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 |
 |
|
| 1. |
[1.] The Altar to Ambition and Crveltie.
|
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
 | Visiones Rerum |  |
[1.] The Altar to Ambition and Crveltie.
12
And while these things she spoke, me thought appear'dA horrid traine of fierce and bloody Wights:
Flame colour'd Robes they wore, with Crimson smeard;
Their dreadfull lookes euen yet my heart affrights.
Quoth she, all these ioy'd once in dismall fights,
And to their ends to tract a bloody way,
Which thus to sinne her first oblations pay.
13
But to auoide prolixitie (quoth flie)And to make vp a iust account with time,
Thy patience and mine owne lost libertie
I wish thee note, tis no intent of mine
Each seuerall storie here for to designe
And prosecute, but onely such as be
By chance most obuious vnto mine eie.
93
14
Why should I point thee out accursed Caine?Orth' Hayrie Hunter with his sinew bow?
Or those on whom iust Ioseph did complaine?
That frantick faithlesse King why should I show?
Or He that made the childrens blood streame through
Indeas streetes? whyth' sonne of Gedeon?
Or that same comly cruell Absalon?
15
Behold Busiris, Egypts cruell King,That fed with humain flesh his Horses full.
Three cruell Ptolomies him following.
Numulisinthis then the Thracian Trull:
Then Phalleris with's dreadfull brazen Bull.
Loe Pontus King, and Occhus false of oath,
Black Haniball, and Iugurth here be both.
16
Next these, obserue the Purple Persian thereWith Royall tyre, Cambiles is his name;
How strange a sacrifice the wretch doth beare,
To offer cruelties vnhallowed flame.
With him Astiages, and Zerxes came;
This millions slew, to atcheiue his proud defire;
That cookt the children for their wofull Syre.
17
Loe, Tullia, King Seruius gracelesse heyre,Who wearie of her long-liu'd Syres delay,
Slew him, perhaps t'anticipate a yeare,
Perhaps a moneth, perhaps not a full day:
But not consent to take his life away,
Most ignominiously she causde her Horse,
That drew her Chariot, trample on his corpse:
94
18
She shew'd me then two Romans and two Greekes,That with their happy regall states displeasde,
Halde by Ambition into strange dislikes,
Made the world sicke, and in their time diseasde
Charen with two much labour, yet appeasde,
Nor satisfied a iot their vaine desires,
Tho shedding seas of blood to quench those fires.
19
Then (as they came in sight) she did me showSylla, with purple face and firie eyes,
The plague of Pontus, and Romes ouerthrow,
By first inducing those sad tragedies.
And Marrius fear'd of friends and enemies.
Then Caius vile, that wisht the world to slay;
And he that slew's Mother Agrippina.
20
Another crew she shew'd me then that seem'dTo be some Kingly Romans by their weede,
But tyrants were, or monsters righter deem'd,
Begot of Tigars broode, or Dragons seede,
So many innocents they causde to bleed;
Of whom some offerd Armes, some Feet, Legs, thighs,
Some Eares, some Noses, others Tongues and eyes.
21
And one of these she show'd me mongst the restA Romaine Prince (if true my Author tell)
Offring a heart with letters fiue imprest,
Which Iesus made, if rightly they did spell:
But surely in the Tyrants heart was Hell,
With dying life, and liuing death who vext
Those worthy soules to vertue so conext.
95
22
Next these came one in Polish weed attir'd,Whom Rats and Mice had bare anatomizde:
Then of my faire his story I requir'd,
Who said, 'twas one that sometimes Royalizde
In Polish Throne; by Poyson that surprizde
His Vncles liues, whose flesh by Heauens iust doome
Turnd into Rats, the Caitife to consume.
23
Next him came one that sacrifizde to th'GhostOf's angry Syre, the cruell Amurath:
Then he that offerd vp that wofull Host,
Of Noble Grecian blood, fierce Mahumeth.
Next him Valachia's Prince that put to death
So many thousand subiects seuerall waies,
As did great Tyrant Mahumet amaze.
24
In the last ranke of these she show'd me more,Three cruell Princes foule with Patricide:
A Turke a (misnam'd) Christian, and a Moore.
The first, most cruell Selim, full of pride,
Who in a cup his ag'd Sires death did hide:
Friends, Brothers, Nephews kild, and th'whole world fired,
Like Phaeton; and last by fire expired.
25
The second Adolphe, Duke of Guelders hight,Who from his seate his aged Parent drew,
And him imprison'd in most lothsome plight,
Thinking to tire him out by meanes mis due,
Whom into like extreames Heauen iustly threw:
And as from's Sire hee banisht pace and rest,
So he a captiue liu'd and dyde distrest.
96
26
The third of these was Ainidas, the PrinceOf Tunis, who against his Sire did rise,
Tho being chiefly crusted for defence,
During his absence, gainst his enemies:
Absent he takes his Crowne, present his Eyes.
But as his Regall Sire he rob'd of sight,
Iust Heauen by sicknesse did himselfe benight.
27
After all these she shew'd me other three,Of whom the first an English habit wore:
Wan were his Cheekes, blacke Locks, a downe cast eie,
And Camels backe; his name I sought her sore
To know, but she denyde, bad aske no more.
A thousand slaues there followed after him
With bloody bowles where heads and hearts did swim
28
Next after whom a warlike Gaule there came,Which in his hand a bloody brand did waue:
The robes he wore were scarlet dyde in graine,
And he himselfe like colour seemd to haue,
Who in so many millions blood did laue.
And as he wet all France with bloody showres,
So heauen at length his blood from each part powres
29
The third and last of all, whose natiue illAnd vice transcends the vice of all the rest;
As farre as Atlas doth the humblest Hill,
Or Sylons carry Powre, Galwayes small beast:
With whom worst Kings compar'd, seeme good and blest;
The Russian Tyrant, Russia's shame, whose breath
Did wither all things, in whose name was death.
97
30
His pleasures were not like to other mens;Sweete sounds the sternest hearts sad'st soules reioyce:
But Musick neuer pleasde his hellish sense.
He neuer laught but at some dying voyce;
Teares, sighs, sobs, grones to him were heauenly ioyes,
Who very seldome rellisht well his meate,
But when with blood and death he season'd it.
31
If any rauisht virgin did lament,Or honourd Lady forc't vnto his will,
Or seem'd their friends or parents discontent,
Toth' stewes they went; or (not content to kill)
He hung them ore their parents table, till
Their friends (with their dead sauour welnigh slaine)
By teares and bribes got leaue to burie them.
32
When people from the Temples vsde to come,He vsde to loose his Beares at them in sport,
Delighting much to see them scale the throng;
With which bad pastime many perisht for't.
No mercy did his anger ere consort,
Which buried Kindreds; but, encreast to rage,
Entomb'd whole Cities, sparing sex nor age.
33
His ministers of mirth, his dearest friends,His Wiues, his Whores, his Children were not sure;
The most of these he brought t'vntimely ends;
The instruments euen of his lusts impure;
The Hangmen from this Hangman's not secure:
The Beares and Tygers in their owne Whelpes ioy;
He worse then they, his owne Sonne did destroy.
98
34
The wondrous writing on Balthasnærs wallSeemes small, compar'd with what to him was sent,
To whom from Heauen a letter downe did fall
In Marble-writ, whose sculpture sure was ment
To him that liu'd, and dyde impenitent.
And as he fatall was while he had breath,
So did his stench in death giue others death.
| Visiones Rerum | |