ΠΑΛΙΝΟΔΙΑ.
Sive Fama Vapulans: Occasioned by her Retractation of her precipitate censure of Mrs ANNE GIBBS,
By her real Convert and Re-admirer, R. W.
An. Mar. a Schur. in Apol.
Nec viclasse tuas leges Astraea putabor;
Quippe suum tribui cuilibet ipsae jubes.
Let me not seem, Astraea, to dethrone
Thy Laws, thou bid'st that all should have their own.
Printed, Anno Virginis parturientis, 1662.
[...]
Ex spelunca Juxta tumescentis Laugherni ripas 9bris 26, 1662.
Fama Vapulans.
PROTASIS, Ad Musam.
PIsh, pre'thee sleep, my Muse, do not molest
The Thespian Vestalls, let them take their rest.
Alas! this purblind world will never see,
Do what thou can'st, their own stupidity:
Perhaps some civilized men may daign
To look upon this issue of thy brain
With candor, but the vulgar are a rude,
Malignant, head-strong, hare-brain'd multitude.
A Carnaval to them presents more sport
Then the elaborate Opera's o'th' Court;
And in their Dances they had rather follow
Pan's rustick reeds, then th'harp of god Apollo.
Well, if thou wilt not, I can say no more,
Then let thy Sonnets rant, thy Satyrs rore.
Belch Io-paeans on this pond'rous theme,
And thunder execrations against them.
I've spoke to Sabrine, and she will inspire,
And let her Nymphs bring fuel to, thy fire:
That 'spite of all opponents every page
May be replete with true poetick rage,
And swell with holy fury 'gainst all those
That dare the chast Panaletha oppose.
EPITASIS.
REcta in curiam, we here present
LƲCRETIA adjudg'd incontinent
By a pretended court proclaim'd of late
In Fame's great name, which we seek to abate.
In that Tribunal it was shew'd how she
Had forfeited her claim to chastity.
The reason urg'd was this. How else could those,
For she had Camrades you must know, expose
Themselves upon a Stage, or to the life
Personate Annabell', or Harebrain's wife?
But see the fallacy, my Author vows
A man may act those things he never knows.
Think you that none can persenate a sin
But that which he himself hath wallowed in?
You may as well averre Players are made
Apprentices to every manual Trade.
Or, 'cause you know they act and speak such things
That appertain to Princes, say they're Kings.
Al [...]ss poor Dramaticks, striving to shun
One gulf, ye full into another run.
Histrio-mastix carp'd at ye because
He thought your men before broke Natur's Laws
In using Women's cloaths, but Cynthius aurem
Vellit, and we've got a Quiescas for him.
Yet now that they perform their parts themselves,
Your Scenes are threatend by as dangerous shelves.
The cursed Hydra Mome assaults their names,
Mistaking what's their glory for their shames:
They're impudent Sluts crys one, for otherwise
How could they thus surfeit Spectators eyes
With their lascivious gestures? 'nother swears
If they be honest he will forfeit's ears.
Nay Lais too will say, as I hear tell,
Can they be chaste? it is impossible.
Thinking perhaps that she, although she can
Within her chamber boldly treat a man,
Yet could not on a Theatre obtrude
Her confidence before a multitude.
And therefore by her Logick doth infer
They needs must be as errand Whores as her.
So Clodius Maechos too, but wise men know
They'r ne'r th' more honest for pretending so.
If seeming sanctity be all thou hast
Whereby to judge these Sodom Apples chast,
Those that have found some rotten at the core,
May well conclude each woman is a whore.
Reader, we've been defendant hitherto,
But now we mean to speak as Plaintiff too.
CATASTASIS.
PEace shameless Trumpetress, do not delude
With Phantasms the too credulous multitude.
Silence thy brazen Trumpet, that no further
It calumnize the innocent Recorder.
Recant those false Alarms of thy rude blast
Which have the fair LUCRETIA's shrine defac'd.
Let Albion that rich Caskanet inhance.
And not reject it out of ignorance.
Let not Exoticks, who already doe
For Horses, 'count her th' Hell for actors too.
Oh how can she, whose face long since confuted
The Divine Heathen's
‘Artifices Scenici qui imitantur affectus &c. hoc Jndicio imitantur verecundiam, Dejiciunt vultum, verba submittunt, &c. Ruborem sibi exprimere non pessunt.’ Sen. ad Luc. Ep. 11.
maxim, be reputedUnchast? when't is the first Lucretia's glory
That we by this do now believe her Story.
When had it not been sensibly to us
Demonstrated, 't had still seem'd fabulous.
Who saw those rosy blushes that did deck
The intervals of her inamell'd cheek
At sight of Sextus, or th' complacency
Wherewith she acted her self-butchery?
But would conclude she his vile act abhorr'd
As much in deed as most do now in word.
Who saw with what reluctance and disgust
She yeelded but in shew to Brothwel's lust.
But must assert her chastity, or sweare
There is not one deserves a St [...]la here.
CATASTROPHE.
ANd now thou swift'st of evils which dost gain
Fama malum quo non aliud velocius ullum,
Mebilitate viget, vires (que) acquirit eundo.
Virg. Aen. 4.
By motion strength, in flying force obtain;
Say not my Muse was secretly suborn'd
I'd have thee know such offices she scorn'd
Quite from her infancy, and doth detest
To plead for prejudice or interest.
'Twas love to Truth which made me to incur
The vulgar hate, which over-ruled her.
'Would Pantemimick Teletes had liv'd
In these depraved times, how'd he have griev'd
And wrung his hands, to see his Art abus'd
And his beloved Pupil's name misus'd.
'Tis not that Dionysia, whose fame
Long since gave great
Who for his action was called Gesticulatoriam Dionysiam, from a she Chironomer of that name.
Hortensius his name;She joyns not Esau's hands to Jacob's voice,
Nor doth she perpetrate the sinallest vice
'Gainst his hand-law, but won the Palm in spite
Of famous RosciusDelicias suas, so he used to call him.Cicero's delight.
Who, had he liv'd until this last worst age
Had lack'd a Patron to repel the rage
Of th' Rabble; Tully would have chang'd his cause,
And rescu'd chast LƲCRETIA from the jawes
Of envious obloquy, making each one
Lay's hand on's mouth and act Sigalion.
But why do I expatiate abroad?
'Twas mean't for an Abridgement, not a Code.
May'st thou inherit base Cassandra's fate,
As the demerit of thy vilder hate.
Thereby supporting her now totterring State,
Whom many envy, few can emulate.
FINIS
LUCRETIAE SACRUM.
Auctariolum.
Anne Gibbs Ἀναγραμματικῶσ. Sing Ben-ab
Your pardon, Fairest, that, into the quire
Of your Adorers, my discordant Lyre
Hath thus far ventur'd, strucken to the same
By th' Cabalistick accents of your name.
To which she thought her self oblig'd in duty
For to submit as vassal of your beauty.
And by her President Each Fathers Son,
She hopes, will modul forth an Ʋnison.
That to your glory this versatile round
May still with Eccho'd Diapasons sound.
Votivum.
Mrisay all those Constellations, we allow
A happy geniture, still smile on you,
Never let ought Malignant once molest
Natures Aenigma lodging such a guest.
Excel in pow'r as goodness, to defend you,
Good and propitious Stars always attend you.
Intrinsick and externe formositie
Beatify your Gordian nuptial tie.
But when the Fates conclude that you must dy,
Survive in bliss to all Eternity.
‘Cui non datur.’
FINIS