Latin Epigrams Englished, Book 2
THE SECOND BOOK OF JOH. OWENS Epigrams. To Prince Henry.
1. To Henry Prince of Wales.
GOD grant thee will the best, the Truth to know:
Who gave these gifts can *It is good to be Great, better to be Learned, best to be Good.greatest Gifts bestow.
2. To James of Great Britain, &c.
King, the Best-Greatest.
Tyrants are fear'd of all, fear all: Nor wants
Their fearing force, fearful concomitants:
No need for thee (O thou great King of Kings,
Best King) to fear such formidable things.
3. Hysteron Proteron.
In English… The Cart before the Horse.
Cambridge and Oxford, words so plac'd in force
Are like to these, The Cart before the Horse.
4. On a decrepit Husband of a third Wife.
First Clotho, Lachesis thy second wife,
Thy third wife Atropos cuts off thy life.
5. Love.
Imprison'd-Liberty, Peace-war, sweet-sowre,
Hope-fear, Gall-honey, Love doth laugh and lowre.
6. Minos.
A Judge, who to be Just, on Bribes doth look,
Is like a Fish, which while it takes, is took.
7. Doubtfulness.
Both I suspect, know neither, ready either
To credit: Phoebus he can tell me whether.
8. To the Princes Secretary.
Honours mens former Manners' change in Fine;
'Tis the worlds course, but 'tis no course of thine:
Thou changed dost not change: 'Tis strange to see
Some follow fortune, but she follows thee.
9. To Thomas Puckeringe, Knight and Baronet.
Dear Thomas, if to speak such things be fit,
I first did exercise thy noble Wit:
I thy first Tutor was, thou Pupil mine:
I am not what I was, but still am thine.
10. Three Draughts.
First draught thirst past, present the next abates.
And the third future thirst anticipates.
11. A double Riddle.
Tell me t' her Mother that was spous'd what (a)Eve.woma…
Her (b)Adam.Mother being Man: Her (c)Go…Father no Man?
12. Of Faith.
A five-fold Anagram.
True Faith is sure, no Schismatick, nor Greek,
Nor Creete, whose Faith is fleeting, or to seek,
13. To Sir Edward Cooke, Knight, a learned Lawyer, Judge, &c.
The Laws of Nature, Nature of the Laws
Thou knowst, thou judgest Clients and their cause:
Thine Answers, (our Apollo) are more clear
Than th' Oracles, that were at Delphos, were.
Thou cutt'st off present strifes, dost countermand
The future: Those with Tongue, and these with hand.
14. A Mathematical Instrument vulgarly call'd a Jacobs Staff.
To the Mathematician.
Take Jacob's Staff, his (a)Jacob's Ladder, Gen. 28.13.Ladder give to me,
I more by this, than thou by that, shall see.
15. Earth's Scituation.
Th' Earth ever stands, if Solomon we credit:
If Naso, then it sits, for Naso said it.
Sitting, it weary would be quaking found,
If standing fall'n: What then? it lieth round.
16. To Henry Davers, Baron of Dantesay.
Thy Valour, Fortune; Prudence conquers Chance:
Thine Hopes above vile-servile fear advance:
Thee Fortune follows, fellows; Prudence leads;
None but th' Almighties Arm, thine Armour dreads:
March on, where e're the King thee calls; Thee guide
Leading, or serving conquest's on thy side.
17. Death's Epitaph.
To the Death of Death.
The cross flew Death, no more from Death to rise:
Thy Death was Death's, thy Cross his Obsequies.
18. Of the Pope, and Luther.
The Pope, indulgent Father, frees, for fees,
Mens Souls, with indulgencies, from the Lees
Of Purgatory: But more Indulgence
Luther doth grant; He Souls exempts from thence.
19. Of God and Man.
God is the Word, and with his Word made all,
We Men make Words, and like our Words do fall.
20. To Sir George Carew, Knight, Master of the Pupills, 1612. Jun. 13.
The King Commending Pupills to thy care,
He doth his care of thy deserts declare.
21. Of fasting.
Why keeps the Pope so many fasts i' th' year?
'Cause Peters successor he might appear.
22. A New Metamorphosis.
A loving Man and Wife make up one Man.
Which four feet hath, that with two Feet began.
23. Of Anonyma.
Thou Fabians nerve inflamed hast: Now he
May truly say, I …urn with love of thee.
24. Good from the Dung.
The Scavenger from Dung doth Gold extract:
The like Physicians and Rusticks act.
25. To Face no Trust.
The Wives offence i' th' Husbands front is writ;
Yet Man for Pen, Woman for Paper's fit.
26. To Will. Ravenscroft, J. C.
A Batchelor.
In single Life leading a Life divine,
What few can be thou canst be, solely thine:
Thy Friends and kindred are as Sons to thee:
While I thy Kinsman or thy Friend may be.
27. History of this time.
Th' old Law for History was this, none might-
Nor dar'd untruth, nor fear'd the truth to write:
But Hist'ries now-new Law doth th' old oppose,
None fears untruth, nor dares the truth disclose,
28. A fair Dowry.
I like a naked Beauty, but not bare:
I would, that matter, with the form should square.
29. A Gallick Virgin.
Gallick virginity belongs t' a Child,
For in their Speech (a)Pucelle, that is a little one, the Fre… call Virgin.a Child's a Virgin stil'd.
An English Virgin.
…est English with French words should near assent,
…latonick men are by our Virgins meant.
30. Upon a new Noble-man.
Thy Mother spun, thy Father fish'd with nets:
…hence thy Descent from a long Line thou get'st.
31. Penelope's Riddle to her Suitors.
…here is *Osculum, a Kiss, Os, the Mouth, Culus, the Posteriors.a thing, my Verse dares scarcely name,
Thou would'st I should on thee bestow the same;
The former Syllable's mine husbands due;
Take thou, I am not hard, those other two.
32. Bias.
Who said, that all that's mine, with me I carry,
…ias, the wise, It seems did never marry.
33. Chrysostome in Greek by H. S. exactly set forth at Eaton.
To H. S. 1612.
Good-godly Chrysostome liv'd in the flesh;
…n Spirit, now deceas'd, he lives afresh.
He lives in's Books: First life was Natures Fee,
The next to God, the third is due to thee.
34. The Philosophers Wife.
Vulcan fair Venus, Jove did Juno wed,
But chast Minerva was not married;
Why so? She, wisest of the Deities,
Would wed no man, why? because no Man's wise.
35. (a)Omni homini soli et semper.Propria quarto modo.
He falsly spake, who said that Thais was common;
Each, every man hath singly Thais, as Woman.
36. A pair of Fools.
Claud'us like (a)Mule comes from a He-Ass and a Mare.Mule, Gorgon like (b)A little Mule comes from an Horse and a Shee-Ass.Hin, is slow,
Both for their dulness to their Parents owe.
37. To Edward Sack-ville, the Earl of Dorsets only Brother returned from France.
Nature thy prudent Mother gave thee Wit,
Experience abroad improved it.
From Sirens Songs, and Circes charms th' art come
More sage, though with more age, unto thine Home.
38. Of Jealousie. English-French-Italian.
Why do th' Italians, in more grievous sort
Than French or English, take their Wives stoln sport?
Beast's worse than Bird; Th' Italians wife's loose smile.
Him (a)Becco Cornuto, an He Goat:bestiates: French-English (b)Un cocu in French, in English a Cuckold; Cuculus.Birds the while.
English and French are Birds: th' Italian
Sole horn'd Beast, of these three must lead the Van.
39. Socratical Wisdoms.
All things I thought I knew; But now confess
The more I know, I know, I know the less.
40. King Arthur's round Table.
The Delphick Oracle will'd write (no Fable)
The seven wise mens Names in a round Table.
So thy Knights Names wise Arthur, first and last
On the round Table were in order plac't.
41. Subsidie.
Clergy, Purse-Prayers; People Bodies bring,
The Nobles Courage-Coyn, t' assist the King.
42. A new World.
The Cabalists of many Worlds assure us:
Innumerous they be, saith Epicurus.
But count aright, sole two th' account affords,
That old of Deeds, our now-new World of Words.
43. Two-fac'd Janus.
Thy force of Wit, and strength of Memory
Before, behind, to see thou dost apply.
44. Earth's Body.
Th' Earth's Bones are Stones, Skin, Surface, Metalls, Nerves,
The Grass for Hair, for Blood the Water serves.
45. To Pannicus, of Maurus.
What Maurus hath, between thy Wife and Thee
…e doth divide, thou Words, and Deeds hath she.
46. Of Paula, an English Dissimulatrix.
With painted Face, with counterfeit Address
…hy Custome is, to dress thy wickedness.
…hou driv'st the Drones, dull Cattle, from thy Stall:
…nd what's thy Love, but Honey mix'd with Gall?
47. A Physician, and Lawyers.
…ost'nan gives Honours, Galen Wealth, so be
…his be no Patient, nor Client he.
48. To Edward Wotton, Baron, &c.
One of his Majesties privy Council.
He's dead who did his place to thee resign,
Which was before, in Pallas Judgement, thine.
None worthier than thou this place t' inherit;
And thy great worth a greater place doth merit.
49. Galen; Anagram, Angel.
Galen, art Angel good or bad? A good-
Angel, preserving Health, if understood.
50. Blind Love is Deaf.
Their Wives defaults kind Husbands will not see.
Who truly love, by love all-blinded be.
Against their Dears they trust nor Eyes, nor Ears:
Thus Love not only Blind, but Deaf appears.
51. Of Dind…mus, amerchant.
Arithmeticks three first parts learn'd thou hast;
Learn but the fourth, thou shalt be bless'd at last.
52. Anagramma Uxoris, The Anagram of a Wife.
Orcus and Uxor: But the English words will not compleat it.
(a)Prov. 30.13.The Womb and Tomb insatiable are,
Saith the wise King: He did them both compare:
Who falls on Wife, descends into the Pit:
A Wife in sense, not sound is like unt' it.
53. The Answer.
A Wife I'm nam'd, not that I vex the man,
But that mine Housewifes care's Quotidian:
Is Man in Woman as Belzeb's in Hell?
Man's Satan then, if Woman be that Cell.
54. The Religious.
What's well done's ill done, if in publick done:
The Politician.
What's ill done's well done, if reveal'd to none.
55. Three Goddesses.
Chast Juno, wanton Venus, Pallas learn'd-
Pure Virgin, 's rare between those two discern'd.
56. English Proteus.
New-fashions in Apparel 'states do wast:
Sole Pleasure pleaseth us, though lost at last.
57. One protects two.
The saying of H. 4. The French King.
One King protects two Kingdoms, yet both fail'd
Thee to protect but one when Death th' assail'd.
58. The Birth and Scite of the Sun.
The Sun, fourth, midst is of the Planets seven:
(a)The Sun was created the fourth day, Gen. 1.The fourth day made, plac'd in the midst of Heaven.
59. The Sepulchers of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus.
Africk for Pompey, Asia doth mourn
For Crassus, Europe hath great Caesars Urn.
60. City Buildings most City-like, of Henry Earl of Northampton.
The Structure of an House, Beneath, Above
The Builders Ingenuity doth prove.
Who raise rude Piles of Buildings (to thy Praise)
By thine Example may their Buildings raise.
61. To Oranus.
Thy Wifes rich Sire oft said, This Daughter mine
In stable Wedlock I to thee will joyn:
Too stable Wedlock hath you joyn'd, sith she
So much unstable is in love to thee.
62. Of Faelix.
Faelix through all the City walks per deiu,
Who scarce two Cities in the World did view.
Who many Men and Cities saw, the Poor
In his own City beggeth at the door.
63. Francis Drake.
No time shall Drake forget; He cross'd the Seas
And Drake-like swam unto th' Antipodes.
Or This.
Drakes Name and Fame no time shall ravel out,
He sail'd, amid the Seas, the World about.
64. Man.
Before thy Birth (which thou remembrest not)
Thou nothing wert; Dead, something is thy lot.
65. Of Phoebus and Neptune.
The Sun's of swift, the Sea's of swister force;
That runs but once, this twice a day its course.
66. Uxor Vi(n)cta, that is, A Wife bound, Conquer'd.
The Brides Tongue brid'led, th' Husband's Conquerer:
He sole o'recomes his Wife, that quiets her.
67. Naked Truth, Of Alethus.
If (as saith Plato) Vertue, naked might
Be seen, 'twould fill mens hearts with rare Delight.
Alethus (as 'tis said) saw (a)Four Curtizans, call'd by the names of the four Vertues.Vertues four
Naked, at Venice, and did them deflour.
68. Of Bacchus and Byrrhia, Wine and Beer.
Wine simple-single's prais'd, but double Beer:
Double is good, but single best doth cheer.
69. Of Gellia.
To the first Matter Gellia inclines,
That all forms fancies, this sole Masculines.
70. Of Papilus, pulling off his hoar Hairs.
Thou need'st not pull thine hoar hairs from thine head,
Proceed in (a)Riot.Greek, they of themselves will shed.
71. Be not many Masters.
While none would Scholars be, but Masters all;
All Scholars, none we can a Master call.
72. Hen. 8. Defender of the Faith.
This Title, (a)Leo the tenth, a Florentine by Nation, 1521.Leo Pope, a Florentine,
To th' King of Flow'rs and Lions did assign.
73. To Pope Leo.
That Title, with the Sword thou gav'st the King:
He thee denies; the Sword thy Death did bring.
74. The Pride of Life.
Man, though of vile Earth made, with Pride doth swell,
Th' Earth made of nothing swells with man as well.
So man like th' Earth aspires above his kind,
Th' Earth mounts in Mountains, Man mounts up in Mind.
75. To Guarene Tounsend, J. C.
Thy Tongue no Law-court courts, nor avaricious
Is prostitute t' excuse the guilty, vicious:
Thou dost contemplate Natures Mysteries,
Scripture, Laws, History thou dost revise:
Three Graces, seven Arts, Sisters thrice three
Causes to know, but not to plead, teach thee.
76. Genesis and Saint Matthew's Gospel.
Christ's Birth in this, Adam's that Book is in;
Gospel and Law from Genesis begin.
77. Some Body, No Body.
The sacred Hebrew Text Men, Souls doth stile,
As if that Man were solely Soul the while.
None, no body, one, some body we call
In English, as if we were Bodies-All.
78. A Love Fancy.
If Lesbia, thou wert the Zodiack,
I would I were the Sun, for thy sweet sake:
The Sun compleats the Zodiack once a year,
But once a Night I would compleat thy Sphear.
79. To Book-gelders.
If wise, then gild my Book, but geld it not
That other Books by this may be begot.
80. To Gellia.
In earnest speak; Why dost thou so profuse
Give that to many promis'd for ones use;
'Tis an old custome, common as a Clock,
That many Keys should be t' a single Lock.
81. Eve's and the Serpents Conventicle.
By Eves and Satans Parley, sin did come;
O would she had been deaf, or he been dumb.
82. To Robert Johnson, a Scottish-Britain.
Reading thy British (a)Of the affairs of great Britain and Ireland, In his Time.History, I love
Thy self, I like thy Method, both approve:
No such Book's extant, that's more genuine,
More genial, than that same Book of thine;
Excepting (b)Sir Tho. Moore.Moore: Who wrote the Life-the fate
Of (c)Richard the third.Richard: Thee, next him, I emulate.
83. Of Himself.
I, of the Minor Brothers orders am:
My Fathers Lands to th' Major Brother came.
84. Sell all that thou hast, and give to the Poor. To Paetus.
Of this Advice thou kept'st the former part,
But not the latter: There remiss thou wert.
Th' hast sold, and given all; Part to thy Whore,
Part to thy Riot; nothing to the Poor.
85. Nor
Of Evils the least.
Of Good the greatest.
Though she were best, I would not have my Bride
A Giant, nor a Dwarf, though worst beside.
86. Sirens Songs.
If thou thy Reins wouldst keep from Blain-from …ane;
Flee Sirens Songs, thou shalt be safe, and sane.
87. A Love Letter.
Love wants not Hope, in hope the Lover lives:
But Hope without thee,- thine, me nothing gives.
88. Blind Love.
Love and Ebriety are like: They blind
Mens Eyes, of Body this, that of the Mind.
89. The Will of rich T. S.
Thou givest all, no longer here to live,
Nor hence to take it: Couldst? Th' would'st nothing give.
90. Air, Water, Earth, Hell.
The fordid Earth receives the dross of th' Air:
Earth's dregs unto th' infernal Caves repair.
What Evil's in the World shall t' Hell descend:
As pond'rous things unto the Center tend.
91. The Christian Zodiack.
The twelve Apostles, their Stars, four times three,
My Zodiack, Faith, and Christ my Sun shall be.
92. Erasmus Praise of Folly.
Thou didst not folly praise, Erasmus, solely:
Thee many praise, and many praise thy folly.
93. Of Gymnicus, A Pastor.
Thou feed'st thy flock with words, they thee with weeds;
Thy care's for Tythes, no care to cure misdeeds.
94. Of Dardanus.
Paleness in Face, Leanness in Corps doth sit,
Thou nothing hast that's fat, but thy gross Wit.
95. Pleas in the year 1609. between Rob. Calvin, Plaintiff; and John Bingley, and Richard Gryffin, Defendants.
When the Post-nati were in Law of late,
Robert the Son of James o'recame; blest fate:
Th' one English, th' other Welsh, the Victor Scot
O'recame them, guilty both: A lucky lot.
I love good luck: Britains, Hearts-Hands unite;
This Island shall no more be bipartite.
Their Sons Sons Sons shall see, there shall be then
One Kingdom under but one King, Amen.
96. Of our times Discords.
Logick doth things define, divide beside:
But we no things define, all things divide.
97. Evil Manners produce good Laws.
God t' Adam gave a Law before his Sin,
Ill manners therefore all Laws brought not in.
98. Four Articles of Faith, 1, 2, 3, 4.
One God believe, two (a)The two Testaments.Bibles, Symbols (b)The Apostles, Athanasius, and Nicene Creed.three,
Let Faith the fourth, with the four Councils be.
99. To the Prince.
As a great Bear a little Lion flees,
So flees great Hope, when small things come it sees:
Most happy Prince, mine hope depends on thee;
From me take Hope, and I shall happy be.
100. To the Reader.
(a)Self-love.Narcissus I leave off, when Verse I write,
Do thou the same, when thou my Verse dost cite.
The End of the Second Book.