University of Virginia Library

I. VOL. I. (THE ESSAYES OF A PRENTISE AND POETICALL EXERCISES AT VACANT HOURES)

THE ESSAYES OF A PRENTISE, IN THE DIVINE ART OF POESIE.

SONNET.

[If Martiall deeds, and practise of the pen]

If Martiall deeds, and practise of the pen
Haue wonne to auncient Grece a worthie fame:
If Battels bold, and Bookes of learned men
Haue magnified the mightie Romain name:
Then place this Prince, who well deserues the same:
Since he is one of Mars and Pallas race:
For both the Godds in him haue sett in frame
Their vertewes both, which both, he doth embrace.
O Macedon, adornde with heauenly grace,
O Romain stout, decorde with learned skill,
The Monarks all to thee shall quite their place:
Thy endles fame shall all the world fulfill.
And after thee, none worthier shalbe seene,
To sway the Svvord, and gaine the Laurell greene.

SONNET.

[The glorious Grekis in stately style do blaise]

The glorious Grekis in stately style do blaise
The lawde, the conqurour gaue their Homer olde:
The verses Cæsar song in Maroes praise,
The Romanis in remembrance depe haue rolde.
Ye Thespian Nymphes, that suppe the Nectar colde,
That from Parnassis forked topp doth fall,
What Alexander or Augustus bolde,
May sound his fame, whose vertewes passe them all?
O Phœbus, for thy help, heir might I call,
And on Minerue, and Maias learned sonne:
But since I know, none was, none is, nor shall,
Can rightly ring the fame that he hath wonne,
Then stay your trauels, lay your pennis adowne,
For Cæsars works, shall iustly Cæsar crowne.

SONNET.

[The mightie Father of the Muses nyne]

The mightie Father of the Muses nyne
Who mounted thame vpon Parnassus hill,
Where Phœbus faire amidd these Sisters fyne
With learned toung satt teaching euer still,
Of late yon God declared his woundrous will,
That Vranie should teach this Prince most rare:
Syne she informed her scholler with such skill,
None could with him in Poesie compaire.
Lo, heir the fructis, Nymphe, of thy foster faire,
Lo heir (ô noble Ioue) thy will is done,
Her charge compleit, as deid doth now declaire.
This work will witnesse, she obeyed the sone.
O Phœbus then reioyce with glauncing glore,
Since that a King doth all thy court decore.

SONNET.

[When as my minde exemed was from caire]

When as my minde exemed was from caire,
Among the Nymphis my self I did repose:
Where I gaue eare to one, who did prepaire
Her sugred voice this sequell to disclose.
Conveine your selfs (ô sisters) doe not lose
This passing tyme which hasteth fast away:
And yow who wrytes in stately verse and prose,
This glorious Kings immortall gloire display.
Tell how he doeth in tender yearis essay
Aboue his age with skill our arts to blaise.
Tell how he doeth with gratitude repay
The crowne he wan for his deserued praise.
Tell how of Ioue, of Mars, but more of God
The gloire and grace he hath proclaimed abrod.

SONNET.

[Can goldin Titan shyning bright at morne]

Can goldin Titan shyning bright at morne
For light of Torchis, cast ane greater shaw?
Can Thunder reard the heicher for a horne?
Craks Cannons louder, thoght ane Cok sould craw?
Can our weak breath help Boreas for to blaw?
Can Candill lowe giue fyre a greater heit?
Can quhytest Svvans more quhyter mak the Snavv?
Can Virgins tears augment the Vinters weit?
Helps pyping Pan Apollos Musique sweit?
Can Fountanis small the Ocean sea incresse?
No, they augment the greater nocht a quheit:
Bot they them selues appears to grow the lesse.
So (worthy Prince) thy works sall mak the knawin.
Ours helps not thyne: we steynzie bot our awin.

ANE QVADRAIN OF ALEXANDRIN VERSE.

Immortall Gods, sen I with pen and Poets airt
So willingly hes servde you, though my skill be small,
I pray then euerie one of you to help his pairt,
In graunting this my sute, which after follow shall.

SONNET. 1.

[First Ioue, as greatest God aboue the rest]

First Ioue, as greatest God aboue the rest,
Graunt thou to me a pairt of my desyre:
That when in verse of thee I wryte my best,
This onely thing I earnestly requyre,
That thou my veine Poetique so inspyre,
As they may suirlie think, all that it reid,
When I descryue thy might and thundring fyre,
That they do see thy self in verie deid
From heauen thy greatest Thunders for to leid,
And syne vpon the Gyants heads to fall:
Or cumming to thy Semele with speid
In Thunders least, at her request and call:
Or throwing Phæthon downe from heauen to eard,
With threatning thunders, making monstrous reard.

SONNET. 2.

[Apollo nixt, assist me in a parte]

Apollo nixt, assist me in a parte,
Sen vnto Ioue thou secound art in might,
That when I do descryue thy shyning Carte,
The Readers may esteme it in their sight.
And graunt me als, thou worlds ô onely light,
That when I lyke for subiect to deuyse
To wryte, how as before thy countenaunce bright
The yeares do stand, with seasons dowble twyse,
That so I may descryue the verie guyse
Thus by thy help, of yeares wherein we liue:
As Readers syne may say, heir surely lyes,
Of seasons fowre, the glasse and picture viue.
Grant als, that so I may my verses warpe,
As thou may play them syne vpon thy Harpe.

SONNET. 3.

[And first, ô Phœbus, when I do descriue]

And first, ô Phœbus, when I do descriue
The Springtyme sproutar of the herbes and flowris,
Whomewith in rank none of the foure do striue,
But nearest thee do stande all tymes and howris:
Graunt Readers may esteme, they sie the showris,
Whose balmie dropps so softlie dois distell,
Which watrie cloudds in mesure suche downe powris,
As makis the herbis, and verie earth to smell
With sauours sweit, fra tyme that onis thy sell
The vapouris softlie sowkis with smyling cheare,
VVhilks syne in cloudds are keiped closs and well,
VVhill vehement Winter come in tyme of yeare.
Graunt, when I lyke the Springtyme to displaye,
That Readers think they sie the Spring alwaye.

SONNET. 4.

[And graunt I may so viuely put in verse]

And graunt I may so viuely put in verse
The Sommer, when I lyke theirof to treat:
As when in writ I do theirof reherse,
Let Readers think they fele the burning heat,
And graithly see the earth, for lacke of weit,
With withering drouth and Sunne so gaigged all,
As for the grasse on feild, the dust in streit
Doth ryse and flee aloft, long or it fall.
Yea, let them think, they heare the song and call,
Which Floras wingde musicians maks to sound.
And that to taste, and smell, beleue they shall
Delicious fruictis, whilks in that tyme abound.
And shortly, all their senses so bereaued,
As eyes and earis, and all may be deceaued.

SONNET. 5.

[Or when I lyke my pen for to imploy]

Or when I lyke my pen for to imploy
Of fertile Harvest in the description trew:
Let Readers think, they instantly conuoy
The busie shearers for to reap their dew,
By cutting rypest cornes with hookes anew:
Which cornes their heauy heads did dounward bow,
Els seking earth againe, from whence they grew,
And vnto Ceres do their seruice vow.
Let Readers also surely think and trow,
They see the painfull Vigneron pull the grapes:
First tramping them, and after pressing now
The grenest clusters gathered into heapes.
Let then the Harvest so viue to them appeare,
As if they saw both cornes and clusters neare.

SONNET. 6.

[Bvt let them think, in verie deid they feill]

Bvt let them think, in verie deid they feill,
When as I do the VVinters stormes vnfolde,
The bitter frosts, which waters dois congeill
In VVinter season, by a pearcing colde.
And that they heare the whiddering Boreas bolde,
With hiddeous hurling, rolling Rocks from hie.
Or let them think, they see god Saturne olde,
Whose hoarie haire owercouering earth, maks flie
The lytle birds in flocks, fra tyme they see
The earth and all with stormes of snow owercled:
Yea let them think, they heare the birds that die,
Make piteous mone, that Saturnes hairis are spred.
Apollo, graunt thir foirsaid suitis of myne,
All fyue I say, that thou may crowne me syne.

SONNET. 7.

[And when I do descriue the Oceans force]

And when I do descriue the Oceans force,
Graunt syne, ô Neptune, god of seas profound,
That readars think on leeboard, and on dworce,
And how the Seas owerflowed this massiue round:
Yea, let them think, they heare a stormy sound,
Which threatnis wind, and darknes come at hand:
And water in their shipps syne to abound,
By weltring waues, like hyest towres on land.
Then let them thinke their shipp now low on sand,
Now climmes & skippes to top of rageing seas,
Now downe to hell, when shippmen may not stand,
But lifts their hands to pray thee for some eas.
Syne let them think thy Trident doth it calme,
Which maks it cleare and smothe lyke glas or alme.

SONNET. 8.

[And graunt the lyke when as the swimming sort]

And graunt the lyke when as the swimming sort
Of all thy subjects skaled I list declare:
As Triton monster with a manly port,
Who drownd the Troyan trumpetour most raire:
As Marmaids wyse, who wepis in wether faire:
And marvelous Monkis, I meane Monkis of the see.
Bot what of monsters, when I looke and staire
On wounderous heapes of subiectis seruing the?
As whailes so huge, and Sea eylis rare, that be
Myle longs, in crawling cruikis of sixtie pace:
And Daulphins, Seahorse, Selchs with oxin ee,
And Mersvvynis, Pertrikis als of fishes race.
In short, no fowle doth flie, nor beast doth go,
But thow hast fishes lyke to them and mo.

SONNET. 9.

[O dreidfull Pluto, brother thrid to Ioue]

O dreidfull Pluto, brother thrid to Ioue,
With Proserpin, thy wife, the quene of hell:
My sute to yow is, when I like to loaue
The ioyes that do in Elise field excell:
Or when I like great Tragedies to tell:
Or flyte, or murne my fate: or wryte with feare
The plagues ye do send furth with Diræ fell.
Let Readers think, that both they see and heare
Alecto, threatning Turnus sister deare:
And heare Celænos wings, with Harpyes all:
And see dog Cerberus rage with hiddeous beare,
And all that did AEneas once befall.
When as he past throw all those dongeons dim,
The foresaid feilds syne visited by him.

SONNET. 10.

[O furious Mars, thow warlyke souldiour bold]

O furious Mars, thow warlyke souldiour bold,
And hardy Pallas, goddess stout and graue:
Let Reidars think, when combats manyfold
I do descriue, they see two champions braue,
With armies huge approching to resaue
Thy will, with cloudds of dust into the air.
Syne Phifers, Drummes, and Trumpets cleir do craue
The pelmell chok with larum loude alwhair,
Then nothing hard but gunnis, and ratling fair
Of speares, and clincking swords with glaunce so cleir,
As if they foght in skyes, then wrangles thair
Men killd, vnkilld, whill Parcas breath reteir.
There lyes the venquisht wailing sore his chaunce:
Here lyes the victor, rewing els the daunce.

SONNET. 11.

[And at your handis I earnestly do craue]

And at your handis I earnestly do craue,
O facound Mercure, with the Muses nyne,
That for conducting guyde I may you haue,
Aswell vnto my pen, as my Ingyne.
Let Readers think, thy eloquence deuyne
O Mercure, in my Poems doth appeare:
And that Parnassis flowing fountaine fyne
Into my works doth shyne lyke cristall cleare.
O Muses, let them thinke that they do heare
Your voyces all into my verse resound.
And that your vertewis singuler and seir
May wholly all in them be also found.
Of all that may the perfyte Poems make,
I pray you let my verses haue no lake.

SONNET. 12.

[In short, you all forenamed gods I pray]

In short, you all forenamed gods I pray
For to concur with one accord and will,
That all my works may perfyte be alway:
Which if ye doe, then sweare I for to fill
My works immortall with your praises still:
I shall your names eternall euer sing,
I shall tread downe the grasse on Parnass hill
By making with your names the world to ring:
I shall your names from all obliuion bring.
I lofty Virgill shall to life restoir,
My subiects all shalbe of heauenly thing,
How to delate the gods immortals gloir.
Essay me once, and if ye find me swerue,
Then thinke, I do not graces such deserue.

THE VRANIE translated

THE VRANIE, OR HEAVENLY MVSE.

Scarce was I yet in springtyme of my years,
When greening great for fame aboue my pears
Did make me lose my wonted chere and rest,
Essaying learned works with curious brest.
But as the Pilgrim, who for lack of light,
Cumd on the parting of two wayes at night,
He stayes assone, and in his mynde doeth cast,
What way to take while Moonlight yet doth last.
So I amongst the paths vpon that hill,
Where Phœbus crownes all verses euer still
Of endles praise, with Laurers always grene,
Did stay confusde, in doubt which way to mene.
I whyles essaide the Grece in Frenche to praise
Whyles in that toung I gaue a lusty glaise
For to descryue the Troian Kings of olde,
And them that Thebes and Mycens crowns did holde.
And whiles I had the storye of Fraunce elected,
Which to the Muses I should haue directed:
My holy furie with consent of nane.
Made frenche the Mein, and nowyse dutche the Sein.
Whiles thought I to set foorth with flattring pen:
The praise vntrewe of Kings and noble men,
And that I might both golde and honours haue
With courage basse I made my Muse a slaue.
And whyles I thought to sing the fickle boy
Of Cypris soft, and loues to-swete anoy,
To lofty sprits that are therewith made blynd,
To which discours my nature and age inclynd.
But whill I was in doubt what way to go,
With wind ambitious tossed to and fro:
A holy beuty did to mee appeare,
The Thundrers daughter seeming as she weare.
Her porte was Angellike with Angels face,
With comely shape and toung of heauenly grace:
Her nynevoced mouth resembled into sound
The daunce harmonious making heauen resound.
Her head was honorde with a costly crown,
Seuinfolde and rounde, to dyuers motions boun:
On euery folde I know not what doth glance,
Aboue our heads into a circuler dance.
The first it is of Lead, of Tin the nixt,

The seuin Planets

The third of Stele, the fourth of Golde vnmixt,
The fyfth is made of pale Electre light,
The sixt of Mercure, seuint of Siluer bright.
Her corps is couured with an Asure gowne,

Firmament

Where thousand fires ar sowne both vp and downe:

Fixed Starres.

Whilks with an arte, but arte, confusde in order,
Dois with their beames decore thereof the border.
Heir shynes the Charlewain, there the Harp giues light,
And heir the Seamans starres, and there Twinnis bright,
And heir the Ballance, there the Fishes twaine,
With thousand other fyres, that pas my braine.
I am said she, that learned VRANIE,
That to the Starres transports humanitie,
And maks men see and twiche with hands and ene
It that the heauenly court contempling bene.
I quint-essence the Poets soule so well
While he in high discours excede him sell,
Who by the eare the deafest doeth allure,
Reuiues the rocks, and stayes the floods for sure.
The tone is pleasant of my

Nyne Muses.

sisters deir:
Yet though their throts make heauen and earth admire,
They yeld to me no lesse in singing well,
Then Pye to Syraine, goose to Nightingell.
Take me for guyde, lyft vp to heauen thy wing
O Salust, Gods immortals honour sing:
And bending higher Dauids Lute in tone,
With courage seke yon endles crowne abone.
I no wais can, vnwet my cheekes, beholde
My sisters made by Frenchemen macquerels olde,
Whose mignarde writts, but faynd lamenting vaine,
And fayned teares and shameles tales retaine.
But weping neither can I see them spyte
Our heauenly verse, when they do nothing wryte,
But Princes flattry that ar tyrants rather
Then Nero, Commode, or Caligule ather.
But specially but sobbes I neuer shall
Se verse bestowde gainst him made verses all,
I can not see his proper soldiers ding
With his owne armes him that of all is King.
Mans eyes are blinded with Cimmerien night:
And haue he any good, beit neuer so light,
From heauen, by mediat moyens, he it reaches,
Bot only God the Delphiens songs vs teaches.
All art is learned by art, this art alone
It is a heauenly gift: no flesh nor bone
Can preif the honnie we from Pinde distill,
Except with holy fyre his breest we fill.
From that spring flowes, that men of special chose,
Consumde in learning, and perfyte in prose,
For to take verse in vane dois trauell take,
When as a prentise fairer works will make.
That made that Homer, who a songster bene,
Albeit a begger, lacking master, and ene,
Exceded in his verse both new and olde,
In singing Vliss and Achilles bolde.
That made that Naso noght could speak but verse,
That Dauid made my songs so sone reherse,
Of pastor Poët made. yea yongmen whyles
Vnknowing our art, yet by our art compyles.
Seke night and day Castalias waltring waas,
Climme day and night the twinrocks of Parnaas:
Be Homers skoller, and his, was borne in Ande,
The happie dwelling place of all our bande.
How oft thou lykes reid ouer booke efter booke,
The bookes of Troy, and of that towne which tooke
Her name from Alexander Monark then,
Exerce but cease thy toung and eke thy pen.
Yea, if to make good verse thou hes sic cure,
Joyne night to day, and day to night obscure,
Yet shall thou not the worthy frute reape so
Of all thy paines, if Pallas be thy fo.
For man from man must wholly parted be.
If with his age, his verse do well agree.
Amongst our hands, he must his witts resing,
A holy trance to highest heauen him bring.
For euen as humane fury maks the man,
Les then the man: So heauenly fury can
Make man pas man, and wander in a holy mist,
Vpon the fyrie heauen to walk at list.
Within that place the heauenly Poëts sought
Their learning, syne to vs heare downe it brought,
With verse that ought to Atropos no dewe,
Dame Naturs trunchmen, heauens interprets trewe.
For Poets right are lyke the pype alway,
Who full doth sound, and empty stayes to play:
Euen so their fury lasting, lasts their tone,
Their fury ceast, their Muse doth stay assone.
Sen verse did then in heauen first bud and blume,
If ye be heauenly, how dar ye presume
A verse prophane, and mocking for to sing
Gainst him that leads of starrie heauens the ring?
Will ye then so ingrately make your pen,
A slaue to sinne, and serue but fleshly men?
Shall still your brains be busied then to fill
With dreames, ô dreamers, euery booke and bill?
Shall Satan still be God for your behoue?
Still will ye riue the aire with cryes of loue?
And shall there neuer into your works appeare
The praise of God, resounding loud and cleare?
Suffisis it noght ye feele into your hairt
The Ciprian torche, vnles more malapairt
Then Lais commoun quean, ye blow abrod
But shame, athort the world, your shameles god?
Abusers, staikes it not to lurk in lust,
Without ye smit with charming nombers iust
The fickle maners of the reader slight,
In making him embrace, for day, the night?
The harmony of nomber tone and song,
That makes the verse so fair, it is so strong
Ouer vs, as hardest Catos it will moue,
With spreits aflought, and sweete transported loue.
For as into the wax the seals imprent
Is lyke a seale; right so the Poët gent,
Doeth graue so viue in vs his passions strange,
As maks the reader, halfe in author change.
For verses force is sic, that softly slydes
Throw secret poris, and in our sences bydes,
As makes them haue both good and euill imprented,
Which by the learned works is represented.
And therefore Platos common wealth did pack
None of these Poëts, who by verse did make
The goodmen euill, and the wicked worse,
Whose pleasaunt words betraied the publick corse.
Not those that in their songs good tearmes alwaise
Joyned with fair Thems: whyles thundring out the praise
Of God, iust Thundrer: whyles with holy speache,
Lyke Hermes did the way to strayers teache.
Your shameles rymes, are cause, ô Scrybes prophane,
That in the lyke opinion we remaine
With Juglers, buffons, and that foolish seames:
Yea les then them, the people of vs esteames.
For Clio ye put Thais vyle in vre,
For Helicon a bordell. Ye procure
By your lascivious speache, that fathers sage
Defends verse reading, to their yonger age.
But lightleing yon fleing godhead slight,
Who in Idolatrous breasts his darts hath pight.
If that ye would imploy your holy traunce,
To make a holy hallowde worke in Fraunce:
Then euery one wolde worthy scribes you call,
And holy seruants to the King of all.
Echone your verse for oracles wolde take,
And great men of their counsell wolde you make.
The verses knitting was found out and tryit,
For singing only holy mysteries by it
With greater grace. And efter that, were pend
Longtyme no verse, but for that only end.
Euen so my Dauid on the trembling strings
Of heauenly harps, Gods only praise he sings.
Euen so the leader of the Hebrevv hoste,
Gods praise did sing vpon the Redsea coste.
So Judith and Delbor in the soldiers throngs,
So Job and Jeremie, preast with woes and wrongs,
Did right descryue their ioyes, their woes and torts,
In variant verse of hundreth thousand sorts.
And therefore crafty Sathan, who can seame
An Angell of light, to witch vs in our dreame,
He causde his gods and preests of olde to speake
By nomber and measure, which they durst not breake.
So fond Phœmonoë vnder Apollos wing,
Her oracles Hexameter did sing:
With doubtsum talk she craftely begylde,
Not only Grece, but Spaine and Indes she sylde.
That olde voce serude in Dodon, spak in verse
As AEsculap did, and so did Ammon fearse,
So Sybills tolde in verse, what was to come:
The Preests did pray by nombers, all and some.
So Hesiod, Line, and he

Orpheus.

whose Lute they say,
Made rocks and forrests come to hear him play,
Durst well their heauenly secrets all discloes,
In learned verse, that softly slydes and goes.
O ye that wolde your browes with Laurel bind,
What larger feild I pray you can you find,
Then is his praise, who brydles heauens most cleare,
Maks mountaines tremble, and howest hells to feare?
That is a horne of plenty well repleat:
That is a storehouse riche, a learning seat.
An Ocean hudge, both lacking shore and ground,
Of heauenly eloquence a spring profound.
From subiects base, a base discours dois spring,
A lofty subiect of it selfe doeth bring
Graue words and weghtie, of it selfe diuine,
And makes the authors holy honour shine.
If ye wolde after ashes liue, bewaire,
To do lyke Erostrat, who brunt the faire
Ephesian temple, or him, to win a name,

Perillus

Who built of brasse, the crewell Calfe vntame.
Let not your art so rare then be defylde,
In singing Venus, and her fethred chylde:
For better it is without renowme to be,
Then be renowmde for vyle iniquitie.
Those nyne are Maides, that daunce vpon Parnaas:
Learned Pallas is a Virgin pure, lyke as

Daphne

That fair, whom waters changed on wattry banks
Into

Laurell

that tre still grene, your hair that hanks.
Then consecrat that eloquence most rair,
To sing the lofty miracles and fair
Of holy Scripture: and of your good ingyne,
Pour out, my frends, there your fift-essence fyne.
Let Christ both God and man your Twinrock be,
Whome on ye slepe: for that hors

Pegasus.

who did fle,
Speak of that

Holy ghost.

thryse great spreit, whose dow most white
Mote make your spring flow euer with delyte.
All excellent worke beare record euer shall,
Of trauellers in it, though their paines be small.
The Mausole tombe the names did eternise
Of Scope, Timotheus, Briace, and Artemise.
But Hirams holy help it war vnknowne
What he in building Izraels Temple had showne,
Without Gods Ark Beseleel Iewe had bene
In euerlasting silence buried clene.
Then, since the bewty of those works most rare
Hath after death made liue all them that ware
Their builders; though them selues with tyme be failde,
By spoils, by fyres, by warres, and tempests quailde.
I pray you think, how mekle fairer shall
Your happie name heirdowne be, when as all
Your holy verse, great God alone shall sing.
Since praise immortall commes of endles thing.
I know that ye will say, the auncient rables
Decores your songs, and that

Metamorphosis.

those dyuers fables,
Ilk bred of other, doeth your verses mak
More loued then storyes by the vulgar pack.
But where can there more wondrous things be found,
Then those of faith? ô fooles, what other ground,
With witnes mo, our reasons quyte improues,
Beats doun our pryde, that curious questions moues?
I had farr rather Babell tower forthsett,
Then the

Ossa, Pindus, and Olympus

thre Grecian hilles on others plett
To pull doun gods afraide, and in my moode,
Sing Noës rather then Deucalions floode.
I had far rather sing the suddaine change
Of Assurs monark, then of Arcas strange.
Of the

Nabuchadnezer.

Bethaniens holy second liuing,
Then Hippolitts with members glewde reuiuing.
To please the Reader is the ones whole cair,
The vther for to proffite mair and mair:
But only he of Laurell is conding,
Who wysely can with proffit, pleasure ming.
The fairest walking on the Sea coast bene,
And suirest swimming where the braes are grene:
So, wyse is he, who in his verse can haue
Skill mixt with pleasure, sports with doctrine graue.
In singing kepe this order showen you heir,
Then ye your self, in teaching men shall leir
The rule of liuing well, and happely shall
Your songs make, as your thems immortall all.
No more into those oweryere lyes delyte,
My freinds, cast of that insolent archer quyte,
Who only may the ydle harts surpryse:
Prophane no more the Muses with yon cryes.
But oh! in vaine, with crying am I horce:
For lo, where one, noght caring my songs force,
Goes lyke a crafty snaik, and stoppes his eare:
The other godles, mocks and will not heare.
Ane other at my schoole abydes a space,
While charming world withdrawe him from that place:
So that discours, that maks good men reiose,
At one eare enters, and at the other goes.
Alas, I se not one vnvaill his ene
From Venus vaill and gal prophane, that bene
To golden honnied verse, the only harme
Although our France with lofty sprits doth swarme.
But thou my deir one, whome the holy Nyne,
Who yearly drinks Pegasis fountaine fyne,
The great gods holy songster had receiued,
Yea, euen before thy mother the conceiued.
Albeit this subiect seame a barren ground,
With quickest spreits left ley, as they it found,
Irk not for that heirefter of thy paine,
Thy glore by rairnes greater shall remaine.
O Salust, lose not heart, though pale Inuye
Bark at thy praise increasing to the skye,
Feare not that she tread vnder foote thy verse
As if they were vnworthie to reherse.
This monster honnors-hurt is lyke the curr,
That barks at strangers comming to the durr,
But sparing alwaies those are to him knowin,
To them most gentle, to the others throwin.
This monster als is like a rauing cloude,
Which threatnes alwayis kendling Vulcan loude.
To smore and drowne him with her powring raine,
Yet force of fyre repellis her power againe.
Then follow furth, my sonne, that way vnfeard,
Of them whom in fre heauens gift hath appeard.
And heare I sweare, thou shortly shall resaue
Some noble rank among good spreits and graue.
This heauenly Muse by such discourses fair,
Who in her Virgin hand a riche crowne bair:
So drew to her my heart, so farr transported,
And with swete grace so swetely she exhorted:
As since that loue into my braines did brew,
And since that only wind my shipsailles blew,
I thought me blest, if I might only clame
To touche that crown, though not to weare the same.

ANE METAPHORICALL INVENTION OF A TRAGEDIE CALLED PHŒNIX.

A Colomne of 18 lynes seruing for a Preface to the Tragedie ensuying.

PHOENIX.

A PARAPHRASTICALL TRANSLATION OVT OF THE POETE LVCANE.

LVCANVS LIB. QVINTO.

ANE SCHORT TREATISE, CONTEINING SOME REVLIS and cautelis to be obseruit and eschewit in Scottis Poesie.

A QVADRAIN OF ALEXANDRIN VERSE, DECLARING TO QVHOME THE Authour hes directit his labour.

To ignorants obdurde, quhair vvilfull errour lyis,
Nor zit to curious folks, quhilks carping dois deiect thee,
Nor zit to learned men, quha thinks thame onelie vvyis,
But to the docile bairns of knavvledge I direct thee.

SONNET OF THE AVTHOVR TO THE READER.

Sen for zour saik I vvryte vpon zour airt,
Apollo, Pan, and ze ô Musis nyne,
And thou, ô Mercure, for to help thy pairt,
I do implore, sen thou be thy ingyne,
Nixt efter Pan had found the quhissil, syne
Thou did perfyte, that quhilk he bot espyit:
And efter that made Argus for to tyne
(quha kepit Io) all his vvindois by it.
Concurre ze Gods, it can not be denyit:
Sen in zour airt of Poësie I vvryte.
Auld birds to learne by teiching it is tryit:
Sic docens discam gif ze help to dyte.
Then Reidar sie of nature thou haue pairt,
Syne laikis thou nocht, bot heir to reid the airt.

SONNET DECIFRING THE PERFYTE POETE.

Ane rype ingyne, ane quick and vvalkned vvitt,
VVith sommair reasons, suddenlie applyit,
For euery purpose vsing reasons fitt,
VVith skilfulnes, vvhere learning may be spyit,
With pithie vvordis, for to expres zovv by it
His full intention in his proper leid,
The puritie quhairof, vveill hes he tryit:
With memorie to keip quhat he dois reid,
With skilfulnes and figuris, quhilks proceid
From Rhetorique, vvith euerlasting fame,
With vthers vvoundring, preassing vvith all speid
For to atteine to merite sic a name.
All thir into the perfyte Poëte be.
Goddis, grant I may obteine the Laurell trie.

THE CIIII. PSALME, TRANSLATED OVT OF TREMELLIVS.

ANE SCHORT POEME OF TYME.

Sonnet of the Authour.

The facound Greke, Demosthenes by name,
His toung was ones into his youth so slow,
As evin that airt, which floorish made his fame,
He scarce could name it for a tyme, ze know.
So of small seidis the Liban Cedres grow:
So of an Egg the Egle doeth proceid:
From fountains small great Nilus flood doeth flow:
Evin so of rawnis do mightie fishes breid.
Therefore, good Reader, when as thow dois reid
These my first fruictis, dispyse them not at all.
Who watts, bot these may able be indeid
Of fyner Poemis the beginning small.
Then, rather loaue my meaning and my panis,
Then lak my dull ingyne and blunted branis.

HIS MAIESTIES POETICALL EXERCISES at vacant houres

TO THE KING OF SCOTLAND.

Where others hooded with blind loue do flie,
Low on the ground with buzzard CVPIDS wings,
A heauenlie loue, from loue of loue thee brings,
And makes thy MVSE to mount aboue the skie,
Young Muses be not woont to flie too hie,
Age taught by time, such sober ditties sings,
But thy youth flies from loue of youthfull things,
And so the wings of time doth ouerflie.
Thus thou disdainst all worldlie wings as slow,
Because thy MVSE with Angels wings doth leaue
Times wings behind, and CVPIDS wings below,
But take thou heed, least Fames wings thee deceaue.
With all thy speed from Fame thou canst not flee,
But more thou flees, the more it followes thee.

SONET TO THE ONELY ROYAL POET.

Where shall the limits lye of all your fame?
Where shall the borders be of your renowne?
In East? or where the Sunne again goeth down?
Or shall the fixed Poles impale the same?
Where shall the pillars which your praise proclame
Or Trophees stand, of that exspected crowne?
The Monarch first, of that triumphant towne
Reuiues in you, by you renewes his name,
For that which he performd in battels bold,
To vs his bookes with wonders doth vnfold.
So we of you far more conceaue in minde,
As by your verse we plainlie (Sir) may see.
You shall the writer and the worker be,
For to absolue that CÆSAR left behinde.

TO THE KINGS MAIESTIE OF SCOTLAND.

If ALEXANDER sighed vvhen he came,
Vnto the Tomb vvhere fierce ACHILLES lay:
If he had cause, that blessed age to blame,
Since HOMER lacks his merites to display.
If he vvith teares his sorrovves did bevvray,
To see his Father PHILIP conquer all,
And that more Worlds behinde there did not stay,
Which for revvard of his deserts might fall:
Then may I mone, our times, our iudgement small,
Vnvvorthy records of your sacred skill;
Then must our Poets on nevv Muses call,
To graunt them guifts to imitate your quill.
I like the flie, that burneth in the flame,
Should shevv my blindnes to attempt the same.

THE EXORD, OR PREFACE OF THE SECOND VVEEK OF DV BARTAS.

Thou mightie God that of the worlde
The birth did make me see,
Vnfold her cradle also now,
Her childhead show to me:
And make my Spreit to walke athort
The turning flourisht wayes
Of sauorie Gardens, whereinto
Still crookt but any staies
Of Riuers foure the courses quick:
Declare me what offence,
From Edens both chas'd ADAMS selfe
And seed for his pretence:
And tell who of immortall did
Himself a mortall macke
To bring from heauen the Antidote
To vs which we did lacke:
Giue thou me grace the storie of
The Church to sing aright,
And als the storie of the Kings,
And graunt that by thy might
I guide the world vnto her graue,
My purpose making lest,
Euen from the first of Sabboths all,
Vnto the hindmost rest.
Well know I that this surgie sea,
Is lacking march or ground,
But ô thou holie Pilote great,
Will guide me safe and sound
Vnto the port of my desire,
Where drouked then I shall
Extoll thy mercies manifolde,
And pay my vowes withall.
O SACRED Floure-delis whose youth
Doth promise to vs all,
That euen thy famous Lawrels greene
Match Alexanders shall,
Since that (for to obey thy will,)
I flie vnto the skies,
Conuoy my course with louing eie,
And help the faultes that rise
From my too blunted frutelesse pen,
In Pampeloun so some day,
Mot thou win home thy crowne againe,
The which was reft away:
So of thy neighbours euermore
Mot thou the honour be,
The loue of all thy subiects true,
And foes to feare for thee:
So neuer mot the heauen against
Thee shew his wrathfull face,
But the Eternall be thy arme,
His Spirit thy guiding trace:
So with thy shearing sword in hand
And fighting at thy side,
Mot I ore cled with blood and stoure
So boldlie by the bide.
As for to cleaue the Spanish Host,
Or force some sieged Towne,
And combat done for Virgill serue
To publish thy renowne.
GOD did not onelie (soueraigne Prince)
The whole command bestow,
On our forefather ADAM of
This earth, and all below:
In making subject to his yoak
The skealie swimming race,
Who with their little finnes do cleaue,
The frothie Seas apace:
And those that haue no other hold,
But horrour of deserts:
And those that bricoll through the waist
Of aire that fedders parts:
But chus'd him als a dwelling place,
Which happie was, and more
With climat temperate and faire,
The which the deintie flore
With variant ameling paimented
Of springing floures most sweet,
Adornd with Pomons fruicts, and als
With Zephyrs smells repleet:
Where God himself did leuell just,
The allees with his lyne,
Ore-couered all the hilles with trees,
With Haru'st the vallies syne.
And with the sound of thousand brookes
Adiorned the sweetest sleepe
Made cabinets faire at proofe of Sunne
Which out his beames did keep:
He squared a yard, and als he did,
Plant, clenge, and labour syne
The euerliuing fairnesse of
A fertill Orchard fine:
The Sacred Riuers courses als
He parted here and there.
And with a thousand collours paints
The face of Meddowes faire.

THE TRANSLATORS INVOCATION.

O thou that mightlie does toone
My warbling holie Harpe,
And does sublime my Poëmes als
That I thereon do carpe,
And marying so my heauenly verse
Vnto the Harpes accords,
Inspires my sacred Muse to sing
Vnto the Lord of Lords.
O now inflame my furious Spreit,
That furiously I may
These Furies (mankinds plagues allace!)
With furious Pen display:
That I his fame doe not betray,
Who Azure Skie doth decke
With blazing lights, and on the earth
His Trophees doth erect:
The loue of heauen, the honour of earth,
The wonder of our age,
Who whill that furious bloodie MARS
Doth in his Countrey rage
(Alluring ORPHEVS) with his songs
He sweetlie doth inchaunt
The MVSES nyne to leaue their leeds
That they before did haunt
And take them to his vulgare toung,
Their Ethnique heades withall
He crownes with holie twists and faire
Of LIBAN Cedres tall.
Then ô thou guider of my Spreit,
And leader of my pen,
Graunt, that as he his subjects faire
Doth (liberal) to me len,
That so he len his loftie stile,
His golden draughts, his grace,
Wherewith in variant coulors he
Adornes the papers face,
That I may viuelie paint him forth:
Peace PAN, peace pratling Muse,
Heare PHOEBVS in a borrowed tongue
His owne discourses vse.

A Preface to the furies

[_]

MS. BODLEY 165

Ô thou that michtilie dois toone my uarbling holy hairpe
& dois sublime my poemis als that I thairin do cairpe
& mariing so my heauinlie uerse unto the harpes accordis
inspyres my sacred muse to sing unto the lorde of lordis
o nou inflamme my furiouse spreit that furiouslie I may
thir furies mankyndis plaiguis alace uith furiouse pen display
that I his fame do not betraye quho azure skie doth dekk
uith blaizing lichtis & on the earth his trophees dois erect
the loue of heauen the honoure of earth the uounder of oure aage
quho quhill that furiouse bloodie mars doth in his countrey raage
alluring orpheus uith his songis he sueitlie doth enchaunt
the musis nyne to leaue thaire leidis that thay before did haunt
& takke thaime to his uulgaire tounge, thaire ethnike headis uithall
he crounis uith holie tuistis & faire of liban cedres tall:
then ô thou gydaire of my spreit & leadare of my penn
graunt that as he his subiect faire doth liberall to me lenn
that so he lenn his loftie style; his golden drauchtis, his grace
quhairuith in uariant cullouris he adornis the paiperis face
that I may uislie paint him furth, peace pan peace pratling muse
heare phœbus in a borrouid tounge his ouin discoursis use.

THE FVRIES.

Where am I caried to? in world
No more may I be found:
The earth that I do tread vpon,
And all this vaulted round,
Which bringing home, & guiding back
The daies and nights againe,
Be wrathfull now with me, reguides
My longsum woe and paine:
The aire I breath by longest draughts,
The Sea I swimme into,
Is not now of the first borne dayes
The work most glorious lo.
This wretched roundnes can not be
The plenteous worlde no more,
Which God with orn'ments brauelie deckt,
So diuers and in store:
No, this is but a Prison vyle,
A Hell fulfild with fray,
And of the first worlde but the tombe
Most miserable alway.
O SPRITE that quickens all, great God,
That in thy justice maid,
(Transformd from father myld in Iudge:)
This changement that I said,
Change me, and cast me ouer againe,
Addres my feeble hand,
And make that into my discourse
No humane thing may stand.
That I thy instrument may be,
And eloquentlie syne,
To our posteritie may sing
This doolefull change of thyne.
BEFORE our first fore-father had,
Too impudentlie bold,
His back turnd vnto God, his face
Vnto the Serpent olde:
Euen all this WHOLE, was like vnto
Ane instrument in toone,
Well set, and well accorded iust:
And when as that was doone,
So learn'dlie plaid on, as the sound
Most rarelie dulce alway,
Proclam'd the praise of God, who on
The same did freedonne ay.
The man in seruing God, was seru'd
Of all the world apace:
The bodies dead and liuing als,
Did striue in euerie cace
To nourish still that holie peace
And with ane ardent loue,
To please their double head, each other
Embrast for that behoue.
The lowest of a concord blest
Resounded with the hie,
The wak with dry, the cold agreed
With that which hottest be.
And syne that sacred innocent, the
The bright ASTREA Queene,
If fastned fast with mastik firme,
Of holie loue that beene.
This CVPID hid, that maries yet
By straitest bonds and olde
The Adamant stone with heauie yrne,
Quick-siluer with the golde:
The Ambre with the straw or chaff,
And in the wauie raigne,
PINNE with her spie, the Whaile with her
That guides her through the Maine:
That makes the Sperge so friendlie with
The bosse and trembling Reed,
The Mirt with Oliue tree, the Elme,
With boughs that wine doe breed.
That makes the earie Bustard with
The galliard horse confether,
And the Parroquets painted makes
With Wolues to liue together,
That ioynes the Moore-hen with the swift
And feirie futted Hart,
The Goat with Sargone, Partrichis
With Does into ane part:
All this is but a spunke, a glance,
A shaddow and a trace,
Of such a loue as raignd into
The formest age allace:
Where as our Muses low from heir
With most harmonious sounds,
Deuinely sang with them aboue
Into the circled rounds.
But Man as being the speciall, and
The most resounding string
Of this WHOLES Lute, too bended, out
Of toone, doth with it bring
The rest of brangling sinewes all,
As now it rendre macks,
In place of sweet enchanting air,
So great and murmuring cracks,
As ENYON makes astonisht quyte,
Euen cruell ENYON who
The old debaits of CHAOS does
Renew with greener wo.
The Heauen that euer fair did blincke
Vpon his maistresse ay,
That nought but MAN and Honny in
Her brest did powre alway,
Now sweeps her with his floods, and with
His yce her dosinnis quyte,
And beatis her with his haill, and gaigs
Her with his fires in spyte:
And with his snow doth make her olde,
And ielouslie doth darde,
Both night and day vpon her bones,
His thundring fyerie farde.
And RHEA that doth birst for spyte,
And cholere in these daies,
A thousand vapours blacke against
The Heauen now doth she raise:
And by the port halfe open of
The gulfe profound and how,
Does sudle all his brow with clouds,
And mists that of her grow.
The Cocke sensyne doth with his voyce
The Lyon bold effray,
The Glead, the Chicken: and the Sheepe,
That baisdlie trembles ay,
Flees from the rau'ning Woolfe: and in
Great NEPTVNES fleeting plaine,
The Lobster feares for Polipus:
And Polipus againe
For Congre-Eels feares: and neerthelesse,
The selfe same Lobster to
Ouercums this Eele, who victor is
Euen of her victor lo:
Yea, euen do, by a secret MARS,
Most noysome quarrels ludge
In very senselesse stocks of plants,
Reteining still their grudge.
Thou DENYS, euermore a childe,
O Father sleepie still,
If plant beside the leauie keall
Thy fertill stocke they will,
He drawes himselfe abacke beliue,
And paile growne all his leaues,
For spite, or feare, by flight himselfe
From neighbourhead such bereaues.
As in like maner, to reuenge
The branches bearing wine,
Neere Rew, and Origane, planted keal,
By them is killed syne.
The tree Dodonean, and the tree
By ATTIQVE land beloued,
The traces leaues of ancient pickes,
Remaining vnremooued
Euen in their widdow holes. O thou
Invincible debate,
That makes the one, ne liue can, where
The other liu'd of late:
That raignes into the verie tombe,
Doth to the PARQVES resist,
And neuer does thy hatred wash
In flouds of LETHES mist.
Euen so a Tambour cou'red with
A simple muttons skinne,
Doth burst affraidlie, onely at
The sound and ratling dinne
Of bloodie rauening Woolfs-skinne: And
Sick-like the trypes well throwne
Of that so glutton brigand, breakes
With secret force vnknowne
The guts of sheepe: whome in the place
Of longsome bleating still,
They after hend their death make on,
A sweet Lute speake at will,
And of the royall Egle als
The strange deuouring plume,
Does wondrously the fethers of
All other foules consume.
The Heauen, first mobile, with the selfe
Doth carie and remoue
More swifter farre then any wind,
By this his course aboue
The rest of all the heauens: backdrawing
Their Torches giuing light,
From ALEXANDERS Alters, to
The Pillars HERCVLES pight.
But mortall ADAM, as the king
Of all things heere belaw,
He being straied, vnto the way
Of death does all things draw:
And, blinded Pilot, on a Sea
Most deadlie and in fire,
This worlds Ship guides against the rocks
Of furious heauenlie ire:
Which softlie sliding of before,
Was fleeting euer still,
Both vnder-a skilfull Skipper, and
A Zephyre calme at will.
For or he did reuolt, he could
Not cast his wondring eies
Vpon no part, but through it all
Almightie God he sees.
He finds him in the earth, as to
The Seas, he feeles him there,
Contemplats him in Heauen, and sees
Him painted in the air.
Our world was nothing, but a great
Large Shop, that open stood,
Where magnifiquelie God displaid
His treasures fair and good.
This WHOLE was but a mirrour fair,
Which bright on euery side,
The goodnes represented viue,
With great God that doth bide.
But man vnhappy can not find,
Since this his sinne and fall,
Plant, stone, or liuing creature,
Yard, wood, nor flood at all,
Plaine, Feild, Hill, Dale, Sea, Shore, or Hauen,
Where he may draw his breath,
That hath not written into the brow
The hard doome of his death.
In short, euen all the compasse of
This Fabrique large and round,
Is but a very store-house of
Gods wrath that doth abound.
Man, in rebelling thus against
The soueraigne great, I say,
Doth feele his subjects all enarm'd
Against him euerie way.
The air by winds sturr'd, AMPHITRITE
Doth stormie make a gild,
The Heauen most sadlie black, The earth
With brierie thornes fulfild,
As fredd now from the oth of their
Fidelitie and trust,
The honour doe reuenge on him
Euen of the Godhead just.
The influence maligne of starres,
Coniured doth prouide,
A secret Hangman for to plague,
His arrogance and pride.
The Moone doth deaze and fundie him,
Her brother rosts him quite,
The air, when he lookes for it least,
Pursues him in a spite
By brimstoned thunders, and by raines,
By blasting of the cornes,
By frosts confirmd, hair-rimmes, and Snowes,
And hailstones sharpe as thornes.
And VVLCANE whiles fallin out of Heauen,
Whiles irritate by art,
Whiles kindled vnder richest roofes
By chance in anie part,
Whiles vom'd out of a mountaine, whose
Tempestuous gulfe hath store,
Both of Saltpeeter and of Pitch,
And brimstone byting sore,
Doth rage against him: startling still,
For furie, as appeares,
And wrackes in lesse space then a day,
The labour-of thousand yeares.
The Sea by her debording steales
His Isles from him withall,
His flockes vp-swallows, and ore-whelmes,
His townes and makes them fall.
The Earth all wearie on her face
Such burthen for to keepe,
(A burthen cursed and prophane,)
Whiles sinks in darkest deepe
A whole great countrie, and withall,
The windie tops and hie
Of proudest Palices, into
Her entrailes hid they be.
IT IS in hatred euen of him,
That after manie wayes,
She doth ingratelie barren haru'sts
Produce vs now a dayes.
And for the corne, that we do sow,
(Deceitfull) doth vs pay
With thirstles burning corne, and with
The vaprous Darnell ay.
And with the Fitches smoaring corne,
With sticking Burres and rough,
And guylefull hope of Windle-stray,
That's but an emptie slough.
All this were little, if that, as
Step-mother cruell, sho
Would not produce the Wort-berrie,
Our furious enemie Lo:
The Hen-bane blacke, and Ches-bow als,
That cold-ryfe doth vs keepe,
Doufe, yeuking flesh, and shuddring colde,
And makes vs euer sleepe.
The stonnishing Carpace, Humlocke als,
That smores vs by his might,
Yce-feet, Yce-hands, and makes vs isk,
And dims our clearest sight.
Sardonien Percell, Sennon-drawer,
And with a laughing cheere,
The Wolfe-bane, Burne-toung, swelling lips,
And crying still with beere.
The weeping Aconitum, and
The Ixia binding sore,
Sad hearted Flacke-wort, fosterer of
Hydropsie more and more.
March-Lillies als, that yeukars be,
Of flancks the gnawers rude,
The Mandragore full colde, and Ew,
That kendles vp the blude.
Plants, who doe by their root, their suck,
Or by their little seed,
A death vnmercifull, before
The time vnto vs breed.
The Earth that knowes we loue (as we
Were bred, of brutish kindes,)
Our life lesse, and our honour, then
Her mettals hid in mindes:
She with her hooks, deceitfullie,
Doth mixe for vs and mell
The scumme of Siluer and Arsenicke:
Which cruell poyson fell
Our inward parts deuours: and so
Doth justlie punish right
Our couetous lusts with torments sharpe
That she makes on vs light.
So as, whiles, from one onely mind,
They (foolish) draw apace,
The tortour of soule and martring of
Our bodie both, allace.
And what more shall I say? but that
A Pilot full of skill,
And aided by the breathing of
A friendlie wind at will,
He cannot with lesse trauell guide
The winged fleeting Ship,
That softlie on the azure salt
Of humide fielde doth slip.
And that the jugler fine, so well
Can no waies make to dance,
Make skarmushes, runne, and retire,
And syne againe aduance
His little Marmosets, whome to
His auarice doth giue
A Sprite, that by the onely art
And workemanship doth liue,
As we most happy did command
The silent flocks, that do,
All skalie, cleaue the stormie fluds,
That they doe swimme into:
And all the flying songsters sweet,
And the rebellious bands,
That rush out through the woods, or runnes
Athwart the bairest lands:
And at the wind euen of our voyce,
They trembled fast afraid,
And each winke of our eies, to them
A law was they obaid:
And to their holie office so
They bent were night and day,
As euen they vncommanded did
Vs seruice euery way.
But by the snappering that fell out
Our Parents light among,
Alas, they of our slaues are now
Become our tyrants strong:
The fearefull hideous Whale, if that
We saile vpon the Maine,
In weltring with a stroake, euen all
At once, the bulluring plaine,
Doth bury vnderneath the waues
Our fleeting Castell fair,
That plaies the Dolphin on the Seas,
And Eagle in the air.
And if we go into the feilds,
So manie deadlie bands
Od spotted venoms, and of Pests
Cyniphien, on all hands
Do lie into embuscade dern'd.
The Wolfe on other side,
With Lion, Sanglier, and with Beere
And Leopard doth abide,
Most iealous of the right diuine,
Against their head conspire,
And pitielesse teare him, in reuenge
Of the eternall ire.
The Forrests thick, they haue no bush,
Nor thicket great at all,
That doth not hide a hangman, to
Giue vs our death and fall.
We euery cauerne do suspect,
And euery hedge we see,
The smallest branch, that stighles, makes
Vs sore afraid to be.
If that, we dwelling be at home,
The spitefull Mastie bolde,
The Bull wood-headed, and the Horse,
Whose courage cannot folde,
With teeth, with horned brow, and with
The feet do make vs warre
Most sorie: seeing Tyrants such
On earth, promenney darre.
No; There is not so small a midge,
That boldlie gainst vs cleene
Will spare to shoot the arrowes of
His little furie keene.
ALAS: what hideous fraisome shapes?
What horrible ghosts I see?
What thundring loud? what roring cries?
What terrible howlings hie?
Am I not on the elrish Shore
Of PHLEGETON, braying in Hell?
O TISIPHON, MEGERE, ALECTO als,
Thou furie sad and fell,
What denne makes you the cauernes quite
Most fraisome and profound
Of darkest Hell? ô monsters most
Abhominable vnder ground,
Yee Ministers of PLVTO, with
The throwne and stormie brow,
O Daughters of the shadie night,
What heere then do yee now?
The man alas, without your crosse,
Your whips and tortours sore,
Doth he not feele the horrours els
Of paines anew, and more?
For our fore-beer, no sooner left
The sacred soile of grace,
To liue in earth, or rather in
This Tombe and lowest place,
Where raignes a thousand deaths, when as
The voice eternall ay,
Els thundring summond did the troupes,
That guiltie were alway.
That Sulphurd STYX and PHLEGETON, drinks
All burning in a fire,
Thicke ACHERON, and COCYTE als,
All in a bloodie ire.
O Sisters with the eddrie haire
O Eumenids cruell yee,
What? Of your selues for euermore,
Will yee the tortourers be?
Soone quite me all the horrour of
Your cursed houses paile,
Come vomit heere your poysons blacke
In this vnhappy vaile.
Haue yee no feare to languish heere,
For exercises lake,
For ADAM builds you a hundreth Hels
Here for his vices sake.
FROM top to bottome at these words
AVERNE all trembled apace:
The sweirest night, her horrours did
Redouble in euery case.
And als that stincking goulfe, where fraies
Do raigne for euermore,
Was suddaine fil'd with pitch, with Sulphre,
And rozen in great store.
The GORGONES, SPHINX, and HYDRAES, and
The Pythons, monsters rair,
The cauerns deepe did open of
Their glutton bellies thair:
Euen as the fire that hid into
A vapour thicke remaines,
Doth grudging murmure at the cloud,
That pressing it retaines,
Doth Cannon, thunder, astonish als,
And whirling long in round,
Doth, wrathfull, make the Element
That windie is, resound.
Euen so, these Sisters three, these three
Most hideous rages vile,
Do raise a thousand tempests, boun
To leaue their hell a whyle.
And each of them alreadie goes,
And hurles his yrnie cart,
Vpon the Bridges barres of yrne,
Ay brangling on all part.
That nine times Planks Stix, and in prison
Where horrible darknes tumbles,
With braying, running, wandring still,
Most terrible horrible rumbles.
Then fraifull HYDRE, and CERBERE als,
That muttin makes a sturre,
Who on one bodie hath the heads,
Both of a Mastich curre,
A Serpent, Bull, and of an Ounce,
Whose cruell eies do pearce,
And of a Woolfe, a Horse, a Beare,
And of a Lyonesse fearce.
With brangle of lights doth bark, doth whisle,
And route doth euermore,
Make murmuring, loudlie howle and bray,
And rummish fast and rore.
Such Pell-mell dinnes, and ringing reards,
And tempests strange to heare,
Do from one corps proceed at once,
That manie heads doth beare.
Then hauing of our day atteind
Vnto the calmed port,
Then wings of Aquilo they with
A whirre more suddaine short
Flee towards man: where with their hands
Sore tortring they assay,
Who cruellest paines can forge for him
To suffer euerie way.
OF ATROPOS the verie shape,
Lo, Hunger comes at ones,
Her blackned skinne is pearced with
The sharpe points of her bones:
She euer greedie longing gants,
With hollow suncken eie,
With cheekes togeather clapped close,
And in her mouth they see
Her wide-set teeth come Saffron hew'd:
Her emptie bowels cleare,
Do through the wrinckles of her skinne
Transparantlie appeare.
And for her bellie, hath she nought
Of bellie but the place,
Her knees and elbows hidelesse on
Her carcasse swels apace.
A monster most insatiable,
Whome to, but for a fill,
All that is liuing heere below,
But skarcelie suffice will:
Her swallowing throat goes seeking still
Her meat in verie meats:
One dish another summonds, and
Her gourmand entrails eats,
And toomes at once: The verie flesh
Euen of her children young,
May skantlie stanch her raging lust,
Thus of her hunger sprung:
But euen sometimes (ô gluttonie
Of strangest sort and rare)
To fill her foule-some guts, to eat
Her guts she doth not spare:
That she thereby, may make it more,
She makes her body lesse,
And to our father cruell so,
She doth her selfe addresse.
And furthermore, from hels she brings
Vnto this combat heere,
The rage, the weaknes, and the thrist,
Her likest sisters deere.
THE warre comes after, bruzing lawes,
And bruzing maners all,
Loue-teares, shed-blood, and burning Innes,
And raizing euery wall:
In-under his brasen feet, the earth
All creepes and trembles fast,
His mouth it is a firie coale,
His voice a thunders blast:
Each finger of his hand, it is
A Cannon that doth bray,
And euerie awfull looke of his
A lightning flaming ay.
The great disorder, and the fray,
Dispair, and flight, do poste,
And winged euer, go before
His cruell murthering Hoste:
As burnings, and the swelling pride,
And great impietie vile,
The quarrelous scisme, sacke, and all
Impunitie for a while.
The crueltie, the horrour, the
Destruction and ruine,
Though all accompanie him, whereas
He barbrous marches syne.
The doole, the solitarines, with
The pouertie that peeps,
The bloodie footsteps of his host
Vndaunted following keeps.
AND if that I be not deceau'd,
Another furie lo
That doth a battrie dresse against
Our first forefather to,
Of thousand thousand Cannons, I
Her feele, though not in sight,
The more that she is weake, the more
Hath she of force and might:
All vlcer'd feuerous, blind, and fond,
And foolish is she nam'de.
Sad, deafe, crooke-backed, and of legs
And armes, both is she lam'de.
The poyson with the manie names,
Deaths minister alace,
That comes at posting gallope, and
Returnes at slowest pace.
Ill-faououred, troubling rest, and als
Fantastike, miserable eke,
She kils, but cracke betraies the heart,
Vnsatiable blood doth seeke,
The daughter of intemperance, and
Of Heauen misorder'd cleene,
A cruell euill discouerd, but
More cruell hid vnseene.
IN SOMMER Meidowes, Grashoppers
Haue not so many aboue,
So manie Creikets vnder, as did
Infernall voyces moue,
And murmure round about, nor vnder
A calmed Heauen and still,
The King enamailed of the people,
That gather Honnie will:
So many little buzzing burds
Guides not, when he doth cast
Euen of his little hollow ludge
The first foundations fast,
As this effraying monster hath
Of Soldats at command,
That raging charge the man abaisd
At euery part and hand.
So as a regiment incens'd,
And horrible giuing fraies,
Not for to yoke a skarmish hot,
The first of all assaies
Gainst ADAMS head, which is the house
Most holy hallowed ay,
Of all the faculties of the soule,
And reasons forth, and stay.
A King that neighbours will bereaue
Another Kings Empire,
Before he fight into the feilds,
Or open warres desire,
He first corrupts by richest gifts
His Counsels truth at length,
Well knowing that a Counsell good
Is of a King the strength.
Euen so, this Furie banisht from
The CHAOS darke and low,
Do for Forerinners, Frenesie,
And Madnes als let go:
Whereof the one in heating much,
The other drying sore
The weake braines, they do stop the course,
And blunt do more and more
The sharpnes of mans judgement, and
Engrauing makes remaine
(Abusers) in the Spreit, a Squadre
Of CHIMERS fancies vaine.
The CAROS, POPLESIE, and the
LETHARGIE sleeping ay,
As casten of hazarders, assailes
Their foe the best they may,
At former part, but yet by armes,
That are contrary clene,
For making yci-colde the braines,
His brethren dosened bene,
And makes the liuing man like to
A dead in euery sort,
If of forgetfull LETHE, he
Do not repasse the port.
The Palsie els doth vndertake
A warre and battaile bolde,
Els Spasmus sturres, the one doth slacke,
The other strait doth holde
The Senewes of weake ADAM, els
They doe the passage dit,
Vnto the liuing subtill Spreits,
That would go downe by it.
Then euen as he, who hand to hand,
And onely man to man
Com'd to a Combat set, assaies
All kind of wards he can,
Eschewes, rebaits, strikes out, and doth
Obserue his times aright,
And casting whiles, doth make vpon
The sparkling eies to light
Of this his foe his cloake, syne with
The farre end of his blead,
Doth steadfast make his life to part
In gushing streames and read.
The sicknes, to the end that she
May haue the better skair,
Of our forefather tied to bed
(Who scarse can turne him thair)
Els with so many bonds she doth,
The Ophthalmie let go,
Which with a seething blood within
The sight as cruell so,
Giues thousand stogs, she also breeds
The Pearl vpon the eie,
That dimmes the shine, and Cataract,
That darke and cloudie bee:
Whereof the one by gathering of
To grosse ane humour pight
Within the bright Spreits guider, doth
The dore close of the light.
The other doth as with a cloath,
Enuious syle and hide,
The Cristall shining humour, that
Doth in his eies abide.
This done, euen with a gird to our
Fore-beer flees withall,
This cruell Dragon mercilesse,
Whome squeinancy they call:
That scoaps vnto his throat, and with
Blood loppred lacking heat,
He hauing of the how-throat bolle,
The Muskles boldned great:
In him alone doth giue a proofe,
Of his so obstinate strength,
Wherewith he is to fight, against
His future race at length.
Like HERCVLES, who when as yet,
In swadling cloathes he lay,
Buire on his brow engrau'd his great
Vndaunted courage ay:
Beginning with his hands, no hand
But strongest turkesse els,
Most boldlie wraithfull for to smoare
The Dragon bearing shels,
A maister stick that promises
The Trophee Lernien sure,
The Spaignoll triumph, and the firre
Cleonien that they bure.
The second regiment sets on
By deadlie forces fell,
Beginning with the Squadre of all
The vitall parts to mell:
That in the stomack camped are.
And els that humour grosse
Lights-stopper, him ASTHMATIQVE makes
Ay panting in a Crosse.
And the Corroziue flowing of
A gutter dropping slow,
His spongious lightes doth vlcerate, and
Hims dries cum'd Ptisick so.
The Peripneumonie withall
A hote consuming braize,
Goes cruell in his breathing boares
And heat doth kendle and raize.
And als the pittilesse Empiem doth
Him sease among the rest,
With an Apostume filling vp
The howest of his brest.
And furthermore the Pleurisie
Doth brod him in the sides,
In making euer boile that blood
Which vnder his ribbes abides.
The Mare therefter smores him and
With thickest fleume doth he,
As Spreit importune, heauie, presse
His brest that panting be.
MY GVIDE Vrania oracle
That chassis errors vaine,
Name me this warriour trembling ay,
For furie and disdaine.
And whose enarmed hand doth not,
With firie torch assaile,
The wings but euen the armies heart
And ouer it doth preuaile.
Who for his Campions hath the Cough,
The irkesum ganting lo,
The Souning swerfis, thirst, shuddering, and
The colde-rife trembling to.
The bating of the pulse, the heat,
The rauing strange withall
And paine of head. O is not this
The furie whome we call
The burning perrilous Feuer, who
Inconstantlie doth take
Mo faces then VERTVMNVS, and
Who (fine) her selfe can make
Continuall whiles, whiles tierce, whiles quart,
And whiles but for a day,
Whiles slow, whiles kindled vp, euen as
The mater as they say
Which in our feeble bodies is
The cause of all this change,
Hath slow, or promptlie ready hath
This secreet motion strange.
Well ought I for to know thee, ô
Thou traitrous mastish vile,
Who four years had thee in my hart,
For hostesse all the while.
So as I beare as yet euen of
Thy greatest force, allace,
The markes into my soule, and in
The bodie many a trace.
For leauing that thou soucked out,
And cruellie did seeke
The blood out of my veines, and of
My bones the Marrov eik,
I of my Spreit the vertue feele
All slokened to be fall,
The vigour of my Spreit cum'd gourd,
The sharpnes blunted all.
And als my memorie, the which
Was somewhat yet before,
Is like (ô dolour just) vnto
The water, where a score
Is als sone vanisht quite as drawne.
Yea, surelie, I almost
My former studies, to my shame,
And greatest grief, haue lost.
And als my Spreit a Table like,
That voide, hath but a frame,
Like Coruin, Trapesuntius, or
Like Gaze, forgot my name,
That Greek, whose learned voice, and whose
Most facond hand and pen,
Did teach the Romane language to
The verie Romane men.
And for that cause in spite of my
Most carefull studies ay,
My verse are feuerous now become,
By habitude alway.
Verse, sometimes animated, with
A furie most deuine,
And sometimes shuddering, with a most
Vnlearned coldnesse syne.
BVT of the Regiment that is third
The cruell Squadres fall,
Vnto the quarter, that conteines
The vertues naturall all:
The vertues that do piece and piece
Most happely procure,
Als-well our nourishment, as our
Vp-growing alway sure.
The Boulime whiles, whiles lacks of meat
Through ANOREXIA will,
Dog-hunger whiles, whiles lyes his meat
Through BRADIPEPSIA still.
Whiles she that makes the appetite,
So monstrous and so great,
In how parts of our stomack, doth
She take her lodging seat.
Then after with the Liuer doth
The saffrond Gulsoch fight,
For hauing stopt way to the Gall
Chollerick, by his might
He doth his kindled venome skaill
Throughout the corps. (In place
Of finest blood.) which outwardlie
Turnes yeallow hewed apace.
In contrare doufe Hydropsie makes
Him like for colde to sterue
Whill time it make the Fleume in place
Of purest blood to serue.
But I the sliddrie bowels see
Below (allace) by foes
Assaild, that are a thousand times
Far mutinaire then those:
The Colick with hir preson'd windes
Breids them a raging paine,
The dolour Iliack doth throw
Them sore, most inhumaine
Doth stop their purging conduits, and
Detestable she makes
Euen of manns mouth a pestilent
And filthie stinking jakes.
The read dissenterie all enarmed
With throwings sore againe,
Doth painefullie draw out the blood
Of manie an opned vaine.
The Stonie grauell doth the neares
On other part inuade,
By gathering of an humour, which
The rigour of heat hath made
To change into a Stone, which stops
(Malicious) without more
The sliddrie vreter, carier of
Salt vrine skalding sore,
Euen as the Diabete doth, by
The contrair louse at last
The greace of all our bodie in
The vrine seething fast,
And causing thirst, distils as much,
As all the matter may,
Full bruddie furnish raine vnto
The gutter running ay.
And to the members that vs makes,
For ages following heere,
Leaue of our bodies dead, so quicke
And manie Mirrours cleere,
Yoakes fiercely the vnablenes
To liue in VENVS law:
And the continuall flowing of
The seed vnripe and raw.
Who preasis (restlesse Tyrants) for
To leese and to destroy
The vnconceaued Babes thereby,
Their Parents to anoy.
The SQADRE fourt, wherein the Chouks,
As Soldats do remaine,
The vile deuouring Cancer, and
The Gout a cruell paine,
Together with the Hyues, and with
The boudned Oedems cleare,
Plouks, Shirres, and atrie Phlegmons, sends
A hundreth brags with beare
Vnto the place assieged, and syne,
Their blind rage doth them make,
Because they cannot harme the fort,
The plaine field for to sacke.
From hand in sheath ô cruell foes,
Your mightlesse Swords let fall,
The death a thousand times hath both
Of blood and senews all,
Bereft your foe, and nought the lesse,
Without all hold or stay
Your pitilesse hand his beautie doth
Dishonour euery way
His members all makes laidlie, and does
With blunted knife beginne
To saw his joynts, and Leiths, and for
To hacke his wrinckled skinne.
I thinke I see into the mid'st
Of wilde and open lands,
Of Wolues, and suttle Foxes als
The cruell craftie bands,
Who hauing on the softest Sand,
By chance of meeting found
The Lyon streaked, who on lyue
Commanded all the ground,
And whose most horrible austrun face
(Retaining former spite)
Did melt a far, euen with his beames,
Their former boldnes quite:
They (cruell) teare him, and against
Their King that is deceased,
Affraidly prooues, to practise that,
Whereat, they feeblie preased.
Shall I among these dwynings count.
(Whose cruell boldnes fell,
Seemes, as it were, with outward scroofe
Of vexed man to mell?)
The ouglie lowsie Phtiriase: ô
The shamefull plague and vile,
That euen makes Kings more filthie then
Their Beggers all the while:
Who clad with clouts, and eaten vp
With Vermin euer still:
Both night and day, for yeuking are
Compel'd to fidge their fill.
Kings swarming all with Lice, when as
The rubbing cannot stay,
Nor yet oft changed beds can giue
Them slaiking any way.
For euen as from a Surge, the Waues
Are sliding after Waues:
So swarme doth follow after swarme,
Their flesh too fertill craues
His owne deuourers to produce,
And whill spent be the blood,
It of it selfe the selfe doth make
The execrable food.
But what? Thinke not that Fortune blind,
Whose turning Wheel still slides,
The Campe of third EVMENIDE fell
Confus'dlie pell-mell guides:
I of her Soldats see, who as
Conducted well by reason,
Makes choyce, aswell of nature, age,
As of the quartered season,
The Portugall is bruddie so,
In Phtisiques as we see:
The Ebre in Chouks, the Arne in those
That Epilepticke be,
One Inde into Grangores, Sauoy
In goitrous doth abound,
In pest-folkes Sardine, Lepruse are
In Ægypt many found.
The places manners like, or the
Strong influence aloft
Of Mightie Heauen that gouerns all.
So tender childhood soft,
Is gnawn with Wormes, the children that
Their rawnes gender will,
And for their weakenes hes their wombe,
That loose runnes euer still:
The Skall vpon their head doth of
Their saltest fleumes proceed.
They for a time beare many a blybe
Of worssome that doth breed
Euen of the menstruall humour, which
As new wine raging fast,
In seething in the bodie, makes
A plouckie skinne at last.
The youth into Hemorragie
Most easilie doth fall,
In Feuers hot, in Dwinings, and
In Phrenesie withall.
And feeble age hath commonly
For his too irksome Hosts,
The coldrife bloodlesse shakings, and
The fashious coughing hoasts,
Katharres, and Gouts. So likewise the
Sciaticke, hard to mend,
The Feuer that the humour of
Melancolie doth send.
The bloodie fluxis, Pests, amd als
The watrie swelling great
Are nurished with vs when wake
Autumnus brookes his seat.
The Fike, the Skab, the Langour als
Of ALCIDE doth vs take,
And raging charge vs in the spring,
That both is hot and wake.
And then the Diarrhee, with the
Hot euill, a seeknes sore,
Assaileth vs importunatlie
In Sommer euermore.
As Pleurisie, the hoast and rheume
Do seeldome make repaire,
But couered with the whitest flocks
Of heauenlie fethers fair,
And Souldiers (sweirlie keeping home)
Into the house do hold
Of gelded sonne to aigit zeir,
Their garnison full cold.
And some I see (whose venome doth
Delite but in a throng)
Vnleauing of the first from corps
To corps to slide along,
As the Ameriquain, and als
The Leprosie, and Byle,
The Ptisie, mesels, and the pests
Red Charbucle and vyle.
And further some I see, which for
Sadd heritage, allace,
We (seiklie) leaue our sonnes, which they
From age to age embrace.
The Choakes and Goitre both into
That ranke they euer stood,
The Gout, the Grauell, Leprosie
Withall that spilles the blood,
Rumbursnes, white Hydropsie als,
The languishing Ptisie eik,
The Epilepsie dead withall,
Bred of a vaprous reik,
For the effect successiue of
Thair Venome vnespied,
Is to the flowing Sperma of
Their fathers surelie tied.
But ô allace: what stratagems,
What strongest armes can we
Now vse against those warriours, who
Deceatfull traitours be.
I meane these traiterous paines whome art,
As most imperfite knowes
Not by the name, but onely by,
Effects that thereof growes.
Such as the suffocation of
The bruddie matrice quick,
The Swowning wan, the skunnering euill
That skailles conuentions thick.
When as a vapour, I know not what,
Long keeped close I trow,
Into, I know not what a part,
It doth, I know not how.
Can he eschew the cruelties
Fulfild with craftie wiles
Of those so obstinate ills, who are,
Abusers by their gyles
Of cunning med'ceners hands, and who
Once from the bodie chased,
Are in the half dead members vnder
An other name replaced.
Or rather Schollers euen of the
Fond Metempsichosis straunge
Teacht by that SAMIEN learnd: The one
Doth metamorphosd change
In far worse ill. Cum'd either of
Th'affinity that doth lye,
Twixt faltish humors or betwixt,
The members vext thereby:
Or els through the vnlearnd abuse,
Ot eh malitious greed,
Of those that of Apollos arte,
Are practisers indeed.
Euen as the sturdie that transformd
And changd is euerie way
In Falling-ill, the Rage into
Lethargie sleeping ay.
The constitution ill into,
Hydropesie full colde:
The Slee-ping dulnes oft transform'd
In Palsie doth vs holde.
Short ADAM like a Hart is who
Doth in a wodds nuik stay,
And thrusting in into the soile
Is at the latter bay
All teared with lyam-hounds, whome of
The one doth bite his back:
One pulles his flanke, an other at
His breast dooth bussie snack,
One scoupes vnto his throate, and one
His fouch is loath to leaue
One holds his eare, and one vnto
His neck doth hinging cleaue.
He als is like a mightie Bull,
Whose pridefull horne doth egg,
The sleeprie byting little swarmes
Of manie a spitefull cleg:
Who bumming do come out, and their
Assailer do assaile,
And valiauntlie doe on his skin
Their Squadre campe and naile,
The Bull doth with his forked head,
The windes beat euery where,
The ground scraps with his cloves, his taile
His sydes beates heere and there.
And flying longs both forrests, rocks,
And forcie streames and cleuches,
The place where he receaued his hurt:
But not his hurts eschewes.
In end, with needels ouercled,
Behoues him to be slaine,
Or at the least as dead into
That place for to remaine.
For man he is inuaded with
A thousand langors sore,
And euery other liuing thing
It gets a proofe no more
But of a verie few of euils:
The falln-ill onelie assailes,
The Squadres gatherers of the hoat
And the Venerian Quailes.
The sheepe doth feare the skab, and als
The dulling Sturdie still,
The dog-ill, and the Madnesse they
Oppres the mastish will.
And further, euerie one of them
Before his birth doth beare,
Of strongest simples knawledge such
As they haue need to leare.
And neuer doth he feele his euill
Steale neare to him so soone,
But he als sone the remedie
Hath readie to be done.
For the slow-past Shelpaddock hath
The Humlock icie-colde,
To serue for soueraigne remedy,
The Ramme doth rightlie hold
The Rhew his counter-poison, and
The Sacred Lawrell tree,
For Reubarb serues to Partrich, Merle,
And Gea that painted be,
The Beare for medicine meet for him,
The Mandragore obserues,
And the Marcellian crommie for
Lucinas Goates it serues.
But we are ignorant of all,
Euen after hauing had
Acquired in bookes a knowledge, that
Sophistique is and bad.
An art ay snappring, and withall,
A knowledge quite vnknowne,
Which neuer enters but into
The hoarie heads, and thrown
Of men who worne, and broken with
A labour too ingrate,
In seeking others healthes, they leese
Their owne, such is their state:
Or rather, who do make themselues,
By others perrils sore,
Full famous Doctors, and by drinks
Vntimous doe they store,
And fill with Hillocks the Church-yard,
And lacking feare or shame,
Do bourreaus make themselues be paid,
For murthers made by thame.
I doe not speake heere of the good,
The learned and the wise,
Into whose hearts, the feare of God
Imprinted deepely lies,
And who doe skilfully within
Our bodies stay and tie,
Our spreits of life, that otherwise,
Were readie out to flie:
For I doe surely honor these,
As heauenly men celest,
Healthes leaning stocks, and bannishers
Of euery death and Pest.
Dame Natures counsellers, and the
Almighties agents ay,
And Stewards, and Store-maisters wise,
Of flourishing age alway.
But if that any paine by art
Of man may slaked be,
These learned learn'd it haue euen of
Their Colledge dumme we see:
For we doe the Phlebotomie
Of the Sea-horsses take,
Of the wilde Goats the Recipeis
That for the eies we make.
Of Ibis and the Heron we
The laxatiue clisters haue,
Of Beares and Lyons the Austere
Great diets we receaue.
Now all these Campions fearce they do,
The bodie but persew.
Some inwardly do make assault,
And outwardlie anew:
Or if that any take them to
The soule most pleasant faire,
That no waies is directlie but
For that they will not spare
To crosse her feeble Officers,
And spoile her worklumes fine,
Whereby she (learn'd) so many works
Makes subtilie deuine.
BVT Lo foure fearefull Captaines now,
Whose furie hoat assaies,
To dresse a batterie great against
The Spreit in many waies:
His constancie in a brangle puts,
And promptlie drawes apace,
Euen from the path of reason quite,
Their judgement blind alace,
Opinions Children who thought they
Inuisible be cleine,
Yet they their harmefull motions through,
The bodies makes to sheine.
The first is irksomnes, the which
A drumlie cloud doth holde,
And from the crowne euen of the head,
Vnto the foot doth folde:
Doth rauing drant both night and day,
Growes old or age be neere,
The longest skorie wrinckles on
His face as Furres appeare:
And in a dowisome quiet nooke
He carefull euer thrists,
Als manie sighs out of his breast,
As teares from eies out brists.
He guides the tarndnesse, which to eat
The selfe doth neuer faile,
The weeping pitie, and withall
The heauie sadnes paile:
And the enrag'd dispair, which with
Straiks blea-hewde beats the sell,
Who with Coales, Aspiks, Tedders als
For Armour meet doth mell.
The throwart eied enuie withall
Fat of the leanes ay
Of dearest friends, who restleslie
Doth gnaw her selfe away.
Like famisht POLIPYS, who in
Vnhaps doth bath her still,
And (most ill willie) but on teares
Her wrath doth feed and fill.
And als the jelousie, which but
To slumber once doth feare,
And euer (most suspicious) hath
The Flea into the eare:
And farre mo eies then he who being
By HERMES witcht at last,
Did the Inachien beautie let
Be stolne he sleeping fast.
THE Second Captaine sure is joy,
Excessiuelie to glade,
Who skoups, and lightlie startles, and
Whome to the street that made
By APPIVS was, to narrow is,
Whose sences all they do
Euen at the wishes als enjoy
Most pleasant pleasures to:
Who guides effronted vanterie that
Doth euer faine and lie,
A flatterer, and importune, and
That euer crying be:
And pride brow-bender Gyant who
Wings on his backe doth beare,
And with his loftie forhead hits,
The Starrie sylring cleare:
And many others like the Bels,
Who boldned in a raine,
Do swelling emptie rise vpon
The wake and humid plaine.
The feare whose sides incessantly
Do bussie beat apace,
Whose bosome hath no heart, nor vaines
Haue blood in any case:
Nor spreit hath counsaile, yet she daunts
Vs quite that feeble dame,
Euen with the terrour pale, and with
The Land-wart blushing shame:
And swearnesse als at slowest pace
Which euer comes and creepes,
The which with willing yrnes her armes
At all times fastned keepes:
Who lashlie dreames both night and day,
A barren, vndought eik,
A vile paralitique feeble one,
Who begging aid doth seeke.
And thou ô Couetousnes the which
The earth, nor yet the aire,
Nor sea, or heauen can euer fill
Or stanch thy lusting caire.
Who crookes for eyes, and groundlesse deepes,
For entrailles carries ay,
And clookes for hands, thou fences with
Poore ADAM euery way,
Thou does vnto the combate bring,
Ambition boudned vaine,
That burnes in slow and soaking fire,
Whose passion to containe
Or bound in EPICVRVS worlds,
Is bootelesse to essay,
Who in his hand doth Scepters als
In paintrie carrie ay.
Thou brings the greedie Auarice,
Enarmed all with cleekes,
And cled with glew, who neuer briggs
For her safe passage seekes,
Both through CHARIBDIS baying, and
Through traitrous SYRTES fell.
Who growes the miserabler the more
Her wealth growes with her sell.
A monster fierce without respect,
Or loue, or faith, who will
Her neighbours sorelie harme, but yet
Her self more euer still.
Who puts her hand in euerie thing,
Mœchanicklie too vyle.
Lyke TANTALVS in middst of goods,
Full poore euen all the whyle.
Who nombers neuer what she hath,
But what she lak'th doth count,
A foule, who though well winged, yet
She hie doth neuer mount.
Thou wrathfull contrare ADAM does
Lead forward to the warre,
The wrath, the which alreadie goes
Then thunder swifter farre.
Who sullen like a Sanglier makes
Her awfull teeth to crack,
Her haire starts wouddershunes, and whiles
Her burning eyes doth make
To reill, whiles tieth them to the ground:
Whose horrible face it will
Whiles paill, whiles firie, rout with voice
Most wilde and elrage still:
The ground stamps with her feet, her hands
On other rash apace:
She poison, fire, and cruell sworde,
Into that foming cace
Beares in her hand, them for to kill,
Whome syne she doth lament,
And lightlies death prouiding that
Her fellow also went:
Like as a hinging wall which by
The winde louse shaken bene,
Doth bruze the selfe on that, the which
Vnder it all bruz'd is clene.
Thou makes vnto the fight to come
Squar'd arrowes-bearer loue,
Which tyrants painting will I not
After all th'Apellesis proue
That FRANCE hath borne, and shortlie then,
Beneath thy Standarts faire,
Thou makes als manie Soldats els
For to be marching there
As there be verry goods, or for
Resemblance so doth trow
The King of beasts who of him selfe
Is not the maister now.
But if these passions that pursewes
And touches vs so neere,
Would swiftlie passe away as doth
A glancing lightening cleere
Then were it nothing, but allace
They oftentimes doe leaue
The venomed sting into the soule
Which hurting they deceaue:
From that so drumlie spring doth flow,
The deadlie poisons fell,
The SODOMIES, thefts, and incests,
And treasons vile to tell.
The blasphemies, the false contracts,
Conspiring, drunkenesse eik,
The Sacriledge, wait-laying, murther,
And Reafe that praies do seek.
Allace these langors (that be worse
Then thousand deaths be farr,)
Are different from the langores that
Makes with the bodie warre.
Who are auowedlie enemies,
And by their malice do,
Giue to the Patient manie a signe
Of healthes attaining to,
Whiles by the brangling pulse, and whiles
Euen by their colour viue,
Whiles by the stinging needels of
Strong dolour that doth grieue.
So as well knowing once the euill,
That doth vs brooke and binde,
It is not too difficill syne,
The remedie to finde.
But these our euils for that they in
Our vnderstanding raigne,
Who onelie ought and may discerne
Of them, they do remaine
Vnknowne at all and for that cause
Doth PODALIRIVS stay,
To runne to ANTICIRE to get
His health in anie way.
And furthermore the Feuerous man,
We feuerous do him call,
Hydropique we hydropique name,
Dissimuling not at all
Inunder the deceatfull masque,
Of fained words the paine
That crewell, doth our members with
Her torments sharpe demaine.
Contrariwise, the Spreit is of
The self the flatterer ay,
The owne skabb clawes, and with a style
That lyar is alway
By cloaking of his vices lets
The Vlcer blinde to feare,
The Cautere needles quite for it
Of reason for to heare:
And sure if vice did euer cleith
The self in anie where
With the vnspotted famous cloak
Of holie vertue faire
It certainlie is in our age
Worse by a hundreth folde,
Then when on all the earth the waues
Quite vniuersal rolde.
Of sinnes discourse I will not that
Are vildest in degree,
Wherewith the bedds infamous of
The greatest spotted be.
For feare that in offending of
The holies tender eare,
I rather seeme to teach them then
To wish them to forbeare.
They who vpon their bodies with
Grangores gnawne and deformed,
Beares Woods, faire Meidowes, Castles als
In threads of Gold transformed,
And whose hands prodigall into
Once shifting of the Cairts,
One Iusting proud, one Banquet great,
Doe wast with glorious hearts
The treasures gathered by the paines
And niggard trauels sore,
Of their forebeers occurrars, cal'd
Are liberall euermore.
They whose affected going, and
Whose fairded deintie cheekes,
Whose accent all effeminat,
Whose bonnie blincks and keeks,
Whose feeble coward heart and spreit,
Whose soft and souple weed
Declares, that they are onelie men
Of outward shew indeed,
O these be courtlie proper and feat.
Those who from bed to bed
Like Goat-bucks wander vagabonds,
Whose charming mouthes haue led
And chaste SVSANNAES tysted halfe
And euer famisht, flee
To euerie pray: ô surely these
Are Louers cal'd we see.
They who by false contracts, and by
Vnlawfull measures do
Acquire (oppressours) substance, yea,
And princely riches too:
And goes Sophisticating all
The simple strangers ay,
And hundreths doe for hundreths lend,
Are Stewards good they say.
Who in reuenges badd desire,
Do euer thrist and burne,
Who bathes themselues in blood, and puts
No difference in their turne
Of ranke, of Sexe, of age, but still
Most cruell they defile,
Colde blooded into euery corps
Their murthering hands and vile,
Are men of most magnanime spreit.
O would to God that FRANCE
Were voyd of men of spreit, since that
Our manhead doth aduance,
And fight for our ilwillers, and
Suckes out our blood apace,
Makes wast our Cities, and doth bresh
Our verie sides allace.
O would to God the Targe, the Pike,
The Sword might changed be
In ploughs for to mannure the Land.
O shall I neuer see
The Spiders long and threadie feet
Full busie for to weaue,
Within the hollowest of a healme
Deckt with a pennage braue?
But if ye French-men greene so fast,
To Battailes for to go,
And if that awfull Ennyon seethes
Into your bowels so,
What gaine or profite holdes you heere,
And makes you stay so long?
Our fields of bestiall voyd, of wealth
Are all our Cities strong.
Then go ye, runne ô warlike youth
Whome no distresse can dant,
Another Gaulien Greece into
Natolia for to plant:
Go run in Flanders, and do yee
Most mercifull releeue
Your brethren Belges from the yoake
Of Spaine that doth them greeue.
Run vnto Portugale, and people
Of new Gallicia now,
And do your names engraue againe
In PORT-VLISSES brow.
THus louing Reader as thou sees,
Now haue I made an end,
Vnto this worke which man did write,
But by the Lord is pend:
Wherein as I haue preast to make
The Authour knowne to all,
That into Brittaine Ile remaine,
Where he before was thrall
Within the onelie bounds of France,
So doubt I not thou will
Excuse my blotting of his face,
And blame my lacke of skill
Which letted me to imitate
His hard and loftie verse,
His arrowes headed blunt by me,
As earst could no waies pearce.
But since both profite may heerein,
And pleasure reaped be,
Though metamorphos'd all I grant,
And quite transform'd by me:
Yet ought thou justlie loue and like
My painefull trauels bent,
It is sufficient vnto me,
Thou know my good intent.

THE LEPANTO OF IAMES the sixt, King of Scotland.

THE LEPANTO OF IAMES THE SIXT, King of Scotland.

I sing a wondrous worke of God,
I sing his mercies great,
I sing his justice heere-withall
Powr'd from his holy seat.
To wit, a cruell Martiall warre,
A bloodie battell bolde,
Long doubtsome fight, with slaughter huge
And wounded manifold.
Which fought was in LEPANTOES gulfe
Betwixt the baptiz'd race,
And circumsised Turband Turkes
Rencountring in that place.
O onely God, I pray thee thrise,
Thrise one in persons three,
Alike Eternall, like of might,
Although distinct yee be.
I pray thee Father, through thy Sonne,
Thy word immortall still,
The great ARCHANGEL of records
And worker of thy will,
To make thy holie Spreit my Muse,
And eik my pen inflame,
Aboue my skill to write this worke
To magnifie thy name.
INTO the turning still of times,
I erre, no time can be,
Where was and is, and times to come,
Confounded are all three.
I meane before great God in Heauen,
(For Sunne and Moone deuides
The times in Earth by houres and dayes,
And seasons still that slides.)
Yet Man, whome Man must vnderstand,
Must speake into this cace,
As man, our flesh will not permit,
Wee heauenlie things imbrace.
Then, as I els began to say,
One day it did fall out,
As glorious God in glistering throne,
With Angells round about
Did sit, and Christ at his right hand,
That craftie Satan came,
Deceauer, Lyar, hating man,
And Gods most sacred name.
This olde abuser stood into
The presence of the Lord,
Then in this manner Christ accus'de,
The sower of discord.
I know thou from that City comes,
CONSTANTINOPLE great,
Where thou hast by thy malice made
The faithles Turkes to freat.
Thou hast inflamde their maddest mindes
With raging fire of wraith,
Against them all that doe professe
My name with feruent fayth.
How long ô Father shall they thus,
Quite vnder foote be tred,
By faithles folkes, who executes
What in this snake is bred.
Then Satan answerd, Fayth? quoth he,
Their Faith is too too small,
They striue me thinke on either part,
Who farthest backe can fall.
Hast thou not giuen them in my hands,
Euen boath the sides I say,
That I, as best doth seeme to me,
May vse them euery way?
THEN IEHOVA, whose nod doth make,
The heauens and mountaines quake,
Whose smallest wrath the centres makes,
Of all the Earth to shake,
Whose worde did make the worlde of nought,
And whose approouing syne,
Did stablish all even as wee see,
By force of voice deuine.
This God began from thundering throte,
Graue wordes of waight to bring,
All christians serues my Sonne though not
Aright in everie thing.
No more shall now these Christians be
With Infidels opprest,
So of my holie hallowed name
The force is great and blest.
Desist, ô tempter. GABRIEL come
O thou ARCHANGEL true,
Whome I haue oft in message sent
To Realmes and Townes anew.
Go quicklie hence to Venice Towne,
And put into their minds
To take reuenge of wrongs the Turks
Haue done in sundrie kinds.
No whisling winde with such a speed,
From hilles can hurle ore heugh,
As he whose thought doth furnish speed,
His thought was speed aneugh.
This Towne it stands within the Sea,
Fiue miles or there about,
Vpon no Ile nor ground, the Sea
Runnes all the streets throughout.
Who stood vpon the Steeple head
Should see a wondrous sight,
A Towne to stand without a ground,
Her ground is made by slight:
Strong Timber props dung in the Sea
Do beare her vp by art,
An Ile is all her market place
A large and spacious part,
A Duke with Senate joyned doth rule,
Saint MARKE is patron chiefe,
Ilk yeare they wedde the Sea with rings
To be their sure reliefe.
The Angell then ariu'd into
This artificiall Towne,
And chang'd in likenes of a man,
He walkes both vp and downe,
While time he met some man of spreit,
And then began to say,
What doe we all? me thinke we sleepe:
Are we not day by day
By cruell Turks and infidels
Most spitefullie opprest?
They kill our Knights, they brash our forts,
They let vs neuer rest.
Go too, go too, once make a proofe:
No more let vs desist,
To bold attempts God giues successe,
If once assay we list:
With this he goes away, this man
Vnto another tels
The purpose whereunto they both
Agree among them sels.
This other to another tels,
And so from hand to hand
It spreads and goes, and all that heard
It, necessare it fand.
And last of all, it comes vnto
The Duke and Senates eare,
Who found it good, and followed furth
The same as ye shall heare.
THE Towne was driuen into this time,
In such a piteous strait
By Mahometists, that they had els
Giuen ouer all debait:
The Turke had conquest Cyprus Ile,
And all their lands that lay
Without the bounds of Italie,
Almost the whole I say:
And they for last refuge of all,
Had moou'd each Christian King
To make their Churches pray for their
Reliefe in euerie thing.
The Towne with piteous plaints did call
Vpon the Lord of might,
With praying still and fasting oft,
And groning all the night,
Was nothing heard but sobs and sighs,
Was nothing seene but teares,
Yea sorrow draue the brauest men
With mourning to their beares.
The women swound for sorrow oft,
The babe for woe did weepe,
To see the mother giuing milke
Such dolefull gesture keepe.
Young men and maids within the towne
Were ay arraid in blacke,
Each Eau'n the Sunne was sooner hid
Then earst, the night to macke.
No VENVS then, nor CVPID false
durst kyth or once appeare,
For paile distresse had banisht them,
By sadde and sory cheare.
As Seas did compasse them about,
As Seas the Streets did rin,
So Seas of teares did ever flowe,
The houses all within.
As Seas within were joyned with howles,
So Seas without did raire,
Thair carefull cries to Heauen did mount
Resounding in the aire.
O stay my Muse, thou goes too farre,
Shewe where we left before,
Lest trikling teares so fill my penne
That it will write no more.
THEN VENICE being in this state,
When GABRIEL there was sent,
His speaches spred abroad, made Towne
And Senat both so bent
To take reuenge, as they implorde
The Christian Princes ayd,
Of forces such, as easilie,
They might haue spard and maid.
At last, support was granted them,
The holie league was past,
Als long to stande, as twixt the Turkes
And Christians warre shoulde last.
It was agreed, that into March,
Or Aprill every yeare,
The armie shoulde on easterne Seas,
Convene from farre and neare.
THVS bent vpon their interprise,
The principalls did conveene,
Into MESSENA to consult,
What order should haue beene,
Obseru'd in all their armie great:
There DON IOAN d'AVSTRIA came,
Their Generall great, and VENIER als
Came there in Venice name.
From GENES ANDREA DOREE came
And Rome COLONNE sent,
When they with others many daies
Had into counsaile spent,
In end ASCAGNIO DE LA CORNE
A Martiall man and wise
His counsaile gaue, as ye shall heare
Vpon their enterprise.
THREE causes be (ô Chieftaines braue)
That should a Generall let,
On Fortunes light vncertaine wheele
The victorie to set:
First, if the losse may harme him more,
Then winning can auaile,
As if his Realme he doe defend
From them that it assaile:
The next is when the contrare Host
Is able to deuide
For sicknes sore or famine great
Then best is to abide.
The third and last, it is in case
His forces be too small,
Then better farre is to delay,
Then for to perish all:
But since of these two former points
We need not stand in doubt,
Then though we leese, we may defend
Our Countries round about.
As to the last, this armie is
So awfull strong and faire,
And furnisht so with necessares
Through your foreseing cair,
That nought doth rest but courage bolde.
Then since your state is such,
With trust in God assay your chance
Good cause availeth much.
But speciallie take heede to this,
That ere yee make away,
Ye order all concerning warre,
Into their due array:
For if while that yee see your foes,
Yee shall continewe all,
Then shall their suddaine sight with feare
Your brauest Spreits appall,
Each one commande a sundry thing,
Astonisht of the cace,
And everie simple Soldat shall
Vsurpe his Captaines place.
This counsall so contents them all,
That everie man departs,
With whispering much, and so resolues
With bolde magnanime harts.
Their preparations being made,
They all vpon a day,
Their biting ankers, gladlie wayed,
And made them for the way.
The Grecian Fleet, for HELENS cause
That NEPTVNS town did sack:
In braue array, or glistring armes,
No match to them could mak.
There came eight thousand Spaniards braue,
From hotte and barren SPAINE,
Good ordour kepars, cold in fight,
With proud disdainfull braine.
From pleasant fertill ITALIE,
There came twelue thousand als,
With subtill spreites bent to reuenge,
By craftie meanes and fals.
Three thousande ALMANS also came,
From Countries colde and wide,
These monney men with awfull cheare
The chok will dourelie bide.
From diuers partes did also come,
Three thousand venturers braue,
All voluntaires of conscience mou'd,
And would no wages haue.
Armde Galleyes twice a hundr' and eight
Six shippes all wondrous great,
And fiue and twentie loadned Shipps
With baggage and with meate.
With fourtie other little barkes
And prettie Galents small,
Of these aforesaid was compound
The Christian Nauie all.
THIS cloude of Gallies thus began
On NEPTVNS back to rowe,
And in the Shippes the marriners
Did skippe from towe to towe.
With willing mindes they hailde the Tyes,
And hoist the flaffing Sayles,
And strongest towes, from highest mastes,
With force and practique hayles.
The Forceats lothsomlie did rowe,
In Gallies gainst their will,
Whome Galley masters oft did beat,
And threaten euer still.
The foming Seas did bullor vp,
The risking Oares did rashe,
The Soldats peeces for to clenge
Did shoures of shotts delashe.
BVT as the Deuill is reddie bent,
Good workes to hinder ay,
So sowd he in this Nauie strife,
Their good successe to stay:
Yet did the wisdomes of the Chiefes
And of the generall most,
Compound all quarrels and debates
That were into that Host,
Preferring wisely as they ought,
The honor of the Lord,
Vnto their owne, the publicke cause,
To priuate mens discord.
THE feathered fame of wondrous speed
That doth delite to flee
On tops of houses pratling all
That she can heare or see,
Part true, part false: this monster strange
Among the Turkes did tell,
That diuers Christian Princes joyned,
Resolu'd with them to mell.
Then spies were sent abroad, who tolde
The matter as it stood,
Except in Arithmetique (as
It seemd) they were not good,
For they did count their number to
Be lesse then was indeed,
Which did into the great Turks mind
A great disdaining breed:
A perrillous thing, as euer came
Into a Chieftaines braine,
To set at nougth his foes (though small)
By lighleing disdaine.
Then SELYM sent a nauie out,
Who wanderd without rest,
Whill time into LEPANTOES gulfe
They all their Ankers kest.
IN season when with sharpest hooks
The busie shearers cowe
The fruitfull yallow lockes of golde,
That doe on CERES growe,
And when the strongest Trees for weight
Of birth do downward bow
Their heauie heads, whose colourd knops
In showers raines ripelie now,
And Husband-men with woodbind crownes
To twice borne BACHVS dance,
Whose pleasant poyson sweet in tast,
Doth cast them in a trance:
Into this riping season sure,
The Christian Host I say,
Were all assembled for to make
Them Readie for the way:
But or they from MESSENA came,
The Vines were standing bair,
Trees voyd of fruit and CERES polde,
And lacking all her hair:
But when that leaues, with ratling falles
In banks of withered boughes,
And carefull laborers do begin,
To yoke the painefull ploughes
The Nauies neere to other drew,
And VENIER (sent before)
Gaue false Alarum, sending word,
The Turks had skowp'd the score.
That fiftie Galleis quite were fled,
This word he sent expresse,
To make the Christians willinglie
To battell them addresse,
As so they did, and enterd all,
(Moou'd by that samin flight.)
Into LEPANTOES gulfe, and there
Preparde them for the fight.
WHILL this was doing heere on earth,
Great God who creats all,
(With wakrife eie preordoning
What euer doth befall.)
Was sitting in his pompous Throne,
In hiest Heauen aboue,
And gloriouslie accompanied
With justice and with loue:
The one hath smiling countenance,
The other frowning cheare,
The one to mercie still perswades
Him as a Father deare,
The other for to powre his plagues
Vpon repining sinne,
And fill the fields with wofull cries,
The houses all with dinne,
But yet the Lord so temperates them,
That both doe brooke their place,
For Iustice whiles obtaines her will,
But euermore doth grace:
IEHOVA als hath ballances,
Wherewith hee weighs aright
The greatest and the heauiest sinnes,
With smaller faults and light,
These grace did mooue him for to take,
And so he weighed in Heauen,
The Christian faults with faithlesse Turkes,
The ballance stood not eauen,
But sweid vpon the faithlesse side:
And then with awfull face,
Frownd God of Hosts, the whirling Heauens
For feare did tremble apace,
The staiest Mountaines shuddred all,
The grounds of earth did shake,
The Seas did bray, and PLVTOES Realme
For horrour colde did quake.
HOVV soone AVRORAS ioyfull face,
Had shead the shadie night,
And made the chiuering Larks to sing
For gladnes of the light,
And PHOEBE with inconstant face,
In Seas had gone to rest,
And PHOEBVS chasing vapours moist,
The Skie made blew celest:
The Generall of the Christian Host
Vpon his Galley Mast,
The bloodie signe of Furious MARS
Made to bee fixed fast.
Then as into a spacious towne,
At breaking of the day,
The busie worke-men doe prepare
Their Worklumes euery way,
The Wright doth sharpe his hacking Axe,
The Smith his grinding File,
Glasse-makers beets their fire that burnes
Continuall not a while,
The Painter mixes colours viue,
The Printer Letters sets,
The Mason clinckes on Marble Stones,
Which hardlie drest he gets:
Euen so, how soone this Warriour world
With earnest eies did see
Yon signe of Warre, they all prepard
To winne or els to die:
Heere Hagbutters prepard with speed
A number of Bullets round,
There Cannoners, their Canons steild
To make distroying sound,
Here Knights did dight their burnisht brands,
There Archers bowes did bend,
The Armorers on Corslets knockes,
And Harnesse hard did mend,
The feirie Marriners at once
Makes all their tackling clair
And whispering dinne, and cries confus'de,
Preparing here and there:
As busie Bees within their Hyues
With murmuring euer still,
Are earn'st vpon their fruitfull worke
Their emptie holes to fill.
The Flags and Enseigneis were displaid,
At ZEPHYRS will to waue,
Each painted in the colours cleere
Of euery owner braue.
BVT all this time in carefull minde,
The Generall euer rolde,
What manner of array would best
Fit such an Armie bolde,
To pance on this it paind him more,
This more did trouble his brest,
Then Canons, Corse-lets, Bullets, tackle,
And swordes, and bowes, the rest,
And at the last with ripe aduise,
Of Chieftaines sage and graue
He shead in three in Cressents forme,
This martiall Armie braue:
The Generall in the battaile was,
And COLONNE vndertooke
The right wing with the force of GENES,
The left did VENIER brooke.
WHEN this was done, the Spanish Prince
Did row about them all,
And on the names of speciall men
With louing speach did call,
Remembring them how righteous was
Their quarrell, and how good,
Immortall praise, and infinit gaines,
To conquer with their blood,
And that the glorie of God in earth,
Into their manhead stands,
Through just reliefe of Christian soules
From cruell Pagans hands:
But if the ennemie triumphed
Of them and of their fame,
In millions men to bondage would
Professing Iesus name.
The SPANIOL Prince exhorting thus
With glad and smiling cheare,
With sugred wordes, and gesture good,
So pleas'd both eie and eare
That euerie man cryed victorie:
This word abroad they blew,
A good presage that victorie
Thereafter should ensew.
THE Turquish Host in maner like
Themselues they did array,
The which two, BASHAAS did command
And order euerie way.
For PORTAV BASHA had in charge,
To gouerne all by land,
And ALI-BASHA had by Sea,
The onely cheife command,
These BASHAAS in the Battaile were,
With mo then I can tell,
And MAHOMET BEY the right wing had,
The left OCHIALI fell.
Then ALI-BASHA visied all
With bolde and manly face,
Whose tongue did vtter courage more
Then had alluring grace:
He did recount amongst the rest
What victorie Turks obtaind
On catife Christians, and how long
The OTTOMANS race had raignd.
He told them als, how long themselues
Had victours euer bene,
Euen of these same three Princes small,
That now durst so conuene,
And would yee then giue such a lie
Vnto your glories past,
As let your selues be ouerthrowne
By loosers at the last?
This victorie shall Europe make
To be your conquest pray,
And all the rare things thereintill,
Ye carry shall away:
But if ye leese, remember well
How ye haue made them thrall,
This samin way, or worse shall they
Demaine you one and all,
And then shall all your honours past
In smoke euanish quite,
And all your pleasures turne in paine
In dolour your delite:
Take courage then, and boldlie to it,
Our MAHOMET will aid,
Conducting all your shots, and stroakes,
Of Arrow, Dart, and blaid:
For nothing care but onely one
Which onelie doth me fray,
That ere with them we euer meet
For feare they flee away:
This speach did so the Armie please,
And so their minds did mooue,
That clincks of Swordes, and rattle of Pikes,
His speaches did approoue.
THE glistering cleare of shining Sunne
Made both the Hosts so glance,
As fishes eies did reele to see
Such hewes on Seas to dance:
But TITAN shinde on eies of Turkes
And on the Christian backes,
Although the wauering wind the which
But seldome setling tackes,
The Turkes did second euer still
Whill but a little space
Before the chocke, ô miracle,
It turnd into their face,
Which Christians joyfull as a seale
And token did receaue,
That God of Hosts had promis'd them
They victorie should haue.
HOVV soone a Cannons smokie throat
The Seas did dindle all,
And on BELLONA bolde and wise,
And bloodie MARS did call,
And that the sounding cleare of brasse
Did als approoue the same,
And kindled courage into men
To winne immortall fame.
But what? Me thinke I doe intend
This battaile to recite,
And what by Martiall force was done
My pen presumes to write,
As if I had yon bloodie God
And all his power seene,
Yea to descriue the God of Hosts
My pen had able beene:
No, no, no man that witnes was
Can set it out aright,
Then how could I by heare-say do,
Which none can do by sight:
But since I rashlie tooke in hand,
I must assay it now,
With hope that this my good intent
Ye Readers will allow:
I also trust that euen as he
Who in the Sunne doth walke
Is colourd by the samin Sunne,
So shall my following talke
Some fauour keepe of Martiall acts,
Since I would paint them out,
And God shall to his honour als
My pen guide out of dout.
THIS warning giuen to Christians they
With Turks yoake heere and there,
And first the sixe aforesaid Ships
That were so large and fair,
And placed were in the former ranks,
Did first of all persew
With Bullets, Raisers, Chaines, and nailes,
That from their peeces flew:
Their Cannons rummisht all at once,
Whose mortall thudding draue,
The fatall Turks to be content
With THETIS for their graue.
The Fishes were astonisht all,
To heare such hideous sound,
The Azur Skie was dim'd with Smoke,
The dinne that did abound,
Like thunder rearding rumling raue
With roares the highest Heauen,
And pearst with pith the glistering vaults
Of all the Planets seauen:
The piteous plaints, the hideous howles,
The greeuous cries and mones,
Of millions wounded sundrie waies,
But dying all at ones,
Conjoynd with former horrible sound,
Distemperd all the aire,
And made the Seas for terrour shake
With braying euery where:
Yet all these vnacquainted roares,
The feareful threatning sound,
Ioynd with the groning murmuring howles
The courage could not wound
So farre of Turquish Chieftaines braue,
As them to let or fray
With boldest speed their greeuous harmes
With like for to repay,
Who made their Cannons bray so fast
And Hagbuts cracke so thicke,
As Christians dead in number almost
Did countervaile the quicke,
And sent full many carcages
Of Seas to lowest ground,
The Cannons thuds and cries of men
Did in the skie resound:
But Turks remaind not long vnpaid
Euen with their proper coyne,
By bitter shots which Christians did
To former thundring ioyne:
Dead drop they downe on euery side,
Their sighing Spreits eschews,
And crosses Styx into disdaine,
To heare infernall newes:
Yea skarcelie could the ancient bote
Such number of soules containe,
But sobbed vnderneath the weight
Of Passengers prophane.
While here the Father stood with Sonne,
A whirling round doth beare
The lead that dings the Father in drosse
And fils the Sonne with feare,
Whill there a Chieftaine shrillie cries,
And Soldats doth command,
A speedie Pellet stops his speach,
And staies his pointing hand,
Whill time a clustered troupe doth stand
Amasst together all,
A fatall Bullet them among
Makes some selected fall:
The hideous noise so deaf'd them all,
Increasing euer still,
That readie Soldats could not heare
Their wise commanders will,
But euery man as MARS him mou'd,
And as occasion seru'd,
His dutie did the best he might,
And for no perrill sweru'd,
Their olde commanders precepts past
They put in practise then,
And onely memorie did command
That multitude of men.
THVS after they with Cannons had
Their dutie done a farre,
And time in end had wearied them
Of such embassad warre,
A rude recounter then they made,
Together Galleis clipt,
And each on other rasht her nose,
That in the Sea was dipt:
No manner of man was idle then,
Each man his armes did vse,
No skaping place is in the Seas
Though men would MARS refuse:
The valiant Knight with Coutlasse sharpe
Of fighting foe doth part
The bloodie head from bodie pale:
Whill one with deadlie dart
Doth pearce his enemies heart in twaine,
An other fearce doth strike
Quite through his fellowes Arme or Leg,
With pointed brangling Pike:
The Cannons leaues not thundering of,
Nor Hagbuts shooting still,
And seldome Powder wasts in vaine
But either wound or kill:
Yea euen the simple forceats fought
With beggers boltes anew,
Wherewith full manie principall men
They wounded sore and slew:
Whill time a Christian with a sworde,
Lets out a faithlesse breath,
A Turke on him doth with a darte,
Reuenge his fellowes death,
Whill time a Turk with arrow doth,
Shoot through a Christians arme,
A Christian with a Pike dooth pearce
The hand that did the harme:
Whill time a Christian Cannon killes
A Turke with threatning sound,
A Hagbut hittes the Cannoner,
Who dead, falles to the ground:
The beggers boltes by forceates casten,
On all hands made to flie,
Iaw-bones and braines of kild and hurt,
Who wisht (for paine) to die:
The clinkes of swords, the rattle of Pikes,
The whirre of arrowes light,
The howles of hurt, the Captaines cryes
In vaine do what they might,
The cracks of Gallies broken and bruzd,
Of Gunns the rumbling beire
Resounded so, that though the Lord
Had thundered none could heare:
The Sea was vernished red with blood,
And fishes poysond all,
As IEHOVA by MOSES rod
In Aegipt made befall.
THIS cruell fight continued thus
Vncertaine all the while,
For Fortune oft on either side,
Did frowne and after smile,
It seem'd that MARS and PALLAS both
Did thinke the day too short
With bloodie practise thus to vse
Their olde acquainted sport:
For as the slaughter ay increast,
So did the courage still,
Of Martiall men whome losse of friends
Enarm'd with eigre will,
The more their number did decrease
The more that they were harmd,
The more with MARS then were they fild
With boldning spite inarm'd:
Now vp now downe on either side,
Now Christians seemd to winne,
Now ouerthrowne, and now againe,
They seemd but to beginne.
My pen for pitie cannot write,
My hair for horrour stands,
To thinke how many Christians there
Were kild by Pagane hands.
O Lord throughout this Labyrinth
Make me the way to vew,
And let thy holy three-folde Spreit
Be my conducting clew:
O now I spie a blessed Heauen,
Our landing is not farre:
Lo good victorious tidings comes
To end this cruell warre.
IN ALL the time that thus they fought,
The Spanish Prince was clipt
With ALI-BASHA, whome to meet
The rest he had oreslipt:
And euen as throughout both the Hosts,
Dame Fortune varied still,
So kythde she twixt those Champions two,
Her fond inconstant will:
For after that the Castels foure
Of Galleis both, with sound,
And slaughter huge, their Bullets had
In other made rebound,
And all the small Artillerie
Consumde their shots below
In killing men, or els to cut
Some Cable strong or Towe:
Yet victorie still vncertaine was,
And Soldats neuer ceast
(With interchange of Pikes and Darts.)
To kill, or wound at least.
In end, when they with blood abroad
Had bought their meeting deare,
The victorie first on Spanish side
Began for to appeare:
For euen the Spanish Prince himselfe
Did hazard at the last,
Accompanied with boldest men,
Who followd on him fast,
By force to winne the Turkquish decke,
The which he did obtaine,
And entered in their Galley syne
But did not long remaine:
For ALI-BASHA proou'd so well,
With his assisters braue,
That backward faster then they came
Their valiant foes they draue,
That glad they were to skape themselues,
And leaue behind anew
Of valiant fellowes carcases,
Whom thus their enemies slew.
The Generall boldned then with spite,
And vernisht red with shame,
Did rather chuse to leese his life
Then tine his spreading fame:
And so of new encouraged
His Souldiers true and bolde,
As now for eigrenesse they burne
Who earst were waxed colde:
And thus they entred in againe
More fiercelie then before,
Whose rude assault could ALI then
Resist not anie more,
But fled vnto the forte at STEVIN
For last refuge of all,
Abiding in a doubtsome feare
The chance he did befall.
A MACEDONIAN souldier then
Great honour for to win,
Before the rest in earnest hope
To BASHA bold did rin,
And with a Cutlace sharpe and fyne
Did whip mee off his head,
Who lackt not his reward of him
That did the Nauie lead:
The Generall syne caus'd fixe the head
Vpon his Galley Mast.
At sight whereof, the faithlesse Host
Were all so sore agast,
That all amas'd gaue backe at once,
But yet were staid againe,
And neuer one at all did scape,
But taken were or slaine,
OCHIALI except, with three times ten
Great Galleis of his owne,
And many of the Knights of MALT
Whome he had ouerthrowne:
But if that he with his conuoy
Had mist a safe retreat,
No newes had SELYM but by brute
heard euer of this defeat.
WHEN thus the victorie was obteind,
And thankes were giuen to God,
Twelue thousand Christians counted were
Releeu'd from Turquish rod.
O Spanish Prince whome of a glance
And suddainlie away
The cruell fates gaue to the world
Not suffering thee to stay.
With this the still night sad and blacke
The earth ouer shadowed then,
Who MORPHEVS brought with her and rest
To steale on beasts and men.
BVT all this time was Venice Towne
Reuoluing what euent
Might come of this prepared fight,
With doubtsome mindes and bent:
They long'd, and yet they durst not long
To heare the newes of all,
They hoped good, they feard the euill,
And kest what might befall:
At last the joyfull tidings came,
Which such a gladnes bred,
That Matrons graue, and Maids modest,
The Market place bespred:
Anone with chearefull countenance
They dresse them in a ring,
And thus the formest did begin
Syne all the rest to sing.

CHORVS VENETVS.

CHORVS ANGELORVM.

SONET.

[The azur'd vaulte, the crystall circles bright]

The azur'd vaulte, the crystall circles bright,
The gleaming fyrie torches powdred there,
The changing round, the shyning beamie light,
The sad and bearded fyres, the monsters faire:
The prodiges appearing in the aire,
The rearding thunders, and the blustering winds,
The foules, in hew, in shape, in nature raire,
The prettie notes that wing'd musiciens finds:
In earth the sau'rie floures, the mettal'd minds,
The wholesome hearbes, the hautie pleasant trees,
The syluer streames, the beasts of sundrie kinds,
The bounded roares and fishes of the seas:
All these, for teaching man, the LORD did frame,
To do his will, whose glorie shines in thame.