The Purple Island, Title page 1 – Poem 8
THE PURPLE ISLAND, OR THE ISLE OF MAN TOGETHER WITH PISCATORIE ECLOGS AND OTHER POETICALL MISCELLANIES
By P. F.
¶ Printed by the Printers to the Universitie of CAMBRIDGE. 1633.
TO MY MOST WORTHY AND LEARNED FRIEND, EDWARD BENLOWES ESQVIRE.
SIR,
AS some Optick-glasses, if we look one way, increase the object; if the other, lessen the quantity: Such is an Eye that looks through Affection; It doubles any good, and extenuates what is amisse. Pardon me, Sir, for speaking plain truth; such is that eye whereby you have viewed these raw Essayes of my very unripe yeares, and almost childehood. How unseasonable are Blossomes in Autumne! (unlesse perhaps in this age, where are more flowers then fruit) I am entring upon my Winter, and yet these Blooms of my first Spring must now shew themselves to our ripe wits, which certainly will give them no other entertainment but derision. For my self, I cannot account that worthy of your Patronage, which comes forth so short of my Desires, thereby meriting no other light then the fire. But since you please to have them see more Day then their credit can well endure, marvel not if they flie under your Shadow, to cover them from the piercing eye of this very curious (yet more censorious) age. In letting them abroad I desire onelyonly to testifie, how much I preferre your desires before mine own, and how much I owe to You more then any other: This if they witnesse for me, it is all their service I require. Sir, I leave them to your tuition, and entreat you to love him who will contend with you in nothing but to out-love you, and would be known to the world by no other Name, then
Your true friend, P. F. Hilgay. May 1. 1633.
To the Readers.
HE that would learn Theologie, must first studie Autologie. The way to God is by our selves: It is a blinde and dirty way; it hath many windings, and is easie to be lost: This Poem will make thee understand that way; and therefore my desire is, that thou maist understand this Poem. Peruse it as thou shouldst thy self, from thy first sheet to thy last. The first view, perchance, may runne thy judgement in debt; the second will promise payment; and the third will perform promise. Thou shalt finde here Philosophie, and Moralitie, two curious handmaids, dressing the Kings daughter, whose garments smell of Myrrhe and Cassia, and being wrought with needlework, and gold, shall make thee take pleasure in her beautie. Here are no blocks for the purblinde; no snares for the timerous; no dangers for the bold: I invite all sorts to be readers; all readers to be understanders; all understanders to be happie.
DANIEL FEATLY. D. D.
ON THE EXCELLENT MORALL POEM, ENTITULED THE ISLE OF MAN.
LOrd! how my youth with this vain world hath err'd,
Applauding theirs as th' onelyonly happy fate,
Whom to some Empire bloud, choice, chance preferr'd,
Or who of learned arts could wisely prate;
Or travelling the world, had well conferr'd
Mens natures with the mysteries of state!
But now thy wiser Muse hath taught me this,
That these and most men else do aim at blisse;
But these and most men else do take their aim amisse.
Reigne o're the world, not o're this Isle of Man,
Worse then a slave thou thine own slaves obey'st.
Study all arts devis'd since time began,
And not thy self, thou studiest not, but play'st.
Out-travell wise Ulysses, (if you can)
Yet misse this Isle, thou travell'st not, but stray'st.
Let me (O Lord) but reigne o're mine own heart,
And master be of this self-knowing art,
I'le dwell in th' Isle of Man, ne're travell forrain part.
E. BENLOVVES. E. BENEVOLUS.
INgeniose tuo ne libro supprime nomen;
Ingenio Authorem deteget ille suo.
Nempe verecundo memini te scribere vati,
Quod pulchrè ingenio quadrat, amice, tuo.
QVid tuas retegis nimis tegendo
Noctiluca faces? pates latendo:
Ipsa es sphaera tuae comésque stellae.
Diem si repetas, die latebis.
Non te nox tenebris tegit fovendo,
Sed te nox tenebris fovendo prodit.
TO THE LEARNED AUTHOUR, SONNE AND BROTHER TO two judicious Poets, himself the third, not second to either.
GRave Father of this Muse, thou deem'st too light
To wear thy name, 'cause of thy youthfull brain
It seems a sportfull childe; resembling right
Thy wittie childehood, not thy graver strain,
Which now esteems these works of fancie vain.
Let not thy childe, thee living, orphan be;
Who when th' art dead, will give a life to thee.
How many barren wits would gladly own,
How few o'th' pregnantest own such another!
Thou Father art, yet blushest to be known;
And though 't may call the best of Muses Mother,
Yet thy severer judgement would it smother.
O judge not Thou, let Readers judge thy book:
Such Cates should rather please the Guest, then Cook.
O but thou fear'st't will stain the reverend gown
Thou wearest now; nay then fear not to show it:
For were't a stain, 't were natures, not thine own:
For thou art Poet born; who know thee, know it:
Thy brother, sire, thy very name's a Poet.
Thy very name will make these Poëms take,
These very Poëms else thy name will make.
W. BENLOWES.
TO THE INGENIOUS COMPOSER OF THIS PASTORALL, THE SPENCER of this age.
I Vow (sweet stranger) if my lazie quill
Had not been disobedient to fulfill
My quick desires, this glory which is thine,
Had but the Muses pleased, had been mine.
My Genius jumpt with thine; the very same
Was our Foundation: in the very Frame
Thy Genius jumpt with mine; it got the start
In nothing, but Prioritie, and Art.
If (my ingenious Rivall) these dull times
Should want the present strength to prize thy rhymes,
The time-instructed children of the next
Shall fill thy margent, and admire the text;
Whose well read lines will teach them how to be
The happie knowers of themselves and thee.
FRAN. QUARLES.
TO THE UNKNOWN Mr P. F. UPON SURVAY of his ISLE OF MAN.
REnowned Authour, let it not seem strange
A Merchants eye Should thus thy Island range:
It is a Merchants progresse to surround
The earth, and seek out undiscover'd ground.
What though my foot hath trod the fourefold shore?
And eyes survaid their subdivided store?
Yet rarer wonders in this Isle of thine
I view'd this day, then in twice six yeares time.
Iustly didst thou, great Macedo, repine
That thou could'st adde no other world to thine.
He is not truely great, nor stout, who can
Curb the great world, and not the lesser, Man.
And *American.thou whose name the Western world impos'd
VponUpon it self, first by thy skill disclos'd;
Yet is thy skill by this farre overcome,
Who hath descri'd an unknown World at home:
A World, which to search out, subdue, and till,
Is the best object of mans wit, strength, skill:
A World, where all may dangerlesse obtain.
Without long travell, cheapest, greatest gain.
LOD. ROBERTS.
ON THE MOST ACCURATE POEM, INSCRIBED THE PVRPLE ISLAND.
HEnceforth let wandring Delos cease to boast
Herself the God of Learnings dearest coast;
And let that double-headed mountain hallow
No more the honour'd name of great Apollo:
And may the Pegasean spring, that uses
To cheer the palats of the thirstie Muses,
Drie up: and let this happie Isle of thine
Preserve Apolloes harp; where every line
Carries a Suada with't, and doth display
The banners of heav'n-born Urania.
Henceforth let all the world thy verse admire
Before that Thracean Orpheus charming lyre:
He but enchanted Beasts, but thy divine
And higher aires bring Deities to this Isle of thine.
A. C.
MAns Bodie's like a house: his greater bones
Are the main timber; and the lesser ones
Are smaller splints: his ribs are laths, daub'd o're,
Plaister'd with flesh, and bloud: his mouth's the doore,
His throat's the narrow entrie, and his heart
Is the great chamber, full of curious art:
His midriffe is a large partition-wall
'Twixt the great chamber, and the spacious hall:
His stomack is the kitchin, where the meat
Is often but half sod, for want of heat:
His splene's a vessell nature does allot
To take the skumme that rises from the pot:
His lungs are like the bellows, that respire
In ev'ry office, quickning ev'ry fire:
His nose the chimney is, whereby are vented
Such fumes as with the bellows are augmented:
His bowels are the sink, whose part's to drein
All noisome filth, and keep the kitchin clean:
His eyes are crystall windows, cleare and bright;
Let in the object, and let out the sight.
And as the timber is or great, or small,
Or strong, or weak, 'tis apt to stand, or fall:
Yet is the likeliest building sometimes known
To fall by obvious chances; overthrown
Ofttimes by tempests, by the full-mouth'd blasts
Of heav'n; sometimes by fire; sometimes it wastes
Through unadvis'd neglect: put case the stuffe
Were ruine-proofe, by nature strong enough
To conquer time, and age; put case it should
Ne're know an end, alas our leases would.
What hast thou then, proud flesh and bloud, to boast?
Thy dayes are evil, at best; but few, at most;
But sad, as merriest; and but weak, at strongest;
Vnsure, at surest; and but short, at longest.
FRAN. QUARLES.