ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

As Greece will think, if thus you live alone,
Some one or other keeps you as his own.
Then, Hero, hate me not, nor from me fly,
To follow swiftly-blasting infamy.

Perhaps thy sacred priesthood makes thee loath: Tell me, to whom mad'st thou that heedless oath?"

"To Venus," answer'd she; and, as she spake, Forth from those two tralucent + cisterns brake A stream of liquid pearl, which down her face Made milk-white paths, whereon the gods might

trace

Hero's looks yielded, but her words made war:
Women are won when they begin to jar.
Thus, having swallow'd Cupid's golden hook,
The more she striv'd, the deeper was she strook :
Yet, evilly feigning anger, strove she still,
And would be thought to grant against her will.
So having paus'd a while, at last she said,
"Who taught thee rhetoric to deceive a maid?
Ay me! such words as these should I abhor,
And yet I like them for the orator."

With that, Leander stoop'd to have embrac'd her,

To Jove's high court. He thus replied: "The But from his spreading arms away she cast her,

rites

In which love's beauteous empress most delights,
Are banquets, Doric music, midnight revel,
Plays, masks, and all that stern age counteth evil.
Thee as a holy idiot doth she scorn;

For thou, in vowing chastity, hast‡ sworn
To rob her name and honour, and thereby
Committ'st a sin far worse than perjury,
Even sacrilege against her deity,
Through regular and formal purity.

To expiate which sin, kiss and shake hands:
Such sacrifice as this Venus demands."
Thereat she sunil'd, and did deny him so,
As put § thereby, yet might he hope for mo; ||
Which makes him quickly reinforce his speech,
And her in humble manner thus beseech:
"Though neither gods nor men may thee
deserve,

Yet for her sake, whom you have vow'd to serve,
Abandon fruitless cold virginity,

The gentle queen of love's sole enemy.
Then shall you most resemble Venus' nun,
When Venus' sweet rites are perform'd and done.
Flint-breasted Pallas joys in single life;
But Pallas and your mistress are at strife.
Love, Hero, then, and be not tyrannous;
But heal the heart that thou hast wounded thus;
Nor stain thy youthful years with avarice:
Fair fools delight to be accounted nice. T
The richest corn dies, if it be not reapt;
Beauty alone is lost, too warily kept."
These arguments he us'd, and many more;
Wherewith she yielded, that was won before.

mad'st thou] V. R. "thou mad'st."

+ tralucent] A form of translucent, common in our early writers.

hast] V. R. "hath."

put] V. R. "but."-Compare a line at p. 286, first col., "She, with a kind of granting, put him by it." mo] i. e. more. See note*, p. 243.

nice] i. e. coy.

And thus bespake him: "Gentle youth, forbear
To touch the sacred garments which I wear.
Upon a rock, and underneath a hill,

Far from the town, (where all is whist and still,
Save that the sea, playing on* yellow sand,
Sends forth a rattling murmur to the land,
Whose sound allures the golden Morpheus
In silence of the night to visit us,)

My turret stands; and there, God knows, I play
With Venus' swans and sparrows all the day.
A dwarfish beldam bears + me company,
That hops about the chamber where I lie,
And spends the night, that might be better
spent,

In vain discourse and apish merriment :-
Come thither." As she spake this, her tongue

tripp'd,

For unawares, "Come thither," from her slipp'd; And suddenly her former colour chang'd,

And here and there her eyes through anger

rang'd;

And, like a planet moving several ways
At one self instant, she, poor soul, assays,
Loving, not to love at all, and every part
Strove to resist the motions of her heart:
And hands so pure, so innocent, nay, such
As might have made Heaven stoop to have a

touch,

Did she uphold to Venus, and again

Vow'd spotless chastity; but all in vain;
Cupid beats down her prayers with his wings;
Her vows about the empty air he flings:
All deep enrag'd, his sinewy bow he bent,
And shot a shaft that burning from him went;
Wherewith she strooken, § look'd so dolefully,
As made Love sigh to see his tyranny;

on] V. R. "upon."

↑ bears] V. R. "keepes." about] Old eds. "aboue." § strooken] V. R. "stroken."

And, as she wopt, her tears to pearl he turn'd, And wound them on his arm, and for her mourn'd.

*

Then towards the palace of the Destinies,
Laden with languishment and grief, he flies,
And to those stern nymphs humbly made
request,

Both might enjoy each other, and be blest.
But with a ghastly dreadful countenance,
Threatening a thousand deaths at every glance,
They answer'd Love, nor would vouchsafe so
much

As one poor word, their hate to him was such :
Hearken a while, and I will tell you why.

Heaven's winged herald, Jove-born Mercury, The self-same day that he asleep had laid Enchanted Argus, spied a country maid, Whose careless hair, instead of pearl + t'adorn it, Glister'd with dew, as one that seem'd to scorn it;

Her breath as fragrant as the morning rose;
Her mind pure, and her tongue untaught to
glose:

Yet proud she was (for lofty Pride that dwells
In towered courts, is oft in shepherds' cells),
And too-too well the fair vermilion knew
And silver tincture of her cheeks, that drew
The love of every swain. On her this god
Enamour'd was, and with his snaky rod
Did charm her nimble feet, and made her stay,
The while upon a‡ hillock down he lay,
And sweetly on his pipe began to play,
And with smooth speech her fancy to assay,
Till in his twining arms he lock'd her fast,
And then he woo'd with kisses; and at last,
As shepherds do, her on the ground he laid,
And, tumbling in § the grass, he often stray'd
Beyond the bounds of shame, in being bold
To eye those parts which no eye should behold;
And, like an insolent commanding lover,
Boasting his parentage, would needs discover
The way to new Elysium. But she,
Whose only dower was her chastity,
Having striven in vain, was now about to cry,
And crave the help of shepherds that were nigh.
Herewith he stay'd his fury, and began
To give her leave to rise: away she ran ;
After went Mercury, who us'd such cunning,
As she, to hear his tale, left off her running;

[ocr errors]

(Maids are not won by brutish force and might,
But speeches full of pleasure and delight ;)
And, knowing Hermes courted her, was glad
That she such loveliness and beauty had
As could provoke his liking; yet was mute,
And neither would deny nor grant his suit.
Still vow'd he love: she, wanting no excuse
To feed him with delays, as women use,
Or thirsting after immortality,
(All women are ambitious naturally,)
Impos'd upon her lover such a task,

As he ought not perform, nor yet she ask;
A draught of flowing nectar she requested,
Wherewith the king of gods and men is

[blocks in formation]

I mean the adamantine Destinies,

He wounds with love, and forc'd them equally
To dote upon deceitful Mercury.

They offer'd him the deadly fatal knife
That shears the slender threads of human life;
At his fair-feather'd feet the engines laid,
Which th' earth from ugly Chaos' den upweigh'd.
These he regarded not; but did entreat
That Jove, usurper of his father's seat,
Might presently be banish'd into hell,
And agèd Saturn in Olympus dwell.
They granted what he crav'd; and once again
Saturn and Ops began their golden reign:
Murder, rape, war, and‡ lust, and treachery,
Were with Jove clos'd in Stygian empery.
But long this blessed time continu'd not:
As soon as he his wishèd purpose got,
He, reckless of his promise, did despise
The love of th' everlasting Destinies.
They, seeing it, both Love and him abhorr'd,
And Jupiter unto his place restor'd:

* towards] V. R. "toward."

+ pearl] V. R. "pearles."

ta] V. R. "the." §in] V. R. "on."

* pleasure] V. R. "pleasures."

this] V. R. "this."

and] Omitted in several 4tos.

And, but that Learning, in despite of Fate,
Will mount aloft, and enter heaven-gate,
And to the seat of Jove itself advance,
Hermes had slept in hell with Ignorance.
Yet, as a punishment, they added this,
That he and Poverty should always kiss;
And to this day is every scholar poor:

That Midas' brood shall sit in Honour's chair,
To which the Muses' sons are only heir;

And fruitful wits, that inaspiring are,
Shall discontent run into regions far;

And few great lords in virtuous deeds shall joy
But be surpris'd with every garish toy,
And still enrich the lofty servile clown,

Gross gold from them runs headlong to the Who with encroaching guile keeps learning

[blocks in formation]

The Argument of the Second Sestiad.

Hero of love takes deeper sense,
And doth her love more recompense:
Their first night's meeting, where sweet kisses
Are th' only crowns of both their blisse

He swims t' Abydos, and returns:
Cold Neptune with his beauty burns;
Whose suit he shuns, and doth aspire
Hero's fair tower and his desire.

By this, sad Hero, with love unacquainted,
Viewing Leander's face, fell down and fainted.
He kiss'd 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 poor excuses did she find
To linger by the way, and once she stay'd,
And would have turn'd again, but was afraid,
In offering parley, to be counted light :
So on she goes, and, in her idle flight,
Her painted fan of curled plumes let fall,
Thinking to train Leander therewithal.
He, being a novice, knew not what she meant,
But stay'd, and after her a letter sent;
Which joyful Hero answer'd in such sort,
As he had hope to scale the beauteous fort
Wherein the liberal Graces lock'd+ their wealth;
And therefore to her tower he got by stealth.
Wide-open stood the door; he need not climb;
And she herself, before the pointed time,
Had spread the board, with roses strew'd the

room,

And oft look'd out, and mus'd he did not come. At last he came: O, who can tell the greeting These greedy lovers had at their first meeting?

but that] V. R. "that but."

tlock'd] V. R. "lock."

He ask'd; she gave; and nothing was denied;
Both to each other quickly were affied:
Look how their hands, so were their hearts
united,

And what he did, she willingly requited.
(Sweet are the kisses, the embracements sweet,
When like desires and like* affections meet;
For from the earth to heaven is Cupid rais'd,
Where fancy is in equal balance pais'd.+)
Yet she this rashness suddenly repented,
And turn'd aside, and to herself lamented,
As if her name and honour had been wrong'd
By being possess'd of him for whom she long'd;
Ay, and she wish'd, albeit not from her heart,
That he would leave her turret and depart.
The mirthful god of amorous pleasure smil'd
To see how he this captive nymph beguil'd;
For hitherto he did but fan the fire,

And kept it down, that it might mount the higher.

Now wax'd she jealous lest his love abated,
Fearing her own thoughts made her to be hated.
Therefore unto him hastily she goes,
And, like light Salmacis, her body throws
Upon his bosom, where with yielding eyes
She offers up herself a sacrifice

To slake his anger, if he were displeas'd:
O, what god would not therewith be appeas'd?
Like Æsop's cock, this jewel he enjoy'd,
And as a brother with his sister toy'd,
Supposing nothing else was to be done,
Now he her favour and goodwill had won.
But know you not that creatures wanting sense,
By nature have a mutual appetence,

like] Omitted in several 4tos.
t pais'd] i, e. weighed.

And, wanting organs to advance a step,
Mov'd by love's force, unto each other lep?*
Much more in subjects having intellect
Some hidden influence breeds like effect.
Albeit Leander, rude in love and raw,
Long dallying with Hero, nothing saw
That might delight him more, yet he suspected
Some amorous rites or other were neglected.
Therefore unto his body hers he clung:
She, fearing on the rushes + to be flung,
Striv'd with redoubled strength; the more she
striv'd,

The more a gentle pleasing heat reviv'd,
Which taught him all that elder lovers know;
And now the same gan so to scorch and glow,
As in plain terms, yet cunningly, he crave it : §
Love always makes those eloquent that have it.
She, with a kind of granting, put him by it,
And ever, as he thought himself most nigh it,
Like to the tree of Tantalus, she fled,
And, seeming lavish, sav'd her maidenhead.
Ne'er king more sought to keep his diadem,
Than Hero this inestimable gem :
Above our life we love a steadfast friend;
Yet when a token of great worth we send,
We often kiss it, often look thereon,

And stay the messenger that would be gone;
No marvel, then, though Hero would not yield
So soon to part from that she dearly held :
Jewels being lost are found again; this never;
'Tis lost but once, and once lost, lost for ever.
Now had the Morn espied her lover's steeds;
Whereat she starts, puts on her purple weeds,
And, red for anger that he stay'd so long,
All headlong throws herself the clouds among.
And now Leander, fearing to be miss'd,
Embrac'd her suddenly, took leave, and kiss'd:
Long was he taking leave, and loath to go,
And kiss'd again, as lovers use ** to do.
Sad Hero wrung him by the hand, and wept,
Saying, "Let your vows and promises be kept":
Then standing at the door, she turn'd about,
As loath to see Leander going out.

[blocks in formation]

And now the sun, that through th' horizon peeps,
As pitying these lovers, downward * creeps ;
So that in silence of the cloudy night,
Though it was morning, did he take his flight.
But what the secret trusty night conceal'd,
Leander's amorous habit soon reveal'd:
With Cupid's myrtle was his bonnet crown'd,
About his arms the purple riband wound,
Wherewith she wreath'd her largely-spreading
hair;

Nor could the youth abstain, but he must wear
The sacred ring wherewith she was endow'd,
When first religious chastity she vow'd;
Which made his love through Sestos to be known,
And thence unto Abydos sooner blown
Than he could sail; for incorporeal ‡ Fame,
Whose weight consists in nothing but her name,
Is swifter than the wind,§ whose tardy plumes
Are reeking water and dull earthly fumes.

Home when he came, he seem'd not to be

there,

But, like exiled air thrust from his sphere,
Set in a foreign place; and straight from thence,
Alcides-like, by mighty violence,

He would have chas'd away the swelling main,
That him from her unjustly did detain.
Like as the sun in a diameter

Fires and inflames objects removed far,
And heateth kindly, shining laterally;
So beauty sweetly quickens when 'tis | nigh,
But being separated and remov'd,
Burns where it cherish'd, murders where it lov'd.
Therefore even as an index to a book,
So to his mind was young Leander's look.
O, none but gods have power ¶ their love to hide!
Affection by the countenance is descried;
The light of hidden fire itself discovers,
And love that is conceal'd betrays poor lovers.
His secret flame apparently was seen:
Leander's father knew where he had been,
And for the same mildly rebuk'd his son,
Thinking to quench the sparkles new-begun.
But love resisted once, grows passionate,
And nothing more than counsel lovers hate;
For as a hot proud horse highly disdains
To have his head controll'd, but breaks the reins,

[blocks in formation]

Spits forth the ringled bit, and with his hoves*
Checks the submissive ground; so he that loves,
The more he is restrain'd, the worse he fares:
What is it now but mad Leander dares?
"O Hero, Hero!" thus he cried full oft;

And then he got him to a rock aloft,

Upon his breast, his thighs, and every limb,
And up again, and close beside him swim,
And talk of love. Leander made reply,
"You are deceiv'd; I am no woman, I."
Thereat smil'd Neptune, and then told a tale,
How that a shepherd, sitting in a vale,

Where having spied her tower, long star'd he Play'd with a boy so lovely-fair + and kind,

on't,

And pray'd the narrow toiling Hellespont
To part in twain, that he might come and go;
But still the rising billows answer'd, "No."
With that, he stripp'd him to the ivory skin,
And, crying, "Love, I come," leap'd lively in:
Whereat the sapphire-visag'd god grew proud,
And made his capering Triton sound aloud,
Imagining that Ganymede, displeas'd,
Had left the heavens; therefore on him he seiz'd.
Leander striv'd; the waves about him wound,
And pull'd him to the bottom, where the ground
Was strew'd with pearl, and in low coral groves
Sweet-singing mermaids sported with their loves
On heaps of heavy gold, and took great pleasure
To spurn in careless sort the shipwreck treasure; †
For here the stately azure palace stood,
Where kingly Neptune and his train abode.
The lusty god embrac'd him, call'd him "love,"
And swore he never should return to Jove:
But when he knew it was not Ganymed,
For under water he was almost dead,
He heav'd him up, and, looking on his face,
Beat down the bold waves with his triple mace,
Which mounted up, intending to have kiss'd him,
And fell in drops like tears because they miss'd
him.

Leander, being up, began to swim,

And, looking back, saw Neptune follow him:
Whereat aghast, the poor soul gan to cry,
"O, let me visit Hero ere I die!"
The god put Helle's bracelet on his arm,
And swore the sea should never do him harm.
He clapp'd his plump ‡ cheeks, with his tresses
play'd,

And, smiling wantonly, his love bewray'd;
He watch'd his arms, and, as they open'd wide
At every stroke, betwixt them would he slide,
And steal a kiss, and then run out and dance,
And, as he turn'd, cast many a lustful glance,
And throw him gaudy toys to please his eye,
And dive into the water, and there pry

hoves] i. e. hoofs,-for the rhyme.

↑ shipwreck treasure] V. R. "shipwrackt treasure." clapp'd his plump] V. R. "claps his plumpt "(and "plumpts"). § throw] Old eds. "threw."

As for his love both earth and heaven pin'd;
That of the cooling river durst not drink,
Lest water-nymphs should pull him from the
brink;

And when he sported in the fragrant lawns,
Goat-footed Satyrs and up-staring ‡ Fauns
Would steal him thence. Ere half this § tale
was done,

[ocr errors]

"Ay me," Leander cried, "th' enamour'd sun,
That now should shine on Thetis' glassy bower,
Decends upon my radiant || Hero's tower:
O, that these tardy arms of mine were wings!'
And, as he spake, upon the waves he springs.
Neptune was angry that he gave no ear,
And in his heart revenging malice bare:
He flung at him his mace; but, as it went,
He call'd it in, for love made him repent:
The mace, returning back, his own hand hit,
As meaning to be veng'd for darting it.
When this fresh-bleeding wound Leander view'd,
His colour went and came, as if he ru'd
The grief which Neptune felt: in gentle breasts
Relenting thoughts, remorse, and pity¶rests;
And who have hard hearts and obdurate minds,
But vicious, hare-brain'd, and illiterate hinds?
The god, seeing him with pity to be mov'd,
Thereon concluded that he was belov'd;
(Love is too full of faith, too credulous,
With folly and false hope deluding us ;)
Wherefore, Leander's fancy to surprise,
To the rich ocean for gifts he flies:
"Tis wisdom to give much; a gift prevails
When deep-persuading oratory fails.

By this, Leander, being near the land,
Cast down his weary feet, and felt the sand.
Breathless albeit he were, he rested not
Till to the solitary tower he got;

And knock'd, and call'd: at which celestial noise
The longing heart of Hero much more joys,
Than nymphs and shepherds when the timbrel
rings,

Or crooked dolphin when the sailor sings.

[blocks in formation]
« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »