Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/190

 And gasping thrise she opte hir mouth: and bowing downe hir knee Upon the bare hard ground, she said: O trustie time of night Most faithfull unto privities, O golden starres whose light Doth jointly with the Moone succeede the beames that blaze by day And thou three headed Hecate who knowest best the way To compasse this our great attempt and art our chiefest stay: Ye Charmes and Witchcrafts, and thou Earth which both with herbe and weed Of mightie working furnishest the Wizardes at their neede: Ye Ayres and windes: ye Elves of Hilles, of Brookes, of Woods alone, Of standing Lakes, and of the Night approche ye everychone. Through helpe of whom (the crooked bankes much wondring at the thing) I have compelled streames to run cleane backward to their spring. By charmes I make the calme Seas rough, and make the rough Seas plaine, And cover all the Skie with Cloudes and chase them thence againe. By charmes I raise and lay the windes, and burst the Vipers jaw. And from the bowels of the Earth both stones and trees doe draw. Whole woods and Forestes I remove: I make the Mountaines shake, And even the Earth it selfe to grone and fearfully to quake. I call up dead men from their graves: and thee lightsome Moone I darken oft, though beaten brasse abate thy perill soone. Our Sorcerie dimmes the Morning faire, and darkes the Sun at Noone. The flaming breath of firie Bulles ye quenched for my sake And caused their unwieldie neckes the bended yoke to take. Among the Earthbred brothers you a mortall war did set And brought asleepe the Dragon fell whose eyes were never shet. By meanes whereof deceiving him that had the golden fleece In charge to keepe, you sent it thence by Jason into Greece. Now have I neede of herbes that can by vertue of their juice To flowring prime of lustie youth old withred age reduce. I am assurde ye will it graunt. For not in vaine have shone These twincling starres, ne yet in vaine this Chariot all alone By drought of Dragons hither comes. With that was fro the Skie A Chariot softly glaunced downe, and stayed hard thereby. As soone as she had gotten up, and with hir hand had coyd The Dragons reined neckes, and with their bridles somewhat toyd, They mounted with hir in the Ayre, whence looking downe she saw The pleasant Temp of Thessalie, and made hir Dragons draw