University of Virginia Library

The third weeke.

Epig. 1 De Interlunio

The half fac'd Moone nights gouernesse did chāg
When in the Crab the Sunne was retrograde;
To th' hot dry Lion strait she meant to range,
Till with the Dog in longitude he staide:
So this next week by these signes you may gather
You must expect crab'd, dry and dogged wether

Epig. 2 In Fuscam

Tell me Bollana if thou can,
What meanes thy Mistris weare a fan?
So faire a fan, so fowle a face,
Fusca, or fan, must needes disgrace.

Epig. 3 Ad D. Mounteagle.

Mounteagle, which art now thy cuntries pride,
Vnto thy worth would I could tune my verse,
Then Wit and Art, and all I would prouide,
To be thy Poet, and thy praise rehearse:
But with my Art I cannot equall thee,
Then thou thy self must needes commend for me.

Epig. 4 De homine in Luna.

When Bunas view'd the wandring plannets seau'n
He spide a knaue in Moone all cloth'd in blacke,
Who for his theft could come no nearer heau'n,
But bore a bush of sharp thornes on his backe:
A knaue in Moone? what neede he look so hie?
When in the Sunne a thousand stoode him by.

Epig. 5 In Ramistas.

Wisedomes adopted heire say what thou can,
Ramists defend in Moone to be a man,
If please him pisse, then he doth send vs raine,
If drunke, a deluge, and a watry maine:
Come down thou man since Sturbridge fair foure yeere,
Thy pissing made vs all drinke single beere.

Epig. 6. In eosdem.

Frō whence doth come this root-vpriuing wind?
From the moons man, when he doth blow behind
Snow, frost, and haile, be scales in's hoary crown,
And from his nose the mildew drops ydowne:
His Camphire breath doth all perfume the aire,
Bedews the flowers, & makes the fields seem fair:
Vapours arising from the earth his meate,
And like a glutton he doth alwaies eate:
I thinke those men be wiser farre then these,
Who think the moon is made all of green cheese.

Epig. 7. Ad fatorum dominum

Hence Braurons god to Taurominion,
And you leualting Corybants be gone,
Fly thundering Bronsterops to Hyppocrene,
And Mauors to Nymph-nursing Mytilene,
Griesly Megæraes necromanticke spell
Depart to blacke nights Acheronticke Cell,
Avaunt transformed Epidaurian,
Vnto th' Antipod Isles of Taproban:
Away Cyllenius plumie-pinion'd god,
With thy peace-making wand, snake-charming rod,
And al the rest, not daring looke vpon
Vranus blood-borne brood and fell Typhon,
Chymæraes victor great Bellerephon,
Thou vanquisher of Spanish Geryon,
Stowt Hasdruball Sicilian Lord of yore,
Thou that destroyd'st the Calidonian Bore
Couragious Conqueror of Creetes Minotaure,
Thou pride of Mermeros cloudy Semitaure,
Perseus, whose marbl-stone-transforming shield
Enforc'd the whale Andromeda vp yeeld,
You Argonautes that scowr'd Syndromades,
And pass'd the quicke-sands of Symplegaaes.
Help Demogorgon king of heau'n and earth,
Chao's Lucina at Litigium's birth:
The world with child lookes for deliuerie,
Of Canniballs or Poetophagie,
A diuelish broode from Ericthonius,
From Iphidemia, Nox and Erebus,
Chide Pegasus for op'ning Helicon,
And Poets damne to Pyriphlegeton,
Or make this monstrous birth abortiue be,
Or else I will shake hands with Poetrie.

Epig. 8 Ad Lectorem.

Say you that I am obscure?
Why this is yong mens Rhetoricke,
Owles must not iudge of Coruus sure,
For he speakes nought but Rhetoricke:
Either too high, or els too plaine,
And this is now a schollers vaine.

Epig. 9 In Battum.

Battus affirm'd no Poet euer writte,
Before that Loue inspir'd his dull head witte,
And yet himselfe in Loue had witte no more,
Than one stark mad, thogh somwhat wise before.

Epig 10. De Ore.

Os of O, a mouth Scalliger doth make,
And from this letter, mouth his name doth take:
I had beene in Scalligers beleefe,
But that I lookt in O, and saw no teeth.

Epig 11 In Fuscam.

Is Fuscaes fan gainst winter, wind, and sunne?
She scornes their force so bright her face is done:
Is Fuscaes fan to flap away the flies,
Dare they come nere her eagle-sighted eies?
Belike they thinke she is some Butchers shop,
Her face the flesh whereon they vse to lop.

Epig 12 In Byrrham

Is Byrrha browne? who doth the question aske?
Her face is pure as Ebonie ieat blacke,
It's hard to know her face from her faire maske,
Beautie in her seemes beautie still to lacke.
Nay, shee's snow-white, but for that russet skin,
Which like a vaile doth keep her whitenes in.

Epig. 13 In Roderingonem

If Beard can make a good Diuine,
Then Rodering is one:
But Beard can make no good Diuine,
Then Rodering is none.

Epig. 14 In eundem

Where Ivie-bush hangs out say I,
There you may wine for money buy:
Yet he for all his bushie signe,
Is but a grapelesse dead drie vine:
For take his beard from off his chin,
Both bare without, and bare within.

Epig. 15 In Fucam

In Fucaes face the Graces seeme to mart,
So like she is the blushing rose-red morne,
Sure in her shape the Gods all bore a part,
A withered Hermite fiue-score winters worne
Might shake off fiftie, seeing her beforne:
Yet Fuca dare not venture in the ayre,
For feare the water wash away her fayre.

Epig. 16 In obitum Gloriani.

First life, then death, next death was life before,
And death gaue life, a life for euermore:
Life was not life, til death gaue life, life better,
To death for life then Glorian is a debter.

Epig. 17 In Lycum pædagogum

Many are beholding Lycus for thy paine,
Which with their sons and daughters thou hast taine:
Beleeue me Lycus, I did often wonder
To see the wenches proue so well you vnder:
If that but once to Learnings lore you win them
This I dare sweare, you can put learning in them.

Epig. 18 De Daphnide Apollinem fugiente.

Daphne of Apollo neuer was afraid,
But of the weapons which Apollo had;
So modest maides of men stand not in feare,
But of the weapons which we men do beare.

Epig. 19 In Brutum

The gallant Brutus iettes it in the streets,
Fame would haue all looke at his face he meetes.
And lest he passe vnseene this way doth find,
To cut his shooes before broad, and behind
He puts in quills, as if his shooes would say,
(Stand passengers and view me in your way)
And yet the foole what he wold haue doth loose
For none looke at his face, all at his shooes.

Epig. 20 Translat. ex Martial.

Sabidi I loue thee not, nor why I wot,
But this I wot, Sabidi I loue thee not.

Epig. 21 De Georgio Graue non sepulto.

Graue was George Graue, his grauenes causd him die,
Graue shuld to graue, yet Graue doth graueles lie.

Epig. 22 In Gulielmum Covel.

Covel thy mind thou hast already season'd,
With salt of wit, and relish of all Artes,
With Plato oft, and Aristotle reason'd,
Seeking all meanes to beautifie all partes,
That twixt thy lips diuinitie doth fall,
Like Berill drops from some faire cristall wall.

Epig. 23 In D. D. Ouerall Reg. profess.

Sad Sisters suted in despairing blacke,
Curbe Cares vnrest, sing Carolles now againe,
Leane rake-tooth'd Death is like to go to wrack;
Of Whitaker a Phœnix breedes againe:
One ouer Death, moreouer, ouer More,
One ouer you, nay yet one ouer all.
Deaths ouerthrow let Ouerall be therefore,
A Victors praise of you deserue he shall.
And if my pen could Ouerall giue breath,
Then Ouerall should still be ouer death.