Wittes Pilgrimage (by Poeticall Essaies): Through a VVorld of amorous Sonnets, Soule-passions, and other Passages, Diuine, Philosophicall, Morall, Poeticall, and Politicall. By Iohn Davies |
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I said vnto Laughter, what art thou mad? And to Mirth what dost thou?
Eccles. 2. 2.
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 | Wittes Pilgrimage |  |
I said vnto Laughter, what art thou mad? And to Mirth what dost thou? Eccles. 2. 2.
Among the Baites Sinne laies for heedles Flesh(Though Lust be more attractiue in her powr]
None takes so soone [sith It doth it refresh]
As Myrth; For, Myrth doth ioy, and health procure.
The Graue, and Light wil, lightly, mirry bee
Mirth so doth tickle Spleenes of either kinde
For recreation, one; the other, glee:
And both, because the rein they pleasure finde.
It is Earths Heauen, yet It doth hale to Hell:
But so doth hale, as, with bewitching Arte
It makes them willing whome it doth compel
To ioy in Pleasure: which procureth Smart.
When Fortune smiles who then laughs not outright?
And oft (mad mirry] plaies not with each straw?
Makes Pleasure, all their paine; their care, Delight?
These, Mirth, with Ropes of Vanity, doth draw.
These, in the Night, think how to spend the Day
[If thinking-sad Ambition let them not]
In pas-time, so, Time passeth with ill play
Til they lose All, and He the same hath got.
In Weale, we flote on Pleasures Streams, with ease,
In sugred satisfaction of our Sense:
And often seeke to sound those sensual Seas
With the decep'st reach of our Intelligence.
Then wee embozom all that Myrth can yeeld:
Musutions, Plaiers: Buffons, Birds and Beasts
Do, at their pleasure, vs (most wanton) weeld:
And, deerer then our Wisedomes deeme their Iests.
A Zane (farther off from Wit, then Grace
(And yet as farre from Grace, as Grace, from Synne)
That can at Feasts, prate with a brazen face)
Our Dainties will not downe with out some such,
A Shamelesse-gracelesse, wittlesse Thing wee gett
To make vs Fatt, as fooles, with Laughing much
And on his follie feede, to make vs eate.
My Lady shee will laugh as madd shee were
(Lord! why should Mirth make sober Ladies madd?)
If shee but see Him, like an Asse, to fleere;
So shee (kind Mule) to see an Asse is gladd.
And when such Buffons ball, and Cornetts sound
(The Ghests loud-Laughing) Who can then bee heard
That speakes like Phillpps Page, as shrill, as sound,
That Voice hath then no grace and lesse regard?
And, if one sober Soule, amonge the rest,
Do mind the rest of their Excesse, in This
Some seeming wise man makes him straight a Iest,
While all, as at a Goose, like Geese do hisse.
Then one Goose (that seemes reason most t'affect)
Yeelds him a reason for their hissing so:
And saith that Wisedome doth hir selfe reiect,
When shee comes out of season ought to do.
This Diu'l with reason, dammnes Diuinity;
And, with his Wisedome, stopps selfe Wisedomes Mouth:
Which saith, all Seasons wee should mortifie
Our Eares, to heare the liuely Word of TRVTH!
Paule, hold thy peace; thou blessed Saint be still:
(Though if thou preach not, thou saist, wo to Thee)
Lest they do hisse thee too, for thy good will;
Who hold all Geese that not madd-mirry bee.
Tell them they ought in season, and without
To heare the Word of Life: they, dead in sinne,
Will, for thy zeale, requite thee with a floute;
For so to quite such zeale they vs'd haue bin
The most voluptuous ouer-wanton Rigge
Proud Plentie, scornes meeke Pieties VVoman-hood:
And, swelling Supra-aboundance lookes so bigg
That nought it sees so Low as Sober-moode.
Variety of Crownes, Robes, Mirth, and Meate
And all that rauish, Sense, with sweet'st delight
These are the Heau'ns desired of the GREATE
VVho weene no Heau'n nor Hell is out of sight.
Sith you will not attend true VVisedoms VVords,
Laugh and bee fatt, sith al you touch is Gold,
Though that foode your Soules famishment affordes.
Soule? tush, what Soule? how idly dost thou chatt,
Madd Muse, that now [they thinke] dost Poetize:
There is no Soule, nor no such Thing as that;
These are but Fictions, Law-confirming Lies,
VVhat resurrection? Pish, who euer came
From Death, to Life? VVho can Cadaueres raise?
Some say a Nazarite once did the same,
But Tacitus nor Machiauel so saies.
These were wise Men, in deede, and known for such,
If such had said it, we might trust their VVorde:
But, sow'r poore Fellowes poorely it doth touch,
That often with themselues do scarse accord.
VVho had no action in the Common-weale
No Office, no Command, nor no great Braine,
Yet wee [for sooth] for vaine Soules only Heale
Must credit them in all their prattle vaine.
These are the damnd discourses of these Diuells;
Thus, their blasphemous Tongues deride the Truth;
Whose greatest gooddesse is in greatest Euills:
And growing Greate, through Mischiefe, haue their growth.
Great Witt should haue great Grace the same to guide;
Or Witts owne greatnesse will it selfe oppresse,
Or make it runne to rage, it selfe beside;
And sinck the Owner in the deep'st distresse.
If Witt, and Wealth concurre, to Hell they runne,
If Grace, in mightie measure, stay them not:
Who are vndone, if they be not vndone
Before they do receiue their later Lott:
For, Frolick Fate is most vnfortunate
If sanctified Discretion hold not in
Vnruly Nature, then, in sober gate:
For, from Aboundance, springs aboundant Sinne.
In Wealthes excesse to be most continent
Is most miraculous, and seldome seene:
For, Appetite is then most violent,
And Passion, with high-hand, growes Reasons Queene.
Then Pleasur's Actiue, and most Passiue, Sense:
Which is distracted by Ioyes violence,
Aswell as by Griefes Gripes, or sodaine Feares.
If hee that doth the happiest State possesse
Looke well within him, and without him too
Hee lightly shall see cause of heauynesse,
Seeing All to threaten him quite to vndoo.
But hardly shall hee sinde a cause of myrth
(Though hee sought all the World the same to finde)
Sith Sorrow only is our tight of Birth,
With Laboure of our Body, Soule, and Mind.
O Myrth (strong Strumpett!) Whore to Worldly-Weale,
O Laughter (Light Thing!) Baude to both those Beasts,
Why do you not your Luxury conceale
But that bewray which Modestie detests?
It is because yee are madd; as are those
That willinglie still rest at your dispose.
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