 | Andromeda Liberata |  |
Away, in our milde Sphere doth nothing moue,
But all-creating, all preseruing Loue,
At whose flames, vertues, lighted euen to starres,
All vicious Enuies, and seditious Iars,
Bane-spitting Murmures and detracting Spels,
Bannish with curses to the blackest hels:
Defence of Beauty and of Innocence,
And taking off the chaines of Insolence,
From their prophan'd and godlike Lineaments,
Actions heroique, and diuine descents,
All the sweet Graces, euen from death reuiu'd,
And sacred fruites, from barren Rockes deriu'd,
Th' Immortall Subiects of our Nuptials are:
Thee then (iust scourge of factious populare;
Fautor of peace, and all the powers that moue
In sacred Circle of religious Loue;
Fountaine of royall learning, and the rich
Treasure of Counsailes, and mellifluous speech:)
Let me inuoke, that one drop of thy spring
May spirit my aged Muse, and make her sing,
As if th'inspir'd brest, of eternall youth
Had lent her Accents, and all-mouing truth.
The Kingdome that the gods so much did loue,
And often feasted all the Powers aboue:
At whose prime beauties the enamour'd Sunne,
His Morning beames lights, and doth ouerrunne
The world with Ardor (Æthiopia)
Bore in her throne diuine Andromeda,
To Cepheus and Cassiope his Queene:
Whose boundlesse beauties, made ore'flow the spleene
Of euery Neirid, for surpassing them:
The Sun to her, resign'd his Diadem:
And all the Deities, admiring stood,
Affirming nothing mou'd, like flesh and blood:
Thunder would court her with words sweetly phraz'd,
And lightning stucke 'twixt heau'n and earth amaz'd.
This matchlesse virgin had a mother too,
That did for beautie, and for wisdome goe
Before the formost Ladies of her time:
To whom of super-excellence the crime
Was likewise lai'd by Iuno, and from hence
Pin'd Enuie suckt, the poison of offence.
No truth of excellence, was euer seene,
But bore the venome of the Vulgares spleene.
But all-creating, all preseruing Loue,
At whose flames, vertues, lighted euen to starres,
All vicious Enuies, and seditious Iars,
Bane-spitting Murmures and detracting Spels,
Bannish with curses to the blackest hels:
And taking off the chaines of Insolence,
From their prophan'd and godlike Lineaments,
Actions heroique, and diuine descents,
All the sweet Graces, euen from death reuiu'd,
And sacred fruites, from barren Rockes deriu'd,
Th' Immortall Subiects of our Nuptials are:
Thee then (iust scourge of factious populare;
Fautor of peace, and all the powers that moue
In sacred Circle of religious Loue;
Fountaine of royall learning, and the rich
Treasure of Counsailes, and mellifluous speech:)
Let me inuoke, that one drop of thy spring
May spirit my aged Muse, and make her sing,
As if th'inspir'd brest, of eternall youth
Had lent her Accents, and all-mouing truth.
The Kingdome that the gods so much did loue,
And often feasted all the Powers aboue:
At whose prime beauties the enamour'd Sunne,
His Morning beames lights, and doth ouerrunne
Bore in her throne diuine Andromeda,
To Cepheus and Cassiope his Queene:
Whose boundlesse beauties, made ore'flow the spleene
Of euery Neirid, for surpassing them:
The Sun to her, resign'd his Diadem:
And all the Deities, admiring stood,
Affirming nothing mou'd, like flesh and blood:
Thunder would court her with words sweetly phraz'd,
And lightning stucke 'twixt heau'n and earth amaz'd.
This matchlesse virgin had a mother too,
That did for beautie, and for wisdome goe
Before the formost Ladies of her time:
To whom of super-excellence the crime
Was likewise lai'd by Iuno, and from hence
Pin'd Enuie suckt, the poison of offence.
No truth of excellence, was euer seene,
But bore the venome of the Vulgares spleene.
| Andromeda Liberata | |