But bore to him the flow’r of victory. The mother then of Œdipus I saw, Fair Epicasta, that, beyond all law, Her own son married, ignorant of kind. And he, as darkly taken in his mind, His mother wedded, and his father slew. Whose blind act Heav’n expos’d at length to view, And he in all-lov’d Thebes the supreme state With much moan manag’d, for the heavy fate The Gods laid on him. She made violent flight To Pluto’s dark house from the loathéd light, Beneath a steep beam strangled with a cord, And left her son, in life, pains as abhorr’d As all the Furies pour’d on her in hell. Then saw I Chloris, that did so excell In answering beauties, that each part had all. Great Neleus married her, when gifts not small Had won her favour, term’d by name of dow’r. She was of all Amphion’s seed the flow’r; Amphion, call’d Iasides, that then Rul’d strongly Myniæan Orchomen, And now his daughter rul’d the Pylian throne, Because her beauty’s empire overshone. She brought her wife-awed husband, Neleús, Nestor much honour’d, Periclymenus, And Chromius, sons with sov’reign virtues grac’d; But after brought a daughter that surpass’d, Rare-beautied Pero, so for form exact That Nature to a miracle was rack’d In her perfections, blaz’d with th’ eyes of men; That made of all the country’s hearts a chain, And drew them suitors to her. Which her sire Took vantage of, and, since he did aspire To nothing more than to the broad-brow’d herd Of oxen, which the common fame so rear’d, Own’d by Iphiclus, not a man should be His Pero’s husband, that from Phylace Those never-yet-driv’n oxen could not drive. Yet these a strong hope held him to achieve, Because a prophet, that had never err’d, Had said, that only he should be preferr’d To their possession. But the equal fate Of God withstood his stealth; inextricate Imprisoning bands, and sturdy churlish swains That were the herdsmen, who withheld with chains The stealth-attempter; which was only he That durst abet the act with prophecy, None else would undertake it, and he must; The king would needs a prophet should be just. But when some days and months expired were, And all the hours had brought about the year, The prophet did so satisfy the king (Iphiclus, all his cunning questioning) That he enfranchis’d him; and, all worst done, Jove’s counsel made th’ all-safe conclusión. Then saw I Leda, link’d in nuptial chain With Tyndarus, to whom she did sustain Sons much renown’d for wisdom; Castor one, That pass’d for use of horse comparison; And Pollux, that excell’d in whirlbat fight; Both these the fruitful earth bore, while the light Of life inspir’d them; after which, they found Such grace with Jove, that both liv’d under ground, By change of days; life still did one sustain, While th’ other died; the dead then liv’d again, The living dying; both of one self date Their lives and deaths made by the Gods and Fate. Iphimedia after Leda came, That did derive from Neptune too the name Of father to two admirable sons.