Mel Heliconium or, Poeticall Honey, Gathered out of The Weeds of Parnassus ... By Alexander Rosse |
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 | III. | CHAP. III. C |
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 | CHAP. III. C Mel Heliconium |  |
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CHAP. III. C
CADMUS and HARMONIA.
68
Behold that Prince which once with Majestie
Invested was, whose throne was far more high
Then is the starry Cabinet
That over this low Globe is set.
Yet was content to leave that state, and throw
Himself upon his footstool here below.
He stept down from his lofty throne
To seek his Sister that was gone.
And whilst he sought her, he rear'd up the wall
Of that great City which shall never fall,
And then the Dragon, he did wound
And all his toothbread sonnes confound:
He did those glassie springs of life discover
Which drill the flowers, and pleasant meads run over,
In his pure heart all graces met,
And beauty in his face was set.
But yet this all-commanding King was deem'd
A worm, no man, and as a Snake esteem'd.
Men hide their faces from this King,
Whose face makes men and Angels sing.
Though men despis'd him, yet he was received
Into these joys which cannot be conceived;
By all the winged companies,
Whose dwelling is above the skies.
O thou who guides the heavens as with rain,
And dwels in light which no man can attain,
Vouchsafe to look from those high Towers,
On these low Cottages of ours.
Seek out my soul which hath forsaken thee
To follow after lying vanity,
Tread down the Dragon and his brood.
For they have still my soul withstood.
Invested was, whose throne was far more high
Then is the starry Cabinet
That over this low Globe is set.
Yet was content to leave that state, and throw
Himself upon his footstool here below.
He stept down from his lofty throne
To seek his Sister that was gone.
And whilst he sought her, he rear'd up the wall
Of that great City which shall never fall,
And then the Dragon, he did wound
And all his toothbread sonnes confound:
He did those glassie springs of life discover
Which drill the flowers, and pleasant meads run over,
In his pure heart all graces met,
And beauty in his face was set.
But yet this all-commanding King was deem'd
A worm, no man, and as a Snake esteem'd.
Men hide their faces from this King,
Whose face makes men and Angels sing.
Though men despis'd him, yet he was received
Into these joys which cannot be conceived;
By all the winged companies,
Whose dwelling is above the skies.
O thou who guides the heavens as with rain,
And dwels in light which no man can attain,
Vouchsafe to look from those high Towers,
On these low Cottages of ours.
Seek out my soul which hath forsaken thee
To follow after lying vanity,
Tread down the Dragon and his brood.
For they have still my soul withstood.
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The Picture of a King.
He is of noble pedegree,His wife is called Harmony;
The chiefest Gods in their best state,
His Nuptials do celebrate.
Jove that shakes heaven with his brows
Unto the King presents this Spouse;
Whose Father is the god of war,
Whose Mother is the morning star.
Minerva brings her golden chain,
And Ceres makes them rich with grain;
Joves daughters, with their beardlesse King,
From Helicon their musick bring;
Each one with flowers and Laurels crown'd,
And Arca's harp doth sweetly sound.
The gods all in their best array,
With dances crown this wedding day.
Thus honour, wealth, and pleasure wait,
Where such a King doth rule the State;
He by Minerva's help can wound
The Dragon, and his brood confound:
That under him we freely may
Drink of that fountain in the way.
But yet he hath the Dragons jaws,
To tear all those that break his Laws;
Thus in his life this King is blest,
And in his death in peace shall rest.
Now if there be above the ground,
A Prince so perfect to be found,
He's either in King Arthurs chair,
Or else he doth reside no where.
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CASTOR and POLLUX.
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To share his immortality
With Castor that was slain;
That they might both participate
Of life and death by turn, and that
They both might grow and wain;
How much more gracious was he,
Who was a King, and yet would dye
For him that was a slave;
That he might never dye again,
But might be freed from endlesse pain,
And from the eating grave.
O Lord thou art that King, and I
The slave, who for my sins must dye,
And to my dust return:
O raise me by thy mighty aid
In that last day, from deaths black shade,
And from my silent Urn.
And let me not with Castor trace
So often too and from that place
Where night and darknesse raign;
But joyn me to these winged wights,
Which far above heavens twinkling lights
With thee in blisse remain.
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CENTAURI.
75
He that runs in the way of grace,
Must carefull be
He fall not, lest he lose his race
And victory:
What folly is't, to play the Saint
At first, and in the end to faint.
Must carefull be
He fall not, lest he lose his race
And victory:
What folly is't, to play the Saint
At first, and in the end to faint.
It's not enough to seek and know
God whil'st we'r yong,
And when age on our heads doth snow,
To dote on dung:
A good youth who in age doth fail,
A mans head hath, but Centaurs tail.
God whil'st we'r yong,
And when age on our heads doth snow,
To dote on dung:
A good youth who in age doth fail,
A mans head hath, but Centaurs tail.
So drunkards, when they roare aloud,
And fight and swear;
They shew that they'r of that same cloud
That Centaurs were:
He that in drink will fight, and force
A woman, is both man and horse.
And fight and swear;
They shew that they'r of that same cloud
That Centaurs were:
He that in drink will fight, and force
A woman, is both man and horse.
So every sin at first appears
With man-like face,
But we shall finde within few yeers
The horses trace:
Sin looks on us with smiling cheeks,
But in the end it flings and kicks.
With man-like face,
But we shall finde within few yeers
The horses trace:
Sin looks on us with smiling cheeks,
But in the end it flings and kicks.
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And as the Centaurs had swift heels
To run away,
So hath our time, which runs on wheels,
And cannot stay:
O that we could consider this,
How short a time, how swift it is.
To run away,
So hath our time, which runs on wheels,
And cannot stay:
O that we could consider this,
How short a time, how swift it is.
O Lord so order thou my time,
That all may see
My fall's as hot as was my prime,
In love to thee;
That so of me they may not finde
A man before, a horse behinde.
That all may see
My fall's as hot as was my prime,
In love to thee;
That so of me they may not finde
A man before, a horse behinde.
CERBERUS.
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Is bound with Adamantine chains so fast,
That though he bark and foame, yet cannot bite,
H'hath lost his power, but hath not lost his spite.
How much are we beholding to our Lord,
Who by his power and all-subduing word,
Charms monsters three, black-mouth'd infernall hounds,
Death, Hell, and Satan, and their power confounds.
When he descended to black Pluto's Tower,
Where this three-yawning Mastiff keeps the dore,
He caus'd him to disgorge himself of those
Which in his bowels he did long inclose.
He durst not stare upon these glorious rayes,
Which turn the darkest nights to cleerest dayes:
But frets and foames; his Snakes, as with a spell,
Stood all amaz'd to see such light in Hell.
Then let us all with one joynt harmony
Chant forth his noble praise, and pierce the sky;
That as the winged quirristers still sing
Cœlestiall Hallelujahs to this King;
So we with them may chant, and Carroll forth
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Who freed us from this prison where we lay,
And makes us now injoy a brighter day,
Then any that within our Horizon
Was ever seen, or in the burning Zone.
And you rich hounds who almost split with store,
And yet your jaws are yawning still for more,
Your ill-got gobbets vomit up in time,
Remember you'r but dust, and gold's but slime.
Unlock your iron Goals, break up your caves,
In which your gold lyes buried as in graves.
And let your pale-fac'd money see the Sun,
Let free these captives from their dungeon:
That they may walk abroad, and let them serve
Poor men that are in want, and like to starve.
And thou, O Lord, who onely durst encounter,
And only couldst, with that three-headed monster;
And who hath pull'd the prey out of his jaws,
And broke his teeth, & par'd his scratching claws;
So satisfie my craving appetite,
That it in thee alone may take delight;
For neither honours (Lord) nor wealth I see,
This gaping heart of mine can satisfie:
For what are these but transitory toyes,
Compar'd with thee, compar'd with inward joyes,
The more my soul feeds on these aiery dishes,
The more she hungers, and the more she wishes.
Hydropick men, still drink, and still are dry,
The horse-leach cryes, Give, give, and so do I:
Then seeing there's no end of my desire,
But wealth, like oil, doth still increase this fire;
Give not too much, but what's sufficient,
And having thee, with thee I'le be content.
CERES.
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You that walk among sweat flowers,
Dasht with drops of twi-light showers,
Which with smels refresh the sence;
Look about and carefull be,
Of the plots and pollicie
Of that black infernall Prince.
Dasht with drops of twi-light showers,
Which with smels refresh the sence;
Look about and carefull be,
Of the plots and pollicie
Of that black infernall Prince.
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Who's still ready to incroach
On your souls, and in his Coach,
To hurl you from hence away
To that dark and dismall place,
Where you cannot see the face
Of Apollo and the day.
On your souls, and in his Coach,
To hurl you from hence away
To that dark and dismall place,
Where you cannot see the face
Of Apollo and the day.
And let us take heed that we
Taste not that Pomegranat tree,
Which in his sad Orchard stands;
If we do, we shall remain
Captives still, and ne're again
Shall escape out of his hands.
Taste not that Pomegranat tree,
Which in his sad Orchard stands;
If we do, we shall remain
Captives still, and ne're again
Shall escape out of his hands.
Juno then cannot help us
With her wealth, nor fair Venus
With her sea-froth countenance;
Neither yet that blew-ey'd maid,
Which out of Joves head was said
To proceed, can help us thence.
With her wealth, nor fair Venus
With her sea-froth countenance;
Neither yet that blew-ey'd maid,
Which out of Joves head was said
To proceed, can help us thence.
Onely Christ did undertake,
When he pass'd the joylesse Lake
To release our souls again;
When we were in Pluto's power,
All inthrall'd within his Tower,
Where we should have ever lain.
When he pass'd the joylesse Lake
To release our souls again;
When we were in Pluto's power,
All inthrall'd within his Tower,
Where we should have ever lain.
But he broke the gates of brasse,
And made way for us to passe,
Though we tasted of that tree
Which bereav'd us of Gods grace,
And inclos'd us in that place
Where dwels endlesse misery.
And made way for us to passe,
Though we tasted of that tree
Which bereav'd us of Gods grace,
And inclos'd us in that place
Where dwels endlesse misery.
He dispersed hath that seed
Of his Word, which doth us feed;
Dragons now his chariots draw,
Who before were Gentile Kings,
Fierce as Dragons, swift with wings,
Are now subject to his Law.
Of his Word, which doth us feed;
Dragons now his chariots draw,
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Fierce as Dragons, swift with wings,
Are now subject to his Law.
He holds out his burning Lamps,
Which expell unwholsome damps
From us that in darknesse lye:
He doth raise us from below,
Not for half a yeer or so,
But for all eternity.
Which expell unwholsome damps
From us that in darknesse lye:
He doth raise us from below,
Not for half a yeer or so,
But for all eternity.
O my God, amongst May flowers,
When I spend some idle hours,
When my joyes do most abound,
I will think on Deaths black Coach;
That if then it should approach,
I may be then ready found.
When I spend some idle hours,
When my joyes do most abound,
I will think on Deaths black Coach;
That if then it should approach,
I may be then ready found.
Thou do'st feed me daily, Lord,
With sincere milk of thy Word;
O then give me constancie,
That I may by night indure
Thy hot furnace, for I'm sure
Thou know'st what is best for me.
With sincere milk of thy Word;
O then give me constancie,
That I may by night indure
Thy hot furnace, for I'm sure
Thou know'st what is best for me.
CHARON.
89
Your life on drink, and mark your end:
As oft as cups and pots you tosse,
So oft the river Styx you crosse.
You'r Owls, you do not love the light,
You are the sons of Hell and night:
Black Erybus begot you then,
You'r Monsters sure, you are not men.
You are afraid, that if you dye,
Your bodies should unburied lye;
And so your souls be forc'd to trade
A hundreth yeers in death's black shade,
Before you can admitted be
In Charons boat; this you foresee:
And wisely to prevent this soare,
You'l be intomb'd in drink before.
And thus you make your Funerall
Your selves by times in wine and oil.
You have an old and leaking throat,
Still sucking in like Charons boat;
No company you will admit,
But who are buried in the pit
Of wine, whose mouths must fraughted be
With coin, such are your company.
O Lord, before I go from hence,
Give me a joyfull conscience,
That I may joyfully ride on
The billows of affliction.
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Of drunkennesse, and from avarice:
When Death's wherry shall receive me,
Let not then thy comfort leave me;
So shall I not fear Charons looks,
Nor be dismaid to crosse these brooks,
Of Styx, Cocytus, Acharon,
Nor waves of scalding Phlegeton.
CHIMÆRA.
91
If we will save these wretched souls of ours:
Or if we would preserve our lands and monies
From these devourers of mens patrimonies,
Against these monsters rather fight then flye,
I'le rather kill them then they shall kill me;
The Lyons fury's kill'd with patience,
The goarish wantonnesse with abstinence,
Against the Dragons sting use Antidotes,
Resist his cunning plots with counterplots.
Fear not, our life's a warfare; either we
Must fight, or else where is our victory?
Without which, there's no triumph, no renown,
And where there is no conquest, there's no crown.
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That through thy power I may victorious be;
And let thy presence cheer my heart, refresh
My fainting spirits, and my trembling flesh;
Thou art the Lord of hoasts, O let thy word
Be unto me a Buckler, Helmet, Sword:
What can Chimæra do, if thou assist me?
Be thou my God, and then who dare resist me.
CHIRON
93
Which still are rolling in the skies,
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Must have his curing hands also,
And's feet, which may indure Gods blow,
And's voice of melody.
Our hands must work salvation,
Our heads must meditate upon
Heavens shining Canopy:
Our tongues must praise Gods actions,
The feet of our affections
For sin must wounded be.
I will before my Altar stand,
With sacrifices in my hand,
And thus to God will pray:
Lord heal these wounded feet of mine,
Then make me as a Star to shine,
Or as the brightest day.
Give me the head of knowledge, and
A well-tun'd tongue, a working hand,
And feet which may thy blow
Indure; O wound me, so that I
By wounds may be prepar'd to dye,
And wean'd from things below.
CIRCE.
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Beware of Circes bowls;
And go not to her feasts,
Where men are turn'd to beasts.
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How Circe turned men to swine.
The whore with painted smiles
The wanton youth beguiles,
She hath a pleasant cup,
Which silly fools drink up:
But whil'st you'r drinking, eye the wand
Which Circe beareth in her hand.
At first sin seems to be
A pleasing thing to thee,
And fools with vain delights
Do cloy their appetites;
But every pleasure hath its pain,
In sweetest honey there is bane.
If men of meaner sort
Make drunkennesse but a sport,
Yet let not men of place
Their state so much disgrace:
Ulisses must have temperance,
Although his servants lose their sence?
Lord arm me with thy Word,
Which like Ulisses sword,
From Circe may defend me,
And then herb Moly send me:
Having this sword and herb, O God,
I'le shun the cup, I'le scape the rod.
CÆLUS.
99
You sons of heaven, and of the day,
Stoop not so low,
As to betroth your souls to clay;
For then I know
That of this match will come no good,
But rather a pernicious brood.
Stoop not so low,
As to betroth your souls to clay;
For then I know
That of this match will come no good,
But rather a pernicious brood.
100
A race of Monsters shall proceed
Out of thy loins,
If thou in time tak'st not good heed
To whom thou joyn'st
Thy soul in wedlock, earth's not fit
For thee to fix thy heart on it.
Out of thy loins,
If thou in time tak'st not good heed
To whom thou joyn'st
Thy soul in wedlock, earth's not fit
For thee to fix thy heart on it.
For she will bring thee such a brood
That shall resist thee,
And when thy soul they have withstood,
They will devest thee
Both of thy Kingdom and thy strength,
And bring thee under them at length.
That shall resist thee,
And when thy soul they have withstood,
They will devest thee
Both of thy Kingdom and thy strength,
And bring thee under them at length.
And if earths Adamantine knife
Emasculate
Thy soul, then shall thy barren life
And gelded state
Ingender in thee endlesse cares,
And Furies with their snaky hairs.
Emasculate
Thy soul, then shall thy barren life
And gelded state
Ingender in thee endlesse cares,
And Furies with their snaky hairs.
Lord joyn my heart so close to thee
With fervent love,
That I may covet constantly
The things above,
Where glory crowns that princely brow
To which both men and Angels bow.
With fervent love,
That I may covet constantly
The things above,
Where glory crowns that princely brow
To which both men and Angels bow.
Lord let not earth effeminate
My heart with toyes,
But let my soul participate
Thy heavenly joyes,
Where Angels spend their endlesse dayes
In singing of Elysian layes.
My heart with toyes,
But let my soul participate
Thy heavenly joyes,
Where Angels spend their endlesse dayes
In singing of Elysian layes.
And if my mother be the light,
And heaven my fire,
Then let my soul dwell in that bright
Ætheriall fire,
Where Gyants, Furies, and the race
Of Titans dare not shew their face.
And heaven my fire,
Then let my soul dwell in that bright
101
Where Gyants, Furies, and the race
Of Titans dare not shew their face.
CUPIDO.
104
Alas my soul, how men are vext
That fix their love on gilded dung,
Which when they want they are perplext,
And when they have it they are stung.
Great riches wounds
With cares mans heart;
As wealth abounds,
So doth their smart.
That fix their love on gilded dung,
Which when they want they are perplext,
And when they have it they are stung.
Great riches wounds
With cares mans heart;
As wealth abounds,
So doth their smart.
Doth not the love of earthly things,
Devest men of their richest robe,
And then they fly away with wings,
And leaves them naked on this Globe:
Besides all that,
They blinde men eyes,
That they cannot
Behold the skies.
Devest men of their richest robe,
And then they fly away with wings,
And leaves them naked on this Globe:
Besides all that,
They blinde men eyes,
That they cannot
Behold the skies.
And doth not earthly things besides,
With burning torches men torment;
And with sharp arrows wound their sides,
So that our dayes in pain are spent:
Then why should I
Affect these things,
Which misery
And sorrow brings.
With burning torches men torment;
And with sharp arrows wound their sides,
So that our dayes in pain are spent:
Then why should I
Affect these things,
Which misery
And sorrow brings.
This love makes men like foolish boyes,
Who place their chief felicity
In bits of glasses, shels, and toyes,
Or in a painted Butter-flye:
So riches are
(Which we, alas,
Scrape with such care)
But bits of glasse.
Who place their chief felicity
In bits of glasses, shels, and toyes,
Or in a painted Butter-flye:
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(Which we, alas,
Scrape with such care)
But bits of glasse.
Lord let me see thy beauty, which
Doth onely true contentment bring;
And so in thee I shall be rich:
Oh if I had swift Cupids wing,
Then would I flee
By faith above,
And fix on thee
My heart and love.
Doth onely true contentment bring;
And so in thee I shall be rich:
Oh if I had swift Cupids wing,
Then would I flee
By faith above,
And fix on thee
My heart and love.
That Christ is the true God of Love.
Christ is the onely God of Loves,
Who did his secrets all disclose;
Whose wings are swifter then the Doves,
Who onely hath deserv'd the Rose:
Thou onely art
That potent King,
Both of my heart
And every thing.
Who did his secrets all disclose;
Whose wings are swifter then the Doves,
Who onely hath deserv'd the Rose:
Thou onely art
That potent King,
Both of my heart
And every thing.
Both Principalities and Powers,
And all that's in the sea and land,
Men, Lyons, Dolphins, Birds and Flowers,
Are all now under thy command:
Thy Word's the torch
Thy Word's the dart
Which both doth scorch
And wound my heart.
And all that's in the sea and land,
Men, Lyons, Dolphins, Birds and Flowers,
Are all now under thy command:
Thy Word's the torch
Thy Word's the dart
Which both doth scorch
And wound my heart.
It was not Cupid (sure) that spoil'd
The gods of all their vestiments;
But thou art he that has them foil'd,
And stript them of their ornaments:
Then thou alone
Deserves to be
Set in the Throne
Of Majesty.
The gods of all their vestiments;
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And stript them of their ornaments:
Then thou alone
Deserves to be
Set in the Throne
Of Majesty.
Sometime a Crown of Thorns did sit
Upon that sacred head of thine;
But sure a Rose-crown was more fit
For thee, and Thorns for this of mine:
O God, what love
Was this in thee,
That should thee move
To dye for me!
Upon that sacred head of thine;
But sure a Rose-crown was more fit
For thee, and Thorns for this of mine:
O God, what love
Was this in thee,
That should thee move
To dye for me!
Thy youth is alwayes green and fresh,
Thy lasting yeers, Lord, cannot fail;
O look not on my sinfull flesh,
But mask thy eyes with mercy's vail.
O Lord renew
In me thy love,
And from thy view
My sins remove.
Thy lasting yeers, Lord, cannot fail;
O look not on my sinfull flesh,
But mask thy eyes with mercy's vail.
O Lord renew
In me thy love,
And from thy view
My sins remove.
CYCLOPES.
109
When that one-ey'd Cyclopean race,
Which in earths burning entralls dwell,
Had pull'd us down as low as hell,
Where we should ne're have seen the face
Of that bright Coachman of the day,
Whose horses drive all clouds away.
Which in earths burning entralls dwell,
Had pull'd us down as low as hell,
Where we should ne're have seen the face
Of that bright Coachman of the day,
Whose horses drive all clouds away.
We had been all for ever lost,
For Polyphemus in his den
Was feeding on the souls of men,
When Christ sent by the holy Ghost,
Entred into that horrid cave
Which should have been our endlesse grave.
For Polyphemus in his den
Was feeding on the souls of men,
When Christ sent by the holy Ghost,
Entred into that horrid cave
Which should have been our endlesse grave.
The deadly wine he made him drink
Of his just indignation,
And bound him in his dungeon
So fast, that now he cannot shrink,
And with his word he hath made blinde
That eye which fascinates mankinde.
Of his just indignation,
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So fast, that now he cannot shrink,
And with his word he hath made blinde
That eye which fascinates mankinde.
If sometimes this Ætnæan brood
Are heard to thunder in the air,
And if with lightnings they do tear
The mountains that have so long stood:
It is because our sins do reign,
That he will not their power restrain.
Are heard to thunder in the air,
And if with lightnings they do tear
The mountains that have so long stood:
It is because our sins do reign,
That he will not their power restrain.
And when we see the earth is stained
With blood-shed in our cruell wars,
We may be sure they break their bars,
And that their power is not restrained;
It's for our sins God suffers them
To reign thus to our losse and shame.
With blood-shed in our cruell wars,
We may be sure they break their bars,
And that their power is not restrained;
It's for our sins God suffers them
To reign thus to our losse and shame.
O Lord of hostes, with mercy's eye
Look on this torn estate of ours,
And now at last dissolve the powers
Of that Ætnæan company
Whose bellows coals of envie blow,
Who still amongst us discord sow.
Look on this torn estate of ours,
And now at last dissolve the powers
Of that Ætnæan company
Whose bellows coals of envie blow,
Who still amongst us discord sow.
Whose hammers on their anvils sound
Continually, who chariots make
For Mars, and so our peace they break;
But thou, O Lord, their work confound,
Let fire their chariots all consume,
And turn their armour all to fume.
Continually, who chariots make
For Mars, and so our peace they break;
But thou, O Lord, their work confound,
Let fire their chariots all consume,
And turn their armour all to fume.
And as thou with thy mighty word
Didst thrust out Polyphemus eye,
So save me from this tyrannie;
And let thy wisdom guide me Lord,
In that last day out of the grave,
Which is his flesh-consuming cave.
Didst thrust out Polyphemus eye,
So save me from this tyrannie;
And let thy wisdom guide me Lord,
In that last day out of the grave,
Which is his flesh-consuming cave.
| CHAP. III. C Mel Heliconium | |