from Fire thy Lust with Fasting tame Sit from a Woman far as from a Flame If nor the former cool thee nor the later Then take a wife she will b' instead of water 12. Troynovant To the Londoners As Phoenix Ashes do the Phoenix breed So from old Troy new London did proceed 13. The Lawyers Deity Rome had one God call'd Terminus of old But Westminster more Terms than one doth hold 14. Of the Earth In all things we the Middle things commend For they to Mediocrity do tend Th' Earth therefore than the Skyes hath greater grace Because i' th' world it holds the middle Place 15. To King James Defender of the Faith Thou greatest art of Christian Kings in this That to thy Faith the Faith committed is 16. To the Lord Treasurer of England Th' art Kings and Kingdoms faithful Treasurer Thy Faith before all Treasures I prefer 17. To the Kings Principal Secretary Thou secret keep'st the Kingdoms Secrets even So secret that Faith to thy Faith is given 18. To the Venetians Your Cities Scituation O wonder Is Founded unconfounded th' Ocean 's under Lest only Fish should in the water dwell Y' have seated in the Sea your Citadel Where th' Ocean was a City 's now compleat What Nature made a Sea Art made a Seat Y' have constituted to your grand Renown Th' Inconstant water constant to your Town What wonder then by Laws your City stands When it the lawless waters countermands 19. To the Lord Chancellour of England Lest Force the greatest Enemy to Law Should violate it Law keeps Force in awe But thou the Laws Extreams hast pow'r t' abate And in the Chancery to moderate 20. To Richard Sackeville Earl of Dorset Though thou from Noble Ancestors wert born And dost thy Birth with Noble Parts adorn Yet thou which was a wonder heretofore And for a Prodigy now stands or more Merit to Mercenaries Peace to War Vertue to Strength Worth dost to Birth prefer 21. Caecil Treasurer of England 1597. Arms are and Stratagems of small concern If Caecil's Counsel sits not at the Stern Caecil and Atlas nobly both prognate This doth support the Skyes and that the State 22. To Guil. Caecil Virtut Duce Comite Fortuna Great Queen Elisa Fortune made a Count Why Vertue did She not t' a Dukedom mount 23. To Richard Vaughan Bishop of London O of the British Thou th' immortal Grace Art the First British Bishop of (1) London this Place 24. To the same I like those Preachers best who Preach and Act Not those that only Preach but wave the Fact Thou therefore dost excell for thou dost teach What should be done and dost what thou dost Preach 25. To Thomas Bilson Bishop of Winchester Bilson I was thy Scholar heretofore And to thy Precepts owe these Lines and more 26. The Life of William Wickham formerly Bishop of Winchester written in Latine by Thomas Martin Dr. in the Civil Law Life to the Dead to give the Dead to raise From Death to Life 's a Work deserving Praise Which hadst not done thou Martin hadst been dead But now both in this one Book live are read 27. Winchester Colledge Europes prime School whereof a little Part I was to my great'st praise in Learnings Art Zoilus himself will not to thee deny Thy Founder Wickham known this Primacy 28. To Sir Philip Sidney Great Alexander call'd Achilles blest Whom Homer prais'd in Verse above the rest Unhappy I because thou half Divine Canst not made happy be by Verse of Mine 29. To Sir Philip Sidney Whose Deeds worth writing Lines worth reading are Is Rare Thou therefore doing both art Rare Thy Lines worth reading Deeds worth writing shew Thee learned candid equaliz'd by Few 30. Upon the Marriage of William Earl of Pembroke and Mary daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury 1605. In Manners Personage Wit Age Estates And in Nobility you Both are Mates Yet thou deserv'st a better Bride than Shee A better Bridegroom She deserve than Thee 31. To Elizabeth Countess of Rutland Sir Philip Sidney ' s Daughter 'T was Philip's Praise thou wert his Child But rather Thine that thou Daughter wert of such a Father 32. To Lucy Countess of Bedford Iury thy splendid Name à Luce came That splendent through the World might be thy Names Thy Noble Parents brought thee forth to sight But thee thy Vertues brought into the Light 33. A Knights Ring To Henry Goodyeer Knight Nobility the Gold the Gem be Grace This Ring upon thy Finger ever place 34. To D. J. H. Thy Verse is Nameless though not worthless while Others their worthless Verse with Names instile 35. To D. B. Thou livest well if one well hid well lives And thy great wit conceal'd more splendour gives 36. To Th. M. the Princes Tutor Thou so dost form inform the Prince that He King of his Realms and of Himself will be This Fifth to prize before those Kingdoms Four And of Himself as well of them t' have Power 37. To Th. M. the Princes Tutor Thou so dost teach for times of Sword and Gown The docile Prince prime Hope of Britains Crown That scarce in future times 't will be discern'd Whether He be more great more good more learn'd 38. To Walter Gwyn Th' Increase of the good Prince thou votest fair And say'st * Seeming a fatal Anagram of the Prince as appeareth in the Book of Anagrams of Mr. Walter Gwyn published in Scotland before Britain reborn Increase to sit in Arthur's Chair Nature gave Wit may Grace attend his youth Grow may thine Honour with the Princes growth 39. Francis Drake 1581. Thy Travels Drake have reach'd Earths utmost bound Have seen both sides of the Terrestrial Round If men be mute the Stars will blaze thy Name And both the Poles will sound-resound thy Fame Beyond (1) Hercules Pillars the Gades Thou maist these words repeat I greater am than Hercules the Great 40. Britains Strength To the Prince The (1) Havens Ports are Englands Gates the Ships her Walls Camp Seas Forts Bodies Hearts the Generals 41. The Terrestrial Globe Of Water and of Earth's the Globe Sea Land That movable this unremov'd doth stand 42. Health unhealthy The more thou drink'st of drunken Healths the less Of Health of Happiness thou dost possess I wish a thousand of such Healths to thee And envy not One Health's enough for me One Health's enough for sober men and sane No Health's in Drinking Healths no Boon but Bane 43. The Divine To know thine 's nothing if not known 't is known The Politician If known 't is nothing then to know thine own 44. All Things affect good From Opto's Optimus without contest For he that 's wise doth wish himself the best 45. A Phoenix on Earth A certain Maid of Burgundy surpriz'd With Maiden Sickness helpless and advis'd To take a little Ment an Herb a thing Helpful to many taken in the Spring She rather than to live by sin would die Death being all the Purchase
To the same Thou who before thy Birth a burden were Unto thy Parent born her honour art 3. To the Reader of his Book Lest this my Book displease the candid Eye I fear and fear lest it with Fools comply 4. The Virgin Birth of Elizabeth Queen of England 1602. England and Scotland are united by Th' auspicious Birth of thy Virginity T' unite then multiply's of greater worth And thou best Parent by not bringing forth 5. To the Hollander 1602. Thou not against Minerva's will didst fight Whil'st Englands Pallas back'd thee with her might But thy fate chang'd Death like Ulysses come Took hence thy Pallas and Palladium 6. To James King of Great Britain c. The Golden Age is come long since foretold When but one King should wear Brute's Crown of Gold Who should the Britains that divided were Unite of Peace should th' Olive Branches bear That having Peace all good unt ' us comes forth We now may say most truly from (a) For Owen Grandfather to King Henry the seventh came from North Wales And King James from thâ— North of great Britain the North. 7. To the Prince Great Britaines Hope son of so great a Sire Half of each Parent for Example higher Almost than imitation in rare Parts Follow'd by few belov'd in all mens hearts Hadst thou these vertues from thy Sires instinct Or from thy Mothers Breasts from both I think 't 8. Basilicon Doron to the King None needs this Author none this Book proclaim He This This Him resounds with Trump of Fame 9. To the Lady Mary Neville Thy Glass reflects thee fair fame calls thee chast Thou nor from Glass nor Fame a fable hast Fame that of all things hath the swiftest wing Dares not presume thy fame to stain or sting 10. Of her daughter Cecily No Painter can delineate the mind Yet in this Picture thou thy self maist find 11. To the Candid Reader My good Verse best indifferent mine ill Kind Reader thou dost call with candid will To the malevolent Reader My bad Verse worst indifferent my good Thou call'st black Reader so thy censure stood 12. Hercules By-way Some in Quadruples some in Triples erre Th' Herculean Duple is most sinister 13. Of Vertue Vertue contemneth praise though praise incline To Vertue Shadows as to Bodies joyn For Vertue 's real praise but verbal bare As Bodies something Shadows nothing are 14. Lifes Dyal From East to West without return am I Born yesterday live this day next day die 15. Of God So great thy Greatness Euclide could not show And such as Aristotle did not know 16. Of an Atheist There is no God the Fool in secret saith But none so soolish as to make 't his Faith If none a God deny who 's th' Atheist he Who doth desire that there no God should be 17. Charity As Wives where loveless there do faithless prove So 's Faith depriv'd of Charitable love 18. Dives and Lazarus The Gospel doth a nameless Rich man blame Where Lazarus hath an eternal Name 19. Increase and Multiply The first man was at first but one till God Of him made two evening the number odd After when God unt ' Eve did Adam tye God made them one again to multiply God first made one then two then as before He made them one to multiply the more 20. Union Divine is Union Division evil's For there 's one God innumerable Devils 21. Three Tempters The World Flesh Devil are three Sophisters In Logick he in Rhet'rick they converse 22. The Spirit and Flesh. Me Flesh and Spirit hither thither force Jove Caesar are in me Competitors Peace to you both were you but once at Peace Peace then in all the world would soon increase 23. Man to Man a God Wolf Man is to man a God a Wolf why when For Christ's a God Adam a Wolf to men 24. God's word Men few things see God all things sees foresees Hence men speak often God but once decrees 25. The Broad and Narrow way The Scripture bids us strive 't is our concern To walk the Narrow way to Life eterne If that way leads us not t' inherit Bliss The broader way will lead us down to Dis. 26. St. John Baptist. The Baptist Christ preceded as the Light Precedes the Sun brings day dispells the night 27. Of Autumn Autumn shakes off the Leaves and for man's use Produceth fruit let us the like produce 28. The Misery of Life Who long would live wretched although and poor That is he would be wretched more and more Poor-wretched Irus dies against his will That iâ— he would be poor and wretched still 29. Of Nature and Grace Nature like to the Moon gives pallid Light Grace like the Sun more splendid shines and bright 30. The Catechism Twelve things thou must believe must pray for seven And ten things do if thou wilt enter Heaven 31. A Rich Man Why are few rich men sav'd because their bent Repents Expences nothing else repent 32. O guileful Hopes O rather guileful things our Hope a friend Most faithful us concomitates to th' end 33. The Redeemer One man by dying man from Death hath freed Which was to man for one mans sin decreed Christ all things did post-pone lost man to win Contemn'd-condemn'd O Adam for thy sin 34. The Holy Spirit As Doves to whitest Houses soonest come So th' holy God makes cleanest Hearts his home 35. Fortitude The Wise doth know the Just will do what 's right Who dares thus shall b' esteem'd a man of might 36. Of a King Law where 's no King 's like light when Sun 's away King where 's no Law 's like Sun without a Ray. People first chose a King The King with them Made Laws yet subject to the Diadem 37. A Welch Man English and Scots by name are one with thee Now Welch-man sole thou shalt not British be 38. English-Scots Disjoyn'd in Laws what Law shall them conjoyn The Kingdoms safety best of Laws divine 39. Henry the Roses James the Kingdoms To the King The Roses English colours Red and White Like Cadmus new-sprung Host ingag'd in Fight And as the Twins which one Egge did include Do Rise and Set in a vicissitude As Day the Night as Night succeeds the Day The Roses so did bear alternate sway Till Mother Mona (a) A British Proverb Mon Mam Gymri in English thus Anglisey the Mother of Wales British Angles'y An Isle which Tacitus not tacitely Recordeth happy Mother happier By bearing British Owen Theodor From whom arose a Noble Prince a Rose Whose Wife and Mother sprung from Stem of those Who thousand dangers pass'd in Nuptial Bed United (b) Remarkable here that the Triple Empire of Britain by a certain occult Fate was restored to the British Blood 1 The Kingdom of Scotland by Stuart 2 The Kingdom of England by Tyder 3 The Empire of the whole Island by James the first descended from both both the Roses White and Red. Which Union lest Change or
Prayers want effect Such praying as vain words of one not praying God hears as if he heard not by gainsaying 180. Hell As Art black colours cannot turn to white So from dark Hell none can return to Light 181. To a poor Friend Is' t bad I would 't were worse for at the worst Oft better things succeed than came at first 182. The Parts of the World The world though round is parted in t ' a Square Whereas four Parts so * Jews Christians Mahumetans Pagans four Religions are 183. The Causes of Discord Self-sense Self-reason each man regulates Each his own will his own Faith estimates Each wilful is hence Brethren strive the while Will only wants all strifes to reconcile 184. The Liberal The just man gives unt ' each his own but thou To Rich men theirs to poor must thine allow 185. The Temperate He that things causes knows with Times complies Calms his affects orders his acts is wise 186. The Wise. Fate governs Fools the wise more sublimate Themselves by wisdom govern not by Fate 187. Anonymus an Infant dead before Baptiz'd What dead Al is unnam'd and unbaptiz'd O Christ I nameless must by thee b' agniz'd I' th' Book of Life without a Name me write For in thy name alone mine hope is scire 188. The Flatterer and Carper These differ not in Nature but in Name This Good that Bad maligneth Both to blame 189. Love and Friendship The knot of Friendship 's to be broke for Love But Love for Friendship must not once remove 190. Peter and Paul The Sword keeps Kingdoms Coyn the Keys by which Peter than Paul reputed is more rich Saint Paul in an Epistle saith he 's poor Saint Peter no where doth his wants deplore 191. Socrates Thou nothing knowst this one thing knowst and this One thing is something something nothing is 192. Man Born weeping being born at first didst cry Thou then not pleas'd why now displeas'd to die 193. To Paul inhum'd Thou naked cam'st to th' world from mothers womb With Shirt and Shroud returnst unto thy Tomb More than thou broughtst thou tak'st hence to thy Grave Thou giv'st thy mother more than she thee gave 194. To the Courtly Reader If much for School for Court here 's little note That this for Court that for the School we wrote 195. Wise Simplicity That thou do wrong to none be like a Dove That none thee wrong wise like a Serpent prove 196. The Common-Wealths Eyes Religion and Law conjoin combine That curbs mens hearts their hands this doth confine 197. To Doctor John Gifford a Learned Physician That in Apollo's Art thou skilful art No wonder for thy parts thou knowst apart If Galen saith not this yet wise Apollo Saith Know thy Self his dictates thou dost follow 198. The Daw. No Birds more loquent-eloquent than I The Goose. But I write more than thou canst Crake or Cry 199. Jobs Miseries Satan the Lord permitting did disrobe Of Children Wealth and Health poor-poorest Job When all was gone his wife did yet remain Who vex'd him more than all his loss and pain 200. The Temples of St. Paul in London St. Peter in Westminster At Peter's West th' Exchequer Law Courts are White-Hall the Princes Palace thence not far At Paul's the Preacher things divine declares And Stationers there vend their sacred Wares All things convene here Paul and Peter there Peter more rich more learn'd doth Paul appear 201. Of the Conspirators in the Gun-Powder Treason upon Tuesday the Fifth of November 1605. Heav'n to provoke from Earth and from below Upon the Gods above our threats to throw What is if this be not t' accumulate On Ossa Pelion to fabricate The Tower Babel old Troy new to burn And in t ' a Chaos all things to return 202. Of the same And would you Troynovant to Cinders turn By the same Fate which Phrygian Troy did burn Unfit was Tuesday for such fatal Flashes Ash wednesday is the day design'd for Ashes 203. The King to Britain Fame brought a Rumour of my death to thee O do not credit Fame but credit Me. 204. To England of the uniting of Britain Concord intern-etern Crowns Britains Brow For her three Nations are united now Scotland with Shield Wales doth like Walls immure Thy Land O England thou maist rest secure 205. To Thomas Nevill an hopeful Child Extract from Nevil's Noble Blood the Grace Of both thy Parents shines in thy sweet Face Their Natures not sole Features thou shewst forth Thy Mothers Vertues and thy Fathers worth 206. Upon the Death of Charles Blount Earl of Devonshire 1606. Whether with Eulogies or Elegies With Praise or Tears thy Death to solemnize 'T is doubtful divers men speak divers things Good speak the best malignants wound with Stings 207. To the Reader Reader these Epigrams are short and few For many if though short they long would shew Reader these Epigrams are few and short For few if long a many would import 208. Of speaking and writing Though words be living voices writings dead Yet these survive when those are vanished The End of the Third Books EPIGRAMS OF John Owen AN OXONIAN AND CAMBROBRITAN A Single Book Dedicated To the most Learned Heroine the Lady ARBELLA STUART LONDON Printed by R. White for Nevil Simmons at the Sign of the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-yard and for Thomas Sawbridge at the three Flower-de-Luces in Little-Britain 1677. John Owen's EPIGRAMS A Single Book 1. To the Lady Arbella-Stuart ILlustrious Virgin sprung from Regal Race Whose Real worth thy Royal Birth doth Grace He that his wits First-fruits thee gave ev'n He Doth tender render now new Fruits to Thee Upon thine * A fair Altar Ara-Bella as most fit I consecrate I sacrifice my wit 2. To the same Thy constant Life doth from thy youth express The Genius of thine Ingeniousness Adverse things quell thee not nor prosp'rous swell Thy Sails thy front and mind are parallel And thy rare signal vertues are the cause That none will think I flatter for applause 3. To his Book Before innum'rous Judges thou must plead Not one or two will censure when they read Perhaps unread thou shalt not censures flee And more Reprovers will than Readers be 4. Union to the Britains 1606. Who unless mad will off'red Gold refuse Here 's Union This Pearl who will not choose 5. Vacuity The Ethicks of vacuities complain But Physicks shew that nothing's made in vain 6. On Zoilus Zoilus is torn with an eternal Verse Though e're two thousand years he lies on 's Hearse Is it because his heirs do never die He 's punish'd for his whole Posterity 7. From the Center to the Circumference Not from the Center to th' Circumference Sole one Line 's yet but one way t' Heaven 's hence 8. Cock-Crowing to the Prince France felt and did our English Forces see No Gallick sound could make our Lion flee 9. Of Quintus Money 's a Noun a Verb to promise he Promis'd a Noun but