The Crowne of All Homers Workes/A Hymne to Venus (1)

by Homer

For other English-language translations of this work, see A Hymn to Venus (Homer, 1).

A HYMNE TO VENVS.

he force (O Muse) and functions, now, vnfold,
Of Cyprian Venus, grac't with Mines of Gold.
Who, euen in Deities, lights Loues sweet desire;
And all Deaths kindes of men, makes kisse her fire:
All Ayres wing'd Nation; all the Belluine;
That or the Earth feedes, or the Seas confine.
To all which appertaine, the loue and care
Of well-crown'd Venus works. Ye three there are,
Whose mindes, she neither can deceiue nor moue;
Pallas, the seede of Ægis-bearing-Ioue;
Who still liues Indeuirginate; her eyes
Being blew, and sparkling like the freezing skies:
Whom all the Gold of Venus, neuer can
Tempt to affect her facts, with God or Man.
She louing strife, and Mars-his working Banes',
Pitcht fields, and fights, and famous Artizanes,
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$Taught earthie men first, all the Arts that are;
Charriots, and all the frames vehiculare;
Chiefely with brasse, arm'd, & adorn'd for warre.
Where Venus, onely soft-skinnd wenches fills
With wanton House-works, and suggests those skills
Still to their studies. Whom Diana neither,
That beares the Golden distaff; and together
Calls Horns, and Hollows; and the cries of Houndes;
And ownes the Epithete of louing sounds
For their sakes; springing from such spritely sports;
Can catch with her kinde Lures. But hill resorts
To wilde-Beasts slaughters; accents farr-off heard
Of Harps, and Dances; and of woods vnsheard
The sacred shades she loues; yet likes as well
Citties where good men, and their off-spring dwell.
The third, whom her kinde Passions nothing please;
Is Virgine Vesta; whom Saturnides
Made reuerend with his counsailes: when his Sire
That aduers counsailes agitates, lifes fire
Had kindled in her; being his last begot.
Whom Neptune wow'd, to knit with him the knot
Of honord Nuptialls; and Apollo too;
Which, with much vehemence, she refus'd to doe;
And sterne Repulses, put vpon them both.
Adding to all her vows; the Gods great Oath;
And touching Ioues chynn, (which must consummate
All vows so bound) that she would hold her state;
And be th'Inuincible Maid of Deities
Through all her daies dates. For Saturnides
Gaue her a faire gift, in her Nuptialls stedd;
To sit in midst of his house, and be fedd
With all the free, and richest feast of Heauen:
In all the Temples of the Gods being giuen
The prise of honor. Not a mortall Man,
(That either of the powrs Olympian
His half-birth hauing; may be said to be
A mortall of the Gods; or else that he
(Deities wills doings) is of Deitie)
But giues her honor, of the amplest kinde.
Of all these Three; can Venus, not a Minde
Deceiue, or set on forces to reflect.
Of all powrs els yet, not a sex, nor sect,
Flies Venus; either of the blessed Gods;
Or Men, confin'de in mortall Periods.
But euen the Minde of Ioue, she doth seduce,
That chides with Thunder so, her lawlesse vse
In humane Creatures; and by lot is giuen
Of all, most honor; both in Earth, and Heauen.
And yet euen his all-wise, and mightie Minde;
She, when she lifts, can forge affectes to blinde,
And mixe with mortall Dames, his Deitie:
Conceald, at all parts, from the ielous eye
Of Iuno; who was both his sister borne,
And made his wife; whom beautie did adorne
Past all the Beuie of immortall Dames;
And whose so chiefely-glorified Flames
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$Crosse-counsailde Saturne got; and Rhæa bore;
And Ioues pure counsailes, (being Conqueror)
His wife made of his sister. I, and more;
Cast such an amorous fire into her minde
As made her (like him) with the Mortall kinde
Meete in vnmeete bedd; vsing vtmost haste;
Lest she should know, that he liu'd so vnchaste,
Before her selfe, felt that fault in her heart;
And gaue her tongue, too iust edge of Desert
To tax his lightnes. With this End, beside,
Lest laughter-studying Venus, should deride
The Gods more then the Goddesses; and say
That shee the Gods commixt in amorous play,
With mortall Dames; begetting mortall seede
T'Immortall sires; and not make Goddesses breede
The like with mortall Fathers. But t'acquite
Both Gods and Goddesses of her despite,
Ioue tooke (euen in her selfe) on him, her powre;
And made her with a mortall Paramoure
Vse as deform'd a mixture, as the rest;
Kindling a kinde affection in her brest
To God-like-limm'd Anchises; as he kept
^[1]On Idas-top-on-top-to-heauens-Pole heapt,
Amongst the manie fountaines there, his Herd;
For after his braue Person had apper'de
To her bright eye; her heart flew all on fire;
And (to amaze) she burn'd in his desire.
Flew strait to Cyprus, to her odorous Phane
And Altars, that the people Paphiane
Aduanc't to her. Where, (soone as entred) shee
The shyning gates shut; and the Graces three
Washt; and with Oiles of euerlasting sent,
Bath'd, as became, her deathlesse lyneament.
Then her Ambrosian Mantle she assum'd;
With rich and odoriferous Ayres perfum'd;
Which being put on; and all her Trimms beside
Fayre, and with all allurements amplified;
The All-of-Gold-made-laughter-louing Dame;
Left odorous Cyprus; and for Troy became
A swift Contendresse; her Passe cutting All
Along the cloudes; and made her instant fall,
On fountfull Ida; that her Mother-Brests
Giues to the Preyfull broode, of sauage Beasts.
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$And through the Hill she went, the readie way
T'Anchises Oxstall, where did fawne and play
About her blessed feet, Wolues grislie-gray;
Terrible Lyons; many a Mankind Beare;
And Lybberds swift, insatiate of red Deare.
Whose sight so pleas'd, that euer as she past
Through euery Beast, a kindely Loue she cast:
That in their Denns-obscur'd with shadowes deepe;
Made all, distinguisht, in kinde Couples, sleepe.
And now she reacht the rich Pauilion
Of the Heroe; In whom heauens had showne
A fayre and goodly Composition.
And whom she in his Oxstall found, alone;
His Oxen feeding in fat Pastures, by;
He walking vp, and downe; sounds clere, and hye,
From his harp striking. Then, before him, shee
Stood like a Virgine, that inuinciblie
Had borne her beauties; yet alluringly
Bearing her person; lest his rauisht eye
Should chance t'affect him, with a stupid feare.
Anchises seeing her, all his senses were
With wonder stricken; and high-taken-heeds
Both of her forme; braue stature; and rich weedes.
For, for a vaile; she shin'd in an Attire
That cast a radiance, past the Ray of fire.
Beneath which, wore she guirt to her, a Gowne
Wrought all with growing-rose-budds; reaching downe
T'her slender smalls; which buskinns did diuine;
Such as taught Thetis siluer Feete to shine.
Her soft white neck; rich Carquenets embrac't;
Bright, and with gold, in all variety grac't;
That, to her brests (let downe) lay there and shone,
As at her ioyfull full, the rising Moone.
Her sight show'd miracles. Anchises Heart,
Loue tooke into his hand; and made him part
With these high Salutations; Ioy, (O Queene?)
Whoeuer of the Blest, thy beauties beene,
That light these Entries! Or the Deitie
That Darts affecteth; or that gaue the eye
Of Heauen, his heat and Luster! Or that moues
The hearts of all, with all-commanding Loues?
Or generous Themis? Or the blew-eyd Maid?
Or of the Graces, any that are laid
With all the Gods, in comparable skales?
And whom Fame, vp to Immortalitie calles?
Or any of the Nymphs, that vnshorne Groues,
Or that this fayre Hill-habitation loues?
Or valleys, flowing with earths fattest Goods?
Or Fountaines, pouring forth, eternall floods?
Say, which, of all thou art; that in some place
Of circular prospect, for thine eyes deare grace
I may an Altar build, and to thy Powres
Make sacred all the yeares deuoted Howres,
With consecrations sweet, and oppulent.
Assur'd whereof; be thy benigne Minde bent
To these wisht blessings of me; giue me parts
Of chiefe attraction in Troian hearts.
And after; giue me the refulgencie
Of most renownd, and rich Posteritie;
Long, and free life; and Heauens sweet light as long;
The peoples blessings; and a health so strong;
That no disease, it let my life engage;
Till th'vtmost limit, of a humane Age.
To this, Ioues seede, this answer gaue againe;
Anchises? happiest of the humane straine?
I am no Goddesse: why, a thrall to Death
Think'st thou like those, that immortality breath?
A woman brought me forth, my Fathers Name
Was Otreus (If euer his high fame
Thine eares haue witnest) for he gouernd all
The Phrygian State: whose euery Towne, a wall
Impregnable embrac't. Your tongue, (you heare)
I speake so well, that in my naturall spheare
(As I pretend) It must haue taken prime.
A woman likewise, of the Troian clime
Tooke of me, in her house, the Nurses care
From my deare Mothers Bosome; and thus are
My words of equall accent, with your owne.
How, here, I come; (to make the reason knowne)
Argicides, that beares the Golden Rod
Transferd me forciblie from my Abod
Made with the Maiden Traine, of her that ioies
In Golden shafts; and loues so well the noise
Of Hounds, & Hunters (Heauens pure-liuing powre)
Where many a Nymph, and maid of mighty Dowre,
Chast sports emploid All circkl'd with a Crowne
Of infinite Multitude, to see so showne
Our maiden Pastimes. Yet from all the Fayre
Of this so forcefull concourse; vp in Ayre
The Golden-Rodd-sustaining-Argus Guide,
Rapt me in sight of all; and made me ride
Along the Clouds with him; enforcing me
Through many a labour of Mortalitie:
Through many an vnbuilt Region; and a rude,
Where sauage Beasts, deuour'd Preys warme, and crude;
And would not let my feares, take one foots tred
On her by whom, are all Liues comforted;
But said, my Maiden State, must grace the Bed
Of King Anchises: And bring forth to thee
Issue as faire, as of diuine Degree.
Which said, and showing me thy mouing Grace;
Away flew he vp, to th'Immortall Race.
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$And thus came I to thee: Necessitie
With her steele stings; compelling me t'applie
To her high Powre, my will. But You must I,
Implore by Ioue; and all the reuerence due,
To your deare Parents; who (in bearing you)
Can beare no meane saile; leade me home to them
An vntoucht Maid: being brought vp in th'extreme
Of much too cold simplicitie; to know
The fiery cunnings, that in Venus glow.
Show me to them then; and thy Brothers borne:
I shall appeare none, that, parts disadorne;
But such as well may serue, a Brothers wife;
And show them now, euen to my future life;
If such, or no, my Present, will extend.
To Horse-Breede-vary'ng Phrygia, likewise send
T'Informe my Sire and Mother of my State,
That liue for me, extreame disconsolate.
Who Gold enough, and well-wouen weedes will giue.
All whose rich Gifts, in my Amends receiue.
All this perform'd; adde celebration then
Of honord Nuptialls; that by God and Men
Are held in reuerence. All this while she said;
Into his bosome, iointly, she conuaid
The fires of loue; when (all enamourd) He
In these terms answered: If Mortalitie
Confine thy Fortunes; and a woman were
Mother to those attractions that appeare
In thy admir'd forme; thy great Father giuen
High Name of Otreus; and the Spie of Heauen
(Immortall Mercurie) th'enforce-full cause
That made thee lose the Prize of that applause,
That modestie, immaculate Virgines giues:
My wife thou shalt be call'd, through both our liues.
Nor shall the powrs of Men, nor Gods withhold
My fiery resolution, to enfold
Thy bosome in mine armes; which here I vow
To firme performance, past delay; and Now.
Nor (should Apollo with his siluer Bow
Shoote me to instant death) would I forbeare
To doe a deede, so full of cause so deare.
For with a Heauen-sweet woman, I will ly,
Though strait I stoope the house of Dis, and die.
This said; he tooke her hand; and she tooke way
With him; her bright eyes casting round; whose stay
She stuck vpon a bed, that was before
Made for the King, and wealthie couerings wore.
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$On which, Beares Hydes, and bigg-voic't Lyons lay;
Whose Preyfull liues, the King had made his Prey,
Hunting th'Idalian Hills. This Bed when they
Had both ascended; first he tooke from her
The fierie weede, that was her vtmost weare.
Vubutto'nd her next rosie Robe; and los'd
The Gyrdle, that her slender wast enclos'd.
Vnlac't her buskinns; all her Iewellrie
Tooke from her neck, and brests; and all lay'd by,
Vpon a Golden-studded Chaire of State.
Th'Amaze of all which, being remou'd: euen Fate,
And counsaile of the equall Gods gaue way
To this; that with a Deathlesse Goddesse lay
A deathfull Man: since, what his loue assum'd,
Not with his conscious knowledge, was presum'd.
Now when the shepherds, and the Herdsmen, all,
Turnd from their flowrie Pasture, to their Stall;
With all their Oxen; fat, and frolick sheepe;
Venus, into Anchises, cast a sleepe,
Sweet, and profound; while, with her owne hands now;
With her rich weeds, she did her selfe indow:
But so distinguisht; that he clere might know:
His happie Glories; Then (to her desire
Her heauenly Person; put in Trimms entire)
Shee by the bed stood, of the well-built Stall,
Aduanc't her head, to State Celestiall,
And in her cheekes, arose the radiant hew
Of rich-cround Venus, to apparant view.
And then she rous'd him from his rest; and said;
Vp (my Dardanides) forsake thy bed.
What pleasure, late emploid, letts Humor steepe
Thy lidds, in this inexcitable sleepe?
Wake, and now say, If I appeare to thee
Like her, that first, thine eyes conceited me.
This started him from sleepe; though deepe, and deare,
And passing promptlie, he enioy'd his eare.
But when his eye saw Venus neck, and eyes,
Whose beauties could not beare the Counterprise
Of any other: downe his owne eyes fell;
Which pallid feare, did from her view repell:
And made him, with a maine respect beside;
Turne his whole person from her state; and hide
(With his rich weede appos'd) his royall face;
These wing'd words vsing; When, at first, thy Grace,
Mine eyes gaue entertainment; well I knew
Thy state was Deified: but thou told'st not true;
And therefore let me pray thee; (by thy Loue
Borne to thy Father, Ægis-bearing Ioue)
That thou wilt neuer let me liue to be
An abiect, after so diuine degree
Taken in fortune; but take ruth on me.
For any Man that with a Goddesse lies;
Of interest in immortalities,
Is neuer long liu'd. She replied; Forbeare
(O happiest of Mortall Men) this feare:
And rest assur'd; that (not for me, at least)
Thy least ills feare fits; no nor for the rest
Of all the Blessed; for thou art their friend;
And so farr from sustaining instant end;
That to thy long-enlarg'd life; there shall spring
Amongst the Troians, a deare Sonne, and King;
To whom shall many a Sonne; and Sonnes Sonne rise
In euerlasting-great Posterities.
His Name Æneas: therein keeping life;
For euer, in my much-conceipted griefe;
That I (immortall) fell into the bed
Of one whose blood, Mortality must shed.
But rest thou comforted; and all the Race
That Troy shall propagate, in this high grace;
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$That, past all Races else, the Gods stand nere
Your glorious Nation; for the formes ye beare
And Natures so ingenuous, and sincere.
For which, the great in counsailes (Iupiter)
Your Gold-lockt Ganymedes did transfer
(In rapture farr from mens depressed fates)
To make him Consort with our Deified states;
And skale the Tops of the Saturnian skies;
He was so meere a Marueile in their eyes.
And therefore from a Bolle of Gold he fills
Redd Nectar; that the rude distension kills
Of windes that in your humane stomacks breede.
But then did Languor, on the Liuer feede^[2]
Of Tros (his Father) that was King of Troy;
And euer did his memorie employ
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$With losse of his deare bewtie so bereuen;
Though with a sacred whirlewinde rapt to heauen.
But Ioue (in pittie of him) saw him giuen
Good compensation; sending by Heauens Spye,
White-swift-hou'd Horse; that Immortality
Had made firme spirrited; and had (beside)
Hermes to see his Ambassie supplied
With this vow'd Bountie (vsing all at large
That his vnaltered counsailes gaue in charge)
That he himselfe, should Immortality breath,
Expert of Age, and Woe, as well as Death.
This Ambassie exprest, he mourn'd no more;
But vp, with all his inmost minde he bore;
Ioying that he, vpon his swift-hou'd Horse,
Should be stustain'd in an eternall course.
So did the golden-thron'de Aurora, raise
Into her Lap; another that the praise
Of an Immortall fashion, had in Fame;
And of your Nation, bore the Noble Name:
(His Title Tython) who, not pleas'd with her,
As she his louely Person, did transfer;
(To satisfie him) she bad aske of Ioue,
The Gift of an Immortall for her Loue.
Ioue gaue; and bound it with his bowed Brow;
Performing to the vtmost point, his vow.
Foole that she was; that would her loue engage;
And not, as long aske, from the Bane of Age,
The sweet exemption; and Youths endlesse flowre.
Of which, as long, as both the grace and powre
His person entertainde; she lou'd the Man;
And (at the fluents of the Ocean
Nere Earths extreame bounds) dwelt with him: but when
(According to the course of aged Men)
On his faire head; and honorable Beard;
His first gray hayres, to her light eyes apperd;
She left his bed; yet gaue him still, for food
The Gods Ambrosia; and attire as good.
Till, euen the hate of Age, came on so fast
That not a lyneament of his was grac't
With powre of Motion; nor did still sustaine
(Much lesse) the Vigor had, t'aduance a vaine;
The virtue lost, in each exhausted limm,
That, (at his wish) before would answer him;
All Powrs so quite decaid; that when he spake,
His voice, no perceptible accent brake:
Her counsaile, then, thought best; to striue no more;
But lay him in his bed, and lock his Dore.
Such an Immortall; would not I wish thee,
T'extend all daies so, to Eternitie.
But if, as now, thou couldst performe thy course
In Grace of Forme, and all corporeall force
To an eternall Date; Thou then should'st beare
My Husbands worthie Name; and not a Teare,
Should I neede raine, for thy deserts declinde,
From my All-clouded bitternesse of minde.
But now, the sterne storme of relentlesse Age
Will quickly circkle thee; that waites t'engage
All Men alike; euen Lothsomnesse, and Bane
Attending with it, euery humane wane:
Which euen the Gods bate. Such a Penance lies
Impos'd on flesh and bloods infirmities.
Which I my selfe must taste, in great degree,
And date as endlesse; for consorting thee.
All the Immortalls, with my opprobrie
Are full, by this time; on their Hearts so lie,
(Euen to the sting of Feare) my cunnings vs'd;
And wiuing conuersations infus'd,
Into the bosomes of the best of them,
With women, that the fraile and mortall stream
Doth daily rauish. All this long since done.
Which now, no more but with effusion
Of teares; I must in Heauen, so much as name:
I haue so forfaited, in this, my Fame,
And am impos'd, paine of so great a kinde
For so much erring, from a Goddesse Minde.
For I haue put beneath my Gyrdle here,
A Sonne, whose sire, the humane mortall sphere
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$Giues Circumscription. But when first the light
His eyes shall comfort; Nymphs that hant the height;
Of Hills; and Brests haue, of most deepe receit;
Shall be his Nurses: who inhabit now
A Hill of so vast, and diuine a Brow,
As Man, nor God, can come at their Retreates.
Who liue long liues, and eat immortall Meates;
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$And with Immortalls, in the exercise
Of comely Dances, dare contend; and rise
Into high Question, which deserues the Prise.
The light Sileni, mix in loue with These;
And of all Spies, the Prince Argicides:
In well-trymmd Caues, their secret meetings made.
And with the liues of these; doth life inuade
Or odorous firre Trees; or high-forheaded Okes;
Together taking their begetting strokes.
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$And haue tbeir liues and deaths, of equall Dates;
Trees bearing louely, and Delightsome states;
Whom Earth first feedes, that Men initiates.
On her high Hills, she doth their states sustaine,
And they, their owne heights, raise as high againe.
Their Growghts together made; Nymphs call their Groues;
Vowd to th'Immortalls seruices, and loues.
Which mens steeles therefore touch not; but let grow.
But when wise Fates, times for their fadings know;
The faire Trees still, before the faire Nymphs die;
The Bark about them; growne corrupt, and drie;
And all their boughs (falne) yeeld to Earth her right;
And then the Nymphs liues, leaue the louely Light.
And these Nymphs, in their Caues, shall nurse my Son;
Whom (when in him, Youths first grace is begun)
The Nymphs, his Nurses, shall present to thee,
And shew thee what a Birth, thou hast by Me.
And (sure as now I tell thee all these things)
When earth, hath cloth'd her plants, in fiue faire springs;
My selfe will make returne, to this Retreate;
And bring that Flowre of thy enamour'd heate;
Whom when thou then seest, Ioy shall fire thine eyes;
He shall so well Present the Deities.
And then into thine owne care take thy Sonne;
From his calme seat, to windie Ilion.
Where, if strickt question, be vpon thee past,
Asking what Mother, bore beneath her wast
So deare a Sonne; answer, as I afford
Fit admonition, nor forget a word;
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$They say a Nymph, call'd Calucopides,
That is with others, an inhabitresse
On this thy wood-crownd Hill; acknowledges
That she, his life gaue. But if thou declare
The Secrets, truth; and art so mad to dare
(In glory of thy fortunes) te approue,
That rich-crownd Venus, mixt with thee in loue;
Ioue (fir'd with my aspersion, so dispred)
Will, with a wreakefull lightning, dart thee dead.
All, now, is told thee; comprehend it All.
Be Master of thy selfe; and doe not call
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$My Name in question; but, with reuerence vow
To Deities angers, all the awe, ye owe.
This said; shee reacht Heauen, where ayres euer flowe;
And so (O Goddesse) euer honord be
In thy so Odorous Cyprian Emperie;
My Muse, affecting first, thy Fame to raise;
Shall make Transcension now, to others Praise.

 

The end of the first Hymne to Venus.

1. Άκροπόλος. Altissimum habens verticem, cujus summitas ipsum polum attingit.
2. ἄληστος. Cujus memoria erit perpetua.