University of Virginia Library

The sixt Epistle.

Hypsiphyle to Jason.

The flickring fame reportes
that to Thessalia soyle
Thou art with luckie Barck returnde,
enricht with golden spoyle.
I ioy (as much as thou
wilt giue me leaue mine owne)
To heare thy health, but yet I shoulde
thereof by letter knowne.
For that thou shouldst not leaue
my lande at thy returne
Unseene; thou couldst not haue the windes
to serue thy hoped turne.
Thou shouldst haue sent mee lines
though weather did not serue:
I stande assurde that Hypsiphyl
a greeting did deserue.
Why came report before
thy Letters made me showe,
That bluddy Mars his sacred Bulles
the pinching yoke did knowe?
And that of scattred seede
there weapned wightes arose?
And that thy balefull hande was prest
to deale them deadly blose?
And that the waker Fenne
the glittering spoyle did keepe:
Which thou in fine with manly hande
hast reft the shining sheepe?
To such as hardly woulde
beleue the wonders tolde,
How blest were I, if I my vaunt
thus Iason wrote. Beholde.
What shall I say thou hast
not playde the husbandes part?
So I be thine, thy friendship farre
surmounts my small desart.
The brute doth blast there is
a barbarous Witch arriude
With thee, who hath mee of my spouse
and bridely bed depriude.
Loue lightly will beleue:
woulde God I might be sed
A rashfull dame, and false reportes
of Iason to haue spred.
A guest of Thessal came
from Hemus partes of late,
Who scarcely had set foote within
my vnaquainted gate.
How fares my loue (quoth I)
olde Æsons sonne I pray?
But he with countnance cast to grounde
for shame had nought to say.
Then forth I skipt in hast,
and renting mine attire:
Liues he (quoth I) or doe the fates
my death also require?
He liues (quoth he) an othe
in proufe thereof I craue:
I made him sweare, yet to his Gods
I hardly credit gaue.
When to my selfe I came,
thy manfull actes to knowe
I long: and he how Mars his Bulles
had turnde the soyle did showe.
He sayde that snakie teeth
for seede were cast on lande:
And vpstart men with armour clad
both sworde and shielde in hande.
And that the earthly broode
in ciuill warre was slaine:
And in a day lost sodaine lyfe
by sodaine death againe.
And of the Serpents fall,
againe where Iason liues
I aske. So hope and doubtfull dread
for chiefest credit striues.
Whilst he eche thing displayes
desirous for to prate:
He makes me shew how thou hast wrongde
thy loyall spouse of late.
O where is plighted fayth?
where nuptiall othes and bande?
And that which should beene cast in flame,
I meane the spousall brande?
Thou knowste mee not by stealth,
dame Iuno was in place,
(Who hath the marrige charge) and there
did Aymen shew his face.
But neyther Iuno did
nor Hymen holde the light:
Some furie fell with bloodshot eyes
did frame this cankred spight.
Why I with Minyes did deale?
or Pallas sacred pine?
Or (Tiphus) what hast thou to doe
with any soyle of mine?
Here was no famous Ramme
with fleese of glowing golde:
In Lemnos was no Pallace for
your aged Prince to holde.
First was I fully bent,
but destnie me withdrewe)
By womans powre to put them off
and wandring guestes subdue:
For Lemnian Ladies knowe
to well to warre with men:
My lyfe with such a valiant troupe
should haue beene garded then.
I gaue the man at once
my hostage and my hart:
For two yeares date thou werte with mee,
and neuer didst depart.
When thirde Autumne came on
that thou of force were faine
To hoyse thy sayles: these woords thou spakst
with gushing teares amaine:
Mine owne I must depart,
if fortune say Amen,
From hence I passe thy spouse, and will
thy spouse repasse agen.
The Impe within thy wombe
Gods graunt that it may liue:
And we his parents both yfeare
a decent name may giue.
Thus much (I minde) thou spakste,
when salted teares berainde
Thy falsed face, the remnant of
thy sermon was restrainde.
The last of all thy Mates
thou clambst the sacred Arge,
That spind along, thy sayles did stroute
they had so great a charge.
The ship was shooude a pace
vpon the grayish flood:
Thou threwst thine eyes to shore, and we
to seawarde lookte agood.
There standes a Turret by
that ouerlookes the place:
To whome I ranne, and did with teares
imbrue both breast and face.
I looked through my teares,
mine eye as freendly light
Had larger kenning than of course,
and farder stretcht his sight.
Adde therevnto my vowes
and Prayers ioynde with dred:
Which sacred vowes I will perfit
since thou hast haply sped.
But shall I pay my vowes?
shall Medea them enioy?
My heart doth ake, and wrath with loue
combyned doth annoy.
Shall I beare gifts to Church
or be at charge at all?
To loose my louing Iason shoulde
there any Hayfer fall?
I was not calme in minde,
I alwayes stoode in awe
Thy father would not entertaine
in Greece a daughter lawe.
Of Greece I was in dreede,
but other worke my woe:
I haue receyude a hurt of one
whome earst I did not knowe.
By beautie nor desert
shee wonne thee, but by charme:
With Socerers Syth she sheares the Grasse
whereby she workes thy harme.
She sayes from woonted track
the waywarde Moone to wrie:
And dimme with duskie cloude the steedes
that praunce in open skie.
She bridles running streames
and fleeting flouds doth stay:
Shee makes the holts and ragged rocks
for ioy to skip and play.
Dissheueld with hir locks
she walkes by buriall graues:
And certaine of the lothsome bones
from wasting flame she saues.
She curseth absent wightes,
of Waxe she pictures makes:
And prickes with pinnes the pensiue lungs
wherewith the bowels akes.
Thus Loue that should be wonne
with beautie and desart:
Is got (which would I had not tryde)
by Herbes and hurtfull Art.
What? canst thou coll and clip
or sleepe in selfe same bed
With hir, deuoide of waking care
and free from carking dred?
As earst she yokte the Bulles
so hath she bound thee fast:
And tamde thee, as the Dragons fell
were conquerde by hir cast.
So that she spoyles both thee
and all thy Mates of prayse:
And by the meane of such a wife
the husbandes fame decayes.
In Thessalie are some
to poyson that impute
Thy factes: and there will be ynough
which will beleue the brute.
Not this olde Æsons sonne
but Oeetes daughter wrought:
T'was she, not Iason, that the fleese
of Golde from Colchos brought.
Aske Alcimedes aduise,
thy Dame doth this disleeke:
Thy father eke from chilly Role
who did a daughter seeke.
Let hir to Tanays go.
and seeke in Scythian soyle
Hir louing spouse, and gape for him
from Phasis farthest goyle.
Fye, faithlesse Iason, fie,
more light than windie blast:
Why dost not thou thy painted wordes
with deede confirme at last?
Thou partedst hence my spouse,
why art not so returnde?
O barre not that at gaincome which
at parture was not wournde.
If Noble line thou lyke,
and gentrie mooue thy minde:
That I King Thaos dearling was,
and daughter mayst thou finde.
My Grandsire Bacchus was,
and Bacchus wife ycrownde
Doth farre surpasse the lesser lights
that hir enuiron rounde.
Lemnos shall be my dowre,
as fruitfull as the best
To such as there soiourne: and me,
accoumpt among the rest.
Who now am brought a bed,
let dubble ioy possesse
Thy heart, the father made the throwes
of trauaile seeme the lesse.
The number gladdes my minde,
(Lucina thanked bee)
Of good successe, a luckie twinne
to light are brought by mee.
Whose shape and shewe they beare
if thou demaunde, I vaunt
Thou mayst be knowne by them, saue they
the fathers fraude doe want.
Whome I was euen at poynt
by Legates to conuaie,
Saue that the cruell stapdame was
the onely cause of staie.
Medea made mee dreede,
who iustly may be thought
More than a stepdame, with hir hande
eche cursed fact is wrought.
She that hir brothers bones
and flesh coulde fling in fielde,
Rent first with cruell fist: would shee
haue ruth vpon my childe?
Yet hir the fame reportes,
(O woode and wretched wight)
That thou before thy Hypsiphyl
preferrste with all thy might.
She going for a Mayde
hath playd a harlots cast:
But with vnspotted bridely chaine
we twoo were lincked fast.
Hir father she betrayde,
I saude King Thoas lyfe:
Shee fled from Colche, in Lemnos I
remaine thy louing wyfe.
But whereto? if a drabbe
an honest woman winne?
And that hir crymes for iointure haue
and stead of dowrie binne?
I blame the Lemnian Maydes,
I muse not at their deede:
For dolour to the angrie will
bring wreakefull tooles with speede.
Say on, if forst with windes
(as right did will thee doe)
Both thou and all thy troupe at once
my Port had commen too:
And I with this my broode
had met thee at the doore:
Then wouldst thou not haue wisht the gas-
ping soyle thy corps deuoure?
(Unthriftie) with what face
vpon those Babes and mee
Wouldst thou haue lookte? fie traytor what
had beene fit death for thee?
Thou mightst haue liude at ease
and safe by my consent:
Not for thou didst deserue so well,
but cause I did relent.
I with that witchesse blood
my face should haue imbrude:
And Iasons eke, which with hir herbes
the Harlot did delude.
To Medea I shoulde
haue beene Medea then:
(And if in skies be any Ioue
that will giue care to men)
As Hypsiphyle doth plaine
and sob alone hir fill:
So let that beast (Medea) mourne
plagude with hir handie skill.
And as I loose my Impes
and am bereft my Make:
So graunt, that hir as many babes
and husband may forsake.
Ne that she may retaine
but leaue with worser hap
Ill gotten goods: and banisht begge
hir breade with dish and clap,
As louing sister shee
and daughter eke hath beene
To Father and to brother both:
Gods graunt she may be seene
So spitefull to hir Spouse,
and armde with yrefull rage
Euen to hir tender children whome
she ought to garde in age.
When sea and lande she hath
consumde, vp to the skie
Let hir go rangle lyke a Rogue
and by selfeslaughter die.
Thus I bereft my spouse
King Thaos daughter pray:
In cursed Cabbin leade your liues
you beastly folkes I say.