Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, VIRGIDEMIAE: BOOK 1: SATIRE 2, by JOSEPH HALL


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

VIRGIDEMIAE: BOOK 1: SATIRE 2, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Whilome the sisters nine were vestall maides
Last Line: From common trulls, and loathsome brothelry.
Subject(s): Fate; Parnassus (mountain), Greece; Temples; Destiny; Mosques


Whilome the sisters nine were Vestall maides,
And held their Temple in the secret shades
Of fayre Pernassus that two-headed hill,
Whose auncient fame the Southern world did fill.
And in the steed of their eternall flame,
Was the coole streame, that tooke his endles name
From out the fertile hoofe of winged steed:
There did they sit and do their holy deed,
That pleas'd both heauen and earth: till that of late,
Whom should I fault? or the most righteous Fate?
Or heauen, or men, or fiends, or ought beside,
That euer made that foule mischance betide?
Some of the sisters in securer shades
Defloured were:
And euer since disdaining sacred shame,
Done ought that might their heauenly stock defame.
Now is Pernassus turned to the stewes:
And on Bay-stockes the wanton Myrtle growes.
Cytheron hill's become a Brothel-bed,
And Pyrene sweet, turnd to a poysoned head
Of cole-blacke puddle: whose infectuous staine
Corrupteth all the lowly fruitfull plaine.
Their modest stole, to garish looser weed,
Deck't with loue-fauors: their late whordoms meed,
And where they wont sip of the simple floud,
Now tosse they bowles of Bacchus boyling blood.
I maruel'd much with doubtfull iealousie,
Whence came such Litturs of new Poetry?
Meethought I fear'd, least the hors-hoofed well
His natiue banks did proudly ouer-swell
In some late discontent thence to ensue
Such wondrous rablements of Rimsters new.
But since, I saw it painted on Fames wings,
The Muses to be woxen Wantonnings.
Each bush, each banke, and each base Apple-squire,
Can serue to sate their beastly lewd desire.
Ye bastard Poets see your Pedegree,
From common Trulls, and loathsome Brothelry.





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