Of womankinde, most faithfull to her mate,
Penelope; and from her farre awayes 430
A rulesse* rout of yongmen which her woo'd,
All slaine with darts, lie wallowed in their blood.
[* _Rulesse_, rule-less.]

"And sad Eurydice thence now no more
Must turne to life, but there detained bee
For looking back, being forbid before: 435
Yet was the guilt thereof, Orpheus, in thee!
Bold sure he was, and worthie spirite bore,
That durst those lowest shadowes goe to see,
And could beleeve that anie thing could please
Fell Cerberus, or Stygian powres appease. 440

"Ne feard the burning waves of Phlegeton,
Nor those same mournfull kingdomes, compassed
With rustle horrour and fowle fashion;
And deep digd vawtes*; and Tartar covered
With bloodie night and darke confusion; 445
And iudgement seates, whose iudge is deadlie dred,
A iudge that after death doth punish sore
The faults which life hath trespassed before.
[* _Vawtes_, vaults.]

"But valiant fortune made Dan Orpheus bolde:
For the swift running rivers still did stand, 450
And the wilde beasts their furie did withhold,
To follow Orpheus musicke through the land:
And th'okes, deep grounded in the earthly molde,
Did move, as if they could him understand; 454
And the shrill woods, which were of sense bereav'd,
Through their hard barke his silver sound receav'd.

"And eke the Moone her hastie steedes did stay,
Drawing in teemes along the starrie skie;
And didst, O monthly Virgin, thou delay
Thy nightly course, to heare his melodie? 460
The same was able, with like lovely lay,
The Queene of Hell to move as easily
To yeeld Eurydiee unto her fere,
Backe to be borne, though it unlawfull were.

"She, ladie, having well before approoved 465
The feends to be too cruell and severe,
Observ'd th'appointed way, as her behooved,
Ne ever did her eysight turne arere,
Ne ever spake, ne cause of speaking mooved;
But, cruell Orpheus, thou much crueller, 470
Seeking to kisse her, brok'st the gods decree,
And thereby mad'st her ever damn'd to be.

"Ah! but sweete love of pardon worthie is,
And doth deserve to have small faults remitted;
If Hell at least things lightly done amis 475
Knew how to pardon, when oug