Page:The Crowne of all Homers Workes - Chapman (1624).djvu/34

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A HYMNE TO APOLLO.
23

And bitterly I feare, that when his birth
Giues him the sight, of my so barren soile
He will contemne; and giue me vp to spoile:
Enforce the sea to me; that euer will
Oppresse my heart, with many a watrie hill.
And therefore, let him chuse some other land,
Where he shall please; to build at his command
Temple and Groue, set thick with many a Tree.
For wretched Polypusses, breed in me
Retyring chambers; and black sea-calues, Den
In my poore soile, for penurie of Men.
And yet (O Goddesse) would'st thou please to sweare
The Gods great oath to me, before thou beare
Thy blesses Sonne here; that thou wilt erect
A Phane to him, to render the effect
Of mens demands to them, before they fall;
Then will thy sonnes renowne be generall;
Men will his name, in such varietie call.
And I shall, then, be glad, his birth to beare.
This said; the Gods great oath she thus did swere:
Know this (O earth!) broad heauens inferior sphere,
And of blacke Styx, the most infernall lake
(Which is the grauest oath, the Gods can take)
That here shall euer rise to Phœbus Name
An odorous Phane, and Altar; and thy fame
Honor, past all Iles else, shall see him emploid.
Her oath thus tooke, and ended; Delos ioi'd
In mightie measure, that she should become,

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