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Unlaced her buskins; all her jewelry Took from her neck and breasts, and all laid by

Upon a golden-studded chair of state.
Th' amaze of all which being removed, even
Fate

And council of the equal Gods gave way

To this, that with a deathless Goddess lay

A deathful man; since, what his love assumed,

Not with his conscious knowledge was presumed.

Now when the shepherds and the herdsmen, all,

Turn'd from their flowery pasture to their stall,

With all their oxen, fat and frolic sheep,
Venus into Anchises cast a sleep,
Sweet and profound; while with her own
hands now

With her rich weeds she did herself endow;

But so distinguish'd, that he clear might know

His happy glories; then (to her desire
Her heavenly person; put in trims entire)
She by the bed stood of the well-built
stall,

Advanced her head to state celestial,
And in the cheeks arose the radiant hue
Of rich-crown'd Venus to apparent view.
And then she roused him from his rest, and
said:

"Up, my Dardanides, forsake thy bed. What pleasure, late employ'd, lets humour steep

Thy lids in this inexcitable sleep?
Wake, and now say, if I appear to thee
Like her that first thine eyes conceited

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This started him from sleep, though deep and dear,

And passing promptly he enjoy'd his ear. But when his eye saw Venus' neck and eyes,

Whose beauties could not bear the counterprise

Of any other, down his own eyes fell, Which pallid fear did from her view repel : And made him, with a main respect beside, Turn his whole person from her state, and hide

(With his rich weed apposed) his royal face;

These wing'd words using: "When, at first, thy grace

Mine eyes gave entertainment, well I knew Thy state was deified; but thou told'st not true;

And therefore let me pray thee (by thy love

Borne to thy father, Ægis-bearing Jove)
That thou wilt never let me live to be
An abject, after so divine degree
Taken in fortune, but take ruth on me.
For any man that with a Goddess lies,
Of interest in immortalities,

Is never long-lived." She replied: "Forbear,

O happiest of mortal men, this fear,
And rest assured, that (not for me, at least)
Thy least ills fear fits; no, nor for the rest
Of all the Blessed, for thou art their
friend;

And so far from sustaining instant end, That to thy long-enlarged life there shall spring

Amongst the Trojans a dear son, and king,

To whom shall many a son, and son's son, rise

In everlasting great posterities;
His name Æneas; therein keeping life,
For ever, in my much-conceited grief,
That I, immortal, fell into the bed

Of one whose blood mortality must shed.
But rest thou comforted, and all the race
That Troy shall propagate, in this high
grace :

That, past all races else, the Gods stand

near

Your glorious nation; for the forms ye bear,

And natures so ingenuous and sincere. For which, the great in counsels (Jupiter) Your gold-lock'd Ganymedes did transfer (In rapture far from men's depressed fates) To make him consort with our Deified states,

X

And scale the tops of the Saturnian skies, He was so mere a marvel in their eyes. And therefore from a bowl of gold he fills Red nectar; that the rude distension kills Of winds that in your human stomachs breed.

But then did languor on the liver feed

She left his bed; yet gave him still for food

The Gods' ambrosia; and attire as good. Till even the hate of age came on so fast That not a lineament of his was graced With power of motion; nor did still su tain,

Of Tros, his father, that was king of Much less, the vigour had t' advance: Troy;

And ever did his memory employ1
With loss of his dear beauty so bereaven,
Though with a sacred whirlwind rapt to
heaven.

But Jove, in pity of him, saw him given
Good compensation, sending by Heaven's
Spy

White-swift-hooved horse, that Immortality
Had made firm-spirited; and had, beside,
Hermes to see his ambassy supplied
With this vow'd bounty (using all at large
That his unalter'd counsels gave in charge)
That he himself should immortality breathe,
Expert of age and woe as well as death.
This ambassy express'd, he mourn'd

no more,

But up with all his inmost mind he bore, Joying that he, upon his swift-hooved horse, Should be sustain'd in an eternal course. So did the golden-throned Aurora raise,

Into her lap, another that the praise
Of an immortal fashion had in fame ;
And of your nation bore the noble name :
(His title Tithon) who, not pleased with
her,

As she his lovely person did transfer,
To satisfy him, she bade ask of Jove
The gift of an Immortal for her love.
Jove gave, and bound it with his bowed
brow,

Performing to the utmost point his vow. Fool that she was, that would her love engage,

And not as long ask from the bane of age

The sweet exemption, and youth's endless flower.

Of which as long as both the grace and power

His person entertain'd, she loved the man,
And (at the fluents of the ocean
Near Earth's extreme bounds) dwelt with
him; but when

(According to the course of aged men)
On his fair head, and honourable beard,
His first grey hairs to her light eyes
appear'd,

1 AANOTOS. Cujus memoria erit perpetua.

vein;

The virtue lost in each exhausted limb, That at his wish before would answe him;

All powers so quite decay'd, that when be spake

His voice no perceptible accent brake. Her counsel then thought best to strive no

more;

But lay him in his bed and lock his door.
Such an Immortal would not I wish thee,
T' extend all days so to eternity.
But if, as now, thou couldst perform thy

course

In grace of form, and all corporeal force, To an eternal date; thou then shouldst

bear

My husband's worthy name, and not a tear Should I need rain, for thy deserts declined,

From my all-clouded bitterness of mind. But now the stern storm of relentless age Will quickly circle thee, that waits tengage

All men alike; even loathsomeness, and bane

Attending with it, every human wane ; Which even the Gods hate. Such a penance lies

Imposed on flesh and blood's infirmities.
Which I myself must taste in great degree,
And date as endless, for consorting thee.
All the immortals with my opprobry
Are full by this time; on their hearts so lie
(Even to the sting of fear) my cunnings
used,

And wiving conversations infused
Into the bosoms of the best of them
With women, that the frail and mortal

stream

Doth daily ravish. All this long since done.

Which now no more, but with effusion
Of tears, I must in heaven so much a

name,

I have so forfeited in this my fame,
And am imposed pain of so great a kind
For so much erring from a Goddess' mind.
For I have put beneath my girdle here
A son, whose sire the human mortal
sphere

Gives circumscription. But, when first the light

His eyes shall comfort, Nymphs that haunt the height

Of hills, and breasts have of most deep receipt,

Shall be his nurses; who inhabit now
A hill of so vast and divine a brow,

As man nor God can come at their retreats;

Who live long lives, and eat immortal meats,

And with Immortals in the exercise

Of comely dances dare contend, and rise Into high question which deserves the prize.

The light Sileni mix in love with these,
And, of all Spies the Prince, Argicides;
In well-trimm'd caves their secret meetings
made.

And with the lives of these doth life invade Or odorous fir-trees, or high-foreheaded oaks ;

Together taking their begetting strokes. And have their lives and deaths of equal dates;

Trees bearing lovely and delightsome states,

Whom Earth first feeds, that men initiates. On her high hills she doth their states sustain,

And they their own heights raise as high again.

Their growths together made, Nymphs

call their groves

Vow'd to th' Immortals' services, and loves. Which men's steels therefore touch not;

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The Nymphs, his nurses, shall present to thee,

And show thee what a birth thou hast by

me.

And, sure as now I tell thee all these things,

When Earth hath clothed her plants in five fair springs,

Myself will make return to this retreat, And bring that flower of thy enamour'd heat;

Whom when thou then seest, joy shall fire thine eyes,

He shall so well present the Deities.
And then into thine own care take thy

son

From his calm seat to windy Ilion, Where, if strict question be upon thee past,

Asking what mother bore beneath her waist

So dear a son; answer, as I afford
Fit admonition, nor forget a word :
They say a Nymph, called Calucopides,
That is with others an inhabitress
On this thy wood-crown'd hill, acknow-
ledges

That she his life gave. But, if thou declare

The secret's truth, and art so mad to dare

(In glory of thy fortunes) to approve That rich-crown'd Venus mix'd with thee in love,

Jove, fired with my aspersion so dispread, Will, with a wreakful lightning, dart thee dead.

All now is told thee, comprehend it all. Be master of thyself, and do not call My name in question; but with reverence

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TO THE SAME.

THE reverend, rich crown'd, and fair | Her soft neck all with carcanets was Queen I sing,

Venus, that owes in fate the fortressing
Of all maritimal Cyprus; where the force
Of gentle-breathing Zephyr steer'd her

course

Along the waves of the resounding sea; While, yet unborn, in that soft foam she lay

That brought her forth; whom those fair

Hours that bear

The golden bridles, joyfully stood near,
Took up into their arms, and put on her
Weeds of a never-corruptible wear.
On her immortal head a crown they
placed,

Elaborate, and with all the beauties graced That gold could give it; of a weight so great,

That, to impose and take off, it had set Three handles on it, made, for endless hold,

graced,

That stoop'd, and both her silver breasts embraced,

Which even the Hours themselves wear in

resort

To Deities' dances, and her Father's court. Graced at all parts, they brought to heaven her graces;

Whose first sight seen, all fell into em

braces;

Hugg'd her white hands; saluted; wishing all

To wear her maiden flower in festival
Of sacred Hymen, and to lead her home;
All, to all admiration, overcome
With Cytherea with the violet crown.

So to the black-brow'd-sweet-spoke; all

renown,

Prepare my song; and give me, in the end,

The victory; to whose palm all contend. Of shining brass, and all adorn'd with So shall my Muse for ever honour thee, gold.

And, for thy sake, thy fair posterity.

BACCHUS, OR THE PIRATES.

OF Dionysus, noble Semele's Son,
I now intend to render mention.

As on a prominent shore his person shone, Like to a youth whose flower was newly blown,

Bright azure tresses play'd about his head, And on his bright broad shoulders was dispread

A purple mantle. Straight he was descried By certain manly pirates, that applied Their utmost speed to prise him, being aboard

A well-built bark, about whose broad sides roar'd

The wine-black Tyrrhene billows; death as black

Brought them upon him in their future wrack.

For, soon as they had purchased but his view,

Mutual signs past them, and ashore they flew,

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Hold ye the person ye assay to bind?
Nay, which of all the Power fully-divined
Esteem ye him? whose worth yields so
much weight

That not our well-built bark will bear his freight.

Of Jove himself he is; or he that bears The silver bow; or Neptune. Nor appears In him the least resemblance of a man, But of a strain at least Olympian.

A mere immortal-making savour rose, Which on the air the Deity did impose. The seamen seeing all, admiration seized. Yet instantly their wonders were increased; For on the topsail there ran, here and there,

A vine that grapes did in abundance bear; And in an instant was the ship's mainmast With an obscure-green-ivy's arms embraced,

Come! Make we quick dismission of his That flourish'd straight, and were with

state,

And on the black-soil'd earth exonerate
Our sinking vessel of his deified load,
Nor dare the touch of an intangible God.
Lest winds outrageous, and of wrackful
scathe,

And smoking tempests, blow his fiery wrath."

This well-spoke master the tall captain gave

Hateful and horrible language; call'd him slave,

And bade him mark the prosperous gale that blew,

And how their vessel with her mainsail flew ;

Bade all take arms, and said, their works required

The cares of men, and not of an inspired Pure zealous master; his firm hopes being fired

With this opinion, that they should arrive In Egypt straight, or Cyprus, or where live

Men whose brave breaths above the north wind blow;

Yea, and perhaps beyond their region too. And that he made no doubt but in the end

To make his prisoner tell him every friend Of all his offspring, brothers, wealth, and

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berries graced ;

Of which did garlands circle every brow Of all the pirates; and no one knew how. Which when they saw, they made the

master steer

Out to the shore; whom Bacchus made forbear,

With showing more wonders. On the hatches, he

Appear'd a terrible lion, horribly Roaring; and in the mid-deck a male bear,

Made with a huge mane; making all, for fear,

Crowd to the stern, about the master there :

Whose mind he still kept dauntless and sincere.

But on the captain rush'd and ramp'd,

with force

So rude and sudden, that his main recourse Was to the main-sea straight: and after him Leapt all his mates, as trusting to their swim

To fly foul death; but so found what they fled,

Being all to dolphins metamorphosed. The master he took ruth of, saved, and made

The blessed'st man that ever tried his trade.

These few words giving him: "Be confident,

Thou God-inspired pilot, in the bent
Of my affection, ready to requite
Thy late-to-me-intended benefit.

I am the roaring God of spritely wine,
Whom Semele (that did even Jove incline
To amorous mixture, and was Cadmus'
care)

Made issue to the mighty Thunderer."

And thus, all excellence of grace to thee,

Son of sweet-countenance-carrying Semele.
I must not thee forget in least degree,
But pray thy spirit to render so my song
Sweet, and all ways in order'd fury

strong.

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