For louers' slipp'ry soules (as they confesse, Without extending racke, or straining presse) By transmigration to their mistresse flow: Pithagoras instructs his schollers so, Who did for penance lustfull minds confine To leade a second life in goates and swine. Then loue is death, and driues the soule to dwell In this betraying harbour, which like Hell Giues neuer backe her bootie, and containes
A thousand firebrands, whips, and restlesse paines: And, which is worse, so bitter are those wheeles, That many hells at once the louer feeles, And hath his heart dissected into parts, That it may mcete with other double harts. This loue stands neuer sure, it wants a ground, It makes no ordred course, it finds no bound, It aymes at nothing, it no comfort tastes, But while the pleasure and the passion lasts. Yet there are flames, which two hearts one can make;
Not for th' affections, but the obiect's sake. That burning glasse, where beames disperst incline Vnto a point, and shoot forth in a line: This noble loue hath axeltree and poles Wherein it moues, and gets cternall goales: These reuolutions, like the heau'nly spheres, Make all the periods equall as the yeeres: And when this time of motion finisht is, It ends with that great yeere of endlesse blisse.
A DESCRIPTION OF LOUE.
Love is a region full of fires, And burning with extreme desires, An obiect seekes, of which possest, The wheeles are fixt, the motions rest, The flames in ashes lie opprest: This meteor, striuing high to rise, (The fewell spent) falles downe and dies. Much sweeter and more pure delights Are drawne from faire alluring sights, When rauisht minds attempt to praise Commanding eyes, like heau'nly rayes ; Whose force the gentle heart obayes: Than where the end of this pretence Descends to base inferiour sense. "Why then should louers" (most will say) Expect so much th' enioying day?" Loue is like youth, he thirsts for age, He scornes to be his mother's page: But when proceeding times asswage The former heate, he will complaine, And wish those pleasant houres againe.
We know that Hope and Loue are twinnes; Hope gone, fruition now beginnes: But what is this? Vnconstant, fraile, In nothing sure, but sure to faile Which, if we lose it, we bewaile; And when we haue it, still we beare The worst of passions, daily feare. When Loue thus in his center ends, Desire and Hope, his inward friends, Are shaken off: while Doubt and Griefe, The weakest giuers of reliefe, Stand in his councell as the chiefe:
Oft Iris to the ground bath bent her bow To steale a kisse, and then away to goe: Yet all in vaine, he no affection knowes But to this goddesse, whom at first he chose: Him she enioyes in mutuall bonds of loue: Two hearts are taught in one small point to moue. Her father, high in honour and descent, Commands the Syluans on the northside Trent. He at this time, for pleasure and retreate, Comes downe from Beluoir, his ascending seate, To which great Pan had lately honour done: For there he lay, so did his hopefull sonne. But when this lord by his accesse desires To grace our dales, he to a house retires, Whose walles are water'd with our siluer brookes, And makes the shepherds proud to view his lookes. There in that blessed house you also saw His lady, whose admired vertues draw
All hearts to loue her, and all tongues inuite To praise that ayre where she vouchsafes her light. And for thy further joy thine eyes were blest, To see another lady, in whose brest True wisdome hath with bounty equall place, As modesty with beauty in her face. She found me singing Florae's natiue dowres, And made me sing before the heau'nly pow'rs: For which great fauour, till my voice be done, I sing of her, and her thrice-noble sonne."
ANNÍUERSARY DAY OF HIS MAIESTIE'S REIGNE OUER ENGLAND, MARCH THE 24.
WRITTEN AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS TWENTIETH
THE world to morrow celebrates with mirth The joyfull peace betweene the Heau'n and Earth: To day let Britaine praise that rising light, Whose titles her diuided parts vnite. 'The time since safety triumph'd ouer feare, Is now extended to the twenti'th yeere. Thou happy yeere, with perfect number blest, O slide as smooth and gentle as the rest : That when the Sunne, dispersing from his head The clouds of winter on his beauty spred, Shall see his equinoctiall point againe, And melt his dusky maske to fruitfull raine, He may be loth our climate to forsake, And thence a patterne of such glory take, That he would leaue the zodiake, and desire To dwell foreuer with our northerne fire.
FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF OUR SOUERAIGNE, KING IAMES, FRAOM A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT, LANUARY 8.
O GRACIOUS Maker! on whose smiles or frownes Depends the fate of scepters and of crownes: Whose hand not onely holds the hearts of kings, But all their steps are shadow'd with thy wings, To thee immortall thanks three sisters giue, For sauing him, by whose deare life they liue.
And giue such vigour in his childhood's state, That he can strangle snakes, which swell with hate. This conquest his vndaunted brest declares In seas of danger, in a world of cares : Yet neither cares oppresse his constant mind, Nor dangers drowne his life for age design'd. The Muses leaue their sweet Castalian springs In forme of bees, extending silken wings、 With gentle sounds, to keepe this infant still, While they his mouth with pleasing hony fill. Hence those large streames of eloquence proceed, Which in the hearers strange amazement breed; When laying by his scepters and his swords, He melts their hearts with his mellifluous words. So Hercules in ancient pictures fain'd, Could draw whole nations to his tongue enchain'd. He first considers, in his tender age,
How God hath rays'd him on this earthly stage, To act a part, expos'd to eu'ry eye: With Salomon he therefore striues to flie To him that gaue this greatnesse, and demands The precious gift of wisdome from his hands: While God, delighted with this iust request, Not onely him with wondrous prudence blest, But promis'd higher glories, new encrease Of kingdomnes, circled with a ring of peace. He, thus instructed by diuine commands, Extends this peacefull line to other lands. When warres are threaten'd by shril trumpets' sounds,
His oliue stancheth bloud, and binds vp wounds. The Christian world this good from him deriues,' That thousands had vntimely spent their liues, If not preseru'd by lustre of his crowne, Which calm'd the stormes, and layd the billowes down,
And dimm'd the glory of that Roman wreath By souldiers gain'd for sauing men from death. This Denmarke felt, and Swethland, when their strife
Ascended to such height, that losse of life
Was counted nothing for the dayly sight Of dying men made death no more than night. Behold, two potent princes deepe engag'd In seu❜rall int'rests, mutually enrag'd By former conflicts: yet they downe will lay Their swords, when his aduice directs the way. The northerne climates from dissention barr'd, Receive new ioyes by his discreete award. When Momus could, among the godlike-kings, Infect with poyson those immortall springs Which flow with nectar; and such gall would cast, As spoyles the sweetnesse of ambrosiae's taste; This mighty lord, as ruler of the quire, With peacefull counsels quencht the rising fire. The Austrian arch-duke, and Batauian state, By his endeuours, change their long-bred hate For twelue years' truce: this rest to him they owe, As Belgian shepherds and poore ploughmen know. The Muscouites, opprest with neighbours, flie To safe protection of his watchfull eye. And Germany his ready succours tries, When sad contentions in the empire rise. His mild instinct all Christians thus discerne: But Christ's malignant foes shall find him sterne. What care, what charge, he suffers to preuent, Lest infidels their number should augment. His ships restraine the pirates' bloody workes ; And Poland gaines bis ayde against the Turkes. His pow'rfull edicts, stretcht beyond the Line, Among the Indians seuʼrall bounds designe;
By which his subiects may exalt his throne, And strangers keepe themselues within their owne. This ile was made the Sunne's ecliptick way; For here our Phoebus still vouchsaf'd to stay: And from this blessed place of his retreat, In diff'rent zones distinguisht cold and heate, Sent light or darknesse, and by his commands Appointed limits to the seas and lands. Who would imagine that a prince, employ'd In such affaires, could euer haue enioy'd Those houres, which, drawne from pleasure and from rest,
To purchase precious knowledge were addrest? And yet in learning he was knowne t' exceed Most, whom our houses of the Muses breed. Ye English sisters, nurses of the arts, Vnpartiall iudges of his better parts; Raise vp your wings, and to the world declare His solid judgment, his inuention rare, His ready elocution, which ye found
In deepest matters that your schooles propound. It is sufficient for my creeping verse, His care of English language to rehearse. He leades the lawlesse poets of our times, To smoother cadence, to exacter rimes: He knew it was the proper worke of kings, To keepe proportion, eu'n in smallest things. He with no higher titles can be styl'd, When seruants name him lib'rall, subiects, mild. Of Antonine's faire time, the Romans tell, No bubbles of ambition then could swell To forraine warres; nor ease bred ciuill strife: Nor any of the senate lost his life. Our king preserues, for two and twenty yeeres, This realme from inward and from outward feares. All English peeres escape the deadly stroke, Though some with crimes his anger durst prouoke. He was seuere in wrongs, which others felt; But in his owne, his heart would quickly melt. For then (like God, from whom his glories flow) He makes his mercy swift, his justice slow. He neuer would our gen'rall ioy forget, When on his sacred brow the crowne was set; And therefore striues to make his kingdome great, By fixing here his heir's perpetuall seate: Which eu'ry firme and loyall heart desires, May last as long as Heau'n hath starry fires. Continued blisse from him this land receiucs, When leauing vs, to vs his sonne he leaues, Our hope, our ióy, our treasure: Charles our king,
Whose entrance in my next attempt I sing.
A PANEGYRICK AT THE CORONATION OF OUR
SOUERAIGNE LORD, KING CHARLES. AURORA, come: why should thine enuious stay Deferre the ioyes of this expected day? Will not thy master let his horses runne, Because he feares to meete another Sunne? Or hath our northerne starre so dimm'd thine eyes, Thou knowst not where (at east or west) to rise? Make haste; for if thou shalt denie thy light, His glitt'ring crowne will driue away the night. Debarre not curious Phœbus, who desires To guild all glorious obiects with his fires.
OF THE PRINCE'S IOURNEY.
THE happy ship that carries from the land Great Britaine's ioy, before she knowes her losse, Is rul'd by him, who can the waues command. No enuious stormes a quiet passage crosse: See, how the water smiles, the wind breathes faire, The clouds restraine their frownes, their sighes, their teares,
As if the musicke of the whisp'ring ayre Should tell the sea what precious weight it beares. A thousand vowes and wishes driue the sayles With gales of safety to the Neustrian shore. The ocean, trusted with this pledge, bewailes That it such wealth must to the earth restore : Then France receiuing with a deare imbrace This northerne starre, though clouded and disguis'd, Beholds some hidden vertue in his face, And knowes he is a iewell highly priz'd.
Yet there no pleasing sights can make him stay; For, like a riuer sliding to the maine, He hastes to find the period of his way,
The plants, which, when he went, were growing Retaine their former liu'ries to be seene, greene, When he reuiewes them: his expected eye Preseru'd their beauty, ready oft to die. What tongue, what hand, can to the life display The glorious ioy of this triumphant day? When England, crown'd with many thousand fires, Receiues the scope of all her best desires.
She at his sight, as with an earthquake swells, And strikes the Heau'n with sound of trembling bells.
The vocall goddesse, leauing desart woods, Slides downe the vales, and dancing on the floods, Obserues our wordes, and with repeating noise Contends to double our abundant ioyes. The world's cleare eye is iealous of his name, He sees this ile like one continuall flame, And feares lest Earth a brighter starre should breed, Which might vpon his meate, the vapours, feed. We maruell not, that in his father's land So many signes of loue and seruice stand: Behold, how Spaine retaines in eu'ry place Some bright reflection of his chearefull face!
And, drawne by loue, drawes all our hearts to Spaine. Madrid, where first his splendour he displayes,
PRINCE'S DEPARTURE AND RETURNE. WHEN Charles from vs withdrawes his glorious The Sunne desires his absence to supply: [light, And that we may nothing in darknesse lie, He strines to free the north from dreadfull night. Yet we to Phoebus scarce erect our sight,
But all our lookes, our thoughts, to Charles apply, And in the best delights of life we die, Till he returne, and make this climate bright. Now he ascends, and giues Apollo leaue To drine his horses to the lower part,
We by his presence like content receiue, As when fresh spirits aide the fainting heart. Rest here (great Charles) and shine to vs alone, For other starres are common: Charles our owne.
PRINCE'S MOST HAPPY RETURNE. Ova Charles, whose horses neuer quencht their In cooling waues of Neptune's watry seate: [heate Whose starry chariot, in the spangled night, Was still the pleasing obiect of our sight: This glory of the north hath lately runne A course as round and certaine as the Sunne : He to the south inclining halfe the yeere, Now at our tropike will againe appeare. He made his setting in the westerne streames, Where weary Phoebus dips his fading beames: But in this morning our erected eyes Become so happy as to see him rise. We shall not euer in the shadow stay, His absence was to bring a longer day; That having felt how darknesse can affright, We may with more content embrace the light, And call to mind, how eu'ry soule with paine Sent forth her throwes to fetch him home againe: For want of him we wither'd in the spring, But his returne shall life in winter bring:
And driues away the clouds that dimm'd his rayes, Her ioyes into a world of formes doth bring, Yet none contents her, while that potent king, Who rules so farre, till now could neuer find His realmes and wealth too little for his mind. No words of welcome can such planets greete, Where in one house they by coniunction meete. Their sacred concord runnes through many sigħes, And to the zodiakes better portion shines: But in the Virgin they are seene most farre, And in the Lyon's heart the kingly starre. When toward vs our prince his journey moues, And feeles attraction of his seruants' loues, When (hauing open brests of strangers knowne) He hastes to gather tribute of his owne, The joyfull neighbours all his passage fi!! With noble tropbees of his might and skill, In conqu'ring men's affections with his darts, Which deepely fixt in many rauisht hearts, Are like the starry chaines, whose blazes play In knots of light along the milkey way. He heares the newes of bis approaching fleet, And will his nauy see, his seruants greete; Thence to the land returning in his barge, The waues leape high, as proud of such a charge; The night makes speed to see him, and preuents The slothfull twilight, casting duskie tents On roring streames, which might all men dismay, But him, to whose cleare soule the night is day. The pressing windes, with their officions strife, Had caus'd a tumult dang'rous to his life. But their Commander checks them, and restraines Their hasty feruour in accustom'd chaines : This perill (which with feare our words decline) Was then permitted by the hand diuine, That good euent might prooue his person deare To Heau'n, and needfull to the people here. When he resolues to crosse the watry maine, See what a change his absence makes in Spaine! The Earth turnes gray for griefe that she conceiues, Birds lose their tongues, and trees forsake their. leauss.
Now floods of teares expresse a sad farewell, Ambitious savles as with his greatnesse swell: To him old Nereus on his dolphin rides, Presenting bridles to direct the tides;
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