Commendatory poems | ||
I.—Rowland Vavghan.
From ‘Most Approved and Long experienced Water Workes. Containing, The manner of Winter and Summer-drowning of Medow and Pasture, by the aduantage of the least, Riuer, Brooke, Fount, or Water-prill adiacent; there-by to make those grounds (especially if they be drye) more Fertile Ten for One. As also a demonstration of a Proiect, for the great benefit of the Commonwealth generally, but of Hereford-shire especially. By Rowland Vavghan, Esquire. Imprinted at London by George Eld. 1610’ (4to).
A PANEGYRICKE,
In the deserued honor of this most profitable worke, and no lesse renowned then much-desired Proiect.
As to the World; to whom both aye are bound;
Then briefe, for Bond so long, I cannot be;
Vnlesse my Loue were (like my Lines) too round.
That where it wants, it grieues Sense, Will, and Witte:
Then by Proportion of his Excellence,
Thus must we shape our praise of Him, and It.
Th'almighties long-prouokt inraged-HAND
Emptied Heau'ns Bottles, it to purifie;
And made that FLVD that mud to countermand.
With like O'reflowings, washing all away
That lay the Earth vpon, or Earth within,
Within the limitts where this Deluge lay!
But hee whose Hand and Head this WORKE compos'd,
Shewes how to drowne the Earth to profit it:
And beeing Ill, to make it Well-disposd.
That they to it, and it to them yeeld nought,
But, in the Ocean what doe yeeld the Shelues,
Which when they see, they flee, with pensiue thought.
In grace and goodnesse to the highest pitch;
And Meades, and Pastures price he multiples;
So, while some lies, He rise doth in the Ditch.
And holds the Sperme of Herbage by a Spring)
Infuseth in the wombe of sterile Lands,
The Liquid seede that makes them Plenty bring.
(Ioyning in Coïtu) Water on the Leaze
(Like Sperme most actiue in such complements)
Begets the full-pancht Foison of Increase?
(Where Nature doth her Twyning-Issue frame)
The water soakes, whereof doth kindly come
Full- Barnes, to ioy the Lords that hold the same.
That neuer had societie of Men;
So fertill Grounds we often barren deeme,
Whose Bowells, Water fills not now and then.
Ingenders what doth make Man-kinde ingender:
For Venus quickly will to ruine runne,
If Ceres and her Bacchus not defend her.
So much is worth this Arte, maintaining it;
Then ô how deere is hee that brought it forth,
With paine and cost for Man-kinds benefit!
May vnder-valew both his Worke and Him;
Yet After-times will prize them Price aboue,
And hold them Durt that doe their glory dim.
By Witt defeating passions of the Ayre;
When they against his well-fare nurse debates,
While fooles (ore-rul'd by each) die through dispaire.
His Trenches draine the Raines superfluous Almes;
And when heate wounds the Earth ( to death that bleeds)
Hee cures the chaps with richest Water-balmes.
He can restraine those Teares from hurting him;
Vntill his Teares the Heau'ns to ioy do win,
While other Grounds are torne, the life from limbe.
Hee can dissolue it straite (as Waxe it were;)
Mantling the Meadowes in their Summer-Gowne;
So ioys in hope, while others grieue in feare.
“And each mans manners doe his Fortunes square;
“Arte learnes to thriue in Natures practick Schooles;
“And Fortune fauours men of actions rare.
Who raignes by mirry motion, ore my Spleene;
Such is this Water-glasse, wherein these Times
Do see how to adorne their Meades in Greene.
Issu'd a Water-fount) a Mount did reare;
A Mount of large Reuenues thence did come;
So, a Mole-hill great with yong a Mountaine bare!
(Tend'ring their seruice to their Lords for Rent)
Are nere imployde but in poore Water-mills,
While the drye Grounds vnto the Bones are brent.
That touch the water that they n'ere doe taste;
And pine away, Fruite being at their Nose,
So, in Aboundance, they to nought do waste.
(Pure virgin Nimphes) and chide against the Stancks,
When as their sweetest profer'd seruice stinkes,
So coyly kisse the chapt-lippes of the Bankes.
(As t'were to yeeld their Ghost for such disgrace)
Their Christall limbes vnto the vtmost Reach;
And shrinke from th'Armes that (vselesse) them imbrace.
Make towards them, and fall by lumpes therein;
Who (of the yellow Iaundise like to dye)
Creepe to their Beds, their loue and health to winne.
These sencelesse creatures mou'd to eithers aid
But for your helpe, who may their helpes command:
Then well command, you shall be well obaid.
And be not idle when you may do good:
“Paines are but Sports when earnest gaines insue:
“For, Sport, in earnest, lies in Liuelihood.
Sith Gold's the God that all commands therein;
By Gold (next God) Kings conquer, rule and raign;
With Gold we may commute, or grace our sinne.
Although we would do more then well we may:
For He makes ill too good, and good too ill;
And more then God, the ill do him obay.
Or Good and Great (all which he can you make)
Take pleasure (ô) to saue your Liuings Bloud
And streame it through their Limbes, for Profits sake.
(Casting their Water in his Vrinalls)
(His Trenches) sees what Humor ore-abounds,
Aud cures them straight by Drought or Water-falls.
This Soule of Action, all compos'd of Flame,
(Mounting by Action to high Benefit)
Exalts his State, his Countries, and his Fame.
That ore rebellious Lands, thus Lords it well:
O that all Lords that can much Land command.
Would so command it, when it doth rebell.
Possesse great Land-lords; who, for rebell Groundes,
Do Racke their Rents, and idely liue on these;
Or spoyle their Tenants Cropp with carelesse Houndes.
But Man euen in the Abstract) hunts for Wealth
With Witt, that runnes where Profit should be sowne
By wholesome Paines; so, reaps both Wealth, & Health.
Be most, it's hard to say: for, twenty yeares
Which payes now vse, on vse, as it appeares.
Hight Golden Valley; and so iustly held:
His Royall TRENCH, is as his melting Pott,
Whence issues Liquid-gold the Vale to gild!
In golden Verse (with gold) to paint his praise,
I would blinde Enuies Eyes, and make Land-lords
By this Sunnes rising; see their Sonnes to raise.
Deere Vaughan, thy Deere Country for her good;
For, thou resolu'st to raise that benefit
Out of thy priuate care; and Liu'lyhood.
That shall on thy Foundation stedfast stand)
Shall with their Praiers, still the Heauens pierce;
And blesse their Founders rare Head, Heart, and Hand.
(Where forty euery Meale shall freely feed)
Will be the Cause of this so good Effect
To plant both Trades and Trafficke there with speed.
Attend this Table all in Scarlet Cappes;
(As if they were King Arthures Seneschals)
And, for their paines shall fill their Chapps and Lapps.
(Whose radiant Knights did Ring his Table round)
Did euer any such a Table raise
As this, where Viands shall to all abound!
If we respect the good still done by each:
For, that fedde none but such as had no need;
But this (like God) shall feede both poore and rich!
In Hyrogliphicks of the daintiest Cates)
As oft as it is spread shall spread thy Fame
Beyond the greatest conquering Potentates!
They onely great, thou good, how euer small;
Subuersion they, Erection thou intend'st;
They foes to most, but Thou a friend to all.
(Among thy Paines and Pleasures) all will blesse:
Thy Pension for a Preacher of his Word,
Shewes thou seek'st Heauen, and earthly happinesse.
(The one maintain'd, the other built by Thee
For Gods Diurnall praise) shall make thy Name
In Rubricke of the Saints enrold to be.
Shall blaze thy charity to After-ages;
And longer last in Brests of men, then Bricks;
Increasing still thy heauenly Masters Wages.
But for the Thought to make the Arke an House;
Then thanks of all, to Thee, should still be giu'n
Whose purpose is to all commodious.
Of sharpest Stormes, still wounding Soldiers states,
To end thy Dayes in that which all men likes,
Ioy, Mirth, and Fellowship, which ends debates.
That wonted were to call thy foes to fight,
Shall now but call a friendly Company
(For honest ends) to feasting and delight.
That giu'st to both sans Parralel'd renowne,
Vpon the Poles inscribed be thy Fame,
That it to Worlds vnknowne may still be knowne.
That North-ward lies, doth yeeld a rarer Man,
Then larger Lands by many a Thousand Mile,
Who can do Thus, and will do what He can.
Yet, with their Winnings haue not wonne that praise
As this great-little Lord of hearts hath done,
For good-deedes done to These, and After-dayes.
With ceaselesse fretting at these sweete Effects,
Th'eternall good which he intends to all
His Fame (well fenc'd) aboue a Foile erects.
His glorious Mansion some auspicious Starre;
And make their Altars fume still for his sake
As to a God, to whome still bound they are.
Whereby mens Wealth, and Witt are oft ore'throwne
Which Wanton Nature rather craues, then wants,
They, as a God, with Gods do still enthrone.
Yet giue him Loue and Honor due t'a Man,
That makes men liue (like Gods) in Wealth, and Blisse,
And heaue his Fame to Heauen if we can.
Hee was a God: and then he turn'd them loose
That they abroad might chaunt it still; but they
(So gon) with silence prou'd their God, a Goose.
A right ( ) God-keeper in the Capitoll:
They Geese (at most) and so (at least) was He;
Or, if ought lesse, his God-head was a Gull.
Nor shall it (like those Birds) thy Fame betray:
But these my Lines shall then best sett thee forth
When thou art worse then Wormes, and lesse then Clay.
A Serpent is, about an Infants Necke:
Who was thine Ancestor, as Bards do sing,
So borne (aliue) the Fates to counterchecke.
(By way of Miracle) for this good end,
As, by thy skill, to haue so well deseru'd
Of all the Kingdome, which it much will mend.
By Enuy will be thought poeticke skill,
Playing the Vice, but in a glozing Act,
And so wrong Witte to sooth an erring will.
(The only Meed the Time all Arte affords)
What Spirit by Art, would then at all be raiz'd
(From this World's hel) if Art should want good words?
Still open in thy spight, yet say I still
Thy praise exceeds, because thou dost excell
In these thy works, that worke Good out of Ill.
As lauish of the good which thou canst do:
Then, must thy praise be greate-good, like thine Arte,
That goods thy praisers, and dispraisers too.
Whereon my verses Feete do freely fall)
As thou dost worke by Flouds, so th'art a Floud
Of working, running to the Good of all.
So doost thou (Sunne of Vse-full Science) still:
Then, Floud, and Sunne, thou art the ground to glad,
And make it fruitfull to the good and ill.
Speakes thus of Thee, (thou small-great man of worth)
It may be thought I praise to thee ascribe
As part mine owne; so falsely, set thee forth:
But those, so thinking, when thy Worth they prooue,
With mee, will thee both honor, praise and loue.
By equiuocation it may bee taken for Infants as wel as Barnes: Barne being the name of Infant in some places of England.
The Sunne exhaling all radicall moysture from thence by wounds or chaps which are made by summers heate.
From the obseruation whereof, proceeded the rest of his workes, as in this his booke more at large is expressed.
Once more for a Farewell.
In deserued praise of this neuer-too-much praysed Worke.
How oft this old-said-Saw hath prais'd new Bookes?)
But yet good Water (drawne from Founts and Brookes)
By Sluce (the Signe) makes dry Groundes drinke it well.
Yet, if they draw it not through Trenches fitt,
(By Sluce, that shewes how (well) to vtter it)
It idely runnes, while scarce the Owners stand.
For good returne; that else runnes to no end;
Which Signe doth draw it in, it selfe to spend
On dryest Grounds, that (drunken) cast vp Grasse;
Which giddy Simily, in sober Sence,
Shewes the Effect of this Workes excellence.
Commendatory poems | ||