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Salmacis
and Hermaphroditus
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Therefore Ioue meant to
rise but with the sunne,
Yet thought it long vntill the
night was done.
In the meane space Venus
was drawne along
By her white Doues vnto the sweating
throng
Of hammering Black-smithes, at
the lofty hill
Of stately Etna, whose top
burneth still:
(For at that burning mountaynes
glittring top,
Her cripple husband Vulcan
kept his shop)
To him she went, and so collogues
that night
With the best straines of pleasures
sweet delight,
That ere they parted, she made
Vulcan sweare
By dreadfull Stix, an othe
the gods do feare,
If Ioue would make the
mortall mayd a starre,
Himselfe should frame his instruments
of warre,
And tooke his othe by blacke Cocitus
Lake,
He neuer more a thunder-bolt would
make:
For Venus so this night
his sences pleas'd,
That now he thought his former
griefs were eas'd.
She with her hands the black-smiths
body bound,
And with her Iu'ry armes she twyn'd
him round,
And still the faire Queene with
a prety grace,
Disperst her sweet breath o're
his swarty face:
Her snowy armes so well she did
display,
That Vulcan thought they
melted as they lay.
Vntill the morne in this delight
they lay:
Then vp they got, and hasted fast
away
In the white Chariot of the Queene
of loue,
Towards the Palace of great thundring
Ioue,
Where they did see diuine Astræa
stand,
To passe her word for what Ioue
should command. |
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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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