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KOSMOBREVIA[Greek], or the infancy of the world

With an Appendix of Gods resting day, Edon Garden; Mans Happiness before, Misery after, his Fall. Whereunto is added, The Praise of Nothing; Divine Ejaculations; The four Ages of the world; The Birth of Christ; Also a Century of Historical Applications; With a Taste of Poetical fictions. Written some years since by N. B.[i.e. Nicholas Billingsley] ... And now published at the request of his Friends

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13 On Ceres and Proserpine,
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13 On Ceres and Proserpine,

Corne crowned Ceres Saturne and faire Ops
Faire Off-spring smiles upon her golden crops
Holds wealthy Plutus, who at her command
Scatters his bounty with a liberal hand.
Plenty and Hony-mouthed peace remaine
Linck'd fast together by a silken chaine
None to her sacrifice at any time
Could ent'rance find, if conscious of a crime
Faire Venus, Iuno and Minerua to;
Did on a certaine time a Maying goe,
Proserpine bare them company, who while
Shee gathered Popy, with a pleasing toil
Tricking her bosome, with delightfull flowres
Grim Pluto whirld her to his pitchy Bowres
For his Tartarian Chariots, Cerb'rous sings
And fell Erynnis Scorpions have nor stings,

176

Ixions wheele stood still, Promtheus heart
Feeles no corroding Vipers, Flouds impart
Theire liquor unto thirsty Tantalus,
The stone affordeth rest to Sisyphus:
The lab'ring Belides have leave to play
And solemnize this ioyfull marrage day
Now Ceres mother takes a flaming Pine
And sorrowing seeketh for her Proserpine
And kindly entertained by Celeus
Taught them how to sow corne; Triptolemus
His Son by day, with milk, by night with fire,
She nonrished; while Celius did enquire
Too curiously in this, him Ceres slew.
Triptol'mus Chariot winged Dragons drew,
Circling the world Triptolemus to men
First taught the use of Corn; from Dis, his den
Proserpine could not redelivered be
Because she, of a fare Pomgranate tree
(Which did in Pluto's Orchard grow) did taste;
Yet she obtain'd such favour, at the last,
As to continue (after she was found)
Six months above, as many under ground;
Halfe a yeare here, as long assign'd to dwell
Black Pluto's Queen, in the low Countries, Hell:
Witches to Hecate, their Goddess, come;
Unto her offred are the Hecatombe.

177

To shew th'unconstancy of wealth and store,
Halfe moones upon their shoes the Romans wore.