A Hymn to MercuryHermes I honour, the Cyllenian Spy,King of Cyllenia, and of ArcadyWith flocks abounding; and the MessengerOf all th’ Immortals, that doth still inferProfits of infinite value to their store;Whom to Saturnius bashful Maia bore,Daughter of Atlas, and did therefore flyOf all th’ Immortals the society,To that dark cave, where, in the dead of night,Jove join’d with her in love’s divine delight,When golden sleep shut Juno’s jealous eye,Whose arms had wrists as white as ivory,From whom, and all, both men and Gods beside,The fair-hair’d nymph had scape kept undescried.Joy to the Jove-got then, and Maia’s care,’Twixt men and Gods the general Messenger,Giver of good grace, gladness, and the floodOf all that men or Gods account their good!
Hermes I honour, the Cyllenian Spy,King of Cyllenia, and of ArcadyWith flocks abounding; and the MessengerOf all th’ Immortals, that doth still inferProfits of infinite value to their store;Whom to Saturnius bashful Maia bore,Daughter of Atlas, and did therefore flyOf all th’ Immortals the society,To that dark cave, where, in the dead of night,Jove join’d with her in love’s divine delight,When golden sleep shut Juno’s jealous eye,Whose arms had wrists as white as ivory,From whom, and all, both men and Gods beside,The fair-hair’d nymph had scape kept undescried.Joy to the Jove-got then, and Maia’s care,’Twixt men and Gods the general Messenger,Giver of good grace, gladness, and the floodOf all that men or Gods account their good!