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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Principium & Mutabilitas rerum.
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Principium & Mutabilitas rerum.
CONTAINING A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE PALACE of old Cronos or Time; and Logos his speech concerning Mutation.
Cronos, Time. Moria, Folly. Logos, Reason.
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Be still a while yee Wolues that me deuoure,You sadder thoughts and sorrowes of my hart
Which through my soule an Icy numnes powre,
And wholly rob me of that better part,
Which God and Nature did me once impart,
Vntill I briefly can vnfold and show
An accident befell me long ago.
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Which Storie that I here intend to write,A Dreame or Vision is that me befell,
When drown'd in deepest sleepes of Darksome night,
I seem'd transported (how I cannot tell)
Into a Palace, which did so excell
For glorious structures, that mine Artlesse pen
Must passe their praise, vnfit to vtter them.
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A stately Hall me thought I entred,The Pauement set with Marble and pure Gold;
An Azure roofe, with Starres illumined,
And in the same a Sunne I did behold,
Which seem'd by Art about the Center rold;
And Siluer Cinthia thirteene times the yeare,
Seeming quite darkned, and as often cleare.
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All sorts of creatures proper to the Land,All those the watry deepe inhabiting;
Or such as twice them both indifferent stand:
All those the Airie Region trauelling:
All Shrubs or Trees in Earth, or Sea, that spring,
Framd for Mans pleasure, and his vse alone,
Within these walles were wrought in wood and bone.
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Where whilest I wandred with no small content,Gazing about, aloft I chanc't to spie
These lines: Thou Mortall that art hither sent
To Cronos house, prepare thy selfe to die.
This toucht me deepe: for often heard had I
Of cruell Cronos, and his cutting Sithe,
Oft (tho I felt it not) th'effects did lithe:
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But streight there did before mine eyes appeare,A wanton Dame that came with follick grace,
Moria vaine, who scoft my drooping cheare:
Faint Heart (quoth she) what meanes this sorrow base?
Can lustie Youth teare Cronos wrinckled face?
This Dotard shall not find thee many a yeare.
Loe, while he sleeps, Ile steale his Wings and's Geare.
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This said away she went, and streight return'd,Bringing a Reade whereon she got astride.
Me thought 'twas braue to see her thus adorn'd.
Two wings she fitted then with nimble pride
To her owne shoulders hanging downe each side;
And to be sure Times Glasse should not run out,
She broke that all, and strew'd the sand about.
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Then (quoth she) for thy Hat (and reacht her wing)Pluck out this feather 'tis an ornament
For all my followers well fashioning;
And such as scorne old Cronos detriment.
Come, let vs spend our time in merriment;
Let's laugh, let's gather Flowers Here many a Dance
She learnt me, and much wanton Dalliance.
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But streight she vanisht euen as Phantasines doe,Or Demons, which doe ayrie shapes acquire;
When Cronos in the throng himselfe did show,
And both his old armes, and his Sithe did tire
With killing, and left me her tales t'admire:
For, noting Cronos had both Sythe and Wings,
I thought her false, and long'd to know these things.
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Within this Hall a world of people were,All Cronos children (yet destinguisht tho)
Some Friends, and some as Seruants did appeare.
Then lookt I round, wishing to see or know
Some stranger like my selfe: and thinking so,
A thing of greatest strangenes did afford
It selfe to view, which here I will record.
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Amongst the rest an Actor did I spie,Whose force (tho weake in shew) did Giants proue,
(I say I saw, but nothing perfitly,
For in a Cloud it euer seem'd to moue)
A mightie Globe; it seem'd to rowle and shoue,
Where millions sought with ladders still to attaine
The top, but when she stird, still downe they came.
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This made me now with more then earst I did,Some wise Oedipus to shew me all;
Nor sooner had I wisht, but I descried
A reuerend Syre, which gently did me call
Into a secret corner of the Hall;
And first of all himselfe to me he nam'd
Logos, and afterward this speech he fram'd.
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Young man (quoth he) I see thou lately artAriu'd within this place of miserie;
I am to let thee know it is my part
and Office to direct this companie:
Tho most of them indeed my precepts flie,
Trusting Moria rather, and her Mates;
But I ot thee diuine some better Fates.
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Thou seest how here each hath his seuerall guise,Each followes his owne way, and choose their like.
Some here consume their time in flatteries,
And some in Pride: diuers delight to strike
And kill their fellowes: others nothing like,
But ease and belly-cheare (to feele, to fast)
But Cronos sweepes them all away at last.
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A few there be, whose well directed mindRetire themselues from forth the presse and throng,
Whose thoughts to contemplation are design'd.
Not to preuent old Cronos, nor prolong,
But to prepare for what they cannot shun:
And to auoid Morias cunning baites,
Who first abusde the entring at the Gates.
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Logos (quoth I) Gramercy, I doe oweTo thee my selfe: th'ast cured my doubts and feares.
And now my chiefe desires remaines to know
Her, that behind that turning Globe appeares.
Content (quoth he) lend then a while thine eares;
While these feast, fight, or sleepe: my taske shall be
To spend an houre vpon her Historie.
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It is Mutation, Goddesse great of things.That in her turne doth triumph ouer all;
Who tramples on the heads of mightie Kings,
And makes the strongest Towres demolisht, fall.
Of whom I muse, and maruaile euer shall,
That ancient Rome such Temples should erect
To triuiall things, and yet her power neglect.
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For if the course of mundane things below,Be guided by the euer changing Fate
Of Heauenly Orbes, from thence the causes flow
Of their effects, and what they procreate.
Her birth is then Diuine, and may relate,
And challenge Altais tarre more due, then either
Fortune, Lyeus, Venus altogether.
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Some few examples therefore will I take,And small remonstrance from the memorie
Of former times, her forces knowne to make;
That men asleepe rockt by felicitie,
Which vainely dreame here of eternitie,
May wake and see, since Human and Diuine
Things feele her force, they must account with Time.
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That they which doe repute their states so fixt,As Lightning cannot blast, misfortune shake.
Might hence obserue, the web of chance is mixt.
And as they giue themselues, so must they take,
Whereof examples thousands may we make
From euery Age; yet shall a few suffice,
Drawne both from Mens and Times best memories.
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First, to begin with Heauen; the Heauenly QuiresHaue not been euer from her powre exempt,
But fell by Pride into eternall fires;
From compleat Ioy, from happie true content,
To be tormented there, and to torment:
Where tho the rest's by one example warn'd,
Yet are not men by thousand thousands arm'd.
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The Lampes of Heauen, the Planets change aboue,As well in sight, aspect, as influence.
The Sunne from his diurnall arch doth moue
After his proper motion, either hence
Certaine degrees, or neerer vs; from whence
Proceede the diuers seasons, Autumne, Spring,
Winter & Summer, whose change, change ech thing.
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And gadding Phœbe, whose still changing face,Doth so much spot her female chastitie,
Varies not onely in her way, but pace;
And to our seeming in her quantitie,
Which some ascribe to excentricitie.
But all of them till Plato's yeare be run,
Stray from the place of their creation.
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The Elements, on which each thing's composde.(Beneath the Moone) beeing and Vegetiue
To daily transmigrations are disposde,
And mongst themselues retaine a mutuall strife
Each to become other (much like our life)
Ayre doth sometimes to Fire or Water run;
And Fire an earthly habit doth put on.
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Some thinke, the Ayre in hollow Caues condenc'tTo be the Founts of Orenoque or Rhyne:
But all men see the vapours which incenst
And ratified, ambitiously doe clime
To th'Ayres cold Region, whence they streight decline
To snowie Clouds conuerted, then to raine,
And seeking so their natiue place againe.
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The hot drie Fumes with watery clouds shut in,Enuiron'd round, and as in prison gyude,
To struggle streight for liberty begin.
Tho long in vaine repulst on euery side;
Vntill at last (enflamde) they flames forth glide,
Shunning their foes embracements, while their thunder
Amaze the people, both with feare and wonder.
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The Winds still change, the Seas still ebbe and flow;The Dayes succeed the Nights, Nights follow Dayes.
The chequered Meades giue place to Frosts and Snow;
And cloudy Winter, when the Sunne displayes
His Sun-daies suit, her stormy Campe doth raise,
And yeelds to conquering Time, as Time must doe
To him that Earth shall change, and Heauen to.
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Who maruels now if haplesse Adam fellFrom Innocence, and from his blest estate,
His earthly part being stuffe so mutable?
Subiected vnto change by lawes of Fate,
And influence of Starres contaminate
Amongst things euer changing here confinde?
Or that to's issue he this plague resignde?
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VVho maruels now, that Princes great and wise,Are subiect to her powre mongst other things.
Th'Assirian Monarchs, whose great Emperies,
Reacht VVesterne Cadiz, first example brings;
First, King, then Mad-man, Beast, yet last a King.
And Zerxes he that made the Mountaines flote,
Who fled from Salamine with one poore bote.
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That Crœssus, whom old Solons wit implor'd,To censure no man happie till his end;
Those hidden Caskets that he so ador'd,
Proued but a bayte his Neighbour King to send
To's burning, where recording this his Friend,
His foe admonisht giues him Life and State,
Least some should make him like vnfortunate:
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Cæsar and Pompey, that with tragediesFild this Worlds grand cirque. Iugurth, Hannibal,
Cassius, Brutus, both the Anthonies,
Make all repayment when reuenge doth call;
And some by foes, some by themselues doe fall:
But diuers others farre more strangely feele
Th'effects of our great Goddesse changing wheele.
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Great Marius, sprung but from rusticke syre,And in the fields of Arpos nourished;
First, but a Legionarie, rising higher,
Was sixt time Consull; lastly, banished,
In ruin'd Carthage forst to beg his breed:
Yet after all, by lands and seas thus tost,
Dyde with farre greater glories then he lost.
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Why should I heare Sertorius relate,That tasted earst so many ebbs and flowes?
Agathocles? or wofull Methridate,
Then whom none tasted greater wealth or woes?
Valerian (Sapor, Foot-stoole) each man knowes.
And, Gelnier, Vandal Prince, compeld to beg
Three things, a Spunge, a Harpe, a Loafe of bread.
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But no example doth illustrate moreThe powre of our Mutation, then the pride
Of Baiazet, whom Turkey did adore,
Coopt in a Cage that Dog-like liu'd and dyde,
But here at home I Vertue haue espide
Eclipst; the Brittish Eleduras thrice
Enthron'd, deposde; and our late Edward twice:
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The Courts where heretofore the Troian KnightsAnd all this Asiatique pompe did keepe;
And where the tents were pight of haughtie Greekes,
Now on their backe the Plow-man furrows deepe,
And silly Shepheards feede their nibling Sheepe.
Stupendious Babell to, that lasting wonder,
Lies with her name entomb'd, her ashes vnder.
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And Babilon (where Chaldian Ninus raign'd,And Percian Cyrus conquered) by whose Towres
Heauens studded Canopie did seeme sustain'd;
Her guilted Streetes, her vaulted Orchards, Bowres,
And pleasant soyle, made fat with fertill showres,
To dens of Beasts and Theeues conuerted be,
And barren Sands, as Esay did foresee.
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Where's stately Iericho and strong Acre?What's Egypts Thebe, her Alexandria?
Where's Ecbatane, and mightie Niniuie?
What's ancient Sydon and Casa[illeg.]a?
And Tyre, whose Daughters Leptis Vtica,
And Carthage? tho they life to others giue,
Haue long agoe themselues disseast to liue.
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What of th'Ephesians glorie is become,Built for the honour of Diana's grace?
The stately Temple of proud Cizicum,
Where Golden veynes did cimment and enchase
Each costly Stone? Alas, in deepe disgrace.
The Labyrinthes of Candie and of Nile?
Some no where found, the rest are ruins vile.
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What's now the shells, where sometime Athens grew,And Lacedemon that so much did prize
VVise Solons and Licurgus Lawes? where's now.
Delightfull Baia with her Luxuries
Great Cuma to entomb'd in ruins lies?
And moderne Rome doth now no more extoll
Her selfe for Vaults, Circques, Collumnes, Capitoll.
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Nor doth our Grandam singlely admitThese markes of hers and changes in her face,
VVhereby she seemeth like a Louer stript
Of choisest Iewels, yeelding chiefest grace,
But her rich intrals suffer in like case;
Euen Tagus Golden streames are growne so poore,
Because the Hills their tributes pay no more.
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And but that Nature like a frugall Dame,Doth in her secret Cabinet still hold
Some thing for after times (for feare the shame
Of pouertie should brand her being old,
Or Children taxe her of vnkindnesse) Gold,
Rich stones, and Minerals, this lauish time,
I thinke, to glase their places would resigne.
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And yet not these alone her forces feele,Paying Alleageance to her powerfull Name;
Not Angels, Stars, Fire, Ayre, Men, I ownes, Gold, Steele,
But Countries and whole Nations doe the same;
But euen Religion subiect doth remaine
To change to in externall forme and place,
That men mistake her Robes, her Rites, her face.
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For (all her old apparell throwne away,Both Arons Ephod, and his Incense too;
And all those Lambs and Goats that each where lay
On fuming Altars) her old seruants now
Mutinie against her, her new tyres mis-know;
And while themselues lie plung'd in Hell black night
Of Ignorance, say others lack their sight.
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The place where earst were holy Couenants made,And where Iehoua Marriage knots did knit
With his deare Spouse, now darknes doth inuade,
And Irreligion and vncleannesse sit
Triumphing with an insolence vnfit,
And true Religion banisht quite away,
Is no where knowne within those coasts to stay.
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And Rome where once the Martyrs blood did raine,To moist the seed of Christianitie.
Africk (tho neerer to the Sunne) and ( )
In vtter darknesse now be nighted lie,
And know it not (the greater miserie.)
Faire Italy that counted once the World
All Barbarous, for barbarismes abhord.
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Religion there's become a very scorne,Their Cannons and traditions haue her place,
Which like false witnesses they still subborne,
To testifie vntruths against her face:
But not content to doe her one disgrace,
Simonie, Murder, Pride, Hipocrisie,
Lust, Blasphemy, exile her vtterly.
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Againe, the North that sometime did produceNothing but darknes, that did nought good keepe
In her frozen mansions, nought but Snowes, Fogs, Dews,
And Icie Mountaines floting in the deepe;
The foster of Stupiditie and Sleepe,
The parent of vnpollisht saluage minds,
Both fierce and bloody, like the Siluane kinds,
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Is now become more blest then other Climes,For pure Religions true profession:
For (that which was denide to former times),
Her warme Zeale thriues, euen in the coldest Zone:
For here with vs Religion hath her Throne;
Iustice and Mercie tend at either hand,
And Truth, her Vsher, doth before her stand.
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Behind her come Humilitie and Peace,Plentie and Charitie (both wondrous ag'd)
And tho Bellona and [illeg.]rennis fierce,
Alecto and the Furies all enrag'd
With this her glorie, haue themselues engag'd
Against her traine, in hope to worke her spight;
Yet guards of Angels throw them at her feete.
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And all her Courts with Princely Seruants shine:The best of Kings her Harrold is become;
Proclaiming both her worth to present Times,
And to succeeding Ages; while his owne
(Our lasting Time) eternall shall become.
Then Arts and Armes, and all the other Graces,
Are ranckt about her in their seuerall places.
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But now, deare Clio, I thine aide implore,T'impart some portion of thy sacred skill,
Or sweete Euterpe of thy Nectard store,
Into my braine some scruple to distill,
Till I haue showne with this my rustick quill,
The various change of Body and of Mind
By Logos, to this Microcosme assign'd
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This lesser World (quoth he) the great ones mapOf Fire and Water, Earth and Heauen composde:
The Sea of change, the subiect of mishap;
The Bulwarke gainst a world of foes exposde.
Oh that the Heauens had vnto me disclosde,
To write the wonders of this little thing,
Which learned Legists call the Worlds great King.
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The wondrous changes which it doth admit,First, from not being once, to come to bee;
Then from a rude vnpollisht Chaos yet,
For to be framde a thing to heare and see:
And from a thing of such infirmitie,
That creepes amongst the dust, and licks the mold,
To grow a Man of Courage stout and bold.
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Then from a thing of such accomplisht forme,VVhom Nature hath decreed with all the best,
Both of her skill and treasures to adorne
VVith fairest beauties, hauing right imprest
Both Soule and Body; farre before the rest
Imparting wit, and memorie to know
Both things aboue, and in the earth below.
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VVith crisped looks out-shining Libian Gold;VVith skin for whitenes passing Atlas snow;
And teeth, the Pearles in stately Ormus sold;
And cheekes, the Roses that in Iurie grow:
VVhose eies like two pure Christall Heauens show;
VVhose lips as Cherries, breath as incense sweete,
And tongue as sweetest Musick doth delight.
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That such an one should in a span of TimeBe thus disrobde of all this excellence,
So chang'd, I say (by misterie diuine)
For our first Parents haplesse high offence,
To wretchednes, and deprauated sence,
And that those dimpled truest Venus balls,
VVhere th'mirthfull Goddesse keepes her Festiualls.
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Should turne like those scratcht by the Beldam Ape,Where Tabraea her shadie Groues displaies.
What change of more amazement can one shape,
Then this Times Map of ruine and disgrace;
Deafe, Sinew-shrunke, the storie of ill dayes;
Callender of Disease, which last returnes
All frosted ore, a banquet for the Wormes.
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Now here againe an Ocean should I enter,Of stormie billowes, where these barkes of yours
Are bruisde and beaten, while abroad they venture
From our knowne coasts to gather gawdy flowres,
With vaine Moria in her fatall Bowres;
Where gainst the Capes of Pride and Lust they run,
Oft split before their Voyage be begun.
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The passions of the Soule I should expresse,Which is a sea of more extended bound;
And where more rudely crossing billowes presse
Each other, then in th'Ocean can be found
In Malstrom, or the Magellanick Sound:
For here ten thousand contraries remaine,
Both frozen Ice, and Aetna's burning flame.
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Camelions doe not colours faster changeThen these affections: nor doe idle men
In waxe or paper forme more anticks strange
Then may be noted in the soules of them,
Whom Logos doth not compasse in, and hem:
New passions, and irregular desires,
New motions and mutations turning Gyres.
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While tost with feauours and contrarie fitsOf seeming zeale, but true Hypocrisie,
Now Hope wins ground, and streight Despaire that gets;
Now Auarice, now Prodigalitie;
Now haughtie thoughts, then great Humilitie;
Both burning Anger, and chill frozen Feare,
Doe in their turnes insult and dominere.
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Enuie, Reuenge and Malice others whet,To perpetrate in human bloody acts,
By Sword and Poyson their intents to get;
Or (worst of all) by some infernall pacts:
Which done, the sweetnes of those filthy facts
Turne into horror and confounding feare,
They wish ten thousand deaths, their cōscience cleare.
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Many there be that with Ambitions car.Doe madly seeke to clime the Alpine Mounts,
To get beyond all stormes and Meteours far:
But find themselues much short of their accounts,
Not free from Stormes and Lightnings, at the founts
Of all those mischiefes rather; and repent
That euer neere such steepe discents they went.
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Men seeke for things they wish they had not found;They wish for that which makes them oft lament;
Lament that lost, which made their griefes abound,
And grieue for lacke of that they must repent:
If had, men kisse and kill incontinent.
They pine with loue, and yet extreamely hate,
Whom so they lou'd, with hauing saciate.
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Now plumpe cheek't mirth, now sadnes they commend,Now sweet content yet plunge themselues in care:
To fatting ease, and sleepe their Youthes they bend,
And in old Age, their limbs forget to spare
Toyling for gaine, whereof they loose their share,
Both thanks and trauaile: thus are mortall Hearts
The stage where vainest Actors play their parts.
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Sometime they praise the Countrie, then the Towne;Now high estate, now humble, low degree,
Now fruitfull trauaile, streight soft beds of Downe;
Now Courtly greatnes pleaseth: by and by
The life retired, and leasure for to die.
Now bloody Ensignes, and the Cannons sound;
Thē streight way Peace, whēce sweeter tones redound.
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The married man commends the single life,And libertie detesting to be tide
To still renewing cares, and wanton strife:
Yet (freed againe) he cannot so abide.
He pines, till he some second warre haue tride
In all affections gidd'ly they roue,
Not constant what to hate, or what to loue.
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No certaine state of goodnesse doe they proue,Or badnesse here: for both doe by degrees
Vnto their proper periods still moue.
Hell is the end assign'd to those that leese
The time, and grace ordaind to them: but these
That by the staires of Vertue vpward past,
Meet with perfection in the Heauens at last.
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Now since the Heauens, and the Celestiall Quires,And all the Elements thus change. We see
Since Princes, Cities, stateliest Towres, and Spires,
In time demollisht and forgotten be.
Since all things taste of Mutabilitie
That God created; let none thinke it strange,
That Times are chang'd, and we in them doe change.
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This said, my Vision vanisht, and reuoluingLogos discourse within my troubled brest;
And (notwithstanding my knowne wants) resoluing
To keepe that piece which in my mind did rest,
These Lines I limbd, whereof you are possest,
Whose vse is this, that Man (a changling euer)
Might learne to worship him that changeth neuer.
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