University of Virginia Library

In all the world so great an enemie,
Either to man, or mans felicitie
There neuer was, if we do iudge aright,
And be not led away with blinded sight,
Then is our owne ore-bold seueritie:
For still thereby fit oportunitie,
Our foes haue for to ceaze on vs, before
We thinke that they are neare aboard the shore:
Witnesse faire Thames, who doubting nought at all,
Was nigh surprisd, and made God Neptuns thrall:
Who next day, when Hiperions sonne began
To driue his Chariot to the Ocean,
Ariued in the Meddow where as she
Was sporting in her Maydens companie:
Whom happilie faire Thamisis espied;
And spying, her faire louely cheekes (straight) died
With a Vermilion blush, abashed as
Naked Diana mongst her Maydens was:
Then when she in the cleere Gargaphian Spring,
By th'haples Nephew of the Thebane King
Vnwares was found; and from the place straight fled,
Leauing her Maydes behind all in the Mead:
Away she ran, as raging stormes doth flie,
Tumbling vp cloudes within the sable skie,
Nere looking backe, nor making any staie:
So feared she the soueraigne of the Sea.

Not halfe so fast distressed Florimel
Fled from the sight of that Hiena fell,
Which the dispightfull Witch after her sent,
To bring her backe, and her in peeces rent.
Nor halfe so fast from Phœbus Daphne fled,
As ISIS now, to saue her maydenhead:
Whereat the Lord of the vnconstant Sea
Did chase, yet loth that she should get away,
He gan with sugred speaches for to woe her,
But all was spent in vaine, that he sayd to her.

Thou that my soule holdes captiue in thine eyes,
(Quoth he) and still new tormentes dost deuise
To plague me, stay; and those hot fiers fee,
That burning in my breast, haue vexed mee
Ere since the shaftes which from thy sparkling starres
Did come and wounded me all vnawares:
And in thy golden haire my hart was tane,
Which now dispaires t'haue freedome ere againe:
But bootelesse were these Wordes; which seeing, hee
A loude vnto her, thus againe gan crie.

Stay cruell ISIS, harder farre then Flint,
And rougher then the Oake on Ida, flint
Thy hastie pace; and cause the Nimphos thou dost
Excell in fairenes, do not therefore bost;
But thinke, that as thy flood beares to my realme,
with an infatigable course his streame,
Returning nere againe vnto his head:
So th'howre the day, the day thy youth will lead,
Till on it death, or wrinckled age will sease:
Which come, thou'st rue the time which thou didst lease.
Loue therefore while as time is offerd thee,
And while thou mayst againe like loued bee:
For times do change and alter euery day,
And in those times we change, and doe decay:
Then present time's better, then time to come,
Since Golden, Siluer, Brasen age, is done;
And nought is left, but Irons cankred rust,
Which dayly turneth all from worse to worst.
Looke but vpon the faire sweete senting Rose,
Which cropped from the tree whereon he growes,
Straight loseth all the fairenesse that it had:
And know, thy beautie one day, so will fade.

Nor thinke thou canst the Gods in heauen excell,
Since thundring Ioue, loues fier could not quell.
Since bright Apollo spite of all his art,
With Cupids shafts, was wounded to the heart:
Since the faire Ciprian Queene, wanton Loues Mother,
By no means could her youngling fier smother:
And that Diana on Endimion doated,
Yet for a maide, and chast, is still reputed.
But rather thinke, though now from loue th'art free,
That loue will one day shew his power on thee.
Thou knowest, how late disdainefull Ardea,
Who Glaucus scornde; a God, and of the Sea:
Had her due merits on thy maidens strond.
Be warn'd by her, that God which can commund
The greatest Gods, will take reuenge on thee,
If thus thou dost persist in crueltee:
And if thou knowst me not, then stay and view
What one he is, that for thy loue doth sue.
I am not one that hauntes the craggie Rocks,
Yet Lord of Seas: nor tend I fleecie flocks,
From whom thou fleest, I thinke thou dost not know;
For if thou didst, thou wouldst not vse me so.
Were I a Saluadge, that mans flesh doth eate,
A foule blacke Moore, a Tartar, or a Gete:
Had I bin fosterd in Hircanian wood,
By wilde Beares milke, or cruell Tygers blood:
Then mightst thou scorne me iustly, and hold mee
Too too presumptuous, thus to follow thee:
Then mightst thou haue excuse, and not be blam'd,
To let me die, with beauties fire inflam'd.

But I in Seas keepe Court, my Temples stand
At Istmus, and within Calabria land,
In Italie the people do me honour,
And Ioue himselfe is knowne to be my brother.
With crooked Keele men learned first by mee,
To cut the Seas; and tame the Horse was free.
And though my Beard seeme white, my Carkas olde,
Prooue mee, and thou shalt finde mee hot and colde:
Prooue mee, my artires wants no strength: and though
That I seeme light, yet haue I pith enough.
Still pleasure shall yeelde force vnto my raines:
Prooue, I will not deceiue thee of thy paines,
For oft vnidelie I haue spent the night,
And when I rose, I haue bin fresh and light:
O runne no further then, but stay and proue,
Stay, and let's mutually ioy others loue.
Faine more he would haue spoke, but she afrayd,
Fled fast away, not heeding what he sayd:
And as she ranne, so meeting windes did blow,
That naked skinne aboue her knee did show,
And her gold haire now fallen loose and slacke,
At euery step did waue behinde her backe:
All which, farre more did set his hart a fier,
And farre more did encrease his hot desier,
So that he lustely did mende his pace,
Hopeing to catch her, whom he had in chace.

But as a Pirate hath bin long at Sea,
Whose Shippe foule and vnwasht, makes but small way,
Doth nerethelesse if that he spies a chace,
Vnto his courses straight his drablers lace,
And vp a trip hoyse topsailes, though in vaine,
For foule, the more they fayle, the lesse they gaine:
So was it twixt faire ISIS and her foe;
For she more lighter, did him faire outgoe.
Which when he saw, vexed to be so crost,
Even like a Tyger fell, the which hath lost
Vnwares her sucking Whelpes, doth rage and fling,
Amid the shrubbes and bushes that do spring,
On Ganges golden strond so tooke he on,
Stamping and stareing like a franticke man.
After staying his rage, and lookeing round about:
In broken speaches thus he did breake out.

Now Heauens, I see my Godhead is but small;
My power far lesse, my might iust nought at all:
But shall I leaue her tho? No, I will after:
And neuer lin, till these same hands haue caught her:
Yet she is young and wight, I olde and slowe:
And as I followe, she doth me outgoe.
Oh Cupid, why art thou mine enemie,
And to my griefe dost giue no remedie?
Why ad'st thou starres to heauen? leaues to green trees?
Why gathered waters, vnto growen Seas?
Why dost thou make me languish for that Lady,
That is more coy, then euer I knew anie?

Yet you mine eyes were cause first of this same,
For thorow you descended beauties flame:
That in mine entrailes burnes like Mongibell,
But were mine eyes in fault? no I wot well,
Had my weake minde ore-rulde my greedie eye,
Then from this torment had I now bin free.
Here did he stop againe, and as you see,
Some well skilde actor in a tragedie,
Whose purpose bent to execute his will,
Is countermaunded by some vnlookt ill,
Falles like a madde man in a raging vaine:
Euen so did he, and thus began againe.

My Haruest is in Grasse, I now do see,
And feare that it ripe Corne will neuer bee:
What tho; I am the selfe same God that hath
The Scepter of the Seas, who in my wrath
Can cause my raging Billowes to arise:
And armde with furie, buckld with the skies;
Then shal't be savd, that I shall suffer this,
And thus be crost by scornefull Thamisis?
No? Who will then acknowledge me a King?
Or on my Aulters offer any thing?
Tis onely force must purchase me, what Loue
And my long woeing, from her nere could moue:
And though it be not gotten by constraint;
But kinde and gentle meane (they say) must gaint.
Yet since I long haue gently woed her,
And all in vaine; by reuerend Stix I sweare,
Hencefoorth I will no longer woe, nor sew,
But ha'er in spight of all that she can do.

O which of all the sacred Muses now,
Shall I entreat to shew the base meanes how
False Neptune sought to gaine his wished pleasure:
But one's too few, helpe therefore all together;
For well I wot, you hearing her sad chaunce,
Did leaue your Springs bout which you wont to daunce,
And went to waile with her sad Maydens, which
Did nothing else but cry, nought else but scritch.

Now wearie Phœbus had vnharnised
His fierie steedes, and got him selfe to bed
To his faire Loue: and now the sable Night
Had causd sleepe ceaze vpon each mortall wight.
When Neptune causd his Coatch be brought to him,
The which two yoaked Delphins makes to skim
Ore the large furrowes of his spacious plaines,
In which he mounted, and with scalie raignes,
Gouernd their heades; seated in Iuorie,
Like a great Prince adornd with maiestie,
Bearing his three tinde Trident in his hand:
Whom Glaucus being accomp'ned with a band
Of Tritons, followes till vnto the ground
They came, where windes in Irons fast they found:
A cloudie Countrey, compast all with Hilles:
Where wrestling windes with blustrous blasting filles:
From darksome Caues sent out the foggie aire:
There Æolus within a stately Chaire
He found, holding his royall Mace in hand,
With which th'vnruly Windes he doth commaund,
Whom Neptune in this manner did intreate.

King Æolus, for thee my brother set
To rule the Windes according to thy pleasure,
To let them loose, or keepe them lockt together.
On farthest shores of Ocean Seas there lyes
A pleasant Iland, in triangle wise,
Which on the East the mouth of Rhyne doth face,
With a great Angle, and from thence apace
Withdrawes his shoring sides, butting proudlie
Fraunce with the one, with th'other Germanie:
Which Iland, doth in honour farre surpasse
Creat; which my brother Joues nurse why lome was.
Nor may with it Samos or Rhodes compare:
Ore which, once Iuno, or Loues Queene had care:
For there within that land, no lyuing wight
Hath want of needfull thing, or sweete delight:
Nor are they scarde with blastes of bloody teares,
Which braying Trumpet soundes in fearefull eares;
But of the murthring and life quelling blade,
For Husbandmen there hookt Sithes oft are made,
And Huswiues there do hiue the little Bee,
In rusty Caskes that by the walles do lie.
In this, there is a cruell, but faire Mayde,
Within whose haire, deceitfull Loue once made,
Slie subtile Nettes, by which all closely wrought,
My faynting senses troytrously he caught,
When least suspecting; rauisht at her sight,
They on her rarenesse fed with great delight:
And now sixe Moones with borrowed brothers light,
Sixe times haue shynd, and sixe times out of sight
Bin, since I her gan woe; but all in vaine,
For from my suite is sprung nought but disdaine:
Foule scornes, that mocke me and my deitie,
And frowning lookes, all voyde of pietie.
That Dame whose losse of life and chastetie,
Freede Rome from seruile yoake of tyrannie.
And that faire Isbell who would loose her head,
Rather then yeeld to Pagans lustfull bed,
Were not so coy, as is Doris proud daughter;
Witnes those meanes, whereby so oft I sought her:
Therefore th'vntamed windes, at my request,
Send out against her, that by them opprest,
She may without conditions yeelde to mee,
And I thereby recure my maladie.

Now Ile enlarge thy straighted Kingdomes bounds,
And giue to thee thy bordering neighbours grounds;
If yeelding, thou assentes to mee in this,
And helpe me get my wished Thamisis.
This he with faigned sighes so vttered,
That foolish Æolus thought all he sed
To be as true, and therefore pittying
The languishing estate of the olde King;
Without aduisement, straight made his replie.

Thrice Noble Neptune, whose dominions lie
Beyonde the borders of the ruddie Inde:
If I, or all my power, can bring to ende,
What you desire, in vs shall want no will:
And therewith did he strike thorow an hill
His Mace; whence straight a crew of hellish mates
In crowdes came thronging foorth the Iron gates;
Whose chiefe was Boreas, who with violent sway,
Doth chase the pestred Cloudes, and tosse the Sea:
Who in his rage doth turne vp knottie Oakes,
And beates the ground in hayle with sturdie stroakes;
Who trembling Ghostes doth vexe in Stigian lake;
And got in Caues, makes all the worlde to quake:
To whom turning, thus flattering Neptune sayd,
You in your furie, make the worlde afrayd:
Turmoyling earth and seas, I did not locke
You, fettred with these strong giues in this Rocke;
But frowning Ioue, whose will for law must stand.
Nor with like tirranny do I commaunde,
You know: for in my Realme you may be bould,
Not any one gainsaying what you would.
Therfore stout Boreas, if Orithia thou
Didst ere entirely loue, assist we now,
T'obtaine my loue: who farre vnlike to thine,
Both scornes my person, and what els is mine.
Scarce this was said, when sturdy Boreas gan
To flaske his winges: with wauing which euen than
He raisde a storme, and with his companie,
Madde, and enragde, with furie thence did flie:
And like fierce Dogges, long time in Irons chainde,
And long in darkesome kennelles haue remainde:
Once broken loose, runne rageing heere and there,
And all they meete, with rauening teeth do teare.
So these same villaines now at libertie,
And freed from fotters, do a madding flie.
Troubling each place with their impetuous sway,
And made the worlde seeme like a dismall day:
Vntill they came where louely Thames abode,
Whom they did chase; base villaines, rude, and wood:
Not waighing ought the wrong she offred had,
Nor yet the plaintes which her sad maydens made.

But like how oft in stormie raynie weather,
The waters falling twentie howers together,
The flouds made proud thereby aboue their boundes,
Do swell and ouerflow the meddow groundes.
With the great furie of their ouerflowing,
Driuing small Birds away from trees by growing:
Small Birds which on the spray had built their nestes,
And causing fishes, as vnwonted guestes
To harbour in their roome: so ISIS was
Forc'd by the woodnesse of fell Boreas:
To leaue her maydens pleasaunt companies,
Who fild the aire with hoarse vnwonted cryes
For her departure being ill opayd,
As Niobe, Amphions Queene is sayd,
When all her brood, the darlings of her ioy,
Latonas children did for spight destroy.
The hollow sandie bankes that wont rebound,
To their rare charming musicke; a sweete ground,
Sent now vnpleasant Ecchoes, like the notes
Came through the hollow of their feeble throates.

The light foote Fairies, and th'Oreades,
The Dryads, Hamadriads, and the Naiades,
Who oft delighted with their harmonie,
Did by their streames keepe ISIS companie:
Now hearing all theses Nimphes so heauely mourne,
Like heauely at once vnto them goane,
Nere Thetis so bewailde stout Peleus sonne,
When Coward Paris him to death had done.

Neuer Halcion with like griefe did mourne,
On sandie sea shore her deare spouse forlorne:
Nor was the sorrow my Phebe did make,
When death her dere-ling foorth her lap did take,
Though downe her cheekes did issue brackish seas,
To be compard vnto the sorrow, these
Sad dolefull Nimphes did make, when they did see
The faire haird Thames in such extremitie:
For like a Meade, dispoyled of his flowers;
A goodly Picture, robbed of her colours:
Like to the Heauen, if all his Starres were lost;
A goodly Shippe, wanting her Sayles and Mast:
So faire eyed ISIS wanting, seemde that place;
Who thereof was the flower, the beautie, and grace:
And when as wordes free passage had obtayned,
Of pressing griefes, their harmes they thus complayned.

O who (quoth they) will make whole Seas fall downe
Our blubbred cheekes, where we our selues may drowne?
Or what God, full of pittie shall we call,
Who t'end our woes, to Rockes will turne vs all?
From hence foorth, Pleasure be thou banished
Out of this wretched place, and in thy stead
Let ouglie sorrow dayly on vs tende.
And thou bright Sunne, would thou from hence wouldst wend,
And let thy light in mystie cloudes be pent,
For darknesse best befitteth discontent:
And take her with thee, who borrowes her light
From the cleere rayes of thy most glorious sight:
Take her, which oft amidd her Nimphes doth play
On Cinthus hill, and often times doth stay
Mongst Stigian Hagges: for Thames deare to you both,
Is forst to flie, for feare of Neptunes wroth.
And thou that wrapst all in forgetfulnesse,
And mortall folke dost ease of heauinesse,
Vnder thy blacke winges bringing diuers dreames
From foorth Cimerian fieldes, now hide the beames
Proroceeding from the Starres in th'Hemisphere,
And make a generall darknesse euery where.
And Phylomell, since thou art woont to mone,
Remembring still the great disgrace was done
By thy false brother, helpe vs to lament:
Or if thy mourning notes are fully spent,
Then giue a quiet eare to that we say,
For we huge wronges in sad tunes will display.
And you ô Trees, in whom there life doth rest,
Shew foorth some signe, as pittying our vnrest.
Let little Birdes be silent on your spray:
And on your boughs, let Rauens croope by day.
But you that late your branches downe did bend,
From Thames faire face, the Sun-beames to defend,
Now in despight, to ground your branches throwe,
Since Thames is gone, to shew you waile her woe.

You Lillies white, whom whiter handes did gather:
And you faire blooming Roses, Natures treasure,
Vpon your selues sadde sable Weedes bestow,
Since Thames is gone, to shew you wayle her woe.
She was the Rose, the Lillie of the day,
Whose leaues b'vntimely stormes, do fall away:
Oh eccho all this place, with mourning fill,
And marke the dolefull accents of our ill.
Sound foorth our griefe, and let them neuer end,
Vntill the Heauens our fortunes do amend.
Oh let our iust complayninges loude and shrill,
Thorow these winding waters wander still,
Whereby those seas that on our shores do flow,
Our heauie griefe to forraigne lands may show:
And on their banckes let neuer trees more grow,
Since Thams is gone, as signe you waile her woe.
And thou great Joue, if any care thou hast
Of earth, or earthly thinges, O do thou haste,
And saue her from false Neptunes treacherie,
Who honoured still thy sacred deitie:
Saue who the corners of thine Aulters dud
Purple continually with luke warme bloud.
But ô! it seemes great Joue, thou hast no care
Of vs, nor of this worlde; but it doth ere,
At all aduenture: for if that you had
Regard of humane thinges, or if you made
Esteeme of vs, your owne hands workemanshyp;
Then would you of sad ISIS take some keepe,
And her protect from Neptune, who amaine
Doth seeke her spotlesse chastetie to staine:
And he should not, that hath so laboured
T'abuse chast Maydens, scape vnpunished:
Wherefore since Heauen, and all therein are deafe,
And hearing not, can not amende our griefe,
Let vs be gone, and cease hence foorth to plaine,
For all our plaintes are spent, but all in vaine.

This said, they all arose, all yll apayde,
And thence departed, in dispaire of ayde
From heauen, or elie where; vexing still the skies,
With their hot scalding sighes and greeuous cries:
But nor the cryes, nor sighes, did ISIS good,
Whom Boreas foule vnciuill Groome starke wood,
Did with a crew of wicked mates pursue,
As she some Felon were, or wight vntrue:
Who poore soule, seeing how she was oreborne,
Like pittious plaintes did make, and so did mourne,
As with her husband Epimethius daughter
Did then when they could see nothing but water;
When onely they of all mankind bereft,
Amid the billowes of the Seas were left.
Then when themselues were solely left in woe,
And saw no land, nor any fellowes moe,
And fearing least at last she might be caught,
By that foule Leatcher, who this wrong first wrought:
With hands lift vp, she thus besought great Ioue.

Heare thou great Father of the Gods aboue,
By whom all's made, maintained, and disposde,
And from whom nought on earth is vndisclosde:
Who full of equitie, dost all things right,
And wicked folke beholds with eies of spight.
Heare and behold the miserable state,
Of me thy Daughter, dolfull, desolate.
These teares, ay me, that from mine eies do fall,
For succour at thy helping hands do call.
Oh let not then my foe obtaine his will,
On me poore Maide: nor let the windes fulfill
The treason that he hath deuisd gainst mee:
But force them all retire, and bacward flee,
To their abode; O pittie me I pray,
Least following ages doe hereafter say,
In vaine thou holdes the thunder in thy hand,
Not helping those that helpe of thee demaunde.

So prayed Thamisis, and straight great Ioue,
Shaking his head, thrice thundred from aboue,
In signe he heard, and called Mercurie,
Charging him straight vnto Æolia hie,
And tell the King when first I did accorde,
Ouer the wrastling windes, to make him Lord:
I gaue in chardg he no man should opresse,
But seeke still offerd iniuries to redresse.
But since with Neptune, he confederate is,
To wrong my tender darling Thamesis:
If he his windes do not in hast reclaime,
By Sytx tell him, to his eternall shame,
Like how with Titans rude rebellious race,
I whilome dealt: so will I him disgrace.

Yet for this wrong, which is alreadie done,
At what time, twixt the place where sets the Sunne,
And the right Northen Pole, there doth appeare,
By Cassiopeia, seated in her Chaire:
Within that milkie way, made by my Queene,
A blasing Commet, like fier flameing sheene;
Which shall be ere Apollo eight times leads
Aboute the Zodiake his trampling steades:
Two princely Beastes shall come from Thames coole streame
Which shall more dammadge do vndo his Realme,
Then did that mightie Boore Diana sent,
The Fielde of Calidon to spill or rent:
All (quoth he) in reuenge he durst attempt,
To wrong her, whom from wrong I haue exempt.

This saide, faire Maias Sonne the subtil God,
Takeing in hast his dead sleepe charming rod,
And winged shooes, did leaue the christall skie,
Ioues princely Pallace, where continually
Th'erraticke starres in their sweete harmonie,
Do make rare soundes of heauenly melodie:
And downe from thence, vnto this lower worlde,
Swifter then thunder-bolt, himselfe he hurlde,
And sought King Æolus: to whom he straight,
The purport of his coming, did dilate.

Haue any ere in May a Garden seene,
With diuers flowers enameld fresh and greene,
And it reuewes when Phœbus is declinde
Vnto the Southerne pole, the same doth finde
Oregrowne with wilde weedes, and with stinking grasse;
Now would haue sayd, in Æolus there was
Like change, hearing great Ioues Embassadour:
For neuer was he troubled so before,
Saue when his Nephewes bawling did detect,
His Childrens lewd crime, and incestious fact:
For which, the guiltlesse Babe as punishment,
He cast to Dogs, which it in peecemeale rent;
And to desilde Canace, sent a sworde;
With which her owne selfe to the heart she gor'de:
For he much feared Ioue his Soueraigne,
Knowing he might depose him from his Raigne
And regall power: therefore t'amend his fault,
And please the angrie God, Postillians straight
He after Boreas sent, and did commaunde
To bring them backe, and cease their sute in hand:
Who neuer stayed, till they the windes had founde,
And brought them backe, and them againe had bounde
In their base bondes of during Iron, wrought
Long since in Ætna by the Cyclops: taught
Their art by Lymping Uulcan, who was plast there
To be Ioues workeman, and the cheife Forge-maister;
Wherby distressed Thamesis was freed,
From those that had her ouerthrow decree'd
And backe return'd to her sad Nimphs, whom she
Did finde, her losse bewailing heauily:
Who when they saw her first, far'd like to her
Hath but one Sonne; that for a Souldier
Prest, in his Princes seruice forth is gone,
To keepe his Countrie from inuasion;
Whom fearing to be drowned in the deepe,
Or by hard steele sent t'euerlasting sleepe,
Shee doth bewaile as dead, and will not be
When he returnes, from death and daunger free,
Perswaded tis her Sonne, but some vaine sight,
That would with idle shadowes her delight,
Till her cold feares are past; for all of them
thinking her wholly lost, thought they had seene
Her shadow, not her selfe, till she spake to them:
What time assured, they all receiued her,
As an Hungarian Father doth his heire,
And only Sonne: which hath a longsome time,
Alongst hated Turkes, in hellish prison line:
Their sighes to songs, their teares now almost spent,
They turn'd to laughter, and to merriment;
And thankt the motor of the whirling Spheres,
That had not them forgot drowned in teares.

But stay my Muse, the Skie is faire and cleare,
The Seas are calme, no winde doth whistle heere;
Heere let vs anchour then, for heere we may
Ride safe, to morrow being Holiday.