University of Virginia Library

The Authors dream.

Not long agon being thrown upon my bed
Repleat with Sorrow, my unsetled head
With Perturbation of a troubled minde
Turn'd giddy with it's cares, no rest could finde,
It was about the hour that the clock
Had strucken two, the early waking Cock,
Had gi'n his first Allarum to the day,
Sleep seas'd my drowned eyes, and greif gave way
To nature to (exact her tribute) when
Somnious who doth command the eyes of men:
Did charm me first asleep, then sent a dream
The which disturbed my late setled brain,
And thus it was, me thought I had set forth,
A little Pinnice, which towards the North
Was bound with swelling sayles: a lofty winde
Yet not to high encountred me behinde:
The Symptomes of a happie voyage and all
Good fortune on our side did seem to fall
For having past the Isles of th' Orcades
Norvegia, Thule, (next the frozen Seas)
And having more then hopes to reach our Port
Neptune as if he meant himself to sport,
With our mishapes, bid the winds blow and they
No sooner were commanded but obey
And every thing conforming to his will
Made us to soon to see onr cause was ill
When after all our Masts and rigging spent
With all misfortunes that are Incident.
To Saylers in storme: we discry'd
Two other Vessels driven with the Tide?
And labouring for their Haven but they found
To soon unto their loss, themselves a ground
The Climate where we were, and the degree
Was known to them, and not unknown to me
The Northern Amazons possest the Land
Their Queen Clarianna, under whose comand
The Countrie flourisht, and the very place
Where the Ships stood, night to her Palace was
Yet could not I so happy be as they,
For when I had recovered the Bay
A second storm did assail us and
Neptune to Eolus had given his hand
To make us only wretched as if both
Had past their pledges by a mutuall Oath
To Thunder down their vengeance for the most
That each of them could do, we felt the worst
But that I may not Vary from my Theam
Because 'tis pertinent unto my Dream,
Know the two Ships were driven to the Land
And stuck half buryed on a Bar of Sand.
On the Ports Star-boord fide the one was fast
Th' other a little to the Larboord cast.
Betwixt them was the River wherein we
Must thrust our torn vessel or else be
Ingulf'd in sudden ruin; at which I
Spake to the Master with a hastie cry:
Demanding his advice, and what to do:
Quoth he our evils now are more then two;
For if to windward of that ship we stand
Then ours will be involved in the Sand
To Leeward of the other should we fall,
Undoubtedly we lose ship, men and all:
For every side ther's danger, should we steer
Betwixt them both, on every hand ther's fear;
Of falling soul, again, if we should trust
Unto our Anchors, that's the very worst.
Well this is to be done (and what de'e think)
We'le in betwixt them, if we sink, we sink:
These were his words, and in this very Fashion
He brought them out, but hold the Scituation
Of Clarianna's Pallace shall be shown,
For such a gracefull object must be knowe.
The house was seated on a rising hill,
Inshrin'd with Cyprus trees but here my quill
Will prove deficient, should I bnt talke:
Or set the graces forth of every walk.
If on the buildings I should write or look
My pen would run it self into a book.
But Il'e decline the hill again for fear
I should forget my Dream and end it there,
Which must not be before I let you see
What happened in my Dream and unto me,
For being Sad and pensive in my minde
'Cause I could not th' interpretation finde:
I grew more troubled, but this accident
My greif and sorrows quickly did prevent;
It seem'd to me I saw before mine eyes
The ground to open, and a man to rise?
Whose venerable age had showred
A Snowy benediction on his head,
And in one hand (me thought) he helde a Globe,
And in the other was an Astralobe
The moon upon his head, a glittering Coate
Spangled with starrs he ware which did denote
What he had been in his foregoing years
'Tis like he knew the motion of the Spheres:
The heavens Influence which doth iufer
The man had been a great Astronomer.
And thus he spake: Come hither musing youth
Know that thy Dream hath somthing in't of truth
Sit down, observe, remember what is told,
And thus he did begin my Dream t'unfold.
The Pinnice thou wert in doth Signify,
Thy very self; the Swelling sayles thy high
Ambitious aime; the wind that followed thee
Portendeth all good hap undoubtedly;
The countries thou did'st pass by and the Seas
Shew thou hast mist some fortunes in thy daies:
But nothing lost, next did I list to show
Who Neptune is but will not for I know
To soon thou'lt finde it out: for it is he
Will crosse thy hopes, and then remember me:
The falling of thy mast denoteth plain
Obstructions will impede and intervean
Betwixt thee and thy wish; the other two
That seemed ships are men as well as you:
And that I may not speak misteriously
They are thy Rivalls who most certainly,
Will do their utmost and the haven is
No other but your vertuons Mistress:
Their going a ground their want of Judgment and
Doth shew they were to young to take in hand.
So great a voyage; the Climate and degree,
Her name and quallitie I'me sure must be?
That they were Amazons, it doth dilate
A sprightly Lady; the Queens name, her state:
That the ships Strook, so nigh her palace sure
Shews the unhappiness they must endure
And that the bay thou reachest it doth tell
After the storm is past it may goe well,
That Eolus and Neptune did combine,
Doth say two crossing Councellors will joyn
To blow up thy designes, but they'l be crost,
For be contented they are like to lost
Their thankless labours; that the ships strook I'me bold
To let thee know, by sand is meant her Gold;
Betwixt them did the River run; that doth
The Ladies equal couldness shew to both,
Thy hasty crie be sure doth intimate,
Thou make dispatch, or else 'twill be too late.
The man of whom thou did'st implore advice,
Is thy best friend in Council; if thou'rt wise
Observe his words, be sure thou understand
The dangers threatned on every hand,
The Masters last advice doth shew to thee
That resolution must not wanting be;
The Gracefull Pallace, and it's scituation,
It shews the Ladies vertuous education,
That it was seated on a rising hill,
Declares her Birth and Beauty, which thy Quill
Can never praise enough, the Trees set fourth
Her noble parts, the Walks her grace and worth.
Thus have I shew'd thee all, and lastly I,
Am called by the name of Ptollomy,
At which I wondred when I thought upon
He died many hundred years agon:
And then I answer'd, saying, Reverend Sage,
Thou hast not let me know her name nor age,
But what I said was spoken to the wind,
For he was vanished, yet left behind,
A role of Paper, which I greedily
Snatch'd from the ground, and read as hastily,
And thus it did contain, If any do
For curiosity, desire to know
What course the Pinnace took, and what became
Of the two ships, or what the Ladies name,
With the conclusion? let thy answer be,
'Tis wholly left unto Astronomie,
To give a happy period to the thing,
And reading here, sleep with a hastie wing
Began to fly me, yet the time was given
To read these following words, 'Tis only Heaven
Can give a blessing, and compose thy cares,
'Tis Heav'n must be propitious to thy prayers,
Commit thy waies to Heav'n, and Heaven will
Direct thee what to do, protect thee still,
And Heav'n will bless thee sleeping, keep thee waking:
And thus I waked when these words were speaking.