University of Virginia Library

Libellus de Spectaculis:

Or, an Account of the Most memorable Monuments of the ROMANE GLORY.

1. Upon the Cæsarean Amphitheater.

No more let Sun-burnt Cayro vaunt, that She,
Bequeaths her wonders, to Eternitie.
Let not Euphrates, in a superb Style,
Brag her Wall, Girdle, unto sixty Mile.
Who lends Diana confidence, to tell;
Her Cedar-Statues, scorn a Parallel?
What if Apollo's horned Altar, stands
Unimitable, by Lysippus Hands?
Let Carian Impudence, presume so far;
As to make Mausoleum, kiss a Star.
Dame Tellus! and thy Prodigies confer;
They must kneel to the Amphitheater.
This Miracle, Grac'd by Vespasian's Name:
Hath the Monopoly, of checquer'd Fame.

2. Upon the Magnificent Structures built by Cæsar.

Here stands a Regal Coloss; whose high Head,
Is by the fixed Stars, embellished.
By sumptuous Pageants, the Streets are become
Accurate Emblems, of Elysium.
Curst Nero's Court, foyl'd the most serene daies;
By the emission of her golden Rayes.
And with Reluctance, we did lately see;
The Tyrants Palace, Romes Epitome.
That which was then an incommodious Lake,
Is made a Theater; for the Champions sake.
Where tepid Baths, the sinews recreate;
Was once a Victim, to the Monsters Hate.
Claudius Porch, so celebrious for shade,
Of the last Part, of the Domo was made.
Rome's Resurrection, is ascrib'd to you;
Great Emperour! your Sports, Plebeians owe.

3. The general Congratulation used to Cæsar.

Most potent Sir! what Region is so rude;
From whence, into your City, None intrude?
The Rhodopeian Farmer, leaves cold Thrace;
And to Banquet his Eyes, elects this Place.
Tartarians, who quaffe Horses Bloud at Home;
Are much Impatient, till they have view'd Rome.
They who first give a Welcome to the Nile:
And they, on whom, sweet Zephyrus doth smile.
Both the Arabia's, are in rapid Hast:
For perfum'd Water, Asia comes not last.
Shall we omit Knot-hair'd Sicambrians;
And Natures frisled Æthiopians?
Their Languages are discrepant; yet All,
The Father of your Countrey, can you call.

4. To the Emperour Titus, upon his Banishing Sycophants.

Those Caterpillers of the Commonwealth,
The Poor Mans Wolfe, whose livelihood was Stealth;
Growing too Numerous, are ship'd away;
To Feast the Lions, of Getulia:
And those Informers, who have many sent
Into Exile; now suffer Banishment.

5. Upon the same occasion.

The Head of Italy, Cæsar acquits
From Sycophants: New daies; Fresh Benefits!

6. Upon Pasiphae.

That Minos lustful Wife, Trepan'd a Bull;
Now we have seen it, is not wonderfull:
Let not Antiquity, her Fictions boast:
We fancy most, they should the Stage accost.

7. The Conflict of a Woman, with a Lion: As it was performed in the Amphitheater.

Cæsar 's Munificence, 'twill not suffice;
That virile Hands, should grasp the crimson Price.
Delicate Body, can't Fair Cypria shield:
As well as Mars, She conquers, or is Kil'd.
Alcides kil'd a Lion, and it is
Blown through the world by Fame, with Emphasis.
Be silent Authors! For Cæsar's command;
Made this Atchievement, of a Female hand.

8. The punishment of Laureolus.

Prometheus to cold Caucasus is chain'd;
Whilst by his Entrails, Vultures are sustain'd:
Wretched Laureolus, a Northern Bear;
Very sincerely, did asunder tear.
Every Vein, to weep Bloud was inclin'd:
Strict search in's Carkass, could no Body finde.
Thus one that stab'd his Master, must have dy'd;
Or Actors of infernal Parricide.
This Torment is his due, who dares Rome Fire;
Or who deflowres, the Gods most sacred Quire.
Obsolete Mischiefs, resalute the Stage:
Fables prove True; in this our conscious Age.

9. Upon Dædalus.

Since Bears impartial Teeth, thy Bones must Grinde;
I wish poor Dædalus, his wings could finde.

10. The Rhinocerite.

And will the debonair Rhinocerite;
For Cæsar's pleasure rush into a fight?
O how excessive, is his Angers flame!
'Twas Recreation, a mad Bull to tame!

11. Upon a Lion, that kil'd his Keeper.

With deep Ingratitude, a Lion flew
At's Keepers Throat; thus his Acquaintance slew.
But he receiv'd his Wages; since he could
Endure no Blows; the Hunting-spears, he should.
Men must be cautelous in Carriage; since,
Beasts are taught Morals; by our Gracious Prince.

12. Upon a Bear.

A Bear rol'd Barrels on the bloudy Sand;
And was Arrested, at Bird-limes command.
There's no more need to throw, the lethal Spear;
Or that a Lance, should forbid coming near.
Hunts-men may chase the Birds, unto a Bay:
If Fowlers to catch Beasts; conceive fair Play.

13. Upon a Sow, who cast her Pigs, by reason of a Wound.

Amongst the Various Game, that Cæsar found;
A nimble Spear, hapned a Sow to wound.
One of the Wiser Pigs, did make a shift
To escape through the Gash; at a dead lift.
These were hard Throws; yet the Sow for her part;
To save her Babies, wisht the other Dart.
Who will dispute, Tun-belli'd Bacchus cut,
From's Mother; since a Sow probatum put?

14. On the same Accident.

A fatal Javelin, dig'd through the Sows side;
But in a sort, She liv'd; as well as Dy'd.
O what unerring Hand, gave such a Blow?
None but Lucina, could so certain throw.
Diana did here Hunt; yet was Midwife:
A Pig was preserv'd; the Sow lost her Life.

15. The third part, to the same Tune.

A sow, now great with Pig, dy'd of a wound;
Through which her Litter, tumbled to the Ground.
When the Dam Stagger'd, that staid not behinde:
Distress will force a Pig; some wit to finde.

16. Upon the Hunts-Man Carpophorus.

Can Meleager, Glory in his Boar;
What may Carpophorus, who dares do more?
His furbisht spear, did bore a deadly hole,
In that Bears Heart; known to the Arctick Pole.
One of his Trophyes, is a Lions skin;
As large as that, Alcides vapour'd in.
A vaulting Libard, was by his hand slain:
And these, (though wonders) He can do again.

17. Concerning Hercules, Riding to Heaven, upon a Bull.

That the Bull was snatch'd up into the sky;
Seems not a Pageant, but true Piety.
On a Buls back, Europa rid at ease;
But not to Heaven; as did Hercules.
Let Jove, and Cæsar's Buls, for credit Vie:
Jove's did but swim; and Cæsar's Bull could flie.

18. Of an Elephants kneeling down.

That devout Elephant, did ye adore;
O Cæsar! which, worsted a Bull before.
None taught him Homage; but by instinct, he
Kneel'd down to you; because a Deity.

19. Of a Tyger, and a Lion.

A fierce Hircanian Tyger, which is rare;
Used to lick his Masters Hands; did dare,
Upon the dreaded King of Beasts to fly:
And to Amazement, won the Victory.
In the thick woods, he never Triumph'd thus:
Our Company, made him Magnanimous.

20. Upon the Fight of the Bull, and Elephant.

VVhen the strong Bull, enrag'd by Fire, did Eye
Puppies, like Men; He mounted them on High:
But dreaming thus, an Elephant to toss;
He was strook Dead, by the flinty Proboss.

21. Of two Fencing-Masters.

Half the Spectators, Triumphus did crave;
Half implor'd, they stout Myrinus might have.
Cæsar was pleas'd to tell them with both hands;
He condescended, to both their demands.
Vulgar Resentments, were quench'd quickly, thus:
O our great Lords, accomplish't Genius!

22. Upon Orpheus.

What ever Hæmus polisht Vales comprise;
The Theatre vouchsafes to Cæsar's Eyes.
The Rocks creep from their place; Woods give the start:
Splendid as Ægles, in the Western Part.
The Wolf, and Lamb, the Hound, and Hare desist
From enmity; to hear this Lutanist.
Rare Philomel, and the Cock-Linnet, fly
Hither to learn, Orphean Harmony:
Yet he was rent, by an unthankful Bear:
Let Thrace choose Fictions; at Rome, Truths these are.

23. The Rhinocerite.

Trembling Keepers, prick the Rhinocerite;
Desirous speedy Fury, to excite.
When expectation began to tyre;
The Beasts disturbed Calmness, fell on fire:
And shew'd his Horns, could hoyst a Bear at Ease;
As Buls toss untry'd Mastives, when they please.

24. Upon Carpophorus.

VVhat Beast is so well Arm'd, as not to fear;
Young Carpophorus, his approved spear?
His strange Dexterity, Two Buls pull'd down;
Two thick-skin'd Buffs, had no more Favor shown.
He made a Lion leap into the Toyle:
So much Time lost, the Vulgar can assoyl.

25. Upon a Sea-fight.

Foreign Spectators, perchance present be;
Whose Eyes did never, Cæsar's Bounty see:
Naval Bellona, shan't Equivocate;
In Neptunes Throne, Ceres did sit of late.
But want ye Faith? after the Fight; you'l vow
That is firm Land, which was Sea, even now.

26. Upon Leander.

Leander wonder not, curl'd Waves thee spare;
These inoffensive Surges, Cæsars are.
When Tethys stopt, Love-sick Leander's Breath;
And some few drops, would hurry him to Death.
Thee poor Wretch begg'd; O waft Me safe to ground:
When I have seen my Dear; let me be Drown'd.

27. Upon the excellent Swimmers.

The docil Crue of Watry Nymphs did Vie
To paint the Waves; with their Vivacitie.
A threatning Trident, Anchor, scalding Oare;
A stately Ship; we beheld from the Shore.
Castor, and Pollux, the Pilots delight;
And tumid Sail-cloaths, gratifi'd our Sight.
To whose Invention, should we this refer;
Did Thetis instruct us, or we, teach Her?

28. He Flatters Cæsar.

If the old World Carpophorus had bred;
The worst of Monsters must have hid its Head.
With Greece, Cretæan Buls would have comply'd;
Nor had Nemæas Lion, terrifi'd.
Arcadia had contemn'd the tusked Bore;
Had He strook Hydra; she had ne'r stir'd more.
The triple-form'd Chimæra, at one Blow;
Had perished; Medæa should not show
Her Sorceries, the fiery Buls to charm;
Hesio, and Andromede, from Harm;
By him alone, had been preserv'd. Account
Hercules Labours; they Twelve tantamount.
But is that such a wonder? At one Play,
Twenty wilde Beasts, Carpophorus did slay.

29. Upon a Sea-fight.

The Palm of Glory, to Augustus yeeld;
For framing Sea, into a pitched Field.
How then may Cæsar Triumph? Such Beasts are,
Guests to the Waves, as Sea-green Thetis scare.
Swift Chariots track the Main; at whose approach,
Triton cri'd out; Here coms King Neptune's Coach.
Whilst Nereus for the Skirmishes provides;
And a Whales Back, victoriously Bestrides.
What Cæsar's pleasure, shall the Circk command;
The Flouds React; as Mimicks to the Land.
On Claudius; Nero's Lake; let Scorn reflect:
Domitian's shows, merit entire Respect.

30. Of the Champions, Pristus, and Verus.

When Pristus, Verus, did protract their Fight;
Characteriz'd by Mars with equal Spight:
For their Discharge, a joynt Consent apply'd,
It self to Cæsar; by whom 'twas Deny'd.
It wash the Fashion so long to contend,
Till the vanquish'd made Signs the Fight should end.
And to detain the People to the last,
Gifts were provided; and a slight Repast:
Even wounds the Sword-players did engrave;
They Fought alike; on equal scores did leave.
Cæsar acquitted both; gave both the Palm:
Thus Prowess, for her Cure, acquired Balm.
Before your Reign Cæsar, who thought to see;
When Champions Fight, that both should Victors bee!