University of Virginia Library

To the most Noble and Illustrious Lady, both for Nobility and Piety, as of Vertue a rare and peerlesse example, Lady Anne Kare, Countesse of Ancram.

The Lizards eyes the face of man amazeth,
Looking on which the more and more it gazeth:
When I your heaven infused graces view,
Madam, my sense amazed stares on You.
Heaven tempers so its gifts in You alone,
As that all graces seeme combin'd in one;
When I do homage to Nobility,
Straight on it doth reflect Your piety;
So earthly glory and that of heav'n begun
Makes You a glorious object like the Sunne,
Which darreth forth so many rayes of light,
As that they dazle this my scantling fight.
In You great Iunos stately majestie
Is fraught with Christian love and charity;
You have what vertues learn'd Minerva hath,
And for her ægis, you are arm'd with faith:
What's Venus beautie to Your sacred face,
Which is the Physiognomie of grace?
If for the golden apple there should be
A strife amongst the goddesses; To thee
Let Paris give it, so he surely shall
Please all the three, Your selfe being more than all.

To his friend the Author.

To the Author.

To the Author.

That I may tell the world how I admire
Thy well-pend Flames; one sparke of that fire,
Which warmes thy learned brest, bestow on mee,
I, then a Poet, would dare speake of thee.
If I should write thy praise when I have done
I hold a Candle to the flaming Sunne
I thinke thy towring Muse a Starre hath reach'd;
Or else a Beame from bright Apollo fetch'd
To light each Taper by; for their pure flame
Doth well assure us, it from Heaven came.

To the Ingenious Author, on his Latin and English Morall Emblems.

Two Lights within two severall Spheares were hurld,
In the divided Chaos of the World,
When like an Embryo this whole Masse of Clay,
Before the Fiat, yet imperfect lay.
And being brought to birth, by him whose power
Hath all Eternity; and yet no how'r:
The day was subject to the Nobler light,
And to the lesser did obey the Night.
So in this Midwifery of wit, by Thee
Delivered, two lights, two Subjects be.
Thy nobler Roman stile to day-borne men
Children of Arts, directs thy Latin pen.
And that the duller ignorant might see,
They have a Mother-Moone begot by Thee:
Thine as Gods creatures serve to leade the way
To him that gave a night, succeeding Day.

Britaines Great Lights.

Persia thy Eternall fire is come to nought,
The Vestals flame is spent, more than Rome thought.
Both fires are gone with Empires: Heav'n above
Gives light and power to them, who Heav'n doe love.
Unto our Land two Lights are now transfer'd;
The Persians Sunne, Romes Vesta are interr'd.

Oxonia.

Great Oxford, Thine the Bible e're hath beene;
For firmely standing Vesta it is seene,
Hence threefold Crowne, Thou hast deserv'd by right;
That's not of Gold, but of Empyrean Light.

Cantabrigia.

My right hand holds the Sunne, my left doth show
The Cup, from which true light and Nectar flow;
These cherish so the Palmes of Victory,
That they are trophees of Eternity.

To the Reader.

Since Courteous Reader, this our course is one,
Well overtaken, you shall not passe alone:
You saile this sea of life, and so doe I;
Unto the Haven of Heaven we both doe hye;
But harke you, least in darkenesse we doe stray,
Here be some Lights for to direct our way:
Torches and Candles, and if the wind doe blow,
Here with a Lanterne safely we may goe;
Make use of these, untill you come to shore,
Where we shall have Heavens Light for evermore.