braue sonne of Aeson which by charmes Atcheiu'd the golden Fleece in Colchid land Out of the earth engendred men of armes Of Dragons teeth sowne in the sacred sand So this braue Towne that in her youthlie daies An Hydra was of warriours glorious Did fill with her renowmed nourslings praise The firie sunnes both one and other hous But they at last there being then not liuing An Hercules so ranke seed to represse Emongst themselues with cruell furie striuing Mow'd downe themselues with slaughter mercilesse Renewing in themselues that rage vnkinde Which whilom did those earthborn brethreÌ„ blinde 11 Mars shaming to haue giâ—â—n so great head To his off-spring that mortall puissaunce Puft vp with pride of Romane hardiehead Seem'd aboue heauens powre it selfe to aduaunce Cooling againe hiâ— former kindled heate With which hâ— had those Romane spirits fild Did blowe new fire and with enflamed breath Into the Gothicke colde hot rage instil'dâ— Then gan that Naâ—ion th' earths new Giant brood To dart abroad the thunder bolts of warre And beating downe these walls with furious mood Into her mothers bosome all did marre To th' end that none all were it â—oue his sire Should boast himselfe of the Romane Empire 12 Like as whilome the children of the earth Heapt hils on hils to scale the starrie skie And fight against the Gods of heaâ—â—â—ly borrh Whiles Ioâ—e at them his thunderbolts let flâ—e All suddenly with lightning ouerthrowne The furious squadrons downe to ground did fall That th' earth vnder her childrens weight did grone And th' heauens in glorie triuâ—pht ouâ—r all So did that haughtie front which hâ—aped was On these seuen Romane hils it selfe vpreare Ouer the world and lift her loftie face Against the heauen that gan her force to feare But now these scorâ—ed fields bemone her fall And Gods â—ecure feare not her force at all 13 Nor the swift furie of tâ—e flames aspiring Nor the deep wounds of victours raging blade Nor ruthlesse spoyle of souldiers blood-desiring The which so ofâ— thee Rome their conquest made Ne stroke on stroke of fortune variable Ne rust of age hating continuance Nor wrath of Gods nor spight of men vnstable Nor thou opposd ' againâ—t thine owne puissance Nor th'horrible vprore of windes high blowing Nor swelling streames of that God makie paced Which hath so oâ—ten with his overflowing Thee drenched haue thy pride so much abaced But that this nothing which they haue thee left Makes the world woÌ„der what they from thee reft 14 As men in Summerfearles passe the soord Which is in Winter lord of all the plaine And with his tumbling streames doth beare aboord The ploughmans hope and shepheards labour vaineâ— And as the coward beasts vse to despise The noble Lion after his liues end Whetting their teeth and with vaine foolhardise Daring the foe that cannot him defend And as at Troy most dastards oâ— the Greekes Did braue about the corpes of Hector colde So those which whilome woâ—t with pallid cheâ—kes The Romane triumphs glorie to behold Now on these ashie tombes shew boldnesse vaine And conquer'd dare the Conquerour disdaine 15 Ye pallid spirits and ye ashie ghoasts Which ioying in the brightnes of your day Brought foorth those signes of your presumptuous boasts Which now their dusty reliques do bewray Tell me ye spirits sith the darksome riuer Of Styx not passable to soules returning Enclosing you in thrice three wards for euer Doo not restraine your images still mourning Tell me then for perhaps some one of you Yet here aboue him secretly doth hide Doo ye not feele your torments to accrewe When ye sometimes behold the ruin'd pride Of these old Romane works built with your hands To become nought els but heaped sands 16 Like as ye see the wrathfull Sea from farre In a great mountaine heap't with hideous noyse Eftsoones of thousand billowes shouldred narre Against a Rocke to breake with dreadfull poyse Like as ye see fell Boreas with sharpe blast Tossing huge tempests through the troubled skie Eftsoones hauing his wide wings spent in wast To stop his wearie cariere suddenly And as ye see huge flames spred diuerslie Gathered in one vp to the heauens to spyre Eftsoones consum'd to fall downe feebily So whilom did this Monarchie aspyre As waues as winde as fire spred ouer all Till it by fatall doome adowne did fall 17 So long as Ioues great Bird did make his flight Bearing the fire with which heauen doth vs fray Heauen had not feare of that presumptuous might With which the Giaunts did the Gods assay But all so soone as scortching Sunne had brent His wings which wont the earth to ouerspredd The earth out of her massie wombe forth sent That antique horror which made heauen adredd Then was the Germane Rauen in disguise That Romane Eagle seene to cleaue asunder And towards heauen freshly to arise Out of these mountaines now consum'd to pouder In which the foule that serues to beare the lightning Is now no more seen flying nor alighting 18 These heapes of stones these old wals which ye see Were first enclosures but of saluage soyle And these braue Pallaces which maystred bee Of time were shepheards cottages somewhile Then tooke the shepheards Kingly ornament And the stout hynde arm'd his right hand with steele Eftsoones their rule of yearely Presidents Grew great and sixe months greater a great deele Which made perpetuall rose to so great might That thence th' Imperiall Eagle rooting tooke Till th'heauen it selfe opposing gainst her might Her power to Peters successor betooke Who shepheardlike as fates the same foreseeing Doth shew that all things turne to their first being 19 All that is perfect which th'heauen beautefies All that 's imperfect borne belowe the Moone All that doth feede our spirits and our eies And all that doth consume our pleasures soone All the mishap the which our daies outweares All the good hap of th'oldest times afore Rome in the time of her great ancesters Like a Pandora locked long in store But destinie this huge Chaos turmoyling In which all good and euill was enclosed Their heauenly vertues from these woes assoyling Caried to heauen from sinfull bondage losed But their great sinnes the causers of their paine Vnder these antique ruines yet remaine 20 No otherwise than raynie cloud first fed With earthly vapours gathered in the ayre Eftsoones in compas arch't to steepe his hed Doth plonge himselfe in Tethys bosome faire And mounting vp againe from whence he came With his great bellie spreds the dimmed world Till at the last dissoluing his moist frame In raine or snowe or haile he forthâ— is horld This Citie which was first but shepheards shade Vprising by degrees grewe to such height That Queene of land and sea her selfe she made At last not able to beare so great weight Her power disperst through all the world did vade To shew that all in th' end to nought shall fade 21 The same which Pyrrhus and the puissaunce Of Afrike could not
chalenge for her meed If vnder heauen anie endurance were These moniments which not in paper writ But in Porphyre and Marble doo appeare Might well haue hop'd to haue obtained it Nath'les my Lute whom Phoebus deignd to giue Cease not to sound these olde antiquities For if that time doo let thy glorie liue Well maist thou boast how euer base thou bee That thou art first which of thy Nation song Th' olde honour of the people gowned long L'Envoy Bellay first garland of free Poësie That France brought forth though fruitfull of braue wits Well worthie thou of immortalitie That long hast traueld by thy learned writs Olde Rome out of her ashes to reuiue And giue a second life to dead decayes Needes must he all eternitie suruiue That can to other giue eternall dayes Thy dayes therefore are endles and thy prayse Excelling all that euer went before And after thee gins Bartas hie to rayse His heauenly Muse th' Almightie to adore Liue happie spirits th' honour of your name And fill the world with neuer dying fame FINIS MVIOPOTMOS Or The Fate of the Butterflie By ED. SP. Dedicated to the most faire and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Carey LONDON Imprinted for VVilliam Ponsonbie dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Bishops head 1590. To the right worthy and vertuous Ladie the La Carey MOst braue and bountifull La for so excellent fauours as I haue receiued at your sweet handes to offer these fewe leaues as in recompence should be as to offer flowers to the Gods for their diuine benefites Therefore I haue determined to giue my selfe wholy to you as quite abandoned from my selfe and absolutely vowed to your seruices which in all right is euer held for full recompence of debt or damage to haue the person yeelded My person I wot wel how little worth it is But the faithfull minde humble zeale which I beare vnto your La may perhaps be more of price as may please you to account and vse the poore seruice thereof which taketh glory to aduance your excellent partes and noble vertues and to spend it selfe in honouring you not so much for your great bounty to my self which yet may not be vnminded nor for name or kindreds sake by you vouchsafed beeing also regardable as for that honorable name which yee haue by your braue deserts purchast to your self spred in the mouths of al mē vvith vvhich I haue also presumed to grace my verses vnder your name to cōmend to the vvorld this smal Poëme the vvhich beseeching your La to take in vvorth and of all things therein according to your vvonted graciousnes to make a milde construction I humbly pray for your happines Your La euer humbly E. S. Muiopotmos or The Fate of the Butterflie I Sing of deadly dolorous debate Stir'd vp through wrathfull Nemesis despight Betwixt two mightie ones of great estate Drawne into armes and proofe of mortall fight Through prowd ambition and hartswelling hate Whilest neither could the others greater might And sdeignfull scorne endure that from small iarre Their wraths at length broke into open warre The roote whereof and tragicall effect Vouchsafe O thou the mournfulst Muse of nyne That wontst the tragick stage for to direct In funerall complaints and waylfull tyne Reueale to me and all the meanes detect Through which sad Clarion did at last declyne To lowest wretchednes And is there then Such rancour in the harts of mightie men Of all the race of siluer-winged Flies Which doo possesse the Empire of the aire Betwixt the centred earth and azure skies Was none more fauourable nor more faire Whilst heauen did fauour his felicities Then Clarion the eldest sonne and haire Of Muscaroll and in his fathers sight Of all aliue did seeme the fairest wight With fruitfull hope his aged breast he fed Of future good which his yong toward yeares Full of braue courage and bold hardyhed Aboue th'ensample of his equall peares Did largely promise and to him forered Whilst oft his heart did melt in tender teares That he in time would sure proue such an one As should be worthie of his fathers throne The fresh yong flie in whom the kindly fire Of lustfull yonght began to kindle fast Did much disdaine to subiect his desire To loathsome sloth or houres in ease to wast But ioy'd to range abroad in fresh attire Through the wide compas of the ayrie coast And with vnwearied wings each part t' inquire Of the wide rule of his renowmed sire For he so swift and nimble was of flight That from this lower tract he dar'd to stie Vp to the clowdes and thence with pineons light To mount aloft vnto the Christall skie To vew the workmanship of heauens hight Whence downe descending he along would flie Vpon the streaming riuers sport to finde And oft would dare to tempt the troublous winde So on a Summers day when season milde With gentle calme the world had quieted And high in heauen Hyperions fierie childe Ascending did his beames abroad dispred Whiles all the heauens on lower creatures smilde Yong Clarion with vauntfull lustie head After his guize did cast abroad to fare And theretoo gan his furnitures prepare His breastplate first that was of substance pure Before his noble heart he firmely bound That mought his life from yron death assure And ward his gentle corpes from cruell wound For it by arte was framed to endure The bit of balefull steele and bitter stownd No lesse than that which Vulcane made to sheild Achilles life from fate of Troyan field And then about his shoulders broad he threw An hairie hide of some wilde beast whom hee In saluage forrest by aduenture slew And rest the spoyle his ornament to bee Which spredding all his backe with dreadfull vew Made all that him so horrible did see Thinke him Alcides with the Lyons skin When the Naemean Conquest he did win Vpon his head his glistering Burganet The which was wrought by wonderous deuice And curiously engrauen he did set The mettall was of rare and passing price Not Bilbo steele nor brasse from Corinth fet Nor costly Oricalche from strange Phoenice But such as could both Phoebus arrowes ward And th'hayling darts of heauen beating hard Therein two deadly weapons fixt he bore Strongly outlaunced towards either side Like two sharpe speares his enemies to gore Like as a warlike Brigandine applyde To fight layes forth her threatfull pikes afore The engines which in them sad death doo hyde◠So did this flie outstretch his fearefull hornes Yet so as him their terrour more adornes Lastly his shinie wings as siluer bright Painted with thousand colours passing farre All Painters skill he did about him dight Not halfe so manie sundrie colours arre In Iris bowe ne heauen doth shine so bright Distinguished with manie a twinckling starre Nor Iunoes Bird in her ey-spotted traine So manie goodly colours doth containe Ne may it be withouten perill spoken The Archer God the sonne of Cytheree That ioyes
Praise who so list yet I will him dispraise Vntill he quite him of this guiltie blame Wake shepheards boy at length awake for shame And who so els did goodnes by him gaine And who so els his bounteous minde did trie Whether he shepheard be or shepheards swaine For manie did which doo it now denie Awake and to his Song a part applie And I the whilest you mourne for his decease Will with my mourning plaints your plaint increase He dyde and after him his brother dyde His brother Prince his brother noble Peere That whilste he liued was of none enuyde And dead is now as liuing counted deare Deare vnto all that true affection beare But vnto thee most deare ô dearest Dame His noble Spouse and Paragon of fame He whilest he liued happie was through thee And being dead is happie now much more Liuing that lincked chaunst with thee to bee And dead because him dead thou dost adore As liuing and thy lost deare loue deplore So whilst that thou faire flower of chastitie Dost liue by thee thy Lord shall neuer die Thy Lord shall neuer die the whiles this verse Shall liue and surely it shall liue for euer For euer it shall liue and shall rehearse His worthie praise and vertues dying neuer Though death his soule doo from his bodie seuer And thou thy selfe herein shalt also liue Such grace the heauens doo to my verses giue Ne shall his sister ne thy father die Thy father that good Earle of rare renowne And noble Patrone of weake pouertie Whose great good deeds in countrey and in towne Haue purchast him in heauen an happie crowne Where he now liueth in eteâ—nâ—ll blis And left his sonne â—'ensue those steps of his He noble bud his Grandsires liuelie hayre Vnder the shadow of thy countenaunce Now ginnes to shoote vp fast and flourish fayre In learned artes and goodlie gouernaunce That him to highest honour shall aduaunce Braue Impe of Bedford grow apace in bountie And count of wisedome more than of thy Countie Ne may I let thy husbands sister die That goodly Ladie sith she eke did spring Out of this stocke and famous familie Whose praises I to future age doo sing And foorth out of her happie womb did bring The sacred brood of learning and all honour In whom the heauens powrde all their gifts vpon her Most gentle spirite breathed from aboue Out of the bosome of the makers blis In whom all bountie and all vertuous loue Appeared in their natiue propertis And did enrich that noble breast of his With treasure passing all this worldes worth Worthie of heauen it selfe which brought it forth His blessed spirite full of power diuine And influence of all celestiall grace Loathing this sinfull earth and earthlie slime Fled backe too soone vnto his natiue place Too soone for all that did his loue embrace Too soone for all this wretched world whom he Robd of all right and true nobilitie Yet ere his happie soule to heauen wâ—nt Out of this fleshlie goale he did deuise Vnto his heauenlie maker to present His bodie as a spotles sacrifise And chose that guiltie hands of enemies Should powre forth th' offring of his guiltles blood So life exchanging for his countries good O noble spirite liue there euer blessed The worlds late wonder and the heauens new ioy Liue euer there and leaue me here distressed With mortall cares and cumbrous worlds anoy But where thou dost that happines enioy Bid me ô bid me quicklie come to thee That happie there I maie thee alwaies see Yet whilest the fates affoord me vitall breath I will it spend in speaking of thy praise And sing to thee vntill that timelie death By heauens doome doo ende my earthlie daies Thereto doo thou my humble spirite raise And into me that sacred breath inspire Which thou there breathest perfect and entire Then will I sing but who can better sing Than thine owne sister peerles Ladie bright Which to thee sings with deep harts sorrowingâ— Sorrowing tempered with deare delight That her to heare I feele my feeble spright Robbed of sense and rauished with ioy O sad ioy made of mourning and anoy Yet will I sing but who can better sing Than thou thy selfe thine owne selfes valiance That whilest thou liuedst madest the forrests ring And fields resownd and flockes to leap and daunce And shepheards leaue their lambs vnto mischaunce To runne thy shrill Arcadian Pipe to heare O happie were those dayes thrice happie were But now more happie thou and wetched wee Which want the wonted sweetnes of thy voice Whiles thou now in Elisian fields so free With Orpheus and with Linus and the choice Of all that euer did in rimes reioyce Conuerâ—est and doost heare their heauenlie layes And they heare thine and thine doo better praise So there thou liuest singing euermore And here thou liuest being euer song Of vs which liuing loued thee afore And now thee worship mongst that blessed throng Of heauenlie Poets and Heroes strong So thou both here and there immortall art And euerie where through excellent desart But such as neither of themselues can sing Nor yet are sung of others for reward Die in obscure obliuion as the thing Which neuer was ne euer with regard Their names shall of the later age bâ— heard But shall in rustie darknes euer lie Vnles they mentiond be with infamie What booteth it to haue been rich aliue What to be great what to be gracious When after death no token doth suruiue Of former being in this mortall hous But sleepes in dust dead and inglorious Like beast whose breath but in his nostrels is And hath no hope of happinesse or blis How manie great ones may remembred be Which in their daies most famouslie did florish Of whome no word we heare nor signe now see But as things wipt out with a sponge to perishe Because they liuing cared not to cherishe No gentle wits through pride or couertize Which might their names for euer memorize Prouide therefore ye Princes whilst ye liue That of the Muses ye may friended bee Which vnto men eternitie do giue For they be daughters of Dame memorie And Ioue the father of eternitie And do those men in golden thrones repose Whose merits they to glorifie do chose The seuen fold yron gates of grislie Hell And horrid house of sad Proserpina They able are with power of mightie spell To breake and thence the soules to bring awaie Out of dread darkenesse to eternall day And them immortall make which els would die In soule forgetfulnesse and nameles lie So whilome raised they the puissant brood Of golden gâ—rt Alâ—mena for great merite Out of the dust to which the Oetaean wood Had him consum'd and spent his vitall spirite To highest heauen where now he doth inheritâ— All happinesse in Hebes siluer bowre Chosen to be her dearest Paramoure So raisde they eke faire Ledaes warlick twinnes And interchanged life vnto them lent That when th' one dies th' other then beginnes
of golde Ouer the Sea from one to other side Withouten prop or pillour it t'vpholde But like the coulored Rainbowe arched wide Not that great Arche with Traian edifide To be a wonder to all age ensuing Was matchable to this in equall vewing But ah what bootes iâ— to see earthlie thing In glorie or in greatnes to excell Sith time doth greatest things to ruine bring This goodlie bridge one foote not fastned well Gan faile and all the rest downe shortlie fell Ne of so braue a building ought remained That griefe thereof my spirite greatly pained 6 I saw two Beares as white as anie milke Lying together in a mightie caue Of milde aspect and haire as soft as silke That saluage nature seemed not to haue Nor after greedie spoyle of blood to craue Two fairer beasts might not elswhere be found Although the compast world were sought around But what can long abide aboue this ground In state of blis or stedfast happinesse The Caue in which these Beares lay sleeping sound Was but earth and with her owne weightinesse Vpon them fell and did vnwares oppresse That for great sorrow of their sudden fate Henceforth all words felicitie I hate ¶ Much was I troubled in my heauie spright At sight of these sad spectacles forepast That all my senses were bereaued quight And I in minde remained sore agast Distraught twixt feare and pitieâ— when at last I heard a voyce which loudly to me called That with the suddein shrill I was appalled Behold said it and by ensample see That all is vanitie and griefe of minde Ne other comfort in this world can be But hope of heauen and heart to God inclinde For all the rest must needs be left behinde With that it bad me to the other side To cast mine eye where other sights I spide 1 ¶ Vpon that famous Riuers further shore There stood a snowie Swan of heauenly hiew And gentle kinde as euer Fowle afore A fairer one in all the goodlie criew Of white Strimonian brood might no man view There he most sweetly sung the prophecie Of his owne death in dolefull Elegie At last when all his mourning melodie He ended had that both the shores resounded Feeling the fit that him forewarnd to die With loftie flight aboue the earth he bounded And out of sight to highest heauen mounted Where now he is become an heauenly signe There now the ioy is his here sorrow mine 2 Whilest thus I looked loe adowne the Lee I sawe an Harpe stroong all with siluer twyne And made of golde and costlie yuorie Swimming that whilome seemed to haue been The harpe on which Dan Orpheus was seene Wylde beasts and forrests after him to lead But was th' Harpe of Philisides now dead At length out of the Riuer it was reard Aâ—d borne aboue the cloudes to be diuin'd Whilst all the way most heauenly noyse was heard Of the strings stirred with the warbling wind That wrought both ioy and sorrow in my mind So now in heauen a signe it doth appeare The Harpe well knowne beside the Northern Beare 3 Soone after this I saw on th' other side A curious Coffer made of Heben wood That in it did most precious treasure hide Exceeding all this baser worldes good Yet through the ouerflowing of the flood It almost drowned was and done to nought That sight thereof much grieu'd my pensiue thought At length when most in perill it was brought Two Angels downe descending with swift flight Out of the swelling streame it lightly caught And twixt their blessed armes it carried quight Aboue the reach of anie liuing sight So now it is transform'd into that starre In which all heauenly treasures locked are 4 Looking aside I saw a stately Bed Adorned all with costly cloth of gold That might for anie Princes couche be red And deckt with daintie flowres as if it shold Be for some bride her ioyous night to hold Therein a goodly Virgine sleeping lay A fairer wight saw neuer summers day I heard a voyce that called farre away And her awaking bad her quickly dight For lo her Bridegrome was in readie ray To come to her and seeke her loues delight With that she started vp with cherefull sight When suddeinly both bed and all was gone And I in languor left there all alone 5 Still as I gazed I beheld where stood A Knight all arm'd vpon a winged steed The same that was bred of Medusaes blood On which Dan Perseus borne of heauenly seed The faire Andromeda from perill freed Full mortally this Knight ywounded was That streames of blood foorth flowed on the grâ—s Yet was he deckt small ioy to him alas With manie garlands for his victories And with rich spoyles which late he did purchas Through braue atcheiuements from his enemies Fainting at last through long infirmities He smote his steed that straight to heauen him bore And left me here his losse for to deplore 6 Lastly I saw an Arke of purest golde Vpon a brazen pillour standing hie Which th' ashes seem'd of some great Prince to hold Enclosde therein for endles memorie Of him whom all the world did glorifie Seemed the heauens with the earth did disagreeâ— Whether should of those ashes keeper bee At last me seem'd wing footed Mercurie From heauen descending to appease their strife The Arke did beare with him aboue the skie And to those ashes gaue a second life To liue in heauen where happines is riâ—e At which the earth did grieue exceedâ—ngly And I for dole was almost like to die Lâ— Envoy Immortall spirite of Philisides Which now art made the heauens ornament That whilome wast the worlds chiefst riches Giue leaue to him that lou'de thee to lament His losse by lacke of thee to heauen hent And with last duties of this broken verse Broken with sighes to decke thy sable Herse And ye faire Ladie th' honor of your daies And glorie of the world your high thoughts scorne Vouchsafe this moniment of his last praise With some few siluer dropping teares t' adorne And as ye be of heauenlie off spring borne So vnto heauen let your high minde aspire And loath this drosse of sinâ—ull worlds desire FINIS THE Teares of the Muses By ED. SP. LONDON Imprinted for VVilliam Ponsonbie dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Bishops head 1591. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE the Ladie Strange MOst braue and noble Ladie the things that make ye so much honored of the world as ye bee are such as without my simple lines testimonie are throughlie knowen to all men namely your excellent beautie your vertuous behauior your noble match with that most honourable Lord the verie Paterne of right Nobilitie But the causes for which ye haue thus deserued of me to be honoured if honour it be at all are both your particular bounties and also some priuate bands of affinitie which it hath pleased your Ladiship to acknowledge Of which when as I found my selfe in no part worthie I deuised this last slender
excuse his former treason and abusion And turning all vnto the Apes confusion Nath'les the royall Beast forbore beleeuing But bad him stay at ease till further preeuing Then when he saw no entrance to him graunted Roaring yet lowder that all harts it daunted Vpon those gates with force he fiercely flewe And rending them in pieces felly slewe Those warders strange and all that els he met But th'Ape still flying he no where might get From rowme to rowme from beame to beame he fled All breathles and for feare now almost ded Yet him at last the Lyon spide and caught And forth with shame vnto his iudgement brought Then all the beasts he causd ' assembled bee To heare their doome and sad ensample see The Foxe first Author of that treacherie He did vncase and then away let flie But th'Apes long taile which then he had he quight Cut off and both eares pared of their hight Since which all Apes but halfe their eares haue left And of their tailes are vtterlie bereft So Mother Hubberd hâ—r discourse did end Which pardon me if I amisse haue pend For weake was my remembrance it to hold And bad her tongue that it so bluntly tolde FINIS Ruines of Rome by Bellay 1 YE heauenly spirites whose ashie cinders lie Vnder deep ruines with huge walls opprest But not your praise the which shall neuer die Through your faire verses ne in ashes rest If so be shrilling voyce of wight aliue May reach from hence to depth of darkest hell Then let those deep Abysses open riue That ye may vnderstand my shreiking yell Thrice hauing seene vnder the heauens veale Your toombs deuoted compasse ouer all Thrice vnto you with lowd voyce I appeale And for your antique furie here doo call The whiles that I with sacred horror sing Your glorie fairest of all earthly thing 2 Great Babylon her haughtie walls will praise And sharped steeples high shot vp in ayre Greece will the olde Ephesian buildings blaze And Nylus nurslings their Pyramides faire The same yet vaunting Greece will tell the storie Of Ioues great Image in Olympus placed Mansolus worke will be the Carians glorie And Crete will boast the Labyrinth now raced The antique Rhodian will likewise set forth The great Colosse erect to Memorie And what els in the world is of like worth Some greater learned wit will magnifie But I will sing aboue all moniments Seuen Romane Hils the worlds 7. wonderments 3 Thou â—tranger which for Rome in Rome here seekest And nought of Rome in Rome perceiu'st at all These fame olde walls olde arches which thou seest Olde Palaces is that which Rome men call Behold what wreake what ruine and what wa st And how that she which with her mightie powre Tam'd all the world hath tam'd herselâ—e at last The pray oâ— time which all things doth deuowre Rome now of Rome is th' onely funerall And onely Rome of Rome hath victorie Ne ought saue Tyber hastning to his fall Remaines of allâ— O worlds inconstancie That which is firme doth flit and fall away And that is flitting doth abide and stay 4 She whose high top aboue the starres did sore One foote on Thetis th' other on the Morning One hand on Scythia th' other on the More Both heauen and earth in roundnesse compassing Ioue fearing least if she should greater growe The old Giants should once againe vprise Her whelm'd with hills these 7. hils which be nowe Tombes of her greatnes which did threate the skies Vpon her head he heapt Mount Saturnal Vpon her bellie th'antique Palatine Vpon her stomacke laid Mount Quirinal On her left hand the noysome Esquiline And Caelian on the right but both her feete Mount Viminal and Auentine doo meete 5 Who liâ—ts to see what euer nature arte And heauen could doo O Rome thee let him seeâ— In case thy greatnes he can gesse in harte By that which but the picture is of thee Rome is no more but if the shade of Rome May of the bodie yeeld a seeming sight It 's like a corse drawne forth out of the tombe By Magicke skill out of eternall night The corpes of Rome in ashes is entombed And her great spirite reioyned to the spirite Of this great masse is in the same enwombed But her braue writings which her famous merite In spight of time out of the dust doth reare Doo make her Idole through the world appeare 6 Such as the Berecynthian Goddesse bright In her swift charret with high turrets crownde Proud that so manie Gods she brought to light Such was this Citie in her good daies fownd This Citie more than that great Phrygian mother Renowm'd for fruite of famous progenie Whose greatnes by the greatnes of none other But by her selfe her equall match could see Rome onely might to Rome compared bee And onely Rome could make great Rome to tremble So did the Gods by heauenly doome decree That other earthlie power should not resemble Her that did match the whole â—arths puâ—â—â—unce And did her courage to the heauens aduâ—unce 7 Ye sacred ruines and ye tragick sights Which onely doo the name of Rome retaine Olde moniments which of so famous sprights The honour yet in ashes doo maintaine Triumphant Arcks spyres neighbours to the skie That you to see doth th'heauen it selfe appall Alas by little ye to nothing flie The peoples fable and the spoyle of all And though your frames do for a time make warre Gainst time yet time in time shall ruinate Your workes and names and your last reliques marre My sad desires rest therefore moderate For if that time make ende of things so sure It al 's will end the paine which I endure 8 Through armes vassals Rome the world subdu'd That one would weene that one sole Cities strength Both land and sea in roundnes had suruew'd To be the measure of her bredth and length This peoples vertue yet so fruitfull was Of vertuous nephewesâ— that posteritie Striuing in power their grandfathers to passe The lowest earth ioin'd to the heauen hie To th' end that hauing all parts in their power Nought from the Romane Empire might be quight And that though time doth CoÌ„monwealths deuowre Yet no time should so low embase their hight That her head earth'd in her foundations deep Should not her name and endles honour keep 9 Ye cruell starres and eke ye Gods vnkinde Heauen enuious and bitter stepdame Nature Be it by fortune or by course of kinde That ye doo weld th' affaires of earthlie creature Why haue your hands long sithence traueiled To frame this world that doth endure so long Or why were not these Romane palaces Made of some matter no lesse firme and strong I say not as the common voyce doth say That all things which beneath the Moone haue being Are temporall and subiect to decay But I say rather though not all agreeing With some that weene the contrarie in thought That all this whole shall one day come to nought 10 As that