Virgil's Georgicks Englished. by Tho: May Esqr Georgica. English Virgil. 1628 Approx. 170 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 81 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A14500 STC 24823 ESTC S119392 99854599 99854599 20026 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A14500) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 20026) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1159:6) Virgil's Georgicks Englished. by Tho: May Esqr Georgica. English Virgil. May, Thomas, 1595-1650. Vaughan, Robert, engraver. [10], 147, [5] p. Printed [by Humphrey Lownes] for Tho: Walkley in Brittains Burse, Lo: : 1628. In verse. The title page is engraved and signed: R Vaughan fecit. Printer's name from STC. The first leaf and the last two leaves are blank. In this edition the text ends on K2. Reproduction of the original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). 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Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng 2002-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-01 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-02 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2003-02 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion VIRGIL'S Georgicks Englished . by Tho : May Esq Lo : printed for Tho. Walkley in Brittains Burse R●ughan fecit 1628 To my truely judicious Friend , Christopher Gardiner of Haleng , Esquire . I Cannot make a fitter choise of any Name to stand prefixed before this Worke , than such a friends , who not onely vnderstands but loves endeavours of this nature ; one as far from pride as ignorance ; and such a Reader , as I could wish all , but cannot hope to finde many . It is a Translation of such a Poet as in our age is no lesse admired , than hee was once honoured in his Romane world . To speake how learned the Poem is , how full of heights not improperly raised out of a meane subject , were needlesse to you , who so well vnderstand the originall of it , and the pattern of this originall , the Poem of Hesiod . If there were any thing in my paines , which might either offend an honest eare , or justly suffer a great condemnation from a learned Censurer , I should bee fearefull to commend it to you , whose Religion , Life , and Learning , are so well known vnto me . This Worke may informe some , delight others , it can hurt none ; it is no new thing , ( being a Translation ) but an old Worke of such a Poet , who in the Opinion of his owne times was an honest man , as well as an able writer . Whose Poem if I have truely rendered , I thinke it better than publishing mine owne fancies to the World , especially in an Age so much cloyed with cob-webbe Inventions , and vnprofitoble Poemes . How much I have failed in my vndertaking , ( as missing the sense of Virgil , or not expressing of him highly and plainely enough ) they onely are able Iudges who can conferre it ; and such are you to whose iudgement I leave it , and rest Your true Friend THOMAS MAY. GEORGICON . The first BOOKE . THE ARGVMENT . TIllage , in all her severall parts , is showne , Her favouring gods , her first invention , Her various seasons , the celestiall signes ; And how the Plow-mans providence divines Of future weather : what presages bee From Beasts and Birds by wise antiquity Drawne into rules insallible ; from whence The Plow-man takes despaire , or confidence . It hat tooles th' industrious husband's works a● vaile ▪ Fro whence our Poet sadly doth bewaile That crooked Sickles turn'd to Swords , so late Had drunke the blood of Romes divided State ▪ And in few yeares with her unnaturall wounds Had twice manur'd Aemathiae● fatal grounds . What makes rich crops ; what season most enclines To plowing th' earth , & marrying elms with vines ? What care of Neat , or Sheep is to be h●d ; Of frugall Bees what trials may be made I sing , Mecoena● , here . You lights most cleare , Whose heavenly course directs the sliding yeare ▪ Bacchus , and fostring Ceres , if first you Did for Chaonian Mast rich Corne bestow , And temper'd waters with invented ( b ) wine : You tillage-favouring gods ; ye ( c ) Fauns divine , And virgin Dryades be present now : I sing your bounties : and , great ( d ) Neptune , thou , Whose tridents stroke did first frō th' earth produce A warlike horse : thou that the woods dost use , Whose full three hundred snow-white Bullocks run Grazing rich ( e ) Caeas pasture fields upon , Sheep-ke●ping Pan , with favour present bee ( If thy M●●nalian flocks be deare to thee ) Leaving Lycaeus , and faire Arcady : Minerva foundresse of the Olive tree : Thou ( f ) youth inventer of the crooked plow : And thou that mak'st the tender Cypresse grow Vp from the root , ( g ) Silvanus : all that love Tillage , both gods , and goddesses above , That growing plants can foster without seed , And them from heaven with raine sufficing feed : And thou , great Caesar , whom t is yet not plaine What ranke of gods shall one day entertaine ; Whether the World thy deity shall feare , As Lord of fruits , and seasons of the yeare , Of lands and townes ( with Venus myrtle tree Crowning thy head ) or thou the god wilt bee Of the vast Sea , and Thules farthest shore , And thee alone the Saylors shall adore , As Thetis sonne-in-law with all her Seas Giuen for a Dower ; or else that thou wilt please To adde one signe to the slow moneths , and be Betwixt the ballance , and ( h ) Erig●ne ; The fiery Scorpion will contract his space , And leaue for thee in heauen the greater place . What ere thou 'lt be ( for hell despaires to gaine Thee for her King : nor thirst thou so for reigne , Though Greece so much th' Elysian fields admire , And sought Proserpin● would not retire Thence with her mother ) view with gracious eies , And prosper this my ventrous enterprise . Pity the Plow-mens errours , and mine too , And use thy selfe to be inuoked now . When first the spring dissolues the mountaine snow When th' earth grows soft again , & west winds blow , Then let your Oxen toile in furrowes deepe , Let use from rusting your bright plowshares keep . Those crops , which twice have felt the sun , & twice The cold ; will Plow-mens greediest wish suffice . Harvests from thence the crowded barnes will fill . But least the fields we ignorantly till , To know how different lands and climates are , All windes and seasons , let it be our care ; What every Region can , or cannot beare ; Here corn thrives best : vines best do prosper there ; Some Lands are best for fruit , for pasture some ; From Tmolus see how fragrant saffrons come : 'Mongst the Sabaeans frankincense doth grow ; Iron the naked Chalybes bestow : India sends ivory , Pontus beavers stone , Epire swift horse , that races oft haue wonne ▪ These severall vertues on each land and clime , Nature bestow'd even from the point of time , When stones in th' empti'd world Deu●alion threw , Frō whēce th' hard-harted race of mankind grew . Therefore when first the yeare begins , do thou Thy richest grounds most deep and strongly plow , That Summers piercing Sun may ripen more , And well digest the fallow gle●e ; but poore , And barren grounds about October plow Not deepe ; in one , lest weedes , that rankly grow , Spoile the rich crop : in tother , lest the dry And sandy grounds quite without moisture ly . And let thy ●ield each other yeare remaine Fallow , and ear'd , to gather heart againe . Or else thy corne thou there mayst safely sow Where in full codds last yeare rich pease did grow , Or else where tares , or lupines last were sowne , Lupines that sadnesse cause ; ( for t is well knowne That oates , hempe , flaxe , and poppy causing sleep Do burne the soile ) but best it is to keep The ground one yeare at rest ; forget not than With richest dung to hearten it againe , Or with unsifted ashes ; so t is plaine That changing seedes gives rest unto a field ; And t is no losse to let it lye untill'd . Fires oft are good on barren earshes made With crackling flames to burne the stubble blade . Whether the earth some hidden strength do gaine From thence , or wholesome nourishment obtaine : Or that those fires digest , or purge , or dry All poisonous humours that in th' earth did ly : Or else that heat new pores , and caverns opes , Through which good iuice comes to the following crops ▪ Or else it knits the earths too open veines , And makes them more compact , lest falling raines Soake them too farre , lest Boreas piercing cold , Or Phoebus heat should dry the parched mold . And wholesome husbandry t was euer found Often to breake and harrow barren ground , And well rewarded still at Ceres hand . Nor is 't unwholesome to subdue the Land By often exercise : and where before You broke the earth , againe to plow it ore Crosse to the former . Let the Plow-mens prayer Be for moist sol●●ices , and winters faire . For winters dust doth cheere the land , and draw So great an haruest , that rich Maesia For all her skill obtaines not greater store , Nor Ida's hil● do boast their plenty more . What shall I say to him that sowes his Land Immediately , scattering the barren Sand ? Then brings in watering streames that wil suffice ? And when in scorched fields all Herbage dyes : Lo , he from higher bending hillocks drawes In furrowes wate●s down , which gliding cause Among the pebble stones a murmuring sound , And with their streams refresh the thirsty ground ▪ Or him , that least ranke eares should ouerlade , And lodge the stemme , he in the tender blade , Eates off the rankenes ? Or that draines his ground With thirsty sand , when moisture doth abound ? When in the Spring , or Autume specially ( Vnconstant seasons ) riuers swell'd too high Haue fill'd the drenched fields with slime , and yet The draining trenches with warm moisture sweat . Nor are these things ( though they mens labors be And beasts ) not subiect to the iniurie Of ●●ose , Strymonian Cranes , the shade of Trees , And growing bitter-rooted Suckoryes . For Ioue himselfe , loath that our liues should proue Too easie , first caus'd men the ground to moue , Fill'd mortall hearts with cares , nor sufferd he The world to fall into a Lethargy . Before Ioues reign no Plow-men till'd the ground ▪ Nor was it lawfull then their Lands to bound : They liu'd in common all : and euery thing Did without labour from earths bosome spring . Ioue Venome first infus'd in Serpents fell , Taught Wolues to prey , and stormy Seas to swell : Rob'd leaues of honey , and hid fire from men , And banish'd wine , which run in rivers then , That th' arts by neede might so in time be found ; Corne might be sought by tilling of the ground , And hidden fire from flints hard veines be drawn . Then Aldern boates first plow'd the Ocean : The Sailers number'd then , and nam'd each starre The Pleiads , Hyads , and the Northren carre . Deceiving bird-lime then they learn'd to make : And beasts by hunting , or by toyles to take : Drag-nets were made to fish within the deep : And casting nets did rivers bottomes sweep . Then iron first , and sawes were understood ; For men before with wedges clef● their wood . Then th' arts were found ; for all things conquer'd be By restlesse toyle , and hard necessity . First yellow Ceres taught the world to plow When woods no longer could afford enow Wilde crabs and acorns , and Dodona lent Her mast no more : then miseries were sent To vexe the art of tillage : blastings kill'd The stalks , and fruitlesse thistles in the field Prevailing , spoyl'd the corne : rough weeds did grow , Of burs and br●mbles troubling it , and now Within the fields among the harvest graine Corne-v●xing darnell , and wilde oates did reigne . That now unlesse thou exercise the soile , Fright birds away , and with continuall toile Lop off the shadowing boughes , and pray for raine Devoutly still , thou mayst behold in vaine Thy neighbours heape of corne with envious eies Labouring with mast thy hunger to suffice . The hardy plow-mens tooles must now be shown , Without which corne can nor be reapt nor sown . The flaile , fled , coulter , share , and crooked plow , The iron harrow , Ceres wagons slow , Celeus poor wicker houshold-stuffe , and than Harrowes of wood , with Bacchus misticke Van. All these before hand must be got by thee If fame thou seeke in noble husbandry . Fetch from the woods a fitting elme , and bow The same with skill , till of a crooked plow It take the forme ; to that fasten a beame Eight foot in length , two eares ; not far from them The wood that holds the share ; but tile-tree take , Or lofty beech the Oxens yokes to make , And tailes of plowes , which all the course do guid , When smoke the goodnesse of the wood hath tri'd ▪ Many of the ancients rules I here could show Vnlesse thou scorne to study Arts so low ; Let thy Barns floore be digg'd , and sodder'd than With tuffest Clay , and then rowl'd hard againe , Lest it should turne to dust , or grasse should grow . Many mishaps may fall ; the mouse below Oft makes her house , and garner under ground , And there as oft the blinde-borne moles are found : There Toades , and many earth-bred Monsters ly : There little Weeuills heapes of corne destroy , And frugall Ants , that toyle for times to come . Consider thou , when Nut-trees fully bloome , And with their fragrant blossomes bend the tree , As those nuts thriue , so will thy harvests be , And corne in great abundance gathered . But if those trees in broad leaues only spread , Then ears , though great , but little grain wil yeeld . Some I haue seene , before they sow their field , Their seedes with lees of oyle , and nitre still To macerate , which makes full graines , to fill The flattering huskes ; or else their seedes to boile . Seedes I haue seene chosen , and pick'd with toile , Yet grow ill corne , unlesse the man for feare Cull with his hand the greatest every yeare . So all things of themselues degenerate , And change to worse even by the law of Fate ; No otherwise than when a man doth row Against a violent streame with much adoo , If ere he chance from rowing to refraine , His Boate is hurry'd downe the streame againe . Plow-men had need each starre as well to know The Kids , the Dragon , and Arcturus too As Sailors neede , who in rough stormes are wont To passe the Oyster-breeding Hellespont . When Libra first diuides the world , twixt light And darknesse , equalling the day and night , Then exercise your teames , and barley sow Till winter to extremity do grow . While yet t is dry thy hempe , and poppie sow Before the Winter too tempestuous grow . Sow beans i'th'Spring , Claue grasse in rotten soile , And Willet , that requires a yearely toile , When with his golden hornes bright Taurus opes The year , & downward the crosse Dog-star stoops . But if thou plow to sow more solid graine A wheat or barley harvest to obtaine , First let the morning Pleiades be set , And Ariadnes shining coronet , Ere thou commit thy seed to ground , and there Dare trust the hope of all the following yeare . Some that before the fall o' th' Pleiades Began to sow , deceived in th' increase Have reapt wilde oates for wheat . But if that thou Disdain not Fesels , or poor Vech to sow , Or care to make Aegyptian lentils thrive , Falling Boòtes then to thee will give Signes not obscure . Begin to sow , and till The midst of winter hold on sowing still . And therfore through twelve signes bright Phoebus guides The world , and th' earth in severall climes divides . Five zones divide the heavens , the torrid one Still red , still heated by the burning sun . On either side are two extreamely cold , Which ice , and frosts , and stormes perpetuall hold : Twixt that and these , to comfort mans estate , The gods have plac't two zones more temperate Twixt both these two , a line i' th' midst is put , Which by the Zodiack is obliquoly cut . And as the world is elevated to The Scythian North , it does declining go Down to the Libyan South . The North's still high To us , the South vnder our feet doth lye , Seen by the ghosts , and balefull Styx below . The mighty dragon there windes to and fro , And like a crooked river doth passe through And compasse round the great and lesser Beare , Which to be dipped in the Ocean feare . There ( as they say ) an ever silent night Remaines , and darknesse never pierc'd by light , Or else the morne returnes to them , when gone From us , and brings them day ; when th'Eastern su● Doth in the morne salute our haemisphere , Darke night compels them to light candles ther● . Hence we in doubtfull skies may stormes foresee , When a fit harvest or seed time will bee ; Or when to plow th' uncertain ●eas t is fit With cares , or when to rig an armed fleet , And when pine trees are seasonably fell'd . Nor can this speculation vaine be held , How th' heavenly signes doe rise and fall , and here Into foure seasons do divide the yeare . When storms within doores keep the husbandman They give him leisure to make ready than What they would hasten in faire weather more , To grinde their plowshares dulled edge , to bor● And hollow tree● for boates ; the husbandmen Then measure corne , and marke their cattell then . Some horned forkes prepare , some sharpen stakes , Bonds for the limber vines another makes : Panyers sometimes of Rubean twigs they make , Sometimes they grinde their corne , somtimes they bake : For all diuine and humane Lawes allow On greatest holy-daies some workes to do , To digge a dike , or fence about the corne ; To catch the harmefull birds , brambles to burne : To wash the bleating flocks in riuers cleare By no Religion was forbidden ere . Some driue their Asses to the market towne With oyle and apples , who returne anone Laden with pitch and grinding stones againe . The Moone did not all daies alike ordaine Happy for euery worke . The fift Moone fly , Then hell and furies first began to be . Then did the earth an impious birth produce Typhoeus , Caeus , and Iapetus , That durst conspire the towers of heauen to rase . Thrice they indeavour'd with strong hand to place The mountain Ossa on high Pelion , On that Olympus : thrice great Ioue threw downe Their worke with thunder . But the fourteenth day Is best to plant your vineyards , and assay Your new-tam'd Oxen. Then best spinning thriues ; The ninth is safe to travell , free from Theeues . Some works by night are happiest brought to pass , Or when the morning starre bedeawes the grasse . By night your stubble and dry Meadowes mow , For night faire moisture doth on them bestow . Some sit up late at winter-fires , and fit Their sharp edg'd tools ; the while their wiues do sit Beside them carding Wooll , and there make light With songs the tedious labour of the night . Or boyle new wine from crudities , and skim The bubbling froth off from the Caldrons brim . But reape thy corne in the daies heat and drought , For dry-reap't corne will thresh more cleanly out . In Summer naked plow thy ground , and sow : Cold Winter rest on plowmen doth bestow . Then they enioy what they before did gaine , And with glad feasts each other entertaine . The geniall Winter to free ioy inuites From care . Such are the Mariners delights , When laden ships long absent from their home Now deckt with garlands to the hauen come . Besides the Winter is a season fit To gather ackorns , and ripe berries get Of bayes , of olive trees , and myrtles red . To catch wilde cranes in sprindges , and to spred Toiles for red Deere ; the long-ear'd Hare to start , And fallow Deere with a loop'd Spanish dart Wel thrown to kil , whē with deep snow the ground Is hid , and rivers with strong ice are bound . The stormes of Autumne why should I relate ? When daies grow shorter , and more moderate The heat ? what care good husbands entertaine ? Or when the show●ry spring doth promise raine ? Whē all the fields with green ear'd corn are proud And tender blades the swelling graine do shroud ? ●oft have seen , when corne was ripe to mow , And now in dry , and brittle straw did grow , Windes from all quarters oppositely blow . By whose dire force the full-ear'd blades were torn Vp by the roots , and into th' aire were born : No otherwise than when blacke whirle windes rise , And tosse dry straw and stubble to the skies . Oft fall huge gusts of water from the sky . And all the full-swell'd clouds whirle from on high Black showers & stormes about : the thunders noise Even rends high heaven , & falling raine destroyes All crops , and all that th' Oxens toile has done . Dikes fill : with sound the swelled rivers run ; The seas with troubled agitations move . In midst of that tempestuous night , great Iove From a bright hand his winged thunder throwes : Which shakes the earth ; beasts flye ; sad terror goes Through mortal breasts . His burning dart doth aw Rhodope , Athos , th' high Ceraunia . The showery South windes double now , and round The woods do murmur , and beate shores resound . For fear● of this observe the moneths and signes : Marke to what house Saturns cold star inclines : And with what planet Mercurie doth ioyne . But first give worship to the powers divine : Offer to ( i ) Ceres yearely sacrifice With feasts upon the grasse , when winter is Quite spent , and now the spring doth fresh appear . Then lambs are fat , then wines are purg'd & clear : The shady mountaines then sweet sleeps afford . Let her by all thy plowmen be ador'd : Let honey , milke , and wine be offered To her , and th' happy sacrifice be led About the new corne thrice , whilst every one Followes with ioyfull acclamation , Imploring Ceres favour ; and let none Presume to thrust a sickle into corne , Vnlesse with oaken wreathes he first adorne His head , and dance unartificially With hymnes of praise to Ceres Deity . And that by certain tokens we might know When heat will come , when raine , when winds shal blow , Great Ioue ordained monethly what the Moone Should teach , what signes foretell , when winds go down , That husbandmen , marking what oft befals Know when to keep their cattell in the stals . Iust ere the windes arise , the Sea swels high , Great noise is heard from all the mountaines nigh , Then hollow murmurs through the woods you hear , And all the shoares resounding far and near . Then Seas are ill to Saylers evermore When Cormorants fly crying to the shore From the mid-sea , when Sea fowle pastime make Vpon dry land , when Herns the ponds forsake , And mounted on their wings do flye aloft . You may discerne , when windes are rising , oft The stars in heauen do seeme to fall , and make Through nights dark ayre a long and fiery tracke . Oft straw and wither'd leaues in th' aire fly vp , And feathers swimme upon the waters top . But when it lightens from the boistrous North , And th' East , and Western houses thunder forth , The Lands oreflow'd , the Dikes fill'd every where , And Marriners wet sayles on th' Ocean beare , The storme can nere thee unawares surprise , For from the Vallies , ere it thence arise , The Cranes do fly , the Bullock vpward throwes His head , and snuffs the ayre into his nose ; The subtle Swallow flyes about the brooke , And querulous Frogs in muddy pooles doe croke . Th' industrious Ant through narrow paths doth role Her egges along from out her little hole . The Rain-bow seemes to drink the waues , & home The Crowes in mighty sholes from feeding come , And clap their wings aloud ; Sea-fowles , and those That feed along where faire Cayster flowes Through th' Asian meadowes , you may often see Bathing themselues in water greedily . They oft diue downe , and swimming to and fro A glad , though vaine , desire of washing show . Then with full throats the wicked Rooks call on The raine , and wander on the shores alone , Offring their heads to the approaching showres . As maids in spinning spend the nights late howres , Their burning lamps the storm ensuing show , Th' oile sparkles , theeves about the snuffe do grow . By no lesse true , and certaine signes may we Faire daies and sunshine in a storme foresee . For then the stars aspects are cleare to us , Nor does the moone arise obnoxious Vnto her brothers rayes , nor ore the sky Do little clouds like woolly fleeces fly : The Theus-lov'd Kings-fishers spread not then Their wings against the sun ; nor Hogs uncleane Prepare them heapes of straw to ly upon . But to the lowest vales the clouds fall down . The fatall owle high mounted at sun set Does not the balefull evening song repeat . Nisus his wings in th' ayre aloft displayes , And for his purple lock false Scylla payes . Where ever Scylla through the ayre doth fly , Nisus , her fierce and cruell enemy , With eager flight pursues ; from thence where he Appeares , with fearfull wing doth Scylla flye . The ravens with a loud , and strained throate From their high nest do oft repeat their note , And 'mongst the leaves they croak together all As taken with a ioy unusuall ; It does them good , the storme now spent , to see Their nests of young ones , and dear progeny . I do not think that all these creatures have More wisedome than the fates to mankinde gave ; But thus ; as tempests , as th' unconstant skies Do change their course , as severall windes arise In th' aire , and do condense , or ra●ifie , ●ust so their natures alter instantlie . Their breasts receive impressions different ; As some by calmes , so some by stormes are sent . Hence that consent of ioy or wo doth slow Which croaking ravens , fowle , and cattell show . But if that to the swiftly moving sun Thou look for signes , or to the following moone , The next daies weather thou maist know , nor be Deceiv'd by a faire evenings treacherie . Be sure great stormes by sea and land ensue When first the Moon doth her wan'd light renue , If then her dulled hornes dark ayre embrace . But if a rednesse hide her virgin face It will be windy ; that complexion In her shewes winde . But in the fourth new Moon ( For that 's the certain'st author ) if most cleare , And free from dimnesse her bright horns appeare , That day , and all the following daies shall be Till the moneths end , from rain and tempests free ▪ To Panopaea , Glancu● , Inoe● boy The saued Marriners shall pay with ioy Their vowes upon the shore . But sur'st of all , And best the Sunne , when he doth rise , or fall Into the Ocean , doth those rules bestow , When he or yeelds to night , or morne doth show . When full of spots the rising Sunne doth seeme , Hid in a cloud , and in his middle dimme , Suspect great raine ; the moist Southwinde is nigh To cattell , corne , and trees an enemy . Or when thick clouds the morning Sunne do hide , Yet ●ound about his shining rayes are spi'de , Or when Aurora with a count'nance pale Leaues Tithons rosie bed , then ill from haile , Which leapes into all houses rattling hard , Can thinne vine leaues ( alas ) the clusters guard ▪ These signes more surely may obserued bee About the setting Sunne ; for oft wee see His face with various colours is orespred ; Azu●e betokens raine : a fiery red Shewes winde . But if that rednesse mix'd appeare And full of little spots , then every where Both winde and raine together shall be seen ▪ In such a night , when that sad signe hath been , Shall no perswasions make me venture ore The Seas , or loose my Cables from the shore . But when his Orbe both even and morne is bright , Then let no feare of stormes thy minde a●fright . The woods no windes but dry North windes shall moue . And last of all how all the night shal proue , Frō whēce dry clouds the north●ē wind shal driue , And what moist seasons the south winds shall giue , The Sun shall perfectly declare to thee , And who dares taxe the Sunne of falsitie ? He oft forewarnes us of blinde tumults nigh , Of growing wars , and secret treachery . He pitying Rome , when Caesar murder'd dy'd , In sable darknesse his bright head did hide , And night eternall threaten'd th' impious age . Then besides him did th' earth and seas presage : The Dogs and fatall birds sad signes did yeeld . How often then into the Cyclop● field Did Aetna's burning caverne overflow , And globes of fire , and melted stones did throw ? The trembling Alps did shake ; ore all the sky A noise of arms was heard in Germany . In solitary groves were often heard Affrighting voices , and pale ghosts appear'd When night began ; the beasts 'gainst nature spake ; Hoods stopt their courses ; the cleft earth did make Wide chinks ; on statues , which our temples kept , The brasse did sweat , the mourning ivory wept . Swelling Eriadnus the king of floods ▪ With violence orethrew the lofty woods , And ore the fields both beasts and stals did beare . Beasts entrailes sad , and threatning did appeare . The Wels were fill'd with bloud ; in depth of night The howling Wolves did greatest Towns affright ▪ Nere flew more lightning through a welkin faire , Nor mo portentuous comets fill'd the aire . Therefore with equall ensignes once againe Two Romā hoasts fought on Philippi Plain . The gods were pleas'd that our blood-dropping woūds Should twice ( k ) manure Aemathiaes fatal grounds . Rust eaten piles and swords in time to come , When crooked plows dig up earth's fertile womb ; The husbandman shal oft discover there , And harrowes i●on teeth shall every where Rake helmets up ; plowmen in graves so old Such large-siz'd bones shall wonder to behold . Romulus , Ve●●a , and ye native gods That keep by Tuscan Tyber your abodes , And Romes high pallaces , take not away Young Caesa● , now the only ayde and stay Of this distressed age ; enough have we Already pay'd for Troyes old periury . The court of heaven already envies us Caesar , for thee , that thou vouchsafest thus Poor earthly triumphs to regard below . For when such mischiefes , and dire wars did flow Ore all the world , & right with wrong confound , The plowes neglected lay , the fruitlesse ground Ore-grown with weeds , for want of tillers mournd , And crooked sickles into swords were turnd . Euphrates here , there Germany in arms Was up ; on tother side the loud alarms F●ight neighbouring cities ; all accords are broke , And all the world with impious war is shooke . So when swift charriots from the lists are gone , Their furious hast increases as they run . In vaine the charrioter their course would stay ; Th'ungovern'd horses hurry him away . Finis libri primi . Annotations upon the first BOOKE . IT is not unknowne to any man , who is an able iudge of this worke , that Virgil , though Prince of the Roman Poets ( for that title his own age freely affoorded him , and the judgement or modesty of succeeding times never detracted from him ) did help his inuention by imitation of the Grecian Poets ; & in this work of his Georgicks , ( to speak nothing of his Aeneids , or Bucolicks ) he has taken his subject from Ascraean Hesiod ; as his own verse in the second booke modestly acknowledges . Ascraeuinque cano Romana per oppida carmen . In this subiect ( though the learning of Virgil must needes carry him vpon other matters than Hesiod treated of , and his own intent to honour his natiue Italy , which was then mistresse of the conquer'd world , and to whose climate and properties hee especially proportions this discourse of husbandry ) hee retaines in many things the Grecian way ; bee invokes their gods ( men whose ancient worth had deis●ed them to posterity ) he builds upon many stories , which either the Gre●kes inuented , or the distance of time has made posterity not to credit them as truths , but intitle them poeticall stories . Some of these histories which are shortly mentioned in this Werks , I haue thought fitting to relate here for th● ease or delight of the English reader , ●●treating all Readers to pardon me for striving onely to please them : ( for to mee it can adde nothing , since all men of iudgement can tell how easily , and where I find them . ) I haue not mentioned them all ; nor made a large comment upon the worke to extend it to an unnecessary bulke ; but mentioned such only as I thought fitting . ( b ) Staphylus the son of Sithneus , and chiefe Shepheard to Oeneus king of Aetolia , had obserued that one of his goates did often in feeding separat it selfe from the rest of the flocke , and by that feeding was growne fatter and better in liking than all the rest . He upon a day resolved to watch this goate , and found it feeding on a cluster of grapes : he gathered some of the grapes , & wondring at the noveltie and rarenesse of the fruit , presented it to the King his Master . The King tasted it , and wondrously pleased , and cheared with the juice of it , began to esteeme it of great value ; insomuch as not long after it so happened , that the great Bacchus returning from his Indian conquests , was entertained at the court of this Oeneus ; who presented to Bacchus his new-found fruit . Bacchus , who before had learned the use of it , instructed the king how to continue the race , and the maner how to dresse , and perfect his vines ; and ordained withall that the wine in the Greeke language should be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in honour of Oeneus , and the grape 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , after the name of Staphylus the kings shepheard . ( c ) These Faunt are accounted the country Gods , and are thought alwaies to inhabite in the woods . The first of them was Faunus king of the Aborigines , the son of Picus , & grandchilde of Saturne , who first reduced the inhabitants of Italy to a ciuill life : hee built houses , and consecrated woods ; in honour of so great a merit as this , he was by his thankefull posterity ( as the custome was of those times ) consecrated a god , and his oracle with great devotion kept in Abbunea an Italian wood . Of his name all Temples were afterwards called Fanes ; hee married his sister Fauna , whom the Romans in after times honoured with great deuotion , and called her Bona ; Shee gaue Oracles to the women , as her husband Faunus did unto the men . ( d ) The Fable is thus ; When the famous City of Athens was founded , and Neptune and Minerva were in great contention who should have the honour of naming the place , it pleased the gods to appoint it thus , that the honour should accrew to that deity , who could bestow the greatest benefit upon mankinde . Vpon which sentence Neptune with his trident striking the shore , immediately a furious horse provided , and armed for the war , was created by that stroke : Minerva casting her javelin from her , of that javelin produced an Olive tree ; which being a fruitfull and good plant , and the embleme of peace , was iudged more usefull and profiable to mankinde . The cause why our Author invoketh Neptune in this place , is , because hee intendeth to speake of horses in the third Booke of this Worke. Which had beene else unfit in a discourse concerning affaires of Land to have invoked a god of the Sea. ( c ) Aristaeus , who is here invoked was reported the son of Apollo , and the Nymph Cyrene : This Aristaeus the father of Actaeon , who transformed into a stag ( as Ovid's fable delivers it ) was devoured by his doggs , grieved for his sons death , departed from Thebes to the Iland Caea , which was then destitute of inhabitants by reason of a pestilence which had there happened : This Caea is an Iland in the Aegaean sea ; from whence hee sailed into Arcadia , & there ended the residue of his life . In Arcadia hee was honoured as a god after his death for teaching the people that strange mysterie of making Bees . ( f ) This youth here named the invent●r of the Plow , is by most thought to be Osiris the King , and afterwards god of the Aegyptians . He was the first that ever taught the Aegyptians his country-men the use of Oxen for p●owing of their ground . He was honoured by them as a god after his death for this great benefit ; and worshipped in the forme of an Ox● , which was called Apis , in the City of Memphis . And in memory of this also Isis the wife of that Osiris was honoured as a goddesse , and had solemne sacrifices , in which an care of corne was carryed before the pompe , and all plowmen in harvest time sacrified to her with the straw of wheat . ( g ) The history of the birth , life , and deity of this god Sylvanus is thus reported ; A shepheard , whose name was Cratis , abused to his lust ash●e-Goat of his flocke : and when upon a time Cratis was sleeping by a river● side ; that hee-Goat , which used the company of the shee-Goat , in a jealous fury , assaulted Cratis with his hornes , and tumbled him into the river ; from whose name the flood was afterwards called Cratis . This monstrous issue of he Shepheard and the Goat , when it was brought to light , resembled them both , and was a Goat in the nether parts , but in the upper it carryed the shape of a man. Being afterward brought up and growing in the woods , the Shepheards astonished at so strange a shape , began to honour and adore him for a god , calling him Sylvanus , from the woods wherein he lived . This god Sylvanus was extreamely enamoured on a beauteous youth named Cyparissus , who with great care had brought up a tame Deere ; and when on a time the youth unhappily trying his Bow , had mist the marke , and slaine unawares his beloved Deere , out of extremity and impatience of griefe he dyed . Sylvanus lamenting the death of his minion Cyparissus , fell downe weeping upon the dead body , and vowed never to part from those imbraces : which he continued so long ●ntill the gods in pitie to Sylvanus , transformed the body of Cyparissus into a tree , called , from him , the Cypresse tree , which ever after was a tree of mourning , and garnished great mens houses at funerals , as all the Poets mention ; and Sylvanus is accounted the god protector of that tree . ( h ) Erigone the virgin was the daughter of Icarus an Athenian shepheard , whose pie●ie to her father was much renowned : insomuch as that when her father was slaine ( as shall bee afterwards declared ) shee never parted from the dead body , but dyed with him ; and by the pitie of the gods , as Poets say , was taken up into heaven , and made a signe in the Zodiacke , called Virgo . ( i ) The Husbandmen in ancient time sacrificed to Ceres the goddesse of Corne. They killed a fat Hog as the sacrifice it selfe , a creature whose rooting endamages the corne . About this sacrifice the whole Chorus of the husbandmen danced in a rude inartificiall maner ( for such dances in Religion were accepted ) and sang songs in honour of the goddesse Ceres , who first invented Corne. They wore upon their heads branches of Oaken trees , in a thankefull remembrance of their old food : for before her bounti● to mankinde had taught them the wayes of tilling and harvest , the people lived upon Mast and Acorns . ( k ) For twice in that countrey the Romans fought in civill warre : first Iulius Caesar against Pompey the Great , afterward Octavius Caesar and Marcus Antonius against Marcus Brutus and Caius Cassius . FINIS . GEORGICON . The second BOOKE . THE ARGVMENT . THis Booke the nature of all trees defines , Of fat-rin'd Olives , of heart-cheering Vine● , And other lesse-fam'd plants ; to every tree It s proper climate , growth , and quality Assignes ; and teaches how to propagate , How to engraffe , transplant , enoculate . With what rich fruit some happy lands are blest , Which others want : and here 'bove all the rest Our Poet doth inferre the praises high Of his owne native f●uitfull Italy ; Her meadowes , heards , faire townes , and rivers knowne To all the world ; her nations of renowne , And men of honour'd name . Last , it doth shew The blisse of plowmen , if their blisse they knew . THus much of tillage , and coelestiall signes ; Thee , Bacchus , now I le sing ; & with thy vines Other wilde Plants , and Olives slowly growing . Hither , ô Father ( for thy gifts are flowing Ore all things here ; the vineyards by thy care With rich Autumn all fruit full laden are , And vinetages oreflow ) o● hither daine To come , great Bacchus , and when thou hast tane Thy buskins off , oh then vouchsafe with me In new sweet wine to dip thy bared thigh . Nature on trees doth different births bestow ; Some of themselves without mans aide do grow ; And round the fields , and crooked rivers come , As limber Osiers , Poplars , tender broome , And grey-leav'd Willowes ; some from seed arise ; Such are the lofty Chest nuts , and those trees , Which Iove his greatest holds , th' high Aesculus , And th' Oak by Greekes esteem'd oraculous . Some from their own great roots make young ones rise About them round , as Elmes and Cherry trees ; And young Parnas●ian bayes do often so Vnder their mothers shadow shelter'd grow . These waies of planting nature first did bring : So trees , so herbs , and sacred woods did spring . But other waies experience since hath found . Some plant yong shoots cut off frō trees in groūd , Some graffe young rooted stalks in deeper mould ; And sharp crosse-cloven stakes : some bow their old Vines into ranges , propagating young , Which thence in arches on both sides have sprung . Some need no roots ; the Pruner young slips cuts , And them into the earth securely puts . And ( wondrous to be told ) an Olive tree Out from a dry cut trunke oft springs we see . And often are the branches of one tree Into another grasfed prosperously ; So from an Apple stocke ripe Peares do come , And hard red cornoiles from a stock of Plumme , Therefore be carefull , husbandmen , to know What art belongs to every tree , and how To make wilde trees by dressing better grow . Keep no ground barren : Ismarus will please Bacchus , Taburnus will beare Olive trees . And thou , ( a ) Mecaenas , to whose grace I ow My fame and glory , be propitious now ; Lend thy free favour to this subiect plaine . I dare not hope this Poeme should containe All parts of it , had I an hundred tongues , To them an hundred mouthes , and iron lungs . Wa●t me from shore : the earth's description's plain . Nor will I here , Maecenas , thee detaine With Poets fictions , nor oppresse thine eare With circumstance , and long exordiums here . Those trees , which of thēselves shoot up in th' aire , Do grow unfruitfully , but strong and faire ; For in the soile their nature is ; but these If thou do take , and gra●fe in other trees , Or else transplant them well , they 'le quite forsake Their barren nature , and most aptly take By dressing oft , what forme thou wouldst bestow . The like those trees , that spring from roots , wil do , If them to th' open fields thou do remove ; But now their mothers leaves , and boughes above Oreshadow them and make them barren trees . But all those plants , which do from seedes arise , Grow slow , and shade to our grand-children give . They still degenerate the more they live . Good grapes turne birds meate , grown extreamly bad , And apples lose the first good iuice they had . They must be mended all , well digg'd , and drest , And by much labour tam'd ; the Olive best , And Venus Myrtle set in trunks do live , And Vines the best by propagation thrive . From small slips set do Fil●erts grow , we see , Iove's Oake , and great Alcides ( b ) Poplar tree , The stately Ashes , lofty Palmes , and Firs Employ'd at sea by ventrous Marriners . Rough arbute slips into a hazell bough Are oft ingraffed ; and good Apples grow Out of a Plaine trees stocke : the Chestnut beares Ingraffed Beech : in tall wilde Ashes Peares Do flourish best ; from Elmes Oak-acorns fall To Hogs ; nor are the wayes alike in all How to ingraffe , how to inoculate . For where the tender rinde opening of late Shot forth a bud , iust at that knot they cut A little hole ; into that hole they put A budding shoot ●ane from another tree ; The rinde then closing makes them prosperously Together grow . But if the trunke be free From knots , they cleave the trunke of such a tree With wedges , putting fruitfull slips therein ; Within short time th' ingrafted slips begin To grow to prosperous height ; the tother tree Wonders such stranger fruit , and leaves to see . Nor are the waies alike in all of these , In Willowes , Lotes , Idaean Cypresses , And sturdy Elmes ; nor in one maner do All kindes of Olives , the long Radii grow , Nor Olives orchites , or Pausia nam'd , Nor apples , nor Alcinous fruit so fam'd . Nor must all shootes of peares alike be set , Crustumian , Syrian peares , and wardens great . Nor hang the vines upon our trees as do Those that in Lesbian Methymna grow . The Thasian vines in barren soile abound : The Ma●●otike thrive in richer ground ; The Psithian grapes are best of all to dry . Besides these , strong Lagaean wines there be , Whose strength makes drunkards stagger , & doth tye Their tongues ; ●ath-ripe , & purple grapes there be ; But in what verse shall ● enough commend The Rhetian grape ? yet let it not contend With the Tabernian . Aminean vines There are besides , which beare the firmest wines . Cilician , and Phanaean grapes there are , And white grapes lesse than those ; none may compare With these for store of iuice , and lasting long . Nor will I passe thy vintage in my song O Rhodes , for feasts and sacrifices fam'd ; Nor that great grape from a Cowes udder nam'd . But all the kindes , and names of grapes that are T is numberlesse and needlesse to declare . Which he that seekes to do , as soon may know How many Libyan sands the West winds blow ; Or when fierce Eurus 'gainst the Sailers rores , How many waves rowle to th' Iônian shores . Nor can all grounds bring forth all plants we see ; By rivers Willowes prosper : th' Alder tree O● mo●ish grounds : on rocky mountaines grow Wilde Ashes : Myrtles on the shores below ; Vines love warm open heights ; the Northren cold Makes Yew trees prosper . And again behold The conquer'd worlds farthest inhabitants , Easterne Arabians , painted Scythians . See there all trees their proper countries know ; In India only does black Eben grow : None but Sabaea boasts of Frankincense . Why should I name that fragrant wood , frō whence Sweet Balsam sweats ? the berries or the buds Of Bears-foot ever greene ? those hoary woods Of Aethiopia cloath'd with snowy wooll ? Or how the Seres their rich fleeces pull From leaves of trees ? or those fair woods , w ch grow Neere to the Indian sea , whose highest bough No Arrowes flight can reach ? none shoot so high , Although that Nation no bad Archers be . Slow-tasted Apples Media doth produce , And bitter too , but of a happy use ; Than which no surer Antidote is known , T' expell a poyson-temper'd potion , When cruell step-dames their sad cups have us'd , With cha●ming words , and banefull herbs infus'd . The tree is faire , iust like a Laurell tree , And were indeed a Laurell perfectly , But that their smels far differ ; no winds blast Shakes off her leaves , her blossomes still stick fa●t . With this the Mede short-winded old men eases , And cures the lungs unsavory diseases . But not the richest land , not Median woods , Not golden Hermus , nor faire Ganges sloods May ought for praise contend with ( c ) Italy , Nor faire Panchaia fam'd for spice●y , Bactia , nor India ; no Bulls , that blow Fire from their nostrels , did that Region plow : No Dragons teeth therein were sow'd , to beare A crop of Souldiers arm'd with shield and speare . Besides this land a spring perpetuall sees , Twice breeding Cattell , twice fruit-bea●ing trees . And summers there in moneths unusuall shine ; But no wilde Tigers in that coast are seene , No savage Lions breed , nor in that land Do poisonous ( c ) herbs deceive the gatherers hand . No huge and s●aly snake on those faire grounds Makes fearful tracks , or twines in hideous rounds . Adde to all these so many structures faire Of beauteous Cities , of strong Townes , that are Fenced with rocks impregnable , and how Vnder those Antient walls great Rivers flow . Shall I insist on those two seas that flow 'Bout Italy , above it and below ? Or her great lakes ? thee mighty Larius ? Or thee tempestuous sea-like Benacus ? Or praise her havens ? or the Lucrine lake ? Where the imprison'd Iulian waters make A loud & wrathfull noise , through which the great Sea-tides into Avernus lake are let ? Besides the land abounds with mettals store , With veines of ●ilver , gold and brazen ore ; It nurturs Nations bold , the Marsians , The ●i●●ce Sabellians , dart-arm'd Vol●cians , Hardy Ligurians ; in particular The Decii , Marii , those brave names of war , The great Camilli , valiant Scipio's , And thee , great Caesar , now victorious In Asia's utmost bounds , whose conquering powers From flying Indians guard the Roman towers . Haile Saturns land in riches great , and great In men ; for thee I will presume t' entreat Of th' ancient praised arts , ope sacred springs , And through Romes townes A●crean poems sing . Now all soiles severall natures let us see , Their strengths , their colours , and fertility . First barren hils , and hard unfruitfull ground , Where clay is scarce , and gravell doth abound , Is good for Pallas long-liv'd Olive tree . For in such soiles we by experience see Wilde Olive trees do in abundance grow , And all the fields with their wilde Olives strow . But ground more fertile , with sweet moisture fill'd , Well cloath'd with grasse , and fruitfull to be till'd , ( Such as in valleyes we doe oft espy , Whither the waters flow from hils on high , Leaving a fruitful slime ) where South-winds blow , And Brakes , great hinderers of all plowing , grow , Will yeeld thee spreading vines , and full of iuice , And lusty wines , such as we sacrifice In golden goblets to the gods , as soon As the swoln Tuscan trumpeter has done His sounding at the Altar , which we load With reeking entrailes brought in chargers broad . But if thou rather Heards , or Calves wouldst keep , Or Goats , whose grazing burns the fields , or sheep ; Then seek Tarentums lawnes , and farthest coast , Such fields as happlesse Mantua has lost , Where snowy Swans feed in the meadowes neere The rivers side ; nor grasse , nor water there Thy Heards can want ; what grasse they eat by dayes , The dewy night back to the field repayes . But ground in colour blacke , and fat below , Putrid and loose ( for such we wish to plow ) Is best for co●ne ; for from no ground do come Mo l●den waggons , and tir'd Oxen home . Or where of late the plowman grubb'd up wood , Which quiet there for many yeares had stood , And birds old nests has from the roots orethrown ; They ●est of dwellings now from thence are flown ; The new-made ground once plow'd most fruitfull grows . Course barren sand , & hilly scarce bestows Casia , and ●lowers for Bees to feed upon , Nor chaulk , nor that so soft though rugged stone Eat by black snakes ; no ground on snakes so good Close holes bestowes , nor such delicious food . But that rich land , which doth exhale like smoakes Thin vapors up , that showrs of raine in soakes , And when ●he lists returns them forth againe , Whose mould with ●ust the iron doth not staine , Which cloaths herselfe in her own grassie greene● That Land ( as well in tillage may be seene ) Is good to pasture cattell good to plow , There Vines and Olives prosperously grow . Such Lands by Capua , by Vesuvius high , And Clanius , that o●e●lowes Acerrae , ly . ● How to discerne each soile ●le teach thee now , Which mould is thick and which is loose to know . ( For one ●●aeus , tother Ceres loves : Vines love loose grounds , corne best in thickest proves ) Choose with thine eie that piece that is most plain ; There digge a pit , and then throw in againe The clods and earth , and tread them strongly in ; If they 'le not fill the pit , the soile is thin , And best for Vineyards , and for pasture grasse ; But if the clods do more than fill the place , The earth is thick and solid ; try that soile , And plow it well , though hard and full of toile . That earth that 's salt , or bitter , bad for sowing , ( For that will never be made good by plowing , Nor vines , nor apples planted there , abide In their first generous tast ) may thus be tride ; Take a thick-woven Osiar colander , Through w ch the pressed wines are strained clear , And put a piece of that bad earth into it Well mixt with water , & then strain them through it , You shall perceive the struggling water flow , And in great drops will through the Osiars goe , But by the tast you may discerne it plaine ; The bitternesse will make the taster straine His countenance awry . So you may know By handling , whether ground be fat or no ; Leane earth will crumble into du●t ▪ but thicke Like pitch fat earth will to your fingers sticke . Moist land brings forth tall grasse , and oft is found Too rich ; oh give not me so rank a ground , Nor let it co●ns yong husks too richly raise . Earth that is heavy her own weight betrayes , And so of light ; our eyes do iudge aright The colour of the land or black or white ▪ But to finde out that cursed quality Of cold in grounds , of all , will hardest be ; Yet that the trees , which prosper there , will shew , Pitch trees , black Ivie , and the balefull Yew . These things consider'd well , remember thou Long before hand in furrowes deep to plow And breake the earth ; then let it lye thus broke Expos'd to North-cast-windes and winters shock , Before thou plant thy fruitfull Vines therein , For they thrive best in rotten ground , and thin . The Windes and hoary Frosts , after the toile Of digging ( Husbandmen ) wil rot the soile . But he , that throughly vigilant will be , Must finde a place out for a nurcerie Iust like the place he plants in , left a tree Transplanted do not with the soile agree . And he , to plant it as it was , must marke The Heavens four quarters on the tender ba●ke , To know how every tree did stand , which side Endur'd the South , which did the North abide , And let their former situation stand . Consider then if Plaine or mountaine Land Be best for Vines ; if plain good ground thou choose Then plant them thicke ; the Grapes can nothing loose By their thick standing there ; if on a Hill Thou plant , with measure , and exactest skill , Set them in rowes by equall distance held ; As when an Army 's ranged in the field , And stand● for triall of a mighty day ; In equall squadrons they themselves display Ore the broad field , which seemes with glittering armes To move , before the battel 's fierce alarmes Do ●ound , and Mars to both stands doubtfull yet . So trees at equall distance ranked set , Not only to delight thy prospect there , But cause the ground can no way else conferre To all an equall vigour , nor can they Have roome at large their branches to display . Perchance how deep to digge thy furrowes now thou 'dst learne . Thy Vines in shallow ones , will grow But other trees more deeply digg'd must be ; Chiefly th' Aesculean Oake , who still more high He lifts his branches in the ayre , more low His root doth downward to Avernus go . Therefore no windes , nor winter stormes orethrow Tho●● Trees ; for many yeares unmov'd they grow , And many ages of mankinde outweare , And sp 〈…〉 ing their fair branches here and there , Themselves 〈…〉 do make a stately s●ade . Let not thy Vineyards to the West be made , Nor plant t●ou ●●asels 'mongst thy Vines , nor yet Lop off their highest branches , which are beat With winds , nor prune them with blunt knives , nor yet Wilde Olive trees 'mongst other Olives set . For unawares fire oft is scattered ; Which in the dry fat ●inde conceal'd , and fed Seizes the tree , the leaves and branches takes , And through the aire a crackling noise it makes , Till on the top it reigne with victory Involving all the wood in ●lames , and fly Like a black pitchy cloud up to the sky , Especially if stormy windes do ly Vpon the wood , the ●lames about to beare . When this doth chance , the Olives burned there Spring from the root no more in their first state , But to wilde Olives do degenerate . Let none perswade thee then , how wise so ere , When Boreas blowes , the harden'd earth to stir ; Winter congeales the ground , and suffers not The trees new set in th' earth to spread their root . But when the golden spring doth first appeare , And that white bird is come , whom serpents feare , Is the best time of all to plant thy vines : The next is when the Autumnall cold beginnes ; When now the 〈◊〉 short●ns the daies , and done The Summer is , yet winter not begun . The Spring 's the time that cloaths the woods with leaves ; The earth then swells , and seed with ioy receives . The Iove Almighty down descends , and powers Into the earths glad bosome fruitfull showers , And mixt with her great body , he doth feed All births of hers , and foster every seed . Each bush with loudly chirping birds is grac'd ; Beasts at set times the ioyes of Venus tast : The ground stirr'd up by Zephyres warmer winde Opens her selfe , and brings forth fruit in kinde . Young blooming trees dare trust themselves unto The Sun new mounted ; the vine branches now Feare not the rising Southren windes , nor yet The North-East-winde , that causes tempests great . But shoot their blossoms forth , & spread their leafe . No other daies but such ( t is my beliefe ) When first the world beginning had , were known ▪ Th' earth had no other t●nor ; Spring alone , And that perpetual , the great world enioy'd ; No East-windes winter blasts that age annoy'd , When first all Cattell their beginning had , When of the earth mankindes hard race was made , When wilde Beasts fill'd the woods , & stars the sky . Nor could the tender creatures easily Endure this change ; but heaven to make amends Twixt heat and cold this temper'd season sends . What plants so ere thou setst in th' earth , be sure Cover them well , and with fat dung manure ; Put shells , and sandy stones therein ; twixt them Moisture will flow , and thin exhalings steame ; From whence the plants will gather hart . Some lay Great stones at top , & vessels of thick clay , Which from all stormes will guard and fence them sound , This when the dog-star cleaves the thirsty ground . And when thou plantst thy Vines dig round about To bring good store of earth to every root ; Or exercise thy struggling Steeres , to plow The ground in surrowes deep twixt every row . Then get light reeds , smooth wands , & ashen stakes With horned forkes , whose supportation makes Young Vines contemne the windes , and to the top Of Elmes to clime by broad-spred branches up ▪ But when their leaves do first begin to bee , And new-growne branches from supporting free Shoot loose into the Ayre ; then spare to use Thy pruning knife so soone , and rather choose The leaves superfluous with thy hands to pull . But when embracing Elmes with armes more full And strong , they grow ; then confidently pare Their leaves and branches too ; before they fear● The p●uning knife ; then do not spare the same ; But their superfluous growth with rigour tame . Then make strong hedges to keep cattell out , Young beasts especially , and yet unwrought . Wilde Bulls and greedy Goates more harm will do Than scorching Summers , and cold Winters too . There Sheep will browze , and feeding Heifers go . The Winters hoary Frosts , and falling Snow , And parching Suns that burne the hardest rocks , Endammage Vines lesse than those greedy flock●● Their browzing teeth do venome leave behinde , And killing scars upon the stocke and rinde . No other fault there was , that ( d ) Goates did d●● At Bacchus Altars , and th' old Comaedie Was celebrated , that th' Athenian playes In Villages , and all crosse-meeting wayes Were grac'd ; and men , ore meadowes in their po●● Did dance about th' annointed ( e ) skins of Goat●● Th' Italian Nations also sprung from Troy Singing Saturnian rythms with open ioy And laughter loose , horrid disguises wor● Of hollow'd barks of trees , and did adore With hymnes of mirth , Bacchus , thy power divine , And virgins ( f ) statues on the lofty pine Did hang. Then vineyards fruitfully did beare , All vales , and lawnes were fertile every where , Where ere the god his beauteous head do show . Therefore let us these rites to Bacchus do In our own mother language , offering Full cups , and wafers ; and to th' altar bring A guilty goat led by the hornes , and his Fat entrailes rost on spits of cornoile trees . Besides in dressing vines more paines is showne , To which there never can enough be done ; For every yeare the ground must digged be Three or foure times , and plow'd eternally ; The leaves must oft bee gathered ; all the paine , That husbandmen bestow , returnes againe ; His own steps back the circling yeare doth tread . And when the vines their leaves in Autumn shed , And all the woods of cloathing robbed are By North-east-windes : even then th' industrious care Of th'husbandman unto the following yeare Extends it selfe ; then he begins to pare The vine with Saturn's crooked hooke , and right By skilfull pruning to refashion it . First dig the ground : first burne the shreds cut off : And lay thy rests up dry within thy roofe ; Gather thy vintage last . Leaves twice oreshade The vines , as twice the ranke-grown weeds invade Yong corn . Both which require great toil to mend . Till thou a little farme , though thou commend A great one . And besides sharpe twigs of thorne From woods , and reedes on bankes of rivers born , Thou for thy vines must cut , and carefull be For willow groves , which else neglected ly . Now when the vines are bound , & prun'd , and all : And th' husband sings about the vineyard wall ; Yet there remaines a care , to dust them there , And storms , even when the grapes are ripe , to fear . Contrariwise unto the Olive tree No dressing doth belong , nor needeth shee The crooked hook , nor harrow , when once faire Shee stands in ground , and once has felt the ayre ▪ The earth it selfe , when furrow'd by the plow , Doth food enough on her , and corne bestow . Therefore the fat and fruitfull Olive nourish . So th' Apple tree in a full stock doth flourish , And once full grown up to the sky she towres By her own strength , and needes no helpe of ours So of themselves wilde Woods , and every Bush Beare fruit , and with Vermilion berries blush ; Low shrubs are shorn brāds on high trees do grow , That feede the nightly fire , and light bestow . And doubt men yet to plant , and care bestow ? ( To leave great trees ) Willowes and Broom so low Do cooling shades to Sheep and Shepheards give , Hedges for corne , and food for Bees to live . How pleasantly with Boxe Cytorus stowes ? With her Pitch trees how faire Maricia showes ? Oh how it pleases me those fields to see , That need no plowes , nor humane industrie ! Those barren Woods on Caucasus high hill , Which strong East-windes do wave , and rattle still , Have each their severall use ; Pines for the Seas ; For Houses Cypresse , and tall Cedar trees . From hence the Plowmen Spokes for wheeles doe take● Covers for Waines , & Keeles for Ships they make . Willowes do usefull twigs afford , Elmes shade ; Of Cornoile trees , and Myrtles darts are made : Yew trees , to make strong Parthian Bowes , are bow'd ; Tile trees , & pliant Boxe may be bestow'd Hollow'd , or turn'd , in formes , and uses good ; Light alderne barks do swim the Po's rough floud ; In rotten-holme stocks , and the rindes of trees You oft may finde the hony-combes of Bees . What benefits like these come from the Vine ? That causes guilt . The Centaures fill'd with wine Great Rhaetus , Pholus , and Hylaeus dy'd , When they with pots the Lapithees defi'd . Oh too too happy , if their blisse they knew , Plaine Husbandmen ; to whom the earth with true And bounteous iustice , free from bloody war Returnes an easie food ; who , though they are Not early wak'd in high-roof'd Pallaces When waiting Clients come ; though they possesse No Poasts , which Indian shels adorne in state , No gold embroidred cloaths , Corinthian plate , Nor rich Assyrian scarlet ; nor abuse With sweetest Casia the plaine simple use Of oyle ; yet rest secure , a harmelesse life Enrich'd with severall blessings , free from strife , Coole caves , dark shady groves , & fountains clear , Vntroubled sleeps , and cattells lowing there , And pleasant huntings want not ; there they live By labour and small wealth ; honour they give Vnto their gods and parents ; iustice tooke Her last step there , when she the earth forsooke . But let the sacred Muse , whose priest I am , Me above all with her sweet love inflame ; Teach me each star , each heavenly motion , The oft eclipses of the Sun and Moone , The cause of Earthquakes : why the swelling main Rises , and fals into it selfe againe : Why Winter suns so soone hast to the sea : What makes the Summer nights so short to be . But if dull bloud , which 'bout my heart doth flow , These parts of nature will not let me know ; Then let me ( famelesse ) love the fields and woods , The fruitfull water'd vales , and running floods . Those plains , where clear Sperchius runs , that moūt Where Spartan Virgins to great Bacchus wont To sacrifice , or shady vales that lye Vnder high Haemus , let my dwelling be . Happy is he that knowes the cause of things ! That all his feares to due subiection brings , Yea fare it selfe , and greedy Acheron ! Yea happy sure is he , who ere has known The ●urall gods , Sylvanus , and great ●an , And all the sister Nymphs ! that happy man Nor peoples voices , nor kings purple move : Nor dire ambition sundring brothers love : Nor th' Istrian Dacians fierce conspiracies : Nor Romes estate , nor falling monarchies . He sees no poore , whose miserable state He suffers for ; he envies no mans fate ; He eats such fruits as of their own accord The willing grounds , and laden trees afford ; He sees no wrangling courts , no lawes undone By sword , nor peoples forc'd election . Some search the Seas hid pathes , some rush to war , In Courts of Kings others attendants are . One would his country , and dear gods destroy , That he himselfe might drink in gemmes , and ly On purple beds ; another hoards up gold , And ever wakes his hidden wealth to hold . The pleading bars another doth admire , And high applause from every seat desire Plebeians , and Patritians ; some for goods Their guilty hands embrue in brothers bloods . Some from their houses and dear countries rome In banishment , to seek a forreine home : Whilest the industrious husband plowes the soile , And takes the profit of his yearly toyle . With which his house and country too he serves , And feedes his Heards , & th'Oxe that wel deserves ▪ No fruitlesse time ; young Cattell still are bred , Or Corne is reap'd , or fruits are gathered , Corne that the surrowes lades , and barnes doth fill . When Winter comes , Oyle in the Olive mill They make ; and Porkers fat with Acorns grow ; The Woods yeeld Crabs but Autumne does bestow All kindes of pleasant fruit ; the grapes hang by Hot sunny walls , and ripen perfectly . Meane while his pretty children kissing cull His neck : his house is chast ; with Vdders full His Kine come home ; and in the flowery Meades His frisking Kids do butt with tender heads . He feasts himselfe upon the grassie ground , Whilst 'bout the fire carowling cups are crown'd ; And Bacchus is invok'd in sacrifice ; Then mongst his herdsmen makes a darting prize , And s●ts the mark upon an Elme ; or they Prepar'd for wrastling , their hard lims display . Such lives as this the ancient Sabines led , And so were Romulus and Remus bred ; So grew renowned Tuscany to fame , So Rome the greatest of all lands became , And in one wall did seven great hils containe . And thus before Dictaean love did reigne , And impious nations on slaine cattel fed , His life on earth the golden Saturne led ▪ No classicks sounded then , nor mortall blade Of swords , the Smiths laborious anvile made . But we enough have now produc'd our course , And time it is to ease our wearyed horse . FINIS . Annotations upon the second BOOKE . CAius ( a ) Mecaenas , that famous cherisher of good learning , to whom our Poet in this place acknowledges so much , was a Gentleman of Etruria , in high favour with Augustas Caesar , and in great imployment of State under him . Hee was in his friendship with learned men , not onely bountifull , but judicious in the placing of his bountie , and above all others fortunate in the choise of the men . Among all the Poets , in that wise age wherein he lived , Virgil and Horace were the onely two , which I can finde , whose meane fortunes needed his liberalitie , as well as their vertues deserved his acquaintance : how liberall he was , their often acknowledgements in their Works , have testified to the world : how judicious or fortunate he was in those mens acquaintance , no age of the world hath since beene ignorant ; his name having beene generally used for the love of learning , no lesse than Caesar's for Imperiall dignity ( though there were , both in that and the following ages , as Iuvenal witnesseth in his seventh Satyr , other men of honourable name and esteeme in Rome , who were lovers of such things , as Fabius , Cotta , Proculeius , Lentulus , &c. ) Those Lords eyther fayled in judgement in the choyse of their friends , or the injury of their times affoorded them not wits able enough to raise their fames ; since wee finde not any such manifest honour done to their memories as to this Mecaenas . whose fortune it was , that Virgil and Horace should live in his time ; and in such estates , as to need his bounty for his owne honour : which is not a thing incident to every age , though wittie Martial in an Epigram of his could speake thus , Sint Mecaenates , non deerunt , Flacce , Marones . yet the contrary by experience hath oft been found . Maroes have beene borne when no Mecaenases have lived to cherish them ( as Homer the wonder of posteritie , in his owne time little esteemed ) and Mecaenases have lived and wanted Maroes . What Monarch in the world was ever more desirous of fame in that kinde , and more able to requite than Alexander the Great ? Hee that so much honoured the memory of Homer , and at the sacking of Thebes spared all the posteritie of the Poet Pindarus , found in his owne time no able Poet to celebrate his fame . There were in his time ( as Arianus witnesseth in the life of Alexander ) many Poets , who would have written of him , and stirred up by the greatnesse of his actions , or moved with hopes form his known bounty , had written in the praise of him ; but such and so poore were their inspirations , they neyther deserued the acceptation of Alexander , nor the sight of posterity . ( b ) The Poplar is called the tree of Hercules for this reason , as the Poets faine : When Hercules had entred into Hell , redeemed Theseus from prison there , and returned victorious , leading out Cerberus in triumph after him ; the first tree that he espyed was a Poplar tree , of which he made himselfe a Garland , and crowned himselfe after his new conquest . ( c ) Our Poet , after the description of those severall trees of strange natures , which enrich the severall climates of the earth , takes an occasion , by way of comparison , to extoll in all kinds the fruitfulnesse , and withall the happinesse of his native Italy , the magnificence of the Italian Cities , the multitude and bravery of her people : Of the populousnesse of Italy thus Plinius at one place speaketh . This is that Italy , which , when Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Caius Attilius were Consuls upon the fame of the tumult of Gallia , armed presently of her owne forces , without the aide of any forreyners , and without mustering of any Italians beyond the river of Po , thirty thousand horsemen , and seventy thousand foot : and Diodorus Siculus speaking of Rome before the second Carthaginian warre , sayes that the Senate as it were foreseeing the comming of Annibal with a warre so bloudy , tooke a generall survey of themselves and their tributaries , and found the number of men fit to beare armes , to be ten hundred thousand . And speaking also of the populousnesse of the Iland of Sicily , esteemed then as a part of Italy ( for it was all called magna Graecia ) bids us not wonder at those mighty armies of Ninus , Semiramis , Darius , or Xerxes , since Dionysius the tyrant , out of Syracusae onely , armed an hundred and twenty thousand footmen , with twelve thousand horsemen , and a navy of foure hundred ships out of one haven . ( d ) The sacrifices , which in ancient times were offered to the gods , were alwayes chosen eyther for likenesse or contrariety : for likenesse some were offered , as to Pluto the King of the darke world a blacke sheepe or steere were offered in sacrifice . Others for contrarietie and hatred ; as a Sow , because she rooteth up land and spoyleth corne , was offered unto Ceres : the Goat , because he browzeth the Vines , was offered to Bacchus : the Goat was likewise offered to Aesculapius the god of health , because the Goat is never without a fever . ( e ) In those old playes which the Athenians instituted in the honour of Bacchus , the people danced with wine bottles made of Goat-skinnes , to insult as it were over the Goats after they were dead . Of these Goat-skinnes 〈…〉 in Greeke signifieth a 〈…〉 up first the name of Tragaedies . ( ● ) These playes were instituted to Bacchus by the Athenians for this reason ; Bacchus bestowed a bottle of sweet wine upon Icarus an Athenian Shepheard . This Icarus coming to the company of some other labouring people of the country , set his bottle of wine before them . The plaine labourers not knowing the quality of the liquor , but delighted with the sweetnesse of it , drunke intemperately , and feeling themselves much altered in their braines , and their whole bodies , they killed Icarus , supposing that he had given them poyson . The dog of Icarus returning home to Erigone his daughter , conducted her , who followed the dogge , unto her fathers dead body . Erigone impatient of griefe , hanged her selfe upon a pine tree , and the dogge parting not from the two bodies , starved himselfe : for which piety both Erigone and the dogge were taken and made signes in heaven . But not long after , for these murders unrevenged , the Athenians were visited with a great pestilence , and the virgins of Athens were possessed with a strange frenzie , and in their fits hanged themselves . The Oracle , being asked the cause of this pestilence , returned them answer , that it should cease when they in devotion had interred the bodies of Icarus and Erigone , and revenged their murders : this being done , the plague ceased , and the people in honour of Bacchus celebrated yearely playes , and in remembrance of their former frenzy , upon pines or other trees were hanged up the images of virgins . FINIS . GEORGICON . The third BOOKE . THE ARGVMENT . THe art of grazing , with the different cares Of different cattell , this third book declares ; Of warlike Horses , of the labouring Oxe , Shag-bearded Goats , and snow-white woolly flocks : Their breeding , feeding , profitable use , Last their diseases , and the cures it shewes . But by the way our Poet promising This subiect done , great Caesar's deeds to sing , Makes present mention of them , and declares His glorious triumphs , and late finish'd wars , Which Nile , swift Tigris , and Euphrates saw , And Crassus ensignes fetch'd from Parthia . OF thee , great Pales , and Apollo now Thou fam'd Amphrysian Shepheard , and of you Arcadian woods & streams I le sing . Those known Old strains , that would have pleas'd light minds , are growne Vulgar ; who cannot of Eurysteus fell , Or of Busiris blood-stain'd altars tell ? Who of Latonian Dele , or Hylas now , Or ivory-shoulder'd Pelops does not know For riding fam'd , or his ( a ) Hippodame ? Some new attempted straine must lift up me From ground , and spread my fame to every eare . I first , returning , to my countrey deare Will from th' Aonian mountaine bring with me The Muses ( live● ) and first honour thee Mantua , with Idumaean Palmes of praise ; A marble temple in the field I le raise Neare to the streame where winding Minclus flow , Cloathing his banks with tender reedes , doth flow . In midst shall Caesars altar stand ; whose power Shall guard the Fane ; to him I Conquerer Will on the shore , with Purple cloath'd in state , Circensian Playes in chariots celebrate . All Greece shall gladly celebrate our fames , Leaving th' Olympicke , and Nemaean games , With racing and the whorlebat fight , whilest I Crown'd with a tender branch of Olive tree My offerings bring ; Oh how I long to see The sacrificing pompe in order rang'd To th' Temple come , or how the Scene oft chang'd Varies her face : or how the ( b ) Brittaines raise That purple Curtaine which themselves displaies . About the doores the Indian victory Describ'd in gold and polish'd ivory , With great Quirinus ( c ) armes shall stand , there showing Great Nile with ( d ) Wars , as wel as Waters , flowing ; And navall Triumphs in brasse Pillars cut ; The conquer'd Asian Cities there I le put , Niphates , and the Parthian ( e ) foes , that fight Retiring , and direct their shafts in flight . Two Trophees tane from th' East & Western shore , And both those Nations twice triumphed ore . In Parian marble carv'd with cunning hand , The race of great Assaracus shall stand , And Tros , that from high Iove their birth derive , And Phoebus too , who first did Troy contrive . Those wretches , that shall envie this , shall feare The Furies dire , Cocytus stood severe , And Sisyphus still rowling stone , or feele Ixion's wreathed Snakes , or racking Wheele . Meanewhile let us follow the Woods , and Lands Vntouch'd ; such are , Mecaenas , thy commands . My breast , without thee , no high rapture fils ; Inspire me then without delay ; the hills Cythaeron high , of Dogs Taygeta proud , And Epire fam'd for Horses , call aloud . Whose noise the ecchoing Woods redoubled bring . After of Caesars glorious warres I le sing , And through as many ages spred his praise , As have already past to ●esar's dayes . Who ere in hope to win th' Olympick prize Would keep good Horses , or else exercise Strong Steeres to plow ; best choise from Dams it tooke . That Cow proves best that has the roughest looke , Great head and neck , and downe unto her knee Her dangling dewlaps hang ; sides long and high : All must be great : yea even her feet ; her eare Vnder her crooked hornes must rough appeare . I like the colour spotted , partly white ; Loath to endure the yoke , and apt to fight ; In all most like the Bull ; in stature tall , Her sweeping taile down to the ground doth fall . Best age to go to bull , or calve , we hold , Begins at foure , and ends at ten yeare old . All other ages nor for breeding fit , Nor strong for plow ; but i' th' mean time , whilst yet The flocks have lusty youth , let the males go Without restraint to Venery , and so By timely broodes preserve a perfect kinde . Their first age best all wretched mortals finde ; After diseases , and old age do come , Labour , and deaths inexorable doome . There still will be , whose bodies with thy will Thou wouldst wish chang'd . Therefore repaire thē still ; And lest thy kinde quite lost thou finde too late Prevent the losse , and yearly propagate . And such a choise you must in horses make ; But him , whom you for stallion meane to take , As hope of all the race , elect with care Even from a tender colt ; such colts as are Of generous race , straight , when they first are fol'd , Walke proudly , their sost ioynts scarce knit , & bold Da●e lead the way , into the rivers enter , And dare themselves on unknown seas to venture . Not frighted with vaine noises ; lofty neck'd , Short headed slender belly'd , and broad back'd , Broad and full breasted ; let his colour be Bright bay , or grey ; white proves not commonly Nor flesh-colour . When Wa●s alarumes sound His nostrils gather and breathe fire ; no ground Can hold his shaking ioyn●s ; his care advances , His thick shag'd mane on his right shoulder dāces . His back bones broad & strong , the hollow'd groūd Trampled beneath his hard roūd hoof doth sound . Such was that horse , which Spartan ( f ) Pollux tam'd Fierce Cyllarus , and Mars his horses fam'd By th' old Greek Poets , or those two that drew Achille● chariot ; such a shape and hew At his wives comming , flying ( g ) Saturne tooke , And all high Pelion with shrill neighings shooke . Yet when disease or age have brought to nought This horses spirit , let him at home be wrought , Nor spa●e his base old age . A Horse grown old Though he in vaine attempt it oft ; is cold To Venery , and when he 's brought to try ( Like that great strengthlesse fire in stubble dry ) In vaine he rages ; therefore first t is good To mark his age , his courage and his broode With other arts ; how sad a horse will be When overcome , how proud of victory . Dost thou not see , when through the field in speed Two racing chariots from the lists are fled , The young mens hearts all rise , as forth they start , And fear with ioy confounded strikes each hart ? They give their horse the reines , and lash them on , Their hurryed wheeles enflaming as they run ; Now low they go , now rise as they would flye Through th' empty aire , and mount up to the sky : No resting , no delay ; a sandy cloud Darkens the ayre ; they on through shoutings loud Of standers by , all sweat and some do fly , So great 's their love of praise and victory . First ( h ) Erict●●onius chariots did invent , And by foure horses drawne in triumph went. The ( i ) Peletronian Lapithes first found The use of backing horses , taught them bound , And run the ring ; taught Riders t' exercise In martiall ranks , both equall mysteries : The masters of both these have equall neede To finde out horse of courage , and good speed , Though nere so nobly born , though oft in game They won the prize , and for their country claime Epi●e , or fam'd Mycenae , or else tooke Their birth at first from Neptune tridents stroke . These things observ'd , at covering time , they care To make their Stallion strongly fat and faire The father of their broode ; for him they mow Choise grasse , sweet streames , & corn to him allow , Le●t he should faile his pleasant worke to do , And th' young ones starvelings from his hunger grow . But they of purpose keep the Femals light And leane : and when they have an appetite To Venerie , let them not drink nor eat , And course them oft , and tire them in the heat , When in full Barnes the ripe Corne crowded lyes , And emptie cha●fe before the West winde flyes . And this they do lest too much ranknesse make The breeding soile , and fatted furrowes take Too dull a sense ; but that they should draw in Seed with desire , and lodge it safe within . Now to the Dams our care comes from the Sires : They great , when now their time almost expires , Let no man yoake them then for worke , nor make Them leap a ditch , nor let them swimming take Swift flouds , nor cours'd about the meadowes bee . But let them feed in empty fields , where free The water is ; the banks with mosse are stor'd , And rocky caves a coole sweet shade afford . About Alburnus still with holly greene , And Sila●us high woods great Flies are seene In Roman term'd A●li antiently Oestra in Greek , a fierce loud-buzzing Fly ; Whose terrour makes th' affrighted Cattell fly As chas'd about the woods , and pierce the sky With lowings loud ; which through that country round The woods , & bankes of Tanager resound . With this dire Monster once did Iuno show Her vengefull spite 'gainst lô then a Cow. This ●ly ( for most he stings in heat of day ) From Cattell great with young keep thou away , Or bring them not abroad to feed alone Vnlesse at morne , or after sun is down . After the breeding they use all their care About the young ones ; of what birth they are Their markes discouer ; they designe each one His severall use ; one for a Stallion Is kept , another ●or a Sacrifice , A third for Plowing , from whose toile arise The harvests fruits ; the rest a grazing go Vpon the Verdant fields . But those whom thou Intendst for Husbandry , begin to tame Their courages while they are Calves , and frame Them for the Plow betimes , while yet their rage But tender is , and flexible their age . Loose Collars first of tender branches make For their soft necks ; then , when they freely take The Yoake by custome , yoake a paire , and so Teach them in order and a-breast to goe . And let them first draw empty Wheeles , or rake The ground but sleightly , and smal furrowes make ; Then afterwards under a deep-strook Plow They 'le learne to tug till th' Axeltree do bow . But to thy yet-untamed Calves allow Not only grasse , and sea-grasse , that doth grow In fenny grounds , with willow leaves ; but still Feede them with corne thy selfe : and do not fill Thy milking pailes from th' Vdders , as of yore , But let them freely suck their mothers store . But if thy minde thou more to war do give , Or through Iove's wood wouldst racing chariots drive , And swiftly passe by Pisa's riuer side : The first taske is to make thy horse abide To see the Souldiers armes , heare their loud voices , The Trumpets sound , and rattling chariots noises , And oft within the stable let him heare The clashing whip ; he ' le more and more appeare To be delighted with his masters praise , And when he strokes his necke , his courage raise . When first he 's wean'd from sucking let him hear These things , and trembling be compell'd to wear Soft ●alters oft about his head ; but when His life has seene foure Summers , teach him then To run the round , in order right to beat The ground , and both waies skillfully curvet As if he toil'd ; then let him with his speede Challenge the winde , and from all curbing free'd ▪ Scoure ore the champion fields so swift , that there The sands no print of his light hoof do beare . So when the Scythian gusts and North-east-wind● From their cold quarter fiercely blow , and binde The dry clouds up : all ore the waving field Corn bows with equall blasts ; woods tops do yeeld A murmuring noise : long waves roule to the shore . Forth flyes the winde , sweeps lands and waters ore ▪ Thy Horse thus order'd to the races end All bloody foam'd , victoriously will tend ; Or else his tamed neck will better bow To draw the Belgian chariot ; let him grow Full fed , when once he 's broken well , nor feare His growth ; so fed before he 's broke , he 'll beare Too great a stomack patiently to feele The lashing whip , or chew the curbing steele . But no one care doth more their strēgth improve , Than still to keep them from Venereall love , ( Whether in Horse or Bullocks be thy care ) Therefore their Bulls they send to Pastures farre To graze alone , where Rivers are between Or Hils , or feed them at full Racks within . For the faire Femals sight with secret fire Consumes their strength , and lessens all desire Of feeding in them ; her temptations make Two stubborne Bulls a combate undertake , And with their Hornes to try their utmost deedes . In the great Wood the beauteous Heyfer feedes , Whilst they contending with their utmost spite ; Their wounded bodies lay'd in blood , do fight . Their Hornes with fury meet , their bellowings roūd Olympus great , and all nere woods resound . Nor do they after both together feede , Far into exile goes the vanquished , And there alone in forreine fields bewailes His sad disgrace , how his proud foe prevailes , He unrevenged forc'd to lose his love , And from his native Countrey to remove . Then he with care his strength doth exercise ; Vpon the hardest stones all night he lyes ; On roughest leaves , and sharpest herbs he feedes , Oft tryes himself ; with wrathfull horns proceedes Against the trunks of Trees with furious strokes , And with his strength the winde it selfe provokes . Each place beholds the Prologue to his sight . But when his strength is recollected quite , And well improv'd , he doth with fury go To meete againe his not forgotten ●o . As when a furious foaming billow rose In the mid-sea , and thence with horrour goe● To be at the rocky shore , resounding straight , And falls no lesse than with a mountaines weight . The Seas low'st part mixt with his highest fomes , And belch'd black sand up from the bottom comes . Even so all kindes on earth , led by desire , Men , Beasts , Fish , painted Fowle to this sweet fire With fury run : Love is the same to all . The ●urious Lionesse no time at all Forgetting yong ones , through the fields doth rore And rage so much , nor ougly Beares do more Black slaughters make , nor throgh the woods more wracke Do cruell Bores and furious Tygers make . In Libyan desarts t is ill wandring then . See how the Horses ioynts all tremble , when A Mare 's known sent he through the aire doth feele . No stripes , no strength of men , no bits of steele , No Rocks , nor Dikes , nor Rivers in his way , Which roule whole mountaines , can his fury stay . The sterne Sabellian Bore in love doth whet His tusks , and digge the earth up with his feet : Against a tree he rubs his lusty fide Rowzing his bristles with a martiall pride . What dares the young man do , whom loves strong heat Torments within ? though stormes be nere so great , He ore the seas in midst of night dares swim , Although the heavens showre down their spite on him , And though the sea-beat rocks resound amaine . No ●eeping parents can his course restraine , Nor that faire Maide whose death his death must prove . Why should I speak of spotted ●●nxes love ? Of Dogs , and cruell Wolves ? or shew what warre Faint Deer in love will make ? but strangest farre Is those Mares furious love , which Venus sent , Whē they their Master ( k ) Glaucus peecemeal rent . Love makes them mount ore lofty Gargarus , And swim the streames of swift Ascanius . And when Love's flame their greedy marrowes burnes Most in the spring ( for heat then most returnes To th'bones ) upō high rocks they take their places , And to the Western winde all turn their faces , ●uck in the blasts , and ( wondrous to be said ) Grow great with Fole without the Horses ayd . Then ore the rocks and vallies all they run , Not to the North , nor to the rising Sun , Nor Caurus quarter , nor the South , whence rise Black showres , which darken & disturbe the skies . Hence flows thick poison from the groines of these , Which Shepheards truly call Hippomanes , Hippomanes , which oft bad stepdames use , And charming words , and banefull herbs infuse . But Time irreparable flyes away , While we too much of every thing would say , Let this suffice of Heards : our tother care Shall woolly Sheep , and shaggy Goats declare . This is a taske : hence , Shepheards , hope to get Your praise : nor am I ignorant how great A paine t will be in words to hit it right , And give such lustre to a subiect sleight . But me the sweet desire of fame doth beare Over Parnassus hardest ridges , there , Where never path nor track before I saw Of former Writers to Castalia . Now hallowed Pales in a lofty straine I le sing ; but first I counsell to containe Your Sheep within soft stals to feed at home , Whilst Winter lasts , till flowery Summer come : Bundles of Straw , and B●akes upon the ground Strow under them , lest the cold ice should wound The tender Cattle , and bring scabs and rots . This done , I counsell thee to feed thy Goats With arbute trees and streames that freshly run ; And 'gainst the Winde , toward the Winter sun Directly to th' Meridian build thy Stals , When now the long-chilling Aquarius fals , And lends a moisture to the ending yeare . Let these unto our care be no lesse deare , Nor are they lesse of use ; though nere so high Milesian fleeces with the purple dye Of Tyre be sold. But Goates , if well they thrive , Bring young ones ofter , and more Milk do give . And still the more the milking Pailes are fill'd , The more their swelling Vdders still will yeeld . Besides the Beards , grey Skins , and bristly Haire Of the Cyniphian Goats the owners sheare To make their Tents , and cloath poore Marriners . They feed on Woods & Mountaines tops , on Briers , Brambles , and Bushes of the greatest height . And of their owne accords come home at night , Scarce able their swell'd Vdders to get ore The Threshold then . For this do thou the more Guard them from Ice , and Winter winde ( the lesse Themselves perceive mortalities distresse ) Bring them for food sweet Boughes & Osyars cut , Nor all the Winter long thy hay-ricke shut . But when faire Summer comes , when West windes blow Let both thy ●locks to field a grazing goe . When first bright Lucifer appeares , along The yet coole pastures lead thē forth , whilst yong The Morning is , whilst all the Grasse is grey , And mingled with sweet Dew ; that Dew away Ta●● by the fourth houres thirsty Sun , when roūd The fields with noise of Grashoppers resound , Lead down thy flocks unto the Rivers brink , Or else in woodden Channels make them drink ; In th' heat of day for shady Vallies looke , On which some stately , and far spreading Oke Sacred to ●ove , or Holly grove do grow , Which darke , but sacred Shadowes do bestow ; Then sleightly water them againe , and let Them feed abroad againe about Sun-set , When night to th' ayre a cooler temper yeelds , And dew refreshing on the Pasture fields The Moone bestowes , Kings-fishers play on shore , And thistles tops are fill'd with Linnets store . What need I sing of Libyan Shepheards , and Their feeding countries , where few houses stand ? There oft the flocks whole moneths , both night & day Do without stals along the desarts stray . The Libyan Shepheard carryes with him ever His armes , his Spartan Dog , his Cretan Quiver , His House , and Victuals too ; provided so To Wars far off the Roman Souldiers go , When they too heavie laden march , and yet Before the Fo expect , encamped get . But neere Maeotis in cold Scythian lands , Where Ister tumbles up his yellow sands , Where Rhodope's extended to the North , From Stals they never bring their Cattell forth . No Herbage cloaths those fields , no leaves appear● Vpon their naked trees , but farre and neer , The hidden ground with hard frosts evermore , And snow seven cubites deep is cover'd ore . Cold North-west-winds stil freezing blow , nor ere Do ●hoe●us beames their pallid darknesse cleare , Not whan he rises to his height , nor whan His ruddy chariot falls in th' Ocean . The running streames so hard are freezed there The waters back will Cart-wheeles iron'd beare ; In stead of Ships there Horse , and Wagons run ; Brasse cleaves with cold asunder ; Cloaths put on Freeze hard ; whole Ponds by Frosts , which never thaw , Are turn'd to solid Ice ; they do not draw But cut their Wine with Hatchets , and upon Their Beards hang Isicl●s congealed downe . Meane time perpetuall snowing fils the ayre ; The Cattell dy , the Beeves most great and faire Are starv'd in drifts of Snow ; whole Heards of Deer So far are hid that scarce their hornes appeare . For these they spread no toiles , nor hunt they there With Dogs , but kill them with a sword or speare , While they in vaine strive to remove away Those hils of Snow , and pitifully bray ; And home with ioyful shouts they bear them then ; For under ground in deep-digg'd Caves the men Secure , and warmly dwell ; the night they turne To mirth , and sport , and at one fire do burne Whole oakes and elmes ; and in full bowles they please Their tasts with fresh sowre iuice of services In stead of wine ; a people rough and bold Like these , beneath the Northren Wagons cold Do live , which beasts skins warmest furs do weare . Bleake Eastern windes still beat upon them there . If thou regard their Wooll , let them not go Where bushes are , where burs and thistles grow , Nor in a grasse too rich . Be sure to choose Thy flocks with white soft fleeces , but refuse That Ram ( although the fleece upon his backe Be nere so white ) whose only tongue is blacke , Lest he do staine the fleeces of his Lambs With spots , but chuse another 'mongst the Rams . So with a Snowy fleeced Ram ( if we Trust fame ) did Pa● the god of Arcady Deceive thee 〈◊〉 , nor didst thou disdaine Within the Woods to ease a Lovers paine . But who so loves their Milke , to them must hee store With his own hands bring Claver , Trifoly , And ●a●test grasse , which makes them drink more Than else they would , & swells their Vdders more , And tasts of salt do in their milke remaine . Some from their Dams the tender Kids restraine , And with sharpe muzzles bar their sucking quite . Their morning meale of milk they presse at night : That which they milk at night as Sun goes down , The Shepheard carries to his market town Next morne in Panyers , or with salt bestowes , And layes it up till Winter colder growes . Nor let thy Dogs be thy last care , but feede With fattest Whey , as well as Dogs of speede Which Spa●ta sends , thy Mastives fierce , for nere Whilst they do guard thy folds , needst thou to fear The Wolves invasion , nor the Thiefe by night , Nor Mountainers that do in stealth delight . Thou oft with Dogs mayst ore the Plaines apace Wilde Asses , Deere , or Hares for pleasure chace , Or ●ow●e with their loud yelps the chafed Bore From out his rough , and desart Den , or ore The lofty Mountaines in delightfull view A lusty Stag into thy toiles pursue . But learn to burne within thy sheltering rooms Sweet Iuniper , and with Galbanean gums Drive Adders thence ; for Vipers , that do fly The light , oft under unmov'd Stals do ly , Or Snakes , that use within the house for shade , Securely lu●k , and like a plague invade Thy Cattell with their venom ; Shepheard take A staffe or stones with thee , and kill the Snake Swellling , and hissing from his threatning throte . For though his head into a hole be got , His middle twines , his taile , and parts behinde Lye ope , and slowly after tother winde . As bad 's that snake , which in Calabrian Lawns Doth live , and his proud neck aloft advance , And rowling makes a long , and winding track . His belly 's spotted , sealed is his back . Whom the spring , when showery Southwindes blow , When grounds are moist , and rivers overflow Lives upon ponds , and banks , and ravening still With Frogs , and Fishes his black maw doth fill . But when all grounds , yea fens themselves are dry And cleft with chinks , upon dry ground is he , And rowling then his fiery eyes doth threat The fields , and rages , vex'd with drought & heat . Oh let not me then take sweet sleepes abroade , Nor lye secure under the shady wood , When he , his skin new cast , his youth renewing : Lifts up his head , his tongue threeforked shewing In heat of day , and through the field doth rome His egges or young ones having left at home . He teach thee now the signes and causes all Of each diseases ; On sheep the scab will fall When cold raw humours pierce them to the quick , Or searching frosts , or sweat unwash'd off stick Vpon their new-shorne skins , or brambles teare Their flesh ; for that wise Shepheards every where Do in sweet Rivers wash their new-shorn flocks : The drenched Ram down the streame swimming sokes His Fleece , & Skin Or else with oiles fat lees They ' noint their new-shorn Sheep , & mix with these ●daean pitch , quick Sulphur , silvers spume , Sea Onyon , Hellebore , and black Bitume . No kinde of cure 's more full of present hope Than with a knife to cut the Vl●●r ope . For else the hidden venome let alone Both lives , and growes ; whilst making of his mone Vnto the gods , the idle Shepheard stands , And to the wound denies his lancing hands . But when a Fever dry shall seize upon Their loynts , and pierce into the inmost Bone , ●Tis best to keep them then from heat , and cut That fall swell●d Veine at bottome of the foot . As the Bisaltian Macedonians do , And fierce Gelonians , when they ●ly unto High Rodope , or the Getes farthest wood , And drink their milk mingled with horses blood . But where thou seest one Sheep too often ly In shade at rest , and crop too lazily The tops of grasse , or keep aloofe from all , Or ly along , to feed , or to the stall Returne home late alone , straight kill that sheep Before th infection through th' whole flocke doe creep . No seas are subiect to mo tempests still Than sheep , are to diseases , which do kil Not single ones , but the whole hopefull flocke , And at one blow rob thee of all they stocke . Then who has known the Alpes , th' Illyrian high Castles , and Fields , that by Timavus lye , May yet behold after so long , the land Lye wast , and Shepheards dwellings empty stand . Here by corruption of the ayre so strong A plague arose , and rag'd all Autumn long , That all wilde Beasts , all Cattell perished , All pasture fields , and ponds were poisoned . Nor single was the way to death , but when A thirsty fire burnt up their flesh , even then Moist humours flow'd againe , and not at once , But by degrees did melt away the bones . An Oxe that is for the gods service prest In all his trimmings , and white garlands drest Before the Altar dyes , as there he stands Preventing the slow sacrificers hands . Or if that slaine by the Priests hand ●e fall . His entrailes fired yeeld no flame at all , Nor can the Prophets thence give answers good ; The Knives themselves are scarce distain'd with blood ; The sand below with black-filth darkned is . Hence the young Calfe in richest pasture dyes , And at full racks his sweetest breath forsakes . Kinde fawning Dogs grow mad ; strong coughing shakes The sick short-winded , pursie Hogs , & pains Their stubborn iawes ; the conquering Horse disdaine● The pleasāt streams , & sick forgetteth quite His food , and th' honour of a race or fight . Oft with his hoofes he beates the earth , his eares Hang downe , his sweat uncertainly appeares : But cold before his death , his skin is dry , And to the touch resisting ruggedly . These signes of death you at the first may know : But if by time the plague more cruell grow , Their eyes are fiery then , their far-drawn breath Is with a groane exprest ; their flanks beneath Stretch'd with oft sobbing ; a black blood doth flow Frō out their nostrels ; their tongues rugged grow ; Their iawes grow close & hard ; which help'd hath bin By drenching thē thorough a horn with wine That drench sometimes has wrought a care alone . Sometimes has brought a worse destruction . For they refresh'd , more fiercely mad have grown , And with impatient furie torne their own Flesh from their bared bones ( so of their foes , Of good men better , let the gods dispose ) The labouring Oxe now sweating at the Plow Fals downe , and dyes , & from his mouth doth flow Blood mix'd with foame , yeelding his latest grone . The weeping Plowman tother Oxe alone Vnyokes , which wailes his fellowes death , and now Abroad in Field lyes the forsaken Plow . His mourning minde up shade of lofty woods . No flowery meadowes , nor clear Chrystall floods Which ore the rocks , and through green fields do glide , Can comfort now ; his bowels on each side Consume ; his settled eyes unmov'd are grown , And his unweildy necke hangs bending down . What now availes his ●o●mer fruitfull toyle ? That he so often plow'd the fertile soile ? Besides , no riotous , no costly feast , No rich Campanian wine brought his unrest . Greene leaves and simple herbage was his food , His drink cleare water from the running flood . No cares disturb'd his sleep . That time ( l ) they say Within those Regions Oxen wanted they For Iuno's sacrifice ; her chariots than By beasts unlike were to the temple drawn . Therfore they digg'd their ground with much ado , And with their hāds thrust down the seed they sow . And ore the lofry mountaines not disdaine , For want of beasts themselves to draw the waine . No wolves do now about the sheepfold spy How to a●●ault the flock by treachery ; A greater sorrow tames the wolves ; the Deer● And fearfull Harts do wander every where Amidst the Dogs , about the houses round . The scaly Nation of the sea profound , The Fishes , that all ponds and rivers store , Float dead , like shipwrack'd bodies , to the shore : Sea-calves unwonted to fresh rivers fly : The water-snakes , with scales up-standing , dy : The Viper vainly fenced by his hole Dyes there : the aire to every sort of Fowle Vngentle grows , who , whilst their flights they take High in the aire both flight and life forsake . Nor does it boore them now to change their food ; All arts are hurtfull , leaches do no good ; Not learned Chiron , nor Melampus sage . The pale Tisiphone with all her rage Is to the light from Stygian darknesse sent ; Before her feares , and pale diseases went ; Her murderous head higher , and higher still She daily lifts ; each river , banke , and hill , The blea●s of sheep , and bullocks lowings fill . Now in whole flocks they fall , and heap'd on high , Even in the stals the carrion'd bodies lye , Till men had learn'd t'interre them under ground In dikes ; for of their hides no use was found ; Nor could they roast their flesh , nor wash it clear , Nor their disease-corrupted fleeces shear , Nor touch the tainted webb ; for who so ere Durst once attempt those hated cloaths to weare , Hot Carbuncles did on their bodies grow , And Lice-engendring sweat did overflow ; And ere long time in this infection past , A red * hot swelling all their limmes did wast , Finis libri tertij . Annotations upon the third BOOKE . HIppodamia ( a ) was daughter to Oenoma●s King of the cities of Elis and Pisa. This Oenomaus had horses of wondrous speed ( as being begotten by the winds ) and admitted suiters to his daughter Hippodamia , upon this condition , that they should run a race in chariots with him : upon him that conquered , hee would bestow his daughter ; but whom hee vanquished , hee would kill . When by this cruell meanes hee had killed many that came as suiters to her , and she at last was falne in love with Pelops , she corrupted Myrtilus her fathers charioter to let Pelops win , promising him for that favour hee should first enjoy her and have her maydenhead . Myrtilus upon this promise put on false wheels upon the chariot of Oenomaus ; and when Pelops was conqueror , and obtained the Lady , Myrtilus de●●●ding her promise from her , was by Pelops her husband tumbled downe headlong into the sea , which sea from his name hath beene since called mare Myrtaeum . ( ● ) Augustus Caesar , after Brittany was vanquished , employed many of the captiv● Brittains in servile offices about the Theater : he bestowed also upon those Theaters diverse flags of rich price , in which were woven his victories and triumphs . These flags were carried by the captive Brittaines , bearing the history of their owne conquest : but sure it is , the Poet in this place names Brittaine for any other barbarous nation ; for Augustus , though he had many triumphs over severall barbarous nations , yet never conquer'd nor triumphed over Brittaine . ( c ) By the name of Quirinus in this place the Poet meaneth Augustus Caesar , and that not farre fetch'd , nor farre from reason , but more for the Emperours true honour ; for Suetonius Tranquillus in the life of Augustus , speaketh thus : Three parties of the people by the Senats consent offered on a time three names to Octavius ; the names of Quirinus , Augustus and Caesar : hee fearing lest if he should choose one , he should displease the other two parties , accepted them all : He was first called Quirinus , afterward Caesar , and last of all Augustus ; in which name he ever remamed ; and Virgil gives him all those names . ( d ) This great flow of warre from Nil● 〈◊〉 Poet meanes when Marcus Antonius , and Cleopatra came downe from thence to encounter Augustus Caesar at Actium ; 〈◊〉 which warre they brought wonderfull power : for Marcus Antonius besides the ayde of ten Kings , which served him at that time , and all the strength of Cleopatra , had nineteene whole Roman legions , and twelve thousand horsemen : his strength at sea was five hundred sayle of fighting ships . In this battell they were vanquished by Augustus Caesar. ( e ) After the victory of Actium , Augustus Caesar marcht with a great strength towards divers nations ; who easily yeelded unto him . The Indians & Scythians ( saith Suetonius Tranquillus ) hearing of his name onely begged his favour . The Parthians themselves yeelded without resistance , and their king Phraartes did homage to Augustus , gave him hostages , and delivered backe all those Romane ensignes which they before had taken in warre from Marcus Crassus , and Marcus Antonius the Triumvir . ( f ) The horses here mentioned , and so famed in Poetry , were these : the horses of Castor and Pollux called Xanthus and Cyllarus : the horses of Mars called Dimos and Phobos : and the horses of Achilles , called Xanthus and Aethon . ( g ) The fable is thus : Saturne was in love with Philyra the daughter of Oceanus and Thetis : shee , to avoide the rape , was transformed by her parents into a Mare ; upon which Saturne turned himselfe into a stately Courser , and so enjoyed the Nymph : in which shape also hee deceived his wife Ops , who came thither of purpose to finde him out , and discover the fact ▪ of which con●●ction of Saturne and Phylira , the Poets reported that Chiron the Centaure was borne . ( h ) As the Thessalians were the first of all that ever invented the use of riding on horse-backe ; so Ericthonius was the first that taught posteritie the way of joyning horses together in Chariots . This Ericthonius was the sonne of Vulcan , a man of a goodly personage , but deformed onely in his feete , which were like the feet of a Serpent . Hee to hide this deformity , invented Chariots , wherein hee might ride , and nothing of him but his upper parts exposed to the view . ( i ) Peletronium is a towne in Thessaly , where the use of taming and riding horses was first found : for on a time when Thessalus the king of that countrey was much displeased that his Bullocks ran 〈…〉 ( for it should seeme the horse-fly had stung them ) he commanded his men , which wayted on him , to run after them , and stop their flight : they being not able to overtake the swiftnesse of the Bullocks , took up on the sudden a new invention ; they mounted themselves upon horses backs , and so with ease overtooke and turned them . These men espied by some of the neighbouring people , eyther as they rode swiftly by , or else as their horses bowed downe their heads to drinke of the river Peneus , gave way to that old fable of the Centaures : for the people neere had an opinion that they were halfe men and halfe horses . But the name of Centaure was therefore given them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , because those men , when first they rods 〈◊〉 horses were driving of Bullocks . ( k ) Potnia is the Citie , of which Glaucus was , who ( as the Poets fained ) despised the sacrifices and service of Venus . The goddesse angry with his contempt , sent a madnesse to possesse the Mares which drew his Chariot ; who turning upon their Master , tore him to pieces . The cause of this fiction that Venus should send a madnesse into them , is this : Glaucus to make his Mares the swifter and fuller of mettall , kept them from venery , which made his Mares so furious , that their ungovern'd spirit turned to the destruction of their Master . ( l ) Virgil speaking in this place of the plague among cattell , ingeniously supposeth that this was the same time , wherein that famous history of Herodotus was verified . It was the custome for the Votaresse or Priest of Argos to ride to the Temple of Iuno , drawne by two Oxen upon fest●●all 〈◊〉 But when it so befell upon a solemne day that no Oxen could be found to draw her ( the plague having consumed the cattell in that countrey ) her two sonnes Cleobis and Biton put the yoakes upon their neckes , and drew their mother to the temple . The goddesse Iuno , moved with so great a piety in these two young men , offered their mother that whatsoever shee would pray for in her sonnes behalfe , it should be granted . The mother with a pious answer entreated the godd●sse that whatsoever she knew the most happy for mortall men , shee would be pleased to graunt unto her sonnes : the next morning the two young men were both found dead ; from whence it was generally concluded that nothing was so happy for a man as to dye . FINIS . GEORGICON . The fourth BOOKE . THE ARGVMENT . THis book describes the Bees industrious state ; By what chast wondrous means they propagate Their kind , & breed their cōmon progeny . Their age , their natures and strange industry ; Their wars and furious factions ; & how they By lawes of iustice governe , and obey In their monarchike state . Their maladies , And cures ; and how to make a swarm of Bees When all thy stock is quite consum'd to nough● . Sad Aristaeus by his mother taught Bindes fast shape-changing Proteus ; who alone Tels him what caus'd his Bees destruction . Orpheus bewailes his wife ; his musicks straine Charms hell , and brings Eurydice againe From thence ; againe fond love looses her quite . 〈…〉 in endlesse wo , by night 〈…〉 torne in Bacchus sacrifice By Thracian dames , whose beds he did despise , Taught Aristaeus doth to them ordaine A sacrifice , and findes his Bees againe . AEriall Honey next , a gift divine I le sing ; Mecaenas , grace this piece of mine . Admired spectacles of Creatures small , Their valiant Captaines , and in order all Their Nations , Manners , Studies , People , Fight , I will describe ; nor think the Glory slight , Though slight the Subiect be , to him , whom ere Th' invoked gods , and pleas'd Apollo heare . First for your Hives a fitting station finde Shelter'd from windes rough violence , for winde Hinders their carriage ; let no Sheep there play , Nor frisking Kids the flowery meadowes lay , Nor wanton Heifers neare the hiving place Strike off the dew , nor tread the springing grasse . Let speckled Lizzards thence be far away , The Woodpeckers , and other Birds of prey , And Progne marked on her stained breast With bloody hands ; for she to feed her nes● Seizes the flying Bees , and thither 〈…〉 As sweetest food ; but near pure 〈…〉 Green mossie fountaines stil your Bee-hives place , And streames that glide along the Verdant grasse , Shaded with palms , or spreading olive trees : That when new kings draw out their swarming bees , And frō their combes dismiss'd in spring they play , The neighboring banks may then invite their stay , Cooling their heat , and trees so near the hive A green , and shady coverture may give . Into the poole , whether it stand , or flow , Great stones acrosse , and Willow branches throw As bridges for the Bees to stand upon , And spread their wings against the Sūmer sun , When strong Eastwindes by chance have scatter'd thē In cōming home , or drown'd them in the streame , Let beds of Violets , and wilde Betony , Greene Cinnamon , and fragrant savory Grow round about the spring . But whether you To make your hives , trees barkes together sow , Or hives of limber Osyars woven get ; Make the mouth narrow , lest the summers heat Dissolve the honey , or cold winter freeze ; For both extreames alike annoy the Bees . Nor i● in vaine that they with all their powers Daube up each chinck with waxe , & fil with flowers Each breathing hole , and to that end prepare A glew more clammy than all birdlime farre , And Phrygian Ida's pitch ; and under ground ( If fame speak truly ) Bees have oft been found Breeding in digged caves , and oft been known In holes of trees , and hollow p●mice stone . But daube thou vp the chinky hives with clay , To keep them warme , and leaves above them lay . Neere to the hives let no deep waters flow , Nor crabs be drest , nor poisonous yew-trees grow . Or where mud standing stinkes , or eccho's bound From hollow rocks with their reflected sound . But when bright Sol hath banish'd Winter chas'd Vnder the earth , and Summer light hath grac'd The sky againe ; over the fields , and woods They wander straight lightly the brinkes of floods They sip and tast the purple flowers ; from thence ( What sweetnesse ere it be that stir their sence ) Care for their bro●de , and progeny they take ; Thence work their waxe , and hony clammy make . Then when dismiss'd their hives , vp to the sky In Summer ayre thou seest them swarming fly ▪ Wondring to view dark clouds 〈…〉 wind , Then mark thē well , they go sweet streams to 〈◊〉 , And leavie bowers ; upon this place do thou Base honey-●uckles , and beaten mill-●oile strow : And round about let tincking brasse resound ; Th●i● farther progresse this charmd place wilboūd . There they will make their stand , or else desire Back to their own known lodgings to retire . But if they chance to sally out to wars ( As oft two kings have caused mortall iars ) The common Bees affections straight are found , And trembling hearts to fight : that martiall sound Of brasse checks their delay , and then a voice Is heard resembling trūpets winding noise , Then straight they muster , spread their glittering wings , And with their beaks whet their dead-doing stings . Then to the standard royall all repaire About their king , and loudly buzzing dare Their foes t' appeare ; in weather clear , and faire They sally forth : their battels ioyne i' th' ayre . The Welkin 's fill'd with noise ; they grapple all , And grappling so in clusters head long fall ; Haile from the winters sky fals not so fast , Nor shaken oakes so thick do shed their mast . In midst of th' armies with bright glorious wings , And mighty spirits fly the daring kings ( Though bodies small ) resolved not to yeeld , Till one side vanquisht have forsooke the field . Wouldst thou this fight , and furious heate allay ? A little dust thrown up will part the fray . But when both kings drawn home from battel be ▪ Kill him that seemes the worst , lest thriftlesse he Do hurt , and let the other reigne alone . ( For of two sorts they are ) one fairely knowne By glittering specks of gold , and scales of bright But ruddy hue . This fairest to the sight Is best : by floth the other's nasty growne , And hangs his large unweildy belly downe . Different , as are the kings , the subiects are . Some foule and filthy , like the traveller , That comes from dusty waies , and dirt doth spit From his dry throate : the other gold-like bright . With well proportion'd spots his limbes are deckt This is the better broode ; from these expect Honey at certaine seasons of the yeare Most sweet , and yet not sweet alone , but cleare , And such as Bacchus hardnesse will allay . But when in th' aire the swarmes 〈◊〉 randome play Scorning their combes , forsaking their cold hive ; Dost thou from this vaine sport desire to drive Their wādring thoughts ? not toilsome is the pains , Clip but the princes wings ; whilst he remaines Within , no common Bee will dare to make High flight , nor th'ensignes frō the campe to take . Let Saffron gardens odoriferous , Which th' image of Lampsacian Priapus Guards with his hooke of willow to affright Both Theeves , and hurtfull Fowles , the Bees invite . Let him himselfe , which feares his Bees to want , Bring Thyme , & Pines down frō the hils , to plant , Wearing his hands with labour hard , and round Bestow a friendly watering on the ground . And did I not now neer my labours end Strike faile , and hasting to the harbour tend , Perchance how fruitfull gardens may be drest I 'd teach , and sing of twice rose-bearing Pest : How Succory by waters prospers well , On grasse how bending Cucumbers do swell , And bankes of Persley greene : besides to show How the late blooming Daffodils do grow I would not faile , and twigs of Beares-foot slow , Shore loving Myrtles , and pale Ivie too . For where Tarentum's lofty Turrets stand , Where slow Galesus soakes the fallow Land , I saw an old Cilician , who possest Few akers of neglected ground undrest , Not fit to pasture beasts , nor vines to beare : Yet he among the bushes here , and there Gathering few pot-hearbs , vervaine , li lies white , And wholesome poppey , in his mindes delight Equall'd the wealth of Kings , and comming still Late home at night , with meat unbought , did fill His laden board : he gather'd first of all Roses in spring , and apples in the fall . And when sad winter with extreamest cold Crack'd even the stones , & course of flouds did hold With bridling ice , he then pluck'd leaves of soft Beares-foot , and check'd the springs delayings oft , And Zephyres sloath . He therefore first was found With fruitfull Bees , and swarmes still to abound , And froathy hony from the combes could squeeze . He still had fruitfull vines , and linden trees . And for each blossome , which first cloath'd the tree An apple ripe in Autumne gather'd he . He could to order old grown Elmes transpose , Old peare trees hard , & black thorne bearing sloes , The plaine tree too , that drinking shade bestowes . But too much straighten'd , I must now forsake 〈◊〉 This taske for others afterward to take . And now He show those natures , which on Bees Great Iove himselfe bestow'd : for what strange fees Following a tinckling noise , and brazen ring In Cretan caves they nourish'd heavens high King. Bees only live in common-wealths , and Bees Only in common hold their progenies : Live by lawes constant , and their own abodes Certainly know , and certain houshold gods : And mindfull of ensuing winter , they Labour in summer , and in publike lay Vp their provision . Some for gathering foods Are by the states commission sent abroad To labour in the fields : some still at home Lay the foundations of the honey combe Of glue , tree-gumme , and faire Narcissus reare : Then to the top they fasten every where Their clāmy waxe : care for their brood some take ( The nations hope ) : some purest honey make , Till th' honey combe with clearest Nectar swels . Some lot appoints to stand as centinels , And to foresee the showres , and stormes to come They watch by turns : those that come laden home Some case : or ioyning all their strengths in one Far from the hive they chase the lazie Drone . To work they fall : their fragrant honeyes hold A sent of Thyme ; as when the Cyclops mould Iove's thunder frō th' hard-yeelding masse in hast , Some take and pay againe the windy blast From bull-hide bellowes : others in the lakes Do quench the hizzing irons ; Aetna shakes With weight of anviles : whilst their armes so strōge In order strike , and with hard-holding tongs The iron turne ; such inbred thrifty care ( If little things with great we may compare ) Each in his function Bees of Athens take . The elder keep within the townes , and make Daedalian fabrieks to adorne the combe ; But late returne the younger weary home Their thighes laden with Thyme : they feed upon Wildings , greene Willowes , Saffron , Cinnamon , Pale Hyacinths , and fruitfull Linden trees . One time of work , and rest have all the Bees . Forth in the morne they goe , and when late night Bids them leave gathering , home they take their slight , And there refresh their bodies thē a sound , And buzzing's heard about th'hives confines roūd . But when they all are lodg'd in silence deep They rest , their weary senses charm'd by sleep . Nor stray they far when clouds orecast the skyes , Nor trust the weather when Eastwindes arise . But neare their Cities short excursions make , And safely water , or small pebbles take ( As in rough seas with sand the Vessels light Ballast themselves ) to poize their wandering flight . But at that wondrous way you must admire By which Bees breede : they feele nor Venus fire , Nor are dissolv'd in lust , nor yet endure The paines of childing travell : but from pure Sweet flowers , & Herbs their progeny they bring Home in their mouths . They all elect their king , And little nobles ; their wax mansions And courts they build ; & oft 'gainst hardest stones They fret their wings , and spoile them as they fly , And gladly under their sweet burthens dy : So great 's their love of flowers , ambition too They have of making Honey . Therefore though Their lives be short ( as not above the space Of seven yeares ) yet their immortall race Remaines ; the fortunes of their houses hold ; For many yeares are grand-sires grand-sires told . Besides not Aegypt , nor rich Lydia more , Nor Medes , nor Parthians do their kings adore ; Whilst he 's alive , in concord all obey ; But when he dyes , all leagues are broke , and they Themselves destroy their gathered food at home , And rend the fabrick of their hony combe . T is he preserves their workes ; him all admire , And guard his person with a strong desire : They carry him , for him they hazzard death , And think in war they nobly lose their breath . Noting these signes , and tokens , some define The Bees partakers of a soule divine , And heavenly spirit ; for the godhead is Diffus'd through earth , through seas , & lofty skies . From hence all beasts , men , cattle , all that live , All that are borne their subtle soules receive . Hither againe they are restor'd , not dy , But when dissolv'd , returne , and gladly fly Vp to the stars ; in heaven above they live . But when thou wouldst open the stately hive , And rob their hoarded honey treasury , Then first of all throw water silently , And with thine hand send in pursuing smoke . Twice in the yeare for honey harvests look : First when Taygetes beauteous visage makes Earth glad , and th' Oceans scorned floods forsakes : Againe , when she the Southerne fish doth fly , To winter seas descending heavily . But Bees offended wondrous wrath conceive Inspiring venome where they sting , and leave Fixt to the veines their undiscerned speare Within the wound , themseves expiring there . But if thou fear a Winter hard , and make Spare for the future time , or pity take On their deiected spirits , and falne estate : Give them cut waxe , and thyme suffumigate . For oft base Lizzards eate the hony combe , And to the hives night-loving Beetles come ; And Drones , that freely fit at others meate ; Or with unequall strength fierce Hornets b●ate The Bees : or Moths of a dire kind : or close About the door her net-like cobwebs loose The Pallas-hated Spider spins . The more They thus are ruin'd to repaire the store Of their lost nation , all their utmost powers Themselves do use , and fil their hives with flowers . But if their bodies be diseas'd ( as Bees By life are subiect to our meladies ) Which may by signes infallible be known ; The sick straight lose their colour , and are grown Deform'd with leanenesse : they in wofull wise Beare forth their dead with solemne obsequies . Or cloister'd else within their houses they Sadly containe themselves , or lingring stay About the doore , in clusters taking hold , Famish'd , and faint , and feeble by the cold . Then a sad broken sound , and groaning's heard , As windes do murmur in a Forrest stirr'd , As seas do roare , the tide by windes oppos'd , Or raging fire within a furnace clos'd , For this of gums a fumigation use , And into th● hive in pipes of reed infuse Honey , t' inuite them to a well-known food ; With these the tast of beaten galt is good ; Dry'd roses too , and thick decocted wine , With loose hung clusters from the Psythian vine , Cecropian Thyme , strong Centorie ; withall A flower , which Husbandmen Amello call , Most easie to be found , in meadowes growes , For from one roote he spreads a wood of boughes . Whos 's many leaves , although the flower be gold , Black Violets dimme purple colour hold . Whence wreaths have oft the gods hie altars deckt . Sharp-tasted in the mouth ; shepheards collect These flowers beside faire Mella's crooked stream , On plaine unwooded Valleyes . Rootes of them Boile in sweet wine , and set provision store In baskets full before the Bee-hive doore . But if that any his whole broode of Bees Have on the suddain lost , and no way sees To raise another stock , I le now declare Th' Arcadian master's old invention rare , And from fames first beginning make it plaine From blood-corrupted of bruis'd Bullocks slaine , How Bees have oft been born . For where from old The happy people of Canopus hold , Their Countrey cover'd with Niles fruitfull flow , And ore their lands in painted Frigots go , Neer to the bounds of quiver'd Persia , Where Nile returned from black India , With slime makes fruitfull Egypts Verdant plaine , And in seven channels fals into the maine , All that whole region in this art repose A certaine remedy . And first they choose A little house , which to that end they build , Clos'd in strong wals , guttur'd , and strongly til'd . Gainst the foure quarters of the winde they make Four windowes lending oblique light ; then take A tender horned Steere of two yeares old , And stop his breath , his mouth , and nostrils hold , Till struggling so with beating kill'd he fall , Through his whole skin his bowels bruised all . Then in that narrow roome so closely shut They leave the body , and beneath it put Sweet Thyme , fresh Cinnamon , and other bought , When Zephyre first upon the water blowes : Before the spring with flowers the meadows guild , Or twittering Swallowes on the rafters build . Then th' heated moisture in the tender bones Doth boile , and ( wondrous to be seen ) at once So many animals together brings , First without feet , after with feet , and wings , And take th' aire more , and more , til like a showre , Which down frō Sūmer clouds doth fiercely powre , Or like a storme of Shafts , which Parthians shoot Against their Foes , a swarme of Bees break out . What god , O Muse , to us this art hath taught ? What act of man this new experience brought ? When Aristaeus sad from Tempe fled , His Bees by hunger and diseases dead , Beside the sacred spring of Peneus Plaining he stood , and tax'd his mother thus , Mother Cyrene , Mother whose abodes Are in this flood , why from the line of gods ( If Phoebus , as thou sayest , my Father be ) Broughst thou me forth abhorr'd by destinie ? Oh whither now is fled a mothers love ? Why didst thou bid me hope for heaven above ? When lo those ioyes , which mortall life did bring , Which Bees , and Cornes industrious husbanding With all my care could but procure , is gone Though thou my Mother be . Nay , nay , go on , With thine own hand fell off my growing woods , My harvests blast , by fire consume my goods , My barnes , and corn , my spreading vines cut down If thou so envious of my praise be grown . But from her bower his mother heard the sound Vnder the flood ; the Nymphs about her round Spun green Milesian wooll . Dishevell'd haire Adorn'd their ivorie necks , Drym● the faire , X●ntho , Ligaea , and Phyllodoce , Nesae , Spio , and Cymodoce ; Cydippe , and bright Licorias , one a maide , Th' other then first had felt Lucina's aide . Clio , and Berôe sea-borne sisters both , Both guirt with gold , in painted mantles both . Ephyre , Opis , Deiopcia too Of Asia , and Arethusa now At last growne swift since she her quiver left . To these did Climene tell the pleasing theft , And slights of Mars , with Vulcans bootlesse feares , And from the Chaos number'd do their eares The loves of gods . Whilst pleasd with what she told The rocks of wooll they on their spindles rowl'd . Againe the plaints of Arislaeu● pierc't His mothers care ; but Arethusa first Of all the Nymphs above the water show'd Her beauteous head , and far off cry'd aloud Sister , Cyrene , t was no causlesse feare That sound procur'd ; thine Aristaeus dear Weeping beside old Peneus streame remaines , And of thy cruelty by name complaines . Struck with new feares his mother answer'd thus : Bring him ( quoth she ) bring him along to us . He may of right enter the roofe of gods . Then by command she straight divides the floods To make him ●oome to passe : the swelling flood Like a steep mountaine round about him stood : In that vast gulfe receiv'd he was convey'd Down vnder ground , and wondring there suruey'd His mothers watery bower , lakes closely held In cave● , and sounding woods , and there beheld ( Astonished to heare that horrid sound That waters motion made ) how under ground In severall places rivers did commence , ●hasis , and Lycus , and the spring , from whence The deep Enipeus breakes , whence Tyber is , Mysian Caicus , stony Hypanis , And Annio , golden Eridanus With bull-like hornes ; no streame more furious Doth run , nor falls more violent than he Into the purple Adriaticke sea . When to his mothers bower of pumice stone He came , and she perceiu'd his causlesse mone : The Nymphs clear water , and fine towels bring To clense his hands with , some replenishing The cups , while some the feasting tables fill , With frankincense the altars smoking still . Here take these cups of wine ( his mother said ) Let 's sacrifice to th' Ocean ; then she pray'd Vnto Oceanus , father of all things , And Nymphs her sisters , who the woods , & springs By hundreds keep . Thrice on the fire she threw Nectar : to th' roofe the flame thrice upward flew . Confirmed with this Omen thus begun Cyrene ; in Carpathian seas , my sonne , Great Neptune's Prophet ( g ) ●roteus abides , Who ore the Maine in his blew chariot rides By horse-fish drawne ; who now againe resorts To his Pallene , and th' Aemathian ports : Him aged Nereus , and we Nymphs adore ; For he knowes all things , things that heretofore Have been , that are , and shall hereafter be . For so to Neptune it seem'd good , that he His heards of fish might under water guide , And great Sea-calves . He must in chaines be ti'de By thee , my sonne , to shew the cause thy Bees Are dead , and give thee prosp'rous remedies . Without compulsion he will nothing tell , Nor can entreaties move him ; binde him well , And hard , and all his tricks will vanish soone . When ●ol is mounted to his height at noone , When grasse is d●y , and cattell seeke the shade , I le bring thee thither , where thou shalt invade The aged Prophet , when his private sleep He takes , ●etired weary from the deep . But when thou bind'st him , to delude thine eyes , In severall shapes he will himselfe disguise , A scaly Dragon , or fierce Tyger he , Or Bore , or tawny Lionesse will be , Or take the noise , and shew of fire to scape , Or slide away in liquid waters shape . But , sonne , the more in shapes he varyes still , Be sure the harder hold thy cords , untill Chang'd frō those figures , that first shape ( h ) he keep , In which thou saw'●t him lying down to sleep . This said , sh' annoints the body of her sonne , With sweete Ambrosian odours ; whence anone An heavenly ayre exhaled from his head , And able vigour through his limbes was spread . Within an eaten Mountaines hollow side Is a vast cave , where water driven by tide Doth into turning guifes it selfe divide , An harbour safe to storme-tost Marriners : Within blew Pro●eus under stony bars Shut up , and guarded lyes . Here far from sight In a darke nooke averted from the light Cyrene plac'd her sonne ; her selfe away Vanish'd obscur'd in clouds . At noone of day , When now the scorching dog-star from the sky The thirsty ●ndians burn'd , the grasse was dry , And the sun-beames as low as to the ground Boil'd luke-warm rivers , though the most profoūd . Proteus from sea to this accustom'd ground Retires himselfe ; the scaly Nation round Playing about him , fa● salt dew do throw ; The Calves on shore do severally bestow Themselues to sleep , whilst he upon a rock Amidst them fi●s , and numbers all the flock , Like to an Heard , when from the mountains home Vnto their stals his Calves from feeding come , And wolves are whetted with the lambs loud bleats . When Aristaeus this occasion gets , Scarce suffering the old Prophet to compose His weary limbes , in with a shout he goes Vpon him straight , and bindes him as he lyes . He not unmindefull of his old devise All his strange shapes assumes in order ore , A flaming fire , a flood , a tusked bore . But when no cunning could procure his scape , Vanquisht at last , in his owne humane shape He speaks ; Who sent thee hither to my cave Thou bold young man ? or here what wouldst thou have ? Thou knowst my mind , Proteus thou knowst ( quoth he ) Intend it not , thou c●nst not co●sen me . Following the gods command , hither come I For my lost goods to seek a remedie . When thus he spake , the Prophet much compell'd , Scowling with his green eyes , with anger swell'd , And cha●ing thus at last gan prophecie : The wrath of some great god doth follow thee For great misdeeds . To thee this punishment ( Though not so great as thou deseru'st ) is sent From wretched Orpheus , unlesse fares resist , Who still in wrath for his dear wife persists . When from thy lust she fled , the never spy'd A water-snake , by whose fell s●ing she dy'd , Lurking upon the graslie banke : But all The Dryades at her sad funerall Wept on the mountaines , high Pangaea , and The Rodepeian tower● , and warlike land Of Rhaesus , Hebrus , and the Getes for wo Wept , and Athenian Orythia too . But he himselfe his sicke soule solacing , Oft to his warbling instrument would sing Of thee , sweet wife ; thou on the shore alone Morning and night wert subiect his mone ▪ He through the darke , & fearfull wood did venter , 〈◊〉 , lawes , and ●luto's cave to enter , And to the Ghosts , and their grim king he went , Hearts that to humane prayers did nere relent . But from all parts of hell the ghosts , and throng Of livelesse shadowes moved by his song Came forth , as many thousands , as a flight Of little birds into the woods , whom night , Or showres approaching thither drive in sholes , The ghosts of men and women , the great soules Of Heroes , Virgins , and of Boyes were there , And Youths , that tomb'd before their parents were ▪ Whom foule Cocytus reedlesse bankes enclose , And that blacke muddy poole , that never flowes , And Styx nine times about it rowles his waves . But all hels in most vaults , and torturing caves Amazed stood ; th' Eumenides forbeare To menace now with their blew snaky harie : Three-mouthed Cerberus to bark refraines : Ixion's racking wheele unmov'd remaines . Now comming back all dangers past had he , Behinde him follow'd his Eurydice Restor'd to life ( for this condition Proserpina had made ) when lo anon Forgetfull love a suddaine frenzy wrought , Yet to be pardon'd , could Fie●ds pardon ought . Neere to the light ( alas ) forgetfull he Love-sicke , look'd backe on his Eurydice . That action frustrates all the paines he tooke , The ruthlesse tyrant's covenant is broke , And thrice Avernus horrid lake resounds . Orpheus ( quoth she ) what madnesse thus confoūde Thy wretched selfe , and me ? sterne fates surprie Me back againe ; deaths slumbers close mine eyes . Farewell ; thus hurry'd in black night I go ; This saide , her aëry hands she lifts , and so As smoake sleetes into ayre , she vanisht there ( Now his no more ) and left him clasping th' ayre ▪ Offring replyes in vaine : nor more alas Would churlish Charon suffer him to passe . What should he do his wife twice lost ? how move The Fiends with tears , with prayers the gods above● His wife now cold was ferry'd thence away In Charons boate . But he seven moneths ( they say ) Weeping besides forsaken Strymons waves Vnder the cold , and solitary caves To ruthlesse rocks did his mishaps lament , That trees were mov'd , and Tygers did re●ent . As Phi●omel in shady Poplar tree Wailing her young ones losse , whom cruelly A watching Husbandman , ere fledge for flight , Took from her nest . She spends in griefe the night , And from a bough sings forth her sorrow there With sad complaints filling the places neere . No Venus now , nor Hymenaean rites Could move his minde ; wandring in wofull plights Where on Riphaean fields frost ever lyes , Ore Scythian ice , and snowy Tanais , He there complayn'd of Pluto's bootlesse Boone , And how how againe Eurydice was gone ▪ The Thracian Dames , whose beds he did despise , Raging in Bacchus nightly sacrifice , Scatter'd him peece-meale ore the fields abroad . Yet then when swift Ocagrian Hebrus flood Carry'd the head torne from the neck along , Eurydice his cold , and dying tongue , Ah poore Eurydice did still resound . Eurydice the banks did Eccho round . Thus Proteus spake , and leapt into the Maine , And where he leapt , beneath his head againe The foaming waters rose in bubbles round . Fearelesse Cyrene with this cheatfull sound Comforts her sonne ; Banish sad cares , my sonne : This , this did cause thy Bees destruction : For this the Nymphs , which in the woods did play . And dance with her , have tane thy Bees away . Bring thou thy offrings humbly , beg thy peace , And there adore the easie Dryades ; For they will pardon , and their wrath remit . I le teach thee first what way of praying's fit : Choo●e out foure lusty Bulls well shap'd , and fed , Which on thy greene Lycaeus top are bred , As many Heifers , which nere yoake did beare ; To these foure altars in the temple reare ; And from their throats let out the sacred blood , And leave their bodies in the leavie wood When the ninth morning after shall arise , Let●aean poppy t' Orph●us sacrifice , Kill a blacke sheep , and th' wood again go see . With a slaine Calfe appease Eurydice . Without delay he doth what ●he directs , Comes to the temples , th' altars there erects . Foure ●usty Bulls well shap'd , and fed he tooke ; As many as Heyfers , that nere bare the yoke : When the ninth morning after did arise , To Orpheus he perform'd his sacrifice , And came to th' wood , when lo ( strange to be told ) A ●udden wonder they did there behold : Bees buzz'd within the Bullocks putrifi'd Bowels , and issu'd out their broken sides , Making great clouds in th' aire , and taking trees Like grapes in clusters , hung whole swarms of bee● This I of Tillage , Trees , and Cattells care Have sung , whilst mighty Caesar in his warre , Thundring by great Euphrates doth impose Lawes on the conquer'd Parthians , and goes The way to heaven . Then sweet Parthenope Happy in peacefull stydies nourish'd me , Who Shepheards layes , and , Tytirus , thee young Vnder the broade beech covert boldly sung . FINIS . Annotations upon the fourth BOOKE . ( 1 ) VIrgil in this fourth Booke , lest any businesse of a countrey life should be wanting in his Georgicks , beginnes here the discourse of Bees ; a subiect ( though small ) ●et , as one observes , written of by many the ablest Authours , and in different manner . Aristotle first in his booke intituled , De historia animalium , had written with much subtletie , and depth concerning the Bees nature . Amongst the Latines , Varro in a discourse wondrous for the brevity , hath written fully of them . Iunius Higinius with diligence , and walking , as it were , in a spacious field hath at large discoursed of the nature of Bees : he omitteth nothing which the ancient Poets have pleasantly fabled of that subject . Cornelius Celsus in an elegant and facetious stile hath made illustration of it , Columella , moderately , and onely ( as himselfe confesses ) because it is a part of that subject , which he had before began ; with no great ardour hath expressed it . And lest it should only be written in prose , our Poet in this place in most elegant Verse , inferior to none that ever was , entreateth of this small subiect . ( b ) The King of the Bees ( saith one ) it usually spotted more than the rest , and of a forme more faire and beautifull . He is twice as bigge as the common Bees ; his wings are shorter than theirs , but his legs are straighter and longer ; so that his walking up and down she h●●e is more lofty and full of majesty . Vpon his forehead is a bright spot glittering in manner of a d●ad● me . He wants a sting , armed with nothing but majesty , and a wondrous obedi●nce of the other Bees to him . When ever hee goes forth , the whole swarme ●aite about him , guard him , and suffer him not to be seene . When the common Bees are 〈◊〉 their worke , hee walkes to take survey of ●hem , he himselfe only being free from labor . About him still are his guards and officers , those strength hee uses in punishing the idle and sloathfull Bees . But others are of opini●n ( who deny the generation of bees without ●span ) that this great Bee , called the King , 〈◊〉 the onely male in the hive , without whose company there can bee no generation at all : and therefore that all the other bees doe per●etually slocke , and throng about him , not ●ith respect as to a Prince , but desire as to a Male. ( c ) It was , as most know , an ancient fable , that Saturne the husband of Ops , and father of Iupiter was accustomed to devour his owne children when they were brought forth ( the reason of it , was , because Saturne was named the god of time , and all times passing and returning revolve againe into themselves ) which gave occasion to this historie ; when Iupiter was borne , his mother Ops fearing the cruelty of her husband to him , concealed his birth , and the Cretans for feare that Saturne should heare the childery , rung their brazen pans and kettles ; which noise the bees following came to the place where the ●nfant was , and sed him there with honey : Iupiter for so great a benefit , bestowed on his nurses for a reward this admirable g●ft , that they should have young ones , and continue their kinde without wasting themselves in Venery . Others report , that Iupiter being much in love with a faire Nymph called Melissa , turned her into a bee , and for her sake bestowed priviledges upon the bees . ( d ) The place where bees first were , is doubted of ; some report it was Crete , where those were which nourished Iupiter ; others say they were first seen in Thessaly in the time of the reigne of Aristaeus there ; others make Hymetta , a sweet hill neer Athens , the place ; others Hybla an hill in Sicily : all which places are by Poets famed for nourishing of bees . Mane ruunt ( e ) A most admirable discipline , if it may bee credited : as soone as morning appeares , one bee , whose office it is , goes about the hive , and with three or foure loud buzzes , in stead of a bell or trumpet , awakens them from sleep ; upon whose warning , they all arise , and fly abroad unto their labor of gathering honey , or other employments ; when evening returnes again , and they come home laden with honey ; after some short respite , the same bee , or some other in his turn , with the like buzze commandeth them all to rest ( after the manner of Cities ) except such as are appointed to watch and ward . ( f ) This history of Aristaeus the son of Apollo , and the Nymph Cyrene ( before mentioned ) the first finder of the use of bees , was not entended by the Poet to be here inserted ; this part of the booke was all compiled in honour of Cornelius Gallus a Roman Gentleman , the first Governour of Egypt under Augustus Caesar ( when Caesar after the death of Cleopatra had turned the kingdome of Egypt into a Province ) . This Gallus was himselfe a famous Poet ( though only fragments remaine of him ) much beloved of the rest of the Poets , and honoured by Virgil in his Bucolickes . But when afterward he fell into a conspiracie against Augustus , or , as some report it , accused for abusing the Province , which he governed , he was condemned , and put to death ; and Virgil by the command of Caesar , altered the halfe of his fourth booke , and from the praise of Cornelius Gallus turned it to the history of Aristaeus . The story is plaine , as the Poet has here related it ; Aristaeus in lust desiring to ravish Eurydice the wife of Orpheus , and she in her flight from him , being stung with a serpent , and so killed ; Aristaeus for his offence was punished with the losse of all his stock , in which he was richer than any of thosetimes , &c. ( g ) In this fable of Proteus , Virgil imitateth Homer altogether ; or rather borroweth , where in his Odysses Proteus giveth Menelaus instruction : but the historie of Proteus is thus reported by Herodotus in his Euterpe ; Proteus was King of Egypt at that time when Paris having raped Helena , was driven with her by a tempest into Egypt . ( for when Troy was sacked Helena could not be found there ) But Menelaus after the wars of Troy sayled into Egypt , and there being with great courtesie entertained by Proteus , hee received his wife Helena againe . Some report , that Proteus being borne in Egypt fled from the tyranny of cruell Busiris , and came into Thessalia : but others ( of whose opinion it should seeme our Poet is ) say , that he was borne at Pal●ene a City of Thessalia ; and sailing into Egypt lived for a time there ; but afterwards returned againe into Thessalia his native countrey . ( h ) Of this fable that Proteus before he was bound , and barred from all his deluding shapes , could never prophesie , some have made a physicall construction ; for every man has in himselfe lust , folly , cruelty and deceit ; which , as long as they raigne uncontrolled in him , his nobler part , which is nearer to the divinitie , that is his wisedome , doth not appeare , nor cannot exercise her function , untill all those are bound ; that is , till a man be freed from those vices . From whence he concludeth , that this Priest could not prophesie , nor receive the divinitie into him , untill all these , that is , his fiery lust , his brutish cruelty , his wavering lightnesse of minde , ( like fleeting water ) were all bound , and had ceased in him . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A14500-e15340 * Saint Anthonies fire .