MERCURY

STay, Stay. Stay light foot Iris, for thou strivest in vain, My wings are nimbler then thy feet. Stay foolish Maid, Or I will take my rise upon a hill, When I perceive thee seated in a cloud, In all the painted glory that thou hast, And never cease to clap my willing wings, Till I catch hold of thy discoloured Bow, And shiver it beyond the angry power Of your cursed Mistress, to make up again. Nay you must stay, Jove's message is the same, Whose eyes are lightning, and whose voice is thunder, Whose breath is any wind, he will, who knows How to be first on earth as well as heaven. Alas, when ever offered he abridge Your Ladies power, but only now in these, Whose match concerns his general government? Hath not each God a partly in these high joys? And shall not he the King of gods presume Without proud Juno's licence? let her know That when enamored Jove first gave her power To link soft hearts in Undissolved bonds, He then foresaw, and to himself reserved The honour of this Marriage: thou shalt stand Still as a Rock, while I to bless this feast Will summon up with my all charming rod, The Nymphs of fountains, from whose watery locks Hung with the Due of blessing and increase, The greedy Rivers take their nourishment. You Nymphs, who bathing in your loved springs, Beheld these Rivers in their infancy, And joyed to see them, when their circled heads Refresht' the air, and spread the ground with flowers: Rise from your Wells, and with your nimble feet Perform that office to this happy pair; Which in these plains, you to Alpheus did; When passing hence through many seas unmix, He gained the favour of his Arethusa. Presumptuous Iris, I could make thee dance Till thou forgott'st thy Ladies messages, And rannest back crying to her, thou shalt know My power is more, only my breath, and this Shall move fixed stars, and force the firmament To yield the Hyades, who govern showers, And dewic clouds, in whose dispersed drops Thou formest the shape of thy deceitful Bow. You maids, who yearly at appointed times, Advance with kindly tears, the gentle floods, Descend, and pour your blessing on these streams, Which rolling down from heaven aspiring hills, And now united in the fruitful vales; Bear all before them ravished with their joy, And swell in glory till they know no bounds. Alas poor Iris, Venus hath in store A secret Ambush of her winged boys, Who lurking long within these pleasant groves; First struck these Lovers with their equal darts, Those Cupid's shall come forth, and join with these, To honour that which they themselves begun. ANd what will Juno's Iris do for her? IRis we strive, Like winds at liberty, who should do worst Ere we return. If Juno be the Queen Of Marriage, let her give happy way To what is done, in honour of the State She governs. Then know that from the mouth of Jove himself, Whose words have wings, and needs not to be born; I took a message, and I bore it through A thousand yielding clouds, and never stayed Till his high will was done: the Olympian games Which long have slept, at these wished Nuptials, He pleased to have renewed and all his Knights Are gathered hither, who within their tents Rest on this hill, upon whose rising head. Behold Jove's Altar, and his blessed Priests Moving about it: come you holy men, And with your voices draw these youths along, That till Jove's music call them to their games, Their active sports may give a blessed content To those, for whom they are again begun.