University of Virginia Library

SPECTACLES

New-New Polished Perspective SPECTACLES of Especial Vse, To discern THE WORLDS Vanite, Levite and Brevite

1 Sol, Annus, Stellæ.

When wee can stop th'accustomed Career
Of Heav'ns bright Champion, mounted on the Dawn:
When Wee can cease the Circuit of the Yeer,
Whose winged Car, by Months, Daies, Hours, is drawn:
When Wee can stint the Wandring Armies cleer,
Which march above (in Blew-Gold-tinseld Lawn)
Tilting at Ours Their many-pointed Eies:
Then may Wee stay the World's Inconstancies.

2 Orbis Cœli & Terræ.

Who will not wonder, looking-vp, to see
The moving Heav'ns set, certain, Constancy;
When, looking-down, in Earth vnmov'd and stable,
Hee nothing findes but vainly variable?
What lives on Earth, what-so partakes of Clay,
Is frail and mortall; hath no Rest nor Stay:
Heav'ns rest-less roule; yet in the Heav'ns ther dwells
An end-less Rest, and Life that life excells.

3 Quatuor Elementa.

Fire, Air, Earth, Water, warring Each with Other,
Turn and return them one into another;
As pleas'd th'All-Maker in This All dispose
Th'accorded Discords of these Friendly-Foes:
To shew, that Wee should for our Blisse repair
Else-where then where is Earth, Fire, Water, Air;
And that Our Rest rests in a Place far higher
Then Earth, or Water, or the Air, or Fier.

4 Mare.

Is Ought more fierce, more furious to withstand,
Then stormy Billows of the raging Sea?
Is Ought more feeble then the flitting Sand?
Yet doth the Sand the swelling Ocean stay.
O! then, how fiercer! O! how furious more
Is th'aw-less Storm of Man's Concupiscence!
Which so transports him, that no Sand, no Shore,
No Bank, no Bound, can stop his Violence.

5 Fontes et Flumina.

You silver Brooks, cleer Rivers, crystall Fountains,
Whose smooth swift-sliding pase
Still, still roules down apace;
Say, why so long you drive through Vales and Mountains?
To shew Thee, that thy Life (in This Theater)
Flees from thee as the Water:
And, that thy Soverain Bliss
Abides not Heer; where nought abiding is.

6 Dies.

When the Day (the Sun's bright Son)
New-awake, begins discover
Mountain-Tops new-gilded-over,
With his ruddy Raies thereon:
That (mee thinks) should make vs think
On that true eternall Morning,
When no Night shall bee returning,
When both Heav'n and Earth shall shrink.

7 Nox.

When the Night's black Curtain, spread,
Hides the Day, and Light bereaveth;
Then, my wakening Thought conceiveth
Other Night, more dark, more dread:
There where Worldlings, wilfull-blinde,
Loath Instruction, leave Light's Mirror,
Double-nighted in dark Error;
Self put-outing Light of Minde.

8 Ver.

When youthfull Spring the Earth in green hath drest,
When Trees with Leaves and Blossoms them re-vest;
Their Flowers (white, red, blew, yellow)
Betoken Fruit to follow.
But, Worldlings, though they flourish in their Prime,
Nor bud, nor bear, nor bring-forth Fruit, in time:
Their Health, Wealth, Wit, mis-wasted,
Are but as Blossoms blasted.

9 Æstas.

When Summer's Heat hath don his Part,
The Husband hath a gladsom heart;
Sith golden Threasures of the Plains
Make large Amends for all his Pains.
But, th'idle Lubber, labour-loathing,
Walking, talking, wishing Store;
Sowing Nought, but Winde, before;
Shall, but Winde behinde, reap Nothing.

10 Autumnus.

When the Leaves in Autumn wither,
With a tawny tanned Face
Warpt and wrinkled-vp together,
Th'Yeers late Beauty to disgrace:
There thy Life's Glass maist thou finde-thee,
Green now, gray now, gon anon;
Leaving (Worldling) of thine Owne,
Neither Fruit, nor Leaf behinde-thee.

11 Hyems.

When chill Winter's cheer wee see
Shrinking, shaking, shivering Cold;
See Our Selves: for, Such are Wee
After Youth, if ever Old.
After Winter, Spring (in order)
Coms again: but, Earthly Thing,
Rotting Heer, not rooting further,
Can Thy Winter hope a Spring?

12 Quinque Sensus.

How swift is Beauty vanisht from thine Ey!
How sudden Musick drowned in thine Ear!
How soon doo Odours from thy Nostrils fly!
How short, touch-Pleasures (tipt with Pain and Fear)!)
How sowre, Taste-sweetest, in small time's expense-is!
Then, Epicure, well may wee blame thee, since,
All vnder Sense thus vain, Thou hast no sense
Of Vanity, which so besots thy Senses.

13 Vita & Mors.

Worldlings that live in State, and dy in Strife,
Wretched their Death, and wretched is their Life.
For, their Life kils them, keeps them fetter'd in
The Chains of Death, the Cage and Wage of Sin.
Their Death is double; termin'd and eternall:
So much more deadly as it dyeth not.
For Errors, Terrors heer; there, Torments hot:
Their Life, a Death; their Death, a Life infernall.

14 Eccho.

What is the World, but a vain Eccho's Sounding,
From Woods, and Caves, and hollow Rocks rebounding?
A new No-noise, a dead-live Voice, to summon
Deluded Ears to listen to a Dumb-one:
A speaking Fiction of a mocking Faëry:
A formall Answer, in Effect but aiëry?
Hence, hence, vain Eccho, with thine idle Mocks:
Keep in thy Woods, sleep in thy Caves and Rocks.

15 Incarceratus & Mendicus.

As a close Prisoner, in dark Durance chained,
Dreams that hee walks, runs, ranges, at his will:
As a poor Begger, with sharp hunger pained,
Dreams that hee eats, and yet is empty still:
So, the World's Captives, sleeping heer securely,
Dream them the Freest, in their deepest Thrall;
Dream them abounding, seeming Lords of all:
Yet still are Beggers, and still Prisoners surely.

16 Fumus & Aura, convivium.

The Worldling feeds his greedy Minde
With golden Hopes of high Conceipts
(As vain and void as Smoak and Winde)
Which prove in fine but fine Deceipts;
Yet keenly set his Teeth on Edge.
No Mervail though: for, hee must needs
Bee ever light, that ever feeds
On Winde and Smoak (and Chaff and Sedge).

17 Cupido & Timor, constitutum.

Desire and Fear the Worldling ever martyrs,
Still double-racked with Two divers Tortures:
Desire's a Fire, running through all his Bones,
Which dries him, fries him, and his Rest bereaves:
His Fear's a Frost, chilling his hart at-once,
Killing his Hopes, spilling the Webs hee weaves:
So that, distract with Fear and with Desire,
In Frost hee fries, and freezes in the Fire.

18 Ambitio, Luxus, Avaritia.

Ambition, Luxe, and Avarice, Three Witches
(Ladies, I should say) whom the World doth woo
With sute and service (and that slavish too)
For their three Daughters, Honour, Pleasure, Riches,
Serve All alike: th'Ambitious, but with Winde:
With Woes, the Wanton (after Shewes of Mirth):
The Avaricious, with som Crums of Earth;
Ever the less, the more hee sets his Minde.

19 Avis & Navis.

As in the Air th'high-soaring Ægle scuds:
As on the Water slides the winged Ship:
So flees, so flits, the Wealth of worldly Goods;
So swift away doth wanton Pleasure slip.
And, as wee cannot, in the Air or Water,
See the Ships furrow, nor the Ægles footing:
When Wealth is past, and Pleasure poasted after;
To track their Trace, nor is, nor can bee booting.

20 Fratres in Malo.

Th'Ambitious alwaies doth aloft aspite;
Honour on Honour striving still to heap:
The Avaritious sloopeth his Desire,
From vnder ground his Golden Crop to reap.
Th'One tendeth vpward, th'Other downward tends;
As if at Ods, and vtterly Contrary:
Yet, though they seem, indeed they doo not vary;
But mean to meet together in their Ends.

21 Væ vobis.

Who but hath heard Both bitterly deplore
Their dismall Fortune, and disastrous Fate?
O! cries th'Ambitious, I have lost my State:
O! th'Avaritious, I have lost my Store.
Why cry you out on Wracks, and Rocks, and Shelves,
And Wars, and Wiles, that have your States vndon?
Rather complain, rather cry-out, vpon
Your Goods and Greatnes, where you lost your Selves.

22 Punctus non dividendus.

Is Heav'n a Circle, and is Earth the Centre
So small a Point (as Sages oft have showne)?
Why then, fond Mortals dare you Battell venture,
Who the most part of so small Point shall owne?
Why, silly Worldlings, doo you toil you so,
Train'd with false Hopes of your too-fond Ambition?
O! dangerous Error is it, not to knowe
'Tis vain to strain about a Point's Partition.

23 Onus cuique suum.

Sure, Avarice is an extreme Disease;
So is Ambition an extreme Vexation:
Yet shall wee finde, survaying Both of These,
That Eithers Self bears his Owne several Passion.
But, th'egre Fit, the Force, the Frenzy (rather)
Mis-called Love (dead-Living, merry Sadnes)
Of One same Sicknes makes Two sick together;
And Two at-once mad of One very Madnes.

24 Dulce venenum, vel sibi lædens.

Why wail'st Thou, Fondling? and why weep you, Fair?
Sighing your Soules into the sense-less Air?
Blame but your Selves: Desire is your Disease:
Your Pain proceeds from what your Selves doth please.
Your chief Content is in your Torment's top:
Your most Delight is in your most Diseasing:
You drink you drunk in the sweet-bitter Cup,
Which sowres your Ioies, and makes Annoies as pleasing.

25 Aquæ, Sagittæ, Venti.

Swiftly, Water sweepeth by:
Swifter, winged Arrows fly:
Swiftest yet, the Winde that passes,
When the neather clouds it chases.
But, the Ioies of Earthly Mindes,
Worldly Pleasures, vain Delights,
Far out-swift far sudden flights,
Waters, Arrows, and the Windes.

26

[In constant Country, Thou maist Witnes bee]

In constant Country, Thou maist Witnes bee,
The World hath nought but vain Inconstancy.
Thy Peace for War, thy War for Peace; thou takest:
Thou doubtfull floatest on vncertain Waves:
Thou ween'st, thy slaughter thee from Shambles saves:
Thy most Despight thy most Delight thou makest.
Th'hast nothing fixed, nothing firm, in Thee;
Nor constant Ought, but thine Inconstancy.

27 Mundus qualis.

What is the World? tell, Worldling (if thou knowe-it)
If it bee good, why doo all Ills o'r-flowe-it?
If it bee bad, why dost thou like it so?
If it bee sweet, how coms it bitter then?
If it bee bitter, what bewitcheth men?
If it bee Friend, why kils it (as a Foe)
Vain-minded Men that ouer-love and lust-it?
If it bee Foe, Fondling, how dar'st thou trust-it?

28 Aura, Flos, Vnda.

World's best Beauty Self-defaces,
Sooner then the Puff that passes:
Sooner then the fragrant Flowr,
Blowne and mowne within an Howr:
Sooner then a Wave (that follows)
His owne Predecessor swallows.
O! what is then then the World wee have?
Alas! a Blast, a Bloom, a Wave.

29 Quam malë conveniunt!

More eas'ly far may Wee
Make Black and White,
And Day and Night,
In one same Term agree:
And rather (rarely-od)
Wed Fire and Water;
Death and Nature:
Than with the World match GOD.

30 Emblema.

Friend Faber, cast mee a round hollow Ball
Blown ful of Wind (for Emblem of this All):
Adorn it fair, and flourish every part
With Flowrs and Fruits, with Brooks, Beasts, Fish & Fowl;
With rarest Cunning of thy curious Art:
And grave in Gold, about my silver Bowl,
Thus roules the World (the Idol of Mankinde)
Whose Fruit is Fiction; whose Foundation, Winde.

31 Glacies.

Ice is fair, and shines externall;
Fair and shining th'All-Theater:
From the Ice they fall in Water;
From the World to Death eternall.
Both at last shall vanish: Ice
Into Water shall re-solve;
All the World (and all his Vice)
Into Nothing shall dissolve.

32 Rome (Conquerer) conquered.

The Stranger, wondring, stalks, and stares-vpon
Rome's antique Glories, in her Ruines seen:
Hee sees high Archs, huge shining Heaps of Stone,
Maim'd, mutil'd, murder'd, by yeers wasteful Teene
Hee sees a rugged, ragged, rocky Quar
Hang in the Air, with Ivie laç't about.
O! what can last, alas! (then cries hee out)
Sith Time hath conquer'd the World's Conquerer?

33 Arbor.

The World's a Tree (in my Conceit)
The Arms wide-spread, the Body great,
The Root deep-reaching, nie to Hell:
The Leaves fresh varnisht lively green,
The Blossoms various to bee seen:
The Fruit doth suit the rest right well:
The Flowr it bears, Som Beauty call;
Hony the Fruit; indeed, but Gall.

34 Hortus.

The World's a Garden; Pleasures are the Flowers;
Of fairest hues, in form and number many:
The Lilly (first) pure-whitest Flowr of any,
Rose sweetest rare, with Pinked-Gillie-Flowrs:
The Violet, and double Mari-Gold,
And Pansie too: but, after all Mischances,
Death's Winter coms; and kils, with sudden Cold,
Rose, Lilly, Violet, Mari-Gold, Pink, Panses.

35 Avaritia, Invidia.

Never have, and ever crave,
Are the Worldlings thoughts intire:
Honour, Wealth; the more they have,
More they covet, more aspire.
They never doo enjoy their Owne,
But Other's wish, like, love, admire:
And having All, yet have they None;
For, after All, they more desire.

36 Scientia & Ignorantia.

In Heav'ns sweet Language have I learn'd yer This,
That to the Wise the world's as Night to Morning;
As Deaw to Sun; as Cloud to Noon-sted is:
For, vertuous Knowledge, in his brest bright-burning,
Is Morning, Sun and Noon: but, Ignorance
Is th'vgly Night; Pleasures, the vading Deaw;
Cloud Vanity, which doth our Soules pursue,
Till Vertues Raies infuse their Radiance.

37 Bona cur Mala.

Antiquity, O! why didst Thou devise
This name of Goods vnto these worldly Riches!
Sith th'are (alas!) but Evils (Pains or Pitches)
To silly men that doo them over-prize.
Rather, ô Worldling, why dost thou misuse them?
Why dost thou wrong Vertues good Instruments?
Goods (Ills to those that doo them ill dispense)
Sith Goods are Goods to those that rightly vse them.

38 Quatuor Monarchiæ.

The Babylonian, with ambitious fist,
First the grand Sceptre of the World possest:
The Persian, Him; The Grecian, Him dismist:
Him, th'awfull Roman after dispossest:
And Him, his Owne Waight let not long subsist;
Him, his Owne Greatnes ruin'd with the rest.
Who then (alas!) this Fall of Monarchs seeing,
Can hope in Earth for an eternall Beeing?

39 Glacies.

Hee that makes the World his Nest,
Settling heer his onely Rest;
Never craving other Scope,
Never having higher Hope:
What thinks (think you) such a One?
Thus: To sit secure vpon
A Ball of Ice, a slippery Bowl,
Which on the Seas doth ever roule.

40 Diruit Edificans.

When-as the Worldling moils, and toiles, and tires,
Incessantly to heave-vp Wealth on Wealth,
Pleasure on Pleasure, Stile on Stile; by stealth,
To reach the Top of his too-vain Desires:
When, the more loaden, the less Waight he feeleth,
Plotting his Ease i'th'Pain hee doth pursue-in:
When Hoord on Hoord, when Heap on Heap he hilleth,
What doth hee else but build himself his Ruine?

41 Bellum cum vitijs.

One-Day I saw the World in furious Fight
With lovely Vertue, his most loathed Foe:
It dared her, shee bravely did defie't:
It entred Lists (Shee first had entred though):
It traverses, it toils, it heaws, it hacks;
But all in vain, his blowes com never nigh-her:
For, the World's Weapons were but lythie Wax,
And Vertue's Shield is of celestiall Fier.

42 Naufragium.

Thou, thou, whose heart dives in the World so deep,
Seest thou thy Case? know'st thou thy own Condition?
Like head-less Bark tost 'twixt the Opposition
Of blustring Storms which every way doo sweep.
Reason, thy Rudder, is already lacking:
The Gales of Pleasure, and the Gusts of Passion,
Hurry thee headlong in the Gulf of Fashion,
On Rocks of Death thy wretched Life soon wracking.

43 Mors in Olla.

VVhere's Death? I'th'VVorld. VVhere is the VVorld? In Death:
Death to it Self: for, nothing in the VVorld
Kills and confounds the VVorld, more than the VVorld;
VVhich breeds, and feeds, and giveth Life to Death.
But, from the VVorld could God's Love wean the VVorld,
Killing the VVorld's Love, and his Issue, Death;
Then happy wee should triumph over Death;
The VVorld not worldly; Death dead in the VVorld.

44 Somnium.

I sawe, I sawe, the VVorld was but a Dream,
When Heav'ns shrill Voice had rouz'd and rais'd my eies:
For, in the VVorld I found but Lies;
Eies clos'd, Ears stopt, Mindes inly toil'd extream;
All Dark, all Night: Man out of Man (in Cumber)
Himself with Fumes and Phant'sies feeding,
Not feeling Pains, nor Passions heeding;
Loth to bee waked from so sweet a Slumber.

45 Quasi non vtens.

O! happy Hee can bee so highly wise,
As not to knowe the vain and vitious Pleasures
The Vitious take (when they will take their leasures)
VVhich so besot their Soules, and blinde their Eies.
O! happy Hee that can disdain and deem
Those Pleasures, Poisons; and that Hony, Gall.
But, who can so? Hee that, contemning All,
Lives in the VVorld, and not the VVorld in Him.

46 Monstrum horrendum.

VVhat Monster's that which hath so many Heads;
So many Ears, so many Eies between;
So lively clad before in lusty Green;
So black behinde, in cloudy Cloak of Shreds;
His feet so sliding down a round steep Hill;
Rouled by Time, which turns it swift away;
Death, running after, shooteth at it still?
Ah! now I see. What is't? The World, I say.

47 Sordescit & Surdescit.

Stay, Worldling, stay: Whither-away so fast?
Hark, hark awhile to Vertue's Counsels Current.
No, no: alas! after the World, in haste,
Hee hies, flies, follows: as a rapid Torrent
Too-proudly swelling with som fresh Supply
Of liquid Silver from the Welkin gushing,
My warning (as a Rock) hee rouleth by
With roaring Murmur, sudden over-rushing.

48 Sufficit Vnum.

'T was a loud Lie (think I) a very Slander,
Th'Ancients ascribe t'ambitious Alexander,
Weeping for wo there were no mo Worlds made.
Suffiz'd not One, so busie and so bad?
If true it were, Great Monarch, cease to mourn;
And give Mee leave: O! let Me weep my Turn;
Who strain and strive, yet cannot all my Care
All Vanities of this One World declare.

49 Variabile.

Vary, re-vary; tune, and tune again
(Anon to This String, and anon to That;
Base, Trebble, Tenor; swift, slowe, sharp and flat)
Thy One same Subject in a sundry Strain;
To represent, by thy so divers Ditties,
The dying World's so divers Alterations:
Yet will the World have still mo Variations;
And, past thy Verse, thy various Subject yet-is.

50

'T is but Vanity and Folly,
On the World to settle wholly.
All the Ioies of all this Life
Are but Toyes, Annoyes and Strife.
O God! onely wise and stable,
To establish Mee in Thee,
Give mee, Thou that art All-able,
Wisdom with true Constancy.