Both settle to their tasks apart: both spread

Both settle to their tasks apart: both spread
At once their warps, consisting of fine thred,
Ty'd to their beames: a reed the thred divides,
Through which the quick-returning shuttle glides,
Shot by swift hands. The combs inserted tooth
Betweene the warp supprest the rising woofe:
Strife less'ning toyle. With skirts tuckt to their waste,
Both move their cunning armes with nimble haste.
Here crimson, dyde in Tyrian brasse, they weave:
The scarce distinguisht shadowes sight deceave.
So watry clowds, shot by Apollo , showe;
The vast sky painted with a mightie Bowe:
Where, though a thousand severall colours shine,
No eye their close transition can define:
What touch, the same so neerely represents;
And by degrees, scarce sensible, dissents.
Through-out imbellished with ductil gold:
And both reviv'd antiquities unfold.
Pallas , in Athens, Marse's Rock doth frame:
And that old strife about the Cittyes name.
Twice six Caelestialls sit inthron'd on hie,
Repleat with awe-infusing gravitie:
Jove in the midst. The suted figures tooke
Their lively formes: Jove had a regall looke.
The Sea-god stood, and with his Trident strake
The cleaving rock, from whence a fountayn brake:
Whereon he grounds his clame. With speare and shield
Her selfe she armes: her head a murrion steild:
Her brest her Ægis guards. Her lance the ground
Appeares to strike; and from that pregnant wound
The hoary olive, chargd with fruit, ascends.
The Gods admire: with victory she ends.
Yet she, to show the Rivall of her prayse
What hopes to cherish for such bold assayes,
Add's foure contentions in the utmost bounds
Of every angle, wrought in little Rounds.
One, Thracian Rhodope and Haemus showes,
Now mountaines, topt with never-melting snowes,
Once humane bodyes: who durst emulate
The blest Caelestialls both in stile and state.
The next containes the miserable doome
Of that Pygmaean matron, over-come
By Juno ; made a Crane, and forc't to jar
With her owne nation in perpetuall war.
A third presents Antigone , who strove
For unmatcht beautie with the wife of Jove .
Not Ilium , nor Laomedon her sire,
Prevail'd with violent Saturnia's ire.
Turnd to a Stork; who, with white pinions rais'd,
Is ever by her creaking bill selfe-prais'd.
In the last circle Cynaras was plac't;
Who, on the temples, staires, the formes imbrac't
Of his late daughters, by their pride o're-throwne:
And seemes himselfe to be a weeping stone.
The web a wreathe of peacefull olive bounds:
And her owne tree her work both ends and crownes.
Arachne weaves Europa's rape by Jove :
The Bull appeares to live, the Sea to move.
Back to the shore she casts a heavy eye;
To her distracted damsels seemes to cry:
And from the sprinkling waves, that skip to meete
With such a burden, shrinks her trembling feete.
Asteria there a strugling Eagle prest:
A Swan here spreds his wings o're Leda's brest.
Jove , Satyr-like, Antiope compels;
Whose fruitfull womb with double issue swels:
Amphitryo for Alcmena's love became:
A showre for Danai; for Ægina flame:
For beautifull Mnemosyne he takes
A pastors forme; for Deois a snakes.
Thee also, Neptune , like a lustfull Stere,
She makes the faire Æolian Virgin beare:
To get th' Aloides in Enipe's shape:
Now turn'd t'a Ram in sad Bisaltis rape.
The gold-haird mother of life-strengthning Seede,
The snake-hair'd mother of the winged Steede,
Found thee a Stalion: thee Melantho findes
A Delphin. She to every forme assignes
Life-equald looks; to every place their sites.
Here Phaebus in a Heards-mans shape delights;
A Lyon's now; now falcons wings displayes:
Macarean Issa shepheard-like betrayes.
Liber , a grape, Erigone comprest:
And Saturne , horse-like, Chiron gets, halfe-beast.
A slender wreathe her finisht web confines;
Flowres intermixt with clasping ivy twines.
Not Pallas this, not Envy this reproves:
Her faire successe the vext Virago moves;
Who teares the web, with crimes caelestiall fraught:
With shuttle from Cytorian mountaines brought,
Arachne thrice upon the fore-head hits.
Her great heart brooks it not. A cord she knits
About her neck. Remorsefull Pallas stayd
Her falling waight: Live wretch, yet hang, she said.
This curse (least after times thy pride secure)
Still to thy issue, and their race, indure.
Sprinkled with Hecat's banefull weeds, her haire
She forthwith sheds: her nose and eares impaire;
Her head growes little; her whole body so;
Her thighs and legs to spiny fingers grow:
The rest all belly. Whence a thred she sends:
And now, a Spider, her old webs extends.
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Ovid
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