Emblems Ancient and Modern, Poem
A PREPOSITION to this FRONTISPIECE.
THis BOOKE contayning EMBLEMS, 'twas thought fit,
A Title-page ſhould ſtand to uſher it,
That's Emblematicall: And, for that end,
Our AVTHOR, to the Graver did commend
A plaine Invention; that it might be wrought,
According as his Fancie had forethought.
Inſteed thereof, the Workeman brought to light,
What, here, you ſee; therein, miſtaking quite
The true Deſigne: And, ſo (with paines, and coſt)
The firſt intended FRONTISPIECE, is loſt.
The AVTHOR, was as much diſpleas'd, as Hee
In ſuch Adventures, is inclin'd to bee;
And, halfe reſolv'd, to caſt this PIECE aſide,
As nothing worth: but, having better ey'd
Thoſe Errors, and Confuſions, which may, there,
Blame-worthy (at the firſt aſpect) appeare;
Hee ſaw, they fitted many Fantaſies
Much better, then what Reaſon can deviſe;
And, that, the Graver (by meere Chance) had hit
On what, ſo much tranſcends the reach of Wit,
As made it ſeeme, an Object of Delight,
To looke on what, MISFORTVNE brought to light:
And, here it ſtands, to try his Wit, who liſts
To pumpe the ſecrets, out of Cabaliſts.
If any thinke this Page will, now, declare
The meaning of thoſe Figures, which are there,
They are deceiv'd. For, Deſtinie denyes
The utt'ring of ſuch hidden Myſteries,
In theſe reſpects: Firſt, This contayneth nought
Which (in a proper ſenſe) concerneth, ought,
The preſent-Age: Moreover, tis ordain'd,
That, none muſt know the Secrecies contain'd
Within this PIECE; but, they who are ſo wiſe
To finde them out, by their owne prudencies;
And, hee that can unriddle them, to us,
Shall ſtiled be, the ſecond OEDIPVS.
Tis, likewiſe, thought expedient, now and then,
To make ſome Worke, for thoſe All-knowing men,
(To exerciſe upon) who thinke they ſee
The ſecret-meanings, of all things that bee.
And, laſtly, ſince we finde, that, ſome there are,
Who beſt affect Inuentions, which appeare
Beyond their underſtandings; This, we knew
A Repreſentment, worthy of their view;
And, here, wee placed it, to be, to theſe,
A FRONTISPIECE, in any ſenſe they pleaſe.
A COLLECTION OF EMBLEMES, ANCIENT AND MODERNE: Quickened VVith METRICALL ILLVSTRATIONS, both Morall and Divine: And diſpoſed into LOTTERIES,
That Jnſtruction, and Good Counſell, may bee furthered by an Honeſt and Pleaſant Recreation.
By GEORGE WITHER.
The Firſt Booke.
LONDON, Printed by A.M. for Iohn Griſmond, and are to be ſold at the ſigne of the Gunne in Ivie-Lane. MDCXXXV.
REcenſui hoc Poëma, cui titulus eſt (A Collection and Illuſtration of Emblems Ancient and Moderne) in quo nihil reperio, quò minus cum utilitate imprimatur, ita tamen, ut ſi non intra ſeptem menſes proximé ſequentes Typis mandetur, haec licentia ſit omninò irrita.
GVIL. BRAY. Ex aedibus Lambithanis Iul. 2. 1634.