nuptiall ring The monster vulgar thought and conquerd gaue The combatant already the foule graue Of their fore-speakings gaping for him stood And cast out fumes as from the Stigian flood Gainst his great enterprise which was so fit For Ioues cheefe Minion that Plebeian wit Could not conceiue it Acts that are too hie For Fames crackt voice resound all Infamie O poore of vnderstanding if there were Of all your Acts one onely that did beare Mans worthie Image euen of all your best Which truth could not discouer to be drest In your owne ends which Truths selfe not compels But couers in your bottoms sinckes and hels Whose opening would abhor the sunne to see So ye stood sure of safe deliuerie Being great with gaine or propagating lust A man might feare your hubbubs and some trust Giue that most false Epiphonem that giues Your voice the praise of gods but view your liues With eyes impartiall and ye may abhorre To censure high acts when your owne taste more Of damned danger Perseus scorn'd to feare The ill of good Acts though hel-mouth gap't there Came to Andromeda sat by and cheerd But she that lou'd through all the death she fear'd At first sight like her Louer for his sake Resolu'd to die ere he should vndertake A combat with a Monster so past man To tame or vanquish though of Ioue he wanne A power past all men els for man should still Aduance his powers to rescue good from ill Where meanes of rescue seru'd and neuer where Ventures of rescue so impossible were That would encrease the danger two for one Expose to Ruine Therefore she alone Would stand the Monsters Fury and the Shame Of those harsh bands for if he ouercame The monstrous world would take the monsters part â—o much the more and say some sorcerouse art Not his pure valour nor his Innocence Preuail'd in her deliuerance her offence Would still the same be counted for whose ill The Land was threatned by the Oracle The poisoned Murmures of the multitude Rise more the more desert or power obtrude Against their most sayd he come I the more Vertue in constant sufferance we adore Nor could death fright him for he dies that loues And so all bitternesse from death remoues He dies that loues because his euery thought Himselfe forgot in his belou'd is wrought If of himselfe his thoughts are not imploy'd Nor in himselfe they are by him enioy'd And since not in himselfe his minde hath Act The mindes act chiefly being of thought compact Who workes not in himselfe himselfe not is For these two are in man ioynt properties To worke and Be for Being can be neuer But Operation is combined euer Nor Operation Being doth exceed Nor workes man where he is not still his deed His being consorting no true Louers minde He in himselfe can therefore euer finde Since in himselfe it workes not if he giues Being from himselfe not in himselfe he liues And he that liues not dead is Truth then said That whosoeuer is in loue is dead If death the Monster brought then he had laid A second life vp in the loued Mayd And had she died his third life Fame decreed Since death is conquer'd in each liuing deed Then came the Monster on who being showne His charmed sheild his halfe he turn'd to stone And through the other with his sword made way Till like a ruin'd Cittie dead he lay Before his loue The Neirids with a shrieke And Syrens fearfull to sustaine the like And euen the ruthlesse and the sencelesse Tide Before his howre ran roring terrifi'd Backe to their strength wonders and monsters both With constant magnanimitie like froth Sodainely vanish smother'd with their prease No wonder lasts but vertue which no lesse We may esteeme since t' is as seldome found Firme sincere and when no vulgar ground Or flourish on it fits the vulgar eye Who viewes it not but as a prodegie Plebeian admiration needes must signe All true-borne Acts or like false fires they shine If Perseus for such warrant had contain'd His high exploit what honour had he gain'd Who would haue set his hand to his designe But in his skorne skorne censures things diuine True worth like truth sits in a groundlesse pit And none but true eyes see the depth of it Perseus had Enyos eye and saw within That grace which out-lookes held a desperate sin He for it selfe with his owne end went on And with his louely rescu'd Paragon Long'd of his Conquest for the latest shocke Dissolu'd her chaines and tooke her from the rocke Now woing for his life that fled to her As hers in him lay Loue did both confer To one in both himselfe in her he found She with her selfe in onely him was crownd While thee I loue sayd he you louing mee In you I finde my selfe thought on by thee And I lost in my selfe by thee neglected In thee recouer'd am by thee affected The same in me you worke miraculous strange Twixt two true Louers is this enterchange For after I haue lost my selfe if I Redeeme my selfe by thee by thee supply I of my selfe haue if by thee I saue My selfe so lost thee more then me I haue And neerer to thee then my selfe I am Since to my selfe no otherwise I came Then by thee being the meane In mutuall loue One onely death and two reuiuals moue For he that loues when he himselfe neglects Dies in himselfe once In her he affects Straight he renewes when she with equall fire Embraceth him as he did her desire Againe he liues too when he surely seeth Himselfe in her made him O blessed death Which two liues follow O Commerce most strange Where who himselfe doth for another change Nor hath himselfe nor ceaseth still to haue O gaine beyond which no desire can craue When two are so made one that either is For one made two and doubled as in this Who one life had one interuenient death Makes him distinctly draw a two fold breath In mutuall Loue the wreake most iust is found When each so kill that each cure others wound But Churlish Homicides must death sustaine For who belou'd not yeelding loue againe And so the life doth from his loue deuide Denies himselfe to be a Homicide For he no lesse a Homicide is held That man to be borne lets then he that kild A man that is borne He is bolder farre That present life reaues but he crueller That to the to-be borne enuies the light And puts their eyes out ere they haue their sight All good things euer we desire to haue And not to haue alone but still to saue All mortall good defectiue is and fraile Vnlesse in place of things on point to faile We daily new beget That things innate May last the languishing we re'create â—n generation re'creation is And from the prosecution of this Man his instinct of generation takes Since generation in continuance makes Mortals similitudes of powers diuine Diuine worth doth in
moue But all-creating all preseruing Loue At whose flames vertues lighted euen to starres All vicious Enuies and seditious Iars Bane-spitting Murmures and detracting Spels Bannish with curses to the blackest hels Defence of Beauty and of Innocence And taking off the chaines of Insolence From their prophan'd and godlike Lineaments Actions heroique and diuine descents All the sweet Graces euen from death reuiu'd And sacred fruites from barren Rockes deriu'd Th' Immortall Subiects of our Nuptials are Thee then iust scourge of factious populare Fautor of peace and all the powers that moue In sacred Circle of religious Loue Fountaine of royall learning and the rich Treasure of Counsailes and mellifluous speech Let me inuoke that one drop of thy spring May spirit my aged Muse and make her sing As if th'inspir'd brest of eternall youth Had lent her Accents and all-mouing truth The Kingdome that the gods so much did loue And often feasted all the Powers aboue At whose prime beauties the enamour'd Sunne His Morning beames lights and doth ouerrunne The world with Ardor Aethiopia Bore in her throne diuine Andromeda To Cepheus and Cassiope his Queene Whose boundlesse beauties made ore'flow the spleene Of euery Neirid for surpassing them The Sun to her resign'd his Diadem And all the Deities admiring stood Affirming nothing mou'd like flesh and blood Thunder would court her with words sweetly phraz'd And lightning stucke 'twixt heau'n and earth amaz'd This matchlesse virgin had a mother too That did for beautie and for wisdome goe Before the formost Ladies of her time To whom of super-excellence the crime Was likewise lai'd by Iuno and from hence Pin'd Enuie suckt the poison of offence No truth of excellence was euer seene But bore the venome of the Vulgares spleene And now the much enrag'd Neireides Obtain'd of him that moues the marble seas To wreake the vertue they cal'd Insolence A whale so monstrous and so past defence That all the royall Region he laid wast And all the noblest edifices rac't Nor from his plague were strongest Cities free His bodies vast heape rag'd so heauily With noblest names and bloods is still embrewd The monstrous beast the rauenous Multitude This plague thus preying vpon all the land With so incomprehensible a hand The pious virgin of the father sought By Oracles to know what cause had brought Such banefull outrage ouer all his State And what might reconcile the Deities hate His orisons and sacrifices past The Oracle gaue answere that the waste His Country suffered neuer would conclude Till his Andromeda he did extrude To rapine of the Monster he good man Resolu'd to satiate the Leuiathan With her before his Country though he lou'd Her past himselfe and bore a spirit mou'd To rescue Innocence in any one That was to him or his but kindly knowne To grace or profite doe them any good That lay in swift streame of his noblest blood Constant to all yet to his deerest seed For rights sake flitting thinking true indeed The generall vprore that t' was sinne in her That made men so exclaime and gods conferre Their approbation saying the Kingdomes bale Must end by her exposure to the Whale With whom the Whale-like vulgare did agree And their foule spleenes thought her impiety Her most wise mother yet the sterne intent Vow'd with her best endeauour to preuent And tolde her what her father did addresse Shee fearefull fled into the wildernesse And to th' instinct of sauage beasts would yeeld Before a father that would cease to shield A daughter so diuine and Innocent Her feet were wing'd and all the search out went That after her was ordered but shee flew And burst the winds that did incenst pursue And with enamoured sighes her parts assaile Plaide with her haire and held her by the vaile From whom shee brake and did to woods repaire Still where shee went her beauties dide the ayre And with her warme blood made proud Flora blush But seeking shelter in each shadie bush Beauty like fire comprest more strength receiues And shee was still seene shining through the leaues Hunted from thence the Sunne euen burn'd to see So more then Sunne-like a Diuinity Blinded her eyes and all inuasion seekes To dance vpon the mixture of her cheekes Which show'd to all that follow'd after far As vnderneath the roundure of a starre The euening skie is purple'd with his beames Her lookes fir'd all things with her loues extreames Her necke a chaine of orient pearle did decke The pearles were faire but fairer was her necke Her breasts laid out show'd all enflamed sights Loue lie a sunning twixt two Crysolites Her naked wrists showde as if through the skie A hand were thrust to signe the Deitie Her hands the confines and digestions were Of Beauties world Loue fixt his pillars there Her eyes that others caught now made her caught Who to her father for the whale was brought Bound to a barraine Rocke and death expected But heau'n hath still such Innocence protected Beauty needs feare no Monsters for the sea Mother of Monsters sent Alcyone To warrant her not onely gainst the waues But all the deathes hid in her watrie graues The louing birds flight made about her still Still good presaging shew'd heau'ns sauing will Which cheering her did comfort all the shore That mourn'd in shade of her sad eyes before Her lookes to perle turn'd peble and her looks To burnisht gold transform'd the burning Rocks And noâ— came roring to the tied the Tide All the Neireides deckt in all their pride Mounted on Dolphins roâ—de to see their wreake The waues fom'd with their enuies that did speake In mutest fishes with their leapes aloft For brutish ioy of the reuenge they sought The people greedie of disastrous sights And newes the food of idle appetites From the kings Chamber straight knew his intent And almost his resolu'd thoughts did preuent In drie waues beating thicke about the Shore And then came on the prodegie that bore In one masse mixt their Image that still spread A thousand bodies vnder one sole head Of one minde still to ill all ill men are Strange sights and mischiefes fit the Populare Vpon the Monster red Rhamnusia rode The Sauage leapt beneath his bloody load Mad of his prey giu'n ouer now by all When any high haue any meanes to fall Their greatest louers proue false props to proue it And for the mischiefe onely praise and loue it There is no good they will not then commend Nor no Religion but they will pretend A mighty title to when both are vs'd To warrant Innouation or see brus'd The friendlesse Reed that vnder all feet lies The sound parts euermore they passe like flies And dwell vpon the sores ill in themselues They clearely saile with ouer rockes and shelues But good in others ship wracke in the Deepes Much more vniust is he that truely keepes Lawes for more shew his owne ends vnderstood Then he that breakes them for anothers good And 't is the height
of all malignity â—o tender good so that yee ill implie â—o treade on Pride but with a greater pride When where no ill but in ill thoughts is tri'd To speake well is a charity diuine The rest retaine the poyson serpentine Vnder their lips that sacred liues condemne And wee may worthily apply to them This tragicke execration perish hee That siâ—ts too far humane infirmity But as your cupping glasses still exhale The humour that is euer worst of all In all the flesh So these spic't conscienc't men The worst of things explore still and retaine Or rather as in certaine Cities were Some ports through which all rites piaculare All Executed men all filth were brought Of all things chast or pure or sacred nought Entring or issuing there so curious men Nought manly elegant or not vncleane Embrace or bray out Acts of staine are still Their Syrens and their Muses Any ill Is to their appetites their supreme good And sweeter then their necessary food All men almost in all things they apply The By the Maine make and the Maine the By. Thus this sweete Ladies sad exposure was Of all these moodes in men the only glasse But now the man that next to Ioue comptrold The triple world got with a shoure of gold Armed with Medusa's head and Enyos eye The Adamantine sword of Mercury The helme of Pluto and Minerua's Mirror That from the Gorgus made his passe with Terror Came to the rescue of this enuied mayd Drew neere and first in admiration stay'd That for the common ill of all the land She the particular obloquie should stand And that a beauty no lesse then diuine Should men and women finde so serpentine As but to thinke her any such euent Much lesse that eies and hands should giue consent To such a danger and to such a death But though the whole Realme laboured vnderneath So foule an error yet since Ioue and he Tendred her beauty and integretie In spight of all the more he set vp spirit To doe her right the more all wrong'd her merit He that both vertue had and beauty too Equall with her to both knew what to doe The Ruthles still go laught at to the Graue Those that no good will doe no goodnesse haue The minde a spirit is and cal'd the glasse In which we see God and corporeall grace The mirror is in which we see the minde Amongst the fairest women you could finde Then Perseus none more faire mongst worthiest men No one more manly This the glasse is then To shew where our complexion is combinde A womans beauty and a manly minde Such was the halfe-diuine-borne Troian Terror Where both Sex graces met as in their Mirror Perseus of Loues owne forme those fiue parts had Which some giue man that is the loueliest made Or rather that is loueliest enclin'd And beares with shape the beauty of the mind Young was he yet not youthfull since mid-yeeres The golden meane holds in mens loues and feares Aptly composde and soft or delicate Flexible or tender calme or temperate Of these fiue three make most exactly knowne The Bodies temperate complexion The other two the order doe expresse The measure and whole Trim of comelinesse A temperate corporature learn'd Nature saith A smooth a soft a solid flesh bewrayeth Which state of body shewes th' affections State In all the humours to be moderate For which cause soft or delicate they call Our conquering Perseus and but yong withall Since time or yeeres in men too much reuolu'd The subtiler parts of humour being resolu'd More thicke parts rest of fire and aire the want Makes earth and water more predominant Flexible they calde him since his quicke conceit And pliant disposition at the height Tooke each occasion and to Acts approu'd As soone as he was full inform'd he mou'd Not flexible as of inconstant state Nor soft as if too much effeminate For these to a complexion moderate Which we before affirme in him imply A most vnequall contrariety Composure fit for Ioues sonne Perseus had And to his forme his mind fit answere made As to be lou'd the fairest fittest are To loue so to most apt are the most faire Light like it self tranâ—parent bodies makes At ones act th' other ioint impression takes Perseus as if transparent at first sight Was shot quite thorough with her beauties light Beauty breedes loue loue consummates a man For loue being true and Eleutherean No Iniurie nor conâ—â—â—elie beares That his beloued eyther feeles or feares All good-wils enterchange it doth conclude And mans whole summe holds which is gratitude No wisdome noblesse force of armes nor lawes Without loue wins man his compleat applause Loue makes him valiant past all else desires For Mars that is of all heau'ns erring fires Most full of fortitude since he inspires Men with most valour Cytheraea tames For when in heau'ns blunt Angels shine his flames Or he his second or eight house ascends Of rul'd Natiuities and then portends Ill to the then-borne Venus in aspect Sextile or Trine doth being conioyn'd correct His most malignitie And when his starre The birth of any gouernes fit for warre The Issue making much to wrath enclin'd And to the ventrous greatnesse of the minde If Venus neere him shine she doth not let His magnanimity but in order set The vice of Anger making Mars more milde And gets the mastry of him in the childe Mars neuer masters her but if she guide She loue inclines and Mars set by her side Her fires more ardent render with his heat So that if he at any birth be set In th' house of Venus Libra or the Bull The then-borne burnes and loues flames feels at full Besides Mars still doth after Venus moue Venus not after Mars because of Loue Boldnesse is hand-maid Loue not so of her For not because men bold affections beare Loues golden nets doth their affects enfold But since men loue they therefore are more bold And made to dare euen Death for their belou'd And finally Loues Fortitude is prou'd Past all most cleerely for this cause alone All things submit to Loue but loue to none Celestials Animals all Corporeall things Wisemen and Strong Slaue-rich and Free-borne Kings Are loues contributories no guifts can buy No threats can loue constraine or terrifie For loue is Free and his Impulsions still Spring from his owne free and ingenious will Not God himselfe would willing loue enforce But did at first decree his liberall course Such is his liberty that all affects All arts and Acts the minde besides directs To some wish't recompence but loue aspires To no possessions but his owne desires As if his wish in his owne sphere did moue And no reward were worthy Loue but Loue. Thus Perseus stood affected in a Time When all loue but of riches was a crime A fancy and a follie And this fact To adde to loues deseruings did detract For t was a Monster and a monstrous thing Whence he should combat out his
generation shine Thus Perseus sayd and not because he sau'd Her life alone he her in marriage crau'd But with her life the life of likely Race Was chiefe end of his action in whose grace Her royall father brought him to his Court With all the then assembled glad resort Of Kings and Princes where were solemniz'd Th' admired Nuptialls which great Heau'n so priz'â— That Ioue againe stoopt in a goulden showre T' enrich the Nuptiall as the Natall howre Of happy Perseus white-armd Iuno to Depos'd her greatnesse and what she could do To grace the Bride Bride-groome was vouchsafâ—â— All Subiect-deities stoopt to and the Shaft Golden and mutuall with which loue comprest Both th'enuied Louers offerd to and kist All answerablie feasted to their States In all the Starres beames stoopt the reuerend Fates And the rere banquet that fore ranne the Bed With his presage shut vp and seconded And sayd they sung verse that Posteritie In no age should reproue for Perfidie Parcarum Epithalamion O You this kingdomes glory that shall be Parents to so renownd a Progenie As earth shall enuie and heauen glory in Accept of their liues threds which Fates shal spin Their true spoke oracle and liue to see Your sonnes sonnes enter such a Progenie As to the last times of the world shall last Haste you that guide the web haste spindles haste â—ee Hesperus with nuptiall wishes crownd â—ake and enioy In all ye wish abound Abound for who should wish crowne with her store â—ut you that slew what barren made the shore You that in winter make your spring to come Your Summer needs must be Elisium â— race of mere soules springing that shall cast â—heir bodies off in cares and all ioyes taste Haste then that sacred web haste spindles haste Ioue loues not many therefore let those few That his guifts grace affect still to renew For none can last the same that proper is To onely more then Semideities To last yet by renewing all that haue More merit then to make their birth their graue As in themselues life life in others saue First to be great seeke then lou'd then to last Haste you that guide the web haste spindles haste She comes ô Bridegroom shew thy selfe enflam'd And of what tender tinder Loue is flam'd Catch with ech sparke her beauties hurle about Nay with ech thoght of her be rapt throughout Melt let thy liuer pant thy startled heart Mount Loue on earthquakes in thy euery part A thousand hewes on thine let her lookes cast Dissolue thy selfe to be by her embrac't Haste ye that guide the web haste spindles haste As in each bodie there is ebbe and flood Of blood in euery vaine of spirits in blood Of Ioyes in spirits of the Soule in Ioyes And nature through your liues this change imploies To make her constant so each minde retaines Manners and customs where vicicitude reignes Opinions pleasures which such change enchains And in this enterchange all man doth last Haste then who guide the web haste spindles haste Who bodie loues best feedes on dantiest meats Who fairest seed seekes fairest women gets Who loues the minde with loueliest disciplines Loues to enforme her in which verity shines Her beauty yet we see not since not her But bodies being her formes who faire formes beare We view and chiefely seeke her beauties there The fairest then for faire birth see embrac't Haste ye that guide the web haste spindles haste Starres ye are now and ouershine the earth Starres shall ye be heereafter and your birth In bodies rule heere as your selues in heau'n What heer Detraction steals shall there be giuen The bouÌ„d that heer you freed shal triumph there The chaine that touch't her wrists shal be a starre Your beauties few can view so bright they are Like you shal be your birth with grace disgrac't Haste ye that rule the web haste spindles haste Thus by diuine instinct the fates enrag'd Of Perseus and Andromeda presag'd Who when the worthy nuptial State was done And that act past which only two makes one Flesh of each flesh and bone of eithers bone Left Cepheus Court both freed and honoured The louing Victor and blest Bride-groome led Home to the Seriphins his rescu'd Bride Who after issue highly magnifi'd Both rapt to heau'n did constellations reigne And to an Asterisme was turn'd the chaine That onely touch't his grace of flesh blood In all which stands the Fates kinde Omen good APODOSIS THus through the Fount of stormes the cruell seas Her Monsters and malignant deities Great Perseus made high and triumphant way To his starre crownd deed and bright Nuptiall day And thus doe you that Perseus place supply In our Ioues loue get Persean victorie Of our Land Whale foule Barbarisme and all His brood of pride and liues Atheisticall That more their pallats and their purses prise Then propagating Persean victories Take Monsters parts not aucthor manly parts For Monsters kill the Man-informing Arts And like a lothed prodegie despise The rapture that the Arts doth naturalise Creating and immortalising men Who scornes in her the Godheads vertue then The Godheads selfe hath boldnesse to despise And hate not her but their Eternities Seeke vertues loue and vicious flatteries hate Heere is not true sweete but in knowing State Who Honor hurts neglecting vertues loue Commits but Rapes on pleasures for not Ioue His power in thunder hath or downeright flames But his chiefe Rule his Loue and Wisedome frames You then that in loues strife haue ouercome The greatest Subiect blood of Crhistendome The greatest subiect minde take and in Both Be absolute man and giue that end your oth So shall my sad astonisht Muse arriue At her chiefe obiect which is to reuiue By quickning honor in the absolute best And since none are but in Eternitie blest He that in paper can register things That Brasse and Marble shall denie euen Kings Should not be trod on by ech present flash The Monster slaine then with your cleere Seas wash From spots of Earth Heauens beauty in the minde â—n which through death hath all true Noblesse shinde FINIS