Du Bartas His Divine Weekes And Workes with A Compleate Collectio[n] of all the other most delight-full Workes: Translated and written by yt famous Philomusus: Iosvah Sylvester |
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THE WOOD-MANS BEAR. |
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 | Du Bartas |  |
1198
THE WOOD-MANS BEAR.
1
Seventy nine score yeers and sevenWere expired from the birth
Of a Babe begot by Heaven,
To bring Peace vnto the Earth;
Peace that passeth all esteeming,
Sin-bound soules from Hell redeeming.
2
Phœbus in his yeerly race(Having past the Ram and Steer)
Now began to poste apace
Through the Twins fair houses cleer,
Pranking in perfumed robes
All these goodly neather Globes.
3
And Aurora, richly dightIn an azure mantle fair,
Freng'd about with silver bright,
Pearl-deaws dropping through the air,
Hung the gate with golden tissues,
Where Hiperions Chariot issues.
4
At which sight (that all rejoyces)All the cunning Forrest Quier,
Tuning loud their little voyces,
Warbled who should warble higher:
Striving all to bear the Bell
(All in vain) from Philomel.
5
When my joyless senses, dulledWith the busie toil of Cities,
Mee from pensive fancies pulled,
To go hear their heavenly ditties:
To go hear, and see, and sent,
Sounds, sights, savours excellent.
1199
6
Wending then through Lawns and Thickets,Where the fearfull Deer doo brouz,
Where the wanton Fawns and Prickets
Crop the top of springing boughs:
Where the Stag and light-foot Hinde
Scud, and skip, and turn, and winde;
7
While I led my wandring feetThrough a silent thady Grove,
Paved thick with Primrose sweet;
As mine eyes about did rove,
Neer a spring I chanç't to spy,
Where a wretched man didly.
8
Like a Wood-man was his weed:Groveling on the grasse hee lay,
Mourning so as doth exceed
All That ever I can say.
Beasts to bellow, birds to sing,
Ceast, to see so strange a thing.
9
Wringing hands, and weeping eyes,Heauie sighs, and hollow groans,
Wailing words, and wofull cries,
Were the witnes of his Moans;
Moans that might with bitter passion
Mooue a flinty hearts compassion.
10
Fain would I the cause haue kend,That could cause him so complain:
But I feard him to offend
With repeating of his pain:
Therefore I expected rather
From himself the same to gather.
11
Sitting then in shelter shady,To observe and mark his mone,
Suddenly I saw a Lady
Hasting to him all alone,
Clad in Maiden-white and green:
Whom I judg'd the Forrest Queen.
12
Who, the eager game pursuing,Lost her Ladies in the chase,
Till shee heard the wretches ruing:
Vnto whom shee hied apace;
Mooving him, with milde intreat,
To vnfold his grief so great.
1200
13
When the Queen of Continence,With the musick of her words,
Had by sacred influence
Charm'd the edge of sorrows swords
(Swords that deeper wound have made
Then the keen Toledo blade)
14
Fain hee would, and yet hee faintedTo vnfold his fatall grief:
Passions in his face depainted,
Striving whether should bee chief:
Thus at last, though loath and sorry,
Sigh't hee out his mournfull story.
15
Madam, quoth hee (yet hee knew notWhat shee was) that you may see,
That I cursed causeless rue not,
Lend awhile your ear to mee;
And you shall perceive the source
Whence my cares have had their course.
16
Whence my cares and sad incumbersHave arisen and proceeded:
Whose account of countless numbers
Hath the Oceans sand exceeded;
Whose extreme tormenting smart
Passeth all conceit of heart.
17
Thrice-seven Summers I had seenDeckt in Flora's rich aray;
And as many Winters keen,
Wrapt in suits of silver gray:
Yer the Cirian Queens blinde Boy
Grudged at my grief-less joy.
18
But when on my maiden chinMother Nature gan ingender
Smooth, soft, golden Doun, and thin
Blades of Bever, silk-like slender;
Then hee, finding fuell fit,
Sought for coals to kindle it.
19
Coals hee found, but found no fire:For, th'East Frisian icy sky
Made the sparks of loves desire
Sudden born, as soon to dy.
Thus, so long as there I bid,
All was vain that Venus did.
1201
20
Seeing then that nought might boot,Shee (consulting with her bastard)
Bid the busie wanton shoot:
But alas he durst not, dastard:
In that quarter well he wist
Armes to meet with me, he mist.
21
Therefore wearie of his toile,Hopelesse still of better hap,
In that so vnpappie soile,
Where few Brutes he could entrap;
He forsooke the frozen Ems,
Soaring towards siluer Thames.
22
On whose lillie-paued banks,Where faire water-nymphs resorted,
Plai'd he many wanton pranks,
While the silly damzels sported;
Wounding with his cruell darts,
Their vnwarie tender hearts.
23
Chiefly in my Mother-Towne,Where the Paragon of honor,
Vertues praise, and beauties crowne,
With sweet Ladies tending on her,
Kept her Court in Palace royall,
Guarded by attendants loyall.
24
There the Paphian Prince (perceiuingLords and Ladies, young and old,
Apt (through ease) for Loues deceiuing)
Sends about his shafts of gold,
Striking all, saue her he dares not,
Dians selfe: the rest he spares not.
25
Hauing triumpht there a seasonOuer all degrees and sexes,
Planting loue, supplanting reason,
VVhere his darts dire venome vexes:
Suddenly he crost the flood,
To the famous Seat of Lud.
26
Finding there sufficient fuell,To maintaine his wanton fiers,
By and by begins he cruell,
To inflame both Sonnes and Siers,
Maid and Mistris, Man and Master,
Dam and Daughter, light or chaster.
1202
27
Thus he tortures, voide of pitie,Rich and poore, and fond and wise,
Through the streets of all the Citie;
Causing by his cruelties,
Sighing-singing, freezing-frying,
Laughing-weeping, liuing-dying.
28
Fates by this time had contriuedCauses that me thither drew.
Which ere euer I arriued,
This detested Tyrant knew:
Wyly waiting time and place,
To reuenge his old disgrace.
29
Oftentimes he did attemptEuen in streets of second Troy,
To haue punisht my contempt,
By bereauing freedoms ioy:
But vnable there to match me,
Else-Where yet he thought to catch-me.
30
I was wont (for my disport)Often in the Summer season,
To a Village to resort,
Famous for the rathe ripe Peason;
Where, beneath a Plumb-tree shade,
Many pleasant walks I made.
31
Till a grasse-borne-kricket, mountedOn that goodly Trees faire top,
Made his fore-fruit (rare accounted)
Ouer-soone to fall and drop;
Loading euery branch and bow
With her brood of krickets now.
32
Hither while I vs'd to haunt,Cupid seeking change of harbor,
Leauing stately Troy-nouant,
Lighted vnder this fresh Arbor,
Neere the howre when Titan wounds vs,
Hides our shadowes iust beneath-vs.
33
When the Dwarfling did perceiue me,Me, Loues most rebellious scorner;
By some cautel to deceiue me,
Skipt he soone into a corner:
Where, lest I should spie the Elfe,
In a Bear he hid himselfe.
1203
34
Many Beasts, and Birds beside,Adorned with the pride of nature;
Faire of feather, rich of hide,
Trim of forme, and tall of stature,
Vs'd this Orchard to frequent,
Till the Summers heat was spent.
35
But the Bear was my betrayer;Nay, she was my liues defender:
But she was my freedomes slayer;
Nay, she was my thraldomes ender;
But she fild my soule with sadnesse;
Nay, she turn'd my griefe to gladnesse.
36
Blessed Bear, that bears the bellFrom the fairest of her kind:
Such a Bear as doth excell
Those to either Pole assignd:
Such a Bear, as 'twould not grieue me,
To be Bearward made: belieue me.
37
In a Crofte where Musicks King(Making mends for Daphnes wrong)
Made out of the ground to spring
Trees transform'd to Daphnes young:
In the Crofte so faire and pleasant,
Harbor of the Prince-dish Pheasant,
38
Southward was this white Bear bred,Yet not scorcht with Affrick heate;
For her Dam had dipt her head
In the Crystall waters neat
Of a Spring cald Hamberwell,
Which can Sun-burnt spots expell:
39
And besides, while young she was,She was carried from that coast.
To be taught such practice, as
Makes such beasts beloued most,
Beast am I to call her beast:
Yet indeed a Bear's a beast.
40
Bear in name, but not in nature,Was this much admired creature,
Peerlesse piece of perfect stature,
Full of all desired feature:
Feature such, as all too-faint,
My dull pen presumes to paint.
1204
41
Louely Lilly-white she was,Straight proportion'd, stately-pased,
Coy, or kind (as came to passe)
Curteous-spoken, comely-graced:
Graces seem'd of graces lauish,
Eyes that gaz'd on her to rauish.
42
Locks like streames of liquid Amber,Smooth downe dangling, seem'd to spred
Hangings fit for Beauties chamber,
Curtins fit for Beauties bed:
Of which slender golden sleaue,
Loue his wanton nets did weaue.
43
Fore-head faire as summers face,Built vpon two Ebene Arch's:
Vnder which in equall space
Stood two bright resplendent sparks;
Sparkes excelling, in their shine,
Fairest beames of Ericyne.
44
From those Arch's, between these eyes(Eyes that arme Loues Archers tillar)
Euen descending did arise,
Like a pale Pyramid pillar,
That faire double-doored port,
Where sweet Zephyr loues to sport.
45
On each side whereof extendedFields, wherein did euer grow
Roses, Lillies, Violets blended,
Steept in streames of sanguine snow:
Red-white hils, and white-red plaines
Azure vales, and azure vaines:
46
Vaines, whose saphir seas do slide(Branch-wise winding in and out)
With a gentle flowing tide
All that Little World about,
Vp and downe, aloft and vnder,
To fill all this world with wonder.
47
With her mouth I meddle not,Nor with Ecchoes dainty mazes;
Lest these, hearing any iot
Mis-reported of her prayses
In their form, might them incense
To reproue my proud offence.
1205
48
But fond he that ouerskips(Fearing fancies Had-I-wist)
Those smooth smiling louely lips,
Which each other alwaies kist;
Sweetly swelling, round like cherries,
Fragrant as our garden-berries.
49
Lippes like leaues of Damask Rose,Ioyned iust in equall measure,
Which in their sweete folds inclose
Plentious store of pretious treasure:
Treasures more then may be told;
Balme, and Pearles, and purest gold.
50
Balme her breath for so it smelt;Pearles, those pales about the Parke,
Where that golden Image dwelt,
Her pure tongue that most I marke:
Such a tongue, as with my tung
Neuer can enough be sung.
51
Now remaines of all his IleOnely that white Iuorie Ball,
Dimpled with a chearefull smile,
Which the Cape of Loue I call.
Eden was this Iland, Madam:
While I gaz'd, mine eye was Adam.
52
Next, her Swan-like necke I saw:Then those spotlesse snowie mountaines,
Which when Loues warme Sunne shall thaw,
Shall resolue in Nectar fountaines:
Twixt which mountaines lies a valley,
Like Ioues heauenly milken alley.
53
What my Song should further say,Art enuying my delight
(As the night conceales the day)
Shrowdes in shadowes from my sight:
Art, that addes so much to others,
Here a world of beauties smothers.
54
Yet not so, but that I saw,As the Sunne shines through the rack,
Smalling downe by measures law,
Her straight comely shapen backe:
Which though well it liked mee,
Least of all I long'd to see.
1206
55
But her slender virgin WasteMade me beare her girdle spight,
Which the same by day imbraste,
Though it were cast off at night;
That I wisht, I dare not say,
To be girdle night and day;
56
Lest those hands that here I kisse,As offended therewithall,
Rise to chastise mine amisse,
Though their rage be rare and small;
Yet God shield, her praises singer
Should offend her little finger.
57
Yet I feare in much I shall.For, to say her hands are white,
Slicke and slender, fingers small,
Straight and long; her knockles dight
With curled Roses, and her nailes
With pearle-muscles shining scales:
58
These are praises great, I grant;But full oft heard I before,
Many may like honours vant,
Such as these haue many more:
Hers are such, as such are none,
Saue that hers are such alone.
59
For, if shee had liued, whenProud Arachne was aliue,
Pallas had not needed then
To come downe with her to striue:
Her faire fingers, finely fast,
Had Arachnes cunning past.
60
But when to the musicke choiceOf those nimble ioynts she marries
Th'Eccho of her Angel-voice,
Then the praise and prize she carries
Both from Orpheus and Amphion,
Shaming Lynus and Arion.
61
Here before her nimble feetFall we flat (mine humble Muse)
To endeauour (as is meet)
All our errors to excuse:
For, these are the beautious bases
That support this frame of graces.
1207
62
Now, like as a Princely building,Rare for Modell, rich for matter,
Beautified without with guilding,
Fond beholders eyes to flatter,
It wardly containeth most
Both of cunning and of cost:
63
So this frame, in framing whichNature her owne selfe excelled,
Though the outward walles were rich,
Yet within the same there dwelled
Rarest beauties, richest treasures,
Chiefe delights, and choicest pleasures.
64
For, within this curious Palace,Mongst the Muses and the Graces,
Phebe chaste, and charming Pallas
Kept their Courts in sundry places,
Lawes of vertue to enactize,
There proclaim'd in daily practize.
65
Here the Foster, waxing faint,Looked on the louely Dame,
Sighing-saying, Gracious Saint,
Heere-hence all my sorrowes came.
Lady, pardon, if my song
Haue detain'd yee ouer-long.
66
Not your song: your sorrowes seemeLonger then I would (quoth she)
Yet, as yet I cannot deeme
How your griefes with this agree:
For did this faire sight intrap yee,
This faire sight might make ye happie.
67
Happie (me vnhappy most)(Then replide he) had I been,
Had my life or light been lost
Ere my sight that sight had seene:
Then had I not liu'de to languish
In this ease-lesse end-lesse anguish.
68
But because you doubt (faire Dame)How from such a heauen as this,
Full of euery beauties flame,
Full of bounty, full of blisse,
Full of each delightfull ioy,
Could descend the least annoy:
1208
69
If you daigne attend Ile tell(As my feeble tongue will let me)
All misfortune that befell,
Though the thought thereof doe fret me:
Madam, so your kindnes moues me,
That to shew you all behoues me.
70
Therefore thinke vpon (I pray)What, when first my tale begun,
VVas forespoken to bewray
Shifts of Cythereas sonne;
How, for feare I should haue spid him,
In a Bear the Vrchin hid him.
71
Thence-from, crafty Cupid shotAll the arrowes of his quiuer:
But my heart, that yeelded not,
Made them all in sunder shiuer;
Till he, full of shame and sorrow,
Better bowe and shafts did borrow.
72
Borrow did he, of that Bear,Armes more apt to work my wo.
Stringing with her golden haire
Her faire browes, he made his bowe:
Whence for shafts he shot likewise
Beames of her keene-pearcing eies.
73
Of which Diamond-headed dartes(Beating hard my bosomes Center,
Whence resisting power departs,
Where but these, none else could enter)
Some abiding, som rebounded,
Wherewithall the Bear was wounded.
74
Wounded was the gentle Bear,With the weapons that she lent;
That she lent (alas) for feare
Lest the Loue-God should her shent:
So we see, who lend their Armes,
Oft procure their proper harmes.
75
So did harmelesse she (alas)That I euer must bemone.
Mone I must, for neuer was
Marble-hearted Mermydon
But would mone, and mourne, and melt,
To haue seen the pain she felt.
1209
76
To haue seen her pitious plaining,To haue heard her loud lamenting,
To haue thought on her complaining,
To imagine her tormenting;
Eyes would weep, and eares would wonder,
Hardest hart would break in sunder.
77
So mine eyes, mine eares, and heart,Fild with waters, wonders, woes,
Drowned, deafened, dead in part,
Wel-nigh all their vertues lose:
Euery sense, and all my reason
Fled, and faild me for a reason.
78
Here when this he had rehearsed,Ere the rufull rest could follow;
So the fresh remembrance pearced,
That his voice waxt weake and hollow:
Bitter teares abundant dropping,
Drowned words, their passage stopping.
79
Words were turn'd to sighes and sobbing,Inward griefes did inlie grone:
Hopelesse heart with heauie throbbing,
Shew'd all signes of saddest mone.
Signes made mone, but voice was mum:
Small griefes speake, but great are dumb.
80
Woe-begon, and wondrous sorryWas the Goddesse to behold him,
Through repeating of his storie
In so sad a fit to fold him;
Fearing further to prouoke him,
Lest new seas of sorrow choke him.
81
For as Sea-coales flame the faster,When we cast cold water on them:
Or as Children vnder Master,
Mourne the more, the more we mone them:
So the more she spake, her speeches
More increast his cries and screeches.
82
Yet she would not so forsake him,Lest some sauage hungry beast
In this tragick transe should take him,
Of his flesh to make a feast:
Danger of which dire euent,
Thus her pitie did preuent.
1210
83
Loud her bugle Horne she blew,Babbling Eccho voice of vallies,
Aierie Elfe, exempt from view,
With the Forest musick dallies:
Doubling so the curled winde,
That the first was hard to finde:
84
Yet her nimble Nymphs, inuredOften to the Fairies guile,
Could not be so soone allured
To ensue her subtle wile:
For where first they heard the blast,
Thitherward they trip it fast.
85
But because these maids had follow'dEgerly their game together;
They when first their Lady halloo'd,
Could not by and by be with her:
For, before she found the Foster,
All her traine (I told ye) lost her.
86
In came these bright beauties than,Where as they their Lady found
Standing by this wretched man,
That lay there vpon the ground:
With which wofull sight amazed,
Each on him with wonder gazed.
87
To whom their Goddesse did relateAll before that he had told her,
All his miserable state:
Who did all the while behold her
With a heauy halfe shut eye,
As a man at point to die.
88
At which the Nymphs with pitie moued,Somewhat to asswage his woe
For the Beares sake whom he loued,
And that him had loued so,
Bad him of their helpe assure him,
For they could the Art to cure him.
89
For in a Groue thereby, there grewAn hearbe which could loues power expell:
Which (but they) none euer knew,
As how it prosperd neere a well,
Where Diana vs'd to bathe her
When the scorching heate did scathe her.
1211
90
Which the Syluans of those GrouesHeld in very high account:
For therewith they cur'd their loues.
It was call'd Dianaes Fount:
And that Hearb, the pride of Summer,
Tooke that speciall vertue from her.
91
And the swiftest of the traine,Away to fetch the same was sent.
VVhich her nimble ioynts did straine,
And return'd incontinent;
And the Simple with her brought,
By which the cure was strangely wrought.
92
VVhich vnto the sense applied,As the iuyce thereof he tasted,
He might feele euen in that tide
How his old remembrance wasted.
By the medicine thus reuealed,
Was the Wofull Wood-man healed.
| Du Bartas | |