15. Прославления

ПРОСЛАВЛЕНИЯ

HEREAFTER FOLLOW DIVERSE

Poeticall Effaies on the former Subiect; viz:
the Turtle and Phoenix.
Done by the left and chiefeft of our  moderne writers,
with their names fubfcribed to their particular workes:
neuer before extant.
And (now firft) confecrated by them all generally,
to the loue and merite of the true-noble Knight,
Sir lohn Salisburie.


. Dignum laude virum Mufa vefat mori


INVOCATIO,
Ad Apollinem & Pierides.


GOod Fate, faire Thefpian Deities,
And thou bright God, whofe golden Eies,
Serue as a Mirrour to the filuer Morne,
When (in the height of Grace) fhe doth adorne
Her Chryftall prefence, and inuites
The euer-youthfull Bromius to delights,
Sprinckling his fute of Vert with Pearle,
And (like a loofe enamoured Girle)
Ingles his cheeke ; which (waxing red with fhame)
Inftincts the fenfleffe Grapes to do the fame,
Till by his fweete reflection fed,
They gather fpirit, and grow difcoloured.

To your high influence we commend
Our following Labours, and fuftend
Our mutuall pannes, prepar'd to gratulate
An honorable friend: then propagate
With your illuftrate faculties
Our mentall powers : Inftruct vs how to rife
In weighty Numbers, well purfu'd,
And varied from the Multitude:
Be lauifh once, and plenteoufly profufe
Your holy waters, to our thirftie Mufe,
That we may giue a Round to him
In a Caftalian boule, crown'd to the brim.

Vatum Chorus.

To the worthily honored Knight Sir lohn Salisburie. NObleft of minds, here do the Mufes bring
Vnto your fafer iudgements taft,  Pure iuice that flow'd from the Pierian fprings,

Not filch'd, nor borrow’d, but exhauft
By the flame-hair’d Apollos hand:
And at his well-obferu'd command,
For you infufde in our retentiue braine,
Is now diftild thence, through our quilles againe.

Value our verfe, as you approue the worth;
     And thinke of what they are create,
No Mercenarie hope did bring them forth,
    They tread not in that feruile Gate ;
But a true Zeale, borne in our fpirites,
Refponfible to your high Merites,
And an Inuention, freer then the Times,
Thefe were the Parents to our feuerall Rimes,
Wherein Kind, Learned, Enuious, al may view,
That we haue writ worthy our felues and you.

Vatum Chorus.

The first.

THe filuer Vault of heauen, hath but one Eie,
And that's the Sunne: the foule-maskt Ladie, Night
(Which blots the Cloudes, the white Booke of the Skie,)
But one ficke Phoebe, feuer-fhaking Light:
The heart, one ftring: fo, thus in fingle turnes,
The world one Phoenix, till another burnes.


The burning.

SVppofe here burnes this wonder of a breath,
In righteous flames, and holy-heated fires :
(Like Muficke which doth rapt it felfe to death,
Sweet'ning the inward roome of mans Defires ;)
     So fhe waft's both her wings in piteous ftrife ;
     “The flame that eates her, feedes the others life :
Her rare-dead afhes, fill a rare-liue vrne:
“One Phoenix borne, another Phoenix burne.

Ignoto.

LEt the bird of lowdeft lay,
On the fole Arabian tree,
Herauld fad and trumpet be :
To whofe found chafte wings obay.

But thou fhriking harbinger,
Foule precurrer of the fiend,
Augour of the feuers end,
To this troupe come thou not neere.

From this Seffion interdict
Euery foule of tyrant wing,
Saue the Eagle feathered King,
Keepe the obfequie to ftrict.

Let the Prieft in Surples white,
That defunctiue Muficke can,
Be the death-deuining Swan,
Left the Requiem lacke his right

And thou treble dated Crow,
That thy fable gender mak’ft.
With the breath thou giu'ft and tak'ft,
Mongft our mourners fhalt thou go.

Here the Antheme doth commence,
Loue and Conftancie is dead,
Phoenix and the Turtle fled,
In a mutuall flame from hence,

So they loued as loue in twaine,
Had the effence but in one,
Two diftincts, Diuifion none,
Number there in loue was flame.

Hearts remote, yet not afunder;
Diftance and no fpace was feene,
Twixt this Turtle and his Queene;
But in them it were a wonder.

So betweene them Loue did fhine,
That the Turtle faw his right,
Flaming in the Phoenix fight;
Either was the others mine.

Propertie was thus appalled,
That the felfe was not the fame :
Single Natures double name,
Neither two nor one was called.

Reafon in itfelfe confounded,
Saw Diuifion grow together,
To themfelues yet either neither,
Simple were to well compounded.

That it cried, how true a twaine,
Seemeth this concordant one,
Loue hath Reafon, Reafon none,
If what parts, can fo remaine.

Whereupon it made this Threne,
To the Phoenix and the Doue,
Co-fupremes and ftarres of Loue,
As Chorus to their Tragique Scene.

Threnos.

BEautie, Truth, and Raritie,
Grace in all fimplicitie,
Here enclofde, in cinders lie.

Death is now the Phoenix neft,
And the Turtles loyall breft,
To eternitie doth reft.

Leauing no pofteritie,
Twas not their infirmitie,
It was married Chaftitie.

Truth may feeme, but cannot be,
Beautie bragge, but tis not fhe,
Truth and Beautie buried be.

To this vrne let thofe repaire,
That are either true or faire,
For thefe dead Birds, figh a prayer.

William Shake-fpeare.

A narration and defcription of a moft exact wondrous creature, arifing out of the Phoenix and Turtle Doues afhes.

O Twas a mouing Epicidium !
Can Fire ? can Time ? can blackeft Fate confume
So rare creation ? No; tis thwart to fence,
Corruption quakes to touch fuch excellence,
Nature exclaimes for Iuftice, Iuftice Fate,
Ought into nought can neuer remigrate.
Then looke ; for fee what glorious iffue (brighter
Then cleareft fire, and beyond faith farre whiter
Then Dians tier) now fprings from yonder flame ?
Let me ftand numb'd with wonder, neuer came
So ftrong amazement on aftonifh'd eie
As this, this meafureleffe pure Raritie.
Lo now ; th' xtracture of deuineft Effence,
The Soule of heauens labour'd Quinteffence,
(Peans to Phoebus) from deare Louers death,
Takes fweete creation and all bleffing breath.
What ftrangeneffe is't that from the Turtles afhes
Affumes fuch forme ? (whofe fplendor clearer flafhes,
Then mounted Delius} tell me genuine Mufe.
Now yeeld your aides, you fpirites that infufe
A facred rapture, light my weaker eie :
Raife my inuention on fwift Phantafie,
That whilft of this fame Metaphificall
God, Man, nor Woman, but elix'd of all
My labouring thoughts, with ftrained ardor fing,
My Mufe may mount with an vncommon wing.

The defcription of this Perfection.

DAres then thy too audacious fenfe
Prefume, define that boundleffe Ens,
That ampleft thought tranfcendeth ?
O yet vouchfafe my Mufe, to greete
That wondrous rareneffe, in whofe fweete
All praife begins and endeth.
Diuineft Beautie ? that was flighteft,
That adorned this wondrous Brighteft,
Which had nought to be corrupted.
In this, Perfection had no meane
To this, Earths pureft was vncleane
Which vertue euen inftructed.
By it all Beings deck'd and ftained,
Ideas that are idly fained
Onely here fubfift inuefted.
Dread not to giue ftrain'd praife at all,
No fpeech is Hyperbolicall,
To this perfection bleffed.
     Thus clofe my Rimes, this all that can be fayd,
     This wonder neuer can be flattered.

To Perfection.

A Sonnet.

OFt haue I gazed witli aflonifh'd eye,
At monftrous iffues of ill fhaped birth,
When I haue feene the Midwife to old earth,
Nature produce moft ftrange deformitie.

So haue I marueld to obferue of late,
     Hard fauor'd Feminines fo fcant of faire,
     That Maskes fo choicely, fheltred of the aire,
As if their beauties were not theirs by fate.

But who fo weake of obferuation,
     Hath not difcern’d long fince how vertues wanted,
     How parcimonioufly the heauens haue fcanted,
Our chiefeft part of adornation.

But now I ceafe to wonder, now I find
     The caufe of all our monftrous penny-fhowes :
     Now I conceit from whence wits fcarc'tie growes,
Hard fauour'd features, and defects of mind.
Nature long time hath ftor'd vp vertue, faireneffe,
Shaping the reft as foiles vnto this Rareneffe.

Perfectioni Hymnus.

WHat fhould I call this creature,
Which now is growne vnto maturitie ?
How fhould I blafe this feature.
As firme and conftant as Eternitie ?
Call it Perfection? Fie!
Tis perfecter the brighteft names can light it:
Call it Heauens mirror ? I.
Alas, beft attributes can neuer right it.
Beauties refiftleffe thunder ?
All nomination is too ftraight of fence :
Deepe Contemplations wonder ?
That appellation giue this excellence.
Within all beft confin'd,
(Now feebler Genius end thy {lighter riming)
No Suberbes* all is Mind,
As farre from spot, as poffible defining.

*Differentia Deorum & hominum (apud Senecam) sic ha bet noftri melior pars
animus in illis nulla pars extra animum

Iohn Marfton.


Perifteros : or the male Turtle.

NOt like that loofe and partie-liuer'd Sect
Of idle Louers, that (as different Lights,
On coloured fubiects, different hewes reflect;)
Change their Affections with their Miftris Sights,
That with her Praife, or Dispraise, drowne, or flote,
And muft be fed with frefh Conceits, and Fafhions;
Neuer waxe cold, but die : loue not, but dote:
“Loues fires, ftaid Iudgemets blow, not humorous Paf-
Whofe Loues vpon their Louers pomp depend,              (fions,
And quench as faft as her Eyes fparkle twinkles,
“(Nought lafts that doth to outward worth contend,
"Al Loue in fmooth browes born is tomb'd in wrinkles.)
But like the confecrated *Bird of loue,                • The Turtle.    
Whofe whole lifes hap to his *fole-mate alluded,                •  The Phoenix, 
Whome no prowd flockes of other Foules could moue,
But in her felfe all companie concluded.
She was to him th’ Analifde World of pleafure,
Her firmeneffe cloth'd him in varietie ;
Exceffe of all things, he ioyd in her meafure,
Mourn'd when fhe mourn'd, and dieth when fhe dies.
Like him I bound th’ inftinct of all my powres,
In her that bounds the Empire of defert,
And Time nor Change (that all things elfe deuoures,
But truth eterniz'd in a conftant heart)

Can change me more from her, then her from merit,
That is my forme, and giues my being, fpirit.

George Chapman.

Praeludium.

WE muft fing too ? what Subiect fhall we chufe?
Or whofe great Name in Poets Heauen vfe,
For the more Countenance to our Actiue Mufe?
Hercules ? alaffe his bones are yet fore,
With his old earthly Labors ; t’ exact more
Of his dull Godhead, were Sinne: Lets implore

Phoebus ? No: Tend thy Cart ftill. Enuious Day
Shall not giue out, that we haue made thee ftay,
And foundred thy hote Teame, to time our Lay.

Nor will we beg of thee. Lord of the Vine,
To raife our fpirites with thy coniuring Wine,
In the green circle of thy Iuy twine.

Pallas, nor thee we call on. Mankind Maide,
That (at thy birth) mad'ft the poore Smith afraide,
Who with his Axe thy Fathers Mid-wife plaide.

Go, crampe dull Mars, light Venus, when he fnorts,
Or with thy Tribade Trine, inuent new fports,
Thou, nor their loofeneffe with our Making forts.

Let the old Boy your fonne ply his old Tasks
Turne the ftale Prologue to fome painted Maske,
His Abfence in our Verfe is all we aske.

Hermes the cheater, cannot mixe with vs,
Though he would fteale his fifters Pegafus,
And rifle him ; or pawne his Petafus.

Nor all the Ladies of the Thefpian Lake,
(Though they were crufht into one forme) could make
A Beauty of that Merit, that fhould take

Our Mufe vp by Commiffion : No, we bring
Our owne true Fire ; Now our Thought takes wing
And now an Epode to deep cares we fing.

Epos.

“NOt to know Vice at all, and keepe true ftate,
“Is Vertue ; and not Fate :
“Next to that Vertue, is, to know Vice well,
“And. her blacke fpight expell.
Which to effeft (fince no breft is fo fure,
Or fafe, but fhee'l procure
Some way of entrance) we muft plant a guard
Of Thoughts, to watch and ward
At th' Eye and Eare, (the Ports vnto the Mind;)
That no ftrange or vnkind
Obiect arriue there, but the Heart (our fpie)
Giue knowledge inftantly.
To wakefull Reafon, our Affections King:
Who (in th’ examining)
Will quickly tafte the Treafon, and commit 

Clofe, the clofe cavfe of it
"Tis the fecurefl Pollicie we haue,
" To make our Senfe our Slaue.
But this fair courfe is not embrac'd by many ;
By many ? fcarce by any:
For either our Affections do rebell,
Or elfe the Sentinell,
(That fhal ring larum to the Heart) doth fleepe,
Or fome great Thought doth keepe
Backe the Intelligence, and falfely fweares
They'r bafe, and idle Feares
Whereof the loyall Confcience fo complaines.
Thus by thefe fubtill traines,
Do feuerall Paffions ftill inuade the Mind,
And ftrike our Reafon blind :
Of which vfurping ranke, fome haue thought Loue,
The firft; as prone to moue
Moft frequent Tumults, Horrors, and Vnrefts,
In our enflamed brefts.
But this doth from their cloud of Error grow,
Which thus we ouerblow.
The thing they here call Loue, is blind Defire,
Arm'd with Bow, Shafts, and Fire;
Inconftant like the Sea, of whence 'tis borne,
Rough, fwelling, like a Storme:
With whome who failes, rides on the furge of Feare,
And boiles as if he were
In a continuall Tempeft. Now true Loue
No fuch effects doth proue:
That is an Effence moft gentile, and fine.
Pure, perfect; nay diuine :
It is a golden Chaine let down from Heauen,

Whofe linkes are bright, and euen .
That fals like Sleepe on Louers; and combines
The foft and fweeteft Minds
In equal knots : This beares no Brands nor Darts
To murder different harts,
But in a calrne and God-like vnitie,
Preferues Communitie.
O who is he that (in this peace) enioyes
Th’ Elixir of all ioyes ?
(A Forme more frefh then are the Eden bowers,
And lafting as her flowers :
Richer then Time, and as Times Vertue rare,
Sober, as faddeft Care,
A fixed Thought, an Eye vntaught to glance ;)
Who (bleft with fuch high chance)
Would at fuggeftion of a fteepe Defire
Caft himfeife from the fpire
Of all his Happineffe? But foft: I heare
Some vicious Foole draw neare,
That cries we dreame ; and fweares, there's no fuch thing
As this chafte Loue we fing.
Peace Luxurie, thou art like one of thofe
Who (being at fea) fuppofe
Becaufe they moue, the Continent doth so :
No (Vice) we let thee know,
Though thy wild Thoughts with Sparrowes wings do flie,
" Turtles can chaftly die;
And yet (in this t’expreffe our felfe more cleare)
We do not number here
Such Spirites as are onely continent,
Becaufe Lusts meanes are fpent:
Or thofe, who doubt the common mouth of Fame,

And for their Place, or Name,
Cannot fo fafely finne; Their Chaftitie
Is meere Neceffitie,
Nor meane we thofe, whom Vowes and Confcience
Haue fild with Abftinence :
(Though we acknowledge who can fo abftaine,
Makes a moft bleffed gaine :
“ He that for loue of goodneffe hateth ill,
“ Is more Crowne-worthy ftill,
“Then he which for finnes Penaltie forbeares,
“ His Heart finnes, though he feares.)
But we propofe a perfon like our Doue,
Grac'd with a Phoenix loue :
A beauty of that cleare and fparkling Light,
Would make a Day of Night,
And turne the blacked forrowes to bright ioyes:
Whofe Od'rous breath deftroyes
All tafte of Bitterneffe, and makes the Ayre
As fweete as fhe is faire:
A Bodie fo harmonioufly compofde,
As if Nature difclofde
All her beft Symmetrie in that one Feature:
O, fo diuine a Creature
Who could be falfe too ? chiefly when he knowes
How onely fhe beftowes
The wealthy treafure of her Loue in him ;
Making his Fortunes fwim
In the full floud of her admird perfection ?
What fauage, brute Affection,
Would not be fearefull to offend a Dame
Of this excelling frame ?
Much more a noble and right generous Mind,

(To vertuous moodes enclin'd)
That knowes the weight of Guilt: He will refraine
From thoughts of fuch a ftraine :
And to his Sence obiect this Sentence euer,
“ Man may fecurely fmne, but fafely neuer.

Ben Iohnfon.


The Phoenix Analyfde.

NOw, after all, let no man
     Receiue it for a Fable,
     If a Bird fo amiable,
Do turne into a Woman.

Or (by our Turtles Augure)
     That Natures faireft Creature,
     Proue of his Miftris Feature,
But a bare Type and Figure.


Ode [enthousiastiki].

SPlendor ! O more then mortall,
For other formes come short all
Of her illuftrate brightneffe,
As farre as Sinne's from lightneffe.

Her wit as quicke, and fprightfull
As fire; and more delightfull
Then the ftolne fports of Louers,
When night their meeting couers.

Iudgement (adornd with Learning)
Doth fhine in her difcerning,
Cleare as a naked veftall
Clofde in an orbe of Chriftall.

Her breath for fweete exceeding
The Phoenix place of breeding,
But mixt with found, tranfcending
All Nature of commending.

Alas : then whither wade I,
In thought to praife this Ladie,
When feeking her renowning,
My felfe am fo neare drowning ?

Retire, and fay ; Her Graces
Are deeper then their Faces :
Yet fhee's nor nice to fhew them,
Nor takes fhe pride to know them.

Ben : Iohnfon.