The Crowne of All Homers Workes/To Pan

by Homer

To Pan.

ing (Muse) this chiefe of Hermes loue-got Ioies;
Goate-footed, Two-horn'd; amorous of noise.
That through the faire-Greenes, al adorn'd with Trees
Together goes, with Nymphs; whose nimble knees,
Can euery Dance, foot; That affect to seale
The most inaccessible Tops of all
Uprightest rocks: and euer vse to call
On Pan, the bright-hayr'd God of Pastorall.
Who yet, is leane, and louelesse; and doth owe
By lot, all loftiest Mountaines, crown'd with snowe;
All Tops of Hills, and cliffie Highnesses:
All Siluan Copses, and the Fortresses
Of Thorniest Queaches, here and there doth roue.
And sometimes, (by allurement of his loue;)
Will wade the watrie softnesses. Sometimes
(In quite oppos'de Capriccios) he climes
The hardest Rocks, and highest: euery way
Running their Ridges. Often will conuaie
Himselfe up to a watch-Towrs Top; where sheepe;
Haue their Obseruance: oft through Hills as steepe,
His Gotes he runns upon; and neuer rests.
Then turns he head; and flies on sauage Beasts,
Mad of their slaughters. So most sharpe an eye
Setting vpon them; as his Beames let flie
Through all their thickest Tapistries. And then
(When Hesp'rus calls to folde, the flocks of Men)
From the greene Clossets, of his loftiest Reedes,
He rushes forth; and Ioy, with Song, he feedes.
When, (under shadow, of their motions, set,)
He plaies a verse forth, so profoundly sweet;
As not the Bird that in the flowrie Spring
(Amidds the leaues set) makes the Thickets ring
Of her sowre sorrowes, sweetened with her song,
Runns her diuisions varied so, and strong.
And then the sweete-voic't Nymphs, that crowne his mountaines;
(Flockt round about, the deepe-black-watred fountaines;)
Fall in with their Contention of song.
To which, the Echoes, all the Hills along
Their repercussions add. Then here, and there
(Plac't in the midd'st) the God, the Guide doth beare
Of all their Dances; winding in, and out.
A Lynces Hide (besprinckled round about
With blood, cast on his shoulders. And thus He
With well-made songs, maintaines th'alacritie
Of his free minde, in silken Meddows crownde
With Hyacynths, and Saffrons: that abound
In sweete-breath'd Odors: that th'unnumber'd grasse
(Besides their sents) giue as through all they passe.
And these, in all their pleasures, euer raise
The blessed Gods and long Olympus, praise:
Like zealous Hermes; who (of all) I said
Most Profits, up, to all the Gods conuaide.
Who, likewise, came into th'Arcadian state;
(That's rich in Fountaines; and all celebrate
For Nurse of flocks.) Where, he had vowd a Groue
(Surnam'd Cyllenius) to his God-heads loue.
Yet euen himselfe (although a God he were
Clad in a squallid sheepskinn) gouernd there
A Mortalls sheepe. For soft Loue, entring him,
Conformd his state, to his conceipted Trimm.
And made him long, in an extreame degree,
T'enioy the fayre-hayrd Virgine Dryope.
Which, ere he could; she made him consummate
The florishing Rites of Hymens honord State.
And brought him, such a peece of Progenie,
As showd (at first sight) monstrous to the eye;
Gote-footed, Two-horn'd; full of noise, euen Then;
And (opposite quite to other children)
Told (in sweete laughter) he ought death no Teare.
Yet strait his Mother start; and fled, in feare
The sight of so vnsatisfying a Thing;
In whose face, put forth, such a bristled spring.
Yet the most usefull Mercurie embrac't,
And tooke into his armes, his homely-fac't:
Beyond all measure ioyfull with his sight:
And up to heauen with him, made instant flight,
Wrapt in the warme skinne, of a Mountaine Hare:
Set him by Ioue; and made most merrie fare
To all the Deities else, with his Sonnes sight;
Which, most of all, fill'd Bacchus with delight;
And Pan they call'd him, since he brought to All,
Of Mirth so rare; and full a Festiuall.
 And thus, all honor to the shepherds King:
 For Sacrifice to Thee, my Muse shall sing.

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