The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3). Christopher Marlowe

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      Far off from Athens, and go first to prove,

      If to restore them all with fame and life,

      He should enjoy his dearest as his wife.

      This told to all the maids, the most agree:

      The riper sort, knowing what 'tis to be

      The first mouth of a news so far derived,

      And that to hear and bear news brave folks lived.

      As being a carriage special hard to bear

      Occurrents, these occurrents being so dear,

      They did with grace protest, they were content

      T' accost their friends with all their compliment,

      For Hymen's good; but to incur their harm,

      There he must pardon them. This wit went warm

      To Adolesche's101 brain, a nymph born high,

      Made all of voice and fire, that upwards fly:

      Her heart and all her forces' nether train

      Climb'd to her tongue, and thither fell her brain,

      Since it could go no higher; and it must go;

      All powers she had, even her tongue, did so:

      In spirit and quickness she much joy did take,

      And loved her tongue, only for quickness' sake;

      And she would haste and tell. The rest all stay:

      Hymen goes one, the nymph another way;

      And what became of her I'll tell at last:

      Yet take her visage now;—moist-lipped, long-faced,

      Thin like an iron wedge, so sharp and tart,

      As 'twere of purpose made to cleave Love's heart:

      Well were this lovely beauty rid of her.

      And Hymen did at Athens now prefer

      His welcome suit, which he with joy aspired:

      A hundred princely youths with him retired

      To fetch the nymphs; chariots and music went;

      And home they came: heaven with applauses rent.

      The nuptials straight proceed, whiles all the town,

      Fresh in their joys, might do them most renown.

      First, gold-locked Hymen did to church repair,

      Like a quick offering burned in flames of hair;

      And after, with a virgin firmament

      The godhead-proving bride attended went

      Before them all: she looked in her command,

      As if form-giving Cypria's silver hand

      Gripped all their beauties, and crushed out one flame;

      She blushed to see how beauty overcame

      The thoughts of all men. Next, before her went

      Five lovely children, decked with ornament

      Of her sweet colours, bearing torches by;

      For light was held a happy augury

      Of generation, whose efficient right

      Is nothing else but to produce to light.

      The odd disparent number they did choose,

      To show the union married loves should use,

      Since in two equal parts it will not sever,

      But the midst holds one to rejoin it ever,

      As common to both parts: men therefore deem

      That equal number gods do not esteem,

      Being authors of sweet peace and unity,

      But pleasing to th' infernal empery,

      Under whose ensigns Wars and Discords fight,

      Since an even number you may disunite

      In two parts equal, naught in middle left

      To reunite each part from other reft;

      And five they hold in most especial prize,102

      Since 'tis the first odd number that doth rise

      From the two foremost numbers' unity,

      That odd and even are; which are two and three;

      For one no number is; but thence doth flow

      The powerful race of number. Next, did go

      A noble matron, that did spinning bear

      A huswife's rock and spindle, and did wear

      A wether's skin, with all the snowy fleece,

      To intimate that even the daintiest piece

      And noblest-born dame should industrious be:

      That which does good disgraceth no degree.

      And now to Juno's temple they are come,

      Where her grave priest stood in the marriage-room:

      On his right arm did hang a scarlet veil,

      And from his shoulders to the ground did trail,

      On either side, ribands of white and blue:

      With the red veil he hid the bashful hue

      Of the chaste bride, to show the modest shame,

      In coupling with a man, should grace a dame.

      Then took he the disparent silks, and tied

      The lovers by the waists, and side to side,

      In token that thereafter they must bind

      In one self-sacred knot each other's mind.

      Before them on an altar he presented

      Both fire and water, which was first invented,

      Since to ingenerate every human creature

      And every other birth produc'd by Nature,

      Moisture and heat must mix; so man and wife

      For human race must join in nuptial life.

      Then one of Juno's birds, the painted jay,

      He sacrific'd and took the gall away;

      All which he did behind the altar throw,

      In sign no bitterness of hate should grow,

      'Twixt married loves, nor any least disdain.

      Nothing they spake, for 'twas esteem'd too plain

      For the most silken mildness of a maid,

      To let a public audience hear it said,

      She boldly took the man; and so respected

      Was bashfulness in Athens, it erected

      To chaste Agneia,103 which is Shamefacedness,

      A sacred temple, holding her a goddess.

      And now to feasts, masks, and triumphant shows,

      The shining troops returned, even till earth-throes

      Brought forth with joy the thickest part of night,

      When the sweet nuptial song, that used to cite

      All to their rest, was by Phemonöe104 sung,

      First Delphian prophetess, whose graces sprung

      Out of the Muses' well: she sung before

      The bride into her chamber; at which door

      A matron and a torch-bearer did stand:

      A painted box of confits105 in her hand

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