The noble Theseus in this while with others having donneHis part in killing of the Boare, to Athens ward begonneTo take his way. But Acheloy then being swolne with raineDid stay him of his journey, and from passage him restraine.Of Athens valiant knight (quoth he) come underneath my roofe, And for to passe my raging streame as yet attempt no proofe.This brooke is wont whole trees to beare and evelong stones to carryWith hideous roring down his streame. I oft have seene him harryWhole Shepcotes standing nere his banks, with flocks of sheepe therin.Nought booted buls their strength: nought steedes by swiftnes there could win. Yea many lustie men this brooke hath swallowed, when the snowFrom mountaines molten, caused him his banks to overflow.i The best is for you for to rest untill the River fallWithin his boundes: and runne ageine within his chanell small.Content (quoth Theseus): Acheloy, I will not sure refuseThy counsell nor thy house. And so he both of them did use.Of Pommy hollowed diversly and ragged Pebble stoneThe walles were made. The floore with Mosse was soft to tread upon.The roofe thereof was checkerwise with shelles of Purple wroughtAnd Perle. The Sunne then full two parts of day to end had brought,And Theseus downe to table sate with such as late beforeHad friendly borne him companie at killing of the Bore.At one side sate Ixions sonne, and on the other sateThe Prince of Troyzen, Lelex, with a thin hearde horie pate.And then such other as the brooke of Acarnania did Vouchsafe the honor to his boord and table for to bid,Who was right glad of such a guest. Immediatly there cameBarefooted Nymphes who brought in meate. And when that of the sameThe Lords had taken their repast, the meate away they tooke,And set downe wine in precious stones. Then Theseus who did looke Upon the Sea that underneath did lie within their sight,Said: tell us what is yon same place, (and with his fingar rightHee poynted thereunto) I pray, and what that Iland hight,Although it seemeth mo than one. The River answerd thus,It is not one mayne land alone that kenned is of us. There are uppon a fyve of them. The distaunce of the place,Dooth hinder to discerne betweene eche Ile the perfect space.And that the lesse yee woonder may at Phoebees act alate,To such as had neglected her uppon contempt or hate,Theis Iles were sumtyme Waternimphes: who having killed Neate, Twyce fyve, and called to theyr feast the Country Gods to eate,Forgetting mee kept frolicke cheere. At that gan I to swell,And ran more large than ever erst, and being over fellIn stomacke and in streame, I rent the wood from wood, and feeldFrom feeld, and with the ground the Nymphes as then with stomacks meeld Remembring mee, I tumbled to the Sea. The waves of meeAnd of the sea the ground that erst all whole was woont to beeDid rend asunder into all the Iles you yonder see,And made a way for waters now to passe betweene them free.They now of Urchins have theyr name. But of theis Ilands, one A great way off (behold yee) stands a great way off alone,As you may see. The Mariners doo call it Perimell.With her (shee was as then a Nymph) so farre in love I fell,That of her maydenhod I her spoyld: which thing displeasd so soreHer father Sir Hippodamas, that from the craggy shore He threw her headlong downe to drowne her in the sea. But IDid latch her streight, and bearing her aflote did lowd thus crie:O Neptune with thy threetynde Mace who hast by lot the chargeOf all the waters wylde that bound uppon the earth at large,To whom wee holy streames doo runne, in whome wee take our end, Draw neere, and gently to my boone effectually attend.This Ladie whome I beare aflote myselfe hath hurt. Bee meekeAnd upright. If Hippodamas perchaunce were fatherleeke,Or if that he extremitie through outrage did not secke,He oughted to have pitied her and for to beare with mee. Now help us Neptune, I thee pray, and condescend that sheeWhom from the land her fathers wrath and cruelnesse dooth chaceWho through her fathers cruelnesse is drownd: may find the graceTo have a place: or rather let hirselfe become a place.And I will still embrace the same. The King of Seas did move His head, and as a token that he did my sute approve,He made his surges all to shake. The Nymph was sore afrayd.Howbee't shee swam, and as she swam, my hand I softly laydUpon her brest which quivered still. And whyle I toucht the same,I sensibly did feele how all her body hard became: And how the earth did overgrow her bulk. And as I spake,New earth enclosde hir swimming limbes, which by and by did takeAnother shape, and grew into a mighty Ile.

With thatThe River ceast and all men there did woonder much thereat.Pirithous being over hault of mynde and such a one As did despyse bothe God and man, did laugh them everychoneTo scorne for giving credit, and sayd thus: The woords thou spaakstAre feyned fancies, Acheloy: and overstrong thou maakstThe Gods: to say that they can give and take way shapes. This scoffeDid make the heerers all amazde, for none did like thereof. And Lelex of them all the man most rype in yeeres and wit,Sayd thus: Unmeasurable is the powre of heaven, and itCan have none end. And looke what God dooth mynd to bring about,Must take effect. And in this case to put yee out of dout,Upon the hilles of Phrygie neere a Teyle there stands a tree Of Oke enclosed with a wall. Myself the place did see.For Pithey untoo Pelops feelds did send mee where his fatherDid sumtyme reigne. Not farre fro thence there is a poole which ratherHad bene dry ground inhabited. But now it is a meareAnd Moorecocks, Cootes, and Cormorants doo breede and nestle there. The mightie Jove and Mercurie his sonne in shape of menResorted thither on a tyme. A thousand houses whenFor roome to lodge in they had sought, a thousand houses bardTheyr doores against them. Nerethelesse one Cotage afterwardReceyved them, and that was but a pelting one in deede. The roofe therof was thatched all with straw and fennish reede.Howbee't two honest auncient folke, (of whom she Baucis hightAnd he Philemon) in that Cote theyr fayth in youth had plight:And in that Cote had spent theyr age. And for they pacientlyDid beare theyr simple povertie, they made it light thereby, And shewed it no thing to bee repyned at at all.It skilles not whether there for Hyndes or Maister you doo call,For all the houshold were but two: and both of them obeyde,And both commaunded. When the Gods at this same Cotage staid,And ducking downe their heads, within the low made Wicket came, Philemon bringing ech a stoole, bade rest upon the sameTheir limmes: and busie Baucis brought them cuishons homely geere.ihich done, the embers on the harth she gan abrode to steere,And laid the coales togither that were raakt up over night,And with the brands and dried leaves did make them gather might, And with the blowing of hir mouth did make them kindle bright.Then from an inner house she fetcht seare sticks and clifted brands,And put them broken underneath a Skillet with hir hands.Hir Husband from their Gardenplot fetcht Coleworts. Of the whichShe shreaded small the leaves, and with a Forke tooke downe a flitch Of restie Bacon from the Balke made blacke with smoke, and cutA peece thereof, and in the pan to boyling did it put.And while this meate a seething was, the time in talke they spent,By meanes whereof away without much tedousnesse it went.There hung a Boawle of Beeche upon a spirget by a ring. The same with warmed water filld the two old folke did bringTo bathe their guests foule feete therein. Amid the house there stoodA Couch whose bottom sides and feete were all of Sallow wood,And on the same a Mat of Sedge. They cast upon this bedA covering which was never wont upon it to be spred Except it were at solemne feastes: and yet the same was oldeAnd of the coursest, with a bed of sallow meete to holde.The Gods sate downe. The aged wife right chare and busie asA Bee, set out a table, of the which the thirde foote wasA little shorter than the rest. A tylesherd made it even And tooke away the shoringnesse: and when they had it drivenTo stand up levell, with greene Mintes they by and by it wipte.Then set they on it Pallas fruite with double colour stripte.And Cornels kept in pickle moyst, and Endive, and a rooteOf Radish, and a jolly lump of Butter fresh and soote,And Egges reare rosted. All these Cates in earthen dishes came.Then set they downe a graven cup made also of the sameSelfe kinde of Plate, and Mazers made of Beech whose inner sydeWas rubd with yellow wax. And when they pawsed had a tyde,Hot meate came pyping from the fyre. And shortly thereupon A cup of greene hedg wyne was brought. This tane away, anonCame in the latter course, which was of Nuts, Dates, dryed figges,Sweete smelling Apples in a Mawnd made flat of Osier twigges,And Prunes and Plums and Purple grapes cut newly from the tree,And in the middes a honnycomb new taken from the Bee. Besydes all this there did ensew good countnance overmore,With will not poore nor nigardly. Now all the whyle before,As ofen as Philemon and Dame Baucis did perceyveThe emptie Cup to fill alone, and wyne to still receyve,Amazed at the straungenesse of the thing, they gan streyght way With fearfull harts and hands hilld up to frame themselves to pray.Desyring for theyr slender cheere and fare to pardoned bee.They had but one poore Goose which kept theyr little Tennantree,And this to offer to the Gods theyr guestes they did intend.The Gander wyght of wing did make the slow old folke to spend Theyr paynes in vayne, and mokt them long. At length he seemd to flyeFor succor to the Gods themselves, who bade he should not dye.For wee bee Gods (quoth they) and all this wicked towneship shallAbye their gylt. On you alone this mischeef shall not fall.No more but give you up your house, and follow up this hill Togither, and upon the top therof abyde our will.They bothe obeyd. And as the Gods did lead the way before,They lagged slowly after with theyr staves, and labored soreAgeinst the rysing of the hill. They were not mickle moreThan full a flyghtshot from the top, when looking backe they saw How all the towne was drowned save their lyttle shed of straw.And as they wondred at the thing and did bewayle the caseOf those that had theyr neyghbours beene, the old poore Cote so baseWhereof they had beene owners erst, became a Church. The proppesWere turned into pillars huge. The straw uppon the toppes Was yellow, so that all the roof did seeme of burnisht gold:The floore with Marble paved was. The doores on eyther foldWere graven. At the sight hereof Philemon and his makeBegan to pray in feare. Then Jove thus gently them bespake:Declare thou ryghtuowse man, and thou woman meete to haveA ryghtuowse howsband, what yee would most cheefly wish or crave.Philemon taking conference a little with his wyfe,Declared bothe theyr meenings thus: We covet during lyfe,Your Chapleynes for to bee to keepe your Temple. And bycauseOur yeeres in concord wee have spent, I pray when death neere drawes, Let bothe of us togither leave our lives: that neyther IBehold my wyves deceace, nor shee see myne when I doo dye.Theyr wish had sequele to theyr will. As long as lyfe did last,They kept the Church. And beeing spent with age of yeares forepast,By chaunce as standing on a tyme without the Temple doore They told the fortune of the place, Philemon old and pooreSaw Baucis floorish greene with leaves, and Baucis saw likewysePhilemon braunching out in boughes and twigs before hir eyes.And as the Bark did overgrow the heades of both, eche spakeTo other whyle they myght. At last they eche of them did take Theyr leave of other bothe at once, and therewithall the barkDid hyde theyr faces both at once. The Phrygians in that parkDoo at this present day still shew the trees that shaped wereOf theyr two bodies, growing yit togither joyntly there.Theis things did auncient men report of credit verie good. For why there was no cause why they should lye. As I there stoodI saw the garlands hanging on the boughes, and adding newI sayd: Let them whom God dooth love be Gods, and honor dewBee given to such as honor him with feare and reverence trew.

He hilld his peace, and bothe the thing and he that did it tell Did move them all, but Theseus most. Whom being mynded wellTo heere of woondrous things, the brooke of Calydon thus bespake:There are, O valiant knyght, sum folke that had the powre to takeStraunge shape for once, and all their lyves continewed in the same.And other sum to sundrie shapes have power themselves to frame, As thou, O Protew, dwelling in the sea that cleepes the land.For now a yoonker, now a boare, anon a Lyon, andStreyght way thou didst become a Snake, and by and by a BullThat people were afrayd of thee to see thy horned skull.And oftentymes thou seemde a stone, and now and then a tree, And counterfetting water sheere thou seemedst oft to beeA River: and another whyle contrarie thereuntoThou wart a fyre. No lesser power than also thus to dooHad Erisicthons daughter whom Awtolychus tooke to wyfe.Her father was a person that despysed all his lyfe The powre of Gods, and never did vouchsauf them sacrifyse.He also is reported to have heawen in wicked wyseThe grove of Ceres, and to fell her holy woods which ayHad undiminisht and unhackt continewed to that day.There stood in it a warrie Oke which was a wood alone. Uppon it round hung fillets, crownes, and tables, many one,The vowes of such as had obteynd theyr hearts desyre. Full oftThe Woodnymphes underneath this tree did fetch theyr frisks aloftAnd oftentymes with hand in hand they daunced in a roundAbout the Trunk, whose bignesse was of timber good and sound Full fifteene fadom. All the trees within the wood besyde,Were unto this, as weedes to them: so farre it did them hyde.Yit could not this move Triops sonne his axe therefro to hold,But bade his servants cut it downe. And when he did beholdThem stunting at his hest, he snatcht an axe with furious moodFrom one of them, and wickedly sayd thus: Although thys woodNot only were the derling of the Goddesse, but alsoThe Goddesse even herself: yet would I make it ere I goTo kisse the clowers with her top that pranks with braunches so.This spoken, as he sweakt his axe asyde to fetch his blow,The manast Oke did quake and sygh, the Acornes that did growThereon togither with the leaves to wex full pale began,And shrinking in for feare the boughes and braunches looked wan.As soone as that his cursed hand had wounded once the tree,The blood came spinning from the carf, as freshly as yee see It issue from a Bullocks necke whose throte is newly cutBefore the Altar, when his flesh to sacrifyse is put.They were amazed everychone. And one among them allTo let the wicked act, durst from the tree his hatchet call.The lewd Thessalian facing him sayd: Take thou heere to thee The guerdon of thy godlynesse, and turning from the tree,He chopped off the fellowes head. Which done, he went agenAnd heawed on the Oke. Streight from amid the tree as thenThere issued such a sound as this: Within this tree dwell IA Nymph to Ceres very deere, who now before I dye In comfort of my death doo give thee warning thou shalt byeThy dooing deere within a whyle. He goeth wilfullyStill thorrough with his wickednesse, untill at length the OkePulld partly by the force of ropes, and cut with axis stroke,Did fall, and with his weyght bare downe of under wood great store. The Wood nymphes with the losses of the woods and theyrs ryght soreAmazed, gathered on a knot, and all in mourning weedeWent sad to Ceres, praying her to wreake that wicked deedeOf Erisicthons. Ceres was content it should bee so.And with the moving of her head in nodding to and fro, Shee shooke the feeldes which laden were with frutefull Harvest tho,And therewithall a punishment most piteous shee proceedesTo put in practyse: were it not that his most heynous deedesNo pitie did deserve to have at any bodies hand.With helpelesse hungar him to pyne, in purpose shee did stand. And forasmuch as shee herself and Famin myght not meete(For fate forbiddeth Famin to abyde within the leeteWhere plentie is) shee thus bespake a fayrie of the hill:There lyeth in the utmost bounds of Tartarie the chillA Dreerie place, a wretched soyle, a barreine plot: no grayne,No frute, no tree, is growing there: but there dooth ay remayneUnweeldsome cold, with trembling feare, and palenesse white as clowt,And foodlesse Famin. Will thou her immediatly withowtDelay to shed herself into the stomacke of the wretch,And let no plentie staunch her force but let her working stretch Above the powre of mee. And lest the longnesse of the wayMay make thee wearie, take thou heere my charyot: take I sayMy draggons for to beare thee through the aire.

In saving soShe gave hir them. The Nymph mounts up, and flying thence as thoAlyghts in Scythy land, and up the cragged top of hye Mount Caucasus did cause hir Snakes with much adoo to stye.Where seeking long for Famin, shee the gaptoothd elfe did spyeAmid a barreine stony feeld a ramping up the grasseWith ougly nayles and chanking it. Her face pale colourd was.Hir heare was harsh and shirle, her eyes were sunken in her head. Her lyppes were hore with filth, her teeth were furd and rusty red.Her skinne was starched, and so sheere a man myght well espyeThe verie bowels in her bulk how every one did lye.And eke above her courbed loynes her withered hippes were seene.In stead of belly was a space where belly should have beene.Her brest did hang so sagging downe as that a man would weeneThat scarcely to her ridgebone had hir ribbes beene fastened well.Her leannesse made her joynts bolne big, and kneepannes for to swell.And with exceeding mighty knubs her heeles behynd boynd out.Now when the Nymph behild this elfe afarre, (she was in dout To come too neere her:) shee declarde her Ladies message. AndIn that same little whyle although the Nymph aloof did stand,And though shee were but newly come, yit seemed shee to feeleThe force of Famin. Wheruppon shee turning backe her wheeleDid reyne her dragons up aloft: who streyght with courage free Conveyd her into Thessaly. Although that Famin beeAy contrarye to Ceres woork, yit did shee then agreeTo do her will and glyding through the Ayre supported byThe wynd, she found th'appoynted house: and entring by and byThe caytifs chamber where he slept (it was in tyme of nyght)Shee hugged him betweene her armes there snorting bolt upryght,And breathing her into him, blew uppon his face and brest,That hungar in his emptie veynes myght woorke as hee did rest.And when she had accomplished her charge, shee then forsookeThe frutefull Clymates of the world, and home ageine betooke Herself untoo her frutelesse feeldes and former dwelling place.The gentle sleepe did all this whyle with fethers soft embraceThe wretched Erisicthons corse. Who dreaming streight of meateDid stirre his hungry jawes in vayne as though he had to eateAnd chanking tooth on tooth apace he gryndes them in his head, And occupies his emptie throte with swallowing, and in steadOf food devoures the lither ayre. But when that sleepe with nyghtWas shaken off, immediatly a furious appetiteOf feeding gan to rage in him, which in his greedy gummesAnd in his meatlesse maw dooth reigne unstauncht. Anon there cummes Before him whatsoever lives on sea, in aire or land:And yit he crieth still for more. And though the platters standBefore his face full furnished, yit dooth he still complayneOf hungar, craving meate at meale. The food that would susteineWhole householdes, Towneships, Shyres and Realmes suffyce not him alone. The more his pampred paunch consumes, the more it maketh moneAnd as the sea receyves the brookes of all the worldly Realmes,And yit is never satisfyde for all the forreine streames,And as the fell and ravening fyre refuseth never wood,But burneth faggots numberlesse, and with a furious mood The more it hath, the more it still desyreth evermore,Encreacing in devouring through encreasement of the store:So wicked Erisicthons mouth in swallowing of his meateWas ever hungry more and more, and longed ay to eate.Meate tolld in meate: and as he ate the place was empty still. The hungar of his brinklesse Maw, the gulf that nowght might fill,Had brought his fathers goods to nowght. But yit continewed ayHis cursed hungar unappeasd: and nothing could alay IThe flaming of his starved throte. At length when all was spent, And into his unfilled Maw bothe goods and lands were sent, An only daughter did remayne unworthy to have hadSo lewd a father. Hir he sold, so hard he was bestad.But shee of gentle courage could no bondage well abyde.And therfore stretching out her hands to seaward there besyde,Now save mee, quoth shee, from the yoke of bondage I thee pray, O thou that my virginitie enjoyest as a pray.Neptunus had it. Who to this her prayer did consent.And though her maister looking backe (for after him shee went)Had newly seene her: yit he turnd hir shape and made hir man,And gave her looke of fisherman. Her mayster looking than Upon her, sayd: Good fellow, thou that on the shore doost standWith angling rod and bayted hooke and hanging lyne in hand,I pray thee as thou doost desyre the Sea ay calme to thee,And fishes for to byght thy bayt, and striken still to bee,Tell where the frizzletopped wench in course and sluttish geere That stoode right now uppon this shore (for well I wote that heereI saw her standing) is become. For further than this placeNo footestep is appeering. Shee perceyving by the caceThat Neptunes gift made well with her, and beeing glad to seeHerself enquyrd for of herself, sayd thus: Who ere you bee I pray you for to pardon mee. I turned not myne eyeA t'one syde ne a toother from this place, but did applyMy labor hard. And that you may the lesser stand in dowt,So Neptune further still the Art and craft I go abowt,As now a whyle no living Wyght uppon this levell sand (Myself excepted) neyther man nor woman heere did stand.Her maister did beleeve her words: and turning backward wentHis way beguyld: and streight to her her native shape was sent.But when her father did perceyve his daughter for to haveA bodye so transformable, he oftentymes her gaveFor monny. But the damzell still escaped, now a MareAnd now a Cow, and now a Bird, a Hart, a Hynd, or Hare,And ever fed her hungry Syre with undeserved fare.But after that the maladie had wasted all the meatesAs well of store as that which shee had purchast by her feates: Most cursed keytife as he was, with bighting hee did rendHis flesh, and by diminishing his bodye did intendTo feede his bodye, till that death did speede his fatall end.But what meene I to busye mee in forreine matters thus?To alter shapes within precinct is lawfull even to us, My Lords. For sumtime I am such as you do now mee see,Sumtyme I wynd mee in a Snake: and oft I seeme to beeA Capteine of the herd with homes. For taking homes on meeI lost a tyne which heeretofore did arme mee as the printDooth playnly shew. With that same word he syghed and did stint.

What ayleth thee (quoth Theseus) to sygh so sore? and howBefell it thee to get this mayme that is uppon thy brow?The noble streame of Calydon made answer, who did weareA Garland made of reedes and flags upon his sedgie heare:A greeveus pennance you enjoyne. For who would gladly showThe combats in the which himself did take the overthrow?Yit will I make a just report in order of the same.For why? to have the woorser hand was not so great a shame,As was the honor such a match to undertake. And muchIt comforts mee that he who did mee overcome, was such A valiant champion. If perchaunce you erst have heard the nameOf Deyanyre, the fayrest Mayd that ever God did frameShee was in myne opinion. And the hope to win her loveDid mickle envy and debate among hir wooers move.With whome I entring to the house of him that should have beeMy fathrilaw: Parthaons sonne (I sayd) accept thou meeThy Sonnylaw. And Hercules in selfsame sort did woo.And all the other suters streight gave place unto us two.He vaunted of his father Jove, and of his famous deedes,And how ageinst his stepdames spyght his prowesse still proceedes. And I ageine a toother syde sayd thus: It is a shameThat God should yeeld to man. (This stryfe was long ere he becameA God). Thou seeist mee a Lord of waters in thy RealmeWhere I in wyde and wynding banks doo beare my flowing streame.No straunger shalt thou have of mee sent farre from forreine land: But one of household, or at least a neyghbour heere at hand.Alonly let it bee to mee no hindrance that the wyfeOf Jove abhorres mee not, ne that upon the paine of lyfeShee sets mee not to talk. For where thou bostest thee to beeAlcmenas sonne, Jove eyther is not father unto thee: Or if he bee it is by sin. In making Jove thy father,Thou maakst thy mother but a whore. Now choose thee whither ratherThou had to graunt this tale of Jove surmised for to bee,Or else thy selfe begot in shame and borne in bastardee.At that he grimly bendes his browes, and much adoo he hath To hold his hands, so sore his hart inflamed is with wrath.He said no more but thus: My hand dooth serve mee better thanMy toong. Content I am (so I in feighting vanquish can)That thou shalt overcome in wordes. And therewithall he ganMee feercely to assaile. Mee thought it was a shame for mee That had even now so stoutly talkt, in dooings faint to bee.I casting off my greenish cloke thrust stifly out at lengthMine armes and streynd my pawing armes to hold him out by strength,And framed every limme to cope. With both his hollow handsHe caught up dust and sprincked mee: and I likewise with sands Made him all yelow too. One whyle hee at my necke dooth snatchAnother whyle my cleere crisp legges he striveth for to catch,Or trippes at mee: and everywhere the vauntage he dooth watch.My weightinesse defended mee, and cleerly did disfeateHis stoute assaults as when a wave with hideous noyse dooth beate Against a Rocke, the Rocke dooth still both sauf and sound abydeBy reason of his massinesse. Wee drew a whyle asyde.And then incountring fresh ageine, wee kept our places stowtFull minded not to yeeld an inch, but for to hold it owt.Now were wee stonding foote to foote. And I with all my brest Was leaning forward, and with head ageinst his head did rest,And with my gryping fingars I ageinst his fingars thrust.So have I seene two myghtie Bulles togither feercely justIn seeking as their pryse to have the fayrest Cow in allThe feeld to bee their make, and all the herd bothe greate and small Stand gazing on them fearfully not knowing unto whichThe conquest of so greate a gayne shall fall. Three tymes a twichGave Hercules and could not wrinch my leaning brest him froBut at the fourth he shooke mee off and made mee to let goMy hold: and with a push (I will tell truthe) he had a knacke To turne me off, and heavily he hung upon my backe.And if I may beleeved bee (as sure I meene not ITo vaunt my selfe vayngloriusly by telling of a lye,)Mee thought a mountaine whelmed me. But yit with much adooI wrested in my sweating armes, and hardly did undoo His griping hands. He following still his vauntage, suffred notMee once to breath or gather strength, but by and by he gotMee by the necke. Then was I fayne to sinke with knee to ground,And kisse the dust. Now when in strength too weake myself I found,I tooke mee to my slights, and slipt in shape of Snake away Of wondrous length. And when that I of purpose him to frayDid bend myself in swelling rolles, and made a hideous noyseOf hissing with my forked toong, he smyling at my toyes,And laughing them to scorne sayd thus: It is my Cradle gameTo vanquish Snakes, O Acheloy. Admit thou overcame All other Snakes, yet what art thou compared to the SnakeOf Lerna, who by cutting off did still encreasement take?For of a hundred heades not one so soone was paarde away,But that uppon the stump therof there budded other tway.This sprouting Snake whose braunching heads by slaughter did revive And grow by cropping, I subdewd, and made it could not thryve.And thinkest thou (who being none wouldst seeme a Snake) to scape?Who doost with foorged weapons feyght and under borowed shape?This sayd, his fingars of my necke he fastned in the nape.Mee thought he graand my throte as though he did with pinsons nip. I struggled from his churlish thumbes my pinched chappes to slipBut doo the best and worst I could he overcame mee so.Then thirdly did remayne the shape of Bull, and quickly thoI turning to the shape of Bull rebelld ageinst my fo.He stepping to my left syde cloce, did fold his armes about My wattled necke, and following mee then running maynely outDid drag mee backe, and made mee pitch my homes against the ground,And in the deepest of the sand he overthrew mee round.And yit not so content, such hold his cruell hand did takeUppon my welked horne, that he asunder quight it brake,And pulld it from my maymed brew. The waterfayries cameAnd filling it with frute and flowres did consecrate the same,And so my horne the Tresory of plenteousnesse became.As soone as Acheloy had told this tale a wayting MaydWith flaring heare that lay on both hir shoulders and arraydLike one of Dame Dianas Nymphes with solemne grace forth cameAnd brought that rich and precious home, and heaped in the sameAll kynd of frutes that Harvest sendes, and specially such fruteAs serves for latter course at meales of every sort and sute.As soone as daylight came ageine, and that the Sunny rayes Did shyne upon the tops of things, the Princes went their wayes.They would not tarry till the floud were altogither falneAnd that the River in his banks ran low ageine and calme.Then Acheloy amid his waves his Crabtree face did hydeAnd head disarmed of a home.