Book II, Chapter 7

THe twise-sackt Towne the Grecians then did merrilie forsake,
And Hercules for new affaires, did land in Aegypt take.
There in a Porte hee did espie a Fleete of Shippes from farre,
Well fraught with Men, Munition, and what else pertaines to warre.
When Affer (he chiefe Captaine was of that same Fleete) did spie
The Ensignes of the famous Greeke, he knew them by and by:
And entertaining on his knees the Owner of the same,
Reioyced to behold the man so honoured by fame.
With Affer sailed Hercules to Lybia, to put downe
The Gyant King Aniaeus, that had aided to the Crowne
Of Aegypt, gainst th' Aegyptians willes, Busiris lately slaine
By Hercules, in whose conduct the doubt not to obtaine.
The taking land in Lybia now, and hauing in their sight
The threatned Citie of the Foe, his Tents did Affer p[…]ght,
And gi[…]ts it with a sodaine Siege. The Giant then did shake
His hideous head, and vow'd reuenge, yea sharpe reuenge to take.
But is[…]ning out his Citie gates he […]ound the […]oe so hot,
That, notwithstanding such his bragges, the worst Antaeus got:
For Hercules did canuase so his carkes, that at length
He did retire himselfe and men, as trustlesse of his strength.
His Libians slaine, and he not sound, Antaeus Truce did craue:
For graunt whereof vnto his Foes meane time he victuals gaue:
And whilest the Month of Truce did last, the Giant brused sore,
Did heale his wounds, and to his part sollicits Aiders more,
Meane while the Greeke to Mauritain did passe vnknowne of all,
And theare in King Antaeus aide he found supplies not small:
And for he looked souldier-like, they brought him to the King,
Who offered pay: not so (quoth he) I meane an other thing,
Discharge these Bands, or else will I discharge thee of thy breath,
That all alone to thee and thine oppose me to the death.

When Atlas knew him Hercules, that conquered of late
The Iland which his daughters held, and brought to latest fate
His Giant that defended them, and capt[…]uated than
His friend Philoctes: he twixt feare and fiercenesse waxed wan.
And looke how fast the ratling haile vpon an house dooth fall,
So fast they lay on Hercules, that holdeth wage gainst all.
For as the Smith with Hammour beats his forged Mettall, so
He dubs his Club about their pates and sleas them on a row.
And whilest (not daring to looke downe) by heaps on him they flie,
Some stumbling on the bodies dead are smoldred so and die:
Some sliding in their slippery bloud, where with the place did swimme,
Were strangled so: some others whilest disorderedly at him
They freat and foyne, are crowded on by those that hindmost be,
And with their weapons spoyle themselues and fellowes two or three:
Some others with the wounding points of broken weapons die:
And others daring with their Foe their bootles force to trie,
Were in a moment slaine by him: and thus in little space,
Without resistance Hercules had Lordship of the place:
And, maugre swords or studied Starres, brought Atlas to the Seas,
Whereas Philoctes did in time his pensiuenes appease,
And to his friend commends the Foe for bountie (which at last
Himselfe did finde) and when as time his griefe had ouerpast,
The same that for Astrologie the Skies support was said,
In such his Science Hercules a perfect Artist made.

The Month of Truce by this had end, and Hercules returnes
To Affer, that incamped at the Lybian walles soiournes.
A second battell then begonne: Antaeus like a Baer
Bestires himselfe amongst his Foes, whilest Hercules did faer
As roughly with contrarie bloes, till none to fight did daer:
But humblie all submitting them subdued by his might,
He gaue them grace, and staied theare to doe them law and right.

Meane time Antaeus, lately fled, returnes from Mauritain,
And with a mightie Troupe of Moores renewed fight againe:
And all the Fields with Carcases of mangled men were filde,
And numbers failed to the Moores that Hercules had kild.
But when Antaeus saw his men to lessen more and more,
Resoluing or to win the Spurres or lose himselfe therefore,
He makes a bloudie glade vntill the Thaebane he espide,
And finding him: bestowe on me thy bloes, the Giant cride,
That am both able to endure and to repay the same,
A Flie is not an Eagles praie, nor Mouse a Lyons game:
My death might countenance thy deedes (if that it so would be)
But make account that I anon will triumph ouer thee.
In saying which he smites his Foe, perfourming wondrous might:
And bodie vnto bodie they with equall dammage fight.
But Hercules disdaining that so long Antaeus standes
With him in combat, griping him betwixt his angrie handes,
Did crush his Carkasse in the ayre that life did leaue him so:
And thus did reape a Monarchie, and rid a mightie Foe.
Then Hercules (Antaeus dead) with ease he ouercame
All Lybia with Prouinces and Kingdomes of the same,
And maketh […]ffer King of all that beares the Donees name.

IN expedition of which warre when Hercules would dwell
No longer time, but purposed to bid his friends farewell,
A warlike wench, an Amazon, salutes him by his name,
And said: know Hercules (if it thou knowest not by same)
How that the Scythian Ladies, late expeld their natiue Land
By King of Aegypt, haue contriu'd amongst themselues a bande,
And with the same haue conquered all Asia, Aegypt, and
All Cappadocia: Now for that we, Victors, vnderstand
The Africanes are our Allies, we minding to proceed
In further Conquests, tendring them, haue therefore thus decreed:
That you two Champions shall elect, and we will also send
Two Ladies, that for victorie shall with your Knights contend:
And if your Champions vanquish ours, then we will tribute pay,
But if that ours doe vanquish yours, then you shall vs obay.
But hope not so, more profite giues our bountie then our bloes,
And vninforced tribute may procure your friendly Foes.

Then Hercules, admiring much the Chalengers, did yeeld
Two aduerse Knights the morrow next should meet them in the field
And mounted well on Corsers twaine next light by dawne of day
Into the Listes came Hercules and Theseus: Mid the way
Vpon a brace of milke white Steedes the two Viragoes meete
The Knights, and each the other did with ciuill Congies greete.
Then either parte retiring backe began to make their race,
And couching well their valiant Speares did run a wondrous pace.
With Menalippe Hercules the fight did vndertake,
And Theseus with Hippolite did his Encounter make.
They meeting, either part both Horse and load to ground were cast,
Whereat the Africanes did muse, and Scythians were agast.
Vnhorsed thus, disdainefully each Knight defendant tooke it:
And either Ladie so disgrac'd as scornefully did brooke it.
Then settle they to handy Armes, the which was long and fierce,
And with their cutting weapons did both Helms and Harnesse pierce.
But Hercules, though neuer matcht so hardie in his life,
Disarmes at length his Scythian Taske, and ended was their strife.
But Theseus with his Combattesse in doubtfull battell fights,
Till, blushing at the Maidens blowes, he checks his mending sprights:
And laid so hardlie to her charge, not able to sustaine
His fresh-got force, that he also the second Prize did gaine.
Antiope, a third vnto those warlike Sisters twaine,
Beholding how sinisterly the double fight had past,
Makes sorow, whilst the Africanes reioice for it as fast.

The Scythians to the Africanes did homage then, and pray
Their Ladies might be raunsomed. That sute did Theseus stay,
For he through launce, his Foe through loue went victoresse away.
And therefore when th' Athenian Knight and Amazon were matcht
In mariage, Menalippe then from durance was dispatcht.
And Hercules (then which to him no greater prize could be)
Had Queene Antiope her Bealt and armour for his fee,
And sets the dames of Thermodon from other raunsome free.
And Theseus with Hippolite at Athens landing takes,
And Hercules to Calidon a Dismall viage makes.

THeare did King Oeneus bounteously receaue so great a Guest:
Where scarcely had he any time from passed toiles to rest,
But that proud Achelous sent Ambassadors to knowe
If that King Oeneus on him his daughter would bestowe,
If not, to threaten wreakfull warres: which much abasht the King,
Till Hercules, who then was come about the selfe same thing,
(For loue to Deianira both competitors did bring)
Expelled feare by offring aide to backe him from the Foe,
By meanes whereof vnsatisfide awaye the Legats goe.
The Tyrant Achelous then, with all Epirus force
Inuades the bounds of Calidon, and spoyls without remorse.
But Hercules he leading forth his Armie got the day,
And well was he amongst his foes that fastest ran away.

They and their King, with hard escape, inmure themselues at length
Within a Castle neere the Sea, an Hold of wonderous strength.
The Thaebane then, as resolute to spoyle both Foe and Fort,
Did burne his foes forsaken shippes, left riding in the Port,
And with a fewe besets the hold. When Achelous he
So slender watch about the walles of Enemies did see,
He scorned that so weake a siege should pen him vp so straight,
Who hauing ten for one of them, did issue out the Gate
Against the Greekas, that willingly his comming did awaite.
Espying Hercules, he cride, lo yond same diuell is he
That droue vs out of Calidon, who so of mine he be
That […]aieth him, shalbe inricht with great rewards by me.
But he that made such offers large, did offer them in vaine:
For when his men saw Hercules approching them amaine
With fierie eyes, and angrie lookes, and dreadfull Club in fist,
They thought it needles to assaile, and booteles to resiste,
And euerie man retired backe into the holde againe,
Wheare many dayes, attempting flight, they cowardly remaine.
From warre at length they fell to wieles. There lay vpon the shore
A broken Hoy, that bad not brookt the Seas of long before,
The Mast they boring full of holes, in euerie hole did sticke
A burning Torch, and lancht it out in night when clouds were thick.
No sooner was the fierie keele a floate vpon the waues,
And that the Greekes espyed it, but ech man rashly craues
The viewing of so strange a sight. But Hercules did smell
The presupposed Stratagem, and raung'd his armie well,
And marching neere the guilefull light, did finde ambushment theare
That playing on aduantage thus (preuented though) appeare.
Occasion hapning, Hercules would not omit the same,
But tooke them as he found them now, and fights it out by aime.
When Achelous he beheld his guile by guile to faile,
Wel might he chafe, but harder chaunce his courage might not quaile:
For looke how fierce and boisterouslie a chafed Bull doth fight,
So Achelous lustilie on either side did smite:
And by his only prowesse then a many Knights were slaine,
Whilest Hercules with like successe his Opposits did paine.
And now, by chance, amidst the brunt the valiant Woers twaine
Doe single, and togethers tug, and as two Lions strong
Each one desiring others bloud did hold a Combate long.
King Achelous minding her for whom began that broyle,
To Conquer where he did contend, annexed hope to toyle:
Al[…]menas Sonne remembring too whose cause he did defend,
Euen hers on whom his being and his very soule depend,
So chargd his Contrarie with knocks, and vsd his Club so well,
That vanquished (though valerous) King Achelous fell.

Th' Epirotes when they saw their King a Captiue led away,
Their hearts were doone: and Hercules subdued them ere day:
And Achelous in exile did end his latter dayes:
And all Aetolia was fild with Hercules his praise,
To whom the King did giue to Wife faire Deianira, shee
The pleasing prise of that his prowse, and dearelie earned Fee,
Who after, of her owne decaye, and his, the meane should bee.
The Centaure Nessus was the man that made her erre so much:
Of which her error, but his sinne, the circumstance is such.