Natures Embassie Or, The Wilde-mans Measvres: Danced naked by twelve Satyres, with sundry others continued in the next Section [by Richard Brathwait] |
 |
 | 1. |
| 2. |
| 1. |
THE FIRST SATYRE.
[OF SLOTH.]
|
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 12. |
| 13. |
|
| 14. |
|
|
|
|
 | Natures Embassie |  |
78
THE FIRST SATYRE. [OF SLOTH.]
Elpenor groueling in his duskie caue,
Secure of God or Gods high prouidence,
Nought but luxurious dishes seemes to craue,
To satisfie the appetite of sence.
He spurnes at heauen, contemnes all supreme power,
Priding in that will perish in an houre.
Secure of God or Gods high prouidence,
Nought but luxurious dishes seemes to craue,
To satisfie the appetite of sence.
He spurnes at heauen, contemnes all supreme power,
Priding in that will perish in an houre.
God is of no respect with Epicures,
Sencelesse of of heauen or minds tranquilitie,
Sencelesse of Hell, which euermore endures,
Glad to receiue earths ioyes satietie:
Where rape with Obiects of deceiuing Pleasure,
They liue to sin, but to repent at leasure.
Sencelesse of of heauen or minds tranquilitie,
Sencelesse of Hell, which euermore endures,
Glad to receiue earths ioyes satietie:
Where rape with Obiects of deceiuing Pleasure,
They liue to sin, but to repent at leasure.
Is not that Statue (say Elpenor) thine,
With eyes-inflam'd and palsie-shaking hand,
Vpon whose fore-head's writ, Abuse of time?
I know it is, for I do see it stand
Neare Baccus shrine, where either drinkes to other,
Healths to Eryca, their lasciuious Mother.
With eyes-inflam'd and palsie-shaking hand,
Vpon whose fore-head's writ, Abuse of time?
I know it is, for I do see it stand
Neare Baccus shrine, where either drinkes to other,
Healths to Eryca, their lasciuious Mother.
Where Syren voyces so apply the eare,
With an affected melodie, that earth
Might a phantasticke Paradise appeare,
Through consort of an vniuersall mirth,
Which these inchanting harmonists did vse,
To th' wofull friends of wandring Ithacus.
With an affected melodie, that earth
79
Through consort of an vniuersall mirth,
Which these inchanting harmonists did vse,
To th' wofull friends of wandring Ithacus.
But who is He that seemes to challenge thee,
Yet staggers in his challenge? O I know him,
It's Hans the Dutch-man, new arriu'd from Sea,
Stand fast Elpenor, if thou'lt ouerthrow him,
But why enioyne I that thou canst not do,
Halfe of a stand were well betwixt you two.
Yet staggers in his challenge? O I know him,
It's Hans the Dutch-man, new arriu'd from Sea,
Stand fast Elpenor, if thou'lt ouerthrow him,
But why enioyne I that thou canst not do,
Halfe of a stand were well betwixt you two.
And much I doubt, lest Cripple-like you grow,
So long it is, as it is out of mind,
Since you were seene by any man to go,
Which makes me heare your legs are hard to find:
For vse brings on Perfection, and I feare
Your dropsie-legs are out of vse to beare.
So long it is, as it is out of mind,
Since you were seene by any man to go,
Which makes me heare your legs are hard to find:
For vse brings on Perfection, and I feare
Your dropsie-legs are out of vse to beare.
See thou vnweldy wretch, that fatall shelfe,
To which thou art declining, being growne
A heauie vselesse burthen to thy selfe,
In whom no glimpse of vertue may be showne:
A Barmie leaking vessell (which in troth)
For want of reason is fill'd vp with froth.
To which thou art declining, being growne
A heauie vselesse burthen to thy selfe,
In whom no glimpse of vertue may be showne:
A Barmie leaking vessell (which in troth)
For want of reason is fill'd vp with froth.
Aged Turpilio grones at mispent time,
Wishing he had his youth to passe againe:
For then He would not vse't as thou doest thine,
But mone the houres which He hath spent in vaine.
But Time runs on, and will not make returne,
When Death succeeds, whom no man can adiourne.
Wishing he had his youth to passe againe:
For then He would not vse't as thou doest thine,
But mone the houres which He hath spent in vaine.
But Time runs on, and will not make returne,
When Death succeeds, whom no man can adiourne.
80
And seest thou this, and wilt thou not prouide
For Deaths arrest, whose sad approch will be
So full of horror, as thou scarce shalt bide,
So grim he is, that He should looke on thee?
And yet He will, for he no diffrence makes,
Twixt rich and poore, but whom He likes he takes.
For Deaths arrest, whose sad approch will be
So full of horror, as thou scarce shalt bide,
So grim he is, that He should looke on thee?
And yet He will, for he no diffrence makes,
Twixt rich and poore, but whom He likes he takes.
Thy Prince thou seest, whose vertues are so pure
He cannot breath on vice, hath thee exil'd,
Forth of his royall confines, to secure
His Realme the more, lest it should be defil'd
By thy deprau'd example, which once stain'd,
(So ranke is vice) would hardly be reclaim'd.
He cannot breath on vice, hath thee exil'd,
Forth of his royall confines, to secure
His Realme the more, lest it should be defil'd
By thy deprau'd example, which once stain'd,
(So ranke is vice) would hardly be reclaim'd.
Trunke of Confusion, which deriues thy being
From no supernall essence for with it,
Thy works, words, motions haue but small agreeing,
But from securitie, where thou doest sit;
Feeding thy vast-insatiate appetite,
With euery day new dishes of delight.
From no supernall essence for with it,
Thy works, words, motions haue but small agreeing,
But from securitie, where thou doest sit;
Feeding thy vast-insatiate appetite,
With euery day new dishes of delight.
O rouse thy selfe from that obscurest vale,
And sing a thankefull Hymne vnto thy Maker,
Creepe not vpon thy bellie like the Snaile,
But like the Larke mount vp to thy Creator;
Adorning thee with reason, sense and forme,
All lost in thee, through want of Grace forlorne.
And sing a thankefull Hymne vnto thy Maker,
Creepe not vpon thy bellie like the Snaile,
But like the Larke mount vp to thy Creator;
Adorning thee with reason, sense and forme,
All lost in thee, through want of Grace forlorne.
Honour doth ill become the slothfull man,
Who Zanie-like becomes a slaue to pleasure,
For He, when vrgent causes moue Him, than
Neglects Occasion, and reserues that leasure,
Which might haue bene employd in cares of state,
For his delights, bought at too high a rate.
Who Zanie-like becomes a slaue to pleasure,
For He, when vrgent causes moue Him, than
Neglects Occasion, and reserues that leasure,
79
For his delights, bought at too high a rate.
This thy experience tells thee, whose estate
Once high, now low, made subiect to disgrace,
Shewes thou art chang'd from what thou was of late,
Yet to my iudgement in a better case:
So thou consider th' state from whence thou came,
And leaue that vice which did procure the same.
Once high, now low, made subiect to disgrace,
Shewes thou art chang'd from what thou was of late,
Yet to my iudgement in a better case:
So thou consider th' state from whence thou came,
And leaue that vice which did procure the same.
But doubt I must, (ô that my doubts were vaine)
Such great expence is made of precious time,
As 'twill be much to do to wash the staine
Of that enormious loathsome life of thine.
Yet Teares haue power, and they are soueraigne too,
And may do more then any else can do.
Such great expence is made of precious time,
As 'twill be much to do to wash the staine
Of that enormious loathsome life of thine.
Yet Teares haue power, and they are soueraigne too,
And may do more then any else can do.
Then comfort-take, yet comfort mixe with teares,
Thou
Cadmos leaues, and it's thy natiue soile;
Suppose it be, each coast or clime appeares
The good-mans wished Country, which blest style,
Exceeds all worldly comfort, which thou had,
For this is passing good, that passing bad.
Thou
Cadmos a hill by Laodicea out of which issueth the Riuer Lycus, it taketh this name from Cadmus sonne to Agenor king of Phænicia.
Suppose it be, each coast or clime appeares
The good-mans wished Country, which blest style,
Exceeds all worldly comfort, which thou had,
For this is passing good, that passing bad.
I do not speake, as those whose guilded breath,
Traines on the vicious with deceiptfull hope;
For I haue set before thee life and death,
And this I aim'd to make my chiefest scope:
That if reward of life could no way gaine thee,
The feare of death & vengeance might reclaime thee.
Traines on the vicious with deceiptfull hope;
For I haue set before thee life and death,
And this I aim'd to make my chiefest scope:
That if reward of life could no way gaine thee,
The feare of death & vengeance might reclaime thee.
Life as a Crowne or Diadem is due,
To such whose wayes are not in Error led,
Death as a guerdon doth to such accrue,
Whose carnall hearts with pleasures captiued,
Thinke not on Death, till Death his flag display,
And now secure shall take their life away.
80
Death as a guerdon doth to such accrue,
Whose carnall hearts with pleasures captiued,
Thinke not on Death, till Death his flag display,
And now secure shall take their life away.
Turne then vnto the coast of Arcadie,
From whence thou wast exil'd, and there suruey
The vertues of that Prince did banish thee,
And weigh the cause why there thou might not stay:
Which done, seeke to regaine thy Princes loue,
But chiefly His, that is thy Prince aboue.
From whence thou wast exil'd, and there suruey
The vertues of that Prince did banish thee,
And weigh the cause why there thou might not stay:
Which done, seeke to regaine thy Princes loue,
But chiefly His, that is thy Prince aboue.
| Natures Embassie | |