Epigrams of That most wittie and worthie Epigrammatist Mr Iohn Owen ::

What need wee Pen this Pen-mans prayse,
Or write his Workes rare worth;
Whose Prayse the Worke, whose Worke th' Author
T' each other full set-forth?

Epig. 13. Of Vertue .

True Vertue, Prayse, doth nothing prize,
Though Honour her attend;
As Shaddowes on the Body waite,
When's rayes Sol forth doth send:
For, Vertue is Substantiall,
Glory, out glittering shew;
As Bodies are Essentiall,
Shaddowes no Substance true.

Epig. 20. Union.

Vnion's Diuine; Diuision's Diuellish found,
For, ther's one God, but Diuels doe abound.

Epig. 21. Three Tempters .

Ovr Life, three subtill Sophisters retaines,
The World, the Flesh, Satan, who ore thē raignes:
Satan's an old Logician; th' other two
Are Rhetoricians, and much skill can shew.

Epig. 23. Man to Man's a God, a Wolfe .

Man vnto Man a God, a Wolfe is knowne,
The one in Christ, in Adam tother's showne;

For, Christ both God and Man, to Man's a God,
Adam a Wolfe to Man, Gods plaguing Rod.

Epig. 28. The Misery of this Life.

Long-Life , though weake and wretched, Man desires;
That is, to be a Wretch he Long requires:
Weake, wretched Irus dyes against his will;
That is, he would haue Liu'd most wretched, still.

Epig. 29. Of Nature and Grace .

A Gloomy-Moone-Light, is our Natures Light:
But Grace doth Glister, like the Sun most bright.

Epig. 30. A Catechisme .

Twice Sixe beleeue, for Seuen things pray,
Ten things performe, and Liue for aye.
This Catechisme vse aright,
And thou shalt see Heau'ns glorious Light.

Epig. 31. The Rich-man .

What is the Cause, few Rich, to Heau'n doe goe?
'T's a Costly-Iourney, they'le not much bestow.

Epig. 34. The Holy-Ghost .

As, Pigeons Lite on Houses white,
And there-about abide:
So, God aboue, pure-Hearts doth loue,
And with them will reside.

Epig. 36. Of the King .

A Light-lesse Sunne, is Law, without a King;
A King without a Law, is nothing lesse:
Men marke the King, Kings Men by Lawes redresse:
Thus, Lawes and People, Kings in order bring.

Epig. 41. God-Man.

God could not feele, nor Man alone Death quell,
Christ, God and Man, did Both; as Scriptures tell.

Epig. 42. Death.

The Bad flye from, the Good doe Death attend;
Death's th' End of Woe, or Woe without an End.

Epig. 44. A Miracle .

Let others, Wonders wond'rously admire:
I, God their Author most t' extoll desire.

Epig. 45. Adams Fall, Mans Thrall.

By Adams Fall, Mans Soule did fall,
Ith' power of the Preacher;
His Flesh to Phisike, and his Goods
To th' Lawyer, that Gold-Reacher.

Epig. 46. To Adam .

The Diuell, Deaths-Dam, Eue and Adam
With Apple did deceiue;
With his All-Haile, their Ioyes did faile,
And Edens blisse them leaue.

Epig. 48. The Tempter .

As, Mice make Holes in Walls to get their prey:
So, Satan Findes or Makes ith' Heart a way.

Epig. 49. Mortification.

That thou mayst Liue when Dead thou art,
To Dye, yet Liue must be thy part;
Learne first to Dye, then, ere thou Dye;
This, Sinfull-flesh will Mortifie.

Epig. 51. Against thee-onely haue I sinned. Psalme 51.

Svbiects , 'gainst God, the King, the Lawes, offend;
Kings, onely God, because Kings All transcend.

Epig. 52. Prayer.

As, Christ did Heau'ns vn-op't Gates penetrate:
So, Prayer by Faith must pierce Heau'ns fast bard Gate.

Epig. 53. Mary Magdalens Teares.

Her wand'ring Eyes, which view'd each Vanity,
Shee bleares with teares, and weeps most bitterly;
The cause (I iudge) such brinish teares to bring,
Was, that the Eye was Sinnes first Fount and Spring.

Epig. 55. Methusalem is Dead .

To Liue-Long, is not Life, to Liue is Life:
What is't to Liue-Long, then? to Dye from strife.

Epig. 56. Of Law and Iustice .

The Iudge, not Iustice, hath the most resort:
'Tis strange; since Lawes-way's Long; Iustice path Short.

Epig. 57. Intemperance.

Since, most desire a Long Life to enioy;
By Luxury, why doe we Life destroy?
We faine would Liue, yet will the meanes refuse;
We wrong our Health, and then Phisicians vse.

Epig. 60. Liberty.

If He be well, which hath what he can wish,
Why then doe Men for stinging Serpents fish?
True Liberty, 'mongst Vertues beares the Bell;
He may Liue as he Will, which Will Liue Well.

Epig. 63. The Crosse of Christ .

The Crosse bore Christ, & Christ the Crosse did beare;
It Him, He, It bore, vs to rid from feare.

Epig. 64. Of Religion .

Religion , is a Tree, fruitfull and faire,
And must be planted in each Good Mans Heart;
The Root, is Labour, and the Fruit most rare,
Is Honour, euery Godly-Mans Desert.
And, well is't said, Men first were Gods by feare;
For, to feare God is Piety's first part:
Religions Root is bitter, better on high,
For, Feare's her Fount, her Riuer's Charity.

Epig. 66. Marryed-folke.

Man , Loue thy Wife, thy Housband, Wife, obay,
Wiues are our Heart, We should be Head alway.

Epig. 67. Study.

Some men grow-mad, by Studying much to know:
But, who growes-mad, by Studying Good to grow?

Epig. 69. The Blessed Virgine .

Her Makers Mother, Gods deare Spouse,
The Daughter of her Childe;
A Mayde, yet Wife; Mother, yet Mayde;
Was Blessed Mary milde.

Epig. 74. Liberty of Speech .

Some, hold it th' onely Liberty to Prate,
But that's true Freedome Speech to Moderate.

Epig. 75. A Probleme to Marcus .

What profits it, or Good or Bad to bee?
Since, little difference twixt them Both we see,
For, Bad are punisht iustly as by force;
The Good by Might, as if by Lawfull course.

Epig. 78. To Christ .

Ovr Hold-fast Anchor, and safe Ship
Of Faith, our Sea of Loue;
Earths sauory Salt, Cœlestiall Sun,
Our Soules-Health from aboue:

Thy Crosse hath Crossed Deaths great rage,
By thy Death, Death lyes Dead;
And is't not strange that Death should Dye,
Or ere be vanquished?

Epig. 79. Selfe-Loue.

They, which the faults of others quickly spye;
But at their owne wil winke with Selfe-Loues Eye:
How euer, Such, to Some may seeme full wise,
Yet, greatest folly this in them descryes.

Epig. 84. A Prayser .

By Praysing, Good-men Better bee,
Prayse, Bad-men worse doth make:
Wise-men doe grow more Cautulous,
Fooles greater Pride doe take.

Epig. 92. Al-wayes the same.

One-God , there euer was and ere shall bee,
Why then One-Faith amongst vs haue not wee?
One-Faith, as doth One Day, the world should light:
As One-God's in the world, and Sunne most bright.

Epig. 94. Christs Wounds.

Christs Wounds, to vs, were rather Salues than Sores,
For, our Lost-Health, by them, He t'vs restores.

Epig. 101. Christ the Way .

Would'st walke the Way which Leades to Life eternall?
'Twas Sent, 'tis Seene, in Christ thy King supernall.

Epig. 104. Patience or Content .

Thou'dst Dye, or not Dye; Death or Stayes,
Or Comes; yet take thy Lot:
Tis Ill to Nill, as Bad to Will,
When thou shouldst Dye, or Not.

Epig. 109. Man.

The Heart's a Hurt, procur'd by Care,
Our Corps, Corruption dry;
W'are borne, but how? Oft to be sicke,
We Liue, why? oft to Dye.

Epig. 112. Eloquence.

Not many Weedes, but wholesome Herbes,
The fertile Grounds declare:
They're Eloquent which Well can speake;
Not those which Babblers are.

Epig. 117. O Times and Manners!

Why thus doe Men, Manners and Times accuse?
When Men themselues, Manners and Times abuse;
W' are Bad in them, they worse by vs do grow,
Yet, wee complaine that helpe to make them so.

Epig. 120. Of Strife or Contention .

O, I could wish, I might so happy bee,
Men, Striue to Loue, not Loue to Striue, to see.

Epig. 124. Marryed-folke.

A House, vs both in Discord can't contayne,
In Bed, we both in Concord doe remayne.

Epig. 135. Christ.

As Morning is Nights End and Dayes beginning:
So Christ is Deaths End and Saluations Springing.

Epig. 140. Of Sleepe .

If Sleepe be Death, then Death than Sleepe
Can be esteem'd nought els;
The more thou Sleep'st then, lesse thou Liu'st,
This, playne Experience tels,
And is our Death but like a Sleepe?
When Men haue Slept, they Wake;
Then Courage Christian, Feare, ô Wretch;
Thee Heauen, thee Hell shall take.

Epig. 147. Against Epicures.

Oft haue I heard both Yong and Old complaine,
That Loue & Life do n't Long-enough remaine:
Lifes Pleasure, Pleasures Life is short soone spent;
He's wise therefore can leaue both, with content.

Epig. 148. Workes.

Good-men to Heau'n, their Good-Deedes follow well;
The Wicked's Ill-Deeds, follow them to Hell.

Epig. 161. Sence, Reason, Faith, Loue, God.

Sence , voyd of Reason, silly is,
Reason's bad, without Faith;
Faith's Nothing-worth, if Loue it lacke,
Loue's good, if God it hath.

Epig. 164. Wisedome, Fortitude.

Tis Wisedome, Euils to beware,
To beare them's Fortitude;
The Wise not beares, not Valiant feares,
Harmes borne and well eschew'd.

Epig. 165. Labour.

He which by Sweat, would haue Men Eate,
And by their Labour Liue;
If they take paine, with him to Raigne,
Heau'ns Dainties will them giue.

Epig. 168. Christian Aduerbes.

Not Adiectiues but Aduerbes best can doe:
Not, What-Good, How-Well God hath care vnto.

Epig. 171. Time.

Time All Consumes, both Us and euery Thing,
We Time Consume, thus, Both one Song doe Sing.

Epig. 172. Much Admonition to his Friend Michael Heydon .

Doe nothing Rashly, Faintly; All with Heed,
Too-Late, too-Soone doe nothing; All with Speed:
Nature, Thee faint, Wisedome Thee valiant makes,
Who? feares things fearefull, which, Heed of them takes.

Epig. 176. Honesty, Dishonesty.

Good-men hate Vice, because they Vertue loue,
That there's few-Good, this, then, doth plainely proue.
Dishonesty is now so high ascended,
And Honesty so Low, so vilipended;
That in these Sin-full, Sin-foule dayes well-nigh,
Tis counted Uicious, to Liue Vertuously.

Epig. 178. Of the Soule.

Mans Soule Cœlestiall is aboue the Skies:
For, with the Body if it Rise, it Dies.

Epig. 180. Hell.

As Blacke by no meanes can be Dyed-White,
From Hell to Heau'n, so, None can take their flight.

Epig. 192. Man.

Man cryes in's Birth, what Ioy's then to be Borne?
Why weep we at Mens Deaths as Men forlorne?

Epig. 196. Wise Simplicitie.

Like harmelesse Doue, to Liue in Loue,
To all Men doth belong:
Like Serpents wise, Liue, I aduise,
That none may doe thee wrong.

Epig. 206. Vpon the Death of Charles Blunt, Earle of Deuonshire .

Whether Sad-Passion, or sweet Prayse to vse,
An Elegie or Elogie to choose,
I doubt deuise, such is my Loue, thy Losse;
Oh, greedy Death to take Gold, leaue vs Drosse.
Now thou art Dead many trlke much of Thee,
Good, Best; Bad, Worst; this, is well prays'd to bee.

FINIS.

University of Virginia Library

Out of the third Booke.

Epig. 2. To the Lady Mary Neuil .

Epig. 3. To the Reader of his Booke.

Epig. 8. Basilicon Doron, to the King .