Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/336

 He wanted strength to maynteine flyght, he fell me to the ground, Through weakenesse of his wing. The shaft that sticked in the wound, By reason of the burthen of his bodye perst his syde, And at the leftsyde of his necke all bloodye foorth did glyde. Now tell mee, O thou beawtyfull Lord Amirall of the fleete Of Rhodes, if mee to speake the prayse of Hercle it bee meete. But lest that of my brothers deathes men think I doo desyre A further vendge than silence of the prowesse of thy syre, I love thee even with all my hart, and take thee for my freend. When Nestor of his pleasant tales had made this freendly end, They called for a boll of wyne, and from the table went, And all the resdew of the nyght in sleeping soundly spent. But Neptune like a father tooke the matter sore to hart That Cygnet to a Swan he was constreyned to convert. And hating feerce Achilles, he did wreake his cruell teene Uppon him more uncourteously than had beseeming beene. For when the warres well neere full twyce fyve yeeres had lasted, hee Unshorne Apollo thus bespake: O nevew, unto mee Most deere of all my brothers impes, who helpedst mee to lay Foundation of the walles of Troy for which we had no pay, And canst thou syghes forbeare to see the Asian Empyre fall? And dooth it not lament thy hart when thou to mynd doost call So many thousand people slayne in keeping Ilion wall? Or (too th'entent particlerly I doo not speake of all) Remembrest thou not Hectors Ghost whoo harryed was about His towne of Troy? where nerethelesse Achilles that same stout And farre in fyght more butcherly, whoo stryves with all his myght To stroy the woorke of mee and thee, lives still in healthfull plyght? If ever hee doo come within my daunger he shall feele What force is in my tryple mace. But sith with swoord of steele I may not meete him as my fo, I pray thee unbeeware Go kill him with a sodeine shaft and rid mee of my care. Apollo did consent: as well his uncle for to please, As also for a pryvate grudge himself had for to ease. And in a clowd he downe among the host of Troy did slyde, Where Paris dribbling out his shaftes among the Greekes hee spyde: And telling him what God he was, sayd: Wherfore doost thou waast