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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Narratio.
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Narratio.
With this, as she was looking in her Glasse,
She saw therein a mans face looking on her:
Whereat she started from the frighted Grasse,
As if some monstrous Serpent had been shown her:
Rising as when (the sunne in Leos signe)
Auriga with the heauenly Goate vpon her,
Shows her horn'd forehead with her Kids diuine,
Whose rise, kils Vines, Heauens face with storms disguising:
No man is safe at sea, the Hædy rising.
She saw therein a mans face looking on her:
Whereat she started from the frighted Grasse,
As if some monstrous Serpent had been shown her:
Rising as when (the sunne in Leos signe)
Auriga with the heauenly Goate vpon her,
Shows her horn'd forehead with her Kids diuine,
Whose rise, kils Vines, Heauens face with storms disguising:
No man is safe at sea, the Hædy rising.
So straight wrapt shee her body in a Clowde,
And threatned tempests for her high disgrace,
Shame from a Bowre of Roses did vnshrowde
And spread her crimson wings vpon her face;
When running out, poore Ouid humbly kneeling
Full in the Arbors mouth, did stay her race
And faide; faire Nimph, great Goddesse haue some feeling
Of Ouids paines; but heare: and your dishonor
Vainely surmisde, shall vanish with my horror.
And threatned tempests for her high disgrace,
Shame from a Bowre of Roses did vnshrowde
And spread her crimson wings vpon her face;
When running out, poore Ouid humbly kneeling
Full in the Arbors mouth, did stay her race
And faide; faire Nimph, great Goddesse haue some feeling
Of Ouids paines; but heare: and your dishonor
Vainely surmisde, shall vanish with my horror.
Traytor to Ladies modesties (said shee)
What sauage boldnes hardned thee to this?
Or what base reckoning of my modestie?
What should I thinke thy facts proude reason is?
Loue (sacred Madam) loue exhaling mee
(Wrapt in his Sulphure,) to this clowde of his
Made my affections his artillerie,
Shot me at you his proper Cytadell,
And loosing all my forces, heere I fell.
What sauage boldnes hardned thee to this?
Or what base reckoning of my modestie?
What should I thinke thy facts proude reason is?
Loue (sacred Madam) loue exhaling mee
(Wrapt in his Sulphure,) to this clowde of his
Made my affections his artillerie,
Shot me at you his proper Cytadell,
And loosing all my forces, heere I fell.
This Glosse is common, as thy rudenes strange
Not to forbeare these priuate times, (quoth she)
Whose fixed Rites, none shoulde presume to change
Not where there is adiudg'd inchastitie;
Our nakednes should be as much conceald
As our accomplishments desire the eye:
It is a secrete not to be reuealde,
But as Virginitie, and Nuptialls clothed,
And to our honour all to be betrothed.
Not to forbeare these priuate times, (quoth she)
Whose fixed Rites, none shoulde presume to change
Not where there is adiudg'd inchastitie;
Our nakednes should be as much conceald
As our accomplishments desire the eye:
It is a secrete not to be reuealde,
But as Virginitie, and Nuptialls clothed,
And to our honour all to be betrothed.
It is a want, where our aboundance lyes,
Giuen a sole dowre t'enrich chast, Hymens Bed,
A perfect Image of our purities,
And glasse by which our actions should be dressed.
That tells vs honor is as soone defild
And should be kept as pure, and incompressed,
But sight attainteth it: for Thought Sights childe
Begetteth sinne; and Nature bides defame,
When light and lawles eyes bewray our shame.
Giuen a sole dowre t'enrich chast, Hymens Bed,
A perfect Image of our purities,
And glasse by which our actions should be dressed.
That tells vs honor is as soone defild
And should be kept as pure, and incompressed,
But sight attainteth it: for Thought Sights childe
Begetteth sinne; and Nature bides defame,
When light and lawles eyes bewray our shame.
Deere Mistresse (answerd Ouid,) to direct
Our actions, by the straitest rule that is,
We must in matters Morrall, quite reiect
Vulgar Opinion, euer led amisse
And let autentique Reason be our guide,
The wife of Truth, and Wisdoms Gouernisse:
The nature of all actions must be waide,
And as they then appeare, breede loue or loathing,
Vse makes things nothing huge, and huge things nothing.
Our actions, by the straitest rule that is,
We must in matters Morrall, quite reiect
Vulgar Opinion, euer led amisse
And let autentique Reason be our guide,
The wife of Truth, and Wisdoms Gouernisse:
The nature of all actions must be waide,
And as they then appeare, breede loue or loathing,
Vse makes things nothing huge, and huge things nothing.
As in your sight, how can sight simply beeing
A Sence receiuing essence to his flame
Sent from his obiect, giue it harme by seeing
Whose action in the Seer hath his frame?
All excellence of shape is made for fight,
Else, to be like a Beast were no defame;
Hid Beauties lose theyr ends, and wrong theyr right:
And can kinde loue, (where no harms kinde can be)
Disgrace with seeing that is giuen to see?
A Sence receiuing essence to his flame
Sent from his obiect, giue it harme by seeing
Whose action in the Seer hath his frame?
All excellence of shape is made for fight,
Else, to be like a Beast were no defame;
Hid Beauties lose theyr ends, and wrong theyr right:
And can kinde loue, (where no harms kinde can be)
Disgrace with seeing that is giuen to see?
Tis I (alas) and my hart-burning Eye
Doe all the harme, and feele the harme wee doo:
I am no Basiliske, yes harmles I
Poyson with sight, and mine owne bosome too;
So am I to my selfe a Sorceresse
Bewitcht with my conceites in her I woo:
But you vnwrongd, and all dishonorlesse
No ill dares touch, affliction, sorcerie,
One kisse of yours can quickly remedie.
Doe all the harme, and feele the harme wee doo:
I am no Basiliske, yes harmles I
Poyson with sight, and mine owne bosome too;
So am I to my selfe a Sorceresse
Bewitcht with my conceites in her I woo:
But you vnwrongd, and all dishonorlesse
No ill dares touch, affliction, sorcerie,
One kisse of yours can quickly remedie.
I could not times obserue, as others might
Of cold affects, and watry tempers framde,
Yet well assurde the wounder of your sight
Was so farre of from seeing you defamde,
That euer in the Phane of Memorie
Your loue shall shine by it, in mee enflamde.
Then let your powre be clad in lenitie,
Doe not (as others would) of custome storme,
But proue your wit as pregnant as your forme.
Of cold affects, and watry tempers framde,
Yet well assurde the wounder of your sight
Was so farre of from seeing you defamde,
That euer in the Phane of Memorie
Your loue shall shine by it, in mee enflamde.
Then let your powre be clad in lenitie,
Doe not (as others would) of custome storme,
But proue your wit as pregnant as your forme.
Nor is my loue so suddaine, since my hart
Was long loues Vulcan, with his pants vnrest
Ham'ring the shafts bred this delightsome smart:
And as when Ioue at once from East and West
Cast off two Eagles, to discerne the sight
Of this world Center, both his Byrds ioynd brest
In Cynthian Delphos, since Earths nauill hight:
So casting off my ceaseles thoughts to see
My harts true Center, all doe meete in thee.
Was long loues Vulcan, with his pants vnrest
Ham'ring the shafts bred this delightsome smart:
And as when Ioue at once from East and West
Cast off two Eagles, to discerne the sight
Of this world Center, both his Byrds ioynd brest
In Cynthian Delphos, since Earths nauill hight:
So casting off my ceaseles thoughts to see
My harts true Center, all doe meete in thee.
Cupid that acts in you, suffers in mee
To make himselfe one tryumph-place of twaine,
Into your tunes and odors turned hee,
And through my sences flew into my braine
Where rules the Prince of sence, whose Throne hee takes,
And of my Motions engines framd a chaine
To leade mee where hee list; and heere hee makes
Nature (my fate) enforce mee: and resignes
The raines of all, to you, in whom hee shines.
To make himselfe one tryumph-place of twaine,
Into your tunes and odors turned hee,
And through my sences flew into my braine
Where rules the Prince of sence, whose Throne hee takes,
And of my Motions engines framd a chaine
To leade mee where hee list; and heere hee makes
Nature (my fate) enforce mee: and resignes
The raines of all, to you, in whom hee shines.
For yeelding loue then, doe not hate impart,
Nor let mine Eye, your carefull Harbengere
That hath puruaide your Chamber in my hart,
Be blamde for seeing who it lodged there;
The freer seruice merrits greater meede,
Princes are seru'd with vnexpected chere,
And must haue things in store before they neede:
Thus should faire Dames be wise and confident,
Not blushing to be noted excellent.
Nor let mine Eye, your carefull Harbengere
That hath puruaide your Chamber in my hart,
Be blamde for seeing who it lodged there;
The freer seruice merrits greater meede,
Princes are seru'd with vnexpected chere,
And must haue things in store before they neede:
Thus should faire Dames be wise and confident,
Not blushing to be noted excellent.
Now, as when Heauen is muffled with the vapors
His long since iust diuorced wife the Earth,
In enuie breath's, to maske his spurtie Tapers
From the vnrich aboundance of her birth,
When straight the westerne issue of the Ayre
Beates with his flowrie wings those Brats of dearth,
And giues Olympus leaue to shew his fayre,
So fled th' offended shaddowes of her cheere,
And showd her pleased count'nance full as cleere.
His long since iust diuorced wife the Earth,
In enuie breath's, to maske his spurtie Tapers
From the vnrich aboundance of her birth,
When straight the westerne issue of the Ayre
Beates with his flowrie wings those Brats of dearth,
And giues Olympus leaue to shew his fayre,
So fled th' offended shaddowes of her cheere,
And showd her pleased count'nance full as cleere.
Which for his fourth course made our Poet court her. &c.
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