University of Virginia Library

In all the Countries, which from Gades extend
To Ganges, where the mornings beames ascend,
Few men the clouds of errour can remooue,
And know what ill t'auoide, what good to loue:
For what doe we by reason seeke or leaue,
Or what canst thou so happily conceiue,
But straight thou wilt thine enterprise repent,
And blame thy wish, when thou behold'st th' euent?
The easie gods cause houses to decay,
By granting that, for which the owners pray;
In Peace and Warre we aske for hurtfull things,
The copious flood of speech to many brings
Vntimely death; another rashly dyes,
While he vpon his wondrous strength relyes:
But most by heapes of money choked are,
Which they haue gather'd with too earnest care,
Till others they in wealth as much excell,
As British Whales aboue the Dolphins swell:
In bloody times by Neroes fierce commands,
The armed troope about Longinus stands;
Rich Senecaes large gardens circling round,
And Lateranus Palace much renown'd.
The greedy Tyrants souldier seldome comes,
To ransack beggers in the vpper roomes.
If siluer vessels, though but few thou bear'st,
Thou in the night the sword and trunchion fear'st;
And at the shadow of each Reed wilt quake,
When by the Moone-light thou perceiu'st it shake:
But he that trauailes empty, feeles no griefe,
And boldly sings in presence of the thiefe:
The first desires, and those which best we know
In all our Temples, are that wealth may grow,
That riches may increase, and that our chest
In publike banke may farre exceed the rest.
But men in earthen vessels neuer drinke
Dyre poysons: then thy selfe in danger thinke,
When cups beset with Pearles thy hand doth hold,
And precious Wine burnes bright in ample gold:
Do'st thou not now perceiue sufficient cause,
To giue those two wise men deseru'd applause,
Who when abroad they from their thresholds stept,
The one did alwaies laugh, the other wept?
But all are apt to laugh in euery place,
And censure actions with a wrinkled face;
It is more maruell how the others eyes
Could moysture find his weeping to suffice.
Democritus did euer shake his spleene
With laughters force; yet had there neuer been
Within his natiue soyle such garments braue,
And such vaine signes of Honour as we haue.
What if he saw the Pretor standing out
From lofty Chariots in the thronging rout,
Clad in a Coate with noble Palme-trees wrought,
A signe of triumph, from Ioues Temple brought,
And deckt with an imbrodred purple Gowne,
Like hangings from his shoulders trailing downe:
No necke can lift the Crowne which then he weares,
For it a publike seruant sweating beares;
And lest the Consull should exceed in pride,
A Slaue with him in the same Coach doth ride.
The Bird which on the Iu'ry Scepter stands,
The Cornets, and the long officious Bands
Of those that walke before to grace the sight,
The troope of seruile Romans cloth'd in white,
Which all the way vpon thy Horse attends,
Whō thy good cheare & purse haue made thy friends;
To him each thing he meets occasion mooues
Of earnest laughter, and his wisdome prooues,
That worthy men, who great examples giue,
In barb'rous Countries and thicke ayre may liue:
He laught at common peoples cares and feares;
Oft at their ioyes, and sometimes at their teares,
He in contempt to threatning Fortune throwes
A halter, and his scornefull finger showes.

We rub the knees of gods with waxe, to gaine
From them such things as hurtfull are, or vaine;
Pow'r subiect to fierce spite, casts many downe,
Whom their large stiles, and famous titles drowne.
The Statues fall, and through the streets are roll'd:
The wheeles, which did the Chariots weight vphold,
Are knockt in pieces with the Hatchets stroke:
The harmelesse Horses legs are also broke:
The fires make hissing sounds, the bellowes blow,
That head dissolu'd, must in the furnace glow,
Which all with honours like the gods did grace.
The great Seianus crackes, and of that face,
Which once the second in the world was nam'd,
Are basons, frying-pans, and dishes fram'd,
Place bayes at home to Ioues chiefe Temple walke,
And leade with thee a great Oxe, white as chalke.
Behold Seianus drawne vpon a hooke,
All men reioyce, what lips had he, what looke?
Trust me (saith one) I neuer could abide
This fellow; yet none askes for what he dy'd:
None knowes who was the man that him accus'd;
What proofes were brought, what testimony vs'd;
A large Epistle fraught with words great store,
From Capreæ comes: 'tis well, I seeke no more,
The wau'ring people follow Fortune still,
And hate those whom the State intends to kill.
Had Nurtia fauor'd this her Tuscan child:
Had he the aged carelesse Prince beguild;
The same base tongues would in that very houre
Haue rays'd Seianus to Augustus pow'r.
It is long since that we forbidden are,
To sell our voyces free from publike care:
The people which gaue pow'r in warre and peace,
Now from those troubles is content to cease,
And eu'ry wish for these two ends bestowes,
For bread in plenty, and Circensian showes.
I heare that many are condemn'd to dye;
No doubt the flame is great, and swelleth high.
Brutidius looking pale, did meet me neere
To Mars his Altar, therefore much I feare,
Lest vanquisht Aiax find out some pretence,
To punish those that faild in his defence:
Let vs run headlong, trampling Cesars foe,
VVhile on the banke he lies, our fury show:
Let all our seruants see, and witnesse beare,
How forward we against the Traytor were,
Lest any should deny, and to the Law,
His fearefull Master by the necke should draw.
These were the speeches of Seianus then,
The secret murmures of the basest men.
Would'st thou be flatter'd, and ador'd by such
As bow'd to him? VVould'st thou possesse as much?
VVould'st thou giue ciuill dignities to these?
VVould'st thou appoint thē Gen'rals who thee please?
Be Tutor of the Prince, who on the Rock
Of Capreæ sits with his Chaldean flock:
Thou surely seek'st it as a great reward,
T'enioy high places in the field or Guard.
This thou defend'st for those that haue no will,
To make men die would haue the power to kill:
Yet what such fame or fortune can be found,
But still the woes aboue the ioyes abound?
Had'st thou then rather chuse the rich attire
Of this great Lord, now drawne through cōmon mire,
Or beare some office in the wretched State
Of Gabivi, or Fidenæ, and relate
The Lawes of measures in a ragged gowne,
And breake small vessels in an empty Towne;
By this time I perceiue thou hast confest,
That proud Seianus could not wish the best:
He that for too much wealth and honour cares,
The heaped lofts of raysed Towres prepares,
Whence from the top his fall declines more steepe,
And headlong ruine drawes him to the deepe.
This done, rich Crassus and the Pompey's threw,
And him who Romane freedome could subdue,
Because to height by cunning they aspire,
And enuious gods giue way to their desire.
Few Tyrants can to Pluto's Court descend,
VVithout fierce slaughter, and a bloody end.

Demosthenes and Tullies fame and speech,
Each one that studies Rhet'rike, will beseech
At Pallas hands, and during all the dayes
Of her Quinquatria for this onely prayes,
Though worshipping her picture basely wrought,
Such as with brazen money he hath bought,
While in a little chest his papers lie,
VVhich one poore seruant carries waiting nigh:
Yet both these Orators whom he admires,
Dy'd for that eloquence which he desires:
VVhat did them both to sad destruction bring,
But wit which flow'd from an abundant Spring?
The wit of Tully caus'd his head and hand
To be cut off, and in the Court to stand.
The Pulpits are not moistned with the flood
Of any meane vnlearned pleaders blood.
VVhen Tully wrote; O Rome most blest by Fate,
New-borne when I enioy'd the Consuls State:
If he his Prose had like his verses shap'd,
He Antonies sharpe swords might haue escap'd.
Let Critikes here their sharpe derision spend,
Yet those harsh Poems rather I commend,
Then thee, diuine Philippicke, which in place
Art next the first, but hast the highest grace;
He also with a cruell death expir'd,
VVhose flowing torrent Athens so admir'd,
VVho rul'd th' vnconstant people when he list,
As if he held their bridles in his fist.
Ah wretched man, begotten with the hate
Of all the gods, and by sinister Fate,
VVhom his poore father, bleare-ey'd with the soote
Of sparkes which from the burning Ir'n did shoote,
From Coales, Tongs, Anuile, and the Cutlers tooles,
And durty Forge, sent to the Rhet'ricke Schooles.

The spoyles of warre some rusty Corslet plac'd
On maymed Trophees cheekes of helmes defac'd;
Defectiue Chariots conquer'd Nauies decks,
And captiues, who themselues with sorrow vexe,
(Their faces on triumphant Arches wrought)
Are things aboue the blisse of mortall thought:
For these incitements to this fruitlesse end,
The Romane, Greeke, and Barbr'ous Captaines tend.
This caus'd their danger, and their willing paine,
So much their thirst is greater for the gaine
Of fame then vertue: for what man regards
Bare vertue, if we take away rewards?
In ages past the glory of a few,
Their Countrey rashly to destruction drew,
Desiring prayse and titles full of pride,
Inscrib'd on graue-stones which their ashes hide,
VVhich perish by the sauage fig-trees strength:
For tombes themselues must haue their fate at length.
Let Annibal be ponder'd in thy mind;
In him thou shalt that waight and value find,
VVhich fits a great Commander. This is he,
VVhose spirit could not comprehended be
In Africk, reaching from th' Atlantick streames,
To Nilus heated with the Sunny beames;
And Southward stretcht as farre as Ethiope feeds
Huge Elephants, like those which India breeds:
He conquers Spaine, which cannot him inclose
VVith Pyrenæan hills the Alpes and Snowes,
VVhich nature armes against him, he derides,
And Rockes made soft with Vineger diuides.
He Italy attaines, yet striues to runne
On further: Nothing yet, saith he, is done,
Till Punicke souldiers shall Romes gates deface,
And in her noblest streets mine Ensignes place.
How would this one-ey'd Generals appeare
VVith that Gentulian beast which did him beare,
If they were set in picture? VVhat became
Of all his bold attempts? O deare-bought Fame,
He vanquisht, into exile headlong flies,
VVhere (all men wondring) he in humble wise,
Must at the Palace doore attendance make,
Till the Bythinian Tyrant please to wake.
No warlike weapons end that restlesse life,
VVhich in the world caus'd such confused strife.
His Ring reuengeth all the Romans dead
At Cannæ, and the blood which he had shed.
Foole, passe the sharpe Alpes, that thy glories dreame
May Schoole-boyes please, & be their publike theame.
One VVorld contents not Alexanders mind,
He thinkes himselfe in narrow bounds confin'd:
It seemes as strait as any little Ile,
Or desart Rocke to him, whom Lawes exile:
But when he comes into the Towne, whose walls
VVere made of clay, his whole ambition falls
Into a graue: death onely can declare
How base the bodies of all mortals are.
The lying Greekes perswade vs not to doubt,
That Persian Nauies sailed round about
The Mountaine Athos seuer'd from the Maine,
Such stuffe their fabulous reports containe:
They tell vs what a passage framed was
Of ships, that wheeles on solid Seas might passe:
That deepest Riuers failed we must thinke,
VVhose Floods the Medians at one meale could drink:
And must beleeue such other wond'rous things,
VVhich Sostratus relates with moyst'ned wings.
But that great King of whom these tales they frame,
Tell me how backe from Salamis he came,
That barb'rous Prince who vs'd to whip the VVinds,
Not suff'ring strokes when Aeolus them binds,
He who proud Neptune in his fetters chain'd,
And thought his rage by mildnesse much restrain'd,
Because he did not brand him for his slaue;
VVhich of the Gods would such a Master haue.
But how return'd he with one slender bote,
VVhich through the bloody waues did slowly flote,
Oft stay'd with heapes of carkases: these paines
He as the fruits of long-wisht glory gaines.

Giue length of life, O Ioue, giue many yeeres,
Thou prayst with vpright count'nance, pale with feares
Not to be heard, yet long old age complaines
Of great continuall griefes which it containes:
As first a foule and a deformed face
Vnlike it selfe, a rugged hide in place
Of softer skin, loose cheekes, and wrinkles made,
As large as those which in the wooddy shade
Of spacious Tabraca, the mother Ape
Deepe furrow'd in her aged chaps doth scrape.
Great diff'rence is in persons that be young,
Some are more beautifull, and some more strong
Then others: but in each old man we see
The same aspect; his trembling limbes agree
With shaking voyce, and thou may'st adde to those
A bald head, and a childish dropping nose.
The wretched man when to this state he comes,
Must breake his hard bread with vnarmed gummes
So lothsome, that his children and his wife
Grow weary of him, he of his owne life;
And Cossus hardly can his sight sustaine,
Though wont to flatter dying men for gaine.
Now his benummed palate cannot taste
His meate or drinke, the pleasures now are past
Of sensuall lust, yet he in buried fires
Retaines vnable and vnfit desires.
What ioy can musicke to his hearing bring,
Though best Musicians, yea, Seleucus sing,
Who purchase golden raiments by their voyce:
In Theaters he needs not make his choice
Of place to sit, since that his deaf'ned eare
Can scarce the Cornets and the Trumpets heare:
His Boy must cry aloud to let him know
Who comes to see him, how the time doth goe:
A Feuer onely heates his wasted blood
In eu'ry part assaulted with a flood.
Of all diseases: if their names thou aske,
Thou mayst as well appoint me for a taske,
To tell what close adulterers Hippia loues;
How many sick-men Themison remoues
Out of this world within one Autumnes date:
How many poore confederates of our State,
Haue been by griping Basilus distrest;
How many Orphanes Irus hath opprest;
To what possessions he is now preferr'd,
Who in my youth scorn'd not to cut my beard:
Some feeble are in shoulders, loynes, or thighes,
Another is depriu'd of both his eyes,
And enuies those as happy that haue one.
This man too weake to take his meate alone,
With his pale lips must feede at others hands,
While he according to his custome stands
With gaping iawes like to the Swallowes brood,
To whom their hungry mother carries food
In her full mouth: yet worse in him we find
Then these defects in limbes, a doting mind;
He cannot his owne seruants names recite,
Nor know his friend with whom he supt last night;
Not those he got and bred: with cruell spots
Out of his will his doubtlesse heires he blots,
And all his goods to Phialè bequeathes:
So sweet to him a common Strumpet breathes.
But if his senses should not thus be spent,
His childrens fun'ralls he must oft lament,
He his deare wiues and brothers death bemones,
And sees the vrnes full of his sisters bones.
Those that liue long endure this lingring paine,
That oft they find new causes to complaine,
While they mishaps in their owne house behold,
In woes and mournefull garments growing old.
The Pylian King, as Homers verses show,
In length of life came nearest to the Crow:
Thou thinkst him blest whom death so long forbeares,
Who on his right hand now accounts his yeeres
By hundreds with an ancient num'rall signe,
And hath the fortune oft to drinke new wine.
But now obserue how much he blames the law
Of Fates, because too large a thread they draw:
When to Antilochus last Rites he came,
And saw his beard blaze in the fun'rall flame,
Then with demands to those that present are,
He thus his gre'uous mis'ry doth declare:
VVhy should I last thus long, what hainous crime
Hath made me worthy of such spatious time?
Like voyces Peleus vs'd, when he bewail'd
Achilles, whom vntimely death assail'd:
And sad Laertes, who had cause to weepe
For his Vlisses swimming on the deepe.
When Troy was safe, then Priam might haue gone
With stately Exequies and solemne mone,
T'accompany Assaracus his ghost,
His fun'rall Herse, enricht with Princely cost,
VVhich Hector with his other brothers beares,
Amidst the flood of Ilian womens teares.
VVhen first Cassandra practis'd to lament;
And faire Polyxena with garments rent:
If he had dy'd ere Paris plac'd his sayles
In ventrous ships, see what long age auailes:
This caus'd him to behold his ruin'd Towne,
The swords and fiers which conquer'd Asia drowne;
Then he, a trembling souldier, off doth cast
His Diademe, takes armour; but at last
Falls at Ioues Altar, like an Oxe decai'd;
VVhose pittifull thinne necke is prostrate laid
To his hard Masters knife, disdained now,
Because not fit to draw th' vngratefull plow:
Yet dy'd he humane death; but his curst wife
Bark't like a Dog, remaining still in life.
To our examples willingly I haste,
And therefore Mithridates haue orepast;
And Crœsus whom iust Solon bids t'attend,
And not to iudge men happy till the end.
This is the cause that banisht Marius flies,
That he imprison'd is, and that he lies
In close Minturnæs Fennes to hide his head,
And neere to conquer'd Carthage begs his bread.
VVise nature had not fram'd, nor Rome brought forth
A Citizen more Noble for his worth;
If hauing to the view his captiues led,
And all his warlike pompe, in glory spred;
Then his triumphant soule he forth had sent,
VVhen from his Cimbrian Chariot downe he went.
Campania did for Pompeyes good prouide
Strong Feuers, which (if he had then espy'd
What would ensue) were much to be desir'd.
But many Cities publike vowes conspir'd,
And this so happy sicknesse could deface,
Reseruing him to dye with more disgrace:
Romes and his fortune onely sau'd his head
To be cut off when ouercom'n he fled.
This paine the Traytor Lentulus doth scape:
Cethegus not disfigur'd in his shape,
Enioying all his limbes vnmaimed lyes,
And Catiline with his whole carkase dyes.

The carefull Mother, when she casts her eyes
On Uenus Temple in soft lowly wise,
Demands the gift of beauty for her Boyes,
But askes it for her Girles with greater noyse,
At common formes her wish she neuer staies,
But for the height of delicacy prayes.
And why should'st thou reprooue this prudent choice?
Latona in faire Phæbe doth reioyce.
O but Lucretia's haplesse fate deterres,
That others wish not such a face as hers;
Virginia her sweet feature would forsake,
And Rutilaes crook'd backe would gladly take.
Where sonnes are beautifull, the parents vext
With care and feare, are wretched and perplext.
So seldome an exact consent betweene
Well-fauor'd shapes and chastity is seene.
For should they be with holy manners taught
In homely houses, such as Sabines wrought:
Should bounteous natures lib'rall hand bestow
Chast dispositions, modest lookes, which glow
With sanguine blushes, (what more happy thing
To Boyes can fauourable nature bring?
Whose inclinations farre more pow'rfull are,
Then many keepers and continuall care:)
Yet are they neuer suffer'd to possesse
The name of man; such foule corrupters presse,
And by the force of large expences trust,
To make their Parents instruments of lust.
No Tyrant in his cruell Palace gelt
Deformed Youths; no Noble Child had felt
Fierce Neroes rapes, if all wry leg'd had beene;
If in their necks foule swellings had been seene;
If windy tumours had their bellies rays'd;
Or Camels bunches had their backes disprais'd:
Goe now with ioy thy young-mans forme affect,
Whom greater dangers, and worse Fates expect;
Perhaps he shortly will the title beare
Of a profest adult'rer, and will feare
To suffer iustly for his wicked fact,
Such paines as angry husbands shall exact:
Nor can he happier be then Mars his Starre,
T'escape those snares which caught the god of warre.
Yet oft that griefe to sharper vengeance drawes,
Then is permitted by th' indulgent lawes;
Some kill with swords, others with scourges cut,
And some th' offenders to foule torments put.
But thine Endymion happily will proue
Some Matrons Minion, who may merit loue;
Yet when Seruilia him with money hires,
He must be hers against his owne desires:
Her richest ornaments she off will take,
And strip her selfe of Iewels for his sake.
What will not Hippia and Catulla giue
To those, that with them in adult'ry liue:
For wicked women in these base respects
Place all their manners, and their whole affects.
But thou wilt say, Can beauty hurt the chaste?
Tell me what ioy Hippolitus did taste;
What good seuere Bellerophon receiu'd,
When to their pure intents they strictly cleau'd.
Both Sthenobæa and the Cretan Queene,
Asham'd of their repulse, stirr'd vp their teene:
For then a woman breeds most fierce debate,
When shame addes piercing stings to cruell hate.
How would'st thou counsell him, whom th' Emp'rors wife
Resolues to marry in her husbands life:
The best and fairest of the Lords must dye;
His life is quencht by Messallinaes eye:
She in her nuptiall Robes doth him expect,
And openly hath in her gardens deckt
A purple marriage bed, nor will refuse
To giue a dowre, and ancient Rites to vse.
The cunning Wizzard who must tell the doome
Of this successe, with Notaries must come:
Thou think'st these things are hid from publike view,
And but committed to the trust of few.
Nay, she will haue her solemne wedding drest
With shew of Law: then teach him what is best,
He dies ere night vnlesse he will obay;
Admit the crime, he gaines a little stay,
Till that which now the common people heares,
May come by rumour to the Princes eares:
For he is sure to be the last that knowes
The secret shame which in his houshold growes:
Thy selfe awhile to her desires apply,
And life for some few dayes so dearely buy.
What way soeuer he as best shall chuse,
That faire white necke he by the sword must luse.

Shall men wish nothing? wilt thou counsell take,
Permit the heau'nly powers the choyce to make,
VVhat shall be most conuenient for our Fates,
Or bring most profit to our doubtfull states,
The prudent gods can place their gifts aright,
And grant true goods in stead of vaine delight.
A man is neuer to himselfe so deare,
As vnto them when they his fortunes steare:
We carried with the fury of our minds,
And strong affection which our iudgement blinds.
VVould husbands proue, and fathers, but they see
VVhat our wisht children and our wiues will bee:
Yet that I may to thee some pray'rs allow,
When to the sacred Temples thou do'st vow,
Diuinest entrailes in white Pockets found,
Pray for a sound mind in a body sound;
Desire braue spirit free from feare of death,
Which can esteeme the latest houre of breath,
Among the gifts of Nature which can beare
All sorrowes from desire and anger cleare,
And thinkes the paines of Hercules more blest,
Then wanton lust the suppers and soft rest,
Wherein Sardanapalus ioy'd to liue.
I show thee what thou to thy selfe mayst giue;
If thou the way to quiet life wilt treade,
No guide but vertue can thee thither leade:
No pow'r diuine is euer absent there.
VVhere wisdome dwells, and equall rule doth beare.
But we, O Fortune, striue to make thee great,
Plac'd as a Goddesse in a heau'nly seate.