And thinketh in her gentle choyse

Her selfe not meanly blist.

But when the priest had done his part,
And that they homeward come,
The bride, for Battus, might salute
The pauement with her bomme.
She reeled oft, and looked backe:

He sawe, but would not see:
At length she stumbled headlong downe,
"Hoyst vp againe," quoth hee:
The second tyme she did the like,

66 Hoyst brock," her good-man saide : And thirdly falling, kindly bad

Her breake her necke, olde iade.

The old-wife took it to the hart,

And home she went and dyde:
But Battus, ere his first was sicke,
Had owed his second bryde.

THIS iest from Cacus straynde a smyle,
But quickly was it donne :

When, turning to her sisters twaine,
The youngest thus begonne.
Ÿe, sisters, senerally haue tolde
How foes in loue did fall,
And age with youth: but I doe say
That loue can all with all,
Examples we, whom loue hath brought
From court to line in cave,

And were there neede of further proofe,
A thousand proofes I haue.
Could Latmus speake, it might accuse
Euen Phoebe of a kis :
And of a votarie of hers

To speake my purpose is.

But first she cheared thus her friend

(For Cacus sadly sits) "Be merrie man, thy pensuenesse Our pastimes badly fits:

"Be as thou art, not as thou wouldst, It will be as it is:

Learne then to lacke, and learne to liue,

For crosses neuer mis.

"Thinke Fortune newly hatche is flidge, And waggeth wing to flye:

All suffreth change: ourselues, new borne, Euen then begin to dye.

"Be resolute, not desperate :

The gods that made thee poore,

Can, if they will (doe waite their will)
Thy former state restoore.

"At least let patience profit thee,
For patience is a thing
Whereby a begger gayneth of
A discontented king.

"Know destinie is destinie.
This epitaph I reede,

Though common-booked poetrie,
Yeat not vnworthie heede:

"Vnborne to knowe what I should be
To gods my mother prayde:

A male,' quoth Phoebus, female,' Mars,

And Iuno neither sayde:

"An hermaphrodite was I borne.

My death then askt shoe after;

"A riuer-shadowing tree I climb'd:
Out slipt my sword: I slidd:
By feete I hung, stab'd with my sword,
My head in water hidd.

Male, female, neither, hanging, sword,
And drowning Í abidd.

"Thus, Cacus, howsoever things

From likelihoods discent,

In birth, life, death, the gods are first,
The middell, and euent.

"And not what they can doe they will,
But what they will they can:
And that they doe, or doe it not,
Behooues not vs to skan,"

And saying so, and kissing too,
Her tale she thus began.

CHAP. XI.

I SPEAKE not of the Argiue nimph
That had the ielious syer,
To whome, shut vp in brasen tower,
Ioue passage had for hyer.

Not of Europa, Semele

Ör Maia, will I dwell:
Not of your foe his bastardie,
Or Ledas rape I tell :

Not of king Ceus' daughter's fault,
Or other freak of loue,
Speake I: saue of th' Arcadian nunne
With whom he thus did roue.
Calisto was as faire a mayde,

As faite as one might bee,
Her father king Lycaon fled,

Ioue chaunced her to see: And seeing liked, liking lou'd,

And louing made it knowne

To her (sweet lasse) for father's losse
That maketh then her thone,

"Take patience, wench," sayd Iupiter,
With thee shall al be wel,

Thy father's deeds haue their deserts,
But thou in peace shalt dwell,

"I am his victor, but thy selfe

Art victoresse of me:

Do graunt me loue, my zeale is more
Than fatherlie to thee.

"The restlesse cloudes that mantling ride
Vpon the racking skie,

The scouring windes that sightlesse in
The sounding aire doo flie,

"The thriftie earth that bringeth out
And broodeth vp her breed,

The shifting seas whose swelling waues
On shrinking shores do feede,
"Shall fall, and faile, ere I be false
(Lycaon's impe) to thee:

Of hartie loue this kisse (he kist)
An happie hansell bee."

"But haplesse termes are these," quoth she, "Vafitting to a thrall;

Yeat, in respect of that I feele, I hear them not at all.

"A friend (ah friendless name I friend?) It being as it is,

A friend I say, much more a foe,

And more, and worse than this,
The sonne of Saturne should, and shall,
That speed and hearing misse.
"Doe rid, ah rid mine eyes of teares,

And set my heart at rest,
By taking life, not making loue:
The former likes me best.

"Or, if that poore Calisto's life
Shall lengthen to her wo,
Graunt that among Diana's nunnes
A votarie I go:

For neither fits it now to loue,

Or euer shall it so."

What viewed Iupiter this while,
Not pleasing to his sight?
Or what vnuiewed did he guesse,
Not adding to delight?
Not excellent, but exquisite,
Was all to minde and eye:
Saue she, the hansel of his loue,
Did him of loue denie.

It greenes that Nature's paragon
In cloister, not in court,
Should loose the beautie of her youth,
And he thereby his sport.

But constant in her chast pretence,
He grants that would gain-say,
And seated in religion now,
With Phoebe did she stay.

Blame Jupiter of other loues,

Of this doe set him cleere:
It was his first, and first is firme,
And toucheth verie neere.

He might forgoe, but not forget
Calisto in her cell,

When setting higher thoughts apart,
The frithes did please him well:

He takes his quiver and his bow,
And wheare she hunts, hunts hee:
And sacrificed to his eyes

That daye he did her see.

About the chase, toyles, dogs, and bowes,
The stand, quarrie and all
He vseth double diligence:
So often did befall,

Not onely sight of her his saint
He got, but also talke,
Whilst thus for his Calisto's love,

He haunted Phoebe's walke.

But sight and talke accrew to loue,
The substance must be had:
And for to bring his drift about,
He virgin-like is clad.

His nonage kept his beard from bloome,
No wench more faire then he
Whome at her nunnerie a nun
Diana takes to be,

And with his sisters brotherly
Doo gesse him to agree.

Thus faines Lycaon's conquerer

A maid, to winne a maid:
His hands to woll, and arras' worke
And woman's chares hee laid,
That not so much as by the tongue

The boy wench was bewraid.

Yeat thought is free, he sees, and smiles,
And longs perhaps for more:
No marnell, for that sister-hood
Had goodle ladies store.

Scarce one for birth and beautie to
Was theare vnworthie him,

Yet chieflie to Calisto's vaine
He formed life and limme:
And sister-like they single oft,
And chat of manye things,
But that Calisto mindeth loue
No likelihood he wrings.

So loue not once durst mention Ioue,
And force was sinne and shame:
But loue is hardie. Thus it hap:

By long pursute of game,
She wearie resteth in the thicks,

Wheare sitting all alone,
He seeing her, is resolute

Or now to end his moene, Or for so sweet a bodie's vse

To leaue his soule in loene.

He nymph-like sits him by the nymph,
That tooke him for no man,
And after smiles, with neerer signes
Of loue's assault began.

He feeleth oft her iuorie breast,

Nor maketh coy to kisse:

Yeat all was wel, a maiden to
A maiden might doe this.
Than ticks he vp her tucked frocke,
Nor did Calisto blush,

Or thinke abuse: he tickles too,
No blab she thinks the bush.

Thus whilst she thinkes her sister nunne
To be a merrie lasse,

The wanton did disclose himselfe,

And told her who he was.

Away the virgin would haue fled,
Whom he withhild by force:
“Thy loue (sweet nymph) hath vrg'd this shift
Wel worthy thy remorse,"

He said: "nor scorne with me a king

To ioyne thy selfe a queene:

Or doe but loue and I will liue
In Phoebe's celles vnseene:
"And theare in beds, in bushes heere
(My fainings fit so well)
We may enjoy what loue enioynes,

And none our scapes shall tell."
She would not loue, he could not leaue:
She wrangleth, and he wooeth,
She did resist, he did persist,
And sport denied dooeth.

That done, which could not be undone,
What booteth discontent?

As good bee pleas'd as not be eas'd:
Away Calisto went

To cloyster, Iupiter to court:

Nor much she did repent,

Vntill her growing wombe disclosed

An ante-cedent fault,
Then in the chapter house she told
Of Iupiter's assault.

Diana, and her virgins all,

Admyring that escape,

Did gird at her, maligning Ioue
For such his subtill rape.

And who more ready to controule,
Than Athalanta was?

Whome shortly Meleager brought
Vnto the selfe same pas.

The lady abbesse did discharge

Calisto from her cell:

And silly nymph, she great with child
Some other wheare must dwell.

Pelasgis it was Iupiter's,

And he her cause of blame,

The king her father in exile,

Her selfe in this defame,

What then remain'd? euen secrecie,

To hyde her selfe from shame.

"Keepe close" (quoth she)" from world, ye woods,

Mine error, Ioue his crime;"

And setling theare in simple caue,
Did waite her childing tyme.

At length was hairy Arcas borne ;
No sooner could he go,

But that his wildnes eiked to

His wretched mother's wo.

No beast so strong that he would shunne,

And man he neuer sawe,

Nor yeat his vexed mother could
From fearcenes him withdrawe.

Long time (the daughter of a king)

She liued thus in caue,
Not wanting griefe, but wanting all
That poorest wretches haue.
And (worst of all) her sauage sonne
(Whose manners did agree
Vnto his birth-place) howerly threats
His mother's death to bee;
And angrie once, pursued her
So long from place to place,
That euen into the citie gates
He followed her in chase.
The people when they did behold
So fayre a nimph in flight,
A beare-like Arcas in pursute,
(For being naked quite,

His skinne was swart and hairie) they
Did wonder at the sight.

And some that would his passage stop,
He rudely casteth downe,

And spares no spoyle vntill the sight
Was noysed through the towne.

Then out came Iupiter in armes,
Whom when Calisto knewe,

"Helpe Ioue" (she cryde) "for loe thy sonne
His mother doth pursue."

He knewe his leiman at the first,

And ioyed of her sight:

Then kisse they, when the sauage boy
By force did leaue to fight.

Calisto liued ladie like,

Yea Iuno's riuall now:
And Arcas, nobly mannaged,
Such vertues him indow,
That (Ioue consenting) him for king
Pelasgis did allow.

A sonne well worthy such a syer:
And for his prowes and fame,
Pelasgis then, of Arcas, tooke
Arcadia to name.

BVT neither might these ladies faire
By any pleasant tale,

Or dazeling toye of masking loue,
(Sweet consorts to preuaile)
Disswade outragious Cacus from
Vnpatientnes of mind;
Who in his greatest tyrannies
Did chiefest pleasures finde.
He sleas the harmles passengers,
From eldest soule to childe,

He burnes and spoyles the neighbour parts,
And women he defild:

And to his caue (Troponius' caue)

Did bring the spoiles he gaines,

In which (except to doe more harme)
He secretly remaynes.

Whilst none did passe, that did repasse
Vnspoyled or vnkild

(None knowing how) all Italie

With feare thereof was fild.*

But, lo an helpe, when Hercules
Had slaughtered out-right
'T'enne giants, of Cremona kings,

And put the eleauenth to flight,
From thence the worthie did ariue
With his victorious band
At king Euander's cittie, that
By Auentine did stand.
Amongst a many richer spoyles,
Though none to him so rare,
He brought a sort of Spanish kine.
Euander taking care,

(Because the like misfortunes oft
Had hapned theare before,)
Least Hercules should loose his kine,
Of which he made such store,

Gaue counsell that within the walles
They might be kept all night.
And, better to approue his words,
With teares he did recite
The murthers, thefts, and cruelties,
Without compassion made
Vpon his subjects, and their goods,

By whom could not be said,
But that the gods (for so they gesse)
For sinne them so inuade.

"I am resolu'd," quoth Hercules,
"Wheare gods do vengeance craue,
It is not strong or fensiue walles

That any thing can saue:

"My kyne shall therefore grase abroad; If mortall man it be,

Then know a tyrant is my taske,

His blood the taskers fee."

The cattell grasing then abroad
(As was his vse alwaies)
The gyant left his cruell denne,
To seeke his cursed praies.

The Moone not wanting of her light,
The kine he did espye;
And knowing them, he also knewe
His feared foe was nye.

And far much better feare had bin
Than malice at that tyde;
But hardly shunneth policie,
What destinies prouide.

He might haue lurkte a while in denne,
But of a peeuish spight,
Eight of the kine with fastned cords,
By pollicie and might,

He dragged backward by their tailes
Into his diuelish nest:

Then stopping vp the subtill hole,
Did laye him downe to rest.

Now Hercules (the rather prickt
By king Euander's talke)
Into the fieldes to see his kine

By prime of day did walke,

Where missing eight, he could not gesse
Which waje they shuld be gonne;
A many therefore had in charge,
To search them out anon.
The searchers, following euery signe,
Great store of footings found
Descending from mount Auentine
Into the lower ground:
But for the footings did descend,
And not ascend, they thought
Of no such cunning as in deed
In Auentine was wrought.
Alcæus grand-sonne searching long
The thefts he could not finde,
Was much disquieted in himselfe,
And angrie in his minde;

And chafing, when he should depart,
He twise or thrise did shake
A tree that grew on Auentine:
Which rooted vp did make

So large a vent that one might view
The hollow caue belowe,

And Cacus with his leash of wiues
They were disclosed so.

Whome, when the Greeke espied theare,
"O gracelesse king," he said,

"Whose tyrannies haue, made the realmes Of Hespera afraid,

"Whose cruelties haue been the cause Of al the losse thou hast,

What moueth thee in Italie

To prosecute such waste?

"And since that neither wealth nor want

To goodnes may thee win,
A greeuous death, condignly, shall
Cut off thy grounded sinne."
To it did Cacus answere thus;

"Doest thou pursue me stil?
Who onely art the chiefest cause
Of these my doings ill:

"Not suffering me to liue the rest
Of mine vnhappie daies

Among the fruitlesse rocks, a wretch
In miserie alwaies."

"Cease further prate;" said Hercules,
In troth it greeueth much,
To see a king in this distresse,
But since thy life is such

"As neither in aduersitie,
Nor prosperous estate
Thou canst afford one iot of good,
I purpose to rebate

"Thy wicked dayes by worthy death,
Prepare therefore to dye."
When Cacus sawe he must perforce
So harde a combate trye,
He by inchanted flames againe
Endeuored to flye.

But Hercules deluded once
By that deuise before,
Had learned now for being so
Deceived any more:

And, casting feare aside, did leape
Into the flaming caue,

And theare by arte did conquer arte,
The gyant then to saue
Himselfe did take his axe in hand,
Wheare Hercules and he
Couragiously bestirre themselues,
Vntill they did agree,

To trye it out in open ayre.

So doubtfull was their fight,
That lookers on could not discerne
To whether best should light.
The frighted ladies did their best
To helpe their fighting friend;
But Hercules had victorie,
And Cacus had his end.

Wheare Rome is now, Pallantia thea, Euander hee did frame

Nor royal gards of men

Could late défend, now to escape
Inclosed thus in den,

"The just reuengment of the godds?
No, no, the Heauens we see,

Haue brought to light a wretch so lewd, Euen by a senceles tree:

Did dedicate the same;

And he (intreated thereunto)
In Italie did stay:

To honor whome did princes come
From farre and euerie waye.
King Faunus had affaires abroad,
When from Laurentum came

1

His wife Marica, Facua some
This louely queene doe name.
From liking did shee fall in loue
With Hercules, and be

More readie to haue made demaunde,
Than like to disagree,
Conceauing her by circumstance,
So coupled by contract,
That, had king Faunus neuer liu'd,
Latinus had not lackt:

Yeat home canie Faunus, fathering
His late corriual's act.

But whether gotten lawfully,

Or thus in loue forbod,

Latinus, Brute his gran-dames syer,
Was sonne vnto a god.

WHILST that in loue of this same queene,

And lande of all besides,

The vanquisher of Vulcan's sonne

In Italie abides,

Of Calabries a mightie host

King Picus he prouides.

And in reueng of Cacus, swore

His slayer should be slaine;
But he, ere long, that so did sweare,
Vnsweared it againe:

When, chased home into his holdes,
Theare sparred vp in gates,
The valiant Thebane, all in vaine,
A following fight awaites.

Who, for dispatch, did fayne himselfe

A legate to the king,

And him the porters, as the same,
Before their tyrant bring.
Then shaking off his ciuil robes,

His shining armes appeare;
And renting downe an iron sparre,
Both prince and people feare.
Some ran to armor, other some
Did fight with him their last :
Both court and cittie in the end
Did lay vpon him fast.
Theare Picus, worthely, did winne
Of valiantnesse a name;
Yeat Hercules more valiantly
By death did Picus tame.
And to attend their king his ghoste
He sendeth flocke by flocke:
His furie was as fier to ferne,
His foes as waues to rocke:
Nor did his lyon's spoyle giue place
To darting or to knocke.

Meane tyme his men assault without,
Whil'st he assayles within,

Wheare fighting to beate downe the gates
He so the goale did win.

Within the king his ransackt court

He Iole espyes,

Whose teares, then mounting from her heart,

Dismount them from her eyes.
King Picus (now a lifeless corse)
Was father of this mayde:

In vaine therefore did Hercules
Her pensiuenesse disswayde:

Nor could he but lament her fate,
And loue so sweete a face,

Whose person also did containe

The type of female grace.

At first she was so farre from loue
She rather seem'd to hate,

Yeat could she not so giue the checke,
But that she tooke the mate.
Then either's loue, was either's life;
Poore Deianira she

Was out of commons, yea of thought,
An other had her fee.

WITH this, so faire and portly wench,
He sayled into Thrace;

And heares how Diomedes did
Tyrannize in that place.
No straunger scapes vnraunsomed;
But raunsome wanting, then
He casteth them as prouender
To horses eating men.

A garde of tyrants, like himselfe,
Attending on him still,

Who richly did maintaine themselues,
By such their doings ill.

The scourge of such was moued, not
To be remoued now

By Iole, whose louing teares
Such labours disalow,

With Diomedes and his garde

In forrest did he meete,
Who with their common stratagem
The stranger thinke to greete.
"Hands of," commaunded Hercules,
"For horse I am no hay,

All straungers' raunsom, once for all,
My comming is to pay:"

Which say'd, himselfe against them all
Began a noble fray.

The sturdie Thracians, mightie men,
Did hardly loose their ground:
But, than the king, a mightier man
Not any wheare was found.

These all at once assayle, and strike,
And thunder on his sheeld;
But number fitted to his force,

Vnwonted so to yeeld.

For with his club he skuffles then
Amongst their curets so,

That speedie death was sweeter dole
Then to suruiue his blo.

Well mounted comes the king himselfe,
Whom he dismounts anon,

But, rescued to his horse againe,
Away he would be gon.

"Lesse haste," he sayd, "I harts out-runne
Nor shalt thou me out-ride:"
Out-stripping so the man-feade horse,

He topled ore his side

The monstrous king, that resculesse
To flying people cride.

Who, lying all to frusshed thus,

The sonne of Ioue did bring
His cruell iades, that soone deuoure
Their more than cruell king.

The Thracians all submit themselues,
And ioye their tyrant's death,

And thinke some god had left the Heauens
To succour men on Earth,