Thus farre (I well remember mee) did Helens woordes extend To good Aenaeas. And it is a pleasure unto mee The Citie of my countrymen increasing thus to see: And that the Grecians victorie becommes the Trojans weale. But lest forgetting quyght themselves our horses happe to steale Beyond the mark: the heaven and all that under heaven is found, Dooth alter shape. So dooth the ground and all that is in ground. And wee that of the world are part (considring how wee bee Not only flesh, but also sowles, which may with passage free Remove them into every kynd of beast both tame and wyld) Let live in saufty honestly with slaughter undefyld, The bodyes which perchaunce may have the spirits of our brothers, Our sisters, or our parents, or the spirits of sum others Alyed to us eyther by sum freendshippe or sum kin, Or at the least the soules of men abyding them within. And let us not Thyesteslyke thus furnish up our boordes With bloodye bowells. Oh how leawd example he afoordes. How wickedly prepareth he himself to murther man That with a cruell knyfe dooth cut the throte of Calf, and can Unmovably give heering to the lowing of the dam Or sticke the kid that wayleth lyke the little babe, or eate The fowle that he himself before had often fed with meate. What wants of utter wickednesse in woorking such a feate? What may he after passe to doo? well eyther let your steeres Weare out themselves with woork, or else impute theyr death to yeeres. Ageinst the wynd and weather cold let Wethers yeeld yee cotes, And udders full of batling milk receyve yee of the Goates. Away with sprindges, snares, and grinnes, away with Risp and net. Away with guylefull feates: for fowles no lymetwiggs see yee set. No feared fethers pitche yee up to keepe the Red deere in, Ne with deceytfull bayted hooke seeke fishes for to win. If awght doo harme, destroy it, but destroy't and doo no more. Forbeare the flesh: and feede your mouthes with fitter foode therfore.

 Men say that Numa furnisshed with such philosophye As this and like, returned to his native soyle, and by Entreatance was content of Rome to take the sovereintye. Ryght happy in his wyfe which was a nymph, ryght happy in His guydes which were the Muses nyne, this Numa did begin To teach Religion, by the meanes whereof hee shortly drew That people unto peace whoo erst of nought but battell knew. And when through age he ended had his reigne and eeke his lyfe, Through Latium he was moorned for of man and chyld and wyfe As well of hygh as low degree. His wyfe forsaking quyght The Citie, in vale Aricine did hyde her out of syght, Among the thickest groves, and there with syghes and playnts did let The sacrifyse of Diane whom Orestes erst had fet From Taurica in Chersonese , and in that place had set. How oft ah did the woodnymphes and the waternymphes perswade Egeria for to cease her mone. What meanes of comfort made They. Ah how often Theseus sonne her weeping thus bespake. O Nymph, thy moorning moderate: thy sorrow sumwhat slake: ' Not only thou hast cause to heart thy fortune for to take. Behold like happes of other folkes, and this mischaunce of thyne Shall greeve thee lesse. Would God examples (so they were not myne) Myght comfort thee. But myne perchaunce may comfort thee. If thou In talk by hap hast heard of one Hippolytus ere now, That through his fathers lyght beleefe, and stepdames craft was slayne, It will a woonder seeme to thee, and I shall have much payne To make thee to beleeve the thing. But I am very hee. The daughter of Pasyphae in vayne oft tempting mee My fathers chamber to defyle, surmysde mee to have sought The thing that shee with al her hart would fayne I should have wrought. And whither it were for feare I should her wickednesse bewray, Or else for spyght bycause I had so often sayd her nay, Shee chardgd mee with hir owne offence. My father by and by Condemning mee, did banish mee his Realme without cause whye. And at my going like a fo did ban me bitterly. To Pitthey Troyzen outlawelike my chariot streight tooke I. My way lay hard uppon the shore of Corinth . Soodeinly The sea did ryse, and like a mount the wave did swell on hye, And seemed huger for to growe in drawing ever nye, And roring clyved in the toppe. Up starts immediatly A horned bullocke from amid the broken wave, and by The brest did rayse him in the ayre, and at his nostrills and His platter mouth did puffe out part of sea uppon the land. My servants harts were sore afrayd. But my hart musing ay Uppon my wrongfull banishment, did nought at all dismay. My horses setting up theyr eares and snorting wexed shye, And beeing greatly flayghted with the monster in theyr eye, Turnd downe to sea: and on the rockes my wagon drew. In vayne I stryving for to hold them backe, layd hand uppon the reyne All whyght with fome, and haling backe lay almost bolt upryght. And sure the feercenesse of the steedes had yeelded to my might, But that the wheele that ronneth ay about the Extree round, Did breake by dashing on a stub, and overthrew to ground. Then from the Charyot I was snatcht the brydles beeing cast About my limbes. Yee myght have seene my sinewes sticking fast Uppon the stub: my gutts drawen out alyve: my members, part Still left uppon the stump, and part foorth harryed with the cart: The crasshing of my broken bones: and with what passing peyne I breathed out my weery ghoste. There did not whole remayne One peece of all my corce by which yee myght discerne as tho What lump or part it was. For all was wound from toppe to toe. Now canst thou, nymph, or darest thou compare thy harmes with myne? Moreover I the lightlesse Realme behild with theis same eyne, And bathde my tattred bodye in the river Phlegeton, And had not bright Apollos sonne his cunning shewde uppon My bodye by his surgery, my lyfe had quyght bee gone. Which after I by force of herbes and leechecraft had ageine Receyvd by Aesculapius meanes, though Pluto did disdeine, Then Cynthia (lest this gift of hers myght woorke mee greater spyght) Thicke clowds did round about mee cast. And to th'entent I myght Bee saufe myself, and harmelessely appeere to others syght: Shee made mee old. And for my face, shee left it in such plyght, That none can knowe mee by my looke. And long shee dowted whither To give mee Dele or Crete . At length refusing bothe togither, Shee plaast mee heere. And therwithall shee bade me give up quyght The name that of my horses in remembrance put mee myght. For whereas erst Hippolytus hath beene thy name (quoth shee) I will that Virbie afterward thy name for ever bee. From that tyme foorth within this wood I keepe my residence, As of the meaner Goddes, a God of small magnificence, And heere I hyde mee underneathe my sovereine Ladyes wing Obeying humbly to her hest in every kynd of thing. But yit the harmes of other folk could nothing help nor boote Aegerias sorrowes to asswage. Downe at a mountaines foote Shee lying melted into teares, till Phebus sister sheene For pitie of her greate distresse in which shee had her seene, Did turne her to a fountaine cleere, and melted quyght away Her members into water thinne that never should decay.

 The straungenesse of the thing did make the nymphes astonyed: and The Ladye of Amazons sonne amaazd therat did stand, As when the Tyrrhene Tilman sawe in earing of his land The fatall clod first stirre alone without the help of hand, And by and by forgoing quyght the earthly shape of clod, To take the seemely shape of man, and shortly like a God To tell of things as then to comme. The Tyrrhenes did him call By name of Tages. He did teach the Tuskanes first of all To gesse by searching bulks of beastes what after should befall. Or like as did king Romulus when soodeinly he found His lawnce on mountayne Palatine fast rooted in the ground, And bearing leaves, no longer now a weapon but a tree, Which shadowed such as woondringly came thither for to see. Or else as Cippus when he in the ronning brooke had seene His homes. For why he saw them, and supposing there had beene No credit to bee given unto the glauncing image, hee Put oft his fingers to his head, and felt it so to bee. And blaming now no more his eyes, in comming from the chase With conquest of his foes, he stayd. And lifting up his face And with his face, his homes to heaven, he sayd: What ever thing Is by this woonder meant, O Goddes, if joyfull newes it bring I pray yee let it joyfull to my folk and countrye bee: But if it threaten evill, let the evill light on mee. In saying so, an altar greene of clowwers he did frame, And offred fuming frankincence in fyre uppon the same, And powred boawles of wyne theron, and searched therwithall The quivering inwards of a sheepe to know what should befall. A Tyrrhene wizard having sought the bowelles, saw therin Great chaunges and attempts of things then readye to begin, Which were not playnly manifest. But when that he at last His eyes from inwards of the beast on Cippus homes had cast, Hayle king (he sayd). For untoo thee, O Cippus, unto thee, And to thy homes shall this same place and Rome obedyent bee. Abridge delay: and make thou haste to enter at the gates Which tarrye open for thee. So commaund the soothfast fates. Thou shalt bee king assoone as thou hast entred once the towne, And thou and thyne for evermore shalt weare the royall crowne. With that he stepping back his foote, did turne his frowning face From Romeward, saying: Farre, O farre, the Goddes such handsel chace. More ryght it were I all my lyfe a bannisht man should bee, Than that the holy Capitoll mee reigning there should see. Thus much he sayd: and by and by toogither he did call The people and the Senators. But yit he first of all Did hyde his homes with Lawrell leaves: and then without the wall He standing on a mount the which his men had made of soddes, And having after auncient guyse made prayer to the Goddes Sayd: Heere is one that shall (onlesse yee bannish him your townc Immediatly) bee king of Rome and weare a royall crowne. What man it is, I will by signe, but not by name bewray. He hath uppon his brow two homes. The wizard heere dooth say, That if he enter Rome , you shall lyke servants him obey. He myght have entred at your gates which open for him lay, But I did stay him thence. And yit there is not unto mee A neerer freend in all the world. Howbee't forbid him yee O Romanes, that he comme not once within your walles. Or if He have deserved, bynd him fast in fetters like a theef. Or in this fatall Tyrants death, of feare dispatch your mynd. Such noyse as Pynetrees make what tyme the heady easterne wynde Dooth whiz amongst them, or as from the sea dooth farre rebound: Even such among the folk of Rome that present was the sound. Howbee't in that confused roare of fearefull folk, did fall Out one voyce asking, Whoo is hee? And staring therewithall Uppon theyr foreheads, they did seeke the foresayd homes. Agen (Quoth Cippus) Lo, yee have the man for whom yee seeke. And then He pulld (ageinst his peoples will) his garlond from his head, And shewed them the two fayre homes that on his browes were spred. At that the people dassheth downe theyr lookes and syghing is Ryght sorye (whoo would think it trew?) to see that head of his, Most famous for his good deserts. Yit did they not forget The honour of his personage, but willingly did set The Lawrell garlond on his head ageine. And by and by The Senate sayd: Well Cippus, sith untill the tyme thou dye Thou mayst not come within theis walles, wee give thee as much ground In honour of thee, as a teeme of steeres can plough thee round, Betweene the dawning of the day, and shetting in of nyght. Moreover on the brazen gate at which this Cippus myght Have entred Rome , a payre of homes were gravde to represent His woondrous shape, as of his deede an endlesse monument.

 Yee Muses whoo to Poets are the present springs of grace, Now shewe (for you knowe, neyther are you dulld by tyme or space) How Aesculapius in the Ile that is in Tyber deepe Among the sacred sayncts of Rome had fortune for to creepe. A cruell plage did heertofore infect the Latian aire, And peoples bodyes pyning pale the murreine did appayre. When tyred with the buriall of theyr freends, they did perceyve Themselves no helpe at mannes hand nor by Phisicke to receyve. Then seeking help from heaven, they sent to Delphos (which dooth stand Amid the world) for counsell to bee had at Phebus hand. Beseeching him with helthfull ayd to succour theyr distresse, And of the myghtye Citie Rome the mischeef to redresse. The quivers which Apollo bryght himself was woont to beare, The Baytrees, and the place itself togither shaken were. And by and by the table from the furthest part of all The Chauncell spake theis woords, which did theyr harts with feare appal: The thing yee Romanes seeke for heere, yee should have sought more ny Your countrye. Yea and neerer home go seeke it now. Not I, Apollo, but Apollos sonne is hee that must redresse Your sorrowes. Take your journey with good handsell of successe, And fetch my sonne among you. When Apollos hest was told Among the prudent Senators, they sercht what towne did hold His sonne, and unto Epidawre a Gallye for him sent. Assoone as that th'Ambassadours arryved there they went Unto the counsell and the Lordes of Greekland: whom they pray To have the God the present plages of Romanes for to stay, And for themselves the Oracle of Phebus foorth they lay. The Counsell were of sundry mynds and could not well agree. Sum thought that succour in such neede denyed should not bee. And divers did perswade to keepe theyr helpe, and not to send Theyr Goddes away sith they themselves myght neede them in the end. Whyle dowtfully they off and on debate this curious cace, The evening twylyght utterly the day away did chace, And on the world the shadowe of the earth had darknesse brought. That nyght the Lord Ambassadour as sleepe uppon him wrought, Did dreame he saw before him stand the God whose help he sought, In shape as in his chappell he was woonted for to stand, With ryght hand stroking downe his herd, and staffe in tother hand, And meekely saying: Feare not, I will comme and leave my shryne. This serpent which dooth wreath with knottes about this staffe of mine Mark well, and take good heede therof: that when thou shalt it see, Thou mayst it knowe. For into it transformed will I bee. But bigger I will bee, for I will seeme of such a syse, As may celestiall bodyes well to turne into suffise. Streyght with the voyce, the God, and with the voyce and God, away Went sleepe: and after sleepe was gone ensewed cheerfull day. Next morning having cleerely put the fyrye starres to flyght, The Lordes not knowing what to doo, assembled all foorthryght Within the sumptuous temple of the God that was requyrde, And of his mynd by heavenly signe sum knowledge they desyrde. They scarce had doone theyr prayers, when the God in shape of snake With loftye crest of gold, began a hissing for to make, Which was a warning given. And with his presence he did shake The Altar, shryne, doores, marble floore, and roofe all layd with gold, And vauncing up his brest he stayd ryght stately to behold Amid the Church, and round about his fyrye eyes he rold. The syght did fray the people. But the wyvelesse preest (whoose heare Was trussed in a fayre whyght Call) did know the God was there. And sayd: Behold, tiz God, tiz God. As many as bee heere Pray both with mouth and mynd. O thou our glorious God, appeere To our beehoofe, and helpe thy folke that keepe thy hallowes ryght.

 The people present woorshipped his Godhead there in syght, Repeating dowble that the preest did say. The Romaynes eeke Devoutly did with Godly voyce and hart his favour seeke. The God by nodding did consent, and gave assured signe By shaking of his golden crest that on his head did shyne, And hissed twyce with spirting toong. Then trayld he downe the fyne And glistring greeces of his church. And turning backe his eyen, He looked to his altarward and to his former shryne And temple, as to take his leave and bid them all fare well. From thence ryght huge uppon the ground (which sweete of flowres did smell That people strewed in his way), he passed stately downe, And bending into bowghts went through the hart of all the towne, Untill that hee the bowwing wharf besyde the haven tooke. Where staying, when he had (as seemd) dismist with gentle looke His trayne of Chapleynes and the folke that wayted on him thither, Hee layd him in the Romane shippe to sayle away toogither. The shippe did feele the burthen of his Godhed to the full, And for the heavye weyght of him did after passe more dull. The Romanes being glad of him, and having killd a steere Uppon the shore, untyde theyr ropes and cables from the peere. The lyghtsum wynd did dryve the shippe. The God avauncing hye, And leaning with his necke uppon the Gallyes syde, did lye And looke uppon the greenish waves, and cutting easly through Th'Ionian sea with little gales of westerne wynd not rough, The sixt day morning came uppon the coast of Italy . And passing foorth by Junos Church that mustreth to the eye Uppon the head of Lacine he was caryed also by The rocke of Scylley. Then he left the land of Calabrye And rowing softly by the rocke Zephyrion , he did draw To Celen cliffs the which uppon the ryght syde have a flawe. By Romeche and by Cawlon, and by Narice thence he past, And from the streyghtes of Sicily gate quyght and cleere at last. Then ran he by th'Aeolian Iles and by the metall myne Of Tempsa, and by Lewcosye, and temprate Pest where fyne And pleasant Roses florish ay. From thence by Capreas And Atheney the headlond of Minerva he did passe To Surrent, where with gentle vynes the hilles bee overclad, And by the towne of Hercules and Stabye ill bestad And Naples borne to Idlenesse, and Cumes where Sybell had Hir temples, and the scalding bathes, and Linterne where growes store Of masticke trees, and Vulturne which beares sand apace from shore, And Sinuesse where as Adders are as whyght as any snowe, And Minturne of infected ayre bycause it stands so lowe, And Caiete where Aeneas did his nurce in tumbe bestowe, And Formy where Antiphates the Lestrigon did keepe, And Trache envyrond with a fen, and Circes mountayne steepe: To Ancon with the boystous shore. Assoone as that the shippe Arryved heere, (for now the sea was rough,) the God let slippe His circles, and in bending bowghts and wallowing waves did glyde Into his fathers temple which was buylded there besyde Uppon the shore, and when the sea was calme and pacifyde, The foresayd God of Epidawre, his fathers Church forsooke, (The lodging of his neerest freend which for a tyme hee tooke,) And with his crackling scales did in the sand a furrowe cut, And taking hold uppon the sterne did in the Galy put His head, and rested till he came past Camp and Lavine sands, And entred Tybers mouth at which the Citie Ostia stands. The folke of Rome came hither all by heapes bothe men and wyves And eeke the Nunnes that keepe the fyre of Vesta as theyr lyves, To meete the God, and welcomd him with joyfull noyse. And as The Gally rowed up the streame, greate store of incence was On altars burnt on bothe the banks, so that on eyther syde The fuming of the frankincence the very aire did hyde, And also slaine in sacrifyse full many cattell dyde. Anon he came to Rome , the head of all the world: and there The serpent lifting up himself, began his head to beare Ryght up along the maast, uppon the toppe whereof on hye He looked round about, a meete abyding place to spye. The Tyber dooth devyde itself in twaine, and dooth embrace A little pretye Iland (so the people terme the place) From eyther syde whereof the bankes are distant equall space. Apollos Snake descending from the maast conveyd him thither, And taking eft his heavenly shape, as one repayring hither To bring our Citie healthfulnesse, did end our sorrowes quyght.