Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/289

 Howbeeit nought at all dismayd with theis mennes lucklesse cace He stepped foorth, and looking full uppon the maydens face, Sayd: Wherfore doost thou seeke renowne in vanquisshing of such As were but dastards? Cope with mee. If fortune bee so much My freend to give mee victorie, thou needest not hold scorne To yeeld to such a noble man as I am. I am borne The sonne of noble Megaree, Onchestyes sonne, and hee Was sonne to Neptune. Thus am I great graundchyld by degree In ryght descent, of him that rules the waters. Neyther doo I out of kynd degenerate from vertue meete therto, Or if my fortune bee so hard as vanquisht for to bee, Thou shalt obteine a famous name by overcomming mee. In saying thus, Atlanta cast a gentle looke on him: And dowting whither shee rather had to lose the day or win, Sayd thus: What God, an enmy to the beawtyfull, is bent To bring this person to his end, and therefore hath him sent To seeke a wyfe with hazard of his lyfe? If I should bee Myselfe the judge in this behalfe, there is not sure in mee That dooth deserve so deerely to bee earned. Neyther dooth His beawty moove my hart at all. Yit is it such in sooth As well might moove mee. But bycause as yit a chyld he is, His person mooves mee not so much as dooth his age Iwis. Beesydes that manhod is in him, and mynd unfrayd of death: Beesydes that of the watrye race from Neptune as he seth He is the fowrth: beesydes that he dooth love mee, and dooth make So great accompt to win mee to his wyfe, that for my sake He is contented for to dye, if fortune bee so sore Ageinst him to denye him mee. Thou straunger hence therfore. Away, I say, now whyle thou mayst, and shonne my bloody bed. My mariage cruell is, and craves the losing of thy hed. There is no wench but that would such a husband gladly catch. And shee that wyse were myght desyre to meete with such a match. But why now after heading of so many, doo I care For thee? Looke thou to that. For sith so many men as are Alreadye put to slawghter can not warne thee to beeware, But that thou wilt bee weerye of thy lyfe, dye: doo not spare. And shall he perrish then bycause he sought to live with mee?