XXXIII. "Nathlesse that Dame so well them tempred both, That she them forced hand to ioyne in hand, Albe that Hatred was thereto full loth, And turn'd his face away, as he did stand, Yet she was of such grace and vertuous might, And gnasht his yron tuskes at that displeasing sight. XXXIV. "Concord she cleeped was in common reed, Mother of blessed Peace and Friendship trew; The which right well her workes divine did shew: And to afflicted minds sweet rest and quiet sends. XXXV. By her the heaven is in his course contained, And all the world in state unmoved stands, As their Almightie Maker first ordained, And bound them with inviolable bands; Else would the waters overflow the lands, And fire devoure the ayre, and hell them quight; But that she holds them with her blessed hands. She is the nourse of pleasure and delight, And unto Venus grace the gate doth open right. XXXVI. "By her I entring half dismayed was; XXXVII. "Into the inmost temple thus I came, Which fuming all with frankensence I found The roof up high was reared from the ground, XXXVIII. "An hundred altars round about were set, All flaming with their sacrifices fire, That with the steme thereof the Temple swet, Every of which was to a Damzell hight ; For all the Priests were Damzels in soft linnen dight. XXXIX. "Right in the midst the goddesse selfe did stand Upon an altar of some costly masse, Whose substance was uneath to understand: For neither pretious stone, nor durefull brasse, Nor shining gold, nor mouldring clay it was; But much more rare and pretious to esteeme, Pure in aspéct, and like to christall glasse; Yet glasse was not, if one did rightly deeme; But, being faire and brickle, likest glasse did seeme.. XL. "But it in shape and beautie did excell All other idoles which the heath'en adore, With which that wretched Greeke, that life forlore, And both her feete and legs together twyned [byned. Were with a snake, whose head and tail were fast com XLI. "The cause why she was covered with a vele Was hard to know, for that her priests the same Begets and eke conceives, ne needeth other none. XLII. And all about her necke and shoulders flew The wide kingdome of Love with lordly sway, XLIII. "And all about her altar scattered lay Great sorts of Lovers piteously complayning, Amongst the rest some one, through Loves constrayning But thus brake forth, that all the Temple it did fill; XLIV. "Great Venus! queene of Beautie and of Grace, 'The raging seas, and makst the stormes to flie; Thee, goddesse, thee the winds, the clouds doe feare; And, when thou spredst thy mantle forth on hie, The waters play, and pleasant lands appeare, 'And heavens laugh, and al the world shews ioyous cheare: XLV. "Then doth the dædale earth throw forth to thee ́ Out of her fruitfull lap aboundant flowres; ' And then all living wights, soone as they see "The Spring breake forth out of his lusty bowres, They all doe learne to play the paramours : 6 First doe the merry birds, thy prety pages, 'Privily pricked with thy lustfull powres, Chirpe loud to thee out of their leavy cages, And thee their mother call to coole their kindly rages. XLVI. "Then doe the salvage beasts begin to play 'Their pleasant friskes, and loath their wonted food: The lyons rore; the tygers loudly bray; 'The raging buls rebellow through the wood, 'And breaking forth dare tempt the deepest flood 'To come where thou doest draw them with desire: 'So all things else, that nourish vitall blood, 'Soone as with fury thou doest them inspire, 'In generation seeke to quench their inward fire. 66 6 XLVII. So all the world by thee at first was made, 'Great god of men and women, queene of th' ayre, O graunt that of my Love at last I may not misse!' |