fierce rape forbeare His legges into his greedie belly runne The charge of hospitalitie to shunne In him the world is to a lump reuerst That shruncke from forme that was by forme disperst And in nought more then thanklesse auarice Not rendring vertue her deserued price Kinde Amalthâ—a was transferd by Ioue Into his sparckling pauement for her loue Though but a Goate and giuing him her milke Basenesse is flintie gentrie soft as silke In heauens she liues and rules a liuing signe In humane bodies yet not so diuine That she can worke her kindnesse in our harts The sencelesse Argiue ship for her deserts Bearing to Colchos and for bringing backe The hardie Argonauts secure of wracke The fautor and the God of gratitude VVould not from number of the starres exclude A thousand such examples could I cite To damne stone-pesants that like Typhons fight Against their Maker and contend to be Of kings the abiect slaues of dâ—â—dgerie Proud of that thraldome loue the kindest lest And hate not to be hated of the best If then we frame mans figure by his mind And that at first his fashion was assignd â—rection in sucâ— God-like excellence Fâ—r his soules sake and her intelligence She so degenerate and growne deprest Content to share affections with a beast The shape wherewith he should be now â—ndâ—de Must beare no signe of mans similitude Therefore Promethean Poets with the coles Of their most geniale more-then-humane soules In liuing verse created men like these VVith shapes of Centaurs Harpie Lapithes That they in prime of erudition VVhen almost sauage vulgar men were growne Seeing them selues in those Pierean founts Might mend their mindes asham'd of such accounts So when ye heare the sweetest Muses sonne VVith heauenly rapture of his Musicke wonne Rockes â—orrests floods and winds to leaue their couâ—â— In his attendance it bewrayes the force His wisedome had to draw men growne so rude To ciuill loue of Art and Fortitude And not for teaching others insolence Had he his date-exceeding excellence VVith soueraigne Poets but for vse applyed And in his proper actes exemplified And that in calming the infernall kinde To wit the perturbations of his minde And bringing his Eurydice from hell VVhich Iustice signifies is proued well But if in rights obseruance any man Looke backe with boldnesse lesse then Orphean Soone falls he to the hell from whence he rose The fiction then would temprature dispose In all the tender motiues of the minde To make man worthie his hel-danting kinde The golden chaine of Homers high deuice Ambition is or cursed aâ—arice VVhich all Gods haling being tyed to Ioue Him from his setled height could neuer moue Intending this that though that powrefull chaine Of most Herculean vigor to constraine Men from true vertue or their pristine states Attempt a man that manlesse changes hates And is enobled with a deathlesse loue Of things eternall dignified aboue Nothing shall stirre him from adorning still This shape with vertue and his powre with will But as rude painters that contend to show Beâ—sts foules or fish all artlesse to bestow Oâ—â—â—ery side his natiue counterfet Aboue his head his name had neede to set So men that will be men in more then face As in their foreheads should in actions place More perfect characters to proue they be No mockers of their first nobilitie Else may they easly passe for beasts or foules Soules praise our shapes and not our shapes our soules And as when Chloris paints th'ennamild meads A flocke of shepherds to the bagpipe treads Rude rurall dances with their countrey loues Some a farre off obseruing their remoues Turnes and returnes quicke footing sodaine stands Reelings aside od actions with their hands Now backe now forwards now lockt arme in arme Not hearing musicke thinke it is a charme That like loose froes at Bacchanalean feasts Makes them seeme franticke in their barraine iestes And being clusterd in a shapelesse croude VVith much lesse admiration are allowd So our first excellence so much abusd And we without the harmonie was vsd VVhen Saturnes golden scepter stroke the strings Of Ciuill gouernement make all our doings Sauour of rudenesse and obscuritie And in our formes shew more deformitie Then if we still were wrapt and smoothered In that confusion out of which we fled And as when hosts of starres attend thy flight Day of deepe students most coâ—tentfull night The morning mounted on the Muses stead Vshers the sonne from Vulcans golden bed And then from forth their sundrie roofes of rest All sorts of men to sorted taskes addrest Spreade this inferiour element and yeeld Labour his due the souldier to the field States-men to counsell Iudges to their pleas Merchants to commerce mariners to seas All beasts and birds the groues and forrests range To fill all corners of this round Exchange Till thou deare Night ô goddesse of most worth Letst thy sweet seas of golden humor forth And Eagle like dost with thy starrie wings Beate in the foules and beasts to Somnus lodgings And haughtie Day to the infernall deepe Proclaiming scilence studie ease and sleepe All things beforâ— thy fâ—rces put in rout Retiring where the morning fir'd them out So to the chaos of our first descent All dayes of honor and of vertue speâ—t VVe basely make retrait and are no lesse Then huge impolisht heapes of filthinesse Mens faces glitter and their hearts are blacke But thou great Mistresse of heauens gloomie racke Art blacke in face and glitterst in thy heart There is thy glorie riches force and Art Opposed earth beates blacke and blewe thy face And often doth thy heart it selfe deface For spite that to thy vertue-famed traine All the choise worthies that did euer raigne In eldest age were still preferd by Ioue Esteeming that due honor to his loue There shine they not to sea-men guides alone But sacred presidents to euerie one There fixt for euer where the Day is driuen Almost foure hundred times a yeare from heauen In hell then let her sit and neuer rise Till Morns leaue blushing at her cruelties Meane while accept as followers of thy traine Our better parts aspiring to thy raigne Vertues obscur'd and banished the day VVith all the glories of this spongie sway â—risond in flesh and that poore flesh in bands Of stone and steele chiefe flowrs of vertues Garlands O then most tender fortresse of our woes That bleeding lye in vertues ouerthroes Hating the whoredome of this painted light Raise thy chast daughters ministers of right The dreadfull and the iust Eumenides And let them wreake the wrongs of our disease Drowning the world in bloud and staine the skies VVith their spilt soules made drunke with tyrannies Fall Hercules from heauen in tempestes hurld And cleanse this beastly stable of the world Or bend thy brasen bow against the Sunne As in Tartessus when thou hadst begunne Thy taske of oxen heat in more extreames Then thou wouldst suffer with his enuious beames
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE SHADOVV OF NIGHT CONTAINING TWO POETICALL HYMNES Deuised by G. C. Gent. Versus mei habebunt aliquantum Noctis Antilo AT LONDON Printed by R. F. for William Ponsonby 1594. TO MY DEARE AND MOST VVORTHY FRIEND MASTER MATHEW ROYDON IT is an exceeding rapture of delight in the deepe search of knowledge none knoweth better then thy selfe sweet Mathew that maketh men manfully indure th'extremes incident to that Herculean labour froÌ„ flints must the Gorgonean fount be smitten Men must be shod by Mercurie girt with Saturnes Adamantâ—e sword take the shield from Pallas the helme from Pluto and haue the eyes of Grâ—a as Hesiodus armes Perseus against Medusa before they can cut of the viperous head of benumming ignorance or subdue their monstrous affections to most beautifull iudgement How then may a man stay his maruailing to see passion-driuen meÌ„ reading but to curtoll a tedious houre and altogether hidebownd with affection to great meÌ„s fancies take vpon them as killing censures as if they were iudgements Butchers or as if the life of truth lay tottering in their verdits Now what a supererogation in wit this is to thinke skil so mightilie pierst with their loues that she should prostiâ—utely shew theÌ„ her secrets when she will scarcely be lookt vpoÌ„ by others but with inuocatioÌ„ fasting watching yea not without hauing drops of their soules like an heauenly familiar Why then should our Intonsi Catones with their profit-rauisht grauitie esteeme her true fauours such questionlesse vanities as with what part soeuer thereof they seeme to be something delighted they queimishlie commende it for a pretie toy Good Lord how serious and eternall are their Idolatrous platts for riches no maruaile sure they here do so much good with them And heauen no doubt will grouill on the earth as they do to imbrace them But I stâ—y this spleene when I remember my good Aâ—aâ— how ioyfully ofteÌ„times you reported vnto me that most ingenious Darbie deepe searching Northumberland and skill imbracing heire of Hunsdon had most profitably entertained learning in theÌ„selues to the vitall warmth of freezing science to the admirable luster of their true Nobilitie whose high deseruing vertues may cause me hereafter strike that fire out of darknesse which the brightest Day shall enuie for beautie I should write more but my hasting out of towne taketh me from the paper so preferring thy allowance in this poore and strange trifle to the pasport of a whole Cittie of others I rest as resolute as Seneca satisfying my selfe if but a few if one or if none like it By the true admirour of thy vertues and perfectly vowed friend G. CHAPMAN Hymnus in Noctem GReat Goddesse to wâ—ose throne in Cynthian fires This earthlie Alter endlesse fumes exspires Therefore in fumes of sighes and fires of griefe To fearefull chances thou sendst bold reliefe Happie thrise happie Type and nurse of death VVho breathlesse seedes on nothing but our breath In whom must vertue and her issue liue Or dye for euer now let humor giue Seas to mine eyes that I may quicklie weepe The shipwracke of the world or let soft sleepe Binding my sences lose my working soule That in her highest pitch she may controule The court of skill compact of misterie VVanting but franchisement and memorie To reach all secrets then in blisfull trance Raise her deare Night to that perseuerance That in my torture she all earths may sing And force to tremble in her trumpeting Heauens christall temples in her powrs implant Skill of my griefs and she can nothing want Then like fierce bolts well rammd with heate cold In Ioues Artillerie my words vnfold To breake the labyrinth of euerie eare And make ech frighted soule come forth and heare Let them breake harts as well as yeelding ayre That all mens bosoms pierst with no affaires But gaine of riches may be lanced wide And with the thrâ—ates of vertue terrified Sorrowes deare soueraigne and the queene of rest That when vnlight some vast and indigest The formelesse matter of this world did lye Fildst euery place with thy Diuinitie VVhy did thy absolute and endlesse sway Licence heauens torch the scepter of the Day Distinguisht intercession to thy throne That long before all matchlesse rusde alone VVhy letst thou order orderlesse disperse The fighting parents of this vniuerse VVhen earth the ayre and sea in fire remaind VVhen fire the sea and earth the ayre containd VVhen ayre the earth and fire the sea enclosde VVhen sea fire ayre in earth were indisposde Nothing as now remainde so out of kinde All things in grosse were finer then refinde Substance was sound within and had no being Now forme giues being all our essence seeming Chaos had souâ—e without a bodie then Now bodies liue without the soules of men Lumps being digested monsters in our pride And as a wealthie fount that hils did hide Let forth by labor of industrious hands Powres out her treasure through the fruitefâ—ll strands Seemely diuided to a hunderd streames VVhose bewties shed such profitable beames And make such Orphean Musicke in their courses That Citties follow their enchanting forces VVho running farre at length ech powres her hart Into the bosome of the gulfie desart As much confounded there and indigest As in the chaos of the hills comprest So all things now extract out of the prime Are turnd to chaos and confound the time A stepdame Night of minde about vs cliâ—gs VVho broodes beneath her hell obscuring wings VVorlds of confusion where the soule defamde The bodie had bene better neuer framde Beneath thy soft and peace-full couert then Most sacred mother both of Gods and men Treasures vnknowne and more vnprisde did dwell But in the blind borne shadow of this hell This horrid stepdame blindnesse of the minde Nought worth the sight no sight but worse then blind A Gorgon that with brasse and snakie brows Most harlot-like her naked secrets shows For in th'expansure and distinct attire Of light and darcknesse of the sea and fire Of ayre and earth and all all these create First set and rulde in most harmonious state Disiunction showes in all things now amisse By that first order what confâ—sion is Religious curb that manadgd men in bounds Of publique wellfare lothing priuâ—te grounds Now cast away by selfe lou's paraâ—ores All are transformd to Calydonian bores That kill our bleeding vines displow our fields Rend groues in peeces all things nature yeelds Supplanâ—ing tumbling vp in hills of dearth The fruitefull disposition of the earth Ruine creates men all to slaughter bent Like enuie fed with others famishment And what makes men without the parts of men Or in their manhoods lesse then childeren But manlesse natures all this world was namde A world of him for whom it first was framde VVho like â— tender Cheurill shruncke with fire Of base ambition and of selfe-desire His armes into his shoâ—lders crept for feare Bountie should vse them and
Hos peperit nulli dea nox coniuncta marito 3 Platâ— saith dicere is nothing else but reminisci 4 The heauenly abodes are often called celestiall temples by Homer alijs 5 Insolence is here taken for rarenesse or vnwontednesse 6 Lycophron in Alexandra affirmes the morning vseth to ride vpon Pegasus in his verses Aurora montem Phagium aduoluerat Vâ—locis altum nuper alis Pegasi 7 Vulcan is said by Natalis Comes in his Mythologie to haue made a golden bed for the Sunne wherein he swum sleeping till the morning 8 Quae lucem pellis sub terras Orpheus 9 Here he alludes to the fiction of Hercules that in his labor at Tartessus fetching away the oxen being more theÌ„ he liked heat with the beames of the Sunne he bent his bow against him c. Vt ait Pherecides in 3. lib. Historiarum 10 This Pâ—riphrasis of the Night he vseth because in her the blest by whom he inteÌ„ds the vertuous liuing obscurelie are relieued and quieted according to those verses before of Aratus Commiserata virum metuendos vndique casus 11 Themis daughters are the three houres viz. Dice Ireâ—e and Eâ—â—omia begotteÌ„ by Iupiter They are said to make ready the horse chariot of the Sun euery morning vt Orph. Et louis Themidis Horae de seâ—ine 〈◊〉 c. 12 Cynthia or the Moone is said to be drawne by two white hindes vt ait Caliâ—achâ—â— Aâ—rea nam dâ—mitrix Tityi sunt arma Diana Cuncta tibi zona fuga quaâ— cerâ—icibus aâ—rea Cerâ—arum imponis currum câ—â— dâ—cis ad aâ—reâ—â— 13 Hesiodus in Theogonia cals her the daughter of Hyperion and Thya in his versibus Thia parit Sole◠〈…〉 Auroram quaefert luceâ— mortalibus 〈◊〉 Câ—elicolisque Deis cunctis Hyperionis alâ—â— Semine concepit namque illos Thia dâ—cora So is she said to weare partie-coloured garments the rest intimates her Magick authoritie FINIS For the rest of his owne inuention figures and â—â—â—iles touching their aptnesse and noueltie he hath not laboured to iustifie them because he hopes they will be proud enough to iustifie themselues and proue sufficiently authenticall to such as vnderstand them for the rest God helpe them I can not do as others make day seeme a lighter woman theÌ„ she is by painting her Hymnus in Cynthiam NAtures bright eye-sight and the Nights faire soule That with thy triple forehead dost controule Earth seas and hell and art in dignitie The greatest and swiftest Planet in the skie Peacefull and warlike and the powre of fate In perfect circle of whose sacred state The circles of our hopes are compassed All wisedome beautie maiestie and dread VVrought in the speaking pourtrait of thy face Great Cynthia rise out of thy Latmian pallace VVash thy bright bodie in th'Atlanticke streames Put on those robes that are most rich in beames And in thy All-ill-purging puritie As if the shadie Cytheron did frie In sightfull furie of a solemne fire Ascend thy chariot and make earth admire Thy old swist changes made a yong fixt prime O let thy beautie scorch the wings of time That fluttering he may fall before thine eyes And beate him selfe to death before he rise And as heauens Geniall parts were cut away By Saturnes hands with adamantine Harpey Onely to shew that since it was composd Of vniuersall matter it enclosd No powre to procreate another heauen So since that adamaâ—tine powre is giâ—en To thy chast hands to cut of all desire Of fleshly sports and quench to â—upids fire Let it approue no change shall take thee hence Nor thy throne beare another inference For if the euâ—ious forehead of the earth Lowre on thy age and claime thee as her birth Tapers nor torches nor the forrests bâ—rning Soule-winging musicke nor teare-stilling mourning Vsd of old Romanes and rude Macedâ—ns In thy most sad and blacke discessions VVe know can nothing further thy recall VVhen Nights darke râ—bes whose obiects blind vs all Shall celebrate thy changes fâ—nerall But as in that thrise dreadfull foâ—ghten â—field Of ruthlessâ— Cannas wheâ— sweet Rule did yeeld Her beauties strongest proofs and hâ—gest loue VVhen men as many as the lamps aboue Armd Earth in steele and made her like the skies That two Auroraes did in one day rise Then with the terror of the trâ—â—pets call The battels ioynd as if the world did fall Continewd long in life-disdaining fight Ioues thundring Eagles featherd like the night Hoâ—'ring aboue them with iâ—different wings Till Bloods sterne daughter cruell Tycâ—e â—â—ings The chiefe of one side to the blushing groâ—â—d And then his men whom griefs and feares câ—nfoâ—nd Turnd all their cheerfull hopes to grimme despaire Some casting of their soules into the aire Some taken prisners some extreamely maiâ—d And all as men accurst on fate exclaimd So gracious Cyâ—thia in that sable day VVhen interposed earth takes thee away Our sacred chiefe and soueraigne generall As chrimsine a retrait and sleepe a fall VVe feare to suffer from this peace and height VVhose thancklesse sweet now cloies vs with receipt The Romanes set sweet Mâ—sicke to her charmes To raise thy stoopings with her â—yrie armes Vsde loud resoundings with â—â—spicious brasse Held torches vp to heauen and flaming glasse Made a whole forrest but a burning eye Tâ— admire thy mournefull partings with the skye The Macedonians were so stricken dead VVith skillesse horrour of thy changes dread They wanted harts to lift vp sounds or fires Or eyes to heauen but vsd their funerall tyres Trembld and wept assur'd some mischiefs furie VVould follow that afflicting Augurie Nor shall our wisedomes be more arrogant O sacred Cynthia but beleeue thy want Hath cause to make vs now as much affraid Nor shall Democrates who first is said To reade in natures browes thy chaâ—nges cause Perswade our sorrowes to a vaine applause Times motion being like the reeling sunâ—es Or as the sea reciprocallie ruâ—nes Hath brought vs now to their opinions As in our garments ancient fashions Are newlie worne and as sweet poesie VVill not be clad in her supremacie VVith those straunge garments Romes Hexaâ—â—ters As she is English but in right prefers Our natiâ—e robes put on with skilfull hands English heroicks to those antick garlands Accounting it no meede but mockerie VVhen her steepe browes alreadie prop the skie To put on startups and yet let it fall No otherwise O Queene celestiall Can we beleeue Ephesias state wilbe But spoile with forreine grace and change with thee The purenesse of thy neuer-tainted life Scorning the sâ—biect title of a â—ife Thy bodie not composed in thy birth Of such condensed matter as the earth Thy shâ—nning faithlesse mens societie Betaking thee to hounds and Archerie To deserts and inaccessible hills Abhorring pleasure in earths common ills Commit most willing rapes on all oâ—r harts And make vs tremble lest thy soâ—eraigne parts The whole preseruers of our happinesse Should yeeld to change Eclips or
heaâ—inesse And as thy changes happen by the site Neare or farre distance of thy fathers light VVho set in absolute remotion reâ—ues Thy face of light and thee all darkned leaues So for thy absence to the shade of death Our soules fly mourning winged with our breath Then set thy Christall and Imperiall throne Girt in thy chast and neuer-loosing zone Gainst Europs Sunne directly opposit And giue him darknesse that doth threat thy light O how accurst are they thy fauour scorne Diseases pine their flockes tares spoile their cornâ— Old men are blind of issâ—e and young wiâ—es Bring forth abortiue frute that neâ—er thriues Bâ—t then how blest are they thy faâ—oâ—r graceâ— Peace in their hearts and youth raignes in their faces Health strengths their bodies to subdue the seas And dare the Sunne like Thebane Hercules To calme the furies and to qâ—ench the fire As at thy altars in thy Persicke Empire Thy holy women walkt with naked soles Harmelesse and confidenâ— on burning coles The vertue-temperd mind euer preserues Oyles and expâ—lsatorie Balme that serues To quench lusts fire in all things it annoints And steeles our feet to march on needles points And mongst her armes hath armour to repell The canon and the firie darts of hell She is the great enchantresse that commands Spirits of euery region seas and lands Round heauen it selfe and all his seuen-fold heights Are bound to serue the strength of her conceipts A perfect type of thy Almightie state That holdst the thread and rul'st the sword of fate Then you that exercise the virgine Court Of peacefull Thespya my muse consort Making her drunkes with Gorgonean Dews And therewith all your Extasies infuse That she may reach the top-lesse starrie brows Of steepe Olympus crownd with freshest bows Of Daphnean Laurell and the praises sing Of mightie Cynthia truely figuring As she is Heccate her soueraigne kinde And in her force the forces of the mind An argument to rauish and refine An earthly soule and make it â—eere diuine Sing then withall her Pallace brightnesse bright The dasle-sunne perfections of her light Circkling her face with glories sing the walkes VVhere in her heaueâ—ly Magicke mood she stalkes Her arbours thickets and her wondrous game A huntesse being neuer matcht in fame Presume not then ye flesh confounded soules That cannot beare the full Castalian bowles VVhich seuer mounting spirits from the sences To looke in this deepe fount for thy pretenses The iuice more cleare then day yet shadows night VVhere humor challengeth no drop of right But iudgement shall displaie to purest eyes VVith ease the bowells of these misteries Seâ— then this Planet of our lines discended To rich Ortigia gloriouslie attended Not with hir fiftie Ocean Nimphs nor yet Hir twentie forresters but doth beget By powrefull charmes delight some seruitors Of flowrs and shadows mists and meteors Her rare Elisian Pallace she did build VVith studied wishes which sweet hope did guild VVith sunnie foyle that lasted but a day For night must needs importune her away The shapes of euerie wholesome flowre and tree She gaue those types of hir felicitie And Forme her selfe she mightelie coniurd Their priselesse values might not be obscurd VVith disposition baser then diuine But make that blissull court of hers to shine VVith all accomplishment of Architect That not the eye of Phebus â—â—â—ld detect Forme then twixt two superior pillers framd This tender building Pax Imperij nam'd VVhich cast a shadow like a Pyramis VVhose basis in the plaine or back part is Of that queint worke the top so high extended That it the region of the Moone transcended VVithout within it euerie corner fild By bewtious forme as her great mistresse wild Here as she sits the thunder-louing Ioue In honors past all others showes his loue Proclaiming her in compleat Emperie Of what soeuer the Olympick skie VVith tender circumuecture doth embrace The chiefest Planet that doth heauen enchace Deare Goddesse prompt benigne and bounteous That heares all prayers from the least of vs Large riches giues since she is largely giuen And all that spring from seede of earth and heauen She doth commaund and rules the fates of all Old Hesiod sings her thus celestiall And now to take the pleasures of the day Because her night starre soone will call away She frames of matter intimate before â—o wit a bright and daseling meteor A goodlie Nimph whose bewtie bewtie staines Heau'ns with her iewells giues all the raines Of wished pleasance frames her golden wings But them she bindes vp close with purple strings Because she now will haue her run alone And bid the base to all affection And Euthimya is her sacred name Since she the cares and toyles of earth must tame Then straight the flowrs the shadowes aâ—d the mists Fit matter for most pliant humorists She hunters makes and of that substance hounds VVhose mouths deafe heaueÌ„ furrow earth with wouÌ„ds And maruaile not a Nimphe so rich in grace To hounds rude pursutes should be giuen in chase For she could turne her selfe to euerie shape Of swiftest beasts and at her pleasure scape VVealth faunes on fooles vertues are meate for vices VVisedome conformes her selfe to all earths guises Good gifts are often giuen to men past good And Noblesse stoops sometimes beneath his blood The hounds that she created vast and fleete VVere grimme Melampus with th'Ethiops feete VVhite Leucon all eating Pamphagus Sharp-sighted Dorceus wild Oribasus Storme-breathing Lelaps and the sauage Theron VVingd-footed Pterelas and Hinde-like Ladon Greedie Harpyia and the painted Styctâ— Fierce Trigis and the thicket-searcher Agre The blacke Melaneus and the bristled Lachne Leane lustfull Cyprius and big chested Aloe These and such other now the forrest rang'd And Euthimya to a Panther changd Holds them sweet chase their mouths they freely spead As if the earth in sunder they would rend VVhich change of Musick likt the Goddesse so That she before her formost Nimphe would go And not a huntsman there was eagrer seene In that sports loue yet all were wondrous keene Then was their swift and windie-footed queene But now this spotted game did thickeâ— take VVhere not a hound could hungred passage make Such proofe the couret was all armd in thorne VVith which in their attempts the doggs were torne And fell to howling in their happinesse As when a flocke of schoole boys whom their mistresse Held closelie to their bookes gets leaue to sport And then like toyle-freed deare in headlong sort VVith shoutes and shrieks they hurrey from the schoole Some strow the woods some swimme the siluer poole All as they list to seuerall pastimes fall To feede their famisht wantonnesse with all VVhen strait within the woods some wolfe or beare The heedlesse lyms of one doth peecemeale teare Affrighteth other sends some bleeding backe And some in greedie whirle pitts suffer wracke So did the bristled couert check with wounds The licorous hast of these game greedie hounds In this
vast thicket whose descriptions task The penns of furies and of feends would aske So more then humane thoughted horrible The soules of such as liu'd implausible In happie Empire of this Goddesse glories And scornd to crowne hir Phanes with sacrifice Did ceaselesse walke exspiring fearefull grones Curses and threats for their confusions Her darts and arrowes some of them had slaine Others hir doggs eate painting hir disdaine After she had transformd them into beasts Others her monsters carried to their nests Rent them in peeces and their spirits sent To this blind shade to waile their banishment The huntsmen hearing since they could not heare Their hounds at fault in eager chase drew neare Mounted on Lyons Vnicorns and Bores And saw their hounds lye licking of their sores Some yerning at the shroud as if they chid Her stinging toungs that did their chase forbid By which they knew the game was that way gone Then ech man forst the beast he rode vpon T'assault the thicket whose repulsiue thorns So gald the Lyons Bores and Vnicorns Dragons and wolues that halfe their courages VVere spent in rores and sounds of heauines Yet being the Princeliest and hardiest beasts That gaue chiefe fame to those Ortygian forests And all their riders furious of their sport A fresh assault they gaue in desperate sort And with their falchions made their wayes in wounds The thicket opend and let in the hounds But from her bosome cast prodigious cries VVrapt in her Stigian fumes of miseries VVhich yet the breaths of those couragious steads Did still drinke up and cleerd their ventrous heads As when the fierie coursers of the sunne Vp to the pallace of the morning runne And from their nosthrills blow the spitefull day So yet those foggie vapors made them way But preasing further saw such cursed sights Such Aetnas filld with strange tormented sprites That now the vaprous obiect of the eye Out-pierst the intellect in facultie Basenesse vas Nobler then Nobilitie For ruth first shaken from the braine of Loâ—e Aud loue the soule of vertue now did moue Not in their soules spheres meane enough for such But in their eyes and thence did conscience touch Their harts with pitie where her proper throne Is in the minde and there should first haue shone Eyes should guide bodies and our soules our eyes But now the world consistes on contraries So sence brought terror where the mindes presight Had saâ—t that feare and done but pittie right But seruile feare now forgd a wood of darts VVithin their eyes and cast them through their harts Then turnd they bridle then halfe slaine with feare Ech did the other backwardes ouerbeare As when th'Italian Duke a troupe of horse Sent out in hast against some English force From statelie sited sconce-torne Nimigan Vnder whose walles the wall most Cynthian Stretcheth her siluer limms loded with wealth Hearing our horse were marching downe by stealth VVho looking for them warres quicke Artizan Fame-thriuing Vere that in those Countries wan More fame then guerdon ambusâ—ados laide Of certaine foote and made full well appaide The hopefull enemie in sending those The loâ—g-expected subiects of their blowes To moue their charge which strait they giue amaine VVhen we retiring to our strength againe The foe pursewes assured of our liues And vs within our ambuscado driues VVho straight with thunder of the drums and shot Tempest their wraths on them that wist it not Then turning headlong some escapt vs so Some left to ransome some to ouerthrow In such confusion did this troupe retire And thought them cursed in that games desire Out flew the houndes that there could nothing finde Of the slye Panther that did beard the winde Running into it full to clog the chase And tire her followers with too much solace And but the superficies of the shade Did onely sprinckle with the sent she made As when the sunne beames on high billowes fall And make their shadowes dance vpon a wall That is the subiect of his faire reflectings Or else as when a man in summer euenings Something before sunneset when shadows bee Rackt with his stooping to the highest degree His shadow â—lymes the trees and skales a hill VVhile he goes on the beaten passage still So sleightlie toucht the Panther with her sent This irksome couert and away she went Downe to a fruitfull Iland sited by Full of all wealth delight and Emperie Euer with child of curious Architect Yet still deliuerd paâ—'d with Dames select On whom rich feete in fowlest bootes might treade And neuer fowle them for kinde Cupid spreadâ— Such perfect colours on their pleasing faces That their reflects clad fowlest weeds with graces Bewtie strikes fancie blind pyed show deceau's vs Sweet banquets tempt our healths wheÌ„ temper leaues vs Inchastitie is euer prostitute VVhose trees we loth when we haue pluckt their fruite Hithâ—r this Panther fled now turnd a Bore More huge then that th' Aetolians plagud so sore And led the chase through noblest mansions Gardens and groues exempt from Parragons In all things ruinous and slaughter some As was that scourge to the Aetolian kingdome After as if a whirlewind draue them one Full crie and close as if they all were one The hounds pursew and fright the earth with sound Making her tremble as when windes are bound In her cold bosome fighting for euent VVith whose fierce Ague all the world is rent But dayes arme tir'd to hold her torch to them Now let it fall within the Ocean streame The Goddesse blew retrait and with her blast Her morns creation did like vapours wast The windes made wing into the vpper light And blew abroad the sparckles of the night Then â—swift as thought the bright Titanides Guide and great soueraigne of the marble seas VVith milkwhite Herffers mounts into her Sphere And leaues vs miserable creatures here Thus nights faire dayes thus griefs do ioyes supplant Thus glories grauen in steele and Adamant Neuer supposd to wast but grow by wasting Like snow in riuers falne consume by lasting O then thou great Elixer of all treasures From whom we multiplie our world of pleasures Disâ—end againe ah neuer leaue the earth But as thy plenteous humors gaue vs birth So let them drowne the world in night and death Before this ayre leaue breaking with thy breath Come Goddesse come the double fatherd sonne Shall dare no more amongst thy traine to runne Nor with poluted handes to touch thy vaile His death was darted from the Scorpions taile For which her forme to endlesse memorie VVith other lamps doth lend the heauens an eye And he that shewd such great presumption Is hidden now beneath a little stoâ—e If proude Alpheus offer force againe Because he could not once thy loue obtaine Thou and thy Nimphs shall stop his mouth with mire And mocke the fondling for his mad aspire Thy glorious temple great Lucifera That was the studie of all Asia Two hunderd twentie sommers to erect
Built by Chersiphrone thy Architect In which two hundred twentie columns stood Built by two hunderd twentie kings of blood Of curious bewtie and admired height Pictures and statues of as praysefull sleight Conuenient for so chast a Goddesse phane Burnt by Herostratus shall now againe Be reexstruct and this Ephesia be Thy countries happie name come here with thee As it was there so shall it now be framde And thy faire virgine-chamber euer namde And as in reconstruction of it there There Ladies did no more their iewells weare But franckly contribute them all to raise A worke of such a chast Religious prayse So will our Ladies for in them it lyes To spare so much as would that worke suffice Our Dames well set their iewels in their myndes In-sight illustrates outward brauerie blindes The minde hath in her selfe a Deitie And in the stretching circle of her eye All things are compast all things present still VVill framd to powre doth make vs what we will But keepe your iewels make ye brauer yet Elisian Ladies and in riches set Vpon your foreheads let vs see your harts Build Cynthiaes Temple in your vertuous parts Let euerie iewell be a vertues glasse And no Herostratus shall euer race Those holy monuments but pillers stand VVhere euery Grace and Muse shall hang her garland The minde in that we like rules euery limâ—e Giues hands to bodies makes them make them trimme VVhy then in that the body doth dislike Should not his sword as great a vennie strike The bit and spurre that Monarcke ruleth still To further good things and to curb the ill He is the Ganemede the birde of Ioue Rapt to her soueraignes bosome for his loue His bewtie was it not the bodies pride That made him great Aquarius stellified And that minde most is bewtifull and hye And nearest comes to a Diuinitie That furthest is from spot of earths delight Pleasures that lose their substance with their sight Such one Saturnius rauisheth to loue And fills the cup of all content to Ioue If wisedome be the mindes true bewtie then And that such bewtie shines in vertuous men If those sweet Ganemedes shall onely finde Loue of Olimpius are those wizerds wise That nought but gold and his dyiections priseâ— This bewtie hath a fire vpâ—â— her brow That dimmes the Sunne of base desires in yâ—â— And as the cloudie bosome of the tree VVhose branches will not let the sâ—â—mer see His solemne shadows but do entertaine Eternall winter so thy sacred traine Thrise mightie Cyâ—thia shoâ—ld be frozen dead To all the lawlesse flames of Cupids Godhead To this end let thy beames diâ—inities For euer shine vpon their sparckling eyes And be as quench to those pestiferent fires That through their eyes impoison their desires Thou neuer yet wouldst stoope to base assaâ—lt Therefore those Poetes did most highly fault That fainde thee fiftie children by 〈◊〉 And they that write thou hadst but three alone Thou neuer any hadst but didst affect Endimion for his studioâ—â— intellect Thy soule-chast kisses were for vertâ—es sake And since his eyes were euermâ—re awake To search for knowledge of thy excellence And all Astrologie no negligence Or female softnesse fede his learned trance Nor was thy vaile once toucht with dalliance VVise Poetes faine thy Godhead properlie The thresholds of mens doores did fortifie And therefore built they thankefull alters there Seruing thy powre in most religious feare Deare precident for vs to imitate VVhose dores thou guardst against Imperious fate Keeping our peacefull households safe from sack And free'st our ships when others suffer wracke Thy virgin chamber then that sacred is No more let hold an idle Salmacis Nor let more sleights Cydippe iniurie Nor let blacke Ioue possest in Scicilie Rauish more maids but maids subdue his might VVith well-steeld lances of thy watchfull sight Then in thy cleare and Isie Pentacle Now execute a Magicke miracle Slip euerie sort of poisoned herbes and plants And bring thy rabid mastifs to these hants Looke with thy fierce aspect be terror-strong Assume thy wondrous shape of halfe a furlong Put on thy feete of Serpents viperous hayres And act the fearefulst part of thy affaires Conuert the violent courses of thy floods Remoue whole fields of corne and hugest woods Cast hills into the sea and make the starrs Drop out of heauen and lose thy Mariners So shall the wonders of thy power be seene And thou for euer liue the Planets Queene Explicit Hymnus Omnis vt vmbra Gloss. 1 HE giues her that Periphrasis viz. Natures bright eye sight because that by her store of humors issue is giuen to all birth and thereof is she called Lucina and Ilythyia quia praeest parturientibus cum inuocaretur and giues them helpe which Orpheus in a Hymne of her prayse expresseth and cals her besides Prothyrea vt sequitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Audi mâ— veneranda Dea cui nomina multa Pragâ—antum adiâ—â—rix patientum dulce 〈◊〉 Sola puellarum sernatrix solaque prudens Auxilium velox teâ—â—ris Prothyrea puelliâ—â— And a little after he shewes her plainlie to be Diana Ilythyia and Prothyrea in these verses Solam animâ— requiem te clamant parâ—â— ruâ—tes Sola potes dirâ—â— partus placare labores Diana Ilythyia grauis sumus Prothyrea 2 He cals her the soule of the Night since she is the purest part of her according to common conceipt 3 Orpheus in these verses in Argonauticis saith she is three headed as she is Heccate Luna and Diana vt sequitur Cumque illis Hecate properans horreâ—da cucurrit Cui trinum caput est geâ—â—is quam Tartarus olim The rest aboue will not be denied 4 That she is cald the powre of fate read Hesiodus in Theogonia when he giues her more then this commendation in these verses Iupiter ingentes illi largitur honores Muneraque imperium terrâ—que marisque profundi Cunctoruâ—que simul quae coelum amplectitur altum Admittitque preces facilis Dea proâ—pta benigna Diuitias prâ—bet quid ei concessa potestâ—â— Imperat haec cunctis qui sunt è â—emiâ—e nati Et terrae Coeli cunctorum fata gubeâ—â—â—t 5 In Latmos she is supposed to sleepe with Endymion vt Catullus Vt trâ—â—iam furtim sub Lâ—â—mia saxa â—elegans Dulcis amor Gyro deâ—oceâ— Aâ—riâ— 6 Homer with a maruailous Poeticall sweetnesse saith she washes her before she apparells her selfe in th'Atlantick sea And then shewes her apparell as in thâ—se verses In Oceanâ— Lauacri Rursus Atlantâ—is in lymphis membra lauata Vestibus indutâ—â— â—â—â—idis Dea Luna micantes Curru iunxit equos celeres quibus ardua colla 7 Cytheron as Menander saith was a most faire boy and beloued of Tisiphone who since she could not obtaine his loue she teares from her head a Serpent threw it at him which stinging him to death the Gods in pittie turned him to a hill of that name first cald Aâ—tâ—rius full of woods