Cant. V.
the Faery Queene.
71
Both charett swifte and huntsman ouercast.His goodly corps on ragged clifts yrent,Was quite dismembred, and his members chastScattered on euery mountaine, as he went,That of Hippolytus was lefte no moniment.
His cruell stepdame seeing what was donne,Her wicked daies with wretched knife did end,In death auowing th'innocence of her sonne.Which hearing his rash Syre, began to rendHis heare, and hasty tong, that did offend:Tho gathering vp the relicks of his smartBy Dianes meanes, who was Hippolyts frend,Them brought to Aesculape, that by his artDid heale them all againe, and ioyned euery part.
Such wondrous science in mans witt to rainWhen Ioue auizd, that could the dead reviue,And fates expired could renew again,Of endlesse life he might him not depriue,But vnto hell did thrust him downe aliue,With flashing thunderbolty ywounded sore:Where long remaining, he did alwaies striueHim selfe with salues to health for to restore,And slake the heauenly sire, that raged euermore.
There auncient Night arriuing, did alightFrom her nigh weary wayne, and in her armesTo AEsculapius brought the wounded knight:Whome hauing softly disaraid of armes,Tho gan to him discouer all his harmes,Beseeching him with prayer, and with praise,If either salues, or oyles, or herbes, or charmesA fordonne wight from dore of death mote raise,He would at her request prolong her nephews daies.
Ah
