A Horse or A New-Yeares-Gift To the Right worthy, and worshipful Sr. Phillip Balfour, Knight ... By G. Lauder |
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 | A Horse or A New-Yeares-Gift |  |
A HORSE
OR A NEW-YEARES-GIFT
To the Right worthy, and worshipful Sr. PHILLIP BALFOUR, Knight Colonell of a Scottish Regiment in the seruice of the High and Mighty Lords the States Generall of the United Prouinces.
Amid the croud of clients, that doth choack
The thronged streets, and temples, with the smoak
Of loue and incense, where true zeal doth burne
In happy wishes, for the yeares returne;
Whilest each his Patron humbly doth present
Due hommage, in some gift or complement:
Rouz'd from sad silence, darke, and drouzy shade:
My bashfull Muse comes blushing forth, afraid,
And shames to be surpriz'd at such a time;
(When so much Reason should awake hir rime)
That Noble Balfour should no token find
Of Lauder's loue, respect, and honest mind:
But whilest her griefe in wandring thoughts doth stray
To find a present for this Holy day;
On flowrie Peleon, faire Thessalia's pride,
In single choice shee nimbly doth bestride
A pransing Steed, and backwards bends her course
To giue him for a New-yeares-gift, this Horse.
The thronged streets, and temples, with the smoak
Of loue and incense, where true zeal doth burne
In happy wishes, for the yeares returne;
Whilest each his Patron humbly doth present
Due hommage, in some gift or complement:
Rouz'd from sad silence, darke, and drouzy shade:
My bashfull Muse comes blushing forth, afraid,
And shames to be surpriz'd at such a time;
(When so much Reason should awake hir rime)
That Noble Balfour should no token find
Of Lauder's loue, respect, and honest mind:
But whilest her griefe in wandring thoughts doth stray
To find a present for this Holy day;
On flowrie Peleon, faire Thessalia's pride,
In single choice shee nimbly doth bestride
A pransing Steed, and backwards bends her course
To giue him for a New-yeares-gift, this Horse.
What could my wish in all the world haue found,
Braue Balfour, worthier of my duties bound,
Or your acceptance, then what here I bring?
The noblest Creature, next to man, their king:
The warlike Courser whose high courage warmes,
When trumpets sound, and drums doe beat alarmes;
The battels strength, in whose Heroick brest,
True valour harbours, and true loue doth rest.
The noblest Patme in the fairest feature
And justly Soueraigne of the speechles creature.
Braue Balfour, worthier of my duties bound,
Or your acceptance, then what here I bring?
The noblest Creature, next to man, their king:
The warlike Courser whose high courage warmes,
When trumpets sound, and drums doe beat alarmes;
The battels strength, in whose Heroick brest,
True valour harbours, and true loue doth rest.
The noblest Patme in the fairest feature
And justly Soueraigne of the speechles creature.
The Horse is full of wonder and delight,
The sweetest object that presents the sight;
And vvould you have his qualities descride,
The God of Hoasts, and Israel's Armies guide
When vvith his Seruant Iob, he held discourse
Told him the rare perfections of the orse;
“His Crest is cloath'd vvith thunder: None can make
“His sinevvy limbs like grashoppers to quake:
“His flouting nostrills breath a fearefull smoack:
“The valley trembles, at his hoofs hard stroack:
“Hee glories in his strength; And trampling goes
“To meet the squadrons of his armed foes:
“He scorneth feare, and is no vvhit afraid;
“Nor turnes about at sight of brandish'd blade;
“The quiuer ratleth in his raised eares:
“He slights the glance of glistring shields and speares:
“His fiercenes, rage doth svvallovv up the ground:
“And he disdaines the trumpets auvvfull sound:
“Hee neighs and curbets at the trumpets noise;
“And smells the vvarre a farre: Heares the lovvd voyce
“Of thundring Captaines; And the shouts and cryes
“Of Souldiours, and shootes lightning from his eyes.
The sweetest object that presents the sight;
The God of Hoasts, and Israel's Armies guide
When vvith his Seruant Iob, he held discourse
Told him the rare perfections of the orse;
“His Crest is cloath'd vvith thunder: None can make
“His sinevvy limbs like grashoppers to quake:
“His flouting nostrills breath a fearefull smoack:
“The valley trembles, at his hoofs hard stroack:
“Hee glories in his strength; And trampling goes
“To meet the squadrons of his armed foes:
“He scorneth feare, and is no vvhit afraid;
“Nor turnes about at sight of brandish'd blade;
“The quiuer ratleth in his raised eares:
“He slights the glance of glistring shields and speares:
“His fiercenes, rage doth svvallovv up the ground:
“And he disdaines the trumpets auvvfull sound:
“Hee neighs and curbets at the trumpets noise;
“And smells the vvarre a farre: Heares the lovvd voyce
“Of thundring Captaines; And the shouts and cryes
“Of Souldiours, and shootes lightning from his eyes.
The generous Horse hath a great Sympathy
With his proud Ryder, and can presently
Conceiue his meaning, vvhen He finds him stirre
The reynes, or raise his rod, or vvagg his spurre;
As if his mouth and flankes had eyes and eares
To heare and see his riders dumb desires;
Or that his limbs vvere members of that head
Whose hand and fancie doth his motions lead;
What greater pleasure, then to see him goe
Puffing side-vvaies turning to and fro?
His Head and body, or a gallop strike
With Majesty and measure raisd alike,
Or vvhen he finds the reines more free, to flie
More svvift then Parthian shaft, outrun the eie
Vntill his speed have left behind the plain
And he come bravelie foaming home againe.
Then vvith a sense of honour, as it vvere
Puffd up, he proudly casts, novv heere, novv there
His flaming eyes, and chafes his clattring bitt,
As if he vvould say something but for it,
But vvhen he's armd for fight; And on his head
A loftie pannach vvasting plumes doe spread:
What Curbetts, and vvhat capriolls he makes,
What volts? vvith vvhose sad vveight the center shakes:
With vvhat disdaine he strikes and scrapes the ground?
Whilest neighing loud he makes the fields resound,
And in a noble furie seemes to plaine
The curbing reines his courage should restraine:
His rage enflames, and breathing fire and smoak
He capers, kicks, and doth himselfe prouoak;
Turnes round, and rises over end, to see
With froathing mouth, a farre the Enemy.
With his proud Ryder, and can presently
Conceiue his meaning, vvhen He finds him stirre
The reynes, or raise his rod, or vvagg his spurre;
As if his mouth and flankes had eyes and eares
To heare and see his riders dumb desires;
Or that his limbs vvere members of that head
Whose hand and fancie doth his motions lead;
What greater pleasure, then to see him goe
Puffing side-vvaies turning to and fro?
His Head and body, or a gallop strike
With Majesty and measure raisd alike,
Or vvhen he finds the reines more free, to flie
More svvift then Parthian shaft, outrun the eie
Vntill his speed have left behind the plain
And he come bravelie foaming home againe.
Puffd up, he proudly casts, novv heere, novv there
His flaming eyes, and chafes his clattring bitt,
As if he vvould say something but for it,
But vvhen he's armd for fight; And on his head
A loftie pannach vvasting plumes doe spread:
What Curbetts, and vvhat capriolls he makes,
What volts? vvith vvhose sad vveight the center shakes:
With vvhat disdaine he strikes and scrapes the ground?
Whilest neighing loud he makes the fields resound,
And in a noble furie seemes to plaine
The curbing reines his courage should restraine:
His rage enflames, and breathing fire and smoak
He capers, kicks, and doth himselfe prouoak;
Turnes round, and rises over end, to see
With froathing mouth, a farre the Enemy.
This noble creature since the vvorld began
Hath beene the darling, and delight of Man;
And for his vvorth more Princes loue hath vvonne
Then all the rest together, Hee alone:
So much that vvhen I name him, I protest
I blush, and grieue to call him but a beast.
Hath beene the darling, and delight of Man;
And for his vvorth more Princes loue hath vvonne
Then all the rest together, Hee alone:
So much that vvhen I name him, I protest
I blush, and grieue to call him but a beast.
The vvise and valiant Cimon, vvhom proud Greece
So much doth boast of, thought it no disgrace
To lay his Horse beside himselfe, and have
Cloase by his tomb his Horses ioyning grave.
So much doth boast of, thought it no disgrace
To lay his Horse beside himselfe, and have
Cloase by his tomb his Horses ioyning grave.
Great Alexander, vvho the earth o're ranne,
And greedie vvishd more vvorlds for him to vvonne,
Did found a City in his conquests course
In honour of Bucephalus his Horse.
And greedie vvishd more vvorlds for him to vvonne,
Did found a City in his conquests course
In honour of Bucephalus his Horse.
Braue Julius Cæsar, Romes triumphant God,
Whose conquests ore his countries freedome rode?
And rest by force the crovvne to proue Her course
So much esteem'd dearely lou'd his Horse,
That in his temple vvhere the people bovvd
To vvorship him, his Horse in marble stood.
Whose conquests ore his countries freedome rode?
And rest by force the crovvne to proue Her course
So much esteem'd dearely lou'd his Horse,
To vvorship him, his Horse in marble stood.
Milde Antonin, vvhose vvise and happy Raigne
A paterne yet for Princes doth remaine:
So lov'd the Horse, that he vvith cost did mould
And cast his Statue into purest gold.
And Verus buried in the Vatican
A Horse vvith all the honours due to Man.
A paterne yet for Princes doth remaine:
So lov'd the Horse, that he vvith cost did mould
And cast his Statue into purest gold.
And Verus buried in the Vatican
A Horse vvith all the honours due to Man.
Caligula, though othervvaies a beast
Did oft inuite his Horse to be his guest,
Drunck healths unto him, deckt him vvith his cloack
And vvould haue made him Consul, had he spoke
Yea vvhen he vvrongd the Priesthood, and vvould take
That place, he did his Horse his Colleague make.
Did oft inuite his Horse to be his guest,
Drunck healths unto him, deckt him vvith his cloack
And vvould haue made him Consul, had he spoke
Yea vvhen he vvrongd the Priesthood, and vvould take
That place, he did his Horse his Colleague make.
Nero, that ne'er lou'd Creature, young nor old,
Even scarse himselfe; his Horse so deare did hold
That clad in purple, he must weare the Govvne
As Senator, and walk abroad the towne:
And his fine wanton wench Sabina would
Her Horse have shod with none but shooes of gold.
Even scarse himselfe; his Horse so deare did hold
That clad in purple, he must weare the Govvne
As Senator, and walk abroad the towne:
And his fine wanton wench Sabina would
Her Horse have shod with none but shooes of gold.
The Horse is often cause of victory,
And in the battle fighteth furiously;
He bites and strikes, and beats whole squadrons downe
Rides o're the ranks, till all be quite o'rethrowne;
And will not heare the sound of the retreit,
But followes those that flie, and are defeat.
And in the battle fighteth furiously;
He bites and strikes, and beats whole squadrons downe
Rides o're the ranks, till all be quite o'rethrowne;
And will not heare the sound of the retreit,
But followes those that flie, and are defeat.
The Horse was fatall unto famous Troy
Which ten yeares lingring siedge could not annoy;
And those white steeds Anchises first did see
Vpon the long sought shoare of Italy,
Portended warre; the land could not be wonne,
But with hard blowes, by his tossd wandring Sonne.
Which ten yeares lingring siedge could not annoy;
And those white steeds Anchises first did see
Vpon the long sought shoare of Italy,
Portended warre; the land could not be wonne,
But with hard blowes, by his tossd wandring Sonne.
A Horse discouered him that should be king
When Persia's vvise men forth their Peeres did bring
Without the City gate vvel mounted all:
And hee whose Horse first neigh'd; ('twas said) should fall
The Crowne by lott; vvhich Darius did obtaine,
And by that means came o're the Land to raigne.
When Persia's vvise men forth their Peeres did bring
And hee whose Horse first neigh'd; ('twas said) should fall
The Crowne by lott; vvhich Darius did obtaine,
And by that means came o're the Land to raigne.
The Horse, Warres Simbole, is alive, or dead,
As well vvas seene in Carthage, by the Head
Of one was found, when first faire Dido founded
That Towne; and with strong walls the Port surrounded.
For Rome ne'er found a folke more hard to daunt
And Hanniball of Canna's field could vaunt.
As well vvas seene in Carthage, by the Head
Of one was found, when first faire Dido founded
That Towne; and with strong walls the Port surrounded.
For Rome ne'er found a folke more hard to daunt
And Hanniball of Canna's field could vaunt.
The Horse for speed and strength so farre excells
All other Creatures made for service else;
That euen th' Apostles sometime are compar'd
To Horses, for their toyle & trauell hard:
As when the Prophet in the vale of Night
Among the Mirtles saw that vision bright:
“A Man that sate upon a Horse was red
“And others speckled more behind him stood
“He asked vvhat they were, and it vvas sayd
“Those whom the Lord his messengers had made
“To walke abroad the earth, and shovv his vvill
“Though all the vvorld in vvickednes sate still.
All other Creatures made for service else;
That euen th' Apostles sometime are compar'd
To Horses, for their toyle & trauell hard:
As when the Prophet in the vale of Night
Among the Mirtles saw that vision bright:
“A Man that sate upon a Horse was red
“And others speckled more behind him stood
“He asked vvhat they were, and it vvas sayd
“Those whom the Lord his messengers had made
“To walke abroad the earth, and shovv his vvill
“Though all the vvorld in vvickednes sate still.
What greater marck of true magnificence
To shovv the state and puissance of a Prince;
Then in the choice and number of his Horse?
Which proue his povver, and doe proclaime his force.
The Mirror & the Mappe of Maiesty.
Great Salomon, vvhose glory reach'd the skye;
In nothing more his royall pomp maintaind
Then fourty thousand Horse he entertaind.
To shovv the state and puissance of a Prince;
Then in the choice and number of his Horse?
Which proue his povver, and doe proclaime his force.
The Mirror & the Mappe of Maiesty.
Great Salomon, vvhose glory reach'd the skye;
In nothing more his royall pomp maintaind
Then fourty thousand Horse he entertaind.
The horse may for his Courage justly clayme
A share in honours, and surviving fame,
With all those vvorthies that the vvorld admires
Those valiant vvandring Knights, and sturdie 'Squires
For had not hee; as forvvard been as they
Where should vve find our Chiualry to day.
A share in honours, and surviving fame,
With all those vvorthies that the vvorld admires
Those valiant vvandring Knights, and sturdie 'Squires
Where should vve find our Chiualry to day.
St. Georg himselfe, but for his hors I feare,
Had neuer kill'd the Dragon vvith his speare;
But he hath his revvard, and fares no vvorse
Then his proud Ryder; honoured as a horse.
Had neuer kill'd the Dragon vvith his speare;
But he hath his revvard, and fares no vvorse
Then his proud Ryder; honoured as a horse.
The horse alone is vvorth a vvorld of creatures;
Whose seuerall seruice, sutes but vvith their natures,
Hees fit for all things, and you cannot chuse
A vvork becomes him vvrong; or vvants his use
In peace and vvarre for profit and for pleasure
He is the Prince and Peasants choicest treasure.
Whose seuerall seruice, sutes but vvith their natures,
Hees fit for all things, and you cannot chuse
A vvork becomes him vvrong; or vvants his use
In peace and vvarre for profit and for pleasure
He is the Prince and Peasants choicest treasure.
Though Fables in fine tires haue truth disguis'd
And tell us tales of Monsters, Men deuis'd,
As that the Centaures vvere halfe hosre, halfe Man:
The Moral's good, and from this ground began:
There dvvelt a people, on mount Pelions side
Who first broke horses, and vvere seene to ride,
Their simple neighbours thought both Man & horse
Had beene but One, and fear'd their mighty force
(As of late yeares, the sauadge Indians thought
When Cortez first from Spayne, his horsmen brought:
For vvhen they fought on foot they fear'd no euill
But durst not stand against that Spanish Deuil.)
From thence the Poets faind that prettie tale
To shovv that strength and reason still preuaile:
And therefore fained Chiron to be One
That did instruct faire Thetis vvarrelike Sonne:
The better in that fiction to expresse
Those parts requir'd in him that's put to dresse
A Princes youth, vvhose vvise & deep discourse
To manly Reason joines the strength of Horse.
And tell us tales of Monsters, Men deuis'd,
As that the Centaures vvere halfe hosre, halfe Man:
The Moral's good, and from this ground began:
There dvvelt a people, on mount Pelions side
Who first broke horses, and vvere seene to ride,
Their simple neighbours thought both Man & horse
Had beene but One, and fear'd their mighty force
(As of late yeares, the sauadge Indians thought
When Cortez first from Spayne, his horsmen brought:
For vvhen they fought on foot they fear'd no euill
But durst not stand against that Spanish Deuil.)
From thence the Poets faind that prettie tale
To shovv that strength and reason still preuaile:
And therefore fained Chiron to be One
That did instruct faire Thetis vvarrelike Sonne:
The better in that fiction to expresse
Those parts requir'd in him that's put to dresse
A Princes youth, vvhose vvise & deep discourse
To manly Reason joines the strength of Horse.
But soft my Muse, it is too much I feare
Stop here thy course: and hold in full cariere
The gentle Horse should not be spurr'd too sore;
Nor must thou vvrong his patience any more,
The gentle Horse should not be spurr'd too sore;
Nor must thou vvrong his patience any more.
That daings to heare thy harsh, and ill-tim'd song
The Day is holy; hold thy pratling toung.
Stop here thy course: and hold in full cariere
The gentle Horse should not be spurr'd too sore;
Nor must thou vvrong his patience any more,
Nor must thou vvrong his patience any more.
That daings to heare thy harsh, and ill-tim'd song
The Day is holy; hold thy pratling toung.
Behold Braue BALFOUR, vvith vvhat confidence
I kindly begge your fauour vvill dispense
With this plaine freedome: and accept my loue
In this poore token, though a toy it proue:
The Gods of old vvere pleas'd vvith poorest things
And pettie flovvers are presents for great Kings.
What here I offer, if it please your eye,
My vvish is full, my verse to Heauen vvill flie.
And I shall reach Parnassus sacred sourse
On this Pegasian Colt, my Flying Horse.
I kindly begge your fauour vvill dispense
With this plaine freedome: and accept my loue
In this poore token, though a toy it proue:
The Gods of old vvere pleas'd vvith poorest things
And pettie flovvers are presents for great Kings.
What here I offer, if it please your eye,
My vvish is full, my verse to Heauen vvill flie.
And I shall reach Parnassus sacred sourse
On this Pegasian Colt, my Flying Horse.
SVNT ARTIBVS ARMA DECORI.
| A Horse or A New-Yeares-Gift | |