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The last Section.

So soone as Psyche got all things together,
That might be usefull for her going thither,
And her returne, to Tanarus she went,
And the Infernall passage did attempt:
VVhere all those strange, and fatall prophesies
Accomplisht were in their occurrences.
For first she passes by with carelesse speed,
The old man, and his Asse, and gave no heed
Either unto his person, or desire.
And next she payes the Ferry-man his hire;
And though Oblivion, and the Fates did woe her,
VVith many strong temptations, to undoe her,
Vlisses like, she did their prayers decline,
And came now to the house of Proserpine.
Before the Palace was a stately Court,
Where forty Marble-pillars did support
The roofe, and frontis-piece, that bore on high
Pluto's owne statue, grav'd in Ebony.
His face, though full of majesty, was dim'd
With a sad cloud, and his rude throne untrim'd:
His golden Scepter was eate in with rust,
And that againe quite overlayd with dust.

Ceres was wrought him by, with weeping eyne,
Lamenting for the losse of Proserpine.
Her daughters rape was there set downe at full,
Who while that she too studiously did pull
The purple Violet, and sanguine Rose,
Lillies, and low growne Pansies; to compose
Wreathes for the Nymphes, regardles of her health
'Twas soone surpriz'd, and snacht away by stealth.
Forc'd by the King of the infernall powers,
And seem'd to cry, and looke after her flowers.
Enceladus was strecht upon his backe,
While Plutoes Horse hoofes, and coach did wracke
His bruised body. Pallas did extend
The Gorgons head. Delia her bow did bend;
And Virgins both, their Vncle did defy
Like Champions, to defend virginity.
The Sun, and Stars were wrapt in sable weedes,
Dampt with the breath, of his Tænarian Steedes.
All these, and more were portray'd round about,
VVhich filth defac'd, or time had eaten out.
Three headed Cerberus the gate did keepe,
VVhom Psyche with a sop first layd to sleepe;
And then went safely by, where first she saw
Hells Iudges sit, and urging of the law:
The place was parted in two severall wayes,
The right hand to Elysium convayes;
But on the left, were malefactors sent,
The seate of tortures, and strange punishment.
There Tantalus stands thirsty to the chin,
In water, but can take no liquor in.
Ixion too, and Sisiphus; the one
A wheele, the other turnes a restlesse stone.

A Vulture there on Titius does wreake
The Gods just wrath, and pounding with his beake,
On his immortall liver still does feed,
For what the day does wast, the night does breed:
And other soules are forced to reveale,
VVhat unjust pleasures they on Earth did steale;
Whom fiery Phlegeton does round inclose,
And Stix his waves does nine times interpose.
The noyse of whipps, and Furies, did so fright
Poore Psyches eares, she hasted to the right.
That path way straight, for on each side there grew
A Grove of mournefull Cypresse, and of Yew:
It is the place of such as happy dye.
There, as she walked on, did Infants cry,
Whom cruell death snacht from their teats away,
And rob'd of sweet life, in an evill day.
There Lovers live, who living here, were wise;
And had their Ladies, to close up their eyes.
There Mighty Heroes walke, that spent their bloud,
In a just cause, and for their Countries good.
All these beholding through the glimering ayre,
A mortall; and so exquisitely faire,
Thicke as the motes, in the Sun beames came running
To gaze, and know the cause too of her comming;
Which she dissembled; onely askt to know,
Where Pluto dwelt, for thither she must goe:
A guide was straight assign'd, who did attend,
And Psyche brought safe to her journies end,
Who being entred, prostrate on her knee,
She humbly tenders Venus Embassy.
Great Plutoes Queene presented to her guest,
A Princely Throne to sit on, and a feast,

Wishing her tast, and her tyr'd limbes refresse,
After her journey, and her wearinesse.
Psyche excus'd it, that she could not stay,
And if she had her arrant would away.
But Proserpine reply'd, you doe not know
Faire Mayd, the joyes and pleasures are below,
Stay and possesse, what ever I call mine,
For other Lights, and other Starres doe shine
VVithin our-territories, the day's not lost,
As you imagine, in the Elysian coast.
The Golden Age, and Progeny is heere,
And that Fam'd Tree, that does in Autumne beare
Clusters of Gold, whose Apples thou shalt hoard,
Or each meale, if thou please, set on the board.
The Matrons of Elysium at thy becke,
Shall come and goe; and buried Queenes shall deck
Thy body, in more stately ornaments,
Then all Earths fayned Majesty presents:
The pale and squalid region shall rejoyce,
Silence shall breake forth a pleasant voice:
Sterne Pluto shall himselfe to mirth betake,
And crowned Ghosts shall banquet for thy sake;
New Lampes shall burne, if thou wilt here abide,
And nights thicke darkenesse shall be rarifi'd,
What ere the winds upon the Earth doe sweepe
Rivers, or Fennes embrace, or the vast deepe,
Shall be thy tribute; and I will deliver
Vp for thy Servant, the Lethean River:
Besides the Parcæ shall thy Hand-maides be,
And what thou speak'st, stand for a destiny.
Psyche gave thankes; but did her plainely tell,
She would not be a Courtier unto hell:

When wondring that such honours did not please,
She offerd gifts, farre richer, then all these.
For as a Dowry, at her feet she laid
The mighty engines, which the world upwaigh'd,
And vow'd to give her immortality,
And all the pleasures, and the royalty
Of the Elysian Fields; which wisely she
Refus'd, for Hell, with all their power, and skill,
Though they allure, they cannot force the will:
This vext faire Proserpine, any should know
Their horrid secrets, and have power to show,
Vnto the upper world, what she had seene
Of Hell, and Styx, of Pluto, and his Queene,
Yet since she might not her owne lawes withstand,
She gave the boxe of beauty in her hand.
And Psyche, with those precepts us'd before,
The Sunnes bright beames did once againe adore
Then, as she thought, being out of all controule,
A curious rashnesse did possesse her soule,
That slighting of her charge, and promis'd duty,
She greatly itcht, to adde to her owne beauty;
Saying, ah foole, to beare so rich a prize,
And yet through feare, dost envy thine owne eyes
The happy object, whose reflexion might,
Gaine thee some favour, in young Cupids sight:
The voyce forbad me, but I now am free,
From Venus vision, and Hells custody.
And so without all scruple, she unlocks,
And lets forth the whole treasure of the boxe,
VVhich was not any-thing to make one faire,
But a meere Stygian, and infernall ayre;

Whose subtle breathings through her pores did creepe,
And stuft her body with a cloud of sleepe,
But Cupid now, not able to endure
Her longer absence, having gain'd his cure,
And prun'd his ruffled wings, flew through the gate
Of his close prison, to seeke out his Mate:
Where finding her in this dull Lethargy,
He drew the foggy vapour from her eye,
And that her stupid spirits might awake,
Did all the drowsie exhalation shake
From off her sence; she shut it up, and seal'd
The Boxe so fast, it ne're might be reveal'd.
Next, with his harmlesse Dart, small as a pin,
He prick't the superficies of her skin:
Saying, what wondrous frailty does possesse
This female kind, or rather wilfulnesse?
For loe, thy foolish curiosity,
Has tempted thee againe to perjury.
VVhat proud exploit was this? what horrid fact?
Be sure, my mother Venus will exact
A strict accompt, of all that has beene done,
Both of thy selfe, and thy commission.
But yet for all this trespasse, be of cheere,
And in a humble duty persevere,
Detaine from Venus nought, that is her owne,
And for what else remaines, let me alone.
Thus Psyche by her Lover being sent,
And waxing strong, through his encouragement,
The Boxe of beauty unto Venus brings,
Whilst Cupid did betake him to his wings:
For when he saw his Mother so austere,
Forc'd by the violence of love, and feare,

He pierced the Marble concave of the sky,
To Heaven appeal'd, and did for Justice cry;
Pleading his cause, and in the sacred presence
Of Iove himselfe, did his Love-suit commence.
Iove at his sight, threw by his rayes, so pure,
That no eyes but his owne might them endure:
Whom Cupid thus bespake: Great Iove, if I
Am borne your true, and lawfull progeny:
If I have playd betweene your armes, and sate
Next to your selfe, but since growne to a state
Of riper yeeres, have beene thought fit to beare
An equall sway, and move in the same speare
Of honour with you, by whose meanes, both men,
And gods have trembled at my Bow, as when
Your selfe have darted thunder-bolts, and slaine
The earth bred Gyants, in the Phlegrian Plaine.
And when in severall scales my shafts were layd
With your owne Trident, neither has out-waigh'd.
I come not now, that you should either give,
Confirme, or adde to my prerogative.
But setting all command, and power aside,
Desire by law, and justice to be try'd.
For whither else should I appeale? or bring
My cause, but to your selfe, that are a King,
And father to us all, and can dispence
What right you please, in Court, and Conscience?
I have beene wrong'd, and must, with griefe indite
My Mother of much cruelty, and spight
To me, and my poore Psyche: there's but one,
In the whole world, that my affection,
And fancy likes, where others doe enjoy
So many; the diversity does cloy

Their very appetite: yet who but owes
All his delight to me? and Venus knows,
By her owne thoughts, the uncontrouled fire
That reignes in youth, when love does him inspire.
Yet she without all pitty, or remorse,
Me, and my Mistresse, labours to divorce.
I covet no ones spouse, nor have I taken
Anothers Love; there's not a man forsaken,
Or god, for my sake, that bewayles his deare,
Or bathes his spoyled bosome with a teare:
Then why should any, me, and my Love sever?
That joyne all other hearts, and loves together?
Iove heard him out, and did applaud his speach,
And both his hand, and Scepter to him reach.
Then calling Cupid, his smooth fingers layd
On his Ambrosiack cheeke, and kissing sayd,
My little youngster, and my sonne, 'tis true;
That I have never yet receiv'd from you
Any due reverence, or respective meed,
Which all the other gods to me decreed.
For this my heart, whose high preheminence
Gives Edicts to the Starres, and does dispence
The like to Nature, your fine hand the while,
With earthly lusts still labours to defile;
And contrary to publick discipline,
And 'gainst all lawes, both Morall, and Divine,
Chiefly the Iulian, thou dost fill mine eyes
With many foule, and close adulteries.
For how ofttimes, have I through vaine desire
Beene chang'd to beasts, birds, serpents, and to fire:
Which has procur'd ill censures, and much blame,
And hurt my estimation, and my fame:

Yet being pleas'd with this thy foolish sport,
I'me loath to leave it, though I'me sorry for't;
And on condition thou wilt use thy wit,
In my behalfe, and minde the benefit,
I will performe all thy demands: if when
Thou seest faire Damsells on the earth agen,
Remembring thou wast brought up on my knee,
That every such Mayd thou wilt bring to mee.
Cupid assents, then Iove bids Maya's sonne,
Publish a royall Proclamation,
Through the Precincts of Heaven, and call at once
A generall councell, and a Sessions,
That the whole bench, and race of Deities,
Should in their severall rankes, and pedegrees,
Repaire straight to his Court, this to be done,
In paine of Ioves displeasure, and a summe
Of money to be laid upon his head,
And from his lands, and goods belevied,
If any god should dare himselfe absent,
For any cause, from this great Parliament:
And that whoever had his name i'th' booke,
His fyne, but his excuse should not be tooke.
This being nois'd abroad, from every where,
The lesser gods came thronging out of feare,
And the Celestiall Theater did thwack,
That Atlas seem'd to groane under his pack.
Then Iove out of his Ivory throne did rise,
And thus bespake them: Conscript Deities,
For so the Muses with their whitest stone,
Have writ your Names, and Titles, every one.
You know my Nephew Cupid; for the most
Of us, I'me sure, have felt him to our cost:

Whose youthfull heat I have still sought in vaine,
And his licentious ryot to restraine.
But that his lewd life be no farther spread,
His lusts, nor his corruptions published.
I hold it fit, that we the cause remove,
And bind him in the fetters of chast love:
And since that he has made so good a choice,
Of his owne wife, let each god give his voice,
That he enjoy her, and for ever tye
Vnto himselfe, in bands of Matrimony.
Then unto Venus turning his bright face,
Daughter, he sayes, conceive it no disgrace,
That Psyche marries with your sonne; for I,
That where I please, give immortality,
Will alter her condition, and her state,
And make all equall, and legitimate.
With that, command to Mercury was given,
That he should fetch faire Psyche unto Heaven:
And when that she into their presence came,
Her wondrous beauty did each god inflame.
Then Jove reacht forth a cup with Nectar fraught,
And bad her be immortall with the draught:
So joyn'd them hand in hand, and vow'd beside,
That she with her deare Cupid should abide;
Ne're to be separate; and more t'enlarge
His bounty, made a Feast at his owne charge,
Where he plac'd Cupid at the upper end,
And amorous Psyche on his bosome lean'd.
Next sate himselfe, and Iuno, then each guest,
And this great Dinner was by Vulcan drest.
The Graces strewd the roome, and made it smile
With blushing Roses, and sweet flowers; the while

The spheares danc'd harmony. Apollo ran
Division on his Harpe, Satyr, and Pan
Play'd on their Pipes: the Quire of Muses sang,
And the vast concave of Olimpus rang,
VVith pious acclamations to the Bride;
And joy'd that Psyche was thus deify'd.
Hermes, and Venus mov'd their gracefull Feet,
And did in artificiall measures meet;
The Phrygian boy fill'd wine at this great feast,
Only to Iove, and Bacchus to the rest.
Thus Cupid had his love, and not long after,
Her wombe by Iuno's helpe, brought forth a daughter.
A child, by nature different from all,
That laught when she was borne, and men did call
Her Pleasure; one, that does exhilarate
Both Gods, and men, and does her selfe dilate
Through al societies, chiefly the best,
VVhere there is any tryumph, or a feast.
Shee was the Authour, that did first invent
All kinds of sport, conceits, and meriment:
And since to all mens humours does incline,
Whether, that they be sensuall, or Divine.
Is of a modest, and a loose behaviour,
And of a setled, and a wanton favour:
Most dangerous, when she appeares most kind,
For then shee'll part, and leave a sting behind:
But happy they, that can her still detaine,
For where she is most fixt, she is least vaine.
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