Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/68

 She raught hir by the foretop fast and fiercely threw hir flat Against the grounde. The wretched wench hir armes up mekely cast, Hir armes began with griesly haire to waxe all rugged fast. Hir handes gan warpe and into pawes ylfavordly to grow, And for to serve in stede of feete. The lippes that late ago Did like the mightie Jove so well, with side and flaring flaps Became a wide deformed mouth. And further lest perhaps Hir prayers and hir humble wordes might cause hir to relent: She did bereve hir of hir speach. In steade whereof there went An yreful, horce, and dreadfull voyce out from a threatning throte: But yet the selfesame minde that was before she turnde hir cote, Was in hir still in shape of Beare. The griefe whereof she showes By thrusting forth continuall sighes, and up she gastly throwes Such kinde of handes as then remainde unto the starrie Skie. And forbicause she could not speake she thought Jove inwardly To be unthankfull. Oh how oft she daring not abide Alone among the desert woods, full many a time and tide Would stalke before hir house in grounds that were hir owne erewhile? How oft oh did she in the hilles the barking houndes beguile And in the lawndes where she hir selfe had chased erst hir game, Now flie hirselfe to save hir life when hunters sought the same? Full oft at sight of other beastes she hid hir head for feare, Forgetting what she was hir selfe. For though she were a Beare, Yet when she spied other Beares she quooke for verie paine: And feared Wolves although hir Sire among them did remaine. Beholde Lycaons daughters sonne that Archas had to name About the age of fiftene yeares within the forrest came Of Erymanth, not knowing ought of this his mothers case. There after pitching of his toyles, as he the stagges did chase, Upon his mother sodenly it was his chaunce to light, Who for desire to see hir sonne did stay hirselfe from flight. And wistly on him cast hir looke as one that did him know. But he not knowing what she was began his heeles to show. And when he saw hir still persist in staring on his face, He was afrayde, and from hir sight withdrew himselfe apace, But when he coulde not so be rid, he tooke an armed pike, In full intent hir through the heart with deadly wound to strike.