Venus, that owes in fate the fortressing
Of all maritimal Cyprus; where the force
Of gentle-breathing Zephyr steer'd her

course

Along the waves of the resounding sea ; While, yet unborn, in that soft foam she lay

That brought her forth; whom those fair
Hours that bear

The golden bridles, joyfully stood near,
Took up into their arms, and put on her
Weeds of a never-corruptible wear.
On her immortal head a crown they
placed,

Elaborate, and with all the beauties graced That gold could give it; of a weight so great,

That, to impose and take off, it had set Three handles on it, made, for endless hold,

Of shining brass, and all adorn'd with gold.

graced,

That stoop'd, and both her silver breasts embraced,

Which even the Hours themselves wear in

resort

To Deities' dances, and her Father's court. Graced at all parts, they brought to heaven her graces;

Whose first sight seen, all fell into embraces;

Hugg'd her white hands; saluted; wishing all

To wear her maiden flower in festival
Of sacred Hymen, and to lead her home;
All, to all admiration, overcome
With Cytherea with the violet crown.

So to the black-brow'd-sweet-spoke; all renown,

Prepare my song; and give me, in the end,

The victory; to whose palm all contend. So shall my Muse for ever honour thee, And, for thy sake, thy fair posterity.

OF Dionysus, noble Semele's Son,
I now intend to render mention.

As on a prominent shore his person shone, Like to a youth whose flower was newly blown,

Bright azure tresses play'd about his head, And on his bright broad shoulders was dispread

A purple mantle. Straight he was descried By certain manly pirates, that applied Their utmost speed to prise him, being aboard

A well-built bark, about whose broad sides roar'd

The wine-black Tyrrhene billows; death as black

Brought them upon him in their future wrack.

For, soon as they had purchased but his view,

Mutual signs past them, and ashore they flew,

Took him, and brought him instantly aboard,

Soothing their hopes to have obtain'd a hoard

Of riches with him; and a Jove-kept king

To such a flower must needs be natural spring.

And therefore straight among fetters they must fetch, To make him sure. But no such strength would stretch

To his constrain'd powers. Far flew all their bands

From any least force done his feet or hands.

But he sat casting smiles from his black eyes At all their worst.

At which discoveries Made by the master, he did thus dehort All his associates: "Wretches! Of what

sort

Hold ye the person ye assay to bind?
Nay, which of all the Power fully-divined
Esteem ye him? whose worth yields so
much weight

That not our well-built bark will bear his freight.

Of Jove himself he is; or he that bears The silver bow; or Neptune. Nor appears In him the least resemblance of a man, But of a strain at least Olympian.

A mere immortal-making savour rose, Which on the air the Deity did impose. The seamen seeing all, admiration seized. Yet instantly their wonders were increased; For on the topsail there ran, here and there,

A vine that grapes did in abundance bear; And in an instant was the ship's mainmast With an obscure-green-ivy's arms em

braced,

state,

And on the black-soil'd earth exonerate
Our sinking vessel of his deified load,
Nor dare the touch of an intangible God.
Lest winds outrageous, and of wrackful
scathe,

And smoking tempests, blow his fiery wrath."

This well-spoke master the tall captain

gave

Hateful and horrible language; call'd him slave,

And bade him mark the prosperous gale that blew,

And how their vessel with her mainsail flew ;

Bade all take arms, and said, their works required

The cares of men, and not of an inspired Pure zealous master; his firm hopes being fired

With this opinion, that they should arrive In Egypt straight, or Cyprus, or where live

Men whose brave breaths above the north wind blow;

Yea, and perhaps beyond their region too. And that he made no doubt but in the end

To make his prisoner tell him every friend Of all his offspring, brothers, wealth, and

berries graced ;

Of which did garlands circle every brow Of all the pirates; and no one knew how. Which when they saw, they made the

master steer

Out to the shore; whom Bacchus made forbear,

With showing more wonders. On the hatches, he

Appear'd a terrible lion, horribly Roaring; and in the mid-deck a male bear,

Made with a huge mane; making all, for fear,

Crowd to the stern, about the master there :

Whose mind he still kept dauntless and sincere.

But on the captain rush'd and ramp'd, with force

So rude and sudden, that his main recourse Was to the main-sea straight: and after him Leapt all his mates, as trusting to their swim

To fly foul death; but so found what they fled,

Being all to dolphins metamorphosed. The master he took ruth of, saved, and made

The blessed'st man that ever tried his trade.

These few words giving him: "Be confident,

Thou God-inspired pilot, in the bent
Of my affection, ready to requite
Thy late-to-me-intended benefit.

I am the roaring God of spritely wine,
Whom Semele (that did even Jove incline
To amorous mixture, and was Cadmus'
care)

Made issue to the mighty Thunderer."

And thus, all excellence of grace to thee,

Son of sweet-countenance-carrying Semele.
I must not thee forget in least degree,
But pray thy spirit to render so my song
Sweet, and all ways in order'd fury
strong.

sweet,

As not the bird that in the flowery spring, Amidst the leaves set, makes the thickets ring

Of her sour sorrows, sweeten'd with her song,

Runs her divisions varied so and strong. And then the sweet-voiced Nymphs that crown his mountains

(Flock'd round about the deep-blackwater'd fountains)

Fall in with their contention of song.
To which the echoes all the hills along
Their repercussions add. Then here and
there

(Placed in the midst) the God the guide doth bear

Of all their dances, winding in and out.
A lynx's hide, besprinkled round about
With blood, cast on his shoulders. And
thus he,

With well-made songs, maintains th' alacrity

Of his free mind, in silken meadows crown'd

With hyacinths and saffrons; that abound In sweet-breathed odours, that th' unnumber'd grass

(Besides their scents) give as through all they pass.

And these, in all their pleasures, ever raise

The blessed Gods' and long Olympus' praise :

Like zealous Hermes, who, of all, I said Most profits up to all the Gods convey'd. Who, likewise, came into th' Arcadian state,

(That's rich in fountains, and all celebrate For nurse of flocks), where he had vow'd

a grove

(Surnamed Cyllenius) to his Godhead's love.