Book I, Chapter 5

AT home returne, Queene Iuno craues his companie at Creat,
Whom, there arriud, with hartlesse ioy his stepdame did intreat.
What? Hearest thou not my sonne (quoth she) how Argiue folke complaine
Of Lions three, that in their fieldes both men and heardes haue slaine?
All this she said, as knowing him to seeke such hard affaires:
To win him to which desperate fight no Course nor cost she spares.
When this was said, enough was said, and halfe was yet behinde
When Hercules did vow redresse, and Iuno had her minde.
He ioyes to heare of that exploit, such was his ventrous hart,
And thanking Iuno for her newes, did so from thence depart.

Philoctes now and Hercules in Nemea Forrest be,
Long seeking what they could not finde, till, crying from a tree,
An Heards-man said, friends shift away, or else come vp to me:
Least that those cruell Lions three now ranging in this wood,
Which haue deuourd those Heards I had, and with my Manies bloud
Imbrud their fierce deuouring chappes, and forced me to clime
This Tree, where I (vnhappie man) on leaues haue fed long time,
May, all too soone, with tearing teeth destroy you in like case.
The quaking Heards-man scarce had said thus much, when as a pace
From out a Thick the Lions three on Hercules did run.
Philoctes trustlesse of his Prowse, by climing did them shun,
And now the Rampant Lions great, whose onely view would quaile
An hundred Knights, though armed well, did Hercules assaile,
And sometimes with their churlish teeth and pinching pawes againe
So grieuously indanger him, that neere he faints with paine.
How beit (glorie checking griefe) he twaine had now dispatcht:
The third, and dreadfulst of the three, though many a blow he catcht,
Yet neither Club nor Sword had force to harme his hardned Hide,
Vntill that (weapons laid apart) by strangling hands he dide.

Not Hercules himselfe conceaud more ioy of this successe
Then did Philoctes, who ere while did hope of nothing lesse.
The Herds-man, poore Melorcus, like as Hercules him wild,
Vncaest the Lions, fearing long to touch them being kild:
And in his Cottage to the Knights a Countrey feast he hild.

The Argiues, hearing of this deed, with Triumphs him intreate,
And offer all: but leauing all he doth returne to Create:
Whom glozing Iuno, gainst her minde, with cost did intertaine,
And with a tongue repugnant quite to her malicious vaine
Commends his deeds, whē rather she did wish he had been slaine.
And therefore with an harder taske his labour did renew:
But what was it that manhood might, and he would not pursue?

IN Aegypt was a grieuous drought, the cause thereof vnknowen:
Which to redresse, their Diuelish Gods and Oracle had showen.
Doo offer vp strange bloud, they bid, and so auert our ire:
Busiris, prone before to bloud, had now his hearts desire.
No sooner Stranger toucht the shoare, but them the barbarous King
To frie in flames before his Gods for Sactifice doth bring.
Yea custome added worse to ill, his Subiect and his friend
(When Strangers misse) supplie the flames, his murthers had no end.
Howbeit, with these Butcheries the drought did still remaine:
For in Busiris was the bloud that should redeeme the raine.
The Gods did meane (which they not minde) that lewd Busiris he
An Alien borne, that Stranger was, who dead, no drought should be.
A Noble man of Iunos kin Busiris late had slaine,
For losse of whome the craftie Queene did often sorrowes faine.
Cease (Madame) saieth Hercules, not long the time shall be,
But I his tyrannie shall end, else it giue end to me.
Her sorrowes did not tith her ioy, when he had giuen consent
To vndertake that deathfull taske: for death was it she ment.

Now Hercules in Aegypt meetes Busiris and his Crew,
When sodainelie with maine assault on him the Giant flew:
Supposing to haue dealt with him, as he had done before
With other Strangers. Hercules alonely, and no more
To take his part, with skathfull stroakes bestird his Club so well,
In battering of the Tyrants bones, that strengthlesse downe he fell.
Then did he kill and chase away his lewd and cruell traine,
Till hearing of no further foe, he commeth backe againe,
And taketh vp the wretched King, that cryeth out for ayde:
And on the Altar, where himselfe had Strangers often layde,
Himselfe was made a Sacrifice: and as his blood did staine
The Altar, euen at that same time there fell a ioyfull raine.

With ended drought, and Tyrants death, a common ioy befell,
And all in Memphis entertaine the vnknowen Champion well:
From thence returning back to Thaebes he there a while did dwell,

KIng Creons Daughter Megara, at Thaebes he did espouse:
To coūtenāce their wedding feast did wāt nor knights, nor prowse.
Which triumphs ended, whē the knights should thence depart away,
Pirithous to his wedding bids them all, and names the day
Wherein to meete at Thessalie: to which did all consent,
And at the time concluded of at Thessalie conuent.
Amidst their cheere, the solemne feast the Centaures did disqueat:
Whom by no meanes the Nobles there to patience might intreat.
For they an hundred Gyants strong, with drinking whitled well,
Amongst their cups, from words to blowes, and worser dealings fell:
And (too outragious at the last, (fierce Eurytis their Guide)
Vnreuerently they rauish thence Hippodame the Bride.
But Hercules not brooking it, to arme himselfe begunne,
And all alone in rescue of the rapted Bride did runne.
By this time did Ixeons Seede stand still in battell ray,
When he, but one against them all, began a bloodie fray.
Ech arrow that with ayming hand from sturdy Bow he sent,
Did answere by the death of one the Sender his intent.

Whilest Hercules with deadly bow had store of Centaures slaine,
And, wanting arrowes, with their blood his valiant Club did staine,
The Bridegroome and the other knights came to the ceasing fight,
When all were soyld, excepting twelue that sau'd their liues by flight.
Alonely Lycus yeelded him a prisoner, and liues,
And liuing vnto Hercules much after-sorrow giues:
But Nessus, that escaped then, in time him worser grieues.