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Salmacis
and Hermaphroditus
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But yet Astræa first
should plight her troth,
For the performance of Ioues
sacred oth.
(Iust times decline, and all good
dayes are dead,
When heauenly othes had need be
warranted)
This heard great Iupiter
and lik'd it well,
And hastily he seeks Astræas
cell,
About the massie earth searching
her towre:
But she had long since left this
earthly bowre,
And flew to heauen aboue, lothing
to see
The sinfull actions of humanitie.
Which when Ioue did perceiue,
he left the earth,
And flew vp to the place of his
owne birth,
The burning heauenly throne, where
he did spy
Astræas palace in
the glittering skie.
This stately towre was builded
vp on hie,
Farre from the reach of any mortall
eye;
And from the palace side there
did distill
A little water, through a little
quill,
The dewe of iustice, which did
seldome fall,
And when it dropt, the drops were
very small.
Glad was great Ioue when
he beheld her towre,
Meaning a while to rest him in
her bowre;
And therefore sought to enter
at her dore:
But there was such a busie rout
before;
Some seruing men, and some promooters
bee,
That he could passe no foote without
a fee:
But as he goes, he reaches out
his hands,
And payes each one in order as
he stands;
And still, as he was paying those
before,
Some slipt againe betwixt him
and the dore. |
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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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