OUIDS METAMOR­PHOSIS Translated Grammatically, and also according to the propriety of our English tongue, so farre as Grammar and the verse will well beare.

Written chiefly for the good of Schooles, to be vsed according to the directions in the Pre­face to the painefull Schoole-master, and more fully in the booke called Ludus Literarius, or the Grammar-schoole, Chap. 8.

ET VSQVE AD NVBES VERITAS TVA

LONDON Printed by Humfrey Lownes, for Thomas Man, dwelling at the signe of the Talbot in Pater-noster rowe. 1618.

TO THE RIGHT HO­nourable, EDWARD, Lord Denny, Baron of Waltham.

WHereas (right noble Lord) I haue beene much, and am daily called vpon for the performance of my promise in my Grammar-schoole, concerning the Grāmaticall tran­slating of our lower schoole Au­thors, and that by those who haue made due triall, and found by good experience the benefit of such like translations; I haue presumed, to send forth vnto them this Essay, vnder your Lord­ships patronage, not onely for your Lordships most honourable affection to some vnto whom God hath very neerly linked mee, and your vndeserued fauour vnto my selfe, but more specially for your singular curtesie, and desire of the aduancement of all good learning, which beeing conioyned doe so-much grace true Nobility. The rather also haue I done this, for that full assurance which God hath giuen mee, of a rich blessing to accompany the right vse of these tran­slations [Page] for the generall good of schooles. And first, for all the ruder places of the Land, wherein there is not any thing vsually to be found, which may afford the least content or comfort to parents, children, or any other. Chiefly, for the poore ignorant countries of Ireland and Wales; of the good whereof wee ought to be carefull aswell as of our owne: vnto which I haue principally bent my thoughts in all my Gram­matical-translations of our inferiour classicall schoole-authors. For that as in all such places, so especially in those barbarous countries, the hope of the Church of God is to comp rimarily out of the grammar-schools, by reducing them first vnto ciuility thorough the meanes of schooles of good learning planted amongst them in euery quarter;Adde, quod ingenuas di­dicisse fideli­ter artes, Emollit mo­res, nec sinit esse feros. Ouid. wherby their sauage and wilde conditions may be changed into more humanity; ac­cording to the right iudgement of our Pöet, which the experience of all ages hath confirmed.

To which purpose, what can be imagined to bee more effectual, then if together with the Latine tongue they shall attaine withall vnto our owne Language, and both get and keepe the Latine farre more easily and surely in each respect, by the meanes of these tran­slations, without any inconuenience. Yet haue I not so writtten them for our ruder places alone, but that euen our head Grammar-schooles may sundry waies receiue their benefit by them, and make their profita­ble vse of them for their great furtherance for Gram­mar, true sense and meaning of the Authors, propri­ety, purity of stile, and variety of phrase, both in our owne and the Latine tongue, & in many other things; especially, when the Lord shall bee pleased that they [Page] may be brought to that perfection, which we hope & pray for, daily labouring and striuing thereunto. As for euills and inconueniences of such Grammaticall translations surmised by some who neuer saw any true triall of them, nor euer considered of them aright, what can they be? when the schollars that vse them are caused to seeke out according to their rules, and to render a reason euen of euery word why it must be so, & not otherwise. But for all imagined euils by such like translations, I haue fully answered in my Ludus lite­rarius, in the eight chapter, and in my other translati­ons; and haue moreouer there giuen directions for the right vse of them; as I shall heere also more fully in the Preface to the Reader, and for the benefit hereof. Concerning the matter of this booke, I need not com­mend it vnto your Lordship, or vnto any other: Be­cause, as I can neuer sufficiently admire the diuine wis­dome (that I may so speake) of Tully in his Offices, in prescribing most morall duties amongst men, as if he had been directed by the sacred Scriptures; so nor here the rare vnderstanding of this our Poet, in setting forth vnto vs the creation in that wonderfull manner, and so alluding to the Flood, as if he had seen and read that part of holy story in Genesis. Also for the Latine and stile vsed in it, who knoweth not, that as in all Ouids works, so chiefly in his Metamorphosis his singular wit and eloquence doe appeare: that wee may truely say, that neuer heathen Poet wrote more sweetly in such an easie and flowing veine, than hee in this.

Thus desiring through the assistance of our blessed God to creep forward by little and little in accomplish­ing [Page] my promised seruice to our Grammar-schooles, which I haue so much longed for, & wherein he hath beene hitherto shewing his power in my weakenesse, and is still with me graciously, humbly crauing pardon I commend your Lordshippe with your honourable and worthy Lady vnto his heauenly Maiesty, who looketh not as man, but accepteth the vpright hart, and the labour according vnto the same, and rest

Your Honours in all Christian affection and seruice, I. B.

To the painefull Schoolemaster, de­sirous to reape the fruits of his labours, and to see the blessing of the Lord, by the new meanes and helps which he affordeth daily.

IF you desire to finde the benefit, and reape the fruit of this, and the like Grammaticall translations with mee, without inconuenience, doe these things; at least make triall that you may be able to iudge truely hereof.

1. Cause all your schollars, who take construction to bee very perfect in the rule of con­struing, as it is set downe in the Ludus Literarius Chapt. 8. or more shortly in the Posing of the Accidence.

2. To be able to say perfectly without book, or to turne vnto presently any of the rules of Grammar which are vsu­ally learned.

3. For taking of their lectures, direct them in this man­ner following, and see that they can doe it.

1. That one of the two Seniors of the forme which is to vse the help hereof, hauing the translation, doe in all more hard places reade vnto the rest of the forme either the lecture in English first, as it is translated, or at least the brief summe & sense of it out of the inmost columnes, ouer against the translation of the lecture, to giue them some light and vnderstanding of the meaning of it.

[Page] 2. That one or both of the Seniors looking vpon the tran­slation together with the Author in Latine, cause the rest, each in his order, first to reade his peece, and in reading to obserue all things according to the direction in the said rule of construing, and then to construe and giue a reason accor­ding to the same rule, why it must be so construed, and not otherwise. And where any sticke or goe amisse, varying from the translation, to recall them to the rule, demanding of them what the rule teacheth to be taken first, and what in the next place; so to help them by the translation, where none of their fellowes can finde it out, to giue both Grammar, sense and variety of phrase in English, according to the text in the translation and to the third columne compared toge­ther, by the helpe of the markes.

Thirdly, when they haue construed twice or thrice ouer, and that the very lowest and worst can construe, that they cause them likewise to parse according as they construed, viz. each his peece, giuing the reasons of euery word.

Fourthly, afterward let them direct them to be able to giue each thing obserued in the vttermost columne for nota­tion, history or otherwise. And this for taking their lec­tures.

Secondly, for preparing their lectures herein;

First, cause each to study and make their lectures per­fect by the helpe of the translation and their Grammar, to be able, so soone as they shall be called to say, First, to de­liuer the English, secondly, the Latine both in prose and verse, viz. first, in a pure Latine stile in prose, and then turning that into the Poets verse. Which practice will be both a good helpe for making Latine, and also a most plaine way to enter them in making a verse. And afterwards to be able to construe and parse without booke, rendering a [Page] reason of euery thing; to giue the phrases, to vary them, and to doe whatsoeuer the translation directs vnto. Thus let them doe in all the Authors thus translated, so farre as the Author and translation afford them helpe.

Secondly, Cause them at their leasure, oft to construe o­uer amongst themselues all which they haue learned in the Author, the two seniors onely, or one of them directing the rest by the translation that they construe truely. And espe­cially make them to construe it oft out of the translation, loo­king only on it, each his peece, all the rest looking vpon their Latine books: which will be a helpe to cause them to keep all most perfectly, and chiefly if they obserue phrase and dif­culty as they proceed. And much more if they be warned to construe them oft ouer, priuately at home, and sometimes be examined of a sodaine in seuerall places.

By these meanes (vnlesse daily experience can deceiue) these translations will prooue worthie the accept [...]nce and vse of our chiefe Schooles; when hereby all the middle formes of the schoole may both take and each waies prepare their owne lectures of themselues, at least with very little helpe or trouble of the master; & that as profitably and surely in euery respect, as if the master gaue, or heard the giuing of them himself: vvhen they are caused hereby to search out and giue a reason of each word why it must be so construed, parsed, and vsed in that place, that the master ordinarily shall need but onely to examine them, when they are prepa­red. Thus to auoid not onely that common toyle to the Ma­ster in giuing each lecture, but also that he may saue all that time which is so spent, to imploy much of it with his highest formes in the chiefe Authors Latine or Greeke in giuing their lectures, or hearing them to take their owne lectures of themselues, for their greater furtherance & better fitting [Page] for the Vniuersity, and likewise for the credit of the school, and in examining and posing, which is the best quickner of their wittes, and spurre to all good learning. Hereby, more­ouer▪ shall the children be fitted with vnderstanding and iudgement, how many waies to make their benefit of their Authors. Or else that the Master may bestowe the more time and paines, amongst the lowest and first formes, for the better entring and grounding of them, which beeing rightly performed makes all their proceeding afterwards ful of certainty and pleasant delight. In this one thing (and that by meanes of these helps, there may bee many moe of a forme, and euery one able to prepare his owne lecture, and also that all of them may so easily and surely by oft repetiti­ons, and their owne priuate paines keepe all which they haue learned) I finde so great gaine without losse, in redeeming so much time to be imployed vpon other most necessary vses in the schoole, yea so much freedome from many occasions of discontentment and ouer-wearying my selfe, and so sweete an allurement to prouoke the children to study of themselues with contention & delight, as that it makes me bould to com­mend the vse of them to all of this function, that they maie be partakers of the same comforts. To omit the sundry other benefits; and namely for beating out the right sense, & Gram­mar rule in each place, with propriety in our owne tongue, so­much as I haue beene yet able in my streights of time. Giue them not ouermuch at a time, but that they may learne all so perfectly as that what they haue learned may bee a schoole-master to that which followeth, and make experiment heere­of: for this Essay and the many defects and slips in it, let the difficulty in this kinde of translating (to frame it each waie [Page] both for Grammar propriety purity, variety, and to fit it to the childrens capacities in euery respect and meete to all the intended purposes without inconuenience & that in my con­tinuall imployment in my calling) plead for me. I doubt not but all they who haue or shall make triall of it, (as some lear­ned haue done) will fauourably accept it. Afford mee your helpe in shewing how to amende it, directing your Letters to the Printer to be deliuered, & future editions shall God wil­ling send it forth more perfectly, with all the rest. In the meane time desiring still an increase of your loue and praiers for finishing my worke, I commend you to him, whose this & all my labours are; and shall rest yours as his goodnesse shall vouchsafe mercy.

Contents of the Columnes.

The inmost columnes containe the sum of the history, which is to be first read and vnderstood.

The second containe the Grammaticall translation made plaine and easie according to the propriety and purity of our owne tongue so far as Grammar will well beare.

The third haue variety first of Grammaticall constructi­on, where the English is ouer harsh to be placed in the transla­tion, noted with an Asteriske, or little starre thus (*); and secondly variety of other phrases better to expresse the mea­ning, directed by an (r).

The fourth sheweth the resoluing of sundry difficulties in allusions and the like, for better vnderstanding of the Au­thour, with some more obscure notations, tropes & other ne­cessary points of learning.

THE FIRST BOOKE of theMetamorphosis sig­nifieth a change of one likenesse or shape into another, of [...], whereof com­meth [...] trans­formo, and [...] transformatio. Some books haue of the me­tamorphosis or trans­formation in the singu­lar number, others of the transformations in the plurall, it is all one in effect; one sort spea­king of the whole work in generall, the other of the particular changes. Metamorphosis. Changes. Trans­formations of P.Ouid. Ouidius Naso.
The Exordium [or entrance] into the whole worke.Here first is set down the Exordium or en­trance into this worke, contained in these 4 first verses. Which con­sisteth of two parts, viz. a Proposition, and an Inuocation.

MY[My] minde car­rieth [me] viz. de­sireth. desire is I intend, or I am purposed or deter­mined.to speake ofFormes changed into new bodies, for bodies chāged into new forms, by a figure most com­mon amongst the Po­ëts called Hypallage. Formes or shapes changed into new bodies. bodies changed into new shapes.This is vsuall with the Poëts, to beginne with the inuocation of those Gods which they thought to be the prin­cipall authors and di­rectors of the matters whereof they writ. O [ye] Gods (for euen ye haue chan­ged those shapes) & no other, O [ye] Gods,1. The proposition sheweth the authors in­tēt, which is to set down a continued history of the first creation of all things, and the change of them after. Aspirare] signifieth to blow prosperously vn­to. A metaphor taken from the windes blow­ing fitly vpon the sailes of a ship, so f [...]rthering it in sailing. Fauour ye &c. fauour myAspire ye vnto, or blow ye vnto, viz. Prosper ye, or giue good successe vnto. enterprizes:2. The inuocation of the Gods is to prosper this attempt: And that first, because this trans­formation was their worke alone. Second­ly, for that his desire is to draw out the storie in a continued verse, e­uen vnto his owne times, & to make each fable to arise and de­pend euery one vpon another. Beginnings or at­tempts. (forYee, and none o­ther. euen yee haue changed thē) and draw ye out a Perpetuall, viz. so continued as no transformation is o­mitted, but euery one fitly knit vnto another, that one fa­ble might seeme to rise of another.continued verse from the firstCreation of the world. beginning of the world [euen] vn­till my times.

FABLE I.
Of the Chaos, or of the first and most admirable Meta­morphosis, viz. of the forming or fashioning all things out of the Chaos: & first of the 4. Ele­me [...]ts made out of it.This Ouid teacheth to be the order of the creation, according to the Poets, as they had receiued of the anci­cients, who it is most like had scene or heard of the sacred scriptures. Which although it be not in all things agree­able to the scriptures, yet in many things cō ­meth very ne [...]re there­vnto.

BEfore theSeas. Sea, &Earths or lands. earth, andCoelum quasi varj [...]sy. deribus coelatum, or q. [...] [...]concau [...]tate. The outward cir [...]cūferēce wherin are the Sun, moone, and stars called the fir­mament or heauen. Heauen,One one [...]y. which couereth al things,Before Heauen or ear [...]h were maue there was but one forme or fashion of all things.

There was one Countenāce shape or f [...]shion.formeO [...] nature viz. of all natural things, wh [...]r [...] of nature is the au [...]hour. Met. efficientis, for na­ture is thus described, Vis quaedam qua omnia [...] of nature inAll the world. the whole world:

Which forme or countenance. Which they calledChaos signifieth hia­tus, [...] gaping, of [...] The Poets meane by it a confused heape or lumpe, which th [...]y hold to haue beene e­ternall and that out of it God formed all things, contrary to the Scriptures, which teach that God made this first, and then all things out of it by his word a­loue. They seeme here­in to allude to that which is Gen. 1. ver. 1. 2 That in the beginning God created the Hea­uen, & the earth, & the earth was without form and voyde, and darke­nesse was vpon the face of the deep &c. yet mis­sing in the chiefe, that God created first the very lumpe or masse. Men tearmed or the ancients called. Chaos, This the auncients called Chaos. [which was]An impolished & vndigested masse or a greatnesse without distinction or order a rude & confused Lumpe.heape,Which was a confu­sed heape without all order.

Neither [was there] any thing but aSluggish or heauie and immooueable without all art lumpish weight,And nothing but a dead and vnmoueable lumpe without all art. andContrary or re­pagnant. disagreeingThose seedes were chiefly the four [...] Ele­ments, called the first bodies of which all things consist. [...]eeds of things not well ioyned,Yet hauing the seeds of all thing [...] heaped vp together in it. Seedes viz. the beginings of all things disagreeing among themselues, heaped or confused in the same place, or in the Chaos. heaped [Page 3] vp together in the same.

NoTitan] son to Coel [...]m, and Vesta, viz. to the heauen and the earth. Sun gaue light as yet to the world;There was as yet no Sunne to giue light to the world.

NeitherThe new mooue repaired. did the mone repaired [...]er new hornes.. the newePhoebe, sister to Phoe­bus the Sunne so called o [...] [...] [...] be­cause or their bright­nesse. MooneRenew or restore. re­paire her hornes by increasing.Nor Moone to change and increase.

Neither. Neither did the earth peized, &c. hang in the ayre Nor yet theThe earth alone of all the Elements remaines immooueable, and is therefore called the center of the world, because it is in the mid­dest of all the elements vnto which all things desc [...]nd. earthWeighed by her &c. or stayed vp. p [...]i­zed with herProper. owneWeights. weight,Nor earth hanging equally of it selfe in the middest of the ayre. did hang in the ayrePoured about or compassing it about. compas­sed about [it] ne­ther The sea had reach [...]d or stretched out.had theAmphitrite the wife of Neptune, heere put for the Sea. Met▪ Effic. sea reached out her armes by the longBrinke or shore. banke of theEarths or lands. earth.Neither any sea rea­ching along by the bankes of the earth.

And also. And likewise in what [part] There was.was earth,All parts of the world were mingled and con­fused in one. there was also both sea andslie.. ayre▪

So the earth wasVnsetled or moue­able. vnstable,The earth was vnsta­ble. the waterNot possible or fit to be swomme in. not to bee swomme in.The water not to be swomme in.

[Page 4] The ayre was Needing or wan­ting light.without light,The ayre without light. The owne forme [or shape] did re­maine to nothing, or to none of the foure Elements.nothing had the proper form.Nothing had the right shape.

Contrary qualities were in the same sub­iect, which now cannot be in the same manner. AndAnother thing stood against other [things] one thingwas contrary to others. was a­gainst others:One thing hindered another. because in one bodie.For that all things did striue together in the Chaos.

Cold things didStriue or contend. fight with Hot things.hot,Colde with hot. Moyst things [did fight] with drye things. moist with dry.Moyst with dry.

Soft things,Soft things with hard. Heauy with light. [did fight] with Hard things.hardWeighty or heauy things. things, hauing weightDid striue with things. wth things with­out weight.Thus much concer­ning the Chaos: Now the Poet sheweth the the first generall chāge how the foure Ele­ments were made out of this, & by whom, & so all things out of them.

This he speaketh ei­ther acccording to the opinion of those Philo­sophers, who thought nature to bee superiour to God, & more migh­ty then hee, as it is in the 9. Booke. Or [et] may be taken for [...]d est, melior natura, viz. God that better nature, so the words following import, that he diuided, &c. God and a bet­ter natureEnded or brake or determined. tooke away this Contention.strife.That God the best nature tooke away this strife.

For heCut away or par­ted in sunder. diui­ded theEarths. earth from heauen & theWaters. water from the earth.Diuiding the earth from heauen, and the waters from the earth.

AndSeuered or distin­guished. separa­ted thePure clear, bright, free from corrupti­on. liquid Heauen.skie from theThe thick ayre wher­in the clouds and raine are bred. Thicke or grosse.foggie ayre.The pure skie from the foggy ayre.

[Page 5] Which after He rouled out.he had tumbled out,And hauing separa­ted these forth of the Chaos, andExempted. taken from theBlind or disorde­red. con­fused Lumpe or Chaos.heape.Hee bound each of them in their own pro­per place, and settled them in a quiet peace.

Hee bound [thē] beingDissociate in [their] places or se­uered a sunder. se­parate inPlaces. place, with aAgreeable. quiet peace.

The fier. The fiery Force or strength.power of the heauenBowing downe­ward. bending downward,The fire or fiery po­wer of the heauen ben­ding downeward and lightest, in the highest place. and without weight, Appeared.shined out, & chose it selfe a placeIn the highest part of all. in the Chiefe.highest tow­er.

The ayre is next to it in light­nesse,The ayre next to it in lightnesse and place. and in place.

The earth [is] moreGrosse and heauy. solide then these,The solide earth pressed downe with the weight of it selfe, and drawing all heauie things vnto it, in the lowest place. and The earth is said to draw all heauie things, because al heauy things doe naturally descend to it.hath drawen The great & hea­uie parts out of the Chaos, or all weigh­ty things.the great E­lements [with it.]

[Page 6] Ouid doth not [...]ssigne the third place to the earth, but the lowest, as bei [...]g th [...] heau [...]est, and drawing downe al [...] hea­uie things vnto it, and so the water, compas­sing it about.And is pres­sed downe with the heauinesse of it selfe.The water flowing vpon and compassing the vttermost parts of the earth in the third. The wa­ter flowing a­bout it

Hath possessed The vtmost parts of the earth flowing vpon it, in many places compassing it about, not couering it all.the vtmost [places] and kept inThe earth. the so [...]e globe.

FABLE II.

Of the full and perfect forming and fashioning of the 4. chiefe parts of the world, and the ador­ning each of them with their proper creatures, more spe­cially of the creation of man last, to bee Lord of all.

So when hee which of the Gods soeuer he was.. WHen Heere the Poet ma­king [...]s though he was ignorant which of the Gods it was, which di­uided the foure Ele­ments, intimateth that it was some greater and more mighty thē those which the common sort tooke for Gods.hee,In this Chapter the Poet sheweth that God hauing thus diuided the Chaos into parts which soeuer of the Gods he was, Cut, or hath cut, or seperated.had diuided theSet in order. heape so disposed, and [Page 7] Reduced or brought ba [...]ke, viz. dig [...]steit.brought itBe [...]ng cut▪ di­uided into parts.First hee made the earth round like a globe.

In the beginning. First of all He winded round, or made round the earthhee made the earth roundTo the fashion or shape or like to. af­ter the fashion of a greatOrbe or bowle. globe, That it might be.least that it should not beEquall or round, and of like weight. e­uen On euery side.of euery part.That it might bee e­quall on each side.

Then he pou­red abroadPretum is any narrow sea, where [...] to boyle à seruend [...] o [...] as [...]ome w [...] à [...]remendo. The mediterrane­an seas. the narrow seas,Then hee poured a­broad the seas. and commanded themTo begin to swell or to rage. to swell wth theViolent, vehement or fierce winds. whir­ling winds,Commanding them to swell with the winds. and to compasse a­bout the shores of the earthGone about, or compassed in, or h [...] ­med in, in­uironed [By those seas.there­by.]To inuirone the earth.

Hee added also Moreouer he addedSprings. foun­taines, andVnmeasurable standing waters or fennes. huge standing ponds andPooles [...]eres, or deepe places, a [...]wa [...]es full of water. lakes;After he made foun­tains, & the great stan­ding waters, as lakes, and fennes.

And heCompassed in, or compassed about. girt in the riuersTurning downe­wardes., running downe­wardsAlso riuers kept in with crooked bankes. [Page 8] with Thwart, or win­ding, or sidelong bankes.crooked banks.

Which [riuers.] Which being Diuers or separate.distant in pla­ces,Which being distant in places one from an­other, areSwallowed vp. sup­ped vp partly of [the earth] it self.Are some of them swallowed vp of the earth.

Partly doe theyRunne. come into the sea,Others of them run into the Sea. and being receiued [there]As in a field, or in a more large place of waters. in a fieldWhere they haue more liberty as in a large field.

Where there is more liberty or room for them. Of more free water, they Dash against.beate vpon the shoaresFor bankes. in­stead of banks.And shores insteade of bankes.

He comman­ded also the Plaine fields.champaine fieldes to beeNext hereunto hee stretched out the cham­paine fields. Extended or stret­ched out, to lye euen all abroad.stretched a­broad, theA valley is proper­ly the hollow betweene two hils. Vales or dales. valleies toDescend. set­tle downward,Making the valleyes to descend.

Hee commanded the woods. The woods to bee couered withA leafe, viz. with boughs of trees. leaues,The woods to be co­uered with leaues. theStonie hils to arise; or rockes. craggie mountains to as­cend.Mountaines & rocks to ascend.

[Page 9] And as twoZona signifieth both the part of the body which is gi [...]t, and the girdle it selfe which gir­deth it. Girdles or circles. zonesCut. di­uide the heauen on theCoelius Rhodiginus sheweth out of Cleome­des, a notable expoun­der of the [...]ifficulties of the Poets, that antica, or the fore-part of the heauens is the West, whither the heauens tu [...]ne, quoniam illuc an­nuit mundus; so the hin­der part towards the East, from whence it is carried towardes the West; and thereupon the left part towards the South, the right to­ward the North. Like as it is if wee stand with our face towa [...]des the West. right part,H [...]e likewise diuided the he [...]uens into fiue zones or p [...]rts; two on the right hand, two on the left, and the bur­ning zone in the mid­dest. andSo many, or euen so many. as ma­ny moe on the Left [part.]left,The fift [zone.] the fift is moreHot or scorching. burning Then these foure.then those:

So theCare. pro­uidence of God hathDiuided. distin­guished The earth compas­sed about within those zones or cir­cles.the burden included,Hee diuided likewise the earth into fiue cli­mates proportionable to the fiue zones in the heauens. By the same num­ber of fiue, viz hath diuided the earth into so many parts. by the same number; and e­uen so many Cuts, diu [...]sions, circles, or regions.climates are Pressed or stam­ped.set in the earth.

Of which climates that &c. Whereof,Whereof that which is in the middest is not habitable for heate. The fift which is the middle, is more hot and scor [...]hing then the rest, for the nee [...]en [...]sse of the Sunne passing o­uer it twise in the yeer.that which is In the middest.the middle is Thus the ancients thought, but our tra­u [...]llers finde it other­w [...]se.not habitable for heate:

High. Deepe snow couerethTwo [ [...]limates of those c [...]mates.] two [of them:]The two vttermost are extreamely cold. And hee hath set euen so many be­tween both or either of them. and also hee placed as many moe be­tween those two.The two middle, viz. betweene the cold and hot of either side, tem­perate, of an equal mix­ture of hot and cold.

And hath gi­uen [Page 10] [them]A temper. a tē ­perature,The flame. Hauing mingled or tempered them of hot and colde. heat being mixed [in them] wth cold.

The ayre han­geth ouerThose climates. these, Which is heauier then the fier by so much, by how much it is light [...] the [...] the weight of the earth, [and] then the weight of the ma­ter.wch is so much heauier then the fier,The ayre hangeth o­uer these, which is so much heauier then the fir [...], as the water is ligh­ter then the earth. Pondus leuius. as the Pondere leuior.weight of the water is lighter then the weight of the earth.

He hath comman­ded both the little cloudes [to stay] there, and the great clouds to stay there. There he hath cōmanded both theFogs or mists. little and great cloudes to Stand or abide.stay,In the ayre hee hath placed both the little cloudes, viz. fogs and mists, and also the great. and the thundersAbout to moue or able to terrifie mens minds or the hearts of men. to mooueHumane minds. mens harts.The terrible thun­der.

And together with theLightnings. light­ning, All windes are cold by nature.the winds making theColds. cold,Lightning. Windes.

And also. Moreouer,Hee also limited the windes, that they should not haue free li­berty of the ayre. theFramer. maker of the world hath notSuffered or gran­ted permitted to these,the ayre to bee vsed of these The ayre to be had or to haue the ayre, viz. free liberty of the ayre.euery where: All abroad.there [Page 11] It is resisted scarcely to them now, viz. things can hardly abide the vi­olence of them now.there is scarce­ly any wi [...]hstan­ding of thē now,For that they are so boystrous, that they hardly can be resisted:

Although euery of them hath but his owne region, or quarter. Whenas euery one of thē ruleth his owne blasts in a diuers Tract, coast, or quarter.region.Although he haue re­strained euery one of them to his owne part and region.

But that they teare in pieces the world, or butcher the world, or destroy it. But [that] they would reare the world in pie­ces:Epiphonem [...]. the discord of [those] brethrē is so great.Because they would otherwise teare the world in pieces, tho­rough the vehemen [...]y of the discorde between them.

Eurus [...] quod ab oriente flat. It is called Vulturnus, by a similitude from the fierce flying of the Vul­tur. The East-winde Went backe or de­parted.betooke it selfe vnto the The Sunne rising.morning, and to theNabathaean king­domes. king­domes ofNabathaea is a part of Ar [...]bia-foelix, between the Persian Sea, and the red Sea. Na­bathaea. The East-wind hee hath limited to the Sunne rising, viz. to all those parts towards the Sunne rising.

And toPersia a Countrey in the East part of Asia. Per­sia, and to the Ridges or tops of the hills, subiect or lying towards themountaines ly­ing vndermorning beames. the Sunne rising.

The euening and the shoares wch wax warme by the Sunne set­ting▪ The warme West-winde to the Sunne set­ting, viz. to all those parts towards it.

[Page 12] Are next vn­to theZephyrus [...], à ferenda satis omnibus vita, of refresh­ing and qui [...]kning all things sowen. West-wind: the horri­ble Boreas [...], of the noyse which [...]t ma­keth: or [...], à nutrimento, because it especially nou [...]sheth the body, making it healthfull.North-wind hathGone into. in­uaded Scythia, The boystrous North winde to the parts towards the north [...]ole, or the Charles waine. & The seauen flowe Oxen, or the seauen starres, called the Charles waine.the parts lying vnder the North pole.The moyst South-winde to the contrary parts.

The contrarie P [...]rt of the e [...]rthearthDoth waxe wet. is wet with continuall clouds &Or by the rainie South. frō the rainyAuster q. hauster ab hauriend a aqua, because it is commonly rainie. south.Ouer these he set the liquid skie without all weight or earthly sub­stance.

HeHee hath imposed or set. placed o­uer theseThe liquide skie. the Aether, may be taken here for the Element of the [...], [...] [...]b ardendo [...], [...] semper currendo.skie being pure, andAnd wanting waight. without all heauinesse, nei­ther hauingAny thing of earthly dregs or set­ling. any terrene substāce.These were scarcely thus separated and set­led, but the starres,

He had separated or distingu [...]shed scarcely. Scarcely had He, viz. God.he thus seue­red all things in [their]Setled and vn­chang [...]ble. cer­taine bounds,Which before had lyen hid, kept-in in the Chaos,

When as the Signes consisting of many starres▪ as Aries, T [...]uru [...] &c.starres,Which haue lyen hid long. which had long lyen hidKept vnder that they could not shine. pressed vnder that same The Chaos.masse, began [Page 13] toShine bright in e­uery part of heauen. glister in the whole heauē.Began to glitter in all parts of the heauen.

[And] least a­ny region should beDepriued or voyd of. destitute of Her, viz. proper and belonging to them.their owne li­uing creatures.And lest any region or part of the world should bee destitute of her huing creatures, He set in each of them seuerall kinds.

TheHe followeth their o­pinion who hold the stars to bee liuing, and the fained Gods liuing creatures. starres and theFormes [or shapes] of the Gods, viz. the imagined Gods of the heathens. Gods doeHolde, or haue. possesse Heauen.the heauenly Solum] is taken for whatsoeuer doth sus­taine other things, as the earth doth the crea­tures vpon it. q sol dum.soyle.The stars and Gods in the heauens.

TheWaues. waters haueGiuen place to, yeelded themselues, or fallen to the lot of. befallen to bee inhabited of theShining. bright fi­shes.Fishes in the waters. The earthReceiued the beasts for her creatures. tooke theFerae] quod toto corpo­re ferantur. They are properly wilde beasts, here for all kinds by Sy­nec spec. The wilde beasts. beasts, theThe ayre is called mooueable, because it is easily driuen hither and thither. moueable ayre[Tooke or recei­ued] the birds to a­bide chiefly in it. the birds.Beasts in the earth. Birds in the ayre. Man is said to bee a holy liuing creature, and partaker of a high mind, because he alone is partaker of reason: hauing some acknow­ledgement of the Lord by nature. For this high mind doth signifie rea­son inlightned with the knowledge of God, and of the law of na­ture.A liuing crea­ture more holy thenThese, viz. beasts, fishes and birds these and more capeable ofA high or deepe mind, viz. of a pro­found memory and great wit. a diuine Vnderstanding or reason.minde.And finally whereas there was as yet lack­ing a creature more ho­ly, and of a more diuine [...]nderstanding,

Man through reason hath the vse and bene­fite of all the creatures, making all so to serue him. And which mightHaue the gouern­ment of the rest. rule o­uer The rest of the creatures.the restWas lacking as yet. was as yet lacking.Which might rule o­uer the rest,

[Page 14] ManIs. was Bred.borne:Man was made: but whereof, by whom, or how, hee sheweth it to be vncertaine amongst the Poets. We are not to mar­uaile if the Poet pro­fesse his ignorance in the creation of man. whe­ther That [chiefe] workeman or framer of things, viz. Godthat maker of [all] things, the Originall or foun­taine, viz the cause or author.beginning of The world after the Chaos.the better world made him of diuine seede;Whether that God which had made all the o [...]her creatures framed him of diuine seede;

Or whether the earthFresh or new. new­ly made,Or whether of the new earth, retaining still the seeds of heauen, wherunto it was so neer of kin. & lately Drawne asunder, or diuided.separated from the high skie re­tained the seedes of the heauen, [being]Neere vnto it by kin, as comming out of the same masses or framed together. kinne vnto [it.]

Which [earth] beingmixed. mingled with riuerWaters. wa­ter He who was sowē [or begotten, or des­cended] of Ia­phet. Prometheus the Son ofIapeto] by Iapetus is thought to bee meant Iaphet, the sonne of Noah, whom antiquitie accounted a holy man, & of the number of the heauenly; like as they account his sons whom the Poets call Titans, to bee more ancient then man-kinde. And a­mongst them, one of them was called Pro­metheus, à prouidentia, because he was prudent and prouident aboue the rest. Ia­phet, Being mingled with water. Prometheus the Son of Iaphet.

This Prometheus is celebrated to haue been the framer of man, ei­ther because wisedome is onely belonging to man, or because man was made by singular counsell aboue the o­ther creatures; or else for that he was the first that instructed men in the knowledge of the creation, especially of man kinde, how God made him to his i­mage, and so as the knowledge of God & all diuine vnderstanding came from him. Hath fashioned [or framed] vnto the image [or like­nesse. Formed ac­cording to the i­mage of the GodsGouerning all things. ruling all things.Formed him accor­ding to the image of the Gods who gouern all things.

And whereas The other liuing creatures.the rest of the li­uing creatures Doe looke vpon or behold the earth.do looke to the [Page 15] earthProne or incli­ning downeward, or groueling. downe­ward,And made him such a one, that whereas the rest of the creat [...]res looke downewards to­wards the earth,

This shape of man after this sort, sheweth to what end he was cre­ated, to wit, to the ac­knowledgment of God and the contemplation of heauenly things; which appertaineth to no other of the crea­tures. He gaue to manMouth [viz. a countenance] loo­king vpward or high. a lofty countenance, & commāded him toSee or looke to. behold the heauen,He gaue him a lofty countenance to looke vpward, and to lift vp hisCountenances e­rect to the signes or starres. face vpward to the skies.And commaunded him to behold the hea­uens.

So the earth whichWas. had beeneEuen now. but pre­sētly beforeRude. vn­wrought and withoutImage, frame or shape. forme,Thus finally for a conclusion hereof hee sheweth that the earth which had been so late­ly before framed out of the Chaos, was both brought into forme & also men made out of it; out of whose diuers conditions follow the foure diuers ages of the world.

BeingConuerted or tur­ned. chan­changed put vp­on it the vn­knowen Figures.shapes of men.

FABLE III.

This fable of the foure ages seemeth to bee an imitation of the History in the s [...]cond Ch [...]pter of Daniel, con­cerning the image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream, which was of foure sorts, ex­pounded of the foure Monarchs, here apply­ed to the foure ages of the world. Of the foure ages of the world, v. z. the Golden, Siluer, Brazen, & Iron ages: and first of the golden age.In this Fable Ouid de­clareth how mankinde increasing the world degenerated, waxing wors [...] and worse by lit­tle and little vntill the floud, which God brought to purge it withall, which that the Poets might signifie, they fained this Meta­morphosis of ages, be­fore the floud.

The first age is said to haue beene golden, both in regard of the nature and goodnesse of men then, & also for the easinesse of their li­uing & quietnes, in re­gard of the rest which followed. THe golden Time.age is Begun or made of the manners of men.sowen first: whichLoued or maintai­ned. obserued Faith and right, viz. faithfull and iust dealing, honesty.fidelity and vp­right dealing, With no reuenger, or none being to re­uenge, viz. without any punishment or iudge.without any re­uenger,The first whereof in regard of the rest was a golden age, as he shew­eth how. of the own accord wth outLawes. law.This obserued faith­fulnesse and vpright dealing without any compulsion. That there was nei­ther punishment, nor feare, nor yet any law.

Punishment and feare were away. There was no punishment nor feare:Nor bondes threatning the necke were bound in brasse, viz. lawes in­grauen in brasse.. nor Lawes were ingra­uen in brasse, that they might indure long, and hanged vp or fastened vpon the walles, that they might be publike­ly read of all.threatning wordes were bound in fixed brasse: neither yetThe suppliant com­pany did feare, viz. prisoners or offenders humbly pro­strate on their knees. did the sup­pliant company feare theMouthes. face of [Page 17] their Iudge:None feared the face of the Iudge, for that there was not any ma­lefactour. but they wereSecure and safe from all iniury. safe without iudge.But all liued in secu­ritie, without any exe­cution of Iustice.

The Pine not yet cut out &c. TheThe ship made of Pine tree. Met. M [...]t. Pine cut out of her mountaines,There was then no Nauigation. had not yetGone downe. des­cended into the Moyst waters.liquid waues, that shee might Visite.goe to see the Peregrinus, [...] p [...]ra­grando. Vnknowen, or far off.st [...]aunge Orbe, or compasse of the world, viz. foraine Countries.world;No ships nor say­ling.

AndMen. mor­tall [men]Had knowen. knew noShoares. coastsBesides their own. but their owne.Men knew no coun­tries but their owne.

Praeceps fossa, vnde se quis praecipitem dare pos­sit. Steepe. downe dit­ches. Deepe tren­ches Compassed not the townes as yet.did not as yet compasse a­bout theOppidum, ab ope dand [...] in bell [...] periculis. towns.There were no wars. No fortifications of Townes by ditches, wals, or the like.

[There was] not a Trumpet &c. There was no Trumpet of straight [brasse] [There were] not hornes of bended or bowed brasse, viz. horsemen Trum­pets or Cornets.no hornes of bended brasse.No instruments of warre, as Trumpets, Cornets, or such like.

Not helmets. No helmets, not a sword.No Helmets, nor Swords. There was not any sword poynt. The secure Nati­ons.The nations li­uing Without care or feare.securely didFinish. follow con­tinually [Page 18] their Soft ease, viz. qui­et and easie labours, or sweet pleasures.pleasant ease, withoutHelpe, or need of the souldier, viz. without warre. Mi­les vel à mille, vel quòd minimè mollis, [...] vse of the souldier.All Countries liued at their ease in quiet se­curity, without any need of souldier.

Also the earth it selfe [as yet] Without tillage.free and vn­touched with theAny instrument wherewith to cut the earth. harrowe,The earth brought forth all things of it selfe without any til­lage or husbandry. norWounded or bro­ken vp. cut with a­ny Plought.Shares, Gaueyeelded all thingsby it selfe, viz. without any husbandry. of it selfe.

And they be­ing content with meatsCreated, no man compelling. prepared without any la­bour,The people were con­tent with that which the earth brought forth without any labour.

GatheredThe young, or fruit of the Arbute or Seruice tree. Ser­uice-berries and Mountaine straw-berries.Straw-berriesStraw-berries, growing in the mountaines,They liued on Ser­uice-berries,

AndHawe-berries or berries growing on the hawthorne. Hawes,Hawes, and alsoMulberries. bram­ble-berriesBramble-berries. stick­ing in theHard, viz. sharpe. rough Thickets.bushie places:

And [likewise] Mast of the Oke.AcornesAcornes, and other kinde of fruites. wch Had fallen.fell from the Okes dedicated to Iupiter.broad sprea­ding [Page 19] tree of Iu­piter. The Spring was con­tinuall, without any va­rying the times of the yeare, pleasant with warme West windes, which caused the flow­ers to spring vp without seeds.

There was an e­ternall spring, viz. no varying of times. The spring was continual, & theThe West winds being plea­sing, milde, quiet or calme, with warme blasts..The West winds being plea­sing, milde, quiet or calme, with warme blasts. pleasant WestWindes continual­ly blowing, or ayres. windes Brought forth.cherisht the flowersGrowing of them­selues. bred without seede, Wth [their] warm blasts.

Afterwards or by and by. Forth-with also theVnhusbanded. vntil­led earthBare. broght forthCorne. fruits:The earth fruitfull with all kindes of fruits of it selfe.

Neither the field renued, husbanded, &c. The field not renuedWaxed white or h [...]arie. was white with (r) ful Heauie.eares of corne.That the fields were loaden with Corne, without any renewing or husbandry.

Now ran the ri­uers of milke, &c. NowAwnes or beards of corne put for the whole eare. Floods, or riuers of milke [went.] ri­uers of milke, now the riuers of Drinke of the Gods, or most plea­sant wines.NectarDid goe, or went. ran.The riuers ran with milke and Nectar,

And yellow Honeyes. honeyDistilled.drop­ped downFrom euery tree. frō the green holme.And honey dropped from the trees. And so he concludeth the fable of the Golden age.

FAB. IIII.

Of the other three ages, viz. the Siluer, Brazen, & Iron ages: & first of the siluer age, wherein Iupiter contracted that perpetuall spring, diuiding the yeare into foure parts.

For the occasion of this Fable of Saturne sent into hell, Sabine thinketh it to haue byn taken from the profun­dity of the aire: because Saturne is the highest & farthest remoued from the earth of all the Pla­nets, and that the won­derfull height of the ayre is called Tartarus. [But] Iupiter contracted the times of the anciēt spring after that Saturne being sent into dark hell, the world was vnder Iupiter, &c. AFter that Saturnus quasi sa­tur annis ob aetatem im­menjam. Saturne being sent into the darke hell, viz. Saturne being dead, or after the death of Saturn, for they who dye are said to be sent into hell. Sa­turne was sent into the darke Tartarus à [...], quia ibi omnia contarba­ta & confusa.dungeons of hell,In this Fable Ouid being to speake of the other three ages, shew­eth that after the gol­den age, wherein Sa­turne raigned, follow­ed the siluer age, in which Iupiter his sonne raigned.

The world was Vnder the gouern­ment of Iupiter.vnderIupiter is said to haue beene the sonne of Sa­turne, & Ops, and borne at the same birth. That hee expelled his Father out of the Kingdome of Creete. That he was valiant and wise, where­upon, after his death, he was honoured for a God, and called Father and King of Gods. Iupi­ter, and the siluer Issue [of spring or progeny] came in or entred in.ageCame vnder or came in, or entred in. succee­ded,This siluer age hee describeth,

Worse then golde, more Better.pretious then theDeepe yellow, er red shining brasse. yellowe Brasse.1. To haue beeue worse then the former golden age, but more pretious then the br [...] ­zen age which follow­ed.

[Page 21] [This] Iupiter Shortned, or drew in and abridged.contracted the timesOf that continuall spring which was in the golden age. of the anciēt spring.2. That this Iupiter now raigning contrac­ted the ancient spring.

And heeExacted or fini­shed, viz. diuided or measured. di­gested the yeare byFoure measures of times or parts, eue­ry one consisting of three moneths. foure spa­ces, by Winters &Heats of the wea­ther. Summers, & Autumns or Haruests, are called vnequall, be­cause they are more vn­constant, sometimes hot, sometimes colde. vnequall.inconstant au­tumns, andThe spring is said to bee short, in regard of the ancient spring in the golden age. a short spring.Diuiding the yeare into foure parts, viz. Winter, Summer, Au­tumne, and Spring.

Then first the ayre being Scorched.burnt with Dry heat, viz. feruent or vehement heate, drying all things.drying heat,3. That then first the ayre began to bee scor­ched with the heate in Summer.

Glowed like a coale, or waxed hot. Beganne to glowe, and the Ise bound with the winds hanged.ise hāged being Frozen, viz. the North-winde, and other colde windes.congealed wth the (r) winds.And the waters to be frozen with the windes in Winter.

Then [men] firstWent vnder, or went into. got into housesCaues [or holes of the earth, dennes] haue beene. caues were [their] House.houses,4. That now men began first to seek them houses, to saue them­selues in from the vio­lence of the weather.

And thicke Fushes.shrubs, and Windings tyed with barks of trees, viz. hurdles made of rods.rodsIoyned with a barke, viz. tyed or bound together. tyed with pillings of trees.That their houses were at the first but dens of the earth, thicke shrubs and hurdles.

[Page 22] Then first Ceres, daughter to Sa­turne and Ops, is said to haue first deuised sow­ing of corne, which be­fore grew wilde, for which shee was honou­red as a Goddesse. Ceres seeds, or seeds belonging to Ceres.the seed corne Are ouerwhel­med.was couered With long fur­rowes.in long fur­rowes, and the Oxen.bullocks gro­ned being pres­sed wth the yoke.Then first the sowing of Corne and husban­dry was inuented.

The brazen age being the third suc­ceeded after that. The third Of-spring.age being made of brasse succee­ded afterBrazen. that,After the siluer age succeeded the brazen age, worse then it:

More cruell in That siluer age.disposition,Wherein men waxed more cruell in disposi­tion, and more forward to warre and bloud­shed. and moreWits. forward toHorrid a arma q. horro­rem incutientia. Ready. dreadfull Horrible or blou­die.warres;Yet this was not so wicked, as that which followed.

Yet notArmes or wea­pons. mis­chieuous. The last [age]Wicked, vngrati­ous. Is [made of] &c. is of hard iron.Then in the last place hee declareth how the last age of all succee­ded, which he calls the iron age, for that it see­med to be made of I­ron. Wherein all kinde of wickednesse burst forth, modesty, truth and fidelity, viz. all ver­tue and honesty depar­ted.

[And] forthwith an age of a worse metall burst forth into all villany. Forthwith allMischiefe or vil­lany not to be spoken of. wickednesse Brake out.burst into an Time.age of a worse Veine or Myne.metall.

Modesty.Shamefast­nesse and truth andFaithfulnesse or faithfull dealing. fidelity fled away.

Into the place [Page 23] Of which, viz. shamefastnesse and truth &c.whereofBoth fraudes and guiles, and lying in wayt priuily, and violence and a wic­ked desire of hauing came vnder, or en­tred in. there came both fraud and deceit,And in place thereof succeeded all kinde of vice, as deceit, treache­rie, violence, and wic­ked couetousnesse.

And also trea­chery, andForce. vio­lence, andHere is a briefe des­criptiō of couetousnes, which is therefore cal­led a wicked desire of getting or hauing ri­ches, because it infor­ceth man to all kinde of wickednesse, and makes him wicked, whence it is called the mother of all euils. a wic­ked Loue of hauing.desire of getting.

The Mariner Gaue.hoisted vp the Sayles to the winds,Neither had hee knowen them well as yet, viz. he knew not the violence or danger of the winds, or how to preserue himselfe. although he yet knew thē not well: and theKeeles or bottoms of the shippes for the whole ships. Ships. Keeles Wch hadStood long, viz. whilest the trees growed there. stood long in the high mountains Leaped vp and downe, or daunced,bounsedWith or amongst the vnknown waues. in the vnknowen Floods.waues.And then the Mari­ner for greedinesse of gain durst venture him­selfe to the raging seas, thogh he neither knew winds nor seas.

Also the wary Measurer of grounds.SuruaierMarked out. boun­ded [his] ground with a longBound, frontier, or ditch. li­mite,Then men began to measure and bound out their grounds, being com­mon before, as theLights. light of the Sunne, and of the ayre.Which before time had beene as common as the sun or the ayre.

Neither onely the rich ground [Page 24] Was required for, viz. corn was sought for of the ground.was asked corn,Then also men be­gan to seeke for corne, and all manner of nou­rishment of the earth by husbandry. and dueNourishments. nou­rishment,But it is gone of men into the bowels of &c. viz. men digged deepe for ri­ches. but men went into the bowels of the earth.And then they dig­ged into the depth of the earth for gold and siluer, and all kinde of metall.

AndOpes.] Riches are said to haue the name of Ops, Saturnes daughter, by which the earth is signified, out of which all riches are gotten. riches which[The earth] or God or nature had layed lowe in the earth. it had Layed almost as lowe as hell.hid deepe, & Stirrers vp of ma­ny euils.put vnto the Stigian shades, are digged out, being the (r) pro­uocations of e­uils.Whence riches the prouocations of all mischiefes were got out of the earth.

And now Hurtfull iron had come forth, &c.hurtfulWeapons made of iron. iron, & goldeNocentius.] Gold is said to be more hurtfull then iron, because most hainous and shamefull wickednesses are com­mitted to get gold. more hurtful then iron came abroad, war comes forth, whichPugnat vtro (que)] These are as it were the sin­nowes of warre: these (chiefly gold) carry a­way the victory. fighteth With weapons and with gold.with them both.Then also was iron found out, whereof swords and other wea­pons of war are made, and then came golde a­broad, farre more hurt­full then iron. And finally warre which is managed with them both.

AndSmites together. shakes hisRustling, viz, ring­ing or making a noyse. ratling armour with a bloudy hand.Which warre is des­cribed by the ratling of armour, and sheading of bloud.

It is liued of that which is snatched [or which is gotten by rapine.] Men liue of rapine,The host is not safe from [his] guest, viz. from all danger by his guest.. the guest [is] not safe from his host.Then men began to liue by rapine, That the guest could not bee safe from his Host.

[Page 25] The father in lawe [is not safe] from [his] sonne in lawe,Nor the father in law from the sonne in law. and the Fauour, viz. loue, or true affection.agreemēt of bre­thren isSeldome seene. rare.And that it was rare to see brethren to a­gree.

The man. The husband Hangeth or houe­reth ouer.watcheth for theDestruction. death of [his] wife,The husband seeking the death of the wife; the wife, of her husbād. She [houereth] for the destruction. she of [her] husband.

TheCruell towards their step-children. terri­ble step-mothers doePrepare. mingle Aconitum is a very ve­nemous hearbe, first bred (as Poets faine) of the frothing of the dog of hell amongst the rockes or crags. Pale or wan.blackPoyson, making blacke. wolf­bane.The step-mothers cruelly practising the death of their step-chil­dren by poyson, and all other wicked deuices.

The Sonne Inquires of diuiners, sorcerers, mathematici­ans, and the like. Inquires. Inquires how long his Father shall liue.pries into his Fathers yeers before his day.The sonne inquiring and seeking by magi­call and wicked arts, how long his Father should liue.

Godlinesse lieth o­uercome [of vngod­linesse] or trampled vnderfoot. Piety lyeth ouercome,Then began all true goldlinesse to bee tro­den vnder foote. and the virginAstraea) is said by some to haue beene the daughter of Astraeus, a most iust Prince, for whose equity shee was called Iustice, and is said to haue been taken into heauen, and is pla­ced in the Zodiack, & called Virgo. Astraea. Iu­stice, the last of the heauenly Vertues or heauen dwellers.inhabitants, left the earthWet with slaugh­ter. im­brued in bloud.Then Iustice which before had beene vn­touched betooke her selfe into heauen, lea­uing the earth imbrued in bloud.

FABLE V.

Of the fight of the Giants. Of the battell which the Giants prepared against the Gods.In this Fable the Po­et sheweth, that the earth thus defiled, and iustice gone of it.

ANd least the highSkie. heauē should bee more Safe.secure then the earth,Least the heauen should bee more secure then the earth,

Men] say. They say that Gigantes.] Giants were properly men of huge bodies, said to be the Sonnes of the the earth, without fa­ther, hauing serpents feet. But these indeed were wicked men, des­p [...]si [...]g the Lord, and so said to goe about to driue God out of hea­uen. Giants to haue affected, viz. vehe­mently desired, or set vpon.Giants did Affectare.] Signifieth to desire something ve­hemently, which a man cannot attaine vnto.affectThe heauenly king­dome. the king­dome of heauen,Men say that Giants began to affect the very kingdome of heauen it selfe, to subdue it, and rule in it, hauing driuen out the Gods.

AndTo haue built vp. built vp mountainsCarried together. hea­ped vp vnto the high skies.And to this end and purpose to haue heaped mountaines one vpon another, whereby they might climbe vp into heauen.

ThenIupiter. the Almighty Fa­ther Brake in pieces O­lympus with his thunderbolt, sent downe.sending downe his thun­derbolt, brake in piecesOlympus is a most high hill of Macedonia. Olympus, andCast downe, or da­shed in pieces, Peli­on lying vnder Os­sa. smit out Pelion and Ossa, are knowen mountains of Thessalie. Pelion lying vn­der Ossa. 2. How Iupiter the King of heauen, with his thunderbolts brake downe and dasht those hils in peeces.

When as their [Page 27] Horrible, or dire­full, or terrible.cruell bodies lay ouerwhel­med with their owneGreatnesse. vast weight,And with them ouer­whelmed the direfull bodies of those mon­sters. Which bodies of theirs thus crushed with the weight of the hils, and of their owne vastnesse,

Men say the earth besprinkled [or im­brued] with much bloud of her sonnes, to haue waxed wet, and to haue anima­ted [or giuen life to] the warme bloud. They say that the earth waxed wet being dashed wth much blood of [her] sonnes,Imbrued the earth with their bloud. and that it ani­mated the warm bloud.3. How the earth thus soked with that warme bloud gaue life therevnto.

And least no monuments of their progenie should remaine;And thereupon, least no monument of those Giants should remain,

This bloud turned into the shapes of men, and not of Apes (as some thought) for that they were such contem­ners of the Gods, so violent and greedy of bloud, which Apes are not. [It] to haue tur­ned into the face [or shape] of men. That it tur­ned [it] into the shape of men:That the earth so steeped and animated with their bloud, tur­ned into the shapes of men. But also that.and moreouer that that same Stocke, race, or linage. Propago is properly the flocke of an olde Vine, out of which many young shutes come.of-spring [was] a contemner of the Gods,Which of-spring of theirs proued also con­temners of the Gods, and most cruell and bloudily minded, and most greedy of cruell slaughter.

And was vio­lent:That any might know them to haue beene bred of bloud. thatAny one might knowe. you might know it to be bred of bloud.

FAB. VI.
Of Lycaon tur­ned into a Walfe.This cruelty of theirs is shewed by the exam­ple of Lycaon, whome Iupiter turned into a Wolfe for his bloudy tyranny in this manner.

WHICH things After that.when Father Saturnius, viz. Iupiter, Sa­turnes sonne. Iupiter sawe From the top of heauen.from his high Tower.That when Iupiter from his high throane beheld this their cruel­ty, hee gaue a deepe groane.

Hee fetched a sigh or deepe grone. He sighes: andRelating or shew­ing, or oft thinking of. reuoluing in his mind,And pondering or reuoluing with himself the cruelty practised by Lycaon at his table, in setting mens flesh be­fore his guests, the fact being lately commit­ted, and not yet divul­ged, the Filthy. Shamefull fact at Lycaona table.odious ban­quets ofLycaon king of Arca­dia, and sonne to Pelas­gus, is reported not on­ly to haue killed his guests, but also to haue vsed to set them at his banquets before other strangers to bee eaten: which when Iupiter had found by experience, he both burnt his house, and turned him into a Wolfe. Some thinke that this was fained, for that Lycaon did sacrifice a childe vpon the Altar of Iupiter. Lycaon of [...] signifying a Wolf. Lycaons Table, not yet Made knowne, or spread abroad.divulged, Because the fact was not yet made knowen.the fact being Fresh, viz. newly committed.new;

He conceiueth in his mindeExceeding great angers. ve­ry great indigna­tion Worthy of Iupi­ter.beseeming Iupiter. Hee first conceiued high indignation, be­seeming his Maiesty.

And calleth a councell [of the Gods:]And forthwith called a councell of the Gods, who came immediately to consult hereof. They came with­out delay. no de­layDid hold. with-held thē being called.

[Page 29] The milky circle▪There isA way aloft. a lofty wayManifest, viz. Shining brightly. Heere first the Poet takes occasion to set out the way to Iupiters Court. ap­parant The heauen be­ing cleare.in a cleare heauen.1. That it is aloft, & apparant to all in a clear heauen.

It hath the name Lactea, viz. the milky [way] or La­ctea hath the name. It is called Lactea [or mil­ky] Of all other circles in heauen, it alone may be seene with the eyes. Notoriously knowen, or easie to bee noted and knowen.notable by the very whitenesse.2. That it is called via lactea, notable for shining whitenesse.

This [way] is the iourney for the gods to the roofes of the great thunderer, viz. Iupiter, or the iour­ney for the Gods, &c. This way the Gods goe vnto the Palace of great Iupiter, 3. That the Gods go that way to Iupiters house.

4. That on both sides of this way are the houses of all the other greater Gods, as Mars, Mercury, &c. continu­ally frequented, & their gates standing euer o­pen.And to [his royall] house. The Courts before the houses.The Courts of theNobilium.] These were called the greater Gods of the heathen, as Mars, Apollo, Neptune, Mercurie, &c. noble Gods are fre­quented With open gates.the gates standing e­uer open, on the right hand, and on the left.

The inferiour sort. The cōmon sort [of the gods] Haue their dwel­ling.inhabiteth Diuers, or separate in places.distant in pla­ces:5. That the multi­tude of their lesser or inferiour Gods haue their houses further di­stant from it. But the chiefe of the gods haue their houses in the front of that way. The mighty hea­uen dwellers.the potent And the famous, or noble.& glorious hea­uēly peeresHaue set their hou­ses from the front, or rather towards the forepart of the via lactea. haue placed their hou­ses in the front.

[Page 30] Hic locus.] The Poet seemeth to allude to the Palace of Rome, wherein the Emperours and chiefe [...]eeres had th [...] houses thus pla­ced. Palatium was one of the [...] of Rome, where were most stately buildings of the Empe­rours, whence all such are called Palatia of mons palat [...]nus.This is the place whichIf boldnesse may be giuen [or graun­ted] to my words. if I may speak bold­ly,6. That such is the state of that way, that the Poet protesteth that he would not be afraid to call it the very palace of heauen.

I cannot, viz. I would not bee a­fraid. I need not feareTo haue called. to call the Palace of the great heauen.

Therefore where. Then when the Gods satIn their inner roome paued with marble stone. in a Marble inner roome,After this description of the way wherby the Gods came to Iupiters house, and that they were now set in an in­ner roome, paued with Marble,

He being high­er in place,That Iupiter placed in his throane aboue them all, and leaning vpon his Iuory Scepter, shaked first the terrible locks of his head, with which hee made both Earth, Sea, and Heauen to tremble. and leaning vpon his IuorieSceptro.] The Scepter is a staffe which Kings vsed to leane vpon. It is chiefly attributed to Iupiter, the King of Gods and men. Scep­trum [...] hoc est, ab innitendo, be­cause Kings standing v­sed to leane vpon their Scepters. Scepter, Moued [or shook] both thrice & foure times.shak't oft the terribleBush of haire or lockes, viz. haire. bush of his head, where­wth heMakes to quake. moued [both] the earth, Sea, andThe stars or signs of heauen, viz. the whole heauen. Hea­uen.

And then he loo­sed [or opened] his disdaining mouths in such manner. And after he spake thus with great indignati­on.And after that spake with great indignation.

Iupiters Oration to the Gods, wherein hee sheweth that all man­kinde was worthy to be destroyed, sith the very Gods themselues were not free from their tre­cheries and outrage; When as Lycaon was not afraid to lay hands vpon Iupiter himselfe, being the father both of Gods and men. Hee maketh them also at­tentiue, setting forth both the hainousnesse of the thing, and his own care for their safe­ty. I haue not beene. I was not moreDoubtfull or trou­bled. carefull for the kingdom of the world at that timeIn which. wher­inWhere is set out Iu­piters Oration to the Gods, in which hee la­boureth first to make them attentiue, by his care of the world, and of preseruing the Gods that yet remained in the earth. And this by comparison. [Page 31] euery one of The [...]ants are [...] to haue [...] fe [...]t for the [...] [...]lish d [...]ces, & a hundreth hands for their violence.the snake-foo­ted [giants]Prepared [him­selfe] to cast on his hundreth armes to heauen, taken or sur­prised. was ready to laye [their] hundreth Armes.hands vpon The Gods dwel­ling in heauen.the heauen Being captiue, viz. taken, subdued, or conquered.which they in­deuoured to sur­prize.That hee was not more carefull for the kingdomes of the world at that time whē the Giants sought to inuade and conquer heauen.

For although [that] enemy was cruell,Because although that was a cruell ene­mie, viz. the Giants, yet that warre depen­ded but onely vpon the Giants as vpon one bodie, and so he had to doe but onely with thē, to destroy them. But now, that hee must bee inforced to destroy all mankinde in the whole world, all being be­comne corrupt and re­bellious against him, so farre as sea and earth extended. yet that warre depended ofOne body [of the Giants] that is, one kinred or stocke. one body & of oneOf-spring of the Giants. begin­ning.

The manner how Magistrates should pro­ceed in punishing, euen as the Chirurgian with limbs past cure. Now[All] the mortall kinde is to bee de­stroyed of me. I am to destroy [all] man-kindeWhat way. as far as theNereus a God of the Sea, put for the Ocean Sea, compassing the world. Nereus soundeth about, viz. maketh a noyse about with his waues. O­cean roareth a­bout the whole world:This hee bindeth by the solemne oath of the Gods, viz. swearing by the infernall riuers run­ning from the Stygian groue, viz. by Styx. Hee sweares by Styx the riuer of hell, as the Gods vsed to doe, for that they feared to de­ceiue the God thereof. I sweare by theFlouds beneath. infernall riuers,Sliding. running vnder the earth fromThe wood hanging ouer the riuer Styx. the Sty­gian groue,

[Page 32] This was the reason why the Consuls of Rome had a bunch of rods tyed vnto an Axe carried before them, to signifie that lesse offen­ces are to be corrected with rods, but that wic­kednesse that cannot be helped is to bee vt­terly cut off. All things.All meanes [are]Before. first to bee Tryed.assayed,That howsoeuer all meanes were to be tri­ed first for preuenting hereof, yet fith all man­kinde was becomn now as an vncureable and a desperate wound, they were all to bee cut off, for feare of corrupting that one part, which yet remained sound. but The wound that cannot be cured.the vncurea­ble wound is to bee cut off with theSword point. sword, lest theSencere, viz. whole and vncorrupt. sound part Bee drawen to [a like corruption]be corrupted.

These were worthy Nobles which were ac­counted greater then men, yet lesse then Gods. There are to mee halfe Gods, there are rurall diuine po­wers. I haue halfe Gods,For that hee had yet in the earth halfe Gods, and countrey Gods, as Faunes, Nymphes, Sa­tyrs, gods of the woods and mountaines. I haue countrie Gods, These Faunes are supposed to haue beene some kind of Baboons, Munkies, and the like, which the poore peo­ple seeing but seldome thought to bee Gods. For they are reported to haue beene little dwarfes, with crooked Noses, hairy bodies, Goats feete, and some of them hauing two hornes. These vsed oft to daunce, with o­ther such like wanton gestures. Faunes, Satyrs, & Syluanes were ac­counted countrey Gods.Faunes, and Nymphes, were supposed Goddesses, and they of sundry sorts, according to the places which they are said to in­habite.Nymphs, & Satyrs, and also Syluans, wch in­habite the moū ­taines.

Whome be­cause we doe not as yetCount worthy. vouch­safe the honour of heauen,Whome because hee did not yet vouchsafe the honour of heauen to dwell there, yet he would haue them to in­habite the earth which he had giuen them, qui­etly and safely.

[Yet]At least. cer­tainely let vs suf­fer them to inha­bite theEarths, lands, or Countries. earth,Sabine maketh a doubt of it, whether they were men or di­uels. which wee haue giuen them.

O yeGods inhabiting the heauens. su­pernall Gods,Then turning his speech more specially vnto the Gods there present, asketh of them whether they thinke that those other halfe Gods, & the rest, could possibly bee safe in the earth, when as Lycaon durst plot mischiefe e­uen against himselfe, the great God, hauing the thunderbolt in his hand, to be auenged of all his enemies, and who was chiefe of all the Gods, hauing all of them vnder him, e­uen these themselues. do yee belieue that [Page 33] they can be safe enough.

WhenLycaon a [...] ▪ [...] Lyea­on The occasion or the Fable of Lycaons cruel­ty is thought by some to bee this, that hauing ordained games for tri­all of masteres (in a hill called Lycaeus,) vnto Iupiter, whome he there­fore called Iupiter Ly­caeus; he there first offe­red an infant vnto Iupi­ter vpō his Altar which cruelty made him noto­rious and odious to all, as eating mans fies [...] ▪ & so entertaining Iupiter.. Others thinke it to bee for murdering one of the hostages of the Molossians, and offering him in sacrifice to Iupi­ter; and so deuo [...]ing them as sheepe, the Po­ets faine him to be tur­ned into a Wolfe, allu­ding to his name. Knowen or noted for, or famous for it.notorious for cruelty, hath Built, [viz. con­triued or practised] treacherre [or trea­son.]plotted mischief Tome.[euen] against This is thought to be spoken in fauor of Au­gustus Caesar, who esca­ped the treachery a­gainst him; Not of Iu­lius Caesar, who was so murdered.me,The name of the Ro­mans was becomne fa­mous, by the worthy acts of Iulius and Au­gustus Caesar, which was sought to bee extingui­shed in Augustus Caesar, so conspired against to be murdered cruelly, as Iulius Caesar had beene before. who both Haue and rule.possesse and gouerne theThunderbolt. lightningWho doe possesse and rule you. and [euen] you [your­selues.]

They allRequire earnestly with ardent [or fer­uent] studies [him] being bold to enter­prize such things. fret­ted together,Hereupon the Poet shewes the effect of his speech, how they all stormed, asking ear­nestly for him who durst attempt this. and viz. they asked for him to be punished.earnestly ask with vehement desire for him who durst doe such things.Then sets out the manner of their mur­muring by a fit simili­tude: That like as when certaine wicked conspiratours sought to extinguish the fa­mous name of the Ro­mans, by murdering Augustus Caesar, as they had done Iulius Caesar before, all mankinde was astonished with the terrour of the suddaine feare, and the whole world did dread excee­dingly, so did they dis­daine. So. E­uen so as when [that] wicked Hand, viz. a com­pany of wicked con­spiratours.bandDoth cruelly rage. raged fu­riously to extin­guish The Roman name in the Coesarian bloud.the name of the Romans in the bloud of the Caesars.

[All] mankind wasAmazed. astonished [Page 34] with so great a terrour of [such] a suddenRuine [or vtter o­uerthrow] [inten­ded or ready to haue beene executed]. down­fall, & the whole worldWas horribly a­fraid, or trembled with feare. did dread excee­dingly.

The religion & loue of thy people of Rome, who auenged the con­spiracie against thee, is no lesse acceptable to thee, then the indigna­tion of the Gods was to Iupiter, for the in­tendment against him. This sheweth, the former to be meant of Augustus Caesar. Neither (oh Augustus) [is] the piety of thy [Subiects of Rome. Romans] lesseAcceptable. pleasing vnto theeAfterwards, turning his speech to the Em­perour Augustus, shew­eth Iupiters acceptation hereof, that this loue and piety of the Ro­mans, for being auen­ged on those conspira­tours, was no lesse plea­sing to Augustus him­selfe, then that was to Iupiter.

Then that Hath beene.was to Iupiter; who after that he had repressed the murmure of the GodsThe Poet expresseth the gesture of them who command or cause a silence. With voyce. with [his] speach and hand;And then how Iupi­ter staid the murmure of the Gods, inioyning them silence both by his speech and hand: & how all of them kept si­lence. They all held their peace. all of thē kept silence.

After theClamour. noise wasHusht. stayed,And after that the noise was repressed by his grauitie, that Iupi­ter spake to them all a­gaine, quieting them in this manner. That, that bloudy Lycaon had pa [...] ­ed dearely for it, and therefore that they should not bee any fur­ther carefull, nor fre [...] themselues about it: being repressed by the grauitie of theIupiter their go­uernour. Re­gent,

Iupiter againe brake off the si­lence with this speech.

[Page 35] That bloudy Ly­caon.He indeed hathPayed the punish­ment, viz. hee hath dearely bought it. payed for it,Dismisse ye [or let goe] this care of re­quiring him to bee punished. let this care passe.

Notwithstan­ding,And to giue them full content, he relates vn­to them both the hor­rible fact which Lycaon had committed▪ and how hee tooke venge­ance of him. I will teach what [was] admitted [or committed] [and] what the vengeance is.I will shew what a hor­rible fact hee committed, and whatPunishment for reuenge. venge­ance I tooke of him.

This seemeth to bee a plaine allusion vnto that speech of GOD which he vseth to Abra­ham, before the destru­ction of Sodome, Gene­sit 18. 20. 21. and so Genes. 11. 5 concer­ning the builders of Babell, and an imitation thereof. TheCry of the sinnes. in­famie of the Age▪ viz of the people of this age or time.time had Touched.comne to our eares:Herein he sets downe first the occasion there­of, viz. how the gene­rall cry of the wicked­nesse of that age had comne to his eares.

Which ICoueting or ear­nestly wishing. de­siring [to be] false,And secondly, how hee (wishing the cry to be false) came downe from heauen to try it. Doe slide downe.descend from the highest hea­uen.

And [though I bee the great] GOD [yet] I Compasse about.viewe the earthVnder a humane shape, viz. in the likenesse of a man. vnder the shape of a man.That thus, though he was the great God, yet he did view the earth in the likenesse of a man.

[Page 36] It is a long delay.It is too long To number or rec­ken vp.to tell,Here hee aggrauates the sinne of all man­kinde, that it were too long to tell how much wickednesse hee found euery where, that it was greater then the cry. how much wickednes is found euery where: theReport or cry. in­famy it selfeHath beene. was lesse thenThe wickednesse it selfe. the truth.And that to the end to search out that noto­rious and abhominable cruelty reported of Ly­caon, he passed through Arcadia, going ouer Menalus that famous hill of Arcadia, nota­ble and horrible with wilde beasts, and so o­uer Lycaeus and Cyllenus.

I hadGone ouer. passed Menalus is a Citie, & famous mountaine of Arcadia, named of Me­nalus the sonne of Ar­cas. Menalus being Horrible, or very fearefull to cause horrour. dreadfullWith.for theCruell wild beasts. dennes of wilde beasts.

And thePlaces full of Pine-trees. Pine­groues of colde Lycaeus, And the hill Cyl­lenus. with Cyllenus a mountaine of Arcadia, dedicated to Mercurie. As Lycaeus is a mountain there, de­dicated to Pan. Cyllenus.

And then, or from hence. Afterwards I enter into the Seats, or habitati­ons.seat andVnhospital roofes, viz. place vnmeet for hospitality. bar­barous house of The cruell King of Arcadia, viz. Ly­caon,the Arcadian Cruell Kings in Ouids time were called ty­rants, which had for­merly beene called kings.tyrant,And how afterwards he came to the seat and the very house of the tyrant Lycaon himselfe.

When the late twi­light drew on the night. When as now Crepuseulum is taken for the twilight, either in the euening or mor­ning, when it is doubt­full whether it bee day or night, of creperus, signifying doubtfull.it drew to­wards night.In the shutting in of the euening.

I gaue signes [or tokens.] I signified A God to haue comne. that aDeum may seeme here to be taken for Iupiter, the great God, viz. fa­ther of Gods and men.God was comne, and the Common people.common sort Had begunne.beganTo adore and wor­ship me. to pray:And caused notice to bee giuen, that the great God was comne. Whereupon the com­mon sort hauing yet some feare, began to fall to prayer. [but] Ly­caon [Page 37] atIn the first [place.] first Scoffes, or laughes at.derides [their] godly prayers.But that Lycaon first derides their prayers.

I will proue saith he, by and by, by an open difference, or a manifest perill or experiment. By and by,Secondly, glories that he will make an ex­periment, to try whe­ther hee was a God or no, or but a mortall creature, and that hee would make that past all doubt. quoth hee, I will try by a plain ex­perience, He would make it plaine whether hee was a God, or no, thus; be­cause if hee was a God he could not be killed.whe­ther he be a God or a mortall [man.]Neither the truth shall be doubtfull, or to be doubted of. Neither shall the truth be any more to bee doubted of.

[So] he prepa­reth toKill or dispatch. de­stroy mee being heauie with sleep in the night,And thirdly, pre­pares for the murthe­ring of him, viz. of Iu­piter himselfe, by an vn­expected death, to catch him being heauie with sleepe in the night, and so this only experiment of the truth would please him. by A death not thought of.an vnexpected death. This ex­perience of the truth pleaseth him.

Neither is hee content there­with,Fourthly, that he not yet content herewith, presētly cuts the throat of one of the Hostages sent to him from the Molossians. [but] hee cuts the throate of one of the Pledges, viz. men sent to him for per­formance of promi­ses.Hostages sent From the Nation of the Molossians.from theMolossi were a peo­ple of Epeirus, of whom Lycaon, hauing ouer­comne them in warre, tooke Hostages, one whereof hee killed that hee might set him be­fore Iupiter to banquet with. Mo­lossians.

[Page 38] And soHe partly mollifi­ed [or boyled soft] [his] limbs halfe dead, with hot wa­ter. he did partly seeth his ioynts being but halfe dead,And of him causeth part to be sod, and part roasted, and so to be set before him. [and] partlyRoasted [them] with fire put vnder [or put to them.] roasted them.

WhichTogether. so soone as hee had setTo the tables. vpon the ta­ble;But assoone as euer these dainties were set before him vpon the ta­ble, hee forthwith tur­ned vpon that cruell ty­rants held his house, meet for such a master, and consumed it to a­shes with reuenging fire. I ouerturned the roofes, being meete houses with reuen­ging flame vpon the master.I ouertur­ned vpon the Masters head, The house or houshold Gods wor­thy of reuenging fire.. with a reuen­ging flame his houses, being worthy [to bee burnt.]

Lycaon. HeAffrighted with the burning of his house. be­ing terrified fly­eth away:And then how the wretch being terrified fled away, and getting all alone into desert woods, & get­ting theSilence or quiet­nesse. The woods. soli­tarinesse of the countrey,

HeHowleth wonder­fully like a Wolfe. howleth out,Howleth out like a Wolfe: andAssateth in vaine to speake. in­deauoureth to speake,And endeauouring to speake, but not a­ble, runnes mad with furie. but all in vaine:Lyeaon was driuen in­to madnesse because he could not speake. His mouth gathe­reth a furious wood­nesse from that time. from that [time] hee runnes mad:And instead of men fals vpon beasts, deuou­ring them as hee was formerly woont to de­uour men. and vseth his greedy desire of [his] ac­customed [Page 39] slaugh­ter vpō Beasts instead of men. beasts, andLike as when hee was a man. now also doth heReioyce. delight In sheading bloud.in bloud.And so still delights in bloud.

Lycaon is fained to be turned into a Wolfe, be­cause hee was so giuen ouer to greedy coue­tousnesse, that he liued of spoile as a Wolfe. Thus are all raue­nous and cruell oppres­sours, Wolues in the shapes of men. HisClothes or apparel. gar­mēts Goe away, or va­nish.are turned intoRough or great haire. haires,His garments were turned into haire, [his] armes into legs. [his] arms[Grow forth, or are changed.] into legs.

He is made a Wolfe,So that hee becomes in all things a Wolfe; yet keeping still the prints of his olde shape. and [yet] he keepes the prints of his olde shape.

There is [to him] the same grainesse. Hee hath the sameHoarines or white gray colour. graynesse,Hauing the same hoary grainesse. the sameViolence or fierce­nesse. grim­nesse of [his] Countenance.lookes.The same grimnesse of his lookes.

The same eyes doe shine [to him] there is the same image of cruelty, or fierce­nesse. The same gloring of his eyes;The same gloring of his eyes; and the very same picture of cruelty. the same picture of cruel­tie.

FAB. VII.
Of the generall deluge, and de­struction of the world thereby, for the ouerflow of in­iquitie,After that the Poet had set out the wic­kednesse of the time in this horrible fact of Ly­caon, and the vengeance which Iupiter tooke of him for the same, hee proceedeth to declare that all the world, being likewise filled with cru­elty, Iupiter fully re­solues to destroy all in like manner. and the re­pairing the same againe.

ONe house Hath fallen, or is fallen.is ouer­throwen; but not one house a­lone hath beene worthyTo be ouerthrowē. to pe­rish: Erynuis is taken for a Furie of hel, delighting in discord and warre, & a taker of vengeance on such especially as are impious against their parents. Cruell furie raigns what [way] the earth lyeth open, viz. euery where.crueltie raignes through all the world.That although this one house was ouer­throwen, yet it was not one house alone that had deserued it, but e­uen all man-kinde was worthy to perish.

You may thinke [them] to sweare to horrible wicked­nesse. A man would thinke that all men had bound them­selues by oath to commit all kinde of mischiefe. You would thinke that all men had sworne together to com­mit all horrible wickednesse.Because cruelty so raigned euery where, that a man would haue thought that all sorts had conspired & bound themselues by oath, to commit all horrible wickednesse.

All of them let them giue the pu­nishment &c. Let them haue all according to their deseruings. Let all of themMore quickly. presently abide the punish­mēt which theyAnd therefore he de­crees to deale with thē all, in taking vengeance according to their de­sert. [Page 41] haue deserued To suffer.to indure,So my sentence [or decree] stands. [for] so I haueDetermined. de­creed.And this is the de­termination of his sen­tence, which he will not reuoke.

This seemeth to be an allusion to the manner of the Senatours of Rome, in giuing their sentences or voices. Part [of them] approoue theSayings. speech of Iupiter by voice,Hereupon all the rest of the Gods approoue of Iupiters decree. Some by speech set­ting him on, andPut vnto pricks or goads. put spurres vnto him [thus] Chafing, discon­tented, or full of in­dignation.moued:Others by their as­sents agreeing thereun­to. others fulfil [their] parts By giuing their as­sent, or assenting.with [their] assents.

Yet notwith­standing They all take to heart the losse of mankinde.the Destruction.losse of man­kinde is a griefe vnto [them] all,Yet here the Gods make sundry doubts concerning this mat­ter. And first they are all troubled for this vt­ter destruction of man­kinde. And then de­mand what the forme and condition of the world should be, being vtterly dispeopled, and depriued of mortall men. andThey demaund of Iupiter. they ask, What the fashion of the earth shall be, being depriued [or destitute.]whatshould be. shall be the forme of the earth being depriu'd of mor­tal [men.]Who should do them any worship or seruice? Who should wor­ship or doe any ho­nour vnto them. who should bring Incense or sacri­fice.Frankincense vnto their Al­tars:Whether he thus pre­pared a way to deliuer the earth to the wilde beasts, to be wasted by them? whether he [thus] prepare To giue ouer the earth to be wasted with wilde beasts.to deliuer to the [Page 42] wilde beasts the earth to beeDispeopled, or wa­sted. de­stroyed?

The King of the Gods forbids them, asking such like things to feare. Iupiter bids them asking such like things,To all which Iupiter giuing answere, first for the generall, bids them not to feare: for that he would haue a care of all these things. not to Tremble.feare,For [hee said] the rest [or other mat­ters] to bee after­wards a care to him. for that hee would haue a care of all other matters, and pro­miseth [[To be.] that there should be] anIssue or generati­on. of-spring vnlike vnto the former people,And for mankinde, that hee would raise vp another of-spring farre vnlike this former, which hee would de­stroy, and of a more ad­mirable beginning, viz. by changing euen very stones into men and women, as followeth after. of aMaruailous ori­ginal, stock or birth, viz. By changing stones into men and women, as followeth after. wonderful beginning.

And euen now was heeAbout. ready toScatter or spread, or throwe abroad. disperse his Thunderbolts.lightnings vponThe whole earths. all the earth:And here he was rea­dy to haue scattered his lightnings, & throwen his thunderbolts tho­roughout all the earth;

But he feared,But that hee feared least hereby the verie heauens should bee set on fire, by so many fires euery where vnder them. least bechance the holySkie. heauen shouldConceiue [or catch] the flames. catch the flameFrom so many, &c. by so ma­ny firesVpon the earth. [vnder it] and the whole The Axletree about which the heauen is said to bee turned, put for the whole heauen. Axletree.heauen should Begin to burne.be set on fire.

[Page 43] He alsoCals to minde. re­membreth that Fatum, according to the Stoicks, is the de­creed order of things, whereby the world is gouerned necessarily. To be in the desti­nies or fates.it was decreed,And withall remem­bred that it was de­creed, that such a de­struction by fire should come in the end of the world. A time to be pre­sent.that the time should come,

In which [time] the sea, in which, the earth & palace [or court] of heauen being catched [by fires] must burne. Wherein the sea,For that the time should come wherein earth, sea, and heauens being set on fire should burne, and the whole frame of the world should be dissolued. earth, & Pa­lace of heauen being set on fire, should burne, & theHuge masse [or building] of the world so ful of work, [or that cost so much labour] must labour [or faint.] curious frame of the world should be dissolued.

[His]Darts. thunder­bolts Framed, forged, or hammered.made by the hands of the The Cyclopians are said to haue beene Iupi­ters Smiths which make him thūderbolts. They were giāts of Sicily, ha­uing but one eye, and that in the middest of their forehead. Cyclopians are Layed aside to bee reserued against the last destruction by fire.laid vp.Hereupon hee layeth vp his thunderbolts forged by his Smiths the Cyclopians.

ADiuers. It pleaseth him to haue a punishment contrary to that by fire, viz. by water. contra­ry punishment pleaseth [him] to destroyThe mortall kind. all man­kinde By water.vnder the water;And resolueth of a contrary destruction, viz. To destroy all mankinde with a floud of waters: and that chiefly by sending downe a mighty raine from euery part of hea­uen. and to send downe Great showers or sodaine stormes of raine out of all the heauen.mighty raine from euery part of heauen.

[Page 44] [AndTo that end. there­fore] hee forth­with shuts vp the Aquile, the North­winde is so called, be­cause he commeth fly­ing boystrously as an Eagle.North-winde in theEolian caues. caues of Eolus, is fained to bee the sonne of Iupiter by Acesta [...] and he is said to bee the GOD of the winds, because being Prince of Eolie, hee found out much the reason of the winds, & by certaine signes to foretell what windes would blowe, and so was thought to haue the windes at com­maund. Eolia. And to this purpose hee presently shuts vp the North-winde in the caues of the countrey of Eolia, where Eolus rules them.

AndWhatsoeuer other blasts. all other windes which Put to flight, or cause to fly away.driue away the cloudsSpred ouer. broght in;And likewise all other windes which driue a­way the cloudes, and the raine.

And hee sends out the South-winde.And instead of them sends abroad the south-winde, the principall procurer of raine.

The South-winde is thus described, because it is commonly wet. The South-winde flies a­broad The winds are said to haue wings, for the swiftnesse of them.with wet wings,Which is described thus, for the more easie vnderstanding the rai­nie nature of it.

Hauing couered his terrible, &c. or being couered in re­spect of his counte­nance, or as concer­ning his countenāce. Synce. Hauing his terrible counte­nance couered withPitchy darknesse, viz. blacke clouds. darknesse as black as pitch.1. That hee comes flying with wet wings. 2. That he hath his countenance terrible & couered with darknesse as blacke as pit [...]h.

[His] beard [is] Heauie or full.loaden with Huge showers or stormes.abundance of raine,3. That his beard is loaden with raine, and that raine floweth from his hoarie lockes, all bedeawed. theWaue. wa­ter floweth from hisWhite with deaw. hoarie Haires.lockes.

Little cloudes sit in [his] fore­head,4. That in his fore­head sit little cloudes, his feathers, bosom, & all distill like deaw. [Page 45] both [his] feathers and bo­some Drop downe as the deaw or send downe a deaw.distill like deawe.

And as hee Pressed the clouds hanging farre and wide, with his hand.wringed with his hand the cloudes hanging all abroad;5. That hee wrings the clouds in his hand.

Fragor is the noise of things broken, [...]frango. There followed a crash. A crash is made,Whereupon follow­eth immediatly a won­derfull crash, and the raine powreth downe a­bundantly from the skie. &Dense or thicke stormes. huge showers are pou­red downe from theHeauen. skie.

Iris, the raine-bowe is said to be the messenger of Iuno and sometimes of Iupiter, because ap­pearing after dry wea­ther, she is said to fore­show showers, and after raine faire weather, ab [...], dico. The raine­bowe The messenger of Iuno hauing put on diuers colours. Iunoes messengerShe is said to be array­ed with diuers colours for the sundry colours of it, made in the clouds by the reflexion of the beames of the Sunne or Moone. be­ing arrayed with diuers colours,And lastly how the raine-bowe which is said to bee the messen­ger of Iuno, arrayed in her sundry colours, ga­thereth water likewise, and ministreth raine vnto the cloudes. Receiueth or ga­thereth within it selfe.conceiueth waters, andBringeth nourish­mēt vnto the clouds, viz. water to fill thī. af­foordeth matter vnto the clouds.Then is set downe the effect of all these; that by the violence of the mightie raine,

The standing corneAre cast throwen downe. is beaten downe,The standing corne is beaten downe euery where. And the vowes lye deplored [or bewai­led, or desperate] to the husbandmen. and the Vota, may bee taken for their corne, which they had begged with many vowes and pray­ers.hopes of the husbandmen lye altogether despe­rate:And all the hope and labour of the husband­man vtterly perisheth. and also the labour of the [Page 46] long yeerMade vaine, [or becomne vaine and fruitlesse] perisheth. being frustrate perish­eth vtterly.And besides all these, the Poet sheweth, that for the increasing and furthering of this de­struction by waters,

Neither yetThe anger of Iu­piter is content. is the anger of Iupi­ter contētTo powre downe waters onely from heauen. wth his own heauen;Iupiter in his wrath not content onely to send downe raine from heauen in this manner, Procures moreouer his brother Neptune the God of the seas and waters to helpe him with his forces. but[His] azure [or skie-coloured] bro­ther, viz. Neptune God of the sea. [his] azure colored brother Neptune, helpeth himWith the forces of his waues. with [his] aiding waues.

Neptune. He calleth togetherThe riuers. the Gods of theAmnis ab ambiendo. Varro. ri­uers:How Neptune forth­with calls together all the Gods of the riuers. who after that theyHaue entred the roofes of their Ty­rant. entred the house of their Tyrant is sometimes taken in the good part for a good King, ruling iustly for the good of the subiects. Tyrant, viz. Nep­tune.King; weMust not. are not now,To whome so soone as euer they were en­tred his Palace, and comne into his pre­sence, hee speaketh to this purpose, quoth he,That he was not now to vse any long exhor­tation: but that they all presently send out their forces, to vse any long exhortati­on: powre out your forces:That they open the fountaines of their ri­uers, o­pen [your]Houses, viz. the fountains which are said to be the houses of the riuers, or ra­ther of the Gods thereof. foun­taines, [for] so there is neede; & The great dam [or heape of earth keeping in the wa­ter] being remoued out of the way.hauing remoo­ued all hindran­ces,Remoue all hindran­ces which might keepe in their waters, And giue a free liber­tie to all their streames. Send ye in. Giue liberty to all your great riuers to ouerflowe.giue the wholeHabenas.] A meta­phor frō horses which are stayed with bridles. raines to [al] your streams.

[Page 47] Neptune had no soo­ner commaunded but these returne. Neptune.Hee had [thus] comman­ded.And then followeth their obedience, and readinesse, that Neptune had no sooner giuen this command, but that they all straight re­turne.

The Gods of the riuers returne. These re­turne, andVnloose the mouthes to their fountaines. set open the mouths of their foun­taines.Set open the mouthes of the fountaines of their riuers.

And [so]The great riuers or streames. they areRouled. tumbled in­to the seaWith an vnbride. led course, or outra­giously. with a most violent course.Whereby the waters flowe out with all vio­lence, and are rowled towards the sea in an outragious manner.

As the thunderbolt is ascribed to Iupiter, so a three-forked Mace to Neptune, wherewith he smiting the earth ma­keth it to tremble, and so the earth-quake, which is said to be made by the bursting of va­pours, or waters out of the earth. Neptune. He him­selfe [also] smit the earth with his three-forked Mace;And moreouer, how Neptune also himselfe smites the earth with his three-forked mace. But it, viz. the earth. so that it

Quaked excee­dingly. Trembled,Whereupon it trem­bleth exceedingly, and presently by the quak­ing thereof sets open all the passages of the wa­ters, and springs within it. andMade to lye wide open the wayes. set open the passages of the waterWith her motion or trembling. in the moouing [there­of.]

TheGreat riuers flow­ing wide and farre. floudes running all a­broad,And hereby the flouds run all abroad, and rush thorough the champaine fields. doe rush through the o­pen fields.

[Page 48] AndSnatch away, or whirle away. Carry away with all violence. carrie away with vio­lence All manner of trees. Groues of trees.groues of trees, together with theSowen fields. Sowen Corne. sowen corne, and also cattell,Cattell. and men, andRoofes of houses. Men. houses;Houses. and [all]The inward pla­ces of their houses where they worship­ped their Gods, and so their houshold Gods also. Here it is taken for all pla­ces of worship, as Churches, Chappels, &c. the places of the worship of their Gods,Churches and Chap­pels. toge­ther with their sacred things.Houshold Gods, with all their sacred things.

If any house remainedNot cast downe by the force of the wa­ters. If any house remai­ned standing by the strength of it, vn­cast downe, and couldResist. withstand so great an euill: yet theWaue. Yet the water still en­creaseth till it couer the tops thereof. water Being aboue it.being high­er couereth the The top of the house was called Culmen, à culmo, because they were woont to be thac­ked with straw.topOf this. thereof; and the towers lye hid beingPressed, or co [...]e­red. So that the highest Towers are couered and ouerwhelmed vn­der the vast waters. o­uerwhelmed vn­der theGurges, signifieth properly any deepe gulfe or whirling place in a riuer. Gulfe, or deepe waters. vast waters.

There was no dif­ference betweene sea and land, all was like a Sea. And that there was no difference betweene sea and land. And now the sea andEarth. land had no diffe­rence;

[Page 49] The sea couered all But all things were maine sea.All things werePo [...]tus the sea called Pontus Euxinus here put for the sea in gene­rall. sea,Also the shoares were wanting, viz. no shoares did ap­peare. euen the very shoares were wanting to the sea.No shores appearing any where. Then followeth that lamentable sight,

This [man] That one gets vp in­to a hill to saue himself. One manOccupieth, or pos­sesseth, viz. taketh a hill. gets vp into a hill, an­other sits in a The boate is called crooked, because both the forepart and hin­derpart are so com­monly, and other parts of it. Another sits in a boat to preserue life,crooked boat:

AndDraweth [or gui­deth] his rudders there, or thither. Rowing where hee had plowed but hard before. roweth there, where hee had plowed of late.

Another [man.] And sailing ouer not onely standing Corne, but also tops of Villa­ges ouerflowen, Hee sailes Vpon.ouer the stan­ding corn, or the [Ouer] the tops.top ofA Village drow­ned a drowned farme: Hee, viz. another man. That now they might catch fish sitting in the tops of trees.another catch­eth fish in the top of an Elme.

The iron which the Mariners cast down into the sea by a ca­b [...]e to stay their ships. The anchors of their ships are fastened in the greene medows insteed of the bottome of the sea. The An­chor is fastened in the greene me­dowe,So fortune carried it, or would haue it, or so it happened. as it fell out:

Or the croo­ked The Keeles or bot­tomes of the ships put for the whole ships. Ships. The keeles of their ships floate ouer the vineyards, lying drow­ned vnder them.keeles Goe ouer the vine­yards. do couer the Places set with Vines.vineyards ly­ing vnder them.

[Page 50] And where Euen now or a little before. And where of late Go [...]tes and other cat­tell did feed.of late the Nimble.slender Goats Haue cropped grasse.did feede;

There now. There sea-calues and other like Monsters of the sea do wallow now. There the Filthy & great.ill-fauoured sea-calues doe nowWallowe. lay their bodies.

Nereides. sea Nymphs so cald of Nereus their fathe [...]. The sea Nymphs. The very sea-nymphs do woonder to see the groues, Citties, and houses vnder the wa­ter. The nymphs of the sea doe woonder at the groues, and Ci­ties, and houses vnder the water: also the Dol­phins Hold or possesse the woods. The great Dolphines and other huge fishes of the sea dwell, as birds in the woods,abide in the woods, and Doe oft runne in, to the high branches. Swim vp and downe amongst the boughes of the trees,doe runne vp and downe a­mongst the thick boughs, and beat vponThe Oakes tossed with the waters. And beate in their swimming against the Oakes tossed in the waters. the tos­sed Oakes.

The Wolfe swimmeth a­mōgst the sheep;The Wolues and Ly­ons swim amongst the sheepe. the water carri­eth theBrowne or weefill coloured. taw­nie coloured Ly­ons.

[Page 51] The water Carrieth. Neither doth their woonderfull swiftnesse helpe the Tigres,beareth away theThe force of the wilde Bore, who is caried with so great violence against the hunter, that he may seeme to haue the very power of the thunderbolt, or lightning. The Tigre is a be [...] of woonderfull [...] nesse. Nor fiercenesse the Bore, though his vio­lent rage bee like the thunderbolt. Tigres, nei­ther doth the This may bee vnder­stood also of the [...] of the Bore, wherewith he smiteth and [...] like a thunderbolt.force of the thūderbolt [help] the Bore.

Neither. Nor yet the light legs ought auaile the Stagge. Nor yet doe the swift legsProfit. a­vaile theHart. Stag beingTaken away. carried away [with the waters.]

All sorts of birds, or more specially the Swallow, which in flight most wand [...]rs vp and downe. The poore bird ha­uing long wandered vp and downe with weary wings, yet at length falleth into the sea, fin­ding no place at all for rest or succour. The bird likewise wan­dring with wea­rie wings fal­leth downe in­to the Sea,The earths being sought long where she may stand or stay. ha­uing long sought the earth where she might rest.

The vnmeasurable liberty. The outragious wa­ters couered all the les­ser hills. The outra­gious swelling of the Sea had Ouerwhelmed the lesser hils.couered the Tum [...]lus à tumor [...].hils.

[Page 52] AndThe great and vn­usuall waters. And new surges still arising, beat vpon the tops of the highest mountaines. the (r) new waues Beat against.beate vpon the tops of the moū ­taines.

The greatest part [of men] is Snatched away. Finally, for man­kinde, the greatest part thereof is violently whirled & carried quite away by the waters.whirled away violently by the water:They who escaped drowning, perished with hunger. whom the water spared,

Those long Long fastings doe tame [or subdue] them with a helpe­lesse [or succour­lesse] liuing. And if any bechance scape the violence of the waters, yet they lan­guish away with long fasting, and vtterly pe­rish for want of foode.fasting doth o­uercome tho­rough lacke of Sustenance. Here the Poet hauing thus shewed the gene­rall destruction of all things by this deluge, proceedeth now to shew how onely Deuca­lion and Pyrrha, were preserued, by whome mankind was repaired; and first setteth downe the place where they were preserued viz. in the mountaine Parnas­sus, in the countrey of Phocis: which Phocis is described that it did lie betweene the Aonians and Acteans, seuering them. 2. That it was a f [...]uitfull land whil'st it remained a land.foode.

Here followeth a des­cription of the moun­taine Parnassus. in the top whereof Deucalion and Pyrrha were pre­serued, by whome after mankinde was repai­red. Some make this an Hypallage. That the A­onians separate Phocis from the Acteans or A­thenians, according to the tables of the Geo­graphers. Phocis a fruite­full land, whilest it was a land, &c. se­uereth. Phocis Separateth, or di­uideth.seuereth the Boetians. Aonians from theAthenean fields, or fields of Acte where Athens stoode, or the countrey of At­tica. Actean fields.

Which was. [It was] a fruitfullCountrey. land whilst itHath beene, or was. remai­ned a land,But [it was] a part of the sea at that time, and &c. but at that time,

A part of the sea & aLarge or spacious. But that at this time it was all ouerflowen and like vnto the maine sea. broad field of suddaine waters.

[Page 53] Where the moū ­taine Parnassus be­ing high, with two tops..3. That in this coun­trey stoode the hill Par­nassus, which is also de­scribed Where the mount Named Parnas­sus. Parnassus by name,A high hill. 1. By the height, that it did seeme to reach al­most to the starres. reacheth almost vnto the Seeketh or goeth vp vnto the starres, or ascendeth.stars,2. By the tops. That it had two tops, the height whereof went aboue the cloudes. with two tops, andCelestiall signes or skies. goeth aboue the clouds with hisGoeth beyonde. And only this moun­taine remained vncoue­red of the waters, by reason of the height. height.

This seemeth to be a plaine al [...]usion to the resting of the Arke of Noah, vpon the moun­taine of Ararat. Top. Whenas Deucalion being carried in a little Where, or heere where Deucalion. How Deucalion and Pyrrha his wife, carried in a little ship, stayd here vpon this mountaine.shipBoate or Lighter. With the consort or companion of his bed, or bed fellow. Ratis is most proper­ly a Lighter, made of pieces of timber, pio­ned together, whereon hay or other like things are dragged or drawen with horses on Riuers. together with his wife, Sticked here.stayed here, for the sea had coue­red the rest;

They adore Nymphes of Cory­ceus..And how first when they were comne to land; in token of their thankfulnesse, and to pacifie and obtaine the fauour and helpe of the Gods, they adored the Nymphs and Gods of that mountaine, to whome it was consecra­t [...]ed. He adoreth theCoryceus is a caue in the hill Parnassus, dedi­cated to the Nymphes. (r) Coryci­dane Nymphes, and theDiuine powers of the mountaine, viz. Apollo, B [...]cchus, and the Muses to which Parnassus was consecrated. Gods of the Moun­taine,

AndThemis Iupiters sister' (of whome hee begat Minerua) Goddesse of Iustice, commanding men to aske nothing of the Gods, but that which was lawfull and meet, whereof she had her name of [...] sas or iustum. Themis the fore­t [...]ller of the secrets of the destinies. The­mis the destinie­teller,And especially Themis the Goddess of Iustice, who at that time was Lady and president of the Oracles, and gaue answers vnto them who sought for helpe, or to know secrets of the Gods, as Apollo did af­ter. who at that timeThemis is [...] to be the chiefe geuetr our of the Oracles▪ viz of Religion, [...] rea­son which is in [...] doth teach all sons that there is a God, and that this God is of due to be worshipped: and doth maintaine this o­pinion, being ingrauen in the minds of men, by the generall consent of all Nations; as Tully saith. vid. Sabin. Held the Oracles, or gaue answer con­cerning the desti­nies as Apollo did after. gaue an­sweres from the Gods.

[Page 54] There was not a­ny man better then he. Here the Poet setteth out first that holinesse and integrity of these two parties who were thus preserued by whō mankinde was so repai­red, to whome also the Gods had such respect.There was not a better man then he,Nor more louing equity or iustice. or one that more lo­ued equitie; or any oneMore reuerencing the Gods [or a more deuout worshipper of the Gods.] That there were not any better in the earth then they, nor any more iust or more de­uout, and more true worshippers of God. that more reuerenced the Gods then she.

After that Iu­piter seethThe globe or com­passe of the earth. And secondly, that hereupon Iupiter, see­ing the world thus o­uerflowen as a pond. the worldTo stand all ouer­flowen as a fen. to stand as a pond withWaters standing all abroad as in a fen. liquide fens,

And one one­ly man to re­maine Of so many thou­sands euen now..And onely one man and one woman to bee left aliue of all the world, and all alone;of so manyThousand men. thou­sands,

And onely one woman to be remaining of so many thou­sands,

Both of them Innocent. And these two both of them most harme­lesse creatures, & most deuout worshippers of God:harmelesse, bothWorshippers of the diuine power or God. deuout worshippers of God;

[Page 55] HeCast asunder, se­uered or scattered. Hee in compassion disperseth the clouds; dispersed the cloudes, and Great showers [or tempestuous wea­ther] being remoo­ued with the North­winde. And driues away the raine with the North­winde.hauing remoo­ued the mighty raine with the The Northwinde scattereth the cloudes, and bringeth faire wea­ther.Northwinde,

Hee sheweth both theLands. And so beginnes to cleare both the heauen and the earth by remo­uing the cloudes from the skies, and the wa­ters from off the face of the earth, that both heauen and earth might bee seene to one ano­ther. earth To heauen, and the skie to the lands, viz, the waters which had couered all being remooued.vnto the hea­uens, and the heauens vnto the earth.

Neither doth theAnger viz. vic­lent ouerflowing. Hee abateth also the rage of the seas. rage of the seaRemaine or abide. continue:

And also the tri­ple poynted [or three-forked] dart being layed away, [or being put to it] the sea asswageth [or calmeth] the waters. His brother Neptune also, who had so helped in increasing the flood, hee layeth aside his tri­ple-forked Mace, And also Nep­tune Vsing his three-forked Mace.. hauing layd asideThe three-forked Mace is ascribed to Neptune, as is thought of some, for the three parts of the world which the Ocean sea compasseth about, and for that in places neere the sea are oft earth­quakes, and inund [...] ­ons with the e [...]th­quake: and thereupon is Neptune [...] to smite the earth with his three-forked mace, as before. his three—forked Mace,Asswageth the wa­ters. asswa­geth the wa­ters:Calleth forth his Trumpetour Triton. and cal­leth forth [that] Skie coloured, or Sea coloured.azure colou­red Triton [his Trumpeter] ap­pearing aboue The deepe [Sea.] Who straight appears vpon the sea,the deepe, [Page 56] andCouered vpon his shoulders, or in re­spect of his shoul­ders. Synec. Hauing vpon him a robe of a natiue purple colour. hauing his shoulders coue­red withA purple robe. a na­tiue Murex is a shell-fish, of the bloud whereof purple colour is made, here put for the colour it selfe, or a robe dyed with that colour.purple co­lour; and com­maunds him to Triton is a sea-mon­ster, like vnto a man in the vpper part, and in the nether part like vn­to a fish; he is of a skie color, & hath a shel like vnto the great Cockle. He is f [...]ned to be Nep­tunes Trumpeter, who by a sound can asswage the seas. And the rea­son thereof is, because he both soundeth loud in a shell, and when hee is heard, or appeareth, he then foresheweth a calme to follow. Him hee commands to sound a retreit to the flouds and streames, therwith to recall them all.blow with [his] sounding shell, and now to re­call theWaues and flouds. floudes and streamesA signe being gi­uen [that they may returne,] or a re­treit being soun­ded. by [this] signe gi­uen vnto them.

Tritons Trumpet des­cribed. Triton. A hollow Trum­pet is taken to him, [or of him.] Hee forthwith takes his Trumpet. He taketh vnto himselfe [his] hollowe Trumpet writhē Into widenesse or a broad compasse.wider and wi­der, Which increaseth from the lowest top [or mouth, or poynt] like the sharpe end of a top.]which wax­eth bigger like vnto a top from the very smallest end.

[His] trumpet [I say is taken] Which so soone as hee had set vnto his be­deawed mouth, & that it felt his blast, [His] trum­pet [I say] which So soone as it be­gan to be blowen [or to sound.]so soone as it conceiueth the Ayre or winde.blast in the mid­dest of the sea, [Page 57] Filleth with theVoyce. It filled with the sound of it al the shores lying vnder the whole heauen. sound [all] the shoares lying vnderBoth Phoebus, viz. the sun rising and setting, or both East and West, or all betweene the East and West, and so vnder the whole heauen. compasse of the Sunne.

Then alsoAfter that. so soone (r) as it touched the Mouths of the God, viz. of Tri­ton.mouth of the GodTriton had set the trumpet vnto his mouth, distilling with his wet beard. distilling like the deawe with his wet beard, and being Blowen in, sang.blowen, soun­ded the commā ­ded retreits,

It was heard To all, viz. by and throughout all the waters. So that it was heard of all the waters, both in the land and sea.of all the waues both of land and sea.

And of what Waues. And so soone as euer it was heard of them, it forthwith repressed thē all;waters soeuer it was heard, it [forthwith] re­pressed them all.

And now hath the Sea [his] Shoare. That immediately the Sea commeth with­in the shores againe.shoares [again;] the chanellTaketh or recei­ueth, or keepeth within the compasse of it. con­taineth the full Streames. The riuers returne & runne within their cha­nels.riuers.

[Page 58] The floudes Are dimini­shed, and not so deepe. All the floudes doe settle downe; and as it were, little hils begin to appeare.settle downe, [and] the little hils doe seeme to Goe forth, or they doe appeare.come forth.

The ground ariseth,The ground ariseth, waxing broader. places Waxe greater and broader as the wa­ters diminish.doe increase, theWaues. The waters fall, wax­ing narrower. waters de­creasing.

Also the woodes shew their naked tops after a long sea­son. So that after a long time, the woods begin to shew their naked tops; And after a long [...] in foeminino vsi­ [...] pro tempore. time the woodes shewe theirVncouered, and without leaues. naked tops, andHold. Hauing still the mud hanging in their boughes. keepe the mud left In theirBough, branch, or leafe. boughs.

The globe or com­passe of the earth, or vpper face, And finally the world is restored againe, that the face of the earth doth all appeare. The world is to be seene againe.was restored: which after that Deucalion sawOpen, viz. empty of man and beast. Which when Deuca­lion sawe how it was emptie, and desolate, and silent, it made bare,

And also the Left alone, or de­solate of man and beast.desolateEarths. earth To doe [or keepe] deepe silences.to be altogether silent, he speakes thus vnto Pyr­tha, He speakes thus vnto Pyrrha with the teares arising in his eyes.the teares Risen, or arising.standing [in his eyes.]

A patheticall speech, and full of affection, whereby Deucalion in­deauoureth to binde Pyrrha mere firmely vnto him; and to moue her to consult for the repaire of mankinde. Deucalion and Pyr­rha were brethrens chil­dren: for Iatheth as they say had two sons, Prometheus, of whome came Deucalion, and E­pimetheus, of whome was Pyrrha. And so he calleth her sister in most kinde sort, for that neer bond, and after the an­cient manner. Oh my sister, my dearest wife, oh woman onely left aliue, Oh sister, oh [my] wife, oh the only woman Suruiuour of all womankinde.remaining a­liue,

Whome the common stocke andOriginall of cosin­germans, descended from two brethren, viz. Prometheus, and Epimetheus. Whome so neere a descent, euen from the same Grandfather, and afterwards the mariage bed, and now also these very present dangers haue thus ioyned toge­ther: descent from the same Grandfather, & afterwards the Mariage.bed hath ioy­ned vnto mee, Now the very dangers do ioyne.and now also these very dan­gers do ioyne to­gether:

Wee two are the whole com­pany of [all] the lands,Thou seest that wee two are all the compa­ny that are left aliue in all the world. which so­euer The setting and rising [of the Sun] doe see.the West and East do see; the SeaHath possessed the rest. The sea hauing vtter­ly swept away all other liuing creatures. hath Caetera animant [...]a.all other liuing creatures.

Moreouer,And moreouer, that this stay of our life is very vncertaine. this Trust or stay.confidence of our life is not [Page 60] yetCertaine. And how euery little cloude doth now terri­fie our hearts. sure e­nough; nowEuen the clouds. e­uen the verie cloudes doe terrifie [our] minde.

Oh [woman] to be pittied, what minde coulde bee to thee now, if thou hadst beene Oh poore soule, what a heart wouldest thou now haue had, if thou hadst escaped alone without me? Ah poore soule to be pitti­ed, what a heart shouldest thou now haue had, if thou hadst beene Deliuered from the destinies with­out me?preserued alone without mee? Snatched from the fates. How shouldest thou haue been able to haue endured this feare?how couldest thou aloneBy what meanes. en­dure [this] feare? Beare the feare. By whome comfor­ting [couldst thou endure these] griefes? Whome shouldest thou haue had to haue comforted thee in thy griefes?by whose com­fort [couldest thou abide these] griefes?

For why? I my selfe,As for my selfe (my dearest wife) if the sea had taken thee away, I would certainely haue followed thee, and it should haue had mee too. (my [deare] wife be­lieue mee) if the Sea had thee Also, viz. in like manner as the rest of the creatures.likewise, would follow thee, and the sea should haue me too.

[Page 61] Prometheus ( [...]s is said before) formed the earth vnto the image of man, and put into it a heauenly soule. And for mankinde, that is thus destroyed, oh would to God I were able to repaire it, by my ancient Father Prometheus skill, and to infu [...]e soules as hee did into the formed earth.Oh that I were able to Renew, or restore againe.repaire the people by my FathersArts. skill, & To powre in.infuse soules in­to The earth being formed [or framed] viz. into the shapes of men.the formed earth.

Now [all] The mortall kinde. For now all mankind remaineth in vs two.mankinde re­maineth in vs twaine.

[For] so it hath Seemed good to.pleased the Gods,So it hath beene the good pleasure of the Gods. and we re­maine Onely patternes. And we remaine the onely patternes of the same.sam­ples of men.

He had spoken. And thus Deucalion ended his speech. Hee had thus made an end of his speech,The Poet hauing thus liuely set out the emphaticall speech of Deucalion, concerning the restoring of man­kinde, proceedeth to shew the effects which followed. and they [both] wept.

It pleased [them]. Then they thought it good to pray vnto the heauenlyDiuine power. How they both wept. God, and to seeke his ayde by theSacrae sortes] were taken for such answers and prophecies as were drawen out by lot, and were knowen by the lots. And thought this the onely meanes for ef­fecting hereof; sa­cred Lots. First, to pray to the heauenly God, and to seeke his ayde herein by the sacred Oracles.Oracles.

There is no delay. They made no longer delay: They goe vnto. And secondly, how they made no longer stay, but went both together forthwith to the riuer Cephisus, a riuer hard by, flowing out of the bottome of the hill where they were. And there, though the water thereof was not yet cleare, but one­ly gotten in, and run­ning within the cha­nell,they goe toge­ther [Page 62] toThe Cephisidan waters. the wa­ters ofCephisus is a riuer flowing out of the bot­tome of Parnass [...]s, [...]neer vnto which the temple of Themis stood. Cephisus.

And not as yet li­quide, viz. cleare or pure [but muddy] Although not* cleare as yet, but now [onely]Keeping within their chanels or knowen banks. cut­ting the knowen fordes.

And then so soone as they haue be­deawed [or sprink­led] the liquors tas­ted [or drawen vp.] Yet they sprinkled of the same vpon their clothes and heads. From thence so soone as they had sprinkled the waters lightly touched

To their garments and head. Vpon their clothes & head, They goe. And thence turned presently vnto the Tē ­ple of the sacred God­desse Themis, which stoode neere therevnto.they turne their steps vnto theDelubrum, is con­iectured to be of Deus (vt candelabrum, à can­dela) a place where any God was worshipped: or of diluendo, because the Heathens vsed to sprinkle them before they praied or worship­ped in them. Place of worship, or chappell. Temple of the sacred Themis.Goddesse, theTops of which were foule [or filthy or ouergrowen.] roofe wher­of ofThe roofe whereof was all, as ouergrowen with mosse, filthie and lothsome, was loth­some with fil­thy mosse, and The altars of The­mis.[her] Altars stoode without Fires. And her Altars stood without fire.fire.

As they haue tou­ched. Assoone as they touched theSteps, or greeces. And thirdly, how as­soone as they touched the staires of the tem­ple, both of them fell downe humbly vpon their faces, staires of the Temple, both of themLyeth downe, or fals downe. fall down,

[Page 63] Groueling, or flat on their faces.Humbly vp­on the ground, andBeing in great feare. And trembling kisse the stones thereof. trembling, Gaue kisses to the colde stone. And finally thus they make their prayer vnto Themis:kissed the colde Stones of the stairs.stone.

And thus they spake: If theGods, If the Gods can bee ouercomn by the prai­ers of the iust, if they can bee appeased and their anger asswaged, di­uine powers be­ing ouercomne With iust prayers, viz. with prayers of iust men.with the pray­ers of the iust, Wax mild, or doe relent.begin to be ap­peased againe: if the anger of the Gods beBowed, viz. can be mooued, or pacified. asswa­ged,

Oh Themis tell [vs] by whatArt, viz. skill o [...] r meanes. Oh Themis tell vs by what meanes the losse of our kinde may bee repaired, and helpe (Ogracious Goddesse) for the restoring of all things againe. de­uice the losse of ourStocke or kinred, viz. mankinde. kinde Is repairable, or is to bee repaired, or may be repaired, or restored.may be repay­red; and oh most Gentle or gratious.milde [God­des] Bring helpe to, or relieue, or renue,bring [som] help toThe things drow­ned. mankind being thus de­stroyed.

The Goddess is mooued [at their prayers] &Gaue a lot, viz. an answer from the Oracle. Hereupon the God­desse is mooued with compassion at their prayers, and giues them this answer; giues [them] [this] an­swer,Depart ye out of the Temple. Depart yee out of the tēple;

[Page 64] AndHide. Couer your heads, and let your garments loose. couer yourHead. heads,And vnloose your garments being girt, or slacke them. & withall vnloose your garments,

And [then]And then cast the bones of your great mother behinde your backes. cast the bones of [your] greatParent or grand­mother. mo­ther behind your backe.

They were amazed long, viz. wondring what the answer should meane. At this strange an­swere they stood both amazed long; They stood amazed long; butPyrrha the former brake the silences with her voyce, viz. spake first. But Pyrrha breaking off the silence first, re­fuseth to obey this cō ­maundement of the Goddesse, Pyrrha breakes off the silence first, and refuseth to obey theHest. comman­dement of the Goddesse.

AndPrayeth with a fearefull mouth. Beseeching her with a trembling voyce, that she would pardon her therein, for not doing as she commanded, for that shee feared excee­dingly to hurt her mo­thers soule; by casting of her bones in such manner behinde her backe. besee­cheth [her] with a trēbling voice, That she may giue pardon to her.that [she] would pardon her,And. for that shee feareth exceedingly

To hurt [her] Mothers shadowes or ghosts.mothers ghost, Her bones being [so] cast or hur­led.by casting of her bones.

In the meane time theyRepeat with them­selues, viz. meditate. And yet in the mean time, they both of them oft repeat, and serious­ly can betweene them­selues the words of the Oracle, which were so obscure with secret my­steries. re­peate andRoule often, or tosse in examining and pondering in their mindes. scan [Page 65] betweene them­selues the words of theLot being giuen. answer which was giuen being obscure withBlinde. darkeHoles▪ or secret & hidden things. my­steries.

Prometheus and Fo [...] ­metheus, are [...] to haue bee [...]e breth [...]en, sonnes of [...]aphet, as [...] said. Prometheus signi­fieth one who is vi [...], following reason, and so taketh aduice before, or prouiding before, of [...] & [...] consi [...]ium. Epimetheus, one follow­ing sense & reason foo­lish, taking counsell af­ter the deed. And then beginnes Deucalion to comfort his dear wife with these sweet words; And then Prome [...]hides, Prometheus sonne, viz. Deu [...]a [...]ion the sonne of Prome­theus. Deucalion com­forts Epimethides, viz. Pyrrha, Epime­theus daughter. Pyrrha [his wife] with these Pleasing or gentle words.sweet wordes:

And either. Either (quoth hee) my judgement decei­ueth me much, Either, quoth he,Our cunning [or wit] is deceitfull to vs, or the depth is hid from vs. our iudge­ment deceiueth vs;

Or theOracles are godly. Or the answer of the Goddesse is holy, and perswadeth vs to no such impietie at all, much lesse to such as the words may import. an­sweres are holy, &Command. Perswade no wic­kednesse or vnlaw­full thing. perswade vs to no impie­tie.

The great mo­ther isThe earth is rightly called the great mo­ther, for that all things in it both li [...]ing, and without, life are bred of it, and for that it nouri­sheth all liuing things, and receiueth all things, dying, as into the bo­some of it. I suppose that by the great mother is meant the earth, and by the bones the stones in the body thereof. the earth: I suppose the stones in the bodie of the earth to bee cal­led bones;And that we are com­manded to cast those stones behinde our backs. wee are commanded to cast these be­hinde our backs.

[Page 66] Although Titania a name of Pyrrha, neece or grand­childe to Iaphet, the son of Titan, who was the Sonne of Coelum and Vesta. Titania is. Now although Pyr­rha was much mooued at this coniecture of her husband; and both of them hoped well it might be so; Pyrrha be mo­ued by thisDiuination or in­terpretation. con­iecture of her husband;

Yet[Their] hope is in doubt, viz. they hope doubtfully, or dis­trusting. Yet they were still doubtfull, and both di­strust in some sort the heauenly Oracle. their hope is doubtfull, and stil both of them distrust the hea­uenly Admonition or counsell. Notwithstanding thus they beginne to reason with themselues;Oracle: but what shall it hurt [them]To trie. What can it hurt vs to make a triall hereof? to make a triall?

They depart &Veile. Thereupon they de­part, and as they were inioyned, couer [their] Head. They couer their heads,heades, &Let loose [their] coats. Loose their garments, vn­girde their gar­ments,

AndSend. Cast stones behinde their backes. cast the This is thought to bee fained thereupon, that Deucalion a King of Thessalie, after a great [...]oud, wherewith all Greece is said to haue beene ouerflowen, is reported to haue instru­cted the rude and sa­uage people, and to haue framed them by good lawes to put a­way their fierce, hard & vntractable natures: and so to haue caused them to leaue the stony rockes and caues wher­in they then liued, ca­sting them as it were behinde their backes, and to haue gathered into companies, and built them Cities.stones commā ­ded behind their Footsteps.backes.

The stones (who can belieue this but that an­quitie Hath witnessed it. And forthwith the stones (a matter incre­dible, but that antiqui­ty doth giue certaine testimony vnto it)is wit­nesse?)

Began toPut away. Begin to lay away their naturall hardnes. lay away [their] hard­nesse, and their Rigour, sturdiness or roughnesse. Or rather it is fained of the Poets onely to signifie the depraua­tion or peruersnesse of soule and bodie, or of mans nature.stifnesse,

[Page 67] And to bee Made soft. To soften by little & little,softenedBy delay. by little and little, and being sof­tened To lead. And to take a shape.to take a shape.

Straight-way, whenas. Yea so, as some shape of man beginnes to ap­peare; By and by They haue increa­sed or waxed big­ger.they in­creased And a softer na­ture happened vnto them.and receiued a sof­ter nature,As. that some shape of manMay. might be seene,So. Although not very manifest at the first, though notManifest or ap­parant enough. [very] ma­nifest, but as [an image made] of Marble newly begun,

Not exact [or perfect] enough. Yet like images wrought in marble when they are newly begunn [...], onely rough hewen, and not fini­shed: Not yet fi­nished, and most likeRude or rough. And most like vnto impolished pictures. impoli­shed Signes, viz. ima­ges or statues rough­ly hewen.pictures.

Yet what part of them was moyst with anyMoysture. And what part of the stones was moyst and earthy, iuyce,

[Page 68] And also ear­thy,That is turned into flesh and bloud. is turned in­toFlesh. the vse of the body:

What thing, or what part. What is so­lide and cannot bee bowed,The solide parts into bones. is changed into bones.

What [part] hath beene. What was Euen now.lately a veine,The veines of the stones into vaines of the bodie. remained vn­der the same name.

And so the stones sent by the hands of the man, drew the face of men in a short time by the diuine power of the Gods. And [so] in a short space by the power of the Gods,And thus in a short space, through the mighty power of the Gods. the stones

Sent, Cast by the handsOf Deucalion. of the man,The stones cast by the hands of the man are made men. Receiued the pro­portion and nature of men. tooke the shape of men.

And the wo­manIs. was re­pairedBy the stones which the woman cast behinde her. by the womans casting [of stones behind her.]A [...]d those cast by the hands of the woman are made women.

[Page 69] Thereupon wee are a hard kinde andHauing such ex­perience [or pro [...]fe] of labours, or so able to indure toyle and hardnesse. so ex­perienced in la­bours.Whereupon it is com [...]e to passe, that we are so hard a kinde.

And [thereby] do giueDocuments or de­monstration. experi­mentsHence it is said to bee that the Graecians call the people [...] of [...], a s [...]o [...]e. Of what originall wee are bred, viz. whereof wee are made. from whence we haue had our begin­ning.And doe giue conti­nuall experiments from whence wee haue had our beginning, euen from stones.

FAB. VIII.

Of the restoring of the Creatures, by the sliminesse of the earth and warmenesse of the Sun, and the kil­ling ofThe serpent or dra­gon. theBy the Python or dra­gon bred after the flood, of the moyst earth, is meant the [...]ot­ten, noysome and pesti­lent vapours, which were caused by the in­undation and generall deluge, vntill they were consumed by the beames of the Sunne, signified by Apoll [...]es shaf [...]s. Py­thon bred a­mongst them, by Apolloes shafts, in the remem­brance wherof the Pythian games were ordained.

That liuing crea­tures may [...] the moyst [...] warme by the heate of the Sunne, hee sheweth that Egypt is a witnesse; where, after the inunda­tion of Nilus, the clo [...] are changed into diuers shapes of liuing crea­tures by the power of the s [...]nne.

THe earth broughtIn this Fable the Po­et proceedeth to shew the repairing of the rest of the creat [...]res. [Page 70] forthOther liuing crea­tures. the rest of the liuing crea­tures,These are here inser­ted by the Poet, not onely to shew the re­storing of the rest of the creatures, but also for the more fit knitting hereto of the next fable of Daphne turned into a Lawrell. in diuerse Formes.shapes of it own Nature.accord,1. How mankinde being thus restored, the earth brought forth the rest of the liuing crea­tures, of all sorts, and that of it owne accord. And secondly, the meanes and manner thereof. That so soone as the moyst earth began to wax warme by the heat of the sunne. And especially the mud in fennie places, after that the olde Humour or moyst earth.moystureWaxed throughly warme, or very hot. be­gan to bee tho­roughly warme From.by theFire. feruent heat of the sunne; and also the mud and the moist fennes

Haue swelled. Began to swel with heat,Began to swell by the heat thereof, The seeds of all things being in the same earth, & the fruitfull seeds of [all] things

Being nouri­shedIn the earth mini­string life. in the Quickning.liuely soyle as in theBelly. wombe of [their] mother,And nourished in that liuely soyle, as in the wombe of their mo­ther,

Increased,Increased, and tooke sundry shapes by little and little. and took someFace or forme. shape By delaying, stay­ing or tarrying, or by little and little.by continuance of time.This he declareth by a similitude, and an in­stance of the like in E­gypt, by the meanes of the riuer Nilus.

Euen as when Nilus is thought to be so named, [...] nouum lutum, new clay or mud, because it ouer­flowing euery yeare, carieth with it new mud, whereby the fields are manured and made ex­ceeding fruitfull, and whereof these creatures are said to be bred. Nilus, Hauing seauen streames or currents. which floweth into the sea by 7 mouths,That euen as when Nilus that great riuer of Egypt, running into the Sea by seauen streames, hath ouer­flowen their fields, and is returned againe with­in his banks, [Page 71] hathForsaken. left the Wet fields.fields all wet,And hath resto­red his flouds to the ancient chanell. and brought againe [his] Flouds or current.streames into his anciētAlueo Synaeresis. cha­nell,Chanell or water-course.

And theNew mud or slime, or moyst earth. fresh mud hath waxen very hot by the The sunne is specially so called athere [...] [...]idus, because of the heate and influence of it a­boue the rest of the starres. Fiery signe or star.heauenly Sunne,And that the fresh mud left behind it, hath waxen warme by the beames and influence of the sunne.

TheTillers [of the ground or husband­men] plow­men The clods being turned ouer.turning o­uer the clods doe finde very many liuing creatures;The husbandmen as they plowe and turne ouer the clods, do finde very many liuing crea­tures caused thereby. andThey see in these. amongst these they see some onely be­gunne,And amongst the same, some they see on­ly begun to be formed, according to the short time they haue had to be bred in. By the very space of breeding, viz. ac­cording to the time of their breeding. accor­ding to the short space of [their] breeding,Some vnperfect, and as it were cut off by the shoulders. some vnperfect, and Cut short, viz. wanting shoulders or heads.cut off by their shoulders:And ofttimes they behold one part of the same creature liuing, another part therof still remaining a very lumpe of earth altogether without shape or forme. And one part oft times liueth in the same body.and oft times in the same bodie one part liueth, [Page 72] another partIs. re­maineth Vnformed or vn­sha [...]e [...]a [...]th.rude earth.

BecauseWhere, or when as. so soone as both the moysture and heate haueTaken. re­ceiued A right mixt pro­portion.a tem­per,Then hee setteth downe the reason here­of: for that so soone as moysture and heate haue once receiued a right temper or mix­ture, they straight con­ceiue, and so of these two are all things bred. they con­ceiue, and all thingsDoe arise. are bred of theseMoysture and heate. two.

And whereas fire is a fighter [or ad­uersary] to the wa­ter, a moyst vapour doth create all things. And although the fire bee con­trarie to water,And that although fire be contrary to wa­ter yet a moyst vapour, wherein moysture and natiue heate are rightly mixed, doth breed all things, and s [...]ch a disa­greeing concord is fit for increase of al young things. Heat and moysture separate, doe naturally disagree: but being mixed together right­ly, they agree well, and are most apt for bree­ding all things.yetViz. moysture & heate mixed. a moyst Heate or warme­nesse.vapour doth breed all things, and a disagreeing concord is fitCreate, make, or fashion. for increase.

ThereforeFor young ones, or things to be bred, or brought forth. so soon as the earth beingWhere, or when as. slimie by the late flood,Afterwards he com­meth to apply th [...]s, to prooue the truth of the manner of the repai­ring of all things. waxed warme by the heauenly Muddy, dirtie, [...]ay [...]ie. Sunnes, viz. the continuall shining and beames therof.Sunne, and by theHigh heate, or pearcing deepe. heate from aboue,That euen in like sort so soone as the earth being all muddy and slimie by the late ouerflowing, began to waxe throughly warme by the Sun beames & heauenly influence,

[Page 73] It brought forth innumera­ble Shapes.kindes,It brought forth in­numerable kinds of li­uing creatures. and partlyRepresented. resto­red again the an­cient Figures.formes,Partly restoring a­gaine the ancient sorts which had beene for­merly; partlyBred or fashioned. created newMisshapen things. mon­sters.And partly creating new monsters which had neuer been before.

It indeedWould not. was vnwilling [to breedThem. such,]And that, howsoeuer it was vtterly vnwilling to breed such mishapē and vgly creatures, But oh thou grea­test serpent, it begot thee then also. but yet it bred Apostrophe.thee also at that time,Yet at the very same time it brought forth that huge deformed dragon, called the Py­thon. oh thou By the Python is meant the abundance of pestilent vapours caused by the deluge (as is said before): it hath the name of [...], putre [...]acio, because they were bred of the rotten­nesse of the earth, con­sumed by the beames comming from the cir­cle of the sunne, as from a bowe, Vid. Sup.most huge By the Python is meant the abundance of pestilent vapours caused by the deluge (as is said before): it hath the name of [...], putre [...]acio, because they were bred of the rotten­nesse of the earth, con­sumed by the beames comming from the cir­cle of the sunne, as from a bowe, Vid. Sup. Python; and [thou]Oh vnknowen ser­pent. serpent being vnknowen [formerly] wast a terrour to the New.new-bred peo­ple:Which hauing been altogether vnknowen before, became a terror vnto that new-bred people, for that his bo­dy couered such a space and compasse of the mount where he lay. thouHeldest or occupi­edst. coue­redst So great a compass of the mount Par­nassus, where thou wast formed.such a space of the mountaine.

Apollo was painted with a bowe and qui­uer. By him war meant the Sun which destroy­eth all noysome vapors with his beames, as with arrowes. The God holding the bowe. Apollo kil­led this Serpent beingHeauie. loaden with a thousand Dartsshafts,His quiuer almost drawen [...]out [or spent] viz. emptied. hauing almost spent hisNow this great and mighty serpent Apollo slew, with a thousand shafts, vntill hee had almost spent his whole quiuer vpon him, although hee had neuer vsed those before, vn­lesse against Bucks and Does. [Page 74] whole quiuer, al­though [he had] neuer vsed such likeDarts. wea­pons before, ex­cept In [killing] deere.amongst Bucks and D [...]es.Deere, and swiftWilde Gotes. Roes; His poyson being poured out through [or by] his blacke wounds. so that his poi­son was shed out [by thē] through Here seemeth to bee an Hypallage, the black wounds for the blacke poyson running out of his wounds; or else it may be properly, be­cause poyson maketh the part which is poy­soned to be blacke.black wounds.Yet hee so pierced him with these, that all his blacke and deadly poyson powred out, & so was shed by the wounds made thereby.

And lest that Ancientnesse or time.long continu­ance of time might blot out theFame. famous me­mory Of this staying of this dragon.of [this] worke;And lest that by tract of time, the memory of this famous victorie & happy worke should vtterly perish;

Hee instituted games [to be] sacred in a famous conten­tion, [or tryall of masteries.] He ordained sacred games wth a renowned strift for masteries.Apollo ordained sa­cred games to bee re­nowned for the strift & contention for maste­ries, which were to bee euer vsed therein. And these games to bee called the Pythian games, according to the name of this mon­strous Python thus o­uercomne, for a perpe­tuall remembrance thereof. And in these games moreouer, that whoso­euer did the best and got the mastery, at what strift or contention soe­euer in wrestling, run­ning, or any other way, should receiue this ho­nour to bee crowned with a crowne or gar­land made of the bran­ches of the Escule [...]ree, in honour of Apollo.

Being called Py­thia. Which games were called the Pythia were playes made in the honour of Apollo for slaying the Python. Pythian games, by the name of theOuercomne, con­quered or vanqui­shed. subdued serpent.

In these games. Heere What young man or youth soeuerwhich-soeuer of the young [Page 75] menHad ouercomne [or got the mastery or victory.] ouercame by hand, orBy feete. feet, or wheele,Tooke. re­ceiued A crowne or gar­land made of the branches of the Es­cule tree in honour of the victory.the ho­nour of anEsculus is a t [...]ee bea­ring m [...]st almost as big as the mast of the Oke, and hauing leaues big­ger. It was so named of Esca, & so honoured because in olde time they did eate of the fruite thereof. Es­cule branch.

The Laurell tree was not yet. As yet there was noBay-tree. Law­rell,The reason also here­of, that these garlands were made of the Es­cule tree, was this, For that as yet there was no Lawrell tree sprung vp. And therefore Apollo compassed about the temples of his head comly with long locks, with writhen branches plucked from any kind of tree. and [there­fore] This is here fi [...]ly brought in to make a way to the next Meta­morphosis, how Daph­ne was turned into a Laurell, & so to tie this fable fitly to that which goeth before. Thus is Apollo pain­ted. Phoebus is an Epithet of Apollo, proper to the Sunne, siguifying pure, for the brightnesse of the sunne. Phoebus did com­passe about or gird. Apol­lo did adorne His comely head.the temples of his head being decent with long haire, [With a crowne or garland made] of any kinde of tree.[wth branches pluc­ked] from any tree.

FAB. IX.

This Fable sheweth the power of loue, that euen Apollo, God of wisedome was ouer­comne thereby: And also the reward of cha­stity in chast Daphne, turned into a Laurell, alwaies greene. Of Daphne turned into a Lau­rell tree.The Poet intending here to set downe the power of loue, that it preuaileth with the most renoun'd, & with­all the reward of chasti­tie, descendeth vnto this next Fable, how Apollo who had slaine the dra­gon, was yet ouercomn with the loue of Daph­ne, and how she for her chastity was turned in­to a Laurell. And to this end sheweth,

The first loue of Phoebus [was] Daphne, &c. Peneian Daph­ne. Daphne signifieth a Laurell or Bay-tree, of [...], because when a leafe or branch of it is burned, it seemeth to send forth a voyce by cracking. DAphne It is fained to bee the daughter of Peneus, be­cause the banks thereof are full of Bay-trees.the of the Peneus a riuer in Thes­saly, running betweene Ossa and Olympus. Peneus, [was] the first [Page 76] loue ofPhoebus. Apollo: 1. That Daphne, Pe­neus daughter, was the first loue of Apollo. Which [loue.]which not Ignorant lot, or hap, or chance, or vnskilfull fortune which hath no choice of things.Blinde for­tune gaue [vnto him] butThe great indigna­tion of the God of loue. the cruell anger of Cupid, God of loue, sonne of Iupiter and Venus, or as some say, of Mars and Venus, à cupidine, of the carnall desire which he is said to worke. Cupid. 2. The meanes wher­by hee fell in loue with her. That it was not by fortune, but through the anger of Cupid God of loue, and that vpon this occasion;

Delius.] Apollo is so called of the Iland De­los, wherein he and Di­ana are said to haue beene borne. Apollo being proudeThe serpent lately ouercomne, had seen this [Cupid] ben­ding the hornes, [or tips of his bowe] the string being brought to it [or drawen vp to it.] of his late subduing of the serpent,That Apollo being proude of his late con­quest in killing the Py­thon, sawe this [Cupid] ben­ding hisThe bowe and ar­rowes, and also the firebrand are attributed to Cupid, to expresse the wonderfull power of loue, because loue is more pearcing then ei­ther iron or fire; yea, more burning, for that loue burnes a farre off, whereas fire burnes on­ly things touching it, or neere vnto it. bowe:Seeing Cupid bend his bowe, disdainfully scoffed at him,

And he had said, O wanton boy, what is to thee with these valiant weapons? And what (quoth he)Calling him wanton boye, thou wanton boy hast thou to doe with these warlike weapons?And demanding of him what hee did with those warlike weapons: Thes [...] things which thou carriest doe become, viz this bowe and arrowes. this furniture which thou bearest be­comes our shoul­ders;Because that kinde of furniture, would rather become his shoulders.

Who are able To giue sure wounds to the wilde beast, to giue woūds to the enemy.without mis­sing to wound the wilde beasts,For that he was able not onely to smite wild beasts with them, but euen to wound the ene­mie. to wound also the enemy;Which he demonstra­teth by a notable in­stance, who latelyMade prostrate or flewe. beat down wth innumerable shafts theSwollon or prowd. swel­lingAs that he had so late­ly beat downe with his shafts, and killed that vgly serpent, which was so huge, that he co­uered many acres of ground, with his belly full of poyson. [Page 77] Python, Pressing. co­uering so many An acre of ground was so much as a yoake of Oxen could well plow in a day.acres of ground with [his]Belly full of poy­son. pe­stilent belly.

Be thou content. Content thou thy self toProuoke [or stir vp] with thy fire­brand. Irrîto, to stir vp: Irri­to, to make vaine.kin­dle with thy Fax, viz. a firebrand is ascribed to Cupid, whereby the mindes of youth are inflamed with loue.brand, Thereupon Apollo aduiseth him, to con­tent himselfe,I know not whatLoues, viz. wan­ton, sory, or vnbesee­ming men. Thus hee speaketh to Cupid in contempt. light loues,To kindle with his brand some silly loues, and not to meddle with his praises. Neither arrogate, claime, or challenge to thy selfe our prai­ses. and med­dle not with our praises.

The sonne of Ve­nus. Cupid answe­red This [Apollo.]him;But Cupid answereth him: Oh Apollo. Phoe­bus, That howsoeuer that bowe of his whereof he so gloried, was able to smite all liuing crea­tures; yet his bowe was able to wound euen him being a God. Let thy bowe smite all things.be it so that Cupids bowe and shafts more pearcing then Apolloes.thy bowe Fastens or shootes through.smites all liuing creatures (quoth he) [yet]Thou canst not es­cape mine. my bowe shall smite thee:And therefore looke how much all liuing creatures were inferior to God, so much should Apolloes glory be vnto his. andBy how much. how much all liuing creaturesDoe yeeld or giue place. are inferior to God, Thy glorie is lesse then ours [by so much.][so much] is Thy glory in shoo­ting.thy glorie lesse then ours.

[Thus] hee spake,Hauing thus spoken, fluttering with his wings, hee flewe forthwith vnto the sha­dy toppe of Parnassus mount. andThe ayre being dashed with his wings smitten toge­ther, flut­tering with his wings,

[Page 78] [Hee] not flowe stood on the shadie tower.Hee stood forthwith vpon the shady top of Parnassus.

AndCupid is said to be ar­med with different shafts, viz. sharpe and blunt, golden and lea­dy: The reason is, for that all are not affected after one manner in loue: one loues more feruently then another; and sometimes one loues the other most vehemently, the other no whit affected, or disliking all loue, or else those especially who are so inamoured with them; as here it fell out betweene Apollo & Daphne. drewe Out of his quiuer bearing shafts [or full of shafts.]forth of his qui­uer twoDarts. ar­rowesAnd there standing, he drew two arrowes out of his quiuer;

OfContrarre. diuers Workes or effects.operations:Those also of diuers qualities. This driueth [or chaseth] away, the other maketh loue. the one driueth a­way [loue] the other causeth it.

That which Maketh.causeth [loue] isGolden. of gold,The one of them causing loue, hauing a sharpe head, and all of gold. & Shineth.glittereth with a sharpePoynt. head.

That which Driueth away loue.driueth it away, isWithout poynt. blunt,The other abating and driuing away loue, being of Cane filled with lead, and hauing a blunt head. and hath leadVnder the cane whereof that shaft is made. vn­der a reed.

Cupid. The God fixedThis blunt shaft. this in Daphne, Pene­us daughter.the Nymph Peneis: This leadeu shaft hee fixed in Daphne, but He hurt [or woun­ded] Apolloes marrow through his bones smitten tho­row with the other.hee pierced the very marrow of Apol­lo through his bones,But the other he shot into Apollo, pearcing his very marrow tho­row his bones. with the other.

[Page 79] Apollo.The one [of them]Loues. falls in loue forth­with:So that Apollo begins forthwith to bee infla­med with loue. Daphne.the o­ther fliethThe name. the very name of a louer;Daphne cannot en­dure to heare of loue, or the name of a louer.

Reioycing [or de­lighting herselfe.] Solacing her­self in theHiding places [dens or caues] of the woods. thick woods,But contrarily sola­ceth her selfe to liue in the woods; and with the skins of wild beasts which she killed. and in theCases. skinnes of theTaken wilde beasts. wilde beasts which she tooke,Becomming therein a follower of chast Dia­na liuing vnmarried. and becomes an Being an emula­tour or follower.imitatour of Vnwedded [or re­ioycing in perpetuall virginitie.]vnmarried Phoebe. Diana,

A hairelate [or headband] did keep in her haires, being put without lawe, viz. without any cu­rious setting or tric­king. Some expound it she had onely a coife vpon her head; which seems contrary to that after Et leuis impulsos vetro dabat aurae capillos, Et Spectat inornatos collo pendere capillos. Here also is shewed how Daphne became an imitatour of Diana, that she neglected the tum­ming vp of her head, and despised all men. Shee had onely her head fillited vp with a ribband.Onely tyed her haire together without any other curiosity.

Many sought Her loue.her:So as although ma­ny suters sought her loue, yet shee despised them all. [but] she [Was] against [or turned away from] them, seeking [or her weers.]despised all [her] suters;

[And]Impatient. being vnpatiēt [to hear of mariage] with­out a husband,And being male con­tent, liuing all alone without a husband, ran­ging the vnwayed woods, sheVieweth. rangeth the vnwaied woods.

[Page 80] NeitherDoth she care what Hymen, what loue, what maria­ges are. re­gards sheeHymen is taken both for the god of mariage, the mariage, and the bridall or wedding song, viz. vsed to bee sung at mariages. the bridal song,Neither regarded mariage nor loue. what loue, or what marriageMeanes. is.

Oft times [her] Peneus.father said:Although her father oft times challenged & vrged her, Daughter thou owest me a sonne in lawe.thou owest me a son in law [my] daughter.

[Her] father said oft times,That she ought him a sonne in lawe, and ne­phewes; [my] daughter thou owest mee nephewes.

She hating the Bridall solemnities or mariage songs, viz. mariage.marriageTeda is properly the middle or heart of the Pine tree, which being kindled through the fatnesse in it, burneth like a taper or torch. The tapers vsed at mariages are put here for mariage, because as Plutarch saith, they were woont to carry fiue burning tapers be­fore the new maried parties. ta­pers as a Fault or blot.crime,Yet she still disliking and detesting mariage as a crime.

Pouring ouer her beautifull counte­nance ouercast with a shamefast red, viz. hauing her comely countenance ouer­cast with a modest blush. Synec. Blushing mo­destly,At length blushing modestly,

And cleauing [or hanging] on the necke of her father with fauning armes. And fould­ing about [her] fathers neck with [her]Fauning armes are put for the armes of her, fauning. Hypallage. fauning armes,And foulding her armes about her fathers necke, Maketh this humble request vnto him:

Said,That he would grant vnto her to inioy perpe­tuall virginitie, Giue. grant mee [my] dearest fatherTo liue a perpetu­all virgin or maid. to inioy perpetual virgini­ty:Like as Dianaes fa­ther had graunted vnto her before. [Her] father gaue this before vnto Di­ana, viz. Iupiter, Dianaes father. Dianas father gaue this to her [Page 81] before.Whereunto her fa­ther answereth, that hee could consent; But that yet her beau­tie hindered that desire of hers. Her father.He in­deed Obeyeth or yeel­deth.consents, Peneus her father an­swereth her thus ten­derly.but [yet] [quoth hee] this comeli­nesse [of thine] Hinders [or de­nies] thee to liue a virgin.forbids thee to bee [that] wch thouWishest.requirest, And thy forme doth repugne thy vowe.and thy beauty is repugnant to thy desire.

Phoebus loueth & desireth the mar­riages of Daphne, being seene. This is the speech and relation of Ouid. Apollo falls presently in loue with Daphne, But Apollo presently fals in loue with her so soone as euer hee seeth her, & desireth to marry her. and assoon as he seeth her hee desireth to marry her:

And what hee desireth,And as he is inamou­red with her: so he ho­peth and perswadeth himselfe to obtain her; although his Oracle deceiues himselfe. he ho­peth for:And. but yet his owne Predictions, or foretelling to him­selfe.oracles do de­ceiue him.

And as the lightHame, or strawe. stubble Are burnt.isAdoleo is properly to burne sweet things. wholly set on fire,And heere the Poet sets out the vehemency of his loue by a double similitude. whenThe awnes or beards of the corne are taken away [or reaped] the Arista is properly the awne or beard of the eare, put for the whole eare of corne, and that for the corne in it. Me­talepsis.eares are taken away.

[Page 82] As [dry] hed­ges burne with Torches or fire­brands.brands which Trauellers in the darke nights are wont to carry torches or fire­brands of some fat wood with them, to light them, which at the appearing of the day they cast out of their hands carelessely neere hedges, or wheresoeuer it happeneth.thePassenger or way fairing man. traueller bechanceThat euen as the stubble is burnt, when the corne is taken a­way, or as the hedges are set on fire by brands carelesly left by the tra­ueller, towards the breaking of the day:

EitherMoued, or carri­ed, or layed. held too neer [thē], or left, nowVnder or about the light [com­ming.] about the breaking of the day:

SoApollo. the God Went away into flames, viz. with the loue of Daph­ne.is all inflamed,So was the God wholly inflamed. soHe is burnt in his whole breast. is his whole heart set on fire, & [thus] he nou­risheth hisVaine, whereof he could looke for no fruite or pleasure. bar­ren loue with hoping [still.]And nourished his barren loue with in­creased hopes.

HeBeholdeth. seeth her Not adorned, or curiously set.vntrickedHaires. haire to hangAbout her necke, or vpon her necke. in her necke.Here also the Poet declares the meanes whereby his loue was thus kindled more and more.

And what if theyBee kemmed, or dressed vp, or finely set out. were trimd?That her very haire, although vntrimmed, did exceedingly please him; and therefore how much more would it, thought he, if it were set out. quoth he: hee seeth [her] eyesShining or gliste­ring with fire. glistering like the stars:So her eyes gliste­ring like the stars, hee beholds [her]Oscula ab os, seemeth here to be taken for her little mouth; which es­pecially commends a virgin. Her lips,lips, which it was not suffi­cient for him to [Page 83] see:Hee expresseth the conditions of elegant louers, who thus com­mend all things in their loues. Brachia seeme to bee taken here for the vpper part of the arme from the elbow to the shoul­der, as lacertus for the nether part; though they are more vsually taken contrarily. he praiseth her fingers and her hands.And fingers, Hands,

And also arms,Armes and wrists bare aboue the midst. and wrists being bareMore then a mid­dle part, or the half. aboue the midst.

If any things lye hid, hee thinketh [them] better or more excellent. What other parts are coue­red,And therefore hee thought those parts which were couered to be farre more comely. he thinketh more beautifull;But shee flees away swifter then the winde. she fleeth swifter then the light winde;Neither would shee stay, though hee called her backe by most kind and louing words, in this tender sort; neither stayd she at these wordsOf [Apollo] cal­ling her backe. of [him] recalling her.

I pray thee nymph Peneis stay. Oh nymph Peneis stay,Oh Nymph Peneis stay, I pray thee: I doe not pursue thee as be­ing thine enemie, like as thou doest flee from me. I pray [thee] I do not pursue thee Being an enemy.[as] an ene­my.

Oh nymph stay. Stay, oh Nymph: [for] soThe Yewe lambe. the Lambe doth flie the Wolfe,Stay on Nymph, thou fliest from mee euen as the lambe doth flie the Wolfe; and as the Hinde flees frō the Li­on. so the Hinde [flies frō] the Lyon.

[Page 84] So the Pige­ons flie the Eagle with [their]A trembling [or flittering] pen or fether. trē ­bling wings.Or the Pigeons flie the Eagle with their trembling wings.

All [liuing crea­tures] fleet. Euery [of thē flie] their ene­mies;Euery one of them flying from their ene­mies rage: [but]Loue is the cause to mee of following [thee.] loue is the cause of my following of thee.But loue is the cause why I thus follow thee.

Alasse, how would it grieue my heart if thou shouldest fall, &c. [Ah] mee wretch,Then after in most louely manner pittying her simplicity and dan­ger, still proceedeth to stay her by aduising her to take heede, [beware] thou fall not Prone or groue­ [...]ing forward.on the face,That she fell not on her face with haste, or That.lest theBryers or pricks. thorns May note, or marke, or pricke.should scratch [thy] legs vnwor­thy to be hurt,Nor scratched her­selfe amongst the thornes; and so hee should bee the cause of her griefe, & I be the causeOf griefe [hurt, or smart] to thee. of thy griefe.

The places Where.which [way] thouRunnest. hastest areSharpe or prickie. rough,For that the places whither shee so hasted from him were rough, run I pray [thee] moreLeasurely, or soft­ly. mode­rately,And so perswades her to run more mode­rately; and hee would follow more leasurely after her. andInhibite or abate. stay thy flight; I my selfe willFollow after thee, or pursue thee. follow on thee more Moderately.leasurely.And also to bethinke herselfe well, who it was that now did seeke her loue, and to whom she might giue content.

YetInquire whome thou pleasest, or gi­n [...]st content to. take ad­uice, [Page 85] whom thou mayst please:That he was not som vplandish clowne; I am not an inha­bitour of the moun­taine, [or a rude fellow dwelling a­mong the hils or crags.] I am no vplandish man.

I am not a shep­heard.Nor a fieldman ten­ding heards or flockes. I doe not attend [or keepe] here, be­ing slouen like [or vnhandsome] herds of great cattel or flockes of lesse [as sheepe.]I do not here clownishly tendArmentum was taken for a company of a cat­tel, as was sit to helpe some way in war [...] the worke thereof: grex, for a company of lesse cattel, as of goats, swine, or sheepe. herds or flocks.That shee indeede knew not from whome she fled, and therefore shee fled from him. Oh thou rash [maide] thou know­est not. Thou knowest not, oh vnaduised soule, thou knowest not

Whom thou fliest,And then doth the Poet most artificially set out Apollo wooing of her, and alluring her by mentioning his po­wer, descent, know­ledge and inuentions. andFor that cause thou fliest. there­fore fliest thou [me.]Delphi, a citie and peo­ple of Boetia by Parnas­sus, where the Oracle of Apollo was. The Delphian land [or the Citie Delphos] is mine, [or serueth me.] Delphos is mine,

AndClaros is said to be a Citie of Lycia, dedica­ted to Apollo, where al­so was an Oracle of A­pollo. Claros andTenedos a citie of Ly­cia, or as some say of Pamphilia, vnder the protection of Apollo. Tenedos, That for his great­nesse he was Lord of Delphos, Claros, Tenedos, & The palace [or kingly place] at Pa­tera serueth me.the court of Patera was also a citie of Lycia, so called of Patarus the sonne of Apollo and Lycia, where Apollo was specially worshipped, whence he is also called Pataraeus Apollo. Patera honou­reth me.And the palace of Patera: Being specially wor­shipped in all these pla­ces.

Iupiter is [my] Progenitour or begetter.father:And for his descent, that Iupiter was his fa­ther. By me its knowen. Its Lyeth open [or is made manifest.]knowen by me both what shall be,For his knowledge, that he was the God of wisedome, that by him alone, and by his Ora­cle were all things knowen, both past, pre­sent, and to come. & hath beene, and [now] is: Apollo is fained to be the inuentour of mu­sicke, to commend the dignitie thereof, as be­ing inuented by God, not by man. Verses agree to strings or instru­ments by me, viz. I am the God or in­uentour of musicke, harmonie, or melo­die.songs consort vnto the instru­ments by me.For his inuentions, that he was the God of musicke, and inuentour thereof.

[Page 86] And so of shooting, for the sunne beames so directly descending vp­on the earth, and de­stroying all noysome vapours.Our shaft in­deed is sure:So the God of arti­lery or shooting. but yet [there is] Viz. Cupid [...] dart of loue, whereby he woundeth all.one surer shaft thenOur [shaft,] ours,Howsoeuer; Cupid had one surer shaft then his, with which bee had so wounded his heart with loue. That wounded my heart thus with loue, which before was free from all affec­tion thereof.which hath made [these] wounds in [my] empty breast.

Apollo is fained also to be inuentour of phy­sicke, because by the power of the sunne all hearbs doe flourish, whereof is speciall vse in physick for the health of man. I am the God & inuentour of physick and surgerie. Physicke is my inuention;And finally, that hee was the God of phy­sicke; for that physicke was his inuention. and I am called The bringer of helpe and ayde.the helper tho­row the world:And he was counted the chiefe helper of all through the world. the power of hearbsIs from mee, [or doth proceed from my gift.] is al­so subiect vnto vs.That all hearbs had their vertue and power from him.

Alasse for me!And yet he complai­neth of this loue, Daphne, viz. the Lau­rell, is fained to be thus loued by Apollo, both for the speciall vse ther­of in physicke, and also that the Bay-trees are so pleasant for stu­dents.That loueIs curable, or able to bee cured by no hearbs. can­not be cured by anyMeanes. hearbs.That it could not be cured by any hearbs, nor by all his skill.

Neither the arts doe profit the Ma­ster, which profit all. Nor that the arts can doe [their]Inuentour or au­thour. Lord any good,That those arts which were able to cure all others, could doe their Lord no good at all. which helpe all [o­thers.]

But [the Nymph] Penels fled from[Apollo] being about to speake moe things. [him] as he would haueBut yet notwithstan­ding all this speech and labour of the God, the Poet sheweth how the Nymph still fled more fearefully from him, & left him with his speech yet vnperfect, and not fully vttered. [Page 87] spoken more, With a fearefull course. Timido cursu. Hypal­lage, pro cursu timide.with a trem­bling pase, and left his words imperfect with himselfe.

And also. And then al­so seemed shee Decent.comely,And how in her flight she continually seemed more faire in his eyes. the windsMade naked or bare [her] bodies. made her body bare,

AndThe winds mee­ting [her] shaked [or blew] her gar­ments, being against them, or contrary to them. the mee­ting blasts did tosse her gar­ments wch were against them.For that the winds, wauing her garmēts as she ran, vncouered som part of her body.

And the light wind [or ayre] gaue her haires driuen be­hinde her [or backe­wards.] And likewise euery light puffe did blowe her haire behinde her.And euery light puffe of ayre did tosse her haire behinde her.

[Her] beautie Is.was increased by [her]Running, viz. her running made her seeme more beauti­full. flight:So that her beautie still encreased by her flight. But for that.but because the Young.youthfull God Abides not.indures not any longerTo lose his flatte­ries [or fawning words.] to spend his plea­sing words:And how therevpon Apollo being youthfull could endure no longer so to spend his pleasing words; and That.asCupid himselfe. loue it selfeAdmonished. incitethBut as his loue inci­ted him, so he made the faster after her. [Page 88] [him,]This speed and strift of both these two Ouid setteth out by a most liuely similitude, taken from the running of the grey hound and the Hare. the follow­eth her stepsHis pase being sent forth [or haste­ned] viz. swiftly. wth his pase more ha­stened.

As when the grey houndHath seene. seeth the Hare in the Empty or open field.champain field,That euen as when the Greyhound pursu­eth the Hare in the champaine field, hee straines at him with all his footemanship, the Hare as fast to saue his life. andThe dog. heSeekes [or stretch­eth] at the prey with his feet [or run­ning.] strains at [his] prey by [his] footman­ship, He safety.the Hare Runnes for his life.[seekes] safe­tie.

The greyhound. The one Like [to one] as it were ready to cleane to [the other] viz. close to the hare, ready to gather him vp.as cleaching the other,The Greyhound as at the backe of the Hare hopes e­uer and anon to holde [him] and straines hisFootsteps or prints of his feet. steps His nose being thrust forth to latch the hare betweene his teeth.with his snout thrust out.Hopes euer and anon to beare him away, Straining his steps, and thrusting out his snout to catch him.

The hare. The other is inAmbiguity doubtfulnesse. doubt,The poore Hare is alwaies in doubt whe­ther he be catched, or no; and yet still hardly scapes out of the Grey­hounds mouth, and from betweene his teeth. whe­ther he be catcht andIs snatched from the very bitings. is [still] de­liuered out of [his] very teeth, andLeaues the tou­ching mouthes. scapes the mouth which touched him.

[Page 89] So the God [is] and the virgin is.So is Apollo and the Mayde;So was Apollo and the Nymph. Hee [is] swift in hope, viz. hoping to catch her, shee for feare of being catch­ed.hee swift in hope,Hee swift through hope, shee for feare.And she for feare.

Yet he which Pursueth.followeth af­ter being helped by thePens or fethers. wings of Cupid.loue,Yet that Apollo was more swift. For that hee was hel­ped forward by Cupids wings.

Is the swifter. Is more swift,And therefore deny­ed her any rest; &Will not let her rest. deny­eth [her any] rest, andHangeth ouer the backe of her fleeing. hangeth e­uen ouer her backe,Being euer hard at her backe, as she was thus fleeing a­way;And with his very breathing blowes her haires into her necke, so that shee feeles his breath. And blowes vp­on her haire, being dispersed about her necke, or through her haires into her necke.. and blowes her scat­tered haire into her necke.

Her strength be­ing spent, she waxed very pale. [But] when her strength was spent,Whereupon the Poet shews that her strength was cleane spent. she waxed wondrous pale:And that so she wax­ed wondrous pale, and being ouer­comne by the Toile or wearisom­nesse.labour of [her] Quicke or hastie course.speedy flight,And how then being vtterly ouercomne with the violence of her run­ning, Beholding the Pe­neian waues, viz. the riuer Peneus, her father.looking to the waters of Peneus. She looked vnto her father Peneus streames,

[Page 90] Oh father,Crying vnto him to helpe her, helpe,If that the riuers had any such diuine power, as to be able to succour her. quoth she, if [ye]Streames. riuers haue [any]Power of the gods to helpe. di­uine power.

O earth,And after prayes vn­to the earth (sith that vpon it shee had too much pleased the fan­cies of others) quoth she, whereinI haue ouermuch delighted others with my beauty. I haue pleased o­uer much,Gape, viz. to swal­low me vp. open [& receiue me],That it would open it mouth and receiue her quicke, or at least destroy that shape of hers, which had beene the cause of her misery, by changing it into some other forme. or destroyThis figure by changing [it] which maketh that I bee hurt. this shape, by chan­ging of it, which causeth me to be hurt.That this prayer of hers was scarcely en­ded,

[Her] prayer scarcely ended, or she had scarce made an end of this praier. [This] prayer scarcely ended,But a senselesse be­nummednesse fell vpon her, A heauie drowsi­nesse [or senselesse­nesse] occupieth [or possesseth] her ioynts or limbs, or sinewes.her ioynts wax­ed starke.That her ioynts wax­ed stiffe;

ThePraecordia, signifieth properly the fleshy skin called Diaphragma, or the midriffe separa­ting the heart & lungs from the stomacke, li­uer, and other bowels: quòd cordi praetendan­tur: but here it is taken for all the inward parts. Soft. ten­der Entrailes.parts a­bout her heart,Her heart, and all her tender inward parts were compassed about with a thin rinde; areCompassed about or girt in. girt a­bout with a thin barke.

Her haires Are changed.[grow forth] intoA leafe. leaues,Her haires were tur­ned into leaues; her armes growe in­to Branches.boughes.Her armes growen forth into great boughs;

[Page 91] [Her] foote Euen now so swift cleaues [or stickes] with slowe rootes, viz. her feet were changed into roots.ere while so swift,Her feet which euen now were so swift, into roots, sticking fast in the earth. stickes [in the earth] with immoouea­ble rootes:

Her faces [or coun­tenance] haue a top. [Her] coun­tenāce becomes the top [of the Laurell]Her beautifull coun­tenance is turned into the top of the Laurell. There is in it onely a fresh greene co­lour. one shining bright­nesse remaines In her, or in it.therein.And one onely fresh greene colour remai­ning on her continual­ly.

The Laurel hereupon is said to haue been de­dicated to Apollo. And [now] Phoebus, an epithet of Apollo, or the Sun, and signifieth pure, because the Sun is pure from all grosnesse or corrupti­on. Phoebus loues this [tree:]And hereupon Apol­lo loues this tree, as he did Daphne before. and laying his right hand vpon the Stocke.bodie of the tree,And putting his right hand vpon the body of it:

Hee feeles as-yet her breast to tremble vnder the new bark: viz. her heart to part or beat. He still per­ceiues her heart to beat vnder the new rinde:He still perceiues her heart to beate vnder the new barke.

And imbra­cing the bran­ches,And imbracing the branches of it with his armes, as [her] Members or limbs.bodie, with [his] armes,

[Page 92] He giueth kisses to the wood, yet the wood fled back from the kisses, [or wri­thed away from them.]He profereth kisses to the tree;He profered to kisse the tree, but it writhed back from them,But it writhed away from him.

To whom the GOD [thus spake];And finally how the God honoured it with this gracefull speech; But [yet] sith that thou canst not be my wife,That sith it could not now be his wife, which he had so much desired, it should surely bee his tree. That hee would weare it as an ornament both about his head, his harpe, and quiuer. Certainely thou shalt be my tree. thou shalt surely bee my tree:The Poet elegantly numbers vp those things which are com­monly adorned with a laurell bough: as, the bush of haire, instru­ments and quiuers, which properly belong vnto Apollo. Oh▪ Laurell tree [our] locke [or bush of haire,] [our] harpes, our, quiuers, shall haue thee al­waies [as an orna­ment] or thou shalt euer serue to adorne these. Oh Lau­rell tree, [our] bush of haire, [our] instrumēts, our quiuers shall Inioy or weare thee.haue thee e­uer [for an orna­ment.]And so it should al­waies serue to adorne all these.

The Emperours in their triumphs ware a crowne of Laurell. The souldiers vsed to follow thē, singing [triumphe] to triumphe. Thou shalt be pre­sent to the ioyfull Captaines. Thou shalt bee an ornament to the ioyfull Emperours.Captaines,And that moreouer the conquering Empe­rours should euer in their triumphs weare a crowne of Laurel, when as they went vnto the Capitoll in Rome with solemne pompe, ha­uing all their souldiers following them, crying [...] triumphe, Triumph, Triumph. when as the mer­rie voice [of the souldiers] shall sing the tri­umph, andThe chiefe place in Rome, or the palace of the Citie of Rome. the Capitol shall see theSolemne sights or shews going in great length attending vpon, or following them. long pompes.

[Page 93] Before the posts which stand before the gates of the Emperours pa­lace in Rome, was set an Oke betweene two Laurels, to signifie that the safety of the com­mon wealth was to bee preserued by the vertue and felicity of the Em­perours. The Laurell was a signe of victorie and triumph, the Oke of a Citizen preserued. Whereupon they who­soeuer had gotten any famous victorie, where carried vnto the Capi­tol, wearing a Laurell branch or crowne; and he who had preserued a Citizen from the ene­mie, with a coronet made of Oke. Sab.Thou shalt Ward or watch.stand euen as a most faithfull keeper at the Royall posts, viz. before Augustus palace dore.Emperours posts before the dores,And also that the Laurel tree should stand as a faithfull keeper, be­fore the posts which are set before the gates of the Emperours houses; to wit thus, an Oke di­rectly before the gate with a Laurell on either side. and shalt defendThe Oke set before the Emperours posts betweene two Lau­rell trees. the middle Oke.

And as my head is [euer] youthfull with Vncut.vnpouled Haires.haire,And finally, that as his head was alwaies youthfull, with his haire vnpouled; so it should haue this perpetuall honour, to haue the branches euer greene, with flourishing leaues.

Thou in like manner alwaies beareThis honour, that thou shalt bee euer greene. the per­petuall honours of [thy]Leafe. leaues.

Apollo had [thus] ended [his speech] the Lau­rellNodded vnto [or inclined, or bowed vnto him.] assented wth [her] boughs so lately made,And thus Apollo ha­uing ended his speech, & seemed to haue Tossed.mooued [her] top euen as [her] head.The Laurell gaue her assent, by mouing and inclining her top, as it were, mouing her head towards him.

FINIS.

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