 | A New Spring Shadowed in sundry Pithie Poems |  |
The Statue of Agathocles.
The Argument.
Agathocles, a Tyrant of Syracusa, caused his Statue to be composed in this manner: The Head of Gold, Armes of Iuorie, and other of the lineaments of purest Brasse; but the Feet of Earth: intimating of what weake and infirme subsistence this little-World Man was builded. Whence wee may collect what diuine considerations the Pagans themselues obserued and vsually applyed to rectifie their morall life; where instructions of Nature directed them not onely in the course of humane society; but euen in Principles aboue the reach and pitch of Nature; as may appeare in many Philosophicall Axioms, and diuinely-inserted sentences in the Workes of Plato, Plutarch, Socrates, and amongst the Latines, in the inimitable Labours of Seneca, Boæthius, Tacitus and Plinius secundus. Vpon the Morall of this Statue of Agathocles, insists the Author in this Poem, concluding with this vndoubted Position: that as foundations on sand are by euery tempest shaken; so Man standing on feet of Earth, hath no firmer foundation then mutability to ground on.
(So rare thou art) to some choyce Statuarie,
Who doth pourtray with Pencill he doth take,
Himselfe to th'Image which hee's wont to make.
How artfull Thou, and gracefull to by birth,
A King, yet showes that thou art made of earth;
Not glorying in thy greatnesse, but would seeme
Made of the same mould other men haue beene:
A Head of Gold, as thou art chiefe of Men,
So chiefe of Mettalls make thy Diadem;
Victorious Armes of purest Iuorie,
Which intimates the perions purity;
The other Lineaments compos'd of Brasse,
Implies th'vndanted strength whereof thou was:
But Feete of Earth, show th'grownd on which we stand,
That we're cast downe in turning of a hand.
Of which, that we may make the better vse,
Me thinks I could dilate the Morall thus:
Man made of Earth no surer footing can
Presume vpon then Earth, from which he came,
Where firmenesse is infirmenesse, and the stay
On which hee builds his strongest hopes, is Clay:
And yet how strangely confident he growes,
In Heauen-confronting boldnesse, and in showes
Bearing a Gyants Spirit, when in length,
Height, bredth, and pitch he is of Pigmies strength:
Yea, I haue knowne a very Dwarfe in sight,
Conceit himselfe a Pyramis in height,
Ietting so stately, as it were in's power
But when Man's proud, I should esteem't more meet,
Not to presume on's strength, but looke on's feete,
Which Nature, we obserue, hath taught the Swan,
And ought in reason to be done by Man.
Weake are foundations that are rear'd on sand,
And on as weake grounds may we seeme to stand;
Both subiect to be ruin'd, split, and raz't,
One Billow shakes the first, one griefe the last.
Whence then or how subsists this Earthly frame,
That merits in it selfe no better name
Then Shell of base corruption? 'Tis not Brasse,
Marble, or Iuorie, which, when times passe,
And our expired Fates surcease to be,
Reserue in them our liuing memorie;
No, no, this Mettall is not of that proofe,
We liue as Those vnder a shaking roofe;
Where euery moment makes apparant show
(For want of props) of finall ouerthrow.
Thus then me thinks you may, (if so you please)
Apply this Statue of Agathocles.
As he compos'd his royall Head of Gold,
The pur'st of Mettalls; you are thereby told
That th' Head whence Reason and right Iudgement springs
Should not be pester'd with inferior things:
And as his actiue sinnewie Armes are said
(To shew their purenesse) to be Iuored,
Like Pelops milke-white shoulders; we are giuen
To vnderstand, our Armes should be to Heauen
(As to their proper Orbe) enlarg'd, that we
Might there be made the Saints of purity:
(Being of bigger bone then others was)
We may collect Men made of selfe same clay,
May in their strength doe more then others may.
Lastly, on Earth as Men subsistence haue,
Their Earthly feet doe hasten to their Graue.
| A New Spring Shadowed in sundry Pithie Poems | |