The Assemble of Goddes
Here foloweth the Interpretacoin of the names
of goddes and goddesses as is reherced
in this tretyse folowynge as Poetes wryte
Whan Phebus the crabbe had nere his cours ronne
And toward the Leon his Iourney gan take
To loke on Pyctagoras spere / I had begonne
¶ Syttyng all solytary allone besyde a lake.
¶ Musyng on a maner how that I myght make.
¶ Reason and sensualyte in one to accorde.
¶ But I coude not bryng about the manacorde.
¶ For longe er I myght slepe me gan oppres
¶ So ponderously I coud make none obstacle
¶ In myne hede was fall suche an heuinesse.
¶ I was fayne to drawe to myne habytacle.
¶ To rowne with a pylow me semyd best tryacle.
¶ So leyde I me downe my dysease to releue.
¶ Anone cam in Morpleus & toke me by the sleue
¶ And as I soo laye halfe in a traunse
¶ Twene slepyng & wakyng he bad me aryse.
¶ For he sayd I must yeue attendaunce.
¶ To the grete Courte of Mynes the Iustyse.
¶ Me nought auayled ayene hym to sylogyse.
¶ For hit is oft sayd by hem that yet lyues.
¶ He must nedes go that the deuell dryues.
¶ Whan I see noo better but I must go.
¶ I sayd I was redy at his commaundement.
¶ Wheder that he wolde me lede to or fro.
¶ Soo vp I arose and forth with hym went.
¶ Tyll he had me brought to the parlament.
¶ Where Pluto sate and kepte is estate.
¶ And with hym Mynos the Iuge desperate.
¶ But as we thyderwarde went by the way.
¶ I hym besought his name me to tell.
¶ Morpleus he sayde thou me call may.
¶ A syr sayde I than where do ye dwell.
¶ In heuen or in erthe eyther elles in hell.
¶ Nay he sayde myn abydyng most commonly
¶ Is in a lytyll corner called fantasy.
¶ And as sone as he thyse wordes had sayd.
¶ Cerberus the porter of hell with his cheyne.
¶ Brought theder Colus in ragges euyll arayd
¶ Agayn whom Neptunus & Dyana dyd compleynt
¶ Saynge thus O Mynos thou Iuge souerayn.
¶ Gyue thy cruel iugement ayen this traytour so
¶ That we may haue cause to preyse thy lord Pluto
¶ Then was there made a proclamacyon.
¶ In Plutoos name commaunded scylence.
¶ Vpon the payn of strayt correccyon.
¶ That Dyana & Neptunus might haue audience.
¶ To declare her grefe of the grete offence.
¶ To hem do by Colus wheron they compleined
¶ And to begyn Dyana was constreyned.
¶ Whyche thus begyn as ye shall here.
¶ Saynge in this wyse. O thou lorde Pluto.
¶ Wyth thy iuge Mynos syttyng with the in fere
¶ Execute your fury vpon Colus soo.
¶ Accordyng to thofence that he to me hath do
¶ That I haue no cause forther to appele.
¶ Whyche yf I do shall not be for youre wele.
¶ Remembre fyrst how I a goddesse pure.
¶ Ouer all desertes / forestes and chaces.
¶ Haue the guydynge and vnder my cure.
¶ This traytour colus hath mani of mi places
¶ Destroyd with his blastes & daily me manaces
¶ Where ony wood is he shall make it playne.
¶ If he to his lyberte may resorte ageyne
¶ The gretest trees that ony man may fynde
¶ In forest to shade the dere for her comforte.
¶ He breketh hem asonder or rendith he rote & rinde
¶ Out of the erthe this is his dysporte.
¶ So that the deere shall haue noo resorte.
¶ Wythin shorte tyme to noo maner shade
¶ Where thorough the game is lykly to fade.
¶ Which to my name a reproche synguler.
¶ Sholde be foreuer whyle the worlde laste.
¶ And to all the goddes an hygh dyspleyser.
¶ To see the game soo destroyed by his blaste.
¶ Wherfore a remedy puruey in haste.
¶ And lete hym be punysshed after his offence.
¶ Cousyder the cryme and yeue your sentence.
¶ And whan Dyana had made her compleynt
¶ To mynos the Iuge in Plutoos presence.
¶ Came forth Neptunus with vysage pale & feynt
¶ Desyrynge of fauour to haue audyence.
¶ Saynge thus Pluto to thy magnyfycence.
¶ I shall reherce what this creature.
¶ Colus hath done me out of mesure.
¶ Thou knowest well that I haue the charge
¶ Ouer all the se and therof god I am.
¶ No shyp may sayl Keruel / bote ne barge.
¶ Grete karyk nor hulke with ony lyuyng man.
¶ But he haue my saue conduyte than.
¶ who me offendith wythin my Iurysdyccyon
¶ Owyth to submyt him to my correccyon.
¶ But in asmoche as it is now soo.
¶ That ye hym here haue as your prysonere
¶ I shall shew my compleynt soo.
¶ wherfore I pray you that ye wyll here.
¶ And let hym not escape out of your daungere.
¶ Tyl he haue made full sethe & recompence
¶ For hurt of my name thrugh his grete offence
¶ Fyrst to begyn this Colus hath ofte.
¶ Made me to retorne mi course agein nature.
¶ wyth his grete blastes whan he hath be alofte
¶ And charged me to labour fer out of mesure
¶ that it was grete merueyl how I might endure
¶ The com of my swete wyll testyfy.
¶
