Till in his twining armes he lockt her fast,
And then he woo'd with kisses, and at last,
As sheap-heards do, her on the ground hee layd,
And tumbling in the grasse, he often strayd
Beyond the bounds of shame, in being bold
To eie those parts, which no eie should behold.
And like an insolent commaunding louer,
Boasting his parentage, would needs discouer
The way to new Elisium: but she,
Whose only dower was her chastitie,
Hauing striu'ne in vaine, was now about to crie,
And craue the helpe of sheap-heards that were nie.
Herewith he stayd his furie, and began
To giue her leaue to rise: away she ran,
After went Mercurie, who vs'd such cunning,
As she to heare his tale, left off her running.
Maids are not woon by brutish force and might,
But speeches full of pleasure and delight.
And knowing Hermes courted her, was glad
That she such louelinesse and beautie had
As could prouoke his liking, yet was mute,
And neither would denie, nor graunt his sute.
Still vowd he loue, she wanting no excuse
To feed him with delaies, as women vse,
Or thirsting after immortalitie,-
All women are ambitious naturallie,
Impos'd vpon her louer such a taske,
As he ought not performe, nor yet she aske.
A draught of flowing Nectar she requested,
Wherewith the king of Gods and men is feasted.
He readie to accomplish what she wil'd,
Stole some from Hebe (Hebe Ioues cup fil'd,)
And gaue it to his simple rustike loue,
Which being knowne (as what is hid from Joue?)
He inly storm'd, and waxt more furious
Than for the fire filcht by Prometheus,
And thrusts him down from heauen: he wandring here, In mournfull tearmes, with sad and heauie cheare Complaind to Cupid. Cupid for his sake,
To be reueng'd on Ioue did vndertake,
And those on whom heauen, earth, and hell relies,
I mean the Adamantine Destinies,
420 pleasure 15981, 1629, 1637, Rob.,
406 in] on 1629, 1637 Dyce pleasures 15982-1613, Cunn., Bull.
He wounds with loue, and forst them equallie
To dote vpon deceitfull Mercurie.
They offred him the deadly fatall knife,
That sheares the slender threads of humane life,
At his faire feathered feet the engins layd,
Which th'earth from ougly Chaos den vp-wayd :
These he regarded not, but did intreat,
That Ioue, vsurper of his fathers seat,
Might presently be banisht into hell,
And aged Saturne in Olympus dwell.
They granted what he crau'd, and once againe
Saturne and Ops began their golden raigne.
Murder, rape, warre, lust and trecherie,
Were with Ioue clos'd in Stigian Emprie.
But long this blessed time continued not :
As soone as he his wished purpose got,
He recklesse of his promise did despise
The loue of th'euerlasting Destinies.
They seeing it, both Loue and him abhor'd,
And Iupiter vnto his place restor❜d.
And but that Learning, in despight of Fate,
Will mount aloft, and enter heauen gate,
And to the seat of Ioue it selfe aduaunce,
Hermes had slept in hell with ignoraunce,
Yet as a punishment they added this,
That he and Pouertie should alwaies kis.
And to this day is euerie scholler poore,
Grosse gold from them runs headlong to the boore.
Likewise the angrie sisters thus deluded,
To venge themselues on Hermes, haue concluded
That Midas brood shall sit in Honors chaire,
To which the Muses sonnes are only heire :
And fruitfull wits that in aspiring are,
Shall discontent run into regions farre;
And few great lords in vertuous deeds shall ioy,
But be surpris'd with euery garish toy;
And still inrich the loftie seruile clowne,
Who with incroching guile keepes learning downe
Then muse not Cupids sute no better sped,
Seeing in their loues the Fates were iniured.
(The end of the first Sestyad.
447 deadly fatall] fatall deadly 1637 457 warre, lust] war and lust Rob. etc. 465 but that] that but 1629, 1637 inaspiring Dyce etc. : high-aspiring conj. Bull.
THE ARGUMENT OF THE SECOND SESTYAD.
Hero of loue takes deeper sence,
And doth her loue more recompence.
Their first nights meeting, where sweet kisses
Are th' only crownes of both their blisses.
He swims t' Abydus, and returnes ;
Cold Neptune with his beautie burnes,
Whose suite he shuns, and doth aspire
Heros faire towre, and his desire.)1
By this, sad Hero, with loue vnacquainted,
Viewing Leanders face, fell downe and fainted.
He kist her, and breath'd life into her lips,
Wherewith as one displeas'd, away she trips.
Yet as she went, full often look'd behind,
And many poore excuses did she find
To linger by the way, and once she stayd,
And would haue turn'd againe, but was afrayd,
In offring parlie, to be counted light.
So on she goes, and in her idle flight,
Her painted fanne of curled plumes let fall,
Thinking to traine Leander therewithall.
He being a nouice, knew not what she meant,
But stayd, and after her a letter sent,
Which ioyfull Hero answerd in such sort,
As he had hope to scale the beauteous fort,
Wherein the liberall graces lock'd their wealth,
And therefore to her tower he got by stealth.
Wide open stood the doore, hee need not clime,
And she her selfe before the pointed time
Had spread the boord, with roses strowed the roome,
And oft look't out, and mus'd he did not come.
At last he came, O who can tell the greeting
These greedie louers had at their first meeting.
He askt, she gaue, and nothing was denied,
Both to each other quickly were affied.
Looke how their hands, so were their hearts vnited,
And what he did she willingly requited.
(Sweet are the kisses, the imbracements sweet,
When like desires and affections meet,
For from the earth to heauen is Cupid rais'd,
Where fancie is in equall ballance pais'd)
Yet she this rashnesse sodainly repented,
And turn'd aside, and to her selfe lamented,
As if her name and honour had beene wrong'd,
By being possest of him for whom she long'd:
I, and shee wisht, albeit not from her hart,
That he would leaue her turret and depart.
The mirthfull God of amorous pleasure smil'd,
To see how he this captiue Nymph beguil'd.
For hitherto hee did but fan the fire,
And kept it downe that it might mount the hier.
Now waxt she iealous, least his loue abated,
Fearing her owne thoughts made her to be hated.
Therefore vnto him hastily she goes,
And like light Salmacis, her body throes
Vpon his bosome, where with yeelding eyes
She offers vp her selfe a sacrifice,
To slake his anger if he were displeas'd.
O what god would not therewith be appeas'd?
Like Esops cocke, this iewell he enjoyed,
And as a brother with his sister toyed,
Supposing nothing else was to be done,
Now he her fauour and good will had wone.
But know you not that creatures wanting sence
By nature haue a mutuall appetence,
And wanting organs to aduaunce a step,
Mou'd by Loues force, vnto ech other lep?
Much more in subiects hauing intellect,
Some hidden influence breeds like effect.
Albeit Leander rude in loue, and raw,
Long dallying with Hero, nothing saw
That might delight him more, yet he suspected
Some amorous rites or other were neglected.
Therefore vnto his bodie hirs he clung,
She, fearing on the rushes to be flung,
Striu'd with redoubled strength: the more she striued,
The more a gentle pleasing heat reuiued,
Which taught him all that elder louers know,
And now the same gan so to scorch and glow,
As in plaine termes (yet cunningly) he crau'd it,
Loue alwaies makes those eloquent that haue it.
55 you] ye 1613 pleasing] pleasant 1600
Shee, with a kind of graunting, put him by it,
And euer as he thought himselfe most nigh it,
Like to the tree of Tantalus she fled,
And seeming lauish, sau'de her maydenhead.
Ne're king more sought to keepe his diademe,
Than Hero this inestimable gemme.
Aboue our life we loue a stedfast friend,
Yet when a token of great worth we send,
We often kisse it, often looke thereon,
And stay the messenger that would be gon:
No maruell then, though Hero would not yeeld.
So soone to part from that she deerely held.
Iewels being lost are found againe, this neuer,
T'is lost but once, and once lost, lost for euer.
Now had the morne espy'de her louers steeds,
Whereat she starts, puts on her purple weeds,
And red for anger that he stayd so long,
All headlong throwes her selfe the clouds among,
And now Leander fearing to be mist,
Imbrast her sodainly, tooke leaue, and kist.
Long was he taking leaue, and loath to go,
And kist againe, as louers vse to do.
Sad Hero wroong him by the hand, and wept,
Saying, let your vowes and promises be kept.
Then standing at the doore, she turnd about,
As loath to see Leander going out.)
And now the sunne that through th'orizon peepes,
As pittying these louers, downeward creepes,
So that in silence of the cloudie night,
Though it was morning, did he take his flight.
But what the secret trustie night conceal'd
Leanders amorous habit soone reueal'd,
With Cupids myrtle was his bonet crownd,
About his armes the purple riband wound,
Wherewith she wreath'd her largely spreading heare,
Nor could the youth abstaine, but he must weare
The sacred ring wherewith she was endow'd,
When first religious chastitie she vow'd:
Which made his loue through Sestos to bee knowne,
And thence vnto Abydus sooner blowne
Than he could saile, for incorporeal Fame,
Whose waight consists in nothing but her name,
85 being] beene 1613-37 1629, 1637
100 downwards 103 what] when 1637 113 incorporall 15982, 1600
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