and holy Goddesse, I pray thee by thy
plenteous and liberall right hand, by the joyfull ceremonies of thy
harvest, by the secrets of thy Sacrifice, by the flying chariots of
thy dragons, by the tillage of the ground of Sicilie, which thou hast
invented, by the marriage of Proserpin, by the diligent inquisition of
thy daughter, and by the other secrets which are within the temple of
Eleusis in the land of Athens, take pitty on me thy servant Psyches, and
let me hide my selfe a few dayes amongst these sheffes of corne, untill
the ire of so great a Goddesse be past, or until that I be refreshed of
my great labour and travell. Then answered Ceres, Verely Psyches, I am
greatly moved by thy prayers and teares, and desire with all my heart
to aide thee, but if I should suffer thee to be hidden here, I should
increase the displeasure of my Cosin, with whom I have made a treatie
of peace, and an ancient promise of amity: wherefore I advise thee to
depart hence and take it not in evil part in that I will not suffer thee
to abide and remaine here within my temple. Then Psyches driven away
contrary to her hope, was double afflicted with sorrow and so she
returned back againe. And behold she perceived a far off in a vally
a Temple standing within a Forest, faire and curiously wrought, and
minding to over-passe no place whither better hope did direct her, and
to the intent she would desire pardon of every God, she approached nigh
unto the sacred doore, whereas she saw pretious riches and vestiments
ingraven with letters of gold, hanging upon branches of trees, and the
posts of the temple testifying the name of the goddesse Juno, to whom
they were dedicate, then she kneeled downe upon her knees, and imbraced
the Alter with her hands, and wiping her teares, gan pray in this sort:
O deere spouse and sister of the great God Jupiter which art adored and
worshipped amongst the great temples of Samos, called upon by women
with child, worshipped at high Carthage, because thou wast brought from
heaven by the lyon, the rivers of the floud Inachus do celebrate thee:
and know that thou art the wife of the great god, and the goddesse of
goddesses; all the east part of the world have thee in veneration,
all the world calleth thee Lucina: I pray thee to be my advocate in my
tribulations, deliver me from the great danger which pursueth me, and
save me that am weary with so long labours and sorrow, for I know that
it is thou that succorest and helpest