Against the Ielous heads that alwayes haue Louers in suspect

WHen Ielous Iuno saw hir mightie Make
Had Iö turnde into a brutish kinde
More couertly of hir his lust to take:
To work hir will & all his frawd to finde
She craude the Cowe in gift at Ioue his hande,
Who could not well his Sisters sute withstande.
When yéelded was hir boone and Hest fulfillde
To Argus charge committed was the Cowe,
For he could wake so well, him Iuno willde
To watch the Beast with neuer sléeping browe:
With hundreth eies that hatefull Hierds hed
Was deckt, som watcht whē som to sléepe were led.
So warded he by day, so wakte by night
And did Dame Iunos will accomplish so,
As neither Ioue might once delude his sight,
Nor Iö part hir pointed pasture fro:
His staring eies on Iö still were bent,
He markt hir march, and sude hir as she went.
Till Ioue at length to ruth and pittie mooude
To sée the spitefull hate that Argus bare
To hir, whome he so feruently had looude
And who for him abode such endlesse care:
His fethred Sonne Cylenus sent from Skies
To reaue the carefull Clowne his watchfull eies.
Who to fulfill his Lorde and Fathers Hest
Tooke charmed Rod in hande and Pipe to playe,
And gyrt him with a sworde as lykte him best
And to the fielde he flue where Argus laye
Disguised like a shepherd in his wéede
That he his purpose might the better spéede.
When eche had other salued in his sort,
To brag vpon his Pipe the Clowne begoon,
And sayde, that for that noyse and gallant sport
All other mirthes and maygames he would shoon,
His only ioy was on his Pipe to playe:
And then to blow the Rustick did assaye.
In fine when Argus had his cunning showde,
And eche to other chatted had a space
Of this and that as was befalne abrode,
Mercurius tooke his Pipe from out his cafe
And thereon playde hée so passing well,
As most of Argus eies to slumber fell.
And as they slept with charmed Rod he stroke
The drowsie Dolt to kéepe him in that plight,
And playde so long till time he did prouoke
All Argus eies to byd the beast God night:
Whome when he sawe in such a slumber led,
He stole the Cowe, and swapt of Argus hed.
Such was the fine of his dispitous hate,
Such was the boone and guerdon of his hire,
And all the good the carefull Coward gate
For seeking to debarre the Gods desire:
A fit reward for such a good desart,
The Cowarde might haue playde a wiser part.
God sende the lyke and worse to such as vse
(As Argus did) with euer waking eie
The blamelesse sort of Louers to abuse,
That alwayes readie are and prest to prie
The purpose to bewray and couert toyes
Of faithfull friends, and barre their blissefull ioyes.
I trust there will be found in time of néede
A Mercurie with charmed Twig in hand
And pleasaunt Pipe, their waking eies to féede
With drowste dumps, their purpose to withstand:
That iealous heads may learne to be wies
For feare they lose (as Argus did) their eies
For Cupid takes disdaine and scorne to sée
His Thralls abusde in such vnséemely sort,
Who séeke no gréedie gaine nor filthie fée,
But pleasant play, and Venus sugred sport:
A slender hire (God wote) to quite the paine
That Louers bide, or they their loue attaine.