The Crowne of All Homers Workes/To Castor and Pollux

by Homer

 

To

Castor

and

Pollvx.

oues faire Sonnes, Father'd by Th'Oebalian King,
Muses-well-worth-All Mens beholdings, sing:
The Deare Birth, that Bright-Anckl'd Læda bore;
Horse-taming Castor; and the Conqueror
Of Tooth-tongu'd Momus (Pollux:) whom beneath
Steepe-Browd Taygetus, she gaue half-God breath;
In Loue mixt with the black-cloudes King of heauen:
Who, both of Men and ships, (being Tempest driuen,
When Winters wrathfull Empire, is in force
Upon th'Implacable Seas) preserue the course.
For when the Gusts beginn; (if nere the shore)
The Sea-Men leaue their ship; and (euermore
Bearing two milke-white Lambs aboard;) they now
Kill them ashore, and to Ioues Issue vow,
When, though their ship (in height of all the rore
The windes and waues confound) can liue no more,
In all their hopes; then sodainely appeare
Ioues sauing Sonnes; who both their Bodies beare
Twixt yellow wings, downe from the sparkling Pole.
Who strait, the rage of those rude Winds controle,
And all the high-waues couch into the Brest
Of T'hoarie Seas. All which sweete signes of rest
To Sea-Mens labors, their glad soules conceiue,
And End to all their yrckesome grieuance giue.
 So (once more) to the swift-horse-riding Race
 Of Royall Tyndarus, eternall Grace.