Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/144

 So long till Persey for to shewe the truth apparantly, Desiring such as were his friendes to turne away their eye, Drue out Medusas ougly head. At sight whereof anon The hatefull Tyran Polydect was turned to a stone. The Goddesse Pallas all this while did keepe continually Hir brother Persey companie, till now that she did stie From Seriph in a hollow cloud, and leaving on the right The Iles of Scyre and Gyaros, she made from thence hir flight Directly over that same Sea as neare as eye could ame To Thebe and Mount Helicon, and when she thither came, She stayde hir selfe, and thus bespake the learned sisters nine: A rumor of an uncouth spring did pierce these eares of mine The which the winged stede shouldmake by stamping with his hoofe. This is the cause of my repaire: I would for certaine proofe Be glad to see the wondrous thing. For present there I stoode And saw the selfesame Pegasus spring of his mothers blood. Dame Uranie did entertaine and aunswere Pallas thus: What cause so ever moves your grace to come and visit us, Most heartely you welcome are: and certaine is the fame Of this our Spring, that Pegasus was causer of the same. And with that worde she led hir forth to see the sacred spring. Who musing greatly with hir selfe at straungenesse of the thing, Surveyde the Woodes and groves about of auncient stately port. And when she saw the Bowres to which the Muses did resort, And pleasant fields beclad with herbes of sundrie hew and sort, She said that for their studies sake they were in happie cace And also that to serve their turne they had so trim a place. Then one of them replied thus: O noble Ladie who (But that your vertue greater workes than these are calles you to) Should else have bene of this our troupe, your saying is full true. To this our trade of life and place is commendation due. And sure we have a luckie lot and if the world were such As that we might in safetie live, but lewdnesse reignes so much That all things make us Maides afraide. Me thinkes I yet do see The wicked Tyran Pyren still: my heart is yet scarce free From that same feare with which it hapt us flighted for to bee. This cruell Pyren was of Thrace and with his men of war