Fovre bookes of Du Bartas I. The Arke, II. Babylon, III. The Colonnyes, IIII. The Columues or Pyllars: In French and English, for the Instrvction and Pleasvre of Svch as Delight in Both Langvages. By William Lisle ... Together with a large Commentary by S. G. S |
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O what a blessed life doe men lead vnd'r a Prince,
That seeks, before his own, the weal of his Prouince!
That punisheth the bad, & rids the good of wrong,
That entertaines the graue, and shuns the pleasing tongue,
That sou'raine of himselfe doth all vice ouer-awe
More by his honest life then punishment or law:
That being inward meeke, outward maiesticall,
Hath for his guard the loue of all his comminall.
That maketh not his God the bright-emperled Mace;
And knowing that he stands on stages highest place,
Where, to controule his workes, a world hath him in sight,
Commands not what him lift; but rather what is right.
But sure a hell it is to suffer seruitude,
And daily beare the yoke of Tyrant blood-embrude:
A Denis that for feare with brand himselfe yshau'd,
A Nero that his house with incest all deprau'd:
An Owle that e're auoids the light of gouernment,
Of Parlament and Peeres, that feares the prattlement
Of eu'ry priuate toong; that for his only game
His people sets at odds, and feeds their angers-flame.
That honour, faith and right, hath ne'r before his eyes:
That powling Offices doth euery day deuise;
That likes-not of the men best learned, wisest, strongest;
But, as in field of corne, doth euer crop the longest
And best-y flowred eares: That, worse then Tygre wood,
Without respect of kin sheds eu'n his brothers blood:
That, though he sensed be with sword and halberds aid,
Yet feareth many more, then he doth make afraid.
That boasteth to deuise a taxe before vnknone,
And Canibally gnaw'th his peopl' all to the bone.
That seeks, before his own, the weal of his Prouince!
That punisheth the bad, & rids the good of wrong,
That entertaines the graue, and shuns the pleasing tongue,
That sou'raine of himselfe doth all vice ouer-awe
More by his honest life then punishment or law:
That being inward meeke, outward maiesticall,
Hath for his guard the loue of all his comminall.
That maketh not his God the bright-emperled Mace;
And knowing that he stands on stages highest place,
Where, to controule his workes, a world hath him in sight,
Commands not what him lift; but rather what is right.
But sure a hell it is to suffer seruitude,
And daily beare the yoke of Tyrant blood-embrude:
A Denis that for feare with brand himselfe yshau'd,
A Nero that his house with incest all deprau'd:
An Owle that e're auoids the light of gouernment,
Of Parlament and Peeres, that feares the prattlement
Of eu'ry priuate toong; that for his only game
His people sets at odds, and feeds their angers-flame.
That honour, faith and right, hath ne'r before his eyes:
That powling Offices doth euery day deuise;
That likes-not of the men best learned, wisest, strongest;
But, as in field of corne, doth euer crop the longest
And best-y flowred eares: That, worse then Tygre wood,
Without respect of kin sheds eu'n his brothers blood:
That, though he sensed be with sword and halberds aid,
Yet feareth many more, then he doth make afraid.
That boasteth to deuise a taxe before vnknone,
41
Imprint (ô king of Heau'n) within our Princes brests
Loue to their-people-ward, and reuerence of thine hests:
And where a courtly toong with venomous language,
Or oth'r enormities too-well knowne in this Age,
Shall taint a princely minde with Nimrods propertie,
Draw there thine iron pen, and rase it speedily.
That for proud Babels towre they may thy Sion reare,
And my Muse vnder them may chaunt it euery where.
Loue to their-people-ward, and reuerence of thine hests:
And where a courtly toong with venomous language,
Or oth'r enormities too-well knowne in this Age,
Shall taint a princely minde with Nimrods propertie,
Draw there thine iron pen, and rase it speedily.
That for proud Babels towre they may thy Sion reare,
And my Muse vnder them may chaunt it euery where.
43
Scarse is the sonne of Chus now waxen twelue yeere old.
But straight ou'r all his Peeres he playes the Tyrant bold.
He ouer-growes them all, and of his power to come
Vpon a trim foreshew he layes the ground with some:
And in his childish hand for scepter bearing reeds
Among the shephard-swaines beginn'th his prentise-deeds.
Then knowing that the man, whose courage doth aspire
Vnto the deemed blisse of an awfull Empire,
Must passe in braue exploits the doltish vulgar sort,
Or else by seeming good obtaine a good report,
He wasteth not the night in downie feather-bed,
Nor yet the day in shade; but, young, accustomed
Himselfe to good and ill, and made ambitiouslie
His pillowes of a rocke, his curtaines of the skie.
To toyle is his delight, to shoot, his chiefest game,
His baby-play the lysts, his hawk some Sparrow tame:
His most delicious meat the flesh of tender Kid
Which trembleth yet, and scarse is out of skin yslid.
But straight ou'r all his Peeres he playes the Tyrant bold.
He ouer-growes them all, and of his power to come
Vpon a trim foreshew he layes the ground with some:
And in his childish hand for scepter bearing reeds
Among the shephard-swaines beginn'th his prentise-deeds.
Then knowing that the man, whose courage doth aspire
Vnto the deemed blisse of an awfull Empire,
Must passe in braue exploits the doltish vulgar sort,
Or else by seeming good obtaine a good report,
He wasteth not the night in downie feather-bed,
Nor yet the day in shade; but, young, accustomed
Himselfe to good and ill, and made ambitiouslie
His pillowes of a rocke, his curtaines of the skie.
To toyle is his delight, to shoot, his chiefest game,
His baby-play the lysts, his hawk some Sparrow tame:
His most delicious meat the flesh of tender Kid
Which trembleth yet, and scarse is out of skin yslid.
Sometime he sports himselfe to conquer with a breath
Some craggy rocks ascent that ouerpeers the heath;
Or else some raging flood against the streame diuide,
That, swolne with raine, hath drou'n a hundred brigs aside,
And with a bounding course vnbridled gallops fast
All ouerthwart the stones in narrow valley cast:
Or else straight aft'r his throw to catch againe his dart,
Or else by footmanship to take the Hinde or Hart.
Some craggy rocks ascent that ouerpeers the heath;
Or else some raging flood against the streame diuide,
That, swolne with raine, hath drou'n a hundred brigs aside,
And with a bounding course vnbridled gallops fast
All ouerthwart the stones in narrow valley cast:
Or else straight aft'r his throw to catch againe his dart,
Or else by footmanship to take the Hinde or Hart.
Thus till his twentith yeare his exercise continues,
Then vnderstanding well his manly minde and sinewes
May fit some great'r attempt, if he know'th any where
A Leopard, a Tyg'r, a Lion, or a Beare,
He stoutly goes t'encount'r, & knocks him downe with mace,
And plants the goary spoiles in most apparant place.
Then vnderstanding well his manly minde and sinewes
May fit some great'r attempt, if he know'th any where
A Leopard, a Tyg'r, a Lion, or a Beare,
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And plants the goary spoiles in most apparant place.
The people then that see by his all-conquering hands
The wayes enfranchised, and all the waster lands
Rid of such roaring theeues, and feeding now at ease
Their fearfull flocks and heards; they loue this Hercules,
This rid-ill monster-mast'r, and shew him speciall fauour,
And call him euermore their fath'r and eu'n their sauiour.
The wayes enfranchised, and all the waster lands
Rid of such roaring theeues, and feeding now at ease
Their fearfull flocks and heards; they loue this Hercules,
This rid-ill monster-mast'r, and shew him speciall fauour,
And call him euermore their fath'r and eu'n their sauiour.
Here Nimrod by the locks hand-fasting his good fortune,
And striking th'iron hot, doth flatter, presse, importune
Now one and then anoth'r, and hasting to his blisse,
Before that hunted beasts, now of men hunter is.
For as he did imploy about his prey before
The grins, hare-pipes, and traps, and all the lymie store;
Yea furthermore, at need for stoutest had his art,
The heauy club, the shaft, the sharpe sword and the dart:
So some mens heart he gaines by faire hope closely stealing,
And some he wins by gift, and others by hard dealing:
And breaking all in rage the bonds of equitie,
Of that renforcing world vsurps the royaltie.
Whereas in time before the chiefe of each houshold
The same did rule apart; nor did the young man bold,
Aspiring, gyddie-braind, vpon a wanton braue
His sickle thrust, as now, int'haruest of the graue.
And striking th'iron hot, doth flatter, presse, importune
Now one and then anoth'r, and hasting to his blisse,
Before that hunted beasts, now of men hunter is.
For as he did imploy about his prey before
The grins, hare-pipes, and traps, and all the lymie store;
Yea furthermore, at need for stoutest had his art,
The heauy club, the shaft, the sharpe sword and the dart:
So some mens heart he gaines by faire hope closely stealing,
And some he wins by gift, and others by hard dealing:
And breaking all in rage the bonds of equitie,
Of that renforcing world vsurps the royaltie.
Whereas in time before the chiefe of each houshold
The same did rule apart; nor did the young man bold,
Aspiring, gyddie-braind, vpon a wanton braue
His sickle thrust, as now, int'haruest of the graue.
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Now he enthroned is, he bendeth all his thought
To blood and crueltie, profanely sets at naught
The lawes of God and man, out-braues th'Almighty king,
And beardeth him (as'twere) with scepter flourishing.
And lest the peopl' at length, when ease had bred their pride,
Should aime to cast his yoke he keeps them occupyde:
He lauisheth his wealth, to make them labour still
In building of a towne; nay rath'r an Atlas hill.
To blood and crueltie, profanely sets at naught
The lawes of God and man, out-braues th'Almighty king,
And beardeth him (as'twere) with scepter flourishing.
And lest the peopl' at length, when ease had bred their pride,
Should aime to cast his yoke he keeps them occupyde:
He lauisheth his wealth, to make them labour still
In building of a towne; nay rath'r an Atlas hill.
We liue too long (quoth he) in brutish wandering;
Now leaue we roaguing tents, our houses wayfaring;
And let's a palace build that stately may be ioynt
In Base vnto the deepe, and vnto heau'n in poynt.
Now leaue we roaguing tents, our houses wayfaring;
And let's a palace build that stately may be ioynt
In Base vnto the deepe, and vnto heau'n in poynt.
| Fovre bookes of Du Bartas | |