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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A Coronet for his Mistresse Philosophie. |
 | Ouids Banquet of Sence |  |
A Coronet for his Mistresse Philosophie.
Mvses that sing loues sensuall Emperie,
And Louers kindling your enraged fires
At Cupids bonfires burning in the eye,
Blowne with the emptie breath of vaine desires,
You that prefer the painted Cabinet
Before the welthy Iewels it doth store yee,
That all your ioyes in dying figures set,
And staine the liuing substance of your glory,
Abiure those ioyes, abhor their memory.
And let my loue the honord subiect be
Of loue, and honors compleate historie;
Your eyes were neuer yet, let in to see
The maiestie and riches of the minde,
But dwell in darknes; for your God is blinde.
And Louers kindling your enraged fires
At Cupids bonfires burning in the eye,
Blowne with the emptie breath of vaine desires,
You that prefer the painted Cabinet
Before the welthy Iewels it doth store yee,
That all your ioyes in dying figures set,
And staine the liuing substance of your glory,
Abiure those ioyes, abhor their memory.
And let my loue the honord subiect be
Of loue, and honors compleate historie;
Your eyes were neuer yet, let in to see
The maiestie and riches of the minde,
But dwell in darknes; for your God is blinde.
Bvt dwell in darknes, for your God is blinde,
Humor poures downe such torrents on his eyes,
Which (as from Mountaines) fall on his base kind,
And eate your entrails out with exstasies.
Colour, (whose hands for faintnes are not felt)
Can binde your waxen thoughts in Adamant,
And with her painted fires your harts doth melt
Which beate your soules in peecs with a pant,
But my loue is the cordiall of soules
Teaching by passion what perfection is,
In whose fixt beauties shine the sacred scroule,
And long-lost records of your humane blisse
Spirit to flesh, and soule to spirit giuing,
Loue flowes not from my lyuer, but her liuing.
Humor poures downe such torrents on his eyes,
Which (as from Mountaines) fall on his base kind,
And eate your entrails out with exstasies.
Colour, (whose hands for faintnes are not felt)
Can binde your waxen thoughts in Adamant,
And with her painted fires your harts doth melt
Which beate your soules in peecs with a pant,
But my loue is the cordiall of soules
Teaching by passion what perfection is,
In whose fixt beauties shine the sacred scroule,
And long-lost records of your humane blisse
Spirit to flesh, and soule to spirit giuing,
Loue flowes not from my lyuer, but her liuing.
Loue flowes not from my liuer but her liuing,
From whence all stings to perfect loue are darted
All powre, and thought of pridefull lust depriuing,
Her life so pure and she so spotles harted,
In whome sits beautie with so firme a brow
That age, nor care, nor torment can contract it;
Heauens glories shining there, doe stuffe alow,
And vertues constant graces do compact it.
Her minde (the beame of God) drawes in the fires
Of her chast eyes, from all earths tempting fewell;
Which vpward lifts the lookes of her desires
And makes each precious thought in her a Iewell,
And as huge fires comprest more proudly flame
So her close beauties further blaze her fame.
From whence all stings to perfect loue are darted
All powre, and thought of pridefull lust depriuing,
Her life so pure and she so spotles harted,
In whome sits beautie with so firme a brow
That age, nor care, nor torment can contract it;
Heauens glories shining there, doe stuffe alow,
And vertues constant graces do compact it.
Her minde (the beame of God) drawes in the fires
Of her chast eyes, from all earths tempting fewell;
Which vpward lifts the lookes of her desires
And makes each precious thought in her a Iewell,
And as huge fires comprest more proudly flame
So her close beauties further blaze her fame.
So her close beauties further blaze her fame;
When from the world, into herselfe reflected
Shee lets her (shameles) glorie in her shame
Content for heau'n to be of earth reiected,
Shee thus deprest, knocks at Olympus gate,
And in th' vntainted Temple of her hart
Doth the diuorceles nuptials celebrate
Twixt God and her; where loues prophaned dart
Feedes the chast flames of Hymens firmament,
Wherein she sacrificeth, for her part;
The Robes, lookes, deedes, desires and whole descent
Of female natures, built in shops of art
Vertue is both the merrit and reward
Of her remou'd, and soule-infusde regard.
When from the world, into herselfe reflected
Shee lets her (shameles) glorie in her shame
Content for heau'n to be of earth reiected,
Shee thus deprest, knocks at Olympus gate,
And in th' vntainted Temple of her hart
Doth the diuorceles nuptials celebrate
Twixt God and her; where loues prophaned dart
Feedes the chast flames of Hymens firmament,
Wherein she sacrificeth, for her part;
The Robes, lookes, deedes, desires and whole descent
Of female natures, built in shops of art
Vertue is both the merrit and reward
Of her remou'd, and soule-infusde regard.
Of her remou'd, and soule-infusde regard,
With whose firme species (as with golden Lances)
She points her liues field, (for all wats prepard)
And beares one chanceles minde, in all mischances;
Th' inuersed world that goes vpon her head
And with her wanton heeles doth kyck the sky,
My loue disdaynes, though she be honored
And without enuy sees her emperie,
Loaths all her toyes, and thoughts cupidinine,
Arandging in the army of her face
All vertues forces, to dismay loose eyne
That hold no quarter with renowne or grace,
War to all frailetie; peace of all things pure
Her looke doth promise and her life assure.
With whose firme species (as with golden Lances)
She points her liues field, (for all wats prepard)
And beares one chanceles minde, in all mischances;
Th' inuersed world that goes vpon her head
And with her wanton heeles doth kyck the sky,
My loue disdaynes, though she be honored
And without enuy sees her emperie,
Loaths all her toyes, and thoughts cupidinine,
Arandging in the army of her face
All vertues forces, to dismay loose eyne
That hold no quarter with renowne or grace,
War to all frailetie; peace of all things pure
Her looke doth promise and her life assure.
Her looke doth promise and her life assure;
A right line, forcing a rebateles point,
In her high deedes, through euery thing obscure
To full perfection; not the weake disioint
Of female humors; nor the Protean rages
Of pied fac'd fashion, that doth shrink and swell,
Working poore men like waxen images
And makes them apish strangers where they dwell
Can alter her, titles of primacy
Courtship of antick iestures; braineles iests
Bloud without soule of false nobilitie
Nor any folly that the world infests
Can alter her who with her constant guises
To liuing vertues turns the deadly vices.
A right line, forcing a rebateles point,
In her high deedes, through euery thing obscure
To full perfection; not the weake disioint
Of female humors; nor the Protean rages
Of pied fac'd fashion, that doth shrink and swell,
Working poore men like waxen images
And makes them apish strangers where they dwell
Can alter her, titles of primacy
Courtship of antick iestures; braineles iests
Bloud without soule of false nobilitie
Nor any folly that the world infests
Can alter her who with her constant guises
To liuing vertues turns the deadly vices.
To liuing vertues turns the deadly vices,
For couetous shee is, of all good parts,
Incontinent for still she showes entices
To consort with them sucking out theyr harts,
Proud, for she scorns prostrate humilitie,
And gluttonous in store of abstinence,
Drunk with extractions stild in feruencie
From contemplation, and true continence,
Burning in wrath, against impatience.
And sloth it selfe, for she will neuer rise
From that all-seeing trance (the band of sence)
Wherein in view of all soules skils she lyes.
No constancie to that her minde doth moue
Nor riches to the vertues of my loue.
For couetous shee is, of all good parts,
Incontinent for still she showes entices
To consort with them sucking out theyr harts,
Proud, for she scorns prostrate humilitie,
And gluttonous in store of abstinence,
Drunk with extractions stild in feruencie
From contemplation, and true continence,
Burning in wrath, against impatience.
And sloth it selfe, for she will neuer rise
From that all-seeing trance (the band of sence)
Wherein in view of all soules skils she lyes.
No constancie to that her minde doth moue
Nor riches to the vertues of my loue.
Nor riches, to the vertues of my loue,
Nor Empire to her mighty gouernment:
Which fayre analisde in her beauties groue,
Showes Lawes for care, and Canons for content:
And as a purple tincture gyuen to Glasse
By cleere transmission of the Sunne doth taint
Opposed subiects: so my Mistresse face
Doth reuerence in her viewers browes depaint,
And like the Pansye, with a little vaile
Shee giues her inward worke the greater grace;
Which my lines imitate, though much they faile
Her gyfts so hie, and tymes conceits so base:
Her vertues then aboue my verse must raise her,
For words want Art, and Art want a words to praise her.
Nor Empire to her mighty gouernment:
Which fayre analisde in her beauties groue,
Showes Lawes for care, and Canons for content:
And as a purple tincture gyuen to Glasse
By cleere transmission of the Sunne doth taint
Opposed subiects: so my Mistresse face
Doth reuerence in her viewers browes depaint,
And like the Pansye, with a little vaile
Shee giues her inward worke the greater grace;
Which my lines imitate, though much they faile
Her gyfts so hie, and tymes conceits so base:
Her vertues then aboue my verse must raise her,
For words want Art, and Art want a words to praise her.
For words want Art, & Art wants words to praise her,
Yet shall my actiue and industrious pen,
Winde his sharpe forheade through those parts that saise her,
And register her worth past rarest women.
Her selfe shall be my Muse; that well will knowe
Her proper inspirations: and aswage
(With her deere loue) the wrongs my fortunes show,
Which to my youth, binde hartlesse griefe in age,)
Her selfe shall be my comfort and my riches,
And all my thoughts I will on her conuert,
Honor, and Error, which the world bewitches,
Shall still crowne fooles, and tread vpon desert,
And neuer shall my friendlesse verse enuie
Muses that Fames loose feathers beautifie.
Yet shall my actiue and industrious pen,
Winde his sharpe forheade through those parts that saise her,
And register her worth past rarest women.
Her selfe shall be my Muse; that well will knowe
Her proper inspirations: and aswage
(With her deere loue) the wrongs my fortunes show,
Which to my youth, binde hartlesse griefe in age,)
Her selfe shall be my comfort and my riches,
And all my thoughts I will on her conuert,
Honor, and Error, which the world bewitches,
Shall still crowne fooles, and tread vpon desert,
And neuer shall my friendlesse verse enuie
Muses that Fames loose feathers beautifie.
Mvses that Fames loose feathers beautifie,
And such as scorne to tread the Theater,
As ignorant the feede of memorie
Haue most inspirde, and showne theyr glories there
To noblest wits, and men of highest doome,
That for the kingly Lawrell bent affayre,
The Theaters of Athens and of Rome
Haue beene the Crownes, and not the base empayre:
Farre then be this foule clowdy-browd contempt
From like-plumde Birds: and let your sacred rymes
From honors Court theyr seruile feete exempt
That liue by soothing moods, and seruing tymes:
And let my loue, adorne with modest eyes,
Muses that sing loues sensuall Emperyes.
And such as scorne to tread the Theater,
As ignorant the feede of memorie
Haue most inspirde, and showne theyr glories there
To noblest wits, and men of highest doome,
That for the kingly Lawrell bent affayre,
The Theaters of Athens and of Rome
Haue beene the Crownes, and not the base empayre:
Farre then be this foule clowdy-browd contempt
From like-plumde Birds: and let your sacred rymes
From honors Court theyr seruile feete exempt
That liue by soothing moods, and seruing tymes:
And let my loue, adorne with modest eyes,
Muses that sing loues sensuall Emperyes.
Lucidius olim.
| Ouids Banquet of Sence | |