Book I, Chapter 2

THe Sunne had compast all the Signes, and Cybell brought to light
Her second breede, a smiling boy, and Iupiter he hight:
Together with the Queene of Gods (so Iunos stile we wright.)
The infant smiled at his birth: but Cybell, ioybereft,
And Vesta, whom Vranos had an heauy widow left,
Did both lament: for Saturne wild the new borne babe should die,
Both to acquite him of his vow, and frustrate Destinie.
For at the Oracle he had, his wife a sonne should beare,
That should e[…]ect him from his Realme: his vow therefore and feare
Did hasten on (vnwillingly) the slaughter of his sonne:
For which (his sorrowes granting speech) his moene he thus begonne.

And wāt not stately Crowns their cares? With pompe haue princes paine?
Ah, die he must, and die he shall, els may not Saturne raigne.
Yeat, might a Scepters want suffice, I gladly would resigne:
But sworne-by Stix and wreakfull Mars at periuries repine.
Then farre be it that they repine, least I too late repent:
It doubles sinne, if sinne by sinne we practise to preuent.
From this time foorth, Melancholie, for Surname Saturne had:
No mirth could wrest frō him a smile, ech smile would make him sad.
His seruants feare his solemne fittes, when if they ought did say,
He either answers not at all, or quite an other way.
Vnpeopled roomes and pathlesse wayes did fit his humour best:
And then he sighs and sheadeth teares when all things else did rest.
Who so could cite a Tragedie was formost in his creede,
For, balking pleasaunt company, on sorrowes did he feede.
Death likes him that mislikes himselfe: in gesture roabes and all
He shewes himselfe like to himselfe: and hence it doth befall
That men to Melancholy giuen, we Saturnists doe call.

His Wife and Sister kissing ost her Nephewe and her Sonne,
(For she his Aunt and Mother was) with Vesta seeke to shunne
The voted Fathers deadly doome: to kill so sweete a Childe
Their eyes and very soules abhorre: who (nothing so vnmilde)
Doe weeping kisse his laughing mouth, in minde the Babe to saue:
Howbeit feare of Saturnes wroth contrary counsell gaue.
But when in haste the Babe his heart was sent for by and by,
So Saturne wild, so Cybell must, and Vesta not de[…]e,
It was a woe to heare their woe and death to see them die.
Vnhollowed wretch, then Cybell sayd, in wombe why did I beare
This double Burthen? happy Twins, saue that my Twins they are.
So that my teeming with these throwes had ending well were I:
Or would I might not giue them life, that liuing foorth with die.
Thy Scepter (Saturne) is not worth Perfourmance of thy vow:
Thy conscience doth a scruple holde that Gods nor men allow.
Frō Gods, frō men, from brutish beasts, from nature nought doth grow,
But fosters what it bringeth soorth: thou onely doest not so.
Thy Sonnes alone for slaughters serue, and I mean while their mother
Am Saturnes Wife, lesse prowd of it then that he is my Brother.
Vnhappy Cybell borne to beare, and therefore borne to woe,
And fruitlesse fertill to a man that soweth not to mow.

Now teares had drowned further speech, till she as one bestrought
Did crie that with a knife the Babe should to her bed be brought:
My selfe (quoth she) will be his death, with whome my selfe will die:
For so may Saturne saue and shunne his vow and destinie.
But Vesta countermaunds her charge: yeat Saturnes will must stand,
For Ioue must die, or they not liue. A Damsell theare at hand
Was then enforced to that charge. Thrice toucht her knife his Skin,
But thrice his smiles did cause her teares: she fourthly did beginne,
And fourthly ended as before. Betide me death or life,
Liue still (at least for me) she sayd: and casting downe the knife,
She kist that sweete and prety mouth that laughed on her lippes:
And brings him back to Cybels bed. Her heart, reuiued, skippes,
Reuiewing life where reckned death had wrought repentant teares.

The Father fronted with a guile, at length the Damsell beares
The Infant vnto Oson Towne: and in her Ladies name,
Intreates Melissus Daughters twayne to nourish vp the same.
Vp to a Mountaine beare they him, and in a secret Caue
A Mountaine Goat did giue him milke, and so his life they saue.
His Nou[…]ses, sounding Simbals once to drowne the Infants crie,
A many Bees (the Muses birds) into the Caue did flie,
Where making Honie, Saturnes Sonne did long time liue thereby.