Orchestra or A poeme of dauncing Iudicially proouing the true obseruation of time and measure, in the authenticall and laudable vse of dauncing.

Orchestra or A poeme of dauncing Iudicially proouing the true obseruation of time and measure, in the authenticall and laudable vse of dauncing.

Table of contents

Title page

To his very Friend, Ma. Rich: Martin.

ORCHESTRA. OR A Poeme of Dauncing.

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ORCHESTRA. OR A Poeme of Dauncing.

1

WHere liues the man that neuer yet did heare

Of chast Penelope, Vlisses Queene?

VVho kept her faith vnspotted twenty yeere

Till he returnd that far away had beene,

And many men, and many townes had seene:

Ten yeere at siedge of Troy he lingring lay,

And ten yeere in the Midland-sea did stray.

2

Homer, to whom the Muses did carouse

A great deepe cup with heauenly Nectar filld,

The greatest, deepest cup in Ioues great house,

(For Ioue himselfe had so expresly willd)

He dranke of all, ne let one drop be spilld;

Since when, his braine that had before been dry,

Became the welspring of all Poetry.

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3

Homer doth tell in his aboundant verse,

The long laborious trauailes of the man,

And of his Lady too he doth reherse,

How shee illudes with all the Art she can,

Th'vngratefull loue which other Lords began;

For of her Lord false Fame long since had sworne,

That Neptunes Monsters had his carcasse torne.

4

All this he tells, but one thing he forgot,

One thing most worthy his eternall song,

But he was old, and blind, and saw it not,

Or else he thought he should Vlisses wrong,

To mingle it, his Tragick acts among.

Yet was there not in all the world of things,

A sweeter burden for his Muses wings.

5

The Courtly loue Antinous did make,

Antinous that fresh and iolly Knight,

Which of the gallants that did vndertake

To win the Widdow, had most wealth and might,

VVit to perswade, and beautie to delight.

The Courtly loue he made vnto the Queene,

Homer forgot as if it had not beene,

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6

Sing then Terpsichore, my light Muse sing

His gentle Art and cunning curtesie:

You Lady can remember euery thing

For you are daughter of Queene Memorie,

But sing a plaine and easie Melodie:

For the soft meane that warbleth but the ground,

To my rude care doth yield the sweetest sound.

7

One onely nights discourse I can report,

VVhen the great Torch-bearer of heauen was gone

Downe in a maske vnto the Oceans Court,

To reuell it with Tethis all alone;

Antinous disguised and vnknowne

Like to the spring in gaudie Ornament

Vnto the Castle of the Princesse went.

8

The soueraigne Castle of the rocky Ile

VVherein Penelope the Princesse lay,

Shone with a thousand Lamps, which did exile

The dim darke shades, & turn'd the night to day,

Not Ioues blew Tent what time the Sunny ray

Behind the bulwarke of the earth retires

Is seene to sparkle with more twinckling fiers.

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9

That night the Queene came forth from far within,

And in the presence of her Court was seene,

For the sweet singer Phemius did begin

To praise the Worthies that at Troy had beene;

Somwhat of her Vlisses she did weene

In his graue Hymne the heau'nly man would sing,

Or of his warres, or of his wandering.

10

Pallas that houre with her sweet breath diuine

Inspir'd immortall beautie in her eyes,

That with coelestiall glory she did shine,

Brighter then Venus when she doth arise

Out of the waters to adorne the skies;

The wooers all amazed doe admire,

And check their owne presumptuous desire.

11

Onely Antinous when at first he view'd

Her st [...] bright eyes that with new honour shind,

Was not dismayd, but there-with-all renew'd

The noblesse and the splendour of his mind;

And as he did sit circumstances sind,

Vnto the Throne he boldly gan aduance,

And with faire maners, wooed yt Queene to dance.

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12

GOddesse of women, sith your heau'nlinesse

Hath now vouchsaft it selfe to represent

To our dim eyes, which though they see the lesse

Yet are they blest in their astonishment,

Imitate heau'n, whose beauties excellent

Are in continuall motion day and night,

And moue thereby more wonder and delight.

13

Let me the mouer be, to turne about

Those glorious ornaments that Youth and Loue

Haue fixed in you, euery part throughout,

VVhich if you will in timely measure moue,

Not all those precious Iemms in heau'n aboue

Shall yield a sight more pleasing to behold,

VVith all their turnes and tracings manifold.

14

WIth this, the modest Princesse blusht and smil'd,

Like to a cleare and rosie euentide;

And softly did returne this answere mild,

Faire Sir; you needs must fairely be denide

VVhere your demaund cannot be satisfied.

My feete, which onely nature taught to goe,

Did neuer yet the Art of footing know.

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15

But why perswade you me to this new rage?

(For all disorder and misrule is new,)

For such misgouernment in former age

Our old diuine Forefathers neuer knew,

VVho if they liu'd and did the follies view

Which their sond Nephews make their chiefe assaires,

Would hate themselues that had begot such heires.

16

Sole heire of Vertue, and of Beautie both,

VVhence commeth it (Antinous replies)

That your imperious vertue is so loth.

To graunt your beautie her chiefe exercise?

Or from what spring doth your opinion rise

That Dauncing is a frenzie and a rage,

First knowne and ys'd in this new-fangled age?

17

Dauncing (bright Lady) then began to be,

When the first seedes whereof the world did spring

The Fire, Ayre, Earth, and water did agree,

By Loues perswasion, Natures mighty King,

To leaue their first disordred combating;

And in a daunce such measure to obserue,

As all the world their motion should preserue.

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18

Since when they still are carried in a round,

And changing come one in anothers place,

Yet doe they neyther mingle nor confound,

But euery one doth keepe the bounded space

VVherein the daunce doth bid it turne or tracc:

This wondrous myracle did Loue deuise

For Dauncing is Loues proper excrcise.

19

Like this, he fram'd the Gods eternall bower,

And of a shapelesse and confused masse

By his through-piercing and digesting power

The turning vault of heauen framed was:

VVhose starrie wheeles he hath so made to passe,

As that their mouings doe a musick frame

And they themselues, still daunce vnto the same.

20

Or if this (All) which round about we see

(As idle Morpheus some sicke braines hath taught)

Of vndeuided motes compacted bee,

How was this goodly Architecture wrought?

Or by what meanes were they together brought?

They erre that say they did concur by chaunce,

Loue made them meete in a well-ordered daunce.

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21

As when Amphion with his charming Lire

Begot so sweet a Syren of the ayre,

That with her Rethorike made the stones conspire

The mines of a Citty to repayre,

(A worke of wit and reasons wise affayre)

So Loues smooth tongue, the motes such measure taught

That they ioyn'd hands, & so yt world was wrought.

22

How iustly then is Dauncing termed new

VVhich with the world in point of time begun?

Yea Time it selfe (whose birth Ioue neuer knew

And which is far more auncient then the Sun)

Had not one moment of his age outrunne

When out leapt Dauncing frō the heape of things,

And lightly rode vpon his nimble wings.

23

Reason hath both their pictures in her Treasure,

VVhere Time the measure of all mouing is;

And Dauncing is a mouing all in measure,

Now if you doe resemble that to this

And think both one, I think you think amis:

But if you judge them Twins, together got,

And Time first borne, your judgment erreth not.

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24

Thus doeth it equall age with age inioy,

And yet in lustie youth for euer flowers,

Like Loue his Sire, whom Paynters make a Boy,

Yet is he eldest of the heau'nly powers;

Or like his brother Time, whose winged howers

Going and comming will not let him dye,

But still preserue him in his infancie.

25

This sayd; the Queene with her sweet lips diuine

Gently began to moue the subtile ayre,

VVhich gladly yielding, did it selfe incline

To take a shape betweene those rubies fayre

And being formed, softly did repayre

With twenty doublings in the emptie way,

Vnto Autinous eares, and thus did say.

26

WHat eye doth see the heau'n but doth admire

When it the mouings of the heau'ns doth see?

My selfe, if I to heau'n may once aspire,

If that be dauncing, will a Dauncer be:

But as for this your frantick iollitie

How it began, or whence you did it learne,

I neuer could with reasons eye discerne.

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27

Antinous aunswered: Iewell of the Earth

Worthie you are that heau'nly Daunce to leadc:

But for you think our dauncing base of birth

And newly borne but of a brainsick head

I will forthwith his antique Gentry read,

And for I loue him, will his Herault be

And blaze his armes, and draw his Petigree.

28

Whē Loue had shapt this world, this great faire wight

That all wights else in his wide womb containes

And had instructed it to daunce aright,

A thousand measures with a thousand straines,

VVhich it should practise with delightfull paines

Vntill that fatall instant should reuolue,

VVhen all to nothing should againe resolue:

29

The comly order and proportion faire

On euery side did please his wandring eye,

Till glauncing through the thin transparent fire

A rude disordered rout he did espie

Of men and women, that most spightfullie

Did one another throng, and crowd so sore,

That his kind eye in pitty wept therefore.

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30

And swister then the Lightning downe he came,

Another shapelesse Chaos to digest,

He will begin another world to frame,

(For Loue till all be well will neuer rest)

Then with such words as cannot be exprest

He cutts the troups, that all a sunder fling,

And ere they wist, he casts them in a ring.

31

Then did he rarifie the Element

And in the center of the ring appeare,

The beames that from his forehead shining went,

Begot an horrour and religious feare

In all the soules that round about him weare,

VVhich in their eares attentiuenesse procures

While he with such like sounds their minds allures.

32

How doth Confusions Mother, headlong Chance

Put reasons noble squadron to the rout?

Or how should you that haue the gouernance

Of Natures children, heauen and earth throughout

Prescribe them rules, and liue your selues without?

VVhy should your fellowship a trouble be,

Since mans chiefe pleasure is societie?

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33

If sence hath not yet taught you, learne of me

A comly moderation and discreet,

That your assemblies may well ordered be

VVhen my vniting power shall make you meet,

VVith heau'nly tunes it shall be tempered sweet:

And be the modell of the worlds great frame,

And you Earths children, Dauncing shall it name.

34

Behold the world how it is whirled round,

And for it is so whirl'd, is named so;

In whose large volume many rules are found

Of this new Art, which it doth fairely show:

For your quick eyes in wandring too and fro

From East to West, on no one thing can glaunce,

But if you marke it well, it seemes to daunce.

35

First you see fixt in this huge mirrour blew

Of trembling lights a number numberlesse,

Fixt they are nam'd, but with a name vntrue,

For they are moued, and in a Daunce expresse

That great long yeare that doth containe no lesse

Then threescore hundreths of those yeares in all

Which the Sunne makes with his course naturall.

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36

VVhat if to you these sparks disordered seeme

As if by chaunce they had been seattered there?

The Gods a solemnemeasure doe it deeme

And see a iust proportion euery where,

And know yt points whence first their mouings were,

To which first points when all returne againe,

The Axeltree of Heau'n shall breake in twaine.

37

Vnder that spangled skye, fiue wandring flames,

Besidos the King of Day, and Queene of Night,

Are wheel'd around, all in their sundry frames,

And all in sundry measures doe delight:

Yet altogether keepe no measure right.

For by it selfe, each doth it selfe aduaunce,

And by it selfe, each doth a Galliard daunce.

38

Venus the Mother of that bastard Loue

Which doth vsurpe the worlds great Marshals name,

Iust with the Sunne her dainty seete doth moue

And vnto him doth all her iestures frame:

Now after, now asore, the flattering Dame

VVith diuers cunning passages doth erre,

Still him respecting that respects not her.

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39

For that braue Sunne the Father of the Day,

Doth loue this Earth the Mother of the Night,

And like a reuellour in rich aray

Doth daunce his Galliard in his Lemmans sight,

Both back, and forth, and side-wayes passing light,

His gallant grace doth so the Gods amaze,

That all stand still and at his beautie gaze.

40

But see the Earth, when she approcheth neete,

How she for ioy doth spring and sweetly smile;

But see againe her sad and heauie cheere

When changing places he retires a while:

But those black clouds he shortly will exile,

And make them all before his presence flye

As mists consum'd before his cheerfull eye.

41

VVho doth not see the measures of the Moone

Which thirteene times she daunceth euery yeare?

And ends her pauine thirteene times as soone

As doth her brother, of whose golden heire

She borroweth part and proudly doth it weare.

Then doth she coylieturne her faoe aside,

That halfe her cheeke is scarce somtimes discride.

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42

Next her, the purt, subtile, and cleansing fire,

Is swistly carried in a circle euen:

Though Vukan be pronounst by many a lyer

The onely halting God that dwells in heauen.

But that foule name may be more fitly giuen

To your false fier that far from heau'n is fall

And doth consume, wast, spoile, disorder all.

43

And now behold your tender Nurse the ayre

And common neighbour that ay runns around,

How many pictures and impressions faire

Within her emptie regions are there found,

Which to your sences Dauncing doe propound?

For what are breath, speech, Ecchos, musick, winds,

But Dauncings of the ayre in sundry kinds?

44

For when you breath, the ayre in order moues,

Now in, now out, in time and measure trew;

And when you speake, so well the dauncing loues,

That doubling oft, and oft redoubling new,

With thousand formes she doth her selfe endew:

For all the words that from your lips repaire,

Are naught but tricks and turnings of the aire.

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45

Hence is her pratling daughter Eccho borne,

That daunces to all voyces she can heare;

There is no sound so harsh that she doth scorne,

Nor any time wherein she will forbeare

The aiery pauement with her feete to weare.

And yet her hearing sence is nothing quick

For after time she endeth euery trick.

46

And thou sweet Musick, Dauncings only life.

The eares sole happines, the ayres best speach,

Loadstone of followship, charming rod of strife,

The soft minds Paradice, the sick minds Leach,

With thine owne tongue yu trees & stones canst teach

That whē the Aire doth daunce her finest measure,

Then art yu borne the Gods & mens sweet pleasure.

47

Lastly, where keepe the winds their reuchy

Their violent turnings and wild whirling hayes?

But in the Ayres tralucent gallery?

Where she her selfe is turnd a hundreth wayes,

While with those Maskers wantonly she playes;

Yet in this misrule, they such rule embrace

As two at once encomber not the place.

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48

If then fier, ayre, wandring and fixed lights

In euery prouince of imperiall skye,

Yeald perfect formes of dauncing to your sights,

In vaine I teach the eare, that which the eye

With certaine view already doth descne.

But for your eyes perceiue not all they see

In this I will your sences maister bee.

49

For loe the Sea that fleets about the Land,

And like a girdle clips her solide wast,

Musick and measure both doth vnderstand:

For his great Christall eye is alwayes cast

Vp to the Moone, and on her fixed fast.

And as she daunceth in her pallid spheere,

So daunceth he about the Center heere.

50

Somtimes his proud greene waues in order set,

One after other flow vnto the shore,

Which when they haue with many kisses wet,

They ebb away in order as before;

And to make knowne his Courtly Loue the more,

He oft doth lay aside his three-forkt Mace,

And with his armes the timerous Earth embrace.

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51

Onely the Earth doth stand for euer still,

Her rocks remoue not, nor her mountaines meete,

(Although some witts enricht with Learnings skill

Say heau'n stands firme, & that the Earth doth sleete

And swiftly turneth vnderneath their feete)

Yet though the Earth is euer stedfast seene,

On her broad breast hath Dauncing euer beene.

52

For those blew vaines that through her body spred,

Those saphire streams which frō great hils do spring,

(The Earths great duggs: for euery wight is fed

With sweet fresh moisture from them issuing)

Obserue a daunce in their wild wandering:

And still their daunce begets a murmur sweete,

And still the murmur with the daunce doth meete.

53

Of all their wayes I loue Meanders path,

Which to the tunes of dying Swans doth daunce,

Such winding sleights, such turnes and tricks he hath,

Such Creekes, such wrenches, and such daliaunce,

That whether it be hap or heedlesse chaunce,

In his indented course and wringling play

He seemes to daunce a perfect cunning Hay.

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54

But wherefore doe these streames for euer runne?

To keepe themselues for euer sweet and cleare:

For let their euerlasting course be donne

They straight corrupt and foule with mud appeare.

O yee sweet Nimphs that beauties losse doe feare,

Contemne the Drugs that Phisick doth deuise,

And learne of Loue this dainty exercise.

55

See how those flowers that haue sweet Beauty too

(The onely Iewels that the Earth doth weare

VVhen the young Sunne in brauery her doth woo)

As oft as they the whistling wind doe heare,

Doe waue their tender bodies here and there;

And though their daunce no perfect measure is,

Yet oftentimes their musick makes them kis,

56

VVhat makes the Vine about the Elme to daunce

With turnings, windings, and imbracements round?

What makes the Load-stone to the North aduaunce

His subtile point, as if from thence he found

His chiefe attractiue Vertue to redound?

Kind Nature first doth cause all things to loue,

Loue makes them daunce and in iust order moue.

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57

Harke how the Birds doe sing, and marke then how

Iumpe with the modulation of their layes,

They lightly leape, and skip from bow to bow;

Yet doe the Cranes deserue a greater prayse

Which keepe such measure in their ayrie wayes,

As when they all in order ranked are,

They make a perfect forme triangular.

58

In the chiefe angle flyes the watchfull guide,

And all the followers their heads doe lay

On their forgoers backs, on eyther side,

But for the Captaine hath no rest to stay

His head forwearied with the windy way,

He back retires, and then the next behind,

As his Lieuetenaunt leads them through the wind.

59

But why relate I euery singular?

Since all the worlds great fortunes and affaires

Forward and backward rapt and whitled are,

According to the musick of the spheares:

And Chaunce her selfe, her nimble feete vpbeares

On a round slipperie wheele that rowleth ay,

And turnes all states with her impetuous sway.

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60

Learne then to daunce you that are Princes borne

And lawfull Lords of earthly creatures all;

Imitate them, and thereof take no scorne,

For thys new Art to them is naturall

And imitate the starres caelestiall.

For when pale Death you vitall twist shall seuer,

Your better parts must daunce with the for euer.

61

Thus Loue perswades, and all the crowne of men

That stands around doth make a murmuring;

As when the wind loosd from his hollow den,

Among the trees a gentle base doth sing,

Or as a Brooke through peebles wandering:

But in their lookes they vttered this plaine speach,

That they wold learn to daunce if loue wold teach.

62

Then first of all, hee doth demonstrate plaine

The motions seauen that are in nature found,

Vpward, and downward, forth, and back againe,

To this side, and to that, and turning round:

VVhereof, a thousand brawles he doth compound,

VVhich he doth teach vnto the multitude,

And euer with a turne they must conclude.

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63

As when a Nimph arysing from the Land

Leadeth a daunce with her long watery traine

Downe to the Sea, she wries to euery hand

And euery way doth crosse the fertile plaines

But when at last she falls into the maine

Then all her trauerses concluded are,

And with the Sea her course is circulate,

64

Thus when at first Loue had them marshalled

As earst he did the shapelesse masse of things,

He taught them rounds and winding Heyes to tread,

And about trees to cast themselues in rings.

As the two Beares whom the first mouer flings

With a short turne about heauens Axeltree,

In a round daunce foreuer wheeling bee.

65

But after these, as men more ciuill grew

He did more graue and solemne measures frame,

With such faire order and proportion trew

And correspondence euery way the same,

That no fault finding eye did euer blame:

For euery eye was moued at the sight

With sober wondring, and with sweet delight.

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66

Not those old Students of the heauenly booke,

Atlas the great, Promethus the wise,

VVhich on the Starres did all their lyfe-time looke

Could euer find such measures in the skies,

So full of change and rare varieties;

Yet all the feete whereon these measures goe,

Are onely Spondeis, solemne, graue, and sloe.

70

But for more diuers and more pleasing show,

A swift and wandring daunce she did inuent,

VVith passages vncertaine to and fro,

Yet with a certaine aunswere and consent

To the quick musick of the Instrument.

Fiue was the number of the Musicks feete,

Which still the daunce did with fiue paces meetes

71

A gallant daunce, that liuely doth bewray

A spirit and a vertue Masculine,

Impatient that her house on earth should stay

Since she her selfe is fierie and diuine:

Oft doth she make her body vpward flyne,

With lostie turnes and capriols in the avre,

Which with the lustie tunes accordeth fayre.

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69

VVhat shall I name those currant trauases

That on a triple Dactyle foote doe run

Close by the ground with slyding passages,

VVherein that Dauncer greatest prayse hath won

VVhich with best order can all orders shun:

For euery where he wantonly must range,

And turne, and wind, with vnexpected change.

70

Yet is there one the most delightfull kind,

A lofty iumping, or a leaping round,

VVhere arme in arme, two Dauncers are entwind,

And whirle themselues with strickt embracements bound,

And still their feet an Anapest do sound:

An Anapest is all theyr musicks song,

VVhose first two feet are short, & third is long.

71

As the victorious twinns of Laeda and Ioue

That taught the Spartans dauncing on the sands,

Of swift Eurotas daunce in Heau'n aboue,

Knit and vnited with eternall hands;

Among the Starres their double Image stands,

VVhere both are carried with an equall pace

Together iumping in their turning race.

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72

Thys is the Net wherein the Sunns bright eye

Venus and Mars entangled did behold,

For in thys Daunce, their armes they so imply

As each, doth seeme the other to enfold;

VVhat if lewd wits another tale haue told

Of iealous Vulcan, and of yron chaynes,

Yet this true sence that forged lye containes.

73

These various formes of dauncing, Loue did frame,

And beside these, a hundred millions mot,

And as he did inuent, he taught the same

VVith goodly iesture, and with comly show,

Now keeping state, now humbly honoring low.

And euer for the persons and the place

He taught most fit, and best according grace.

74

For Loue, within his fertile working braine

Did then conceiue those gracious Virgins three,

VVhose ciuill moderation did maintaine

All decent order and conueniencie,

And faire respect, and seemlie modestie:

And then he thought it fit they should be borne,

That their sweet presence dauncing might adorne.

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75

Hence is it that these Graces painted are

With hand in hand dauncing an endlesse round:

And with regarding eyes, that still beware

That there be no disgrace amongst them found;

VVith equall foote they beate the flowry ground,

Laughing, or singing, as their passions will,

Yet nothing that they doe becomes them ill.

76

Thus Loue taught men, and men thus learnd of Loue

Sweet Musicks sound with feete to counterfaite,

VVhich was long time before high thundering Ioue

VVas lifted vp to heau'ns imperiall seate.

For though by birth he were the Prince of Creete,

Nor Creete, nor Heau'n, should yt yong Prince haue seen

If Dancers with their Timbrels had not been.

77

Since when all ceremonious misteries,

All sacred Orgies and religious rights,

All pomps, and tryumphs, and solemnities,

All Funerals, Nuptials, and like publike sights,

All Parliaments of peace, and warlike fights,

All learned Arts, and euery great affaire

A liuely shape of Dauncing seemes to beare.

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78

For what did he who with his ten-tong'd Lute

Gaue Beasts and blocks an vnderstanding eare?

Or rather into bestiall minds and brute

Shed and infus'd the beames of reason cleare?

Doubtlesse formen that rude and sauage were

A ciuill forme of dauncing he deuis'd,

VVherewith vnto their Gods they sacrifiz'd.

79

So did Musaem, so Amphion did,

And Linus with his sweet enchanting song,

And he whose hand the earth of monsters rid

And had mens cares fast chayned to his tong:

And Theseus to his wood-borne slaues among

Vs'd dauncing as the finest pollicie

To plant religion and societie.

80

And therefore now the Thracian Orpheus Lire

And Hercules him selfe are stellified;

And in high heau'n amidst the starry Quire

Dauncing their parts continually doe slide:

So on the Zodiake Ganimede doth ride,

And so is Hebe with the Muses nine

For pleasing Ioue with dauncing, made dinine.

[Page]

81

VVherefore was Proteus sayd himselfe to change

Into a streame, a Lyon, and a tree,

And many other formes fantastique strange

As in his fickle thought he wisht to be?

But that he daunc'd with such facilitie.

As like a Lyon he could pace with pride,

Ply like a Plant, and like a Riner slide.

82

And how was Caeneus made at first a man,

And then a woman, then a man againe

But in a Daunce? which when he first began

Hee the mans part in measure did sustaine.

But when he chang'd into a second straine

He daunc'd the womans part another space,

And then return'd into his former place.

83

Hence sprang the fable of Tirefias

That he the pleasure of both saxes tryde:

For in a daunce hee man and woman was

By often change of place from side to side.

But for the woman easily did slide

And smoothly swim with cunning hidden Art,

Hee tooke more pleasure in a womans part.

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84

So to a fish Venus herselfe did change,

And swimming through the soft and yeelding waue,

VVith gentle motions did so smoothly range

As none might see where she the water draue:

But this plaine truth that salsed fable gaue

That she did daunce with slyding easines,

Plyant and quick in wandring passages,

85

And merry Bacchus practis'd dauncing to,

And to the Lydian numbers rounds did make:

The like he did in th'Easterne India doo,

And taught them all when Phoebus did awake,

And when at night he did his Coach sorsake:

To honor heau'n, and heau'ns great roling eie

VVith turning daunces, and with melodie.

86

Thus they who first did found a common-weale,

And they who first Religion did ordaine,

By dauncing first the peoples harts did steale,

Of whom we now a thousand tales doe faine.

Yet doe we now their perfect rules retaine,

And vse them still in such deuises new

As in the world long since their withering grew.

[Page]

87

For after Townes and Kingdomes founded were

Betweene great States arose well-ordered war,

VVherein most perfect measure doth appeare

VVhether their well-set ranks respected are

In Quadrant forme or Semicircular:

Or else the March, when all the troups aduaunce

Vnto the Drum, in gallant order daunce.

88

And after warrs, when white-wing'd victory

Is with a glorious tryumph beautified,

And euery one doth Io Io cry,

VVhiles all in gold the Conquerour doth ride,

The solemne pompe that fils the Citty wide

Obserues such ranke and measure euery where,

As if they altogether dauncing were.

89

The like iust order Mourners doe obserue,

(But with vnlike affection and attire)

VVhen some great man that nobly did deserue

And whom his friends impatiently desire

Is brought with honour to his latest fire:

The dead corps too in that sad daunce is mou'd,

As if both dead and liuing, dauncing lou'd.

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90

A diuerse cause, but like solemnitie

Vnto the Temple leades the bashfull bride,

VVhich blusheth like the Indian Iuorie

VVhich is with dip of Tyrian purple died:

A golden troope doth passe on euery side

Of flourishing young men and Virgins gay,

Which keepe faire measure all the flowry way.

91

And not alone the generall multitude,

But those choise Nestors which in counsell graue

Of Citties, and of Kingdomes doe conclude,

Most comly order in their Sessions haue:

Wherefore the wise Thessalians euer gaue

The name of Leader of their Countries daunce

To him that had their Countries gouernaunce.

92

And those great Maisters of the liberall Arts

In all their seuerall Schooles doe Dauncing teach:

For humble Grammer first doth set the parts

Of congruent and well-according speach:

Which Rhetorick whose state yt clouds doth reach,

And heau'nly Poetry doe forward lead,

And diuers Measures, diuersly doe tread.

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93

For Rhetorick clothing speech in rich aray

In looser numbers teacheth her to range,

VVith twentie tropes, and turnings euery way,

And various figures, and licentious change:

But Poetry with rule and order strange

So curiously doth moue each single pace,

As all is mard if she one foote misplace.

94

These Arts of speach the guides and Marshals are,

But Logick leadeth Reason in a daunce,

(Reason the Cynosure and bright Load-star

In this worlds Sea t'auoid the rock of Chaunce)

For with close following and continuance

One reason doth another so ensue,

As in conlusion still the daunce is true.

95

So Musick to her owne sweet tunes doth trip

VVith tricks of, 3, 5, 8, 15, and more:

So doth the Art of Numbring seeme to skip

From eu'n to odd in her proportion'd score:

So doe those skils whose quick eyes doe explore

The iust dimension both of earth and heau'n

In all their rules obserue a measure eu'n.

[Page]

96

Loe this is Dauncings true nobilitie.

Dauncing the child of Musick and of Loue,

Dauncing it selfe both loue and harmony,

VVhere all agree, and all in order moue;

Dauncing the Art that all Arts doe approue:

The faire Caracter of the worlds consent,

The heau'ns true figure, and th'earths ornament.

97

THE Queene, whose dainty eares had borne too long

The tedious praise of yt she did despise,

Adding once more the musick of the tongue

To the sweet speech of her alluting eyes,

Began to aunswer in such winning wise

As that forthwith Antinous tongue was tyde,

His eyes fast fixt, his eares were open wide.

98

Forsooth (quoth she) great glory you haue won

To your trim Minion Dauncing all this while,

By blazing him Loues first begotten sonne;

Of euery ill the hatefull Father vile

That doth the world with sorceries beguile:

Cunningly mad, religiously prophane,

Wits monster, Reasons canker, Sences bane.

[Page]

99

Loue taught the mother that vnkind desire

To wash her hands in her owne Infants blood;

Loue taught the daughter to betray her Sire

Into most base vnworthy seruitude;

Loue taught the brother to prepare such foode

To feast his brothers, that the all-seeing Sun

Wrapt in a clowd, that wicked sight did shun.

100

And euen this selfe same Loue hath dauncing taught,

An Art that sheweth th' Idea of his mind

VVith vainesse, frenzie, and misorder fraught;

Sometimes with blood and cruelties vnkind:

For in a daunce, Tereus mad wife did finde

Fit time and place by murthering her sonne,

T'auenge the wrong his trayterous Sire had done.

101

What meane the Mermayds when they daunce and sing

But certaine death vnto the Marriner?

VVhat tydings doe the dauncing Dilphins bring

But that some dangerous storme approcheth nere?

Then sith both Loue & Dauncing lyueries beare

Of such ill hap, vnhappy may they proue,

That sitting free, will either daunce or loue.

[Page]

102

YEt once againe Antinous did reply,

Great Queene, condemne not Loue the innocent,

For this mischieuous Lust, which traiterously

Vsurps his Name, and steales his ornament:

For that true Loue which dauncing did inuent,

Is he that tun'd the worlds whole harmony,

And linkt all men in sweet societie.

103

He first extracted from th'earth-mingled mind

That heau'nly fire, or quintessence diuine,

VVhich doth such simpathy in beauty find

As is betweene the Elme and fruitfull Vine,

And so to beautie euer doth encline.

Liues life it is, and cordiall to the hart,

And of our better part, the better part.

104

Thys is true Loue, by that true Cupid got

VVhich daunceth Galliards in your amorous eyes,

But to your frozen hart approcheth not,

Onely your hart he dares not enterprize.

And yet through euery other part he flyes,

And euery where he nimbly daunceth now,

That in your selfe, your selfe perceiue not how.

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105

For your sweet beauty daintily transfus'd

VVith due proportion throughout euery part,

VVhat is it but a daunce where Loue hath vs'd

His finer cunning, and more curious Art?

VVhere all the Elements themselues impart,

And turne, and wind, & mingle with such measure,

That th'eye that sees it, surfeits with the pleasure.

106

Loue in the twinckling of your eylids daunceth,

Loue daunceth in your pulses and your vaines,

Loue whe you sow your needles poynt aduaunceth,

And makes it daunce a thousand curious straines

Of winding rounds, whereof the forme remaines,

To shew, that your faire hands can daunce yt Hey,

VVhich your fine seet would learne as wel as they.

107

And when your Iuory fingers touch the strings

Of any siluer-sounding instrument,

Loue makes the daunce to those sweet murmurings,

VVith busie skill, and cunning excellent:

O that your feet those tunes would represent

With artificiall motions to and fro,

That Loue this Art in euery part might shoe.

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108

Yet your faire soule which came from heau'n aboue,

To rule thys house, another heau'n below,

VVith diuers powers in harmony doth moue,

And all the vertues that from her doe flow,

In a round measure hand in hand doe goe.

Could I now see as I conceiue thys Daunce,

VVonder and Loue would cast me in a traunce.

109

The richest Iewell in all the heau'nly Treasure

That euer yet vnto the Earth was showne,

Is perfect Concord, th'onely perfect pleasure

That wretched Earth-borne men haue euer knowne,

For many harts it doth compound in one:

That what so one doth will, or speake, or doe,

VVith one consent they all agree thereto.

110

Concords true picture shineth in thys Art,

VVhere diuers men and women ranked be,

And euery one doth daunce a seuerall part,

Yet all as one, in measure doe agree,

Obseruing perfect vniformitie:

All turne together, all together trace,

And all together honor and embrace.

[Page]

111

If they whom sacred Loue hath link't in one,

Doe, as they daunce, in all theyr course of life

Neuer shall burning griefe not bitter mone,

Nor factious difference, nor vnkind strise,

Arise betwixt the husband and the wife.

For whether forth or back, or round he goe,

As the man doth, so must the woman doe.

112

VVhat if by often enterchange of place

Sometime the woman get the vpper hand?

That is but done for more delightfull grace,

For on that part shee doth not euer stand:

But as the Measures law doth her commaund

Shee wheeles about, and ere the daunce doth end,

Into her former place shee doth transcend.

113

But not alone this corespondence meet

And vniforme consent doth dauncing praise,

For-Comlines the chyld of order sweet

Enamels it with her eye-pleasing raies:

Faire Comlines, ten hundred thousand waies

Through dauncing shedds it selfe, & makes it shine

VVith glorious beauty, and with grace diuine.

[Page]

114

For Comlines is a disposing faire

Of things and actions in fit time and place,

VVhich doth in dauncing shew it selfe most cleere,

VVhē troopes confus'd which here & there do trace

VVithout distingushment or bounded space,

By dauncing rule, into such ranks are brought,

As glads the eye, and rauisheth the thought.

115

Then why should reason iudge that reasonles

VVhich is wits of-spring, and the worke of Art,

Image of concord, and of comlines.

VVho sees a clock moouing in euery part,

A sayling Pinneste, or a wheeling Cart,

But thinks that reason ere it came to passe

The first impulsiue cause and mouer was?

116

VVho sees an Armie all in ranke aduaunce

But deemes a wise Commaunder is in place

Which leadeth on that braue victorious daunce?

Much more in dauncings Art, in dauncings grace

Blindnes it selfe may reasons footstep trace:

For of Loues Maze it is the curious plot,

And of mans fellowship the true-loue knot.

[Page]

117

But if these eyes of yours, (Load starrs of loue

Shewing the worlds great daunce to your minds eye)

Cannot with all theyr demonstrations moue

Kind apprehension in your fantasie

Of Dauncings vertue, and nobilitie:

How can my barbarous tongue win you thereto

which heau'n & earths faire speech could neuer do?

118

O Loue my King: if all my wit and power

Haue done you all the seruice that they can,

O be you present in this present hower,

And helpe your seruant and your true Leige-man

End that perswasion which I earst began:

For who in praise of dauncing can perswade

With such sweet force as Loue, wc dauncing made.

119

LOue heard his prayer, and swifter then the wind

Like to a Page, in habit, face, and speech,

He came, and stood Antinous behind,

And many secrets to his thoughts did teach.

At last, a christall Mirrour he did reach

Vnto his hands, that he with one rash view,

All formes therein by Loues reuealing knew.

[Page]

120

And humbly honoring, gaue it to the Queene

With this faire speech: See fairest Queene (quoth he)

The fairest sight that euer shall be seene,

And th'onely wonder of posteritie,

The richest worke in Natures treasury;

VVhich she disdaines to shew on this worlds stage,

And thinks it far too good for our rude age.

121

But in another world deuided far,

In the great, fortunate, triangled Ile,

Thrise twelue degrees remou'd from the North stat

Shee will this glorious workmanship compile

Which shee hath been conceiuing all thys while

Since the worlds birth, & will bring forth at last,

When sixe and twenty hundreth yeeres are past.

122

PEnelope the Queene when she had view'd

The strange-eye-dazeling-admirable sight,

Faine would haue praisd the state and pulchritude,

But she was stroken dumbe with wonder quite,

Yet her sweet mind retayn'd her thinking might:

Her rauisht minde in heau'nly thoughts did dwel,

But what she thought, no mortall tongue can tell.

[Page]

123

You Lady Muse, whom Ioue the Counsellour

Begot of Memorie, wisdoms Treasuresse,

To your diuining tongue is giuen a power

Of vttering secrets large and limitlesse:

You can Penelopes strange thoughts expresse

Which she conceiu'd, & thē would faine haue told,

VVhen shee the wondrous Christall did behold.

124

Her winged thoughts bore vp her minde so hie

As that shee weend shee saw the glorious throne

VVhere the bright Moone doth sit in maiestie,

A thousand sparkling starres about her shone,

But she herselfe did sparkle more alone

Then all those thousand beauties would haue done

If they had been confounded all in one.

125

And yet she thought those starrs mou'd in such measure

To doetheir Soueraigne honor & delight,

As sooth'd her minde wt sweet enchanting pleasure

Although the various change amaz'd her sight,

And her weake iudgement dyd entangle quite:

Beside, theyr mouing made thē shine more cleere,

As Diamonds mou'd, more sparkling do appeare.

[Page]

126

Thys was the Picture of her wondrous thought,

But who can wonder that her thought was so,

Sith Vulcan King of fire, that Mirrour wrought

(Which things to come, present, & past doth know)

And there did represent in liuely show;

Our glorious English Courts diuine Image

As it should be in this our golden age.

127

Away Terpsichore, light Muse away,

And come Vrame, Prophetesse diuine;

Come Muse of heau'n, my burning thirst allay,

Euen now, for want of sacred drinke I tine.

In heau'nly moysture dip thys Pen of mine,

And let my mouth with Nectar ouerflow,

For I must more then mortall glory show.

128

O that I had Homers aboundant vaine,

I would heereof another Ilias make,

Or els the man of Mantuus charmed braine

In whose large throat great Ioue the thunder spake.

O that I could old Gefferies Muse awake,

Or borrow Colins sayre heroike stile,

Or smooth my times with Delias seruants file.

[Page]

129

O could I sweet Companion, sing like you,

VVhich of a shadow, vnder a shadow sing;

Or like faire Salues sad louer true,

Or like the Bay, the Marigolds darling,

VVhose suddaine verse Loue couers with his wing:

O that your braines were mingled all with mine,

T'inlarge my wit for this great worke diuine.

130

Yet Astrophell might one for all suffize,

VVhose supple Muse Camelion-like doth change

Into all formes of excellent deuise:

So might the Swallow, whose swift Muse doth range

Through rare Idaeas, and inuentions strange,

And euer doth enioy her ioyfull spring,

And sweeter then the Nightingale doth sing.

131

O that I might that singing Swallow heare

To whom I owe my seruice and my loue,

His sugred tunes would so enchant mine eare,

And in my mind such sacred fury moue,

As I should knock at heau'ns great gate aboue

With my proude rimes, while of this heau'nly state

I doe aspire the shadow to relate.

FINIS.

§

§

[Page]

ORCHESTRA OR A Poeme of Dauncing.

Iudicially proouing the true obseruation of time and measure, in the Authenticall and laudable vse of Dauncing.

Ouid. Art. Aman. lib. t. ‘Si vox est, canta: si mollia brachia, salta: Et quacunque potes dote placere, place.’

At London, Printed by I. Robarts for N. Ling. 1596.

To his very Friend, Ma. Rich: Martin.

[Page]

[Page]

TO whom shall I this dauncing Poeme send,

This suddaine, rash, halfe-capreol of my wit?

To you, first mouer and sole cause of it

Mine-owne-selues better halfe, my deerest frend.

O would you yet my Muse some Honny lend

From your mellifluous tongue, whereon doth sit

Suada in maiestie, that I may fit

These harsh beginnings with a sweeter end.

You know, the modest Sunne full fifteene times

Blushing did rise, and blushing did descend,

While I in making of these ill made rimes,

My golden howers vnthriftily did spend.

Yet if in friendship you these numbers prayse,

I will mispend another fifteene dayes.

Information about this book

Title statement

Orchestra or A poeme of dauncing Iudicially proouing the true obseruation of time and measure, in the authenticall and laudable vse of dauncing.

Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626.

Edition statement

1596

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A19931

ID [STC]

STC 6360

ID [STC]

ESTC S105203

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99840932

ID [PROQUEST]

99840932

ID [VID]

5476

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A19931)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 5476)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 380:05)

Source

— Orchestra or A poeme of dauncing Iudicially proouing the true obseruation of time and measure, in the authenticall and laudable vse of dauncing., Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626..

Extent

[48] p.

Printed by I. Robarts for N. Ling,. At London :: 1596.. (By Sir John Davies.) (In verse.) (Signatures: A-C.) (Running title reads: A poeme of dauncing.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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