There alfo was the wide embayed Mayre,
The pleasant Bandon crownd with many a wood,
The fpreading Lee, that like an island fair
Enclofeth Corke with his divided flood;
And baleful Oure, late ftaind with English blood:
With many more whofe names no tongue can tell.
All which that day in order feemly good
Did on the Thames attend, and waited well
To do their dueful fervice, as to them befell.
XLV.
Then came the bride, the lovely Medua came,
Clad in a vesture of unknowen gear,
And uncouth fashion, yet her well became ;
That feem'd like filver, fprinkled here and there
With glittering fpangs, that did like ftars appear,
And wav'd upon, like water chamelot,
To hide the metal, which yet every where
Bewrayed it fel, to let men plainly wot,
It was no mortal work, that feem'd and yet was not.
XLVI.
Her goodly locks adown her back did flow
Unto her waist, with flowres befcattered,
The which ambrofial odours forth did throw
To all about, and all her fhoulders spread
As a new fpring; and likewife on her head
A chapelet of fundry flowres fhe wore,
From under which the dewy humour fhed,
Did trickle down her hair, like to the hore
Congealed little drops, which do the morn adore.
XLVII.
On her two pretty handmaids did attend,
One call'd the Theife, the other call'd the Crane; Which on her waited things amifs to mend, And both behind upheld her fpreading train; Under the which, her feet appeared plain, Her filver feet, fair wafht against this day: And her before there paced pages twain, Both clad in colours like, and like array, The Doune and eke theFrith,both which prepar'd her way.
And after these the Sea Nymphs marched all,
All goodly damzels, deckt with long green hair,
Whom of their fire Nereides men call,
All which the Oceans daughter to him bare;
The grey-eyd Doris: all which fifty are;
All which the there on her attending had.
Swift Proto, mild Eucrate, Thetis fair,
Soft Spio, fweet Endore, Sao fad,
Light Doto, wanton Glaucé, and Galene glad;
XLIX.
White-handed Eunica, proud Dinamene,
Joyous Thalia, goodly Amphitrite,
Lovely Pafithee, kind Eulimine,
Light-foot Cymotboe, and fweet Melite,
Fairest Pherufa, Phao lilly white,
Wondred Agave, Poris, and Nefæa,
With Erato that doth in love delight,
And Panope, and wife Protomedæa,
And fnow-neckt Doris, and milkwhite Galathea;
L.
Speedy Hippothoe, and chafte Altea,
Large Lifianaffa, and Pronea fage,
Evagore, and light Pontoporea,
And fhe, that with her leaft word can affuage
The furging feas, when they do forest rage,
Cymodoce, and ftout Autonoe,
And Nefo, and Eione well in age,
And feeming ftill to fmile, Glauconome, And the that hight of many hefts Polynome;
Fresh Alimeda, deckt with girlond green;
Hyponeo, with falt bedewed wrefts:
Laomedia, like the chrystal sheen;
Liagore, much prais'd for wife behefts;
And Pfamathe, for her broad fnowy breasts;
Cymo, Eupompe, and Themifte juft;
And the that vertue loves and,vice detefts,
Evarna, and Menippe true in trust,
And Nemertea learned well to rule her luft.
All these the daughters of old Nereus were,
Which have the fea in charge to them affign'd,
To rule his tides, and furges to uprear,
To bring forth ftorms, or faft them to upbind, And failors fave from wrecks of wrathful wind. And yet befides, three thousand more there were Of th' Oceans feed, but Joves and Phabus kind; The which in floods and fountains do appear, And all mankind do nourish with their waters clear. LIII.
The which more eath it were for mortal wight,
To tell the fands, or count the stars on high,
Or ought more hard, than think to reckon right.
But well I wote, that thefe which I defcry,
Were present at this great folemnity:
And there amongst the reft, the mother was
Of lucklefs Marinel, Cymodoce;
Which, for my mufe her felf now tired has,
Unto another canto I will overpass,
Marin' for love of Florimell,
In languor waftes his life
The Nymph bis Mother getteth her,
And gives to him for Wife.
what an endless work have I in hand,
To count the feas abundant progeny !
Whofe fruitful feed far paffeth those in land,
And alfo those which wonne in th' azure sky.
For much more eath to tell the stars on high,
Albe they endless seem in eftimation,
Then to recount the feas pofterity:
So fertile be the floods in generation,
So huge their numbers, and fo numberlefs their nation
Therefore the antique Wizards well invented,
That Venus of the foamy fea was bred;
For that the feas by her are moft augmented:
Witness th' exceeding fry, which there are fed,
And wondrous fhoals which may of none be read.
Then blame me not, if I have err'd in count
Of Gods, of Nymphs, of rivers yet unread :
For though their numbers do much more furmount, Yet all thofe fame were there, which earft I did recount. III.
All those were there, and many other more,
Whofe names and nations were too long to tell,
That Proteus houfe they filld ev'n to the dore;
Yet were they all in order as befell,
According their degrees difpofed well.
Amongst the reft, was fair Cymodocë,
The mother of unlucky Marinell,
Who thither with her came, to learn and fee
The manner of the Gods when they at banquet be.
IV.
But for he was half mortal, being bred
Of mortal fire, though of immortal womb,
He might not with immortal food be fed,
Ne with th' eternal Gods to banquet come;
But walkt abroad, and round about did rome,
To view the building of that uncouth place,
That feem'd unlike unto his earthly home:
Where, as he to and fro by chance did trace,
There unto him betid a disadventrous cafe.
Under the hanging of an hideous clief,
He heard the lamentable voice of one,
That piteously complain'd her careful grief,
Which never fhe before difclos'd to none,
But to her felf her forrow did bemone.
So feelingly her cafe fhe did complain,
That ruth it moved in the rocky tone,
And made it feem to feel her grievous pain,
And oft to groan with billows beating from the main.
Though vain I fee my forrows to unfold,
And count my cares, when none is nigh to hear;
Yet hoping grief may leffen being told,
I will them tell though unto no man near :
For heaven that unto all lends equal ear,
Is far from hearing of my heavy plight;
And lowest Hell, to which I lie most near,
Cares not what evils hap to wretched wight;
And greedy feas do in the fpoil of life delight.
VII.
Yet lo, the feas I fee by often beating,
Do pierce the rocks, and hardest marble wears:
But his hard rocky heart for no entreating
Will yield; but when my piteous plaints he hears,
Is hardned more with my abundant tears.
Yet though he never lift to me relent,
But let me wafte in woe my wretched years,
Yet will I never of my Love repent,
But joy that for his fake I fuffer prisonment.
And when my weary ghoft with grief out-worne,
By timely death fhall win her wished rest,
Let then this plaint unto his ears be borne,
That blame it is to him that arms profeft,
To let her dye whom he might have redrest.
There did the paufe, inforced to give place,
Unto the paffion, that her heart opprest.
And after she had wept and wail'd a space,
She 'gan afresh thus to renew her wretched cafe.
IX.
Ye Gods of feas, if any Gods at all
Have care of right, or ruth of wretches wrong, By one or other way me woeful thrall, Deliver hence out of this dungeon ftrong, In which I daily dying am too long. And if ye deem me death, for loving one That loves not me, then do it not prolong, But let me dye and end my days attone, And let him live unlov'd, or love himself alone.
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