Epigrams, Book 9
EPIGRAMS.
Out of the third-Booke.
EPIG. 9. Matrimoniall Rule.
THe Nightly Gouernment, is due
VntoUnto the Female kind;
And vntounto Masculines, to Rule
Ith' Day, it is assign'd:
And this we see Experience prooues,
For Cynthia Rules the Night:
And Phoebus rayes his Rule displayes,
Who in the Day shines bright.
EPIG. 10. Against a certaine Proud-Woman.
A Feather o're thy Head thou ha…t,
And Corke vnderunder thy feet;
Both these declare, though thou be faire,
Thee to be fond and fleet.
EPIG. 11. Faith.
MY Eyes ith' Skies the twinkling Starres,
The Pole, Opinion spyes:
So with mine Eye I view Heauen high;
My Faith, my God descryes.
EPIG. 13. Contempt of the World.
WOuldst Liue a Good-Life? then, this Life despise;
'T's a wretched Life this Life highly to Prize.
EPIG. 19. Knowledge, LoueLove.
TWo things there be, which I must Know ▪
And two things I must LoueLove;
God and My-selfe, God and my Friend,
These, Knowledge, LoueLove, approue.
EPIG. 21. Of God and the World.
GOd is not in this World, the World's in God:
We are ith' World, O, would we were in God
EPIG. 22. The right of First-fruits and Tithes.
GOd's Al…ha and Omega, therefore Hee
Must of thy Goods the Tithes and First-fruits, see.
EPIG. 50. Grauity, Leuity.
THough, Grossenes, Lightnes, cleane contrary bee,
A Light-Head, Grosse-Head, I'd not wish to Mee;
Both which are …ad▪ and such a Wife I hate,
A Light or Lewd, a Grosse or Grieuous Mate.
EPIG. 52. Schoole-Diuines.
WHat profits all thy Learned-Skill?
If Vertue thou neglect;
Leaue off to Search the Truth of Things,
And Good Things more affect.
EPIG. 58. Democritus, Heraclitus.
DEmocritus, Mens falls and faults,
In his Times, did Lament;
Hera…litus, Mens Foolishn…sse,
Did Laugh-at with Contempt:
And euer more such Wretches vile,
And Fooles will still remayne:
That, if they Liu'd, from Laughes and Teares,
They neuer could refraine.
EPIG. 60. Against Arrogant, Ignorant Linus.
A Two-fold Ignorance hath thee
O Linus, captiuated,
Thou Knowest Nought, yet Nought to Know,
Thou wilt not be Conceited.
EPIG. 65. Against a Couetous Niggard.
TO Count thy Coyne is nothing worth,
T' Encrease the Heape's as small;
As much to Multiply; Deuide;
Then I'le thee wealthy call.
EPIG. 67. Against the Writers of this Age.
WE Crop the To…s of others Crop,
Old-Writers Workes most rare:
The most of vsus which now doe write,
Old-Writers Eccho's are.
The Authours Desire. A Good-mans Desire. EPIG. 69.
WIth Wealth I wish-not Bags and Chests to stuffe
To…-much, Too-little's Ill; Enough's Enough.
EPIG. 78. Christs Life and Death.
MVch hath Christ Done and Much Endur'd,
All, for vn-worthy M…e,
His Passions shew'd Him to be Man,
His Actions, God to bee.
EPIG. 79. The Wise-Mens Starre.
A Starre to Math'mat…cks vnknowne,
At Christs Birth shining bright,
The Gent…le-Typing Wise-Men led
To Christ the Lord of Light:
This Heau'nly Guide di… w…th them …ide,
Till they found Christ their Ki…,
Heau'n grant I pray, Faith, my Starre, may,
Me also to Him bring.
EPIG. 83. Of the Deluge and Worlds-End.
THe crying Crimes of Noah… Times
For foule-Lust-burni…g LoueLove,
Were Drown'd & Drench't, that Heat wa… Quench't,
With Water from aboue:
This Freezing Age of Frosty LoueLove,
And Key-cold Charity,
Will in due Time, for this Cold Crime,
Make All with Fire to fry
By Compositions, thus Phisicians
Make Contraries to Cure,
And Heau'ns Phisician, Frost with Flames,
Water with Fire can Pure.
EPIG. 86. Of the Iust and vniust.
PLeasure, the Good; but Paine attends the Bad:
This frights th' Vniust; tother the Iust makes glad.
EPIG. 88. Our Redeemer.
WOrth Sight, but Thee, ith' World I nothing See,
And I am wise in nothing but in Thee;
My Sunne thou art, by Grace Shine in my Heart,
Thou, Thou, alone my Sole, Sweet Sauiour, art.
EPIG. 91. A Paradox.
TO Hell, though eueryevery wretched Atheist goes,
In Hell's no Atheist; there, He, Hell well knowes.
EPIG. 94. Difference betwixt a Good King and a Tyrant.
A Good-King marks what's godly, iust and right,
A Tyrant mindes his strict Command & Might;
I, Good-Kings Power preferre 'fore Tyrants Pray,
Th' Ones threates are treates, the Others Pay's, Decay.
EPIG. 95. Against a certaine —.
FOr Mad-men Bedlem; Bride well's for a Knaue,
Choose, wheth'r of these two, thou hadst rather hauehave.
EPIG. 98: Life-Bloud.
MOses the Life of All, ith' Bloud did place:
My Life, in Christs Bloud hath his onelyonly Grace.
EPIG. 100. Against a Foolish Writer.
THy Booke's aeternall (if such Bookes may bee)
Beginning none, nor End of it I see.
EPIG. 102. VponUpon the Death of Prince Henry. 1612.
DEad is that Prince, whom Dead we may lament,
With Flouds of Teares, till Teares last Drops bee spent,
Our Albions Hope, Glory of Britaines King,
Arts Prop, Warres Piller, Vertues hopefull Spring.
To whom none e're came neere, but his deare Brother,
Saue his sweet Sister, neuer such Another.
A Prince much Honour'd Liuing; Lou'd when Dead,
Hi… Nations Light, Delight, whiles Li…e Hee led.
Whiles I these things wich Teare-swolne eies sigh-out,
From both my Springs Teares gush-…orth all about.
Beleeue me (Reade…) if what's Griefe thou know,
Sighes stop my Speech; I weepe, Teares ouer-flow.
His Epitaph.
Herr… lyes (dry Eyes, reade not this Epitaph)
Kings, Queenes, Prince, Princesse, Peoples hopeful Staffe.
Omnis Gloria Deo debita.
FINIS.
To the Excellent Translatour of the EPIGRAMS of Master IOHN OWEN, Master IOHN VICARS.
OWen doth owe thee much, that thou hast so
Transplanted these his Plants, & made th…m grow
Within our Soyle: and we owe much to eyther,
T' Him that them set, to Thee that brought'st them hither.
Idem ad Lectorem.
Wouldst thou know where Wits Quintessence doth lye?
Read these few Leaues thou'lt see it by-and-by.
Nathaniel Hall, Gent.
End of the text · John Owen, Epigrams (1619)