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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51
O proud rebellion! ô traiterous impietie!
In what a fearefull fort, by this thy tongues varietie,
Hath God thee punished? alas that pleasant tongue,
That holy bond of townes, of anger bridle strong,
Strong glue of amitie, once one, now doth waifare
A hundred narrow wayes: this gold so richly rare,
Wrath-taming, charming-care, men-tysing, hart-entangling,
Both color, weight, and sound hath lost by mingle-mangling.
This gift corrupted is, and from the North to South
Confused Babels fall sounds yet in euery mouth.
The cold Finlanders once might visit Affricans,
The Spanish Indians, th'English Americans,
Without Interpreter; but now the compasse small
That doth our Cities bound, our language bounds withall:
And if we from our home but ne're so little went,
Dumbe should we seeme, and rest of reasons instrument.
Or if we speake to some that are but neighbour Nations,
'Tis by a borrow'd tongue, or by strange animations:
Without or Schoole, or paine, and sucking mothers brest,
We might haue learn'd the tongue that euery thought exprest,
And after seuen yeeres old vpon the glistring sand
Begun to draw with skill the shape of Sea and Land;
To part and multiply; and so from skill to skill
We might haue climbed soone the double-pointed hill,
Where Arts-perfection, in signe of their victorie,
Her fauourites doth crowne with euerlasting glory.
In what a fearefull fort, by this thy tongues varietie,
Hath God thee punished? alas that pleasant tongue,
That holy bond of townes, of anger bridle strong,
Strong glue of amitie, once one, now doth waifare
A hundred narrow wayes: this gold so richly rare,
Wrath-taming, charming-care, men-tysing, hart-entangling,
Both color, weight, and sound hath lost by mingle-mangling.
This gift corrupted is, and from the North to South
Confused Babels fall sounds yet in euery mouth.
The cold Finlanders once might visit Affricans,
The Spanish Indians, th'English Americans,
Without Interpreter; but now the compasse small
That doth our Cities bound, our language bounds withall:
And if we from our home but ne're so little went,
Dumbe should we seeme, and rest of reasons instrument.
Or if we speake to some that are but neighbour Nations,
'Tis by a borrow'd tongue, or by strange animations:
Without or Schoole, or paine, and sucking mothers brest,
We might haue learn'd the tongue that euery thought exprest,
And after seuen yeeres old vpon the glistring sand
Begun to draw with skill the shape of Sea and Land;
To part and multiply; and so from skill to skill
We might haue climbed soone the double-pointed hill,
Where Arts-perfection, in signe of their victorie,
Her fauourites doth crowne with euerlasting glory.
Now, euer baby-like, we, ere we learne to sound
The Latine, Hebrew, Greeke, are going to the ground.
We learne but eu'n to prate, and for the deepe inseying
Of Natures secresies, and of that onely Being
Which makes all things to be, we labour, as in maze,
To coniugate a verbe, and register a phrase.
In age we learne to spell, like young Grammaticasters,
And nought we know without authoritie of Masters;
Who teach vs still to read, and put into our hands
An A.B.C. for what the Ciuill Law commands:
Instead of Physicke skill, and of that holy Writ,
Where God's to them reueal'd, which godly readen it.
The Latine, Hebrew, Greeke, are going to the ground.
We learne but eu'n to prate, and for the deepe inseying
Of Natures secresies, and of that onely Being
Which makes all things to be, we labour, as in maze,
To coniugate a verbe, and register a phrase.
In age we learne to spell, like young Grammaticasters,
And nought we know without authoritie of Masters;
Who teach vs still to read, and put into our hands
An A.B.C. for what the Ciuill Law commands:
Instead of Physicke skill, and of that holy Writ,
Where God's to them reueal'd, which godly readen it.
53
Nay, shall I tell you more? they spake in eu'ry place
That holy tongue of God; so full of sence and grace,
As not a letter it hath, no not a point so small,
Without some ornament exceeding mysticall.
But since the proud reuolt, in sundry sort they prate
A bastard bibble-babble, impure, effeminate,
And change it eu'ry day; so loosing all their light
They vtter not a word of that first language right.
That holy tongue of God; so full of sence and grace,
As not a letter it hath, no not a point so small,
Without some ornament exceeding mysticall.
But since the proud reuolt, in sundry sort they prate
A bastard bibble-babble, impure, effeminate,
And change it eu'ry day; so loosing all their light
They vtter not a word of that first language right.
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