Ouids Banquet of Sence A Coronet for his Mistresse Philosophie, and his amorous Zodiacke. With a translation of a Latine coppie, written by a Fryer, Anno Dom.[by George Chapman] 1400 |
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 | Ouids Banquet of Sence |  |
This sayde, he charg'd the Arbor with his eye,
Which pierst it through, and at her brests reflected,
Striking him to the hart with exstasie:
As doe the sun-beames gainst the earth protected,
With their reuerberate vigor mount in flames,
And burne much more then where they were directed,
He saw th' extraction of all fayrest Dames:
The fayre of Beauty, as whole Countries come
And shew theyr riches in a little Roome.
Which pierst it through, and at her brests reflected,
Striking him to the hart with exstasie:
As doe the sun-beames gainst the earth protected,
With their reuerberate vigor mount in flames,
And burne much more then where they were directed,
He saw th' extraction of all fayrest Dames:
The fayre of Beauty, as whole Countries come
And shew theyr riches in a little Roome.
Heere Ouid sold his freedome for a looke,
And with that looke was ten tymes more enthralde,
He blusht, lookt pale, and like a feuour shooke,
And as a burning vapor being exhalde
Promist by Phœbus eye to be a star,
Heauens walles denying to be further scalde
The force dissolues that drewe it vp so far:
And then it lightens gainst his death and fals,
So Ouids powre, this powrefull sight appals.
And with that looke was ten tymes more enthralde,
He blusht, lookt pale, and like a feuour shooke,
And as a burning vapor being exhalde
Promist by Phœbus eye to be a star,
Heauens walles denying to be further scalde
The force dissolues that drewe it vp so far:
And then it lightens gainst his death and fals,
So Ouids powre, this powrefull sight appals.
This beauties fayre is an enchantment made
By natures witchcraft, tempting men to buy
With endles showes, what endlesly will fade
Yet promise chapmen all eternitie:
But like to goods ill got a fate it hath,
Brings men enricht therewith to beggerie
Vnlesse th' enricher be as rich in fayth,
Enamourd (like good selfe-loue) with her owne,
Seene in another, then tis heauen alone.
By natures witchcraft, tempting men to buy
With endles showes, what endlesly will fade
Yet promise chapmen all eternitie:
But like to goods ill got a fate it hath,
Brings men enricht therewith to beggerie
Vnlesse th' enricher be as rich in fayth,
Enamourd (like good selfe-loue) with her owne,
Seene in another, then tis heauen alone.
For sacred beautie, is the fruite of sight,
The curtesie that speakes before the tongue,
The feast of soules, the glory of the light,
Enuy of age, and euerlasting young,
Pitties Commander, Cupids richest throne,
Musick intransed, neuer duely sung,
The summe and court of all proportion:
And that I may dull speeches best afforde,
All Rethoricks flowers in lesse then in a worde.
The curtesie that speakes before the tongue,
The feast of soules, the glory of the light,
Enuy of age, and euerlasting young,
Pitties Commander, Cupids richest throne,
Musick intransed, neuer duely sung,
The summe and court of all proportion:
And that I may dull speeches best afforde,
All Rethoricks flowers in lesse then in a worde.
Then in the truest wisdome can be thought,
Spight of the publique Axiom worldlings hold,
That nothing wisdome is, that getteth nought,
This all-things-nothing, since it is no gold.
Beautie enchasing loue, loue gracing beautie,
To such as constant simpathies enfold,
To perfect riches dooth a sounder duetie
Then all endeuours, for by all consent
All wealth and wisdome rests in true Content.
Spight of the publique Axiom worldlings hold,
That nothing wisdome is, that getteth nought,
This all-things-nothing, since it is no gold.
Beautie enchasing loue, loue gracing beautie,
To such as constant simpathies enfold,
To perfect riches dooth a sounder duetie
Then all endeuours, for by all consent
All wealth and wisdome rests in true Content.
Contentment is our heauen, and all our deedes
Bend in that circle, seld or neuer closde,
More then the letter in the word preceedes,
And to conduce that compasse is reposde.
More force and art in beautie ioynd with loue,
Then thrones with wisdome, ioyes of them composde
Are armes more proofe gainst any griefe we proue.
Then all their vertue-scorning miserie
Or iudgments grauen in Stoick grauitie,
Bend in that circle, seld or neuer closde,
More then the letter in the word preceedes,
And to conduce that compasse is reposde.
More force and art in beautie ioynd with loue,
Then thrones with wisdome, ioyes of them composde
Are armes more proofe gainst any griefe we proue.
Then all their vertue-scorning miserie
Or iudgments grauen in Stoick grauitie,
But as weake colour alwayes is allowde
The proper obiect of a humaine eye,
Though light be with a farre more force endowde
In stirring vp the visuale facultie,
This colour being but of vertuous light
A feeble Image; and the cause dooth lye
In th' imperfection of a humaine sight,
So this for loue, and beautie, loues cold fire
May serue for my praise, though it merit higher.
The proper obiect of a humaine eye,
Though light be with a farre more force endowde
In stirring vp the visuale facultie,
This colour being but of vertuous light
A feeble Image; and the cause dooth lye
In th' imperfection of a humaine sight,
So this for loue, and beautie, loues cold fire
May serue for my praise, though it merit higher.
With this digression, wee will now returne
To Ouids prospect in his fancies storme:
Hee thought hee sawe the Arbors bosome burne,
Blaz'd with a fire wrought in a Ladyes forme:
Where siluer past the least: and Natures vant
Did such a precious miracle performe,
Shee lay, and seemd a flood of Diamant
Bounded in flesh: as still as Vespers hayre,
When not an Aspen leafe is styrrd with ayre.
To Ouids prospect in his fancies storme:
Hee thought hee sawe the Arbors bosome burne,
Blaz'd with a fire wrought in a Ladyes forme:
Where siluer past the least: and Natures vant
Did such a precious miracle performe,
Shee lay, and seemd a flood of Diamant
Bounded in flesh: as still as Vespers hayre,
When not an Aspen leafe is styrrd with ayre.
Shee lay
at length, like an immortall soule
At endlesse rest in blest Elisium:
And then did true felicitie enroule
So fayre a Lady, figure of her kingdome.
Now Ouids Muse as in her tropicke shinde,
And hee (strooke dead) was meere heauen-borne become,
So his quick verse in equall height was shrinde:
Or els blame mee as his submitted debter,
That neuer Mistresse had to make mee better.
The amplification of this simile, is taken frō the blisfull state of soules in Elisium, as Virgill faines: and expresseth a regenerate beauty in all life & perfection, not intimating any rest of death. But in peace of that eternall spring, he poynteth to that life of life thys beauty-clad naked Lady.
At endlesse rest in blest Elisium:
And then did true felicitie enroule
So fayre a Lady, figure of her kingdome.
Now Ouids Muse as in her tropicke shinde,
And hee (strooke dead) was meere heauen-borne become,
So his quick verse in equall height was shrinde:
Or els blame mee as his submitted debter,
That neuer Mistresse had to make mee better.
Now as shee lay, attirde in nakednes,
His eye did carue him on that feast of feasts:
Sweet fields of life which Deaths foote dare not presse,
Flowrd with th' vnbroken waues of my Loues brests,
Vnbroke by depth of those her beauties floods:
See where with bent of Gold curld into Nests
In her heads Groue, the Spring-bird Lameate broods:
Her body doth present those fields of peace
Where soules are feasted with the soule of ease.
His eye did carue him on that feast of feasts:
Sweet fields of life which Deaths foote dare not presse,
Flowrd with th' vnbroken waues of my Loues brests,
Vnbroke by depth of those her beauties floods:
See where with bent of Gold curld into Nests
In her heads Groue, the Spring-bird Lameate broods:
Her body doth present those fields of peace
Where soules are feasted with the soule of ease.
To proue which Parradise that nurseth these,
See see the golden Riuers that renowne it:
Rich Gehon, Tigris, Phison, Euphrates,
Two from her bright Pelopian shoulders crowne it,
And two out of her snowye Hills doe glide,
That with a Deluge of delights doe drowne it:
The highest two, theyr precious streames diuide
To tenne pure floods, that doe the body dutie
Bounding themselues in length, but not in beautie.
See see the golden Riuers that renowne it:
Rich Gehon, Tigris, Phison, Euphrates,
Two from her bright Pelopian shoulders crowne it,
And two out of her snowye Hills doe glide,
That with a Deluge of delights doe drowne it:
The highest two, theyr precious streames diuide
To tenne pure floods, that doe the body dutie
Bounding themselues in length, but not in beautie.
These
winde theyr courses through the painted bowres,
And raise such sounds in theyr inflection,
As ceaseles start from Earth fresh sorts of flowers,
And bound that booke of life with euery section.
In these the Muses dare not swim for drowning,
Theyr sweetnes poisons with such blest infection,
And leaues the onely lookers on them swouning,
These forms so decks, and colour makes so shine,
That Gods for them would cease to be diuine.
And raise such sounds in theyr inflection,
As ceaseles start from Earth fresh sorts of flowers,
And bound that booke of life with euery section.
In these the Muses dare not swim for drowning,
Theyr sweetnes poisons with such blest infection,
And leaues the onely lookers on them swouning,
These forms so decks, and colour makes so shine,
That Gods for them would cease to be diuine.
Thus though my loue be no Elisium
That cannot moue, from her prefixed place;
Yet haue her feete no powre from thence to come,
For where she is, is all Elisian grace:
And as those happy men are sure of blisse
That can performe so excellent a race
As that Olympiad where her fauor is,
So shee can meete them, blessing them the rather
And giue her sweetes, as well as let men gather.
That cannot moue, from her prefixed place;
Yet haue her feete no powre from thence to come,
For where she is, is all Elisian grace:
And as those happy men are sure of blisse
That can performe so excellent a race
As that Olympiad where her fauor is,
So shee can meete them, blessing them the rather
And giue her sweetes, as well as let men gather.
Ah how should I be so most happy then
T'aspire that place, or make it come to mee?
To gather, or be giuen, the flowre of women?
Elisium must with vertue gotten bee,
With labors of the soule and continence,
And these can yeeld no ioy with such as she,
Shee is a sweet Elisium for the sence
And Nature dooth not sensuall gifts infuse
But that with sence, shee still intends their vse.
T'aspire that place, or make it come to mee?
To gather, or be giuen, the flowre of women?
Elisium must with vertue gotten bee,
With labors of the soule and continence,
And these can yeeld no ioy with such as she,
Shee is a sweet Elisium for the sence
And Nature dooth not sensuall gifts infuse
But that with sence, shee still intends their vse.
The sence is giuen vs to excite the minde,
And that can neuer be by sence exited
But first the sence must her contentment minde,
We therefore must procure the sence delighted,
That so the soule may vse her facultie;
Mine Eye then to this feast hath her inuited;
That she might serue the soueraigne of mine Eye,
Shee shall bid Time, and Time so feasted neuer
Shall grow in strength of her renowne for euer.
And that can neuer be by sence exited
But first the sence must her contentment minde,
We therefore must procure the sence delighted,
That so the soule may vse her facultie;
Mine Eye then to this feast hath her inuited;
That she might serue the soueraigne of mine Eye,
Shee shall bid Time, and Time so feasted neuer
Shall grow in strength of her renowne for euer.
Betwixt mine Eye and obiect, certayne lynes,
Moue in the figure of a Pyramis,
Whose chapter in mine eyes gray apple shines,
The base within my sacred obiect is:
On this will I inscribe in golden verse
The meruailes raigning in my soueraigns blisse,
The arcks of sight, and how her arrowes pierse:
This in the Region of the ayre shall stand
In Fames brasse Court, and all her Trumps commaund.
Moue in the figure of a Pyramis,
Whose chapter in mine eyes gray apple shines,
The base within my sacred obiect is:
On this will I inscribe in golden verse
The meruailes raigning in my soueraigns blisse,
The arcks of sight, and how her arrowes pierse:
This in the Region of the ayre shall stand
In Fames brasse Court, and all her Trumps commaund.
Rich Beautie, that ech Louer labors for,
Tempting as heapes of new-coynd-glowing Gold,
(Rackt of some miserable Treasurer)
Draw his desires, and them in chaynes enfold
Vrging him still to tell it, and conceale it,
But Beauties treasure neuer can be told
None can peculier ioy, yet all must steale it,
O Beautie, this same bloody siedge of thine
Starues me that yeeld, and feedes mee till I pine.
Tempting as heapes of new-coynd-glowing Gold,
(Rackt of some miserable Treasurer)
Draw his desires, and them in chaynes enfold
Vrging him still to tell it, and conceale it,
But Beauties treasure neuer can be told
None can peculier ioy, yet all must steale it,
O Beautie, this same bloody siedge of thine
Starues me that yeeld, and feedes mee till I pine.
And as a Taper burning in the darke
(As if it threatned euery watchfull eye
That viewing burns it,) makes that eye his marke,
And hurls guilt Darts at it continually,
Or as it enuied, any eye but it
Should see in darknes, to my Mistres beautie
From foorth her secret stand my hart doth hit:
And like the Dart of Cephalus dooth kill
Her perfect Louer, though shee meane no ill.
(As if it threatned euery watchfull eye
That viewing burns it,) makes that eye his marke,
And hurls guilt Darts at it continually,
Or as it enuied, any eye but it
Should see in darknes, to my Mistres beautie
From foorth her secret stand my hart doth hit:
And like the Dart of Cephalus dooth kill
Her perfect Louer, though shee meane no ill.
Thus, as the innocence of one betraide
Carries an Argus with it, though vnknowne,
And Fate to wreake the trecherie bewraide;
Such vengeance hath my Mistres Beautie showne
On me the Traitor to her modestie,
So vnassailde, I quite am ouerthrowne,
And in my tryumph bound in slauerie,
O Beauty, still thy Empire swims in blood,
And in thy peace, Warre stores himselfe with foode.
Carries an Argus with it, though vnknowne,
And Fate to wreake the trecherie bewraide;
Such vengeance hath my Mistres Beautie showne
On me the Traitor to her modestie,
So vnassailde, I quite am ouerthrowne,
And in my tryumph bound in slauerie,
O Beauty, still thy Empire swims in blood,
And in thy peace, Warre stores himselfe with foode.
O Beautie, how attractiue is thy powre?
For as the liues heate clings about the hart,
So all Mens hungrie eyes do haunt thy Bowre,
Raigning in Greece, Troy swum to thee in Art;
Remou'd to Troy, Greece followd thee in feares;
Thou drewst each Syreles sworde, each childles Dart
And pulld'st the towres of Troy about thine eares:
Shall I then muse that thus thou drawest me?
No, but admire, I stand thus farre from thee.
For as the liues heate clings about the hart,
So all Mens hungrie eyes do haunt thy Bowre,
Raigning in Greece, Troy swum to thee in Art;
Remou'd to Troy, Greece followd thee in feares;
Thou drewst each Syreles sworde, each childles Dart
And pulld'st the towres of Troy about thine eares:
Shall I then muse that thus thou drawest me?
No, but admire, I stand thus farre from thee.
Heerewith shee rose like the Autumnale Starre
Fresh burnisht in the loftie Ocean floode.
That darts his glorious influence more farre
Then any Lampe of bright Olympus broode;
Shee lifts her ligthning arms aboue her head,
And stretcheth a Meridian from her blood,
That slept awake in her Elisian bed:
Then knit shee vp, lest loose, her glowing hayre
Should scorch the Center and incense the ayre.
Fresh burnisht in the loftie Ocean floode.
That darts his glorious influence more farre
Then any Lampe of bright Olympus broode;
Shee lifts her ligthning arms aboue her head,
And stretcheth a Meridian from her blood,
That slept awake in her Elisian bed:
Then knit shee vp, lest loose, her glowing hayre
Should scorch the Center and incense the ayre.
Thus when her fayre hart-binding hands had tied
Those liberall Tresses, her high frontier part,
Shee shrunk in curls, and curiously plied
Into the figure of a swelling hart:
And then with Iewels of deuise, it graced:
One was a Sunne grauen at his Eeuens depart,
And vnder that a Mans huge shaddow placed,
Wherein was writ, in sable Charectry,
Decrescente nobilitate, crescunt obscuri.
Those liberall Tresses, her high frontier part,
Shee shrunk in curls, and curiously plied
Into the figure of a swelling hart:
And then with Iewels of deuise, it graced:
One was a Sunne grauen at his Eeuens depart,
And vnder that a Mans huge shaddow placed,
Wherein was writ, in sable Charectry,
Decrescente nobilitate, crescunt obscuri.
An other was an Eye in Saphire set,
And close vpon it a fresh Lawrell spray.
The skilfull Posie was, Medio caret,
To showe not eyes, but meanes must truth display.
The third was an Apollo with his Teme
About a Diall and a worlde in way,
The Motto was, Terpsium et orbum,
Grauen in the Diall; these exceeding rare
And other like accomplements she ware.
And close vpon it a fresh Lawrell spray.
The skilfull Posie was, Medio caret,
To showe not eyes, but meanes must truth display.
The third was an Apollo with his Teme
About a Diall and a worlde in way,
The Motto was, Terpsium et orbum,
Grauen in the Diall; these exceeding rare
And other like accomplements she ware.
Not Tygris, Nilus, nor swift Euphrates,
Quoth Ouid now, can more subdue my flame,
I must through hell aduenture to displease,
To tast and touch, one kisse may worke the same:
If more will come, more then much more I will;
Each naturall agent doth his action frame,
To render that he works on like him styll:
The fire on water working doth induce
Like qualitie vnto his owne in vse.
Quoth Ouid now, can more subdue my flame,
I must through hell aduenture to displease,
To tast and touch, one kisse may worke the same:
If more will come, more then much more I will;
Each naturall agent doth his action frame,
To render that he works on like him styll:
The fire on water working doth induce
Like qualitie vnto his owne in vse.
But Heauen in her a sparckling temper blewe
(As loue in mee) and so will soone be wrought,
Good wits will bite at baits most strang and new,
And words well plac'd, moue things were neuer thought;
What Goddesse is it Ouids wits shall dare
And he disgrace them with attempting nought?
My words shall carry spirits to ensnare
The subtelst harts affecting sutes importune,
“Best loues are lost for wit when men blame Fortune.
(As loue in mee) and so will soone be wrought,
Good wits will bite at baits most strang and new,
And words well plac'd, moue things were neuer thought;
What Goddesse is it Ouids wits shall dare
And he disgrace them with attempting nought?
My words shall carry spirits to ensnare
The subtelst harts affecting sutes importune,
“Best loues are lost for wit when men blame Fortune.
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