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The Crowne of All Homers Workes/To Pan

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4438205The Crowne of All Homers Workes — To PanGeorge ChapmanHomer

To Pan.

Sing (Muse) this chiefe of Hermes loue-got Ioies;Goate-footed, Two-horn'd; amorous of noise.That through the faire-Greenes, al adorn'd with TreesTogether goes, with Nymphs; whose nimble knees,Can euery Dance, foot; That affect to sealeThe most inaccessible Tops of allUprightest rocks: and euer vse to callOn Pan, the bright-hayr'd God of Pastorall.Who yet, is leane, and louelesse; and doth oweBy lot, all loftiest Mountaines, crown'd with snowe;All Tops of Hills, and cliffie Highnesses:All Siluan Copses, and the FortressesOf Thorniest Queaches, here and there doth roue.And sometimes, (by allurement of his loue;) Will wade the watrie softnesses. Sometimes(In quite oppos'de Capriccios) he climesThe hardest Rocks, and highest: euery wayRunning their Ridges. Often will conuaieHimselfe up to a watch-Towrs Top; where sheepe;Haue their Obseruance: oft through Hills as steepe,His Gotes he runns upon; and neuer rests.Then turns he head; and flies on sauage Beasts,Mad of their slaughters. So most sharpe an eyeSetting vpon them; as his Beames let flieThrough all their thickest Tapistries. And then(When Hesp'rus calls to folde, the flocks of Men)From the greene Clossets, of his loftiest Reedes,He rushes forth; and Ioy, with Song, he feedes.When, (under shadow, of their motions, set,)He plaies a verse forth, so profoundly sweet;As not the Bird that in the flowrie Spring(Amidds the leaues set) makes the Thickets ringOf her sowre sorrowes, sweetened with her song,Runns her diuisions varied so, and strong.And then the sweete-voic't Nymphs, that crowne his mountaines;(Flockt round about, the deepe-black-watred fountaines;)Fall in with their Contention of song.To which, the Echoes, all the Hills alongTheir repercussions add. Then here, and there(Plac't in the midd'st) the God, the Guide doth beareOf all their Dances; winding in, and out.A Lynces Hide (besprinckled round about With blood, cast on his shoulders. And thus HeWith well-made songs, maintaines th'alacritieOf his free minde, in silken Meddows crowndeWith Hyacynths, and Saffrons: that aboundIn sweete-breath'd Odors: that th'unnumber'd grasse(Besides their sents) giue as through all they passe.And these, in all their pleasures, euer raiseThe blessed Gods and long Olympus, praise:Like zealous Hermes; who (of all) I saidMost Profits, up, to all the Gods conuaide.Who, likewise, came into th'Arcadian state;(That's rich in Fountaines; and all celebrateFor Nurse of flocks.) Where, he had vowd a Groue(Surnam'd Cyllenius) to his God-heads loue.Yet euen himselfe (although a God he wereClad in a squallid sheepskinn) gouernd thereA Mortalls sheepe. For soft Loue, entring him,Conformd his state, to his conceipted Trimm.And made him long, in an extreame degree,T'enioy the fayre-hayrd Virgine Dryope.Which, ere he could; she made him consummateThe florishing Rites of Hymens honord State.And brought him, such a peece of Progenie,As showd (at first sight) monstrous to the eye;Gote-footed, Two-horn'd; full of noise, euen Then;And (opposite quite to other children)Told (in sweete laughter) he ought death no Teare.Yet strait his Mother start; and fled, in feare The sight of so vnsatisfying a Thing;In whose face, put forth, such a bristled spring.Yet the most usefull Mercurie embrac't,And tooke into his armes, his homely-fac't:Beyond all measure ioyfull with his sight:And up to heauen with him, made instant flight,Wrapt in the warme skinne, of a Mountaine Hare:Set him by Ioue; and made most merrie fareTo all the Deities else, with his Sonnes sight;Which, most of all, fill'd Bacchus with delight;And Pan they call'd him, since he brought to All,Of Mirth so rare; and full a Festiuall.And thus, all honor to the shepherds King:For Sacrifice to Thee, my Muse shall sing.