He laught at common people's cares and feares; We rub the knees of gods with waxe, to gaine All men reioyce, what lips had he, what looke? [please? The lawes of measures in a ragged gowne, Demosthenes' and Tully's fame and speech, Ah wretched man, begotten with the hate The spoyles of warre, some rusty corslet plac'd In Africk, reaching from th' Atlantick streames, Or desart rocke to him, whom lawes exile: Not to be heard, yet long old age complaines Of softer skin, loose cheekes, and wrinkles made, Than others: but in each old man we see What joy can musicke to his hearing bring, And enuies those as happy that haue one. “ Why should I last thus long, wbat hainous crime Should bounteous nature's lib'rall band bestow Hath made me worthy of such spatious time?” Chast disposition, modest lookes, which glow Like voyces Peleus vs'd, when he be wail'd With sanguine blushes, (what more happy thios Achilles, whom vntimely death assail'd : To boyes can fauourable nature bring? And sad Laertes, who had cause to weepe Whose inclinations farre more pow'rfull are, For his Vlisses swimming on the deepe. Than many keepers and continuall care :) When Troy was safe, then Priam might haue gone Yet are they neuer suffer'd to possesse With stately exequies and solemne mone, The name of man ; such foal corrupters pressen T'accompany Assaracus his ghost, And by the force of large expences trust, Deformed youths; no noble child had felt When first Cassandra practis'd to lament; Fierce Nero's rapes, if all wry-leg'd had beene : And faire Polyxena with garments rent: If in their necks foule swellings had beea seene; If be had dy'd ere Paris plac'd his sayles If windy tumours had their bellies rays'd; In ventrous ships, see what long age auailes : Or camels' bunches had their backes disprais'd : This caus'd him to behoid his ruin'd towne, Goe now with joy thy young-man's formc affect, The swords and fires which conquer'd Asia drowne ; Whom greater dangers, and worse fates expect; Then he, a trembling souldier, off doth cast Perhaps he sbortly will the title beure His diademe, takes armour ; but at last Of a profest adult'rer, and will feare To suffer justly for his wicked fact, Nor can be happier be than Mars his starre, (warte. Because not fit to drawe th' vngratefull plow: T” escape those snares which caught the god of Yet dy'd he humane death; but his carst wife Yet oft that griefe to sharper vengeance drawes, Bark't like a dog, remaining still in life. Than is permitted by th' indulgent lawes ; To our examples willingly I baste, Some kill with swords, others with scourges cut, And therefore Mithridates haue orepast; And some th offenders to foule torments put. And Croesus whom just Solon bids t'attend, But thine Endymion happily will proue And not to iudge men happy till the end. Some matron's minion, who may merit loue ; This is the cause that banisht Marius flies, Yet when Seruilia him with money hires, He must be hers against his owne desires : , For wicked women in these base respects What good seuere Bellerophon receiu'd, Strong feuers, which (if he had then espy'd When to their pure intents they strictly cleau'd. What would ensue) were much to be desir'd. Both Sthenobæa and the Cretan queene, But many cities' publike vowes conspir’d, Asham'd of their repulse, stirr'd vp their teene : And this so happy sicknesse could deface, For then a woman breeds most fierce debate, Reseruing him to dye with more disgrace: When shame addes piercing stings to cruell hate. Rome's and his fortune onely sau'd his head How would'st thou counsell him, whom th'emp'ror's To be cut off when ouercoin'n he fled. Resolues to marry in her husband's life : (wife This paine the traytor Lentulus doth scape: The best and fairest of the lords must dye; Cethegus not disfigur'd in his shape, His life is quencht by Messallina's eye: Enioying all his limbes vnmaimed lyes, She in her nuptiall robes doth him expect, And Catiline with his whole carkase dyes. And openly hath in her gardens deckt The carefull mother when she casts her eyes A purple marriage bed, nor will refuse On Venus' temple in soft lowly wise, To giue a dowre, and ancient rites to vse. Demands the gift of beauty, for her boyes, The cunning wizzard who must tell the doome But askes it for her girles with greater noyse, Of this successe, with notaries must come : [view, At common formes her wish she neuer staies, Thou think'st these things are hid from publike But for the height of delicacy prayes. And but committed to the trust of few. And why should’st thou reproue this prudent choice? Nay, she will have her solemne wedding drest Latona in fair Phebe doth reioyce. With shew of law: then teach him what is best : O but Lucretia's haplesse fate deterres, He dies ere night vnlesse he will obay; That others wish not such a face as hers; Admit the crime, he gaines a little stay, Virginia her sweet feature would forsake, Till that which now the common people heares, And Rutila's crook'd backe would gladly take. May come by rumour to the prince's eares : Where sonnes are beautifull, the parents, vext For he is sure to be the last that knowcs With care and feare, are wretched and perplext. T'he secret shame which in his houshold growes :: So seldome an exact consent betweene Thy selfe a while to her desires apply, Well-favour'd shapes and chastity is seene. And life for some few dayes so dearely buy. For should they be with holy manners tauglit What way soeuer he as best shall chuse, In homely houses, such as Sabines wrougbt; 'Tbat faire white nacke be by the sword must luse, ." Shall men wish nothing ?” Wilt thou counsell | Yet when short time with swiftnesse Byes, take, The height of senses it regaines. Permit the heau’nly powers the choyce to make, Those ages shall be soone at hand, What shall be most conuenient for our fates, When kindly beate the bones reuiewes ; Or bring most profit to our doubtfull states, And shall the former house command, The prudent gods can place their gifts aright, Where liuing blood it shall infuse. and grant true goods in stead of vaine delight. Dull carkases to dust now worne, A man is neuer to himselfe so deare, Which long in graues corrupted lay, As vato them when they his fortunes steare: Shall to the nimble ayre be borne, We, carried with the fury of our minds, Where soules before haue led the way. And strong affection which our iudgement blinds, Hence comes it to adorne the graue, Would husbands proue, and fathers, but they see With carefull labour men affect : What our wisht children and our wives will bee: The limbes dissolu'd last honour baue, Yet that I may to thee some pray’rs allow, And fun'rall rites with pompe are deckt; When to the sacred temples thou do'st vow, The custome is to spread abroad Divinest entrailes in white pockets found, White linnens, grac'd with splendour pure's Pray for a sound mind in a body sound; Sabæan myrrb on bodies strow'd, Desire braue spirit free from feare of death, Preserues them from decay secure. Which can esteem the latest houre of breath, The hollow stones by caruers wrought, Among the gifts of nature which can beare Which in faire monuments are laid, All sorrowes from desire and anger cleare, Declare that pledges thither brought, And thinkes the paines of Hercules more blest, Are not to death but sleepe conuay'd. Than wanton lust, the suppers, and soft rest The pious Christians this ordaine, Wherein Sardanapalus ioy'd to live. B+ leeuing with a prudent eye, I show thee what thou to thy selfe mayst giue; That those shall rise and live againe, If thou the way to quiet life wilt treade, Who now in freezing slumbers lye. No guide but vertuie can thee thither lende: He that the dead (disperst in fields) No pow'r diuine is euer absent there, In pittie hides, with heapes of molds, The same law warnes vs all to grone, And in another's death to mone. All fun’rals, as of our allies, Who blest Tobias did beget, Preferr'd the buriall of the dead Who diff'rent natures wouldst combine: Before his meate, though ready set ; That man whom thou to life didst brius, He, while the seruants waiting stand, By weakenesse may to death decline, Forsakes the cups, the dishes leaues, By thee they both are fram'd aright, And digges a graue with speedy hand, They by thy hand united be; Which with the bones his teares receiues. And while they joyne with growing might, Rewards from Heau'n this worke requite.. Both flesh and spirit liue to thee: No slender price is here repaid, But when diuision them reca's, God cleares the eyes that saw no light, They bend their course to seu'rall ends, While fishes gall on them is laid. lato dry earth the body falls, Then the Creator would descry, The feruent soule to Heau'n ascends : How farre from reason they are led, For all created things at length, Who sharpe and bitter things apply, By slow corruption growing old, To soules on which new light is spreado Must needs forsake compacteel strength, He also taught that to no wight, and Jisagreeing webs vnfold. The beau’nly kingdome can be seene, But thou, deare Lord, hast meanes prepar'd, Till vext with wounds and darksome night, That death in thine may never reigne, He in the world's rough waues hath been. And hast vndoubted waies declard The curse of Jeath a blessing finds, How members lost may rise againe : Because by this torinenting woe, That while those gen'rous rayes are bound Steepe waies lye plaine to spotlesse minds, In prison vnder fading things ; Who to the starres by sorrowes goe. That part may still be stronger found, The bodies which long perisht lay, Which from aboue directly springs. Return to live in better yeeres : If man with baser thoughts possest, That vnion neuer shall decay, His will in earthly mud shall drowne; Where after death new warmth appearet. The soule with such a weight opprest, The face where now pale colour dwels, Whence foul infection shall arise, The flowres in splendour then excels, When blood the skinne with beauty dies. She lifts her friendly house from earth, No age, by times imperious law, And beares it with her to the starres. With enuious prints the forehead dimmes : See how the empty bodies lyes, No drought, no leanenesse then can draw Where now no lively soule remaines : The moysture from the wither'd livmes. Diseases, which the body eate, Thou op'ning must restore at last, Infected with oppressing paines, The limbes in shape which now we see. In midst of torments then shall sweate, Nor if long age with pow'rfull reigne Imprison'd in a thousand chaines. Shall turne the bones to scatter'd dust ; The conqu’ring flesh immortall growes, And onely ashes shall retaine, Beholding from the skies aboue, In compasse of a handfull thrust : The endlesse groning of her foes, Nor if swift floods, or strong command For sorrowes which from them did moue. Of windes through empty ayre haue tost Why are vndecent howlings mixt The members with the flying sand; By liuing men in such a case ? Yet man is neuer fully lost. Why are decrees so sweetly fixt, O God, while mortal bodies are Reprou'd with discontented face? Recall'd by thee, and form'd againe, Let all complaints and murmurs faile; What happy seate wilt thou prepare, Ye tender mothers, stay your teares, Where spotlesse soules may safe remaine? Let none their children deare bewaile, In Abrabam's bosome they shall lie For life renew'd in death appeares. Like Lazarus, whose flowry crowne So buried seeds, though dry and dead, The rich man doth farre off espie, Againe with smiling greenenesse spring, While him sharp fiery torments drowne. And from the hollow furrowes bred, Thy words, O Sauiour we respect, Attempt new eares of corne to bring. Whose triumph driues black death to losse, Earth, take this man with kind embrace, When in thy steps thou would'st direct In thy soft bosome him conceive : The thjefe, thy fellow on the crosse. For humane members here I place, The faithful sec a shining way, And gen'rous parts in trust I leaue. Whose length to paradise extends, This house, the soule her guest once felt, This can them to those trees conuay, To thee I pray, most certaine guide: In her faire birth-place pure abide, From which she, banisht, long bath stray'd. His workes; nor will those lookes forsake, While we vpon the couer'd bones In which he hath his picture set. Sweet vjolets and Icaues will throw : For when the course of time is past, The title and the cold hard stones, And all our hopes fulfill'd shall be, Shall with our liquid odours flow. |