University of Virginia Library

HIS MAIESTIES POETICALL EXERCISES at vacant houres

TO THE KING OF SCOTLAND.

Where others hooded with blind loue do flie,
Low on the ground with buzzard CVPIDS wings,
A heauenlie loue, from loue of loue thee brings,
And makes thy MVSE to mount aboue the skie,
Young Muses be not woont to flie too hie,
Age taught by time, such sober ditties sings,
But thy youth flies from loue of youthfull things,
And so the wings of time doth ouerflie.
Thus thou disdainst all worldlie wings as slow,
Because thy MVSE with Angels wings doth leaue
Times wings behind, and CVPIDS wings below,
But take thou heed, least Fames wings thee deceaue.
With all thy speed from Fame thou canst not flee,
But more thou flees, the more it followes thee.

SONET TO THE ONELY ROYAL POET.

Where shall the limits lye of all your fame?
Where shall the borders be of your renowne?
In East? or where the Sunne again goeth down?
Or shall the fixed Poles impale the same?
Where shall the pillars which your praise proclame
Or Trophees stand, of that exspected crowne?
The Monarch first, of that triumphant towne
Reuiues in you, by you renewes his name,
For that which he performd in battels bold,
To vs his bookes with wonders doth vnfold.
So we of you far more conceaue in minde,
As by your verse we plainlie (Sir) may see.
You shall the writer and the worker be,
For to absolue that CÆSAR left behinde.

TO THE KINGS MAIESTIE OF SCOTLAND.

If ALEXANDER sighed vvhen he came,
Vnto the Tomb vvhere fierce ACHILLES lay:
If he had cause, that blessed age to blame,
Since HOMER lacks his merites to display.
If he vvith teares his sorrovves did bevvray,
To see his Father PHILIP conquer all,
And that more Worlds behinde there did not stay,
Which for revvard of his deserts might fall:
Then may I mone, our times, our iudgement small,
Vnvvorthy records of your sacred skill;
Then must our Poets on nevv Muses call,
To graunt them guifts to imitate your quill.
I like the flie, that burneth in the flame,
Should shevv my blindnes to attempt the same.

THE EXORD, OR PREFACE OF THE SECOND VVEEK OF DV BARTAS.

Thou mightie God that of the worlde
The birth did make me see,
Vnfold her cradle also now,
Her childhead show to me:
And make my Spreit to walke athort
The turning flourisht wayes
Of sauorie Gardens, whereinto
Still crookt but any staies
Of Riuers foure the courses quick:
Declare me what offence,
From Edens both chas'd ADAMS selfe
And seed for his pretence:
And tell who of immortall did
Himself a mortall macke
To bring from heauen the Antidote
To vs which we did lacke:
Giue thou me grace the storie of
The Church to sing aright,
And als the storie of the Kings,
And graunt that by thy might
I guide the world vnto her graue,
My purpose making lest,
Euen from the first of Sabboths all,
Vnto the hindmost rest.
Well know I that this surgie sea,
Is lacking march or ground,
But ô thou holie Pilote great,
Will guide me safe and sound
Vnto the port of my desire,
Where drouked then I shall
Extoll thy mercies manifolde,
And pay my vowes withall.
O SACRED Floure-delis whose youth
Doth promise to vs all,
That euen thy famous Lawrels greene
Match Alexanders shall,
Since that (for to obey thy will,)
I flie vnto the skies,
Conuoy my course with louing eie,
And help the faultes that rise
From my too blunted frutelesse pen,
In Pampeloun so some day,
Mot thou win home thy crowne againe,
The which was reft away:
So of thy neighbours euermore
Mot thou the honour be,
The loue of all thy subiects true,
And foes to feare for thee:
So neuer mot the heauen against
Thee shew his wrathfull face,
But the Eternall be thy arme,
His Spirit thy guiding trace:
So with thy shearing sword in hand
And fighting at thy side,
Mot I ore cled with blood and stoure
So boldlie by the bide.
As for to cleaue the Spanish Host,
Or force some sieged Towne,
And combat done for Virgill serue
To publish thy renowne.
GOD did not onelie (soueraigne Prince)
The whole command bestow,
On our forefather ADAM of
This earth, and all below:
In making subject to his yoak
The skealie swimming race,
Who with their little finnes do cleaue,
The frothie Seas apace:
And those that haue no other hold,
But horrour of deserts:
And those that bricoll through the waist
Of aire that fedders parts:
But chus'd him als a dwelling place,
Which happie was, and more
With climat temperate and faire,
The which the deintie flore
With variant ameling paimented
Of springing floures most sweet,
Adornd with Pomons fruicts, and als
With Zephyrs smells repleet:
Where God himself did leuell just,
The allees with his lyne,
Ore-couered all the hilles with trees,
With Haru'st the vallies syne.
And with the sound of thousand brookes
Adiorned the sweetest sleepe
Made cabinets faire at proofe of Sunne
Which out his beames did keep:
He squared a yard, and als he did,
Plant, clenge, and labour syne
The euerliuing fairnesse of
A fertill Orchard fine:
The Sacred Riuers courses als
He parted here and there.
And with a thousand collours paints
The face of Meddowes faire.

THE TRANSLATORS INVOCATION.

O thou that mightlie does toone
My warbling holie Harpe,
And does sublime my Poëmes als
That I thereon do carpe,
And marying so my heauenly verse
Vnto the Harpes accords,
Inspires my sacred Muse to sing
Vnto the Lord of Lords.
O now inflame my furious Spreit,
That furiously I may
These Furies (mankinds plagues allace!)
With furious Pen display:
That I his fame doe not betray,
Who Azure Skie doth decke
With blazing lights, and on the earth
His Trophees doth erect:
The loue of heauen, the honour of earth,
The wonder of our age,
Who whill that furious bloodie MARS
Doth in his Countrey rage
(Alluring ORPHEVS) with his songs
He sweetlie doth inchaunt
The MVSES nyne to leaue their leeds
That they before did haunt
And take them to his vulgare toung,
Their Ethnique heades withall
He crownes with holie twists and faire
Of LIBAN Cedres tall.
Then ô thou guider of my Spreit,
And leader of my pen,
Graunt, that as he his subjects faire
Doth (liberal) to me len,
That so he len his loftie stile,
His golden draughts, his grace,
Wherewith in variant coulors he
Adornes the papers face,
That I may viuelie paint him forth:
Peace PAN, peace pratling Muse,
Heare PHOEBVS in a borrowed tongue
His owne discourses vse.

A Preface to the furies

[_]

MS. BODLEY 165

Ô thou that michtilie dois toone my uarbling holy hairpe
& dois sublime my poemis als that I thairin do cairpe
& mariing so my heauinlie uerse unto the harpes accordis
inspyres my sacred muse to sing unto the lorde of lordis
o nou inflamme my furiouse spreit that furiouslie I may
thir furies mankyndis plaiguis alace uith furiouse pen display
that I his fame do not betraye quho azure skie doth dekk
uith blaizing lichtis & on the earth his trophees dois erect
the loue of heauen the honoure of earth the uounder of oure aage
quho quhill that furiouse bloodie mars doth in his countrey raage
alluring orpheus uith his songis he sueitlie doth enchaunt
the musis nyne to leaue thaire leidis that thay before did haunt
& takke thaime to his uulgaire tounge, thaire ethnike headis uithall
he crounis uith holie tuistis & faire of liban cedres tall:
then ô thou gydaire of my spreit & leadare of my penn
graunt that as he his subiect faire doth liberall to me lenn
that so he lenn his loftie style; his golden drauchtis, his grace
quhairuith in uariant cullouris he adornis the paiperis face
that I may uislie paint him furth, peace pan peace pratling muse
heare phœbus in a borrouid tounge his ouin discoursis use.

THE FVRIES.

Where am I caried to? in world
No more may I be found:
The earth that I do tread vpon,
And all this vaulted round,
Which bringing home, & guiding back
The daies and nights againe,
Be wrathfull now with me, reguides
My longsum woe and paine:
The aire I breath by longest draughts,
The Sea I swimme into,
Is not now of the first borne dayes
The work most glorious lo.
This wretched roundnes can not be
The plenteous worlde no more,
Which God with orn'ments brauelie deckt,
So diuers and in store:
No, this is but a Prison vyle,
A Hell fulfild with fray,
And of the first worlde but the tombe
Most miserable alway.
O SPRITE that quickens all, great God,
That in thy justice maid,
(Transformd from father myld in Iudge:)
This changement that I said,
Change me, and cast me ouer againe,
Addres my feeble hand,
And make that into my discourse
No humane thing may stand.
That I thy instrument may be,
And eloquentlie syne,
To our posteritie may sing
This doolefull change of thyne.
BEFORE our first fore-father had,
Too impudentlie bold,
His back turnd vnto God, his face
Vnto the Serpent olde:
Euen all this WHOLE, was like vnto
Ane instrument in toone,
Well set, and well accorded iust:
And when as that was doone,
So learn'dlie plaid on, as the sound
Most rarelie dulce alway,
Proclam'd the praise of God, who on
The same did freedonne ay.
The man in seruing God, was seru'd
Of all the world apace:
The bodies dead and liuing als,
Did striue in euerie cace
To nourish still that holie peace
And with ane ardent loue,
To please their double head, each other
Embrast for that behoue.
The lowest of a concord blest
Resounded with the hie,
The wak with dry, the cold agreed
With that which hottest be.
And syne that sacred innocent, the
The bright ASTREA Queene,
If fastned fast with mastik firme,
Of holie loue that beene.
This CVPID hid, that maries yet
By straitest bonds and olde
The Adamant stone with heauie yrne,
Quick-siluer with the golde:
The Ambre with the straw or chaff,
And in the wauie raigne,
PINNE with her spie, the Whaile with her
That guides her through the Maine:
That makes the Sperge so friendlie with
The bosse and trembling Reed,
The Mirt with Oliue tree, the Elme,
With boughs that wine doe breed.
That makes the earie Bustard with
The galliard horse confether,
And the Parroquets painted makes
With Wolues to liue together,
That ioynes the Moore-hen with the swift
And feirie futted Hart,
The Goat with Sargone, Partrichis
With Does into ane part:
All this is but a spunke, a glance,
A shaddow and a trace,
Of such a loue as raignd into
The formest age allace:
Where as our Muses low from heir
With most harmonious sounds,
Deuinely sang with them aboue
Into the circled rounds.
But Man as being the speciall, and
The most resounding string
Of this WHOLES Lute, too bended, out
Of toone, doth with it bring
The rest of brangling sinewes all,
As now it rendre macks,
In place of sweet enchanting air,
So great and murmuring cracks,
As ENYON makes astonisht quyte,
Euen cruell ENYON who
The old debaits of CHAOS does
Renew with greener wo.
The Heauen that euer fair did blincke
Vpon his maistresse ay,
That nought but MAN and Honny in
Her brest did powre alway,
Now sweeps her with his floods, and with
His yce her dosinnis quyte,
And beatis her with his haill, and gaigs
Her with his fires in spyte:
And with his snow doth make her olde,
And ielouslie doth darde,
Both night and day vpon her bones,
His thundring fyerie farde.
And RHEA that doth birst for spyte,
And cholere in these daies,
A thousand vapours blacke against
The Heauen now doth she raise:
And by the port halfe open of
The gulfe profound and how,
Does sudle all his brow with clouds,
And mists that of her grow.
The Cocke sensyne doth with his voyce
The Lyon bold effray,
The Glead, the Chicken: and the Sheepe,
That baisdlie trembles ay,
Flees from the rau'ning Woolfe: and in
Great NEPTVNES fleeting plaine,
The Lobster feares for Polipus:
And Polipus againe
For Congre-Eels feares: and neerthelesse,
The selfe same Lobster to
Ouercums this Eele, who victor is
Euen of her victor lo:
Yea, euen do, by a secret MARS,
Most noysome quarrels ludge
In very senselesse stocks of plants,
Reteining still their grudge.
Thou DENYS, euermore a childe,
O Father sleepie still,
If plant beside the leauie keall
Thy fertill stocke they will,
He drawes himselfe abacke beliue,
And paile growne all his leaues,
For spite, or feare, by flight himselfe
From neighbourhead such bereaues.
As in like maner, to reuenge
The branches bearing wine,
Neere Rew, and Origane, planted keal,
By them is killed syne.
The tree Dodonean, and the tree
By ATTIQVE land beloued,
The traces leaues of ancient pickes,
Remaining vnremooued
Euen in their widdow holes. O thou
Invincible debate,
That makes the one, ne liue can, where
The other liu'd of late:
That raignes into the verie tombe,
Doth to the PARQVES resist,
And neuer does thy hatred wash
In flouds of LETHES mist.
Euen so a Tambour cou'red with
A simple muttons skinne,
Doth burst affraidlie, onely at
The sound and ratling dinne
Of bloodie rauening Woolfs-skinne: And
Sick-like the trypes well throwne
Of that so glutton brigand, breakes
With secret force vnknowne
The guts of sheepe: whome in the place
Of longsome bleating still,
They after hend their death make on,
A sweet Lute speake at will,
And of the royall Egle als
The strange deuouring plume,
Does wondrously the fethers of
All other foules consume.
The Heauen, first mobile, with the selfe
Doth carie and remoue
More swifter farre then any wind,
By this his course aboue
The rest of all the heauens: backdrawing
Their Torches giuing light,
From ALEXANDERS Alters, to
The Pillars HERCVLES pight.
But mortall ADAM, as the king
Of all things heere belaw,
He being straied, vnto the way
Of death does all things draw:
And, blinded Pilot, on a Sea
Most deadlie and in fire,
This worlds Ship guides against the rocks
Of furious heauenlie ire:
Which softlie sliding of before,
Was fleeting euer still,
Both vnder-a skilfull Skipper, and
A Zephyre calme at will.
For or he did reuolt, he could
Not cast his wondring eies
Vpon no part, but through it all
Almightie God he sees.
He finds him in the earth, as to
The Seas, he feeles him there,
Contemplats him in Heauen, and sees
Him painted in the air.
Our world was nothing, but a great
Large Shop, that open stood,
Where magnifiquelie God displaid
His treasures fair and good.
This WHOLE was but a mirrour fair,
Which bright on euery side,
The goodnes represented viue,
With great God that doth bide.
But man vnhappy can not find,
Since this his sinne and fall,
Plant, stone, or liuing creature,
Yard, wood, nor flood at all,
Plaine, Feild, Hill, Dale, Sea, Shore, or Hauen,
Where he may draw his breath,
That hath not written into the brow
The hard doome of his death.
In short, euen all the compasse of
This Fabrique large and round,
Is but a very store-house of
Gods wrath that doth abound.
Man, in rebelling thus against
The soueraigne great, I say,
Doth feele his subjects all enarm'd
Against him euerie way.
The air by winds sturr'd, AMPHITRITE
Doth stormie make a gild,
The Heauen most sadlie black, The earth
With brierie thornes fulfild,
As fredd now from the oth of their
Fidelitie and trust,
The honour doe reuenge on him
Euen of the Godhead just.
The influence maligne of starres,
Coniured doth prouide,
A secret Hangman for to plague,
His arrogance and pride.
The Moone doth deaze and fundie him,
Her brother rosts him quite,
The air, when he lookes for it least,
Pursues him in a spite
By brimstoned thunders, and by raines,
By blasting of the cornes,
By frosts confirmd, hair-rimmes, and Snowes,
And hailstones sharpe as thornes.
And VVLCANE whiles fallin out of Heauen,
Whiles irritate by art,
Whiles kindled vnder richest roofes
By chance in anie part,
Whiles vom'd out of a mountaine, whose
Tempestuous gulfe hath store,
Both of Saltpeeter and of Pitch,
And brimstone byting sore,
Doth rage against him: startling still,
For furie, as appeares,
And wrackes in lesse space then a day,
The labour-of thousand yeares.
The Sea by her debording steales
His Isles from him withall,
His flockes vp-swallows, and ore-whelmes,
His townes and makes them fall.
The Earth all wearie on her face
Such burthen for to keepe,
(A burthen cursed and prophane,)
Whiles sinks in darkest deepe
A whole great countrie, and withall,
The windie tops and hie
Of proudest Palices, into
Her entrailes hid they be.
IT IS in hatred euen of him,
That after manie wayes,
She doth ingratelie barren haru'sts
Produce vs now a dayes.
And for the corne, that we do sow,
(Deceitfull) doth vs pay
With thirstles burning corne, and with
The vaprous Darnell ay.
And with the Fitches smoaring corne,
With sticking Burres and rough,
And guylefull hope of Windle-stray,
That's but an emptie slough.
All this were little, if that, as
Step-mother cruell, sho
Would not produce the Wort-berrie,
Our furious enemie Lo:
The Hen-bane blacke, and Ches-bow als,
That cold-ryfe doth vs keepe,
Doufe, yeuking flesh, and shuddring colde,
And makes vs euer sleepe.
The stonnishing Carpace, Humlocke als,
That smores vs by his might,
Yce-feet, Yce-hands, and makes vs isk,
And dims our clearest sight.
Sardonien Percell, Sennon-drawer,
And with a laughing cheere,
The Wolfe-bane, Burne-toung, swelling lips,
And crying still with beere.
The weeping Aconitum, and
The Ixia binding sore,
Sad hearted Flacke-wort, fosterer of
Hydropsie more and more.
March-Lillies als, that yeukars be,
Of flancks the gnawers rude,
The Mandragore full colde, and Ew,
That kendles vp the blude.
Plants, who doe by their root, their suck,
Or by their little seed,
A death vnmercifull, before
The time vnto vs breed.
The Earth that knowes we loue (as we
Were bred, of brutish kindes,)
Our life lesse, and our honour, then
Her mettals hid in mindes:
She with her hooks, deceitfullie,
Doth mixe for vs and mell
The scumme of Siluer and Arsenicke:
Which cruell poyson fell
Our inward parts deuours: and so
Doth justlie punish right
Our couetous lusts with torments sharpe
That she makes on vs light.
So as, whiles, from one onely mind,
They (foolish) draw apace,
The tortour of soule and martring of
Our bodie both, allace.
And what more shall I say? but that
A Pilot full of skill,
And aided by the breathing of
A friendlie wind at will,
He cannot with lesse trauell guide
The winged fleeting Ship,
That softlie on the azure salt
Of humide fielde doth slip.
And that the jugler fine, so well
Can no waies make to dance,
Make skarmushes, runne, and retire,
And syne againe aduance
His little Marmosets, whome to
His auarice doth giue
A Sprite, that by the onely art
And workemanship doth liue,
As we most happy did command
The silent flocks, that do,
All skalie, cleaue the stormie fluds,
That they doe swimme into:
And all the flying songsters sweet,
And the rebellious bands,
That rush out through the woods, or runnes
Athwart the bairest lands:
And at the wind euen of our voyce,
They trembled fast afraid,
And each winke of our eies, to them
A law was they obaid:
And to their holie office so
They bent were night and day,
As euen they vncommanded did
Vs seruice euery way.
But by the snappering that fell out
Our Parents light among,
Alas, they of our slaues are now
Become our tyrants strong:
The fearefull hideous Whale, if that
We saile vpon the Maine,
In weltring with a stroake, euen all
At once, the bulluring plaine,
Doth bury vnderneath the waues
Our fleeting Castell fair,
That plaies the Dolphin on the Seas,
And Eagle in the air.
And if we go into the feilds,
So manie deadlie bands
Od spotted venoms, and of Pests
Cyniphien, on all hands
Do lie into embuscade dern'd.
The Wolfe on other side,
With Lion, Sanglier, and with Beere
And Leopard doth abide,
Most iealous of the right diuine,
Against their head conspire,
And pitielesse teare him, in reuenge
Of the eternall ire.
The Forrests thick, they haue no bush,
Nor thicket great at all,
That doth not hide a hangman, to
Giue vs our death and fall.
We euery cauerne do suspect,
And euery hedge we see,
The smallest branch, that stighles, makes
Vs sore afraid to be.
If that, we dwelling be at home,
The spitefull Mastie bolde,
The Bull wood-headed, and the Horse,
Whose courage cannot folde,
With teeth, with horned brow, and with
The feet do make vs warre
Most sorie: seeing Tyrants such
On earth, promenney darre.
No; There is not so small a midge,
That boldlie gainst vs cleene
Will spare to shoot the arrowes of
His little furie keene.
ALAS: what hideous fraisome shapes?
What horrible ghosts I see?
What thundring loud? what roring cries?
What terrible howlings hie?
Am I not on the elrish Shore
Of PHLEGETON, braying in Hell?
O TISIPHON, MEGERE, ALECTO als,
Thou furie sad and fell,
What denne makes you the cauernes quite
Most fraisome and profound
Of darkest Hell? ô monsters most
Abhominable vnder ground,
Yee Ministers of PLVTO, with
The throwne and stormie brow,
O Daughters of the shadie night,
What heere then do yee now?
The man alas, without your crosse,
Your whips and tortours sore,
Doth he not feele the horrours els
Of paines anew, and more?
For our fore-beer, no sooner left
The sacred soile of grace,
To liue in earth, or rather in
This Tombe and lowest place,
Where raignes a thousand deaths, when as
The voice eternall ay,
Els thundring summond did the troupes,
That guiltie were alway.
That Sulphurd STYX and PHLEGETON, drinks
All burning in a fire,
Thicke ACHERON, and COCYTE als,
All in a bloodie ire.
O Sisters with the eddrie haire
O Eumenids cruell yee,
What? Of your selues for euermore,
Will yee the tortourers be?
Soone quite me all the horrour of
Your cursed houses paile,
Come vomit heere your poysons blacke
In this vnhappy vaile.
Haue yee no feare to languish heere,
For exercises lake,
For ADAM builds you a hundreth Hels
Here for his vices sake.
FROM top to bottome at these words
AVERNE all trembled apace:
The sweirest night, her horrours did
Redouble in euery case.
And als that stincking goulfe, where fraies
Do raigne for euermore,
Was suddaine fil'd with pitch, with Sulphre,
And rozen in great store.
The GORGONES, SPHINX, and HYDRAES, and
The Pythons, monsters rair,
The cauerns deepe did open of
Their glutton bellies thair:
Euen as the fire that hid into
A vapour thicke remaines,
Doth grudging murmure at the cloud,
That pressing it retaines,
Doth Cannon, thunder, astonish als,
And whirling long in round,
Doth, wrathfull, make the Element
That windie is, resound.
Euen so, these Sisters three, these three
Most hideous rages vile,
Do raise a thousand tempests, boun
To leaue their hell a whyle.
And each of them alreadie goes,
And hurles his yrnie cart,
Vpon the Bridges barres of yrne,
Ay brangling on all part.
That nine times Planks Stix, and in prison
Where horrible darknes tumbles,
With braying, running, wandring still,
Most terrible horrible rumbles.
Then fraifull HYDRE, and CERBERE als,
That muttin makes a sturre,
Who on one bodie hath the heads,
Both of a Mastich curre,
A Serpent, Bull, and of an Ounce,
Whose cruell eies do pearce,
And of a Woolfe, a Horse, a Beare,
And of a Lyonesse fearce.
With brangle of lights doth bark, doth whisle,
And route doth euermore,
Make murmuring, loudlie howle and bray,
And rummish fast and rore.
Such Pell-mell dinnes, and ringing reards,
And tempests strange to heare,
Do from one corps proceed at once,
That manie heads doth beare.
Then hauing of our day atteind
Vnto the calmed port,
Then wings of Aquilo they with
A whirre more suddaine short
Flee towards man: where with their hands
Sore tortring they assay,
Who cruellest paines can forge for him
To suffer euerie way.
OF ATROPOS the verie shape,
Lo, Hunger comes at ones,
Her blackned skinne is pearced with
The sharpe points of her bones:
She euer greedie longing gants,
With hollow suncken eie,
With cheekes togeather clapped close,
And in her mouth they see
Her wide-set teeth come Saffron hew'd:
Her emptie bowels cleare,
Do through the wrinckles of her skinne
Transparantlie appeare.
And for her bellie, hath she nought
Of bellie but the place,
Her knees and elbows hidelesse on
Her carcasse swels apace.
A monster most insatiable,
Whome to, but for a fill,
All that is liuing heere below,
But skarcelie suffice will:
Her swallowing throat goes seeking still
Her meat in verie meats:
One dish another summonds, and
Her gourmand entrails eats,
And toomes at once: The verie flesh
Euen of her children young,
May skantlie stanch her raging lust,
Thus of her hunger sprung:
But euen sometimes (ô gluttonie
Of strangest sort and rare)
To fill her foule-some guts, to eat
Her guts she doth not spare:
That she thereby, may make it more,
She makes her body lesse,
And to our father cruell so,
She doth her selfe addresse.
And furthermore, from hels she brings
Vnto this combat heere,
The rage, the weaknes, and the thrist,
Her likest sisters deere.
THE warre comes after, bruzing lawes,
And bruzing maners all,
Loue-teares, shed-blood, and burning Innes,
And raizing euery wall:
In-under his brasen feet, the earth
All creepes and trembles fast,
His mouth it is a firie coale,
His voice a thunders blast:
Each finger of his hand, it is
A Cannon that doth bray,
And euerie awfull looke of his
A lightning flaming ay.
The great disorder, and the fray,
Dispair, and flight, do poste,
And winged euer, go before
His cruell murthering Hoste:
As burnings, and the swelling pride,
And great impietie vile,
The quarrelous scisme, sacke, and all
Impunitie for a while.
The crueltie, the horrour, the
Destruction and ruine,
Though all accompanie him, whereas
He barbrous marches syne.
The doole, the solitarines, with
The pouertie that peeps,
The bloodie footsteps of his host
Vndaunted following keeps.
AND if that I be not deceau'd,
Another furie lo
That doth a battrie dresse against
Our first forefather to,
Of thousand thousand Cannons, I
Her feele, though not in sight,
The more that she is weake, the more
Hath she of force and might:
All vlcer'd feuerous, blind, and fond,
And foolish is she nam'de.
Sad, deafe, crooke-backed, and of legs
And armes, both is she lam'de.
The poyson with the manie names,
Deaths minister alace,
That comes at posting gallope, and
Returnes at slowest pace.
Ill-faououred, troubling rest, and als
Fantastike, miserable eke,
She kils, but cracke betraies the heart,
Vnsatiable blood doth seeke,
The daughter of intemperance, and
Of Heauen misorder'd cleene,
A cruell euill discouerd, but
More cruell hid vnseene.
IN SOMMER Meidowes, Grashoppers
Haue not so many aboue,
So manie Creikets vnder, as did
Infernall voyces moue,
And murmure round about, nor vnder
A calmed Heauen and still,
The King enamailed of the people,
That gather Honnie will:
So many little buzzing burds
Guides not, when he doth cast
Euen of his little hollow ludge
The first foundations fast,
As this effraying monster hath
Of Soldats at command,
That raging charge the man abaisd
At euery part and hand.
So as a regiment incens'd,
And horrible giuing fraies,
Not for to yoke a skarmish hot,
The first of all assaies
Gainst ADAMS head, which is the house
Most holy hallowed ay,
Of all the faculties of the soule,
And reasons forth, and stay.
A King that neighbours will bereaue
Another Kings Empire,
Before he fight into the feilds,
Or open warres desire,
He first corrupts by richest gifts
His Counsels truth at length,
Well knowing that a Counsell good
Is of a King the strength.
Euen so, this Furie banisht from
The CHAOS darke and low,
Do for Forerinners, Frenesie,
And Madnes als let go:
Whereof the one in heating much,
The other drying sore
The weake braines, they do stop the course,
And blunt do more and more
The sharpnes of mans judgement, and
Engrauing makes remaine
(Abusers) in the Spreit, a Squadre
Of CHIMERS fancies vaine.
The CAROS, POPLESIE, and the
LETHARGIE sleeping ay,
As casten of hazarders, assailes
Their foe the best they may,
At former part, but yet by armes,
That are contrary clene,
For making yci-colde the braines,
His brethren dosened bene,
And makes the liuing man like to
A dead in euery sort,
If of forgetfull LETHE, he
Do not repasse the port.
The Palsie els doth vndertake
A warre and battaile bolde,
Els Spasmus sturres, the one doth slacke,
The other strait doth holde
The Senewes of weake ADAM, els
They doe the passage dit,
Vnto the liuing subtill Spreits,
That would go downe by it.
Then euen as he, who hand to hand,
And onely man to man
Com'd to a Combat set, assaies
All kind of wards he can,
Eschewes, rebaits, strikes out, and doth
Obserue his times aright,
And casting whiles, doth make vpon
The sparkling eies to light
Of this his foe his cloake, syne with
The farre end of his blead,
Doth steadfast make his life to part
In gushing streames and read.
The sicknes, to the end that she
May haue the better skair,
Of our forefather tied to bed
(Who scarse can turne him thair)
Els with so many bonds she doth,
The Ophthalmie let go,
Which with a seething blood within
The sight as cruell so,
Giues thousand stogs, she also breeds
The Pearl vpon the eie,
That dimmes the shine, and Cataract,
That darke and cloudie bee:
Whereof the one by gathering of
To grosse ane humour pight
Within the bright Spreits guider, doth
The dore close of the light.
The other doth as with a cloath,
Enuious syle and hide,
The Cristall shining humour, that
Doth in his eies abide.
This done, euen with a gird to our
Fore-beer flees withall,
This cruell Dragon mercilesse,
Whome squeinancy they call:
That scoaps vnto his throat, and with
Blood loppred lacking heat,
He hauing of the how-throat bolle,
The Muskles boldned great:
In him alone doth giue a proofe,
Of his so obstinate strength,
Wherewith he is to fight, against
His future race at length.
Like HERCVLES, who when as yet,
In swadling cloathes he lay,
Buire on his brow engrau'd his great
Vndaunted courage ay:
Beginning with his hands, no hand
But strongest turkesse els,
Most boldlie wraithfull for to smoare
The Dragon bearing shels,
A maister stick that promises
The Trophee Lernien sure,
The Spaignoll triumph, and the firre
Cleonien that they bure.
The second regiment sets on
By deadlie forces fell,
Beginning with the Squadre of all
The vitall parts to mell:
That in the stomack camped are.
And els that humour grosse
Lights-stopper, him ASTHMATIQVE makes
Ay panting in a Crosse.
And the Corroziue flowing of
A gutter dropping slow,
His spongious lightes doth vlcerate, and
Hims dries cum'd Ptisick so.
The Peripneumonie withall
A hote consuming braize,
Goes cruell in his breathing boares
And heat doth kendle and raize.
And als the pittilesse Empiem doth
Him sease among the rest,
With an Apostume filling vp
The howest of his brest.
And furthermore the Pleurisie
Doth brod him in the sides,
In making euer boile that blood
Which vnder his ribbes abides.
The Mare therefter smores him and
With thickest fleume doth he,
As Spreit importune, heauie, presse
His brest that panting be.
MY GVIDE Vrania oracle
That chassis errors vaine,
Name me this warriour trembling ay,
For furie and disdaine.
And whose enarmed hand doth not,
With firie torch assaile,
The wings but euen the armies heart
And ouer it doth preuaile.
Who for his Campions hath the Cough,
The irkesum ganting lo,
The Souning swerfis, thirst, shuddering, and
The colde-rife trembling to.
The bating of the pulse, the heat,
The rauing strange withall
And paine of head. O is not this
The furie whome we call
The burning perrilous Feuer, who
Inconstantlie doth take
Mo faces then VERTVMNVS, and
Who (fine) her selfe can make
Continuall whiles, whiles tierce, whiles quart,
And whiles but for a day,
Whiles slow, whiles kindled vp, euen as
The mater as they say
Which in our feeble bodies is
The cause of all this change,
Hath slow, or promptlie ready hath
This secreet motion strange.
Well ought I for to know thee, ô
Thou traitrous mastish vile,
Who four years had thee in my hart,
For hostesse all the while.
So as I beare as yet euen of
Thy greatest force, allace,
The markes into my soule, and in
The bodie many a trace.
For leauing that thou soucked out,
And cruellie did seeke
The blood out of my veines, and of
My bones the Marrov eik,
I of my Spreit the vertue feele
All slokened to be fall,
The vigour of my Spreit cum'd gourd,
The sharpnes blunted all.
And als my memorie, the which
Was somewhat yet before,
Is like (ô dolour just) vnto
The water, where a score
Is als sone vanisht quite as drawne.
Yea, surelie, I almost
My former studies, to my shame,
And greatest grief, haue lost.
And als my Spreit a Table like,
That voide, hath but a frame,
Like Coruin, Trapesuntius, or
Like Gaze, forgot my name,
That Greek, whose learned voice, and whose
Most facond hand and pen,
Did teach the Romane language to
The verie Romane men.
And for that cause in spite of my
Most carefull studies ay,
My verse are feuerous now become,
By habitude alway.
Verse, sometimes animated, with
A furie most deuine,
And sometimes shuddering, with a most
Vnlearned coldnesse syne.
BVT of the Regiment that is third
The cruell Squadres fall,
Vnto the quarter, that conteines
The vertues naturall all:
The vertues that do piece and piece
Most happely procure,
Als-well our nourishment, as our
Vp-growing alway sure.
The Boulime whiles, whiles lacks of meat
Through ANOREXIA will,
Dog-hunger whiles, whiles lyes his meat
Through BRADIPEPSIA still.
Whiles she that makes the appetite,
So monstrous and so great,
In how parts of our stomack, doth
She take her lodging seat.
Then after with the Liuer doth
The saffrond Gulsoch fight,
For hauing stopt way to the Gall
Chollerick, by his might
He doth his kindled venome skaill
Throughout the corps. (In place
Of finest blood.) which outwardlie
Turnes yeallow hewed apace.
In contrare doufe Hydropsie makes
Him like for colde to sterue
Whill time it make the Fleume in place
Of purest blood to serue.
But I the sliddrie bowels see
Below (allace) by foes
Assaild, that are a thousand times
Far mutinaire then those:
The Colick with hir preson'd windes
Breids them a raging paine,
The dolour Iliack doth throw
Them sore, most inhumaine
Doth stop their purging conduits, and
Detestable she makes
Euen of manns mouth a pestilent
And filthie stinking jakes.
The read dissenterie all enarmed
With throwings sore againe,
Doth painefullie draw out the blood
Of manie an opned vaine.
The Stonie grauell doth the neares
On other part inuade,
By gathering of an humour, which
The rigour of heat hath made
To change into a Stone, which stops
(Malicious) without more
The sliddrie vreter, carier of
Salt vrine skalding sore,
Euen as the Diabete doth, by
The contrair louse at last
The greace of all our bodie in
The vrine seething fast,
And causing thirst, distils as much,
As all the matter may,
Full bruddie furnish raine vnto
The gutter running ay.
And to the members that vs makes,
For ages following heere,
Leaue of our bodies dead, so quicke
And manie Mirrours cleere,
Yoakes fiercely the vnablenes
To liue in VENVS law:
And the continuall flowing of
The seed vnripe and raw.
Who preasis (restlesse Tyrants) for
To leese and to destroy
The vnconceaued Babes thereby,
Their Parents to anoy.
The SQADRE fourt, wherein the Chouks,
As Soldats do remaine,
The vile deuouring Cancer, and
The Gout a cruell paine,
Together with the Hyues, and with
The boudned Oedems cleare,
Plouks, Shirres, and atrie Phlegmons, sends
A hundreth brags with beare
Vnto the place assieged, and syne,
Their blind rage doth them make,
Because they cannot harme the fort,
The plaine field for to sacke.
From hand in sheath ô cruell foes,
Your mightlesse Swords let fall,
The death a thousand times hath both
Of blood and senews all,
Bereft your foe, and nought the lesse,
Without all hold or stay
Your pitilesse hand his beautie doth
Dishonour euery way
His members all makes laidlie, and does
With blunted knife beginne
To saw his joynts, and Leiths, and for
To hacke his wrinckled skinne.
I thinke I see into the mid'st
Of wilde and open lands,
Of Wolues, and suttle Foxes als
The cruell craftie bands,
Who hauing on the softest Sand,
By chance of meeting found
The Lyon streaked, who on lyue
Commanded all the ground,
And whose most horrible austrun face
(Retaining former spite)
Did melt a far, euen with his beames,
Their former boldnes quite:
They (cruell) teare him, and against
Their King that is deceased,
Affraidly prooues, to practise that,
Whereat, they feeblie preased.
Shall I among these dwynings count.
(Whose cruell boldnes fell,
Seemes, as it were, with outward scroofe
Of vexed man to mell?)
The ouglie lowsie Phtiriase: ô
The shamefull plague and vile,
That euen makes Kings more filthie then
Their Beggers all the while:
Who clad with clouts, and eaten vp
With Vermin euer still:
Both night and day, for yeuking are
Compel'd to fidge their fill.
Kings swarming all with Lice, when as
The rubbing cannot stay,
Nor yet oft changed beds can giue
Them slaiking any way.
For euen as from a Surge, the Waues
Are sliding after Waues:
So swarme doth follow after swarme,
Their flesh too fertill craues
His owne deuourers to produce,
And whill spent be the blood,
It of it selfe the selfe doth make
The execrable food.
But what? Thinke not that Fortune blind,
Whose turning Wheel still slides,
The Campe of third EVMENIDE fell
Confus'dlie pell-mell guides:
I of her Soldats see, who as
Conducted well by reason,
Makes choyce, aswell of nature, age,
As of the quartered season,
The Portugall is bruddie so,
In Phtisiques as we see:
The Ebre in Chouks, the Arne in those
That Epilepticke be,
One Inde into Grangores, Sauoy
In goitrous doth abound,
In pest-folkes Sardine, Lepruse are
In Ægypt many found.
The places manners like, or the
Strong influence aloft
Of Mightie Heauen that gouerns all.
So tender childhood soft,
Is gnawn with Wormes, the children that
Their rawnes gender will,
And for their weakenes hes their wombe,
That loose runnes euer still:
The Skall vpon their head doth of
Their saltest fleumes proceed.
They for a time beare many a blybe
Of worssome that doth breed
Euen of the menstruall humour, which
As new wine raging fast,
In seething in the bodie, makes
A plouckie skinne at last.
The youth into Hemorragie
Most easilie doth fall,
In Feuers hot, in Dwinings, and
In Phrenesie withall.
And feeble age hath commonly
For his too irksome Hosts,
The coldrife bloodlesse shakings, and
The fashious coughing hoasts,
Katharres, and Gouts. So likewise the
Sciaticke, hard to mend,
The Feuer that the humour of
Melancolie doth send.
The bloodie fluxis, Pests, amd als
The watrie swelling great
Are nurished with vs when wake
Autumnus brookes his seat.
The Fike, the Skab, the Langour als
Of ALCIDE doth vs take,
And raging charge vs in the spring,
That both is hot and wake.
And then the Diarrhee, with the
Hot euill, a seeknes sore,
Assaileth vs importunatlie
In Sommer euermore.
As Pleurisie, the hoast and rheume
Do seeldome make repaire,
But couered with the whitest flocks
Of heauenlie fethers fair,
And Souldiers (sweirlie keeping home)
Into the house do hold
Of gelded sonne to aigit zeir,
Their garnison full cold.
And some I see (whose venome doth
Delite but in a throng)
Vnleauing of the first from corps
To corps to slide along,
As the Ameriquain, and als
The Leprosie, and Byle,
The Ptisie, mesels, and the pests
Red Charbucle and vyle.
And further some I see, which for
Sadd heritage, allace,
We (seiklie) leaue our sonnes, which they
From age to age embrace.
The Choakes and Goitre both into
That ranke they euer stood,
The Gout, the Grauell, Leprosie
Withall that spilles the blood,
Rumbursnes, white Hydropsie als,
The languishing Ptisie eik,
The Epilepsie dead withall,
Bred of a vaprous reik,
For the effect successiue of
Thair Venome vnespied,
Is to the flowing Sperma of
Their fathers surelie tied.
But ô allace: what stratagems,
What strongest armes can we
Now vse against those warriours, who
Deceatfull traitours be.
I meane these traiterous paines whome art,
As most imperfite knowes
Not by the name, but onely by,
Effects that thereof growes.
Such as the suffocation of
The bruddie matrice quick,
The Swowning wan, the skunnering euill
That skailles conuentions thick.
When as a vapour, I know not what,
Long keeped close I trow,
Into, I know not what a part,
It doth, I know not how.
Can he eschew the cruelties
Fulfild with craftie wiles
Of those so obstinate ills, who are,
Abusers by their gyles
Of cunning med'ceners hands, and who
Once from the bodie chased,
Are in the half dead members vnder
An other name replaced.
Or rather Schollers euen of the
Fond Metempsichosis straunge
Teacht by that SAMIEN learnd: The one
Doth metamorphosd change
In far worse ill. Cum'd either of
Th'affinity that doth lye,
Twixt faltish humors or betwixt,
The members vext thereby:
Or els through the vnlearnd abuse,
Ot eh malitious greed,
Of those that of Apollos arte,
Are practisers indeed.
Euen as the sturdie that transformd
And changd is euerie way
In Falling-ill, the Rage into
Lethargie sleeping ay.
The constitution ill into,
Hydropesie full colde:
The Slee-ping dulnes oft transform'd
In Palsie doth vs holde.
Short ADAM like a Hart is who
Doth in a wodds nuik stay,
And thrusting in into the soile
Is at the latter bay
All teared with lyam-hounds, whome of
The one doth bite his back:
One pulles his flanke, an other at
His breast dooth bussie snack,
One scoupes vnto his throate, and one
His fouch is loath to leaue
One holds his eare, and one vnto
His neck doth hinging cleaue.
He als is like a mightie Bull,
Whose pridefull horne doth egg,
The sleeprie byting little swarmes
Of manie a spitefull cleg:
Who bumming do come out, and their
Assailer do assaile,
And valiauntlie doe on his skin
Their Squadre campe and naile,
The Bull doth with his forked head,
The windes beat euery where,
The ground scraps with his cloves, his taile
His sydes beates heere and there.
And flying longs both forrests, rocks,
And forcie streames and cleuches,
The place where he receaued his hurt:
But not his hurts eschewes.
In end, with needels ouercled,
Behoues him to be slaine,
Or at the least as dead into
That place for to remaine.
For man he is inuaded with
A thousand langors sore,
And euery other liuing thing
It gets a proofe no more
But of a verie few of euils:
The falln-ill onelie assailes,
The Squadres gatherers of the hoat
And the Venerian Quailes.
The sheepe doth feare the skab, and als
The dulling Sturdie still,
The dog-ill, and the Madnesse they
Oppres the mastish will.
And further, euerie one of them
Before his birth doth beare,
Of strongest simples knawledge such
As they haue need to leare.
And neuer doth he feele his euill
Steale neare to him so soone,
But he als sone the remedie
Hath readie to be done.
For the slow-past Shelpaddock hath
The Humlock icie-colde,
To serue for soueraigne remedy,
The Ramme doth rightlie hold
The Rhew his counter-poison, and
The Sacred Lawrell tree,
For Reubarb serues to Partrich, Merle,
And Gea that painted be,
The Beare for medicine meet for him,
The Mandragore obserues,
And the Marcellian crommie for
Lucinas Goates it serues.
But we are ignorant of all,
Euen after hauing had
Acquired in bookes a knowledge, that
Sophistique is and bad.
An art ay snappring, and withall,
A knowledge quite vnknowne,
Which neuer enters but into
The hoarie heads, and thrown
Of men who worne, and broken with
A labour too ingrate,
In seeking others healthes, they leese
Their owne, such is their state:
Or rather, who do make themselues,
By others perrils sore,
Full famous Doctors, and by drinks
Vntimous doe they store,
And fill with Hillocks the Church-yard,
And lacking feare or shame,
Do bourreaus make themselues be paid,
For murthers made by thame.
I doe not speake heere of the good,
The learned and the wise,
Into whose hearts, the feare of God
Imprinted deepely lies,
And who doe skilfully within
Our bodies stay and tie,
Our spreits of life, that otherwise,
Were readie out to flie:
For I doe surely honor these,
As heauenly men celest,
Healthes leaning stocks, and bannishers
Of euery death and Pest.
Dame Natures counsellers, and the
Almighties agents ay,
And Stewards, and Store-maisters wise,
Of flourishing age alway.
But if that any paine by art
Of man may slaked be,
These learned learn'd it haue euen of
Their Colledge dumme we see:
For we doe the Phlebotomie
Of the Sea-horsses take,
Of the wilde Goats the Recipeis
That for the eies we make.
Of Ibis and the Heron we
The laxatiue clisters haue,
Of Beares and Lyons the Austere
Great diets we receaue.
Now all these Campions fearce they do,
The bodie but persew.
Some inwardly do make assault,
And outwardlie anew:
Or if that any take them to
The soule most pleasant faire,
That no waies is directlie but
For that they will not spare
To crosse her feeble Officers,
And spoile her worklumes fine,
Whereby she (learn'd) so many works
Makes subtilie deuine.
BVT Lo foure fearefull Captaines now,
Whose furie hoat assaies,
To dresse a batterie great against
The Spreit in many waies:
His constancie in a brangle puts,
And promptlie drawes apace,
Euen from the path of reason quite,
Their judgement blind alace,
Opinions Children who thought they
Inuisible be cleine,
Yet they their harmefull motions through,
The bodies makes to sheine.
The first is irksomnes, the which
A drumlie cloud doth holde,
And from the crowne euen of the head,
Vnto the foot doth folde:
Doth rauing drant both night and day,
Growes old or age be neere,
The longest skorie wrinckles on
His face as Furres appeare:
And in a dowisome quiet nooke
He carefull euer thrists,
Als manie sighs out of his breast,
As teares from eies out brists.
He guides the tarndnesse, which to eat
The selfe doth neuer faile,
The weeping pitie, and withall
The heauie sadnes paile:
And the enrag'd dispair, which with
Straiks blea-hewde beats the sell,
Who with Coales, Aspiks, Tedders als
For Armour meet doth mell.
The throwart eied enuie withall
Fat of the leanes ay
Of dearest friends, who restleslie
Doth gnaw her selfe away.
Like famisht POLIPYS, who in
Vnhaps doth bath her still,
And (most ill willie) but on teares
Her wrath doth feed and fill.
And als the jelousie, which but
To slumber once doth feare,
And euer (most suspicious) hath
The Flea into the eare:
And farre mo eies then he who being
By HERMES witcht at last,
Did the Inachien beautie let
Be stolne he sleeping fast.
THE Second Captaine sure is joy,
Excessiuelie to glade,
Who skoups, and lightlie startles, and
Whome to the street that made
By APPIVS was, to narrow is,
Whose sences all they do
Euen at the wishes als enjoy
Most pleasant pleasures to:
Who guides effronted vanterie that
Doth euer faine and lie,
A flatterer, and importune, and
That euer crying be:
And pride brow-bender Gyant who
Wings on his backe doth beare,
And with his loftie forhead hits,
The Starrie sylring cleare:
And many others like the Bels,
Who boldned in a raine,
Do swelling emptie rise vpon
The wake and humid plaine.
The feare whose sides incessantly
Do bussie beat apace,
Whose bosome hath no heart, nor vaines
Haue blood in any case:
Nor spreit hath counsaile, yet she daunts
Vs quite that feeble dame,
Euen with the terrour pale, and with
The Land-wart blushing shame:
And swearnesse als at slowest pace
Which euer comes and creepes,
The which with willing yrnes her armes
At all times fastned keepes:
Who lashlie dreames both night and day,
A barren, vndought eik,
A vile paralitique feeble one,
Who begging aid doth seeke.
And thou ô Couetousnes the which
The earth, nor yet the aire,
Nor sea, or heauen can euer fill
Or stanch thy lusting caire.
Who crookes for eyes, and groundlesse deepes,
For entrailles carries ay,
And clookes for hands, thou fences with
Poore ADAM euery way,
Thou does vnto the combate bring,
Ambition boudned vaine,
That burnes in slow and soaking fire,
Whose passion to containe
Or bound in EPICVRVS worlds,
Is bootelesse to essay,
Who in his hand doth Scepters als
In paintrie carrie ay.
Thou brings the greedie Auarice,
Enarmed all with cleekes,
And cled with glew, who neuer briggs
For her safe passage seekes,
Both through CHARIBDIS baying, and
Through traitrous SYRTES fell.
Who growes the miserabler the more
Her wealth growes with her sell.
A monster fierce without respect,
Or loue, or faith, who will
Her neighbours sorelie harme, but yet
Her self more euer still.
Who puts her hand in euerie thing,
Mœchanicklie too vyle.
Lyke TANTALVS in middst of goods,
Full poore euen all the whyle.
Who nombers neuer what she hath,
But what she lak'th doth count,
A foule, who though well winged, yet
She hie doth neuer mount.
Thou wrathfull contrare ADAM does
Lead forward to the warre,
The wrath, the which alreadie goes
Then thunder swifter farre.
Who sullen like a Sanglier makes
Her awfull teeth to crack,
Her haire starts wouddershunes, and whiles
Her burning eyes doth make
To reill, whiles tieth them to the ground:
Whose horrible face it will
Whiles paill, whiles firie, rout with voice
Most wilde and elrage still:
The ground stamps with her feet, her hands
On other rash apace:
She poison, fire, and cruell sworde,
Into that foming cace
Beares in her hand, them for to kill,
Whome syne she doth lament,
And lightlies death prouiding that
Her fellow also went:
Like as a hinging wall which by
The winde louse shaken bene,
Doth bruze the selfe on that, the which
Vnder it all bruz'd is clene.
Thou makes vnto the fight to come
Squar'd arrowes-bearer loue,
Which tyrants painting will I not
After all th'Apellesis proue
That FRANCE hath borne, and shortlie then,
Beneath thy Standarts faire,
Thou makes als manie Soldats els
For to be marching there
As there be verry goods, or for
Resemblance so doth trow
The King of beasts who of him selfe
Is not the maister now.
But if these passions that pursewes
And touches vs so neere,
Would swiftlie passe away as doth
A glancing lightening cleere
Then were it nothing, but allace
They oftentimes doe leaue
The venomed sting into the soule
Which hurting they deceaue:
From that so drumlie spring doth flow,
The deadlie poisons fell,
The SODOMIES, thefts, and incests,
And treasons vile to tell.
The blasphemies, the false contracts,
Conspiring, drunkenesse eik,
The Sacriledge, wait-laying, murther,
And Reafe that praies do seek.
Allace these langors (that be worse
Then thousand deaths be farr,)
Are different from the langores that
Makes with the bodie warre.
Who are auowedlie enemies,
And by their malice do,
Giue to the Patient manie a signe
Of healthes attaining to,
Whiles by the brangling pulse, and whiles
Euen by their colour viue,
Whiles by the stinging needels of
Strong dolour that doth grieue.
So as well knowing once the euill,
That doth vs brooke and binde,
It is not too difficill syne,
The remedie to finde.
But these our euils for that they in
Our vnderstanding raigne,
Who onelie ought and may discerne
Of them, they do remaine
Vnknowne at all and for that cause
Doth PODALIRIVS stay,
To runne to ANTICIRE to get
His health in anie way.
And furthermore the Feuerous man,
We feuerous do him call,
Hydropique we hydropique name,
Dissimuling not at all
Inunder the deceatfull masque,
Of fained words the paine
That crewell, doth our members with
Her torments sharpe demaine.
Contrariwise, the Spreit is of
The self the flatterer ay,
The owne skabb clawes, and with a style
That lyar is alway
By cloaking of his vices lets
The Vlcer blinde to feare,
The Cautere needles quite for it
Of reason for to heare:
And sure if vice did euer cleith
The self in anie where
With the vnspotted famous cloak
Of holie vertue faire
It certainlie is in our age
Worse by a hundreth folde,
Then when on all the earth the waues
Quite vniuersal rolde.
Of sinnes discourse I will not that
Are vildest in degree,
Wherewith the bedds infamous of
The greatest spotted be.
For feare that in offending of
The holies tender eare,
I rather seeme to teach them then
To wish them to forbeare.
They who vpon their bodies with
Grangores gnawne and deformed,
Beares Woods, faire Meidowes, Castles als
In threads of Gold transformed,
And whose hands prodigall into
Once shifting of the Cairts,
One Iusting proud, one Banquet great,
Doe wast with glorious hearts
The treasures gathered by the paines
And niggard trauels sore,
Of their forebeers occurrars, cal'd
Are liberall euermore.
They whose affected going, and
Whose fairded deintie cheekes,
Whose accent all effeminat,
Whose bonnie blincks and keeks,
Whose feeble coward heart and spreit,
Whose soft and souple weed
Declares, that they are onelie men
Of outward shew indeed,
O these be courtlie proper and feat.
Those who from bed to bed
Like Goat-bucks wander vagabonds,
Whose charming mouthes haue led
And chaste SVSANNAES tysted halfe
And euer famisht, flee
To euerie pray: ô surely these
Are Louers cal'd we see.
They who by false contracts, and by
Vnlawfull measures do
Acquire (oppressours) substance, yea,
And princely riches too:
And goes Sophisticating all
The simple strangers ay,
And hundreths doe for hundreths lend,
Are Stewards good they say.
Who in reuenges badd desire,
Do euer thrist and burne,
Who bathes themselues in blood, and puts
No difference in their turne
Of ranke, of Sexe, of age, but still
Most cruell they defile,
Colde blooded into euery corps
Their murthering hands and vile,
Are men of most magnanime spreit.
O would to God that FRANCE
Were voyd of men of spreit, since that
Our manhead doth aduance,
And fight for our ilwillers, and
Suckes out our blood apace,
Makes wast our Cities, and doth bresh
Our verie sides allace.
O would to God the Targe, the Pike,
The Sword might changed be
In ploughs for to mannure the Land.
O shall I neuer see
The Spiders long and threadie feet
Full busie for to weaue,
Within the hollowest of a healme
Deckt with a pennage braue?
But if ye French-men greene so fast,
To Battailes for to go,
And if that awfull Ennyon seethes
Into your bowels so,
What gaine or profite holdes you heere,
And makes you stay so long?
Our fields of bestiall voyd, of wealth
Are all our Cities strong.
Then go ye, runne ô warlike youth
Whome no distresse can dant,
Another Gaulien Greece into
Natolia for to plant:
Go run in Flanders, and do yee
Most mercifull releeue
Your brethren Belges from the yoake
Of Spaine that doth them greeue.
Run vnto Portugale, and people
Of new Gallicia now,
And do your names engraue againe
In PORT-VLISSES brow.
THus louing Reader as thou sees,
Now haue I made an end,
Vnto this worke which man did write,
But by the Lord is pend:
Wherein as I haue preast to make
The Authour knowne to all,
That into Brittaine Ile remaine,
Where he before was thrall
Within the onelie bounds of France,
So doubt I not thou will
Excuse my blotting of his face,
And blame my lacke of skill
Which letted me to imitate
His hard and loftie verse,
His arrowes headed blunt by me,
As earst could no waies pearce.
But since both profite may heerein,
And pleasure reaped be,
Though metamorphos'd all I grant,
And quite transform'd by me:
Yet ought thou justlie loue and like
My painefull trauels bent,
It is sufficient vnto me,
Thou know my good intent.