Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/378

That tasted of the selfsame sawce, they shet mee in a Stye.
From this missehappe Eurilochus alonly scapte. For why
He only would not taste the cup, which had he not fled fro,
He should have beene a bristled beast as well as we. And so
Should none have borne Ulysses woorde of our mischaunce, nor hee
Have come to Circe to revenge our harmes and set us free.
The peaceprocurer Mercurie had given to him a whyght
Fayre flowre whoose roote is black, and of the Goddes it Moly hyght
Assurde by this and heavenly hestes, he entred Circes bowre.
And beeing bidden for to drink the cup of baleful powre,
As Circe was about to stroke her wand uppon his heare,
He thrust her backe, and put her with his naked swoord in feare.
Then fell they to agreement streyght, and fayth in hand was plyght.
And beeing made her bedfellowe, he claymed as in ryght
Of dowrye, for to have his men ageine in perfect plyght.
Shee sprincled us with better jewce of uncowth herbes, and strake
The awk end of her charmed rod uppon our heades, and spake
Woordes to the former contrarie. The more shee charmd, the more
Arose wee upward from the ground on which wee daarde before.
Our bristles fell away, the clift our cloven clees forsooke.
Our shoulders did returne agein: and next our elbowes tooke
Our armes and handes theyr former place. Then weeping wee enbrace
Our Lord, and hing about his necke whoo also wept apace.
And not a woord wee rather spake than such as myght appeere
From harts most thankfull to proceede. Wee taryed theyr a yeere.
I in that whyle sawe many things, and many things did heere.
I marked also this one thing with store of other geere
Which one of Circes fowre cheef maydes (whoose office was alway
Uppon such hallowes to attend) did secretly bewray
To mee. For in the whyle my Lord with Circe kept alone,
This mayd a yoongmannes image sheawd of fayre whyght marble stone
Within a Chauncell. On the head therof were garlonds store
And eeke a woodspecke. And as I demaunded her wherfore
And whoo it was they honord so in holy Church, and why
He bare that bird uppon his head: shee answeering by and by
Sayd: Lerne hereby, sir Macare, to understand the powre
My lady hathe, and marke thou well what I shall say this howre.