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XXVI.

Shee, halfe confused with his great commaund, Yet gathering spirit of her nature's pride, Him boldly answer'd thus to his demaund; "I am a daughter, by the mother's side, "Of her that is grand-mother magnifide "Of all the gods, great Earth, great Chaos' child; "But by the father's, be it not envide,

"I greater am in bloud, whereon I build, [exil'd. "Then all the gods, though wrongfully from heaven XXVII.

"For Titan, as ye all acknowledge must, "Was Saturnes elder brother by birth-right, "Both sonnes of Uranus; but by uniust "And guilefull meanes, through Corybantes slight, "The younger thrust the elder from his right; "Since which thou, Iove, iniuriously hast held "The heavens rule from Titan's sonnes by might, "And them to hellish dungeons downe hast feld; "Witnesse, ye Heavens! the truth of all that I have [teld." Whilst she thus spake, the gods, that gave good eare To her bold words, and marked well her grace, Beeing of stature tall as any there

XXVIII.

Of all the gods, and beautifull of face

As any of the goddesses in place,

Stood all astonied; like a sort of steeres,

Mongst whom some beast of strange and forraine race Unwares is chaunc't, far straying from his peeres; So did their ghastly gaze bewray their hidden feares.

XXIX.

Till having pauz'd awhile, Iove thus bespake; "Will never mortall thoughts ceasse to aspire "In this bold sort, to heaven claime to make, "And touch celestiall seates with earthly mire? "I would have thought that bold Procustes' hire, "Or Typhon's fall, or proud Ixion's paine, "Or great Prometheus tasting of our ire, "Would have suffiz'd the rest for to restraine, "And warn'd all men by their example to refraine: XXX.

"But now, this off-scum of that cursed fry "Dare to renew the like bold enterprize, "And chalenge th' heritage of this our skie, "Whom what should hinder but that we likewise "Should handle as the rest of her allies, "And thunder-drive to hell?" with that he shooke His nectar-deawed locks, with which the skyes And all the world beneath for terror quooke, And eft his burning levin-brond in hand he tooke. XXXI.

But when he looked on her lovely face, In which faire beames of beauty did appeare, That could the greatest wrath soone turne to grace, (Such sway doth beauty even in heaven beare) He staide his hand, and having chang'd his cheare, He thus againe in milder wise began ; "But ah! if gods should strive with flesh yfere, "Then shortly should the progeny of man

"Be rooted out, if Iove should doe still what he can :

XXXII.

"But thee, faire Titan's Child! I rather weene "Through some vaine errour or inducement light "To see that mortal eyes have never seene, "Or through ensample of thy sister's might, "Bellona, whose great glory thou doost spight, "Since thou hast seene her dreadfull

power belowe "Mongst wretched men, dismaide with her affright, "To bandie crownes, and kingdoms to bestowe, "And sure thy worth no lesse then her's doth seem

XXXIII.

[to showe. "But wote thou this, thou hardy Titanesse, "That not the worth of any living wight "May challenge ought in heaven's interesse, "Much lesse the title of old Titan's right; "For we, by conquest of our soveraine might, "And by eternall doome of Fates decree,

"Have wonne the empire of the heavens bright, "Which to ourselves we hold, and to whom wee "Shall worthy deeme partakers of our blisse to bee. XXXIV.

"Then ceasse thy idly claime, thou foolish Gerle! "And seeke by grace and goodnesse to obtaine "That place from which by folly Titan fell; "Thereto thou maist perhaps, if so thou faine, "Have Iove thy gracious lord and soveraigne." So having said, she thus to him replyde; "Cease, Saturnes Sonne! to seeke by proffers vaine "Of idle hopes t'allure mee to thy side "For to betray my right before I have it tride. Volume VI.

XXXV.

"But thee, O Love! no equall iudge I deeme "Of my desert, or of my dewfull right, "That in thine owne behalfe maist partiall seeme, "But to the highest Him, that is behight "Father of gods and men by equall might, "To weet the God of Nature, I appeale.' Thereat love wexed wroth, and in his spright Did inly grudge, yet did it well conceale, And bade Dan Phoebus scribe her appellation seale. XXXVI.

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Eftsoones the time and place appointed were,
Where all, both heavenly powers and earthly wights,
Before great Nature's presence should appeare,
For triall of their titles and best rights;
That was, to weet, upon the highest hights
Of Arlo-hill (who knowes not Arlo-hill ?)
That is the highest head in all men's sights
Of my old Father Mole, who shepheards quill
Renowmed hath with hymnes fit for a rurall skill.
XXXVII.

And were it not ill fitting for this file

To sing of hills and woods mongst warres and
I would abate the sternenesse of my stile, [knights,
Mongst these sterne stounds to mingle soft delights,
And tell how Arlo, through Dianaes spights,
(Beeing of old the best and fairest hill

That was in all this holy-island's hights)
Was made the most unpleasant and most ill :
Meanewhile, O Clio lend Calliope thy quill.

XXXVIII.

Whylome when Ireland flourished in fame
Of wealth and goodnesse far above the rest
Of all that beare the British Island's name,
The gods then us'd, for pleasure and for rest,
Oft to resort thereto when seem'd them best;
But none of all therein more pleasure found
Then Cynthia, that is soveraine queene profest
Of woods and forrests, which therein abound,
Sprinkled with wholsem waters more then most on

XXXIX.

[ground: But mongst them all, as fittest for her game Either for chace of beasts with hound or bowe, Or for to shroude in shade from Phoebus' fame, Or bathe in fountaines that doe freshly flowe, Or from high hilles, or from the dates belowe, She chose this Arlo; where shee did resort With all her nymphes enranged on a rowe, With whom the woody gods did oft consort, For with the Nymphes the Satyres love to play and [sport. Amongst the which there was a nymph that hight Molanna, daughter of old Father Mole, And sister unto Mulla, faire and bright, Unto whose bed false Bregog whylome stole, That shepheard Colin dearely did condole, i And made her lucklesse loves well knowne to be; But this Molanna, were she not so shole, Were no lesse faire, and beautifull then shee, Yet as she is, a fairer food may no man see.

XL.

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