Visiones Rerum The Visions of Things. Or Foure Poems. 1. Principium & Mutabilitas Rerum. Or, The beginning and Mutabilitie of all things. 2. Cursus & Ordo rerum. Or, Art and Nature. 3. Opineo & Ratio rerum. Or, Wealth and Pouertie. 4. Malum & finis rerum, Or, Sinne and Vertue, concluding with the last Iudgement and end of all things. Wherein the Authour expresseth his inuention by way of dreame. By John Hagthorpe |
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Mine eies are dim, my toung with sorrow cleaueth,My hands they shake, my knees together smite,
My soule doth faint, my flesh with horror freezeth,
My heart it pantes, my haires they stand vpright,
When I in hand doe take my pen to write
Tho things which did to me in sleepe appeare,
Which needs I must disclose, tho much I feare.
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When silent Night had couer'd with her clokeThe face of Earth, and euery thing sought rest,
Saue harmefull beasts, which Nature doth prouoke
To prey on weaker things; my Soule opprest
With heauy thoughts, which banisht from my brest
All pleasing and delightfull fantasies,
This Vision thus appear'd before mine eyes.
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3
A naked Damsell first appear'd (whose skinWith bleeding wounds ennammeld, yet did snow
The hidden beauties that had dwelt therein)
She fled from one that gaue her many a blow
With seuen-fold Whip, whose cause and selues to know
Sore did I long, and with that thought opprest,
The wronged Wight this speech to me adrest.
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Mortall (quoth she) I see thou pittiest soreMy wrongs; but make the case thine owne,
And trust not this false Syren, cunning whore,
Who bred in Heauen, & thence to earth thrown downe,
As to her prison, here attempts to crowne
Herselfe on Earth, since Heauen she cannot win,
And robs my name, that's Vertue, but is Sin.
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Trust not her painted brow, her blandishment;Her beauties but a vizor paisted on,
A cunning baite to catch th'improuident;
She's vnder it an Ethiopian:
And tho she smoothes her wrincles all she can,
Shee's filthy, cruell: Tygres farre more kind;
They feed on foes, but she deuoures her friend.
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Vnder her Silke and Purple brauerie,Vnpartiall eyes shall find with perfit sight,
Her members spotted with ranck leprosie;
Her fingers armed with Harpies clawes for fight
And rapine; clouen beast-like both her feete;
A Dragons tayle which venombd foynes vncases
At her fond louers, in their deare embraces.
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And tho in pompe she trauell through the world,And most adore her, and her glittring traine;
Yet are both they, and she, fear'd and abhord,
By those, whose perfect sight desernes the same:
Therefore for thine instruction will I name
Briefly her equipage, that thou mayst see
Both what her selfe and her attendants be.
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First, must I shew her Chariot and attire,Wherein she makes her progresse with her traine
From East to West. The Seate is foule Desire;
The Wheeles whereon it moues, are sordid Gaine,
Selfe Loue and Vnbeliefe, and Pleasures vaine;
Her Coach-man Belzabub, or Abbaddon;
Her Mates, Megara, Alecto, Tisiphone.
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Her Iades that drew her on, Disdaine they be,Pride, Enuy, Wrath, Reuenge, Ambition,
And lastly, Feare and Curiositie:
Deceite and Lies her Lacqueys by her run,
Still ready for all errands. After whom
Come her Attendants, Shame and Diffidence,
Confusion and tormenting Conscience.
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Follie's her page, which still keepes Reason tide:Hypocrisie's her Chaplaine, who still thriues,
VVhile true Zeale pines. Her Beadles, Ease Lust, Pride,
These from her Gates Repentance farre off driues,
From whenced Vertue poore these wounds deriue.
Lastly, thou seest her brood that followeth,
Her Issue, Famine, Sicknes, Warre and Death.
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This said, foure Altars then she pointed me,All smoking hot with Incence on the same:
The first to Ambition and to Crueltie;
Ignorance and Idolatrie retaine
The second place; the third of these did flame
To Auarize and to Oppression: last
To Luxurie and Lust the fourth was plac't.
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