Nuptial Poems, Part 2 – Epigrams
EPITHALAMION.
VALENTINE, good morrow to thee,The Mariage being on Saint Valentines day the author showes it by beginning with the salutation of a supposed Valentine.
Good I wish, though none I doe thee:
I would waite vponupon thy pleasure,
But I cannot be at leasure.
For I owe this day, as debter,
To (a thousand times) thy better,
Hymen now will hauehave effected
What hath been so long expected:
Thame thy Mistris, now vnwedded;
Soone must with a Prince be bedded.
If thou'lt see her Virgin euer,
Come, and do it now, or neuer.
Where art thou, oh faire Aurora?
Call in Uer and Lady Flora.
And you daughters of the Morning,
In your neat'st, and feat'st, adorning:
Cleare your fore-heads, and be sprightfull;
That this day may seeme delightfull.
All you Nimphs, that vse the Mountaines,
Or delight in groues, and fountaines;
Shepheardesses, you that dally,
Either vponupon Hill or vally;
And you daughters of the Bower,
That acknowledge Vestaes power.
Oh you sleep too long; awake yee,
See how Time doth ouertake yee:
Hark, the Lark is vp and singeth,
And the house, with ecchoes ringeth.
Pretious howers, why neglect yee,
Whil'st affaires, thus expect yee?
Come away, vponupon my blessing,
The bride-chamber, lies to dressing:
Strow the waies, with leaues of Roses,
Some make garlands, some make poses,
T'is a fauor and't may ioy you▪
That your Mistris will employ you.
Where's *Scuerne.Sabrina, with her daughters;
That do sport about her waters;
Those that with their locks of Amber,* Wales.
Haunt the fruitfull hills of Camber;
We must hauehave to fill the number;
All the Nimphs of Trent and Humber.
Fie; your hast, is scarce sufficing,
For the Bride's awake and rising.
Enter beauties, and attend her:
All your helps▪ and seruice lend her.
With your quaint'st, and new'st deuises:
Trim your Lady, faire Thamisis.
See shee's ready: with Ioyes greet her,
Lads, go bid the Brid-groome meet her.
But from rash approach aduise him,
Least a too much Ioy surprize him.
None I ere knew yet, that dared:
View an Angell, vnprepared.
Now vntounto the Church she hies her,
Enuy bursts, if shee espies her.
In her gestures, as she paces,
Are vnited all the Graces:
Which who sees and hath his senses,
Loues, inspight of all defences.
Oh most true maiestick creature.
Nobles did you note her feature
Felt you not an inward motion,
Tempting LoueLove to yeeld deuotion▪
And as you were eu'n desiring.
Something check you, for aspiring▪
That's hir Ueriue which still tameth
Loose desires: and bad thoughts blameth.
For whilst others were vnruly,
She obseru'd Diana truly:
And hath by that meanes, obteyned,
Guifts of her that none hauehave gained.
Yon's the Bridgrome d'yee not spy him?
See how all the Ladies eye him.
Venus his perfection findeth,
And no more Adonis mindeth:
Much of him my Hart deuineth:
On whose brow all Vertue shineth.
Two such Creatures Nature would not,
Let one place long keep: she should not:
One shee'le hauehave, (she cares not whether)
But our Loues can spare her neither.
Therefore ere we'le so be spighted;
They in one shall be vnited.
Natures selfe, is well contented,
By that meanes, to be preuented.
And behold, they are retired,
So conioyn'd, as we desired:
Hand in hand, not only fixed,
But their harts, are intermixed.
Happy they, and we that see it,
For the good of Europe be it.
And heare Heauen my deuotion,
Make this Rhyne and Thame an Ocean:Tyber is the Riuer which runneth by Rome.
That it may with might and wonder,
Whelme the pride of * Tyber vnderunder.
Now yon * Hall their persons shroudeth,Whithall.
Whither all this people crowdeth.
There they feasted are with plentie,
Sweet Ambrosia is no deinty.
Groomes quaff Nectar: for theres meeter,
Yea more costly wines, and sweeter.
Young men all, for ioy go ring yee,
And your merriest Carolls sing yee.
Here's of Dam'zells many choices,
Let them tune their sweetest voices.
Fet the Muses too, to cheare them:
They can rauish, all that heare them.
Ladyes, t'is their Highnesse pleasures,
For to see you, foot the Measures:
Louely gestures addeth graces,
To your bright, and Angell faces.
GiueGive your actiue minds the bridle:
Nothing worse, then to be…dle.
UUorthies, your affaires forbeare yee,
For the State a while may spare yee:
Time was; that you loued sporting,
HaueHave you quite forgot your Courting?
Ioy the hart of Cares be guileth:
Once a yeare Apollo smileth.Simel. in anno ridet Appol.
Fellow shepheards, how I pray you,
Can your flocks at this time stay you?
Let vsus, also hie vsus thither,
Lets lay all our witts together.
And some Pastorall inuent them,
For to show the louelove we ment them.
I my selfe though meanest stated,
(And in Court now almost hated)
Will knit vp my *Abuses strip and whipt.Scourge, and venter
In the midst of them to enter:
For I know, ther's no disdaining,
Where I looke for entertaining.
See, me thinks the very season,He noteth the mildnesse of the winter which excepting that the beginning was very windy, was as temperate as the spring.
As if capable of Reason;
Hath laine by her natiue rigor,
The faire Sunbeames hauehave more vigor.
They are Aeols most endeared:
For the Ayre's stilld, and cleared.
Fawnes, and lambs, and kidds do play,
In the honor of this day.
The shrill Blacke-bird, and the Thrushe
Hops about in eueryevery bush:
And among the tender twiggs,
Chaunt their sweet harmonious ijgs.
Yea, and mou'd by this example,Most men are of opinion that this day eueryevery byrd doth chuse her mate for that yeare.
They doe make each Groue a temple:
Where their time the best way vsing,
They their Summer loues are chusing.
And vnles some Churle do wrong them.
There's not an od bird, among them.
Yet I heard as I was walking,
Groues and hills by Ecchoes talking.
Reeds, vntounto the small brooks whistling;
Whilst they danc't, with pretty rushling.
Then for vsus, to sleep twere pitty:
Since dumb creatures are so witty.
But oh Titan, thou dost dally,
Hie thee to thy Uesterne vally.
Let this night one hower borrow;
Shee shall pay't againe, to morrow.
And if thou'lt that fauor do them,
Send thy sister Phaebe to them.
But shee's come, her selfe vnasked:By these he meanes the 2. Masques, one of them being presented by the Lords, the other by the Gentry.
And brings * Gods and Heroes masked.
None yet saw, or heard in story,
Such immortall, mortall glorie.
View not, without preparation:
Least you faint, in admiration.
Say my Lords, and speak truth barely,
Mou'd they not exceeding rarely?
Did they not such praises merit,
As if flesh had all bin spirit?
True indeed, yet I must tell them,
There was One did far excell them.
But (alas) this is ill dealing,
Night vnwares away is stealing.
Their delay, the poore bed wrongeth,
That for Bride, with Bride groome longeth:
And aboue all other places,
Must be blest, with their embraces.
Reuellers, then now forbeare yee,
And vntounto your rests prepare yee▪
Let's a while your absence borrow,
Sleep to night, and dance to morrow.
We could well allow your Courting,
But twill hinder, better sporting.
They are gone; and Night all lonely,
Leaues the Bride with Bridegroome only.
Muse now tell; (for thou hast power
For to fly thorough wall or tower.)
VVhat contentments their harts cheareth;
And how louely shee appeareth.
And yet do not; tell it no man.
Rare conceits may so grow common;
Do not to the Vulgar show them,
(T'is enough that thou dost know them.)
Their ill harts, are but the Center,
Where all misconceauings enter.
But thou Luna that dost lightly,
Haunt our downes and forrests nightly.
Thou that fauor'st generation,
And art help, to procreation:
See their yssue thou so cherish,
I may liue, to see it flourish.
And you Planets in whose power,
Doth consist, these liues of our;
You that teach vsus Diuinations,
Help with all your Constellations:
For to frame in Her a creature,
Blest in Fortune, witt, and Feature.
Lastly; oh you Angells ward them,
Set your sacred Spels to gard them:
Chase away such feares, or terrors,
As not being; seeme through errors.
Yea let not a dreames molesting,
Make them start, when they are resting.
But THOV chiefly; most adored;
That shouldst only, be implored.
Thou to whom my meaning tendeth,
Whether er'e in show, it bendeth:
Let them rest to night from sorrow
And awake with ioy to morrow.
Oh, to my request be heedfull,
Grant them that, and al things needful.
Let not these, my straines of Folly,
Make true prayer be vnholy,
But, if I hauehave here offended:
Help, forgiue, and see it mended.
Daigne me this. And if my Muses
Hastie issue, shee peruses;
Make it vntounto her seeme gratefull,
Though to all the VVorld els, hateful.
But how er'e, yet Soule perseuer,
Thus to wish her good, for euer.
THus ends the Day, together with my Song;
Oh; may the Ioyes thereof continue long.
Let Heauens iust, all-seeing, sacred power;
Fauor this happie Iubile, of your:
And blesse you, in your chast embraces so,
We Britans, may behold before you goe.
The hopefull Issue, we shall count so deare
And whom, (vnborne) his foes already feare.
Yea I desire, that all your sorrowes may;
Neuer be more, then they hauehave been to day,
Which hoping; For acceptance now I sue,
And humbly, bid your Grace, and Court adue.
I saw the sight, I came for; which I know,
Was more then all, then world beside could show.
But if amongst Apolloes Layes you can,
Be pleasd, to lend a gentle eare to Pan:
Or thinke your Country Shepheard, loues as deare,
As if he were a Courtier, or a Peere:
Then I, that els must to my Cell of paine,
Will ioyfull, tnrne vntounto my flocke againe.
And there, vntounto my fellow sheapheards tell,
Why you are lou'd; wherein you doe excell:
And when we driue our flocks a field to graze them,
So chaunt your praises, that it shall amaze them:
And thinke that Fate, hath now recald from death,
Their still-lamented, sweet Elizabeth.
For though they see the Court, but now and then
They know desert as well as Greater men:
And honord Fame, in them doth liue or die;
As well, as in the mouth of Maiesty.
But taking granted, what I here intreat:
At heauen for you, my deuotions beat,
And though I feare, fate will not suffer me,
To do you seruice, where your Fortunes be:
How ere my skill, hath yet despised seem'd,
(And my vnripened wit, been misesteem'd.)
When all this costly Showe, away shall flit,
And not one liue, that doth remember it:
If Enuies trouble, let not to perseuer;
Ile find a meanes, to make it knowne for euer.
CERTAINE EPIGRAMMES CONCERNING MARIAGE.
Epigram 1.
TIs said; in Marriage aboue all the rest
The children of a King find comforts least,
Because without respect of LoueLove, or Hate
They must, and oft be, ruled by the State:
But if contented LoueLove; Religions care;
Equalitie in State, and yeares declare
A happie Match (as I suppose no lesse)
Then rare, and great's Elizaes Happinesse.
Epigram 2.
GOd was the first that Marriage did ordaine,
By making One, two; and two, One againe.
Epigram 3.
SOuldier; of thee I aske, for thou canst best,
Hauing knowne sorrow, iudge of Ioy and Rest.
What greater blisse, then after all thy harmes,
To hauehave a wife that's faire, and lawfull thine:
And lying prison'd twix't her luory armes;
There tell, what thou hast scapt by powers diuine?
How many, round thee, thou hast murthered seene;
How oft thy soule hath been neere hand expiring,
How many times thy flesh hath wounded beene:
Whilst she thy fortune, and thy worth admiring,
With ioy of health; and pitie of thy paine;
Doth weepe, and kisse, and kisse, and weepe againe.
Epigram 4.
FAire Helen hauing stain'd her husbands bed,
And mortall hatred twix't two Kingdomes bred,
Had still remaining in her; so much good
That Heroes, for her, lost their dearest blood:
Then; if with all that ill, such worth may last,
Oh what is she worth, that's as faire and chast!
Epigram 5.
OLd Orpheus, knew a good wiues worth so well,
That when his di'd, he followed her to hell:
And for her losse, at the Elizean Groue,
He did not onelyonly Ghosts, to pitie moue:
But the sad Poet breath'd his sighes so deepe;
T'is said the Diuels could not chuse but weepe.
Epigram 6.
LOng did I wonder, and I wondred much,
Romes Church should from her Clergie take that due,
Thought I why should she that contentment grutch?
What, doth shee all with continence indue?
Noe; but why then are they debar'd that state?
Is shee become a foe vntounto her owne?
Doth shee the membèrs of her bodie hate?
Or is it for some other cause vnshowne?
Oh yes; they find a womans lips so daintie;
They tie themselues from one; cause theile hauehave twenty.
Epigram 7.
WOmen, as some men say, vnconstant be,
Perhaps a few; and so no doubt are men:
Nay if their scapes, we could so plainely see,
I feare, that soarce there will be one, for ten.
Men, hauehave but their owne lusts that tempt to ill;
Women hauehave lusts, and mens allurements to:
Alas, if their strengths cannot curbe their will;
What should poore women, that are weaker do?
Oh they had need, be chast, and looke about them,
That striue 'gainst lust within, and knaues without them.
End of the text · George Wither, Nuptial Poems (1612)