Latin Epigrams Englished, Book 1
EPIGRAMS OF John Owen A CAMBRO-BRITAN. To Henry Prince of Wales. The First Book.
1. To Prince Henry.
IN Love, for Custome Books we Dedicate,
And I the Prince choose for my Principate.
2. To Mecaenas.
I for my Verses no Mecaenas look,
I want one for my self, not for my Book.
3. To Marcellus, A Lawyer.
Thou wert Paulinus Patient; for it
Let him thy Client be; Then are you quit.
4. To Henry, Prince of Wales.
Thy Breast, Brain, Reason, Head, Affections, Heart,
In thee with good Effects perform their Part:
Thy Wit thy Courage, Reason rules thy Sense;
Thine Head compleats thine Heart with Eminence.
Wales had three noble Princes, *Three Princes of Wales, surnamed Great.Great surnam'd,
And Thou, Great Prince, shalt be the fourth proclaim'd.
5. Mercury Gallo-Belgick.
Not ev'ry Tree will make a Mercury,
This Artist yet doth to't all Woods apply.
6. Orpheus.
Orpheus did fetch his Wife from Hell: But when
Fetch'd any Wife her Husband from that Den?
7. Academical Vests. To the Students of Oxford and Cambridge.
Why are you Students, and our Clergy clad
In black, their Vestments wearing fable, sad?
Is't that our Muses for Apollo mourn?
Or for Mecaenas closed in his Urn?
Mecaenas yet left Heirs: 'Tis true, some one
Heir of his Goods, but of his Goodness, none.
8. Wheter Peter were at Rome.
Whether at Rome Saint Peter ever were,
'Tis doubtful: doubtless Simon was, is there.
9. To Be and Have.
'Tis good to Be and Have, A Greek, I think,
Once said, an Alman added, and to drink.
10. To Ligurinus.
Arr'us thy Wife doth till, doth fill: The seed
He sow'd, but thine's what Harvest it doth breed.
11. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not steal, this Law's for Lawyers writ:
Thou shalt not kill, this for Physician's fit.
12. Of Alanus, A decocting Chymist.
This Chymist Gold to Not-Gold brought, in Fact:
But he from not-Gold could not Gold extract.
13. To the Prince.
Ones own be first: If not, let none decline
Anothers to be, while he may be thine.
14. To Richard Earl of Dorset returned from France.
The change of Air hath chang'd (which is most rare)
Thy Qualities and wit: both better'd arc.
More learn'd, more good thou now return'st: thy Fate
In both, great Earl, I do congratulate.
15. Nine
Muses,
Mutes.
When mute the Muses be, what odds (in fine)
Whether thou sayst nine Mutes, or Muses nine?
If th' Idiome the diff'rence constitutes,
What diff'rence 'twixt the Muses and the Mutes?
16. Honours
Etymologie.
Genealogie.
In Hebrew wealth's call'd Hon, in French, Gold, Or:
Hence Hon-or hath its name and Metaphor.
17. To Cornutus.
Pythagoras his Letter hath upon't
A Bipartite; That Letter's on thy front.
18. To Dindimus.
Of Salt a Bushel thou with me must eat
Thou sayst, to make our Amity compleat:
Thou never eatst, as I remember, Salt:
What, shall thy friendship then for ever halt?
119. A Cannical Woman.
A Woman's like a Rule that's general:
Which many times deceives, so women all.
20. Solomons wish.
Why did the wise King wisdome wish, not Health?
Had Solomo… been wise h' had wish'd for wealth?
But Solomon wish'd wiser, He did prize
Wisdome 'fore Wrath, … was not ….
21. What News?
Here's nothing, new saith Solomon; yet, bold
Columbus found a new World in our old.
22. A Trine of British women from whom came the British union.
(a)Henry the seventh.Henry's wife, Mother Roses red and white
(b)Margaret, the Wife to James the fourth King of Scots; Mother of the Union.Conjoyn'd, his Daughter did the Crowns Unite:
Happy, O Son, happy O Husband rather,
(c)James the First, Britains Monarch.Thrice happy Henry seventh as a Father.
23. Doron Basilicon. A Kingly Gift.
To thee the Wisdome's wish'd of Solomon:
Thy wish thou hast Doron Basilicon.
24. Blessed are
Munisicents.
Pacisicents.
King James the Britains state munites, unites:
Munificent, unificent he writes.
25. Of Gaurus, a Church-Canon.
Wisdome is read in Texts Apocryphal,
Thou, though unwise, art yet Canonical.
26. A Snayl: Emblematical.
Like Snayls are disagreeing Man and Wife:
One House will not contain them in their strife.
27. Christopher Columbus.
(a)The Dove.Columba was the first which did relate
That Land appear'd, and waters did abate:
And thou Columbus was the first, whose hand
Discover'd to the World the (b)America.New-found-Land.
This Gold, an Olive Branch that did produce,
That Pleasures, and this Treasures for mans use.
28. Against Regicides.
Cut off thy (a)Mat. 9.43.Right Hand, if it make thee sin:
Thy (b)v. 45.Foot likewise, if errours it walk in:
If that thy (c)v. 47.right Eye cause thee to transgress,
Then pull it out, what Member more or less
Is peccant in the Body, strike it dead:
Except, Divines and (d)Physicians.Doctors say, the Head.
29. A Gratulation. To George Arch-bishop of Canterbury, 1511.
At Oxford Rector, thence thou didst arise
A Dean, two Cities didst Episcopize:
Thou Londons Bishoprick soon hadst; and thee
The Metropolitan we soon did see:
Thou in the Triple Senate fitt'st on high:
What more remains for thee to doe? To die.*Litchueld and Coventry.
30. To Decianus, a Judge.
I would not have thee deaf, nor dumb, but blind:
Not lame, but maim'd; not cruel, nor too kind.
31. To Caesar, Caesars, to God, Gods.
All Pow'r on Earth, beginning hath and end:
God solely doth beyond them both extend:
Indefinite not infinite are Powers:
On Earth God's Infinite, but finite Ours.
32. Three Sabbaths.
Saturn, The Sun, and Venus in a Trine,
To th' Jews, Turks, Christians Sabbaths three design:
The Jews their Sabbath have: And they the same
From pale-fac'd-leaden colour'd Saturn name:
The Turk, whose Law permitteth many Wives,
His Sabbaths Name from Venus Name derives:
But Christians their Sabbath, on the Day
The Sun of Righteousness arose, display.
33. To David Murray, Knight, one of the Bed-chamber unto Prince Henry.
Kings Favours to their Favourites impart;
Wise Kings to those alone of best desert:
Our King in this excels: For, Favours he
Daigns sole to worthy men, to Thee, like Thee.
34. I can, will, will not.
Anomals.
I will, but cannot, what I can, I nill.
Mans total Life is only Nill, and will.
35. Patience.
The man that suffers, overcomes: But then
The suff'ring woman's overcome by men.
236. Of Genu-flexion, A Probleme.
When Honour is conferr'd, or Friend to Friend;
Why man but one Knee, Woman both doth bend?
Man once, but Woman twice must serve in Life:
While Maid, her Father: Husband, when a Wife.
37. To William Earl of Pembroke, one of the Kings privy Council.
Not old in years, nor young in Judgement sound,
The King, thee fit for him, -thy Countrey found;
Shall I for this thine Honour, praise thy Fate?
Or thy Desert? I both congratulate.
38. To the Bishop of London.
The learned King, of the Metropolis
Thee Pastor made: The City wish'd for this:
The See-seat vacant, many sought for it,
As their Reward for Learning and for Wit:
The King, th' Arch-bishop; thee the City call'd:
And thou the See-seat vocant art install'd.
39. Of rising and setting.
Remember at Sun-setting Death, thine Urn:
And at Sun-rising mind thy thence return.
40. To Peter Junius, a Scot-Britain, formerly Tutor to King James.
He's born unworthy, from whom none is born,
But thou thy birth, thy being dost adorn:
For seven from thy Loyns are issu'd forth,
Th' Idea's of thy Body, Wit and worth.
So many learn'd from thee their Father sprung
As Wise men did to learned Greece belong.
41. Of Gaurus.
Thou wise, and foolish art: Who credits it?
Wise in conceit, Foolish, for want of Wit.
42. S. T.
S T. though a note of silence, doth expound,
Without a Vowels help, a vocal sound.
43. The saying of Henry Earl of Northampton, Uni & Univoce.
One and OnelyOnly.
We Britans are univocal, serve one.
Only King James, uniting us alone.
44. Of Quintus a Dreamer.
Oft in the Morn I thee complaining heard
That in thy Dreams by Night no Truth appear'd:
What wonder? while by day thou speakst but lye…,
That all thy Dreams by Night are falsities?
45. To Robert Carre of the Kings Council, &c.
The vulgar seldome love whom Kings prefer,
The King as seldom loves the popular:
'Tis difficult to purchase both their Loves;
Thy Motion's double, for with both it moves.
46. Of a certain Hypocrite.
Thy left hand knows not what thy right hand gives:
True: For it gives to none, nor one relieves.
47. The death of Justus Lipsius, 1606.
The seventi'th and sixth year of thine Age
Finish'd (oh Grief) thine Earthly Pilgrimage:
That Day brought first mine Epigrams to Light,
When thon didst die, my morning was thy night.
48. Sir Thomas Overbury's ingenious Poeme of a Compleat Wife.
Thou dost describe a Wife in such a dress
As Tully doth an Orator express:
And if to such a wife thou wedded wert,
She would be far too short of thy desert.
49. Conferring Benefits.
Good done t' a Child is lost, at least forgot:
Good done t' an old man, is as good as not.
50. Ambiguous Right.
Physicians and Lawyers expert are,
These for our wealth, those for our Health take care.
These to the Clients their just Portion give,
With just proportion those the sick relieve:
Dost ask what difference is between their Notions?
These arid Portions give, those liquid Potions.
51. To Prince Henry, born the nineteenth of February, 1594. (a)The Numbers of the Figure 1549. by Arithmetical Addition are reduced to the Golden Number (viz.) 19. v. g. 1.5.9. and 4. put together make 19.(good or) Golden luck, 1612. 19. Jun.
Thou hast attain'd thy Nineteenth year of Age,
The (b)19.Golden Number doth much good presage:
And this a Golden year (if I not err)
(c)A Golden verse.Will Honour, Gold, and Good on thee conferr.
52. To the King.
Noah, who liv'd before the Flood, and since,
Di'd in his Nineteenth Jubily: Great Prince,
Might my Vote pass, thou shalt our (a)A King before and after the Union of Britain.Noah be:
Likes ages, as he Jubilies, to see.
53. On a Certain Miser.
I praise thy Tongue, but not thine Hand: None knows
To promise more than thou, none less bestows.
54. Of Thomas More formerly Chancellour of England.
To Thomas Baron of Elesmere Chancellour of England.
Integrity of Life, sweet Eloquence,
Rare Wit advanc'd More to more Eminence.
And thee, thy Wisdome, Candor, grave Aspect
Makes Eminent, sublim'd from Vulgar Sect.
Thy Life with such Integrity, so led,
Proves thee to More more like; but that he's dead.
And thou to More shalt be more like in all,
Except his fatal end, and final fall.
55. Natura Brevium.
Praise of Brevity.
To the Reader.
Some praise prolixe Polysticks, I affect
Short Disticks, Dwarf-like, a short dialect:
Not sole in Epigrams, but in what sort
Of Things soe're, What's Neat, Good, Sweet, is short.
56.
Thou shalt marry a Wife, and another shall sleep with her.
Deut. 28.
This Scripture is in these our Days compleat,
One weds a wife, another doth her treat.
57. The Original of Britains union.
British Ile Mona, Monads (a)Owen Theodore, Grand-father to Henry the seventh-by the Father.Author bare:
Rare Daughter Monas, (b)In English call'd Anglesley, in British Mon.Mona Parent rare.
58. To the learned King James.
To b' a good Poet's rare, if understood:
As rare a thing, a man to be that's good:
But a good King is a transcendent thing:
Yet thou good Poet art, good man, good King.
59. Of Cotta.
Saint Paul's Rule Cotta keeps t' his wife: He's one▪
That hath a Wife, and is as if h' had none.
60. As well to Mars, as Mercury.
Neptune to Bacchus, Mars t' Apollo joyn,
Art calmeth Rage as Water cooleth Wine.
61. To John Harington, Knight.
Nobility, Wit, Vertue, these in thee
Strive for Precedence: Honourable three.
These noting to speak Truth why should I fear:
Of youths in Court thy Peer doth scarce appear.
62. The Lottery: in French, (a)Every thing is to be nam'd from the major Part.the Blank.
Here mourn the White, the Black rejoyce; Yet this
Black colour proper more for mourning is.
Why gains the Black? the White the while doth lack?
Is't for that Dis give Wealth? And Dis is black.
63. To G. R. A Batchelour.
A Wife is good, a good Wife better; best
No Wife; I wish thee this; me that, at least.
64. On trifling Cotta.
In serious things thou trislest seriously;
Thy folly's serious, thy Wit's laid by.
65. On Paetus.
Thy Front hath Horns: 'Tis ask'd who fix'd them there?
An Author gave them, write; what-ere he were.
Write, Authors gave them; On the Moon-like front,
There must be two that fix'd those Horns upon't.
66. Deltoton, Or the Letter D.
Rocks to mans Life three Deltaes are; these be
(a)Riches.Dives, Delights and Devils: Deltaes three.
67. The Gallows: To P. L.
A Robber's End's a Rope; Death circles it.
And Ropes for Thieves I think are Robes most sit:
But many scape: 'Tis true: some have some scope:
Yet commonly a Robber's End's a Rope.
68. Of Womens Wit. A Probleme.
Why is a woman, than a Man, less wise?
Because Eve from mans Rib, not Head did rise.
69. Minerva, Evah.
Minerva, Joves Brains issue, wedded none:
But Eve was wedded, born from Adams Bone.
70. Of Helius.
Lawyers grow rich by Clients, at Debate:
Thus Helius hath gain'd a vast Estate.
71. The State of Britains Union.
To the King.
This Ile, Elisa raigning, was like Wool,
By thee spun, Henry will make't Cloth in full.
72. Whether Bacchus be a God? To Germanus.
Seest not when drunk with Wine, that Bacchus shakes
Thine Head above, thy low Feet lofty makes?
He raising humble Feet, Heads list on high
Dejecting, proves himself a Deity.
73. To Sir Thomas Chaloner Chamberlain to Prince Henry.
Thee from thy youth endow'd with noble Arts,
Advanc'd by Caesar for thine able Parts,
Thee who to thy poor friends a friend dost prove,
Not, as so great, but, as so good, I love.
74. I love, a Passive; I am loved, an Active Voyce.
Who loves, doth serve: Who's lov'd doth bear the sway;
This Active is, that Passive; must obey.
75. On Julius, a pretended Monk.
Not in the World is Julius; but rather
The World's in him: This from his Life I gather.
76. Priest and People.
Priests pray for People, for Priests People toil:
Those praying, these are ploughing all the while.
77. On Pope Julius 2.
Behold two Swords said Peter, arm'd with Sword:
Behold two Keys O Peter, said his Lord.
Peter left Sword, and did the Keys receive,
But thou dost take the Sword, the Keys dost leave.
78. Like to like.
Females deformed though, find Males by kind.
And knavish Dav…s will a Master find.
79. Know thy Self.
Wouldst know thy Self? Then Nature joyn to Grace,
This shews the Souls, and that the Bodies Face.
80. Death's Equity.
Rivers from Rivers differ; Man from Man:
While Men in Life, Rivers in Channels ran.
Ingulph'd in Seas, all Rivers have like Tast:
So Death doth all men equal make at last.
To Thomas Button, 1612.
From Britain, almost all the World apart;
I wish fair Gales, thou sailing Westward art.
Seek, thou shalt find the great Seas Mysteries;
Prince Henry's way's found by the Destinies.
82. On Gellia, painted.
Thy Picture is not like thee: But 'tis plain
Thou like thy picture art, as vile, as vain.
83. Conjurers contest.
In Magick Art the Conjurers contest,
Scottus Parmensis did excel the rest:
He with the Devil had a contract made,
Who knew most, could do most in that black trade:
Like as chief servants in the Courts of Kings,
Under great Masters can perform great things.
84. Of Ruffus, An Hypocrite.
Thou sayst that Ignorance makes men devout:
Thou then shalt be the chief of all that Rout.
85. To the English. A Probleme.
Wherefore do Spanish, French, Italian
Sleight Wives? They reckon Women not *Hommes, Femmes: Hombres, Mugeres: Huomini, Donne.Humane.
86. To Cinna, A Physician.
Thou cur'st Diseases, How? Thou kill'st the Sick:
And what thou dost (like Judas) thou dost quick:
Thy Patient is blest: Thou wilt not wrong
His Patience, to let him languish long.
87. We have one Advocate in Heaven.
One Advocate we have in Heav'n, saith Paul;
Are no more Advocates within that Hall?
88. To one young in years, old in manners.
Why doth the Gout, which doth unt' age belong,
Thee vex, A Souldier, Scholar, and so young?
The Gout mistook, it saw thee grave and sage,
And took thee for an old man, ful… of age.
89. Anger is a short fury.
Though wrath be short, 'tis not for fury sit:
If furious, 'tis fit to shorten it.
90. To Henry Good-yeer, Knight, Kal. Jan. 1610.
What new-years Gift shall I present to thee?
I wish, (a)A good year.thy Name thou many years mayst see.
91. Love Active and Passive. To Pontia.
Wilt know what differs I'm lov'd, from I love?
That, I suppose: My knowledge this doth prove.
92. To the Prince.
My dreams by night are much of Royal Gold,
But in the morning there's no Gold, all's cold.
If thou, O Prince, wilt with thine Hand assist,
I shall have Real Gold, not in a Mist.
93. Arithmetical Division. To J. S. Merchant. 1607.
Though living thou give nothing to thy Friends,
The total Sum at Death in nothing Ends.
94. The Court Louse.
The pratling Parasite, through all the court,
To Grandees Chambers make their most resort:
So this vile Beast the Louse doth ost infest
Mens Bodies, but their Heads above the rest.
95. Aesculapius Three-fac'd.
The Physick Doctor seems three-fac'd to be
Unto the Sick; God, Man, and Devil's he:
In giving Physick, he doth seem a Man:
If the disease be cur'd a God he's than.
If Health's restor'd, and the disease destroy'd:
When Doctor comes for Fees, Satan avoid.
96. Of Galatea.
The Stag, 'tis said, his Horns doth yearly mew:
Thine Husband daily doth his Horns renew.
97. Waters and Earths Epithalamy.
All generated are in Earth and Water:
Both these God hath united, former, later:
That nothing to Man-kind unkind should prove,
Th' Earth lieth under, Water flows above.
Earth's waters Wife, Both one Globe constitute,
And well concurr, Humor doth (a)The Ground.Hume salute.
98. Of the same.
Why Water, which flows round, doth slow from th' Earth?
'Cause Thirst this should not suffer, nor that Dearth.
99. Death's in the Pot. To Court Criticks.
Is Death i' th' Pot, or Port (that is) in (a)With the antient Latines Olla and Aula signifie the same.Court?
For Plautus saith, Pot, Court the same import.
100. The Deluge. A double Probleme.
Why saith the (a)So sound as a Fish.Proverb, As a Fish so sound?
Fish sole was sav'd when all the World was drown'd.
All drown'd, why were the Fish from drowning freed?
Because the Mother would preserve her breed.
101. A Cole of Wood.
Born in the Fire, and perishing thereby:
Woods spoiling, I deserve by Fire to die.
102. Of Gellia.
Thou from thy youth a Papist wert: But now
Worse Papist art; How? Catholick art thou.
103. Of Aulus.
As ost as Sickness casts thee on thy Bed,
Or hollow Tooth doth ake; or stupid Head:
O would I were in Heaven from this smart,
Thou sayst: Thine Heir saith, O would thou wert.
104. A Woman, what Creature.
Virgins untouch'd want sense, and Husbands grant
To them their sense, but then they Reason want.
105. Reason and Oratory.
Rhet'rick's the Palm, and Dialect's the fist:
This Combats, that Triumphs within the List.
106. Testicles.
To signifie the Sex? or is our Name
Call'd Testicles, t' attest thy Sin-thy Shame?
107. Upon the Death of Hen. Cuff, 1600.
Learn'd well in Greek, happy thine Alpha was,
But thine Omega hapless prov'd; Alas.
108. Of Festus.
Wilt marry now th' art old? If thou b… wise
With Lillies learned Grammer first advise:
There indeclinable the Horn thou'lt find;
Old men have seldome that hard Rock declin'd.
109. Sir Thomas Moore.
Imprison'd Moore, to guess what would befall,
Inspects his Urne in an Urinall:
He saw no signs of Death: But had he seen
The Kings, the signs there of his death had been.
110. Of Cornelius.
Thou knowst Th' art Horn'd, tacite Cornelius:
Now thou shalt be Cornelius Tacitus.
A Tripple Lie
Vented,
Invented,
Painted.
111. On Tullus.
Carvers invent, the painters paint a Lie,
Who vents it? Thou. Thou dost adventure high.
The End of the First Book.