Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/59

 Which when the horses felt lie lose upon their sweating backe, At rovers straight throughout the Ayre by wayes unknowne they ran Whereas they never came before since that the worlde began. For looke what way their lawlesse rage by chaunce and fortune drue Without controlment or restraint that way they freely flue Among the starres that fixed are within the firmament They snatcht the Chariot here and there. One while they coursing went Upon the top of all the skie: anon againe full round They troll me downe to lower wayes and nearer to the ground, So that the Moone was in a Maze to see hir brothers Waine Run under hirs: the singed cloudes began to smoke amaine. Eche ground the higher that it was and nearer to the Skie The sooner was it set on fire, and made therewith so drie That every where it gan to chinke. The Medes and Pastures greene Did seare away: and with the leaves, the trees were burned cleene. The parched corne did yeelde wherewith to worke his owne decaie. Tushe, these are trifles. Mightie townes did perish that same daie. Whose countries with their folke were burnt: and forests ful of wood Were turnde to ashes with the rocks and mountains where they stood. Then Athe, Cilician, Taure and Tmole and Oeta flamed hie, And Ide erst full of flowing springs was then made utter drie. The learned virgins daily haunt, the sacred Helicon, And Thracian Hemus (not as yet surnamde Oeagrion,) Did smoke both twaine: and Aetna hote of nature aye before, Encreast by force of Phebus flame now raged ten times more. The forkt Parnasus, Eryx, Cynth, and Othrys then did swelt And all the snow of Rhodope did at that present melt. The like outrage Mount Dindymus, and Mime and Micale felt. Cytheron borne to sacred use with Osse, and Pindus hie And Olymp greater than them both did burne excessively. The passing colde that Scithie had defended not the same But that the barren Caucasus was partner of this flame. And so were eke the Airie Alpes and Appennyne beside, For all the Cloudes continually their snowie tops doe hide. Then wheresoever Phaeton did chaunce to cast his vew, The world was all on flaming fire. The breath the which he drew, Came smoking from his scalding mouth as from a seething pot.