of none the fed Oxe c. Heerein hee intimates the great consternation and dismay of the Shepheards that is of the Apostles of Christ and the cessation of the doctrine of the Gospell by the death of Christ so that there neither were any to teach nor the auditors that were would harken to what was taught the mindes of all were so perversly alienate from the meanes of savation As tho then or at that time The Lybian Lyons c. Even Lyons that is most fierce and salvage Beasts and farthest from all sense of humanity did lament the death of Christ Many to weet of the Iewes and Gentiles as the Centurion and Pilate and others who returning to Ierusalem testified their griefe by smiâ—ing their breasts The Woods and Mountaines c. Perchance heerein the Prophecy of the Sybil hath allusion to the renting of the stones the opening of the graves and the earthquake at the time of our Saviours giving up the Ghost Armenian Tygres c. Christ was the authour of a new and everlasting Religion and thereby did bend the stubborne and untamed neckes of the most fierce Tygres inforcing them meekely to submit unto the yoake of his lawes and commandements By Tygres heere is meant such worldly Tyrants as live altogether like these brute creatures rather then men and yet Iesus Christ by the inward working of his grace can bring this impossible-seeming worke to passe Daphnis to Bacchus c. Servius saith that these words have relation to the history of Caesar because hee first did institute the sacrifice and feasts to Liber that is to Father Bacchus But saith Vives I doe not remember to have read this in any other authour neither is it likely or probable forasmuch as there were in Rome feasts to Bacchus before Caesars time But I will hould my order in glossing which I have propounded to my selfe hee seemes therefore especially to mention the sacrifices to Bacchus for that antiquity did beleeve that they were available for the purging of soules and for that reason gave him that title of Liber which signifies free because hee doth free the minde from cares and molestations As the Vine is honour c. Christ is the head and glory of all spirituall creatures Bestrew the ground c. After Christs resurrection did follow a renewing and repaire of all things and new joy was declared to the Shepheards namely to the Apostles whom God appointed as Shepheards of his Flock Such Daphnis wills c. The tombe of Christ is the perpetuall remembrance of his death which the Church hath evermore in sight for what is a tombe but a monument of death And fixe this Epitaph c. This shall bee the superscription of the death of Christ. Epicedion is a mournefull song made before the body bee interred And Epitaphion a funerall song after buriall I Daphnis in the woods c. Write not upon him as on other dead mens tombs Heere hee lyes interred For Christ now liveth not in earth onely but is acknowledged above the starres and deerely loved of men and Angells Well knowne unto the starres c. The Sonn of God descended from heaven to become man after hee beeing man ascended from earth to heaven Therefore Christ as hee was man began first to bee knowne upon earth and so from thence the knowledge of him reached up into heaven Of a Flock so faire c. Christ beeing most faire pure and good nay beauty purity and goodnesse it selfe doth admit none into his Kingdome and unto his pasture but those who are faire pure and good Iddio fa suoi al suo essempio God frames his to his owne sample patterne And hee makes onely them such who doe with all readines commit themselves unto him to bee by him reformed and refined Christ hath chosen out Angels and holy men These are the Cattle of the Shepheard who is incomparably more faire and beautifull then any the best creatures in whose lipps grace is diffused Poet divine c. If a song upon Caesars death beeing otherwise bitter to the friends of Octavian and hurtfull to many to none profitable was so acceptable to a Shepheard how pretious ought the remembrance of Christs death to bee to us from whence redoundeth everlasting salvation to all mankinde Queme please a Saxon word Spencer For mee did Daphnis allgates love c. This cannot bee meant of Virgil who I verily thinke saith Vives was never knowne to Iulius Caesar nor scarce ever seene For Virgil was but a Childe at the time of Caesars murther neither did Cicero ever see or heare any of Virgils workes seeing Cicero outlived Caesar not above two yeares and therefore it is a meere fiction which I know not who writes in the life of Virgil as likewise many other things are taken upon report from the hearesay of others that Cicero protested of him in these words Magnae spes altera Romae Therefore they are spoken in the person of Menalcas who was elder then Virgil Allgates also Now lovely Daphnis c. The Sybil hitherto sung the death of Christ here shee prophecies of his ascension and of the eternity of his kingdome in heaven Christ in his humanity beeing received up into heaven doth rejoyce to behould all things subdued unto him according to that which heerein wee are taught in the holy Scriptures And sees the clowds and starres c. All things both in heaven and earth The ioyous Groves and pleasant c. By Christs ascension into heaven abundant great joy hath flowed downe upon the Apostles first by the sending of the holy Ghost then after upon all men in generall for by his ascension hee hath ledd our captivity captive and given gifts unto men The Woolfe from ravin c. The peace of Christ is hereby meant which subdues all Tense and motion of the superiour over the inferiour of the wilde beast against the tame of the crafty against the simple charity making an equality every where and causing all things to bee safe and secure For Daphnis ioyes in sweete c. Charity is the speciall commandement of Christ and Peace his Inheritance The Mountaines c. The holy Ghost saith Saint Paul is diffused in our hearts by Iesus Christ and beeing fullfilled with this joy wee come truly to understand Iesus Christ who he is and acknowledge him to bee God For no man saith that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost and the Gospell Blessed art thou Simon Bar-tona because flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaveÌ„ By the Mountaines is meant the Bishops and chiefe learned men of the Church and other where by Rockes is meant the inferiour sort by shrubbs is meant the common people All doe openly professe and adore the divinity of Christ. A God a God hee is c. To the afflicted minde for the sad and lamentable death of Christ it is said VVhy doost thou weepeâ— Bee of good comfort for
degenerate persons accept them onely for gaine and pleasure Bloody iuice c. This kinde of tree bare a white fruit at first and likewise the fruit yeelded a white juice but Pyramus and Thisbe having appointed to meete at this tree and afterward killing themselves under it they say that the Tree beeing tainted with the blood which sprinkled from their wounds hath ever since retained the colour of blood both in her fruite and the juice The like mutation is reported of the Rose which was also at first white but so it hapned that Venus running by the Rose bush and accidently scratching her tender foote it bled for which the Rose hath ever since been redd as blushing for shame of such her rudenesse Inough is yee c. It is enough that yee have found the Muses They shall not henceforth fly from you any more but willingly and gently they shall apply themselves to teach you whatsoever you desire Call for what songs yee list c. You men of understanding shall receive knowledge of what kinde soever you shall make choice to bestow your time in This shall bee the reward of your labours But the effeminate mindes shall have money and sordid gaine as the recompense of all they seeke after The Beasts did play c. Learning doth tame and mollifie rude and brutish mindes making them plyant and subject to order and reason Fauâ—es and Satyres were the gods of the woods a kinde of Monsters with heads like Men and bodies like Goates Ismarus and Rhodope c. Two Mountaines in Thrace the Country where Orpheus was borne The rigid Oakes c. Heere hee seemes to allude to those things which are reported of Orpheus Cicero in defence of the Poet Archia saith the woods and wildernesse doe answere to the voice and oftentimes the savage beasts are perswaded and stand at gaze at the sweetnesse and delight of Musick For Phaebus is not c. Indeed Phaebus and Orpheus sing sweeter but there is more learning and knowledge of matters worthy a mans understanding in Silenus his song and therefore more delight therein For why hee sung c. Hee taught and opened the causes and first principles and originall of things a matter most pleasing and delightfull out of the most abstruse and hidden points of Philosophy heere needes no Allegory Onely it teacheth that such kinde of subject conteining learning and knowledge and wise Philosophy ought truly and of right to bee the matter of a right Poets pen. The story of Pyrrha c. Servius heere moves the question why the Poet leaving the learned and wise discourse of the worlds originall and such like things sodainly passeth to the narration of fables To which hee answers that either it is because heerein hee houlds himselfe to the Epicurean manner which sect doth evermore purposely farse the most serious matters with some pretty pleasant passage or other or for that hee did apply himselfe to the nature and disposition of youth whose mynds are wonderfully inclined and apt to bee made bend and relent with fables which affoord matter of admiration for Fables were first invented to delight and refresh the hearts of men Now the fable heere of was this Iupiter hating the Gyants of the Earth for their cruelty and so likewise for their sakes all their posterity drowned all the whole earth except Pyrrha and Deucalion who escaped the deluge upon the huge mountaine Athos These two by Themis instruction by casting stones behynd them did thereof repaire mankynd againe Some report this fable and the cause of the deluge otherwise and that Pyrrha was daughter to Epimetheus and Deucalion sonne to Prometheus that on Parnassus hill they increased mankynd againe As also that the meaning of this fiction is that those few who escaped to the topp of this hill during the deluge hiding them amongst the bushes and rubbish of these rocky places and arising from thence afterward were said to bee made of the stones which upon the forsaking those strong places they left behynd them Moreover there were two generall deluges whereof stories report one in the reigne of Ogiges King of the Thebans the other in the time of Pyrrha and Deucalion And by these deluges is morally signified the alteration and mutation of times The Fowles of Caucasus That is the Eagle which fed upon Prometheus his heart upon the Hill Cancasus Prometheus theft The Poets feigne that this man made men induced thereunto because hee was the first who devised the making of Images and they feigne that hee went to heaven and stole fire from thence to inspire his men with life at which Iupiter beeing sore displeased bound him to the hill Caucasus and there set an Eagle to tyre and gnaw continually upon his heart The meaning of all which is this Prometheus according to the Etymology of the name was a very wise man for Prometheus is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Providence Hee was the first who taught the Assyrians the art of Astrology To which knowledge hee attained by observing the starrs on the high Mountain Caucasus where with great study and continuall paines hee did carefully and diligently frequent Now this Mountain in Assyria is so high that it is said to reach almost unto the stars so neere that upon it hee did observe and descry the greater stars together with the rising and setting of them all in their severall seasons and times And whereas an Eagle is said to eate his heart it hath relation to the curious scrutiny and deepe contemplation of his studious mynd ever busie in beating his braines for the finding out of the motions of the stars and celestiall Bodies the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying in Greeke an Eagle and Carefullnesse And because by wisdome and wondrous Prudence and understanding hee effected this by the help of Mercury who is the God of wisdome and reason among the heathen therefore hee is said to bee bound by Mercury to the Rock Caucasus alluding to the custome of great students who sit so close and continually at their bookes as if they were even tyed to their seates Hee found out also the reason of the Lightning and taught it unto men And thereupon sprang that part of the fable which saith hee stole fire from heaven For by a secret art which hee taught them posterity learned how to draw fire from heaven which proved very usefull to man whilst it was used to a right end But after once men abused it it turned to their destruction as wee reade in Livy of Tullus Hostilius who was consumed with all his his whole family by that kynd of fire and yet wee reade of Numa Pompilius that hee used it with very good successe imploying it onely in the sacrifices of the gods And this gives occasion to that part of the story which saith that the gods beeing angry at the stealing of fire from heaven sent downe diseases and Plagues upon the earth in revenge thereof
is a little busie Boy begote Not of mans seede ne sibb to one of us But farthest Garamants and Ismarus Or rocky Rhodope as it should seeme In their rough ragged hills ingendred him With mee Maenalian verse my Pipe begin Lewd love was cause the Mother first defil'd Her guilty hands in blood of her owne Child Crewell Mother thow the while but whether Mother crewell more or Boy wicked either Both wicked boy and mother crewell been With mee Menalian verse my Pipe begin Henceforth let woolves of their owne nature feare To touch the flock and boystrous Oakes let beare Oranges and Alders Daffodillies brisk Fatt Myrrh let sweate from barke of Tamarisk Henceforthlet Shretch Owles with the Swans compare And Tityrus Orpheus been Orpheus as rare Amongst the woods as was Aryon deere Vnto the Dolphins in the sea whyleere With mee Menalian verse my Pipe begin Yea midst the mayn let all surrounded lye Yee woods farewell and let impetuously On highest topp of airy mountain plac't My selfe from thence against the waves bee cast And this last dutie acted for her sake By'a dying man vouchsafeth shee to take Now cease my Pipe Menalian verses cease These words spake Damon and so held his peace But now what answer Alphâ—sibeus made Pyerian Sisters bee by you bewrayde For none of all can doo all manner thing Alphesib Come bring forth water and soft Filleting To guird this holy Altar round about And for a Sacrifize bee poured out Fatt oily Vervin and male Frankincense Wherewith to vvitch my Husbands sounder sense By sacred magick where novv nought doth vvant But Charmes and povverfull vvords him to inchant Bring home from Towne my verses Daphnis bring Why Charmes the Moone can from the vvelkin vvring Circe transform'd Vlisses men this vvay And Charmes the could-grass-serpent can dismay Bring home from Towne my verses Daphnis bring First I about thee vvynd this threefould Thredd Each trebbly brayded each discoulored And thrice thy Portraicture thus crost and bound About this holy Altar beare I round God still delights in this odd numbring Bring home from Towne my verses Daphnis bring These Knots discouler'd Amaryllis â—ay Doon onely tay them then Amaryllis say These Knots I tye in Venus endless string Bring home from Towne my verses Daphnâ—s bring Like as selfe fire melts vvaxe and hardens clay Ilk Daphnis for my love so suffre may Sprinkle on meale and doon vvith brimstone burne This brittle Laurel till to dust it turne For crewell Daphnis doth mee all inflame And I in Daphnis steed will burne the same bring home from Towne my verses Daphnis bring Such love as takes the Heipher in her pride When tyr'd with seeking through each Grove spring Some Bull her longing to have satisfide Forehayld with last by some greene Rivers side Lyes downe at last forgetfull to depart When night avayles ilk like salatious tyde Of satelesse Love mote seize on Daphnis hart Ne let mee care regardless of his weale With timely helpe his malady to heale Bring home from Towne my verses Daphnis bring These Relicks erst this Faictour did mee leave Deere pledges of his love which I bequâ—athe Oh Earth to thee within this Portall heere Daphnis is owner of these pledges deere Bring home from Towne my verses Daphnis bring These hearbes and poysons of his gathering For mee in Pontus Maris did bestowe For these in Pontus in abundance growe By pow'r of these I often Maris viewd Into a Woolfe to have himselfe transmewd And hide him in the woods from peoples sight By pow'r of these hee woonted to excite The quiet Ghosts from forth their deepest grave And standing Corne I al 's ' have seene him wave And from their native soyle elswhere traduce By secret pow'r and vertue of their juice Bring home from Towne my verses Daphnis bring Bring hither Ashes Amaryllis swing And paddle them in some fayre running streame Then cross thine head fling and bescatter them Looke not upon them I doe thee areade Heerewith my Daphnis I 'le assay to win Sith Gods nor Charms hee reaketh not a Pin. Being home from Towne my verses Daphnis bring See how the Ashes whilst I them forslowe To beare unto the Altar there to blowe Gin blaze alone God sends good luck and bark Al 's ' doth the Hylâ—x in the Portall bark There 's something in 't if I could it areade Dcon wee beleeve that things been so indeede Or is 't trick from which no lover's free To feede on hope of things ne're like to bee Trusting to dreames which in their busie braine And sooth'd Imaginations they doe faigne But Charmes now cease my Dephnis is come home PHARMACEVTRIA The GLOSSE REfus'd their woonted foode c. They sung such verses which like to Orpheus did affect the very dumb brute Beasts and yet their song was altogether plaintive as not attaining the end of their desires The spotted Lynces c. The Lynx is a Beast like to the Panther and is under the protection of Bacchus And thow great Lord c. This hee speakes of Pollio who had the government of Illyria to which Countries hee tooke his Iourney through the Territories of Venice from that part of Gallia which borders on the River of Po from whence hee was sent to that warr in Illyria The verses are full of delight and above the usuall neateness of Pastoralls Tymavuâ— is the Gulfe of Venice or Hystria Illyrian shore c. Dalmatia Of Sophocles c. Not onely to celebrate thy renowned deedes in warr but thy witt and excellence in the Muses For Pollio wrote divers Tragedies His Buskins c. This kind of Buskin comming but halfe way up the legg was woont to bee worne by Tragedians upon the stage in acting their Tragedies and first devised by Sophocles as some writers report who was for his lofty stately style esteemed the most excellent Tragick-writer of all other In thee I doo commence c. I began this kind of Pastorall verse at thy command and will cease to goe on in this kinde likewise any farther when it shall please thee to command And this slight Ivie c. Give leave that this glory of the Muses may bee numbred amongst thy Triumphes and suffer thy selfe to bee praised both as an invincible Captain and an excellent Poet. With the triumphant Laurels c. Victorious Emperors were woont to bee crowned with Bayes and Poets with Ivie some give these reasons why the Tryumpher was crowned with bayes either for that Iupiter had a branch of Laurel in his hands when hee over came the Tytans or because the Generall of the Army under Romulus upon the conquest of the Fidenati was crowned with a Guarland of this Tree Or els because this Tree is ever greene and doth alwayes flourish As for the Reason why Poets are crowned with Ivie some say it is because Poets are great and profest wine-drinkers for the most part as Horace report of Ennius and all the Lirick Poets in their verses doe testifie
workes and is therewith delighted that is furnish him with delicate invention and infuse into him elegance of stile whether it bee in verse or prose Why Pollio's selfe c. New kinde of verse doth make c. Hee is not onely delighted with Pastoralls but hee makes verses of a new kinde and of an extraordinary argument and subject by which hee will bee able to overthrow all his adversaries and with his horne that is with the sharpnesse of his verse hee will gore the envious And hee will scrape the sand with his feete that is to the terrour of his envious foeâ— hee will raise such a dust that the unlearned sort shall bee afraid of his so great fiercenesse and fury This Pollio was a great learned man and of an excellent and acute judgement but harsh of conversation and in condition unpleasing and dogged Hee was Tullies Aemulus and did affâ—ct ould kinde of elegance in his time quite layd aside hee writ many Orations and Tragedies Who loves thee Pollio c. Damaetas to shew how strongly hee stood affected to Pollio he prayes for all his friends that God would blesse them with all felicity of the goulden age which should bring plenty of happines in all places Amomâ—m Of some said to bee the Rose of Ierusalem or our Ladies Rose some call it Garden Pepper They say it is a little shrub growing in clusters like Grapes bearing a flower like a white Violet and a leafe like the white Vine It growes in Armenia in Media Pontus and Assyria from whence other Countries fetch it Yee bonny Boyes c. You who apply your selves to the study of the faire arts avoide this venemous tongued Poet. Drive not your flocks c. Arrius the Centurion had Virgils grounds bestowed on him but when Virgil returned from Rome to Mantuae with a warrant from Caesar to command Arrius to render up his land againe the Centuâ—ion like a Bedlem souldier drew his sword and 〈◊〉 at Virgil to have killed him who flying and having no other way to avoide the mischiefe skipt into the Mincius so swimming crosse the River escaped Vnder the name of the Ram Virgil may seeme to meane himselfe and his owne danger of drowning Thy feeding flockes al 's ' Tityrus c. Hee admonisheth either his owne hired servant or all those of Mantua to carry themselves warily to avoid danger as well as they may hee would take a fit opportunity to procure of Caesar an effectuall restitution of all their grounds which should bee good against all men neither to the effecting heereof should hee neede to make his meanes by the Tribunes or Embassadours but hee would goe to the well-head that is to Caesar himselfe Yee Shepheard swaines c. Do not promise to your selves great matters hope after things which will never bee gained your safer way wil be to keep your sheep together to hold a carefull eye over them and to preserve that which you haue left lest if some mutiny or troublesome storme of wars should arise again as of late it fell out the whole profit of your Cattle would utterly bee lost Tell in what Coast c. Heere they make an end of their brawling and fall to puzzle each other with Riddles that so they may get the victory this way The Firmament c. This Riddle is thus unfoulded in the bottome of a deepe pitt whosoever stands there shall see no more of the heaven than the very breadth of the mouth of the pitt This question seemed so unreasonable that writers report that Virgil beeing asked the meaning of both these Riddles answered that hee had made that gallowes of purpose for the Grammarians to rack themselves upon Macrob. Sat. lib. 6. Some thinke also that hereby is meant the silver Mines out of whose bottome if a man looke hee shall perceive the Skie to bee but three ells broade or no broader than the Mouth of the Mine at the most Tell c. the flowres have the print On these Mines grow these flowres that is Could and Silver which being beaten into Coigne the names of Kings are stamped into them and indeede there is nothing in the world more sweete and delightfull unto mankinde in generall than these flowers and roses namely the goulden rose-nobles And I for great Apollo's selfe c. Either are very bitter against other Menalcas affected nothing more than glory and admiration of his witt therefore saith Dametas you shall attaine the scope of your ambition you shall bee Apollo himselfe to mee But Virgil was popular in his desire and gaped at the favour and good will of the people of Rome Therfore Menalcas saith to him Enjoy Phillis to thy selfe whom elswhere he names Amaryllis I will yeeld her to thee without any contradiction By Phillis and Amaryllis hee meaneth Rome To herry is to worship or to honour an ould Saxon word Who e're the sowre c. Hee deserves great reward and commendation whosoever doth wisely feare the favour of Princes and the praise of the common people or can stoutly and valiantly beare the scorne or hatred of either with an undaunted resolution and neglect THE ARGVMENT OF THE FOVRTH EGLOGVE A Sinius Pollio warred upon the Illyrians and tooke from them their City Salona during which time hee had a son born whom after this Citties name hee called Saloninus Virgil having read in the Sybils verses of a rare Childe to bee borne about those times who should restore the world applied this Prophecy of the Sybil to this young sonne of Pollio making no doubt that it could not bee appliable to any other nation but needes it must happen within the Roman Empire in respect of the huge extent thereof But this Childe dyed very young and Asinius had another sonne which was his heire named Asinius Gallus In honour of Pollio Virgil intitles this Eglogue by his name but Lodovicus Vives affirmeth in his Glosse vpon this Eglogue that all heerein must of necessity bee spoken of Christ to whom saith hee I will apply the interpretation and restore the possession to the right owner to whom of right it doth belong Let prophane men therefore heerein bee silent for even in the very simple and naturall sense of the words without any neede of Glosse or Allegory it cannot bee vnderstood whatsoever is heere spoken but onely of Christ. POLLIO OR THE PROPHECY OF A SECOND GOVLDEN AGE Aegloga quarta SIcelian Muses yet a little higher Let 's sing a while sith all delight not in Short shrubbs ne all lowe Tamariske admire Our â—ong alâ—bee't of woods woods worthy been A Consull them his best acceptance daigne Now is fulfill'd the period and last time Of Cuma's Prophecy and now againe All former Ages in their pretious prime With blessed order are anew begun The Virgin toward us againe is bent And Saturnes reigne doth back vnto vs run And a new Progenie from heaven sent Thou onely to this Childe by whose deare birth
The Iron Age especially shall end And Age of Gould begin through all the Earth Lucina chast with thy best helpe befriend Now thine Apollo houlds the Diadem And Pollio thou being Consul shall come in This the words glorious ornament and gem And the grand Months shall their increase begin If any print or monument remaine Of our inherent sinnes thy wondrous grace From endlesse feare of punishment and paine Shall vs redeeme and all misdeedes deface A God-like life he shall receive and see The heavenly Hero'es the Gods among And hee of them ylike shall viewed bee Al 's ' shall hee by his Fathers vertue strong The world with peacefull governance maintaine But yet faire Child the Earth shall bring to thee Her first fruites without labour and hard paine Selfe-growne without all helpe of husbandry Wilde-climbing Ivie with her Berries black And Brank with cheerefull Hares-foote yea the Goates With fullâ—blowne udders even like to crak With creamy Milke shall come home to their Cotes Ne shall the Heards the ramping Lyon feare The Cradles-selves to thee sweete flowres shall yeeld Dye shall the Serpent and all hearbes which beare Inchanting venome wither in the field Th' Assyrian Rose in each high way shall grow And herewithall the prayses thou maist reede Of princely Woorthies and shalt learne to know Thy Fathers vertues and each doubty deede The Fields shall by degrees full goodly shew Their tender Eares all yellow as the gould The rugged Oake shall sweate with honny deaw And the wilde Thornes as full as they can hould With ruddie Grapes shall hang yet some small track Of ancient fraud and lewdnesse shall remaine Which shall tempt men at Sea to venture wrack And wall in Towns and plough the Champian-plaine Then second Typhis and new Argosye Of select Lords shall beare a princely traine And Garboyles and fresh warres abroade shall flye And great Achilles sent to Troy againe Now when firme age to mans state once thee brings Seamen in ships shall trucke no more for ware For every Land shall yeeld all manner things No Furrowes in the Land the Plough shall are Ne Vines shall pruning neede the Ploughman shall For ever quit his Oxen from the yoake Ne shall the snow-white wooll in severall Diâ—couloured waters more bee taught to soake But in the meadowes dainty diapred With purple flowres with red spotts sweetly staind And saffron Lands like scarlet couloured The Ramme shall change his fleece al deepe ingraynd The feeding Lambes with Ceruse naturally Shall cloathed beene Th'agreeing Parcae to their spindles said By fatall power of stable destiny Runne out at length and let such age bee made Decre Childe of God Ioves infinite increase Oh once begin the time now nigheth neere Great honours and much glory to possesse Come see the world decrepit now and seere E'ne nodding-ripe with it owne pondrous heape The Seas and Earth and highest heavens view How all things in them all doon even leape For joy of this same age now to ensue Oh mote I live but long enough to tell Thy woorthy acts not Lynus-selfe should mee Ne yet the Thracian Bard my songs excell Allbee Calliope Orpheus Mother bee And Syre to Lynus bright Apollo come Yea should selfe Pan Arcadia beeing Iudg Contend with mee yet by Arcadia's doome Selfe Pan to mee the conquest would not grudg Begin young Babe with cheerefull smile to knowe Thy Mother for her ten moneths tedious paine Infant begin whose Parents wept for woe For thee at bed nor boord Goddesse nor God did daign POLLIO The GLOSSE SIcelian Muses c. Heerein hee hath respâ—ct to Theocritus the Sicelian whom in this kinde of verse hee doth especially imitate and therefore hee termeth the Pastorall verse by the title of the Muses of Sicely Yet a little higher c. For all men delight not in this low straine of Pastoralls Of woods albee I sing c. Let none wonder that I sing of great matters in a homely kinde of verse For even the woods are oftentimes a fitt subject for a Consul that is worthy they are of a Roman Consuls gravity as Suetonius writeth that the hills and woods were apportioned to Iulius Caesar in his Consulship for his Province The Period and last time c. Concerning the Sybils Ludovicus Vives hath spoken largely upon Austin The comming of our Lord was a thing of such weight and moment that it was necessary to have it foretold both to Iewes and Gentiles that thereby who were before his comming might expect him these in his time might receive him and those which came after him might beleeve him and therefore as there were Prophets among the Iewes so were there amongst the Gentiles Sybils that is to say such as were privy and conscious of heavenly counsaile Now Virgil did conjecture that the time of this Prophecy was neere to accomplishment because diverse of the Sybils verses were so composed as that the first or last letters of the verses did even point out the very time or the person as Cicero teacheth in his Divination in Eusebius there is a Sybils Prophecy of the last judgmeÌ„t of Christ set forth in the same manner which S. Austin citeth in his 18 book of the Citty of God Cuma is a Towne in Ionia the lesse where one of the Sybils did abide of which place shee was called Sybilla Cumaea The Virgin now returnes c. Peradventure the Sybils spake something about the blessed Virgin Mary which the Poet here applyes to Astraea the Mayden-Lady Iustice or perhaps shee meanes it of the wondrous Iustice of Christ and of the goulden age which also the Prophet Esay describes Chap. 9. And there shall bee in the last times c. And Saturnes reigne c. In his time men lived in great tranquillity and quiet with great equality amongst all sorts without pride wrath or envie such as the people of God who are to adapt themselves to his commandements ought to bee indeede Now a new Progenie c. The descent of the Sonne of God from heaven amongst us could not by a Christian man bee expressed more exactly or in more absolute termes Now thine Apollo c. Diana is termed Lucina of bringing those that are borne into the light Apollo is her Brother hee prayes Diana to bee propitious and favourable to the child in his birth namely in the Kingdome of her Brother Apollo Augustus was thought to bee Apollo's sonne and in a manner was also called by the name of Apollo And Pollio thou beeing Consul c. Pollio Asinius was fellow Consul with Cneius Domitius Calvinus in the Triumvitate in the yeare of the Citties building 714 and before our Saviour Christs birth 37. yeares Grand Moneths the Moneths of this Great yeare Thy wondrous grace c. Originall sinne shall bee blotted out by the vertue of Christ as in Baptisme is performed by a true faith in him hee hath with great reason called it the monument or print of sinne for originall sinne is