Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/239

 Thou wart a fyre. No lesser power than also thus to doo Had Erisicthons daughter whom Awtolychus tooke to wyfe. Her father was a person that despysed all his lyfe The powre of Gods, and never did vouchsauf them sacrifyse. He also is reported to have heawen in wicked wyse The grove of Ceres, and to fell her holy woods which ay Had undiminisht and unhackt continewed to that day. There stood in it a warrie Oke which was a wood alone. Uppon it round hung fillets, crownes, and tables, many one, The vowes of such as had obteynd theyr hearts desyre. Full oft The Woodnymphes underneath this tree did fetch theyr frisks aloft And oftentymes with hand in hand they daunced in a round About the Trunk, whose bignesse was of timber good and sound Full fifteene fadom. All the trees within the wood besyde, Were unto this, as weedes to them: so farre it did them hyde. Yit could not this move Triops sonne his axe therefro to hold, But bade his servants cut it downe. And when he did behold Them stunting at his hest, he snatcht an axe with furious mood From one of them, and wickedly sayd thus: Although thys wood Not only were the derling of the Goddesse, but also The Goddesse even herself: yet would I make it ere I go To kisse the clowers with her top that pranks with braunches so. This spoken, as he sweakt his axe asyde to fetch his blow, The manast Oke did quake and sygh, the Acornes that did grow Thereon togither with the leaves to wex full pale began, And shrinking in for feare the boughes and braunches looked wan. As soone as that his cursed hand had wounded once the tree, The blood came spinning from the carf, as freshly as yee see It issue from a Bullocks necke whose throte is newly cut Before the Altar, when his flesh to sacrifyse is put. They were amazed everychone. And one among them all To let the wicked act, durst from the tree his hatchet call. The lewd Thessalian facing him sayd: Take thou heere to thee The guerdon of thy godlynesse, and turning from the tree, He chopped off the fellowes head. Which done, he went agen And heawed on the Oke. Streight from amid the tree as then There issued such a sound as this: Within this tree dwell I