Cupid being more and more in love with Psyches, and fearing the
displeasure of his Mother, did pearce into the heavens, and arrived
before Jupiter to declare his cause: then Jupiter after that hee had
eftsoone embraced him, gan say in this manner: O my well beloved sonne,
although thou haste not given due reverence and honour unto me as thou
oughtest to doe, but haste rather spoiled and wounded this my brest
(whereby the laws and order of the Elements and Planets be disposed)
with continuall assaults, of Terren luxury and against all laws, and
the discipline Julia, and the utility of the publike weale, in
transforming my divine beauty into serpents, fire, savage beasts,
birds, and into Bulles: howbeit remembring my modesty, and that I have
nourished thee with mine owne proper hands, I will doe and accomplish
all thy desire, so that thou canst beware of spitefull and envious
persons. And if there be any excellent Maiden of comely beauty in the
world, remember yet the benefit which I shall shew unto thee by
recompence of her love towards me againe. When he had spoken these
words he commanded Mercury to call all the gods to counsell, and if any
of the celestiall powers did faile of appearance he would be condemned
in ten thousand pounds: which sentence was such a terrour to all the
goddesses, that the high Theatre was replenished, and Jupiter began to
speake in this sort: O yee gods, registred in the bookes of the Muses,
you all know this young man Cupid whom I have nourished with mine owne
hands, whose raging flames of his first youth, I thought best to bridle
and restraine. It sufficeth that hee is defamed in every place for his
adulterous living, wherefore all occasion ought to bee taken away by
meane of marriage: he hath chosen a Maiden that fancieth him well, and
hath bereaved her of her virginity, let him have her still, and
possesse her according to his owne pleasure: then he returned to Venus,
and said, And you my daughter, take you no care, neither feare the
dishonour of your progeny and estate, neither have regard in that it is
a mortall marriage, for it seemeth unto me just, lawfull, and
legitimate by the law civill. Incontinently after Jupiter commanded
Mercury to bring up Psyches, the spouse of Cupid, into the Pallace of
heaven. And then he tooke a pot of immortality, and said, Hold Psyches,
and drinke, to the end thou maist be immortall, and that Cupid may be
thine everlasting husband. By and by the great banket and marriage
feast was sumptuously prepared, Cupid sate downe with his deare spouse
between his armes: Juno likewise with Jupiter, and all the other gods
in order, Ganimedes filled the pot of Jupiter, and Bacchus served the
rest. Their drinke was Nectar the wine of the gods, Vulcanus prepared
supper, the howers decked up the house with roses and other sweet
smells, the graces threw about blame, the Muses sang with sweet
harmony, Apollo tuned pleasantly to the Harpe, Venus danced finely:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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