Philomythie or Philomythologie wherein Outlandish Birds, Beasts, and Fishes, are taught to speake true English plainely. By Tho: Scot ... The second edition much inlarged |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
[Since its decreed in heauen, found true on earth] |
|
 | Philomythie or Philomythologie |  |
[Since its decreed in heauen, found true on earth]
Since its decreed in heauen, found true on earth,
That all things haue an end which had a birth;
That no estate is fixed, nights follow noone,
Ebs second floods, change fils the horned Moone
Which wanes againe at full, and shewes the glory
Of Earths best essence to be transitory:
How happy is that Man whose fate expires
Before declension crowned with his desires.
And hath his daies by vertuous actions told,
Guessing how much he would had he been old,
Since yong, his noted deeds out-vied his daies
And he lack't not true worth but rather praise.
Few touch this point, yet hither seeme to bend
Preuenting ruine with a violent end.
So Otho, and the Persian Monarch fell,
But this steepe way precipitates to Hell
Flattering with seeming help our wretched state
Not curing woes, but making desperate.
Our way is holy, white, and leades to blisse
Not by oblique attempts. For nature is
Made priuy with our passage, and we stay
Till she leades gently on, Grace making way.
That all things haue an end which had a birth;
Ebs second floods, change fils the horned Moone
Which wanes againe at full, and shewes the glory
Of Earths best essence to be transitory:
How happy is that Man whose fate expires
Before declension crowned with his desires.
And hath his daies by vertuous actions told,
Guessing how much he would had he been old,
Since yong, his noted deeds out-vied his daies
And he lack't not true worth but rather praise.
Few touch this point, yet hither seeme to bend
Preuenting ruine with a violent end.
So Otho, and the Persian Monarch fell,
But this steepe way precipitates to Hell
Flattering with seeming help our wretched state
Not curing woes, but making desperate.
Our way is holy, white, and leades to blisse
Not by oblique attempts. For nature is
Made priuy with our passage, and we stay
Till she leades gently on, Grace making way.
Not euery common President can fit
This golden rule, all aime; but few can hit
This narrow passage which more fames the man,
Then sayling twise through fatall Magelan:
Or girding all the earth with one small bote,
Discouering gold, new worlds, things of rare note.
This golden rule, all aime; but few can hit
This narrow passage which more fames the man,
Then sayling twise through fatall Magelan:
Or girding all the earth with one small bote,
Discouering gold, new worlds, things of rare note.
From hence the ground of thy great praises spring
O Cecill lou'd of God, good men, the King,
Borne vp not by stolne imps or borrowed plumes,
Which lets them fall who with high flight presumes
Neere the suns scorching beames; thy natiue worth,
Vertue, and actiue knowledge, set thee forth
This Kingdomes Pilot, where no storme or stresse
Could make thee lose thy compasse or expresse
[illeg.]shew of doubt, but firmely guide our state
[illeg.]s th'adst beene ruler both of chance and fate.
O Cecill lou'd of God, good men, the King,
Borne vp not by stolne imps or borrowed plumes,
Which lets them fall who with high flight presumes
Neere the suns scorching beames; thy natiue worth,
Vertue, and actiue knowledge, set thee forth
Could make thee lose thy compasse or expresse
[illeg.]shew of doubt, but firmely guide our state
[illeg.]s th'adst beene ruler both of chance and fate.
This well thy Master saw, who therefore plac'd
thee next himselfe, and with high honors grac'd
Thy great deserts: more could'st thou not desire
Nor earth afford, yet that which we admire
Was aboue this, euen in the top of these,
Being neerer heauen thither to mount with ease,
As if th'adst tane th'aduantage of the time
On Greatnesse staires, helpt by good deeds to clime.
thee next himselfe, and with high honors grac'd
Thy great deserts: more could'st thou not desire
Nor earth afford, yet that which we admire
Was aboue this, euen in the top of these,
Being neerer heauen thither to mount with ease,
As if th'adst tane th'aduantage of the time
On Greatnesse staires, helpt by good deeds to clime.
O happy thou, but wretched creatures wee
To see thy flight, and yet to slander thee:
To feele the fruite of thy life wasting care,
Which zealous for our good, no time would spare,
To cherish nature, that we thus being free
Should onely freedome vse to raile at thee.
Our idlenesse proclaimes thy well spent time,
Since by thy meanes we leisure haue to rime,
Whil'st neighbour States are acting it in blood,
Which we scarce heare of, neuer vnderstood.
To see thy flight, and yet to slander thee:
To feele the fruite of thy life wasting care,
Which zealous for our good, no time would spare,
To cherish nature, that we thus being free
Should onely freedome vse to raile at thee.
Our idlenesse proclaimes thy well spent time,
Since by thy meanes we leisure haue to rime,
Whil'st neighbour States are acting it in blood,
Which we scarce heare of, neuer vnderstood.
The benefite the Sunne giues to our sight,
“We see not halfe so well by day as night.
“Want giues a grace to goodnesse, when th'inioying
Confounds and dazells sense like honny cloying.
Rome needes no target till the sword be lost:
Whil'st Nestor wakes, well may Thirsites boast.
Fishers and expert Masters are all one
In calmes and deepes, the ship there goes alone.
But when the winds, seas, rocks, and sands do fight,
The skilfull Master then keepes all vpright.
We feare no stormes the Porpuses do play,
The Dolphins dance, and Proteus flocks do stray
O're Neptunes watry Kingdome safe and free,
None casting doubts, or fearing what may be.
May this calme last perpetuall, and faith then
We ne're shall need thee Cecil nor such men:
Others we haue to fill thy roome thou gone,
So Aristippus saith; stone sits on stone.
“We see not halfe so well by day as night.
“Want giues a grace to goodnesse, when th'inioying
Confounds and dazells sense like honny cloying.
Rome needes no target till the sword be lost:
Whil'st Nestor wakes, well may Thirsites boast.
Fishers and expert Masters are all one
In calmes and deepes, the ship there goes alone.
But when the winds, seas, rocks, and sands do fight,
The skilfull Master then keepes all vpright.
The Dolphins dance, and Proteus flocks do stray
O're Neptunes watry Kingdome safe and free,
None casting doubts, or fearing what may be.
May this calme last perpetuall, and faith then
We ne're shall need thee Cecil nor such men:
Others we haue to fill thy roome thou gone,
So Aristippus saith; stone sits on stone.
We yet are senselesse of thy losse, and find
No danger in't. Like some within the winde
Of a great shot, whose violent thunder driues,
The sense into distraction, and depriues
The eare of present vse: so did report
Of thy death make vs mad to raile and sport,
To temporise, lye, flatter; so defaming
Our selues, state, manners, law, religion shaming:
But now the fit being past, tis plaine to fense
“Though man forbeares Heauen pleads for innocence
“Vertue o'recomes by sufferance, and good deeds
“Are fenc'd by Calumny, as herbes by weeds.
No danger in't. Like some within the winde
Of a great shot, whose violent thunder driues,
The sense into distraction, and depriues
The eare of present vse: so did report
Of thy death make vs mad to raile and sport,
To temporise, lye, flatter; so defaming
Our selues, state, manners, law, religion shaming:
But now the fit being past, tis plaine to fense
“Though man forbeares Heauen pleads for innocence
“Vertue o'recomes by sufferance, and good deeds
“Are fenc'd by Calumny, as herbes by weeds.
| Philomythie or Philomythologie | |