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 |
 |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
 | Fovre bookes of Du Bartas |  |
And building on the plot of their fore-fathers ground-work,
They raised-vp in time a rich, a faire, a sound worke.
But vnderstanding well that Gods reuenging Ire
Should once the world destroy by wat'r, and then by fire,
(As th'old Tradition was) thus high aboue the land
They rais'd a paire of Pyles with cunning Masons hand.
That there from throat of Time for their posterities,
They might the treasures hoard of Algrim Mysteries.
They raised-vp in time a rich, a faire, a sound worke.
But vnderstanding well that Gods reuenging Ire
Should once the world destroy by wat'r, and then by fire,
(As th'old Tradition was) thus high aboue the land
They rais'd a paire of Pyles with cunning Masons hand.
140
They might the treasures hoard of Algrim Mysteries.
Thus hauing said, he went vnto the standing Rocke,
And did (I know not how) a secret doore vnlocke:
So went with Phaleg in, and to a candle came,
Which with eternall thirst maintain'd immortall flame.
And did (I know not how) a secret doore vnlocke:
So went with Phaleg in, and to a candle came,
Which with eternall thirst maintain'd immortall flame.
As, when a priuate man is through a hundred wayes
Brought by some husher sterne vnto the shining rayes
At length of royall seat, he wonders at the sight,
And glaunces vp and downe his eyes vnstayed light;
So Phaleg was amaz'd, and said, ô father deere,
What cunning worke is this? whose are these statues heere?
I thinke foure water-drops may scarse be more then they
Th'each vnto th'other like. How strange is their aray?
What secret mystery of heau'nly-learned skilles
Is hidden vnder vaile of these faire vtensilles?
Brought by some husher sterne vnto the shining rayes
At length of royall seat, he wonders at the sight,
And glaunces vp and downe his eyes vnstayed light;
So Phaleg was amaz'd, and said, ô father deere,
What cunning worke is this? whose are these statues heere?
I thinke foure water-drops may scarse be more then they
Th'each vnto th'other like. How strange is their aray?
What secret mystery of heau'nly-learned skilles
Is hidden vnder vaile of these faire vtensilles?
My sonne (quoth Heber) see foure daughter-twins of heau'n,
Foure sister-ladies braue, the fairest doubled eau'n
That ere th'Eternall Spirit proceeding one of twaine
Begotten hath, or e're conceiued manly braine.
Foure sister-ladies braue, the fairest doubled eau'n
That ere th'Eternall Spirit proceeding one of twaine
Begotten hath, or e're conceiued manly braine.
She there, which euer shifts or euer seemes to shift
Her fingers and her tongue, to gather, lay, and lift
Her counters many-wise, is th'Art of Odde and eau'n,
Whose industrie can search and count all th'oast of heau'n,
The winter I sickles, and flowers diapreade,
Wherewith sweet sauoury Prime enguyrlands eu'ry meade.
She sets her bewtie forth with rich acoutrements,
And round about her lye great heapes of siluer pence;
Heau'n o're her sacred head a shining treasure powers
(Like Ioue in Danaes lap) of many golden showers.
Her gowne trailes on the ground; instead of glassie plate,
To view her bewties in, hangs at her girdl' a slate,
Which maugr' all force of time for vs here keepeth still
The more part of the rules of her most certaine skill.
See with what manner marke is painted 8 Vnitie,
The root of eu'ry numb'r, and of Infinitie,
True Friendships deare delight, renowne of Harmony,
Seed-plot of all that is, and ayme of Polymnie;
No numb'r and more then numb'r, on all-sides so exact,
It hath in't all by powre, and is in all by act.
Her fingers and her tongue, to gather, lay, and lift
Her counters many-wise, is th'Art of Odde and eau'n,
Whose industrie can search and count all th'oast of heau'n,
The winter I sickles, and flowers diapreade,
Wherewith sweet sauoury Prime enguyrlands eu'ry meade.
She sets her bewtie forth with rich acoutrements,
And round about her lye great heapes of siluer pence;
Heau'n o're her sacred head a shining treasure powers
(Like Ioue in Danaes lap) of many golden showers.
Her gowne trailes on the ground; instead of glassie plate,
To view her bewties in, hangs at her girdl' a slate,
Which maugr' all force of time for vs here keepeth still
The more part of the rules of her most certaine skill.
See with what manner marke is painted 8 Vnitie,
The root of eu'ry numb'r, and of Infinitie,
True Friendships deare delight, renowne of Harmony,
141
No numb'r and more then numb'r, on all-sides so exact,
It hath in't all by powre, and is in all by act.
See here the Caracter, that signifieth Twaine,
The first-borne sonne of One, first numb'r and fath'r againe
Of heau'ns effeminate: See here of numbers Odde
That eldest brother Three, which proper is vnto God;
Wherein no-numb'r and numb'r is sweetly-kissing met,
Whose two extremities and cent'r are eau'nstly set
Asunder each from oth'r, a numb'r heau'ns fauour winning,
And first of all that hath both end, middle and beginning.
Heer's Foure, base of the Cube, and that with one, two, three,
His own contents, amounts iust to the tenth degree;
The numb'r of th'Elements, and of the name of feare,
Of Vertues, Honours, Winds, and seasons in the yeare.
Heer's Fiue, th'Ermaphrodite, which ne're is multiplide
With any numb'r vneu'n, but shewes it selfe in pride
Iust at the first Encount'r; as fiue times fiue we see
Full Fiue and twenty makes, and Fifteene, fiue times three.
The first-borne sonne of One, first numb'r and fath'r againe
Of heau'ns effeminate: See here of numbers Odde
That eldest brother Three, which proper is vnto God;
Wherein no-numb'r and numb'r is sweetly-kissing met,
Whose two extremities and cent'r are eau'nstly set
Asunder each from oth'r, a numb'r heau'ns fauour winning,
And first of all that hath both end, middle and beginning.
Heer's Foure, base of the Cube, and that with one, two, three,
His own contents, amounts iust to the tenth degree;
The numb'r of th'Elements, and of the name of feare,
Of Vertues, Honours, Winds, and seasons in the yeare.
Heer's Fiue, th'Ermaphrodite, which ne're is multiplide
With any numb'r vneu'n, but shewes it selfe in pride
Iust at the first Encount'r; as fiue times fiue we see
Full Fiue and twenty makes, and Fifteene, fiue times three.
Lo th'Analogicke Six, which, with his owne content,
Nor mounts aboue it selfe, nor needeth complement;
For three is halfe thereof, a third two, one, a sixt,
And all the six is made of one, two, three, commixt.
Nor mounts aboue it selfe, nor needeth complement;
For three is halfe thereof, a third two, one, a sixt,
And all the six is made of one, two, three, commixt.
Behold The criticke seu'n, male, female, eu'n, & odde;
Containing three and foure, and call'd the Rest of God,
The numb'r of clearest brands that fixt are neare the Pole,
And those that guyrding heau'n with course vncertaine roule.
Heer's Eight the double square, And sacred nine lo heere
The sister-Muses holds in triple-triple queere.
Containing three and foure, and call'd the Rest of God,
The numb'r of clearest brands that fixt are neare the Pole,
And those that guyrding heau'n with course vncertaine roule.
Heer's Eight the double square, And sacred nine lo heere
The sister-Muses holds in triple-triple queere.
See Ten, that doth the force of numbers all combine;
As one sets downe pricke, ten drawes in length the line,
An hundred broads the plaine, a thousand thickes the bulke;
So by redoubling ten, the ballast of an hulke
Or all the sand is summ'd vpon th'Atlantike coast,
Or all the swelling waues that angry winds haue tost.
As one sets downe pricke, ten drawes in length the line,
An hundred broads the plaine, a thousand thickes the bulke;
So by redoubling ten, the ballast of an hulke
Or all the sand is summ'd vpon th'Atlantike coast,
Or all the swelling waues that angry winds haue tost.
See here how diuers summes, each right o're other set,
Are altogeth'r in one by rules of Adding met;
How by abating here the lesser numb'r is tride
From out the more; and here how small ones multiplide
Waxe almost infinite: and then how counter-guided
Into as many small the greater summ's diuided.
This Nymph that sadly frownes, with back & shoulders bent,
And holds her stedfast eye still on the ground intent,
And drawes, or seemes to draw, with point of skilfull wand
So many portratures vpon the mouing sand,
In mantle of golden ground with riuers chamleted,
With many embroydred flow'rs all-ouer diuersed,
Embost with little trees, and greeny-leaued slips,,
And edg'd with azur-frenge of some sea bearing-ships;
It is Geometrie; her buskins dusty and rent
Shew well she trauell'd farre, and o're the Climats went
Are altogeth'r in one by rules of Adding met;
142
From out the more; and here how small ones multiplide
Waxe almost infinite: and then how counter-guided
Into as many small the greater summ's diuided.
This Nymph that sadly frownes, with back & shoulders bent,
And holds her stedfast eye still on the ground intent,
And drawes, or seemes to draw, with point of skilfull wand
So many portratures vpon the mouing sand,
In mantle of golden ground with riuers chamleted,
With many embroydred flow'rs all-ouer diuersed,
Embost with little trees, and greeny-leaued slips,,
And edg'd with azur-frenge of some sea bearing-ships;
It is Geometrie; her buskins dusty and rent
Shew well she trauell'd farre, and o're the Climats went
| Fovre bookes of Du Bartas | |