Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/79

 And forbicause she nothing saw that might provoke to weepe, It was a corsie to hir heart hir hatefull teares to keepe. Now when she came within the Court, she went without delay Directly to the lodgings where King Cecrops daughters lay, There did she as Minerva bad. She laide hir scurvie fist Besmerde with venim and with filth upon Aglauros brist, The whiche she filde with hooked thornes: and breathing on hir face Did shead the poyson in hir bones: which spred it selfe apace, As blacke as ever virgin pitch through Lungs and Lights and all. And to th'intent that cause of griefe abundantly should fall, She placed ay before hir eyes hir sisters happie chaunce In being wedded to the God, and made the God to glaunce Continually in heavenly shape before hir wounded thought. And all these things she painted out, which in conclusion wrought Such corsies in Aglauros brest that sighing day and night She gnawde and fretted in hir selfe for very cancred spight. And like a wretche she wastes hir selfe with restlesse care and pine Like as the yse whereon the Sunne with glimering light doth shine. Hir sister Herses good successe doth make hir heart to yerne, In case as when that fire is put to greenefeld wood or fearne Whych giveth neyther light nor heate, but smulders quite away: Sometime she minded to hir Sire hir sister to bewray, Who (well she knew) would yll abide so lewde a part to play. And oft she thought with wilfull hande to brust hir fatall threede, Bicause she woulde not see the thing that made hir heart to bleede. At last she sate hir in the doore and leaned to a post To let the God from entring in. To whome now having lost Much talke and gentle wordes in vayne, she said: Sir, leave I pray For hence I will not (be you sure) onlesse you go away. I take thee at thy word (quoth he) and therewithall he pusht His rod against the barred doore, and wide it open rusht. She making proffer for to rise, did feele so great a waight Through all hir limmes, that for hir life she could not stretch hir straight. She strove to set hirself upright: but striving booted not. Hir hamstrings and hir knees were stiffe, a chilling colde had got In at hir nayles, through all hir limmes. And eke hir veynes began For want of bloud and lively heate, to waxe both pale and wan.