KOSMOBREVIA[Greek], or the infancy of the world With an Appendix of Gods resting day, Edon Garden; Mans Happiness before, Misery after, his Fall. Whereunto is added, The Praise of Nothing; Divine Ejaculations; The four Ages of the world; The Birth of Christ; Also a Century of Historical Applications; With a Taste of Poetical fictions. Written some years since by N. B.[i.e. Nicholas Billingsley] ... And now published at the request of his Friends |
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 | KOSMOBREVIA[Greek], or the infancy of the world |  |
As soon as Gods all pow'rful hand had laid
The worlds foundation, to the earth he said,
Lay by thy mournful weeds, unite thy powers,
And make a garland of the choysest flowers,
Embost with Gems, and Diamonds; then crowne
Thy front, and put on an Embroider'd gown,
Nay and the more thy glory for to grace,
With liveliest colours beautifie thy face.
Put one thy Periwig, all fruits, plums, pears,
Shall hang like Iewels, dangling in thine ears.
With that arose this new proclaimed Queen,
Her Ebon mantle turn'd a galant green,
Befring'd with flowers; the Gorget that she wore
Was lac'd with Flora's pride, bestarched ore
With Deaws, and rory mists, her hand did hold
A royal Scepter made of burnish'd gold.
Rich Gems, rare Iewels, pretious stones are set
Up charily in her wombs Cabinet.
This stately Empress don's her dangling Tresses,
And makes no more ado but tricks and dresses
Her wanton bosome with delightful flowers,
'Gainst Ioves descending in his silver showers.
The heav'ns as braclets, her pure hands bedeck
The stars are Beads which goe about her neck,
Her lilly neck so that fair Uenus seeks
Her heav'n-stol'n beauty in her earthly cheeks,
The worlds foundation, to the earth he said,
Lay by thy mournful weeds, unite thy powers,
And make a garland of the choysest flowers,
Embost with Gems, and Diamonds; then crowne
Thy front, and put on an Embroider'd gown,
Nay and the more thy glory for to grace,
With liveliest colours beautifie thy face.
Put one thy Periwig, all fruits, plums, pears,
Shall hang like Iewels, dangling in thine ears.
With that arose this new proclaimed Queen,
Her Ebon mantle turn'd a galant green,
Befring'd with flowers; the Gorget that she wore
Was lac'd with Flora's pride, bestarched ore
With Deaws, and rory mists, her hand did hold
A royal Scepter made of burnish'd gold.
12
Up charily in her wombs Cabinet.
This stately Empress don's her dangling Tresses,
And makes no more ado but tricks and dresses
Her wanton bosome with delightful flowers,
'Gainst Ioves descending in his silver showers.
The heav'ns as braclets, her pure hands bedeck
The stars are Beads which goe about her neck,
Her lilly neck so that fair Uenus seeks
Her heav'n-stol'n beauty in her earthly cheeks,
Wild Ash trees from earths swelling matrice spring
The river Sallowes fens forth Alders bring
The Mirtle loves the shore, Vines doe enfold
Their arms on hils, the Yew tree haunts the cold,
The fruitfull Almond from earths wombe doth come
The sweet-scent Aromatick Balsamum;
The box-tree ever green, the tow'ring Cedar,
The stately Pine, which doth in height succeed her
The lovely Chery-trees sanguineous sap,
Is nourished in Demegorgon's lap,
The warr us'd Cornell, and the Mast-ful Beach,
The fun'ral Cypress, and the velvet Peach,
The Ambrosiack Cinamon, the Figg,
The Pompkin and the aged Oke (so big)
The Iuniper which yields a fragrant smell,
And Sea green Willows on the earth do dwell.
The Daphnean Lawrel tree, which doth not dread
The thund'rets voyce, whose hair-abounding head
Is never bald; but doth for ever flourish,
Springs from the earth, it is the earth doth norish
The never fading Palms; the beautious Firre
Streight as an arrow; and the red'lent Myrrhe,
The broad branch'd Plane-tree, with his spacious leaves
The wanton Jvy which adhers and cleavs
To other Arbors, groweth ev'ry where,
The downy Poplar, The Piram'dal Peare,
The Melt-tree, Weapons Needles Thred, affords
Clothes Honey, Sugar, Balm, Wine, Parchment, Cords
The Vine suporting Elm, the pearly Plum,
The balefull Pitch-tree, sweating forth its gum.
The fulsome Bullace, and the prickly Holly,
The furr'd coat Chestnut, and the shrub Trifolly,
The golden Orange, and the plush-coate Quince,
Which ord'red well yields Marm'let for a Prince,
The shadie Linden, Goosberries and Wardens,
The Mulb'ry, Raspb'ry, Strawb'ry, grow in gardens
The river Sallowes fens forth Alders bring
The Mirtle loves the shore, Vines doe enfold
Their arms on hils, the Yew tree haunts the cold,
The fruitfull Almond from earths wombe doth come
The sweet-scent Aromatick Balsamum;
The box-tree ever green, the tow'ring Cedar,
The stately Pine, which doth in height succeed her
The lovely Chery-trees sanguineous sap,
Is nourished in Demegorgon's lap,
The warr us'd Cornell, and the Mast-ful Beach,
The fun'ral Cypress, and the velvet Peach,
The Ambrosiack Cinamon, the Figg,
The Pompkin and the aged Oke (so big)
The Iuniper which yields a fragrant smell,
And Sea green Willows on the earth do dwell.
13
The thund'rets voyce, whose hair-abounding head
Is never bald; but doth for ever flourish,
Springs from the earth, it is the earth doth norish
The never fading Palms; the beautious Firre
Streight as an arrow; and the red'lent Myrrhe,
The broad branch'd Plane-tree, with his spacious leaves
The wanton Jvy which adhers and cleavs
To other Arbors, groweth ev'ry where,
The downy Poplar, The Piram'dal Peare,
The Melt-tree, Weapons Needles Thred, affords
Clothes Honey, Sugar, Balm, Wine, Parchment, Cords
The Vine suporting Elm, the pearly Plum,
The balefull Pitch-tree, sweating forth its gum.
The fulsome Bullace, and the prickly Holly,
The furr'd coat Chestnut, and the shrub Trifolly,
The golden Orange, and the plush-coate Quince,
Which ord'red well yields Marm'let for a Prince,
The shadie Linden, Goosberries and Wardens,
The Mulb'ry, Raspb'ry, Strawb'ry, grow in gardens
All these and many more come from the earth
Earth gives them nutriment as well as birth,
The earth, mother of all things; suckles all
Her vegetative ofsprings, great and small.
Earth gives them nutriment as well as birth,
The earth, mother of all things; suckles all
Her vegetative ofsprings, great and small.
At Gods command Dame Tellus deck'd her bowers
With verdent hearbs, and Odorif'rous Flowers,
Of sundry vertues, and of sundry hew,
Some green, some red, some yellow, white, some blew.
Here doth the Cardu's-Benedictus grow,
Both to the plague and stone a deadly foe:
Here jaundis-cureing, Horehound, which is good
Against the Asthma; heer is Southern-wood
Good against Feavours; here the Worm-wood eases
All Surfeits, drunk'ness, Cholerick Diseases.
Cough-chasing, Rocket, Rue-expelling vapors,
Which dim the sight; the pallat-pleasing Capers
Helping the Spleen; sweet-scenting Marjoram
Is here; and there the Bawm of Abraham;
Here grows the Beet; yonder the Daffadill;
And there the fragrant spreading Cammomill;
Here is Mint, Centory, and Columbine,
And there the Cowslip and the Eglantine;
See here is Ey-bright, Annis, Cummin, Carry,
Dittander there, behold the hearb Cost-mary,
Here is Germander, Melilot also,
And Harts-tongue, Harts-horn, Harts-ease, there do grow
Roots white and red, and chockly, Artycocks,
Here maidens hair is, alias, Venus locks,
Here thriveth Hyssop, Lavender, and Sorrel,
Yonder the Night-shade, called Pety-morel,
Here Palma-Christi doth it self expand,
There Peneroyal, royaly doth stand.
Here groweth Parsly, yonder sprouteth Tansy;
And here the Lovage, yon' the Lovers Pansy.
Her's drowsie Popy, there are Dasies blowing,
And sweet Angelica is yonder growing:
Here Cic'ry springs, there Fumitory thrives,
Staves-aker lives here, that the Lowse unlives.
Here's sovr'aine Rhubarb, yonder is sweet Basil,
There Fullers hearb, known by the name of Thasil,
Yonder spread Mandrakes, the neglected Nettle,
There doth its foot in Tellus bosom settle.
Here's Sav'ry, Savery, and Helebore,
(Of which they say Anticyras hath store)
Parsnips, and Turneps, and Potatoes too,
Coleworts, and Cabbage, and the Radish doe
Rise from the ground; Elicampane, the Rape,
And all plants els have from the earth their shape
All sorts of grain Wheat, Barley, Oates, and Poder
Whose sap-less stalks the stall-fed Ox do fodder.
Burrage, and Bugloss, Fennel, Water-cresses,
Dame Tellus with all these her bosom dresses,
Now walk we (Reader) into Flora's Bowers,
For recreation; here are curious flowers,
To make fine Posies with; here here behold
The purple Violet, and Marigold.
Seest how these variegated beds do show
As many coulors as the Rainy Bow?
Here's choyce of Pinks, & banks of Damask Roses
Their sight doth pleas our eys, their smel, our noses
The cleer fac'd Lilly smiles, so here great store
Of Gil'flowers, Tulips, and—but what need more
In vaine alas! in vaine I goe about
To reckon all the branches which doe sprout
From out Methymna; the Hyblean Bees,
And yellow sands, neere the Pactolian Seas,
Are not so numerous, the starrs give place
(If numbred) to the Demegorgon's race,
'Tis night, and Titan his refulgent beams
Doth hide their glory in the Western streams
The third day left a universal shade,
And heaven was pleased with the works he made.
With verdent hearbs, and Odorif'rous Flowers,
14
Some green, some red, some yellow, white, some blew.
Here doth the Cardu's-Benedictus grow,
Both to the plague and stone a deadly foe:
Here jaundis-cureing, Horehound, which is good
Against the Asthma; heer is Southern-wood
Good against Feavours; here the Worm-wood eases
All Surfeits, drunk'ness, Cholerick Diseases.
Cough-chasing, Rocket, Rue-expelling vapors,
Which dim the sight; the pallat-pleasing Capers
Helping the Spleen; sweet-scenting Marjoram
Is here; and there the Bawm of Abraham;
Here grows the Beet; yonder the Daffadill;
And there the fragrant spreading Cammomill;
Here is Mint, Centory, and Columbine,
And there the Cowslip and the Eglantine;
See here is Ey-bright, Annis, Cummin, Carry,
Dittander there, behold the hearb Cost-mary,
Here is Germander, Melilot also,
And Harts-tongue, Harts-horn, Harts-ease, there do grow
Roots white and red, and chockly, Artycocks,
Here maidens hair is, alias, Venus locks,
Here thriveth Hyssop, Lavender, and Sorrel,
Yonder the Night-shade, called Pety-morel,
Here Palma-Christi doth it self expand,
There Peneroyal, royaly doth stand.
15
And here the Lovage, yon' the Lovers Pansy.
Her's drowsie Popy, there are Dasies blowing,
And sweet Angelica is yonder growing:
Here Cic'ry springs, there Fumitory thrives,
Staves-aker lives here, that the Lowse unlives.
Here's sovr'aine Rhubarb, yonder is sweet Basil,
There Fullers hearb, known by the name of Thasil,
Yonder spread Mandrakes, the neglected Nettle,
There doth its foot in Tellus bosom settle.
Here's Sav'ry, Savery, and Helebore,
(Of which they say Anticyras hath store)
Parsnips, and Turneps, and Potatoes too,
Coleworts, and Cabbage, and the Radish doe
Rise from the ground; Elicampane, the Rape,
And all plants els have from the earth their shape
All sorts of grain Wheat, Barley, Oates, and Poder
Whose sap-less stalks the stall-fed Ox do fodder.
Burrage, and Bugloss, Fennel, Water-cresses,
Dame Tellus with all these her bosom dresses,
Now walk we (Reader) into Flora's Bowers,
For recreation; here are curious flowers,
To make fine Posies with; here here behold
The purple Violet, and Marigold.
Seest how these variegated beds do show
As many coulors as the Rainy Bow?
16
Their sight doth pleas our eys, their smel, our noses
The cleer fac'd Lilly smiles, so here great store
Of Gil'flowers, Tulips, and—but what need more
In vaine alas! in vaine I goe about
To reckon all the branches which doe sprout
From out Methymna; the Hyblean Bees,
And yellow sands, neere the Pactolian Seas,
Are not so numerous, the starrs give place
(If numbred) to the Demegorgon's race,
'Tis night, and Titan his refulgent beams
Doth hide their glory in the Western streams
The third day left a universal shade,
And heaven was pleased with the works he made.
| KOSMOBREVIA[Greek], or the infancy of the world | |