Book 14

Now had th'Ewboyan fisherman (whoo lately was becomme

A God of sea to dwell in sea for ay,) alreadye swomme

Past Aetna which uppon the face of Giant Typho lyes,

Toogither with the pasture of the Cyclops which defyes

Both Plough and harrowe, and by teemes of Oxen sets no store:

And Zancle, and crackt Rhegion which stands a tother shore:

And eeke the rough and shipwrecke sea which being hemmed in

With two mayne landes on eyther syde, is as a bound betwin

The frutefull Realmes of Italy and Sicill. From that place

He cutting through the Tyrrhene sea with both his armes apace,

Arryved at the grassye hilles and at the Palace hye

Of Circe, Phoebus imp, which full of sundry beastes did lye.

When Glaucus in her presence came, and had her greeted, and

Receyved freendly welcomming and greeting at her hand,

He sayd: O Goddesse, pitie mee a God, I thee desyre.

Thou only (if at least thou think mee woorthy so great hyre)

Canst ease this love of myne. No wyght dooth better know than I

The powre of herbes, whoo late ago transformed was therby.

And now to open unto thee of this my greef the ground,

Uppon th'Italyan shore ageinst Messene walls I found

Fayre Scylla. Shame it is to tell how scornfull shee did take

The gentle woordes and promises and sute that I did make.

But if that any powre at all consist in charmes, then let

That sacret mouth of thyne cast charmes: or if more force bee set

In herbes to compasse things withall, then use the herbes that have

Most strength in woorking. Neyther think, I hither come to crave

A medcine for to heale myself and cure my wounded hart:

I force no end. I would have her bee partener of my smart.

But Circe (for no natures are more lyghtly set on fyre

Than such as shee is) (whither that the cause of this desyre

Were only in herself, or that Dame Venus bearing ay

In mynd her fathers deede in once disclosing of her play,

Did stirre her heereunto) sayd thus: It were a better way

For thee to fancye such a one whoose will and whole desyre

Is bent to thine, and whoo is sindgd with selfsame kynd of fyre.

Thou woorthye art of sute to thee. And (credit mee) thou shouldst

Bee woode in deede, if any hope of speeding give thou wouldst.

And therefore dowt not. Only of thy beawtye lyking have.

Lo, I whoo am a Goddesse and the imp of Phoebus brave,

Whoo can so much by charmes, whoo can so much by herbes, doo vow

My self to thee. If I disdeine, disdeine mee also thow.

And if I yeeld, yeeld thou likewyse: and in one only deede

Avenge thy self of twayne. To her intreating thus to speede,

First trees shall grow (quoth Glaucus) in the sea, and reeke shall thryve

In toppes of hilles, ere I (as long as Scylla is alyve)

Doo chaunge my love. The Goddesse wext ryght wroth: and sith she could

Not hurt his persone beeing falne in love with him, ne would:

Shee spyghted her that was preferd before her. And uppon

Displeasure tane of this repulse, shee went her way anon.

And wicked weedes of grisly jewce toogither shee did bray,

And in the braying, witching charmes shee over them did say.

And putting on a russet cloke, shee passed through the rowt

Of savage beastes that in her court came fawning round abowt,

And going unto Rhegion cliffe which standes ageinst the shore

Of Zancle, entred by and by the waters that doo rore

With violent tydes, uppon the which shee stood as on firme land,

And ran and never wet her feete a whit. There was at hand

A little plash that bowwed like a bowe that standeth bent,

Where Scylla woonted was to rest herself, and thither went

From rage of sea and ayre, what tyme the sonne amid the skye

Is hotest making shadowes short by mounting up on hye.

This plash did Circe then infect ageinst that Scylla came,

And with her poysons which had powre most monstrous shapes to frame

Defyled it. Shee sprincled there the jewce of venymd weedes,

And thryce nyne tymes with witching mouth shee softly mumbling, reedes

A charme ryght darke of uncouth woordes. No sooner Scylla came

Within this plash, and to the waast had waded in the same,

But that shee sawe her hinderloynes with barking buggs atteint.

And at the first, not thinking with her body they were meynt

As parts therof, shee started back, and rated them. And sore

Shee was afrayd the eager curres should byght her. But the more

Shee shonned them, the surer still shee was to have them there.

In seeking where her loynes, and thyghes, and feet and ancles were,

Chappes like the chappes of Cerberus in stead of them shee found.

Nought else was there than cruell curres from belly downe to ground.

So underneathe misshaped loynes and womb remayning sound,

Her mannish mastyes backes were ay within the water drownd.

Her lover Glaucus wept therat, and Circes bed refusde

That had so passing cruelly her herbes on Scylla usde.

But Scylla in that place abode. And for the hate shee bore

To Circeward, (assoone as meete occasion servde therfore)

Shee spoyld Ulysses of his mates. And shortly after, shee

Had also drownd the Trojane fleete, but that (as yit wee see)

Shee was transformd to rock of stone, which shipmen warely shonne.

When from this Rocke the Trojane fleete by force of Ores had wonne,

And from Charybdis greedye gulf, and were in manner readye

To have arryvde in Italy, the wynd did ryse so heady,

And that it drave them backe uppon the coast of Affricke. There

The Tyrian Queene (whoo afterward unpaciently should beare

The going of this Trojane prince away) did enterteine

Aenaeas in her house, and was ryght glad of him and fayne.

Uppon a Pyle made underneathe pretence of sacrifyse

Shee goard herself upon a swoord, and in most wofull wyse

As shee herself had beene beguyld: so shee beguyled all.

Eftsoone Aenaeas flying from the newly reered wall

Of Carthage in that sandy land, retyred backe agen

To Sicill, where his faythfull freend Acestes reignd. And when

He there had doone his sacrifyse, and kept an Obit at

His fathers tumb, he out of hand did mend his Gallyes that

Dame Iris, Junos messenger, had burned up almost.

And sayling thence he kept his course aloof along the coast

Of Aeolye and of Vulcanes lies the which of brimston smol

And passing by the Meremayds rocks, (His Pilot by a stroke

Of tempest being drownd in sea) he sayld by Prochite, and

Inarime, and (which uppon a barreine hill dooth stand)

The land of Ape Ile, which dooth take that name of people s'ie

There dwelling. For the Syre of Goddes abhorring utterly

The leawdnesse of the Cercops, and theyr wilfull perjurye,

And eeke theyr guylefull dealing did transforme them everyclone

Into an evillfavored kynd of beast: that beeing none

They myght yit still resemble men. He knit in lesser space

Theyr members, and he beate mee flat theyr noses to theyr face,

The which he filled furrowlike with wrinckles every where.

He clad theyr bodyes over all with fallow coulourd heare,

And put them into this same Ile to dwell forever there.

But first he did bereeve them of the use of speeche and toong,

Which they to cursed perjurye did use bothe old and yoong.

To chatter hoarcely, and to shreeke, to jabber, and to squeake,

He hath them left, and for to moppe and mowe, but not to speake.

Aenaeas having past this Ile, and on his ryght hand left

The towne of Naples, and the tumb of Mysen on his left,

Toogither with the fenny grounds: at Cumye landed, and

Went unto longlyvde Sybills house, with whom he went in hand

That he to see his fathers ghoste myght go by Averne deepe.

Shee long uppon the earth in stownd her eyes did fixed keepe,

And at the length as soone as that the spryght of prophesye

Was entred her, shee raysing them did thus ageine reply:

O most renowmed wyght, of whom the godlynesse by fyre

And valeantnesse is tryde by swoord, great things thou doost requyre.

But feare not, Trojane: for thou shalt bee lord of thy desyre.

To see the reverend image of thy deerebeeloved syre,

Among the fayre Elysian feeldes where godly folke abyde,

And all the lowest kingdoomes of the world I will thee guyde.

No way to vertue is restreynd. This spoken, shee did showe

A golden bowgh that in the wood of Proserpine did growe,

And willed him to pull it from the tree. He did obey:

And sawe the powre of dreadfull hell, and where his graundsyres lay

And eeke the aged Ghost of stowt Anchises. Furthermore

He lernd the customes of the land arryvd at late before,

And what adventures should by warre betyde him in that place.

From thence retyring up ageine a slow and weery pace,

He did asswage the tediousnesse by talking with his guyde.

For as he in the twylyght dim this dreadfui way did ryde,

He sayed: Whither present thou thyself a Goddesse bee,

Or such a one as God dooth love most dearly, I will thee

For ever as a Goddesse take, and will acknowledge mee

Thy servant, for saufguyding mee the place of death to see,

And for thou from the place of death hast brought me sauf and free.

For which desert, what tyme I shall atteyne to open ayre,

I will a temple to thee buyld ryght sumptuous, large, and fayre,

And honour thee with frankincence. The prophetisse did cast

Her eye uppon Aenaeas backe, and syghing sayd at last:

I am no Goddesse. Neyther think thou canst with conscience ryght,

With holy incence honour give to any mortall wyght.

But to th'entent through ignorance thou erre not, I had beene

Eternall and of worldly lyfe I should none end have seene,

If that I would my maydenhod on Phebus have bestowde.

Howbeeit whyle he stood in hope to have the same, and trowde

To overcome mee with his gifts: Thou mayd of Cumes (quoth he)

Choose what thou wilt, and of thy wish the owner thou shalt bee.

I taking full my hand of dust, and shewing it him there,

Desyred like a foole to live as many yeeres as were

Small graynes of cinder in that heape. I quight forgot to crave

Immediately, the race of all those yeeres in youth to have.

Yit did he graunt mee also that, uppon condicion I

Would let him have my maydenhod, which thing I did denye.

And so rejecting Phebus gift a single lyfe I led.

But now the blessefull tyme of youth is altogither fled,

And irksome age with trembling pace is stolne uppon my head,

Which long I must endure. For now already as you see

Seven hundred yeares are come and gone and that the number bee

Full matched of the granes of dust, three hundred harvestes mo,

I must three hundred vintages see more before I go.

The day will come that length of tyme shall make my body small,

And little of my withered limbes shall leave or naught at all.

And none shall think that ever God was tane in love with mee.

Even out of Phebus knowledge then perchaunce I growen shall bee,

Or at the least that ever he mee lovde he shall denye,

So sore I shall be altered. And then shall no mannes eye

Discerne mee. Only by my voyce I shall bee knowen. For why

The fates shall leave mee still my voyce for folke to know mee by.

As Sybill in the vaulted way such talk as this did frame,

The Trojane knyght Aenaeas up at Cumes fro Limbo came.

And having doone the sacrifyse accustomd for the same,

He tooke his journey to the coast which had not yit the name

Receyved of his nurce. In this same place he found a mate

Of wyse Ulysses, Macare of Neritus, whoo late

Before, had after all his long and tediouse toyles, there stayd.

He spying Achemenides (whom late ago afrayd

They had among mount Aetnas Cliffs abandond when they fled

From Polypheme): and woondring for to see he was not dead,

Sayd thus: O Achemenides, what chaunce, or rather what

Good God hathe savde the lyfe of thee? What is the reason that

A barbrous shippe beares thee a Greeke? Or whither saylest thou?

To him thus, Achemenides, his owne man freely now

And not forgrowen as one forlorne, nor clad in bristled hyde,

Made answer: Yit ageine I would I should in perrill byde

Of Polypheme, and that I myght those chappes of his behold

Beesmeared with the blood of men, but if that I doo hold

This shippe more deere than all the Realme of wyse Ulysses, or

If lesser of Aenaeas I doo make account than for

My father, neyther (though I did as much as doone myght bee,)

I could ynough bee thankfull for his goodnesse towards mee.

That I still speake and breathe, that I the Sun and heaven doo see,

Is his gift. Can I thanklesse then or myndlesse of him bee,

That downe the round eyed gyants throte this soule of myne went not?

And that from hencefoorth when to dye it ever be my lot

I may be layd in grave, or sure not in the Gyants mawe?

What hart had I that tyme (at least if feare did not withdrawe

Both hart and sence) when left behynd, you taking shippe I sawe?

I would have called after you but that I was afrayd

By making outcrye to my fo myself to have beewrayd.

For even the noyse that you did make did put Ulysses shippe

In daunger. I did see him from a cragged mountaine strippe

A myghty rocke, and into sea it throwe midway and more.

Ageine I sawe his giants pawe throwe huge big stones great store

As if it were a sling. And sore I feared lest your shippe

Should drowned by the water bee that from the stones did skippe,

Or by the stones themselves, as if my self had beene therin.

But when that flyght had saved you from death, he did begin

On Aetna syghing up and downe to walke: and with his pawes

Went groping of the trees among the woodes. And forbycause

He could not see, he knockt his shinnes ageinst the rocks eche where.

And stretching out his grisly armes (which all beegrymed were

With baken blood) to seaward, he the Greekish nation band,

And sayd: O if that sum good chaunce myght bring unto my hand

Ulysses or sum mate of his, on whom to wreake myne ire,

Uppon whose bowells with my teeth I like a Hawke myght tyre:

Whose living members myght with theis my talants teared beene:

Whoose blood myght bubble down my throte: whose flesh myght pant between

My jawes: how lyght or none at all this losing of myne eye

Would seeme. Theis woordes and many mo the cruell feend did cry.

A shuddring horror perced mee to see his smudged face,

And cruell handes, and in his frunt the fowle round eyelesse place,

And monstrous members, and his beard beslowbered with the blood

Of man. Before myne eyes then death the smallest sorrow stood.

I loked every minute to bee seased in his pawe.

I looked ever when he should have cramd mee in his mawe.

And in my mynd I of that tyme mee thought the image sawe

When having dingd a doozen of our fellowes to the ground

And lying lyke a Lyon feerce or hunger sterved hownd

Uppon them, very eagerly he downe his greedy gut

Theyr bowwels and theyr limbes yit more than half alive did put,

And with theyr flesh toogither crasht the bones and maree whyght.

I trembling like an aspen leaf stood sad and bloodlesse quyght.

And in beholding how he fed and belked up againe

His bloody vittells at his mouth, and uttred out amayne

The clottred gobbets mixt with wyne, I thus surmysde: Like lot

Hangs over my head now, and I must also go to pot.

And hyding mee for many dayes, and quaking horribly

At every noyse, and dreading death, and wisshing for to dye,

Appeasing hunger with the leaves of trees, and herbes and mast,

Alone, and poore, and footelesse, and to death and pennance cast,

A long tyme after I espyde this shippe afarre at last,

And ronning downeward to the sea by signes did succour seeke.

Where fynding grace, this Trojane shippe receyved mee, a Greeke.

But now I prey thee, gentle freend, declare thou unto mee

Thy Capteines and thy fellowes lucke that tooke the sea with thee.

He told him how that Aeolus, the sonne of Hippot, he

That keepes the wyndes in pryson cloce did reigne in Tuskane sea.

And how Ulysses having at his hand a noble gift,

The wynd enclosde in leather bagges, did sayle with prosperous drift

Nyne dayes toogither: insomuch they came within the syght

Of home: but on the tenth day when the morning gan give lyght,

His fellowes being somewhat toucht with covetousenesse and spyght,

Supposing that it had beene gold, did let the wyndes out quyght.

The which returning whence they came, did drive them backe amayne

That in the Realme of Aeolus they went aland agayne.

From thence (quoth he) we came unto the auncient Lamyes towne

Of which the feerce Antiphates that season ware the crowne.

A cowple of my mates and I were sent unto him: and

A mate of myne and I could scarce by flyght escape his hand.

The third of us did with his blood embrew the wicked face

Of leawd Antiphate, whoo with swoord us flying thence did chace,

And following after with a rowt threw stones and loggs which drownd

Both men and shippes. Howbeeit one by chaunce escaped sound,

Which bare Ulysses and my self. So having lost most part

Of all our deare companions, we with sad and sory hart

And much complayning, did arryve at yoonder coast which yow

May ken farre hence. A great way hence (I say) wee see it now

But trust mee truly over neere I saw it once. And thow

Aenaeas, Goddesse Venus sonne, the justest knight of all

The Trojane race (for sith the warre is doone, I can not call

Thee fo) I warne thee get thee farre from Circes dwelling place.

For when our shippes arryved there, remembring eft the cace

Of cruell king Antiphates, and of that hellish wyght

The round eyed gyant Polypheme, wee had so small delyght

To visit uncowth places, that wee sayd wee would not go.

Then cast we lotts. The lot fell out uppon myself as tho,

And Polyte, and Eurylocus, and on Elpenor who

Delyghted too too much in wyne, and eyghteene other mo.

All wee did go to Circes houses. As soone as wee came thither,

And in the portall of the Hall had set our feete toogither,

A thousand Lyons, wolves and beares did put us in a feare

By meeting us. But none of them was to bee feared there.

For none of them could doo us harme: but with a gentle looke

And following us with fawning feete theyr wanton tayles they shooke.

Anon did Damzells welcome us and led us through the hall

(The which was made of marble stone, floore, arches, roof, and wall)

To Circe. Shee sate underneathe a traverse in a chayre

Aloft ryght rich and stately, in a chamber large and fayre.

Shee ware a goodly longtreynd gowne: and all her rest attyre

Was every whit of goldsmithes woork. There sate mee also by her

The Sea nymphes and her Ladyes whoose fyne fingers never knew

What toozing wooll did meene, nor threede from whorled spindle drew.

They sorted herbes, and picking out the flowers that were mixt,

Did put them into mawnds, and with indifferent space betwixt

Did lay the leaves and stalks on heapes according to theyr hew,

And shee herself the woork of them did oversee and vew.

The vertue and the use of them ryght perfectly shee knew,

And in what leaf it lay, and which in mixture would agree.

And so perusing every herb by good advysement, shee

Did wey them out. Assoone as shee us entring in did see,

And greeting had bothe given and tane, shee looked cheerefully,

And graunting all that we desyrde, commaunded by and by

A certeine potion to bee made of barly parched drye

And wyne and hony mixt with cheese. And with the same shee slye

Had meynt the jewce of certeine herbes which unespyde did lye

By reason of the sweetenesse of the drink. Wee tooke the cup

Delivered by her wicked hand, and quaft it cleerely up

With thirstye throtes. Which doone, and that the cursed witch had smit

Our highest heare tippes with her wand, (it is a shame, but yit

I will declare the truth) I wext all rough with bristled heare,

And could not make complaint with woordes. In stead of speech I there

Did make a rawghtish grunting, and with groveling face gan beare

My visage downeward to the ground. I felt a hooked groyne

To wexen hard uppon my mouth, and brawned neck to joyne

My head and shoulders. And the handes with which I late ago

Had taken up the charmed cup, were turnd to feete as tho.

Such force there is in Sorcerie. In fyne wyth other mo

That tasted of the selfsame sawce, they shet mee in a Stye.

From this missehappe Eurilochus alonly scapte. For why

He only would not taste the cup, which had he not fled fro,

He should have beene a bristled beast as well as we. And so

Should none have borne Ulysses woorde of our mischaunce, nor hee

Have come to Circe to revenge our harmes and set us free.

The peaceprocurer Mercurie had given to him a whyght

Fayre flowre whoose roote is black, and of the Goddes it Moly hyght

Assurde by this and heavenly hestes, he entred Circes bowre.

And beeing bidden for to drink the cup of baleful powre,

As Circe was about to stroke her wand uppon his heare,

He thrust her backe, and put her with his naked swoord in feare.

Then fell they to agreement streyght, and fayth in hand was plyght.

And beeing made her bedfellowe, he claymed as in ryght

Of dowrye, for to have his men ageine in perfect plyght.

Shee sprincled us with better jewce of uncowth herbes, and strake

The awk end of her charmed rod uppon our heades, and spake

Woordes to the former contrarie. The more shee charmd, the more

Arose wee upward from the ground on which wee daarde before.

Our bristles fell away, the clift our cloven clees forsooke.

Our shoulders did returne agein: and next our elbowes tooke

Our armes and handes theyr former place. Then weeping wee enbrace

Our Lord, and hing about his necke whoo also wept apace.

And not a woord wee rather spake than such as myght appeere

From harts most thankfull to proceede. Wee taryed theyr a yeere.

I in that whyle sawe many things, and many things did heere.

I marked also this one thing with store of other geere

Which one of Circes fowre cheef maydes (whoose office was alway

Uppon such hallowes to attend) did secretly bewray

To mee. For in the whyle my Lord with Circe kept alone,

This mayd a yoongmannes image sheawd of fayre whyght marble stone

Within a Chauncell. On the head therof were garlonds store

And eeke a woodspecke. And as I demaunded her wherfore

And whoo it was they honord so in holy Church, and why

He bare that bird uppon his head: shee answeering by and by

Sayd: Lerne hereby, sir Macare, to understand the powre

My lady hathe, and marke thou well what I shall say this howre.

There reignd erewhyle in Italy one Picus, Saturnes sonne,

Whoo loved warlike horse and had delyght to see them ronne.

He was of feature as yee see. And by this image heere

The verry beawtye of the man dooth lyvelely appeere.

His courage matcht his personage. And scarcely had he well

Seene twentye yeeres. His countnance did allure the nymphes that dwell

Among the Latian hilles. The nymphes of fountaines and of brookes,

As those that haunted Albula were ravisht with his lookes

And so were they that Numicke beares, and Anio too, and Alme

That ronneth short, and heady Nar, and Farfar coole and calme.

And all the nymphes that usde to haunt Dianas shadye poole,

Or any lakes or meeres neere hand, or other waters coole.

But he disdeyning all the rest did set his love uppon

A lady whom Venilia bare (so fame reporteth) on

The stately mountayne Palatine by Janus that dooth beare

The dowble face. Assoone as that her yeeres for maryage were

Thought able, shee preferring him before all other men,

Was wedded to this Picus whoo was king of Lawrents then.

Shee was in beawtve excellent, but yit in singing, much

More excellent: and theruppon they naamd her Singer. Such

The sweetenesse of her musicke was, that shee therwith delyghts

The savage beastes, and caused birdes to cease theyr wandring flyghts,

And moved stones and trees, and made the ronning streames to stay.

Now whyle that shee in womans tune recordes her pleasant lay

At home, her husband rode abrode uppon a lustye horse

To hunt the Boare, and bare in hand twoo hunting staves of force.

His cloke was crymzen butned with a golden button fast.

Into the selfsame forest eeke was Phebus daughter past

From those same feeldes that of herself the name of Circe beare,

To gather uncowth herbes among the fruteful hillocks there.

As soone as lurking in the shrubbes shee did the king espye,

Shee was astrawght. Downe fell her herbes to ground. And by and by

Through all her bones the flame of love the maree gan to frye.

And when shee from this forced heate had cald her witts agen,

Shee purposde to bewray her mynd. But unto him as then

Shee could not come for swiftnesse of his horse and for his men

That garded him on every syde. Yit shalt thou not (quoth shee)

So shift thee fro my handes although the wynd should carrye thee,

If I doo knowe myself, if all the strength of herbes fayle not,

Or if I have not quyght and cleene my charmes and spelles forgotte.

In saying theis same wordes, shee made the likenesse of a Boare

Without a body, causing it to swiftly passe before

King Picus eyes, and for to seeme to get him to the woode,

Where for the thickenesse of the trees a horse myght do no good.

Immediatly the king unwares a hote pursute did make

Uppon the shadowe of his pray, and quikly did forsake

His foming horses sweating backe: and following vayne wan hope,

Did runne afoote among the woodes, and through the bushes crope.

Then Circe fell a mumbling spelles, and praying like a witch

Did honour straunge and uncowth Goddes with uncowth charmes, by which

Shee usde to make the moone looke dark, and wrappe her fathers head

In watry clowdes. And then likewyse the heaven was overspred

With darknesse, and a foggye mist steamd upward from the ground.

And nere a man about the king to gard him could bee found,

But every man in blynd bywayes ran scattring in the chace,

Through her inchauntments. At the length shee getting tyme and place,

Sayd: By those lyghtsum eyes of thyne which late have ravisht myne,

And by that goodly personage and lovely face of thyne,

The which compelleth mee that am a Goddesse to enclyne

To make this humble sute to thee that art a mortall wyght,

Asswage my flame, and make this sonne (whoo by his heavenly syght

Foresees all things) thy fathrinlawe: and hardly hold not scorne

Of Circe whoo by long discent of Titans stocke am borne.

Thus much sayd Circe. He ryght feerce rejecting her request,

And her, sayd: Whooso ere thou art, go set thy hart at rest.

I am not thyne, nor will not bee. Another holdes my hart:

And long God graunt shee may it hold, that I may never start

To leawdnesse of a forreigne lust from bond of lawfull bed,

As long as Janus daughter, my sweete Singer, is not dead.

Dame Circe having oft renewd her sute in vayne beefore,

Sayd: Dearely shalt thou bye thy scorne. For never shalt thou more

Returne to Singer. Thou shalt lerne by proof what one can doo

That is provoked, and in love, yea and a woman too.

But Circe is bothe stird to wrath, and also tane in love,

Yea and a woman. Twyce her face to westward she did move,

And twyce to Eastward. Thryce shee layd her rod uppon his head.

And therwithall three charmes shee cast. Away king Picus fled.

And woondring that he fled more swift than earst he had beene woont,

He saw the fethers on his skin, and at the sodein brunt

Became a bird that haunts the wooddes. Wherat he taking spyght,

With angrye bill did job uppon hard Okes with all his myght,

And in his moode made hollowe holes uppon theyr boughes. The hew

Of Crimzen which was in his cloke, uppon his fethers grew.

The gold that was a clasp and did his cloke toogither hold,

Is fethers, and about his necke goes circlewyse like gold.

His servants luring in that whyle oft over all the ground

In vayne, and fynding no where of theyr kyng no inkling, found

Dame Circe. (For by that tyme shee had made the ayer sheere,

And suffred both the sonne and wyndes the mistye steames to cleere)

And charging her with matter trew, demaunded for theyr kyng,

And offring force, began theyr darts and Javelings for to fling.

Shee sprincling noysom venim streyght and jewce of poysoning myght,

Did call togither Eribus and Chaos, and the nyght,

And all the feendes of darknesse, and with howling out along

Made prayers unto Hecate. Scarce ended was her song,

But that (a woondrous thing to tell) the woodes lept from theyr place.

The ground did grone: the trees neere hand lookt pale in all the chace:

The grasse besprent with droppes of blood lookt red: the stones did seem

To roare and bellow horce: and doggs to howle and raze extreeme:

And all the ground to crawle with snakes blacke scaalde: and gastly spryghts

Fly whisking up and downe. The folke were flayghted at theis syghts.

And as they woondring stood amaazd, shee strokte her witching wand

Uppon theyr faces. At the touche wherof, there out of hand

Came woondrous shapes of savage beastes uppon them all. Not one

Reteyned still his native shape. The setting sonne was gone

Beyond the utmost coast of Spaine, and Singer longd in vayne

To see her husband. Bothe her folke and people ran agayne

Through all the woodes. And ever as they went, they sent theyr eyes

Before them for to fynd him out, but no man him espyes.

Then Singer thought it not ynough to weepe and teare her heare,

And beat herself (all which shee did). Shee gate abrode, and there

Raundgd over all the broade wyld feelds like one besyds her witts.

Six nyghts and full as many dayes (as fortune led by fitts)

She strayd mee over hilles and dales, and never tasted rest,

Nor meate, nor drink of all the whyle. The seventh day, sore opprest

And tyred bothe with travell and with sorrowe, downe shee sate

Uppon cold Tybers bank, and there with teares in moorning rate

Shee warbling on her greef in tune not shirle nor over hye,

Did make her moane, as dooth the swan: whoo ready for to dye

Dooth sing his buriall song before. Her maree molt at last

With moorning, and shee pynde away: and finally shee past

To lither ayre. But yit her fame remayned in the place.

For why the auncient husbandmen according to the cace,

Did name it Singer of the nymph that dyed in the same.

Of such as these are, many things that yeere by fortune came

Bothe to my heering and my sight. Wee wexing resty then

And sluggs by discontinuance, were commaunded yit agen

To go aboord and hoyse up sayles. And Circe told us all

That long and dowtfull passage and rowgh seas should us befall.

I promis thee those woordes of hers mee throughly made afrayd:

And therfore hither I mee gate, and heere I have mee stayd.

This was the end of Macars tale. And ere long tyme was gone,

Aenaeas Nurce was buryed in a tumb of marble stone,

And this short verse was set theron: In this same verry place

My Nurcechyld whom the world dooth know to bee a chyld of grace

Delivering mee, Caieta, quicke from burning by the Grayes,

Hathe burnt mee dead with such a fyre as justly winnes him prayse.

Theyr Cables from the grassye strond were loosde, and by and by

From Circes slaunderous house and from her treasons farre they fly.

And making to the thickgrowen groves where through the yellow dust

The shady Tyber into sea his gusshing streame dooth thrust,

Aenaeas got the Realme of king Latinus, Fawnus sonne,

And eeke his daughter, whom in feyght by force of armes he wonne.

He enterprysed warre ageinst a Nation feerce and strong.

And Turne was wrothe for holding of his wyfe away by wrong.

Ageinst the Shyre of Latium met all Tyrrhene, and long

With busye care hawlt victorie by force of armes was sought.

Eche partie to augment theyr force by forreine succour wrought.

And many sent the Rutills help, and many came to ayd

The Trojanes: neyther was the good Aenaeas ill apayd

Of going to Evanders towne. But Venulus in vayne

To outcast Diomeds citie went his succour to obteine.

This Diomed under Dawnus, king of Calabrye, did found

A myghtye towne, and with his wyfe in dowrye hild the ground.

Now when from Turnus, Venulus his message had declaard,

Desyring help: th'Aetolian knyght sayd none could well bee spaard.

And in excuce, he told him how he neyther durst be bold

To prest his fathers folk to warre of whom he had no hold,

Nor any of his countrymen had left as then alyve

To arme. And lest yee think (quoth hee) I doo a shift contryve,

Although by uppening of the thing my bitter greef revyve

I will abyde to make a new rehersall. After that

The Greekes had burned Troy and on the ground had layd it flat,

And that the Prince of Narix by his ravishing the mayd

In Pallas temple, on us all the pennance had displayd

Which he himself deservd alone: then scattred heere and there

And harryed over all the seas, wee Greekes were fayne to beare

Nyght, thunder, tempest, wrath of heaven and sea, and last of all

Sore shipwrecke at mount Capharey to mend our harmes withall.

And lest that mee to make too long a processe yee myght deeme

In setting forth our heavy happes, the Greekes myght that tyme seeme

Ryght rewfull even to Priamus. Howbee't Minerva, shee

That weareth armour, tooke mee from the waves and saved mee.

But from my fathers Realme ageine by violence I was driven.

For Venus bearing still in mynd the wound I had her given

Long tyme before, did woork revendge. By meanes wherof such toyle

Did tosse mee on the sea, and on the land I found such broyle

By warres, that in my hart I thought them blist of God whom erst

The violence of the raging sea and hideous wynds had perst,

And whom the wrathfull Capharey by shipwrecke did confound:

Oft wisshing also I had there among the rest beene drownd.

My company now having felt the woorst that sea or warre

Could woorke, did faynt, and wisht an end of straying out so farre.

But Agmon hot of nature and too feerce through slaughters made

Sayd: What remayneth, sirs, through which our pacience cannot wade?

What further spyght hath Venus yit to woork ageinst us more?

When woorse misfortunes may be feard than have beene felt before,

Then prayer may advauntadge men, and vowwing may then boote.

But when the woorst is past of things, then feare is under foote.

And when that bale is hyghest growne, then boote must next ensew.

Although shee heere mee, and doo hate us all (which thing is trew)

That serve heere under Diomed: Yit set wee lyght her hate.

And deerely it should stand us on to purchase hygh estate.

With such stowt woordes did Agmon stirre dame Venus unto ire

And raysd ageine her settled grudge. Not many had desyre

To heere him talk thus out of square. The moste of us that are

His freendes rebukte him for his woordes. And as he did prepare

To answere, bothe his voyce and throte by which his voyce should go,

Were small: his heare to feathers turnd: his necke was clad as tho

With feathers: so was brist and backe. The greater fethers stacke

Uppon his armes: and into wings his elbowes bowwed backe.

The greatest portion of his feete was turned into toes.

A hardened bill of horne did growe uppon his mouth and noze,

And sharpened at the neather end. His fellowes, Lycus, Ide,

Rethenor, Nyct, and Abas all stood woondring by his syde.

And as they woondred, they receyvd the selfsame shape and hew.

And finally the greater part of all my band up flew,

And clapping with theyr newmade wings, about the ores did gird.

And if yee doo demaund the shape of this same dowtfull bird,

Even as they bee not verry Swannnes: so drawe they verry neere

The shape of Cygnets whyght. With much adoo I settled heere,

And with a little remnant of my people doo obteyne

The dry grownds of my fathrinlaw, king Dawnus, whoo did reigne

In Calabry. Thus much the sonne of Oenye sayd. Anon

Sir Venulus returning from the king of Calydon,

Forsooke the coast of Puteoll and the feeldes of Messapie,

In which hee saw a darksome denne forgrowne with busshes hye,

And watred with a little spring. The halfegoate Pan that howre

Possessed it: but heertofore it was the fayryes bowre.

A shepeherd of Appulia from that countrye scaard them furst.

But afterward recovering hart and hardynesse they durst

Despyse him when he chaced them, and with theyr nimble feete

Continewed on theyr dawncing still in tyme and measure meete.

The shepeherd fownd mee fault with them: and with his lowtlike leapes

Did counterfette theyr minyon dawnce, and rapped out by heapes

A rabble of unsavery taunts even like a country cloyne,

To which, most leawd and filthy termes of purpose he did joyne.

And after he had once begon, he could not hold his toong,

Untill that in the timber of a tree his throte was cloong.

For now he is a tree, and by his jewce discerne yee may

His manners. For the Olyf wyld dooth sensibly bewray

By berryes full of bitternesse his rayling toong. For ay

The harshnesse of his bitter woordes the berryes beare away.

Now when the kings Ambassadour returned home without

The succour of th'Aetolian prince, the Rutills being stout

Made luckelesse warre without theyr help: and much on eyther syde

Was shed of blood. Behold king Turne made burning bronds to glyde

Uppon theyr shippes, and they that had escaped water, stoode

In feare of fyre. The flame had sindgd the pitch, the wax, and wood,

And other things that nourish fyre, and ronning up the maste

Caught hold uppon the sayles, and all the takling gan to waste,

The Rowers seates did also smoke: when calling to her mynd

That theis same shippes were pynetrees erst and shaken with the wynd

On Ida mount, the moother of the Goddes, dame Cybel, filld

The ayre with sound of belles, and noyse of shalmes. And as shee hilld

The reynes that rulde the Lyons tame which drew her charyot, shee

Sayd thus: O Turnus, all in vayne theis wicked hands of thee

Doo cast this fyre. For by myself dispoynted it shall bee.

I wilnot let the wasting fyre consume theis shippes which are

A parcell of my forest Ide of which I am most chare.

It thundred as the Goddesse spake, and with the thunder came

A storme of rayne and skipping hayle, and soodeyne with the same

The sonnes of Astrey meeting feerce and feyghting verry sore,

Did trouble bothe the sea and ayre and set them on a rore.

Dame Cybel using one of them to serve her turne that tyde,

Did breake the Cables at the which the Trojane shippes did ryde,

And bare them prone, and underneathe the water did them dryve.

The Timber of them softning turnd to bodyes streyght alyve.

The stemmes were turnd to heades, the ores to swimming feete and toes,

The sydes to ribbes, the keele that through the middle gaily goes

Became the ridgebone of the backe, the sayles and tackling, heare:

And into armes on eyther syde the sayleyards turned were.

Theyr hew is duskye as before, and now in shape of mayd

They play among the waves of which even now they were afrayd.

And beeing Sea nymphes, wheras they were bred in mountaynes hard,

They haunt for ay the water soft, and never afterward

Had mynd to see theyr natyve soyle. But yit forgetting not

How many perills they had felt on sea by lucklesse lot,

They often put theyr helping hand to shippes distrest by wynd,

Onlesse that any caryed Greekes. For bearing still in mynd

The burning of the towne of Troy, they hate the Greekes by kynd.

And therfore of Ulysses shippes ryght glad they were to see

The shivers, and as glad they were as any glad myght bee,

To see Alcinous shippes wex hard and turned into stone.

Theis shippes thus having gotten lyfe and beeing turnd each one

To nymphes, a body would have thought the miracle so greate

Should into Turnus wicked hart sum godly feare have beate,

And made him cease his wilfull warre. But he did still persist.

And eyther partye had theyr Goddes theyr quarrell to assist,

And courage also: which as good as Goddes myght well be thought.

In fyne they neyther for the Realme nor for the scepter sought,

Nor for the Lady Lavine: but for conquest. And for shame

To seeme to shrinke in leaving warre, they still prolongd the same.

At length dame Venus sawe her sonne obteyne the upper hand.

King Turnus fell, and eeke the towne of Ardea which did stand

Ryght strong in hygh estate as long as Turnus lived. But

Assoone as that Aenaeas swoord to death had Turnus put,

The towne was set on fyre: and from amid the embers flew

A fowle which till that present tyme no persone ever knew,

And beete the ashes feercely up with flapping of his wing.

The leanenesse, palenesse, dolefull sound, and every other thing

That may expresse a Citie sakt, yea and the Cities name

Remayned still unto the bird. And now the verrye same

With Hernesewes fethers dooth bewayle the towne wherof it came.

And now Aenaeas prowesse had compelled all the Goddes

And Juno also (whoo with him was most of all at oddes)

To cease theyr old displeasure quyght. And now he having layd

Good ground wheron the growing welth of July myght be stayd,

Was rype for heaven. And Venus had great sute already made

To all the Goddes, and cleeping Jove did thus with him perswade:

Deere father, whoo hast never beene uncurtuous unto mee,

Now shewe the greatest courtesie (I pray thee) that may bee.

And on my sonne Aenaeas (whoo a graundchyld unto thee

Hath got of my blood) if thou wilt vouchsafe him awght at all)

Vouchsafe sum Godhead to bestowe, although it bee but small.

It is ynough that once he hathe alreadye seene the Realme

Of Pluto utter pleasurelesse, and passed Styxis streame.

The Goddes assented: neyther did Queene Juno then appeere

In countnance straunge, but did consent with glad and merry cheere.

Then Jove: Aenaeas woorthy is a saynct in heaven to bee.

Thy wish for whom thou doost it wish I graunt thee frank and free.

This graunt of his made Venus glad. Shee thankt him for the same.

And glyding through the aire uppon her yoked doves, shee came

To Lawrent shore, where clad with reede the river Numicke deepe

To seaward (which is neere at hand) with stealing pace dooth creepe.

Shee bade this river wash away what ever mortall were

In good Aenaeas bodye, and them under sea to beare.

The horned brooke fulfilld her hest, and with his water sheere

Did purge and clenze Aenaeas from his mortall body cleere.

The better porcion of him did remayne unto him sownd.

His moother having hallowed him did noynt his bodye rownd

With heavenly odours, and did touch his mouth with Ambrosie

The which was mixt with Nectar sweete, and made him by and by

A God to whom the Romanes give the name of Indiges,

Endevering with theyr temples and theyr altars him to please.

Ascanius with the dowble name from thence began to reigne,

In whom the rule of Alba and of Latium did remayne.

Next him succeeded Silvius, whoose sonne Latinus hild

The auncient name and scepter which his graundsyre erst did weeld.

The famous Epit after this Latinus did succeede.

Then Capys and king Capetus. But Capys was indeede

The formest of the two. From this the scepter of the Realme

Descended unto Tyberine, whoo drowning in the streame

Of Tyber left that name thereto. This Tyberine begat

Feerce Remulus and Acrota. By chaunce it hapned that

The elder brother Remulus for counterfetting oft

The thunder, with a thunderbolt was killed from aloft.

From Acrota whoose stayednesse did passe his brothers skill,

The crowne did come to Aventine, whoo in the selfsame hill

In which he reygned buryed lyes, and left therto his name.

The rule of nation Palatine at length to Proca came.

In this Kings reigne Pomona livd. There was not to bee found

Among the woodnymphes any one in all the Latian ground

That was so conning for to keepe an Ortyard as was shee,

Nor none so paynefull to preserve the frute of every tree.

And theruppon shee had her name. Shee past not for the woodes

Nor rivers, but the villages and boughes that bare bothe buddes

And plentuous frute. In sted of dart a shredding hooke shee bare,

With which the overlusty boughes shee eft away did pare

That spreaded out too farre, and eft did make therwith a rift

To greffe another imp uppon the stocke within the clift.

And lest her trees should die through drought, with water of the springs

Shee moysteth of theyr sucking roots the little crumpled strings.

This was her love and whole delyght. And as for Venus deedes,

Shee had no mynd at all of them. And forbycause shee dreedes

Enforcement by the countrye folke, shee walld her yards about,

Not suffring any man at all to enter in or out.

What have not those same nimble laddes so apt to frisk and daunce

The Satyrs doone? Or what the Pannes that wantonly doo praunce

With horned forheads? And the old Silenus whoo is ay

More youthfull than his yeeres? And eeke the feend that scares away

The theeves and robbers with his hooke, or with his privy part

To winne her love? But yit than theis a farre more constant hart

Had sly Vertumnus, though he sped no better than the rest.

O Lord, how often being in a moawers garment drest,

Bare he in bundells sheaves of come? And when he so was dyght,

He was the verry patterne of a harvest moawer ryght.

Oft bynding newmade hay about his temples he myght seeme

A haymaker. Oft tymes in hand made hard with woork extreeme

He bare a goade, that men would sweere he had but newly then

Unyoakt his weerye Oxen. Had he tane in hand agen

A shredding hooke, yee would have thought hee had a gardener beene,

Or proyner of sum vynes. Or had you him with ladder seene

Uppon his necke, a gatherer of frute yee would him deeme.

With swoord a souldier, with his rod an Angler he did seeme.

And finally in many shapes he sought to fynd accesse

To joy the beawty but by syght, that did his hart oppresse.

Moreover, putting on his head a womans wimple gay,

And staying by a staffe, graye heares he foorth to syght did lay

Uppon his forehead, and did feyne a beldame for to bee,

By meanes wherof he came within her goodly ortyards free.

And woondring at the frute, sayd: Much more skill hast thou I see

Than all the Nymphes of Albula. Hayle, Lady myne, the flowre

Unspotted of pure maydenhod in all the world this howre.

And with that woord he kissed her a little: but his kisse

Was such as trew old women would have never given ywis.

Then sitting downe uppon a bank, he looked upward at

The braunches bent with harvests weyght. Ageinst him where he sat

A goodly Elme with glistring grapes did growe: which after hee

Had praysed, and the vyne likewyse that ran uppon the tree:

But if (quoth hee) this Elme without the vyne did single stand,

It should have nothing (saving leaves) to bee desyred: and

Ageine if that the vyne which ronnes uppon the Elme had nat

The tree to leane unto, it should uppon the ground ly flat.

Yit art not thou admonisht by example of this tree

To take a husband, neyther doost thou passe to maryed bee.

But would to God thou wouldest. Sure Queene Helen never had

Mo suters, nor the Lady that did cause the battell mad

Betweene the halfbrute Centawres and the Lapythes, nor the wyfe

Of bold Ulysses whoo was eeke ay fearefull of his lyfe,

Than thou shouldst have. For thousands now (even now most cheefly when

Thou seemest suters to abhorre) desyre thee, both of men,

And Goddes and halfgoddes, yea and all the fayryes that doo dwell

In Albane hilles. But if thou wilt bee wyse, and myndest well

To match thy self, and wilt give eare to this old woman heere,

(To whom thou more than to them all art (trust mee) leef and deere,

And more than thou thyself beleevst) the common matches flee,

And choose Vertumnus to thy make. And take thou mee to bee

His pledge. For more he to himself not knowen is, than to mee.

He roves not like a ronneagate through all the world abrode,

This countrye heerabout (the which is large) is his abode.

He dooth not (like a number of theis common wooers) cast

His love to every one he sees. Thou art the first and last

That ever he set mynd uppon. Alonly unto thee

Hee vowes himself as long as lyfe dooth last. Moreover hee

Is youthfull, and with beawtye sheene endewd by natures gift,

And aptly into any shape his persone he can shift.

Thou canst not bid him bee the thing, (though al things thou shouldst name)

But that he fitly and with ease will streyght becomme the same.

Besydes all this, in all one thing bothe twayne of you delyght,

And of the frutes that you love best the firstlings are his ryght:

And gladly he receyves thy gifts. But neyther covets hee

Thy Apples, Plommes, nor other frutes new gathered from the tree,

Nor yit the herbes of pleasant sent that in thy gardynes bee:

Nor any other kynd of thing in all the world, but thee.

Have mercy on his fervent love, and think himself to crave

Heere present by the mouth of mee, the thing that he would have.

And feare the God that may revenge: as Venus whoo dooth hate

Hard harted folkes, and Rhamnuse whoo dooth eyther soone or late

Expresse her wrath with myndfull wreake. And to th'entent thou may

The more beware, of many things which tyme by long delay

Hathe taught mee, I will shewe thee one which over all the land

Of Cyprus blazed is abrode, which being ryghtly skand

May easly bow thy hardned hart and make it for to yild.

One Iphis borne of lowe degree by fortune had behild

The Ladye Anaxarete descended of the race

Of Tewcer, and in vewwing her the fyre of love apace

Did spred it self through all his bones. With which he stryving long,

When reason could not conquer rage bycause it was too strong,

Came humbly to the Ladyes house: and one whyle laying ope

His wretched love before her nurce, besought her by the hope

Of Lady Anaxarete her nurcechylds good successe,

Shee would not bee ageinst him in that cace of his distresse.

Another whyle entreating fayre sum freend of hers, he prayd

Him earnestly with carefull voyce, of furthrance and of ayd.

Oftymes he did preferre his sute by gentle letters sent.

Oft garlonds moysted with the deawe of teares that from him went

He hanged on her postes. Oft tymes his tender sydes he layd

Ageinst the threshold hard, and oft in sadnesse did upbrayd

The locke with much ungentlenesse. The Lady crueller

Than are the rysing narrowe seas, or falling Kiddes, and farre

More hard than steele of Noricum, and than the stonny rocke

That in the quarrye hath his roote, did him despyse and mock.

Besyde her dooings mercylesse, of statelynesse and spyght

Shee adding prowd and skornefull woordes, defrauds the wretched wyght

Of verry hope. But Iphis now unable any more

To beare the torment of his greef, still standing there before

Her gate, spake theis his latest woordes: Well, Anaxarete,

Thou hast the upper hand. Hencefoorth thou shalt not neede to bee

Agreeved any more with mee. Go tryumph hardely:

Go vaunt thy self with joy: go sing the song of victorye:

Go put a crowne of glittring bay uppon thy cruell head.

For why thou hast the upper hand, and I am gladly dead.

Well, steely harted, well: rejoyce. Compeld yit shalt thou bee

Of sumwhat in mee for to have a lyking. Thou shalt see

A poynt wherein thou mayst mee deeme most thankfull unto thee,

And in the end thou shalt confesse the great desert of mee.

But yit remember that as long as lyfe in mee dooth last,

The care of thee shall never from this hart of myne be cast.

For bothe the lyfe that I doo live in hope of thee, and tother

Which nature giveth, shall have end and passe away toogither.

The tydings neyther of my death shall come to thee by fame.

Myself (I doo assure thee) will bee bringer of the same.

Myself (I say) will present bee that those same cruell eyen

Of thyne may feede themselves uppon this livelesse corce of myne.

But yit, O Goddes, (if you behold mennes deedes) remember mee.

(My toong will serve to pray no more) and cause that I may bee

Longtyme heerafter spoken of: and length the lyfe by fame

The which yee have abridgd in yeeres. In saying of this same

He lifted up his watrye eyes and armes that wexed wan

To those same stulpes which oft he had with garlondes deckt ere than,

And fastning on the topps therof a halter thus did say:

Thou cruell and ungodly wyght, theis are the wreathes that may

Most pleasure thee. And with that woord he thrusting in his head,

Even then did turne him towards her as good as being dead,

And wretchedly did totter on the poste with strangled throte.

The wicket which his feerefull feete in sprawling maynely smote,

Did make a noyse: and flying ope bewrayd his dooing playne.

The servants shreekt, and lifting up his bodye, but in vayne,

Conveyd him to his moothers house, his father erst was slayne.

His moother layd him in her lappe, and cleeping in her armes

Her sonnes cold bodye, after that shee had bewayld her harmes

With woordes and dooings mootherlyke, the corce with moorning cheere

To buryall sadly through the towne was borne uppon a beere.

The house of Anaxarete by chaunce was neere the way

By which this piteous pomp did passe. And of the doolefull lay

The sound came to the eares of her, whom God alreadye gan

To strike. Yit let us see (quoth shee) the buryall of this man.

And up the hygh wyde windowde house in saying so, shee ran.

Scarce had shee well on Iphis lookt that on the beere did lye,

But that her eyes wext stark: and from her limbes the blood gan flye.

In stead therof came palenesse in. And as shee backeward was

In mynd to go, her feete stacke fast and could not stirre. And as

Shee would have cast her countnance backe, shee could not doo it. And

The stonny hardnesse which alate did in her stomacke stand,

Within a whyle did overgrow her whole from sole to crowne.

And lest you think this geere surmysde, even yit in Salamin towne

Of Lady Anaxarete the image standeth playne.

The temple also in the which the image dooth remayne,

Is unto Venus consecrate by name of Looker Out.

And therfore weying well theis things, I prey thee looke about

Good Lady, and away with pryde: and be content to frame

Thy self to him that loveth thee and cannot quench his flame.

So neyther may the Lentons cold thy budding frutetrees kill

Nor yit the sharp and boystous wyndes thy flowring Gardynes spill.

The God that can uppon him take what kynd of shape he list

Now having sayd thus much in vayne, omitted to persist

In beldames shape, and shewde himself a lusty gentleman,

Appeering to her cheerefully, even like as Phebus whan

Hee having overcomme the clowdes that did withstand his myght,

Dooth blaze his brightsum beames agein with fuller heate and lyght.

He offred force, but now no force was needfull in the cace.

For why shee beeing caught in love with beawty of his face,

Was wounded then as well as hee, and gan to yeeld apace.

Next Proca, reignd Amulius in Awsonye by wrong,

Till Numitor, the ryghtfull heyre, deposed verry long,

Was by his daughters sonnes restorde. And on the feastfull day

Of Pale, foundation of the walles of Rome they gan to lay.

Soone after Tacye, and the Lordes of Sabine stird debate:

And Tarpey for her traytrous deede in opening of the gate

Of Tarpey towre was prest to death according to desert

With armour heapt uppon her head. Then feerce and stowt of hart

The Sabines like to toonglesse woolves without all noyse of talke

Assayld the Romanes in theyr sleepe, and to the gates gan stalke

Which Ilias sonne had closed fast with lockes and barres. But yit

Dame Juno had set open one, and as shee opened it

Had made no noyse of craking with the hindges, so that none

Perceyvd the opening of the gate but Venus all alone.

And shee had shet it up, but that it is not lawfull to

One God to undoo any thing another God hath doo.

The water nymphes of Awsonie hild all the groundes about

The Church of Janus where was store of springs fresh flowing out.

Dame Venus prayd theis nymphes of help. And they considering that

The Goddesse did request no more but ryght, denyde it nat.

They opened all theyr fountayne veynes and made them flowe apace.

Howbee't the passage was not yit to Janus open face

Forclosed: neyther had as yit the water stopt the way.

They put rank brimstone underneathe the flowing spring that day,

And eeke with smokye rozen set theyr veynes on fyre for ay.

Through force of theis and other things, the vapour perced lowe

Even downe unto the verry rootes on which the springs did growe.

So that the waters which alate in coldnesse myght compare

Even with the frozen Alpes, now hot as burning furnace are.

The two gate posts with sprinkling of the fyry water smoakt.

Wherby the gate beehyghted to the Sabines quyght was choakt

With rysing of this fountaine straunge, untill that Marsis knyght

Had armed him. Then Romulus did boldly offer fyght.

The Romane ground with Sabines and with Romanes bothe were spred.

And with the blood of fathrinlawes which wicked swoord had shed

Flowde mixt the blood of sonneinlawes. Howbee't it seemed best

To bothe the partyes at the length from battell for to rest,

And not to fyght to uttrance: and that Tacye should becoome

Copartner with king Romulus of sovereintye in Rome.

Within a whyle king Tacye dyde: and bothe the Sabines and

The Romanes under Romulus in equall ryght did stand.

The God of battell putting off his glittring helmet then,

With such like woordes as theis bespake the syre of Goddes and men:

The tyme, father (in as much as now the Romane state

Is wexen strong uppon the good foundation layd alate,

Depending on the stay of one) is comme for thee to make

Thy promis good which thou of mee and of thy graundchyld spake:

Which was to take him from the earth and in the heaven him stay.

Thou once (I markt thy gracious woordes and bare them well away)

Before a great assembly of the Goddes didst to mee say

There shalbee one whom thou shalt rayse above the starry skye.

Now let thy saying take effect. Jove graunting by and by

The ayre was hid with darksom clowdes, and thunder foorth did fly,

And lyghtning made the world agast. Which Mars perceyving to

Bee luckye tokens for himself his enterpryse to do,

Did take his rist uppon his speare and boldly lept into

His bloodye charyot. And he lent his horses with his whippe

A yirking lash, and through the ayre full smoothely downe did slippe.

And staying on the woody toppe of mountayne Palatine,

He tooke away king Romulus whoo there did then defyne

The pryvate caces of his folk unseemly for a king.

And as a leaden pellet broade enforced from a sling

Is woont to dye amid the skye: even so his mortall flesh

Sank from him downe the suttle ayre. In sted wherof a fresh

And goodly shape more stately and more meete for sacred shryne

Succeeded, like our Quirin that in stately robe dooth shyne.

Hersilia for her feere as lost, of moorning made none end,

Untill Queene Juno did commaund dame Iris to discend

Uppon the Raynebowe downe, and thus her message for to doo:

O of the Latian country and the Sabine nacion too

Thou peerlesse perle of womanhod, most woorthy for to bee

The wyfe of such a noble prince as heertofore was hee,

And still to bee the wyfe of him canonized by name,

Of Quirin: cease thy teares. And if thou have desyre the same

Thy holy husband for to see, ensew mee to the queache

That groweth greene on Quirins hill, whoose shadowes overreache

The temple of the Romane king. Dame Iris did obey.

And slyding by her paynted bowe, in former woordes did say

Her errand to Hersilia. Shee scarce lifting up her eyes

With sober countnance answerd: O thou Goddesse (for surmyse

I cannot whoo thou art, but yit I well may understand

Thou art a Goddesse) leede mee, O deere Goddesse, leede mee, and

My husband to mee shewe. Whom if the fatall susters three

Will of theyr gracious goodnesse graunt mee leave but once to see,

I shall account mee into heaven receyved for to bee.

Immediatly with Thawmants imp to Quirins hill shee went.

There glyding from the sky a starre streyght downe to ground was sent,

The sparkes of whoose bryght blazing beames did burne Hersilias heare.

And with the starre the ayre did up her heare to heavenward beare.

The buylder of the towne of Rome receyving streyght the same

Betweene his old acquaynted handes, did alter both her name

And eeke her bodye, calling her dame Ora. And by this

Shee joyntly with her husband for a Goddesse woorshipt is.