University of Virginia Library

Goddesse relate, the witnesse-bearing-light
Of Loues, that would not beare a humane sight.
The Sea-man that transported Marriages
Shipt in the Night; his bosome plowing th' seas:
The Loue ioyes that in gloomy cloud: did flye
The cleere beames of th' immortall mornings eye.
Abydus and faire Sestus, where I heare
The Night-hid Nuptials of young Hero were.
Leanders swimming to her; and a Light:
A Light, that was administresse of sight
To cloudy Venus; and did serue t'addresse
Night-wedding Heroes Nuptiall Offices.
A Light that tooke the very forme of Loue:
Which had bene Iustice in æthereall Ioue,
When the Nocturnal duty had bene done,
T'aduance amongst the Consort of the Sunne;
And call the Starre, that Nuptiall Loues did guide,
And to the Bridegroome gaue, and grac't the Bride
Because it was Companion to the Death
Of Loues, whose kinde cares cost their dearest breath:
And that Fame-freighted ship from Shipwracke kept,
That such sweet Nuptials broght, they neuer slept.
Till Aire was with a Bitter floud inflate,
That bore their firme Loues as infixte a hate.
But (Goddesse) forth; and Both, one yssue sing:
The Light extinct, Leander perishing.

Two townes there were, that with one Sea were wald;
Built neere, and Opposite: this, Sestus cald;
Abydus that: Then Love his Bow bent hy,
And at both Citties, let one Arrow fly.
That Two (a Virgin and a Youth) inflam'd:
The Youth, was sweetly grac't Leander nam'd:
The Virgin, Hero Sestus, she renownes,
Abydus he, in Birth: of both which Townes
Both were the Beuty-circled starres; And Both,
Grac't with like lookes, as with one Loue and Troth.

If that way lye thy course, seeke for my sake,
A Tower, that Sestian Hero once did make
Her Watch-Tower: and a Torch stood holding there,
By which, Leander his Sea-course did stere.
Seeke likewise, of Abydus ancient Towres,
The Roaring Sea lamenting to these houres
Leanders Loue, and Death. But saie; howe came
Hee (at Abydus borne) to feele the flame
Of Heroes Loue at Sestus? and to binde
In Chaines of equall fire, bright Heroes minde?

The Gracefull Hero, borne of gentle blood,
Was Venus Priest; and since she vnderstood
No Nuptiall Language: from her Parents, she
Dwelt in a Towre, that ouer-lookt the Sea.
For shamefastnesse and chastity, she raign'd
Another Goddesse. Nor was euer traind
In Womens companies; Nor learn'd to tred
A gracefull Dance, to which such yeares are bred.
The enuious spights of Women she did fly,
(Women for Beauty their owne sex enuy)
All her Deuotion was to Venus done,
And to his heauenly Mother, her great Sonne
Would reconcile, with Sacrifices euer;
And euer trembled at his flaming Quiuer.
Yet scap't not so his fiery shafts, her Brest:
For now, the popular Venerean Feast,
Which to Adonis, and great Cyprias State,
The Sestians yearely vs'de to celebrate,
Was Come: and to that holy day came all,
That in the bordering Isles, the Sea did wall.
To it in Flockes they flew; from Cyprus these,
Enuiron'd with the rough Carpathian Seas:
These from Hæmonia; nor remain'd a Man
Of all the Townes, in th' Isles Cytherean:
Not one was left, that vs'de to dance vpon
The toppes of odorifferous Libanon:
Not one of Phrygia, not one of All
The Neighbors, seated neere the Festiuall:
Nor one of opposite Abydus Shore:
None of all these, that Virgins fauours wore
Were absent: All such, fill the flowing way,
When Fame proclaimes a solemne holy day.
Not bent so much to offer holy Flames,
As to the Beauties of assembled Dames.

The Virgin Hero enter'd th' oly place,
And gracefull beames cast round about her face,
Like to the bright Orbe of the rising Moone.
The Top-spheres of her snowy cheekes pus on
A glowing rednesse, like the two hu'de Rose,
Her odorous Bud beginning to disclose.
You would haue saide, in all her Lineaments
A Meddow full of Roses she presents
All ouer her she blush't; which (putting on
Her white Robe, (reaching to her Ankles) shone,
(While she in passing, did her feete dispose)
As she had wholly bene a moouing Rose.
Graces, in Numbers, from her parts did flow:
The Ancients therefore (since they did not know
Heroes vnbounded Beauties) falsely fain'd
Onely three Graces: for when Hero strain'd
Into a smile, her Priestly Modestie,
A hundred Graces, grew, from either eye.
A fit one sure, the Cyprian Goddesse found
To be her Ministresse; And so highly crown'd
With worth, her Grace was, past all other Dames,
That, of a Priest made to the Queene of Flames
A New Queene of them, She in all eyes shin'de:
And did so vndermine each tender minde
Of all the yong-men: that there was not One
But wish't faire Hero wer his wife, or None.
Nor could she stirre about the wel-built Phane,
This way, or that; but euery way shee wan
A following minde in all Men: which their eyes
Lighted with all their inmost Faculties
Cleerely confirm'd: And One (admiring) said;
All Sparta I haue trauail'd, and survai'd
The Citty Lacedemon; where we heare
All Beauties Labors, and contentions were:
A woman yet, so wise, and delicate
I neuer saw It may be, Venus gate
One of the yonger Graces, to supply
The place of Priest hood to her Deity.
Euen tyr'de I am with sight, yet doth not finde
A satisfaction, by my sight; my Minde.
O could I once ascend sweete Heroes bed,
Let me be straight found in her bosome dead:
I would not wish to be in heauen a God,
Were Hero heere my wife: But, if forbod
To lay prophane hands on thy holye Priest,
O Venus, with another such assist
My Nuptial Longings. Thus pray'd all that spake,
The rest their wounds hid, and in Frenzies brake
Her Beauties Fire, being so supprest, so rag'd.
But thou, Leander, more then all engag'd,
Wouldst not when thou hadst view'd th' amasing Maide
Waste with close stings, and seeke no open aide;
But, with the flaming Arrowes of her eyes
Wounded vnwares, thou wouldst in sacrifice
Vent th' inflammation thy burnt blood did proue,
Or Liue with sacred Medicine of her Loue.

But now the Loue-brand in his eie-beames burn'd,
And with th' vnconquer'd fire, his heart was turn'd
Into a Coale: together wrought the Flame;
The vertuous beauty of a spotlesse Dame,
Sharper to Men is, then the swiftest Shaft.
His Eye the way by which his Heart is caught:
And from the stroke his eye sustaines, the wounde
Open's within, and doth his Intrailes sounde.
Amaze then tooke him, Impudence, and Shame
Made Earthquakes in him, with their Frost and Flame:
His Heart betwixt them tost, till Reuerence
Tooke all these Prisoners in him: and from thence
Her matchless beauty, with astoōishment
Increast his bands: Til Aguish Loue, that lent
Shame, and Obseruance, Licenc'st their remoue;
And wisely liking Impudence in Loue:
Silent he went, and stood against the Maide,
And in side glances faintly he conuaide
His crafty eyes about her; with dumbe showes
Tempting her minde to Error. And now growes
She to conceiue his subtle flame, and ioy'd
Since he was gracefull. Then herselfe imploy'd
Her womanish cunning, turning from him quite
Her Louely Count'nance; giuing yet some Light
Euen by her darke signes, of her kindling fire;
With vp and down-lookes, whetting his desire.
He ioy'd at heart to see Loues sence in her,
And no contempt of what he did prefer.
And while he wish't vnseene to vrge the rest,
The day shrunke downe her beames to lowest West
And East: The Euen-starre tooke vantage of her shade;
Then boldly he, his kinde approches made:
And as he saw the Russet clouds encrease,
He strain'd her Rosie hand, and held his peace:
But sigh'd, as Silence had his bosom broke;
When She, as silent, put on Angers cloake.
And drew her hand backe. He descerning well
Her would, and would not: to her boldlier fell:
And her elaborate Robe, with much cost wrought,
About her waste embracing: On he brought
His Loue to th' in-parts of the reuerend Phane:
She, (as her Loue-sparkes more and more did wane)
Went slowly on, and with a womans words
Threatning Leander, thus his boldnesse bords.

Why Stranger, Are you mad? Ill-fated Man,
Why hale you thus, a Virgin Sestian?
Keepe on your way: Let go, Feare to offend
The Noblesse of my birth-rights, either Friend;
It ill become's you to solicite thus
The Priest of Venus; Hopelesse, dangerous
The bar'd vp-way is to a Virgins bed.
Thus, for the Maiden forme, she menaced.
But he well knew. that when these Female mindes
Breake out in fury, they are certaine signes
Of their perswasions. Womens threats once showne,
Shewes in it, onely, all you wish your Owne:
And therefore of the rubi-coloured Maide,
The odorous Necke he with a kisse assaid.
And stricken with the sting of Loue, he prai'd.
Deare Venus, next to Venus you must go;
And next Minerua; trace Minerua to
Your like, with earthly Dames no light can show:
To Ioues great Daughters, I must liken you.
Blest was thy great Begetter; blest was she
Whose wombe did beare thee: But most blessedly
The Wombe it selfe far'd, that thy throwes did proue.
O heare my prayer: pitty the Neede of Loue.
As Priest of Venus, practise Venus Rites.
Come, and instruct me in her Beds delights.
It fits not you, a Virgin, to vow aides
To Venus seruice; Venus Loues no Maides.
If Venus institutions you prefer,
And faithfull Ceremonies vow to her,
Nuptials, and Beds they be. If her Loue bindes,
Loue loues sweet Lawes, that soften humane mindes.
Make me your seruant: Husband, if you pleas'd;
Whom Cupid with his burning shafts hath seis'd,
And hunted to you; As swift Hermes braue
With his Gold Rod, Ioves bold sonne to be slaue
To Lydia's soueraigne virgin; But for me,
Venus insulting, forc't my feete to thee.
I was not guided by wise Mercury.
Virgin, you know, When Atalanta fled
Out of Arcadia, kinde Melanions bed,
(Affecting Virgine life; your Angry Queene,
Whom first she vs'd with a malignant spleene)
At last possest him of her compleat heart.
And you (deere Loue) because I would auert
Your Goddesse anger; I would faine perswade.
With these Loue-luring words, conform'd he made
The Maid Recusant to his bloods desire;
And set her soft minde, on an erring fire.
Dumbe she was strooke: and downe to earth she threw
Her Rosie eyes: hid in Vermillion hew,
Made red with shame. Oft with her foote she rac't
Earths vpper part; And oft (as quite vngrac't)
About her shoulders gathered vp her weede.
All these fore-tokens are that Men shall speede.
Of a perswaded Virgin to her Bed,
Promise is most giuen, when the least is said.
And now she tooke in, Loues sweet bitter sling:
Burn'd in a fire, that cool'd her surfetting.
Her Beauties likewise, strooke her Friend amaz'd:
For while her eyes fix't on the Pauement gaz'd,
Loue, on Leanders lookes, shew'd Fury seas'd.
Neuer enough his greedy eyes were pleas'd
To view the faire glosse of her tender Necke.
At last this sweet voice past, and out did breake
A ruddy moisture from her bashfull eyes;
Stranger, perhaps thy words might exercise
Motion in Faints, as well as my soft brest.
Who taught thee words, that erre from East to West
In their wilde liberty? O woe is me:
To this my Natiue soile, who guided thee?
All thou hast saide is vaine; for how canst thou
(Not to be trusted: One, I do not know)
Hope to excite in me, a mixed Loue?
T'is cleere, that Law by no meanes will approue
Nuptials with vs; for thou canst neuer gaine
My Parents graces. If thou wouldst remaine
Close on my shore, as outcast from thine owne;
Venus will be in darkest corners knowne
Mans tongue is friend to scandall; loose acts done
In surest secret: in the open Sunne
And euery Market place, will burne thine cares.
But say, what name sustainst thou? What soile beares
Name of thy Countrey? Mine, I cannot hide;
My farre-spred name, is Hero: I abide
Hous'd in an all-seene-Towre, whose tops touch heauen,
Built on a steepe shore, that to Sea is driuen
Before the City Sestus. One sole Maide
Attending; And this irkesome life is laide
By my austere Friends wils, on one so yong;
No like-year'd Virgins nere; No youthfull throng
To meete in some delights, Dances, or so:
But Day and Night, the windy Sea doth throw.
Wilde murmuring cuffes about our deafned eares.
This sayd: her white Robe, hid her Cheekes like spheres.
And then (with shame-affected, since she vs'de
Words, that desir'd youths; and her Friends accus'd.)
She blam'd her selfe for them, and them for her.
Meane space, Leander felt Loues Arrow erre
Through all his thoughts; deuising how he might
Encounter Loue, that dar'd him so to fight.
Minde changing Loue wounds men, and cures againe:
Those Mortals, ouer whom he list's to raigne,
Th' All-Tamer stoopes to: in aduising how
They may with some ease beare the yoke, his Bow.
So, our Leander, whom he hurt, he heal'd:
Who, hauing long his hidden fire conceal'd,
And vex't with thoughts, he thirsted to impart,
His stay he quitted, with this quickest Art.
Virgin, for thy Loue, I will swim a waue
That Ships denies: And though with fire it raue.
In way to thy Bed, all the Seas in one
I would despise: The Hellespont were none.
All Nights to swim to one sweet bedde with thee,
Were nothing; if when Loue had landed me,
All hid in weeds, and in Veneran fome,
I brought (withall) bright Heroes husbands home.
Not farre from hence, and iust against thy Towne
Abydus stands, that my Birth cal's mine owne.
Hold but a Torch then in thy heauen-high Towre:
(Which I beholding, to that starry Powre
May plough the darke Seas, as the Ship of Loue.)
I will not care to see Bootes moue
Downe to the Sea: Nor sharpe Orion traile
His neuer-wet Carre; but arriue my saile
Against my Country, at thy pleasing shore.
But (deere) take heed, that no vngentle blo're
Thy Torch extinguish, bearing all the Light
By which my life sailes, least I lose thee quite.
Would'st thou my Name know (as thou dost my house)
It is Leander, louely Hero's Spouse.
Thus this kinde couple, their close Marriage made,
And friendship euer to be held in shade,
(Onely by witnesse of one Nuptiall Light.)
Both vow'd: agreed, that Hero euery Night,
Should hold her Torch out: euery Night, her Loue
The tedious passage of the Sea should proue
The whole Euen of the watchful Nuptials spent,
Against their wils: the sterne powre of constraint
Enforc't their parting. Hero to her Towre;
Leander, (minding his returning howre)
Tooke of the Turret, Markes, for feare he fail'd,
And to well-founded broad Abydus sail'd.
All Night, Both thirsted for the secret strife
Of each yong-married, louely Man, and Wife.
And all day after, No desire shot home,
But that the Chamber-decking Night were come.
And now, Nights sooty clowdes clap't all saile on,
Fraught all with sleepe: yet tooke Leander none.
But on th' oppos'd shore of the noise-full Seas,
The Messenger of glittering Marriages
Look't wishly for: Or rather long'd to see,
The witnesse of their Light to Misery,
Farre off discouer'd in their Couert bed.
When Hero saw the blackest Curtaine spred
That vail'd the darke night: her bright Torch she shew'd.
Whose Light no sooner th' eager Louer view'd:
But Loue, his blood set on as bright a Fire.
Together burn'd the Torch, and his Desire.
But hearing of the Sea, the horrid rore,
With which, the tender ayre the mad waues tore:
At first he trembled: But at last he rear'd
High as the storme his spirit, and thus chear'd,
(Vsing these words to it) his resolute minde:
Loue dreadfull is; The Sea, with nought inclinde:
But Sea, is Water; outward all his yre,
When Loue lights his feare with an inward fire.
Take fire (my heart) feare nought that flits and raues:
Be Loue himselfe to me, despise these waues.
Art thou to know, that Venus birth was here?
Commands the Sea, and all that greeues vs there?
This sayd, his faire Limbes of his weede, he strip't:
Which, at his head, with both hands bound, he shipt.
Lept from the Shore, and cast into the Sea
His louely body: thrusting all his way
Vp to the Torch, that still he thought did call:
He Ores, he Sterer, he the Ship, and All,
Hero aduanc't vpon a Towre so hye,
As soone would lose on it, the fixed'st eye.
And like her Goddesse star, with her Light shining:
The windes, that alwayes (as at her repining,
Would blast her pleasures) with her vaile she che'kt,
And from their envies did her Torch protect.
And this she neuer left, till she had brought
Leander, to the Hauenfull shore he sought.
Then downe she ran, and vp she lighted then
To her Towres top, the weariest of Men.
First, at the Gates, (without a syllable vs'd)
She hug'd her panting husband, all diffus'd
With somy drops, still stilling from his haire:
Then brought she him in to the inmost Faire
Of all, her Virgin Chamber; That, (at best)
Was with her beauties, ten times better drest.
His body then she clens'd: His body oyl'd
With Rosie Odors: and his bosome (soyl'd
With the vnsauoury Sea) she render'd sweet.
Then, in the high-made bed, (euen panting yet)
Her selfe she powr'd about her husbands brest,
And these words vtter'd. With too much vnrest,
O Husband, you haue bought this litle peace:
Husband, No other man hath paid th' encrease
Of that huge sum of paines you tooke for me.
And yet I know, it is enough for thee
To suffer for my Loue, the fishy sauours
The working Sea breaths, Come, lay all thy labors
On my all-thankfull bosome. All this said,
He straight vngirdled her; and Both parts paid
To Venus, what her gentle statutes bound.
Here Weddings were. but not a Musicall sound,
Here bed-rites offer'd, but no hymnes gaue praise:
Nor Poet, sacred wedlocks worth did raise.
No Torches gilt the honor'd Nuptiall bed:
Nor any youths much-mouing dances led.
No Father; Nor no reuerend Mother sung.
Hymen, O Hymen, blessing Loves so yong.
But when the consummating Howres had croun'd
The doun-right Nuptials, a calme bed was found.
Silence, the Roome fixt; Darknesse deck't the Bride,
But Hymnes, and such Rites, farre were laide aside.
Night, was sole Gracer of this Nuptiall house:
Cheerefull Aurora neuer saw the Spouse
In any Beds that were too broadly known,
Away he fled still, to his Region,
And breath'd insatiate of the absent Sun.

Hero kept all this from her parents still;
Her Priestly weede was large, and would not fill:
A Maid by Day she was, a Wife by Night:
Which both so lou'd, they wisht it neuer light.
And thus (Both) hiding' the strong Need of Loue:
In Venus secret sphere, reioyc't to moue.
But soone their ioy di'de; and that still-tost state
Of their stolne Nuptials, drew but little date.
For when the frosty winter kept his Iusts,
Rousing together all the horrid Gusts,
That from the euer-whirling pits arise:
And those weake deepes, that driue vp to the skies,
Against the drench't foundations, making knocke
Their curled forheads: Then with many a shocke
The windes and seas met; made the stormes aloud,
Beate all the rough Sea with a Pitchy cloud.
And then the blacke Barke, buffered with gales,
Earth checkes so rudely, that in Two it fals.
The Seaman flying Winters faithlesse Sea.
Yet (braue Leander) All this bent at thee,
Could not compell in thee one fit of feare:
But when the cruell faithlesse Messenger
(The Towre) appear'd, and shew'd th' accustom'd light;
It stung thee on, secure of all the spight
The raging Sea spit. But since Winter came,
Vnhappy Hero, should haue cool'd her flame,
And lye without Leander; No more lighting
Her short-liu'd Bed-starre: but strange fate exciting
As well as Loue; And both their pow'rs combin'd
Enticing her; In her hand, neuer shin'd
The fatall Loue-Torch (but this one houre) more.
Night came: And now, the Sea against the shore
Muster'd her winds vp: from whose Wintry iawes
They belch't their rude breaths out, in bitterest flawes.
In mid'st of which, Leander, with the Pride
Of his deere hope, to boord his matchlesse Bride:
Vp, on the rough backe of the high sea, leapes:
And then waues thrust vp waues; the watry heapes
Jumbled together: Sea and sky were mixt,
The fighting windes, the frame of earth vnfixt.
Zephire and Eurus flew in eithers face;
Notus and Boreas wrastler like imbrace,
And tosse each other with their bristled backes.
Ineuitable were the horrid crackes
The shaken Sea gaue: Ruthfull were the wrackes
Leander suffer'd, in the sauage gale,
Th' inexorable whirlepits did exhale.
Often he pray'd to Venus, borne of Seas:
Neptune their King: And Boreas, that t'would please
His Godhead, for the Nimph Altheas sake,
Not to forget, the like stelth he did make
For her deare Loue: touch't then, with his sad state,
But none would helpe him: Loue, compels not Fate.
Euery way tost with waues, and Aires rude breath
Iustling together, he was crush't to death.
No more his youthfull force his feete commands,
Vnmou'd lay now his late all-mouing hands.
His throat was turn'd free channel to the flood,
And drinke went downe, that did him farre from good.
No more the false Light for the curst winde burn'd:
That of Leander euer-to-be-mourn'd,
Blew out the Loue, and soule; when Hero still
Had watchfull eyes, and a most constant will
To guide the voyage: and the morning shin'd,
Yet not by her Light, she her Loue could finde.
She stood distract with miserable woes;
And round about the Seas broad shoulders, throwes
Her eye, to second the extinguisht Light:
And tried if any way her husbands sight
Erring in any part, she could descry.
When, at her Turrets foote, she saw him lye,
Mangled with Rockes, and all embru'd; she tore
About her brest, the curious weede she wore,
And with a shrieke, from off her Turrets height,
Cast her faire body headlong, That fell right
On her dead husband: Spent with him her breath,
And each won other, in the worst of death.