The Golden Aphroditis A pleasant discourse, penned by John Grange ... Whereunto be annexed by the same Authour asvvell certayne Metres upon sundry poyntes, as also divers Pamphlets in prose, which he entituleth His Garden: pleasant to the eare, and delightful to the Reader, if he abuse not the scente of the floures |
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 | The Golden Aphroditis |  |
[Ye Muses nine]
Ye Muses nine
With grace deuine
My wittes to shrine
Giue not consent,
With grace deuine
My wittes to shrine
Giue not consent,
But ayding hand
To beare my band
Through sea & land
For good intent
To beare my band
Through sea & land
For good intent
To rime not rayle
Hold vp my sayle
Let not breth faile
the vertuous mode
Hold vp my sayle
Let not breth faile
the vertuous mode
With trumpe to blase
The condigne phrase
Of hyr who stayed
Where vertue stoode.
The condigne phrase
Of hyr who stayed
Where vertue stoode.
Although
of Helicone that well
my tongue hath not assayde:
And though the Horne of Acheloye
his knowledge hath denayde:
Yea, though Alcinous Orcharde hath
his fruyte denayde my lore,
Whereby I might the apter be
my landing carme to score:
Yet Arethusa, yeelde me thine
influence to indite,
And Phebus sharpe my willyng penne,
expresly for to write
The blasing feates displaying wise
of Natures darlyng deare,
Whome Uertue she with golden mace
and trumpe dothe seeke to reare.
Yet sithe my selfe by paynting penne
I would so fayne disguise,
Lucina graunt Apollo may
melodiously deuise
My filed phrase, so polished
with Tagus glittring sandes,
Whereby hyr vewyng eyes might thinke
she redde of golden landes.
Ye Goddes seclude my rurall penne,
and yeelde a glosing stile,
With curious polished phrase,
or
with relucent file,
Of Tullies famous eloquence
To prayse hir worthy excellence.
Come yeelde thy leaues thou Laurell tree
to make a garland rounde:
To Crowne hyr head, and let the trumpe
hyr flying fame resounde.
Whose features all so many are,
so worthie, and so cleare,
That of my selfe I dare be bolde
to say, she hath no peare.
Suche paynting forme, some comely hue
consisteth in hyr face,
That from the Goddes I well suppose
she may define hyr race.
Polixene fayre, Caliop, and
Penelop may giue place.
Atlanta, and dame Lucres fayre,
she doth them bothe deface.
The precious orient pearle
so fayre and gorgeous cleare,
Doth testifie vnto hyr mates
the whitenesse of hyr leare.
Hir lusty, liuely gallant lookes
with rosed ruby ruddes,
Resembleth right to standers off
the pleasant red rose buddes.
Hyr sweete and eke hyr sugred lippes,
softe, rounded lyke the berrie,
Right well to me resemble doe
the crimson bloomed cherrie.
So that to me poore wretche I counte
it were an heauenly blisse,
At suche a sweete and sugred mouthe
to steale a pleasant kisse.
Hyr rounde, fayre, and flanting cheekes
moste
rosedlyke are paynted,
What though dame Fortune caused hir
fronte to be attainted?
Perforce eche harte with truth must graunt,
it can not be denayed,
But that this skar vpon hyr fronte
was womanly conueyed.
Whiche seemeth from a farre
To be a radyant Starre
Hyr butned, ruby chinne, hir face,
and eke hir necke did shine,
As though they were with Iuery white
all burnisht maruelous fine.
Hir prety nose is somewhat shorte,
it well becōmes hyr face,
Hir fryseled heare in knotted wise
is to hyr fronte a grace.
Hir temples smothe, and eke hir vaines
stande full of lustie crue.
I liken them therefore as likest
to Indie Saphire blew.
Hir twinckling eyne bothe steepe and grey,
they seeme like Christall cleare.
Hir siluery teeth, and golden tongue,
doe say shee hath no peare.
Hir fingers are bothe long and small,
hir handes are softe as silke:
The palmes thereof are somewhat shorte,
yet whiter than the milke.
Hir comely sides are long and straight,
all shapde in massiue golde.
What harte aliue coulde hyr denie
with fame to be inrolde?
My harte it dothe bothe skippe and ioye
to see hir trace the grounde.
Hir feete they are so fine, and feate,
hir heeles so shorte and rounde.
But stay, O Muse, thy golden mace,
and Gange now bedewe
My paynting penne with siluery streames,
that I foorthwith may shewe
What feates within this comely corps
by parant proofe doth rest,
I thanke thee that thou seemst to graunt
at first to my request.
Hir curteous harte, and lowly minde
adornde with vertues rare:
Hir sober lookes with brydeled cheere
doth shewe she hath a care
To trace the chaste Dianas lawes
as well by deede as thought,
That nought may seeme to scape hyr handes
whiche vertue hath not taught.
Hir tongue it rolles in Rethoricke termes
to giue eche man delighte:
Whiche rauisht hath my sencelesse wittes
by cancred Cupids spighte.
Alas poore wretche what should I say?
to looke on hir agayne
I may nor can it not abide,
though tis a pleasant payne.
With hyr aye to remayne,
Some hartes ease for to gayne:
This blossome of freshe flower
Beares Hartes ease for hyr bower.
my tongue hath not assayde:
his knowledge hath denayde:
Yea, though Alcinous Orcharde hath
his fruyte denayde my lore,
Whereby I might the apter be
my landing carme to score:
Yet Arethusa, yeelde me thine
influence to indite,
And Phebus sharpe my willyng penne,
expresly for to write
The blasing feates displaying wise
of Natures darlyng deare,
Whome Uertue she with golden mace
and trumpe dothe seeke to reare.
Yet sithe my selfe by paynting penne
I would so fayne disguise,
Lucina graunt Apollo may
melodiously deuise
My filed phrase, so polished
with Tagus glittring sandes,
Whereby hyr vewyng eyes might thinke
she redde of golden landes.
Ye Goddes seclude my rurall penne,
and yeelde a glosing stile,
With curious polished phrase,
or
with relucent file,
Of Tullies famous eloquence
To prayse hir worthy excellence.
Come yeelde thy leaues thou Laurell tree
to make a garland rounde:
To Crowne hyr head, and let the trumpe
hyr flying fame resounde.
Whose features all so many are,
so worthie, and so cleare,
to say, she hath no peare.
Suche paynting forme, some comely hue
consisteth in hyr face,
That from the Goddes I well suppose
she may define hyr race.
Polixene fayre, Caliop, and
Penelop may giue place.
Atlanta, and dame Lucres fayre,
she doth them bothe deface.
The precious orient pearle
so fayre and gorgeous cleare,
Doth testifie vnto hyr mates
the whitenesse of hyr leare.
Hir lusty, liuely gallant lookes
with rosed ruby ruddes,
Resembleth right to standers off
the pleasant red rose buddes.
Hyr sweete and eke hyr sugred lippes,
softe, rounded lyke the berrie,
Right well to me resemble doe
the crimson bloomed cherrie.
So that to me poore wretche I counte
it were an heauenly blisse,
At suche a sweete and sugred mouthe
to steale a pleasant kisse.
Hyr rounde, fayre, and flanting cheekes
moste
rosedlyke are paynted,
What though dame Fortune caused hir
fronte to be attainted?
Perforce eche harte with truth must graunt,
it can not be denayed,
But that this skar vpon hyr fronte
was womanly conueyed.
To be a radyant Starre
Hyr butned, ruby chinne, hir face,
and eke hir necke did shine,
As though they were with Iuery white
all burnisht maruelous fine.
Hir prety nose is somewhat shorte,
it well becōmes hyr face,
Hir fryseled heare in knotted wise
is to hyr fronte a grace.
Hir temples smothe, and eke hir vaines
stande full of lustie crue.
I liken them therefore as likest
to Indie Saphire blew.
Hir twinckling eyne bothe steepe and grey,
they seeme like Christall cleare.
Hir siluery teeth, and golden tongue,
doe say shee hath no peare.
Hir fingers are bothe long and small,
hir handes are softe as silke:
The palmes thereof are somewhat shorte,
yet whiter than the milke.
Hir comely sides are long and straight,
all shapde in massiue golde.
What harte aliue coulde hyr denie
with fame to be inrolde?
My harte it dothe bothe skippe and ioye
to see hir trace the grounde.
Hir feete they are so fine, and feate,
hir heeles so shorte and rounde.
But stay, O Muse, thy golden mace,
and Gange now bedewe
My paynting penne with siluery streames,
that I foorthwith may shewe
by parant proofe doth rest,
I thanke thee that thou seemst to graunt
at first to my request.
Hir curteous harte, and lowly minde
adornde with vertues rare:
Hir sober lookes with brydeled cheere
doth shewe she hath a care
To trace the chaste Dianas lawes
as well by deede as thought,
That nought may seeme to scape hyr handes
whiche vertue hath not taught.
Hir tongue it rolles in Rethoricke termes
to giue eche man delighte:
Whiche rauisht hath my sencelesse wittes
by cancred Cupids spighte.
Alas poore wretche what should I say?
to looke on hir agayne
I may nor can it not abide,
though tis a pleasant payne.
With hyr aye to remayne,
Some hartes ease for to gayne:
This blossome of freshe flower
Beares Hartes ease for hyr bower.
A. O.
VVorthie to be in rolde,VVith letters of golde.
Car elle vault.
| The Golden Aphroditis | |