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Salmacis
and Hermaphroditus
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For this old grudge, he was the
easlyer wonne
To helpe young Bacchus
'gainst the fierie Sunne.
And now the Sunne was in the
middle way,
And had o'recome the one halfe
of the day,
Scorching so hot vpon the reeking
sand,
That lies vpon the neere Egyptian
land,
That the hot people burnt e'ne
from their birth,
Do creepe againe into their mother
earth,
When Mercury did take his
powerfull wand,
His charming Cadusæus
in his hand,
And a thicke Beuer which he vs'd
to weare,
When ought from Ioue he
to the Sunne did beare,
That did protect him from the piercing
light,
Which did proceed from Phoebus
glittring sight.
Clad in these powerfull ornaments
he flies,
With out-stretcht wings vp to the
azure skies:
Where seeing Phoebus in
his orient shrine,
He did so well reuenge the god
of wine,
That whil'st the Sun wonders his
Chariot reeles,
The craftie god had stole away
his wheeles.
Which when he did perceiue, he
downe did slide,
(Laying his glittring Coronet aside)
From the bright spangled firmament
aboue,
To seeke the Nymph that Bacchus
so did loue,
And found her looking in her watry
glasse,
To see how cleare her radiant beauty
was:
And, for he had but little time
to stay,
Because he meant to finish out
his day,
At the first sight he 'gan to make
his mone,
Telling her how his fiery wheeles
were gone; |
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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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