The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch Entituled, Amintas Dale. Wherein are the most conceited tales of the Pagan Gods in English Hexameters together with their auncient descriptions and Philosophicall explications. By Abraham Fravnce |
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[Ioue, as he looked downe fro the skies, sawe beautiful Io] |
 | The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch |  |
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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.
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.
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,
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.
(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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch | |