Than he could saile, for incorporeal Fame,
Whose waight consists in nothing but her name,
Is swifter than the wind, whose tardie plumes
Are reeking water and dull earthlie fumes.
Home when he came, he seem'd not to be there,
But like exiled aire thrust from his sphere,
Set in a forren place, and straight from thence,
Alcides like, by mightie violence,
He would haue chac'd away the swelling maine,
That him from her vniustly did detaine.
Like as the sunne in a Dyameter,
Fires and inflames obiects remooued farre,
And heateth kindly, shining lat❜rally;
So beautie, sweetly quickens when t'is ny,
But being separated and remooued,
Burnes where it cherisht, murders where it loued.
Therefore euen as an Index to a booke,
So to his mind was yoong Leanders looke.
O none but gods haue power their loue to hide,
Affection by the count'nance is descride.
The light of hidden fire it selfe discouers,
And loue that is conceal'd, betraies poore
poore louers.
His secret flame apparantly was seene,
Leanders Father knew where he had beene,
And for the same mildly rebuk't his sonne,
Thinking to quench the sparckles new begonne.
But loue resisted once, growes passionate,
And nothing more than counsaile, louers hate.
For as a hote prowd horse highly disdaines,
To haue his head control'd, but breakes the raines,
Spits foorth the ringled bit, and with his houes
Checkes the submissiue ground: so hee that loues,
The more he is restrain'd, the woorse he fares;
What is it now, but mad Leander dares?
O Hero, Hero, thus he cry'de full oft,
And then he got him to a rocke aloft,
Where hauing spy'de her tower, long star'd he on't,
And pray'd the narrow toyling Hellespont
To part in twaine, that hee might come and go,
But still the rising billowes answered no.
With that hee stript him to the yu'rie skin,
And crying, Loue I come, leapt liuely in.
Whereat the saphir visag'd god grew prowd,
And made his capring Triton sound alowd,
Imagining that Ganimed displeas'd,
Had left the heauens; therefore on him he seaz❜d.
Leander striu'd, the waues about him wound,
And puld him to the bottome, where the ground
Was strewd with pearle, and in low corrall groues
Sweet singing Meremaids, sported with their loues
On heapes of heauie gold, and tooke great pleasure
Το spurne in carelesse sort, the shipwracke treasure.
For here the stately azure pallace stood,
Where kingly Neptune and his traine abode.
The lustie god imbra'st him, cald him loue,
And swore he neuer should returne to Ioue.
But when he knew it was not Ganimed,
For vnder water he was almost dead,
He heau'd him vp, and looking on his face,
Beat downe the bold waues with his triple mace,
Which mounted vp, intending to haue kist him,
And fell in drops like teares, because they mist him.
Leander being vp began to swim,
And looking backe, saw Neptune follow him.
Whereat agast, the poore soule
O let mee visite Hero ere I die.
The god put Helles bracelet on his arme,
And swore the sea should neuer doe him harme.
He clapt his plumpe cheekes, with his tresses playd,
And smiling wantonly, his loue bewrayd.
He watcht his armes, and as they opend wide,
euery stroke, betwixt them would he slide,
And steale a kisse, and then run out and daunce,
And as he turnde, cast many a lustfull glaunce,
And threw him gawdie toies to please his eie,
And diue into the water, and there prie
Vpon his brest, his thighs, and euerie lim,
And vp againe, and close beside him swim,
And talke of loue: Leander made replie,
You are deceau'd, I am no woman I.
Thereat smilde Neptune, and then told a tale,
How that a sheapheard sitting in a vale,
Playd with a boy so faire and kind,
As for his loue, both earth and heauen pyn'd;
That of the cooling riuer durst not drinke,
Least water-nymphs should pull him from the brinke.
And when hee sported in the fragrant lawnes,
Gote-footed Satyrs and vp-staring Fawnes
Would steale him thence. Ere halfe this tale was done,
Aye me, Leander cryde, th'enamoured sunne,
That now should shine on Thetis glassie bower,
Descends vpon my radiant Heroes tower.
O that these tardie armes of mine were wings;
And as he spake, vpon the waues he springs.
Neptune was angrie that hee gaue no eare,
And in his heart reuenging malice bare :
He flung at him his mace, but as it went,
He cald it in, for loue made him repent.
The mace returning backe his owne hand hit,
As meaning to be veng'd for darting it.
When this fresh bleeding wound Leander viewd,
His colour went and came, as if he rewd
The greefe which Neptune felt. In gentle brests,
Relenting thoughts, remorse and pittie rests.
And who haue hard hearts, and obdurat minds,
But vicious, harebraind, and illit'rat hinds?
The god seeing him with pittie to be moued,
Thereon concluded that he was beloued.
(Loue is too full of faith, too credulous,
With follie and false hope deluding vs.)
Wherefore Leanders fancie to surprize,
To the rich Ocean for gifts he flies.
Tis wisedome to giue much, a gift preuailes,
When deepe perswading Oratorie failes.
By this Leander being neere the land,
Cast downe his wearie feet, and felt the sand.
Breathlesse albeit he were, he rested not,
Till to the solitarie tower he got,
And knockt and cald, at which celestiall noise
The longing heart of Hero much more ioies
Then nymphs & sheapheards, when the timbrell rings,
Or crooked Dolphin when the sailer sings;
She stayd not for her robes, but straight arose,
And drunke with gladnesse, to the dore she goes,
Where seeing a naked man, she scriecht for feare,
Such sights as this to tender maids are rare,
And ran into the darke herselfe to hide,
Rich iewels in the darke are soonest spide.
Vnto her was he led, or rather drawne,
By those white limmes, which sparckled through the
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