Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/193

 And where the fire had from the pan the scumming cast, or where The scalding drops did fall, the ground did springlike florish there, And flowres with fodder fine and soft immediatly arose. Which when Medea did behold, with naked knife she goes And cuttes the olde mans throte: and letting all his old bloud go Supplies it with the boyled juice: the which when Aeson tho Had at his mouth or at his wounde receyved in, his heare As well of head as beard from gray to coleblacke turned were. His leane, pale, hore, and withered corse grew fulsome, faire and fresh: His furrowed wrincles were fulfilde with yong and lustie flesh. His limmes waxt frolicke, baine and lithe: at which he wondring much, Remembred that at fortie yeares he was the same or such. And as from dull unwieldsome age to youth he backward drew: Even so a lively youthfull spright did in his heart renew. The wonder of this monstrous act had Bacchus seene from hie, And finding that to youthfull yeares his Nurses might thereby Restored bee, did at hir hand receive it as a gift. And lest deceitfull guile should cease, Medea found a shift To feyne that Jason and hir selfe were falne at oddes in wroth: And thereupon in humble wise to Pelias Court she goth. Where forbicause the King himselfe was feebled sore with age, His daughters entertainde hir, whome Medea, being sage, Within a while through false pretence of feyned friendship brought To take hir baite. For as she tolde what pleasures she had wrought For Jason, and among the rest as greatest sadly tolde How she had made his father yong that withred was and olde, And taried long upon that point: they hoped glad and faine That their olde father might likewise his youthful yeares regaine. And this they craving instantly did proffer for hir paine What recompence she would desire. She helde hir peace a while As though she doubted what to doe: and with hir suttle guile Of counterfetted gravitie more eger did them make. As soone as she had promisde them to doe it for their sake, For more assurance of my graunt, your selves (quoth she) shall see The oldest Ram in all your flocke a Lambe streight made to bee By force of my confections strong. Immediatly a Ram So olde that no man thereabouts remembred him a Lam