Scillaes Metamorphosis: Enterlaced with the vnfortunate loue of Glaucus VVhereunto is annexed the delectable discourse of the discontented Satyre: with sundrie other most absolute Poems and Sonnets. Contayning the detestable tyrannie of Disdaine, and Comicall triumph of Constancie: Verie fit for young Courtiers to peruse, and coy Dames to remember. By Thomas Lodge |
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Sundrie sweete Sonnets written by the said Gent.
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 | Scillaes Metamorphosis: Enterlaced with the vnfortunate loue of Glaucus |  |
Sundrie sweete Sonnets written by the said Gent.
In praise of the Countrey life.
Most happie blest the man that midst his countrie bowersWithout suspect of hate, or dread of enuious tongue
May dwell among his owne: not dreading fortunes lowres,
Farre frō those publique plagues that mightie men hath stoong:
Whose libertie and peace is neuer sold for gaine,
Whose words doo neuer sooth a wanton princes vaine.
Incertaine hopes, and vowes, doo neuer harme his thought,
And vaine desires doo shunne the place of his repose;
He weepes no yeares misspent, nor want of that he sought,
Nor reapes his gaine by words, nor builds vpon suppose:
The stormes of troubled Sea do neuer force his fears,
Nor Trumpets sound dooth chang his sleepes, or charme his ears,
Ambitions neuer build within his constant minde,
A cunning coy deceipt his soule dooth not disguise,
His firme and constant faith corruptions neuer blind,
He neuer waits his weale from princes wandring eyes:
But liuing well content with euerie kinde of thing,
He is his proper court, his fauor, and his King.
Vaine hopes, and fatall feares (the courtiers common foes)
(Afraid by his foresight) doo shun his piercing eye:
And naught but true delight acquaints him where he goes,
No high attempts to winne; but humble thoughts and deeds,
The verie fruites and flowers that spring from vertues seeds.
(O deities diuine) your Godheads I adore
That haunt the hils, the feelds, the forrests and the springs,
That make my quiet thoughts contented with my store,
And fixe my hopes on heauen, and not on earthly things;
That driue me from desires, (in view of courtly strife,)
And drawe me to commend the fields and countrie life.
My thoughts are now enclosde within my proper land,
And if my bodie sleepe my minde dooth take his rest,
My simple zeale and loue my dangers doo withstand,
The mornings pleasant ayer inuites me from my nest,
If wether wax too warme I seeke the silent shade,
If frosts afflict, I striue for warmth by hunters trade.
Although my biding home be not imbost with gold,
And that with cunning skill my chambers are not drest,
(Whereas the curious eye my sundrie sights behold)
Yet feedes my quiet lookes on thousand flowers at least,
The treasures of the plaine, the beauties of the spring,
Made rich with Roses sweete and euerie pleasant thing.
Amidst the pallace braue puft vp with wanton showes
Ambicions dwell, and there false fauors finde disguise,
There lodge consuming cares that hatch our common woes:
Amidst our painted feelds the pleasant Fayrie lies,
And all those powers diuine that with vntrussed tresses,
Contentment, happie loue, and perfect sport professes.
So liuing, naught remaines my solace to betray;
I heare the pleasant birds record their sacred straines,
When at the mornings rise they blesse the springing day:
The murmuring fountains noise from out the marble vaines,
Are pleasing to mine eares: whilst with a gentill fall
They fleete from hie, and serue to wet the meads withall.
When neb to neb they ioyne, in fluttering of their wings,
And in their roundelaies with kisses seale their loues?
Then wondering at the gifts which happie nature brings;
What sport is it to sleepe and slumber by a well,
Whose fleeting falls maks show, some louely tale to tell?
Oh what content to see amidst the darkesome night
(When as the setting sonne hath left the moone in place)
The Nimphes amidst the vales and groues to take delight,
To dance, to leap, to skip, with sweet and pleasant grace,
To giue greene gownes in sport, and in their tripping make
By force of footing all the springing grasse to quake.
Their daunces brought to end, I lift my lookes one hie
To see the horned moone, and deskant on her hew
Cleere siluer shining bright, and eftsoones then think I
Vpon that hapie chance the Latmian shepheard knew:
Then doo I wish my selfe as faire a friend as she,
But watching I desire she might disport with me.
Thus midst the silent night my selfe I doo content:
Then when as Phœbus beames our Hemisphere enflames,
A thousand change of sports for pleasure I inuent,
And feast my quiet thoughts with sundrie pleasant games,
Now angle I awhile, then seek I for the chace,
And straight my limerods catch the Sparrows on the place.
I like, and make some loue: but yet in such a sort
That naught but true delight my certaine sute pursues;
My libertie remaines, and yet I reape the sport,
Nor can the snares of loue my heedefull thoughts abuse:
But when I would forgoe, I haue the power to flie,
And stand aloofe and laugh, while others starue and die.
My sweete and tender flocks (my faithfull feeld compeers)
You forrests, hoults, and groues, you meads & mountaines hie,
Be you the witnesses of my contented yeares:
And you O sacred powers vouchsafe my humble crie,
And during all my daies, doe not these ioyes estrange;
But let them still remaine, and graunt no other change.
Finis.
Poems.
In commendation of a solitarie life.
Not yet forsaken (gentle Muse) draw neere,And helpe to wearie out these worldly thoughts;
Goe fit thy methode to my moodie cheere,
For why fond pleasure now preuaileth noughts:
Since where content and wealthie state declines,
The heart dooth droope, and dolefull be the lines.
For thy (fond man) why rest I not at last?
My wings of hope are clipte by foule disgrace:
The siluer downe of age now flocketh fast,
Like mosse on oake to dwell vpon my face:
And what with thoght & time, through want & ruth:
I challenge care for ioy, and age for youth.
What fruites of former labours doo I finde?
My studious pen dooth traffique for a scorne:
My due deserts are but repaid with winde;
And what I earne, is nought but bitter mourne:
In which accompt I reap but this aduise,
To cease to clime, and liue contented wise.
But gentle Muse, where boadeth this content?
The Princes Court is fraught with endlesse woes,
Corruptions flocke where honors doo frequent,
The Cities swarme with plagues, with sutes, with foes:
High climing wits doo catch a sodein fall,
With none of these Content list dwell withall.
Ah beautie of the double topped hill,
Thou saddest sister of the sacred nine,
What fruitfull pleasance followeth now my quill?
What wondrous beauties blesse my drooping eine?
Euen such as earst the shepheard in the shade
Beheld, when he a Poet once was made.
Me thinkes I see the deserts fresh arraid,
New mantled in their liueries of greene,
Whose frolicke pride makes smiling heauen apaid;
Wherein the Nymphs doo wearie out their teene,
Washing their iuorie in those murmuring springs,
At whose kinde fall, the birds with pleasure sings.
Vnder the shadow of Apollos tree,
That pleit their garlands fresh, and well apaid,
And breath foorth lines of daintie poecie:
Ah world farewell, the sight hereof dooth tell,
That true content dooth in the desert dwell.
See where a Caue presents it selfe to eie,
By Natures hand enforst in marble vaines;
Where climing Cedars with their shades denie,
The eye of day to see what there remaines:
A couch of mosse, a brooke of siluer cleere,
And more, for foode a flocke of sauage deere.
Then here (kinde Muse) vouchsafe to dwell with me,
My veluet robe shalbe a weede of gray
And least my heart by tongue betrayed be,
For idle talke I will goe fast and pray:
No sooner said and thought, but that my heart
His true supposde content gan thus impart.
Sweete solitarie life thou true repose,
Wherein the wise contemplate heauen aright,
In thee no dread of warre or worldly foes,
In thee no pompe seduceth mortall sight,
In thee no wanton eares to win with words,
Nor lurking toyes, which Citie life affoords.
At peepe of day when in her crimson pride,
The Morne bespreds with roses all the waie
Where Phœbus coach with radiant course must glide,
The Hermit bends his humble knees to pray:
Blessing that God, whose bountie did bestow
Such beauties on the earthly things below.
Whether with solace tripping on the trees
He sees the citizens of Forrest sport,
Or midst the withered oake beholds the Bees
Intend their labour with a kinde consort:
Downe drop his teares, to thinke how they agree,
Where men alone with hate inflamed be.
Or drinke he of the christall springs that flowes:
He thankes his God, and sighes their cursed doomb
That fondly wealth in surfetting bestowes:
And with Saint Hierom saith, The Desert is
A paradise of solace, ioy, and blis.
Father of light, thou maker of the heauen,
From whom my being well, and being springs:
Bring to effect this my desired steauen,
That I may leaue the thought of worldly things:
Then in my troubles will I blesse the time,
My Muse vouchsafde me such a luckie rime.
T. L.
Finis.
Beauties Lullabie.
[_]
Hos ego versiculos feci, tulit alter honores.
Gentlemen, I had thought to haue suppressed this Lullabie in silence, amongst my other papers that lie buried in obliuion: but the impudent arrogancie of some more then insolent Poets haue altered my purpose in that respect, and made me set my name to my owne worke, least some other vaine glorious Batillus should preiudice my paines, by subscribing his name to that which is none of his owne.
Lullabie Beautie, sweet Beautie lullabie;
To such kind of Infants sing lulla would I.
To such kind of Infants sing lulla would I.
Sweet
, sweet desire that made my pleasant wondring eyes
To gaze on such a blazing starre, as dims the state of skies:
Whose feature while my Muse doth now deuise vpon;
Sweet Beautie rest thee still awhile, I shal haue done anon.
To gaze on such a blazing starre, as dims the state of skies:
Whose feature while my Muse doth now deuise vpon;
Sweet Beautie rest thee still awhile, I shal haue done anon.
First lulla to those lockes deriu'd from Phœbus rayes,
Which fasten light in dimmest lookes by vertue of their sprayes:
From whence her golden wiers Diana borowed then,
When with Arachne at the loombe she stroue amidst the fen.
Which fasten light in dimmest lookes by vertue of their sprayes:
From whence her golden wiers Diana borowed then,
When with Arachne at the loombe she stroue amidst the fen.
Next lulla to the front where onlie shrowdes the die,
Which ruddie Morrow borowed then when Thetis she did spie
To hunt forbidden bed, whereas vermillion hue
Is staind in sight, and euery sense approues my censure true.
Which ruddie Morrow borowed then when Thetis she did spie
To hunt forbidden bed, whereas vermillion hue
Is staind in sight, and euery sense approues my censure true.
Next lulla to those statelie couerts of her eyes,
In which in Alablaster white dame Nature did deuise
A subtil frame of setled wiers, in such confused art:
As those that looke but on that worke amazed doo depart.
In which in Alablaster white dame Nature did deuise
A subtil frame of setled wiers, in such confused art:
As those that looke but on that worke amazed doo depart.
Next lulla to those lamps, those twinckling stemmes of state:
Wherof but one, doth dim the Sunne (both) Sunne & Moone do mate,
On which while Ioue doth prie, the ielous Iuno chides.
Thus Gods & men admire at her in whom such beautie bides.
Wherof but one, doth dim the Sunne (both) Sunne & Moone do mate,
On which while Ioue doth prie, the ielous Iuno chides.
Thus Gods & men admire at her in whom such beautie bides.
But he that doth but marke those rocks of marble white;
Frō whēce do spring those sweet perfumes the senses that delight,
And sees with how great state the ruddie lippes they shade,
Wil think the workmā more diuine that such a work hath made.
Frō whēce do spring those sweet perfumes the senses that delight,
And sees with how great state the ruddie lippes they shade,
Wil think the workmā more diuine that such a work hath made.
Now see those crimson cheekes, the mounts wherein do dwell
The golden fruit Æneas fet from midst the mouth of hell,
Bedect with driuen snow, and pounst with Rubie red;
To which compare the ruddie rose, and it wil seeme but dead.
The golden fruit Æneas fet from midst the mouth of hell,
Bedect with driuen snow, and pounst with Rubie red;
To which compare the ruddie rose, and it wil seeme but dead.
Next praise those cherrie lips where rose and lillie meete,
Enclosures of th' Egiptian gems, frō whence doth Zephir sweet
Breath forth a blast, and yeeld an noyse like to Orpheus lute,
Which mou'd the craggie rocks to ruth, & stird what so was mute.
Enclosures of th' Egiptian gems, frō whence doth Zephir sweet
Breath forth a blast, and yeeld an noyse like to Orpheus lute,
Which mou'd the craggie rocks to ruth, & stird what so was mute.
Yet in that dimpled chinne bedect with euery grace,
Where curious eye may easlie see the beautie of the face.
Admit but this, that Ganimede the cuppe for Ioue did chuse:
And if a man might drink with Gods, would I the same might vse.
Where curious eye may easlie see the beautie of the face.
Admit but this, that Ganimede the cuppe for Ioue did chuse:
And if a man might drink with Gods, would I the same might vse.
Then blessed be those mounts where Venus sits and sings,
With wanton Cupid in her lappe, and from those statelie springs
Drawes Nectar forth to feed her sonne: which tast him so beguild,
That onlie for to sucke those teates, he still would be a child.
With wanton Cupid in her lappe, and from those statelie springs
Drawes Nectar forth to feed her sonne: which tast him so beguild,
That onlie for to sucke those teates, he still would be a child.
But looke a low (my Muse) and fixe thy statelie view:
Behold a path like Dedalls maze, wherein with azure clew
A Theseus may the secret cells of beautie there behold,
More statelie than th' Egiptian tombes, though reared all of gold.
Behold a path like Dedalls maze, wherein with azure clew
A Theseus may the secret cells of beautie there behold,
More statelie than th' Egiptian tombes, though reared all of gold.
Next which of Alablaster white a mountaine there doth rise,
A mountaine faire of driuen snowe, wherein incarued lies
A statelie tipe of Venus vale: some calls it Cupids couch;
Whereas the God deuising lies which part were best to touch.
A mountaine faire of driuen snowe, wherein incarued lies
A statelie tipe of Venus vale: some calls it Cupids couch;
Whereas the God deuising lies which part were best to touch.
There spies he earths Elizium, where Nature sits and paints
Th'impressions of the sweetest formes her fancie her acquaints:
In which one lulla I would rocke to Beautis grace,
And be a prentise during life to serue her in that place.
Th'impressions of the sweetest formes her fancie her acquaints:
In which one lulla I would rocke to Beautis grace,
And be a prentise during life to serue her in that place.
Next lulla to those forts whereout doth fancie prie,
As one amaz'd to see the starre is fixt before her eye.
A Crinite Comet crisped faire which on those arches stands
Of Marble white enameled, and closde with azure bands.
As one amaz'd to see the starre is fixt before her eye.
A Crinite Comet crisped faire which on those arches stands
Of Marble white enameled, and closde with azure bands.
But he that sees those knees, whose feature is so faire,
As when they bend, all knees do bend below and midst the aire;
Whose cords by compasse knit, and nerues by Nature set,
Bindes Art apprentise for some yeres the patterne for to get.
As when they bend, all knees do bend below and midst the aire;
Whose cords by compasse knit, and nerues by Nature set,
Bindes Art apprentise for some yeres the patterne for to get.
Here rests not wonders yet: for why behold a lowe
Two rising siluer coloured clowdes, which like to those doo shewe,
As compast in faire Phœbus then, when in his midday prime
He sported with Cassandra faire, amidst the sommer time.
Two rising siluer coloured clowdes, which like to those doo shewe,
As compast in faire Phœbus then, when in his midday prime
He sported with Cassandra faire, amidst the sommer time.
Now Nature stands amazd her selfe to looke on Beauties feete,
To see those ioynts combinde in one, and fram'd of Amber sweete,
So small a pile so great a waight, like Atlas to vphold
The bodie, as the mightie man to beare the heauens is bold.
To see those ioynts combinde in one, and fram'd of Amber sweete,
So small a pile so great a waight, like Atlas to vphold
The bodie, as the mightie man to beare the heauens is bold.
But to behold those Gemini, those siluer coloured armes,
Whō natiue bloud with blushing streames in azure cōduits warmes,
Inuite the sence like violets, bepurfurated faire
With Floras lillies, lillie white these louelie branches are.
Whō natiue bloud with blushing streames in azure cōduits warmes,
Inuite the sence like violets, bepurfurated faire
With Floras lillies, lillie white these louelie branches are.
But whilest I gaze a low, and see those palmes of peace,
Wherein the mappe of fortune rests and times discents increase:
From whence the branching fingers spred betipt with iuorie,
The least impression whereof a marble mind might mollifie.
Wherein the mappe of fortune rests and times discents increase:
From whence the branching fingers spred betipt with iuorie,
The least impression whereof a marble mind might mollifie.
Makes me cōfesse pen may not write, hart think, nor tung vnfold
The least effect in Beautie, where both iuorie, pearle, and gold,
Where purphure, Ebonie, white, and red, al colours stained bee:
And if thou seeke for all these sweetes, then seeke my sweet to see.
The least effect in Beautie, where both iuorie, pearle, and gold,
Where purphure, Ebonie, white, and red, al colours stained bee:
And if thou seeke for all these sweetes, then seeke my sweet to see.
Finis.
| Scillaes Metamorphosis: Enterlaced with the vnfortunate loue of Glaucus | |