University of Virginia Library

In Grece somtime

The tale of Pigmalion with conclusion vpon the beautye of his loue.

In Grece somtime there dwelt a man of worthy fame:
To graue in stone his connyng was: Pygmalio[n] was his name.
To make his fame endure, when death had him bereft:
He thought it good, of his owne hand some filed work were left.
In secrete studie then such work he gan deuise,
As might his conning best commend, and please the lokers eyes.
A courser faire he thought to graue, barbd for the field:
And on his back a semely knight, well armd with speare & shield:
Orels

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Or els

some foule, or fish to graue he did deuise:
And still, within his wandering thoughtes, new fansies did aryse.

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Q3v

Thus varyed he in mynde, what enterprise to take:
Till fansy moued his learned hand a woman fayre to make.
Whereon he stayde, and thought such parfite fourm to frame:
Whereby he might amaze all Greece, and winne immortall name.
Of Yuorie white he made so faire a woman than:
That nature scornd her perfitnesse so taught by craft of man.
Welshaped were her lyms, full cumly was her face:
Eche litle vayn most liuely coucht, eche part had semely grace.
Twixt nature, & Pygmalion, there might appeare great stryfe.
So semely was this ymage wrought, it lackt nothyng but life.
His curious eye beheld his own deuised work:
And, gasyng oft thereon, he found much venome there to lurke.
For all the featurde shape so dyd his fansie moue:
That, with his idoll, whom he made, Pygmalion fell in loue.
To whom he honour gaue, and deckt with garlandes swete,
And did adourn with iewels riche, as is for louers mete.
Somtimes on it he fawnd: some time in rage would crye:
It was a wonder to beholde, how fansy bleard his eye.
Since that this ymage dum enflamde so wyse a man:
My dere, alas since I you loue, what wonder is it than?
In whom hath nature set the glory of her name:
And brake her mould, in great dispayre, your like she could not frame.

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