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Musæus of Hero and Leander.*

[1616.]

TO THE

MOST GENERALLY INGENIOUS, AND OUR ONLY LEARNED ARCHITECT, MY EXCEEDING GOOD FRIEND,

INIGO JONES, ESQUIRE,

SURVEYOR OF HIS MAJESTY'S WORKS.

ANCIENT Poesy, and ancient Architecture, requiring to their excellence a like creating and proportionable rapture, and being alike overtopt by the monstrous Babels of our modern barbarism, their unjust obscurity letting no glance of their truth and dignity appear but to passing few, to passing few is their least appearance to be presented. Yourself then being a chief of that few by whom both are apprehended, and their beams worthily measured and valued, this little light of the one I could not but object, and publish to your choice apprehension; especially for your most ingenuous love to all works in which the ancient Greek Souls have appeared to you. No less esteeming this worth the presenting to any Greatest, for the smallness of the work, than the Author himself hath been held therefore of the less estimation; having obtained as much preservation and honour as the greatest of others; the smallness being supplied with so greatly-excellent invention and elocution. Nor lacks even the most younglyenamoured affection it contains a temper grave enough to become both the sight and acceptance of the Gravest. And therefore, howsoever the mistaking world takes it (whose left hand ever received what I gave with my right) if you freely and nobly entertain it, I obtain my end; your judicious love's continuance being my only object. To which I at all parts commend

Your ancient poor friend,

GEORGE CHAPMAN.

TO THE COMMUNE READER.

When you see Leander and Hero, the subjects of this Pamphlet, I persuade myself your prejudice will increase to the contempt of it; either headlong presupposing it all one, or at no part matchable, with that partly excellent+ Poem of Master Marlowe's. For your all one, the Works are in nothing alike; a different character being held through both the style, matter, and invention. For the match of it, let but

"The Divine Poem of Musaus. First of all Bookes. Translated According to the Originall,

By Geo: Chapman. London ¶ Printed by Isaac laggard. 1616.

"Partly excellent." It will be remembered that Chapman himself wrote all after the second Sestyad; this reservation, therefore, is a piece of modesty on his part.-ED.

your eyes be matches, and it will in many parts overmatch it. In the Original, it being* by all the most learned the incomparable Love-Poem of the world. And I would be something sorry you could justly tax me with doing it any wrong in our English; though perhaps it will not so amble under your seasures and censures, as the before published.

Let the great comprehenders and unable utterers of the Greek elocution in other language, drop under their unloadings, how humbly soever they please, and the rather disclaim their own strength, that my weakness may seem the more presumptuous; it can impose no scruple the more burthen on my shoulders, that I will feel; unless Reason chance to join arbiter with Will, and appear to me; to whom I am ever prostrately subject. And if envious Misconstruction could once leave tyrannizing over my infortunate Innocence, both the Charity it argued would render them that use it the more Christian, and me industrious, to hale out of them the discharge of their own duties.

OF MUSEUS.

Out of the worthy D. Gager's Collections.

Musæus was a renowned Greek Poet, born at Athens, the son of Eumolpus. He lived in the time of Orpheus, and is said to be one of them that went the famous Voyage to Colchos for the Golden Fleece. He wrote of the Gods' genealogy before any other; and invented the Sphere. Whose opinion was, that all things were made of one Matter, and resolved into one again. Of whose works only this one Poem of Hero and Leander is extant. Of himself, in his Sixth Book of Æneids, Virgil makes memorable mention, where in Elysium he makes Sibylla speak this of him—

Musæum ante omnes; medium nam plurima turba
Hunc habet, atque humeris extantem suspicit altis.

He was born in Falerum, a town in the middle of Tuscia, or the famous country of Tuscany in Italy, called also Hetruria.

OF ABYDUS AND SESTUS.

Abydus and Sestus were two ancient Towns; one in Europe, another in Asia; East and West, opposite; on both the shores of the Hellespont. Their names are extant in Maps to this day. But in their places are two Castles built, which the Turks call Bogazossas, that is, Castles situate by the sea-side. Seamen now call the place where Sestus stood Malido. It was likewise called Possidonium. But Abydus is called Auco. They are both renowned in all writers for nothing so much as the Love of Leander and Hero.

OF THE HELLESPONT.

Hellespont is the straits of the two seas, Propontis and Egeum, running betwixt Abydus and Sestus. Over which Xerxes built a bridge, and joined these two towns together, conveying over his army of seven hundred thousand men. It is now called by some the Straits of Gallipolis; but by Frenchmen, Flemings, and others, the Arm of

* Some word, such as "held" or "accounted," seems to be missing here.-ED.

Saint George. It had his name of Hellespont, because Helle, the daughter of Athamas, King of Thebes, was drowned in it. And therefore of one it is called the Virgin-killing Sea; of another the Virgin-sea. It is but seven Italian furlongs broad, which is one of our miles, lacking a furlong.

GODDESS, relate the witness-bearing light Of Loves, that would not bear a humane sight;

The Sea-man that transported marriages, Shipp'd in the night, his bosom plowing th'

seas;

The love-joys that in gloomy clouds did fly The clear beams of th' immortal Morning's eye;

Abydus and fair Sestus, where I hear
The night-hid Nuptials of young Hero

were ;

Leander's swimming to her; and a Light,
A Light that was administress of sight
To cloudy Venus, and did serve t' address1
Night-wedding Hero's nuptial offices:
A Light that took the very form of Love;
Which had been justice in ethereal Jove,
When the nocturnal duty had been done,
T'advance amongst the consort of the Sun,
And call the Star that Nuptial Loves did
guide,

And to the Bridegroom gave and graced the Bride,

Because it was 3companion to the death Of Loves, 4 whose kind cares cost their dearest breath;

And that "fame-freighted ship from shipwrack kept

That such sweet nuptials brought they never slept,

Till air was with a bitter flood inflate, That bore their firm loves as infix'd a hate. But, Goddess, forth, and both one issue sing,

The Light extinct, Leander perishing.

Two towns there were, that with one sea were wall'd,

Built near, and opposite; this Sestus call'd, Abydus that; then Love his bow bent high,

And at both Cities let one arrow fly,

That two (a Virgin and a Youth) inflamed: The youth was sweetly-graced Leander named,

The virgin, Hero; Sestus she renowns, Abydus he, in birth; of both which towns Both were the beauty-circled stars; and both

Graced with like looks, as with one love and troth.

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Another goddess; nor was ever train'd In women's companies; nor learn'd to tread

A graceful dance, to which such years are bred.

The envious spites of women she did fly
(Women for beauty their own sex envy),
All her devotion was to Venus done,
And to his heavenly Mother her great Son
Would reconcile with sacrifices ever,
And ever trembled at his flaming quiver.
Yet 'scaped not so his fiery shafts her
breast;

For now the popular Venerean Feast,
Which to Adonis, and great Cypria's
State,

The Sestians yearly used to celebrate,
Was come; and to that holy-day came all
That in the bordering isles the sea did
wall.

To it in flocks they flew; from Cyprus these,

Environ'd with the rough Carpathian seas; These from Hæmonia; nor remain'd a

man

Of all the towns in th' isles Cytherean;
Not one was left, that used to dance upon
The tops of odoriferous Libanon ;
Not one of Phrygia, not one of all
The neighbours seated near the Festival;

Nor one of opposite Abydus' shore;
None of all these, that virgins' favours

wore,

Were absent; all such fill the flowing way,
When Fame proclaims a solemn holy-day,
Not bent so much to offer holy flames,
As to the beauties of assembled dames.

The virgin Hero enter'd th' holy place, And graceful beams cast round about her face,

Like to the bright orb of the rising Moon. The top-spheres of her snowy cheeks put

on

A glowing redness, like the two-hued rose
Her odorous bud beginning to disclose.
You would have said, in all her lineaments
A meadow full of roses she presents.
All over her she blush'd; which (putting

on

Her white robe, reaching to her ankles) shone

(While she in passing did her feet dispose) As she had wholly been a moving rose. Graces in numbers from her parts did flow. The Ancients, therefore (since they did not know

Hero's unbounded beauties), falsely feign'd Only three Graces; for, when Hero strain'd

Into a smile her priestly modesty,

A hundred Graces grew from either eye.
A fit one, sure, the Cyprian Goddess found
To be her ministress; and so highly
crown'd

With worth her grace was, past all other dames,

That, of a priest made to the Queen of Flames,

A new Queen of them she in all eyes shined;

And did so undermine each tender mind Of all the young men, that there was not

one

But wish'd fait Hero was his wife, or none. Nor could she stir about the well-built Fane,

This way or that, but every way she wan A following mind in all men ; which their eyes,

Lighted with all their inmost faculties, Clearly confirm'd; and one, admiring, said,

All Sparta I have travell'd, and survey'd The City Lacedæmon, where we hear All Beauties' labours and contentions were, A woman, yet so wise and delicate I never saw. It may be Venus gat One of the younger Graces to supply The place of priesthood to her Deity.

Ev'n tired I am with sight, yet doth not find

A satisfaction by my sight my mind.
O could I once ascend sweet Hero's bed,
Let me be straight found in her bosom
dead!

I would not wish to be in heaven a God,
Were Hero here my wife. But, if forbod
To lay profane hands on thy holy priest,
O Venus, with another such assist
My nuptial longings." Thus pray'd all
that spake ;

The rest their wounds hid, and in frenzies brake;

Her beauty's fire, being so suppress'd, so raged.

But thou, Leander, more than all engaged, Wouldst not, when thou hadst view'd th' amazing Maid,

Waste with close stings, and seek no open aid,

But, with the flaming arrows of her eyes Wounded unwares, thou wouldst in sacrifice Vent th' inflammation thy burnt blood did prove,

Or live with sacred medicine of her love.

But now the love-brand in his eye-beams burn'd,

And with unconquer'd fire his heart was turn'd

Into a coal; together wrought the flame; The virtuous beauty of a spotless dame Sharper to men is than the swiftest shaft ; His eye the way by which his heart is caught:

And, from the stroke his eye sustains, th wound

Opens within, and doth his entrails sound. Amaze then took him, Impudence and Shame

Made earthquakes in him with their fros and flame.

His heart betwixt them toss'd, till Reve

rence

Took all these prisoners in him ; and from thence

Her matchless beauty, with astonishment, Increased his bands: till aguish Love, that lent

Shame and Observance, licensed their remove;

And, wisely liking impudence in love, Silent he went, and stood against the Maid,

And in side glances faintly he convey'd His crafty eyes about her; with dumb shows

Tempting her mind to error. And now grows

She to conceive his subtle flame, and joy'd

Since he was graceful. Then herself employ'd

Her womanish cunning, turning from him quite

Her lovely countenance; giving yet some light,

Even by her dark signs, of her kindling fire,

With up and down-looks whetting his desire.

He joy'd at heart to see Love's sense in her,

And no contempt of what he did prefer. And while he wish'd unseen to urge the rest,

The day shrunk down her beams to lowest West,

And East; the Even-Star took vantage of her shade.

Then boldly he his kind approaches made, And as he saw the russet clouds increase, He strain'd her rosy hand, and held his peace,

But sigh'd, as silence had his bosom broke.

When she, as silent, put on anger's cloak, And drew her hand back. He discerning well

Her 'would and would-not, to her boldlier fell;

And her elaborate robe, with much cost wrought,

About her waist embracing, on he brought His love to th' in-parts of the reverend fane ;

She (as her love-sparks more and more did wane)

Went slowly on, and, with a woman's words

Threatening Leander, thus his boldness bords:

"Why, stranger, are you 10mad? Ill-
fated man,

Why hale you thus a virgin Sestian?
Keep on your way: let go, fear to offend
The noblesse of my birth-right's either
friend.

It ill becomes you to solicit thus

The priest of Venus. Hopeless, dangerous, The barr'd-up way is to a virgin's bed.” Thus, for the maiden form, she menaced. But he well knew that when these female 12mines

Break out in fury, they are certain signs Of their persuasions. Women's threats once shown,

Shows in it only all you wish your own.

VOL. II.

And therefore of the ruby-colour'd maid The odorous neck he with a kiss assay'd, And, stricken with the sting of love, he pray'd:

"Dear Venus, next to Venus you must go;

And next Minerva, trace Minerva too; Your like with earthly dames no light can show;

To Jove's great Daughters I must liken

you.

Blest was thy great Begetter; blest was she Whose womb did bear thee; but most blessedly

The womb itself fared that thy throes did prove.

O hear my prayer: pity the need of Love.
As priest of Venus, practise Venus' rites.
Come, and instruct me in her bed's-
delights.

It fits not you, a virgin, to vow aids
To Venus' service; Venus loves no maids.
If Venus' institutions you prefer,
And faithful ceremonies vow to her,
Nuptials and beds they be. If her love
binds,

Love love's sweet laws, that soften human minds.

Make me your servant; husband, if you pleased;

Whom Cupid with his burning shafts hath seised,

And hunted to you, as swift Hermes drave With his gold-rod Jove's bold son to be slave

To Lydia's sovereign Virgin; but for me,
Venus insulting forced my feet to thee.
I was not guided by wise Mercury.
Virgin, you know, when Atalanta fled
Out of Arcadia, kind Melanion's bed,
Affecting virgin-life, your angry Queen,
Whom first she used with a malignant
spleen,

At last possess'd him of her complete heart.

And you, dear love, because I would avert Your Goddess' anger, I would fain persuade.'

With these love-luring words conform'd he made

The maid recusant to his blood's desire, And set her soft mind on an erring fire. Dumb she was strook; and down to earth

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