Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/123

 He shewes inough and overmuch the force of furious wrath By Pentheys death: why should not Ine be taught to tread the path The which hir sisters heretofore and kinred troden hath? There is a steepe and irksome way obscure with shadow fell Of balefull yewgh, all sad and still, that leadeth downe to hell. The foggie Styx doth breath up mistes: and downe this way doe wave The ghostes of persons lately dead and buried in the grave. Continuall colde and gastly feare possesse this queachie plot On eyther side: the siely Ghost new parted knoweth not The way that doth directly leade him to the Stygian Citie Or where blacke Pluto keepes his Court that never sheweth pitie. A thousand wayes, a thousand gates that alwayes open stand, This Citie hath: and as the Sea the streames of all the lande Doth swallow in his gredie gulfe, and yet is never full: Even so that place devoureth still and hideth in his gull The soules and ghostes of all the world: and though that nere so many Come thither, yet the place is voyd as if there were not any. The ghostes without flesh, bloud, or bones, there wander to and fro, Of which some haunt the judgement place: and other come and go To Plutos Court: and some frequent the former trades and Artes The which they used in their life: and some abide the smartes And torments for their wickednesse and other yll desartes. So cruell hate and spightfull wrath did boyle in Junos brest, That in the high and noble Court of Heaven she coulde not rest: But that she needes must hither come: whose feet no sooner toucht The thresholde, but it gan to quake. And Cerberus erst coucht Start sternely up with three fell heades which barked all togither. She callde the daughters of the night, the cruell furies, thither: They sate a kembing foule blacke Snakes from off their filthie heare Before the dungeon doore, the place where Caitives punisht were, The which was made of Adamant. When in the darke in part They knew Queene Juno, by and by upon their feete they start. There Titius stretched out (at least) nine acres full in length, Did with his bowels feede a Grype that tare them out by strength. The water fled from Tantalus that toucht his neather lip, And Apples hanging over him did ever from him slip. There also laborde Sisyphus that drave against the hill