Porta pietatis. Or, The Port or Harbour of Piety | ||
The first Show by Water, is presented by Proteus in a beautiful Sea-Chariot: for the better Ornament, decored with divers Marine Nymphs and Sea-goddesses, &c. He sitteth or rideth upon a moving Tortois, which is reckoned amongst the Amphibiæ, quòdin ambobus Elementis degant: That is, One of those Creatures that live in two Elements, the Water, and the Land; alluding to the Trading of the Right Honourable the present Lord Major, who is a Merchant, free of the Turkey, Italian, French, Spanish, Muscovy, and was late Governour of the East Indy-Company. This Proteus, or
It was a Custome amongst the Ægyptian Kings, to have their Scepters insculpt with sundry Hierogliphicks, or Figures, as a Lyon, a Dragon, a Tree, a flame of fire, &c. as their fancies lead them, for which that Proverb was conferr'd in him, Proteo mutabilior, that is, More changeable than Proteus. This Proteus, or Vertumuus, or Vesores, reigned in Ægypt some foure yeeres before the Trojan Warre, that is, Anno Mundi 2752.
his Speech.
And held the noblest both for Birth and Time:
From him who with his Trident swayes the Maine,
And ploughs the waves in curles, or makes them plaine:
Neptune, both Lord of Ebbe, and Inundation,
I come to greete your great Inauguration.
They call me Versi-pellis, and 'tis true,
No figure, forme, no shape to me is new;
For I appeare what Creature I desire,
Sometimes a Bull, a Serpent, sometimes Fire:
“The first denotes my strength; strong must he be,
“And powerfull, who aspire to your Degree.
“You must be wise as Serpents, to decide
“Such doubts as Errour or Misprision hide.
“And next, like Fire, (of th'Elements most pure)
“Whose nature can no sordid stuffe endure,
“As in Calcining Metalls we behold,
“It sunders and divides the drosse from Gold,
And such are the Decorements that still waite
Upon so grave, so great a Magistrate.
(By the two Elements of moist and dry)
So much as gives the world to understand,
Your noble Trading both by Sea and Land.
Of Porposes the vast Heards Proteus keepes,
And I am styl'd the Prophet of the Deepes,
Sent to prædict good Omen: May that Fleete
Which makes th'East Indies with our England meete,
Be to and fro swell'd with auspicious gales:
May You (who of this City now take charge)
With all the Scarlet Senate in your Barge,
The Fame thereof so heighten, future Story
Above all other States may crowne her glory.
To hinder what's more weighty, I am loath,
Passe therefore freely on, to take your Oath.
This Show is after brought off from the water, to attend upon the rest by Land, of which the first is,
The first Show by Land.
A Shepheard with his Skrip and Bottle, and his Dog by him; a sheep-hooke in his hand, round about him are his Flocke, some feeding, others resting in severall postures; the plat-forme adorn'd with Flowers, Plants, and Trees bearing sundry Fruits. And because this Worshipfull Society tradeth in Cloth, it is pertinent that I should speake something of the Sheepe, who is of all other foure-footed beasts the most harmelesse and gentle. Those that write of them, report, that in Arabia they have tayles three Cubits in length: In Chios they are the smallest, but their Milke and Cheese the sweetest, and best. The Lambe from her yeaning knoweth and acknowledgeth her Damme: Those are held to be most profitable for store, whose bodies are biggest, the fleece softest and thickest, and their legs shortest. Their Age is reckoned at Tenne yeeres,
The Shepheards
Speech.
Can the rich profits of your Trades commerce
Be to the full exprest? which to explaine,
Lyes not in Poets Pen, or Artists braine.
What Beast, or Bird, for Hyde, or Feather rare,
(For mans use made, can with the Sheepe compare?
The Horse of strength or swiftnesse may be proud,
But yet his flesh is not for food allow'd.
The Heards yeeld Milke and Meate (commodious both)
Yet none of all their skins make Wooll for Cloth.
The Sheepe doth all: The Parrot and the Jay,
The Peacock, Estridge, all in colours gay,
Delight the Eye, some with their Notes, the Eare,
But what are these unto the Cloth we weare?
The Mountaines or the Vales, search the vast frame
Of the wide Universe, the Earth, and Skie,
Nor Beast nor Bird can with the Sheepe comply:
But some way usefull, one affords us meate,
Another Ornament: Shee more than this,
“Of Patience, and of Profit th'embleme is,
In former Ages by the Heroes sought:
After, from Greece into Hesperia brought:
She's cloath'd in plenteous riches, and being shorne,
“Her Fleece an Order, and by Emperours worne,
All these are knowne, yet further understand,
In twelve divide the profits of this Land,
As Hydes, Tinne, Lead; or what else you can name,
Tenne of those twelve the Fleece may justly claime:
Then how can that amongst the rest be mist,
By which all States, all Common Weales subsist?
Great honour then belongs unto this trade,
And you, great Lord, for whom this triumph's made.
The second Show by Land.
The second Show by land is an Indian Beast, called a Rinoceros, which being presented to the life, is for the rarenesse thereof, more fit to beautifie a Triumph: his Head, Necke, Backe, Buttockes, Sides, and Thighes, armed by Nature with impenetrable Skales; his Hide or Skinne of the colour of the Boxe-tree, in greatnesse equall with the Elephant, but his Legges are somewhat shorter: an enemy to all beasts of rapine and prey, as the Lyon, Leopard, Beare, Wolfe, Tiger, and the like: but to others, as the Horse, Asse, Oxe, Sheep, &c.
The Indians
Speech.
Or how much they all Traders ante-cell?
When others here at home securely sleepe,
He plowes the bosome of each unknowne deepe,
And in them sees heavens wonders; for he can
Take a full view of the Leviathan,
Whose strength all Marine Monsters doth surpasse,
His Ribs as Iron, his Fins and skales as brasse.
And from all Coasts hee rich materialls brings,
For ornament or profit; those by which
Inferiour Arts subsist, and become rich:
By Land he makes discovery of all Nations,
Their Manners, and their Countries scituations,
And with those savage natures so complies,
That there's no rarity from thence can rise
But he makes frequent with us, and yet these
The Land he pierceth, and the Ocean skowers,
To make them all by free transportage ours.
By whose commerce our Nation hath beene fam'd.
The Romans in their triumphes had before
Their Chariots borne or lead, (to grace the more
The sumptuous Show) the prime and choisest things,
VVhich they had taken from the Captive, Kings:
VVhat curious Statue, what strange bird, or beast
That Clime did yeeld (if rare above the rest)
Was there expos'd: Entring your civill state,
VVhom better may we strive to imitate?
Yet frequent where some Factors oft have beene)
Is embleme of the Prætorship you beare,
Who to all Beasts of prey, who rend and teare
The innocent heards and flocks, is foe profest,
But in all just defences armes his crest.
You of this wildernesse are Lord, so sway,
The weake may be upheld, the proud obey.
The third Show by Land.
The third Show by land is a Ship, fully accommodated with all her Masts, Sayles, Cordage, Tacklings, Cables, Anchors, Ordnance, &c. in that small Modell, figuring the greatest Vessell: But concerning Ships and Nauigation, with the honour and benefits thence accrewing, I have lately delivered my
The Speech from the Shippe.
(Though now amongst all Nations common growne)
Nor trade by Sea: we read the first choise peece,
Was th'Argo, built to fetch the golden Fleece,
In which brave voyage, sixty Princes, all
Heroës, such as we Semones call:
In that new Vessell to attaine the shore.
Where such a prize was, each tugg'd at the Oare:
On one bench Hercules and Hilas sate,
Beauty and Strength; and siding iust with that
Daunaus and Lynceus of so quicke a sight
No interposer, or large distance might
Dull his cleare Opticks: those that had the charge,
And the chiefe stearadge of that Princely Barge,
Zethes and Calais, whose judgements meet,
Being said t'have feathers on their heads and feete:
We spare the rest: Grave Sir, the Merchants trade
Is that, for which all Shipping first was made;
And through an Hellespont who would but pull,
Steere, and hoise saile, to bring home golden Wooll?
Sate strength and beauty: oh what a sweete grace
Have those united; both now yours, great Lord,
Your beauty is your robe, your strength the sword.
Than either you before have done, or he
Could ever: having now a true inspection
Into each strife, each cause without affection
To this or that party: some are fed,
To have had feathers on their feete and head.
(As those whom I late nam'd) you must have more,
And in your place be feather'd now all o're:
You must have feathers in your thoughts, your eyes,
Your hands, your feete; for he that's truely wise
Must still be of a winged apprehension
As well for execution, as prevention.
You know (Right honourd Sir) delayes and pauses,
In judicature, dull, if not dampe, good causes:
That we presume t'advise, we pardon crave,
It being confest, all these, and more you have.
The fourth Show by Land.
The fourth Show by Land beares the Title Porta Pietatis, The Gate of Piety: which is the doore by which all zealous and devout men enter into the fruition of their long hoped for happinesse: It is a delicate and artificiall composed structure, built Temple-fashion, as most genuine and proper to the persons therein presented. The Speaker is Piety
Piety
the Speaker.
Where Piety, plac't in her heavenly bower,
Poynts out the way to blisse, guirt with a ring
Of all those Graces that may glory bring.
Here sits Religion firme, (though else where torne
By Schismaticks, and made the Atheists scorne)
Shining in her pure truth, nor need she quake,
Affrighted with the Faggot and the stake:
Shee's to you deare, you unto her are tender,
Vnder the Scepter of the Faiths defender.
You build new Temples, and repaire the old!
There's not a stone that's laid in such foundation,
But is a step degreeing to Salvation:
And not a Scaffold rear'd to that intent,
But mounts a Soule above the Firmament:
Of Merchants, we know Magistrates are made,
And they (of those) most happy that so Trade.
With her owne Hand-maids (see) inviron'd round,
And these are they the learned Schoole-men call,
The three prime Vertues Theologicall,
Faith, Hope, and Love; Zeale all inflam'd with fire
Of devout acts, doth a sixt place aspire.
The seventh Humility, and we commend
The Eight to Constancy, which crownes the end.
But to gaine one, is to be ever blest.
Proceede in that faire course you have begun,
So when your Annuall Glasse of State is run,
(Nay, that of Life) Ours, but the Gate to blisse
Shall let you in to yon Metropolis.
There now remaineth onely the last Speech at Night, spoken by Proteus, which concludes the Tryumph.
The Speech at Night.
Now bright Hiperion hath unloos'd his Teame,
And washt his Coach-Steeds in cold Isters streame:
Day doth to Night give place, yet e're You sleepe,
Remember what the Prophet of the Deepe,
Proteus fore-told: All such as State aspire,
Must be as Bulls, as Serpents, and like Fire.
The Shepheard grazing of his Flocks, displayes
The use and profit from the Fleece we raise.
That Indian Beast, (had he a tongue to speake)
Would say, Suppresse the proud, support the weake.
That Ship the Merchants honour loudly tells,
And how all other Trades it antecells:
But Piety doth point You to that Starre,
By which good Merchants steere: too bold we are
To keepe you from your rest; To-morrows Sunne
Will raise You to new cares, not yet begun.
Porta pietatis. Or, The Port or Harbour of Piety | ||