Page:Metamorphoses (Ovid, 1567).djvu/84

 Where courbde about with peble stone in likenesse of a bow There was a spring with silver streames that forth thereof did flow. Here lurked in his lowring den God Mars his griesly Snake With golden scales and firie eyes beswolne with poyson blake. Three spirting tongues, three rowes of teeth within his head did sticke. No sooner had the Tirian folke set foote within this thicke And queachie plot, and deped downe their bucket in the well, But that to buscle in his den began this Serpent fell, And peering with a marble head right horribly to hisse. The Tirians let their pitchers slip for sodaine feare of this, And waxing pale as any clay, like folke amazde and flaight, Stoode trembling like an Aspen leafe. The specled serpent straight Commes trailing out in waving linkes, and knottie rolles of scales, And bending into bunchie boughts his bodie forth he hales. And lifting up above the wast himselfe unto the Skie, He overlooketh all the wood, as huge and big welnie As is the Snake that in the Heaven about the Nordren Pole Devides the Beares. He makes no stay but deales his dreadfull dole Among the Tirians. Whether they did take them to their tooles, Or to their heeles, or that their feare did make them stand like fooles, And helpe themselves by none of both, he snapt up some alive, And swept in others with his taile, and some he did deprive Of life with rankenesse of his breath, and other some againe He stings and poysons unto death till all at last were slaine. Now when the Sunne was at his heigth and shadowes waxed short, And Cadmus saw his companie make tarience in that sort, He marveld what should be their let, and went to seeke them out. His harnesse was a Lions skin that wrapped him about. His weapons were a long strong speare with head of yron tride, And eke a light and piercing Dart. And thereunto beside Worth all the weapons in the world a stout and valiant hart. When Cadmus came within the wood and saw about that part His men lie slaine upon the ground, and eke their cruell fo Of bodie huge stand over them, and licking with his blo And blasting tongue their sorie woundes: Well trustie friendes (quoth he) I eyther of your piteous deathes will streight revenger be, Or else will die my selfe therefore. With that he raughting fast