When midnight came that I had slept my first sleepe, I awaked with
suddaine feare, and saw the Moone shining bright, as when shee is at
the full, and seeming as though she leaped out of the Sea. Then thought
I with my selfe, that was the most secret time, when the goddesse Ceres
had most puissance and force, considering that all humane things be
governed by her providence: and not onely all beasts private and tame,
but also all wild and savage beasts be under her protection. And
considering that all bodies in the heavens, the earth and the seas, be
by her increasing motions increased, and by her diminishing motions
diminished: as weary of all my cruell fortune and calamity, I found
good hope and soveraigne remedy, though it were very late, to be
delivered from all my misery, by invocation and prayer, to the
excellent beauty of the Goddesse, whom I saw shining before mine eyes,
wherefore shaking off mine Assie and drowsie sleepe, I arose with a
joyfull face, and mooved by a great affection to purifie my selfe, I
plunged my selfe seven times into the water of the Sea, which number of
seven is conveniable and agreeable to holy and divine things, as the
worthy and sage Philosopher Pythagoras hath declared. Then with a
weeping countenance, I made this Orison to the puissant Goddesse,
saying: O blessed Queene of heaven, whether thou be the Dame Ceres
which art the originall and motherly nource of all fruitfull things in
earth, who after the finding of thy daughter Proserpina, through the
great joy which thou diddest presently conceive, madest barraine and
unfruitfull ground to be plowed and sowne, and now thou inhabitest in
the land of Eleusie; or whether thou be the celestiall Venus, who in
the beginning of the world diddest couple together all kind of things
with an ingendered love, by an eternall propagation of humane kind, art
now worshipped within the Temples of the Ile Paphos, thou which art the
sister of the God Phoebus, who nourishest so many people by the
generation of beasts, and art now adored at the sacred places of
Ephesus, thou which art horrible Proserpina, by reason of the deadly
howlings which thou yeeldest, that hast power to stoppe and put away
the invasion of the hags and Ghoasts which appeare unto men, and to
keepe them downe in the closures of the earth: thou which art
worshipped in divers manners, and doest illuminate all the borders of
the earth by thy feminine shape, thou which nourishest all the fruits
of the world by thy vigor and force; with whatsoever name or fashion it
is lawfull to call upon thee, I pray thee, to end my great travaile and
misery, and deliver mee from the wretched fortune, which had so long
time pursued me. Grant peace and rest if it please thee to my
adversities, for I have endured too much labour and perill. Remoove
from me my shape of mine Asse, and render to me my pristine estate, and
if I have offended in any point of divine Majesty, let me rather dye
then live, for I am full weary of my life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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