The Times' Whistle Or A Newe Daunce of Seuen Satires, and other Poems: Compiled by R. C., Gent. [i.e. Richard Corbett]. Now First Edited from Ms. Y. 8. 3. in the Library of Canterbury Cathedral: With introduction, notes, and glossary, By J. M. Cowper |
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Somnium. |
 | The Times' Whistle |  |
Somnium.
About that time when as the chearfull spring
Bedeckes the earth with her sweet smelling flowers,
When pretty birds with their sweet caroling,
Record their ditties in Silvanus bowers,
I fortunde, envited by the aire,
Vnto a pleasant grove to make repaire.
Bedeckes the earth with her sweet smelling flowers,
When pretty birds with their sweet caroling,
Record their ditties in Silvanus bowers,
I fortunde, envited by the aire,
Vnto a pleasant grove to make repaire.
Quite through the thicket ran a pleasant spring,
Whose gentle gliding a sweet murmure made;
The place (sufficient to content a king)
Allurde me to repose vnder the shade
Of a broad beech, the aptnesse of which seat
Preservde me from the sunnes annoying heat.
Whose gentle gliding a sweet murmure made;
The place (sufficient to content a king)
Allurde me to repose vnder the shade
Of a broad beech, the aptnesse of which seat
Preservde me from the sunnes annoying heat.
Not many minutes did I there repose,
Ere gentle Morpheus, powerfull god of sleep,
With his compelling charmes mine eyes did close.
Such harmony the chirping birdes did keep
Coniointly with the sweetly warbling streame,
That my long slumber did begett this dreame:
Ere gentle Morpheus, powerfull god of sleep,
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Such harmony the chirping birdes did keep
Coniointly with the sweetly warbling streame,
That my long slumber did begett this dreame:
Me thought it was about the dead of night,
What time there was presented to my view
A spectacle that did me much affright,
And all my sences in amazement drew;
Till manly courage, putting fear to flight,
Made me expect the issue of the sight.
What time there was presented to my view
A spectacle that did me much affright,
And all my sences in amazement drew;
Till manly courage, putting fear to flight,
Made me expect the issue of the sight.
The fearfull obiect of my wandring eye,
In shew appeard to be a womans shape;
Her looke was heavy, & did well descrie
She had been subiect to noe mean mishappe:
Her robes were costly, crownèd was her head,
Which did foretell she was not basely bred.
In shew appeard to be a womans shape;
Her looke was heavy, & did well descrie
She had been subiect to noe mean mishappe:
Her robes were costly, crownèd was her head,
Which did foretell she was not basely bred.
One of her handes a bloody sword did graspe,
Wherwith had been transfixd her tender heart;
The other hand a burning torch did claspe,
By light wherof I might descrie each part
Of her well featured body, whose sad plight
Drew forth salt teares from my relenting sight.
Wherwith had been transfixd her tender heart;
The other hand a burning torch did claspe,
By light wherof I might descrie each part
Of her well featured body, whose sad plight
Drew forth salt teares from my relenting sight.
I would have questiond whence, or who, she was,
But admiration such amasement bred,
That not one word from forth my lips could passe,
My voice had lost his office & was dead,—
Buried in silence lay; when loe, ere long
The apparition thus let lose her tongue:—
But admiration such amasement bred,
That not one word from forth my lips could passe,
My voice had lost his office & was dead,—
Buried in silence lay; when loe, ere long
The apparition thus let lose her tongue:—
“Young man” (quoth she) “thy spirites recollect;
Be not amazde mine vncouth shape to see;
Such peevish fear doth shew a minde deiect,
Or guilty conscience, which are farre from thee:
Give ear vnto me, & I will relate
A true sad story of my passèd fate.
Be not amazde mine vncouth shape to see;
Such peevish fear doth shew a minde deiect,
Or guilty conscience, which are farre from thee:
Give ear vnto me, & I will relate
A true sad story of my passèd fate.
139
“I am by birth of most divine discent;
For I am daughter to immortall Iove,
From whom into the world I first was sent
As witnesse of his reconcilèd love
With mortall man; for which effect I came
From heaven, & True Religion is my name.
For I am daughter to immortall Iove,
From whom into the world I first was sent
As witnesse of his reconcilèd love
With mortall man; for which effect I came
From heaven, & True Religion is my name.
“First went I to the vnbeleeving Iewes;
But there I could smale entertainment finde:
The greater part did vtterlie refuse
To lodge me in their heartes, & wilfull blinde
Did cast me from them; though alone by me
Man can attaine to true felicity.
But there I could smale entertainment finde:
The greater part did vtterlie refuse
To lodge me in their heartes, & wilfull blinde
Did cast me from them; though alone by me
Man can attaine to true felicity.
“By them reiected thus, I did intend
Vnto the Gentiles next to bend my course,
To see if they would greater favour lend:
With these I had indeed somewhile great force,
And purchasde a large kingdome with this crowne,
Till the ten persecutions put me downe.
Vnto the Gentiles next to bend my course,
To see if they would greater favour lend:
With these I had indeed somewhile great force,
And purchasde a large kingdome with this crowne,
Till the ten persecutions put me downe.
“But noe oppression could me quite suppresse;
Nay, persecutions made me flourish more;
I still was slaine, yet still I did increase,
And growing lesse, grew greater then before:
Cammomill trodden doth the farther spred,
And the palme prest, the higher lifts his head.
Nay, persecutions made me flourish more;
I still was slaine, yet still I did increase,
And growing lesse, grew greater then before:
Cammomill trodden doth the farther spred,
And the palme prest, the higher lifts his head.
“Rome was of yore my place of residence,
Where as a soveraigne I long time did sitt,
Till antichristian prelats drave me thence;
Then did I flie to Brittaine, & in it
I have till now, & ever will remaine,
Till the world shall to chaos turne againe.
Where as a soveraigne I long time did sitt,
Till antichristian prelats drave me thence;
Then did I flie to Brittaine, & in it
I have till now, & ever will remaine,
Till the world shall to chaos turne againe.
“With this sharp sword, which in my hand I holde,
A cruell Lady pearcd me to the heart;
The wound is fresh to see, the blood scarce colde,—
Her name was Mary that did act this parte:
But e're she kilde me she was slaine by death,
And I revivd'e by young Elizabeth.
A cruell Lady pearcd me to the heart;
The wound is fresh to see, the blood scarce colde,—
Her name was Mary that did act this parte:
140
And I revivd'e by young Elizabeth.
“Forty-fower yeares this far renownèd queen,
Honord of all, me above all did honor;
But fates her, graie in yeares, in vertues green,
Cald to a worthier place, death seazd vpon her,
And for this world, which nought but sorrow yeilds,
Carried Eliza to th' Elizian fields.
Honord of all, me above all did honor;
But fates her, graie in yeares, in vertues green,
Cald to a worthier place, death seazd vpon her,
And for this world, which nought but sorrow yeilds,
Carried Eliza to th' Elizian fields.
“After her death the good Iosiah came,
When the land feard some sodaine innovation,
And, for the propagation of my name,
Contracts a league with many a neighbour nation;
Wisely foreseeing that by such a peace,
My crowne should flourish & my power encrease.
When the land feard some sodaine innovation,
And, for the propagation of my name,
Contracts a league with many a neighbour nation;
Wisely foreseeing that by such a peace,
My crowne should flourish & my power encrease.
“Vnder this monarch, or above him, rather,
I rule this Britaine Empire & doe bring
Many a soule vnto my heavenly Father,
In spite of Rome, which for me hates the king:
But God will blesse him, & vnto the end
He and his issue shall my cause defend.
I rule this Britaine Empire & doe bring
Many a soule vnto my heavenly Father,
In spite of Rome, which for me hates the king:
But God will blesse him, & vnto the end
He and his issue shall my cause defend.
“If thou wouldst know whie this bright burning light
Mine other hand doth bear, I will thee tell;
I have an enemie as darke as night,
Cald Error (I to heaven, she leades to hell)
Whose blacknesse to obscure me doth endevour,
But that this light doth her false mists dissever.
Mine other hand doth bear, I will thee tell;
I have an enemie as darke as night,
Cald Error (I to heaven, she leades to hell)
Whose blacknesse to obscure me doth endevour,
But that this light doth her false mists dissever.
“The reason why I looke thus heavily,
Is 'cause of late my power gins decay;
That hellish monster, damnd hypocrisie,
Doth carry in the land far greater sway;
Enters my temples &, in spite of me,
Vsurps my place & titles soveraigntie.
Is 'cause of late my power gins decay;
That hellish monster, damnd hypocrisie,
Doth carry in the land far greater sway;
Enters my temples &, in spite of me,
Vsurps my place & titles soveraigntie.
141
“There is a sort of purest seeming men,
That aide this monster in her wrongfull cause,
Those the world nameth—Puritanes I meane—
Sent to supplant me from the very iawes
Of hell, I think; by whose apparant shew
Of sanctity doe greatest evils grow.
That aide this monster in her wrongfull cause,
Those the world nameth—Puritanes I meane—
Sent to supplant me from the very iawes
Of hell, I think; by whose apparant shew
Of sanctity doe greatest evils grow.
“Vnless the hand of wise authority
Doe reinstall me in my former place,
And punish them & their hypocrisie,
They will ere long mine honour quite deface.
And so I prethee, tell him gentle youth,—
Be not afraide, 'tis nothing but the truth.”
Doe reinstall me in my former place,
And punish them & their hypocrisie,
They will ere long mine honour quite deface.
And so I prethee, tell him gentle youth,—
Be not afraide, 'tis nothing but the truth.”
This saide, methought she vanishd from my sight,
And left me much perplexèd in my thought.
I musde a Puritan should be a wight
So seeming good, & yet soe passing naught;
Till thinking long vpon so strange a theame,
At last I wakd, & then I writ my dreame.
And left me much perplexèd in my thought.
I musde a Puritan should be a wight
So seeming good, & yet soe passing naught;
Till thinking long vpon so strange a theame,
At last I wakd, & then I writ my dreame.
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