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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4. The Altar to Lvst and Lvxvrie.
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4. The Altar to Lvst and Lvxvrie.
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To the last Altar then (whereon were plac'tTo Bacchus and to Venus Deities,
Two Images, with curious cunning grac't)
Came the fourth ranck thereto to sacrifize,
Which did with Songs and Musick iouialize,
And rosie Chaplets did their haires entwine,
Their colours youthfull weare, White, Red & Greene.
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There Babilonian SymiramisShe shewed me, and that lustfull Pasipha.
The wife of Agamemnon did not misse;
Nor youthfull Paris, and faire Hellena;
Nor Troyalus, and wanton Cressida,
Pirrhus, Lays, Flora, and Manilius
She show'd, and Lamye, and Demetrius.
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Pompeiæ there she show'd, and Clodius;She show'd me Syleus and Messaline.
Then Cleopatra and Anthonius,
And many others of much later time,
And nearer home: all which to Venus shrine,
Besides Sighes, Sonnets, Teares, and Libian Gold,
Offerd a Milke-white Goat, twice eight yeares old.
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She noted then three singled from the rest,Whose countenance show'd their sad soules discontent;
Louers they seem'd; yet seem'd their minds possest
With deeper woes, then Cupids languishment:
These three from three pure soules those iewels rent;
Which gain'd, with losse of liues they did repay,
And Crownes, which here on Venus shrine they lay;
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Ten thousand more there were, whose stories sheFor breuitie abridged; yet three or foure
She noted, patternes of strange Luxurie,
Persians and Chaldeans, but past ore
All of them, saue Balthaser, who did powre
Full Challices to Bacchus holy Flame,
As earst he did amongst his cups being slaine.
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There named she Getæ th'Emperor, whose meatAfter no common guise to's table came,
But ranckt by letters of the Alphabet.
There named she Esope the Tragedian,
Who offerd vp a dish vnseene till than,
All the sweete singing Birds that Rome did hold,
To grace his Feast, at dearest prises sold.
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She left not out Dennis Heracleot;Iouian, and Septimius Seuerus,
Who dyde with drinking, both were not forgot;
Nor yet that Sorcerer Tiberius:
All which to Bacchus most imperious
Did offer Flaggons, and with wreathes of Vine,
Adornd the Temples of his honourd shrine.
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The Priest of Phœbus then she show'd me there,All naked, in his chariot drawne along,
By naked women (as he did appeare
Sometime in Rome amidst the lustfull throng)
Where Gammeds and Syrens sweetely sung)
And a rare dish of minst meate offred
Of Peæhens tongues, and Cocks-combs finely shred.
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She show'd me then the Emperour Maximine,A Thracian Shepheard by originall,
Who did by all the staires of Fortune climbe
Vnto the throne and seate Imperiall.)
(But as she raisde him, so the wrought his fall)
A full cram'd Glutton so ore fed with cheare,
That two strong men were plac't his paunch to beare.
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Diuers there were of later times, that seem'dAmongst the rest; she noted onely two,
The first, at first, great Maximine I deem'd;
But better viewd by's picture, streight I know;
He softly pac't, but sore did puffe and blow:
He dranke to Bacchus, and with all his heart
Presented Venus with his secret part.
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Next him came Muleasses, that perfum'dHis dishes with so rare and costly Sweetes,
That one three little birds there were consum'd
An hundreth Crownes. Next these came diuers Knights
And Princely Dames assisting at these Rites,
And millions of each ranke, whose stories she
Cut off, through th'entrance of new companie.
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Much was I moued with what I earst had seene,My heart it vented sighes, mine eyes raind teares,
Recording things which so long past had been,
But now alas renewed my griefes and feares,
Seeing a world of Clergie-men by th'eares,
Striuing and strugling who should first begin
To kill the greatest Hecatombs to sinne.
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Foule worke they made, and many a bloodie streameForth from their broken heads did trickle downe:
Sore tugged they at a triple Diademe,
And for the same was many a clouen crowne,
Their Croysiers crackt and Miters ouerthrowne:
Such stirre there was, as any man might well
Thinke onely bred in Babylon or Hell.
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In most disordred sort along they went,Amongst themselues each striuing first to be.
With single sacrifizes not content,
Each of them did to euery Altar flie
With equall zeale, and like Humilitie;
Out-stripping farre (if all she told me true)
The vildest Pagans either old or new.
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Then quoth my Faire, Conuert then thine eyes, and findIn these the compleate ill of all the rest,
And vice accomplisht in so high a kind,
That Nero here would Crueltie detest,
Maximine thinke his Auarice were blest,
Mad Anthonine would Luxurie deride,
Messalme would hate lust, Poppea pride.
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Loe first comes he that drew the putrid CorseOf's predecessor from his Marble Vrne,
And in a Synode (voyde of all remorse)
First, plac't him in Saint Peters Chaire in scorne,
Did him with Robes pontificall adorne;
Degrades him; then from's hands three fingers cuts;
Lastly, with's corpse pure Tyburs waues polutes.
Platina, de formoso in vita Stephani sexti.
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Then Iohn the twelfth, a monster vile behold,To hunting more adicted then to prayer
(When tend it for venerian tilts he could:)
The Lateran he made a brothell faire;
Saint Peters golden Challices the ware.
He, Healths to Pluto drunke; and for his paine,
By him i'th'act of lust impure was slaine.
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I would not load thy memorie too sore,(Quoth she) mongst many will I name but two
Damd Sorcerers, that Leagues accursed swore,
And did in woods and secret places bow,
And sacrifice th'infernal powres vnto,
Contracting most deare bargains, to obtaine
A short, disquiet, aye repented raigne.
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The first loe there is Siluester by name,Whose bargaine was, that he on earth should stay
So long, till to Ierusalem he came,
A further iourney then he meant to stray.
But going to the Church, so call'd, to pray,
His Feinds appeares: the Churches name he craues:
Which knowne, he droopes dies. Thus false Feinds deceiues.
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That other Benedict the ninth we call,So farre indeed from what his name imports,
That to obtaine the cursed Romain Pall,
And that with women he might freely sport,
Sealed couenants written with his owne blood for't.
And whilest he once his wicked homage made,
His Master kild him, and his owne debts paid.
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There goes another no lesse liberall,Another Benedict, a blessed one:
Of Priestly gifts and grace spirituall,
A man of equall note with those best knowne,
Who rauisht Nuns and Virgins, pittied none:
A damned Atheist blind with lust and pride,
The soule to be immortall he denide.
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That Hildebrand loe here, that Hellish brand,The sower of sedition, murther, strife,
Before whose Gate an Emperour did stand
Barefoote three dayes, attending with his wife;
Yet still he sought to rid him of his life:
Not pleasde, altho his Crowne vpon his knee
He offerd him, with base seruilitie.
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Then show'd she him that did Pope Iohn benight,Imprisond, and in prison causde him pine.
Then he that crown'd the Emperour with his feete,
That dogged in cælestiall Cælestine.
Then Alexander Pope farre lesse diuine
Then Pagan Alexander, Persia's god,
Who vnder's feete Great Cæsars neuer trod.
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Next these, a Wretch that murtherd two Popes goesCalixtus then that Gregorie displac't,
Making him passe in manner dolerous
Through Rome, where earst he had been highly grac't;
Vpon a Cammell leane, and badly pac't,
Trapt with raw Goats hides, then to prisne confind him,
Where with Petrean charitie he pyn'd him.
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Loe Balthasar that Balthasar excell'd,Poysoning his Predecessor, to acquire
Saint Peters Chaire; who th'holy Relicks sell'd,
To feed the fewell of his Paphian fire;
For rapes of Nunnes, and fortie vertues higher,
And Atheisme, was at Constance last deposde,
And in strong Manheyms walles he dyde enclosde.
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Next him obserue Aeneas Siluius,That made old Rome a new stage of delight;
Learned, but subtill and luxurious.
Next whom comes Peter Barbo into sight,
Whose soule liu'd here in a Cimmerian night.
And (tho his rich stones dimd the Moone) dy'd poore,
Consuming all on's Bastard and his Whore.
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There others goe, whom lust and beautie hentTo highest place. Then Sixtus loe (quoth she)
That Brothels built t'encrease Saint Peters rent,
And with his friends dispenc't for Sodomie
Three moneths the yeere, Iune, August, Iuly:
And he that sometime did Auignion feast
Most prodigally, yet but one dish drest.
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Then Borgia behold well-nigh the last,Whose auarice I doe not meane to touch,
(Slight vice for vertues oft-times here hath past)
But diuelish Artes and lust in him were such,
That to corriue with sonnes, he thought not much
In's daughters bed: so mixt he many a cup
Of death for's friends, and last himselfe did sup.
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Then after these she let me see that Iulius,That Peters Keyes in Tyburs waues did throw;
And Pauls keene Sword then tooke in hand most furious,
When he before Mirandula did go;
VVherewith he made whole streames of blood to flow.
Then Leo last, an Atheist worst of all
VVho did the Gospell but a Fable call.
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These Clergie men brought vessels full of bloud,And poisoned bowles, they offerd crueltie:
Then Teeth, Bones, Haire, old Reliques, rotten VVood,
And Idols more then Nile to Idolatrie.
To Auarice a world of soules. To Luxurie,
Delitious Cates, VVine, Silke and costly Stones.
To Venus then, ten thousand little ones.
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Here-with me thought the Altars fiercely blaz'd,The flames then earst ascended much more high,
The smoke ten thousand pitchy turrets raisde,
And so transcended boue the Starry skie,
Piercing the nostrils of Ioues Maiestie:
VVhereat amazde, my haires vpright they run,
Mine eyes grew dim, and tongue grew stiffe and dumb.
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For straight me thought the earth began to quake,The water murmurd, and the ayre did sigh,
The leauy Groues seem'd sadder sounds to make
The Oxen groned, and Horses snorted high:
All rebels to their Masters, feeling nigh
This end of things; and all in heart request
Great God to right their wronges, and giue thē rest:
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The Sun and Moone then streight me thought grew dim,The Starres from heauen they fell, and lost their light;
And all the world seemd now returnd againe
To her first Chaos, and eternall night.
Then were my feares and hopes, in doubtfull fight,
When straight me thought this voice came frō aboue;
Is this the fruit of Heauens long care and loue?
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The Earth cries out, that man her gifts abuseth.The Sea (whose bending backe he tyres for gaine)
That bloody streames he in her waues infuseth,
And doth corrupt her spawne with bodies slaine.
The Aire that it's polluted doth complaine.
The Fire cries out, he doth so oft enrage it,
That Cities melt, and Floods can not asswage it.
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The Towre-bearer, and proud couragious beastCrie out, he forceth them against their will,
T'assaile with armed sides, and barbest crest
The liues of men to murther and to kill.
The Lions rore, that earst were taught to fill
Themselues on Men; whom hunger only forceth
To feed on those, Ioues fatall brand endorceth.
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The weeping Woods of haplesse Arabye,The sweetes which for delight and health he fram'd,
Euen these complaine, and doe for vengeance cry,
Because so oft on Idoll shrines they flam'd,
And by his lusts impure haue been defam'd.
The powrefull Hearbs, which flying breath recall,
Made by themselues Deaths Agents in their fall.
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The Beasts, Fowle, Fish and Fruit of various kind,Ordain'd for health, for pleasure, and for vse,
The hidden treasures to the earth assign'd;
All these likewise doe witnesse his abuse,
With which he truth and iustice doth traduce:
With which he surfets, while his brethren pine,
And in his heart denies the powre diuine.
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The Saints lament that Heauen he still reprocheth,The Angels grieue at his ingratitude.
The Deuils cry out, that he on them encroeheth,
And now begins to teach them to be leaud:
Therefore Iehouah doth in Time conclude,
Since all's accomplisht, was decreed before,
The World shall end, and Time shall be no more.
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Here-with the fires th'etheriall tracts retainesThe hidden sparkles, both in Wood and Stone,
The Sulphur lurking in earths secret veynes
Burst forth (me thought) and all conueend in one,
Men, Beasts, Trees, Houses for to feede vpon:
This fierie Sergeant in an houre did spoyle
Of many hundred yeares the painefull toile.
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Then gaspt earths marble iawes; her hungry mouthIt opned wide, tho now no more to take,
But to restore the surfets of her youth:
Each Goale a free deliuerance to make;
The Sea restorde her Dead, each Streame and Lake,
And all the earth with new-borne limbs it trembled,
VVhile soules and bodies themselues re-assembled.
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The Kings and Princes they did sore lament,VVishing the earth would ope and swallow them.
The gallant Dames that liu'd incontinent,
For whose deare sakes so many earst was slaine,
VVith horror here confounded, and with shame;
They wayled, they wept, they wisht to change their state
VVith meanest slaues, or beasts they fed on late.
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But all in vaine they wisht what cannot be:The Trumpet sounds, and they must all appeare:
They see the angry Iudge sitting on high;
Beneath them Hell, the obiect of their feare:
No pleaders need they, neither witnesse here,
Three Bookes of Conscience, Passion, Life lies ope,
Then cease the good to feare, the bad to hope.
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The sentence past, the blessed soules reioyce:The wicked gnasht their teeth, gainst Heauen blaspheming;
The Deuils howld, and made a fearefull noyse,
And all the poyson of their malice teeming
On wretched mortalls (hopelesse of redeeming)
In burning carrs, & chaines towards Hell them hayld,
Frō whēce, me thought, these words mine eares assaild.
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Vox gehenna.
Oh cursed you, that whyleft yee earst had time,No councels betterd, nor examples moued,
To keepe the statutes, and the lawes diuine,
But still your blinded sence your banes approued;
Tho Christ for sinners suffred whom he loued:
We but for one offence are hither driuen,
You're lost for want of faith, whose sins were giuen.
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VVith flaming forkes therefore weele tosse and turne yee,In Stigian streames to Christall will we freeze yee;
In Phlegiton then will we thaw, then burne yee;
Our comfort is, we're sure we cannot leese yee.
Death grazeth on yee, but he euer flies yee.
Here shall ye freeze with feare, & burne with anguish,
And pine with famine, and in darke fires languish.
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You Tygers which did thirst for bloody streames,And teares of others, here shall drinke your owne.
You Moles, whose eyes were dazde with Golden beames,
Yee shall haue store, great measure shall be showne,
With Ladles downe your throtes it shall be throwne.
You Iustfull Goats, that ioyd in amorous graces,
You shall be glutted here with our embraces.
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You angry Doggs, here shall you fight your fill.You rauenous Wolues, here shall ye eate your dung.
You enuious Dragons to, that dyde to kill,
That hated still the good, the wise and strong,
Your selues vnapt for any thing but wrong,
Here shall ye feed on Aspecks; and your head
With Snakie tresses shall be couerd.
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Pœna sensus.
You Eyes that heretofore could not endureTo looke vpon the sores of Lazarus,
But highly feasted were with things impure,
With costly Pictures, and lasciuious,
With Gownes, with Gauds, with fashions rare and vicious,
With Maskes, with Shows; here shall ye nothing see
But Serpents, flying Fires, and vgly We.
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You, you whose noses still so close were pent,In passing by the poore and needy wight,
For whom from Ganges Odours rich were sent,
And nothing was thought costly, that was meet,
To couer Natures faults, or to delight.
You, you that Chimneys were for Indian smoke,
With pitchy Clouds and Brimstone shall yee choke.
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You eares that earst were deafe vnto the poore,Whom flatteries, or gaine, or charming sound
Of Musick only pleasde, you shall no more
Heare names of Honor, Grace, of Wit profound,
Valour or Beautie; here all things resound,
And eccho horror, grones of wretched Ghosts,
Othes, Blasphemies, and Yells of vs your Hosts.
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You, you for whom the Virgins fingers spunneThe silkes of Naples, and proud Genoa,
For whom were brought soft Sables from the Donne,
And costly Ermines from Rhezania;
Who pin'd the poore that you might feast and play.
You, you whose curious touch no Downe could please.
Here burning beds of Iron is your ease.
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You curious mouthes that nought but sweets could taste,Whose great excesse did grutch the poore a share,
Which on your paunches millions earst did wast,
And had so many thousands still to care,
Onely to bring you dishes, strange and rare,
Here Ostrich-like shall swallow in your rage,
Toads, Steele, or Stones, your hungers to asswage.
Pœna damni.
Then damned soules, conceiue what you haue lost,How faire a Citie, what a Mansion,
Prouided for yee at anothers cost;
Enricht with beauty and perfection,
Where thorny cares, disease, or want is none,
But all with glorie, and with wisdome shine,
Sustain'd and cherisht by that loue diuine.
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On earth while earst you liu'd, you deemd the losseOf Parents fauour was no little paine;
The losse of Kingdomes an exceeding crosse;
But most to loose the light, and to remaine
In dungeon darke: This losse doth all containe
The losse of God, whose boundlesse powre diuine
Doth not your plagues in times or tearmes confine.
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Altho ye could like Esau melt to teares;Restore like Iudas your accursed gaine;
Like Ahab mourne in sack-cloth (many yeares)
Altho you here could chatter like the Crane,
Send forth as shrill shrikes as the Pellican:
Tho ye could weepe whole Seas for euery sinne,
They're all but lost, no mercy can yee winne.
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But here me thought I felt a sudden ioyRun through my flesh, and wing my rauisht spright,
Feeling my selfe exempt from this anoy,
Full of cœlestiall thoughts, and rare delight,
Amongst the Quires of heauenly Singers sweete.
With which high ioyes, I thinke, my soule had scapt
From forth her prison, if I had not wakt.
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