(THE ARGUMENT OF THE FIRST SESTYAD.
Heros description and her Loues,
The Phane of Venus; where he moues
His worthie Loue-suite, and attaines ;
Whose blisse the wrath of Fates restraines,
For Cupids grace to Mercurie,
Which tale the Author doth implie.)1
On Hellespont guiltie of True-loues blood,
In view and opposit two citties stood,
Seaborderers, disioin'd by Neptunes might :
The one Abydos, the other Sestos hight.
At Sestos, Hero dwelt; Hero the faire,
Whom young Apollo courted for her haire,
And offred as a dower his burning throne,
Where she should sit for men to gaze vpon.
The outside of her garments were of lawne,
The lining purple silke, with guilt starres drawne,
Her wide sleeues greene, and bordered with a groue,
Where Venus in her naked glory stroue,
To please the carelesse and disdainfull eies
Of proud Adonis that before her lies.
Her kirtle blew, whereon was many a staine,
Made with the blood of wretched Louers slaine.
Vpon her head she ware a myrtle wreath,
From whence her vaile reacht to the ground beneath.
Her vaile was artificiall flowers and leaues,
Whose workmanship both man and beast deceaues.
Many would praise the sweet smell as she past,
When t'was the odour which her breath foorth cast,
And there for honie bees haue sought in vaine,
And beat from thence, haue lighted there againe.
About her necke hung chaines of peble stone,
Which lightned by her necke, like Diamonds shone.
1 Add. 15982 4 th'other 1629, 1637
3 Seaborders 1598-1613: corr. 1629, 1637
9 were] was Rob.
10 lining] linnen
She ware no gloues, for neither sunne nor wind
Would burne or parch her hands, but to her mind,
Or warme or coole them, for they tooke delite
To play vpon those hands, they were so white.
Buskins of shels all siluered vsed she,
And brancht with blushing corall to the knee;
Where sparrowes pearcht, of hollow pearle and gold,
Such as the world would woonder to behold:
Those with sweet water oft her handmaid fils,
Which as shee went would cherupe through the bils.
Some say, for her the fairest Cupid pyn'd,
And looking in her face, was strooken blind.
But this is true, so like was one the other,
As he imagyn'd Hero was his mother.
And oftentimes into her bosome flew,
About her naked necke his bare armes threw,
And laid his childish head vpon her brest,
And with still panting rockt, there tooke his rest.
So louely faire was Hero, Venus Nun,
As nature wept, thinking she was vndone;
Because she tooke more from her than she left,
And of such wondrous beautie her bereft :
Therefore in signe her treasure suffred wracke,
Since Heroes time, hath halfe the world beene blacke.
Amorous Leander, beautifull and yoong,
(Whose tragedie diuine Museus soong)
Dwelt at Abidus: since him dwelt there none,
For whom succeeding times make greater mone.
His dangling tresses that were neuer shorne,
Had they beene cut, and vnto Colchos borne,
Would haue allur'd the vent'rous youth of Greece
To hazard more than for the golden Fleece.
Faire Cinthia wisht his armes might be her spheare,
Greefe makes her pale, because she mooues not there. 60
His bodie was as straight as Circes wand,
Ioue might haue sipt out Nectar from his hand.
Euen as delicious meat is to the tast,
So was his necke in touching, and surpast
The white of Pelops shoulder. I could tell ye,
How smooth his brest was, & how white his bellie,
And whose immortall fingars did imprint
That heauenly path, with many a curious dint,
54 make 1598, 55 dandling 1629, 1637
40 his] her 1613 44 rockt 15981: rocke 15982 etc. 1637, Dyce etc.: may 1600-29, Rob.
That runs along his backe, but my rude pen
Can hardly blazon foorth the loues of men,
Much lesse of powerfull gods: let it suffise,
That my slacke muse sings of Leanders eies,
Those orient cheekes and lippes, exceeding his
That leapt into the water for a kis
Of his owne shadow, and despising many,
Died ere he could enioy the loue of any.
Had wilde Hippolitus Leander seene,
Enamoured of his beautie had he beene,
His presence made the rudest paisant melt,
That in the vast vplandish countrie dwelt,
The barbarous Thratian soldier moou'd with nought,
Was moou'd with him, and for his fauour sought.
Some swore he was a maid in mans attire,
For in his lookes were all that men desire,
A pleasant smiling cheeke, a speaking eye,
A brow for loue to banquet roiallye,
And such as knew he was a man would say,
Leander, thou art made for amorous play:
Why art thou not in loue, and lou'd of all?
Though thou be faire, yet be not thine owne thrall.
The men of wealthie Sestos, euerie yeare,
(For his sake whom their goddesse held so deare,
Rose-cheekt Adonis) kept a solemne feast.
Thither resorted many a wandring guest,
To meet their loues; such as had none at all,
Came louers home from this great festiuall.
For euerie street like to a Firmament
Glistered with breathing stars, who where they went,
Frighted the melancholie earth, which deem'd'
Eternall heauen to burne, for so it seem'd,
As if another Phaeton had got
The guidance of the sunnes rich chariot.
But far aboue the loueliest Hero shin'd,
And stole away th'inchaunted gazers mind,
For like Sea-nimphs inueigling harmony,
So was her beautie to the standers by.
Nor that night-wandring pale and watrie starre
(When yawning dragons draw her thirling carre
From Latmus mount vp to the glomie skie,
Where crown'd with blazing light and maiestie,
72 sings] must sing 1613-37 73 Those] These 1613-37 wandring] wandered 1606-37 108 drew 1637 thirling] whirling Rob.
She proudly sits) more ouer-rules the flood,
Than she the hearts of those that neere her stood.
Euen as, when gawdie Nymphs pursue the chace,
Wretched Ixions shaggie footed race,
Incenst with sauage heat, gallop amaine
From steepe Pine-bearing mountains to the plaine :
So ran the people foorth to gaze vpon her,
And all that view'd her, were enamour'd on her.
And as in furie of a dreadfull fight,
Their fellowes being slaine or put to flight,
Poore soldiers stand with fear of death dead strooken,
So at her presence all surpris'd and tooken,
Await the sentence of her scornefull eies :
He whom she fauours liues, the other dies.
There might you see one sigh, another rage,
And some (their violent passions to asswage)
Compile sharpe satyrs, but alas too late,
For faithfull loue will neuer turne to hate.
And many seeing great princes were denied,
Pyn'd as they went, and thinking on her died.
On this feast day, O cursed day and hower,
Went Hero thorow Sestos, from her tower
To Venus temple, w(h)ere vnhappilye,
As after chaunc'd, they did each other spye.
So faire a church as this, had Venus none,
The wals were of discoloured Iasper stone,
Wherein was Proteus carued, and o'rehead,
A liuelie vine of greene sea agget spread;
Where by one hand, light headed Bacchus hoong,
And with the other, wine from grapes out wroong.
Of Christall shining faire the pauement was,
The towne of Sestos cal'd it Venus glasse.
There might you see the gods in sundrie shapes,
Committing headdie ryots, incest, rapes:
For know, that vnderneath this radiant floure
Was Danaes statue in a brazen tower,
Ioue slylie stealing from his sisters bed,
To dallie with Idalian Ganimed,
And for his loue Europa bellowing loud,
And tumbling with the Rainbow in a cloud :
Blood-quaffing Mars heauing the yron net,
Which limping Vulcan and his Cyclops set:
119 in furie of a] in a furie of 1609
Loue kindling fire, to burne such townes as Troy,
Syluanus weeping for the louely boy
That now is turn'd into a Cypres tree,
Vnder whose shade the Wood-gods loue to bee.
And in the midst a siluer altar stood;
There Hero sacrificing turtles blood,
Vaild to the ground, vailing her eie-lids close,
And modestly they opened as she rose :
Thence flew Loues arrow with the golden head,
And thus Leander was enamoured.
Stone still he stood, and euermore he gazed,
Till with the fire that from his count'nance blazed,
Relenting Heroes gentle heart was strooke,
Such force and vertue hath an amorous looke.
It lies not in our power to loue, or hate,
For will in vs is ouer-rul'd by fate.
When two are stript long ere the course begin,
We wish that one should loose, the other win;
And one especiallie doe we affect
Of two gold Ingots like in each respect.
The reason no man knowes, let it suffise,
What we behold is censur'd by our eies.
Where both deliberat, the loue is slight,
Who euer lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight?
He kneel'd, but vnto her deuoutly praid;
Chast Hero to her selfe thus softly said:
Were I the saint hee worships, I would heare him,
And as shee spake those words, came somewhat nere him.
He started vp, she blusht as one asham'd ;
Wherewith Leander much more was inflam'd.
He toucht her hand, in touching it she trembled,
Loue deepely grounded, hardly is dissembled.
These louers parled by the touch of hands,
True loue is mute, and oft amazed stands.
Thus while dum signs their yeelding harts entangled,
The aire with sparkes of liuing fire was spangled,
And night deepe drencht in mystie Acheron
Heau'd vp her head, and halfe the world vpon
Breath'd darkenesse forth (darke night is Cupids day).
And now begins Leander to display
159 Vaild 1598', Dyce etc.: Taild 15982–1637:
180 those] these 1637 somewhat] something 1629, 1637
ground 1637 189-91 Marginal note om. 1600-37.
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