts fro the forge, and Brontes runs fro the Anuile,
And swelting Steropes, with barlegd ougly Pyracmon
Leaue their Iron tooles: yea Pluto the prince of Auernus
Heard this yelling feende, and feared, least that his owne hound
Cerberus had broke loose with three-throate iawes to the heauens.
Here I alas for feare, dopt vnderneath the reflowing
Waues, and poore Acis sled back, and cride, Galathea,
Helpe, Galathea, help; and let thy boy be receaued
In thy watery boures, Polyphemus murdereth Acis.
Cyclops runs to a rock in a rage, and teares in a fury
One greate peece, as big as a mount, and hurl's it at Acis:
And but a litle peece thereof tutcht bewtiful Acis,
Yet that litle peece orewhelmd whole bewtiful Acis.
Here I alas, poore wretch, wrought all that desteny suffred
For to be wrought, and causd his strength to be freshly renued,
His life eu'n by a death now more and more to be lengthned,
And his dearest name and fame to be dayly remembred,
And my selfe and him, by a heauy diuorce, to be ioyned.
20

His blood sprang fro the lumpe; his blood first cherefuly purpled,
Then by degrees it changd, and rednes somewhat abated,
And lookt like to a poole troubled with raine from Olympus,
Afterwards, it clearde: then lumpe cloaue, and fro the cleauing,
Flowring reades sprang forth, and bubling water abounded.
Beutiful Acis thus was then transformd to a horned
Brooke; and yet this brooke tooke name of bewtiful Acis.
Acis a louing streame, runs downe with a louely resounding,
Downe to the great sou'raigne of seaes with speedy reflowing,
There, his yearely tribute to the three-forckt God to be paying.
And there, his Galathea for euermore to be meeting.
Here Galathea did ende: and coy dame Scylla departed:
Whom sea-God Glaucus (new God, late made of a fisher)
Lou'd, but vnhappily lou'd: and wept, when he saw her a monster.
23

[Pluto the Duke of diu'ls, enrag'd with an hellish Erynnis]

Pluto the Duke of diu'ls, enrag'd with an hellish Erynnis,
Gan to repyne and grudge, and moue a rebellius vprore,
For that he wanted a wife: and now eu'n all the detested
Infernal rablement, and loathsome broode of Auernus
Clustred on heapes and troupes and threatned wars to Olympus.
But Lachesis, fearing lest laws layd down by the thundrer,
By the reuenging rout of feends might chance to be broken,
Fate-spinning Lachesis cry'd out to the prince of Auernus.
Sou'raigne Lord of damned Ghosts, and mightie Monarcha
Of Stygian darknes, which giu'st each thing a beginning,
And by thy dreadful doome, doest draw each thing to an ending,
Ruling life and death with iurisdiction endles;
O let those decrees and fatal lawes be obeyed,
Which wee three sisters for you three brethren apoynted:
Let that sacred league and peace last freely for euer;
Stay these more then ciuil warres, vnnatural vprores,
And intestine broyls: aske Ioue, and stay for an aunswere,
Ioue shall giue thee a wife. His rage was somwhat abated,
Though not well calmed, yet he yeelds at last to the fatall
Sisters intreating and teares; although with an ill will
And a repyning heart, and Mercury sends to Olympus
With this round message: Tell Ioue that stately triumpher,
Pluto cannot abide to be thus controll'd by a brother,
Imperius brother: who though that he maketh a rumbling
With scar-crow thunders, and hurls his flames in a fury
On poore mortall men; yet he must not think that Auernus
Vndaunted Capten, with buggs can so be deluded.
Is't not enough that I liue in darksome dens of Auernus,
Where fire, smokes, & fogs, grief, plagues, & horror aboundeth,
Whil'st vsurping Ioue keepes court in lightsom Olympus,
23

But that he must also forbid me the name of a husband,
And restraine those ioyes which nature freely afordeth?
Seas-sou'raigne Neptune embraceth his Amphitrite,
And clowd-rolling Ioue enioyes Saturnia Iuno,
His wife and sister, (for I let slip slipperie by-blowes)
But scorned Pluto must stil forsooth be a batchler,
Stil be a wiueles boy and childeles: But, by the dreadful
Streames of sacred Styx I protest, if he yeeld not an answere
Vnto my full content, Ile loose forth all the reuengful
Broode of damnable haggs and hel-hounds vp to the heauens:
Ile confound heau'n, hell, light, night, Ile cast on a cluster
Blisful Olympus bowres, with baleful dens of Auernus.
Plutoes tale scarce tolde, light-footed Mercury mounting
Vp to the highest heau'ns, disclos'd each word to the thundrer:
Who consulting long, at last thus fully resolued,
That Stygian brother, should take Proserpina, daughter
Vnto the Lady Ceres, pereles Proserpina: matchles,
And yet fit for a match. Bloody Mars, and archer Apollo
Sought her a long while since; Mars big & fram'd for a buckler,
Phœbus fit for a bowe, Mars actiue, learned Apollo:
Mars offred Rhodope, Phœbus would giue her Amyclas,
And Clarian temples, and Delos fayre for a dowrie.
Lady Ceres cast off bloody Mars, and archer Apollo,
Contemning Rhodope, despising proffred Amyclas:
And fearing violence and rape, commendeth her onely
Dearling and deare childe to the dearest soyle of a thousand
Louely Cicil. from whence with watery cheekes she returned
Vnto the towre-bearing Cybele, and lowd Coribantes,
On Phrygian mountains: Where shee no sooner aryued,
But Ioue, spightful Ioue tooke opportunity offred,
And by the secret sleights and wyles of false Cytheræa,
In mothers absence her daughter alas he betrayed.
Goe, qd he, my wanton, goe now whilst mother is absent,
Bring her daughter abroad to the flowring fields of a purpose;
Atropos hath decreed, that supreame Duke of Auernus
My brother Pluto, must haue Proserpina, fatall
Orders must be obeyd: thy iurisdiction hereby
Shalbe the more enlarg'd, and fame fly daily the further,
If very hell feele hell, taste hellish pangs of a Louer.
Shee (for a word was enough) conueyd her away in a momēt,
And (for so Ioue would) Pallas with stately Diana
Ioynd as companions: all which three lastly aryued
24

There, where Lady Ceres her daughters bowre had apoynted.
Wyly Venus drawes on simple Proserpina foorthwith,
Vnto the greene medows: herself went first as a leader,
Next came fayre Phœbe, and Ioue-borne Pallas Athene,
And shee between them both, who both thē rightly resembled,
Sweete yet sweetly seuere Proserpina: eu'n very Phœbe,
If that a bow were giu'n, if a target, Pallas Athene.
And sweete water-Nymphs by the careful mother apoynted,
Their mayden Princesse with a princelike company guarded:
Chiefly of all others, Cyane there made her aparance,
Whom for her excelling conceipt, and seemly behauiour,
Chiefely of all other well-Nymphs Proserpina loued.
There was a Christal brook by the fields, that ioyned on Ætna.
Called Pergusa, transparent down to the bottome;
Trembling leaues as a veyle, gaue cooling shade to the water,
Trembling leaues of trees, that crownd this lake as a garland;
Euery tree displayd his flowring boughs to the heauen,
Euery bow had a bird which therein made her abyding,
Euery bird on bow tooke ioy to be cherefuly chirping,
Euery chirp was a song, perswading all to be louing.
Fresh-colored medowes were ouer-spread with a mantle
Figured, and Diapred with such and so many thousand
Natures surpassing conceipts, that maruelus Iris
Was no maruel at al, and spotted traine, but a trifle,
Prowd-hart Peacocks spotted traine, compar'd to the matchles
Art, which nature shewd, in shewing so-many strange shewes.
Hither these Ladyes are come, and euery Lady
Plucketh at euery flowre; seeing each flowre to be more fayre,
More fresh, more radiant, more louely, then euery Lady.
In meane time Pluto wounded by wyly Cupido,
Intends his iourney to Sicilia; Griesly Megœra,
And fell Alecto his foaming steedes be preparing,
Steedes, that drank on Lethes Lake, and fed by the ioyles
Bancks of Cocytus. Nycteus and sulphurus Æthon
Swift, as a shaft; fierce Orphnæus with fearful Alastor,
Ioynd to the cole-black coach, drew neare to Sicilian Ætna
And seeking passage, with strange and horrible earthquakes
Ouer-turnd whole townes, and turrets stately defaced.
Euery Nymph heard, felt, and fear'd this deadly resounding,
And dreadful quaking, but of all this deadly resounding
And dreadful quaking, not a nymph there knew the beginning,
Sauing onely Venus; whose heart with terror amazed,
24

Yet with ioy possest, was party to all the proceeding.
Duke of Ghosts, missing of a way, through so-many by-waies,
And all impatient with loues rage, brake with his Iron
Mace, the rebelling rocks, and piearst through th' earth to the heauens,
Heauens all dismai'd to behold so hellish an obiect.
Starres fled back for feare, Oríons hart was apaled,
Charles-Wayne ran to the sea, that he euermore had abhorred,
And by the yrksome noyce, and neighing of the detested
And poysned palfrayes of Pluto, laesy Bootes
Tooke himselfe to his heeles, and lingring wayne did abandon.
Baleful breath of night-borne coursers darkned Olympus
Chereful light, and loathed foame distild fro the bleeding
Bits, infected th' ayre: and th' earth all torne by the trampling,
Shakte and quakte for dread, and yeelded a heauy resounding.
Ladies al ran away; Proserpina lastly remayned,
Whom Stygian coachman both sought & caught in a moment.
Pluto droue on apace, Proserpina woefuly wayling,
Cald and cryed, alas, to the Nymphs, to the maids, to the Ladies;
But Nymphs, Mayds, Ladies were all affrayd to be present,
And her mothers chance, ill chance, was then to be absent.
Now Stygian raptor those prayers lightly regarding
In respect of a pray and prise so worthy the taking,
Chears and calls his dreadful steedes, and shaketh his out-worne
Bridle raynes, orecast with rust; and entreth Auernus,
All vnlike himselfe, and much more milde then a Pluto.
Ghosts and sprvtes came clustred on heaps, to behold the triumphant
Tartarean Capten, with soe great glorie returned:
Euery one was prest, some bent their care to the coursers,
Some to the coach, some strawd sweete flowr's, some lookt to the bride-bed.
Elysian Ladies with a spotles company wayted
On their new-come Queene, and carefuly sought to recomfort
Those her virgin feares and teares. Ghosts wont to be silent,
Sang sweete wedding songs, and euery nooke in Auernus
With banquets, meryments, and louelayes freely resounded,
And whole hell, for ioy was speedily turnd to a heauen.
Æacus intermits his iudgements; stearne Rhadamanthus,
And austere Minos waxe milde: all plagues be remitted:
Tantalus eats and drinks; Ixion's loost from his endles
And still-turning wheele, Tityus set free fro the Ægle,
Sisyphus extreame toyle by the rolling stone is omitted,
And Danaus daughters from running tubbes be released.
Pale-fac'te Tisiphone, with snake-hayrd ougly Megæra,
25

And euer-grudging Alecto, fell to carousing,
And their burning brands embru'd with blood, did abandon.
Birds might easily passe by the poysned mouth of Auernus,
Men might safely beholde, and looke on stonie Medusa;
No consuming flames were breathd by fyrie Chymera.
Howling Cocytus with wine mirth-maker abounded,
Lamenting Acheron hart-chearing honny aforded,
And boyling Phlegeton with new milke chearefuly streamed:
Cerberus held his peace, Lachesis left off to be spinning,
And gray-beard feriman forebare his boate to be rowing,
All tooke all pleasure, and all for ioy of a wedding.
Lady Ceres all this meane time possest with a thousand
Careful mothers thoughts, thought euery houre to be twenty,
Till she returnd homeward: and home at last she returned,
At last, but too late, to her house, but not to her houshold:
Court was a wildernes, forelorne walkes, no-body walking,
Gates turnd vpside downe, hall desolat, euery corner,
Euery way left waste. But alas when lastly she entred
Persephone's chamber, seeing her curius hand-work,
And embroydred clothes, all ouer-growne by the copwebs,
But no Persephone; such inward anguish amased
Her distressed sprites, that neither a word fro the speechles
Mothers mouth could once come forth, nor a teare fro the sightles
Eyes; eyes, mouth, sence, soule, were nothing els but a horror:
Only she clipt, embrac't, and kist, and only reserued
Her sweete daughters work, poore soule, insteed of a daughter.
After long wandring, by chance shee found in a corner
Her deare daughters nurse, Electra, wofuly wayling,
With rent roabes, scratcht face, and beaten brest, for her only
Harts-ioy Persephone: whom shee as charily tendred,
As dearest mother could euer tender a dearest
Daughter: shee, when griefe and inward horror aforded
Time to reueale it selfe, this woful storie recounted
All at large: How Persephone was forc't to be walking
Greatly against her mind, and mothers wil, to the meddowes,
How foure black coursers conuey'd her away on a sudden,
No-body knew whither, nor what man might be the autor:
How her companions were all gone: only the louing
And loued Cyane, for grief was lately resolued
Into a siluer streame; and all those sweetly resounding
Syrens, made to be birds in part, in part to be maydens,
And she alone was left, left all forelorne in a corner,
25

Mourning Persephone and her so heauy departure.
Silly Ceres hearing these dead newes, all in a furie
Rayled on heau'n and earth, and ran to the sulphurus Ætna,
Lighted two Pine-trees, and day and night by the deserts,
Hils, dales, woods, waters, lands, seas, Proserpina searched,
Searcht from th' East to the Weast: at last, al weary with endles
Toyling and moyling, halfe dead for drink, she repayred
Vnto a poore thatcht coat, and knockt, and meekly desired,
That to a schorched mouth some water might be aforded.
Th' ould Beldam coat-wise brought forth a domestical Hotchpot,
Her chiefe food, both meat and drink, and gaue to the Goddes.
Faintly Ceres feeding by the coat, was spy'd of a sawcie
Crackrope boy, who mockt, and cald her a greedy deuouring
Out-come witch in scorne: Whereat this Lady agreeued,
And not forgetting Latonaes worthy reuengement
On Lician Lobcocks, (who sith they rudely denied
Water, were made frogs alwayes condemn'd to the water)
Threw in this boyes face all that was left of her Hotchpot.
Mocking gallowes thus by the Goddes strangely besprinckled,
Was transformd to a Swyft; whose back grew al to be speckled,
And his spiteful breast with wonted poyson abounded.
Through what lands and seas this Goddes wofuly wandred,
Twere too long to report: each part of th' earth she perused,
Vainly perused alas: and home at last she returned
Back to Sicil; cursing, banning, and daylie reuiling
Euery soyle, but chiefly Sicil: Which now the detested
More, then afore the desir'd: brake plowes, kild wearied oxen,
Blasted corne, bred weedes and tares, sent forth the deuouring
Foules, and too much drought, & too much raine from Olympus.
Fields for corne and graine of late so greatly renowned,
Are to a barren waste, and wilde heath speedily changed.
Whilst childeles mother thus rageth, faire Arethusa
(Who by the secret caues of th' earth from Pisa to Ætna
Fetcheth a restles race) vp-lifted her head to the heauens,
And these first tidings to the forelorne Lady reported,
How herselfe of late taking her way by the fearfull,
Imperiured Styx, saw her lost childe in Auernus,
Somwhat sad, yet a Prince and supreame Queene in Auernus;
Queene to the mighty Monarch & sou'raigne king of Auernus.
Mournfull mother amas'd, for a while stoode like to a senceles
Stocke or stone: at length, when fury remoued amasement,
Vp to the heau'ns she flies, & makes her moane to the thundrer.
26

Lord and loue, qd shee, vouchsafe at last to remember,
Take some care in time of poore Proserpina, think her
If not mine, yet thine, and if thine, not to be stollen:
But let passe what's past, let rape and rage be remitted,
So that thy daughter from his hellish dens be deliu'red.
T'were no disparaging, qd Ioue, if prince of a mighty
Empire, Ioues brother might haue Proserpina, ioyned
By both our consents in wedlock: darksom Auernus
Should haue no cause then to repine at lightsom Olympus.
Yet notwithstanding, if thou stand fully resolued,
And that my brother Pluto must needs be refused;
Then let Persephone both mine and thine be reduced,
If she be fasting yet: for so hath Atropos ordred,
And fatall orders are neuermore to be altred.
Mother was ful bent, to reduce her childe from Auernus
Destinie did forbid: for that Proserpina walking
In Plutoes Orchard, by chance (worst chance of a thousand)
Suckt seu'n Pomegranate kernels: and no-body knew it,
Sauing Ascalaphus, who made it knowne to Auernus,
And stayd Persephone: who then for a worthy requitall,
Foule-tungd Ascalaphus, forthwith trāsformd to a Scricheowle,
Foule and loathsome foule, whose neuer-luckily-sounding
Voyce, brings baleful newes, and certaine signes of a vengeance.
Ioue tooke paines, made peace: first iustly the yeare he deuided,
Then, to the husband halfe, and halfe to the mother apointed,
and by thease good meanes causd euery part to be pleased.
Persephone six moonths with her husband dwels in Auernus,
And six other months doth shew her selfe to Olympus.
Lady Ceres all griefe and all contention ended,
Sent forth Triptolemus with coach and corne to the people
Scattred in euery coast, whose foode was kernel of ackorne.
Triptolemus traueling through strange lands, lastly ariued
On Scythian borders: where Lyncus, falsly pretending
Life, intended death, and making shew of a friendly
Host, his sleeping guest vnawares had shamefuly murdred,
Had not Lady Ceres, his barbarus enuy preuenting,
Lyncus turnd to a Lynx, and his vayn-glory repressed,
Who of an others fact first autor would be reputed.
30

[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?
31

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.
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.
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.
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?
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,
31

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:
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.
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.
32

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
32

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.
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.
37

[Louely Coronis kild by the balefull darts of a louer]

Louely Coronis kild by the balefull darts of a louer,
And tale-telling Crowe made black, for a worthy requital:
Yong Æsculapius, by repenting hands of Apollo
Cut fro the mothers wombe, was carefuly sent to the schoolehouse
Of Centaure Chiron to be taught: who made him a cunning
Surgeon; so cunning, that he dead men strangly reuiued.
Whereat Ioue incenst, with thunder fram'de by the Cyclops,
Stroake him dead himselfe, who cured so many deaths-wounds.
Titan, sad to behold his son so spitefuly murdred,
On slaughtred Cyclops, his slaughter kindely reuenged.
Thundring Ioue much wroth, that such as fram'de him a thunder
Sould suffer violence, and not from death be protected,
Expelled Phœbus, for a certaine time, from Olympus.
Phœbus in exile now, contents himselfe with a pastors
Poore estate, and feedes Admetus flock, by the riuer
Amphrisus: so sweete and so secure is a pastors
Harmeles life: life next to the matchles life in Olympus.
Once in an eu'ning-tide, whilst Phœbus lay in a valley,
And with rurall pipe bestowd himself on a loues-lay,
His sheepe (sheepe indeede, that leant no eare to a loues-lay)
Through Pylian pastures chaunst heere and there to be straying.
Mercury, Ioues prety Page, fine-filcher Mercury, saw them,
37

Caught and brought them away, and kept them close in a thicker.
Phœbus knew nothing; for no-bodie saw, but an ould churle,
One ould canckred churle, which there kept Mares by the mountains,
Called bald Battus: whome Mercury friendly saluted,
Tooke him apart by the hand, and best perswasion vsed,
Gaue him a lambe for a bribe, and prayd him so to be silent.
Feare not, alas, faire sir, qd Battus: it is but a trifle,
Tis but a trick of youth, some stragling sheepe to be taking:
Kings may spare, and lend to the poore: And this very senceles
Stone (and points to a stone) of this fact shalbe reporter
As soone, as Battus: Ioues Nuntio gladly retired,
Yet, for a further proofe, both face and fashion altred,
And, as a countrey clowne, to a countrey lowt he returned.
Gaffer, I misse viue sgore vatt wedders: zawst any vilching
Harlot, roague this way of late? canst tell any tydings?
Ichill geue the an eawe, with a vayre vatt lamb for a guerdon.
Battus perceauing his former bribe to be doobled,
Turnd his tale with a trice, and theaft to the theefe he reuealed.
Vnder yon same hill they were, yeare while, by the thicket,
And 'cham zure th' are there. Iste true, qd Mercury smiling,
Ist tr'ue, thou false knaue, and wilt thou needes be betraying
Mee to myself? and then false Battus turnd to a Tutch stone,
Tutch stone, yet true stone; which each thing truely bewraieth,
And no-man thenceforth for no bribe falsely betrayeth.
At last, all brabling and altercation ended,
Mercury and Phœbus made friends, gaue one to another
Mutual embracements, and tokens: Pastor Apollo
Gaue his charmed staffe to the Nuntio Mercury: and the
Nuntio Mercury gaue his Lute to the Pastor Apollo.
Thus they parted friends: to the flock went Pastor Apollo;
Mercury sored aloft, til he seas'd on bewtiful Herse,
Sister of Aglauros possest with damnable enuie
And cursed Couetise, and worthily turnde to a black-stone,
Black-stone, signe of a minde all black and fowly defiled.
Not long after this, Phœbus with Mercury; ioyned
In faire-prowd Chione: Chione bare either a dearling:
Mercury, Autolicus did father, Apollo, Philammon;
Th' one well knowne for a theefe, and th' other fit for a fiddle;
But faire-prowde Chione was kild at last by Diana.
38

[Whil'st lymping Vulcan did lay on loade on his anuile]

Whil'st lymping Vulcan did lay on loade on his anuile,
With sweating Steropes, and fram'de Gradiuus a breast-peece:
Gradiuus tooke paines; and sweete Cytheræa belabr'ing,
With like endeauour made horned Vulcan a head-peece.
Phœbus saw them first (Phœbus see's euery thing first)
Saw, and gree'ud very much, so shameful a sight to be seeing,
Ran to the forge straightway, and there told al to the blacksmith,
Iunoes fayre fac't childe, Cytheræa'es bewtiful husband.
Mulciber astonied, stood starck horne-dead for a long while:
Downe falls hart, downe falleth his head, downe falleth his hammer,
And no life, no soule, in senceles carkas apeareth.
At last, fine small nettes, and chaynes of wire he deuised,
So small and so fine, that sight must needes be deceaued;
Much more fine and small, then finest threed of a copweb:
And so craftily fram'd, and with such mysterie forged,
That, with a pluck they claspt, with a tutch they speedily cloased,
And held each thing fast, and each thing greedily grasped.
These with sleight and art on adultrous couch he reposeth;
And, in a secreate place expects polluted adultresse,
And hoate raging Mars: who there lay louely together,
Either on others breast, and either in armes of another.
When sweete tickling ioyes of tutching came to the highest
Poynt, when two were one, when moysture fully resolued
Sought for a freer scope, when pleasure cam to a fulnes,
When their dazeling eyes were ouer-cast with a sweete cloude,
And their fainting soules, in a sleep, in a swowne, in a loue-trance:
Then was Mars fast tide, fast tide was dame Cytheræa,
Then was Mars cooled, cooled was dame Cytheræa.
Mars the adulter lay entangled with Cytheræa,
And Cytheræa lay entangled with the adulter:
Vulcans wires hold fast, they lye vnseemely together,
Either on others breast, and either in armes of another.
Mulciber in meane time causd chamber dore to be open,
And calld Gods, to behold so strange and louely a wonder:
Some laught, some smiled, some wished so to be shamed,
No-body but Neptune could possibly pacifie Vulcan.
Lady Venus let loose, was spitefuly wroth with Apollo,
And his broode with lust and rage shee dayly bewitched:
39

Sometimes Leucothoe with an endles loue he desireth,
And sometimes Clytie, and sometimes louely Coronis.
Euery day new loue, new lust, new flames be prepared
By Cytheræaes meanes, for this tale-teller Apollo.
39

[When the rebelling broode of th' earth layd siege to the heauens]

When the rebelling broode of th' earth layd siege to the heauens,
And Ioue all in vaine had wasted his ord'nary thunder,
Fire-forging Vulcan contriu'd new darts of a wondrous
Mixture, more violent then Ioues first ord'nary thunder.
When Gods thus victors were all secure in Olympus,
And new-found lightning had plagu'd the rebellius ofspring
Ioue bade fire-cunning black smith, for a friendly requitall,
Aske and haue, what he would, and most sincerely protested
By Stygian waters, that nothing should be denied.
Ould limping Dottrel would needs ask Lady Minerua,
Of peace and of wars chiefe guide and Lady, Minerua,
Ioues ioy, borne of Ioue, Ioue only without any Iuno.
Well, qd Ioue, then speak and speede: if Lady Minerua
Yeeld her selfe to a smith, let a smith take Lady Minerua.
Vulcan limps on apace, prowd of so louely a Lady
And peareles Paragon: When he came at last to the Pallace,
And there found Pallas, th' ould buzzard gan to be bussing
Th' inuiolate Virgin: th' oulde fumbler gan to be fingring
Th' immaculate mayden: who by and by with a stately
Frowne, and austere looke, his rashnes boldly rebuked.
Black smith intreateth, prowd Pallas stoutly denieth,
Gray-beard contendeth, but manly Minerua repelleth.
At last, with striuing and strugling stifly, the sharp-set.
Ould fornicator was now so throughly resolued,
Fully resolued now, and now so fowly resolued,
That the resolued blood contending long for a passage,
Powr'd it self at length on th' earth, in steed of a Pallas.
Vulcan somewhat coolde, and seeing stately Minerua
Obstinat and peeuish, conuey'd himself to his hammers.
40

But the resolued blood which Pallas prowdly refufed,
Was suckt vp by the earth straight way, and gladly receaued;
Wherof Erichthonius was borne, faire boy to the middle,
But fowle snake downward. Which monster, Lady Minerua
Gaue to the three sisters to be kept, inclosd in a casket,
With strayte commaundment, that none looke into the casket,
None peepe in to the childe, or see so fearful a monster.
Pandrosos and Herse kept tutch with Lady Minerua,
Curius Aglauros would see what might be the matter,
And chest vnclosed, disclosed a boy, with a serpent.
There was a chattring Chough, which spying down from an elmetree,
Saw all their dealings, and shewd all vnto Minerua:
Who in stead of thanks, this brew-bate crow did abandon,
And tooke Nyctimene transformd to an Owle, for her handmayd.
Thenceforth euery Chough, for a mock, was called a Iack-dawe;
And each prating Iack, beares yet this name of a Iack-dawe.
34

[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.
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.
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.
Acteons counsel was lik'te, his company rested,
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:
41

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.
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.
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.
42

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.
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.
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.
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.
But mery hunts-men cheare their houndes, and neuer imagin
42

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.
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.
43

[Myrrha, the fathers hoore, and brothers mother, a myrrhor]

Myrrha , the fathers hoore, and brothers mother, a myrrhor
Of most monstrus lust, was late transformd to a Myrrh-tree:
O how could sweete Myrrh come from so sinful a Myrrha?
Myrrha made Myrrh-tree, brought forth incestuus ofspring,
And yet most delicate, most sweete, most bewtiful ofspring,
Dame Natur's dearling, heu'ns ioy, worlds woonder, Adonis.
Either take wings, bowe, and shafts from louely Cupido,
Or giue bowe and shafts, and wings to the loued Adonis;
And let louely Cupid stand hard by loued Adonis
Either on others side, and aske, who list, the beholders,
Which is louely Cupid, which is this loued Adonis;
Euery man will swere, that both are louely Cupidoes,
Both are Lords of loue, and neither loued Adonis,
So like euery way were loue and loued Adonis.
Yea such grace, such face, such eyes had loued Adonis,
That very Enuies eyes must needes praise loued Adonis.
Lord, how swift is time, and slideth away on a sudden
Vnperceaud, vnspide? That wretched, lewdly begotten,
Sisters, grandsires son, closd yesterday in a Myrrhe-tree,
Borne but yesterday, is now so louely an infant,
Sweete childe, tall springall, braue youth; that Queene Cytheræa
Loues natures dearling, heu'ns ioy, worlds woonder Adonis.
Lord of loue, by a chaunce, as he playd with Queene Aphrodite
His louing mother, did rase her breast with an arrowe.
Hence, qd Lady Venus, with this same paltery arrowe;
44

And putts back her son: but that same paltery arrow
Gaue her a deeper wound indeede, then first she beleeued.
Now Cytheræan bowres and towres Cytheræa renounceth,
Fishy Cnidos, with watry Paphos Cytheræa refuseth,
Yea leaues heau'n it selfe for loue, for loue of Adonis.
Now she delites to be gay, and frames her lookes to be louely,
Trims and tricks her selfe, and all for loue of Adonis.
Sometimes downe by a well with Adonis sweetly she sitteth,
And on Adonis face in well-spring louely she looketh,
And then Adonis lipps with her owne lipps kindely she kisseth,
Rolling tongue, moyst mouth with her owne mouth all to be sucking,
Mouth and tong and lipps, with Ioues drinck Nectar abounding.
Sometimes, louely records for Adonis sake, she reciteth;
How Læander dyde, as he swamme to the bewtiful Hero,
How great Alcides was brought from a club to a distaffe,
How Medea the witch causd golden fleece to be conquerd,
What lost Euridice; who first came safely to Circe.
Sometimes vnto the shade of a braunched beech she repaireth,
Where sweete bubling brooke with streames of siluer aboundeth,
And faire-feathred birde on tree-top cherefuly chirpeth;
There her voyce, which makes eu'n Ioue himselfe to be ioying,
Vnto the waters fall, and birds chirpe ioyfuly tuning.
Sometimes vnto the woods, and pleasant parks she resorteth,
With tuckt-vp garments, and Quiuer, like to Diana.
And there harmeles game pursu's with loued Adonis,
Trembling hare, swift hart, and Roebuck loftyly horned:
As for Beares, and Woolu's, and such wilde beasts, she detested,
Left any harme might chaunce, by the chace thereof, to Adonis.
Whilst that Lady Venus did thus conuerse with Adonis,
Making more account of a heauens-ioy, then a heauen,
Ioue sent forth summons through purple-veiled Olympus,
Forth-with commaunding all Gods and euery goddes,
There at a stately triumph, on a certeine time to be present.
Then was Lady Venus compelld to returne to Olympus
Greatly against her minde, and leaue her loued Adonis:
And yet afore she returnd, shee turnd herselfe to Adonis,
And thus tooke her leaue, last leaue of loued Adonis.
Sweete boy, sith that I must of force now goe to Olympus,
(Neuer afore did I so vnwilling goe to Olympus)
Make much of thyself, and ile make haste from Olympus.
Sweete boy, looke to thyself, goe not too oft to the forrest,
Where sharpe-tusked boares, and rau'nous woolus be resorting,
44

And strong stoordy Lyons are each where fearefuly roaring.
Parks and launds are walkes more meete for yonker Adonis,
Harts and Hyndes are game more fit for gentle Adonis.
Tis no wit, sweete boy, with a greater foe to be striuing,
Tis no wit, to be stout with strong, to be haughty with hardy:
Forbeare for my sake, for my feare learne to be fearefull,
Meddle not with beasts, whose euery limme is a weapon,
Euery stroake is death: least too stowtharted Adonis
Buy his praise too deare: thy face, yeares, bewty, behauiour
Which possesse my soule, wil neuer moue the deuouring
Woolues, and bristled swine, wil neuer finde any fauour
In blood-thirsting eyes of a rugged bare, or a raging
Ougly Lyon, most ougly Lyon; whose merciles ofspring
Chiefly of all other wilde beasts Cytheræa detesteth.
Then she begins to recount, how fayre and swift Atalanta
Chaunst at length in race to be ouercome, by the golden
Apples, which herselfe of her owne grace, gaue to the thanckles
Hippomenes, whose loue was therefore turnd to a lewd lust,
So lewd; that Cybeles temple was fowly defiled,
And themselues to Lyons, for a iust plague, speedily changed,
Drawing her chariot, whose church they lately prophaned.
Then, qd shee, fly these; and not these only, but all those
Beasts, that will not fly. Such counsel gaue she Adonis,
But no such counsel would serue too youthful Adonis.
For, no sooner was sweete sea-borne Nymph Aphrodite
Conueyd in chariot by siluer swans to Olympus,
But to the wilde wood went too wilde and wilful Adonis:
Where, when his hounds on a time, by chaunce, had rowzed a wilde-boare,
Himselfe sets on first, and boare in a brauery woundeth.
Boare enrag'de, runs forth, with foaming tusk, to Adonis,
And teares those very parts, those tendrest parts of Adonis,
Which were stil most deare to Adonis deare Aphrodite,
Teares, and wounds, and kills Aphrodites loued Adonis.
And now, eu'n iust now, when wilde Boare murdred Adonis,
Ioues great guests were gone, and all solemnities ended,
And sweete louely Venus from Olympus newly departed;
Thinking euery howre to be two, and two to be twenty,
Til she beheld her boy: but alas too soone, she beheld him:
Downe fro the skies she beheld her long-lookt loued Adonis
Dismembred, wounded, with his owne blood all to besprinckled.
Then to the dolefull dale, where murdred Adonis abideth,
Her milke-white coursers, with might and maine she directeth,
45

Leaps downe, rents her roabes, and poore breast all to be beateth,
Teares hayre, scratcheth face, and deathswound deadly bewaileth.
Hellish Fates, qd shee, though world be depriu'd of Adonis
Corps, and loued lymmes, by you; yet world, to the worlds end,
In despite of you, shall yearely remember Adonis,
Yearely remember mee, by remembring yearely Adonis.
Yea, this purpled blood wil I speedily turne to a purple
Flowre; which shalbe a grace to the ground insteede of Adonis.
If that Apollo could transforme his boy Hyacinthus
Into a flowre for a fame, to the mourning flowre Hyacinthus,
Which stil beares, ay, ay, in leaues, in signe of a wailing:
If that Apollo could his dolefull boy Cyparissus
Turne to a dolefull tree, to the ioyles deadly Cupressus,
Shall not Lady Venus doe the like for loued Adonis?
Then with life-giuing Nectar, sweete blood she besprinkleth,
And the besprinkled blood, with a round top swells, as a buble:
Purpled round by degrees, is speedily changd to a purpled
Flowre, that beares faire leaues, and fraile leaues; euery winde-puffe
Blowes them away. So good things goe, so dyed Adonis:
Flowre fades, eye dazeleth, face wrinkleth, bewty decayeth.
47

[Therewith afrayd I ran away]

Therewith afrayd I ran away:
But he that earst seem'd to play,
a shaft in earnest snatched:
And hit me running in the heele;
For then, I litle smart did feele,
but soone the sore increased:
And now it ranckleth more and more,
And inwardly it festreth sore,
ne wot I how to cease it.
48

[Louing Lady Venus, bare Mercury, Hermaphroditus]

Louing Lady Venus, bare Mercury, Hermaphroditus,
Hermaphroditus, a youth so braue and like to the father,
Hermaphroditus, a boy so sweete and like to the mother,
That, whosoeuer knew Hermes and Aphrodite,
And lookt on braue youth, on sweet boy Hermaphroditus,
Would say, Lady Venus bare Mercury Hermaphroditus.
Water-nymphs for a time brought vp this yonker in Ida;
But when sixteen yeares were spent by the yonker in Ida,
Yonker could not abide, to abide any longer in Ida.
All his ioy was now his fortune for to be trying,
And forren countreyes with curius eye to be seeing,
And outlandish wells, and vnknowne springs to be knowing.
After much traueling, many strange sights, and many wonders;
At last, from Lycian borders his course he directed
Vnto the neighbor coasts of Caria: where he ariued
Hard by a cristall poole, poole cristal-cleare to the bottome,
And so transparent, that a man might easily number
Euery smalest stone, from th' vtmost brim to the bottome.
There no barren reeke, no pricking reede was abounding,
There no sedge, no rush, no moorish weede had abiding:
But with fayre green turfe pooles brinck was chearfuly bordred,
Green turse with fresh flowres & sweet hearbs daintily painted.
There no boyes pluckt flowres their gay nose gaies to be making,
Nor no nymphs: but a nymph: one nymph, and only but one nymph,
One and only but one; but no such one in a thousand.
For, neither car'd shee farre-wounding bow to be bearing,
Nor with quick-sent hounds by the green-hewd woods to be hunting,
Nor with water-nymphs by the smiling meades to be walking,
Nor to Dianaes court with tuckt-vp coate to be trudging.
Her feallow Fayries, stil prayd, and dayly desired;
Salmacis, either take thee a darte, or a feathered arrow,
And intermingle these idle toyes, with a fruitfull
And commendable acte, and sporte of mighty Diana.
Yet she neither tooke her a darte, nor a feathered arrow,
49

Nor would intermingle her idle toyes, with a fruitful
And commendable act, and sport of mighty Diana:
But contents her self with dayly domestical Harbor:
Bathes her loued limmes, fit for so louly a water,
Sits on flowring banck, and combs her sweetly beseeming
Hayre, & lookes to the lake, and guides her combe by the water.
Now her fayrest self, with finest lawne she adorneth,
And fayre self, fine lawne on tender grasse she reposeth:
Now fro the paunce to the rose, fro the rose to the lilly she wandreth,
And herself with paunce, with rose, with lilly she paynteth.
Whilst she bepaynts her self with a paunce, with a rose, with a lilly,
Hard by the pearl-bright brooke, she beheld fayre Hermaphroditus,
Hermaphroditus a far; so like to a God, to a goddes;
That shee wisht him a God, yet feard that he might be a Goddes.
But when man-like roabes declar'd that he was not a woman,
Salmacis all on fire his diuine beautie desired,
Salmacis all on thornes, for so sweete company longed,
Yet stayd, though on thornes, til her head, face, coate she had ordred,
And made all things fine, and then to the boy she repayred.
O sweete boy, whose more then mortall beauty deserueth
For to be deemed a God, what God shal I call the my sweete boy?
If that thou be a God, thou seemst to be goodly Cupido:
If but a man, most happy the man, who might be thy father,
Happy the woman, whom thy sweet self mad'st to be mother,
Happy the Nymph, whom so braue brother causd to be sister,
Happy the nurse, whose milk did feede so chearful a suckling:
But much more blessed, but much more happy then all these,
Were that lasse indeede, who might be thy wise, be thy bed-make:
If thou haue any wife, let mee be thy loue for a short time,
If thou haue no wife, let mee be thy friend for a long time:
Whether a husband bound, or whether free as a batchler,
Giue me a lawfull ioy, or priuily doe me a pleasure.
Thus she bespake sweete boy; but alas, sweet boy was abashed,
Knew not what loue was, but blusht, yet sweetly he blushed,
And wel, too too wel that blushing beauty beseemed.
Salmacis askt but a kisse, when naught els might be procured,
And fayre Iuory neck with her Iuory handes she beclasped:
Either let me alone, or I goe, said Hermaphroditus.
Nay, sweet friend, qd shee, stay here and play to thy pleasure,
Stay and play by the poole, Ile goe: and so she retireth,
And drawes back for a while, (yet looks back as she retyreth)
Drawes back vnto a bush; and there all closely she lurketh,
49

And through euery creeke, to the boy shee craftily peepeth.
Boy, vnspi'd, as he thought, as boys are wont, was a wandring
Here and there by the meade; and comes at last to the water;
Puts of his hose and shooes, and dips his feete to the anckles
In the bedabling waues, that seem'd his toes to be tickling.
By and by, draw'n on, by the coole and temperat humor
Of th' alluring lake, himselfe stark naked he stripped.
But when Salmacis once had seene fayre Hermaphroditus
Stript stark naked, alas her loue was turnd to a lusting,
Lust to a rage, and rage to a fire, and fire to a flaming.
Hardly she holdeth her hāds, she desires him now to be hādling,
And all impatient his snow-white skin to be tutching.
Stript boy leaps to the lake, lake serues as a veile to the stript boy,
Bright transparent veile, as a glasse to a rose, or a lillie.
Hid Nymph runs fro the bush, dispoyles her selfe in a moment,
Casteth away her Lawnes, and flings her selfe to the water,
Takes hold, embraces, clips, colls, clasps Hermaphroditus,
(Striuing and strugling and wrestling Hermaphroditus)
Feeles his naked lims, and sweete lipps all to be sucketh,
Sticks fast, spraules, and turnes, and windes him about, as an Yuie
Creepeth along on a tree, or a snake cleaues fast to an Egle,
Snake snatcht vp fro the ground, by the gryping clawes of an Egle.
Fond boy stil stil striues, and stil stil Salmacis vrgeth,
And bowes her whole-selfe, bends her whole-selfe to the fond boy,
Weighs him downe at last, and there lies all to be wrapped,
All intangled lies, all intermingled about him.
Peeuish boy, qd shee, now wrythe and wrest the a thousand
Wayes, no way shall serue, for thus wil I holde the for euer.
O, would God, would God, that I might so holde the for euer.
Her boone was graunted: they liu'd so ioyntly for euer;
They were one, not two: two coopled, yet not a coople,
Neither boy nor wench, but a wench-boy now, or a boy-wench,
Both, yet none of both; either, yet neither of either.
When poore youth perceau'd this transformation, and saw
Whereas he entred a man, that he turned back but a halfe-man:
Eyes, and heart, and hand, and voyce, (but now not a mans voyce)
Vp to the heau'ns did he lift, effeminat Hermaphroditus:
Father, Mother, graunt this fountayne so to be charmed,
That who goes in a man, may thence come foorth but a half-man.
Hermaphroditus chaunce, moude Hermes and Aphrodite:
And for a worthy reuenge, that well they speedily charmed,
That who goes in a man, comes alwayes foorth but a halfe-man.
50

[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,
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
50

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.
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.
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.
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.
51

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.
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.
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.
51

[In King Procae's time, Pomona, the Lady of apples]

In King Procae's time, Pomona, the Lady of apples
Floorisht: faire Pomona, the brauest nimph of a thousand
Wood-nimphs: no wood-nimph was found so good for a garden,
None so circumspect, so cunning was, for an orchyarde.
No wells, no waters, no hills, no dales she frequented,
Fishing, and fouling, and hunting life she refused,
Fruite, and fruite-bearing branches Pomona desired,
Gardens were her ioy, and all her care was her orchyard.
Insteede of keene darts, shee arm's herself with a shredding
Hooke, and therewith cutts and pares the superfluus ofsprings,
And ranck spreading boughes, which waste that natural humor,
Which well sparde, makes stock to be strong, and fruit to be louely.
Sometimes tender grifts from better tree she deriueth,
And to a baser stock commits them for to be noorrisht.
Baser stock, full glad, so noble an impe to be fostring,
Giu's it lap for suck, and it most charily tendreth,
And from nipping frosts, with her owne barck dayly defendes it.
52

Sometimes crumpled strings of thirsting roote she bewatreth,
When raging dog-star burnt fruite-yard all to be scorcheth;
And this is all her ioy, and herein stil she deliteth.
As for Lady Venus, no such pastime she desireth,
But walls her gardens, and orchyards warily wardeth,
And mens sight shunneth, mens company dayly detesteth,
Least by the rurall folk, violence might chaunce to be offred
Vnto her owne sweeteself, or force and spoyle to her orchyard.
What did not the Satyrs, that frisking lusty Iuuentus,
And Pan with pine-boughes on his horns, and fleshly Priapus,
And old Silenus, well stuft with youthful Iacchus,
Old staggring Tospot Silenus, with many other
Rurall Gods, t'obtaine so sweete and louely a goddes?
Yet more then the Satyrs, then Pan, then fleshly Priapus,
Then th' old Silenus; Vertumnus faithfuly seru'd her,
And more hartily lou'd, though nomore luckily lou'd her.
How many thousand times did he turne himself to a reaper,
And in a reapers weedes, bare sheaues of corne in a bundell,
And when he so was dreast, each man would deeme him a reaper?
How many thousand times did he change himself to a mower,
And with long-toothdrake, with crookt sithe went to the meddowe,
And when he thus made hay, each man tooke him for a mower?
How many times did he then transforme himself to a ploweman,
All in a leather pilch, with a goade in his hand, or a plowestaffe,
And so shapte, each man would sweare that he were but a ploweman?
Yea how oft did he frame and shape himself as a gardner,
Prest with a shredding hooke his vines and trees to be proyning,
And so dight, no-man did doubt, but he was but a gardner?
If that he met with a sweard, or a souldiers coate, or a cassock,
Cassock, coate, and sweard did make him march as a souldier.
And, when baits and hookes, and angling rods he receaued,
Fishers and anglers so well, so right he resembled,
That both Nymph and fish might well therewith be deceaued.
So, and so did this Vertumnus, slippery turnecoate
Turne, and winde, transforme, and change himself to a thousand
Shapes; and all, to behold Pomona the Lady of apples.
At last, with gray heares his wrinckled browes he bespreadeth,
Putts on a red thrumbd hat, with a staffe goe's lasily hobling,
Like to an old Beldame: and thus she begins to be tatling.
O braue sweete apples, and ô most bewtiful orchyard,
O paradise-garden, fit for so louely a gardner:
And so giu's her a kisse; (too wanton a kisse for a Beldame.)
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Then sits downe on a banck, and casteth her eyes to the garden
Stoarde with trees, and tree's with fruitefull burden abounding.
Ouer against this banck, where these two fate, was a goodly
Elme, that leant herselfe, as a louing prop to a vine-tree,
Vine-tree inclining, with clustred grapes, on her elme-tree.
See, said th' old Beldame, to the sweete fac'te Lady of apples,
See this loued sight, and marke there, how many thousand
Mutual imbracements, that vine-tree giu's to the elme-tree:
Vine giu's grace to the elme, and elme giu's strength to the vine-tree,
Either an others helpe, and either a ioy to an other.
But yet alas, if th' elme stoode single alone fro the vine-tree,
Or vine-tree be diuorct from her husbands company elmetree,
Elme shuld haue nothing, but fruiteles leaues for a burden,
Vine shuld lye on ground, which now mounts vp to the heauens,
Then let Pomona example take by the vine-tree,
Let Pomona loue, and ioyne herselfe to an elme-tree,
Ioyne herselfe to a mate, or shew herselfe to be willing
For to be ioynd to a mate. O how-many, how-many louers
Should shee haue, if shee once shewd herself to be louing?
Yea eu'n now (though now thou liue here sole in an orchyard,
Sole in an orchyard here, and all inclosd as an anckresse)
Sileni, Fauni, Siluani, all the delightfull
Crewe of rurall Gods, stil run to the Lady of apples.
But thou (if thou wilt haue this thy match to be well made)
Take heede, learne in time, and leand thine eare to a Beldame,
Who, as a woman, must of right, wish well to a woman,
And as an old woman, must needes know more then a damsell,
Disdaine these Demy-gods, that rome and range by the deserts,
Wood-gods, woodden gods, pide Pan, and filthy Priapus,
And take Vertumnus to thy mate, who, more then a thousand
Sileni, Fauni, Siluani, dayly desires thee,
And therefore (sith loue craues loue) more duly deseru's thee.
And take mee for a pledge: for, I know, that nobody better
Know's him then myself: his secreates all he reuealeth
Vnto me, and in mee his surest trust he reposeth.
And take this for a truth, Vertumnus goes not a gadding,
Is not an out-come guest, but dwells hereby as a neighbour.
Neither tak's he delite, his fancies dayly to alter,
Or seeke for new loues, or choyce once made to be changing:
Faithful Vertumnus loues with deuotion endles
First loue and last loue, Pomona the Lady of apples:
And can so conforme, and frame himself to be pleasing,
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That, what forme, or face, or shape Pomona desireth,
Into the same himself Vertumnus speedily changeth.
And, if like conceits are alwaies cause of a liking,
You two loue and like with like affection, one thing.
For, Pomona desires and loues faire plentiful orchyards,
And Vertumnus takes first fruites of plentiful orchyards.
And, though Vertumnus doe receaue these duetiful oftrings,
And take in good part Pomonae's bewtiful apples,
Plummes, and grapes, and hearbs, and flowres: yet he chiefly desireth
Not those faire apples, but this faire Lady of apples,
Not Pomonae's goods, but sweete Pomona the goddes,
Not thine, but the alone. Therefore with mercy remember
Vertumnus torments, and thinke, that he mercy desireth
With my mouth: thinke, that with these mine eyes he afordeth
Teares: feare louely Venus, who wills each Nimph to be louely,
Feare Nemesis, that plagues such girles, as loue to beloueles.
Then she begins to recount many old wiues tales to the Lady,
How that Anaxarete, for scorning bewtiful Iphis,
Was transformd to a stone: with a thousand more: of a purpose
For to procure her loue: and bade her looke to the fatall
Fall of Anaxarete, and learne thereby to be louely;
So might budding fruite from nipping frosts be defended,
And halfe-ripe apples from blustring windes be protected.
But sith th' old trott's shifts, and tales were lightly regarded,
Turnecoate Vertumnus to a youth was speedily turned,
Braue youth, gallant youth, as bright and sheene, as Apollo
Seemes, when burning beames, which clouds had lately eclipsed,
Haue their streaming light, and blazing bewty recou'red.
Youthful Vertumnus to the chereful Lady aproached,
And now offred force: but no force needes to be offred:
Sweete face, and faire lookes, causd castles keyes to be yeelded.
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[Iphis, a gentle youth (if a gentle minde be a gentry)]

Iphis , a gentle youth (if a gentle minde be a gentry)
Poore, yet rich, but rich in pure affection only,
Loued a lasse of state, but alas vnluckily loued,
Loued a noble dame (if a noble birth be a noblesse)
Loued Anaxarete, whome pride stil causd to be loueles.
Oftentimes he retir'de; yet loue stil forced him onward,
Oft did he striue with loue, and yet loue stil was a victor,
And a triumpher stil. Then poore disconsolat Iphis
Yeelds perforce, and seekes his wounded soule to recomfort.
Sometimes vnto the nurse his secreate smart he reuealeth,
And by the milk, by the pap, by the blessed breast, he beseecheth.
Sometimes vnto the friends of noble Dame he repaireth,
And their helping hand with streaming teares he desireth.
Sometimes wooing words in louing letter he writeth,
And ten thousand times his lordlike Lady saluteth.
Sometimes greene garlands with deaw of teares he bemoystneth,
And on posts and gates, his garlands watery fixeth.
Sometimes tender side on threshold hard he reposeth,
And there, locks and barres with curses vainly reuileth.
Scorneful Anaxarete, with a frowning face, with a hard hart,
Hart of flint, of steele, contemne him dayly, for all this:
And to a disdaineful disgrace, to a surly behauiour,
Adds a reproachfull speech, and mocks him, least any smallest
Harts ease, smallest hope might stay contemptible Iphis.
Iphis, vnable now t'endure these plagues any longer,
Coms all impatient, and all inragd, to the damned
Dore of proud Mistres, there this last passion vttring.
Lady Anaxarete, ô now, sing, io triumphe,
Sing a triumphing song: thou shalt nomore be molested
With vile woorme Iphis, poore pasthope, desperat Iphis.
Vaunt thy self, and laugh, and let thy head be adorned
With fresh laurel leaues in ioyfull signe of a conquest;
Iphis yeelds, yeelds breath, last breath; sing, io triumphe,
Feede that murdring sight with sight of murdered Iphis:
So shal Anaxarete, eu'n in despite of her hard hart,
Hardest hart, confesse, that I once yet wrought her a pleasure,
Blood-thirsting pleasure, when as Iphis murdered Iphis.
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Yet let no man thinke, that I therefore leaue to be louing
Fayre-prowd, louely-cruell, til I also leaue to be liuing.
With double darknes mine eyes shal at once be eclipsed,
Of suns burning beames and light vntimely bereaued,
And of Anaxarete's sweete sight vnkindly depriued.
Neither needes any man these tidings for to be telling;
Iphis wil be the newes, and Iphis wil be the bringer
Of that selfsame newes: Iphis wil surely be present,
And in presence dy: so Iphis shalbe reporter,
So this Anaxarete in like sort shalbe beholder,
And feede murdring sight with sight of murdered Iphis.
Yet you gods (if mens affaires of gods be regarded,)
Vouchsafe forlorne wretch with some smalle grace to remember;
Let poore Iphis death, and cause of death be recorded:
And by how much now his liuing dayes be abridged,
Let, by so much more his name and fame be prolonged.
This said, brawne-falln armes, and eyes all watred, he lifted
Vp to the posts, which earst with flowres he had often adorned,
And there fastned a cord. These, these be the crowns, be the garlands,
These be the flowres, which yeeld such pleasant sent to the scorneful
Lady Anaxarete: so thrust in his head: yet he turned
Head, and face, and eyes, eu'n at last gaspe, to the scorneful
Lady Anaxarete: and there hangd woefuly tottring,
With corde-strangled throate; his sprawling feete by the downefall
Knockt her dore by chaunce; knockt dore did yeeld a resounding,
Yeelded a mourneful sound, and made herself to be open,
Wide open, to behold so strange and woeful an obiect.
Dead dore, senceles dore, ten thousand times to be praised
More then Anaxarete, who by no paines of a louer,
By no intreating, by no perswasion, opn'ed
Those dead eares, to receaue last words of desperat Iphis,
Those curst eyes, to behold last teares of desolat Iphis,
That prowd hart, to bewaile last fall of murdered Iphis.
Dore once wide open, seruants ran forth with an outcry,
Ran, but ran too late; tooke vp diffigured Iphis,
Cold Iphis, palefact Iphis, nay, now not an Iphis,
And his poore mother with a sight so deadly presented,
Old mother, childles mother, nay, now not a mother.
Woeful woman, alas, clipt, kist, embraced her Iphis,
Wept, cride out, hould, roard, performd al parts of a mother:
And to the graue at last with sollemne funeral honnors,
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Brought through th' open streetes her sons dead corps in a coffin.
Hard by the way, through which, this sad solemnity passed,
Lady Anaxaretes braue bowre sloode loftily mounted:
And, that dolefull sounde with mourning eccho redoobled
Came to her cares at last (for now at last, the reuenging
Goddes gan to requite) and forcéd her eyes to the windowe,
For to behold and see poore Iphis laid in a coffin:
Scarce she beheld and saw poore Iphis laid in a coffin,
But that sightles sight was starck and stiffe on a sudden,
And her purpled blood to a palenes speedily changed.
Back she remou's her feete, her feete will not be remoued,
Back she reflected her head, but her head would not be reflected;
Feete and head stock fast: and that same merciles hardnes,
That same stone, which earst in her hard hart made his abiding,
Dwelled in euery ioynt, and each where tooke vp a lodging.
And least noble dames might deeme my tale, but a fable,
In towne of Salamis, where famous Teucer abided,
(Whence this scorneful dame her noble gentrie deriued)
Stony Anaxarete, for a lasting signe of a stony
Hart, stands fram'de of stone, in church of dame Cytheræa.
Then let noble dames, let Ladies learne to be louely,
And make more account of a gentle minde, then a gentry.
Loue makes lowest high, and highest harts to be lowly,
And by these meanes makes both highe and lowe to bee louely.
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