Latin Epigrams Englished, Book 3 – Epitaph
EPIGRAMS OF John Owen AN OXONIAN AND CAMBRO-BRITAIN. To his Mecaenas, Roger Owen, Knight. The Third Book.
1. To Roger Owen, his Mecaenas.
IT is thy Vertue, Vertue to propose
To be thy Study, this thy Judgement chose:
Where thou most Vertue find'st, thou lov'st it there,
While thou with the most vert'ous art Compeer.
2. To Ponticus, Sound-unsound.
In health and wealth thou dost with Pride abound:
But, when thou shalt be sick, thou wilt be sound.
3. What a Clock is't?
Death creeps on Life, and Age on youth: The while
'Tis ask'd, What is't a Clock? Hours us beguile.
4. Bacchus his Deifying.
Wine Truth doth speak, doth secret things display;
Dry Souls are silent, moyst things open lay:
Wine hearts doth open; Rhenish Wine descries
The Reins; Who Bacchus then a God denies?
5. Of silent Labienus.
If wise, th' art foolish not to speak; but if
A Fool (as th' art) it is thy Wisdome chief.
6. Faith in Wax.
Without or Wax or Seal men once lent money;
But now without them both none will lend any.
7. To Firmicus. Of the seven Planets.
The Sun's like Gold, the Moon shews Silvers smile;
Venus like Coppress (Cyprus was her Ile)
Quick-silver'd Mercury; stern Mars strikes dead
With fatal Steel; Jove's Time, and Saturn Lead.
The last five of the seven take to thee:
One Sun's enough, one Moon's enough for me.
8. Of a certain Niggard.
Verses can from the Skies deduce the Moon,
As soon as from thy Purse produce one Boon.
9. Wedlocks Primacy.
The man by day, by night the feminine
Bears rule: So Sun and Moon alternate shine.
10. Of a certain Woman.
Thine Head wears Feathers, Corks thy Feet up rear:
From Head to foot thy lightness doth appear.
11. Faith.
I see the Stars, the Pole's imaginary;
Eyes view the Skies, but Faith to God doth carry.
12. To Thomas, Baron of Ellesmer, Chancellour of England, &c. 1612.
Thou late one Son, one-only Daughter late
Hast lost, yet hast one Son preserv'd from fate:
He of the three like John, sole Son to thee;
Summest of all, the Sum of all the three.
13. Contempt of the World.
Wilt live an happy life? Thy Life contemn:
He wretched lives, whose life unt' him's a Jem.
14. To Robert Cary, Viscount Rochester, and Henry Danvers, Baron of Dantesay, &c.
Five Jacobines you gave me, even then
When I five Distichs gave you from my pen.
I merit not your Love, nor Gifts; by which
(If so dear were the rest) I might be rich.
15. To his Friend, A Batchelor.
Dost burn with lust? 'Tis sin: Espouse a Bride;
The flesh will be the better mortifi'd.
16. Of Baldinus.
He Books unworthy light, to Light brought forth:
Yet Books deserving Fire, else nothing worth.
17. The Decalogue and Creed.
Why's my Belief, than Life, bound more unto?
'Cause 'tis more easie to believe than do.
18. Knowledge and Charity.
I must know two things, two things love must I,
God and my Self, God and my Neighbour by.
19. Of Tythes. To the Laitie.
What Fruit comes hence, best fruit's beyond compute,
After the Ninth, before th' Eleventh Fruit:
How good is God? who takes not for his due
More than the tenth, but gives the tenth to you.
20. Of God and the World.
This World in God exists, God is not here:
We are i' th' World, O would in God we were.
21. The Right of Tythes and First-Fruits.
God is the First and Last; most justly then
The First-fruits and the Tythes he claims of men.
22. Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Sole Love with us doth Heaven penetrate,
Faith, Hope are useless; Both within that Gate.
There's nothing to believe, all's in our Eine;
Nothing to Hope for, for w' injoy the Trine;
Love's ever there, Love after Death's alive,
While God himself in Heaven doth survive.
23. Of Polydorus.
Clos'd in a Chest, as dead, he money keeps;
Quick-silver 'tis not, 'tis or dead, or sleeps.
24. To my self.
Owen, the Printer sought thy Book to buy,
The price thou ask'st, he gave it readily.
The Book is printed, and thou buyest it;
Owretched man, thou sell'st and buy'st thy Wit.
25. Of one Uxorious.
Thou sitt'st at Stern, but thee thy Boat doth guide;
Which Pinnace-like thee bears with Wind and Tide.
26. Of Husband and Wife.
Two in one Flesh.
If Love unite not Hearts, espous'd together,
Both of them are not one, but two are either.
27. Man Solar.
The Sun contrary to the Globe doth run:
Let then mans course of Life be like the Sun.
28. Of Sylvanus.
The force of's wit is fi'ry, Sylvan says;
And thence concludes, that Fire doth nothing raise.
29. London.
The barren City fruits converts to dung;
The fertile Fields turn Dung to fruits e're long:
Thou debtor art for Food and Life to th' Clown;
He debtor is for compost to thy Town.
30. To his Friend and Kinsman Theodore Prise, Theologer.
In things uncertain thou my certain Friend
Hast been, and still to be so dost intend:
What words profess, thy Deeds express, I grant;
Thy life to th' vocal tongue is consonant.
31. Of Atheists and (a) Polytheists.
The poor his wants, as many Gods doth fear;
Rich Averice doth wish no Gods there were.
Poor Penury sins less than Plenty doth;
That thinks on Gods, but this t' have God is loth.(a)Many Gods.
32. Solicitude. To Ponticus.
By day, by night thy Wife with clamours fills
Thine Ears, and with solicitude thee kills:
What cure is there from this thee to secure?
In Solitude thou mayst be safe and sure.
33. (a)Fides, Amor; Spes.F A S.
Faith, Hope, and Love's the way to scale the Sky,
Without these three no man can soar so high.
Hope on the left, Faith is on Love's right hand;
Love, the chief Vertue, in the midst doth stand.
34. To the Learned and Judicious Knight, Roger Owen.
Thou mayst seem to be young (most learn'd) to some,
If either I were Deaf, or thou wert Dumb:
None will thee young, unless he's Deaf, suppose;
Nor old, unless he doth his Eye-lids close.
35. Eight.
The Saviour of the world twice four did bless;
And Noah's saving Ark sav'd eight; no less.
36. Of mans Primacy. A Probleme.
Why did the Lord from Adam, Eve create?
Because with him she should not b' adaequate.
Had she been made of Earth, she would have deem'd
Her self his Sister, and his equal seem'd.
37. Conjux. Man and Wife.
Sith Wives their Husbands subjects are: Then why
Doth Conjux Wife and Husband signifie?
Why doth this Word Conjux conioyn them, when
Wives most perverse, are most averse to men?
38. Epigram.
We, that have fancies t' Epigrammatize,
Can out of any Wood make Mercuries:
I'm vers'd in Words, as Galenist in Herbs;
He's master of his Herbs, I of my Verbs.
39. Of Paula, a most lectick Woman.
Dost wonder, why th' art call'd most lect? 'Tis soon
Resolv'd, because thou sleep'st in (a)Bed.Lect till Noon.
40. Of a certain litigious Lawyer.
Wert not cause-maker thou, thy need to serve,
Thou, no cause-pleader, might'st for hunger starve.
41. Scripture Reading.
The Thief, the Traveller are arm'd with Sword;
Phanaticks, Catholicks, all read Gods word.
42. To John Williams, a Cambro-Britan, Dr. in Divinity, Principal of Jesus Colledge in Oxford.
Thou dost the Scriptures search, both old and new;
Thou Janus art, before-behind do'st view.
43. To John Williams, a Cambro-Britan, a Divine, and fellow of St. Johns Colledge in Cambridge
Ingenious youth, do not thy Talent hide,
The Cambrians Honour shall by thee abide.
44. To John Williams, a Cambro-Britan, the Kings Goldsmith in London.
Thy civil wit doth more than civil seem;
Thee wiser than a Citizen I deem.
45. To all those three.
You three my Kinsmen are, and each my Friend,
Three Johns, and I your John am to mine end.
46. To the Creditor.
Thy Debtor is thy Servant, he, that pays
Thy Friend, thy Master Payment that gainsays.
47. Truth in the deep. To one painted.
False things appear, Truth's hid; 'Tis seen in thee;
Thy Face is painted, thy facts tainted be.
48. Of Phyllis.
Thou tak'st, but wilt not Gratis give a kiss;
Thy Gift not grateful, but ingrateful is.
49. Gravity and Levity.
Though light and pond'rous things are oppos…te,
I would not have mine head too grave, too light:
Ills opposite I hate: I would not have
My Wife to be too light, nor yet too grave.
50. Of a Pratler, sick with the Cholick.
Thy Tongue is loose, thy Body close; Both ill:
With Silence this, with Loquence that doth kill.
51. Of Theologaster, a Sophister.
What is thy knowledge without Goodness? Vain.
Cease then to know much; rather Goodness gain.
52. Action and Passion.
Who doth much ill, shall suffer much for it;
But who much suffers, doth less ill commit.
53. Repentance and Reminiscence.
I wretch am griev'd when I recount my sins;
But, when I count my suff'rings, Joy begins.
54. The Damned.
Thy sad Fate's like Decembers 'leventh Ray;
A long night follows thy short-cloudy Day.
55. The Blessed.
Like Junes eleventh Day thy Fate shines bright,
A long-long day succeeds thy short-short Night.
56. Foelix and Festus.
Festus (a)Unlucky.infestus was to thee Saint Paul;
And Foelix was (b)Unhappy.infoelix, worst of all.
57. Democritus and Heraclitus.
This wept for the then times Defaults, and Crimes;
That laughed at the Follies of the times.
Mortals will still be foolish, wretched, frail;
That this may laugh, that ever may bewail.
58. Always the same.
Let Faith, Hope, Charity be still the same;
The same thy Wit, still kept within its frame.
59. Of ignorant-arrogant Linus.
Thee, double ignorance doth captivate,
Thou nothing know'st, and know'st not that thy state.
60. Of the Poet Maevius.
Non-Entities and Evil, like we call;
Thou mak'st, though many Verses, none at all.
61. Helena and Penelope.
Fame hath fair Helen mounted to the Skyes;
Glory Penelope doth Eternize.
Penelop's-Helen's Names shall never die:
Because this would, that would not falsifie.
62. Of Life.
Nature mans life, as Spiders Webs, doth weave;
Each Labour's long, apt to decay-deceive.
63. Of Paula.
Thou with thy Bodies use, with usury
Thine Husband trades; He this, thou that, dost ply.
64. Of a Covetous Miser.
To number, add, or multiply thy store,
'Tis nothing; but divide, thou shalt have more.
65. Verity and Vertue.
Never so few, who now learn well to live;
Never so many, who good Doctrine give:
Many, these times, the ways of Faith display;
But they who taught the ways, taught not the way.
66. Modern Writers.
We carp at former Works, and Words; yet we
Now writers, but the formers Echoes be.
67. The Worlds three Rulers.
Let the Divine be sage, to b' all unt' all;
The Lawyer wise, Physician literal.
68. The Authors Vote.
I wish not Poverty, nor riches great,
Too little, nor too much: Enough's compleat.
69. Forbidden Books.
We covet things forbid, deni'd, desire;
A Wife cloggs youth, a Dams…l sets on Fire:
One, though deform'd, injoy'd, seems fair by night:
Forbidden Books are read witth most delight.
70. On Festus.
I'm to thee trusty, trustless th' art to me;
But why? Thou say'st, th' art next thy self, so be.
Be next thy self; Thou shalt not me be next;
I love not by bad Neighbours to be vext.
71. The false Church.
What Church doth not her self Christs Spouse declare?
How many yet of them but Harlots are?
If the false Church doth not her self deceive,
Christ shall, than Solomon, more Spouses have.
72. To Decianus.
The World, thou sayst, is wicked: True; but thou
Art one of them that makes it wicked now.
73. Of Dindymus.
A Batchelor in Venus Art thou art;
Thou shalt (when Pander) act a Masters part.
74. To G. T. 1606.
Thy Servants Scholar, and his Lord to be,
An Honour is, a Misery to thee.
75. Rule of State.
The common Wealth was once the Rule of Right:
But now new Rules of Right are brought to light.
76. Of a certain Cross-wearing Hypocrite.
Belzebub's thought to th' Cross an Enemy,
Which seeing, he doth turn, return, and fly;
But not from ev'ry Cross: For though thy Breast
Thou cross, yet Satan in thine Heart dost rest.
77. Christ's Life and Death.
For me Christ did, and suff'red many things:
God in his Deeds, Man in his Sufferings.
78. The wise mens Star.
A Star t' Astronomers unknown, was lent
To light the Kings, to Christ, from th' Orient:
The wise men by that Star found Christ, the King:
O may my Star, my Faith, to Christ me bring.
79. The Golden Calf broken by Moses. Exod. 32.20.
The Golden Calf which Aaron did calcine,
Moses destroy'd, made it less Belluine.
80. The Triumvirs
Divines,
Lawyers,
Physicians.
These of the World the grand Triumvirs be:
What are Divines? Divinest of the three.
81. To the Histor…grapher.
In History speak'st free? That bad may be:
Speak'st nothing false? Silence may censure thee.
Dissimulate or simulate, who writes
An History, must serve all appetites.
82. Of the Deluge, and end of the World.
The wicked World with sinful Lusts inflam'd,
Was drown'd by Water: So those Lusts were tam'd.
The now-new World, in Charity grown cold,
Shall be consum'd with Fire as was that old
With Water: Physick thus makes cures intire
By contraries; Fire Water, Water Fire.
83. Debtor and Creditor.
I owe thee nought but Evangelick Love;
The with Apostolick Faith, I prove, approve.
84. Of God and the Devil.
God would have all men sav'd; The Devil none:
These no mens persons do respect, not one.
85. Of Good and Evil.
Thee Good, shall have Rewards, the Bad, severe
Torments hereafter: That hath hope, this fear.
86. Do likewise. To Atta…us, J. C.
Thou practise must to Theory conjoyn;
Read the Saints lives; do likewise then in thine.
87. The Redeemer.
To thee my Sight, my Tast hath sole relation;
Thou art my Sun, my Salt, my sole Salvation.
88. Money's Method.
'Tis vertue great, of Gold to get tuition;
Its good use greater, greatest its fruition.
89. Of Writers in these times.
A fatal error causeth fools to write:
Enough they seem to gain, when seen in Light:
While they self-pleasing, rashly write, poor Elves;
They seldome others please, who please themselves.
90. A Paradox.
Though Atheists all descend int' Hell, there roar:
None Atheist now's in Hell, there was before.
91. Of Gaurus.
Thou praisest nothing, all reprovest; see
While thou none pleasest, no man pleaseth thee.
92. To my self.
Owen, would'st know what friends thou canst procure?
By weight, not number count, thou shalt be sure:
The number, and the Finger oft beguile;
Though Love be Fire, it pond'rous is the while.
93. Difference between Kings and Tyrants.
Good-Godly Kings what's Just and Right perpend:
But Tyrants, what they will, command-commend:
A good Kings Treats I prize Tore Tyrants Threats;
This, what he speaks, commands; that but intreats.
94. Of a certain—
Bedlam for Fools, Bride-well for Knaves is best;
To which of these thou wilt thou mayst b' a Guest.
95. The Mother Church.
You be Christs Brethren, I his Spouse; thereby
I am your Sister, call'd your Mother, why?
96. Of Sects.
Five Senses in a man the Sophist finds,
Three Souls: But who can tell how many minds?
97. Life in the Blood.
Moses, the Legislator, did confine
Life in the Blood; In Christ's Blood I do (a)My Life.mine.
98. To Thomas, Baron of Ellesmer, Chancellour of England, a Consolation upon the death of Mary, his only Daughter, an excellent Woman, 1612.
Nestor, no doubt, and old Mathusalem
Saw many Funerals, and wept for them:
Long livers live, oft see their Childrens Urns:
An happy man, unhappy Fortune mourns,
I, of thy Children grieve thy Loss to see;
But glad, that they saw not the loss of thee.
99. On a foolish Writer.
Thy Books eternal are: My vote I spend;
For neither they beginning have, nor end.
100. To his three Mecaenates, E. N. G. S. and R. O.
You strive, still may you strive, which of you three
Should be the best Mecaenas unto me.
This Strife (a strife-less strife) I will foment;
And wish your Emulation permanent.
You by this noble Strife have nothing lost;
And I thereby great profit have ingrost.
101. Upon the Death of Prince Henry, 1612.
Dead is the Prince, bewall'd with Floods of Tears,
Great Britains Hope, his Parents Joys and Fears.
His second no man, but his German Brother;
And, but his German Sister, not another.
A Prince, while living, honour'd, dead, belov'd;
Both of his Countrey, while he liv'd, he prov'd.
While I these things with weeping Eyes perpend
Salt Tears from both mine Eyes like Floods descend,
Reader, believe me, this me so doth touch,
That I can speak no more I weep so much.
102. To the Prince his Ghost.
Thou, living, didst m' an yearly Stipend give;
Lost now, because thou didst no longer live.
Yet, O I wish thou hadst surviv'd, thought
Had nothing gain'd by thy superstity.
Though neither of us now can t' each incline,
Yet who can barr my thanks unto thy Shrine?
103. To the same Prince Henry.
I said (a)Epigram 1. lib. 1. To E. Noel.thou shalt my Caesar be, but I
Must now, alas, Thou wast my Caesar, cry.
The End of the Third Book.
The Epilogue.
To the Readers.
The British Owen, with his Latine verse,
Is here rais'd up in English from his Hearse:
Here many things of note accost your Eye:
'Twere pity such-so many things should die.
Not, but that they survive in what he writ,
Yet all our English understand not it.
If any thing seem in the Scene obscene,
'Tis wash'd, and here wrapp'd up in Linnen clean;
You need not fear to lodge between the Sheets,
They be perfum'd with Aromatick Sweets.
I wish t' ye all a sweet-a safe repose
By day, by night: And thus the book I close.
Tho. Harvey.
Epitaphium Johannis Owen in Templo Divi Pauli Londini.
Parva T…be Statua est, quia parva Statura, Supellex
… Parva, volat parvus magna per ora Liber;
Sed non parvus honos, non parva est Gloria, quippe
Ingenio haud quicquam est majus in Orbe tuo:
Parva domus texit, Templum sed grande; Poetae
Tum verè vitam, cum moriuntur, agunt.
Posuit Reverendus Pater D. Johannes Williams, Episcopus Lincolniensis, Magni Sigilli Anglia custos.
This Epitaph thus Englished.
Thy Statue, Stature, thine Estate, thy Book,
All little, great Men yet on this do look:
Nor is thine Honour, or thy Glory small,
For greater wit than thine, is not at all:
Thy little house in a great Temple lies,
A Poet lives not truly till he dies.
Tho. Harvey.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Owen, Latin Epigrams Englished (1677)