University of Virginia Library

Myrsine occupies the stage,
Freshly bleeding to our age.
Th' incensed Goddesse in remorse
Here imposed Athens curse.

At Athens: who names Athens here in Thrace?
Licentious Fame that holds her still in chace.
And is there yet conceal'd some obscure deed
From Ages past, which makes her now to bleed.
Shall Athens (O shall shee) with infamie
Stand vpright in this last Chronologie?
And shall these dayes of ours speake Myrsines death,
The long since Myrsine, that dispos'd a wreath
In those enacted lustes and Tournament,
VVhat time the Arbitrate indifferent
Extending Garlands to th' applauded head,
Distinguisht Conqueror and the conquered?
At Athens there the faire Myrsina liu'd,
Athens the same that Myrsines life depriu'd.
An enuious Athens that proscribes her best;
Expels her Bees that Drones may be possest.
Do greater lights obscure thy glymmering?
Or makes it way vnto thy Soueraigning.
Amongst the blind that know not to descrie
Thy infinite abuse of Monarchie?
Such is their gouernement, and so austere,
That they expose the man whom they but feare;
Feare him that but obserues; and if he see;
That eye of his peruerts his destinie.
And those faire hopes which Nature did inscoffe,
Adapting fortunes equall to his Birth.
And though thou laydst a most repining hand
Vpon thy child, (act worthie to be scand
By after houres from intermitted ages,
Which shall declare to them these natiue strages)
Yet see thy Goddesse, whose Imagerie,
Thou more esteem'st then others deitie,
Abhors this deed that cannot hate thy name,
Shee'l challenge thee, thy infamie disclame.
See how shee weeps vpon Myrsinaes breast,
And swears that Athens thenceforth, dispossest
Of her belou'd, should to the selfe same fate
Commit all knowledge of the publike state.
What els from learning? By her selfe she swore,
That Athens should be Athens and no more:
Arte should discerne of nought but what was right,
And Schollers meerely seene in schollership.
Besides she swore, that Arte when at the height,
Euen then her reputation to be light:
Then least of estimate least priz'd; and why?
It erres in too much popularitie.
Yet she continued in this imprecation,
And yet enioyn'd her to selfe affectation,
To discontentment which shall carry her
Through stranger Nations and remoted far:
Her better wits to be the most vnstaide,
In giddie action venturous to wade
Beyond themselues, yea and her grauest hed
Strong in eroticke sects opinioned:
To many mo of Arts the proper vices
Disease as manifold, which thence arises,
As Melancholy, Rheume, a hollow eie,
A downeward looking, and the maladie
Of head and head-ach, leane and pale aspect,
A backe inur'd to bend and to deflect,
A stomacke nice, and apt to be offended,
Diseases to th' extreamer parts extended,
With twice as many griefes, which Arte best knowes,
All these th incensed Goddesse did impose
At Myrsines death, and Learning since her wracke,
Mournes for the fayre Myrsina all in blacke,
To expiate the sinne whose memorie
Is lif'd in Statua of a Myrtle tree.
For so the weeping Goddesse did allow
No more a Myrsine but a Myrtle now.
A tree, whose better kind is very rare:
A tree, that can abide no vncouth ayre:
A marrish, but no muddie tegument
About the roote to hinder her ascent,
A tree that's choakt with too much manurie,
Yet neuer thriues but by seueritie:
That at the bitter roote is somewhat slow,
But in maturitie it doth outgrow
All other Plants, and of these trees we find
Two diuers sorts, and of a differing kind:
Of which the greater is not held the best,
Nor that of earthly parts the most possest.
For earth restraines the spirits industrie,
Assimulating to her qualitie,
And but what's sensuall from the sense bereaues,
Nor is that best, which shewes the blackest leaues.
For is there any braine so foule with sud,
But knowes the fiend may vse a Friers hood?
Nor is that best, which first puts forth her flower,
Being all as apt to wither in an hower:
Or that, whose branching armes are euer greene,
Yet neuer fruite on armes or branches seene.
Some Myrtle showes her fruite vnto the Sunne,
And shuts her flower but in such Horizon.
Yea, some performes it by the silent night;
And they are such, whose deeds do hate the light.
Some in continuall labor, some in rest,
But yet no any of these kinds is best:
And that in Myrtles holds the Primacie,
That knowes no dayly toyle nor Lethargie;
That brookes the day by night, and night by day;
That's timely ripe, true colour'd, free from clay.
And such a Myrtle's manifold in vse,
If so th' incensed powers can reduce,
Reuerse, and nullifie th' imposed curse
If they be reconcil'd, it is of force
Within the bodies cure: In other termes,
T'is not of vertue to relieue her harmes.
In fields t'is Myrtle, and in Athens yet
Schollers discerne of nought but Schollership.
Whereas enlarg'd the Myrtle's physical,
And Learning manumist most meet instal'd
In publike office. Be not this offence.
I wish to Learning some experience.