“I carried am into waste wildernesse, Waste wildernes, amongst Cymerian shades, 370 Where endles paines and hideous heavinesse Is round about me heapt in darksome glades. For there huge Othos sits in sad distresse, Fast bound with serpents that him oft invades, Far of beholding Ephialtes tide, 375 Which once assai’d to burne this world so wide. “And there is mournfull Tityus, mindefull yet Of thy displeasure, O Latona faire; Displeasure too implacable was it, That made him meat for wild foules of the ayre: 380 Much do I feare among such fiends to sit; Much do I feare back to them to repayre, To the black shadowes of the Stygian shore, Where wretched ghosts sit wailing evermore. “There next the utmost brinck doth he abide 385 That did the bankets of the gods bewray, Whose throat through thirst to nought nigh being dride, His sense to seeke for ease turnes every way: And he that in avengement of his pride, For scorning to the sacred gods to pray, 390 Against a mountaine rolls a mightie stone, Calling in vaine for rest, and can have none. “Go ye with them, go, cursed damosells, Whose bridale torches foule Erynnis tynde*, And Hymen, at your spousalls sad, foretells 395 Tydings of death and massacre unkinde**: With them that cruell Colchid mother dwells, The which conceiv’d in her revengefull minde With bitter woundes her owne deere babes to slay, And murdred troupes upon great heapes to lay. 400 [* _Tynde_, kindled.] [** _Unkinde_, unnatural.] “There also those two Pandionian maides, Calling on Itis, Itis evermore, Whom, wretched boy, they slew with guiltie blades; For whome the Thracian king lamenting sore, Turn’d to a lapwing, fowlie them upbraydes, 405 And flattering round about them still does sore; There now they all eternally complaine Of others wrong, and suffer endles paine. “But the two brethren* borne of Cadmus blood, Whilst each does for the soveraignty contend, 411 Blinde through ambition, and with vengeance wood**, Each doth against the others bodie bend His cursed steele, of neither well withstood, And with wide wounds their carcases doth rend; That yet they both doe mortall foes remaine, 415 Sith each with brothers bloudie hand was slaine. [* I.e. Eteocles and Polynices.] [** _Wood_, mad.] “Ah (waladay!) there is no end of paine, Nor chaunge of labour may intreated bee: Yet I beyond all these am carried faine, Where other powers farre different I see, 420 And must passe over to th’Elisian plaine: There grim Persephone, encountring mee, Doth urge her fellow Furies earnestlie With their bright firebronds me to terrifie.