A paraphrase vpon the divine poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

It is, Sir, a Confest Intrusion here,
That I before your Labours doe appeare:
VVhich no loud Herald need, that may proclaime,
Or seeke acceptance, but the Authors fame.
Much lesse that should This Happy Worke commend,
VVhose Subject is its Licence, and doth send
It to the World to be Receiv'd and Read,
Farre as the glorious Beames of Truth are spread.
Nor let it be imagin'd, that I looke
Only with Customes Eye upon your Booke;
Or in this service that 'twas my intent
T'exclude your Person from your Argument.
I shall professe, much of the Love I owe
Doth from the Root of our Extraction grow.
To which though I can little contribute;
Yet with a Naturall joy, I must impute
To our Tribes honour, what by You is done,
VVorthy the Title of a Prelates Sonne.
And scarcely have Two Brothers farther borne
A Fathers Name, or with more Value worne
Their Owne, then Two of you: whose Pens, and Feet
Have made the distant Points of Heav'n to meet:

Sr. Edwin Sandys view of Religion in the Westerne parts.

Hee by exact discoveries of the West,
Your Selfe by painfull Travels in the East.

Some more like you would powerfully Confute
Th'Opposers of Priests Mariage by the Fruit.
And (since 'tis knowne, for all their Strait-vow'd life,
They Like the Sexe in any stile but Wife)
Cause them to change their Cloister for that State,
Which Keeps men Chast by Vowes legitimate.
Nor shame to Father their Relations,
Or under Nephewes Names disguise their Sons.
This Child of yours, borne without spurious blot,
And Fairely Midwivd as it was begot,
Doth so much of the Parents goodnesse Weare,
You may be prou'd to owne it for your Heire.
Whose Choice acquires you from the Common Sin
Of such, who finish worse, then they Begin.
You mend upon your selfe, and your Last Straine
Does of your First the start in judgement gaine.
Since, what in Curious Travell was begun,
You here conclude in a Devotion.
Where in delightfull Raptures we descry,
As in a Map, Sions Chorography:
Lay'd out in so direct, and Smooth a Line,
Men need not goe about through Palæstine.
Who seeke Christ here, will the Streight Rode preferre,
As neerer much then by the Sepulchre.

For not a Limbe growes here, but is a Path
Which in Gods City the blest Centre hath,
And doth so sweetly on each Passion strike,
The most phantastick taste will somewhat Like.
To the Vnquiet Soule Iob still from hence
Speaks in th'Example of his Patience.
The Mortifi'd may heare the Wise King Preach,
When his Repentance made Him fit to Teach:
Here are choice Hymnes and Carolls for the Glad;
And melancholy Dirges for the sad.
Last, David (as he could his Art transferre)
Speaks like Himselfe by an Interpreter.
Your Muse, rekindled hath the Prophets Fire,
And Tun'd the Strings of his neglected Lyre,

Making the Note and Ditty so agree,
They now become a perfect Harmony.

I must confesse, I have long wisht to see
The Psalmes reduc'd to this Conformitie:
Grieving the Songs of Sion should be sung
In Phrase not diff'ring from a Barbarous Tongue.
As if, by Custome warranted, we may
Sing that to God, we would be loth to Say.
Farre be it from my purpose to upbraid
Their honest meaning, who first offer made
That Booke in Meter to compile, which you
Have mended in the Forme, and Built anew.
And It was well, considering the Time
Which scarcely could distinguish Verse and Rhime.
But now the Language, like the Church, hath won
More Luster since the Reformation;
None can condemne the Wish, or Labour spent
Good Matter in Good Words to represent.

Yet in this jealous Age some such there be
So (without cause) afraid of Noveltie;
They would by no meanes (had they power to chose)
An Old Ill Custome, for a Better loose.
Men who a Rustick Plainesse so affect,
They thinke God served best by their neglect:
Holding the Cause would be Prophan'd by it,
VVere they at Charge of Learning or of Wit.
And therefore bluntly, what comes next, they bring
Course and ill study'd Stuffe for Offering;
Which, like th'Old Tabernacles Covering, are
Made up of Badgers skins and of Goats haire.
But These are Paradoxes they must use
Their Sloth and bolder Ignorance to excuse.
Who would not laugh at one will Naked goe,
'Cause in Old hangings Truth is pictur'd so?
Though Plainnesse be reputed Honours note,
They Mantles adde to beautifie the Coat.
So that a Curious (unaffected) dresse
Addes much unto the Bodies comelinesse:

In Vice and Barbarisme supinely rowles;
Their Fortunes not more slavish then their Souls.
Those Churches, which from the first Hereticks wan

Easterne Churches.

All the first Fields, or led (at least) the Van;
In whom those Notes, so much required, be;
Agreement, Miracles, Antiquity:

Of Doctrine. Of Persons. As Anuoch.

Which can a Never-broke Succession show
From the Apostles down; (Here bragg'd of so:)
So best confute Her most immodest claime,
Who scarce a Part, yet to be All doth aime;
Lie now distrest, betweene two Enemy-Powers,
Whom the West damnes, & whom the East devoures.
What State then Theirs can more Vnhappy be,
Threatned with Hell, and sure of Poverty.
The small Beginning of the Turkish Kings,
And their large Growth, shew us that different Things
May meet in One Third; what most Disagree,
May have some Likenesse: For in this we see,
A Mustard-seed may be resembled well
To the Two Kingdomes, both of Heaven and Hell.
Their Strength, & wants this work hath both unwound;
To teach how these t'increase, and that confound:

Turks.

Relates their Tenets; scorning to dispute
With Errors, which to tell, is to confute:
Shews how even there, where Christ vouchsaft to Teach,
Their Dervices dare an Impostor Preach.

Priests.

For whilst vvith private Quarrels vve Decaid,
We vvay for them, and Their Religion made:
And can but Wishes novv to Heaven preferre,

Ovids Metamorphosis.

May They gaine Christ, or We his Sepulchre.
Next Ovid cals me; vvhich though I admire,
For Equalling the Authors quickning Fire,
And his pure Phrase: yet More; remembring It
Was by a Mind so much distracted Writ:
Bus'nesse and Warre, Ill Midvvives to produce
The Happy Off-spring of so sweet a Muse:
Whilst every unknowne Face did Danger Threat;
For every Native there was twice a Gete.

om mentar.

More; when (return'd) thy Work review'd, expos'd
What Pith before the hiding Bark inclos'd:

Virg. Aen. lib. 1.

And with it that Essay, which lets us see
Well by the Foot, what Hercules would be.
All fitly offer'd to his Princely Hands;
By whose Protectiō Learning chiefly stands:
Whose Vertue moves more Pens, then his Power Swords;
And Theme to those, and Edge to these affords.

Panegyrick.

Who could not be displeas'd, that his great Fame,
So Pure a Muse, so loudly should proclaime:
With his Queenes praise in the same Model cast;
Which shall not lesse, then all their Annalls, last.
Yet, though we wonder at thy Charming Voice;
Perfection still was wanting in thy Choice:
And of a Soule, vvhich so much Povver possest,
That Choice is hardly Good, vvhich is not Best.
But though Thy Muse vvere Ethnically Chast,
When most Fault could be found; yet novv Thou hast
Diverted to a Purer Path thy Quill;
And chang'd Parnassus Mount to Sions Hill:
So that blest David might almost Desire
To heare his Harp thus Echo'd by thy Lyre.
Such Eloquence, that though it were abus'd,
Could not but be (though not Allow'd) excus'd.
Ioin'd to a Work so choice, that though Ill-done,
So Pious an Attempt Praise could not shun.
How strangely doth it darkest Texts disclose,
In Verses of such sweetnesse; that even Those,
From whō the unknown Tongue conceales the Sense,
Even in the Sound, must finde an Eloquence.
For though the most bewitching Musick could
Move men, no more than Rocks; thy Language would.
Those who make wit their Curse, who spend their Brain
Their Time, and Art, in looser Verse, to gain
Damnation, and a Mistres; till they see
How Constant that is, how Inconstant she;
May from this great Example learne, to sway
The Parts th'are Blest-with, some more Blessed way.
Fate can against Thee but two Foes advance;

Sharpe-sighted Envy, and Blind Ignorance:
The first (by Nature like a shadow, neare
To all great Acts) I rather Hate then Feare:
For them, (since whatsoever most they Raise
In Private, That they most in Throngs Dispraise;
And know the Ill they Act Condemn'd within)

αυτοχητημιτος

Who envies Thee, may no man envy Him.
The last I Feare not much, but Pity more:
For though they cannot the least Fault explore;
Yet, if they might the high Tribunall Clime,
To Them thy Excellence would be thy Crime:
For Eloquence with things Prophane they joine;
Nor count it fit to Mixe with what's Divine;
Like Art and Paintings laid upon a Face,
Of it selfe sweet; which more Deforme then Grace.
Yet, as the Church with Ornaments is Fraught,
Why may not That be too, which There is Taught?
And sure that Vessell of Election, Paul,
Who Iudais'd with Iewes, was All to All:
So, to Gaine some, would be (at least) Content,
Some for the Curious should be Eloquent:
For since the Way to Heaven is Rugged; who
Would have the Way to that Way be so too?
Or thinks it fit, we should not leave obtaine,
To learne with Pleasure, what we Act with Paine?
Since then Some stop, unlesse their Path be Even,
Nor will be led by Solœcismes to Heaven;
And (through a Habit scarce to be control'd)
Refuse a Cordial, when not brought in Gold;
Much like to them to that Disease Inur'd,

Tarancula.

Which can be no way, but by Musick cur'd:
I Ioy in Hope, that no small Piety
Will in their Colder Hearts be Warm'd by Thee.
For as none could more Harmony dispense;
So neither could thy flowing Eloquence
So well in any Task be us'd, as this:
To Sound His Praises forth, whose Gift it is.

------ Cui non certaverit ulla
Aut tantum fluere, aut totidem durare per annos.

Virg. Georg. 2.

Falkland.