A meeting Dialogue-wise betweene Nature, the Phoenix, and the Turtle Doue.
Nature.
ALl haile faire
Phoenix, whither art thou flying?
Why in the hot Sunne dost thou spread thy wings?
More pleasure shouldst thou take in cold shades lying,
And for to bathe thy selfe in wholsome Springs,
Where the woods feathered quier sweetely sings:
Thy golden Wings and thy breasts beauteous Eie,
Will fall away in
Phoebus royaltie.
Phoenix.
O stay me not, I am no
Phoenix I,
And if I be that bird, I am defaced,
Vpon the
Arabian mountaines I must die,
And neuer with a poore yong Turtle graced;
Such operation in me is not placed:
What is my Beautie but a painted wal,
My golden spreading Feathers quickly fal.
Nature.
Why dost thou shead thy Feathers, kill thy Heart,
Weep out thine Eyes, and staine thy golden Face?
Why dost thou of the worlds woe take a part,
And in relenting teares thy selfe disgrace?
Ioyes mirthful Tower is thy dwelling place:
[Page 17]All Birdes for vertue and excelling beautie,
Sing at thy reuerend feet in Loue aud Dutie.
Phoenix.
O how thou feed'st me with my Beauties praising!
O how thy Praise sounds from a golden Toung!
O how thy Toung my Vertues would be raising!
And raising me thou dost corrupt thy song:
Thou seest not Honie and Poison mixt among;
Thou not'st my Beautie with a iealous looke,
But dost not see how I do bayte my hooke.
Nature.
Tell me, ô tell me, for I am thy friend,
I am Dame
Nature that first gaue thee breath,
That from
Ioues glorious rich seate did descend,
To set my Feete vpon this lumpish earth:
What is the cause of thy sad sullen Mirth?
Hast thou not Beauty, Vertue, Wit and Fauour:
What other graces would'st thou craue of Nature?
P
[...]oenix.
What is my Beauty but a vading Flower?
Wherein men reade their deep-conceiued Thrall,
Alluring twentie Gallants in an hower,
To be as seruile vassals at my Call?
My Sunne-bred lookes their Senses do exhall:
But (ô my griefe) where my faire Eyes would loue,
Foule bleare-eyed Enuie doth my thoughts reprooue.
What is my Vertue but a Tablitorie:
Which if I did bestow would more increase?
What is my Wit but an inhumane glorie:
That to my kind deare friends would proffer peace?
[Page 18]But O vaine Bird, giue ore in silence, cease;
Malice perchaunce doth hearken to thy words,
That cuts thy threed of Loue with twentie swords.
Nature.
Tell me (O Mirrour) of our earthly time,
Tell me sweete
Phoenix glorie of mine age,
Who blots thy Beauty with foule
Enuies crime,
And locks thee vp in fond
Suspitions cage?
Can any humane heart beare thee such rage?
Daunt their proud stomacks with thy piercing Eye,
Vnchaine Loues sw
[...]etnesse at thy libertie.
Phoenix.
What is't to bath me in a wholesome Spring,
Or wash me in a cleere, deepe, running Well,
When I no vertue from the same do bring,
Nor of the balmie water beare a smell?
It better were for me mongst Crowes to dwell,
Then flocke with Doues, whē Doues sit alwayes billing,
And waste my wings of gold, my Beautie killing.
Nature.
Ile chaine foule
Enuy to a brazen Gate,
And place deepe
Malice in a hollow Rocke,
To some blacke desert Wood Ile banish
Hate,
And fond
Suspition from thy sight Ile locke:
These shall not stirre, let anie Porter knocke.
Thou art but yong, fresh, greene, and must not passe,
But catch the hot Sunne with thy steeled glasse.
Phoenix.
That Sunne shines not within this Continent,
That with his warme rayes can my dead Bloud chearish,
Grosse cloudie Vapours from this Aire is sent,
[Page 19]Not hot reflecting Beames my heart to nourish.
O Beautie, I do feare me thou wilt perish;
Then gentle
Nature let me take my flight,
But ere I passe, set
Enuie out of sight.
Nature.
Ile coniure him, and raise him from his graue,
And put vpon his head a punishment:
Nature thy sportiue Pleasure meanes to saue;
Ile send him to perpetuall banishment,
Like to a totterd Furie ragd and rent:
Ile baffle him, and blind his Iealous eye,
That in thy actions Secrecie would prye.
Ph
[...]enix.
Ile coniure him, Ile raise him from his Cell,
Ile pull his Eyes from his conspiring head,
Ile locke him in the place where he doth dwell;
Ile starue him there, till the poore slaue be dead,
That on the poisonous Adder oft hath fed:
These threatnings on the Helhound I will lay,
But the performance beares the greater sway.
Nature.
Stand by faire
Phoenix, spread thy Wings of gold,
And daunt the face of Heauen with thine Eye,
Like
Iunos bird thy Beautie do vnfold,
And thou shalt triumph ore thine enemie:
Then thou and I in
Phoebus coach will flie,
Where thou shalt see and tast a secret Fire,
That will adde spreading life to thy Desire.
Arise thou bleare-ey'd
Enuie from thy bed,
Thy bed of Snakie poison and corruption,
[Page 20]Vnmaske thy big-swol
[...]e Cheekes with poyson red,
For with thee I must trie Conclusion,
And plague thee with the Worlds confusion.
I charge thee by my Power to appeare,
And by Celestiall warrant to draw neare.
P
[...]oenix.
O what a mistie Dampe breakes from the ground,
Able it selfe to infect this noysome Aire:
As if a caue of Toades themselues did wound,
Or poysoned Dragons fell into dispaire,
Hels damned sent with this may not compare,
And in this foggie cloud there doth arise
A damned Feend ore me to tyrannize.
Nature.
He shall not touch a Feather of thy wing,
Or euer haue Authoritie and pow
[...]r,
As he hath had in his dayes secret prying,
Ouer thy calmie Lookes to send a shower:
Ile place thee now in secrecies sweet Bower,
Where at thy will in sport and dallying,
Spend out thy time in Amarous discoursing.
Phoenix.
Looke
Nurce, looke
Nature how the Villaine sweates,
His big-swolne Eyes will fall vnto the ground,
With fretting anguish he his blacke-breast beates,
As if he would true harted minds confound:
O keepe him backe, his sight my heart doth wound:
O
Enuie it is thou that mad'st me perish,
For want of that true Fire my hart should nourish.
Nature.
But I will plague him for his wickednesse,
[Page 21]
Enuie go packe thee to some forreine soyle,
To some desertfull plaine or Wildernesse,
Where sauage Monsters and wild beasts do toyle,
And with inhumane Creatures keepe a coyle.
Be gone I say, and neuer do returne,
Till this round compast world with fire do burne.
Ph
[...]enix.
What is he gone? is
Enuie packt away?
Then one fowle blot is mooued from his Throne,
That my poore honest Thoughts did seeke to slay:
Away fowle griefe, and ouer-heauie Mone,
That do orecharge me with continuall grones.
Will you not hence? then with dowue-falling teares,
Ile drowne my selfe in ripenesse of my Yeares.
N
[...]ture.
Fie peeuish Bird, what art thou franticke mad?
Wilt thou confound thy selfe with foolish Griefe?
If there be cause or meanes for to be had,
Thy Nurse and nourisher will find reliefe:
Then tell me all thy Accidents in briefe;
Haue I not banisht
Enuy for thy sake?
I greater things for thee ile vndertake.
Phoenix.
Enuie is gone and banisht from my sight,
Banisht for euer comming any more:
But in
Arabia burnes another Light,
A darke dimme Taper that I must adore,
This barren Countrey makes me to deplore:
It is so saplesse that the very Spring,
Makes tender new-growne Plants be with'ring.
The noisome Aire is growne infectious,
The very Springs for want of Moi
[...]ture die,
The glorious Sunne is here pestiferous,
No hea
[...]bes for
Phisicke or sweet
Surgerie,
No balme to cure hearts inward maladie:
No gift of
Nature, she is here defaced,
Heart-curing
Balsamum here is not placed.
Nature.
Is this the summe and substance of thy woe?
I
[...] this the Anker-hold vnto thy bote?
Is this thy Sea of Griefe doth ouerflow?
Is this the Riuer sets thy ship a
[...]lote?
Is this the Lesson thou hast learn'd by rote?
And is this all? and is this plot of Ground
The substance of the Theame doth thee confound?
Phoenix.
This is the Anker-hold, the Sea, the Riuer,
The Lesson and the substance of my Song,
This is the Rocke my Ship did seeke to shiuer,
And in this ground with Adders was I stung,
And in a lothsome pit was often flung:
My Beautie and my Vertues captiuate,
To Loue, dissembling Loue that I did hate.
Nature.
Cheare vp thy spirit
Phoenix, prune thy wings,
And double-gild thy Fethers for my newes;
A
Nightingale and not a
Rauen sings,
That from all blacke contention will excuse
Thy heauy thoughts, and set them to peruse
Another Clymat, where thou maist expresse,
A plot of
Paradice for worthinesse.
Ioue in diuine diuinesse of his Soule,
That rides vpon his firie axaltree,
That with his Mace doth humane flesh controule,
When of mans deedes he makes a Registrie,
Louing the good for singularitie:
With a vail'd Count'nance and a gracious Smile,
Did bid me plant my Bird in
Paphos▪ Ile.
Ph
[...]enix.
What ill diuining Planet did presage,
My timelesse birth so timely brought to light?
What fatal Comet did his wrath engage▪
To worke a harmelesse Bird such worlds despight,
Wrapping my dayes blisse in blacke
[...]ables night?
No Planet nor no Comet did conspire
My downefall, but foule
Fortunes wrathful ire.
What did my Beautie moue her to Disdaine?
Or did my▪ Vertues shadow all her Blisse?
That she should place me in a desart Plaine,
And send forth
Enuie with a
Iudas kisse,
To sting me with a Scorpions poisoned hisse?
From my first birth-right for to plant me heare,
Where I haue alwaies fed on Griefe and Feare.
Nature.
Raile not gainst
Fortunes sacred Deitie,
In youth thy vertuous patience she hath tyred,
From this base earth shee'le lift thee vp on hie,
Where in Contents rich Cha
[...]iot thou shalt ride,
And neuer with Impatience to abide:
Fortune will glorie in thy great renowne,
And on thy feathered head will set a crowne.
Phoenix.
[Page 24]
T'was time to come, for I was comfortlesse,
And in my Youth haue bene Infortunate:
This Ile of
Paphos I do hope will blesse,
And alter my halfe-rotten tottering state;
My hearts Delight was almost ruinate.
In this rich Ile a
Turtle had his nest,
And in a Wood of gold tooke vp his rest.
Nature.
Fly in this Chariot, and come sit by me,
And we will leaue this ill corrupted Land,
We'le take our course through the blew Azure skie,
And set our feete on
Paphos golden sand,
There of that
Turtle Doue we'le vnderstand:
And visite him in those delightfull plaines,
Where Peace conioyn'd with Plenty still remaines.
Pho
[...]nix.
I come, I come, and now farewell that strond,
Vpon whose craggie rockes my Ship was rent;
Your ill beseeming follies made me fond,
And in a vastie Cell I vp was pent,
Where my fresh blooming Beauty I haue spent.
O blame your selues ill nurtred cruell Swaines,
That fild my scarlet Glorie full of Staines.
Nature.
Welcome immortall Bewtie, we will ride
Ouer the Semi-circle of
Europa,
And bend our course where we will see the Tide,
That partes the Continent of
Affrica,
Where the great
Cham gouernes
Tartaria:
And when the starrie Curtaine vales the night,
In
Paphos sacred Ile we meane to light.
Phoenix.
[Page 25]
How glorious is this Chariot of the day,
Where
Phoebus in his crystall robes is set,
And to poore passengers directs a way:
O happie time since I with
Nature met,
My immelodious Discord I vnfret:
And sing sweet Hymnes, burn Myrrhe & Frankensence,
Honor that Isle that is my sure defence.
Nature.
Looke
Phoenix ore the world as thou dost ride,
And thou shalt see the pallaces of Kings,
Great huge-built Cities where high States abide,
Temples of Gods, and Altars with rich offrings,
To which the Priests their sacrifices brings:
Wonders past wonder, strange
Pyramides,
And the gold-gathering Strong of
Euphrates.
[...].
O what rich pleasure dwelleth in this Land!
Greene springing Medowes, high vpreared Hils,
The white-fleest Ewe brought tame vnto the hand,
Faire running Riuers that the Countrie fils,
Sweet flowers that faire balmy Deaw distils,
Great peopled Cities, whose earth-gracing show,
Time is asham'd to touch or ouerthrow!
Nature.
Besilent gentle
Phoenix▪ Ile repeate,
Some of these Cities names that we descrie,
And of their large foundation Ile intreate,
Their Fonnder that first rear'd them vp on hie,
Making a glorious Spectacle to each eie:
Warres wald Defender and the Countries grace,
Not battred yet with Times controlling Mace.
Alfred the father of faire
El
[...]eda,
This Alf
[...]ed first deuided England into Shires, being King of No
[...] thumb
[...]rs.
Founded three goodly famous Monasteries,
In this large Ile of sweete
Britania,
For to refresh the poore soules miseries,
That were afflicted with calamities:
One in the Towne surnamed
Edlingsey,
Which after ages called
Athelney.
The second House of that Deuotion,
He did erect at worthy
Winchester,
A place well planted with Religion,
Called in this age the new-builded Minster,
Still kept in notable reparation:
Alfred buried in the Cathedrall Church of VVinchester.
And in this famous builded Monument,
His bodie was interd when life was spent.
The last not least surpassing all the rest,
Was
Oxfords honorable foundation,
The Vniuersity of Oxford built by Alfred.
Since when with Learnings glorie it is blest,
Begun by the godly exhortation
Of the Abbot
Neotus direction:
From whose rich womb pure Angell-like Diuinitie,
Hath sprong to saue vs from Calamitie.
Leyre the sonne of
Baldud being admitted,
To beare the burden of the
British sway,
A Prince with
Natures glorie being fitted,
This Sore is a Riu
[...]r that runneth by Leicester, called of some Brenber vvater.
At what time
Ioas raigned King of
Iuda,
To make his new got Fame to last for aye,
By
Sore he built the Towne of
Caerleir,
That to this day is called
Leycester.
Belin that famous worthy
Brytaine King,
In this Citie were t
[...]ree famous Churches one of S. Iulius the Martyr, the second of S. Aron: and the other the mother Church of all Demetia.
That made the Townes of
France to feare his frowne,
And the whole
Romish Legion to sing.
And to record his gracious great renowne,
Whose host of men their Townes were firing:
Builded in
Southwals height
Caerlion,
Or termed
Arwiske Caerlegion.
This glorious Citie was the onely Pride,
In eldest age of all
Demetia:
Where many notable Monuments abide▪
This Belin also build
[...]d a notable Gate in London now called Billings gate & Belins Castle.
To grace the Countrey of
Britania,
That from
Times memorie can neuer slide:
Amphibulus was borne in this sweete place,
Who taught
S. Albon, Albon full of grace.
King
Lud surnam'd the great
Lud-hurdibras,
The sonne of
Leil, builded the famous Towne
Of
Kaerkin, with a huge Tower of brasse,
Lud, father t
[...] Baldud, a man well seen in the Sciences of Astronomie and Necromancie.
Now called
Canterburie of great renowne,
Able to bide the raging Foes stout frowne:
The
Metropolitans seate where Learning sits,
And chiefe of all our
English Bishoprickes.
This noble King builded faire
Caerguent,
Now cleped
Winchester of worthie fame,
This Baldud sonne of Lud-Hurdibras, made first the hot Baths at Caerbran, now called Bathe.
And at Mount
Paladour he built his Tent,
That after ages
Shaftsburie hath to name,
His first foundation from King
Leyls sonne came:
About which building Prophet
Aquila,
Did prophesie in large
Brytania.
King
Leill a man of great religion,
He also repaired the Citie of Caer l
[...]on, now called Chester.
That made his bordring neighbours for to yeeld,
And on their knees to pleade Submission,
Being eldest sonne to
Brute surnam'd
Greeneshield,
The Cittie of
Caerleits he did build,
Now called
Carleyle by corruption,
And Time that leades things to confusion.
Cambridge a famous Vniuersitie,
The Citie of Cambridge built in the dayes of Gurguntius the son of Beline, by one Cantaber a Spaniard, brother to Partholony, or as some write by Gorbonian.
The Nurse of Learning and Experience,
The Chearisher of true Diuinitie,
That for the Soules good wisedome doth commence,
Confuting Vice, and driuing Error thence:
Was built by
Sigisbert: but wrought effectually
By Kings and Lords of famous memorie.
Ebranke
the sonne of stout Mempritius,
Hauing in matrimoniall copulation,
Twentie one wiues in large
Rithmi gratia.
Britanicus,
And thirtie daughters by iust computation,
And twentie sonnes of estimation,
Builded
Caerbranke famous for the name,
Now called
Englands Yorke a place of Fame.
He in
Albania large and populous,
Now termed
Scotland of the
Scottish Sect,
Because his deedes should still be counted famous,
The Castle of
Maidens there he did erect,
And to good purpose did this worke effect:
But iron-eating Time the Truth doth staine,
For
Edingburgh the Citie doth remaine.
And in that
Maiden Castle he did frame,
To grace the building to the outward eie,
Nine Images of stone plac'd in the same,
Which since haue stay'd times perpetuetie,
In the true forme of worke-mans excellencie:
Not any whit diminisht, but as pe
[...]fect
As in the first
[...]dayes minute they were set.
Phoenix.
Nature I muse at your description,
To see how
Time that old rust-cankard wretch,
Honors forgetfull Friend, Cities confusion,
That in all Monuments hath made a Breach,
To auncient names brought alteration:
And yet at this day snch a place remaines,
That all
Times honor past with honor staines.
Nature.
Those carued old-cut stonie Images,
That beautifie the Princes stately Towers,
That graces with their grace the Pallaces,
And high imperiall Emperizing bowers,
Were neuer raz'd by
Times controlling houres:
Nine worthie women almost equiualent,
With those nine worthie men so valient.
Three of the nine were
Iewes, and three were
Gentiles,
Three
Christians, Honors honorable Sexe,
That from their foes did often beare the spoiles,
And did their proud controlling neighbours vexe,
Which to their name did Noblenesse annexe,
An Embleame for true borne Gentilitie,
To imitate their deedes in chiualrie.
The first
Minerua a right worthie
Pagon,
That many manlike battailes manly fought,
She first deuiz'd Artillerie of yron,
And Armour for our backes she first found out,
Putting our li
[...]es deare hazard from some doubt:
She gouerned the
Libians, and got Victories,
With Honor by the lake
Lacus Mi
[...]ae.
Tritonides.
Our maine pitcht Battels she first ordered,
Setting a Forme downe to this following Age,
The orders of Incamping she first registred,
And taught the lawes of Armes in equipage,
To after time her skill she did engage:
Apollo was her deare begotten sonne,
In
Abrahams time she liu'd till life was donne.
Semiramis
Queene of Assiria,
Was second worthie of this worlds great wonder,
She conquered large
Aethiopia,
And brought the Necke of that stout Nation vnder,
Wasting the Countries of rich
India:
Her dayes of Honor and of Regiment,
Was in the time of
Isaacks gouernment.
The third and chiefest for Audaciousnesse,
And Enterprises that she tooke in hand,
Was
Tomyris full of true Noblenesse,
Queene of the
North (as I do vnderstand,)
From forth her eyes she lightned Honors Brand,
And brandished a Sword, a sword of Fame,
That to her weake Sexe yeelded
Hectors name.
When she receiued newes her sonne was dead,
The Hope and Vnderprop of
Scithia,
She put on Armour, and encountered
The
Monarch Cyrus King of
Persia,
And Gouernor of rich
Getulia:
Slue him in sight her Fame for to renew,
Two hundred thousand Souldiers ouerthrew.
Amongst the
Hebrew women we commend,
Iahel the
Kenite for the first in bountie,
Whose vncomprehensible valour in the end,
Did free and set at large her captiu'd Countrie,
Oppressed with tyrannicall Miseri
[...]:
From dangers imminent of
[...]irie Warre,
By killing hand to hand her foe great
Sisar.
Debora an
Hebrew worthie the second place,
She fortie yeares did gouerne
Israel,
In peace preseru'd her Land, her land of Grace,
Where honest sportiue Mirth did alwaies dwell:
Her holy holinesse no tongue can tell,
Nations astonied at her happinesse,
Did grieue to loose her Wisedomes worthinesse.
Iudith the third that redeliuered,
The strong besieged Citie of
Bethulia,
And when the prowd Foe she had vanquished,
And ouercame hot-spur'd
Assiria,
Bringing in triumph
Holofernes head,
She got a great and greater Victorie,
Then thousand Souldiers in their maiestie.
The first of
Christians was faire
Maud the Countesse,
Countesse of
Aniow, daughter to a King▪
Englands first
Henry: Almaines Empresse,
Heire in dubitate, and her Fathers ofspring,
She titles to the
English Crowne did bring:
She ne're desisted from the warlike field,
Till that vsurped
Stephen of
Blois did yeeld,
And condiscended to her sonnes deare right,
That war-like
Maude had reobtain'd by might.
The second was
Elizabeth of
Aragon,
Queene and wife to honorable
Ferdinando:
She stoutly fought for propagation
Of Christian Faith; brought to subuersion,
The forsaken infidels of
Granado,
Reducing that p
[...]oud prouince all in one,
To follow Christs vnspotted true Religion.
The last was
Iohane of
Naples true borne Queene,
Sister to
Ladislaus King of
Hungarie,
A woman that defended (as twas seene,)
Her countries great and gracious libertie,
By force of laudable Armes and Chiualrie,
Against the
Sarasins inuasion,
And proud hot warres of princely
Aragon.
Thus haue I in the honor of their worth,
Laid ope their Progenie, their Deedes, their Armes,
T
[...]eir ofspring, and their honorable Birth,
That is a Lanthorne lightning their true Fames,
Which Truth can neuer burne in Enuies flames:
[Page 33]Worthie of wonder are these three times three,
Folded in brazen Leaues of memorie.
Windsor a Castle of exceeding strength,
First built by
Aruiragus Brytaines King,
But finished by
Arthur at the length,
Of whose rare deedes our
Chronicles do ring,
And Poets in their verse his praise do sing:
For his Round-table and his war-like Fights,
Whose valiantnesse the coward Mind affrights.
This
Brytish King in warres a Conquerer,
And wondrous happie in his Victories,
Was a companion of this noble Order,
And with his person grac'd these Dignities,
Great dignities of high exceeding Valour:
For he himselfe the selfe-same Honor tooke,
That all his following States did euer brooke.
This
Paragon whose name our time affrights,
At
Windsor Castle dubbed in one day,
One hundred and iust fortie valiant Knights,
With his keene trustie Sword, and onely stay,
(Cald
Dridwin) that his Loue did ouersway:
And with that Sword the very day before,
He slue as many
Saxon fo
[...]s or more.
But
English Edward third of Memorie,
In blessed and religious zeale of Loue,
Built vp a Colledge of exceeding glory,
That his kind care to
England did approue,
[Page 34]This
Colledge doth this Castle beautifie:
The Honor of the place is held so deare,
That many famous Kings are buried th
[...]re.
But one rare thing exceeding admirable,
That to this day is held in great renowne,
And to all Forreiners is m
[...]morable,
The Name of which makes
Englands foes to frowne,
And puls the pride of forreine Nations downe,
Knights of the
Garter and Saint
Georges Crosse,
Betok'ning to the Foe a bloudie losse.
Phoenix.
O Nature tell me one thing ere we part,
What famous towne and situated Seate,
Is that huge Building that is made by Art,
Against whose wals the crystall streames do beate,
As if the flowing tide the stones would eate:
That lies vpon my left hand built so hie,
That the huge top-made Steeple dares the Skie?
Nature.
[Page 78]
That is the
Britaines towne old
Troynouant,
The which the wandring-
Troyans Sonne did frame,
When after ship wracke he a place did want,
For to reuiue his Honor-splitted Name,
And raisd againe the cinders of his Fame,
When from
Sydonian Dido they did steale,
To reare the Pillars of a Common-weale.
Since when to come more nearer to our time,
Lud the great King did with his wealth enlarge,
The famous builded Citie of this Clime,
And
Ludstone to be cald he gaue in charge,
And
London now that Towne is growne at large:
The flowing Riuer
Thamasis is nam'd,
Whose Sea-ensuing Tide can neare be tam'd.
Phoenix.
O
London I haue heard thee honoured,
And thy names Glorie rais'd to good intent,
Lawes Councell chamber in thy wals is bred,
The school
[...] of Knowledge and Experiment:
Wise Senators to gouerne thee is lent.
All things to beautifie a Royall Throne,
Where Scarsitie and Dea
[...]th did neuer grone▪
Nature.
Leaue off thy Praises till we haue more leasure,
And to beguile the wearie lingring Day,
Whose long-drawne Howers do tire vs out of measure:
Our cunning in Loue-songs let vs assay,
And paint our Pleasure as some good Array▪
I will beginne my cunning for to tast▪
And your Experience we will try at last.
Here Nature singeth to this dittie following.
WHat is Loue but a toy
To beguile mens Senses?
Boy to cause expences,
A toy that brings to fooles oppressed thrall,
A boy whose folly makes a number fall.
What is Loue but a child,
Child of little substance,
Making Apes to be wild,
And their pride to aduance,
A child that loues with guegawes to be toying,
And with thinne shadowes alwaies to be playing.
Loue is sweete, wherein sweete?
In fading pleasures, wanton toyes,
Loue a Lord, and yet meete,
To crosse mens humours with annoyes:
A bitter pleasure, pleasing for a while,
A Lord is Loue that doth mans thoughts beguile.
O sing no more, you do forget your Theame,
And haue prophan'd the sacred name of Loue,
You dip your tongue in an vnwholsome Streame,
And from the golden Truth your notes remoue,
In my harsh Dittie I will all reproue:
And vnaccustom'd I will trie my skill,
To pleasure you, and to confute your will▪
The Phoenix her Song to the Dittie before.
O Holy Loue, religious Saint,
Mans onely hony-tasting Pleasure,
Thy glory, learning cannot paint,
For thou art all our wordly Treasure▪
Thou art the Treasure, Treasure of the soule,
That great celestiall powers dost controule▪
What greater blisse then to embrace
The perfect patterne of Delight,
Whose heart-enchaunting Eye doth chase
A
[...]l stormes of sorow from mans sight:
Pleasure, Delight, Wealth, and earth-ioyes do lye
In
Venus bosome, bosome of pure beautie.
That mind that tasteth perfect Loue,
Is farre remoted from annoy:
Cupid that God doth sit aboue,
That tips his Arrowes all with ioy:
And this makes Poets in their Verse to sing
Loue is a holy, holy, holy thing.
Nature.
O voice Angelicall, O heauenly song,
The golden praise of Loue that thou hast made,
Deliuerd from thy sweete smoothd honied tong,
Commaunds Loue selfe to lye within a shade,
And yeeld thee all the Pleasures may be had:
Thy sweete melodious voice hath beautifide
And guilded
Loues rich amours in her pride.
Phoenix.
Enough, enough, Loue is a holy thing,
A power deuine, deuine, maiesticall:
In shallow witted braines as you did sing,
It cares not for the force materiall,
And low-borne Swaines it nought respects at all:
She builds her Bower in none but noble minds,
And there due adoration still she finds.
Nature.
Stay
Phoenix stay, the euening Starre drawes nie,
And
Phoebus he is parted from our sight,
[Page 81]And with this Wagon mounted in the Skie,
Affoording passage to the gloomie night,
That doth the way-fa
[...]ing Passenger affright:
And we are set on foote neere to that Ile,
In whose deepe bottome plaines Delight doth smile.
Pho
[...]ix.
O what a muskie sent the ayre doth cast,
As if the Gods perfum'd it with sweete Myrthe▪
O how my bloud's inspired and doth taste,
An alteration in my ioynts to stirre,
As if the good did with the bad conferre:
The ayre doth moue my Spirites, purge my Sence,
And in my body doth new warre commence.
Looke round about, behold you fruitfull Plaine,
Behold their meadow plots and pasture ground,
Behold their chrystall Riuers runne amaine,
Into the vaste huge Seas deuouring sound,
And in her bowels all her filth is found:
It vomiteth by vertue all corruption,
Into that wa
[...]rie plaine of desolation.
And while the day giues light vnto our eies,
Be thou attentiue, and I will relate,
The glorie of the plaines that thou descri'st,
Whose fertill bounds farre doth extenuate,
Where
Mars and
Venus arme in arme haue sate:
Of plants of hearbs, and of high springing trees,
Of sweete delicious sauors, and of Bees.
In this delightsome countrey there doth grow,
[Page 82]The
Mandrake cald in
Greeke Mandragora
[...],
Some of his vertues if you looke to know,
The iuyce that freshly from the roote doth passe,
Purgeth all fleame like blacke
Helleborus:
Tis good for paine engendred in the eies;
By wine made of the roote doth sleepe arise.
Theres Yellow Crowbels
and the Daphadill,
Good Harry, herbe Robert,
and white Cotula,
Adders grasse, Eglantine,
and Aphodill,
Agnus Castus,
and Acatia,
The Blacke Arke-angell, Coloquintida,
Sweete Sugar Canes, Sinkefoile
and boies Mercurie,
Goosefoote, Goldsnap,
and good Gratia Dei.
Mosse of the Sea,
and yellow Succorie,
Sweete Trefoile, Weedwind,
the wholesome Wormewood,
Muskmealons, Moustaile,
and Mercurie,
The dead Arkeangell
that for wennes is good,
The Souldiers perrow,
and great Southernewood:
Stone hearts tongue, Blessed thistle,
and Sea Trifoly,
Our Ladies cushion,
and Spaines Pellitorie.
[...].
No doubt this Clymate where as these remaine,
The women and the men are fam'd for faire,
Here neede they not of aches to complaine,
For Phisickes skill growes here without compare:
All herbes and plants within this Region are,
But by the way sweete
Nature as you go,
Of
Agnus Castus speake a word or two.
Nature▪
[Page 83]
That shall I briefly; it is the very handmaid
To
Vesta, or to perfect Chastitie,
The hot inflamed spirite is allaid
By this sweete herbe that bends to
Luxury,
It drieth vp the seede of
Venerie:
The leaues being laid vpon the sleepers bed,
With chastnesse, cleannesse, purenesse he is fed.
Burne me the leaues, and straw then on the ground,
Whereas foule venemous Serpents vse to haunt:
And by this vertue here they are not found,
Their operation doth such creatures daunt,
It causeth them from thence for to auant:
If thou be stung with Serpents great or lesse,
Drinke but the seede, and thou shalt find redresse.
But to proceed, heres Clary
or Cleare-eie,
Calues snout, Cukoe flowers,
and the Cuckoes meate,
Calathian Violets, Dandelion,
and the Dewberrie,
Leopards foote,
and g
[...]eene Spinage
which we vse to eate,
And the hot Indian Sunne
procuring heate:
Great wild Valerian,
and the Withie wind,
The water Cresses,
or ague-curing Woodbind.
There's Foxgloue, Forget me not,
and Coliander,
Galingal, Goldcups,
and Buprestis,
Small honesties, Eye-bright,
and Coculus Panter,
Double tongue, Moly,
and the bright Anthillis,
Smelling Clauer,
and Aethiopis:
Floramore, Euphorbium,
and Esula,
White Bulbus violet,
and Cassia fistula.
Phoenix.
[Page 84]
But by the way sweete
Nature tell me this,
Is this the
Moly that is excellent,
For strong enchauntments and the Adders hisse?
Is this the
Moly that
Mercurius sent
To wise
Vlysses, when he did preuent
The witchcraft, and foule
Circes damned charmes,
That would haue compast him with twentie harmes?
Nature.
This is the
Moly growing in this land,
That was reueal'd by cunning
Mercurie
To grea
[...]
Vlysses, making him withstand
The hand of
Circes fatall sorcerie,
That would haue loden him with miserie:
And ere we passe Ile shew some excellence▪
Of other hearbs in
Phisickes noble Science.
There Mugwort, Sena
and Tithimailes,
Oke of Ierusalem,
and Lyryconfaucie,
Larkes spurre▪ Larkes claw
and Lentiles,
Garden Nigella, Mill,
and Pionie,
Woody Nightshade, Mints,
and Sentorie,
Sowbread, Dragons,
and Goates oregan,
Pelemeum, Hellebore,
and Osmond
the Waterman▪
First of this
Mugwort it did take the name,
Of
Artemesia wife to
Mansoleus,
Whose sunne-bred beautie did his heart inflame,
When she was Queene of
Helicarnassus,
Diana gaue the herbe this name to vs:
Because this vertue to vs it hath lent,
For womens matters it is excellent.
And he that shall this herbe about him beare,
Is freed from hurt or daunger any way,
No poisned Toade nor Serpent shall him f
[...]are,
As he doth trauell in the Sunne-shine day,
No wearinesse his limmes shall ought assay:
And if he weare this
Mugwort at his breast,
Being trauelling, he nere shall couet rest.
There is blacke
Hellebore cald
Melampodium,
Because an
Arcadian shepheard first did find
This wholsome herbe
Melampus nam'd of some,
Which the rich
Proetus daughters wits did bind,
When she to extreame madnesse was inclind:
It cured and reuiu'd her memorie,
That was possest with a continuall frenzie.
There Centrie in Greeke
Centaurion,
That from the Centaure
Chiron tooke the name,
In
Spaine t'was cald
Cintoria long agone,
And this much honor must we giue the same,
Wild Tygers with the leaues a man may
[...]ame:
Tis good for sinewed aches, and giues light
To the blacke mistie dimnesse of the sight.
Fames golden glorie spreadeth this report,
Vpon a day that
Chiron was a guest,
To arme-strong
Hercules, and did resort
Vnto his house to a most sumptuous feast,
And welcome was the
Centaure mongst the rest.
But see his lucke, he on his foote let fall,
Great
Hercul's shaft, and hurt himselfe withall.
[Page 84]
[...]
[Page 85]
[...]
A mightie arrow not for him to weeld,
The wound being deepe, and with a venom'd point,
To Deaths arestment he began to yeeld,
And there with sundrie Balmes they did annoint,
His wounded foote being strucken through the ioynt:
All would
[...]ot serue till that an old man brought,
This
[...]entaurie that
[...]ase to him hath wrought,
There's Osmond balepate, Plebane,
and Oculus Christi,
Sleeping nightshade, Salomons seale,
and Sampire,
Sage of Ierusalem,
and sweete Rosemarie,
Great Pilosella, Sengreene,
and Alexander,
Knights Milfoile, Masticke,
and Stocke gillofer,
Hearts ease, herbe twopence,
and Hermodactill,
Narcissus,
and the red flower Pimpernell.
Phoenix.
That word
Narcissus is of force to steale,
Cold running water from a stony rocke:
Alas poore boy thy beautie could not heale
The wound that thou thy selfe too deepe didst lock
[...];
Thy shadowed eyes thy perfect eyes did mocke.
False beautie fed true beautie
[...]rom the deepe,
When in the glassie water thou didst peepe.
O Loue thou art imperious full of might,
And dost reuenge the crie disdaining louer
His lookes to Ladies eyes did giue a light,
But pride of beautie, did his beautie smother,
Like him for faire you could not find another▪
Ah had he lou'd, and not on Ladies lower,
He neare had bene transformed to a flower.
Nature.
[Page 87]
This is an Embleame for those painted faces,
Where deuine beautie rests her for a while,
Filling their browes with stormes and great disgraces,
That on the pained soule yeelds not a smile,
But puts true loue into perpetuall exile:
Hard hearted Soule, such fortune light on thee,
That thou maist be tranform'd as well as he.
Ah had the boy bene pliable to be wonne,
And not abusde his morne excelling face,
He might haue liu'd as beauteous as the Sunne,
And to his beautie Ladies would giue place,
But O proud Boy, thou wroughtst thine owne disgrace:
Thou lou'st thy selfe, and by the selfe same loue,
Did'st thy deuinesse to a flower remoue.
But to proceed, there's
Christioculus,
The seede of this
Horminum drunke with wine,
Doth stirre a procurations heate in vs,
And to Libidenous lusts makes men incline,
And mens vnable bodies doth refine:
It brings increase by operation,
And multiplies our generation.
There's Carrets, Cheruile,
and the Cucumer,
Red Patiens, Purslane,
and Gingidium,
Oxe eie,
sheepe killing Penygrasses,
and the golden flower
Cuckoepintell,
our Ladies seale,
and Sagapinum,
Theophrastus violet,
and Vincetoxicum:
Saint Peters wort,
and louely Venus haire,
And
Squilla, that keepes men from foule despaire.
O this word
Carrets, if a number knew
The vertue of thy rare excelling roote,
And what good help to men there doth ensue,
They would their lands, and their liues sell to boote,
But thy sweete operation they would view:
Sad dreaming Louers slumbring in the night,
Would in thy honie working take delight.
The
Thracian Orpheus whose admired skill
Infernall
Pluto once hath rauished,
Causing high Trees to daunce against their will,
And vntam'd Beast with Musicks Harpe hath fed,
And Fishes to the shore hath often led,
By his experience oftentimes did proue,
This Roote procur'd in Maides a perfect loue.
Purslane doth comfort the inflamed hart,
And healeth the exulcerated kidnies:
It stoppeth all defluxions falling smart,
And when we sleepe expelleth dreames and fancies:
It driues Imaginations from our eyes,
The iuyce of
Purslane hindreth that desire,
When men to
Venus games would faine aspire.
Theres Rocket, Iacke by the hedge,
and Loue in idlenesse,
Knights water Sengreene,
and Siluer maidenheare,
Paris Na
[...]ews, Tornesol,
and towne Cresses,
Starre thistle
that for many things is deare,
And Seia
that in Italy
Corne doth beare:
Wake-robbins, Hyacinth,
and Hartichocke,
Letuce,
that mens sence asleepe doth rocke.
Phoenix.
[Page 89]
O poore boy
Hyacinthus thy faire face
Of which
Apollo was enamored,
Brought thy lifes Lord too timely to that place,
Where playing with thee thou wast murdered,
And with thy bloud the grasse was sprinckled:
Thy bodie was transformed in that hower,
Into a red white mingled Gilli-flower.
Nature.
But yet
Apollo wept when he was slaine,
For playing with him, cleane against his will
He made him breathlesse, this procur'd his paine:
True loue doth seldome seeke true loue to kill;
O Loue thou many actions dost fulfill!
Search, seek, & learn what things there may be shown,
Then say that Loues sweet secrets are vnknowne.
And as a token of
Apolloes sorrow,
A siluer coloured Lillie did appeare,
The leaues his perfect sighes and teares did borrow,
Which haue continued still from yeare to yeare;
Which shewes him louing, not to be seuere,
[...] is written as a mourning Dittie,
Vpon this flower which shewes
Apolloes pittie.
O Schoole-boyes I will teach you such a shift,
As will be worth a Kingdome when you know it,
An herbe that hath a secret hidden drift,
To none but Treauants do I meane to show it,
And all deepe read Phisitio
[...]s will allow it:
O how you play the wags, and faine would heare
Some secret matter to allay your
[...]eare.
Theres garden
Rocket, take me but the seed,
When in your Maisters brow your faults remaine,
And when to saue your selues there is great need,
Being whipt or beaten you shall feele no paine,
Although the bloud your buttocks seeme to staine:
It hardneth so the flesh and tender skin,
That what is seene without comes not within.
The Father that desires to haue a boy,
That may be Heire vnto his land and liuing,
Let his espoused Loue drinke day by day,
Good
Artichocks, who buds in August bring,
Sod in cleare running water of the spring;
Wiues naturall Conception it doth strengthen,
And their declining life by force doth lengthen.
In Sommer time, when sluggish idlenesse
Doth haunt the bodie of a healthfull man,
In Winter time when a cold heauie slownesse
Doth tame a womans strength, do what she can,
Making her looke both bloudlesse, pale and wan,
The vertue of this
Artichocke is such,
It stirres them vp to labour verie much.
Theres
Sowbread, Stanwort, and
Starre of Hierusal
[...],
Base or flat
Veruine, and the wholesome
Tansie,
Go to bed at noone, and
Titimalem,
Hundred headed thistle, and tree-clasping
Iuie,
Storks bill, great
Stonecrop, and seed of
Canary,
Dwarfe gentian, Snakeweed and sommer
Sauory,
Bell rags, prickly Boxe, and
Raspis of Couentry.
This
Sowbread is an herbe that's perillous,
For howsoeuer this same Roote be vsed,
For women growne with child tis dangerous,
And therefore it is good to be refused:
Vnlesse too much they seeke to be misused,
O haue a care how this you do apply,
Either in inward things or outwardly.
Those that about them carrie this same
Sowbread,
Or plant it in their gardens in the Spring,
If that they onely ouer it do tread▪
Twill kill the issue they about them bring,
When Mother
Lullabie with ioy should sing:
Yet wanton scaping Maides perhaps will tast,
This vnkind herbe, and snatch it vp in hast.
Yet let me giue a warning to you all,
Do not presume too much in dalliance,
Be not short-heeld with euery wind to fall:
The Eye of heauen perhaps will not dispence
With your rash fault, but plague your fowle offence,
And take away the working and the vertue,
Because to him you broke your promis'd dutie.
Theres
Iuie, that doth cling about the tree,
And with her leauie armes doth round embrace
The rotten hollow withered trunke we see,
That from the maiden
Cissus tooke that place,
Grape-crowned
Bacchus did this damzell grace:
Loue-piercing windowes dazeled so her eye,
That in Loues ouer-kindnesse she did dye.
A rich-wrought sumptuous Banquet was prepared,
Vnto the which the Gods were all inuited:
Amongst them all this
Cissus was insnared,
And in the sight of
Bacchus much delighted:
In her fair
[...] bo
[...]ome was true Loue vnited,
She daunc't and often kist him with such mirth,
That sudden ioy did stop her vitall breath.
Assoone as that the Nourisher of things,
O
[...]r Grandam Earth had tasted of her bloud,
From foorth her bodie a fresh Plant there springs,
And then an I
[...]y-climing Herbe there stood,
That for the
[...]l
[...]xe Dissenterie is good:
For the remembrance of the God of wine,
It therefore alwaies claspes about the Vine.
There is
Angellica or
Dwarfe Gentian,
Whose
[...] being dride in the hot shining Sunne,
From de
[...]h it doth preserue the poysoned man,
Whose extreame torment makes his life halfe gone,
That from deaths mixed potion could not shunne:
No Pestilence nor no infectious aire,
Shall do him hurt, or cause him to dispaire.
Theres
Carduus benedictu
[...] cald the
Blessed thistle,
Neswort, Peniroyall, and Astrolochia,
Yellow Wolfs-bane, and Rose-smelling
Bramble,
Our
Ladies Bedstraw, Brookelime, and
Lunaria,
Cinque foile, Cats taile,
and Cresse Scia
[...]ica,
Hollihockes, Mouseare,
and Pety Morrell,
Sage, Scorpiades,
and the garden Sorrell.
First of the
Nesewort, it doth driue away,
And poysoneth troublesome Mice and long-tail'd Rats,
And being sod in milke, it doth destroy
Bees, Waspes, or Flies, and litle
[...]inging Gnats:
It killeth Dogs, and rest disturbing Cats,
Boyled with vineger it doth asswage
The ach proceeding from the tooths hot rage.
Sage is an herbe for health preseruatiue,
It doth expell from women barrennesse:
Aetius saith, it makes the child to liue,
Whose new-knit ioynts are full of feeblenesse,
And comforteth the mothers wearinesse:
Adding a li
[...]ely spirit, that doth good
Vnto the painefull labouring wiues sicke bloud.
In
Egypt when a great mortalitie,
And killing Pestilence did infect the Land,
Making the people die innumerablie,
The plague being ceast, the women out of hand
Did drinke of iuyce of
Sage continually,
That made them to increase and multiply,
And bring foorth store of children presently.
This herbe
Lunaria, if a horse do grase
Within a medow where the same doth grow,
And ouer it doth come with gentle pace,
Hauing a horslocke at his foote below,
As many haue, that sauegard we do know,
It openeth the Locke, and makes it fall,
Despight the barre that it is lockt withall.
There's
Standergras, Hares ballockes, or great
Orchis,
Prouoketh
Venus, and procureth sport,
It helpes the weakned body that's amisse,
And fals away in a consumptuous sort,
It heales the
Hectique feauer by report:
But the dried shriueld roote being withered,
Hindreth the vertue we haue vttered.
If Man of the great springing rootes doth eate,
Being in matrimoniall copulation,
Male children of his wife he shall beget,
This speciall vertue hath the operation,
If Women make the withered rootes their meate,
Faire louely Daughters, affable, and wise,
From their fresh springing loines there shall arise.
Theres
Rosemarie, the
Arabians iustifie,
(Phisitions of exceeding perfect skill,)
It comforteth the braine and Memorie,
And to the inward sence giues strength at will,
The head with noble knowledge it doth fill.
Conserues thereof restores the speech being lost,
And makes a perfect Tongue with little cost.
Theres
Dwale or Nightshade, tis a fatall plant,
It bringeth men into a deadly sleepe,
Then Rage and Anger doth their senses haunt,
And like mad
Aiax they a coile do keepe,
Till leane-fac'd Death into their heart doth creepe,
In
Almaine graue experience hath vs tought,
This wicked herbe for manie things is nought.
Oke of
Ierusalem being throughly dried,
And laid in presses where your clothes do lie,
No Mothes or venome mongst them shall abide,
It makes them smell so odorifero
[...]sly,
That it doth kill them all immediately:
It helpes the breast that's stopped with corruption,
And giues mans breath fit operation.
[...].
Blest be our mother Earth that nourisheth,
In her rich womb the seede of Times increase,
And by her vertue all things flourisheth,
When from her bosome she doth them release,
But are their Plants and Trees in this faire Ile,
Where
Floras sweete spread garden seemes to smile?
Natur
[...].
As plentifull vnto these
Ilanders,
Are the fruit-bearing Trees, as be the Flowers:
And to the chiefest Lords that are command
[...]rs,
They serue as pleasant ouer-shading bowers,
To banquet in the day, and sport being late,
And most of them I meane to nominate.
Ther's the great sturdie
Oke and spreading
Vine,
Vnder whose branches
Bacchus vsd' to sleepe,
The
Rose-tree and the loftie bearing
Pine,
That seemes (being toucht with wind) full oft to weep
[...],
The
Hawthorne, Christs-thorne and the
Rosemary,
The
Tamariske, Willow, and the
Almond-tree.
The most chast tree, that Chastnesse doth betoken,
The
Hollyholme, the
Corke and
Gooseberrie,
[Page 96]That neuer with tempestuous stormes is shooken,
The
Oliue, Philbert, and the
Barberie,
The
Masticke tree whose liquid gumme being dride.
Is good for them that Rheume hath terrified.
Theres
Iudas tree, so cal'd because that
Iew,
That did betray the innocent Lambe of God,
The
[...]e first of all his sorrowes to renew,
Did hang himselfe, plagu'd with a heauy rod,
A iust reward for such an vniust slaue,
That would betray his Maister to the graue.
Theres
Ash-tree, Maple, and the
Sycamore,
Pomegranate, Aprico
[...]kes
and Iunipere:
The
Turpentine that sweet iuyce doth deplore,
The
Quince, the
Peare-tree, and the young mans
Medlar,
The
Fig-tree, Orenge, and the sweet moist
Lemmon,
The
Nutmeg, Plum-tree, and the louely
Cytron.
Now for the
Mirtle tree, it beares the name,
Being once the gods
Pallas best beloued,
Of
Mersin the young faire
Athenian Dame,
Because in act
[...]uenesse she mu
[...]h excelled:
The lustie young men of
Athenia,
She still was honour'd of the wise
Minerua.
Who willing her at Tilt and Tournament,
At running, vaulting, and Actiuitie,
And other exercise of gouernement,
Not to be absent from her Deitie:
Because that she as Iudge might giue the Crowne,
[Page 97]And garland to the Victors great renowne.
But no forepassed age was free from
Enuie,
That spitefull honor-crazing enemy:
For on a time giuing the equall glorie
To him that wan it most deseruedly,
The vanquisher in furie much displeased,
Slue
Mersin whom the Goddesse fauored.
Pallas offended with their crueltie,
Did gratefully reuenge her Maidens death,
Transforming her into a Mirtle tree,
Sweetly to flourish in the lower earth:
The berries are a meanes for to redresse
(Being decocted) swolne-fac'd Drunkennesse.
The stormie Winters greene remaining
Bay
Was
Daphne, Ladon and the Earths faire daughter,
Whom wise
Apollo haunted in the day,
Till at the length by chaunce alas he caught her:
O if such faults were in the Gods aboue,
Blame not poore silly men if they do loue.
But she not able (almost out of breath)
For to resist the wise Gods humble sute,
Made her petition to her mother Earth,
That she would succour her, and make her mute:
The Earth being glad to ease her miserie,
Did swallow her, and turn'd her to a Bay tree.
Apollo being amazed at this sight,
[Page 98]Named it
Daphne for his
Daphnes honour,
Twisting a Garland to his hearts delight,
And on his head did weare it as a fauour:
And to this day the Bay trees memorie,
Remaines as token of true Prophesie.
Some of the heathen, men of opinion,
Suppose the greene-leau'd Bay tree can resist
Inchauntments, spirites, and illusion,
And make them seeme as shadowes in a mist,
This tree is dedicate onely to the Sunne,
Because her vertue from his vice begonne.
The
Mose tree hath such great large spreading leaues,
That you may wrap a child of twelue months old
In one of them, vnlesse the truth deceaues,
For so our
Herborists haue truly told:
By that great Citie
Aleph in
Assyria,
This tree was found hard by
Venetia.
The fruite hereof (the
Greekes and
Christians)
That do remaine in that large-spreading Citie,
The misbeleeuing
[...]ewes and
Persians,
Hold this opinion for a certaintie:
Adam did eate in liuely Paradise,
That wrapt mans free-borne soules in miseri
[...]s.
[...].
These trees, these plants, and this description,
Of their sweete liquid gums that are distilling,
Are to be held in estimation,
For fai
[...]e-fac'd
Tellus glorie is excelling▪
[Page 99]But what white siluer'd rich resembling plaine,
Is that where wooddie moouing trees remaine?
[...].
That is the watry kingdome of
Neptunus,
Where his high wood-made Towers dayly flote,
Bearing the title of
Occanus,
As hony-speaking Po
[...]ts oft do quote:
And as the branches spreading from the tree,
So do the Riuers grace this louely Countrie.
Wherein is bread for mans sweete nourishment,
Fishes of sundrie sorts and diuerse natures,
That the inhabitants doth much content,
As a relieuement to all mortall creatures,
But for to make you perfect what they be,
I will relate them to you orderly.
There swimmes the gentle
Prawne and
Pickerell,
A great deuourer of small little fish,
The
Puffin, Sole, and Sommer louing
Mackrell,
In season held for a high Ladies dish:
The bigge bon'd
Whale, of whom the skilfull Marriner,
Sometimes God knowes stands in a mightie terrour.
The musicke-louing
Dolphin here doth swimme,
That brought
Arion on his backe to shore,
And stayd a long while at the Seas deepe brimme,
To heare him play▪ in nature did deplore,
As being loth to leaue him, but at last
Headlong himselfe into the Sea he cast.
Here swimmes the
Ray, the
Sea-calfe and the
Porpoise▪
That doth betoken raine or stormes of weather,
The
Sea-horse, Sea-hound, and the wide-mouth'd
Plaice,
A
Spitchcoke, Stocke-fish, and the litle
Pilcher,
Whose onely moisture prest by cunning Art,
Is good for those troubled with Aches smart.
Here swimmes the
Shad, the
Spi
[...]sish, and the
Spurling▪
The
Thornebacke, Turbut, and the
Perewincle,
The
Twine, the
Trout, the
Scallop and the
Whiting,
The
Scate, the
Roch, the
Tench and pretie
Wrincle:
The
Purple-fis
[...], whose liquor vsually,
A violet colour on the cloth doth die.
Here swimmes the
Pearch, the
Cuttle and the
Stocke-fish,
That with a wooden staffe is often beaten,
The
Crab, the
Pearch, which poore men alwayes wish,
The
Ruffe, the
Piper good for to be eaten:
The
Barbell that three times in euery yeare,
Her naturall young ones to the waues doth beare.
Phoenix.
His great deuine Omnipotence is mightie,
That rides vpon the Heauens axeltree,
That by increase amongst vs sends such plentie,
I
[...] to his Mightinesse gratefull we will be:
But stubburne necked
Iewes do him prouoke,
Till he do loade them with a heauie yoke.
Nature.
Truth haue you said; but I will here expresse
The richesse of the Earths hid secrecie,
The salt Sea
[...] vnseene, vnknowne worthinesse,
[Page 101]That yeelds vs precious stones innumerably,
The rarenesse of their vertue fit for Kings,
And such this countrie climate often brings.
Herein is found the
Amatist, and
Abestone,
The
Topaze, Turches, and
Gelatia,
The
Adamant, Dionise, and
Calcedon,
The
Berill, Marble, and
Elutropia,
The
Ruby, Saphire, and
Asterites,
The
Iacinth, Sardonix, and
Argirites.
The
Smaragd, Carbuncle, and
Alablaster,
Cornellis, Crusopasse,
and Corrall:
The sparkling
Diamond, and the louely
Iasper,
The
Margarite, Lodestone, and the bright-
[...]y'd
Chrystall,
Ligurius, Onix, Nitrum,
and Gagates,
Absistos, Amatites,
and the good Achates.
Here in this Iland are there mines of
Gold,
Mines of
Siluer, Iron, Tinne and
Lead,
That by the labouring workman we behold:
And mines of
Brasse, that in the Earth is fed,
The stone
Lipparia, Galactites, and
Pant
[...]ron,
Enidros, Iris, Dracontites,
and Astrion.
The
Adamant, a hard obdurate stone,
Inuincible, and not for to be broken,
Being placed neare a great bigge barre of Iron,
This vertue hath it, as a speciall token,
The
Lodestone hath no power to draw away
The Iron barre, but in one place doth stay.
Yet with a Goates warme, fresh and liuely blood,
This
Adaman
[...] doth breake and riue in sunder,
That many mightie, huge strokes hath withstood:
But I will tell you of a greater wonder,
It reconciles the womans loue being lost,
And giueth proofe of Chastnesse without cost.
The purple colourd
Amati
[...]t doth preuaile
Against the wit-oppressing Drunkennesse,
If euill Cogitations do assaile
Thy sleepie thoughts wrapt vp in heauinesse,
It soone will driue them from thy minds disturbing,
And temporize thy braine that is offending.
The white-veind enterlin'd stone
Achates,
Bespotted here and there with spots like blood,
Makes a man gracious in the peoples eyes,
And for to cleare the sight is passing good:
It remedieth the place that's venemous,
And in the fire smels odoriferous.
The Gemme
Amatites hath this qualitie,
Let a man touch his vesture with the same,
And it resisteth fier mightily:
The vertue doth the force of burning
[...]ame,
And afterwards cast in the fiers light,
Burnes not at all, but then it seemes most bright.
The faire stone
Berrill is so precious,
That mightie men do hold it verie rare:
It frees a man from actions perillous,
[Page 101]If of his lifes deare blood he haue a care,
And now and then being put into the Eyes,
Defends a man from all his enemies.
The stone
Ceranicum spotted ore with blue,
Being safe and chastly borne within the hand,
Thunders hote raging cracks that do ensue
It doth expell, and Lightnings doth withstand,
Defending of the house that many keepe,
And is effectuall to bring men asleepe.
The
Diamond the worlds reflecting eye,
The
Diamond the heauens bright shining starre,
The
Diamond the earths most purest glorie:
And with the
Diamond no Stone
[...]n compare;
She teacheth men to speake, and men to loue,
If all her rarest vertues you will proue.
The
Diamond taught
Musicke first his cunning,
The
Diamond taught
Poetry her skill,
The
Diamond gaue Lawyers first their learning,
Arithmeticke the
Diamond taught at will:
She teacheth all Arts: for within her eye,
The knowledge of the world doth safely lye.
Dradocos is a stone that's pale and wan,
It brings to some men thoughts fantasticall:
It being layd vpon a cold dead Man,
Loseth the vertue it is grac'd withall;
Wherefore tis called the most holy stone:
For▪ whereas Death frequenteth it is gone.
Achites is in colour violet,
Found on the Bankes of this delightsome place,
Both male and female in this Land we get:
Whose vertue doth the Princely Eagle grace;
For being borne by her into her nest,
She bringeth foorth her young ones with much rest.
This stone being bound fast to a womans side,
Within whose purest wombe her child is lying,
Doth hasten child-birth, and doth make her bide
But litle paine, her humours is releasing.
If anie one be guiltie of Deceit,
This stone will cause him to forsake his meate.
Enidros is the stone that
[...]s alwayes sweating,
Distilling liquid drops continually:
And yet for all his daily moisture melting,
It keepes the selfe same bignesse stedfastly:
It neuer lesseneth, nor doth fall away,
But in one stedfast perfectnesse doth stay.
Perpetui fletus lachrymas distillat Enidros,
Qui velut ex pleni fontis scaturigine manat.
Gagates smelling like to Frankensence,
Being left whereas the poisnous Serpents breed,
Driues them away, and doth his force commence,
Making this beast on barren plaines to feed,
And there to starue and pine away for meate,
Because being there he finds no food to eate.
This stone being put in a faire womans drinke,
A most rare thing that some men neuer thinke,
Yet you shall giue your iugdement easily,
For if she make her water presently,
Then hath this Woman lost her honestie.
The
lacinth is a neighbour to the
Saphire,
That doth transforme it selfe to sundrie sights,
Sometimes tis blacke and cloudie, sometimes el
[...]
And from the mutable ayre borrowes lights:
It giueth strength and vigor in his kind,
And faire sweete quiet sleepe brings to the n
Rabiates being clearely coloured,
Borne about one doth make him eloquent,
And in great honour to be fauoured,
If he do vse it to a good intent,
Foule venemous Serpents it doth bring in awe,
And cureth paine and griefe about the
[...]awe.
The iron-drawing Lode-stone if you set
Within a vessell, either Gold or Brasse,
And place a peece of Iron vnder it,
Of some indifferent size or smallest compasse,
The Lodestone on the top will cause it moue,
And by his vertue meete with it aboue.
The
Meade stone coloured like the grassie greene,
Much gentle ease vnto the Goute hath donne,
And helpeth those being troubled with the Spleene,
Mingled with Womans milke bearing a Sonne:
[Page 106]It remedi
[...]h the wit-assailing Frenzie,
And purgeth the sad mind of Melancholie.
The stone
Orites spotted ore with white,
Being worne, or hung about a womans necke,
Prohibiteth Conception and Delight,
And the child-bearing wombe by force doth checke:
Or else it hast'neth her deliuerie,
And makes the birth vnperfect and vntimely.
Skie colour'd
Saphire Kings and Princes weare,
Being held most precious in their iudging sight:
The ve
[...]ie touch of this doth throughly cure
The Carbuncles enraging hatefull spight:
It doth delight and recreate the Eyes,
And all base grossenesse it doth quite despise.
If in a boxe you put an inuenomd Spider,
Whose poisonous operation is annoying,
And on the boxes top lay the true
Saphire,
The vertue of his power shewes vs his cunning,
He vanquisheth the Spider, leaues him dead,
And to
Apollo now is consecrated.
The fresh greene colour'd
Smaragd doth excell
All Trees, Boughs, Plants, and new fresh springing Leaues:
The hote reflecting Sunne can neuer quell
His vertue, that no eye-sight ere deceiues,
But ore faire
Phoebus glorie it triumpheth,
And the dimme duskie Eyes it polisheth.
The valiant
Caesar tooke his chiefe delight,
By looking on the
[...] excellence,
To see his
Romane souldiers how they fight,
And view what wards they had for their defence,
And who exceld in perfect chiualrie,
And noblest bore himselfe in victorie.
This Stone doth serue to Diuination,
To tell of things to come, and things being past,
And mongst vs held in estimation,
Giuing the sicke mans meate a gentle tast:
If things shall be, it keepes in the Mind,
If not, forgetfulnesse our Eyes doth blind.
The
Turches being worne in a Ring,
If any Gentleman haue cause to ride,
Supports, and doth sustaine him from all falling▪
Or hurting of him selfe what ere betide:
And ere he suffer anie fearefull danger,
Will fall it selfe, and breake, and burst a sunder.
[...].
These wondrous things of
Nature to mens eare
[...]
Will almost proue (sweete
Nature) incredible,
But by
Times ancient record it appeares,
These hidden secrets to be memorable:
For his diuinesse that hath wrought this wonder,
Rules men and beasts, the lightning and the thunder.
[...].
For the worlds blindnesse and opinion,
I care not
Phoenix, they are misbeleeuing,
And if their eyes trie not conclusion,
[Page 108]They will not trust a strangers true reporting.
With Beasts and Birds I will conclude my storie,
And to that All-in-all yeeld perfect glorie.
In yonder woodie groue and fertile plaine,
Remaines the
Leopard and the watrie
Badger,
The
Bugle or wild
Oxe doth there remaine,
The
Onocentaure and the cruell
Tyger,
The
Dromidu
[...]y and the princely
Lion,
The
Bore, the
Elephant, and the poisnous
Dragon.
The strong neck'd
Bull that neuer f
[...]lt the yoke,
The
Cat, the
Dog, the
Wolfe, and cruell
Viper,
The lurking
Hare that pretie sport prouokes,
The
Goatebucke, Hedgehogge and the swift foote
P
[...]nther,
The
Horse, Cameleopard and strong pawd
Beare,
The
Ape, the
Asse▪ and the most fearefull
Deare.
The
Mouse, the
Mule, the
Sow and
Salamander,
That from the burning fire cannot liue,
The
Weasell, Cammell and the hunted
Beauer,
That in pursute away his stones doth giue:
The
Stellio, Camelion and
Vnicorne,
That doth expell hot poison with his Hor
[...]e.
The cruell
Beare in her conception,
Brings forth at first a thing that's indigest,
A lump of flesh without all fashion,
Which she by often licking brings to rest▪
Making a formall body good and sound,
Which often in this Iland we haue found.
Hic format lingua foetum, quem protulit Vrsa.
The great wild
Bore of nature terrible,
With two strong Tushes for his Armorie,
Sometimes assailes the
Beare most horrible,
And twixt them is a fight both fierce and deadly:
He hunteth after
Marioram and
Organie,
Which as a whetstone doth his need supplie.
The
Bugle or wild
Oxe is neuer tam'd,
But with an iron ring put through his snout,
That of some perfect strength must needs be fram'd,
Then may you leade him all the world about:
The Huntsmen find him hung within a tree,
Fast by the hornes and then thy vse no pittie.
The
Camell is of nature flexible,
For when a burden on his backe is bound,
To ease the labourer, he is knowne most gentle,
For why he kneeleth downe vpon the ground:
Suffering the man to put it off or on,
As it seemes best in his discretion.
They liue some fiftie or some hundred yeares,
And can remaine from water full foure dayes,
And most delight to drinke when there appeares,
A muddie spring that's troubled many wayes:
Betweene them is a naturall honest care,
If one conioyneth with his Damme, tis ra
[...]e.
The
Dragon is a poisnous venom'd beast,
And in contention they do neuer rest,
Till one hath slaine the other cruelly:
The
Dragon with the
Elephant tries a fall,
And being vnder he is slaine withall.
The bunch-backt, big-bon'd, swift-foote
Dromidary
Of
Dromas the Greeke word borrowing the nam
[...],
For his quicke flying speedy property:
Which easily these countrey men do tame,
Hel'go a hundreth miles within one day,
And neuer seeke in any place to stay.
The
Dogge a naturall, kind, and louing thing,
As witnesseth our Histories of old:
Their maister dead, the poore foole with lamenting
Doth kill himselfe before accounted bold:
And would defend his maister if he might,
When cruelly his foe begins to fight.
The
Elephant with tushes Iuorie▪
Is a great friend to man as he doth trauell:
The
Dragon hating man most spitefully,
The
Elephant doth with the
Dragon quarell:
And twixt them two is a most deadly strife,
Till that the man be past, and sau'd his life.
The
Elephant seene in Astronomy,
Will euery month play the Phisition:
Taking delight his cunning for to try,
Giuing himselfe a sweete purgation▪
[Page 111]And to the running springs himselfe addresse,
And in the same wash off his filthinesse.
The
Gote-bucke is a beast lasciuious,
And giuen much to filthy venerie;
Apt and prone to be contentious,
Seeking by craft to kill his enemy:
His bloud being warme suppleth the Adamant,
That neither fire or force could euer daunt.
The
Hedghogge hath a sharpe quicke thorned garment,
That on his backe doth serue him for defence:
He can presage the winds incontinent,
And hath good knowledge in the di
[...]ference
Betweene the Southerne and the Northren wind,
These vertues are allotted him by kind.
Wher
[...]on in
Constantinople that great City,
A marchant in his garden gaue one nourishment:
By which he knew the windstrue certainty,
Because the
Hedgehogge gaue him iust presagement:
Apples, or peares, or grapes, such is his meate,
Which on his backe he caries for to
[...]ate.
The spotted
Linx in face much like a
Lyon,
His vrine is of such a qualitie,
In time it turneth to a precious stone,
Called
Ligari
[...]s for his property:
He hateth man so much, that he doth hide
His vrine in the earth, not to be spide.
The princely
Lion King of forrest-Kings,
And chiefe Commaunder of the Wildernesse,
At whose faire feete all Beasts lay downe their offrings,
Yeelding alleageance to his worthinesse:
His strength remaineth most within his head,
His vertue in his heart is compassed.
He neuer wrongs a man, nor hurts his pray,
If they will yeeld submissiue at his feete,
He knoweth when the
Lionesse playes false play,
If in all kindnesse he his loue do meete:
He doth defend the poore and innocent,
And those that cruel-hearted Beasts haue rent.
Then is't not pittie that the craftie
Foxe,
The rauenous
Wolfe, the
Tyger, and the
Beare,
The slow-past-dull-brain'd heauie
Oxe,
Should striue so good a state to ouerweare?
The
Lion sleepes and laughes to see them striue,
But in the end leaues not a beast aliue.
The
Onocentaur is a monstrous beast;
Supposed halfe a man and halfe an asse,
That neuer shuts his eyes in quiet rest,
Till he his foes deare life hath round encompast,
Such were the
Centaures in their tyrannie,
That liu'd by humane flesh and villanie.
The
Stellio is a beast that takes his breath,
And liueth by the deaw thats heauenly,
Taking his Food and Spirit of the earth,
[Page 113]And so maintaines his life in chastitie,
He takes delight to counterfeit all colours,
And yet for all this he is ve
[...]mous.
[...].
Tis strange to heare such perfect difference,
In all things that his M
[...]ght
[...]
[...] hath
[...]ram'd
Tis strange to heare their
[...] of d
[...]enc
[...],
Amongst all creatures that my
Nurse hath nam'd:
Are there no Wormes nor Serpents to be found
In this sweete smelling Ile and f
[...]uitfull ground?
Nature.
Within a little corner towards the Fa
[...]t,
A moo
[...]sh plot of earth and dampish place,
Some creeping Wormes and Serpents vs
[...] to rest,
And in a manner doth this bad ground grace:
It is vnpeopled and vnhabited,
For there with poisonous ayre they are
[...]ed.
H
[...]re liues the Worme,
t
[...]e Gnat
and Grashopper,
Rinatrix, Li
[...]ard
and the fruitfull Bee,
T
[...]e Mothe, Chelidras,
and the Bloodsucker,
That from the fl
[...]sh su
[...]kes bloud most speedily:
Cerastis, Aspis
and the Crocadile,
That doth the way-faring passenger beguile.
The labouring
Ant, and the bespeckled
Adder,
The
[...]rogge, the
Tode, and S
[...]mmer-hau
[...]ting
[...]lie,
The prettie
Silkeworme, and the poisnous
[...] iper,
That with his teeth doth wound most cruel
[...]y:
The
Hornet and the poisonous
Cockat
[...]ice,
That kils all birds by a most s
[...]e deuice.
The
Aspis is a kind of deadly Snake,
He hurts most perillous with venom'd sting,
And in pursute doth neare his foe forsake,
But slaies a Man with poysnous venoming:
Betweene the male and female is such loue,
As is betwixt the most kind
Turtle doue.
This is the Snake that
Cleopatra vsed,
The
Egyptian Queene belou'd of
Anthony,
That with her breasts deare bloud was nourished,
Making her die (faire soule) most patiently,
Rather then
Caesars great victorious hand,
Should triumph ore the Queene of such a land.
The
Lizard is a kind of louing creature,
Especially to man he is a friend:
This prope
[...]ty is giuen him by nature,
From dangerous beasts poore Man he doth defend:
For being sleepy he all sence forsaketh,
The
Lizard bites him till the Man awaketh.
The
Ant or
Emote is a labouring thing,
And haue amongst them all a publike weale,
In sommer time their meate they are prouiding,
And secrets mongst themselues they do conceale:
The monstrous huge big Beare being sickly,
Eating of these, is cured presently.
The fruitfull prety
Bee liues in the hiue,
Which vnto him is like a peopled City,
And by their daily labour there they thriue,
They are reputed ciuill, and haue kings,
And guides for to direct them in proceedings.
When that their Emperour or King is present,
They liue in peacefull sort and quietnesse,
But if their officer or king be absent,
They flie and swarme abroad in companies:
If any happen casuall-wise to dye,
They mourne and bury him right solemnly.
The
Crocadile a saffron colour'd Snake,
Sometimes vpon the earth is conuersant,
And other times liues in a filthy lake,
Being oppressed with foule needy want:
The skin vpon his backe as hard as stone,
Resisteth violent strokes of steele or iron.
Rinatrix is a poysenous enuenom'd Serpent,
That doth infect the riuers and the fountaines,
Bringing to cattell hurt and det
[...]iment:
When thirsty they forsake the steepy mountaines,
Rinatrix violator Aquae, and infects the earth,
With his most noysome stinking filthy breath.
The
Scorpion hath a deadly stinging taile,
Bewitching some with his faire smiling face,
But presently with force he doth assaile
His captiu'd praie, and brings him to disgrace:
Wherefore tis cald of some the flattering worme,
That subtilly his foe doth ouerturne.
Orion made his boast the earth should bring
O
[...] yeeld no serpent forth but he would kill it,
W
[...]ere presently the
Scorpion vp did spring,
For so the onely powers aboue did will it:
Where in the peoples presence they did see,
Orion stung to death most cruelly.
Of
Wormes are diuers sorts and diuers names,
Some feeding on hard timber some on trees,
Some in the earth a secret cabbine frames,
Some
[...]ue on tops of Ashes, some on O
[...]iues;
Some of a red watrish colour, some of greene,
And some within the night like Fire are seene.
T
[...]e
Silkworme by whose Webbe our Silkes are made,
Fo
[...] she doth dayly labour with her weauing,
A Worme that's rich and precious in her trade,
That whilst poore soule she toyleth in her spinning,
Leaues not
[...]ing in her belly but empty aire,
And toyling too much falleth to despaire.
Here liues the
Caddes and the long leg'd
Crane,
With whome the
Pigmies are at mortall
[...],
The
Larke and
Lapwing that with nets are tane,
And so poore silly soules do end their life:
The
Nightingale wrong'd by Adulterie,
The
Night
[...]row, Goshawke, and the chattring
Pi
[...].
The Pheasant Storke,
and the high towring Faulcon▪
The
Swanne that in the
[...] takes delight,
T
[...]e
[...], Blackebird, and the big neck'd
Heron,
[Page 117]The skreeching
Owle that loues the
[...]uskie night,
The Partridge, Griffon,
and th
[...] li
[...]ely Peacocke,
The Linnet, Bulsinch, Snipe,
and rauening Puttocke▪
The
Robin Red
[...]re
[...]st that in Winter
[...]i
[...]gs,
The
Pellican, the
[...]ay, and the chirping
Sparrow,
The little
Wr
[...]n that many yong ones brings,
Her
[...]in, Ibis, and the swift wingd
Swallow:
The princely
Eagle and
Caladrius,
The
Cuckow that to some is prosperous.
The snow-like colour'd bird
Caladrius,
Hath this inestimable naturall pro
[...]peritie,
If any man in sicknesse dangerous,
Hopes of his health to haue recouerie,
This bird will alwayes looke with chearefull glance,
If otherwise, sad is his countenance.
The
Crane directed by the leaders voice,
Flies ore the seas, to countries farre vnknowne,
And in the secret night they do reioice,
To make a watch among them of their owne;
The watchman in his clawes holds fast a stone,
Which letting fall the rest are wak'd anone.
The Spring-delighting bird we call the
Cuckow▪
Which comes to tell of wonders in this age,
Her prettie one note to the world doth show
Some men their destinie, and doth presage
The womans pleasure and the mans disgrace,
Which she sits singing in a secret place.
The Winters enuious blast she neuer tasteth,
Yet in all countries doth the
Cuckoe sing,
And oftentimes to peopled townes she hasteth,
There for to tell the pleasures of the Spring:
Great Courtiers heare her voyce, but let her flye,
Knowing that she presageth Destiny.
This prety bird sometimes vpon the steeple,
Sings
Cuckoe, Cuckoe, to the parish Priest,
Sometimes againe she flies amongst the people,
A
[...]d on their Crosse no man can her res
[...]st,
But there she sings, yet some disdaining Dames,
Do charme her hoarse, lest she should hit their names.
She scornes to labour or make vp a nest,
But creepes by stealth into some others roome,
And with the
Larkes deare yong, her yong-ones rest,
Being by sub
[...]ile dealing ouercome:
The yong birds are restoratiue to eate,
And held amongst vs as a Princes meate.
The Princely
Eagle of all Birds the King,
For none but she can gaze against the Sunne,
Her eye-sight is so cleare, that in her flying
She spies the smallest beast that euer runne,
As swift as gun-shot vsing no delay,
So swif
[...]ly doth she flie to catch her pray.
She brings her birds being yong into the aire,
And sets them for to looke on
Phoebus light,
But if their eyes with gazing chance to water,
[Page 119]Those she accounteth bastards, leaues them quight,
But those that haue true perfect constant eyes,
She cherisheth, the rest she doth despise.
The
Griffon is a bird rich feathered,
His head is like a
Lion, and his flight
Is like the
Eagles, much for to be feared,
For why he kils men in the vgly night:
Some say he keepes the
Smaragd and the
Iasper,
And in pursute of Man is monstrous eager.
The gentle birds called the faire
Hircinie,
Taking the name of that place where they breed,
Within the night they shine so gloriously,
That mans astonied senses they do feed:
For in the darke being cast within the way,
Giues light vnto the man that goes astray.
Ibis the bird flieth to
Nilus flood,
And drinking of the water purgeth cleane:
Vnto the land of
Aegypt he doth good,
For he to rid their Serpents is a meane;
He feedeth on their egges, and doth destroy
The Serpents nests that would their Clime annoy.
The
Lapwing hath a piteous mournefull cry,
And sings a sorowfull and heauy song,
But yet shee's full of craft and subtilty,
And weepeth most being farthest from her yong:
In elder age she seru'd for Southsayers,
And was a Prophetesse to the Augurers.
The birds of
Aegypt or
M
[...]mnodides,
Of
Me
[...]non that was slaine in rescuing
Troy,
Are said to flie away in compani
[...]s,
To
Priams pallace, and there twice a day
They fight about the turrets of the dead,
And the third day in battell are confounded.
The
Nightingale the nights true Chorister,
Musickes chiefe lo
[...]er in the pleasant Spring,
Tunes Hunts-vp to the Sunne that doth delight her,
And to
Arions harp aloud will sing:
And as a Bridegroome that to
[...]hurch is comming,
So he salutes the Sunne when he is rising.
The
Romane Caesars, happie Empero
[...]rs,
Especially those of the yongest sort,
Haue kept the
Nightingale within their towers,
To play, to da
[...]ly, and to make them sport,
And oftentimes in
Greeke and
Latine tong,
They taught those birds to sing a pleasant song.
This bird as
Histories make mention,
S
[...]ng in the infant mouth of
Stesichor
[...]s,
W
[...]ich did foretell due commendation,
In all his actions to be prosperous:
So
Bees when
Plato in his bed did lie,
Swarm'd round about his mouth, leauing their honie.
The sl
[...]ggish slouthfull and the dastard
Owle,
Hating the day, and louing of the night,
About old sepulchers doth dayly
[...]owle,
[Page 121]Frequenting barnes and houses without light,
And hides him often in an Iuy tree,
Least with small chattring birds wrong'd he should be.
Foedaque sic volucris venturi nuntia luctus,
Ignauus Bubo, dirum mortalibus omen.
The filthy messenger of ill to come
The sluggish
Owle is, and to danger some.
This ill be dooming
Owle sate on the speare,
Of warlike
Pirrhus marching to the field,
When to the
Graecian armie he drew neare,
Determining to make his foes to yeeld,
Which did foreshew sinister happinesse,
And balefull fortune in his businesse.
The
Parrat cald the counterfeiting bird,
Deckt with all colours that faire
Flora yeelds,
That after one will speake you word for word:
Liuing in wooddie groues neare fertile fields,
They haue bene knowne to giue great Emperors wine,
And therefore some men hold them for deuine.
The proud sun-brauing
Peacocke with his feathers,
Walkes all along, thinking himselfe a King,
And with his voyce prognosticates all weathers,
Although God knowes but badly he doth sing:
But when he lookes downe to his base blacke Feete,
He droopes, and is asham'd of things vnmeete.
The mighty
Macedonian Alexander,
Being accounted the worlds conquerour,
In
Indie spies a
Peacocke as he goes,
And maruelling to see so rich a sight,
Charg'd all men not to kill his sweete delight.
The
Pellican the wonder of our age,
(As
Ierome saith) reuiues her tender yong,
And with her purest bloud, she doth asswage
Her yong ones thirst, with poisonous Adder stong,
And those that were supposed three dayes dead.
She giues them life once more being nourished.
The vnsatiate
Sparrow doth prognosticate,
And is held good for diuination,
For flying here and there, from gate to gate,
Foretls true things by animaduertion:
A flight of
Sparrowes flying in the day,
Did prophesie the fall and sacke of
Troy.
The artificiall nest-composing
Swallow,
That eates his meate
[...]lying along the way,
Whose swiftnesse in our eysight doth allow,
That no imperiall Bird makes her his pray:
His yong ones being hurt within the eies,
His helpes them with the he
[...]be
Calcedonies.
Cecinna and the great
Volateran,
Being
Pomp
[...]is warlike and approued knights,
Sent letters by these Birds without a man,
To many of their friends and chiefe delights,
[Page 123]And all their letters to their feete did ti
[...],
Which with great speed did bring them hastily.
The sweet recording Swanne
Apolloes ioy,
And firy scorched
Phaetons delight,
In footed verse sings out his deep annoy,
And to the siluer riuers takes his flight,
Prognosticates to Sailers on the seas,
Fortunes prosperitie and perfect
[...]ase.
Cignus in auspicijs semper laetissimus ales,
Hoc optant nautae, quia se non mergit in vndis.
Phoenix.
But what sad-mournefull drooping soule is this,
Within whose watry eyes sits Discontent,
Whose snaile-pac'd gate tels someting is amisse:
From whom is banisht sporti
[...]g Meriment:
Whose feathers mowt off, falling as he goes,
The perfect picture of hart pining woes?
Nature.
This is the carefull bird the
Turtle Doue,
Whose heauy croking note doth shew his griefe,
And thus he wanders seeking of his loue,
Refusing all things that may yeeld reliefe:
All motions of good turnes, all Mirth and Ioy,
Are bad, fled, gone, and fa
[...]ne into decay.
Phoenix.
Is this the true example of the Heart?
Is this the Tutor of faire
Constancy?
Is this Loues treasure, and Loues pining smart?
Is this the substance of all honesty?
[Page 124]And comes he thus attir'd, alas poore soule,
That Destinies foule wrath should thee controule.
See Nourse, he stares and lookes me in the face,
And now he mournes, worse then he did before,
He hath forgot his dull slow heauy pace,
But with swift gate he eyes vs more and more:
O shall I welcome him, and let me borrow
Some of his griefe to mingle with my sorrow.
Nature.
Far
[...]well faire bird, Ile leaue you both alone,
This is the
Doue you long'd so much to see,
And this will proue companion of your mone,
An Vmpire of all true humility:
Then note my
Phoenix, what there may ensue,
And so I kisse my bird.
Adue, Adue.
Phoenix.
Mother farewell; and now within his eyes,
Sits sorrow clothed in a sea of teares,
And more and more the billowes do arise:
Pale Griefe halfe pin'd vpon his brow appeares,
His feathers fade away, and make him looke,
As if his name were writ in Deaths pale booke.
Turtl
[...].
O stay poore
Turtle, whereat hast thou gazed,
At the eye-dazling Sunne, whose sweete reflection,
The round encompast heauenly world amazed?
O no, a child of Natures true complexion,
The perfect
Phoenix of rariety,
For wit, for vertue, and excelling beauty.
[...]
[Page 125]
Haile map of sorrow:
Tur. Welcome
Cupids child.
Let me wipe off those teares vpon thy cheekes,
That stain'd thy beauties pride, and haue defil'd
Nature it selfe, that so vsurping seekes
To sit vpon thy face, for Ile be partener,
Of thy harts wrapped sorrow more hereafter.
T
[...]rt
[...]e.
Natures faire darling, let me kneele to thee,
And offer vp my true obedience,
And sacredly in all humility,
Craue pardon for presumptions foule offence:
Thy lawne-snow-colour'd hand shall not come neare
My impure face, to wipe away one teare.
My teares are for my
Turtle that is dead,
My sorrow springs from her want that is gone,
My heauy note sounds for the soule that's fled,
And I will dye for him left all alone:
I am not liuing, though I seeme to go,
Already buried in the graue of wo.
Phoenix.
Why I haue left
Arabia for thy sake,
Because those fires haue no working substance,
And for to find thee out did vndertake:
Where on the mountaine top we may aduance
Our fiery alter; let me tell thee this,
Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris.
Come poore lamenting soule, come sit by me,
We are all one, thy sorrow shall be mine,
Fall thou a teare, and thou shalt plainly see,
[Page 126]Mine eyes shall answer teare for teare of thine:
Sigh thou, Ile sigh, and if thou giue a grone,
I shall be dead in answering of thy mone.
Turtle.
Loues honorable Friend, one grone of yours,
Will rend my sicke-loue-pining hart asunder,
One sigh brings teares from me like
Aprill showers,
Procur'd by Sommers hote loud cracking thunder:
Be you as mery as sweet mirth may be,
Ile grone and sigh, both for your selfe and me.
Phoenix.
Thou shalt not gentle
Turtle, I will beare
Halfe of the burdenous yoke thou dost sustaine,
Two bodies may with greater ease outweare
A troublesome labour, then Ile brooke some paine,
But tell me gentle
Turtle, tell me truly
The difference betwixt false Loue and true Sinceritie.
Turtle.
That shall I briefly, if youle giue me leaue,
False loue is full of Enuie and Deceit,
With cunning shifts our humours to deceiue,
Laying downe poison for a sugred baite,
Alwayes in constant, false, and variable,
Delighting in fond change and mutable.
True loue, is louing pure, not to be broken,
But with an honest eye, she eyes her louer,
Not changing variable, nor neuer shoken
With fond Suspition, secrets to discouer,
True loue will tell no lies, nor ne're dissemble,
But with a bashfull modest feare will tremble.
False loue puts on a Maske to shade her folly,
True loue goes naked wishing to be seene,
False loue will counterfeite perpetually,
True loue is Troths sweete emperizing Queene
[...]
This is the difference, true Loue is a iewell,
False loue, hearts tyrant, inhumane, and cruell.
Phoenix.
What may we wonder at? O where is learning?
Where is all difference twixt the good and bad?
Where is
Apelles art? where is true cunning?
Nay where is all the vertue may be had?
Within my
Turtles bosome, she refines,
More then some louing perfect true deuines.
Thou shalt not be no more the
Turtle-Doue,
Thou shalt no more go weeping al alone,
For thou shalt be my selfe, my perfect Loue,
Thy griefe is mine, thy sorrow is my mone,
Come kisse me sweetest sweete, O I do blesse
This gracious luckie Sun-shine happinesse.
Turtl
[...].
How may I in all gratefulnesse requite,
This gracious fauor offred to thy seruant?
The time affordeth heauinesse not delight,
And to the times appoint weele be obseruant:
Command, O do commaund, what ere thou wilt,
My hearts bloud for thy sake shall straight be spilt.
Phoenix.
Then I command thee on thy tender care,
And chiefe obedience that thou owst to me,
That thou especially (deare Bird) beware
[Page 128]Of impure thoughts, or vncleane chastity:
For we must wast together in that fire,
That will not burne but by true Loues desire.
Turtle.
A spot of that foule monster neare did staine,
These drooping feathers, nor I neuer knew
In what base filthy clymate doth remaine
That spright incarnate; and to tell you true,
I am as spotlesse as the purest whight,
Cleare without staine, of enuy, or despight.
Ph
[...]ix.
Then to yon next adioyning groue we'le
[...]lye,
And gather sweete wood for to make our flame,
And in a manner sacrificingly,
Burne both our bodies to reuiue one name:
And in all humblenesse we will intreate,
The hot earth parching Sunne to lend his heate.
Turtle.
Why now my heart is light, this very doome
Hath banisht sorrow from my pensiue breast:
And in my bosome there is left no roome,
To set blacke melancholy, or let him rest;
Ile fetch sweete mirrhe to burne, and licorice,
Sweete Iuniper, and straw them ore with spice.
Pho
[...]nix.
Pile vp the wood, and let vs inuocate
His great name that doth ride within his chariot,
And guides the dayes bright eye, let's nominate
Some of his blessings, that he well may wot,
Our faithfull seruice and humility,
Offer'd vnto his highest Deiety.
Great God
Apollo, for the tender loue,
Thou once didst beare to wilfull
Phaeton,
That did desire thy chariots rule aboue,
Which thou didst grieue in hart to thinke vpon:
Send thy hot kindling light into this wood,
That shall receiue the Sacrifice of bloud.
[...]rtle.
For thy sweet
Daphnes sake thy best beloued,
And for the Harpe receiu'd of
Mercury,
And for the
Muses of thee fauored,
Whose gift of wit excels all exellency:
Send thy hot kindling fire into this wood,
That shall receiue the Sacrifice of bloud.
[...]
For thy sweet fathers sake great
Iupiter,
That with his thunder-bolts commands the earth,
And for
Latonas sake thy gentle mother,
That first gaue
Phoebus glories liuely breath:
Send thy hot kindling light into this wood,
That shall receiue the Sacrifice of bloud.
Stay, stay, poore
Turtle, ô we are betraid,
Behind yon little bush there sits a spy,
That makes me blush with anger, halfe afraid,
That in our motions secrecly would pry:
I will go chide with him, and driue him thence,
And plague him for presumptions foule offence.
Turtl
[...] ▪
Be not affraid, it is the
Pellican,
Looke how her yong-ones make her brest to bleed,
And drawes the bloud foorth, do the best she can,
[Page 130]And with the same their hungry fancies feede,
Let her alone to vew our Tragedy,
And then report our Loue that she did see.
See beauteous
Phoenix it begins to burne,
O blessed
Phoebus, happy, happy light,
Now will I recompence thy great good turne,
And first (deare bird) Ile vanish in thy sight,
And thou shalt see with what a quicke desire,
Ile leape into the middle of the fire.
Phoenix▪
Stay
Turtle stay, for I will first prepare;
Of my bones must the Princely
Phoenix rise,
And ift be possible thy bloud wele spare,
For none but for my sake, dost thou despise
This frailty of thy life, ô liue thou still,
And teach the base deceitfull world Loues will.
[...]urtle.
Haue I come hither drooping through the woods,
And left the springing groues to seeke for thee?
Haue I forsooke to bath me in the flouds,
And pin'd away in carefull misery?
Do not deny me
Phoenix I must be
A partner in this happy Tragedy.
Ph
[...]ix.
O holy, sacred, and pure perfect fire,
More pure then that ore which faire
Dido mones,
More sacred in my louing kind desire,
Then that which burnt old
Esons aged bones,
Accept into your euer hallowed flame,
Two bodies, from the which may spring one name.
[...]urtle.
[Page 131]
O sweet perfumed flame, made of those trees,
Vnder the which the
Muses nine haue song
The praise of vertuous maids in misteries,
To whom the faire fac'd
Nymphes did often throng;
Accept my body as a Sacrifice
Into your flame, of whom one name may rise.
Phoenix.
O wilfulnesse, see how with smiling cheare,
My poore deare hart hath flong himselfe to thrall,
Looke what a mirthfull countenance he doth beare,
Spreading his wings abroad, and ioyes withall:
Learne thou corrupted world, learne, heare, and see,
Friendships vnspotted true sincerity.
I come sweet
Turtle, and with my bright wings,
I will embrace thy burnt bones as they lye,
I hope of these another Creature springs,
That shall possesse both our authority:
I stay to long, ô take me to your glory,
And thus I end the
Turtle Doues true story.
Finis. R. C.