Having striven in vain, was now about to cry,
And crave the help of shepherds that were nigh.
Herewith he stay'd his fury, and began
To give her leave to rise: away she ran ;
After went Mercury, who used such cunning,
As she, to hear his tale, left off her running
(Maids are not won by brutish force and might,
But speeches full of pleasure and delight);
And, knowing Hermes courted her, was glad
That she such loveliness and beauty had
As could provoke his liking; yet was mute,
And neither would deny nor grant his suit.
Still vow'd he love: she, wanting no excuse
To feed him with delays, as women use,
Or thirsting after immortality
(All women are ambitious naturally),
Impos'd upon her lover such a task,

As he ought not perform, nor yet she ask:
A draught of flowing nectar she requested
Wherewith the king of gods and men is feasted :
He, ready to accomplish what she will'd,
Stole some from Hebe (Hebe Jove's cup fill'd),

And gave it to his simple rustic love :

Which being known-as what is hid from Jove ?—
He inly storm'd, and wax'd more furious

Than for the fire filch'd by Prometheus ;

And thrust him down from heaven. He, wandering here,

In mournful terms, with sad and heavy cheer,

Complain'd to Cupid Cupid, for his sake,

:

To be reveng'd on Jove did undertake ;

And those on whom heaven, earth, and hell relies, I mean the adamantine Destinies,

He wounds with love, and forc'd them equally

To dote upon deceitful Mercury.

They offer'd him the deadly fatal knife

That shears the slender threads of human life;
At his fair-feather'd feet the engines laid,
Which th' earth from ugly Chaos' den upweigh'd.
These he regarded not; but did entreat

That Jove, usurper of his father's seat,
Might presently be banish'd into hell,
And aged Saturn in Olympus dwell.

They granted what he crav'd; and once again
Saturn and Ops began their golden reign:
Murder, rape, war, and lust, and treachery,
Were with Jove clos'd in Stygian empery.
But long this blessed time continu'd not:
As soon as he his wished purpose got,
He, reckless of his promise, did despise
The love of th' everlasting Destinies.

They, seeing it, both Love and him abhorr'd,
And Jupiter unto his place restor❜d:
And, but that Learning, in despite of Fate,
Will mount aloft, and enter heaven-gate,
And to the seat of Jove itself advance,
Hermes had slept in hell with Ignorance.
Yet, as a punishment, they added this,

That he and Poverty should always kiss ;
And to this day is every scholar poor :

Gross gold from them runs headlong to the boor.
Likewise the angry Sisters, thus deluded,

To venge themselves on Hermes, have concluded
That Midas' brood shall sit in Honour's chair,
To which the Muses' sons are only heir;
And fruitful wits, that inaspiring are,
Shall discontent run into regions far;
And few great lords in virtuous deeds shall joy,
But be surpris'd with every garish toy,
And still enrich the lofty servile clown,

Who with encroaching guile keeps learning down.
Then muse not Cupid's suit no better sped,
Seeing in their loves the Fates were injured.

THE SECOND SESTIAD.

The Argument of the Second Sestiad.

Hero of love takes deeper sense,

And doth her love more recompense:

Their first night's meeting, where sweet kisses

Are th' only crowns of both their blisses:

He swims t' Abydos, and returns:

Cold Neptune with his beauty burns;
Whose suit he shuns, and doth aspire
Hero's fair tower and his desire.

By this, sad Hero, with love unacquainted,
Viewing Leander's face, fell down and fainted.
He kiss'd her, and breath'd life into her lips;

Wherewith, as one displeas'd, away she trips;
Yet, as she went, full often look'd behind,
And many poor excuses did she find

To linger by the way, and once she stay'd,
And would have turn'd again, but was afraid,
In offering parley, to be counted light :
So on she goes, and, in her idle flight,
Her painted fan of curlêd plumes let fall,
Thinking to train Leander therewithal.
He, being a novice, knew not what she meant,
But stay'd, and after her a letter sent;
Which joyful Hero answer'd in such sort,
As he had hope to scale the beauteous fort
Wherein the liberal Graces lock'd their wealth;
And therefore to her tower he got by stealth.
Wide-open stood the door; he need not climb;
And she herself, before the 'pointed time,

Had spread the board, with roses strew'd the room,
And oft look'd out, and mus'd he did not come.
At last he came : O, who can tell the greeting
These greedy lovers had at their first meeting?
He ask'd; she gave; and nothing was denied ;
Both to each other quickly were affied :
Look how their hands, so were their hearts united,
And what he did, she willingly requited.

(Sweet are the kisses, the embracements sweet,
When like desires and like affections meet;
For from the earth to heaven is Cupid rais'd,
When fancy is in equal balance pais'd.)

Yet she this rashness suddenly repented,
And turn'd aside, and to herself lamented,
As if her name and honour had been wrong'd
By being possess'd of him for whom she long'd;
Ay, and she wish'd, albeit not from her heart,
That he would leave her turret and depart.
The mirthful god of amorous pleasure smil'd
To see how he this captive nymph beguil'd;
For hitherto he did but fan the fire,

And kept it down, that it might mount the higher.
Now wax'd she jealous lest his love abated,

Fearing her own thoughts made her to be hated.
Therefore unto him hastily she goes,

And, like light Salmacis, her body throws
Upon his bosom, where with yielding eyes
She offers up herself a sacrifice

To slake his anger, if he were displeas'd:
O, what god would not therewith be appeas'd?
Like Esop's cock, this jewel he enjoy'd,
And as a brother with his sister toy'd,
Supposing nothing else was to be done,
Now he her favour and goodwill had won.
But know you not that creatures wanting sense,
By nature have a mutual appetence,

And, wanting organs to advance a step,
Mov'd by love's force, unto each other lep?
Much more in subjects having intellect
Some hidden influence breeds like effect.
Albeit Leander, rude in love and raw,