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 |
 |
 |
 | Fovre bookes of Du Bartas |  |
As Rock that scornes the Sea assaulting round-about,
And beares a signe in top, to warne least Amphitrite
Cast any there to waues of helly-darke Cocyte:
He saw not far-aside, another like in masse,
But not in stuffe the same, nor that like happie was;
For on the flowry land Cylinder-wise it lay,
All-only built of bricke and short enduring clay:
Whereas the standing pile was hew'n and framed strong
Of Iasper quarries huge, and Marbl'enduring-long.
And beares a signe in top, to warne least Amphitrite
Cast any there to waues of helly-darke Cocyte:
He saw not far-aside, another like in masse,
But not in stuffe the same, nor that like happie was;
For on the flowry land Cylinder-wise it lay,
All-only built of bricke and short enduring clay:
Whereas the standing pile was hew'n and framed strong
Of Iasper quarries huge, and Marbl'enduring-long.
What miracles be these, quoth Phaleg to his father,
What great enormous heaps? hils handy-wroughen rather:
I wonder what so strange a frame of worke entends;
Say thou (I pray) that hast ykon'd at fingers ends
The monuments of old, ô say for what entent,
When, and by whom, these twins of ancient worke vp-went.
What great enormous heaps? hils handy-wroughen rather:
I wonder what so strange a frame of worke entends;
Say thou (I pray) that hast ykon'd at fingers ends
The monuments of old, ô say for what entent,
When, and by whom, these twins of ancient worke vp-went.
Then Heber said; my sonne, of Gods eternall breth
First Adam learned all, and he enstructed 3 Seth
The compasse, course, and site of all those flaming boules
That gild th'abiding-place of th'euer-happy soules:
And Seth his children taught, they also view'd the skies,
And trim'd and perfected this Art in curious wise.
For, on the sourdy bankes of th'easterne hurring streames,
All-out the carelesse night, when other lay in dreames,
They fed their bleating flockes, and liuing many Ages,
Might well the wonders marke of all the shining stages.
First Adam learned all, and he enstructed 3 Seth
The compasse, course, and site of all those flaming boules
That gild th'abiding-place of th'euer-happy soules:
And Seth his children taught, they also view'd the skies,
And trim'd and perfected this Art in curious wise.
For, on the sourdy bankes of th'easterne hurring streames,
All-out the carelesse night, when other lay in dreames,
They fed their bleating flockes, and liuing many Ages,
Might well the wonders marke of all the shining stages.
| Fovre bookes of Du Bartas | |