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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70
But softly sliding Age, whose enuie all doth waste,
Those ancient languages soone eu'ry'chone defac'd,
Which in the thunder-sound of Masons clattring hands
On Tygris banke deuis'd had ouerspread the lands:
And that the world may be more out of order left,
Into a many tongues the least of them hath cleft.
Those ancient languages soone eu'ry'chone defac'd,
Which in the thunder-sound of Masons clattring hands
On Tygris banke deuis'd had ouerspread the lands:
And that the world may be more out of order left,
Into a many tongues the least of them hath cleft.
And language altereth by reason of Merchandise,
Which bringing vs to land the diuers treasuries
Of azure Amphatrite, and sending ours aboord,
With good successe assaies to change vs word for word:
Or when the learned man delightfully endighting,
With guilt and curled words attires his wanton writing,
And hunting after praise some stampe ne'r seene before
Sets both on deedes and things; or doth at least restore
Disclaimed words to vse, and makes anew be borne
The same that ouer-age with rot and mould had worne.
For herein fals it out as with leaues in a wood,
One sheds, another growes; the words that once were good
And like faire Lyllie-flowers in greenest Medow strew'd,
All ou'r a learned stile their glittring beauty shew'd,
Now are not in request; but, sith Court them exiles,
They blush and hide themselues eu'n vnder cottage tiles:
And such as long agoe were censur'd curiously,
For base and counterfeit, now passe-on currently.
Which bringing vs to land the diuers treasuries
Of azure Amphatrite, and sending ours aboord,
With good successe assaies to change vs word for word:
Or when the learned man delightfully endighting,
With guilt and curled words attires his wanton writing,
And hunting after praise some stampe ne'r seene before
Sets both on deedes and things; or doth at least restore
Disclaimed words to vse, and makes anew be borne
The same that ouer-age with rot and mould had worne.
For herein fals it out as with leaues in a wood,
One sheds, another growes; the words that once were good
And like faire Lyllie-flowers in greenest Medow strew'd,
All ou'r a learned stile their glittring beauty shew'd,
Now are not in request; but, sith Court them exiles,
They blush and hide themselues eu'n vnder cottage tiles:
71
For base and counterfeit, now passe-on currently.
A well-esteemed wit, discreet and fortunate,
May warrant words to passe, albe they but of late
His owne efforged ware; he on the naturall
May graffe some forraine impe, his language therewithall
Enriching more and more, and with a diuers glosse
Enameling his talke, his Poetry or Prose.
May warrant words to passe, albe they but of late
His owne efforged ware; he on the naturall
May graffe some forraine impe, his language therewithall
Enriching more and more, and with a diuers glosse
Enameling his talke, his Poetry or Prose.
Some language hath no Law, but vse vntame and blinde
That runneth wheresoe're the peopl' as light as winde;
Goes headlong driuing it: another closely running
Within the bounds of Art, her phrases fits with cunning:
Some one straight waxing old as soone as it is borne
Is buried in the cradl'; anoth'r it is not worne
With file of many yeeres; some one faint-couraged
Within a straight precinct liues euer prisoned;
Another boldly doth from Alexanders altar
Among the learned reach vnto the Mount Gibraltar:
And such now th'Ebrew tongue, the Greeke and Latine be:
For Hebrew still doth hold, as by her hand doe we,
The sacred word of God, eternall mak'r of all,
And was of Lawes diuine the true Originall:
The Greeke, as one that hath within her learned writ
Comprized all the skill of mans refined wit:
And Latine, for the sword, wherewith her eloquence
Was planted through the worlds so wide circumference.
That runneth wheresoe're the peopl' as light as winde;
Goes headlong driuing it: another closely running
Within the bounds of Art, her phrases fits with cunning:
Some one straight waxing old as soone as it is borne
Is buried in the cradl'; anoth'r it is not worne
With file of many yeeres; some one faint-couraged
Within a straight precinct liues euer prisoned;
Another boldly doth from Alexanders altar
Among the learned reach vnto the Mount Gibraltar:
And such now th'Ebrew tongue, the Greeke and Latine be:
For Hebrew still doth hold, as by her hand doe we,
The sacred word of God, eternall mak'r of all,
And was of Lawes diuine the true Originall:
The Greeke, as one that hath within her learned writ
Comprized all the skill of mans refined wit:
And Latine, for the sword, wherewith her eloquence
Was planted through the worlds so wide circumference.
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