Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/378

 That tasted of the selfsame sawce, they shet mee in a Stye. From this missehappe Eurilochus alonly scapte. For why He only would not taste the cup, which had he not fled fro, He should have beene a bristled beast as well as we. And so Should none have borne Ulysses woorde of our mischaunce, nor hee Have come to Circe to revenge our harmes and set us free. The peaceprocurer Mercurie had given to him a whyght Fayre flowre whoose roote is black, and of the Goddes it Moly hyght Assurde by this and heavenly hestes, he entred Circes bowre. And beeing bidden for to drink the cup of baleful powre, As Circe was about to stroke her wand uppon his heare, He thrust her backe, and put her with his naked swoord in feare. Then fell they to agreement streyght, and fayth in hand was plyght. And beeing made her bedfellowe, he claymed as in ryght Of dowrye, for to have his men ageine in perfect plyght. Shee sprincled us with better jewce of uncowth herbes, and strake The awk end of her charmed rod uppon our heades, and spake Woordes to the former contrarie. The more shee charmd, the more Arose wee upward from the ground on which wee daarde before. Our bristles fell away, the clift our cloven clees forsooke. Our shoulders did returne agein: and next our elbowes tooke Our armes and handes theyr former place. Then weeping wee enbrace Our Lord, and hing about his necke whoo also wept apace. And not a woord wee rather spake than such as myght appeere From harts most thankfull to proceede. Wee taryed theyr a yeere. I in that whyle sawe many things, and many things did heere. I marked also this one thing with store of other geere Which one of Circes fowre cheef maydes (whoose office was alway Uppon such hallowes to attend) did secretly bewray To mee. For in the whyle my Lord with Circe kept alone, This mayd a yoongmannes image sheawd of fayre whyght marble stone Within a Chauncell. On the head therof were garlonds store And eeke a woodspecke. And as I demaunded her wherfore And whoo it was they honord so in holy Church, and why He bare that bird uppon his head: shee answeering by and by Sayd: Lerne hereby, sir Macare, to understand the powre My lady hathe, and marke thou well what I shall say this howre.