nesse. When she had spoken these words she
embraced and kissed her sonne, and took her voyage toward the sea.

When she came upon the sea she began to cal the gods and goddesses,
who were obedient at her voyce. For incontinent came the daughters of
Nereus, singing with tunes melodiously: Portunus with his bristled and
rough beard, Salita with her bosome full of fish, Palemon the driver of
the Dolphine, the Trumpetters of Tryton, leaping hither and thither, and
blowing with heavenly noyse: such was the company which followed Venus,
marching towards the ocean sea.

In the meane season Psyches with all her beauty received no fruit
of honor. She was wondred at of all, she was praised of all, but she
perceived that no King nor Prince, nor any one of the superiour sort
did repaire to wooe her. Every one marvelled at her divine beauty, as it
were some Image well painted and set out. Her other two sisters, which
were nothing so greatly exalted by the people, were royally married to
two Kings: but the virgin Psyches, sitting alone at home, lamented her
solitary life, and being disquieted both in mind and body, although
she pleased all the world, yet hated shee in her selfe her owne beauty.
Whereupon the miserable father of this unfortunate daughter, suspecting
that the gods and powers of heaven did envy her estate, went to the town
called Milet to receive the Oracle of Apollo, where he made his prayers
and offered sacrifice, and desired a husband for his daughter: but
Apollo though he were a Grecian, and of the country of Ionia, because of
the foundation of Milet, yet hee gave answer in Latine verse, the sence
whereof was this:--

Let Psyches corps be clad in mourning weed,
And set on rock of yonder hill aloft:
Her husband is no wight of humane seed,
But Serpent dire and fierce as might be thought.
Who flies with wings above in starry skies,
And doth subdue each thing with firie flight.
The gods themselves, and powers that seem so wise,
With mighty Jove, be subject to his might,
The rivers blacke, and deadly flouds of paine
And darkness eke, as thrall to him remaine.

The King, sometimes happy when he heard the prophesie of Apollo,
returned home sad and sorrowful, and declared to his wife the miserable
and unhappy fate of his daughter. Then they began to lament and weep,
and passed over many dayes in great sorrow. But now the time approached
of Psyches marriage, preparation