Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/388

 Of Tyber left that name thereto. This Tyberine begat Feerce Remulus and Acrota. By chaunce it hapned that The elder brother Remulus for counterfetting oft The thunder, with a thunderbolt was killed from aloft. From Acrota whoose stayednesse did passe his brothers skill, The crowne did come to Aventine, whoo in the selfsame hill In which he reygned buryed lyes, and left therto his name. The rule of nation Palatine at length to Proca came. In this Kings reigne Pomona livd. There was not to bee found Among the woodnymphes any one in all the Latian ground That was so conning for to keepe an Ortyard as was shee, Nor none so paynefull to preserve the frute of every tree. And theruppon shee had her name. Shee past not for the woodes Nor rivers, but the villages and boughes that bare bothe buddes And plentuous frute. In sted of dart a shredding hooke shee bare, With which the overlusty boughes shee eft away did pare That spreaded out too farre, and eft did make therwith a rift To greffe another imp uppon the stocke within the clift. And lest her trees should die through drought, with water of the springs Shee moysteth of theyr sucking roots the little crumpled strings. This was her love and whole delyght. And as for Venus deedes, Shee had no mynd at all of them. And forbycause shee dreedes Enforcement by the countrye folke, shee walld her yards about, Not suffring any man at all to enter in or out. What have not those same nimble laddes so apt to frisk and daunce The Satyrs doone? Or what the Pannes that wantonly doo praunce With horned forheads? And the old Silenus whoo is ay More youthfull than his yeeres? And eeke the feend that scares away The theeves and robbers with his hooke, or with his privy part To winne her love? But yit than theis a farre more constant hart Had sly Vertumnus, though he sped no better than the rest. O Lord, how often being in a moawers garment drest, Bare he in bundells sheaves of come? And when he so was dyght, He was the verry patterne of a harvest moawer ryght. Oft bynding newmade hay about his temples he myght seeme A haymaker. Oft tymes in hand made hard with woork extreeme He bare a goade, that men would sweere he had but newly then