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 The soft sweete strawbryes gather, which in wooddy shadowe stand. The Cornell berryes also from the tree thy self shall pull: And pleasant plommes, sum yellow lyke new wax, sum blew, sum full Of ruddy jewce. Of Chestnutts eeke (if my wyfe thou wilt bee) Thou shalt have store: and frutes all sortes: all trees shall serve for thee. This Cattell heere is all myne owne. And many mo besyde Doo eyther in the bottoms feede, or in the woodes them hyde, And many standing at theyr stalles doo in my Cave abyde. The number of them (if a man should ask) I cannot showe. Tush, beggars of theyr Cattell use the number for to knowe. And for the goodnesse of the same, no whit beleeve thou mee. But come thyself (and if thou wilt) the truth therof to see. See how theyr udders full doo make them straddle. Lesser ware Shet up at home in cloce warme peends, are Lambes. There also are In other pinfolds Kidds of selfsame yeaning tyme. Thus have I alwayes mylke as whyte as snow. Wherof I sum doo save To drink, and of the rest is made good cheese. And furthermore Not only stale and common gifts and pleasures wherof store Is to bee had at eche mannes hand, (as Leverets, Kidds, and Does, A payre of pigeons, or a nest of birds new found, or Roes,) Shall unto thee presented bee. I found this tother day A payre of Bearewhelpes, eche so lyke the other as they lay Uppon a hill, that scarce yee eche discerne from other may. And when that I did fynd them I did take them up, and say Theis will I for my Lady keepe for her therwith to play. Now put thou up thy fayre bryght head, good Galat, I thee pray, Above the greenish waves: now come my Galat, come away. And of my present take no scorne. I know my selfe to bee A jollye fellow. For even now I did behold and see Myne image in the water sheere, and sure mee thought I tooke Delyght to see my goodly shape, and favor in the brooke. Behold how big I am: not Jove in heaven (for so you men Report one Jove to reigne, of whom I passe not for to ken) Is huger than this doughty corce of myne. A bush of heare Dooth overdreepe my visage grim, and shadowes as it were A grove uppon my shoulders twayne. And think it not to bee A shame for that with bristled heare my body rough yee see.


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 A fowle ilfavored syght it is to see a leavelesse tree. A lothely thing it is, a horse without a mane to keepe. As fethers doo become the birdes, and wooll becommeth sheepe, Even so a beard and bristled skin becommeth also men. I have but one eye, which dooth stand amid my frunt. What then? This one round eye of myne is lyke a myghty target. Why? Vewes not the Sun all things from heaven? Yit but one only eye Hath hee. Moreover in your Seas my father beares the sway. Him will I make thy fathrinlaw. Have mercy I thee pray, And harken to myne humble sute. For only unto thee Yeeld I. Even I of whom bothe heaven and Jove despysed bee And eeke the percing thunderbolt, doo stand in awe and feare Of thee, O Nerye. Thyne ill will is greevouser to beare Than is the deadly Thunderclappe. Yit could I better fynd In hart to suffer this contempt of thyne with pacient mynd If thou didst shonne all other folk as well as mee. But why Rejecting Acis? Why say I Preferst thou Acis unto mee? Well, let him liked bee Both of himself, and also (which I would be lothe) of thee. And if I catch him he shall feele that in my body is The force that should bee. I shall paunch him quicke. Those limbes of his I will in peeces teare, and strew them in the feeldes, and in Thy waters, if he doo thee haunt. For I doo swelt within. And being chaafte the flame dooth burne more feerce to my unrest. Mee thinks mount Aetna with his force is closed in my brest. And yit it nothing moveth thee. As soone as he had talkt Thus much in vayne, (I sawe well all) he rose: and fuming stalkt Among his woodes and woonted Lawndes, as dooth a Bulchin, when The Cow is from him tane. He could him no where rest as then. Anon the feend espyed mee and Acis where wee lay, Before wee wist or feared it: and crying out gan say: I see yee. And confounded myght I bee with endlesse shame, But if I make this day the last agreement of your game. Theis woordes were spoke with such a reere as verry well became An angry Giant. Aetna shooke with lowdnesse of the same. I scaard therwith dopt underneathe the water, and the knyght Simethus turning streyght his backe, did give himself to flyght,

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 And cryed: Help mee Galate, help parents I you pray, And in your kingdome mee receyve whoo perrish must streyghtway. The roundeyd devill made pursewt: and rending up a fleece Of Aetna Rocke, threw after him: of which a little peece Did Acis overtake. And yit as little as it was, It overwhelmed Acis whole. I wretched wyght (alas) Did that which destnyes would permit. Foorthwith I brought to passe That Acis should receyve the force his father had before. His scarlet blood did issue from the lump, and more and more Within a whyle the rednesse gan to vannish: and the hew Resembled at the first a brooke with rayne distroubled new, Which wexeth cleere by length of tyme. Anon the lump did clyve, And from the hollow cliffe therof hygh reedes sprang up alyve. And at the hollow issue of the stone the bubling water Came trickling out. And by and by (which is a woondrous matter) The stripling with a wreath of reede about his horned head Avaunst his body to the waste. Whoo (save he was that stead Much biggar than he erst had beene, and altogither gray) Was Acis still. And being turnd to water, at this day In shape of river still he beares his former name away. The Lady Galat ceast her talk and streyght the companye brake. And Neryes daughters parting thence, swam in the gentle lake. Dame Scylla home ageine returnd. (Shee durst not her betake To open sea) and eyther roamd uppon the sandy shore Stark naakt, or when for weerinesse shee could not walk no more, Shee then withdrew her out of syght and gate her to a poole, And in the water of the same, her heated limbes did coole. Behold the fortune. Glaucus (whoo then being late before Transformed in Ewboya Ile uppon Anthedon shore, Was new becomme a dweller in the sea) as he did swim Along the coast was tane in love at syght of Scylla trim, And spake such woordes as he did think myght make her tarry still. Yit fled shee still, and swift for feare shee gate her to a hill That butted on the Sea. Ryght steepe and upward sharp did shoote A loftye toppe with trees, beneathe was hollowe at the foote. Heere Scylla stayd and being sauf by strongnesse of the place, (Not knowing if he monster were, or God, that did her chace,)


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 Shee looked backe. And woondring at his colour and his heare With which his shoulders and his backe all wholly covered were, Shee saw his neather parts were like a fish with tayle wrythde round Who leaning to the neerest Rocke, sayd thus with lowd cleere sound: Fayre mayd, I neyther monster am nor cruell savage beast: But of the sea a God, whoose powre and favour is not least. For neyther Protew in the sea nor Triton have more myght Nor yit the sonne of Athamas that now Palaemon hyght. Yit once I was a mortall man. But you must know that I Was given to seawoorkes, and in them mee only did apply. For sumtyme I did draw the drag in which the fishes were, And sumtyme sitting on the cliffes I angled heere and there. There butteth on a fayre greene mede a bank wherof t'one half Is cloasd with sea, the rest is clad with herbes which never calf, Nor horned Ox, nor seely sheepe, nor shakheard Goate did feede. The busye Bee did never there of flowres sweet smelling speede. No gladsum garlonds ever there were gathered for the head. No hand those flowers ever yit with hooked sythe did shred. I was the first that ever set my foote uppon that plot. Now as I dryde my dropping netts, and layd abrode my lotte, To tell how many fishes had bychaunce to net beene sent, Or through theyr owne too lyght beeleefe on bayted hooke beene hent: (The matter seemeth like a lye, but what avayles to lye?) As soone as that my pray had towcht the grasse, it by and by Began to move, and flask theyr finnes, and swim uppon the drye, As in the Sea. And as I pawsd and woondred at the syght, My draught of fishes everychone to seaward tooke theyr flyght, And leaping from the shore, forsooke theyr newfound mayster quyght. I was amazed at the thing: and standing long in dowt, I sought the cause if any God had brought this same abowt, Or else sum jewce of herb. And as I so did musing stand, What herb (quoth I) hath such a powre? And gathering with my hand The grasse, I bote it with my toothe. My throte had scarcely yit Well swallowed downe the uncouth jewce, when like an agew fit I felt myne inwards soodeinly to shake, and with the same, A love of other nature in my brest with violence came. And long I could it not resist, but sayd: Deere land, adeew,


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 For never shall I haunt thee more. And with that woord I threw My bodye in the sea. The Goddes thereof receyving mee, Vouchsaved in theyr order mee installed for to bee, Desyring old Oceänus and Thetis for theyr sake, The rest of my mortalitie away from mee to take. They hallowed mee, and having sayd nyne tymes the holy ryme That purgeth all prophanednesse, they charged mee that tyme To put my brestbulk underneathe a hundred streames. Anon The brookes from sundry coastes and all the Seas did ryde uppon My head. From whence as soone as I returned, by and by I felt my self farre otherwyse through all my limbes, than I Had beene before. And in my mynd I was another man. Thus farre of all that mee befell make just report I can. Thus farre I beare in mynd. The rest my mynd perceyved not. Then first of all this hory greene gray grisild beard I got, And this same bush of heare which all along the seas I sweepe, And theis same myghty shoulders, and theis grayish armes, and feete Confounded into finned fish. But what avayleth mee This goodly shape, and of the Goddes of sea to loved bee? Or for to be a God my self, if they delyght not thee? As he was speaking this, and still about to utter more, Dame Scylla him forsooke: wherat he wexing angry sore, And beeing quickened with repulse, in rage he tooke his way To Circes, Titans daughters, Court which full of monsters lay.


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Ow 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


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 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


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 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,


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 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


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 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,


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 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.


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 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.


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 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,


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 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


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 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.


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 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)


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 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,


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 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


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 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.


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 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?


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 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


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 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,


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 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)


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 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


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 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


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 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,


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 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


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 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,


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 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,


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 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


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 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 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


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 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.


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Persone in the whyle was sought sufficient to susteine The burthen of so great a charge, and woorthy for to reigne In stead of such a mighty prince. The noble Nume by fame (Whoo harped then uppon the truthe before to passe it came) Appoynted to the Empyre was. This Numa thought it not Inough that he the knowledge of the Sabine rites had got. The deepenesse of the noble wit to greater things was bent, To serch of things the natures out. The care of this intent Did cause that he from Curie and his native Countrye went With peynfull travell, to the towne where Hercules did hoste. And asking who it was of Greece that in th'Italian coast Had buylt that towne, an aged man well seene in storyes old, To satisfye his mynd therin the processe thus him told: As Hercules enriched with the Spannish kyne did hold His voyage from the Ocean sea, men say with lucky cut He came aland on Lacine coast. And whyle he there did put His beace to grazing, he himself in Crotons house did rest, The greatest man in all those parts and unto straungers best: And that he there refresht him of his tedious travell, and That when he should depart, he sayd: Where now thy house dooth stand, Shall in thy childers childrens tyme a Citie buylded bee. Which woordes of his have proved trew as playnly now wee see. For why there was one Myscelus, a Greeke, Alemons sonne, A persone more in favour of the Goddes than any one In those dayes was. The God that beares the boystous club did stay Uppon him being fast asleepe, and sayd: Go seeke streyght way The stonny streame of Aeserie. Thy native soyle for ay Forsake. And sore he threatned him onlesse he did obey. The God and sleepe departed both togither. Up did ryse Alemons sonne, and in himself did secretly devyse Uppon this vision. Long his mynd strove dowtfull to and fro. The God bad go. His country lawes did say he should not go, And death was made the penaltie for him that would doo so. Cleere Titan in the Ocean sea had hid his lyghtsomme head,


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 And duskye nyght had put up hers most thick with starres bespred. The selfsame God by Myscelus did seeme to stand eftsoone, Commaunding him the selfsame thing that he before had doone, And threatning mo and greater plages onlesse he did obey. Then being stricken sore in feare he went about streyghtway His household from his natyve land to forreine to convey. A rumor heereuppon did ryse through all the towne of Arge And disobedience of the lawe was layed to his charge. Assoone as that the cace had first beene pleaded and the deede Apparantly perceyved, so that witnesse did not neede, Arreyned and forlorne to heaven he cast his handes and eyes, And sayd: O God whoose labours twelve have purchaste thee the skyes, Assist mee, I thee pray. For thou art author of my cryme. When judgement should bee given it was the guyse in auncient tyme With whyght stones to acquit the cleere, and eeke with blacke to cast The giltye. That tyme also so the heavy sentence past. The stones were cast unmercifull all blacke into the pot. But when the stones were powred out to number, there was not A blacke among them. All were whyght. And so through Hercles powre A gentle judgement did proceede, and he was quit that howre. Then gave he thankes to Hercules, and having prosprous blast, Cut over the Ionian sea, and so by Tarent past Which Spartanes buylt, and Cybaris, and Neaeth Salentine, And Thurine bay, and Emese, and eeke the pastures fyne Of Calabrye. And having scarce well sought the coastes that lye Uppon the sea, he found the mouth of fatall Aeserye. Not farre from thence, he also found the tumb in which the ground Did kiver Crotons holy bones, and in that place did found The Citie that was willed him, and gave thereto the name Of him that there lay buryed. Such originall as this same This Citie in th'Italian coast is sayd to have by fame. Heere dwelt a man of Samos Ile, who for the hate he had To Lordlynesse and Tyranny, though unconstreynd was glad To make himself a bannisht man. And though this persone weere Farre distant from the Goddes by site of heaven: yit came he neere To them in mynd. And he by syght of soule and reason cleere Behild the things which nature dooth to fleshly eyes denye.


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 And when with care most vigilant he had assuredly Imprinted all things in his hart, he set them openly Abroade for other folk to lerne. He taught his silent sort (Which woondred at the heavenly woordes theyr mayster did report) The first foundation of the world: the cause of every thing: What nature was: and what was God: whence snow and lyghtning spring: And whither Jove or else the wynds in breaking clowdes doo thunder: What shakes the earth: what law the starres doo keepe theyr courses under: And what soever other thing is hid from common sence. He also is the first that did injoyne an abstinence To feede of any lyving thing. He also first of all Spake thus: although ryght lernedly, yit to effect but small: Yee mortall men, forbeare to frank your flesh with wicked foode. Yee have both come and frutes of trees and grapes and herbes right good. And though that sum bee harsh and hard: yit fyre may make them well Both soft and sweete. Yee may have milk, and honny which dooth smell Of flowres of tyme. The lavish earth dooth yeeld you plentiously Most gentle foode, and riches to content bothe mynd and eye. There needes no slaughter nor no blood to get your living by. The beastes do breake theyr fast with flesh: and yit not all beastes neyther. For horses, sheepe, and Rotherbeastes to live by grasse had lever. The nature of the beast that dooth delyght in bloody foode, Is cruell and unmercifull. As Lyons feerce of moode, Armenian Tigers, Beares, and Woolves. Oh, what a wickednesse It is to cram the mawe with mawe, and frank up flesh with flesh, And for one living thing to live by killing of another: As whoo should say, that of so great abundance which our moother The earth dooth yeeld most bountuously, none other myght delyght Thy cruell teethe to chawe uppon, than grisly woundes that myght Expresse the Cyclops guyse? or else as if thou could not stawnche The hunger of thy greedye gut and evill mannerd pawnche, Onlesse thou stroyd sum other wyght. But that same auncient age Which wee have naamd the golden world, cleene voyd of all such rage, Livd blessedly by frute of trees and herbes that grow on ground, And stayned not their mouthes with blood. Then birds might safe and sound Fly where they listed in the ayre. The hare unscaard of hound Went pricking over all the feeldes. No angling hooke with bayt


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 Did hang the seely fish that bote mistrusting no deceyt. All things were voyd of guylefulnesse: no treason was in trust: But all was freendshippe, love and peace. But after that the lust Of one (what God so ere he was) disdeyning former fare, To cram that cruell croppe of his with fleshmeate did not spare, He made a way for wickednesse. And first of all the knyfe Was staynd with blood of savage beastes in ridding them of lyfe. And that had nothing beene amisse, if there had beene the stay. For why wee graunt, without the breach of godlynesse wee may By death confound the things that seeke to take our lyves away. But as to kill them reason was: even so agein theyr was No reason why to eate theyr flesh. This leawdnesse thence did passe On further still. Wheras there was no sacrifyse beforne, The Swyne (bycause with hoked groyne he rooted up the come, And did deceyve the tillmen of theyr hope next yeere thereby) Was deemed woorthy by desert in sacrifyse to dye. The Goate for byghting vynes was slayne at Bacchus altar whoo Wreakes such misdeedes. Theyr owne offence was hurtful to theis two. But what have you poore sheepe misdoone, a cattell meeke and meeld, Created for to maynteine man, whoose fulsomme duggs doo yeeld Sweete Nectar, whoo dooth clothe us with your wooll in soft aray? Whoose lyfe dooth more us benefite than dooth your death farreway? What trespasse have the Oxen doone, a beast without all guyle Or craft, unhurtfull, simple, borne to labour every whyle? In fayth he is unmyndfull and unwoorthy of increace Of come, that in his hart can fynd his tilman to releace From plowgh, to cut his throte: that in his hart can fynde (I say) Those neckes with hatchets off to strike, whoose skinne is worne away With labring ay for him: whoo turnd so oft his land most tough, Whoo brought so many harvestes home. Yit is it not ynough That such a great outrageousenesse committed is. They father Theyr wickednesse uppon the Goddes. And falsly they doo gather That in the death of peynfull Ox the Hyghest dooth delyght. A sacrifyse unblemished and fayrest unto syght, (For beawtye woorketh them theyr bane) adornd with garlonds, and With glittring gold, is cyted at the altar for to stand. There heeres he woordes (he wotes not what) the which the preest dooth pray,


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 And on his forehead suffereth him betweene his homes to lay The eares of come that he himself hath wrought for in the clay, And stayneth with his blood the knyfe that he himself perchaunce Hathe in the water sheere ere then behild by soodein glaunce. Immediatly they haling out his hartstrings still alive, And poring on them, seeke therein Goddes secrets to retryve. Whence commes so greedy appetyte in men, of wicked meate? And dare yee, O yee mortall men, adventure thus to eate? Nay doo not (I beseeche yee) so. But give good eare and heede To that that I shall warne you of, and trust it as your creede, That whensoever you doo eate your Oxen, you devowre Your husbandmen. And forasmuch as God this instant howre Dooth move my toong to speake, I will obey his heavenly powre. My God Apollos temple I will set you open, and Disclose the woondrous heavens themselves, and make you understand The Oracles and secrets of the Godly majestye. Greate things, and such as wit of man could never yit espye, And such as have beene hidden long, I purpose to descrye. I mynd to leave the earth, and up among the starres to stye. I mynd to leave this grosser place, and in the clowdes to flye, And on stowt Atlas shoulders strong to rest my self on hye, And looking downe from heaven on men that wander heere and there In dreadfull feare of death as though they voyd of reason were, To give them exhortation thus: and playnely to unwynd The whole discourse of destinie as nature hath assignd. O men amaazd with dread of death, why feare yee Limbo Styx, And other names of vanitie, which are but Poets tricks? And perrills of another world, all false surmysed geere? For whether fyre or length of tyme consume the bodyes heere, Yee well may thinke that further harmes they cannot suffer more. For soules are free from death. Howbee't, they leaving evermore Theyr former dwellings, are receyvd and live ageine in new. For I myself (ryght well in mynd I beare it to be trew) Was in the tyme of Trojan warre Euphorbus, Panthewes sonne, Quyght through whoose hart the deathfull speare of Menelay did ronne. I late ago in Junos Church at Argos did behold


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 And knew the target which I in my left hand there did hold. Al things doo chaunge. But nothing sure dooth perrish. This same spright Dooth fleete, and fisking heere and there dooth swiftly take his flyght From one place to another place, and entreth every wyght, Removing out of man to beast, and out of beast to man. But yit it never perrisheth nor never perrish can. And even as supple wax with ease receyveth fygures straunge, And keepes not ay one shape, ne bydes assured ay from chaunge, And yit continueth alwayes wax in substaunce: so I say The soule is ay the selfsame thing it was and yit astray It fleeteth into sundry shapes. Therfore lest Godlynesse Bee vanquisht by outragious lust of belly beastlynesse, Forbeare (I speake by prophesie) your kinsfolkes ghostes to chace By slaughter: neyther nourish blood with blood in any cace. And sith on open sea the wynds doo blow my sayles apace, In all the world there is not that that standeth at a stay. Things eb and flow: and every shape is made to passe away. The tyme itself continually is fleeting like a brooke. For neyther brooke nor lyghtsomme tyme can tarrye still. But looke As every wave dryves other foorth, and that that commes behynd Bothe thrusteth and is thrust itself: even so the tymes by kynd Doo fly and follow bothe at once, and evermore renew. For that that was before is left, and streyght there dooth ensew Anoother that was never erst. Eche twincling of an eye Dooth chaunge. Wee see that after day commes nyght and darks the sky, And after nyght the lyghtsum Sunne succeedeth orderly. Like colour is not in the heaven when all things weery lye At midnyght sound asleepe, as when the daystarre cleere and bryght Commes foorth uppon his milkwhyght steede. Ageine in other plyght The Morning, Pallants daughter fayre, the messenger of lyght Delivereth into Phebus handes the world of cleerer hew. The circle also of the sonne what tyme it ryseth new And when it setteth, looketh red, but when it mounts most hye, Then lookes it whyght, bycause that there the nature of the skye Is better, and from filthye drosse of earth dooth further flye. The image also of the Moone that shyneth ay by nyght, Is never of one quantitie. For that that giveth lyght


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 Today, is lesser than the next that followeth, till the full. And then contrarywyse eche day her lyght away dooth pull. What? Seest thou not how that the yeere as representing playne The age of man, departes itself in quarters fowre? First bayne And tender in the spring it is, even like a sucking babe. Then greene, and voyd of strength, and lush, and foggye, is the blade, And cheeres the husbandman with hope. Then all things florish gay. The earth with flowres of sundry hew then seemeth for to play, And vertue small or none to herbes there dooth as yit belong. The yeere from springtyde passing foorth to sommer, wexeth strong, Becommeth lyke a lusty youth. For in our lyfe through out There is no tyme more plentifull, more lusty, hote and stout. Then followeth Harvest when the heate of youth growes sumwhat cold, Rype, meeld, disposed meane betwixt a yoongman and an old, And sumwhat sprent with grayish heare. Then ugly winter last Like age steales on with trembling steppes, all bald, or overcast With shirle thinne heare as whyght as snowe. Our bodies also ay Doo alter still from tyme to tyme, and never stand at stay. Wee shall not bee the same wee were today or yisterday. The day hath beene wee were but seede and only hope of men, And in our moothers womb wee had our dwelling place as then: Dame Nature put to conning hand and suffred not that wee Within our moothers streyned womb should ay distressed bee, But brought us out to aire, and from our prison set us free. The chyld newborne lyes voyd of strength. Within a season tho He wexing fowerfooted lernes like savage beastes to go. Then sumwhat foltring, and as yit not firme of foote, he standes By getting sumwhat for to helpe his sinewes in his handes. From that tyme growing strong and swift, he passeth foorth the space Of youth: and also wearing out his middle age apace, Through drooping ages steepye path he ronneth out his race. This age dooth undermyne the strength of former yeares, and throwes It downe. Which thing old Milo by example playnely showes. For when he sawe those armes of his (which heeretofore had beene As strong as ever Hercules in woorking deadly teene Of biggest beastes) hang flapping downe, and nought but empty skin, He wept. And Helen when shee saw her aged wrincles in


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 A glasse wept also: musing in herself what men had seene, That by two noble princes sonnes shee twyce had ravisht beene. Thou tyme the eater up of things, and age of spyghtfull teene, Destroy all things. And when that long continuance hath them bit, You leysurely by lingring death consume them every whit. And theis that wee call Elements doo never stand at stay. The enterchaunging course of them I will before yee lay. Give heede therto. This endlesse world conteynes therin I say Fowre substances of which all things are gendred. Of theis fower The Earth and Water for theyr masse and weyght are sunken lower. The other cowple Aire and Fyre, the purer of the twayne, Mount up, and nought can keepe them downe. And though there doo remayne A space betweene eche one of them: yit every thing is made Of themsame fowre, and into them at length ageine doo fade. The earth resolving leysurely dooth melt to water sheere. The water fyned turnes to aire. The aire eeke purged cleere From grossenesse, spyreth up aloft, and there becommeth fyre. From thence in order contrary they backe ageine retyre. Fyre thickening passeth into Aire, and Ayer wexing grosse, Returnes to water: Water eeke congealing into drosse, Becommeth earth. No kind of thing keepes ay his shape and hew. For nature loving ever chaunge repayres one shape anew Uppon another. Neyther dooth there perrish aught (trust mee) In all the world, but altring takes new shape. For that which wee Doo terme by name of being borne, is for to gin to bee Another thing than that it was: and likewise for to dye, To cease to bee the thing it was. And though that varyably Things passe perchaunce from place to place: yit all from whence they came Returning, do unperrisshed continew still the same. But as for in one shape, bee sure that nothing long can last. Even so the ages of the world from gold to Iron past. Even so have places oftentymes exchaunged theyr estate. For I have seene it sea which was substanciall ground alate, Ageine where sea was, I have seene the same become dry lond, And shelles and scales of Seafish farre have lyen from any strond, And in the toppes of mountaynes hygh old Anchors have beene found. Deepe valleyes have by watershotte beene made of levell ground,


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 And hilles by force of gulling oft have into sea beene worne. Hard gravell ground is sumtyme seene where marris was beforne, And that that erst did suffer drowght, becommeth standing lakes. Heere nature sendeth new springs out, and there the old in takes. Full many rivers in the world through earthquakes heretofore Have eyther chaundgd theyr former course, or dryde and ronne no more. Soo Lycus beeing swallowed up by gaping of the ground, A greatway off fro thence is in another channell found. Even so the river Erasine among the feeldes of Arge Sinkes one whyle, and another whyle ronnes greate ageine at large. Caycus also of the land of Mysia (as men say) Misliking of his former head, ronnes now another way. In Sicill also Amasene ronnes sumtyme full and hye, And sumtyme stopping up his spring, he makes his chanell drye. Men drank the waters of the brooke Anigrus heretofore, Which now is such that men abhorre to towche them any more. Which commes to passe, (onlesse wee will discredit Poets quyght) Bycause the Centaures vanquisshed by Hercules in fyght Did wash theyr woundes in that same brooke. But dooth not Hypanis That springeth in the Scythian hilles, which at his fountaine is Ryght pleasant, afterward becomme of brackish bitter taste? Antissa, and Phenycian Tyre, and Pharos in tyme past Were compast all about with waves: but none of all theis three Is now an Ile. Ageine the towne of Lewcas once was free From sea, and in the auncient tyme was joyned to the land. But now environd round about with water it dooth stand. Men say that Sicill also hath beene joynd to Italy Untill the sea consumde the bounds beetweene, and did supply The roome with water. If yee go to seeke for Helicee And Burye which were Cities of Achaia, you shall see Them hidden under water, and the shipmen yit doo showe The walles and steeples of the townes drownd under as they rowe. Not farre from Pitthey Troyzen is a certeine high ground found All voyd of trees, which heeretofore was playne and levell ground, But now a mountayne. For the wyndes (a woondrous thing to say) Inclosed in the hollow caves of ground, and seeking way To passe therefro, in struggling long to get the open skye


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 In vayne, (bycause in all the cave there was no vent wherby To issue out,) did stretch the ground and make it swell on hye, As dooth a bladder that is blowen by mouth, or as the skinne Of horned Goate in bottlewyse when wynd is gotten in. The swelling of the foresayd place remaynes at this day still, And by continuance waxing hard is growen a pretye hill. Of many things that come to mynd by heersay, and by skill Of good experience, I a fewe will utter to you mo. What? Dooth not water in his shapes chaunge straungely to and fro? The well of horned Hammon is at noonetyde passing cold. At morne and even it wexeth warme. At midnyght none can hold His hand therin for passing heate. The well of Athamane, Is sayd to kindle woode what tyme the moone is in the wane. The Cicons have a certeine streame which beeing droonk dooth bring Mennes bowwelles into Marble hard: and whatsoever thing Is towcht therwith, it turnes to stone. And by your bounds behold The rivers Crathe and Sybaris make yellow heare like gold And Amber. There are also springs (which thing is farre more straunge) Which not the bodye only, but the mynd doo also chaunge. Whoo hath not heard of Salmacis, that fowle and filthye sink? Or of the lake of Aethyop, which if a man doo drink, He eyther ronneth mad, or else with woondrous drowzinesse Forgoeth quyght his memorie? Whoo ever dooth represse His thirst with drawght of Clitor well, hates wyne, and dooth delyght In only water: eyther for bycause there is a myght Contrary unto warming wyne by nature in the well, Or else bycause (for so the folk of Arcadye doo tell) Melampus, Amythaons sonne (when he delivered had King Praetus daughters by his charmes and herbes from being mad), Cast into that same water all the baggage wherewithall He purdgd the madnesse of theyr mynds. And so it did befall, That lothsomnesse of wyne did in those waters ay remayne. Ageine in Lyncest contrarie effect to this dooth reigne. For whoo so drinkes too much therof, he reeleth heere and there As if by quaffing wyne no whyt alayd he droonken were. There is a Lake in Arcadye which Pheney men did name In auncient tyme, whoose dowtfulnesse deserveth justly blame.


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 A nyght tymes take thou heede of it, for if thou taste the same A nyghttymes, it will hurt. But if thou drink it in the day It hurteth not. Thus lakes and streames (as well perceyve yee may) Have divers powres and diversly. Even so the tyme hathe beene That Delos which stands stedfast now, on waves was floting seene. And Galyes have beene sore afrayd of frusshing by the Iles Symplegads which togither dasht uppon the sea erewhyles, But now doo stand unmovable ageinst bothe wynde and tyde. Mount Aetna with his burning Oovens of brimstone shall not byde Ay fyrye: neyther was it so for ever erst. For whither The earth a living creature bee, and that to breathe out hither And thither flame, great store of vents it have in sundry places, And that it have the powre to shift those vents in divers caces, Now damming theis, now opening those, in moving to and fro: Or that the whisking wynds restreynd within the earth bylowe, Doo beate the stones ageinst the stones, and other kynd of stuffe Of fyrye nature, which doo fall on fyre with every puffe: Assoone as those same wynds doo cease, the caves shall streight bee cold. Or if it bee a Rozen mowld that soone of fyre takes hold, Or brimstone mixt with clayish soyle on fyre dooth lyghtly fall: Undowtedly assoone as that same soyle consumed shall No longer yeeld the fatty foode to feede the fyre withall, And ravening nature shall forgo her woonted nourishment, Then being able to abyde no longer famishment, For want of sustenance it shall cease his burning. I doo fynd By fame, that under Charlsis wayne in Pallene are a kynd Of people which by dyving thryce three tymes in Triton lake Becomme all fethred, and the shape of birdes uppon them take. The Scythian witches also are reported for to doo The selfsame thing (but hardly I give credit therunto) By smearing poyson over all theyr bodyes. But (and if A man to matters tryde by proof may saufly give beleef,) Wee see how flesh by lying still a whyle and ketching heate Dooth turne to little living beastes. And yit a further feate, Go kill an Ox and burye him, (the thing by proof man sees) And of his rotten flesh will breede the flowergathering Bees, Which as theyr father did before, love feeldes exceedingly,


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 And unto woork in hope of gayne theyr busye limbes apply. The Hornet is engendred of a lustye buryed Steede. Go pull away the cleas from Crabbes that in the sea doo breede, And burye all the rest in mowld, and of the same will spring A Scorpion which with writhen tayle will threaten for to sting. The Caterpillers of the feelde the which are woont to weave Hore filmes uppon the leaves of trees, theyr former nature leave, (Which thing is knowen to husbandmen) and turne to Butterflyes. The mud hath in it certeine seede wherof greene frosshes ryse. And first it brings them footelesse foorth. Then after, it dooth frame Legges apt to swim: and furthermore of purpose that the same May serve them for to leape afarre, theyr hinder part is mych More longer than theyr forepart is. The Bearwhelp also which The Beare hath newly littred, is no whelp immediatly. But like an evill favored lump of flesh alyve dooth lye. The dam by licking shapeth out his members orderly Of such a syse, as such a peece is able to conceyve. Or marke yee not the Bees of whom our hony wee receyve, How that theyr yoong ones which doo lye within the sixsquare wax Are limblesse bodyes at the first, and after as they wex In processe take bothe feete and wings? What man would think it trew That Ladye Venus simple birdes, the Dooves of silver hew, Or Junos bird that in his tayle beares starres, or Joves stowt knyght The Earne, and every other fowle of whatsoever flyght, Could all bee hatched out of egges, onlesse he did it knowe? Sum folk doo hold opinion when the backebone which dooth growe In man, is rotten in the grave, the pith becommes a snake. Howbee't of other things all theis theyr first beginning take. One bird there is that dooth renew itself and as it were Beget it self continually. The Syrians name it there A Phoenix. Neyther come nor herbes this Phoenix liveth by, But by the jewce of frankincence and gum of Amomye. And when that of his lyfe well full fyve hundred yeeres are past, Uppon a Holmetree or uppon a Date tree at the last He makes him with his talants and his hardened bill a nest. Which when that he with Casia sweete and Nardus soft hathe drest, And strowed it with Cynnamom and Myrrha of the best, He