The crowne of all Homers workes Batrachomyomachia or the battaile of frogs and mise. His hymn's - and - epigrams translated according to ye. originall by George Chapman — Battle of the frogs and mice. English.

The crowne of all Homers workes Batrachomyomachia or the battaile of frogs and mise. His hymn's - and - epigrams translated according to ye. originall by George Chapman — Battle of the frogs and mice. English.

Table of contents

Title page

TO MY EVER MOST-WORTHIE-TO-BE-MOST HONOR'D LORD, THE EARLE OF SOMERSET, &c.

The occasion of this Impos'd CROWNE.

BATRAXOMYOMAXIA.

AL THE HYMNES OF HOMER. An Hymne to Apollo.

A HYMNE TO HERMES.

A HYMNE TO VENVS.

To the same.

BACCHVS, OR The Pyrats.

To Mars.

To Diana.

To Venus.

To Pallas.

To Iuno.

To Ceres.

TO THE MOTHER OF The Gods.

TO LYON-HEARTED Hercules.

To Aesculapius.

TO CASTOR AND POLLVX.

To Mercurie.

To Pan.

To Vulcan.

To Phoebus.

To Neptune.

To Ioue.

To Vesta.

TO THE MVSES AND APOLLO.

To Bacchus.

To Diana.

To Pallas.

To Vesta, and Mercurie.

TO EARTH THE Mother of all.

To the Sun.

To the Moone.

TO CASTOR AND POLLVX.

TO MEN OF Hospitalitie.

Certaine Epigramms AND OTHER POEMS of Homer. To Cuma.

IN HIS RETVRNE To Cuma.

VPON THE SEPVLCHER OF MIDVS, Cut in Brasse, in the FIGVRE OF A VIRGINE.

CVMA REFVSING HIS OFFER T'ETERNISE THEIR STATE, THOVGH BROVGHT THITHER by the Muses.

AN ASSAIE OF HIS BEGVNNE ILIADS.

TO THESTORS SONNE▪ Inquisitiue of HOMER, ABOVT THE CAVSES OF THINGS.

To Neptune.

To the Cittie Erythraea.

To Mariners.

The Pine.

TO GLAVCVS: WHO WAS SO MISERABLIE, SPARING; THAT HE FEARED ALL MENS ACCESSE TO HIM

AGAINST THE SAMIAN MINISTRESSE OR NVNNE.

WRITTEN ON THE COVNSAILE Chamber.

THE FORNACE CALL'D IN TO SING BY POTTERS.

EIRESIONE OR The Oliue Branch.

TO CERTAINE FISHER-BOYES PLEASING HIM WITH INGENIOVS RIDDLES.

§

§

§

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the CROWNE of all HOMERS WORKES Batrachomyomachia Or the (Battaile of Frogs and Mise. His Hymn's — and — Epigrams Translated according to ye. Originall By George Chapman.

London, Printed by Iohn Bill, his MAIESTIES Printer.

TO MY EVER MOST-WORTHIE-TO-BE-MOST HONOR'D LORD, THE EARLE OF SOMERSET, &c.

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NOt forc't by fortune; but since your free minde

(Made by affliction) rests in choice resign'd

To calme Retreate; laid quite beneath the winde

Of Grace, and Glory: I well know, my Lord,

You would not be entitl'd to a word

That might a thought remoue from your Repose,

To thunder and spit Flames, as Greatnesse does;

For all the Trumps, that still tell where he goes.

Of which Trumps, Dedication being One,

Me thinks I see you start to heare it blowne.

But this is no such Trump as summons Lords,

[Page]Gainst Enuies steele, to draw their leaden swords,

Or gainst Hare-lipt Detraction, Contempt,

All which, from all Resistance stand exempt,

It being as hard to seuer Wrong from Merit,

As meate-indude, from blood; or blood from spirit.

Nor in the spirits Chariot rides the soule

In bodies chaste, with more diuine controule;

Nor virtue shines more in a louely Face;

Then true desert, is stuck off with Disgrace.

And therefore truth it selfe that had to blesse

The merit of it all, Almightinesse;

Would not protect it, from the Bane and Ban

Of all Moodes most distraught, and Stygian;

As counting it the Crowne of all Desert,

Borne to Heauen, to take of Earth, no part

Of false Ioy here, for Ioyes-there-endlesse troth,

Nor sell his Birthright for a messe of Broth.

But stay and still sustaine, and his Blisse bring,

Like to the hatching of the Black-thornes spring,

With bitter frosts, and smarting haile-stormes forth;

Fates loue Bees labors; onely Paine crownes Worth.

This Dedication calls no Greatnes then,

To patrone this Greatnes-creating Penn;

Nor you to add to your dead calme a breath;

For those arm'd Angells, that in spight of death

Inspir'd those flowrs that wrought this poets wreath

Shall keepe it euer, Poesies steepest Starr,

As, in Earths flaming wals, Heauens seuenfold Carr,

[Page](From all the windes of Neptunes watrie sphere)

For euer guards the Erymanthian Beare.

Since then your Lordship, settles in your shade

A life retir'd; and no Retreate is made

But to some strength; (for else, tis no Retreate,

But rudely running from your Battailes heate)

I giue this, as your strength: your strength, my Lord,

In Counsailes and Examples, that afford

More Guard, then whole Hosts of corporeal powre,

And more deliuerance, teach the fatall Howre.

Turne not your medcine then, to your disease,

By your too set, and sleight repulse of these,

The Adiuncts of your matchlesse Odyss [...]s;

Since on that wisest minde of Man, relies

Refuge from all Liues Infelicities.

Nor sing these, such diuision from them;

But that these spinn the thred of the same streame,

From one selfe Distaffs stuff: for Poesies Pen

(Through al theames) is t'informe the liues of Men:

All whose Retreates, neede strengths of all degrees;

Without which; (had you euen Herculean knees;)

Your foes fresh Charges, would, at length preuaile,

To leaue your Noblest suff'rance, no least saile.

Strength then, the Obiect is of all Retreates;

Strength needes no friends trust; strength, your foes defeates.

Retire to strength then, of eternall things,

And y'are eternall; for our knowing Spring's

Flow into those things that we truely know;

[Page]Which (being Eternall) we are render'd so.

And though your high-fixt Light passe infinite farr

Th'aduicefull Guide, of my still-trembling Starr;

Yet heare what my dischardg'd Peece must foretell,

Standing your Poore, and Perdue Sentinell.

Kings may perhaps wish, euen your Beggars Voice

To their Eternities; how skorn'd a choice

Soeuer, now it lies; And (dead I) may

Extend your life to lights extreamest Raie.

If not; your Homer yet, past doubt shall make,

Immortall, like himselfe, your Bounties stake

Put in my hands, to propagate your Fame,

Such virtue reigns in such vnited Name.

Retire to him then, for aduice, and skill

To know, things call'd worst, Best; and Best most ill.

A fimile illustrating the most renownd seruice of Generall Noris in his Retreate before Gant, neuer before made sacred to Memorie.

Which knowne; truths best chuse; and retire to still.

And as our English Generall, (whose Name

Shall equall interest finde in T'House of Fame,

With all Earths great'st Commanders) in Retreate

To Belgian Gant, stood all Spaines Armies heate,

By Parma led; though but one thousand strong:

Three miles together thrusting through the throng

Of Th'Enimies Horse, (still pouring on their Fall

Twixt him & home) & thunderd through them al:

The Gallick Monsiour standing on the wall,

And wondring at his dreadfull Discipline;

Fir'd with a Valor, that spit spirit Diuine:

In fiue Battaillons randging all his Men;

[Page]Bristl'd with Pikes, and flanck't with Flanckers ten;

Gaue fire still in his Rere, retir'd and wrought,

Downe to his fixt strength still: retir'd and [...]ought;

All the Battaillons of the Enemies Horse

Storming vpon him still, their fieriest Force;

Charge vpon Charge laid fresh: he fresh as day

Repulsing all; and forcing glorious way

Into the Gates; that gaspt (as swounes for Ayre)

And tooke their life in, with vntoucht Repaire:

So fight out (sweet Earle) your Retreate in Peace;

No ope-warr equalls that, where priuie Prease

Of neuer-numberd odds of Enimie

Arm'd all by Enuie, in blinde Ambush lie,

To rush out, like an open threatning skie,

Broke al in Meteors round about your eares.

Gainst which, (though far frō hēce) through al your Reres

Haue fires prepar'd; wisdome, with wisdome flanck,

And all your forces randge in present ranck;

Retiring as you now fought in your strength,

From all the Force laid, in times vtmost length,

To charge, and basely, come on you behind.

The Doctrine of all which, you here shall finde,

And, in the true Glasse of a humane Minde.

Your Odysses; the Body letting see

All his life past, through Infelicitie,

And manage of it all. In which to friend,

The full Muse brings you both the prime and end

Of all Arts ambient in the Orbe of Man;

[Page]Which neuer darknesse most Cimmerian

Can giue Eclipse; since (blinde) He all things sawe

And to all, euer since, liu'd Lord, and Lawe.

And though our mere-learn'd mē; & Modern wise

Taste not poore Poesies Ingenuities,

Being crusted with their couetous Leprosies;

But hold her paines, worse then the spiders worke,

And lighter then the shadowe of a Corke;

Yet th'ancient learn'd; heat with celestiall fire,

Affirmes her flames so sacred and entire;

Vt non fine Maximo fa [...]re Dei comparari n [...]queat. Pla. in Ioue.

That, not without Gods greatest grace she can

Fall in the wid'st Capacitie of Man.

If yet, the vile Soule of this Verminous time;

Loue more the Sale-Muse; and the Squirrels chime,

Then this full sphere of Poesies sweetest Prime;

Giue them vnenuied, their vaine veine, and vent;

And rest your wings, in his approu'd ascent

That yet was neuer reacht; nor euer fell

Into affections bought with things that sell

Being the Sunns Flowre; and wrapt so in his skie,

He cannot yeeld to euery Candles eye.

Whosemost worthy Discoueries, to your Lordships Iudiciall Perspectiue in most subdude Humilitie submitteth, George Chapman.

The occasion of this Impos'd CROWNE.

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AFter this not onely Prince of Poets, but Philosophers, had written his two great Poems, of Iliads & Odysses; which (for their first Lights borne before all Learning) were worthily call'd the Sunne and Moone of the Earth; (finding no compensation) he writ, in contempt of Men, this ridiculous Poem of Vermin, giuing them Nobility of Birth, valorous elocution not inferior to his Heroes. At which the Gods themselues put in amaze, call'd Counsailes about their assistance of either Armie, and the iustice of their Quarrels, euen to the mounting of [...]oues Artillery against them, and discharge of his three-forckt flashes: and all for the deuouring of a Mouse. After which sleight and onely recreatiue touch, hee betooke him seriously to the honor of the Gods; in Hymn's resounding all their peculiar Titles, Iurisdiction, and Dignities; which hee illustrates at all parts, as he had beene continually conuersant amongst them: and whatsoeuer autentique Poe [...]ie he omitted in the Episods, contained in his Iliads and Odysses; he comprehends and concludes in his Hym'ns and Epigrams. Al his obseruance and honor of the Gods, rather mou'd their enuies against him, then their rewards, or respects of his endeauours. And so like a Man verecundi ingenij (which he witnesseth of himselfe) he liu'd vnhonord and needie till his death; yet notwithstanding all mens seruile and manacled Miseries, to his most absolute and neuer-equall'd Merite; yea euen bursten profusion to Imposture and Impiety; [...]eare our-euer-the Same intranced, and neuer-sleeping Master of the Muses, to his last accent, incomparablie singing.

BATRAXOMYOMAXIA.

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ENtring the fields, first let my Vowes call on

The Muses whole Quire out of Helicon

Into my Heart; for such a Poems sake,

As lately I did in my Tables take,

And put into report, vpon my knees.

A fight so fierce, as might in all degrees

Fit Mars himselfe, and his tumultuous hand,

Glorying to dart to th'eares of euery land

Of all the

Intending Men: being diuided from all other creatures, by the voice, [...] being a pe [...] phrasis signifying v [...]ce di [...]isus, of [...] diuido, and [...] vox.

voice-deuided; And to show

How brauely did both Froggs and Mise bestow

In glorious fight their forces; euen the deedes

Daring to imitate of earths Giant-seedes.

Thus then, men talkt; this seede the strife begat:

The Mouse, once drie; and scap't the dangerous Cat;

Drench't in the neighbour lake, her tender berde,

To taste the sweetnesse of the waue it rer'de.

The farre-fam'de Fen-affecter (seeing him) said;

Ho? Stranger? what are you? And whence, that tred

[Page]This shore of ours? who brought you forth? replie,

What truth may witnesse, lest I finde, you lie.

If worth fruition of my loue, and me;

Ile haue thee home; and Hospitalitie

Of feast, and gift; good and magnificent

Bestow on thee: For all this Confluent

Resounds my Royaltie; my Name, the great

In blowne-vp count'nances; and lookes of threat,

[...], Genas & buccas infl [...]n [...].

Physignathus; ador'd of all Frogs here

All their daies durance; And the Empire beare

Of all their Beings. Mine owne Beeing, begot

By royall

[...], qui ex luto nascitu [...].

Peleus; mixt in nuptiall knot,

With faire

[...]. Aquarum Regina.

Hydromedusa; On the Bounds

Nere which

The riuer Po, in Italie.

Eridanus, his Race resounds.

And Thee, mine Eie, makes my Conceipt enclinde

To reckon powerfull, both in forme, and Minde:

A Scepter-bearer; And past others farre,

Aduanc't in all the fiery Fights of warre.

Come then, Thy race, to my renowne commend.

The Mouse made answer; why enquires my friend?

For what so well, know men and Deities,

And all the wing'd affecters of the skies?

[...]. Gather-crum, or rauish-crum.

Psycharpax, I am calld;

Sheare-crust.

Troxartes seede;

Surnam'de the Mighty-Minded: She that free'd

Mine eies from darknesse; was

Lick-mill.

Lichomyle,

King

Bacon-flitch-deuourer, or gnawer.

Pternotroctes Daughter; shewing me

Within an aged houell, the young light:

Fed me with figges, and nuts; and all the height

[Page]Of varied viands. But vnfolde the cause,

Why, 'gainst similitudes most equall lawes

(Obseru'd in friendship) thou makst me thy friend?

Thy life, the waters only helpe t'extend.

Mine, whatsoeuer, men are vs'd to eat,

Takes part with them, at shore: their purest cheat,

Thrice boulted, kneaded, and subdu'd in past,

In cleane round kymnels; cannot be so fast

From my approches kept; but in I eat:

Nor Cheesecakes full, of finest Indian wheat,

That

[...]. Extenso & promisso Peplo amictus.

A metaphor taken from ladies veiles, or traines, and therefore their names are here added.

Crustie-weedes weare, large as Ladies traines:

[...] Liuering puddings white skind.

Lyurings, (white-skind as Ladies:) nor the straines

Of prest milke, renneted; Nor collups cut,

Fresh from the flitch: Nor iunkets such as put

Palats diuine in Appetite: nor any

Of all mens delicates; thought ne're so many

Their Cookes deuise them, who each dish see deckt

With all the dainties

[...] Whose commō exposition is onely Varijs, when it properly signifies, Ex omni solo.

all strange soiles affect.

Yet am I not so sensuall, to flie

Of fields embattaild, the most fiery crie:

But rush out strait; and with the first in sight,

Mixe in aduenture: No man with affright

Can daunt my forces; though his bodie bee

Of neuer so immense a quantitie.

But making vp, euen to his bed, accesse;

His fingers ends dare with my teeth compresse:

His feet taint likewise; and so soft sease both,

They shall not tast Th'Impression of a tooth.

[Page]Sweet sleepe shall holde his owne, in euery eie

Where my tooth takes his tartest libertie:

But two there are, that alwaies, far and neare

Extremely still, controule my force with feare;

(The Cat, and Night-Hawke) who much skathe confer

On all the Outraies, where for food I erre.

Together with the

[...], of [...], Angustus.

streights-still-keeping Trap;

Where lurkes deceiptfull and set-spleend Mishap.

But most of all the Cat constraines my feare;

Being euer apt t'assault me euery where:

For by that hole, that hope saies, I shall scape,

At that hole euer, she commits my Rape.

The best is yet, I eat no pot-herb grasse,

Nor Raddishes; nor Coloquintida's:

Nor Still-greene; Beetes, nor Parsley: which you make

Your dainties still, that liue vpon the lake.

The Frog replide: Stranger? your boasts creepe all

Vpon their bellies; though to our liues fall;

Much more miraculous meates, by lake and land:

Ioue tendring our liues with a twofold hand;

Enabling vs to leape ashore for food,

And hide vs strait in our retreatfull flood:

Which if your will serue; you may proue with ease.

Ile take you on my shoulders: which fast sease,

If safe arriuall at my house y'intend.

He stoopt; and thither spritelie did ascend,

Clasping his golden necke, that easie seat

Gaue to his sallie: who was iocund yet;

[Page]Seeing the safe harbors of the King so nere;

And he, a swimmer so exempt from Pere.

But when he sunke into the purple waue;

He mournd extremely; and did much depraue

Vnprofitable penitence: His haire▪

Tore by the roots vp, labord for the aire,

With his feet fetcht vp to his belly, close:

His heart within him, panted out repose,

For th'insolent plight, in which his state did stand:

Sigh'd bitterly, and long'd to greete the land,

Forc't by the dire Neede, of his freezing feare.

First on the waters, he his taile did stere

Like to a Sterne: then drew it like an ore,

Still praying the Gods to set him safe ashore:

Yet sunke he midst the red waues, more and more,

And laid a throat out, to his vtmost height:

Yet in forc'd speech, he made his perill sleight;

And thus his glorie with his grieuance stroue;

Not in such choice state was the charge of loue

Borne by the Bull; when to the Cretane shore

He swumme Europa through the wauie rore;

As this Frog ferries me; His pallid brest

Brauely aduancing; and his verdant crest

(Submitted to my seat) made my support,

Through his white waters, to his royall Court.

But on the sudden did apparance make

An horrid spectacle; a water-snake

Thrusting his freckeld necke aboue the lake.

[Page]Which (seene to both) away Physignathus

Diu'd to his deepes; as no way conscious

Of whom, he left to perish in his lake;

But shunn'd blacke fate himselfe; and let him take

The blackest of it: who amids the Fenn

Swumme with his brest vp; hands held vp in vaine,

Cried Peepe, and perisht: sunke the waters oft,

And often with his sprawlings, came aloft;

Yet no way kept downe deaths relentlesse force:

But (full of water) made an heauie Corse.

Before he perisht yet, he threatned thus;

Thou lurk'st not yet from heauen (Physignathus)

Though yet thou hid'st here, that hast cast from thee

(As from a Rocke,) the shipwrackt life of mee.

Though thou thy selfe, no better was than I

(O worst of things) at any facultie;

Wrastling or race: but for thy perfidie

In this my wracke; Ioue beares a wreakefull eie:

And to the Hoast of Mise, thou paines shalt pay

Past all euasion. This, his life let say,

And left him to the waters. Him beheld,

Lick-dish.

Lichopinax; plac't in the pleasing fielde:

Who shrick't extremely; ranne and told the Mise;

Who, hauing heard his watry destinies;

Pernicious anger pierst the hearts of all;

And then their Heralds, forth they sent to call

A councell early, at Troxartes house,

Sad father of this fatall shipwrack't Mouse:

[Page]Whose dead Corpse, vpwards swum along the lake;

Nor yet (poore wretch) could be enforc'd to make

The shore, his harbour; but the mid-Maine swum:

When now (all haste made) with first morne did come

All to set councell; in which, first rais'd head,

Troxartes, angrie for his sonne; and said;

O Friends, though I alone may seeme to beare

All the infortune; yet may all mette here

Account it their case. But ti's true, I am

In chiefe vnhappy; that a triple flame

Of life, feele put forth, in three famous sonnès;

The first, the chiefe in our confusions

(The Cat) made rape of; caught without his hole:

The second; Man, made with a cruell soule,

Brought to his ruine, with a new-found sleight;

And a most woodden engine of deceipt,

They terme a Trap; mere

[...]. Interfectrix. Perditrix.

Murthresse of our Mise.

The last that in my loue held speciall prise,

And his rare mothers; this Physignathus

(With false pretext of wafting to his house;)

Strang l'd in chiefe deepes, of his bloudy streame.

Come then; haste all, and issue out on them,

Our bodies deckt, in our Dedalean armes.

This said; his words thrust all vp in alarmes;

And Mars himselfe, that serues the cure of war;

Made all in their Appropriats circular.

First on each leg, the greene shales of a Beane,

They clos'd for Bootes; that sat

[...], ab [...], Elaborate concinno.

exceeding cleane:

[Page]The shales they broke ope, Bootehaling by night,

And eat the beanes: Their Iacks; Art exquisite

Had showne in them; being Cats-skins, euery where

Quilted with quills: Their fencefull bucklers were,

The middle rounds of Can'sticks; but their speare

A huge long Needle was; that could not beare

The braine of any; but be Mars his owne

Mortall inuention. Their heads arming Crowne

Was vessel to the kirnell of a nut:

And thus the Mise, their powers in armour put.

This, the frogs hearing; From the water, all

Issue to one place; and a councell call

Of wicked war; consulting what should be

Cause to this murmure, and strange mutinie.

While this was question'd; neere them made his stand

An Herald with a Scepter in his hand,

(

Enter-pot, or Serch-pot.

Embasichytrus calld) that fetcht his kinde,

From

Cheese-miner. Qui caseum rodendo cauat.

Tyroglyphus, with the mightie minde;

Denouncing ill-nam'd war, in these high termes;

O Frogs? the Mise, sends threats to you of armes

And bid me bid ye Battell; and fixt fight;

Their eies all wounded with Psycharpax sight,

Floting your waters, whom your king hath kild.

And therefore all prepare for force of field,

You that are best borne, whosoeuer held.

This said; he seuer'd; his speech firing th'eares

Of all the Mise; but frees'd the Frogs with feares,

Themselues conceiting guiltie; whom the King

[Page]Thus answer'd (rising.) Friends? I did not bring

Psycharpax to his end; He, wantoning

Vpon our waters, practising to swimme,

[...] Aping or imitating vs.

Ap'te vs, and drown'd; without my sight of him.

And yet these worst of Vermine, accuse me

Though no way guiltie. Come, consider we

How we may ruine these deceiptfull Mise.

For my part; I giue voice to this aduise;

As seeming fittest to direct our deeds.

Our bodies decking with our arming weeds;

Let all our Powr's stand rais'd in steep'st repose

Of all our shore; that when they charge vs close;

We may the helms snatch off, from all so deckt,

Daring our onset; and them all direct

Downe to our waters. Who not knowing the sleight

To diue our soft deeps, may be strangl'd streight;

And we triumphing, may a Trophey rere,

Of all the Mise, that we haue slaughter'd here.

These words put all in armes; and mallow leaues

They drew vpon their leggs, for arming

Boot's of warre.

Greaues.

Their Curets; broad greene Beetes; their bucklers were

Good thick-leau'd Cabbadge; proofe gainst any spe're.

Their speares, sharpe Bullrushes; of which, were all

Fitted with long ones. Their parts Capitall

They hid in subtle Cockleshels from blowes.

And thus, all arm'd; the steepest shores they chose,

T'encamp themselues; where lance with lance, they lin'd;

And brandisht brauelie; each Frogg full of Minde.

[Page]Then Ioue calld all Gods, in his flaming Throne

And shewd all, all this preparation

For resolute warre. These able soldiers,

Many, and great; all shaking lengthfull spe'res:

In shew like Centaures; or the Gyants Host.

When (sweetlie smiling,) he enquir'd who, most

Of all th'Immortalls, pleas'd to adde their aide

To Froggs or Mise: and thus to Pallas said;

O daughter? Must not you, needs aid these Mise?

That with the Odors, and meate sacrifice

Vs'd in your Temple, endlesse triumphs make;

And serue you, for your sacred victles sake?

Pallas repli'd; O Father, neuer I

Will aid the Mise, in anie miserie.

So many mischiefes by them, I haue found;

[...], Lanas, eo quod colus cingant se [...] coronent. Which our learned sect translate eating the crownes that Pallas wore.

Eating the Cotten, that my distaffs crown'd;

My lamps still banting, to deuoure the oyle.

But that which most my minde eates, is their spoile

Made of a veile, that me in much did stand:

On which, bestowing an elaborate hand;

A fine woofe working; of as pure a thre [...]d;

Such holes therein, their Petulancies fed;

That, putting it to darning; when t'was done;

The darner, a most deare paie stood vpon

For his so deare paines; laid downe instantlie;

[...], Partus et id quod partu [...]dit Mater. Metap. hic appellatur f [...]nus quod ex vsura ad nos redit.

Or (to forbeare) exacted vsurie.

So, borrowing from my Phane, the weed I woue;

I can by no meanes, th'vsurous darner, moue

[Page]To let me haue the mantle to restore.

And this is it, that rubs the angrie sore

Of my offence tooke, at these petulant Mise.

Nor will I yeeld, the Froggs wants, my supplies,

For their infirme mindes; that no confines keepe;

For I, from warre retir'd; and wanting sleepe;

All lept ashore in tumult; nor would staie

Till one winck seas'd myne eyes: and so I laie

Sleeplesse, and pain'de with headach; till first light

The Cock had crow'd vp. Therefore, to the fight

Let no God goe assistent; lest a lance

Wound whosoeuer offers to aduance;

Or wishes but their aid; that skorne all foes;

Should any Gods accesse, their spirits oppose.

Sit we then pleas'd, to see from heauen, their fight.

She said; and all Gods ioin'd in her delight.

And now, both Hosts, to one field drew the iarre;

Both Heralds bearing the ostents of warre.

And then the

[...] C [...]lex vi [...]arius.

wine-Gnats, that shrill Trumpets sound

Terriblie rung out, the encounter, round.

Ioue thundred; all heauen, sad warrs signe resounded.

And first,

Lowd-mouth.

Hypsiboas,

Kitchen-vessell licker.

Lychenor wounded,

Standing th'impression of the first in fight.

His lance did, in his Lyuers midsts alight,

Along his bellie. Downe he fell; his face,

His fall on that part swaid; and all the grace

Of his soft hayre, fil'd with disgracefull dust.

Then

Hole-dweller. Qui for [...].

Troglodytes, his thick iaueline thrust

[Page]In

Mud-borne.

Pelions bosome; bearing him to ground:

Whom sad death seas'd; his soule flew through his wound.

Beet-deuourer.

Sentlaeus next, Embasichytros slew;

His heart through thrusting: then

The great bread- [...]ater.

Artophagus threw

His lance at

The great Noise-maker, shrill or bigg-voic't.

Polyphon; and strooke him quite

Through his midd-bellie: downe he fell vpright:

And from his fayre limms, took his soule her flight.

The lake-louer.

Lymnocharis beholding Polyphon

Thus done to death; did with as round a stone

As that the mill turnes; Troglodytes wound

Neare his mid-neck; ere he his onset found:

Whose eyes, sad darknes seas'd.

Qui lambit culinaria vasa.

Lychenor cast

A flying dart off, and his ayme so plac't

Vpon Lymnocharis; that

[...] intentissime dirigo, vt certum ictum inferam.

Sure he thought

The wound he wisht him: nor vntruely wrought

The dire successe; for through his Lyuer flew

The fatall lance; which when

The cabbage-eater.

Crambaphagus knew;

Downe the deepe waues neare shore; he, diuing, fled;

But fled not fate so; the sterne enimie fed

Death with his life in diuing: neuer more

The ayre he drew in; his Vermilian gore

Staind all the waters; and along the shore

He lay extended; his fat entrailes laie

(By his small guts impulsion) breaking waie

Out at his wound.

Paludis Incola. Lake-liuer.

Lymnisius, neare the shore

Destroid Tyroglyphus: which frighted sore

The soule of

Qui in Calamintha herba palustra habitat.

Calaminth; seeing comming on

(For wreake)

Bacon-eater.

Pternoglyphus: who got him gon

[Page]With large leapes to the lake; his Target throwne

Into the waters.

Qui Aquit delectatur.

Hydrocharis slew

King

Collup-deuourer.

Pternophagus, at whose throte he threw

A huge stone; strooke it high; and beate his braine

Out at his nostrills: earth blusht, with the staine

His blood made on her bosom. For next Prise;

Lichopinax, to death did sacrifice

Mudd- [...]loeper.

Borborocoetes faultlesse faculties;

His lance enforc't it; darknes clos'd his eyes.

On which when

Leeke-or scalion louer.

Brassophagus, cast his looke;

Kitchin smell, hanter, or hunter.

Cnisodioctes, by the heeles he tooke;

Dragg'd him to fenn, from off his natiue ground;

Then seas'd his throte, and souc't him, till he droun'd.

But now; Psycharpax wreakes his fellows deaths;

And in the bosome of

Fennstalker.

Pelusius sheathes,

(In center of his Lyuer) his bright lance:

He fel before the Author of the chance;

His soule to hell fled. Which

Qui per lutum it.

Pelobates

Taking sad note of; wreakefully did sease

His hands gripe full of mudd; and all besmear'd;

His forhead with it so; that scarce appeard

The light to him. Which certainely incenst

His fierie splene: who, with his wreake dispenst

No point of tyme; but rer'd with his strong hand

A stone so massie, it opprest the land;

And hurld it at him; when, below the knee

It strooke his right legge so impetuouslie;

It peece-meale brake it; be the dust did sease,

[Page]Vpwards euerted. But

Vociferator.

Craugasides

Reuendg'd his death; and at his enimie

Dischardg'd a dart; that did his point implie

In his mid-bellie. All the sharp-pil'de speare

Got after in; and did before it beare

His vniuersall entrailes to the earth,

Soone as his swolne hand, gaue his iaueline birth.

Eate-corne.

Sitophagus, beholding the sad sight,

Set on the shore; went halting from the fight,

Vext with his wounds extremelie. And to make

Waie from extreme fate, lept into the lake.

Troxartes strooke, in th'insteps vpper part,

Physignathus; who, (priuie to the smart

His wound imparted) with his vtmost hast

Lept to the lake, and fled. Troxartes cast

His eye vpon the foe that fell before;

And, (see'ng him halfe-liu'de) long'd againe to gore

His gutlesse bosome; and (to kill him quite)

Ranne fiercely at him. Which

Scallian-deuourer.

Prassaeus sight

Tooke instant note of; and the first in fight

Thrust desp'rate way through; casting, his keene lance

Off at Troxartes; whose shield turn'd th'aduance

The sharpe head made: & checkt the mortall chance.

Amongst the Mise fought, an Egregiouse

Young spring all; and a close-encountring Mouse:

Pure

Bread-betraier.

Artepibulus-his deare descent:

A Prince that Mars himselfe shewd, where he went

(Call'd

Scrap or broken-meat-eater.

Meridarpax.) Of so huge a might;

[Page]That onely He still, dominer'd in fight,

Of all the Mouse-Host. He aduancing close

Vp to the Lake; past all the rest arose

In glorious obiect; and made vant that He

Came to depopulate all the progenie

Of Froggs, affected with the lance of warre.

And certainely; he had put on as farre

As he aduanc't his vant; (he was indude

With so vnmatcht a force, and fortitude)

Had not the Father, both of Gods and Men

Instantly knowne it; and the Froggs (euen then

Giuen vp to ruine) rescude with remorse.

Who, (his head mouing,) thus began discourse:

No meane amaze, affects me to behold

Prince Meridarpax, rage so vncontrold,

In thirst of Frogg-blood; all along the lake:

Come therefore still; and all addression make;

Dispatching Pallas, with tumultuous Mars,

Downe to the field, to make him leaue the wars:

How

[...], Validus se [...] potens in retinendo.

Potently soeuer he be said,

Where he attempts once; to vphold his head.

Mars answered; O Ioue; neither she nor I

(With both our aides) can keepe depopulacie

From off the Froggs. And therefore arme we all;

Euen thy lance letting brandish to his call

From off the field: that from the field withdrew

The Titanois; the Titanois that slew;

Though most exempt from match, of all earths seedes

[Page]So great and so inaccessible deeds

It hath proclaim'd to men; bound hand and foot,

The vast Enceladus; and rac't by th'root

The race of vpland Gyants. This speech past;

Saturnius, a smoking lightening cast

Amongst the armies; thundring then so sore,

That with a rapting circumflexe, he bore

All huge heauen ouer. But the terrible ire,

Of his dart, sent abroad, all wrapt in fire,

(Which certainely, his very finger was)

Amazde both Mise and Froggs. Yet soone let passe

Was all this by the Mise: who, much the more;

Burnd in desire t'exterminate the store

Of all those lance-lou'd souldiers. Which, had beene;

If, from Olympus, Ioues eye had not seene

The Froggs with pittie; and with instant speede

Sent them assistents. Who (ere any heede

Was giuen to their approch) came crawling on

With

[...]. Incudes ferentes: Or Anuile-back't.

[...]. Incus, dicta per syncopen, quasi nullis Ictibus fatigetio.

Anuiles on their backs; that (beat vpon

Neuer so much) are neuer wearied, yet:

Crook-pawd; and wrested on, with foule clouen feet:

[...] Forcipem in [...]re habens.

Tongues in their mouths: Brick-backt, all ouer bone,

Broade-shoulderd; whence a ruddie yellow shone.

Distorted, and small thigh'd: had eyes that saw

Out at their bosomes. Twice foure feet did draw

About their bodies. Strong neckt; whence did rise

Two heads; nor could to any hand be Prise.

They call them Lobsters; that eat from the Mise,

[Page]Their tailes; their feet; and hands; and wrested all

Their lances from them so; that cold Appall

The wretches put in rout, past all returne.

And now the Fount of light forbore to burne

Aboue the earth. When (which mens lawes commend)

Our Battaile, in one daie, tooke absolute end.

The end of Homers Battaile of Frogges and Mise.

AL THE HYMNES OF HOMER. An Hymne to Apollo.

[Page]

[Page]

I Will remember, and expresse the praise

Of heauens far-darter, the faire King of daies.

Whom euen the Gods themselues feare, when he goes

Through Ioues high house; and when his goodly bowes

He goes to bend; all from their Thrones arise,

And cluster neare, t'admire his faculties.

Onely Latona, stirs not from her seate

Close by the Thunderer; till her sonnes retreat

From his dread archerie; but then she goes;

Slackens his string; and shuts his Quiuer close;

And (hauing taken to her hand, his bowe,

From off his able shoulders) doth bestowe

Vpon a Pinne of gold the glorious Tiller;

The Pinne of gold fixt in his Fathers Piller.

Then doth she to his Throne, his state vphold;

Where his great Father, in a cup of gold

Serues him with Nectar; and shews all, the grace

Of his great sonne. Then th'other gods take place.

[Page]His gracious mother, glorying to beare

So great an Archer, and a sonne so cleare.

All haile (O blest Latona!) to bring forth

An issue of such All-out-shining worth,

Royall Apollo, and the Queene that loues

The hurles of darts. She in th'Ortygian groues,

And he, in cliffie Delos; leaning on

The loftie Oros; and being built vpon

By Cynthus Prominent: that his head reares

Close to the Palme, that Inops fluent cheares.

How shall I praise thee? farre being worthiest praise?

(O Phoebus) to whose worth, the law of layes

In all kindes is ascrib'de? If feeding flocks

By Continent, or Ile; all eminen'st rocks

Did sing for ioy: Hill-tops, and floods in song

Did breake their billows, as they flow'd along

To serue the sea. The shores, the seas, and all

Did sing as soone, as from the lap did fall

Of blest Latona, thee the ioy of Man.

Her Child-bed made, the mountaine Cynthian

In rockie Delos, the sea-circled Ile:

On whose all sides, the black seas brake their Pile,

And ouer-flowd for ioy, so franck a Gale

The singing winds did on their waues exhale.

Here borne; all mortalls liue in thy commands.

Who euer Crete holds; Athens; or the strands

Of th'Ile Aegina; or the famous land

For ships (Euboea:) or Eresia;

[Page]Or Peparethus, bordring on the sea.

Aegas; or Athos, that doth Thrace diuide

And Macedon. Or Pelion, with the pride

Of his high forehead. Or the Samian Ile;

That likewise lies neare Thrace; or Scyrus soile;

Ida's steepe tops. Or all that Phocis fill:

Or Autocanes, with the heauen-high hill:

Or populous Imber: Lemnos without Ports▪

Or Lesbos, fit for the diuine resorts,

And sacred soile of blest Aeolion.

Or Chius that exceeds comparison

For fruitfulnes: with all the Iles that lie

Embrac't with seas. Mimas, with rocks so hie.

Or Loftie-crownd Corycius; or the bright

Charos: or Aesagaeus dazeling height:

Or waterie Samos▪ Mycale, that beares

Her browes euen with the circles of the spheares.

Miletus; Cous; That the Citie is

Of voice-diuided-choice humanities.

High Cnidus; Carpathus, still strooke with winde.

Naxus, and Paros; and the rockie-mind

Rugged Rhenaea. Yet through all these parts,

Latona, great-growne, with the King of dares,

Trauailde; and tried, If any would become

To her deare birth, an hospitable home.

All which, extremely trembled (shooke with feare)

Nor durst endure, so high a birth to beare,

In their free States: though, for it, they became

[Page]Neuer so fruitfull; till the reuerend Dame

Ascended Delos; and her soile did sease

With these wing'd words: O Delos! would'st thou please

To be my sonne Apolloes natiue seat;

And build a welthie Phane to one so great:

No one shall blame, or question thy kinde deede.

Nor thinke I, thou, dost Sheepe or Oxen feede,

In any such store; Or in vines exceede;

Nor bring'st forth such innumerable Plants;

(Which often make the rich Inhabitants

Careles of Deitie.) If thou then should'st rere

A Phane to Phoebus: all men would confer

Whole Hecatombs of beeues for sacrifice,

Still thronging hither. And to thee would rise

Euer vnmeasur'd Odors; should'st thou long

Nourish thy King thus; and from forreigne wrong

The Gods would guard thee; which thine owne addresse

Can neuer compasse for thy barrennesse.

She said; and Delos ioi'd; replying thus:

Most happie sister of Saturnius?

I gladly would, with all meanes entertein

The King your sonne; being now despis'de of men;

But should be honord with the greatest then.

Yet this I feare; Nor will conceale from theee;

Your Sonne (some say) will author miserie

In many kindes: as being to sustein

A mightie empire ouer Gods, and Men,

Vpon the holie-gift-giuer the earth.

[Page]And bitterly I feare, that when his birth

Giues him the sight, of my so barren soile

He will contemne; and giue me vp to spoile:

Enforce the sea to me; that euer will

Oppresse my heart, with many a watrie hill.

And therefore, let him chuse some other land,

Where he shall please; to build at his command

Temple and Groue, set thick with many a Tree.

For wretched Polypusses, breed in me

Retyring chambers; and black sea-calues, Den

In my poore soile, for penurie of Men.

And yet (O Goddesse) would'st thou please to sweare

The Gods great oath to me, before thou beare

Thy blessed Sonne here; that thou wilt erect

A Phane to him, to render the effect

Of mens demands to them, before they fall;

Then will thy sonnes renowne be generall;

Men will his name, in such varietie call.

And I shall, then, be glad, his birth to beare.

This said; the Gods great oath, she thus did swere:

Know this (O earth!) broad heauens inferior sphere,

And of blacke Styx, the most infernall lake

(Which is the grauest oath, the Gods can take)

That here shall euer rise to Phoebus Name

An odorous Phane, and Altar; and thy fame

Honor, past all Iles else, shall see him emploid.

Her oath thus tooke, and ended; Delos ioi'd

In mightie measure, that she should become,

[Page]To farr-shot Phoebus birth the famous home.

Latona then, nine daies and nights did fall

In hopeles labor: at whose birth were all

Heauens most supreame, and worthie Goddesses.

Dione, Rhaea; and th'Exploratresse

(Themis;) and Amphitrite, that will be

Pursu'd with sighs still. Euery Deitie

Except the snowie-wristed wife of Ioue:

Who held her moodes aloft; and would not moue.

Onely Lucina, (to whose virtue vowes

Each Child-birth patient) heard not of her throwes;

But sat (by Iuno's counsaile) on the browes

Of broad Olympus, wrapt in clouds of gold.

Whom Ioues proud wife, in enuie did with-hold;

Because bright-lockt Latona, was to beare

A Sonne so faultles; and inforce so cleare.

The rest (Thaumantia) sent before to bring

Lucina to release the enuied King:

Assuring her, that they would strait confer

A Carquenet, nine cubits long, on her,

All wouen with wires of Gold. But chargd her then,

To call apart from th'Iuorie-wristed Queene

The child-birth-guiding Goddesse; for iust feare

Lest, her charge vtter'd, in Saturnia's eare;

She, after, might disswade her from descent.

When winde-swift-footed Iris, knew th'intent.

Of th'other Goddesses; away she went;

And instantly she past, the infinite space

[Page]Twixt Earth, and Heauen; when, comming to the place

Where dwelt th'Immortals; strait without the gate

She gat Lucina; and did all relate

The Goddesses commanded; and enclin'd,

To all that they demanded, her deare Minde.

And on their way they went, like those two Doues

That, walking high-waies, euery shadow moues

Vp from the earth; forc't with their naturall feare.

When entring Delos; she that is so deare

To Dames in labor, made Latona strait

Prone to deliuerie; and to weild the wait

Of her deare burthen, with a world of ease.

When, with her faire hand; she a Palme did sease

And (staying her by it) slucke her tender knees

Amidst the soft meade; that did smile beneath

Her sacred labor, and the child did breath

The aire, in th'instant. All the Goddesses

Brake in kinde teares, and shrikes for her quicke ease:

And Thee (O Archer Phoebus) with waues cleere

Washt sweetly ouer, swadled with sincere

And spotlesse swath- [...]ands; and made then to flow

About thy breast, a mantle, white as snow;

Fine, and new made; and cast a Veile of Gold

Ouer thy forehead. Nor yet forth did hold

Thy mother, for thy foode, her golden brest:

But Themis in supply of it, addrest

Louely Ambrosia; and drunke off to thee

[Page]A Bowle of Nectar; interchangeablie

With her immortall fingers, seruing thine.

And when (O Phoebus) that eternall wine

Thy tast had relisht; and that foode diuine:

No golden swath-band longer could containe

Thy panting bosome: all that would constraine

Thy soone-easd God-head; Euery feeble chaine,

Of earthy Child-rights; flew in sunder, all.

And then didst thou thus, to the Deities call:

Let there be giuen me, my lou'd Lute and Bow;

I'le prophecie to men; and make them know

Ioues perfect counsailes. This said; vp did flie

From brode-waide Earth, the vnshorne Deitie,

Far-shot Apollo. All th'Immortalls stood

In steepe amaze, to see Latonaes brood.

All Delos, looking on him; all with gold

Was loden strait; and ioi [...]d to be extold

By great Latona so; that she decreed,

Her barrennesse, should beare the fruitfulst seed

Of all the Iles, and Continents of earth;

And lou'd her, from her heart so, for her birth.

For so she florisht; as a hill that stood

Crownd with the flowre of an abundant wood:

And thou (O Phoebus) bearing in thy hand

Thy siluer bow: walk'st ouer euery land.

Sometimes ascend'st the rough-hewne rockie hill

Of desolate Cynthus: and sometimes tak'st will

To visit Ilands; and the Plumps of men.

[Page]And manie a Temple; all wayes, men ordein

To thy bright God-head: Groues, made darke with Trees,

And neuer shorne, to hide ye Deities.

All high-lou'd Prospects; all the steepest browes

Of farr-seene Hills: and euery flood that flowes

Forth to the sea; are dedicate to Thee.

But most of all; thy mindes Alacritie

Is rais'd with Delos; since to fill thy Phane

There flocks so manie an Ionian,

With ample Gownes, that flowe downe to their feet:

With all their children; and the reuerend Sweet

Of all their pious wiues. And these are they

That (mindefull of thee) euen thy Deitie

Render more spritelie, with their Champion fight

Dances, and songs, perform'd to glorious sight;

Once hauing publisht, and proclaim'd their strife.

And these are acted with such exquisite life

That one would say, Now, the Ionian straines

Are turn'd Immortalls; nor know what Age meanes.

His minde would take such pleasure from his eye,

To see them seru'd, by all Mortalitie.

Their men so humane; women so well-grac't;

Their ships so swift; their riches so encreast,

Since thy obseruance. Who (being all, before

Thy opposites) were all despis'd, and poore.

And to all these, this absolute wonder add,

Whose praise shall render all posterities gladd:

The Delian Virgines, are thy handmaides, All;

[Page]And, since they seru'd Apollo; iointly fall

Before Latona, and Diana too

In sacred seruice: and doe therefore know

How to make mention of the ancient Trimms

Of men, and women; in their well-made Hymns;

And soften barbarous Nations with their song's.

Being able, all, to speake the seuerall tongu's

Of forreine Nations; and to imitate

Their musiques there, with art so fortunate,

That one would say; there euery one did speake,

And all their tunes, in naturall accents breake.

Their songs, so well compos'd are; and their Art

To answer all soundes, is of such Desart.

But come Latona; and thou king of Flames,

With Phoebe Rectresse, of chaste thoughts in Dames;

Let me salute ye, and your Graces call

Hereafter to my iust memoriall.

And you (O Delian Virgins) doe me grace,

When any stranger of our earthie Race

Whose restlesse life, Affliction hath in chace;

Shall hither come; and question you; Who is

To your chaste eares, of choicest faculties

In sacred Poesie; and with most right

Is Author of your absolut'st delight;

Ye shall your selues doe, all the right ye can,

To answer for our Name: The sightlesse man

Of stonie Chios. All whose Poems, shall

In all last Ages, stand for Capitall.

[Page]This for your owne sakes I desire; for I

Will propagate mine owne precedencie,

As far as earth shall well-built cities beare;

Or humane conuersation, is held deare.

Not with my praise direct; but praises due;

And men shall credit it, because tis true.

How euer, I'le not cease the praise I vow

To farre-shot Phoebus, with the siluer bow;

Whom louely-hair'd Latona gaue the light.

O King? Both Lycia, is in Rule thy Right;

Faire Moeonie, and the Maritimall

Miletus; wisht to be the seate of all.

But chiefely Delos, girt with [...]illowes round,

Thy most respected empire doth resound.

Where thou to Pythus wentst; to answer there,

(As soone as thou wert borne) the burning eare

Of many a far-come, to heare future deeds:

Clad in diuine, and odoriferous weeds.

And with thy Golden Fescue, plaidst vpon

Thy hollow Harp; that sounds to heauen set gone.

Then to Olympus, swift as thought hee flew

To Ioues high house; and had a retinew

Of Gods t'attend him. And then strait did fall

To studie of the Harp, and Harpsicall,

All th'Immortalls. To whom, euery Muse

With rauishing voices, did their answers vse,

Singing Th'eternall deeds of Deitie.

And from their hands, what Hells of miserie,

[Page]Poore Humanes suffer; liuing desperate quite.

And not an Art they haue; wit, or deceipt,

Can make them manage any Act aright:

Nor finde with all the soule they can engage,

A salue for Death, or remedie for Age.

But here, the fayre-hayrd graces; the wise Howres;

Harmonia, Hebe, and sweet Venus powres,

Danc't; and each others, Palme, to Palme, did cling.

And with these, danc't not a deformed thing:

No forspoke Dwarfe; nor downeward witherling;

But all, with wondrous goodly formes were deckt,

And mou'd with Beauties, of vnpris'd aspect.

Dart-deare-Diana, (euen with Phoebus bred)

Danc't likewise there; and Mars a march did tred,

With that braue Beuie. In whose consort, fell

Argicides, th'ingenious Sentinell.

Phoebus-Apollo, toucht his Lute to them;

Sweetely, and softly: a most glorious beame

Casting about him, as he danc't, and plaid;

And euen his feet, were all with raies araide.

His weede and all, of a most curious Trymm,

With no lesse Luster, grac't, and circled him.

By these, Latona, with a hayre that shin'd

Like burnisht gold; and, (with the Mightie Minde)

Heauens Counsailor, (Ioue;) sat with delightsome eyes

To see their Sonne, new rankt with Deities.

How shall I praise thee then, that art all praise?

Amongst the Brides, shall I thy Deitie raise?

[Page]Or being in loue, when, sad, thou wentst to wowe

The Virgin Aza? and didst ouerthrowe

The euen-with-Gods, Elations Mightie seed?

That had of goodly horse, so braue a breed?

And Phorbas; sonne of soueraigne Triopus;

Valiant Leucippus, and Ereutheus;

And Triopus, himselfe, with equall fall?

Thou but on foot; and they on horsebacke all?

Or shall I sing thee, as thou first didst grace

Earth with thy foot; to finde thee forth a place

Fit to pronounce thy Oracles to Men?

First from Olympus, thou alightedst then,

Into Pieria; Passing all the land

Of fruitles Lesbos, chok' [...] with drifts of sand.

The Magnets likewise, and the Perrhabes?

And to Iolous variedst thy accesse?

Cenaeus Topps ascending; that their Base

Make bright Euboea; being of ships the Grace.

And fixt thy faire stand, in Lelantus field;

That did not yet, thy mindes contentment yeeld,

To raise a Phane on; and a sacred Groue.

Passing Eurypus then; thou ma [...]'st remoue

Vp to earths euer-greene, and holyest Hill.

Yet swiftly, thence too, thou transcendedst still

To Mycalessus, and did'st touch vpon

Teucmessus, apt to make greene [...] on,

And flowrie field-bedds. Then thy Progresse found

Thebes out; whose soile, with onely woods was crown'd.

[Page]For yet was sacred Thebes, no humane seate;

And therefore were no Paths, nor high waies beat

On her free bosome, that flowes now with wheat.

But then, she onely, wore on it, a wood.

From hence (euen loth to part, because it stood

Fit for thy seruice) thou put'st on Remoue

To greene Onchestus; Neptunes glorious Groue;

Where new-tam'd horse, bredd, nourish nerues so rare,

That still they frolick, though they trauaild are

Neuer so sore; and hurrie after them

Most heauie Coches: but are so extream

(In vsuall-trauaile) fierie-and-free;

That though their cochman, ne're so masterlie

Gouernes their courages; he sometimes must

Forsake his seat, and giue their spirits their lust:

When, after them, their emptie coach they drawe,

Foming, and Neighing, quite exempt from awe.

And if their Cocheman, guide through any Groue

Vnshorne, and vow'd to any Deities Loue:

The Lords encocht, leap out; and all their care

Vse to allaie their fires, with speaking faire;

Stroking, and trimming them; and in some queach,

(Or strength of shade) within their nearest reach,

Reigning them vp; inuoke the deified King

Of that vnshorne, and euerlasting spring;

And leaue them then, to her preseruing hands,

Who is the Fate, that there, the God commands.

And this was first, the sacred fashion there.

[Page]From hence thou wentst (O thou in shafts past Pere)

And found'st Cephyssus, with thy all-seeing beames;

Whose flood affects, so many siluer streames;

And from Lylaeus, poures so bright a waue.

Yet forth thy foot flew, and thy faire eyes gaue

The view of Ocale, the rich in towrs;

Then, to Amartus, that abounds in flowrs.

Then to Delphusa, putt'st thy progresse on,

Whose blessed soile, nought harme fall breeds vpon.

And there, thy pleasure, would a Phane adorne

And nourish woods, whose shades should ne're be shorne.

Where, this thou told'st her; standing to her close:

Delphusa? here I entertaine suppose

To build a farr-fam'd Temple; and ordein

An Oracle t'informe the mindes of Men:

Who shall for euer, offer to my loue

Whole Hecatombs. Euen all the men that moue

In rich Peloponesus; and all those

Of Europe; and the Iles the seas enclose;

Whom future search of Acts, and Beings brings:

To whom I'le prophecie the truths of things

In that rich Temple, where my Oracle sings.

This said; The all-bounds-reacher, with his bowe,

The Phanes diuine foundations did foreshowe;

Ample they were; and did huge length impart;

With a continuate Tenour, full of Art.

But when Delphusa look't into his end;

Her heart grew angrie, and did thus extend

[Page]It selfe to Phoebus: Phoebus? since thy minde

A farr-fam'd Phane, hath in it selfe design'd,

To beare an Oracle to men, in me;

That Hecatombs, may put in fire to thee;

This let me tell thee, and impose for staie

Vpon thy purpose: Th'Inarticulate neye

Of fire-hou'd horse, will euer disobaie

Thy numerous eare; and mules will for their drinke

Trouble my sacred springs; and I should thinke

That any of the humane Race, had rather

See here, the burreys of rich Coches gather,

And heare the haughtie Neys of swift-hou'd horse,

Than (in his pleasures place) conuert recourse

T'a Mightie Temple; and his wealth bestow

On Pieties; where his sports may freely flow,

Or see huge wealth, that he shall neuer owe.

And therefore, (wouldst thou beare, my free aduise;

Though Mightier farre thou art, and much more wise

O King, than I; thy powre being great'st of all)

In Crissa, vnderneath the bosomes fall

Of steepe Paranassus; let thy minde be giuen

To set thee vp a Phane; where neuer driuen

Shall glorious Coches be, nor horses Neys

Storme neare thy well-built Altars; but thy praise

Let the faire race of pious Humanes bring,

Into thy Phane, that Io-Paeans sing.

And those gifts onely let thy Deified minde

Be circularlie pleas'd with; being the kinde

[Page]And fayre-burnt-offrings, that true Deities binde.

With this; His minde she altered; though she spake

Not for his good; but her owne glories sake.

From hence (O Phoebus) first thou mad'st retreat;

And of the Phlegians, reacht the walled seat;

Inhabited with contumelious Men:

Whoe, sleighting Ioue; tooke vp their dwellings then

Within a large Caue, neare Cephyssus Lake.

Hence, swiftly mouing; thou all speed didst make

Vp to the tops intended; and the ground

Of Crissa, vnder the-with-snowe-still croun'd

(Parnassus) reacht; whose face affects the west:

Aboue which, hangs, a rock that still seemes prest

To fall vpon it; through whose brest doth runn

A rockie Caue, neare which, the King the Sunn

Cast to contriue a Temple to his minde;

And said; Now heere, stands my conceipt inclin'd

To build a famous Phane, where still shall be

An Oracle to Men; that still to me

Shall offer absolute Hecatombs; as well

Those that in rich Peloponessus dwell;

As those of Europe; and the Iles that lie

Walld with the sea; That all their paines applie

T'employ my counsailes. To all which will I

True secrets tell, by way of Prophesie,

In my rich Temple; that shall euer be

An Oracle, to all Posteritie.

This said; the Phanes forme he did strait present,

[Page]Ample, and of a length of great extent;

In which Trophonius, and Agamede

(Who of Erginus, were the famous seed)

Impos'd the stonie Entrie: and the Heart

Of euery God had, for their excellent Art.

About the Temple dwelt, of humane Name

Vnnumbred Nations; it acquir'd such Fame;

Being all of stone, built for eternall date;

And neare it did a Fountaine propagate

A fayre streame farr away; when Ioues bright seed,

(The King Apollo) with an arrow, (freed

From his strong string) destroid the Dragonesse

That Wonder nourisht; being of such excesse

In size, and horridnesse of monstrous shape,

That on the forc't earth, she wrought many a rape;

Many a spoile, made on it; many an ill

On crooke-hancht Herds brought; being impurpl'd still

With blood of all sorts: Hauing vndergone

The charge of Iuno, with the golden Throne,

To nourish Typhon the abhorr'd affright

And bane of mortalls. Whom, into the light

Saturnia brought forth, being incenst with Ioue;

Because the most renowm'd fruit of his loue

(Pallas) he got, and shooke out of his braine.

For which; Maiestique Iuno, did complaine

In this kinde, to the blest Court of the skies;

Know all ye sex-distinguisht Deities;

That Ioue (assembler of the cloudie throng)

[Page]Beginns with me first; and affects with wrong

My right in him; made by himselfe, his wife;

That knowes and does the honor'd marriage life,

All honest offices; and yet hath he

Vndulie got, without my companie

Blew-eyd Minerua: who of all the skie

Of blest Immortalls is the absolute Grace.

Where, I haue brought into the heauenly Race,

A Sonne, both taken in his feet and head;

So oughly; and so farr from worth my bedd,

That (rauisht into hand) I tooke and threw

Downe to the vast sea, his detested view.

Where Nereus Daughter Thetis; (who, her waie

With siluer feet makes, and the faire araie

Of her bright sisters) sau'd, and tooke to guard.

But, would to heauen, another, yet, were spar'd,

The like Grace of his God-head. (Craftie mate)

What other scape canst thou excogitate?

How could thy hears sustaine to get alone,

The grey-eyd Goddesse? her conception,

Nor bringing forth, had any hand of mine;

And yet know all the Gods, I goe, for thine

To such kinde vses. But I'le now employ

My braine to procreate a masculine Ioy;

That'mongst th'Immortalls, may as eminent shine;

With shame affecting, nor my bedd, nor thine;

Nor will I, euer, touch at thine againe;

But farr, fly it, and thee: and yet will raigne

[Page]Amongst th'Immortalls euer. This spleene spent,

(Still yet left angrie) farre away she went;

From all the Deathlesse; and yet praid to all;

Aduanc't her hand, and e're she let it fall

Vs'd these excitements; Heare me now (O Earth?)

Brode Heauen aboue it; and (beneath your birth)

The Deified Titanoys; that dwell about

Vast Tartarus; from whence sprung all the Rout

Of Men and Deities: Heare me all (I say)

With all your forces; and giue instant way

T'a sonne of mine, without Ioue; who yet may

Nothing inferiour proue, in force to him;

But past him spring as farre, in able lim,

As he past Saturne. This, pronounc't, she strooke

Life-bearing Earth so strongly; that she shooke

Beneath her numb'd hand: which when she beheld;

Her bosome with abundant comforts sweld;

In hope all should, to her desire extend.

From hence, the Yeare that all such proofes giues end;

Grew round; yet all that time, the bed of Ioue

Shee neuer toucht at; neuer was her loue

Enflam'd to fit nere his Dedalian Throne,

As she accustomed; to consult vpon

Counsells kept darke, with many a secret skill;

But kept her Vow-frequented Temple still,

Pleas'd with her sacrifice; till now, the Nights

And Daies accomplish't; and the yeares whole rights,

In all her reuolutions, being expir'de;

[Page]The Howres, and all, run out, that were requir'd,

To vent a Birth-right; she brought forth a Sonne,

Like Gods, or Men, in no condition;

But a most dreadfull, and pernicious thing

Call'd Typhon; who on all the humane Spring

Confer'd confusion: which, receiu'd to hand

By Iuno; instantly, she gaue command

(Ill to ill adding) that the Dragonesse

Should bring it vp, who tooke, and did oppresse

With many a misery (to maintaine th'excesse

Of that inhumane Monster) all the Race

Of Men, that were of all the world the grace.

Till the farre-working Phoebus; at her sent

A fierie Arrow; that inuok't euent

Of death gaue, to her execrable life.

Before which yet; she lay in bitter strife,

With dying paines; gr [...]ueling on earth, and drew

Extreme short respirations; for which slew

A shout about the aire▪ whence, no man knew

But came by power diuine. And then she lay

Tumbling her Tr [...]ncke; and winding euery way

About her nastie Nest; quite leauing then

Her murtherous life, embr [...]'d with deaths of Men.

Then Phoebus gloried; saying, Thy selfe now lie

On Men-sustaining Earth, and putrifie:

Who first, of Putrifaction, was inform'd.

Now on thy life, haue Deaths cold vapors stormd;

That stormd'st on Men the Earth-f [...]d, so much death,

[Page]In enuie of the Of-spring, they made breathe

Their liues out, on my Altars; Now from thee,

Not Typhon shall enforce the miserie

Of merited death; nor shee, whose name implies

Such scath (Chymaera) but blacke earth make prise

To putrifaction, thy Immanities.

And bright Hyperion, that light, all eyes showes,

Thyne, with a night of rottennesse shall close.

Thus spake he glory'ng; and then seas'd vpon

Her horrid heape, with Putrifaction

Hyperions louely powrs; from whence, her name

Tooke sound of Python; and heauens soueraigne flame

Was surnam'd Pythius; since the sharp-eyd Sunn,

Affected so, with Putrifaction

The hellish Monster. And now Phoebus minde

Gaue him to know, that falsehood had strooke blinde

Euen his bright eye; because it could not finde

The subtle Fountaines fraud. To whom he flew,

Enflam'd with anger; and in th'instant drew

Close to Delphusa; vsing this short vow;

Delphusa? you must looke no longer now

To vent your fraud's on me; for well I know

Your scituation, to be louely worth

A Temples Imposition; It poures forth

So delicate a streame. But your renowne

Shall now no longer shine here, but mine owne.

This said; he thrust her Promontorie downe,

And damn'd her fountaine vp, with mightie stones;

[Page]A Temple giuing consecrations,

In woods adioining. And in this Phane all

On him, by surname of Delphusius call.

Because Delphusa's sacred flood and fame

His wrath affected so, and hid in shame.

And then thought Phoebus, what descent of Men

To be his Ministers, he should retein;

To doe in stonie Pythos sacrifice.

To which, his minde contending; his quicke eies

He cast vpon the blew Sea; and beheld

A ship, on whose Masts, sailes that wing'd it sweld:

In which were men transferr'd, many and good

That in Minoian Gnossus, eate their food,

And were Cretensians; who now are those

That all the sacrifising dues dispose;

And all the lawes, deliuer to a word

Of Daies great King, that weares the golden sword:

And Oracles (out of his Delphian Tree

That shrowds her faire armes in the Cauitie

Beneath Parnassus Mount) pronounce to Men.

These, now his Priests, that liu'd as Merchants then,

In trafficks, and Pecuniarie Rates,

For sandie Pylos and the Pylean States,

Were vnder saile. But now encounterd them

Phoebus Apollo, who into the streame

Cast himselfe headlong: and the strange disguise

Tooke of a Dolphine, of a goodly [...]ise:

Like which; He leapt into their ship, and lay

[Page]As an Ostent of infinite dismay.

For none, with any strife of Minde could looke

Into the Omen. All the shipmasts shooke;

And silent, all sate, with the feare they tooke.

Armd not; nor strooke they saile; But as before,

Went on with full Trim: And a foreright Blore,

Stiff; and from forth, the South; the ship made flie.

When first, they stript the Mal [...]e Promont'rie:

Toucht at Laconias soile; in which a Towne

Their ship ariu'd at, that the Sea doth Crowne,

Call'd Tenarus; A place of much delight

To men that serue Heauens Comforter of sight.

In which are fed, the famous flocks that beare

The wealthie Fleeces; On a delicate Laire

Being fed, and seated: where the Merchants, faine

Would haue put in; that they might out againe,

To tell the Miracle, that chanc't to them;

And trie if it would take the sacred streame,

Rushing far forth, that he againe might beare

Those other Fishes that abounded there,

Delightsome companie; Or still would stay,

Abord their drie ship. But it failde t'obay.

And for the rich Peloponesian shore,

Steer'de her free saile; Apollo made the Blore

Directly guide it: That, obaying still

Reacht drie Arena; And, (what wish doth fill)

Faire Aryphaea; And the populous height

Of Thryus; whose streame (siding her) doth weight

[Page]With safe passe on Alphaeus. Pylos sands

And Pylian dwellers: keeping by the strands

On which th'Inhabitants of Crunius dwell:

And Helida, set opposite to Hell.

Chalcis, and Dymes reach't; And happily

Made saile by Pheras: All being ouer-ioide

With that francke Gale, that Ioue himselfe emploid.

And then amongst the cloudes, they might descrie,

The Hill, that far-seene Ithaca, calls her Eie.

Dulichius, Samos, and, (with timber grac't)

Shadie Zacynthus. But when now they past

Peloponesus all: And then, when show'de

The infinite Vale of Crissa, that doth shroud

All rich Moraea, with her liberall brest:

So francke a Gale, there flew out of the West,

As all the skie discouered; twas so great,

And blew so from the verie Counsell seat

Of Ioue himselfe: that quickly it might send

The ship through full Seas, to her iourneys end.

From thence, they saild, (quite opposite) to the East,

And to the Region, where light leaues his rest.

The Light himselfe being sacred Pylot there;

And made the Sea-trod ship, ariue them nere

The Grapefull Crissa; where he rest doth take;

Close to her Port, and sands. And then forth brake

The far-shot King; like to a starre that strowes

His glorious forehead, where the Mid-day glowes,

That all in sparkles, did his state attire,

[Page]Whose Luster leapt vp, to the spheare of fire;

He trodd, where no waie op'te; and pierst the place

That of his sacred Tripods, held the grace;

In which, he lighted such a fluent flame,

As guilt all Crissa; In which, euery Dame

And Dames faire daughter; cast out vehement cries

At those fell fires, of Phoebus Prodigies:

That shaking feares, through all their fancies threw.

Then (lik the mindes swift light) Againe he flew

Backe to the ship; shap't like a youth in Height

Of all his graces: shoulders broad, and streit,

And all his haire, in golden currls enwrapt:

And to the Merchants, thus, his speech he shap't:

Ho? strangers? what are you? and from what seat

Saile ye these waies, that salt and water sweat?

To traffick iustlie? Or vse vagrant scapes

Voyde of all rule? Conferring wrongs, and Rapes

(Like Pyrats) on the men, ye neuer sawe?

With mindes proiect; exempt from list, or Lawe?

Why sit ye heere so stupified? nor take

Land while ye may? Nor deposition make

Of Nauall Arms? when this the fashion is

Of men Industrious! who, (their faculties

Wearied at sea,) leaue ship, and vse the land

For foode, that with their healths, and stomacks stand.

This said; with bold mindes, he their brest suppli'd,

And thus made answer, the Cretensian guide;

Stranger? because, you seeme to vs no seed

[Page]Of any mortall, but celestiall breed,

For parts, and person; Ioy your steps ensue,

And Gods make good, the blisse, we thinke your due.

Vouchsafe vs true relation, on what land

We here ariue? and what men▪ here command?

We were for well-knowne parts bound; and from Crete

(Our vanted countrie) to the Pylian, [...]ea [...]

Vow'd our whole voyage. Yet ariue we here,

Quite crosse to those wills, that our motion [...] stere.

Wishing to make returne some other way;

Some other course desirous to assaie.

To pay our lost paines. But some God hath fill'd

Our frustrate sayles; defeating what we will'd.

Apollo answerd: Strangers? though before

Yee dwelt in wooddie Gnossus; yet no more

Yee must be made, your owne Reciprocalls

To your lou'd Cittie, and faire seueralls

Of wiues, and houses. But ye shall haue bere

My wealthie Temple; honord farre and nere

Of many a Nation: for my selfe am Son

To Ioue himselfe; and of Apollo won

The glorious Title; who thus safelie through

The seas vast billows, still haue held your plough.

No ill intending, that will let yee make

My Temple here, your owne; and honors take

Vpon your selues; all that to me are giuen.

And more: the counsailes of the King of Heauen,

Your selues shall know; and with his will receiue

[Page]Euer the honors, that all men shall giue.

Doe as I say then instantly; strike saile;

Take downe your Tackling; and your vessell hale

Vp, into land: your goods bring forth, and all

The instruments, that into sayling fall;

Make on this shore, an Altar: fire enflame;

And barley white cakes, offer to my name.

And then, (enuironing the Altar) pray,

And call me, (as ye sawe me, in the day

When from the windie seas, I brake swift way

Into your ship;) Delphinius: since I tooke

A Dolphins forme then. And to euery looke

That there shall seeke it; that, my Altar shall

Be made A Delphian memoriall

From thence, for euer. After this; ascend

Your swift blackship, and sup; and then intend

Ingenuous Offerings to the equall Gods

That in celestiall seates, make blest abods.

When, (hauing staid, your helthfull hungers sting)

Come all with me; and Io-Paeans sing

All the waies length, till you attaine the state,

Where I, your oppulent Phane haue consecrate.

To this, they gaue him, passing diligent eare;

And vow'd to his obedience, all they were.

First striking sayle, their tacklings then they los'd;

And (with their Gables stoop't) their mast impos'd

Into the Mast roome. Forth, themselues then went;

And from the sea into the Continent

[Page]Drew vp their ship; which farr vp from the sand

They rais'd, with ample raf [...]ers. Then, in hand

They tooke the Altar; and inform'd it on

The seas nere shore; imposing thereupon

White cakes of barley: Fire made; and did stand

About it round; as Phoebus gaue command▪

Submitting Inuocations to his will.

Then sacrifis'd to all the heauenly Hill

Of powrefull God heads. After which, they eat

Abord their ship; till with [...] foot rep [...]ea [...];

They rose; nor to their Temple, vs a delay.

Whom Phoebus vsherd; and [...]oucht; all the way

His heauenly Lute; with Art, aboue admir'd;

Gracefully leading them. When all were fir'd

With zeale to him; and follow'd wondring, All,

To Pythos; and vpon his name did call

With Io-Paeans, such as Cre [...]ans vse.

And in their bosomes did the deified Muse

Voices of honey-Harmonie, in fuse.

With neuer-wearie feet, their way they we [...];

And made, with all alacritie, asce [...]t

Vp to Parnassus; and that long [...]d-f [...] place

Where they should liue; and be of men, the Grace.

When, all the way; Apollo show'd there still

Their farr-stretch [...] valleys, and their two-topt Hill;

Their famous Phane; and all▪ th [...] All could eaise,

To a supreame height, of their Ioy▪ and praise.

And then the Cre [...]an Captaine, thus enquir'd

[Page]Of King Apollo; Since you haue retir'd

(O Soueraigne) our sad liues, so farr from friends

And natiue soile; (because so farr extends

Your deare mindes pleasure) tell vs how we shall

Liue in your seruice. To which question call

Our prouident mindes; because we see not croun'd

This soile, with store of vines; nor doth abound

In welthie meddows; on which, we may liue,

As well as on men, our attendance giue.

He smil'd, and said; O men, that nothing know

And so are follow'd, with a world of woe;

That needs will succour care, and curious mone

And poure out sighs, without cessation;

Were all the riches of the earth your owne.

Without much busines; I will render knowne;

To your simplicities, an easie way,

To wealth enough; Let euery man puruaie

A skeane, (or slaught'ring steele) and his right hand

(Brauely bestowing) euermore see mann'd

With killing sheepe, that to my Phane will flowe,

From all farr Nations. On all which bestowe

Good obseruation; and all else they giue

To me; make you your owne All; and so liue.

For all which, watch before my Temple well;

And all my counsailes, aboue all, conceale.

If any giue vaine language; or to deeds;

Yea, or as farr as iniurie proceedes;

Know that, (at losers hands) for those that gai [...]e;

[Page]It is the lawe of Mortalls, to sustaine.

Besides; yee shall haue Princes to obay,

Which, still, yee must; and (so yee gaine) yee may.

All, now, is said; giue All, thy memories stay.

And thus to thee, (Ioue and Latona's Sonne)

Be giuen all grace of salutation.

Both thee and others of th'Immortall state;

My song shall memorize, to endlesse date.

The end of the Hymne to Apollo.

A HYMNE TO HERMES.

[Page]

[Page]

HErmes, the Sonne of Ioue and Maia, sing,

(O Muse) th'Arcadian, & Cyllenian King:

They rich in flocks; he heauen enriching still,

In Messages, return'd with all his will.

Whom glorious Maia (The Nimph rich in haire)

Mixing with Ioue, in amorous affaire;

Brought forth to him: sustaining a retre at

From all th'Immortalls of the blessed seat;

And liuing in the same darke Caue; where Ioue

Inform'd, at mid-night, the effect of loue,

Vnknowne to either man or Deitie:

Sweet sleepe once, hauing seas'd the ielous eye

Of Iuno, deckt with wrists of iuorie.

But when great Ioues high minde was consummate,

The tenth moneth had in heauen confin'de the date

Of Maias Labour; And into the sight

She brought, in one birth, Labours infinite.

[Page]For then she bore a sonne, that all tried waies

Could turne, and winde, to wisht euents, assaies.

A faire tongu'd, but false-hearted Counsellor.

Rector of Ox-stealers; and for all stealths, bore

A varied finger. Speeder of Nights spies

And guide of all her dreames obscurities.

Guard of dore-Guardians: and was borne to be

Amongst th'Immortalls, that wing'd Deitie,

That in an instant, should doe acts would aske

The Powres of others, an Eternall Taske.

Borne, in the Morne; He form'd his Lute at Noone;

At Night stole all the Oxen of the Sunne;

And all this in his Births first day was done;

Which was the fourth of the encreasing Moone.

Because Celestiall lims, sustain'd his straines;

His sacred swath-bands, must not be his chaines.

So (starting vp) to Phoebus Herde he stept;

Found strait, the high-roof't Caue where they were kept;

And (th'entrie passing) he th'inuention found,

Of making Lutes; and did in wealth abound

By that Inuention; Since He first of all,

Was author of that Engine Musicall.

By this meane, mou'd to the ingenious worke:

Nere the Caues inmost ouerture, did lurke

A Tortois, tasting th'odoriferous grasse;

Leisurely mouing; and this Obiect was

The motiue to Ioues Sonne (who could conuert

To profitablest vses, all desert

[Page]That nature had in any worke conuaid)

To forme the Lute: when (smiling) thus he said;

Thou mou'st in me, a note of excellent vse;

Which thy ill forme, shall neuer so seduce

T'euert the good, to be inform'd by it,

In pliant force, of my forme-forging wit.

Then the slowe Tortois, wrought on by his minde;

He thus saluted; All ioy to the kinde

Instinct of nature, in thee; Borne to be

The spirriter of Dances; companie

For feasts, and following Banquets; grac't and blest

For bearing light to all the interest

Claim'd in this Instrument. From whence shall spring

Play faire, and sweet; to which may Graces sing.

A prettie painted cote, thou putt'st on here

(O Tortois) while thy bill-bred vitall sphere

Confines thy fashion; but (surpris'd by me,)

I'le beare thee home; where thou shalt euer be

A Profit to me; and yet nothing more

Will I contemne thee, in my merited store.

Goods, with good parts got, worth and honour gaue:

Left goods, and honors, euery foole may haue.

And since thou first, shalt giue me meanes to liue,

I'le loue thee euer. Virtuous qualities giue

To liue at home with them, enough content;

Where those that want such inward ornament,

Fly out for outward; their life, made their lode;

Tis best to be at home; Harme lurks abroad.

[Page]And certainely, thy vertue shall be knowne

Gainst great-yll-causing incantation,

To serue as for a Lance, Or Ammulet.

And where, in comfort of thy vitall heat,

Thou now breathst but a sound confus'd, for song;

Expos'd by nature; after death, more strong

Thou shalt in sounds of Art be; and command

Song infinite sweeter. Thus with either hand

He tooke it vp; and instantly tooke flight

Back to his Caue, with that his home-delight.

Where, (giuing to the Mountaine Tortois vents

Of life and motion) with fit Instruments

Forg'd of bright steele; he strait inform'd a Lute.

Put neck, and frets to it; of which, a sute

He made of splitted quills; in equall space

Impos'd vpon the neck; and did embrace

Both backe, and bosome. At whose height (as gynns

T'extend, and ease the strings) he put in pynns.

Seuen strings, of seuerall tunes, he then applied;

Made of the Entrailes of a sheepe well dried;

And throughly twisted. Next he did prouide

A Case for all; made of an Oxes Hyde;

Out of his counsailes to preserue as well,

As to create: and all this Action fell

Into an instant consequence. His word,

And worke, had indiuiduall accord.

All being as swiftly to perfection brought;

As any worldly mans, most rauisht thought,

[Page]Whose minde, Care cuts, in an infinity

Of varied parts, or passions instantly;

Or as the frequent twincklings of an eye.

And thus his House-delight giuen absolute end;

He toucht it; and did euery string extend

(With an exploratorie spirit assaid)

To all the parts, that could on it be plaid.

It sounded dreadfully; to which he sung;

As if from thence, the first, and true force spr [...]ng

That fashions Virtue. God, in him did sing.

His play was likewise an vnspeakable thing;

Yet, but as an extemporall Assay,

Of what showe, it would make, being the first way,

It tryed his hand; or a tumultuous noise;

Such as at feasts, the first-flowr'd spirits of Boies

Poure out in mutuall contumelies still:

As little squaring with his curious will;

Or was as wanton, and vntaught a Store.

Of Ioue and Maia, that rich shoes still wore,

He sung; who sufferd, ill reports before,

And foule staines, vnder her faire titles bore.

But Hermes sung, her Nation, and her Name

Did itterate euer. All her high-flowne fame

Of being Ioues Mistresse; celebrating all

Her traine of seruants; and collaterall

Sumpture of Houses, all her Tripods there,

And Caldrons huge; encreasing euery yeare.

All which she knew; yet felt her knowledge flung

[Page]With her fames losse; which (found) she more wisht sung.

But now; he, in his sacred cradle laid

His Lute so absolute; and strait conuaid

Himselfe vp to a watch-towre, forth his house;

Rich, and diuinely Odoriferous;

A loftie wile, at worke in his conceipt;

Thirsting the practise of his Empires height.

And where Impostors rule; (since sable Night

Must serue their deeds) he did his deeds their right:

For now the neuer-resting Sunne, was turn'd

For th'vnder earth, and in the Ocean burn'd

His Coch, and Coursers. When th'ingenious spie

Pieria's shadie hill, had in his eye;

Where the immortall Oxen of the Gods

In ayres flood solac't their select Abods;

And earths sweet greene floure, that was neuer shorne;

Fed euer downe; And these the wittie-borne

(Argicides,) set serious spie vpon:

Seuering from all the rest; and setting gone

Full fiftie of the violent Bellowers.

Which driuing through the sands; he did reuerse

(His births-craft trait remembring) all their houes;

And them transpos'd, in opposite remoues;

The fore, behinde set; The behinde, before;

T'employ the eyes, of such as should explore.

And he himselfe (as slye-pac't) cast away

His sandalls, on the sea-sands. Past display;

And vnexcogitable thoughts, in Act

[Page]Putting; to shunn, of his stolne steps, the Tract.

Mixing, both Tamrisk; and like-Tamrisk sprayes,

In a most rare confusion, to raise

His footsteps vp from earth. Of which sprayes, he

(His armefull gathering, fresh from off the Tree,)

Made for his sandalls, Tyes; both leaues, and tyes

Holding together; and then fear'd no eyes

That could affect his feets discoueries.

The Tamrisk boughs he gather'd, making way

Backe from Pieria: but as to conuaie

Prouision in them, for his iourney fit;

It being long; and therefore needing it.

An ould man, now at labour, nere the field

Of greene Onchestus; knew the verdant yield

Of his fayre armefull; whom th'ingenious Sonne

Of Maia, therefore; salutation

Did thus beginn to; Ho? ould man! That now

Art crooked growne, with making Plants to grow!

Thy nerues will farr be spent; when these boughs shall

To these their leaues, confer me fruit, and All.

But see not thou, what euer thou dost see;

Nor heare, though heare; But all, as touching me

Conceale; since nought, it can endamage thee.

This, and no more he said; and on draue still

His brode-browd Oxen. Many a shadie Hill,

And many an echoing valley; many a field

Pleasant, and wishfull, did his passage yield

Their safe Transcension. But now, the diuine

[Page]And black-browd Night (his Mistresse) did decline

Exceeding swiftly; Daies most earely light

Fast hasting to her first point; to excite

Wordlings to worke; and in her Watch-towre, shone,

King Pallas-Megamedes seed, (the Moone)

When through th'Alphaean flood, Ioues powerfull Sonne

Phoebus-Apollo's ample-foreheaded Herd

(Whose necks, the laboring yoke, had neuer spher'd)

Draue swiftly on; and then into a stall

(Hillie; yet past to, through an humble vale

And hollow Dells, in a most louely Meade)

He gatherd all; and them diuinely fedd

With Odorous Cypresse; and the rauishing Tree

That makes his Eaters, lose the memorie

Of name, and countrie. Then he brought, withall;

Much wood; whose sight, into his serch let fall

The Art of making fire. Which thus he tried:

He tooke a branch of Lawrell, amplified

Past others, both in beautie, and in sise;

Yet, lay next hand; rubb'd it; and strait did rise

A warme fume from it. Steele, being that did raise

(As Agent) the attenuated Baies

To that hot vapor. So that, Hermes found

Both fire first; and of it, the seede, close bound

In other substances; and then, the seed

He multiplied; of sere-wood making feed

The apt heat of it; in a pile Combin'de,

Laid in a lowe Pit; that inflames strait shin'de;

[Page]And cast a sparkling crack vp to the Skye;

All the drie parts, so feruent were, and hye

In their combustion. And how long the force

Of glorious Vulcan, kept the fire in course;

So long was he, in dragging from their stall,

Two of the crook-hancht Herd: that ror'd withall;

And rag'd for feare, t'approch the sacred fire:

To which did all, his dreadfull powrs aspire.

When (blustring forth their breath) He on the soile,

Cast both, at length; though with a world of toile.

For long he was, in getting them to ground

After their through-thrust, and most mortall wound.

But worke, to worke, he ioin'd; the flesh and cut,

Couerd with fat; and (on treene broches put)

In peeces rosted. But, in th'Intestines

The black blood, and the honorarie chines,

Together with the carcases, lay there

Cast on the cold earth, as no Deities chere.

The Hydes, vpon a rugged rock he spred▪

And thus were these now, all in peeces shred,

And vndistinguisht from Earths common herd▪

Though borne for long date; and to heauen endeard;

And now must euer liue, in dead euent.

But Hermes, h [...]rehence, hauing his content,

Car'd for no more; but drew to places euen,

The fat-works, that, of force, must haue for heauen

Their capitall ends; though stolne; and therefore were

In twelue parts cut, for twelue choice Deities chere,

[Page]By this deuotion. To all which, he gaue

Their seuerall honors; and did wish to haue

His equall part thereof; as free, and well

As th'other Deities; but the fattie smell

Afflicted him, though he immortall were;

Play'ng mortall parts; and being, (like mortalls) here.

Yet his proud minde, nothing the more obayde

For being a God, himselfe; and his owne aide

Hauing to cause his due: And though in heart

Hee highly wisht it; but the weaker part

Subdu'd the stronger; and went on, in ill.

Euen heauenly Powre, had rather haue his Will,

Then haue his Right; and will's the worst of All,

When but in least sort, it is criminall;

One Taint, being Author of a Number, still.

And thus (resolu'd to leaue his hallow'd Hill)

First, both the fat parts, and the fleshie, All

Taking away; at the steepe-entryed stall

He laid all; All, the feet and heads entire;

And all the sere-wood; making cleare with fire.

And now, he leauing there then, all things done

And finisht, in their fit perfection;

(The Coles put out; and their black Ashes throwne

From all discouerie, by the louely light

The cherefull Moone cast; shyning all the Night)

He strait assum'd a nouell voices note;

And in the whirle-pit-eating-flood, aflote

He set his sandalls. When now, once againe

[Page]The-that-morne-borne-Cyllenius, did attaine

His Homes diuine height; all the farr-stretcht waie

No one blest God, encountring, his assaie;

Nor Mortall Man; nor any Dogg durst spend

His-borne-to-barke-mouth at him; till, in th'end,

He reacht his Caue; and at the Gate went in

Crooked, and wrapt into a fold so thin,

That no eye could discouer his repayre;

But as a darknesse, of th'Autumnall ayre.

When, going on; fore-right; he strait arriu'd

At his rich Phane: his soft feet quite depriu'd

Of all least noise, of one that trod the earth;

They trod so swift, to reach his roome of Birth.

Where, In his swath-bands, he his shoulders wrapt,

And (like an Infant, newly hauing scap't

The teeming streights) as in the Palms he lay

Of his lou'd Nurse. Yet instantly would play

(Freeing his right hand) with his bearing cloth

About his knees wrapt; and strait (loosing both

His right and left hand) with his left, he caught

His most-lou'd Lute. His Mother yet, was taught

His wanton wiles; nor could a Gods wit lie

Hid from a Goddesse; who did therefore trye

His answer, thus: Why (thou made all of sleight)

And whence ariu'st thou, in this rest of Night?

Improuident Impudent; In my conceipt

Thou rather shouldst be getting forth thy Gate,

With all flight fit, for thy endanger'd State;

[Page](In merit of th'Ineuitable bands,

To be impos'd by vext Latona's hands

Iustly incenst for her Apollo's harms)

Thenly thus wrapt, as ready for her arms,

To take thee vp, and kisse thee: Would to heauen,

(In crosse of that high grace) Thou hadst beene giuen

Vp to Perdition; ere poore mortalls beare

Those blacke banes, that thy father Thunderer

Hath planted thee of purpose to confer,

On them, and Deities. He return'd replie;

As Master of the feates of Policie;

Mother? why ayme you thus amisse at me?

As if I were a Sonne that Infancie

Could keepe from all the skill, that Age can teach?

Or had in cheating, but a childish reach?

And of a Mothers mandats, fear'd the breach?

I mount that Art at first; that will be best

When all times consummate their cunningest.

Able to counsaile, Now my selfe, and thee,

In all things best, to all Eternitie.

We cannot liue like Gods here, without gifts;

No, nor without corruption, and shifts.

And much lesse, without eating; as we must

In keeping thy rules, and in being Iust;

Of which we cannot vndergoe the lodes.

Tis better here, to Imitate the Gods,

And wine, or wench out all times Periods;

To that end, growing rich in readie heapes;

[Page]Stor'de with Reue [...]news; being in corne-fielde reapes

Of infinite Acres; then to liue enclos'd

In Caues, to all Earths sweetest ayre expos'd.

I, as much honor hold, as Phoebus does;

And if my Father please not to dispose

Possessions to me; I my selfe will see

If I can force them in, for I can be

Prince of all Theeues. And if Latona's Sonne

Make after my stealth, Indignation;

I'le haue a Scape, as well as [...]e a Serch,

And ouertake him with a greater lurch.

For I can post to Pythos; and breake through,

His huge house, there; where harbors wealth enough;

Most precious Tripods; Caldrons; Steele, and Gold;

Garments rich wrought; and full of liberall fold:

All which will I, at pleasure owne; and thow

Shalt see all; wilt thou but thy [...]ight bestow.

Thus chang'd great words; the Go [...]e-hyde-wearers Sonne,

And Maia, of Maiestique fashion.

And now the Ayre-begot Aurora rose

From out the Ocean-great-in-ebbs-and flows;

When, at the ne [...]er-shorne, pure-and-faire Groue,

(Onchestus) consecrated to the loue

Of round and long-neckt Neptune; Phoebus found

A man whom heauie yeares, had prest halfe roun [...] ▪

And yet at worke, in plashing of a Fenc [...]

About a Vineyeard; that had residence

Hard by the high-way; whom Latona's Sonne;

[Page]Made it not strange, but first did question,

And first saluted: Ho? you? Aged syre

That here are hewing from the Vine, the Bryre;

For certaine Oxen, I come here t'enquire

Out of Pieria; femalls All; and rer'd

All, with hornes wreath'd, vnlike the common Herde;

A Cole-black Bull, fed by them all alone;

And all obseru'd for preseruation

Through all their foodie, and delicious Fen;

With foure fierce Mastifs, like one-minded men.

These left their Doggs, and Bull; (which I admire)

And when was nere set, Daies eternall fire;

From their fierce Guardians; from their delicate fare,

Made clere departure. To me then declare;

(O ould man, long since borne) If thy graue raie

Hath any man seene, making stealthfull waie

With all those Oxen! Th'olde man made replie;

Tis hard (O friend) to render readily,

Account of all, that may inuade mine eye;

For many a Trauailer, this high-way tredds;

Some in much ills serch; some, in noble thredds

Leading their liues out; but I, this young Day

Euen from her first point, haue made good display,

Of all men, passing this abundant hill,

Planted with Vines; and no such stealthfull ill,

Her light hath showne me: But last Euening late,

I sawe a Thing, that shew'd of childish state;

To my ould lights; and seem'd as he pursude

[Page]A Herd of Oxen, with braue Heads indude;

Yet but an Infant; and retainde a Rodd;

Who warilie, both this, and that way trodd,

His head still backwards turn'd. This th'ould Man spake;

Which he well thought vpon; and swiftly brake

Into his Pursuit, with abundant wing;

That strooke but one plaine; ere he knew the thing

That was the Theefe; to be th'Impostor borne;

Whom Ioue yet, with his Sonnes name did adorne.

In studie, and with Ardor, then the King

(Ioues dazeling Sonne) plac't his exploring wing

On sacred Pylos, for his forced Heard;

His ample shoulders▪ in a cloud ensphear'd

Of fierie chrimsine. Strait, the steps he found

Of his stolne Herd: And said; Strange sights confound

My apprehensiue powers: for here I see

The Tracts of Oxen; but auersiuelie

Conuerted towards the Pierian Hills,

As tredding to their Meade of Daffodills;

But, nor mine eye, Mens feet, nor Womens drawes;

Nor hoarie Wolues, nor Beares▪ nor Lyons Paws;

Nor thick-neckt Bulls they show. But hee that [...]oes,

These monstrous Deeds, with n [...]uer so swift shooes;

Hath past from that howre hither; but from hence,

His foule course, may meete, fouler consequence.

With thi [...], tooke Phoebus wing; and Hermes still,

(For all his Threats) secure lay in his Hill

Wall'd with a woodd; and more▪ [...] Rock, beside

[Page]Where a Retreat rann, deepely multiplide

In blinding shadows; and where th'endlesse Bride;

Bore to Saturnius, his Ingenious Sonne:

An Odor, worth a Hearts desire, being throwne,

Along the Heauen-sweet Hill; on whose Herb, fedd,

Rich flocks of sheepe, that bow not where they tredd

Their horney Pasterns. There, the light of Men,

(Ioues Sonne Apollo) strait descended then,

The Marble Pauement, in that gloomie Den.

On whom, when Ioue, and Maia's Sonne set eye,

Wroth for his Oxen: On then, instantly

His Odorous swath-bands, flew; in which, as close

Th'Impostor lay; As in the coole repose

Of cast-on Ashes, Harths of burning Coles

Ly in the woods hidd, vnder the Controules

Of skilfull Colyers: Euen so close did lie

Inscrutable Hermes in Apollo's eye.

Contracting his great God-head, to a small

And Infant likenesse; feet, hands, head and All.

And as a Hunter hath beene often viewd,

From Chace retir'd with both his hands embrewd

In his Games blood; that doth for water call

To clense his hands; And to prouoke withall

Delightsome sleepe; new washt and laid to rest;

So now lay Hermes in the close comprest

Chace of his Oxen. His New-found-out Lute;

Beneath his arme held; As if no pursuite

But that Prise, and the virtue of his play,

[Page]His heart affected. But to Phoebus, lay,

His close Heart, open: And he, likewise, knew

The braue Hyll-Nymph there; and her deare Sonne, new▪

Borne; and as well wrapt, in his wiles, as weed's.

All the close shroud's too, for his Rapinous deedes,

In All the Caue, he knew: and with his key

He open'd three of them; In which there lay

Siluer, and Gold-heapes; Nectar infinite store;

And Deare Ambrosia; and of weedes she wore,

(Pure white, and Purple) A rich Wardrobe shin'de;

Fit for the blest States, of powrs so diuin'de.

All which discouerd; Thus to Mercurie

He offerd Conference: Infant? you that lie

Wrapt so in swath-bands; Instantly vnfold

In what conceald Retreats of yours you bold

My Oxen stolne by you; Or strait we shall

Iarr, as beseemes not, powrs Celestiall.

For I will take, and hurle Thee to the Deepes

Of dismall Tartarus; where ill Death keepes

His gloomie, and inextricable fates;

And to no Eye, that light Illuminates,

Mother, nor Father, shall returne thee free,

But vnder Earth, shall Sorrow fetter thee,

And few repute thee, their Superiour.

On him replied, Crafts subtlest Counsailor;

What cruell speech hath past Latona's Care!

Seekes be his stolne-wilde-Cows, where Deities are?

I haue nor seene, nor [...]eard; nor can report▪

[Page]From others mouthes, one word of their resort

To any strang r. Nor will I, to gaine

A base Reward, a false Relation faine.

Nor would I; Could I tell. Resemble I

An Ox-Theefe? Or a Man? Especiallie

A man of such a courage; such a force

As to that labour goes? That violent course?

No Infants worke is That. My powres aspire

To sleepe, and quenching of my hungers fire

With Mothers Milke; and gainst cold shades, to arme

With Cradle-cloths, my shoulders; and Baths warme,

That no man may conceiue, the warr you threat

Can spring, in cause, from my so peace full heat.

And euen amongst th'Immortalls it would beare

Euent of absolute Miracle, to heare

A new-borne Infants forces should transcend

The limits of his Dores; much lesse contend

With vntam'd Oxen. This speech nothing seemes

To sauour the Decorum of the Beames

Cast round about the Ayre Apollo breakes,

Where his diuine minde, her intention speakes.

I brake but yesterday, the blessed wombe,

My feet are tender, and the common Tombe

Of men, (the Earth) lies sharpe beneath their tred.

But, (if you please) euen by my Fathers head

I'le take the great Oath; That nor I protest

My selfe, to Author on your Interest

Any such vsurpation; Nor haue I

[Page]Seene any other, that felloniously

Hath forc't your Oxen. Strange thing! what are those

Oxen of yours? Or what are Oxen? knowes

My rude minde, thinke you? My eares onely touch

At their renowne, and heare that there are such.

This speech he past, and euer as he spake

Beames from the hayre, about his eye-lidds brake;

His eye-brows, vp, and downe cast; and his eye

Euery way look't, askans, and careleslie.

And he, into a loftie whistling fell;

As if he idle thought, Apollo's spell.

Apollo (gently smiling) made Replie;

O thou Impostor! whose thoughts euer lye

In labour with Deceipt! For certaine, I

Retaine Opinon; that thou, (euen thus soone)

Hast ransackt, many a House; and not in one

Nights-worke alone; nor in one Countrie neither

Hast beene beseeging, House and Man together;

Rigging, and rifeling all waies; and no Noise

Made with thy soft fee [...]e, where it all destroies.

Soft therefore, well; and tender thou maist call

The feet that thy stealthe, goe, and fly withall.

For many a field-bredd Herdsman. (vnheard still)

Hast thou made drowne, the Ca [...]er [...]s of the Hill

Where his Retreates lie, with his helplesse teares,

When any flesh-stealth thy desire endea [...] ▪

And thou encountrest, either flocks of sheepe

Or Herds of Oxen! vp then doe not sleepe

[Page]Thy last Nap, in thy Cradle; but come downe;

(Companion of black Night) and for this Crowne

Of thy young Rapines; beare (from all) the state

And stile of Prince Theefe, into endlesse Date.

This said; he tooke the Infant in his Armes;

And with him, the remembrance of his harmes;

This Praesage vtt'ring; lifting him aloft;

Be euer more, the miserablie-soft

Slaue of the bellie; Pursuiuant of all

And Author, of all mischiefs Capitall.

He scorn'd his Prophesie so; he Nees'd in's face

Most forciblie (which hearing) his embrace

He loth'd; and burl'd him gainst the ground; yet still

Tooke seate before him; though, (with all the ill

He bore by him) he would haue left full faine

That Hewer of his heart, so into twaine.

Yet salu'd all thus; Come! (you so swadl'd thing;

Issue of Maia, and the Thunders King;

Be confident; I shall hereafter finde

My brode-browd Oxen. My Prophetique minde

So farr from blaming this thy course; that I,

Foresee thee, (in it,) to Posteritie

The guide of All Men, (All waies,) to their ends.

This spoken; Hermes, from the Earth Ascends;

Starting Aloft; and as in Studie went;

Wrapping himselfe, in his Integument;

And thus askt Phoebus; Whither force you Me

(Farr-shot; and farr most powrefull Deitie.)

[Page]I know (for all your fayning) y'are still wroth,

About your Oxen; and suspect my Troth.

O Iupiter? I wish the generall Race

Of all Earths Oxen, rooted from her face.

I steale your Oxen? I againe, professe

That neither, I, haue stolne them; nor can ghesse

Who else should steale them. What strange Beasts are these

Your so-lou'd Oxen? I must say (to please

Your humor thus farr) that euen My few Hoowres

Haue heard their fame. But be the sentence yours

Of the Debate betwixt vs; Or to Ioue

(For more indifferencie) the Cause remoue.

Thus when the Solitude-affecting God,

And the Latonian seede, had laid abroad

All things betwixt them; (though not yet agreed;

Yet, might I speake) Apollo did proceede

Nothing vniustly, to charge Mercurie

With stealing of the Cows, he does denie.

But his Profession was, with filed speach,

And Crafts faire Complements, to ouerreach

All; And euen Phoebus. Who because he knew

His Trade of subtletie; He still at view

Hunted his Foe, through all the sandie waie

Vp to Olympus. Nor would let him stra [...]e

From out his sight; but kept behinde him still.

And now they reacht, the Odoriferous Hill

Of high Olympus, to their Father Ioue,

To Arbitrate the Cause, in which they stroue.

[Page]Where, before both; Talents of iustice were

Propos'd for him, whom Ioue should sentence Clere,

In cause of their contention. And now

About Olympus, (euer-crown'de with snow)

The rumor of their controuersie flew.

All the Incorruptible, to their view,

On heavens steepe Mountaine, made return'd repaire.

Hermes and He, that light hurls through the ayre;

Before the Thunderers knees stood: who begunn,

To question thus farr, his Illustrious Sonne:

Phoebus? To what end bringst thou Captiue here

Him in whom my Minde, putts delights so deare?

This New-borne Infant? that the place supplies

Of Herrald yet, to all the Deities?

This serious busines, you may witnesse, drawes

The Deities whole Court, to discusse the cause.

Phoebus replied: And not vnworthie is

The cause, of all the Court of Deities.

For you shall heare, it comprehends the weight

Of Deuastation; and the verie height

Of spoile, and rapine, euen of Deities rights.

Yet you (as if my selfe lou'd such delights)

Vse words that wound my heart. I bring you here

An Infant, that, euen now, admits no Pere

In rapes and robb'ries. Finding out, his Place,

(After my measure of an infinite space)

In the Cyllenian Mountaine. Such a one

In all the Art of opprobration,

[Page]As not in all the Deities, I haue seene;

Nor in th'Obliuion-marckt-whole Race of men.

In Night, he draue my Oxen from their Leas;

A long the loftie rore-resounding Seas:

From out the Rode way quite: the steps of them

So quite transpos'd, as would amaze the beam [...]

Of any mindes eye: being so infinite much

Inuolu'd in doubt; as showd a Deified touch

Went to the works performance. All the way

Through which, my cross-hou'd Cows hee did conuaie,

Had dust so darklie-hard to serch; and He

So past all measure, wrapt in subtiltie.

For, nor with feet, nor hands, be form'd his steps,

In passing through the drie waies sandie heap's:

But vs'd another counsaile to keepe hidd

His monstrous Tracts; that showd as one had slid

On Oke, or other Boughs; That swept out still

The footsteps of his Oxen; and did fill

Their prints vp euer; to the Daffodill

(Or daintie feeding Meddow) as they trodd,

Driuen by this cautelous, and Infant God.

A Mortall Man yet, saw him driuing on

His Prey to Pylos. Which when he had done

And got his Passe sign'd, with a sacred fire

In peace; and freely (though to his desire

Not to the Gods, he offerd part of these

My rauisht Oxen) he retires, and lies

Like to the gloomie Night in his dimm Denn,

[Page]All hid in darknesse; and in clouts againe,

Wrapt him so closely; that the sharpe-seene eye

Of your owne Eagle, could not see him lye.

For with his hands, the ayre he rarified

(This way, and that mou'd) till bright gleames did glide

About his Being; that if any eye

Should dare the Darknesse; Light appos'd so nie

Might blinde it quite, with her Antipathie.

Which wile he woue, in curious care t'illude

Th'Extreame of any eye, that could intrude.

On which relying; he outrageouslie

(When I accus'd him) trebled his replie;

I did not see; I did not heare; nor I

Will tell at all; that any other stole

Your brode-browd Beeues. Which an Impostors soule

Would soone haue done; and any Author faine

Of purpose onely, a Reward to gaine.

And thus he colourd truth, in euery lie.

This said; Apollo sate; and Mercurie,

The Gods Commander, pleas'd with this replie.

Father! I'le tell the truth; (for I am true

And farr from Art to lie.) He did pursue

Euen to my Caue, his Oxen: this selfe daie;

The Sunn, new raising his illustrious raie.

But brought with him, none of the Bliss-indu'd,

Nor any ocular witnesse▪ to conclude,

His bare assertion. But his owne command

Laid on with strong, and necessarie hand,

[Page]To showe his Oxen. Vsing Threats to cast

My poore, and Infant powrs, into the Vast

Of ghastlie Tartarus; because he beares

Of strength-sustayning youth, the flaming yeares.

And I, but yesterday produc't to light

By which, it fell into his owne fre sight

That I, in no similitude apper'd

Of powre to be the forcer of a Herde.

And credite me (O Father, since the Grace

Of that name, in your stile, you please to place)

I draue not home his Oxen, no nor preast

Past mine owne threshold; for tis manifest,

I reuerence, with my soule, the Sunn; and all

The knowing dwellers, in this heauenly Hall.

Loue you; obserue the least: and tis most cleare

In your owne knowledge, that my Merits beare

No least guilt of his blame. To all which, I,

Dare adde, heauens great oath, boldly swearing by

All these so well-built Entries of the Blest.

And therefore when I saw my selfe so prest

With his reproches; I confesse I burn'd

In my pure gall; and harsh replie return'd.

Adde your aid to your Yonger then; and free

The scruple fixt in Phoebus Ielousie.

This said; he winckt vpon his Sire; and still

His swath-bands, held beneath his arme; no Will

Discernd in him, to hide, but haue them showne.

Ioue laught aloud at his Ingenious Sonne,

[Page]Quitting himselfe with Art, so likely wrought,

As showd in his heart, not a rapinous thought.

Commanding Both, to beare attoned mindes

And seeke out th'Oxen; In which serch he bindes

Hermes to play the Guide; and show the Sunn

(All grudge exilde) the Shrowd to which he wunn

His fayre-eyd Oxen. Then; his forehead bow'd

For signe it must be so; and Hermes show'd

His free obedience. So soone, he inclin'd

To his perswasion, and command, his minde.

Now then, Ioues Iarring Sonnes, no longer stood;

But sandie Pylos, and th'Alphaean flood

Reacht instantly; and made as quick a fall

On those rich-feeding fields, and loftie stall

Where Phoebus Oxen, Hermes safelie kept;

Driuen in, by night. When sodainely he stept

Vp to the stonie Caue; and into light

Draue forth the Oxen▪ Phoebus at first sight

Knew them the same: and saw apart dispread

Vpon a high-rais'd rock; the hydes new flead

Of th'Oxen sacrifis'd. Then Phoebus said;

O thou in craftie counsailes vndisplaid!

How couldst thou cut the throtes, and cast to Earth

Two such huge Oxen? being so young a birth,

And a mere Infant? I admire thy force

And will, behinde thy back. But this swift course

Of growing into strength, thou hadst not need

Continue any long Date, O thou seed

[Page]Of honor'd Maia! Hermes, (to shew how

He did those Deedes) did forthwith cut and bow

Strong Osiers in soft folds; and strappl'd strait

One of his hugest Oxen: all his weight

Lay'ng prostrate on the earth, at Phoebus feet:

All his foure clouen houes, easly made to greete

Each other vpwards; all, together bro [...]ght.

In all which bands yet, all the Beasts powres wrought

To rise, and stand; when all the Herd about

The mighty Hermes, rusht in, to help out

Their fellow from his fetters; Phoebus view

Of all this, vp to Admiration drew

Euen his high forces: And sterne lookes he threw

At Hermes for his Herds wrong; and the place

To which he had retir'd them; being in grace

And fruitfull riches of it, so entire:

All which, set all his force, on enuious fire.

All whose heat, flew out of his eyes in flames:

Which faine he would haue hidd, to hide the shames

Of his ill gouern'd passions. But with ease

Hermes could calme them; and his humors please

Still at his pleasure; were he ne're so great

In force, and fortitude; and high in heat.

In all which, he his Lute tooke; and assaid

A Song vpon him; and so strangely plaid;

That from his hand, a rauishing horror flew.

Which Phoebus, into laughter turn'd; and grew

Pleasant past measure; Tunes so artfull clere

[Page]Strooke euen his heart-strings; & his minde, made heare.

His Lute so powerfull was, in forcing loue;

(As his hand rul'd it) that from him it droue

All feare of Phoebus; yet he gaue him still

The vpper hand; and (to aduance his skill)

The vtmost Miracle; he plaid sometimes,

Single awhile; In which, when all the Clymes

Of rapture he had reacht; (to make the Sunn

Admire enough) O then, his voice would runn

Such points vpon his play; and did so moue,

They tooke Apollo Prisoner to his loue.

And now the deathlesse Gods, and deathfull Earth

He sung; beginning, at their eithers Birth,

To full extent of all their Emperie.

And, first; the honor to Mnemosyne

(The Muses Mother) of all Goddesse states

He gaue; euen forc't too't, by the equall fates.

And then (as it did in Prioritie fall

Of Age, and Birth) He celebrated All.

And with such Elegance, and Order sung;

(His Lute still toucht, to stick more off his tongue)

That Phoebus heart, with infinite loue, he eate.

Who therefore thus, did his Deserts entreate:

Master of Sacrifice! chiefe soule of feast?

Patient of all paines? Artizan so blest;

That all things thou canst doe, in any One.

Worth fiftie Oxen is th'Inuention

Of this one Lute. We both, shall now; I hope;

[Page]In firme peace, worke, to all our wishes scope.

Informe me, (thou that euery way canst winde,

And turne to Act, all wishes of thy minde)

Together with thy birth, came all thy skill?

Or did some God, or God-like man instill

This heauenly song to thee? Me thinks I heare

A new voice; such as neuer yet came nere

The brest of any; either Man, or God;

Till in thee, it had Prime, and Period.

What Art? what Muse? that medicine can produce

For cares most curele [...]e? what inueterate vse;

Or practise of a virtue so profuse,

(Which three, doe all the contribution keep [...]

That Ioy, or Loue conferrs, or pleasing Sleepe)

Taught thee the soueraigne facture of them all?

I, of the Muses, am the capitall

Consort, or follower: (and to these belong

The grace of dance; all worthie waies of song;

and euer-florishing verse: the delicate Set

And sound of Instruments.) But neuer yet

Did anything so much affect my minde

With ioy, and care to compasse; as this kinde

Of Song and Play: that for the spritely feast

Of florishing assemblies, are the best

And aptest works, that euer Worth gaue Act.

My powres with admiration stand distract,

To heare, with what a hand to make in loue,

Thou rul'st thy Lute. And (though thy yongst howres moue,

[Page]At full art, in ould counsailes. Here I vow

(Euen by this Cornell Dart, I vse to throw)

To thee, and to thy Mother; I'le make thee

Amongst the Gods, of glorious degree.

Guide of Mens waies, and Theirs. And will impart

To thee, the mightie Imperatorie Art:

Bestowe rich gifts on thee; and in the end

Neuer deceiue thee. Hermes (as a friend

That wrought on all aduantage; and made gaine

His Capitall obiect) thus did entertaine

Phoebus Apollo: Doe thy Dignities

(Farr-working God; and circularlie wise)

Demand my vertues? without enuie I

Will teach thee to ascend my facultie.

And this Day thou shalt reach it; finding me,

In Acts and Counsailes, all waies kinde to thee;

As one that all things knows: And first tak'st seat

Amongst th'Immortalls; being good, and great.

And therefore to Ioues loue, mak'st free accesse,

Euen out of his accomplisht Holinesse.

Great gifts, he likewise giues thee; who (fame saies)

Hast wunn thy greatnesse, by his will: his waies.

By him know'st all the powers Propheticall

(O thou farr-worker) and the fates of all.

Yea; and I know thee rich; yet apt to learne:

And euen thy Wish, dost but discerne, and earne.

And since thy soule, so burns to know the way

To play and sing as I doe: sing, and play.

[Page]Play; and perfection in thy play employ;

And be thy care, to learne things good; thy Ioy.

Take thou my Lute (My Loue) and giue thou me,

The glorie of so great a facultie.

This sweet-tun'd consort; held but in thy hand;

Sing; and perfection in thy song command.

For thou, alreadie, hast the way to speake

Fayrely, and elegantly; and to breake

All eloquence into thy vtterd minde.

One gift from heauen found, may another finde.

Vse then, securely, this thy gift; and goe

To feasts, and dances, that enamour so;

And to that couetous sport of getting glory,

That Day, nor Night, will suffer to be sory.

Whoeuer, does but say, in verse; sings still:

Which he that can; of any other skill

Is capable; so he be taught by Art,

And wisedome; and can speake, at euery part

Things pleasing to an vnderstanding Minde:

And such a one, that seekes this Lute, shall finde.

Him still it teaches easely, though he plaies

Soft voluntaries onely; and assaies

As wanton, as the sports of children are.

And (euen when he aspires to singular

In all the Mast'ries he shall play or sing)

Findes the whole worke, but an vnhappie thing:

He (I say) sure; shall of this Lute be King.

But he; whoeuer, rudely sets vpon,

[Page]Of this Lutes skill, th'Inquest, or Question;

Neuer so ardently, and angrilie;

Without the aptnesse, and habilitie

Of Art, and Nature fitting: neuer shall

Aspire to this; but vtter triuiall

And idle accents; though sung ne're so lowd,

And neuer so commended of the Crowde.

But thee I know (O Eminent Sonne of Ioue)

The fiery Learner, of what euer Loue

Hath sharpn'd thy affections to achiue.

And thee, I giue this Lute; let vs now liue

Feeding vpon the Hill-and-horse-fed Earth

Our neuer-handled Oxen: whose deare Birth

(Their femalls fellowd with their Males) let flowe

In store enough hereafter; nor must you

(How-euer-cunning hearted your wits are)

Boile in your Gall, a Grudge too circulare.

Thus gaue he him his Lute; which he embrac't;

And gaue againe, a Gode, whose bright head cast

Beames like the light forth; leauing to his care

His Oxens keeping. Which, with ioyfull fare,

He tooke on him. The Lute Apollo tooke

Into his left hand; and aloft he shooke

Delightsome sounds vp; to which God did sing.

Then were the Oxen, to their endlesse Spring

Turn'd; and Ioues Two illustr'ous Off-springs flew

Vp to Olympus, where it euer snew;

Delighted with their Lutes sound all the way.

[Page]Whom Ioue, much ioi'd to see; and endlesse stay

Gaue to their knot of friendship. From which date;

Hermes gaue Phoebus, an eternall state

In his affection: whose sure pledge and signe

His Lute was; and the Doctrine so diuine,

Iointly conferd on him. Which well might be

True Symbole of his Loues simplicitie.

On th'other part; Apollo, in his friend

Form'd th'Art of Wisedome; to the binding end

Of his vow'd friendship; and (for further meede)

Gaue him the farr-heard fistularie Reede.

For all these forms of friendship, Phoebus yet

Feard that both forme, and substance were not mett

In Mercurie's intentions: and, in plaine,

Said, (since he saw him, borne to craft and gaine;

And that Ioues will had him the honor done,

To change at his will, the possession

Of others Gods) be fear'd his breach of of vowes,

In stealing both his Lute, and comming Bowes.

And therefore wisht, that what the Gods affect,

Himselfe would witnesse; and to his request

His head Bow; swearing by th'Impetuous flood

Of Styx; that of his whole possessions, not a Good

He would diminish; but therein maintaine

The full content, in which his Minde did raigne.

And then did Maia's Sonne, his fore-head bow:

Making, by all that he desir'd, his vow:

Neuer to prey more vpon any Thing,

[Page]In iust possession of the farr-shot King;

Nor euer to come neare, a House of his.

Latonian Phoebus, bowd his Brow to this,

With his like promise; say'ng, Not any One

Of all the Gods, nor any Man, that, Sonne

Is to Saturnius; is more deare to me;

More trusted, nor more honord, is then thee.

Which, yet, with greater Gifts of Deitie,

In future I'le confirme; and giue thy state

A Rodd that riches shall accumulate;

Nor leaue the bearer, thrall to Death, or fate

Or any sicknesse. All of Gold it is;

Three-leau'd; and full of all felicities.

And this shall be thy Guardian; this shall giue

The Gods to thee, in all the truth they liue.

And finally, shall this the Tutresse be

Of all the words, and workes, informing me

From Ioues high counsailes; making knowne to thee

All my instructions. But to Prophesie

(O best of Ioues belou'd) and that high skill;

Which to obtaine, lies burning in thy will;

Nor thee, nor any God, will Fate let learne.

Onely Ioues minde, hath insight to discerne

What that importeth; yet am I allowd

(My knowne faith trusted; and my forhead bowd;

Our great Oath taken, to resolue to none

Of all th'Immortalls, the restriction

Of that deepe knowledge) of it All, the Minde.

[Page]Since then it sits, in such fast bounds confinde,

(O Brother) when the Golden rodd is held

In thy strong hand; seeke not to haue reueal'd

Any sure fate, that Ioue will haue conceald.

For no man shall, by know'ng, preuent his fate;

And therefore will I hold, in my free state

The powre, to hurt and helpe, what man I will,

Of all the greatest; or least toucht with ill;

That walke within the Circle of mine eye;

In all the Tribes, and Sexes, it shall trye.

Yet, truely, any man shall haue his will

To reape the fruites of my Prophetique skill;

Whoeuer seekes it, by the voice, or wing

Of Birds, borne truely, such euents to sing.

Nor will I falfly, nor with fallacies

Infringe the truth, on which his faith relies;

But he that Truths, in chattering plumes would finde;

(Quite opposite to them, that prompt my Minde,)

And learne by naturall forgers of vaine lyes,

The more-then-euer-certaine Deities;

That man shall Sea-waies tred, that leaue no Tracts;

And false, or no guide finde, for all his facts.

And yet will I, his Gifts accept as well

As his; to whom, the simple truth I tell.

One other thing to thee, I'le yet make knowne

(Maia's exceedingly renowned sonne

And Ioues; and of the Gods whole session

The most ingenious Genius.) There dwell

[Page]Within a crooked Crannie, in a Dell

Beneath Parnassus; certaine sisters borne,

Call'd Parcae; whom extreame swift wings adorne;

Their Number three; that haue vpon their heads

White Barly floure still sprinckled; and are maids;

And these are schoole-Mistresses of things to come,

Without the gift of Prophecie: of whom

(Being but a boy, and keeping Oxen, nere)

I learn'd their skill; though my great Father were

Careles of it, or them. These flying from home,

To others roofes; and fedd with Hony-come,

Command all skill; and (being enraged then)

Will freely tell the Truths of things to Men.

But if they giue them not, that Gods sweete meat;

They then are apt, to vtter their deceit,

And leade Men from their way. And these will I

Giue thee hereafter; when their scrutinie

And truth; thou hast both made, and learn'd, and then;

Please thy selfe with them; and the Race of men

(Wilt thou know any) with thy skill endeare:

Who will, (be sure) afford it greedie eare;

And heare it often, if it proue sincere.

Take these (O Maia's Sonne) and in thy care,

Be Horse, and Oxen: all such Men as are

Patient of labour; Lyons; white-tooth'd Bores;

Mastifs, and flocks, that feede the flowrie shores;

And euery foure-foot Beast: all which shall stand

In awe of thy high Imperatory hand.

[Page]Be thou to Dis too, sole Ambassador;

Who (though all gifts, and bounties he abhor)

On thee he will bestowe, a wealthie One.

Thus King Apollo, honor'd Maia's Sonne,

With all the rights of friendship: all whose loue

Had Imposition, from the Will of Ioue.

And thus, with Gods and Mortalls Hermes liu'd;

Who truely helpt but few; but all deceiu'd

With an vndifferencing respect; and made

Vaine words, and false perswasions his Trade.

His Deeds, were all associats of the Night;

In which, his close wrongs, car'd for no mans Right.

So all salutes to Hermes, that are due;

Of whom, and all Gods, shall my Muse sing true.

The end of the Hymne to Hermes.

A HYMNE TO VENVS.

[Page]

[Page]

THe force (O Muse) and functions, now, vnfold,

Of Cyprian Venus, grac't with Mines of Gold.

Who, euen in Deities, lights Loues sweet desire;

And all Deaths kindes of men, makes kisse her fire:

All Ayres wing'd Nation; all the Belluine;

That or the Earth feedes, or the Seas confine.

To all which appertaine, the loue and care

Of well-crown'd Venus works. Ye three there are,

Whose mindes, she neither can deceiue nor moue;

Pallas, the seede of Aegis-bearing-Ioue;

Who still liues Indeuirginate; her eyes

Being blew, and sparkling like the freezing skies:

Whom all the Gold of Venus, neuer can

Tempt to affect her facts, with God or Man.

She louing strife, and Mars-his working Bones;

[Page]Pitcht fields, and fights, and famous Artizanes,

Taught earthie men first, all the Arts that are;

Charriots, and all the frames vehiculare;

Chiefely with brasse, arm'd, & adorn'd for warre.

Where Venus, onely soft-skinnd wenches fills

With wanton House-works, and suggests those skills

Still to their studies. Whom Diana neither,

That beares the Golden distaff; and together

Calls Horns, and Hollows; and the cries of Houndes;

And ownes the Epithete of louing sounds

For their sakes; springing from such spritely sports;

Can catch with her kinde Lures. But hill resorts

To wilde-Beasts slaughters; accents farr-off heard

Of Harps, and Dances; and of woods vnsheard

The sacred shades she loues; yet likes as well

Citties where good men, and their off-spring dwell.

The third, whom her kinde Passions nothing please;

Is Virgine Vesta; whom Saturnides

Made reuerend with his counsailes: when his Sire

That aduers counsailes agitates, lifes fire

Had kindled in her; being his last begot.

Whom Neptune wow'd, to knit with him the knot

Of honord Nuptialls; and Apollo too;

Which, with much vehemence, she refus'd to doe;

And sterne Repulses, put vpon them both.

Adding to all her vows; the Gods great Oath;

And touching Ioues chynn, (which must consummate

All vows so bound) that she would hold her state;

[Page]And be th'Inuincible Maid of Deities

Through all her daies dates. For Saturnides

Gaue her a faire gift, in her Nuptialls stedd;

To sit in midst of his house, and be fedd

With all the free, and richest feast of Heauen:

In all the Temples of the Gods being giuen

The prise of honor. Not a mortall Man,

(That either of the powrs Olympian

His half-birth hauing; may be said to be

A mortall of the Gods; or else that he

(Deities wills doings) is of Deitie)

But giues her honor, of the amplest kinde.

Of all these Three; can Venus, not a Minde

Deceiue, or set on forces to reflect.

Of all powrs els yet, not a sex, nor sect,

Flies Venus; either of the blessed Gods;

Or Men, confin'de in mortall Periods.

But euen the Minde of Ioue, she doth seduce,

That chides with Thunder so, her lawlesse vse

In humane Creatures; and by lot is giuen

Of all, most honor; both in Earth, and Heauen.

And yet euen his all-wise, and mightie Minde;

She, when she lifts, can forge affectes to blinde,

And mixe with mortall Dames, his Deitie:

Conceald, at all parts, from the ielous eye

Of Iuno; who was both his sister borne,

And made his wife; whom beautie did adorne

Past all the B [...]ie of immortall Dames;

[Page]And whose so chiefely-glorified Flames

Crosse-counsailde Saturne got; and Rhaea bore;

And Ioues pure counsailes, (being Conqueror)

His wife made of his sister. I, and more;

Cast such an amorous fire into her minde

As made her (like him) with the Mortall kinde

Meete in vnmeete bedd; vsing vtmost haste;

Lest she should know, that he liu'd so vnchaste,

Before her selfe, felt that fault in her heart;

And gaue her tongue, too iust edge of Desert

To tax his lightnes. With this End, beside,

Lest laughter-studying Venus, should deride

The Gods more then the Goddesses; and say

That shee the Gods commixt in amorous play,

With mortall Dames; begetting mortall seede

T'Immortall sires; and not make Goddesses breede

The like with mortall Fathers. But t'acquite

Both Gods and Goddesses of her despite,

Ioue tooke (euen in her selfe) on him, her powre;

And made her with a mortall Paramoure

Vse as deform'd a mixture, as the rest;

Kindling a kinde affection in her brest

To God-like-limm'd Anchises; as he kept

[...], Altissimum habens virticem, cuiuss [...]mmitas ipsum polum [...]ngit.

On Idas-top-on-top-to-heauens-Pole heapt,

Amongst the manie fountaines there, his Herd;

For after his braue Person had apper'de

To her bright eye; her heart flew all on fire;

And (to amaze) she burn'd in his desire.

[Page]Flew strait to Cyprus, to her odorous Phane

And Altars, that the people Paphiane

Aduanc't to her. Where, (soone as entred) shee

The shyning gates shut; and the Graces three

Washt; and with Oiles of euerlasting sent,

Bath'd, as became, her deathlesse lyneament.

Then her Ambrosian Mantle she assum'd;

With rich and odoriferous Ayres perfum'd;

Which being put on; and all her Trimms beside

Fayre, and with all allurements amplified;

The All-of-Gold-made-laughter-louing Dame;

Left odorous Cyprus; and for Troy became

A swift Contendresse; her Passe cutting All

Along the cloudes; and made her instant fall

On fountfull Ida; that her Mother-Brests

Giues to the Preyfull broode, of sauage Beasts.

And through the Hill she went, the readie way

T'Anchises Oxstall, where did fawne and play

About her blessed feet, Wolues griflie-gray;

Terrible Lyons; many a Mankind Beare;

And Lybberds swift, insatiate of red Deare.

Whose sight so pleas'd, that euer as she past

Through euery Beast, a kindely Loue she cast:

That in their Denns-obscur'd with shadowes deepe;

Made all, distinguisht, in kinde Couples, sleepe.

And now she reacht the rich Pauilion

Of the Heroe; In whom heauens had showne

A fayre and goodly Composition.

[Page]And whom she in his Oxstall found, alone;

His Oxen feeding in fat Pastures, by;

He walking vp, and downe; sounds clere, and hye,

From his harp striking. Then, before him, shee

Stood like a Virgine, that inuinciblie

Had borne her beauties; yet alluringly

Bearing her person; lest his rauisht eye

Should chance t'affect him, with a stupid feare.

Anchises seeing her, all his senses were

With wonder stricken; and high-taken-heed [...]s

Both of her forme; braue stature; and rich weedes.

For, for a vaile; she shin'd in an Attire

That cast a radiance, past the Ray of fire.

Beneath which, wore she guirt to her, a Gowne

Wrought all with growing-rose-budds; reaching downe

T'her slender smalls; which buskinns did diuine;

Such as taught Thetis siluer Feete to shine.

Her soft white neck; rich Carquenets embrac't;

Bright, and with gold, in all variety grac't;

That, to her brests (let downe) lay there and shone,

As at her ioyfull full, the rising Moone.

Her sight show'd miracles. Anchises Heart,

Loue tooke into his hand; and made him part

With these high Salutations; Ioy, (O Queene?)

Whoeuer of the Blest, thy beauties beene,

That light these Entries! Or the Deitie

That Darts affecteth; or that gaue the eye

Of Heauen, his heat and Luster! Or that moues

[Page]The hearts of all, with all-commanding Loues?

Or generous Themis? Or the blew-eyd Maid?

Or of the Graces, any that are laid

With all the Gods, in comparable skales?

And whom Fame, vp to Immortalitie calles?

Or any of the Nymphs, that vnshorne Groues,

Or that this fayre Hill-habitation loues?

Or valleys, flowing with earths fattest Goods?

Or Fountaines, pouring forth, eternall floods?

Say, which, of all thou art; that in some place

Of circular prospect, for thine eyes deare grace

I may an Altar build, and to thy Powres

Make sacred all the yeares deuoted Howres,

With consecrations sweet, and oppulent.

Assur'd whereof; be thy benigne Minde bent

To these wisht blessings of me; giue me parts

Of chiefe attraction in Troian hearts.

And after; giue me the refulgencie

Of most renownd, and rich Posteritie;

Long, and free life; and Heauens sweet light as long;

The peoples blessings; and a health so strong;

That no disease, it let my life engage;

Till th'vtmost limit, of a humane Age.

To this, Ioues seede, this answer gaue againe;

Anchises? happiest of the humane straine?

I am no Goddesse: why, a thrall to Death

Think'st thou like those, that immortality breath?

A woman brought me forth, my Fathers Name

[Page]Was Otreus (If euer his high fame

Thine eares haue witnest) for he gouernd all

The Phrygian State: whose euery Towne, a wall

Impregnable embrac't. Your tongue, (you heare)

I speake so well, that in my naturall spheare

(As I pretend) It must haue taken prime.

A woman likewise, of the Troian clime

Tooke of me, in her house, the Nurses care

From my deare Mothers Bosome; and thus are

My words of equall accent, with your owne.

How, here, I come; (to make the reason knowne)

Argicides, that beares the Golden Rod

Transferd me forciblie from my Abod

Made with the Maiden Traine, of her that ioies

In Golden shafts; and loues so well the noise,

Of Hounds, & Hunters (Heauens pure-liuing powre)

Where many a Nymph, and maid of mighty Dowre,

Chast sports emploid All circkl'd with a Crowne

Of infinite Multitude, to see so showne

Our maiden Pastimes. Yet from all the Fayre

Of this so forcefull concourse; vp in Ayre

The Golden-Rodd-sustaining-Argus Guide,

Rapt me in sight of all; and made me ride

Along the Clouds with him; enforcing me

Thro [...]gh many a labour of Mortalitie:

Through many an vnbuilt Region; and a rude,

Where sauage Beasts, deuour'd Preys warme, and crude▪

And would not let my feares, take one foots tred

[Page]On her by whom, are all Liues comforted;

But said, my Maiden State, must grace the Bed

Of King Anchises: And bring forth to thee

Issue as faire, as of diuine Degree.

Which said, and showing me thy mouing Grace;

Away flew he vp, to th'Immortall Race.

And thus came I to thee: Necessitie

With her steele stings; compelling me t'applie

To her high Powre, my will. But You must I,

Implore by Ioue; and all the reuerence due,

To your deare Parents; who (in bearing you)

Can beare no meane saile; leade me home to them

An vntoucht Maid: being brought vp in th'extreme

Of much too cold simplicitie; to know

The fiery cunnings, that in Venus glow.

Show me to them then; and thy Brothers borne:

I shall appeare none, that, parts disadorne;

But such as well may serue, a Brothers wife;

And show them now, euen to my future life;

If such, or no, my Present, will extend.

To Horse-Breede-vary'ng Phrygia, likewise send

T'Informe my Sire and Mother of my State,

That liue for me, extreame disconsolate.

Who Gold enough, and well-wouen weedes will giue.

All whose rich Gifts, in my Amends receiue.

All this perform'd; adde celebration then

Of honord Nuptialls; that by God and Men

Are held in reuerence. All this while she said;

[Page]Into his bosome, iointly, she conuaid

The fires of loue; when (all enamourd) He

In these terms answered: If Mortalitie

Confine thy Fortunes; and a woman were

Mother to those attractions that appeare

In thy admir'd forme; thy great Father giuen

High Name of Otreus; and the Spie of Heauen

(Immortall Mercurie) th'enforce-full cause

That made thee lose the Prize of that applause,

That modestie, immaculate Virgines giues:

My wife thou shalt be call'd, through both our liues.

Nor shall the powrs of Men, nor Gods withhold

My fiery resolution, to enfold

Thy bosome in mine armes; which here I vow

To firme performance, past delay; and Now.

Nor (should Apollo with his siluer Bow

Shoote me to instant death) would I forbeare

To doe a deede, so full of cause so deare.

For with a Heauen-sweet woman, I will ly,

Though strait I stoope the house of Dis, 'and die.

This said; he tooke her hand; and she tooke way

With him; her bright eyes casting round; whose stay

She stuck vpon a bed, that was before

Made for the King, and wealthie couerings wore.

On which, Beares Hydes, and bigg-voic't Lyons lay;

Whose Preyfull liues, the King had made his Prey,

Hunting th'Idalian Hills. This Bed when they

Had both ascended; first he tooke from her

[Page]The fierie weede, that was her vtmost weare.

Vnbutto'nd her next rosie Robe; and los'd

The Gyrdle, that her slender wast enclos'd.

Vnlac't her buskinns; all her Iewellrie

Tooke from her neck, and brests; and all lay'd by,

Vpon a Golden-studded Chaire of State.

Th'Amaze of all which, being remou'd: euen Fate,

And counsaile of the equall Gods gaue way

To this; that with a Deathlesse Goddesse lay

A deathfull Man: since, what his loue assum'd,

Not with his conscious knowledge, was presum'd.

Now when the shepherds, and the Herdsmen, all,

Turnd from their flowrie Pasture, to their Stall;

With all their Oxen; fat, and frolick sheepe;

Venus, into Anchises, cast a sleepe,

Sweet, and profound; while, with her owne hands now

With her rich weeds, she did her selfe indow:

But so distinguisht; that he clere might know:

His happie Glories; Then (to her desire

Her heauenly Person; put in Trimms entire)

Shee by the bed stood, of the well-built Stall,

Aduanc't her head, to State Celestiall,

And in her cheekes, arose the radiant hew

Of rich-cround Venus, to apparant view.

And then she rou [...]'d him from his rest; and said;

Vp (my Dardanides) forsake thy bed.

What pleasure, late emploid, letts Humor steepe

Thy lidds, in this inexcitable sleepe?

[Page]Wake, and now say, If I appeare to thee

Like her, that first, thine eyes conceited me.

This started him from sleepe; though deepe, and deare,

And passing promptlie, he enioy'd his eare.

But when his eye saw Venus neck, and eyes,

Whose beauties could not beare the Counterprise

Of any other: downe his owne eyes fell;

Which pallid feare, did from her view repell:

And made him, with a maine respect beside;

Turne his whole person from her state; and hide

(With his rich weede appos'd) his royall face;

These wing'd words vsing; When, at first, thy Grace,

Mine eyes gaue entertainment; well I knew

Thy state was Deified: but thou told'st not true;

And therefore let me pray thee; (by thy Loue

Borne to thy Father, Aegis-bearing Ioue)

That thou wilt neuer let me liue to be

An abiect, after so diuine degree

Taken in fortune; but take ruth on me.

For any Man that with a Goddesse lies;

Of interest in immortalities,

Is neuer long liu'd. She replied; Forbeare

(O happiest of Mortall Men) this feare:

And rest assur'd; that (not for me, at least)

Thy least ills feare fits; no nor for the rest

Of all the Blessed; for thou art their friend;

And so farr from sustaining instant end;

That to thy long-enlarg'd life; there shall spri [...]g

[Page]Amongst the Troians, a deare Sonne, and King;

To whom shall many a Sonne; and Sonnes Sonne rise

In euerlasting-great Posterities.

His Name Aeneas: therein keeping life;

For euer, in my much-conceipted griefe;

That I (immortall) fell into the bed

Of one whose blood, Mortality must shed.

But rest thou comforted; and all the Race

That Troy shall propagate, in this high grace;

That, past all Races else, the Gods stand nere

Your glorious Nation; for the formes ye beare

And Natures so ingenuous, and sincere.

For which, the great in counsailes (Iupiter)

Your Gold-lockt Ganymedes did transfer

(In rapture farr from mens depressed fates)

To make him Consort with our Deified states;

And skale the Top [...] of the Saturnian skies;

He was so meere a Marueile in their eyes.

And therefore from a Bolle of Gold he fills

Redd Nectar; that the rude distension kills

Of windes that in your humane stomacks breede.

But then did Languor,

[...] Cuius Memoria erit perpetua.

on the Liuer feede

Of Tros (his Father) that was King of Troy;

And euer did his memorie employ

With losse of his deare bewtie so bereuen;

Though with a sacred whirlewinde [...]apt to heauen.

But Ioue (in pittie of him) saw him giuen

Good compensation; sending by Heauens Spye,

[Page]White-swift-hou'd Horse; that Immortality

Had made firme spirrited; and had (beside)

Hermes to see his Ambassie supplied

With this vow'd Bountie (vsing all at large

That his vnaltered counsailes gaue in charge)

That he himselfe, should Immortality breath,

Expert of Age, and Woe, as well as Death.

This Ambassie exprest, he mourn'd no more;

But vp, with all his inmost minde he bore;

Ioying that he, vpon his swift-hou'd Horse,

Should be stustain'd in an eternall course.

So did the golden-thron'de Aurora, raise

Into her Lap; another that the praise

Of an Immortall fashion, had in Fame;

And of your Nation, bore the Noble Name:

(His Title Tython) who, not pleas'd with her,

As she his louely Person, did transfer;

(To satisfie him) she bad aske of Ioue,

The Gift of an Immortall for her Loue.

Ioue gaue; and bound it with his bowed Brow;

Performing to the vtmost point, his vow.

Foole that she was; that would her loue engage;

And not, as long aske, from the Bane of Age,

The sweet exemption; and Youths endlesse flowre.

Of which, as long, as both the grace and powre

His person entertainde; she lou'd the Man;

And (at the fluents of the Ocean

Nere Earths extreame bounds) dwelt with him: but when

[Page](According to the course of aged Men)

On his faire head; and honorable Beard;

His first gray hayres, to her light eyes apperd;

She left his bed; yet gaue him still, for food

The Gods Ambrosia; and attire as good.

Till, euen the hate of Age, came on so fast

That not a lyneament of his was grac't

With powre of Motion; nor did still sustaine

(Much lesse) the Vigor had, t'aduance a vaine;

The virtue lost, in each exhausted lim [...],

That, (at his wish) before would answer him;

All Powrs so quite decaid; that when he spake,

His voice, no perceptible accent brake:

Her counsaile, then, thought best; to striue no more;

But lay him in his bed, and lock his Dore.

Such an Immortall; would not I wish thee,

T'extend all daies so, to Eternitie.

But if, as now, thou couldst performe thy course

In Grace of Forme, and all corporeall force

To an eternall Date; Thou then should'st beare

My Husbands worthie Name; and not a Teare,

Should I neede raine, for thy deserts declinde,

From my All clouded bitternesse of minde.

But now, the sterne storme of relentlesse Age

Will quickly circkle thee; that waites [...]'engage

All Men alike; euen Lothsomnesse, and Bane

Attending with it, euery humane [...]ane:

Which euen the Gods bate. Such a Penance lies

[Page]Impos'd on flesh and bloods infirmities.

Which I my selfe must taste, in great degree,

And date as endlesse; for consorting thee.

All the Immortalls, with my opprobrie

Are full, by this time; on their Hearts so lie,

(Euen to the sting of Feare) my cunnings vs'd;

And wiuing conuersations infus'd,

Into the bosomes of the best of them,

With women, that the fraile and mortall stream

Doth daily rauish. All this long since done.

Which now, no more but with effusion

Of teares; I must in Heauen, so much as name:

I haue so forfaited, in this, my Fame,

And am impos'd, paine of so great a kinde

For so much erring, from a Goddesse Minde.

For I haue put beneath my Gyrdle here,

A Sonne, whose sire, the humane mortall sphere

Giues Circumscription. But when first the light

His eyes shall comfort; Nymphs that hant the height;

Of Hills; and Brests haue, of most deepe receit;

Shall be his Nurses: who inhabit now

A Hill of so vast, and diuine a Brow,

As Man, nor God, can come at their Retreates.

Who liue long liues, and eat immortall Meates;

And with Immortalls, in the exercise

Of comely Dances, dare contend; and rise

Into high Question, which deserues the Prise.

The light Sileni, mix in loue with These;

[Page]And of all Spies, the Prince Argicides:

In well-trymmd Caues, their secret meetings made.

And with the liues of these; doth life inuade

Or odorous firre Trees; or high-forheaded Okes;

Together taking their begetting strokes.

And haue tbeir liues and deaths, of equall Dates;

Trees bearing louely, and Delightsome states;

Whom Earth first feedes, that Men initiates.

On her high Hills, she doth their states sustaine,

And they, their owne heights, raise as high againe.

Their Growghts together made; Nymphs call their Groues;

Vowd to th'Immortalls seruices, and loues.

Which mens steeles therefore touch not; but let grow.

But when wise Fates, times for their fadings know;

The faire Trees still, before the faire Nymphs die;

The Bark about them; growne corrupt, and drie;

And all their boughs (falne) yeeld to Earth her right;

And then the Nymphs liues, leaue the louely Light.

And these Nymphs, in their Caues, shall nurse my Son;

Whom (when in him, Youths first grace is begun)

The Nymphs, his Nurses, shall present to thee,

And shew thee what a Birth, thou hast by Me.

And (sure as now I tell thee all these things)

When earth, hath cloth'd her plants, in fiue faire springs;

My selfe will make returne, to this Retreate;

And bring that Flowre of thy enamour'd heate;

Whom when thou then seest, Ioy shall fire thine eyes;

He shall so well Present the Deities.

[Page]And then into thine owne care take thy Sonne;

From his calme seat, to windie Ilion.

Where, if strickt question, be vpon thee past,

Asking what Mother, bore beneath her wast

So deare a Sonne; answer, as I afford

Fit admonition, nor forget a word;

They say a Nymph, call'd Calucopides,

That is with others, an inhabitresse

On this thy wood-crownd Hill; acknowledges

That she, his life gaue. But if thou declare

The Secrets, truth; and art so mad to dare

(In glory of thy fortunes) te approue,

That rich-crownd Venus, mixt with thee in loue;

Ioue (fir'd with my aspersion, so dispred)

Will, with a wreakefull lightning, dart thee dead.

All, now, is told thee; comprehend it All.

Be Master of thy selfe; and doe not call

My Name in question; but, with reuerence vow

To Deities angers, all the awe, ye owe.

This said; shee reacht Heauen, where ayres euer flowe;

And so (O Goddesse) euer honord be

In thy so Odorous Cyprian Emperie;

My Muse, affecting first, thy Fame to raise;

Shall make Transcension now, to others Praise.

The end of the first Hymne to Venus.

To the same.

[Page]

THe Reuerend Rich-crownd, and Faire Queene, I sing;

(Venus) that owes in Fate the fortressing,

Of all Maritimall Cyprus: Where the force

Of gentle-breathing Zephire sterde her Course

Along the waues of the resounding Sea;

While, yet, vnborne, in that soft fome she laie

That brought her forth; whom those faire Howrs that beare

The Golden-bridles; ioyfully stood nere;

Tooke vp into their armes; and put on her

Weed's of a neuer-corruptible weare.

On her immortall head, a Crowne they plac't;

Elaborate; and with all the beauties grac't

That Gold could giue it. Of a weight so great;

That, to impose, aud take off; it had set

Three Handles on it; made for endlesse hold,

Of shyning Brasse; and all adorn'd with Gold.

Her soft neck; all with Carquenets was grac't;

That stoop't, and both her siluer brests embrac't,

[Page]Which euen the Howrs themselues weare in resort,

To Deities Dances; and her Fathers Court.

Grac't at all parts; they brought to Heauen her graces;

Whose first sight seene; all fell into embraces;

Hugg'd her white bands; saluted; wishing, all,

To weare her Maiden Flowre in festiuall

Of sacred Hymen: and to leade her home.

All, to all admiration, ouercome

With Cytheraea, with the violet Crowne.

So, to the black-Browd-sweet-spoke; All Renowne;

Prepare my Song; and giue me, in the end,

The victory; to whose Palme, all contend.

So shall my Muse, for euer honour thee,

And (for thy sake) thy faire Posteritie.

BACCHVS, OR The Pyrats.

[Page]

OF Dionysus (Noble Semeles Son)

I now intend to render Mention:

As on a prominēt shore, his person shone,

Like to a Youth, whose flowre was newly blone.

Bright azure Tresses, plaid about his head;

And on his bright brode shoulders, was dispred

A purple Mantle. Strait he was descride

By certaine Manly Pyrats, that applide

Their vtmost speede to prise him; being abord

A well-built Barck; about whose brode [...]ides ror'd

The wine-black Tyrrhene Billows: Death as black

[Page]Brought them vpon him, in their future wrack.

For soone as they had purchast but his view;

Mutuall signes past them; and ashore they flew:

Tooke him; and brought him, instantly aborde;

Soothing their Hopes, to haue obtain'd a Horde

Of riches with him; and a Ioue-kept King

To such a Flowre, must needes be naturall spring.

And therefore-strait, strong Fetters they must fetch,

To make him sure. But no such strength would stretch,

To his constrain'd Powrs. Farr flew all their Bands

From any least force, done his feet, or hands.

But he sate casting smiles, from his black eyes

At all their worst. At which Discoueries

Made by the Master: he did thus dehort

All his Associats; Wretches? Of what sort,

Hold ye the Person, ye assaie to binde?

Nay, which of all, the Powre fully-diuin'de

Esteeme ye him? whose worth yeelds so much weight,

That, not our well-built Barck, will beare his freight.

Or Ioue himselfe he is; Or he that beares

The siluer Bowe; Or Neptune. Nor appeares

In him the least resemblance of a Man;

But of a straine; at least Olympian.

Come! Make we quick dismission of his state;

And on the black-soild earth, exonerate

Our sinking vessell, of his Deified Lode:

Nor dare the touch, of an intangible God.

Lest windes outragious, and of wrackfull scath;

[Page]And smoking Tempests, blowe his fiery wrath.

This well-spoke Master, the Tall captaine gaue

Hatefull, and horrible language: call'd him slaue;

And bad him mark the prosperous gale that blew;

And bow their vessell, with her maine saile, flew.

Bade all take armes; and said, their workes requir'de;

The cares of Men; and not of an inspir'de,

Pure zealous Master. His firme hopes being fir'de

With this Opinion; that they should ariue

In Aegypt strait; or Cyprus; or where liue

Men whose braue breaths, aboue the Northwinde blowe;

Yea, and perhaps beyond their Region too.

And that he made no doubt, but in the end,

To make his Prisoner, tell him euery friend

Of all his off-spring: Brothers: Wealth, and All;

Since that Prise, certaine, must some God let fall.

This said; the Most, and maine-saile; vp he drew,

And in the maine sailes midd'st, a franck Gale blew;

When all his ship tooke arms, to braue their Prise.

But strait, strange works apperde to all their eyes:

First; sweete wine, through-their swift-black Barck did flow;

Of which, the Odors, did, a little, blowe:

Their fiery spirits, making th'Ayre so fine,

That, they in flood were there, as well as wine.

A meere Immortall-making sauour rose;

Which on the Ayre, the Deitie did Impose.

The Sea-Men see'ng All; Admiration seas'd.

Yet instantly, their wonders were encreas'd:

[Page]For on the Top saile, there rann, here, and there,

A Vine that Grapes did, in abundance beare;

And in an instant, was the ships maine Mast

With an obscure-greene-Iuies armes embrac't,

That florisht strait, and were with Buries grac't;

Of which, did Gyrlonds, circle euery brow

Of all the Pirats; and no One knew how.

Which when they sawe, they made the Master stere

Out to the shore: whom Bacchus made forbeare,

With showing more wonders; On the Hatches, He

Apper'd a terrible Lyon, horriblie

Roring; and in the Mid-deck, a Male Beare,

Made with a huge Mane: making all, for feare

Crowd to the sterne, about the Master there:

Whose Minde, he still kept, dantlesse, and sincere.

But on the Captaine rusht and rampt, with force

So rude, and sodaine; that his maine recours

Was to the Maine-Sea strait: and after him,

Leapt all his Mates; as trusting to their swimm;

To fly foule Death. But so; found what they fled,

Being all to Dolphinns, metamorphosed.

The Master, he tooke Ruth of; sau'd, and made.

The blessedst Man, that euer tried his Trade.

These few words giuing him: Be confident

Thou God-inspir'd Pylot! In the Bent

Of my affection, readie to requite

Thy late-to-me-intended benefite.

I am the Roring God, of spritely Wine:

[Page]Whom Semele, (that did, euen Ioue incline,

To amorous Mixture, and was Cadmus care)

Made issue to the Mighty Thunderar.

And thus, all Excellence of Grace to thee,

Sonne of sweete-count'nance-cary'ng Semele.

I must not thee forget, in least Degree,

But pray thy spirit, to render so, my song,

Sweete, and all waies, in order'd furie, strong.

To Mars.

[Page]

[Page]

MArs Most strong: Gold-helm'd; making Chariots crack;

Neuer without a shield, cast on thy back.

Minde master towne-guard▪ with darts neuer driuen.

Strong-handed; Allarmes; fort, and fence of heauen.

Father of Victory, with faire strokes giuen.

Ioint surrogate of Iustice, lest she fall;

In vniust strifes, a Tyrant. Generall,

Onely of Iust. Men, iustly. That dost beare

Fortitud's Scepter. To Heauens fiery sphere

Giuer of circulare motion: betweene

That, and the Pleiad's that still wandring bene.

Where thy still vehemently-flaming Horse,

About the third Heauen, make their fiery course.

Helper of Mortalls; Heare! As thy fires giue

The faire, and present boldnesses that striue

In Youth for Honor; being the sweete-beamd Light

That darts into their liues, from all thy Height

The Fortitudes, and Fortunes, found in fight.

[Page]So, would I likewise wish to haue the Powre

To keepe off, from my head, thy bitter Howre;

And that false fire, cast from my soules lowe kinde,

Stoope to the fit rule, of my highest Minde.

Controuling, that so eager sting of wrath,

That styrrs me on still, to that horrid scath

Of warr; that God still sends to wreake his splene;

(Euen by whole Tribes) of proud iniurious Men.

But O thou euer-blessed! Giue me still,

Presence of minde, to put in Act, my will

Varied, as fits, to all Occasion.

And to liue free; vnforc't; vnwrought vpon;

Beneath those Lawes of Peace, that neuer are

Affected with Pollutions Populare

Of vniust hurt; or losse to any One;

And to beare safe, the burthen vndergone

Of Foes inflexiue, and inhumane hates;

Secure from violent, and harmefull Fates.

To Diana.

[Page]

DIana praise (Muse) that in Darts delights;

Liues still a Maid, & had nutritiall rights

With her borne-Brother, the farr-shooting Sunn.

That doth her all of Gold-made-Chariot runn

In Chace of Game; from Meles that abounds

In black-browd Bull-rushes; (and where her Hounds,

She first vncouples; ioyning there, her Horse)

Through Smyrna; carried in most fiery course

To Grape-rich Claros. Where (in his rich hom [...],

And constant expectation she will come)

Sits Phoebus, that the siluer Bowe doth beare;

To meete with Phoebe, that doth Darts transferre

As farr as He his shafts. As farr then, be

Th [...] chaste Fame shot (O Queene of Archerie)

Sacring my song, to euery Deitie.

To Venus.

[Page]

TO Cyprian Venus, still my verses vow:

Who Gifts, as sweete as honey doth bestow

On all Mortality. That euer smiles;

And rules a face, that all foes reconciles.

Euer sustaining in her hand, a Flowre,

That all desire keepes, euer in her Powre.

Haile then O Queene of well-built Salamine,

And all the state, that Cyprus doth confine:

Informe my song, with that celestiall fire,

That in thy beauties, kindles all desire.

So shall my Muse, for euer honour Thee,

And any other, thou commend'st to Me.

To Pallas.

[Page]

PAllas Minerua; Onely I beginne

To giue my song; that makes warrs terrible Dinne:

Is Patronesse of Citties; and with Mars

Marshall'd in all the care, and cure of wars:

And in euerted Citties, fights, and Cries.

But neuer doth her selfe, set downe, or rise,

Before a Cittie; but at both times Shee,

All iniur'de people, sets on foot, and free.

Giue, with thy warrs force, Fortune then to Me;

And with thy Wisedomes force, Felicity.

To Iuno.

[Page]

SAturnia, and her Throne of Gold I sing;

That was of Rhaea, the eternall spring;

And Empresse of a beautie; neuer yet

Equall'd in height of Tincture. Of the great

Saturnius (breaking Ayre, in awfull Noise,)

The farr-fam'd wife, and sister; whom in ioies

Of high Olympus, all the blessed Loue;

And Honour, equall, with vnequall'd Ioue.

To Ceres.

[Page]

THe Rich-hayr'd, Ceres, I assaie to sing;

A Goddesse, in whose Grace the naturall spring

Of serious Maiestie it selfe, is seene:

And of the wedded, yet in grace stil green,

(Proserpina, her Daughter) that displaies

A Beautie, casting euery way her Raies.

All Honor to thee (Goddesse:) keepe this Towne;

And take, thou, chiefe charge of my songs Renoune.

TO THE MOTHER OF The Gods.

[Page]

MOther of All; both Gods, and Men, Commend

(O Muse) whose faire Forme did from Ioue descend;

That doth with Cymball sounds, delight her life;

And tremulous diuisions of the Fife.

Loues dreadfull Lyons Rores; and Wolues hoarse Houles,

Syluane Retreates; and Hills, whose hollow knoules,

Raise repercussiue soundes about her eares.

And so, may, Honour, euer crowne thy yeares,

With All-else Goddesses; and euer be

Exalted in the Muses Harmonie.

TO LYON-HEARTED Hercules.

[Page]

ALlcides, (Force-fullest of all the Broode

Of Men, enforc't with neede of earthie foode,)

My Muse shal memorise; the son of Ioue;

Whom, in faire-seated Thebs (commixt in loue

With great Heauens sable-cloude-assembling state)

Al [...]mena bore to him. And who (in date

Of daies forepast) through all the Sea was sent

And Earths inernarable Continent,

To Acts, that King Eurystheus had decreede.

Did many a Petulant, and Imperious Deede

Himselfe; and therefore, suffer'd many a Toile.

Yet now inhabites the illustrious Soile

[Page]Of white Olympus; and Delights his life

With still young Hebe; his well-anckled wife.

Haile, King; and Sonne of Ioue; vouchsafe thou Me

Virtue; and her Effect, Felicitie.

To Aesculapius.

[Page]

WIth Aesculapius, (the Phisition) Sonne,

That cur'd all sicknesse, and was Phoebus

M [...] Muse, makes Entrie; to whose life gaue yield

Diuine Coronis, in the Dotian field,

(King Phlegius Daughter:) who, much Ioy on Men

Conferd in deare Ease, of their yrkesome Paine.

For which; my salutation (worthy King)

And vowes to thee paid, euer when I sing.

TO CASTOR AND POLLVX.

[Page]

CAstor and Pollux, (the Tyndarides)

Sweete Muse illustrate; that their Essences

Fetch from the high forms of Olympian Ioue;

And were the faire fruits of bright Leda's Loue.

Which shee produc't, beneath the sacred shade

Of steepe Taygetus; being subdu'd; and made

To serue Affections of the Thunderer.

And so, all Grace to you; whom all Auer,

(For skill in Horses, and their Manage geuen)

To be the brauest Horsemen, vnder Heauen.

To Mercurie.

[Page]

HErmes, I honor, (the Cyllenian Spie)

King of Cyllenia, and of Arcadie

With flocks abounding: and the Messenger

Of all th'Immortalls; that doth still inferre

Profites of infinite valew to their store:

Whom to Saturnius, bashfull Maia bore;

Daughter of Atlas; and did therefore flie

Of all th'Immortalls, the Societie,

To that darcke Caue; where, in the dead of Night,

Ioue ioind with her, in Loues diuine Delight;

When Golden sleepe, shut Iuno's iealous eye,

Whose arms had wrists, as white as Iuorie;

From whom, and all, both Men, and Gods beside,

The faire-hayrd Nymph, her scape kept vnderscride.

Ioy to the Ioue-got then, and Maia's Care;

Twixt Men and Gods, the generall Messenger:

Giuer of good Grace; Gladnesse, and the Flood

Of all that Men, or Gods, account their Good.

To Pan.

[Page]

[Page]

SIng (Muse) this chiefe of Hermes loue-got Ioies;

Goate-sooted, Two-horn'd; amorous of noise.

That through the faire-Greenes, al adorn'd with Trees

Together goes, with Nymphs; whose nimble knees,

Can euer [...] Dance, foot; That affect to scale

The most inaccessible Tops of all

Vprightest rocks: and euer vse to call

On Pan, the bright-hayr'd God of Pastorall.

Who yet, is leane, and louelesse; and doth owe

By lot, all loftiest▪ Mountaines, crown'd with snowe;

All Tops of Hills, and cliffie Highnesses:

All Siluan Copses, and the Fortresses

Of Thorniest Queaches, here and there doth roue.

And sometimes, (by allurement of his loue;)

[Page]Will wade the watrie softnesses. Sometimes

(In quite oppos'de Capriccios) he climes

The hardest Rocks, and highest: euery way

Running their Ridges. Often will conuaie

Himselfe vp to a watch-Towrs Top; where sheepe;

Haue their Obseruance: oft through Hills as steepe,

His Gotes he runns vpon; and neuer rests.

Then turns he head; and flies on sauage Beasts,

Mad of their slaughters. So most sharpe an eye

Setting vpon them; as his Beames let flie

Through all their thickest Tapistries. And then

(When Hesp'rus calls to folde, the flocks of Men)

From the greene Clossets, of his loftiest Reedes,

He rushes forth; and Ioy, with Song, he feedes.

When, (vnder shadow, of their motions, set,)

He plaies a verse forth, so profoundly sweet;

As not the Bird that in the flowrie Spring

(Amidds the leaues set) makes the Thickets ring

Of her sowre sorrowes, sweetened with her song,

Runns her diuisions varied so, and strong.

And then the sweete-voic't Nymphs, that crowne his mountaines;

(Flockt round about, the deepe-black-watred fountaines;

Fall in with their Contention of song.

To which, the Echoes, all the Hills along

Their repercussions add. Then here, and there

(Plac't in the midd'st) the God, the Guide doth beare

Of all their Dances; winding in, and out.

A Lynces Hide (besprinckled round about

[Page]With blood, cast on his shoulders. And thus He

With well-made songs, maintaines th'alacritie

Of his free minde, in silken Meddows crownde

With Hyacynths, and Saffrons; that abound

Iu sweete-breath'd Odors: that th'vnnumber'd grasse

(Besides their sents) giue as through all they passe.

And these, in all their pleasures, euer raise

The blessed Gods and long Olympus, praise:

Like zealous Hermes; who (of all) I said

Most Profits, vp, to all the Gods conuaide.

Who, likewise, came into th'Arcadian state;

(That's rich in Fountaines; and all celebrate

For Nurse of flocks.) Where, he had vowd a Groue

(Surnam'd Cyllenius) to his God-heads loue.

Yet euen himselfe (although a God he were

Clad in a squallid sheepskinn) gouernd there

A Mortalls sheepe. For soft Loue, entring him,

Conformd his state, to his conceipted Trimm.

And made him long, in an extreame degree,

T'enioy the fayre-hayrd Virgine Dryope.

Which, ere he could; she made him consummate

The florishing Rites of Hymens honord State.

And brought him, such a peece of Progenie,

As showd (at first sight) monstrous to the eye;

Gote-footed, Two-horn'd; full of noise, euen Then;

And (opposite quite to other children)

Told (in sweete laughter) he ought death no Teare.

Yet strait his Mother start; and fled, in feare

[Page]The sight of so vnsatisfying a Thing;

In whose face, put forth, such a bristled spring.

Yet the most vsefull Mercurie embrac't,

And tooke into his armes, his homely-fac't:

Beyond all measure ioyfull with his sight:

And vp to heauen with him, made instant flight,

Wrapt in the warme skinne, of a Mountaine Hare:

Set him by Ioue; and made most merrie fare

To all the Deities else, with his Sonnes sight;

Which, most of all, fill'd Bacchus with delight;

And Pan they call'd him, since he brought to All,

Of Mirth so rare; and full a Festiuall.

And thus, all honor to the shepherds King:

For Sacrifice to Thee, my Muse shall sing.

To Vulcan.

[Page]

PRaise Vulcane, now Muse; whom Fame giues the Prise,

For Depth, & Facture, of al Fordge deuise;

Who, with the skie-eyd Pallas, first did giue

Men, rules of buildings, that before did liue,

In Caues, and Denns; and Hills like sauage Beasts:

But now, by Art-fam'd Vulcans Interests

In all their ciuill Industries; waies cleare

Through th'All-things-bringing-to-their-Ends, (the yeare)

They worke out to their Ages ends; at ease

Lodg'd in safe Roofes, from Winters vtmost prease.

But Vulcan; stand propitious to Me;

Virtue safe, granting, and Felicitie.

To Phoebus.

[Page]

O Phoebus! Euen the Swann from forth her wings,

(Iumping her proyning-banck) thee sweetly sings,

By bright Peneus, whirle-pit-making-streames.

Thee, that thy Lute; mak'st sound so to thy Beames.

Thee, first and last, the sweete-voic't singer, still

Sings; for thy songs-all-songs-transcending skill.

Thy Pleasure then; shall my song still supply:

And so salutes thee, King of Po [...]sie.

To Neptune.

[Page]

NEptune, the mighty Marine God, I sing;

Earths mouer; & the fruitles Oceans king.

That Helicon, and th'Aegan Deepes dost hold.

O thou Earth-shaker; Thy Command, two-fold

The Gods haue sorted; making thee, of Horses

The awfull Tamer; and of Nauall Forces

The sure Preseruer. Haile (O Saturns Birth)

Whose gracefull greene bayre, circkles all the Earth.

Beare a benigne minde; and thy helpfull hand,

Lend All, submitted, to thy drad Command.

To Ioue.

[Page]

[Page]

IOue, now I sing; the greatest, & the best,

Of al these Powrs, that are with Deitie blest.

That farr-off, doth his dreadfull Voice, diffuse;

And (being King of All) doth all conduce

To all their Ends. Who (shut from all-Gods else

With Themis; that the lawes of all things tells)

Their fit Composures, to their Times doth call;

Wedds them together; and preserues This All. (geuen;

Grace then (O farr-heard Ioue) the grace t'hast

Most glorious, & most great of Earth & Heauen.

To Vesta.

[Page]

VEsta, that (as a seruant) Ouersees

King Phoebus hallowd house: in all degrees

Of Guide about it; on the sacred shore

Of heauenly Pythos: and hast euermore

Rich balms distilling from thy Odorous hayre;

Grace this House, with thy huswifely repaire.

Enter, and bring a Minde that most may moue,

Conferring, euen the great in counsailes, Ioue:

And let my verse taste, of your eithers loue.

TO THE MVSES AND APOLLO.

[Page]

THe Muses Ioue, and Phoebus, now I sing;

For from the farr-off-shooting Phoebus, spring

All Poets, and Musitions; and from Ioue

Th'Ascents of Kings. The Man, the Muses loue,

Felicitie blesses; Elocutions choice

In Syrrup lay'ng, of sweetest breath, his voice.

Haile (Seede of Ioue) my song, your honors, giue;

And so, in Mine, shall yours, and others, liue.

To Bacchus.

[Page]

IVie-Crown'd Bacchus, Iterate in thy Praises,

(O Muse) whose Voice, all loftiest

Echoes raises;

And He with all th'illustrous seede of Ioue;

Is ioinde in honor: being the fruite of Loue

To him, and Semele-the-great-in-graces:

And from the King, his Fathers kinde embraces,

By faire-hayrde Nymphs, was taken to the Dales

Of Nyssa; and with curious Festiuals

Giuen his faire Grought; far from his Fathers view,

In Caues, from whence, eternall Odors flew.

And in high number of the Deities plac't;

Yet, when the many-Hymne-giuen God, had past

His Nurses Cares; in Iuies, and in Baies

All ouer Thicketed; his varied waies

To syluan Couerts, euermore he tooke

With all his Nurses; whose shrill voices shooke

[Page]Thickets, in which, could no footes Entrie fall;

And he himself made Captaine of them All.

And so (O Grape-abounding Bacchus) be

Euer saluted by my Muse, and Me.

Giue vs to spend with spirit, our Howres out here;

And euery Howre, extend to many a Yeare.

To Diana.

[Page]

[Page]

DIana, (that the Golden Spyndle, moues;

And loftie soundes, as wel as Bacchus loue [...]

A bashfull Virgine, and of fearefull hearts

The Death-affecter, with delighted Darts;

By Sire, and Mother, Phoebus Sister borne;

Whose Thigh, the Golden Falchion doth adorne)

I sing; who, likewise, ouer Hills of shade,

And Promontories, that vast windes inuade,

(Amorous of Hunting) bends her all-gold Bowe;

And sigh-begetting Arrows doth bestowe,

In fates so dreadfull; that the Hill-Tops quake;

And Bristlde woods, their leauie foreheads shake;

Horrors inuade Earth; and fishie Seas

Impassiond furies; nothing can appease

The dying Braies of Beasts; and her Delight

In so much Death, affects so with affright,

Euen all inanimate natures. For while shee

Her sports applies; Their generall Progenie

[Page]Shee all waies, turnes vpon, to All their Banes:

Yet, when her fierie Pleasures finde their wanes;

(Her yeelding Bowe vnbent) to th'ample House

(Seated in Delphos, rich, and Populous)

Of her deare Brother, her Retreats aduance.

Where, Th'Instauration of delightsome Dance

Amongst the Muses, and the Graces, shee

Giues forme; In which, her selfe the Regencie

(Her vnbent Bowe hung vp; and casting on

A gracious Robe) assumes; and first sets gone

The Dances Entrie; to which, all send forth

Their heauenly voices; and aduance the worth

Of her faire-anckl'd Mother; since, to light

Shee Children brought, the farr most exquisite

In Counsailes, and Performances; of all

The Goddesses, that grace the heauenly Hall.

Haile then, Latona's faire-hayrd seede, & Ioues;

My song shall euer, call to Minde your Loues.

To Pallas.

[Page]

PAllas-Minerua's Deitie, the renown'd:

My Muse, in her variety, must resound;

Mightie in counsailes; whose Illustrous Eyes,

In all resemblance, represent the skies.

A reuerend Maid of an inflexible Minde:

In Spirit, and Person, strong: of Triple kinde;

Fautresse of Citties, that iust Lawes maintaine;

Of Ioue-the-great-in-counsailes, very Braine

Tooke Prime existence: his vnbounded Brows,

Could not containe her; such impetuous Throw's

Her Birth gaue way to; that abrode she flew,

And stood in Gold arm'd, in her Fathers view,

Shaking her sharpe Lance: all Olympus shooke

So terriblie beneath her; that it tooke

Vp, in amazes, all the Deities there.

All Earth resounded, with vociferous Feare.

The Sea was put vp, all in purple Waues;

[Page]And settld sodainly, her rudest Raues.

Hyperions radiant Sonne, his swift-hou'd Steedes,

A mighty Tyme staid; till her arming weedes,

As glorious as the Gods, the blew-eyd Maid

Tooke from her Deathlesse shoulders: but then staid

All these distempers; and heauens counsailor, Ioue,

Reioic't that all things else, his stay, could moue.

So I salute thee still; and still in Praise

Thy Fame, and others, shall my Memorie raise.

To Vesta, and Mercurie.

[Page]

VESta I sing, who, in Bequest of Fate,

Art sorted out, an euerlasting State

In all th'Immortals high-built roofes, & all

Those of Earth-dwelling Men: As generall

And ancient honors, giuen thee for thy gift

Of free-liu'd Chastitie; and precious Thrift.

Nor can there amongst Mortalls, Banquets be;

In which, both first and last, they giue not Thee

Their endlesse Gratitudes, in pourd-out wine;

As gracious sacrifice, to thy diuine

And vsefull virtues; being inuok't by All,

Before the least Taste of their Festiuall

In wine or foode, affect their appetites.

And thou, that of th'adorn'd with all Delights,

Art the most vsefull Angell: borne a God

Of Ioue, and Maia; of Heauens golden Rodd

The sole Sustainer; and hast powre to blesse

[Page]With All good, All Men (great Argicides)

Inhabit all Good houses; see'ng no wants

Of mutuall mindes loue, in Th'inhabitants.

Ioine in kinde blessing with the bashfull Maid

And all-lou'd Virgin, Vesta; eithers aid

Combin'd in euery Hospitable House:

Both being best seene, in all the gracious

House-works of Mortalls. Iointly follow then

Euen from their youths, the mindes of dames and men.

Haile then, ould Daughter of the ouldest God,

And thou great bearer of Heauens golden Rodd?

Yet not to you, alone, my vowes belong;

Others as well, claime T'Homage of my song.

TO EARTH THE Mother of all.

[Page]

MOther of all things, the well-founded Earth,

My Muse shall memorise; who al the birth

Giues foode, that al her vpper regions breede;

All that in her diuine diffusions feede

In vnder Continents: All those that liue

In all the Seas; and All the ayre doth giue

Wing'd expeditions; Of thy bounties eate

Faire Children, and faire fruites, thy labors sweate;

(O great in reuerence:) and referd to thee

For life, and death, is all the Pedigree

Of Mortall humanes. Happie then is He

Whom the innate Propensions of thy Minde

Stand bent to honor. He shall all things finde

[Page]In all abundance: All his Pastures yield

Herds in all plenties: All his roofes are fill'd

With rich possessions: He, in all the swaie

Of Lawes best orderd, cuts out his owne way

In Citties shining with delicious Dames;

And takes his choice of all those striuing Flames.

High happinesse, and riches, (like his Traine)

Follow his Fortunes; with delights that raigne

In all their Princes. Glorie inuests his Sonnes;

His Daughters, with their croun'd selections

Of all the Cittie, frolick through the Meades;

And euery one, her calld-for Dances treads

Along the soft-flowre of the clauer Grasse.

All this, with all those, euer comes to passe,

That thy loue blesses, Goddesse full of grace,

And treasurous Angell t'all the humane Race.

Haile then, Great Mother of the Deified kinde;

Wife to the Cope of Starrs? sustaine a Minde

Propitious to me, for my Praise; and giue

(Answering my minde) my vows fit Meanes to liue.

To the Sun.

[Page]

THe radiant Suns diuine renowne, diffuse

(Ioues Daughter, great Calliope my Muse)

Whom Ox-ey'd Euryphaessa gaue Birth,

To the bright seede of starrie Heauen and Earth.

For the farr-fam'd Hyperion tooke to Wife

His sister Euryphaessa; that life

Of his high Race, gaue, to these louely Three,

Aurora with the Rosie-wrists, and shee

That ownes th'enamouring tresses (the bright Moone)

Together, with the neuer-wearied Sunne.

Who, (his Horse mounting) giues, both Mortalls light

And all Th'immortalls. Euen to horror, bright

A blaze burns from his Golden Burgonet

Which to behold, exceeds the sharpest set

Of any eyes intention: Beames so cleare

It allwaies powres abroade. The glorious cheare

Of his farr-shining Face, vp to his Crowne,

[Page]Casts circular Radiance: that comes streaming downe

About his Temples; his bright Cheekes, and all

Retayning the refulgence of their Fall.

About his bosome flowes so fine a Weede

As doth the thynnesse of the winde exceede

In rich context: beneath whose deepe folds flie

His Masculine Horses, round about the skie;

Till in this Hemisphere, he renders staie

T'his gold-yo'kt Coch, and Coursers: and his way

(Let downe by Heauen) the heauenly Cocheman makes

Downe to the Ocean, where his rest he takes.

My Salutations then, faire King, receiue,

And, in propitious returnes Relieue

My life with Minde-fit means; & then from Thee

And all the race of compleate Deitie

My song shall celebrate those halfe-God states,

That yet, sad deaths condicion circulates.

And whose braue Acts, the Gods shew men, that they

As braue may ayme at; since they can but die.

To the Moone.

[Page]

THe Moone, now Muses, teach me to resound,

Whose wide wings measure such a world of ground.

Ioues Daughter, deckt with the mellifluous Tongue;

And seene in All, the sacred Art of Song.

Whose deathles Brows, when shee from Heauen displaies,

All Earth she wraps vp, in her Orient Raies.

A Heauen of Ornament in Earth is rais'd,

When her Beames rise. The subt'le Ayre is sais'd

Of delicate splendor, from her Crowne of Gold;

And when her siluer Bosome is extoll'd,

Washt in the Ocean; In Daies equall'd Noone,

Is Mid-night seated: but when shee puts on

Her farr-off-sprinckling-Luster-Euening weedes;

(The Moneth in two cut: her high-brested Steedes;

Man'de All with curl'd flames; put in Coch and All,

Her huge Orb fill'd) her whole Trimms Then exhall

Vnspeakable splendors, from the glorious skie.

[Page]And, out of that State, Mortall Men implie

Many Praedictions. And, with Her then

(In Lo [...] mixt) lay, the King of Gods and Men;

By whom, (made fruitfull) she Pandaea bore,

And added her State, to th'immortall Store.

Haile, queene, & Goddesse, th'iuorie-wristed Moone

Diuine, Prompt; faire-hayr'd. With thy grace begun

My Muse shall forth, and celebrate the praise

Of Men whose states, the Deities did raise

To Semideities: whose deedes t'endlesse Date

Muse-lou'd, and sweete-sung Poets celebrate.

TO CASTOR AND POLLVX.

[Page]

IOues faire Sonnes, Father'd by Th'Oebalian King,

Muses-well-worth-All Mens beholdings, sing:

The Deare Birth, that Bright-Anckl'd Laeda bore;

Horse-taming Castor; and the Conqueror

Of Tooth-tongu'd▪ Momus (Pollux:) whom beneath

St [...]epe-Browd Taygetus, she gaue half-God breath;

In Loue mixt with the black-cloudes King of heauen:

Who, both of Men and ships, (being Tempest driuen,

When Winters wrathfull Empire, is in force

Vpon th'Implacable Seas) preserue the course.

For when the Gusts beginn; (if nere the shore)

[Page]The Sea-Men leaue their ship; and (euermore

Bearing two milke-white Lambs aboard;) they now

Kill them ashore, and to Ioues Issue vow,

When, though their ship (in height of all the rore

The windes and waues confound) can liue no more,

In all their hopes; then sodainely appeare

Ioues sauing Sonnes; who both their Bodies beare

Twixt yellowe wings, downe from the sparkling Pole.

Who strait, the rage of those rude Winds controle,

And all the high-waues couch into the Brest

Of T'hoarie Seas. All which sweete signes of rest

To Sea-Mens labors, their glad soules conceiue,

And End to all their yrckesome grieuance giue.

So (once more) to the swift-horse-riding Race

Of Royall Tyndarus, eternall Grace.

TO MEN OF Hospitalitie.

[Page]

REuerence a Man, with vse Propitious,

That Hospitable rights wants; and a house,

(You of this Cittie, with the seate of State

To Ox-eyd Iuno vowd) yet situate

Nere Pluto's Region. At the extreame Base

Of whose so high-hayrd Cittie; from the Race

Of blew-wau'd Hebrus louely Fluent (grac't

With Ioues begetting) you diuine Cups Tast.

Certaine Epigramms AND OTHER POEMS of Homer. To Cuma.

[Page]

[Page]

LEnd hospitable Rights, and house-respect,

You that the Virgine with the faire eys deckt,

Make Fautresse of your stately-seated Towne:

At foot of Sardes, with the high-haird Crowne,

Inhabiting rich Cuma: where ye Taste

Of Hermus heauenly Fluent; all embrac't

By curld-head whyrlpits: And whose waters moue

From the diuine seede, of immortall Ioue.

IN HIS RETVRNE To Cuma.

[Page]

SWiftlie my feete sustaine me to the Towne,

Where Men inhabit, whom due Honors Crowne:

Whose Mindes with free-giuen faculties, are mou'd;

And whose graue Counsailes, best of Best approu'd.

VPON THE SEPVLCHER OF MIDVS, Cut in Brasse, in the FIGVRE OF A VIRGINE.

[Page]

A Maid of Brasse, I am, Inf [...]ixed here

T'Eternise Honest Midus Sepulcher.

And while the streame, her fluent seede receiues;

And steepe trees curle their verdant brows with leaues;

While Phoebus, rais'd aboue the Earth giues sight;

And T'humorous Moone, takes Luster from his light;

While floods beare waues; and Seas shall wash the shore;

At this his Sepulcher, whom all deplore,

I'le constantly Abide; All passers by

Informing; Here, doth Honest Midus Lie.

CVMA REFVSING HIS OFFER T'ETERNISE THEIR STATE, THOVGH BROVGHT THITHER by the Muses.

[Page]

O To what Fate, hath father Ioue giuen O're

My friendles life; borne euer to be Pore?

While in my Infant state, he pleas'd to saue Mee;

Milke, on my reuerend Mothers knees, he gaue Me▪

In delicate, and curious Nurserie.

Aeolian Smyrna, seated neare the Sea;

(Of glorious Empire; and whose bright sides

Sacred Meletus siluer Current glides)

Being natiue Seate to me. Which (in the force,

Of farr-past Time) the Breakers of wilde Horse;

(Phriconias Noble Nation) girt with Towres:

Whose Youth in fight, put on with fiery Powres.

From hence, (the Muse-maids, Ioues illustrous seed [...]

[Page]Impelling me) I made impetuous speede;

And went with them to Cuma; with Intent

T'Eternise all the sacred Continent

And State of Cuma. They (in proud Ascent

From off their Bench) refus'd with vsage fierce

The sacred voice which I auerre, is Verse.

Their follies yet, and madnesse borne by Me

Shall by some Powre, be thought on futurely;

To wreake of him whoeuer, whose tongue sought

With false empaire, my fall. What fate, God brought

Vpon my Birth, Iile beare with any paine;

But vndeseru'd Defame; vnfelt, sustaine.

Nor feeles my Person (deare to me, though Pore)

Any great lust, to linger, any more

In Cuma's holy Highwaies: but my Minde

(No thought empaird, for cares of any kinde

Borne in my body) rather vowes to trie

The Influence of any other skie,

And spirits of People; bredd in any Land▪

Of ne're so slender, and obscure Command.

AN ASSAIE OF HIS BEGVNNE ILIADS.

[Page]

I Lion, and all, the braue-Horse-breeding Soile

(Dardania) I sing; that many a Toile

Impos'd vpon the Mighty Grecian Powrs,

Who were of Mars, the manlie Seruitours.

TO THESTORS SONNE▪ Inquisitiue of HOMER,¹ ABOVT THE CAVSES OF THINGS.

[Page]

THestorides? Of all the skills vnknowne

To errant Mortals; there remains not One,

Of more inscrutable Affaire, to finde

Than is the true State of a humane Minde.

Notes

1

Homer intimated in this his Answer to Thestorides, A will to haue him learne, The knowledge of himselfe, before hee enquir'd so curiously the causes of other things. And from hence, had the great Peripatetique (Themistius) his most graue Epiphoneme, Anima quae seipsam ignorat, quid sciret ipsa de alijs? And therefore (according to Aristotle) aduises all Philosophicall Students, to beginne with that Studie.

↵

To Neptune.

[Page]

[Page]

HEare Powreful Neptune, that shak'st Earth in Ire;

King of the great Greene, where dance All the Quire

Of faire-hayr'd Helicon; giue prosperous Gales

And good passe, to these Guiders of our sailes:

Their Voyage rendring happily directed,

And their Returne, with no ill Fate affected.

Grant, likewise, at rough Mimas lowest rootes,

(Whose strength, vp to her Tops, praerupt rocks shootes)

My Passage safe arriuall; and that I

My bashfull disposition may applie

To Pious Men; and wreake my selfe vpon

The Man whose verball circumuention

In Me, did wrong, t'Hospitious Ioues whole state,

And T'Hospitable Table violate.

To the Cittie Erythraea.

[Page]

[Page]

WOrshipfull Earth; giuer of all things good?

Giuer of, euen Felicitie; whose flood

The Minde all-ouer steepes, in honey Dewe.

That, to some Men, dost infinite kindenesse shew;

To others that despise thee, art a Shrew.

And giu'st them Gamesters galls; who, once, their Maine

Lost with an ill cāhce; fare like Abiects slaine.

To Mariners.

[Page]

YE waue-trod Watermen; As ill as shee

That all the Earth in Infelicitie

Of Rapine plunges. Who vpon youre Fare

As steru'd-like-rauenous, as Cormorants are.

The liues ye leade, (but in the worst Degree)

Not to be enuied, more then Misery.

Take shame, and feare the Indignation

Of him that Thunders from the highest Throne

(Hospitious Ioue) who, at the Back, prepares

Paines of abhord effect, of him that dares

The Pieties breake, of his Hospitious squares.

The Pine.

[Page]

ANy Tree else, beares better Fruit then Thee,

That Idas Tops sustaine; where euery Tree

Beares vp in aire, such perspirable Heights,

And in which, Ca [...]s, and sinuous Receipts

Creepe, in such great abundance. For, about

Thy rootes (that euer, all thy Fruites put out

As nourisht by them, equall with thy Fruites)

Poure Mars his Iron-Mines their accust pursuites.

So that when any Earth-encroching Man

Of all the Martiall Broode Cebrenian;

Plead neede of Iron; They are certaine still,

About thy Rootes, to satiate euery Will.

TO GLAVCVS: WHO WAS SO MISERABLIE, SPARING; THAT HE FEARED ALL MENS ACCESSE TO HIM

[Page]

GLaucus? though wise enough; yet one word more,

Let my aduice add, to thy wisedomes store▪

For t'will be better so. Before thy Dore

Giue still thy Mastifs Meate; that will be sure

To lie there, therefore, still; and not endure

(With way-laid eares) the softest foot can fall;

But Men, and Beasts, make fly Thee and thy stall.

AGAINST THE SAMIAN MINISTRESSE OR NVNNE.

[Page]

HEare Me (O goddesse) that inuoke thine eare:

Thou that dost feede, and forme the youthfull Yeare.

And grant that this Dame, may the loues refuse

And Beds of Young Men; and affect to vse

Humanes whose Temples, hoary hayres distaine;

Whose Powrs are passing coye; whose Wils would faine.

WRITTEN ON THE COVNSAILE Chamber.

[Page]

[Page]

OF Men; Sonnes are the Crownes, of Citties Towres:

Of Pastures, Horse, are the most bewtious Flowres:

Of Seas, ships are the Grace; and Money still

With Traines, and Titles, doth the Family fill.

But Royall Counsailors; in Counsaile set,

Are Ornaments past All, as clearely great;

As Houses are that shining fires enfolde,

Superior farr, to Houses nak't and colde.

THE FORNACE CALL'D IN TO SING BY POTTERS.

[Page]

[Page]

IF ye deale freely (O my fierie Friends,

As ye assure) I'le sing, and serue your Ends.

Pallas: Vouchsafe thou here, inuok't Accesse;

Impose thy hand vpon this Fordge; and blesse

All Cups these Artists earne so; that they may

Looke black still with their depth; and euery way,

Giue all their Vessels a most sacred Sale.

Make all well burn'd; and Estimation call

Vp to their Prices. Let them marcket well;

[Page]And, in all high-waies, in abundance sell.

Till Riches to their vtmost wish arise;

And as thou mak'st them rich; so make me wise.

But if ye now, turne all to Impudence;

And think to pay with lies, my Pacience;

Then will I summon gainst your Fornace, All

Hells harmefull'st spirits; Maragus, I'le call;

Sabactes, Asbett, and Omadamus,

Who, ylls against your Art, Innumerous

Excogitates, supplies, and multiplies.

Come Pallas then; and all command to rise:

Infesting Fordge, and house with fire, till All

Tumble together, and to Ashes Fall:

These Potters selues, dissolu'd in Teares as small.

And as a Horse-cheeke, chides his foming Bit

So let this Fordge, murmure in fire, and flit;

And all this stuffe, to ashie ruines runne.

And thou (O Circe) Daughter of the Sunne;

Great-many-Poison Mixer; come; and poure

Thy cruell'st Poisons, on this Potters floore;

Shiuering their vessells; and themselues affect

With all the Mischiefes possible to direct

Gainst all their Beings, vrdg'd by all thy feends.

Let Chiron, likewise come; and all those friends

(The Centaures) that Alcides fingers fled,

And All the rest too, that his hand strooke dead

(Their Ghosts excited;) come and macerate

These Earthen Men; and yet with further Fate

[Page]Affect their Fornace; All their teare-burst Eyes

Seeing, and mourning for their Miseries.

While I looke On, and laugh their blasted Art,

And them to Ruine. Lastly; if, apart,

Any lies lurking, and sees yet; his Face

Into a Cole, let th'angrie fire embrace;

That all may learne by them; in all their lust

To dare Deedes Great; to see them great and Iust.

EIRESIONE OR The Oliue Branch.

[Page]

[Page]

THe Turrets of a Man of infinite Might;

Of infinite Action; substance Infinite,

Wee make accesse to; whose whole Being rebounds

From Earth to Heauen; & nought but Blisse resounds.

Giue entrie then, ye Dores; more riches yet

Shall enter with me; All the Graces met

In ioy of their fruition: perfect Peace

Confirming All; All crown'd with such encrease,

That euery emptie Vessell in your House

May stand repleate, with all thing precious.

Elaborate Ceres, may your Larders fill

With all deare Delicates; and serue in still.

May, for your Sonne, a Wife make wisht approch,

[Page]Into your Towrs; and rapt in, in her Coch

With strong-kneed Mules. May yet, her state proue staid

With honord Huswiferies: Her faire hand laid

To artfull Loomeworks; and her nak't feet treade

The Gumme of Amber, to a Golden Beade.

But I'le returne; Returne; and yet not presse

Youre bounties now assaid, with oft Accesse;

Once a yeere, onely; as the Swallow prates,

Before the welthie Springs wide open Gates.

Meane time I stand at yours: nor purpose stay

More time t'entreate. Giue, or not giue; away

My feet shall beare me; that did neuer come,

With any thought, to make your House, my Home.

TO CERTAINE FISHER-BOYES PLEASING HIM WITH INGENIOVS RIDDLES.

[Page]

YEt from the bloods, euen of your-selfe-like sires,

Are you descended; that could make ye heires

To no huge hords of Coine; nor leaue ye Able

To feede Flocks of innumerable Rabble.

The end of all the endlesse works of Homer.

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

THe Worke that I was borne to doe, is done.

Glory to him, that the Conclusion

Makes the beginning of my life: and Neuer

Let me be said to li [...]e, till I liue Euer▪

Where's the outliuing of my Fortunes then,

Ye errant vapors of F [...]mes Lernean Fenn?

That (like possest stormes) blast all; not in Herde

With your abhorr'd heads: who▪ because casher'de

By Men, for Monsters; thinck Men, Monsters All,

That are not of your pyed Hood, and your Hall.

When you are nothing but the scumm of things,

And must be cast off: Droues, that haue no stings,

Nor any m [...]re soule, then a stone hath wings.

Auant ye Haggs; your Hates, and Scandalls are,

The Crownes, and Comforts of a good Mans Care;

By whose impartiall Perpendiculare;

All is extuberance, and excretion All,

That you your Ornaments, and glories call.

Your wrie Mouthes censure right? your blister'd Tongues,

That licke but itches? and whose vlce [...]ous Lungs

Come vp at all things permanent, and sound?

O you (like flies in Dreggs) in Humors droun'd;

Your loues, like Atoms, lost in gloomie Ayre;

I would not retriue with a wither'd Haire.

Hate, and cast still your stings then; for your kisses

Betray but Truth; and your Applaud's, are Hisses.

[Page]To see our supercilious wizerds frowne;

Their faces falne like Foggs; and coming downe,

Stincking the Sunn out; make me shine the more:

And like a checkt flood, beare aboue the shore,

That their prophane Opinions faine would set,

To what they see not; know not; nor can let.

Yet then, our learn'd Men, with their Torrents come

Roring from their forc't Hills, all crown'd with [...]ome,

That one not taught like them, should learne to know

Their Greeke rootes, & from thence the Groues that grow,

Casting such rich shades, from great Homers wings:

That first, and last, command the Muses springs.

Though he's best Scholler, that through paines and vows;

Made his owne Master onely; all things know's.

Nor pleades my poore skill; forme; or learned Place;

But dantlesse labor, constant Prayer, and Grace.

And what's all their skill, but vast varied reading?

As if brode-beaten High-waies had the leading

To Truths abstract, and narrow Path, and Pit?

Found in no walke, of any worldly wit.

And without Truth; all's onely sleight of hand,

Or our Law-learning, in a Forraine Land;

Embroderie spent on Cobwebs, Braggart show

Of Men that all things learne; and nothing know.

For Ostentation, humble Truth still flies,

And all confederate fashionists, defies.

And as some sharpe-browd Doctor, (English borne;)

In much learn'd Latine Idioms can adorne

[Page]A verse with rare Attractions▪ yet become

His English Muse, like an [...]ach [...]ean in Loome,

Wrought spight of Pallas; and therein be [...]raies

More tongue then truth, beggs, and adopts his Bayes;

So Ostentation, hee bee neuer so

Larded with labour, to suborne his showe;

Shall soothe within him, but a bastard soule,

No more Heauen heyring, then Earths sonne the Moule.

But as in dead Calmes, emptiest smokes arise

Vncheckt, and free; vp, strait into the skies;

So drousie Peace, that in her humor steepes

All she affects, lets such rise while she sleepes.

Many, and most Men, haue of wealth least store,

But None the gracious shame that fits the Pore;

So most learn'd Men, enough are Ignorant;

But few the grace haue, to confesse their want,

Till Liues, and Learnings, come concomitant.

For from Mens knowledges▪ their Liues-Acts flowe▪

Vaine glorious Acts then, vaine proue all they know.

As Night, the life-enclining starrs, best showes;

So liues obscure, the starriest soules disclose.

For me; let iust Men iudge by what I show

In Acts expos'd, how much I erre, or knowe▪

And let not Enuie, make all worse then nought

With her meere headstrong, and quite braineles thought:

Others, for doing nothing; giuing All;

And bounding all worth in her bursten Gall.

God and my deare Redeemer, rescue Me

[Page]From Mens immane, and mad Impietie;

And by my life and soule, (sole knowne to them)

Make me of Palme, or Yew, an Anadem.

And so, my sole God, the thrice sacred Trine,

Beare all th'Ascription, of all Me and Mine.

²

Sine honore viuam, Nulloque Numero ero.

[Page]

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Notes

2

Supplico tibi Domine, Pater et Dux rationis nostrae; vt Nostrae Nobilitatis recordemur, qua tu nos ornasti; et vt tu nobis prestò sis, vt jis qui per sese mouentur; vt et à Corporis contagio, Brutorumque affectuum repurgemur; [...]osque superemus, atque regamus; et, sicut decet; pro instrumentis jis vtamur. Deinde, vt nobis Adiuneto sis; ad accuratam rationis nostrae correctionem; et coniunctionem cum jis qui verè sunt, per lucem veritatis. Et tertiùm, Saluatori supplex oro; vt ab oculis animorum nostrorum, caliginem prorsus ab [...]tergas; vt norimus bene, qui Deus, aut Mortalis habendus, Amen.

↵

Information about this book

Title statement

The crowne of all Homers workes Batrachomyomachia or the battaile of frogs and mise. His hymn's - and - epigrams translated according to ye. originall by George ChapmanBattle of the frogs and mice. English.

Edition statement

1624

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A03505

ID [STC]

STC 13628

ID [STC]

ESTC S119240

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99854447

ID [PROQUEST]

99854447

ID [VID]

19869

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This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A03505)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 19869)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 667:8)

Source

— The crowne of all Homers workes Batrachomyomachia or the battaile of frogs and mise. His hymn's - and - epigrams translated according to ye. originall by George Chapman, Battle of the frogs and mice. English., Passe, Willem van de, 1598-ca. 1637, engraver., Chapman, George, 1559?-1634., Homer, attributed name..

Extent

[12], 143, 148-179, [1], 201-207, [5] p.

Printed by Iohn Bill, his Maiesties printer,. London :: [1624?]. ("Batrachomyomachia" was attributed in antiquity to Homer, but is probably of a much later date. The hymns and epigrams are not by Homer.) (In verse.) (The title page is engraved and signed "Will: Pass: fecit". Variant: title page in an earlier state, with "worckes".) (Publication date conjectured by STC.) (The first leaf is blank.) (With a two-leaf epilogue.) (Identified as STC 13628a on UMI microfilm.) (Reproduction of the original in the Folger Shakespeare Library.)

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