VENUS

It is no less unseemly then unwholesome for Venus, who is most honoured in Princes courts, to so iourne with Vulcan in a smith's forge, where bellows blow in steed of sighs, dark smokes rise for sweet per fumes, & for the panting of loving hearts, is only herd the beating of steeled would ̄ mers. Unhappy Venus, y to carrying fire in thine own breast, thou shouldst dwell with fire in his forge. What does Vulcan all day but endeavour to be as crabbed in manners, as he is crooked in body? driving nails, when he should give kisses, and hammering hard armours, when he should sing sweet Amors. It came by lot, not love, that I was linked with him. He gives thee bolts, Cupid, in steed of arrows, fearing belike (jealous fool that he is) that if he should give thee and arrow head he should make himself a broad head. But come, we will to Syracyse, where thy deity shall be shown, and my dis dame. I will yoke the neck, that yet never bowed, at which, if Jove repine, Jove shall repent. Sapho shall know, be she never so fair, that there is a Venus, which can continued ̄ quer, were she never so fortunate. Strike thou Sapho, let Jove devise what shape he can. Peevish boy, can mortal creatures resist that, which the immortal Gods cannotredresse? And she amiable, & therefore must be pear said. Draw thine arrow to the head, else I will make thee repent it at the heart. Come away and behold the ferry boy ready to conduct us. Pretty youth, de you keep the ferry that bendeth to Syracyse? I fear if the water should begin to swell thou wilt want cunning to guide. To pass the time in thy boat, canst thou de vise any pastime? I Like not fishing: yet was I born of the sea. It was not with and angle, my boy, but with a net. Didst thou hear so? It was some tale. It is not for a ferry man to talk of the Gods loves: but to tell how thy father could dig, and thy more there spin. But come, let us away. Is not your name Phao? So passing fair, Oh fair Phao, Oh sweet Phao: what wilt thou do for Venus? Cupid shall teach thee to shoot, & I will instruct thee to dissemble. Why my boy. Thou heardest that of a man. But truth is a she, and so always painted. Well, farewell for this time; for I must visit Sa pho. Sapho, I have herd thy complaints, and pit tied thine agonies. Cupid took a wrong shaft. Be not dismayed, Phao shall yield. Well, I will work for thee. Farewell. Cupid, what haste thou done put thine arrows in Phaoes eyes, and wounded thy mother's heart? Oh Venus, un happy Venus, who in bestowing a benefit upon a man, haste brought a bane unto a God desk. What perplexities dost thou feel? Oh fair Phao, and therefore made fair to breed in me a frenzy? Oh would that when I gave thee golden locks to curl thy head, I had shackled thee with iron locks on thy feet. And when I nursed thee Sapho with lettice, would it had turned to hemlock, Have I brought a smooth skin over thy face to make a rough scar in my heart? and given thee a fresh colour Like the damask rose, to make mine pale Like the stained Turkey. Oh Cupid, thy flames with Psyches were but sparks, and my desires with Ado nis but dreams, in respect of these unacquainted tor mentes. Laugh Juno, Venus is in love, but Juno shall not see with whom, least she be in love. Venus belike is be come stale. Sapho forsooth because she hath many for tues, therefore she must have all the favours. Venus wax eth old: and then she was a pretty wench, when Juno was a young wife, now crows foot is on her eye, and the black ox hath troad on her foot. But were Sapho ne ver so virtuous, does she think to contend with Venus to be as amorous? Yield Phao, but yield to me Phao, I entreat where I may command, command thou, where thou shouldst entreat. In this case Cupid what is thy cou ̄ fell, Venus must both play the lover & the dis sembler, & therefore the dissembler, because the Lover. To what end? I will follow thy counsel. For Venus, though she be in her latter age for years: yet is she in her Non age for affections. When Venus ceases to love, let love cease to rule. But come, let us to Vulcan. Come Cupid, Vulcan's flames must quench We nus fires. Vulcan? Venus. Come sweet Vulcan, thou knowest how sweet thou hast found Venus, who being, of all the gooddesses the most fair, hath chosen thee of all the Gods the most foul, thou must needs then confess I was most loving. Inquire not the cause of my suit by questions: but pre vent the effects by curtifie. Make me six arrow heads: it is given thee of the Gods by permission to frame them to any purpose, I shall request them by prayer. Why low rest thou Vulcan? wilt thou have a kiss: hold up thy head. Venus hath young thoughts, and fresh affections. Roots have strings, when boughs have no leaves. But Harken in thine ear Vulcan: how sayest thou? Gramercy sweet Vulcan: to your work. Vulcan, now you have done with your forge, let us alone with the fancy: you are as the Flet cher, not the Archer, to meddle with the arrow, not the aim. Be not angry Vulcan, I will love thee a gain, when I have either business, or nothing else to do. Come Cupid, receive with thy father's instru ments, thy mother's instructions: for thou must be wise in conceit, if thou wilt be fortunate in execution. This arrow is feathered with the wings of Aegitus, which ne ver sleepeth for fear of his hen: the head touched with the stone Perillus, which causeth mistrust and jealousy. Shoot this, Cupid, at men that have fair wives, which will make them rub the brows, when they swell in the brains. This shaft is headed with Lidian steel, which striketh a deep disdain of y to which we most desire, y e fea the are of Turtel, but dipped in the blood of a Tigress, draw this up close to the head at Sapho, that she may de spise, where now she dotes. Good my boy, gall her on the side, that for Phaos love she may never sigh. This arrow is feathered with the Phoenix wing, and headed with the Eagles bill, it makes me ̄ passionate in desires, in love constant, and wise in conueiaunce, melting as it were their fancies into faith: this arrow, sweet child, and with as great aim as thou canst, must Phao be stri ken withal, and cry softly to thy self in the very lose, Venus. Sweet Cupid mistake me not, I will make a quiver for that by it self. The fourth hath feathers of the Pea cock, but glued with the gum of the Myrtle tree, hea dead with fine gold, and fastened with brittle Chrysocoll: this shoot at dainty and coy Ladies, at amiable and young Nymphs, choose no other white but women: for this will work liking in their minds, but not love of fabilitie in speech, but no faith, courtly favours, to be Mistress's over many, but constant to none: sighs to be fetched from the longes, not the heart, and tears to be wrong out with their fingers, not their eyes, secret laughing at men's pale looks and neat attire, open re ioycinge at their own comeliness and men's courting. Shoot this arrow among the thickest of them, whose bosoms lie open, because they would be stricken with it. And seeing men term women Jupiters fools, woe men shall make men Venus fools. This shaft is lead in the head, and whose feathers are of the night Raven, a deadly and poisoned shaft, which breeds hate only against those which sue for love. Take heed Cupid thou hit not Phao with this shaft: for then shall Venus pe rishe. This last is and old arrow, but newly mended, the arrow which hit both Sapho and Phao, working only in mean minds and aspiring to superiors, & in high estates a stooping to inferiors: with this Cupid I am galled my self, till thou have galled Phao with the oh there. I meruale Cupid comes not all this while. How now, in Saphoes lap? Sir boy, come hither? What now? will you not? hath Sapho made you so saucy? Unhappy wag, what hast thou done? I will make thee repent it every vain in thy heart. What have we here? you the Goddess of Love? and you her son, Cupid? I will tame that proud heart, else shall the Gods say, they are not Venus friends. And as for you, fit boy, I will teach you how to run away: you shall be stripped from top to toe, and whipped with nettles, not roses. I will set you to blow Vulcan's coals, not to bear Venus quiver, I will handle you for this gear: well, I say no more. But as for the new Mistress of love, or Lady, I cry you mercy, I think you would be called a Goddess, you shall know what it is to usurp the name of Venus. I will pull those plumes, and cause you to cast your eyes on your feet, not your feathers: your soft hair will I turn to harden bristles, your tongue to a sting, and those alluring eyes to vnluckynes, in which if the Gods aid me not, I will curse the Gods. Will you? why then we shall have pretty Gods in heaven, when you take Gods prisoners on earth. Be before I sleep you shall both repent, and find what it is but to think unreverently of Venus. Come Cupid, she knows not how to use thee, come with me, you know what I have for you: will you not? Well, I will be even with you both, & that short lie, Go, loiter not, nor mistake your shaft. Now Venus, hast thou played a cunning part, though not cur rant. But why should Venus dispute of unlawfulness in love, or faith in affection? being both the Goddess of love and affection? knowing there is as little truth to be used in love, as there is reason. No, sweet Phao, We nus will obtain because she is venus. Not thou Jove with thu ̄ der in thy hand, shalt take him out of my hands. I have new arrows now for my boy, and fresh flames, at which the Gods shall tremble, if they begin to trou ble me. But I will expect the event, and tarry for Cupid at the forge