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Salmacis
and Hermaphroditus
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Her haire as farre surpast the
burn sht gold,
As siluer doth excell the basest
mold:
Ioue courted her for her
translucent eye,
And told her, he would place her
in the skye,
Promising her, if she would be
his loue,
He would ingraue her in the heauen
aboue,
Telling this louely Nymph, that
if he would,
He could deceiue her in a showre
of gold,
Or like a Swanne come to her naked
bed,
And so deceiue her of her maiden-head:
But yet, because he thought that
pleasure best,
Where each consenting ioynes each
louing brest,
He would put off that all-commaunding
crowne,
Whose terrour strooke th'aspiring
Giants downe,
That glittering crown, whose radiat
sight did tosse
Great Pelion from the top
of mighty Osse,
He would depose from his world-swaying
head,
To taste the amorous pleasures
of her bed:
This added he besides, the more
to grace her,
Like a bright starre he would
in heauens vault place her.
By this the proud lasciuious Nymph
was mou'd,
Perceiuing by great Ioue
shee was belou'd,
And hoping as a starre she should
ere long
Be sterne or gracious to the Sea-mans
song,
(For mortals still are subiect
to their eye,
And what it sees, they striue to
get as hie:)
Shee was contented that almighty
Ioue
Should haue the first and best
fruits of her loue:
(For women may be likened to the
yeere,
Whose first fruites still do make
the dayntiest cheere) |
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| © Twilight
Pictures,
September
2000. This text is freely available for educational, non-profit uses
only. Please report any errors or suggestions to
Drew Whitehead. |
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