The morning with the ruddie hew on earth did shew his blee,
When Ioue the Prince of lightnings al, to counsels calleth he
In welkin bright ech mightie God, who set in order due,
And heedie all to hearke, thus Ioue into his tale he grew:
Ye troupe diuine giue eare to me, attend what now I wil,
Which hauing heard, none of you al be ye of minde so ill,
Whether he male or female be, to deeme to chaunge my doome,
Or crosse the same: who out the troupe shal go and leaue his roome,
The heauens who shal leaue I say in Greekes or Troyans aide,
Him catcht, wel bumbd I shal him bob, and send him ill apaide
With shame ynough vnto his home, and if I grow to spight,
I wil him tumble headlong down, and cause him for to light
Into the hollow dreadful hole, which Tartare men do tel,
Where Barathrum that gastful gulfe doth lye so low in hel
With yron gates: so far beneath, as earth from skie remaines,
That wel to al men it be knowen how large my power it raignes.
But if you long to feele my force, at pleasure you shal see it,
From hence to take a golden chaine vnto the earth agree it.
All get you down, your heauenly powers apply with tooth & nayle
To plucke me down or me to moue, you little should auayle,
In fine your toyle to nought would turne, but I, if that I lust
To drawe you to the welkin vp, in spite of you yee must
Amount aloft without my griefe, and with you at a pul
I eke would bring the massie earth, and seas of waters ful.
One ende in heauen I would tie, and let the other hang
That I the chiefe of God and man the knowledge better rang.
This threat and surly speech doth yeelde the Gods amazde & dum,
Til Pallas daughter vnto Ioue with this hir tale doth come:
O king of kings, great sire of Gods, whom eche and al obayes,
Long skil doth tel thy might to passe our forces many wayes:
But if some one do helpe the Greekes, it is not in disdaine
Or spite of thee, but pitie moues to see them dayly slaine.
Wel, sith with deede we may not ayde, please you it to deny
We counsayle giue, numbers to saue which by your furie die?
With pleasant countnaunce Ioue replyes: giue counsel to ye Greekes
My daughter deare, and fauour too as best your fancie likes,
I will at this time pleasure you, you shal no way be chid.
Then Ioue his mightie heauenly steedes vnto his chare doth bid
To tie, his golden roabes he takes, so bright and brauely wrought,
He mounteth vp, and to his hand the golden whip he rought,
His horse he beates, the ayre they cliue, aloft they skimme amaine,
Betweene the earth and welkin hie they treade a iolly trayne.
He plyes them, and so straight doth guide, vnto the mountaine top
Of Ide hight Gargarus comes, and there he makes them stop,
A place of pleasaunt pasture it, where waters sweete do spring,
Wild beasts great store, on this greene hil so likt for euery thing
A temple large of antique yeares was built, and sacred old
By Troyans to his godhead hie, where Ioue now stay he would.
Ambrosie for his horse he gets, and least it should be known
That he was come, he with a cloude hath quite them ouerthrown.
He from the height of mountain hie the champion low doth view,
The siegers, and besiegde he likes to see, who like do rue.
The more he thinkes vpon the men, he sees his might the more.
The Greekes hauing within their tentes repast themselues before,
Did not forget to arme them wel, their battailes out they draw,
And in ful seemely order martch, which when the Troyans saw,
And dinde they had, their bands they arme, their town they wil defed
A handful they, but forst by need, theyr minds to valure bend.
Th'assayling Greeks for to resist, and countrey saue at neede,
And to protect their natiue soyle, and shield their patrie breede.
Their gates ful open wide they set, and out their cohorts hies,
Their horsemen and their footemen al, not without lofty cries.
And to the place of battel come, they to their tackle fling
With shield to shield, and dart to dart, and king doth ioyne wt king,
And souldiour vnto souldiour goes, most like stoute warlike wights
Here one doth fall, another here doth vanquish in their fights.
One grones along, another doth boast of his conquest won,
And in such slaughter rare, apace with bloud the fields do runne.
This murder from the morning lastes vntil the noone of day,
Both sides so soundly stroke it out, right doubtful was the fray.
Then Ioue to see, to whom should turne the victorie at last,
Theyr fortune good and eke aduerse in ballance he doth cast:
The Greekes on one side he doth put, and iustly for to way
The Troyans haue the other part, and lets the scales to play.
The Greekes mishap the Troyans much he straight & plainely foud
For to surpasse, for theirs do mout, the Greeks theirs draw to groud.
Wherfore amongst the Greekes he flings his flash of burning lights
And sodainly with dread therof appalled were their sprights.
Idomene first his people leaues, and runs away apace,
The king of Creete, Agamemn flyes in field he turnes his face.
The Aiax twaine do stir their stumps, and take them to their flight,
Unto there tackle their do stand no Greekish prince or knight,
Saue Nestor sage, who so was forst, a horse of his that drew
Paris so right on head did hit, where first his top out grew.
The beast he fain would haue bin gone, he turnes, he rears, he thups,
He reeleth with the mortal wound, he flings, he fars, he iumps.
The shaft so surely it was shot, it brake the braine vnto,
The man was forst the geares to cut, and so the horse t'vndo.
This while the mightie coursers tho, their maister Hector draw
To Nestor nere, who had bin dead, but that the Greeke him saw
He Diomede so much in fame, and came vnto his ayde,
And seeing wily Vlisses run, aloude to him he sayd:
Laertes son, whose cunning kend, and wile is knowne ful wide,
Why, whether now? Are feete thy fence? why dost thou not abide?
Hast thou no shame: no feare in flight on back some wound to haue?
Abide, abide with Nestor here, let vs thy person saue.
Vlisses heard he would not stay, vnto the ships he hies,
Yet Diomede Nestor to helpe amid the preasse he driues,
And come before his horse, he sayes, The youth of Greece doth lay
O Nestor greater toyle on thee, than age can beare away,
Hard for thy worne yeares t'abide, whose force thou seest to scant,
And forraine vigor earst enioyde the vitals now to want.
Thy chare, thy driuer, and thy seate, a tierd countenaunce shew,
Come down, mount vp my chariot too, to proue now in a throw
The swiftnesse great, the courage od of these my coursers gay,
Which late I conquerde from Ænee, our gromes shal lead away
Thy furniture, we two wil forth that Troy and Hector see
Yet once how weapons we can weeld, and souldiours what we be.
Th'old man agreed, and to the seate of Diomede doth come
In Sthenels place, whiche Sthenele goes, & takes erst Nestors rome,
Nestor a guider was, but then, Diomede was the knight,
Both passing forth, the doughtie Phrige, Hector to haue in fight,
A Hector, who no lesse desires to meete them in the teeth.
The mightie Greeke to dart he leaues, when Hector first he seeth.
The sturdie steeled staffe he throwes, but mist the man he ment,
The maister mist, in driuers wombe Enopeus deepe it bent.
He Thebes son, a man of price, a valiaunt man in deede,
The doughtie Hector grieued much to see his seruaunt bleede
Of so good count, and tumble dead, but there he lets him ly,
A like he seekes for force and mind, and to him by and by
Archiptoleme presents himselfe, the steedes he doth bestride,
The whip and raines he takes in hand and serues him for a guide.
At these two new and sodain haps strange slaughters did appeare,
Like lambes vnto their force and folde the Troyans do reteare,
And seeke their wals for their defence, the Greeks they grew so hot,
But Ioue straight ways his lightning flames wt thuder forth he shot,
That by him neere the warlike Greeke beheld the flame as't flasht,
His horse they quoke, from Nestors hands the raines are ready dasht,
His feare was such, wher wt (quoth he) perforce doth force vs now
O Diomede, to hie vs hence, the daunger see not you?
The glorie now the mighty God doth giue vnto our foe,
Another time on vs againe the same he wil bestow.
The minde of man it may not dare the gods for to withstand,
For greatest is of gods the might to rule it takes in hande.
O aged sire (quoth Diomede) thou nought but reason sayes,
I do agree, but yet lament, and grievd am diuers wayes,
When Hector commeth to my minde, who thus shal see me run,
Unto his mates hereafter may, extolling to the Sun
His valiauntnesse, say, to the ships the chase he hath me giuen,
All pitie past, I rather craue the earth it here were riuen,
And I therin were swallowed vp, alas quoth Nestor than,
Thinke you if Hector should report you for a cowardly man,
His tale it would be taken true? your sword in heapes hath slain
Too many of the warlike wights, and left their widowes playne.
Herewith his horses straight he turnes, & with ye Greeks doth flie,
And Hector with his souldiours fast doth after forward hie,
With clamors great: And Hector loude his speech doth thus begin,
When as they fled: oh Diomede esteemed who hath bin
Among the Greeks, yea een thy fil for valure and for fame,
At boord who fed stil of the beste, and first sat at the same,
Now like a hartlesse fem thou shalt be led in prisoner wise,
Make hast thou gay and glorious freke, dreadful with flaming eyes,
Beleeue no more our towers to scale, hope not to ship aborde
Our wiues, I Hector, only I sufficient shal afforde,
My force shal serue to stay the strength, and forth to make the pack,
And keepe thee from thy ships returne, and thee in peeces hacke.
At Hectors words the Greeke doth stay, he thinketh what to do,
To turne againe the spite to venge, or forward on to go,
Therby the daunger to auoyde, he thrice doth venter backe,
And thrice doth Ioue him eie, and down he lets the thunder cracke,
With lightning flame hard by his eare, a signe most sure and ful
The Troyans strong should haue the day, for so the Gods they wul.
Herewith aloude doth Hector crie his men to harten al:
O Troyans, Lycians, ye my friends, to who it doth befal
To be my fellow souldiours here, if euer men you be
Thinke now thereon, and shew like men your selues on the enemie.
I know ful wel we vanquishe shal, the losse it shal be theirs,
Their wals, their forts, whiche they haue made to saue them in their feares
By me shal soone be forced down, my horse with easye ships
Shal passe their dikes, and do attend when I am in their ships
To bring me fire to burne them vp, they may no more retyre,
I wil their lims and liues consume with smoke and smothering fire.
Thus Hector comforts vp his mates, and speaks his horse, Podarge
Æton, Xanthe, oh yee my steedes so swift with buttocks large,
Thou firie Lampus and diuine, for me that sweats and scuds,
Thinke on the cheare on you bestowes Andromacha my fuds
And louing wife, she careful doth with Wheat & Oates you feede,
With temper eke of pleasaunt wine, when as she seeth neede,
Needing as much to haue you drest, as on my selfe to tende,
She quirie is: aduaunce your force, your courses stoutly bend
To further now your maisters facts, that he do fange in field
The Nestor old, and from him take his famous bruted shield,
Report wherof doth reatch the skies, of pretious gold it is.
Of Diomede his cuyrasse to (he catcht) we shal not misse
So counted off, which Mulciber did forge: And al the night
The Greekish host all washt in sea you shal see take their flight.
And thinking for to do as much thus loftie Hector braues.
But Iuno hearing this discourse, so spitefully she raues,
Hir members quoke, Olimpus shoke, to Neptune straight she comes,
Art thou not grievd (quoth she) to see the Greeks hit on the thumbs,
And suffer in such sorie plight, who dayly sacrifice
Gay gifts and hosties vnto thee in Egues and Helice?
How canst thou without heauy cheare, support their heauy case
Thy fauour knowne, which I haue seen, that did their state embrace?
O Neptune if thou and the rest would once but say the word,
And from this slaughter them to keepe some fauour smal afforde,
It would be done, my husband Ioue for spite would strike and fare,
Yet least he might repent, depart from Ide he would not dare.
Thou frantike sot quoth Neptune tho, thinke not that I wil stur
Or speake against the mightie Ioue, whose power doth passe so fur,
To whom ech one ought to obey, he is to loftie he,
He is our king, our maister Lord, his vassals al we be.
Thus while ye Greeks are driuen back, and in the field defeated,
Their forts and trenches they do take, and doughtie Hector heated
Is Mars himself, the rampires so he forces them to gaine,
Betweene the ships and vtter fence they filled all the plaine.
Thus backe retird and cubberd vp, the Troyan stout had burnd
Their vessels, al the (God so would) if Iuno had not turnd
T'aduise the Greekes, for when she saw this flight and this disorder,
To put in Agamemnons mind their king to passe on forder,
With speede vnto the ships for aide. To nauie he doth drawe,
In hand a scarlet roabe he helde, the Adm'rall ship he sawe
Of the Ithaque king, to it he went, of other vessels moe
It stoode in midst, the place he chose most meete his minde to shoe.
On one side stoode sir Aiax tent, on th'other stoode Achill,
So guarded to withstand the force of such assault them will.
Agamemn come into the shippe, he mounts aloft to poupe,
He cries aloude: O Greekish kings, O wretched fainting troupe,
What shame and marke of infamie this day on Greece doth light?
Where is the proud & vaunting speech? where is the promise plight?
Where is the kilcow chatte become in Lemnos which you had
Upon your Alebenche, where you were so impudent and mad?
Then one of you would kil and eat fiue hundred Troyans full:
It was the cheere, it was the meate and wine you so did gull,
That made you braue and brag so much. I see the matter nowe,
Lo Hector come, our fort to sacke, and al our army cow,
Our Bastion eke and vs to burne. O Ioue thou father great,
What king of kings so as my selfe hast thou with care beset,
Deprivde of glore, with enuy fraught, and wronged to my paine,
Defrauded of the suretie sounde, wherewith I fedde in vaine,
When as m'oblations vow I did to please thee Ioue withall,
And Troy did thinke to lay ful lowe? I see I now muste fall
A pray into my enmies lap: thou soueraigne God yet graunt,
(If better grace we may not haue) fierce Hector do not daunt,
Nor cruel Troy our people here, but that they scape their swordes.
The chieftaine chiefe thus prayde for al, with teares he spake the wordes:
Ioue ful agreed to his request, his sighes did pitie moue,
Which he did yeeld for perishing folke, praying for their behoue.
For Augure sure an Egle commes, a calfe with talons tough
Of red Dere hinde he brings, and falles, which comforteth ynough
The whole Nobilitie of Greece, on Aultar downe it lights
In sacrifice of puissaunt Ioue, reuiuing muche their sprites.
And straight therewith forth make they head of thousands souldiors stout,
And valiant knights, Don Diomede forth first he sallies out
The forte with chare: On Troyan bands to trie and shewe his force,
To one he flies, one only blowe martyrde a Troyans corse,
Agelaus hight, Phadmon his sonne, whole armed for the warre,
Yet fled he fast from Diomede, his sight him so did scarre,
But through his chin his dart it flue, and through the Curet came,
His armor gaue a murmuring noise, he tumbling in the same.
Agamemnon, and Menelau his brother, Aiax twaine,
Princes of great exploite that were, Idomene in the traine,
With Merion his gallant guide, a man of courage braue,
Good Eurypile Euemons sonne, in company they haue,
Of al the Greekes a man of choice, these forth from forte do starte,
And on their foes do forward hie, them charging ouerthwarte.
Beside these eight, a ninth with them, a Greeke, one Teucer went,
He brother vnto Aiax was, his bowe he beareth bent,
His skil was good to make his best, and straight to shoote withall,
By subtile Arte his mortal woundes, did many Troyans thrall:
Under his brothers Target he himselfe did often hide,
And freely let his arrows flie, where he his vantage spide,
And hauing sped, to saue his life seekes out the Buckler bigge,
As doth the infant oftentimes, the little pretie twigge
When he doth see displeasaunt sighes, doth vnder garments creepe
Of Nurse, or mother deere, and there playes like himselfe bo peepe.
Wel, let vs tell those lost their liues this Archer lighted on.
Ocsilochus, he was the first, Detor, Amapaon,
Ophelest, Ormeyne, Lycophont, Chromius, Menalippe,
He thrild the through with deadly wounds, they down to ground do tip.
Agamemns hart it leaps for ioy, his part when thus he plaide
The sturdie shot, to him he drawes, and cheerefully he sayde:
O noble wight and Prince of fame, whom I with honor due
Ought to regarde, I thee beseeche thy forward factes pursue:
Beside the praise men shal thee giue, when as thine aged sire
Thelemon heares of these exploites, he ioy shal, with desire,
And hope to see thee shortly home: I know, and not beguilde,
He doth thee honor and esteeme, though thou no lawfull childe,
I know that from thy Cradle vp, he did thee alwayes bring,
As lawful borne: I sweare to thee in promise of a king,
If euer I this Citie take, of al the gallant pray,
Next me shalt thou make choice, and at thy pleasure take away
A rich three footed Cawdron guilt, on thee I wil bestow
A Chariot with two goodly steedes, or else with thee to goe,
A Troyan faire, a Priams childe, or Dame of Citie breede
To vse in bed, and serue thee ay, if so thou be agreede.
Quoth Teucer tho, there is no neede, great king my wil to mend,
Ful oft I shoote, to noy the foe, my force and care I bend.
Eight valiant foes it is ful true my shaftes haue deadly slaine,
I were ful venged, if I could that mastiffe mad attaine.
He with these words doth plucke his bow, & sends his piercing steele,
To Hector straight, to broach the man, but harme he none doth feele:
But yet the shaft on Priams sonne Gorgythion it light,
Of sodaine cruel death he dyes, his pap it pierced right,
He was the sonne of Castianire the Goddesses so like,
A noble Nimphe, with hir good king in Thrace did mariage strike,
For beautie sake which od she had, and like the growing Poppy,
As wel for fruit as April shoures, doth leaue his head so loppy
In gardens fat: Gorgythion hurte loden with steele did helme him,
On shoulder layes his head, & dies with weaknesse which did whelm him.
The Greekish shot to Hector eft, his bow doth careful plucke,
But him he misste, his arrow yet vnder the teate it stucke
Of strong Archeptoleme, who falles: his squier thus to dye
Hector doth grieue to see, and downe he lighteth by and by,
And willeth Cebrion for to come, and take the guiders charge,
Which done, Hector a coggel heaues, a mightie and a large,
With dreadful voice to Teucer flies, Teucer from quiuer takes
A shafte againe, to slay a foe himselfe he ready makes,
And ready for to shoote, Hector did reatch him such a bang,
That downe he falles, and out his hands his bowe & arrows flang.
The forced stroke did force him so, the blow was deadly sent,
Aloft the breast the necke it hit, where downe the head is bent.
His brother Aiax ranne apace, when down he saw him doong,
To saue and to defend the man, the noble prince he floong,
And him with shield so wel did hap, as vp they tooke him there,
The wretched archers friends Menest, Alastor they do beare
Him in their armes straight to the ships, halfe gone for very paine.
The Troyans strong by mightie Ioue aided, yet once againe
Do force the Greekes to leaue the field, and so retyring eft
Their trenches, force, and forte to take, which they before had left.
Hector the formost leades the daunce, as fleshed mongrell great,
Trusting in strength and nimblenesse, the Lion beast doth heate,
Or wild swine in the forrest thicke, if either of them do cast
Or turne about to be reuengde, the cur he shiftes as faste,
Ful light he pincheth deepe their flancks, or hangs so at their thies,
As dye they must. So Hector he, doth chace his enimies,
Who leaue the field, and take to flight, if any lagge behinde,
With sword or lance he hits them home, with death of sundry kind.
The Greeks repulsed from their forts, from dikes and treches flye,
With slaughter great confused al in bloudie death they dye.
Hard by their shippes at last they stay, eche comforting his mate,
To play the man, and to the Gods they pray for their estate.
This while the gastfull Hector he, with Mars his dreadfull eyes,
And flaming like the Gorgons lights, vpon the Greeks he flies,
And terror more doth put them in, he stirres, he castes aboute,
To looke howe he may cleane defeate, and breake the Greekish rout.
Then wrathfull Iuno grieued much, to see the valiant Greekes
So harde distrest, and doubting worse, Pallas she thus beseekes.
Of Ioue dearest daughter thou, canst thou this armie see
In danger such, without regarde to helpe th'extremitie?
Suffer shal we them al to quaile by this one Hectors hand,
So barbarous a slaughter man? looke in what case they stande.
Dost thou not see how to their shippes he hath them forced all,
And wil not cease, til in their bloudes he force them ech to fall?
Quoth Pallas then, I know your minde, I finde the matter well,
But this so hardie Hector hie, whose deedes are seene so fell,
And so muche to be wondred at, shal dye in countrey soyle,
But Ioue his wil to thinke to crosse nought follow woulde but foile.
I feare him much, his aukward spite against me oft is set,
Too much ingrate, the labor great, and paine he doth forget,
Which I for Hercules boote haue tane, his forces when to trie
Unto King Euristeus Court he went so willingly.
The trauailes truely which he tooke had mated oft the man,
But when he cryed, and when he wept, sir Ioue he praide me than
To hie to him, which oft I did, else be quite ouerthrowne
And tane had bene: if in those dayes I haply then had knowne,
What reckening he would make of me, in hell had holden binne
His Hercules for euer and aye, his conquest farre to winne,
So famous got of Cerberus, that grimme three headed curre,
The hellish floud that Styx is hight, he had not paste so furre,
But had bene staide ere there he came, in guerdon of my deedes,
He now for worthy recompence me hates and often chides,
For to allowe the sottish will of Thetis Ladie white,
Her vaine requests he needes must graunt, she flatters him so right
With humble speech, touching his bearde, his knees eke kissing lowe,
Achill hir sonne to set aloft and Greekes to ouerthrowe.
But well I knowe I shortly shall by Ioue be daughter taken,
And be againe his girle white, as nowe I am forsaken.
Your chare to hast if so you please now Iuno get you gon,
And I will hie vnto his house his armour to put on.
This Troyan I will make to feele what griefe or iolly glee
The guest shall get when me in warre against him he shall see.
And that I haue the puissance I, to worke him teene and care,
And make his subiects meate for dogs, and flying foules of th'aire,
To be reuengde. Minerua madde thus spake and Iuno steares
Right carefull for to put in poynt hir horses and their geares
And all the rytes to shining chare. But Pallas she doth leaue
Hir linnowe robes so delicate, which erst hir selfe did weaue,
And happes hir with ye cuirates tough, which Ioue in battaile weares:
So armd, the chariot light she leapes, a launce in hand she beares,
Wherewith the demi-gods she mates, in anger when she copes,
Unto hie heauen gates they come, which freely to them opes.
Of these gaie dores the houres they haue, the whole & onely charge,
Ech one a porter is, they rule also the heauens large.
Of cleare Olympe they regents are, the cloudes at becke they bring,
Or when they come, assoone againe away they force them for to fling.
When Ioue aloft he looketh vp, and sees the horses flie,
Which drewe the Goddesses, in heate against them he doth frie.
He sendeth Iris vnto them that readie winged wight:
My pursiuaunt with golden wings (quoth he) goe shew thee light,
Goe meete these two, and say from me they doe retire their pace,
Tell them I byd they doe not dare to come before my face,
Tell them they are two fondlings vaine, to thinke to breake my hest,
Tell them who list least to obey shall tast of little rest.
Their chariot gaie shall straight be burst, & beame from horses torne,
My lightning flames full stifly shot shall send them headlong borne
Downe to the earth, and in such plight, as (maugre all their skill)
In tenne yeeres long they shall not heale their such receaued yll.
And then shall Pallas know what shame she doth deserue, and shall,
To stirre against hir sire, Iuno I blame no whit at all,
She treadeth but hir wontrd trod, I know hir so accurst,
To labour my disquiet still she alwayes is the furst.
Iris his message to fulfill from Ida mount he skores,
And found them of the heauen hie then comming out the dores.
Whom whe he seeth, he resteth straight, quoth he, O frantick wights,
What fond & foolish sottish geare hath poisoned thus your sprightes,
To meane to aide the Greekes, and stirre against you Ioue his ire?
He doth forbyd you further passe vnlesse you doe desire
Een in a trice your chariot gaie to flie in peeces small,
And beame from horses burst, and you in dust and dirt to fall,
By sodaine clap of lightning flames so tumbling from the aire,
As tenne yeeres long of quiet rest shall not your health repaire,
That Pallas you doe know, that Ioue thy maister is and dad,
And as for Iuno, he well knowes she is so leudly bad.
She is no whit at all abasht, she alwayes takes delight
His purposes to contrarie, and that in his despight.
But Pallas be not stubborne then as dogge of currish kinde,
Striue not with him, vse not thy staffe against his will and minde,
Least thou offend thy sire too farre. Iris he flies his wayes,
And Iuno to Minerua turnes, and thus to hir she sayes:
Not to performe our mindes set downe what can be greater hell?
Yet sith that Ioue doth vs gainsay, I doe not thinke it well.
We should herein against him stand, nor for no worldly wight
Such painfull daunger for to take, his hie and heauenly might
Of their good hap or harme it shall at pleasure his dispose:
The steedes with bridle straight she turnes, & right to heauen goes.
The houres doe loose the coursers braue, and them to mangier tye,
The chariot they doe fitly place in roome appointed by.
Hard by the Gods in golden chaires the loftie Ladies sit,
Who hauing failde of their intent, they are in greeuous fit:
To welkin now eke Ioue is come, who is with honour due
Receavde of eche, assone as that of him they had a viewe.
His goodly steedes the Marine god full quickly he vnties,
Their furniture he shutteth vp, and then he hastie hies
Of Ioue the mightie seate to set, it readie at a looke,
He downe doth sit, but clapping downe the whole Olympus shooke.
Betweene Iuno and Pallas there in midst the God he sat,
No worde betweene them both they had, ne to the God doe chat.
But Ioue who well did know their thoughts in bitter choler was,
Ladies quoth he, whece doth proceed your spite which thus doth passe?
Whence comes ye seeke ye Troyans harme, & neuer haue your fill,
Unlesse you see their vtter fall contrarie to my will?
My force sith that so great it is are you to learne to knowe
That neither you nor all the Gods and Goddesses in rowe
By force can make me chaunge my minde sith that my simple threate,
Doth make you quake with faces pale, & eke with trembling sweate:
What will you doe in bloudy marte so dreadfull to the sight,
When you shall feele my heauie fist inuincible in might:
Harke then, gainsay no more of you, I wishe you not to dare:
By happe if fondly ye oppugne my hie decrees that are,
Upon ye, ye shall feele to fall the scortching lightning flash,
Wherewith I thunder with my flames, & downe they shall you dash,
On earth to dwell, no meanes ye haue eft hether to returne,
Your chares and steedes in cinders quite and peeces it shall burne.
Hereat Minerua grones for griefe, hir hart it boiles with rage,
Yet still and coie she helde hir selfe, and furie doth asswage.
But Iuno takes the cause in hand, O crabbed Ioue quoth she,
What stirre is here? we well doe knowe your vassals all we be.
Your powre is odde, but if one would the Greekish armie aide,
Is it against you to rebell? why should it so be saide?
So great an host to see destroyde poore pittie makes vs rue,
But Iupiter to hir againe with wordes doth thus insue:
Their losse let it not trouble you, it double shall to morowe,
I will make Hector Troyan chiefe, to ding them with a sorowe,
And slaie them downe, not ceasing he to kill and driue them backe,
Unto their shippes, expecting nought but ruine, death, and wracke,
There fighting hard, and round beset about Patroclus bones,
Who he shall slaie, wherby Achill shal yeeld his grieuous grones:
Seeing the slaughter of his friend, he shall in furie groe,
Him to reuenge, and giue them aide, he hastie on shall goe.
I will it so, and sith that fate to Greekes hath so assignde,
For you dame Iuno more I ioy, the more you haue repinde,
A gods name get you in the sea, or furthest earthlie felles,
Goe seeke Iapetus Saturne out, in darknesse where he dwelles.
Where neuer Phoebus shewes his face, nor no delight he takes
To heare the winds, trudge where you list, looke after you who makes
None shall you followe by my will, of you I doe not reake,
Your feumishe hart with poysoned hate is ready still to breake,
This was his speech, the Goddesse great full quiet lowe doth lout
The sterne God she greatly dreades, and of him stands in doubt.
This while the cleare & brightsome sunne to th'ocean takes his flight,
As is his wont, and all the earth the browne and sable night
Doth wholy hap and cloke about with his so darksome shade,
A night right welcome to the Greekes, but Troyans mad are made
Therwith. The gallaunt Hector drawes. & souldiors he commaundes
Backe from the shippes hard to the brooke, and cometh to the laundes,
Wheras that day with sorow great the slaughter was so bloudie,
There downe on foote they lighted straight in councell for to studie,
To whom Hector, who in right hand a mightie launce did holde
As royall mace, launce steeld and guilt, of feete large truely tolde
Eleuen full it was in length, with voice doth loudly call:
Ye Troyans stoute and straungers eke, I speake vnto you all,
Ye souldiors and ye citizens, good hope I did conceaue
This day, and sure I thought my selfe them all of life to reaue,
Their vessailes eke to haue destroyde, and as a conquerour
To haue returnd, but my intent I misse in euill houre,
Bicause the night so soone is come. Wherfore I thinke it best
Not hence to stirre, but here t'encampe and take our quiet rest.
Well, goe to then, let euerie one point here his station out,
With otes and barley bate your horse. And let another route
Hie vnto Troy, muttons and beeues readie for vs to make,
And others wine and bread to get let them the office take,
Some must before our supper to good store of fewell fell,
To kindle flames, which all the night may light vs gaily well,
The Greekes by sea may closely flie, which if they doe fulfill,
To charge them frankly in their flight, and cut their taile I will,
That their orethrowe example be to euery liuing wight,
That none doe dare to war with Troy, who well knowes howe to fight
And from the towne sith farre we be, her safetie we must heede,
The Heraults let them goe to Troy, and tell it is agreed
That all the youth and aged men the citie doe defend,
And on the walles doe make their watch, and Troyan women bend
Themselues to light the firie flame, to looke with carefull eyes
Our foes doe not surprise the towne by sault or otherwise:
As I haue saide let it be done, ech one his worke apply.
In morning further we shall talke, and doe accordingly.
I hope O worthy warriors mine, we end shall all these broiles
To morowe, and these furious curs shall by our manly toiles
Be hackt and hewde with great distresse, well, let vs all this night
Repose our selues, and at the peere and dawe of morning light
In battaile let vs raunge our bands, these furious foes to mate,
Then shall I see sir Diomede in what a souldiors state
He will be seene, and whether he me from his vessels puts,
Or whether I shall spoile him quite, my darts sent through his guts.
Full tryall he shall haue, whether he able can sustaine
One thrust of this my launce, I hope by me he shalbe slaine,
And many a friend full deare of his, who would him gladly saue,
If such a victorie I get, I certainly shall haue
Eternall fame, immortall praise I purchase shall therby,
I doe not thinke, but they to me will raise an aultar hye.
In witnesse of my prowesse great, as is to Pallas done
That Goddesse she, or to Phoebus that God and brightsome sunne.
This said, the Troyans him obey, their good and wearie steedes
Unloosde before, to chares againe they tie and forward yeedes,
Unto the towne, and quickly bring bread, wine and trinkets more,
The beeues and muttons were not fewe, they brought no scanted store:
Then in the midst of all the campe a thousand fires they light,
The flames and smoke wherof, the winde to heauen caries right.
And euen as men shall often see in faire and pleasaunt weather,
The Moone being cleare the skies aloft: (for light is so together,
As all the hilles, the vales, and plaines, with light as lightly showes
As in the day) wherby the heard, when vp his eyes he throwes,
He ioyeth in his cabbin poore: Een so from Troyan towne,
In night so pleasaunt and so still, the dwellers looking downe,
Reioyce to see the armie sit: who when their horse were drest,
And vnto Otes and pasture set, they goe to take their rest:
By euery fire iust fiftie men downe sittes, as best they may,
In hope of Greekes the morning next shalbe the latter day,

Finis Octaui Libri