Volume III Part 5 (2/2)
But since thy lips (least thought forsworn) forswore, Be never virgin's vow worth trusting more!”
When Beauty's dearest did her G.o.ddess hear 260 Breathe such rebukes 'gainst that she could not clear, Dumb sorrow spake aloud in tears and blood, That from her grief-burst veins, in piteous flood, From the sweet conduits of her favour fell.
The gentle turtles did with moans make swell Their s.h.i.+ning gorges; the while black-ey'd swans Did sing as woful epicedians, As they would straightways die: when Pity's queen, The G.o.ddess Ecte,[89] that had ever been Hid in a watery cloud near Hero's cries, 270 Since the first instant of her broken eyes, Gave bright Leucote voice, and made her speak, To ease her anguish, whose swoln breast did break With anger at her G.o.ddess, that did touch Hero so near for that she us'd so much; And, thrusting her white neck at Venus, said: ”Why may not amorous Hero seem a maid, Though she be none, as well as you suppress In modest cheeks your inward wantonness?
How often have we drawn you from above, 280 T' exchange with mortals rites for rites in love!
Why in your priest, then, call you that offence, That s.h.i.+nes in you, and is[90] your influence?”
With this, the Furies stopp'd Leucote's lips, Enjoin'd by Venus; who with rosy whips Beat the kind bird. Fierce lightning from her eyes Did set on fire fair Hero's sacrifice, Which was her torn robe and enforced hair; And the bright flame became a maid most fair For her aspect: her tresses were of wire, 290 Knit like a net, where hearts set all on fire, Struggled in pants, and could not get releast; Her arms were all with golden pincers drest, And twenty-fas.h.i.+oned knots, pulleys, and brakes, And all her body girt with painted snakes; Her down-parts in a scorpion's tail combined, Freckled with twenty colours; pied wings s.h.i.+ned Out of her shoulders; cloth had never dye, Nor sweeter colours never viewed eye, In scorching Turkey, Cares, Tartary, 300 Than s.h.i.+ned about this spirit notorious; Nor was Arachne's web so glorious.
Of lightning and of shreds she was begot; More hold in base dissemblers is there not.
Her name was Eronusis.[91] Venus flew From Hero's sight, and at her chariot drew This wondrous creature to so steep a height, That all the world she might command with sleight Of her gay wings; and then she bade her haste,-- Since Hero had dissembled, and disgraced 310 Her rites so much,--and every breast infect With her deceits: she made her architect Of all dissimulation; and since then Never was any trust in maids or men.
O, it spited Fair Venus' heart to see her most delighted, And one she choos'd, for temper of her mind To be the only ruler of her kind, So soon to let her virgin race be ended!
Not simply for the fault a whit offended, 320 But that in strife for chasteness with the Moon, Spiteful Diana bade her show but one That was her servant vow'd, and liv'd a maid; And, now she thought to answer that upbraid, Hero had lost her answer: who knows not Venus would seem as far from any spot Of light demeanour, as the very skin 'Twixt Cynthia's brows? sin is asham'd of sin.
Up Venus flew, and scarce durst up for fear Of Phoebe's laughter, when she pa.s.s'd her sphere: 330 And so most ugly-clouded was the light, That day was hid in day; night came ere night; And Venus could not through the thick air pierce, Till the day's king, G.o.d of undaunted verse, Because she was so plentiful a theme To such as wore his laurel anademe.
Like to a fiery bullet made descent, And from her pa.s.sage those fat vapours rent, That being not throughly rarified to rain, Melted like pitch, as blue as any vein; 340 And scalding tempests made the earth to shrink Under their fervour, and the world did think In every drop a torturing spirit flew, It pierc'd so deeply, and it burn'd so blue.
Betwixt all this and Hero, Hero held Leander's picture, as a Persian s.h.i.+eld; And she was free from fear of worst success: The more ill threats us, we suspect the less: As we grow hapless, violence subtle grows, Dumb, deaf, and blind, and comes when no man knows. 350
FOOTNOTES:
[70] Picture.
[71] ”This conceit was suggested to Chapman by a pa.s.sage in Skelton's _Phyllyp Sparowe_:
”But whan I was sowing his beke, Methought, my sparow did speke, And opened his prety byll, Saynge, Mayd, ye are in wyll Agayne me for to kyll, Ye prycke me in the head.'
--_Works_, I, 57, ed. Dyce.”--_Dyce._
[72] Affections.
[73] ”This description of the fisherman, as well as the picture which follows it, are borrowed (with alterations) from the first _Idyl_ of Theocritus.”--_Dyce._
[74] ”Eyas” is the name for an unfledged hawk. ”Eyas thoughts” would mean ”thoughts not yet full-grown,--immature.” Dyce thinks the meaning of ”eyas” here may be ”restless.” (Old eds. ”yas.”)
[75] A monosyllable.
[76] Some eds. give ”them, then they burned as blood.”
[77] Approaching catastrophe.
[78] Some eds. ”and.”
[79] Used transitively.
[80] Some eds. ”Leanders.”
[81] Shakespeare uses the verb ”slubber” in the sense of ”perform in a slovenly manner” (_Merchant of Venice_, ii. 8, ”Slubber not business for my sake”).
[82] Companions, yoke-mates.
[83] Gr. [Greek: hedone].
[84] From Lat. _crista_?
[85] Prune.
[86] Gr. [Greek: leukotes].
[87] Gr. [Greek: dapsiles].
[88] Some eds. read ”Coyne and impure.”
[89] From Gr. [Greek: oiktos]?
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