Poems and Dramas of Fulke Greville :: :: University of Virginia Library

Peace is the haruest of Mans rich creation,
Where Wit and Paine haue scope to sow, and reape
The minde, by Arts, to worke her eleuation;
Care is sold deare, and Sloth is neuer cheape,
Beyond the intent of Nature it proues
The earth, and fruitfull industry it loues.

2

Vnder the ground concealements it discouers;
It doth giue forme, and matter multiply;
Her arts beget on Nature like a louer;
But for increase, no seeds within her dye:
Exchange, the language is she speakes to all;
Yet least confusion feeles of Babels fall.

3

Seas yeeld their fish, and Wildernesse their woods,
Foules for her food, and feathers for her pleasure,
Beasts yeeld their labour, fleeces, flesh, and blouds,
The Elements become her seruants, and her treasure;
To her alone, God made no Creature vaine,
No power, but Need, is idle in her raigne.

4

When she hath wrought on earth, she Man improues,
A shop of Arts, a rich and endlesse mine,
Workes by his labour, wit, his feare, and loue,
And in refining him, all else refines;
Nature yeelds but the matter, Man the forme,
Which makes the world a manifold returne.

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5

His good, and ill, his need, and vanity,
Both sets himselfe a-worke, and others too;
Trades, and exchangeth our humanity;
Her Marts are more than Lawes, to make men doe;
Nature brings nothing forth that is not wrought,
And Art workes nothing on her but is bought.

6

If Peace be such, what must we thinke of Warre,
But Horrour from aboue, below Confusion,
Where the vnhappy onely happy are,
As making mischiefe euer her conclusion;
Scourges of God, figures of hell to come,
Of vanity, a vaine, infamous tombe.

7

Where neither Throne, nor Crowne haue reuerence,
Sentence, nor Writ, nor Sergeant be in fashion;
All terror scorn'd, of guiltinesse no sense;
A Discipline whereof the rule is Passion:
And as mens vices, beasts chiefe vertues are,
So be the shames of Peace, the Pride of Warre.

8

Here Northerne bodies vanquish Southerne wit,
Greeke Sciences obey the Romane pride,
Order serues both to saue, and kill with it,
Wisdome to ruine onely is apply'd:
Fame, Worth, Religion, all doe but assure,
Vain Man, which way to giue wounds, and endure.

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9

And when the reines of humane hope and feare,
Are thus laid on our neckes, and order chang'd,
Pride will no more the yoke of heauen beare,
Nor our desires in any bounds be rang'd;
The world must take new forms of wrong and right,
For Warre did neuer loue things definite.

10

Here Bookes are burnt, faire monuments of minde,
Here Ignorance doth on all Arts tyrannise,
Vertue no other mould but Courage findes,
All other being in her being dyes;
Wisdome of times grows infancy againe,
Beasts rule in man, and men doe beastly raigne.

11

Audit the end: how can Humanity
Preserved be in ruine of Mankinde?
Both Feare, and Courage feele her cruelty,
The good, and bad, like fatall ruine finde:
Her enemies doe still prouide her food,
From those she ruines, she receiues her good.

12

Was not this Mars then Mauors rightly nam'd?
That in one instant all thus ouerthrowes?
Or can the Poets heauy doome be blam'd,
Who censures, these Forge-masters of our woes,
To haue no kinsman, right, or habitation,
But multiply themselues by desolation?

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13

Yet since the Earths first age brought Giants forth,
Greatnesse for good hath so past euery where,
As euen this cloud, of Giant-making worth,
Proudly the stile of Fame, and Honour beares;
Kings are her creatures, so is vertue too,
And beings take, from what the valiant doe.

14

Thus did vaine Nimrod, (that Man-hunting beast)
Raise vp the first God-scorning Monarchy:
And from the Warre ev'n so sprang vp the rest,
That by aduantage change equality:
So as those Princes, still most famous are,
Which staine most earth, with humane blood in Warre.

15

The ground which makes most States thus fond of Warre,
Is, that with armes all Empires doe increase:
But marke what's next, with armes they ruin'd are:
For when Men feele the health, and blisse of peace,
They cannot rest, nor know they other Art,
But that wherein themselues, and others smart.

16

Now when the policies of great Estates,
Doe Mars professe, Religion then to warre
It selfe must fashion, and indure such rates,
As to the ends of Conquest proper are;
This made the Greeks paint all their gods in armes,
As friends of mans selfe-hazard to doe harmes.

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17

Such the Religion is of Mahomet,
His doctrine, onely warre, and hazard teaching,
His Discipline, not how to vse, but get,
His Court, a campe, the Law of Sword his Preaching:
Vertues of peace, he holds effeminate,
And doth, as vices, banish them his State.

18

And though the Christians Gospell, with them be
Esteem'd the ioyfull embassie of peace,
Yet he that doth pretend supremacy,
Vpon their Church, lets not contention cease;
But with opinions stirres vp Kings to Warre,
And names them Martyrs, that his furies are.

19

And vnto Armes, to multiply deuotion,
Calls that Land holy, which by God is curst;
Disturbes the Churches peace, stirres vp commotion,
And as (with drinking Christian blood) a-thirst,
From desolation striues to set that free,
Whose seruitude stands fixt in Gods decree.

20

Thus see we, how these vgly furious spirits,
Of Warre, are cloth'd, colour'd, and disguis'd,
With stiles of Vertue, Honour, Zeale, and Merits,
Whose owne complexion, well Anatomis'd,
A mixture is of Pride, Rage, Auarice,
Ambition, Lust, and euery tragicke vice.

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21

Some loue no Equals, some Superiours scorne,
One seekes more worlds, and he will Helene haue,
This couets gold, with diuers faces borne;
These humours reigne, and lead men to their graue:
Whereby for bayes, and little wages, we
Ruine our selues, to raise vp Tyranny.

22

And as when Winds among themselues doe iarre,
Seas there are tost, and waue with waue must fight:
So when powr's restlesse humours bring forth Warre,
There people beare the faults, and wounds of Might:
The error, and diseases of the head
Descending still, vntill the limmes be dead.

23

Yet are not Peoples errors euer free
From guilt of wounds they suffer by the Warre;
Neuer did any Publike misery
Rise of it selfe; Gods plagues still grounded are
On common staines of our Humanity:
And to the flame, which ruineth Mankind,
Man giues the matter, or at least giues wind.

24

Nor are these people carried into blood
Onely, and still with violent giddy passion,
But in our Nature, rightly vnderstood,
Rebellion liues, still striuing to disfashion
Order, Authority, Lawes, any good,
That should restraine our liberty of pleasure,
Bound our designes, or giue desire a measure.

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25

So that in Man the humour radicall
Of Violence, is a swelling of desire;
To get that freedome, captiu'd by his fall;
Which yet falls more be striuing to clime higher:
Men would be Tyrants, Tyrants would be Gods,
Thus they become our scourges, we their rods.

26

Now this conclusion from these grounds we take,
That by our fall, wee did Gods image leaue,
Whose power and nature is to saue and make,
And from the Deuils image we receiue
This spirit, which stirres Mankind with man to warre
Which Deuils doe not; wherein worse we are.

27

For proofe; this very spirit of the Deuill,
Makes men more prompt, ingenious, earnest, free,
In all the workes of ruine, with the euill,
Than they in sauing with the goodnesse be;
Criticks vpon all writers, there are many;
Planters of truth, or knowledges not any.

28

How much more precious is the Satyr pen,
Momus or Mimus, than the Lyricke vaine,
Or Epicke image to the hearts of men?
And as in Learning, so in Life againe,
Of crafty Tyrants store, wise Kings scarce one,
Law-breakers many, and Law-makers none.

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29

Yea euen in Warre, the perfect type of hell;
See we not much more politicke celerity,
Diligence, courage, constancy excell,
Than in good Arts of peace or piety?
So worke we with the Deuill, he with vs;
And makes his haruest by our ruine thus.

30

Hence grew that Catapult in Sicil found,
This counterfeit of thunders firy breath,
Still multiplying forces to confound;
Allaying courage, yet refining death:
Engines of ruine, found out by the Deuill,
Who moues Warre, Fire, and Blood, all like him, euill.

31

Yet let us not forget that Hell, and hee,
Vnder the power of Heauen, both incline;
And if Physitians, in their art did see,
In each disease there was some sparke diuine:
Much more let vs the hand of God confesse,
In all these sufferings of our guiltinesse.

32

Hence great diseases, in great bodies bred,
Of States, and Kingdomes, often are foretold,
By Earthquakes, Comets, Births disfigured,
By Visions, Signes, and Prophesies of old:
Who the foure Monarchs change more clearly spake,
Than Daniel, long before they roote did take?

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33

The Scripture then assuredly saith true,
That Warre begins, from some offence diuine:
That God makes nation nation to subdue,
Who led his flocke to that rich promised Mine;
Not for their goodnesse, but euen for the sinne
The Canaanites and Amorites liu'd in.

34

Nor by the Warres doth God reuenge alone,
He sometimes tries, and trauelleth the good,
Sometimes againe, to haue his honor knowne,
He makes corne grow, where Troy it selfe once stood:
Lets Fate passe from him, on the wheeles of time,
And change to make the falling ballance clime.

35

For if one Kingdome should for euer flourish,
And there one family for euer raigne;
If Peace for euer should one People nourish;
Nobility, Authority, Prosperity, and Gaine,
As vnder Nature, keepe one fixed state,
And not endure vicissitudes of Fate;

36

God would in time seeme partiall vnto some,
To others cruell, and to all vniust;
His power despis'd, and Mans owne wit his doome,
Chance in his hands, change vnderneath his lust;
Superiours, still inferiours tyrannising;
Aduantage, more aduantages deuising.

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37

Till at the length, enormities of vice,
Lawes multiplicity, Prides luxuriousnesse,
Increase of people, leprous Auarice,
Arts sophistication, Traffique in excesse,
Opinions freedome, full of preiudice,
Curious noueltie; all faire weeds of Peace,
Would ruine Nature, and Men monsters make,
Weary the earth, and make her wombe not take.

38

Needfull it therefore is, and cleerely true,
That all great Empires, Cities, Seats of Power
Must rise and fall, waxe old, and not renew,
Some by disease, that from without deuour,
Others euen by disorders in them bred,
Seene onely, and discouer'd in the dead.

39

Among which are included secret hates,
Reuolts, displeasure, discord, ciuill warre;
All haue their growing, and declining states,
Which with time, place, occasion bounded are:
So as all Crownes now hope for that in vaine,
Which Rome (the Queen of Crowns) could not attaine.

40

This Change by Warre, enioyes her changing doome;
Irus grows rich, and Cræsus must wax poore,
One from a King shall Schoolemaster become,
And he made King, that wrought in Potters Oare;
They who commanded erst must now obey;
And Fame euen grow infamous in a day.

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41

That by vicissitude of these translations,
And change of place, corruption, and excesse,
Craft ouerbuilding all degenerations,
Might be reduced to the first addresse
Of Natures Lawes, and Truths simplicity;
These planting worth, and worth authority.

42

All which best root, and spring in new foundations
Of States, or Kingdomes; and againe in age,
Or height of pride, and power feele declination;
Mortality is Changes proper stage:
States haue degrees, as humane bodies haue,
Springs, Summer, Autumne, Winter and the graue.

43

God then sends War, commotion, tumult, strife,
Like windes, and stormes, to purge the ayre and earth;
Disperse corruption; giue the World new life,
In the Vicissitude of creatures birth,
Which could not flourish, nor yeeld fruit againe,
Without returnes of heate, cold, drought & raine.

44

But further now the eternall Wisedome showes,
That though God doe preserue thus for a time,
This Equilibrium, wherein Nature goes,
By peasing humours, not to ouerclime,
Yet he both by the cure, and the disease,
Proues, Dissolution all at length must sease.

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45

For surely, if it had beene Gods intent
To giue Man here eternally possession,
Earth had beene free from all misgouernment,
Warre, Malice, could not then haue had progresseion,
Man (as at first) had bin mans nursing brother,
And not, as since, One Wolfe unto another.

46

For onely this Antipathy of minde
Hath euer bin the bellowes of Sedition;
Where each man kindling one, inflames Mankind,
Till on the publike, they inflict perdition,
And as Man vnto Man, so State to State
Inspired is, with the venime of this hate.

47

And what doe all these mutinies include,
But dissolution first of Gouernment?
Then a dispeopling of the earth by feud,
As if our Maker to destroy vs meant?
For States are made of Men, and Men of dust,
The moulds are fraile, disease consume them must.

48

Now as the Warres proue mans mortality;
So doe the oppositions here below,
Of Elements, the contrariety
Of Constellations, which aboue doe show,
Of qualities in flesh, will in the spirits;
Principles of discord, not of concord made,
All proue God meant not Man should here inherit,
A time-made World, which with time should not fade;
But as Noes flood once drown'd woods, hils, & plain,
So should the fire of Christ waste all againe.

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49

Thus see we both the causes and effects
Of Warre, and how these attributes to hap,
Councels of men, power, fame, which all affect,
Lye close reseru'd within th'Almighties lap:
Where fashion'd, order'd, and dispos'd they be,
To accomplish his infallible decree.

50

And from these grounds concluding as we doe,
Warres causes diuerse; so by consequence,
Diuerse we must conclude their natures too:
For Warre proceeding from the Omnipotence,
No doubt is holy, wise, and without error,
The sword of iustice, and of sinne the terror.

51

But Warres of Men, if we examine these
By piercing rules, of that steepe narrow way,
Which Christian soules must walke, that hope to raise
Their bodies from the earth another day:
Their life is death, their warre obedience,
Of crowns, fame, wrongs, they haue no other sense.

52

Then till to these God plainely hath exprest,
By Prophets Sawes, Wonder, and Angels sound,
That his Church-rebels hee will haue supprest;
Or giue his people other peoples ground;
They must preserue his Temples, not shed blood,
But where the Mouer makes the motion good.

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53

Nay, euen these Warres though built on Piety,
They lawlesse hold, vnlesse by lawfull might
They vndertaken, and performed be;
For Natures order, euery creatures right,
Hath vnto peace ordain'd, that Princes should,
Of Warre the grounds, and execution mould.

54

Besides, the manner must haue charity,
First offering peace, which if disease distaste,
Yet wisdome guides the cure, not cruelty;
Art prunes the earth, confusion leaues it waste:
God would not haue men spoil what they may eat;
It feeds the Warre, and leaues a ground to treat.

55

What warrant then for all our Warres of glory,
Where Power and Wit do multiply their right,
By acts recorded, both in fame and story?
Are there not due prerogatiues of Might?
Or shall we by their dreames examine these,
That lose the world, they know not what to please?

56

Is not euen Age due oddes to euery Father,
From whence, we children owe them reuerence?
If he that hath latitude to gather,
Must he not yeeld, that cannot make defence?
Haue Subiects Lawes, to rectifie oppression?
And Princes wrongs no law but intercession?

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57

Are there by Nature lords, and seruants too?
Was this world made indifferent to man?
Doe Power and Honour follow them that doe?
And yet are Kings restrain'd from what they can?
Gaue Nature other bounds of habitation,
Than strength, or weakenesse vnto euery nation?

58

Haue we not both of Policy, and Might,
Pregnant examples, euen in Israels seed?
First, how the Younger got the Elders right,
At easie rates, by well-obseruing need;
Then of his heauenly blessing him bereau'd,
Wherein the man, not God, that Eue deceiu'd.

59

Let vs then thus conclude, that onely they
Whose end in this World, is the World to come,
Whose hearts desire is, that their desires may
Measure themselues, by Truths eternall doome,
Can in the War find nothing that they prise,
Who in the world would not be great, or wise.

60

With these I say, Warre, Conquest, Honour, Fame,
Stand (as the World) neglected, or forsaken;
Like Errors cobwebs, in whose curious frame,
Fleshe onely ioyes, and mournes; takes, and is taken:
In which these dying, that to God liue thus,
Endure our conquests, would not conquer vs.

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61

Where all States else that stand on Power, not Grace,
And gage desire by no such spirituall measure,
Make it their end to raigne in euery place;
To warre for Honour, for Reuenge and Pleasure;
Thinking the strong should keepe the weake in awe,
And euery Inequalitie giue Law.

62

These serue the World to rule her by her Arts,
Raise mortall trophies vpon mortall passion;
Their wealth, strength, glory growing from those hearts,
Which to their ends, they ruine and disfashion;
The more remote from God, the lesse remorse;
Which still giues Honor power, Occasion force.

63

These make the Sword their Iudge of wrong, and right,
Their story Fame, their laws but Power and Wit;
Their endlesse mine all vanities of Might;
Rewards and Paines the mystery of it,
And in this spheare, this wildernesse of euils,
None prosper highly, but the perfect diuels.

64

The Turkish Empire, thus grew vnto height,
Which, first in vnity, past others farre,
Their Church was meere collusion, and deceit,
Their Court a campe, their discipline a Warre;
With martiall hopes and feares, & shows diuine,
To hazard onely they did man refine.

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65

Vpon the Christians hereby they preuail'd,
For they diuided stood, in Schisme and Sect,
Among themselues (assailing or assail'd)
Their vndertakings mixed with neglect:
Their Doctrine Peace, yet their Ambition War,
For to their own true Church they strangers are.

66

God and the World they worship still together,
Draw not their lawes to him, but his to theirs,
Vntrue to both, so prosperous in neither,
Amid their owne desires still raising feares:
Vnwise, as all distracted Powers be.
Strangers to God, fooles in humanitie.

67

Too good for great things, and too great for good;
Their Princes serue their Priest, yet that Priest is
Growne King, euen by the arts of flesh and bloud;
Blind Superstition hauing built vp this,
As knowing no more than it selfe can doe,
Which shop (for words) sells God & Empire too.

68

Thus waue we Christians still betwixt two aires;
Nor leaue the world for God, nor God for it;
While these Turkes climing vp vnited staires,
Aboue the Superstitions double wit,
Leaue vs as to the Iewish bondage heires,
A Saboth rest for selfe-confusion fit:
Since States will then leaue warre, when men begin
For Gods sake to abhorre this world of sinne.