Poems, Poem 28
ECCLOGUE.
1613. December 26.
Allophanes finding Idios in the country in Chriſtmas time, reprehends his abſence from court, at the mariage Of the Earle of Sommerſet, Idios gives an account of his purpoſe therein, and of his abſence thence.
Allophanes.
VNſeaſonable man, ſtatue of ice,
What could to countries ſolitude entice
Thee, in this yeares cold and decrepit time?
Natures inſtinct drawes to the warmer clime
Even ſmall birds, who by that courage dare,
In numerous fleets, ſaile through their Sea, the aire.
What delicacie can in fields appeare,
Whil'ſt Flora' herſelfe doth a freeze jerkin weare?
Whil'ſt windes do all the trees and hedges ſtrip
Of leafes, to furniſh roddes enough to whip
Thy madneſſe from thee; and all ſprings by froſt
Have taken cold, and their ſweet murmures loſt;
If thou thy faults or fortunes would'ſt lament
With juſt ſolemnity, do it in Lent;
At Court the ſpring already advanced is,
The Sunne ſtayes longer up; and yet not his
The glory is, farre other, other fires.
Firſt, zeale to Prince and State; then loves deſires
Burne in one breſt, and like heavens two great lights,
The firſt doth governe dayes, the other nights.
And then that early light, which did appeare
Before the Sunne and Moone created were;
The Princes favour is defus'd o'r all,
From which all Fortunes, Names, and Natures fall;
Then from thoſe wombes of ſtarres, the Brides bright eyes,
At every glance, a conſtellation flyes,
And ſowes the Court with ſtarres, and doth prevent
In light and power, the all-ey'd firmament;
Firſt her eyes kindles other Ladies eyes,
Then from their beames their jewels luſters riſe,
And from their jewels torches do take fire,
And all is warmth, and light, and good deſire;
Moſt other Courts, alas, are like to hell,
Where in darke places, fire without light doth dwell:
Or but like Stoves, for luſt and envy get
Continuall, but artificiall heat;
Here zeale and love growne one, all clouds diſgeſt,
And make our Court an everlaſting Eaſt.
And can'ſt thou be from thence?
Idios.
No, I am there
As heaven, to men diſpos'd, is every where,
So are thoſe Courts, whoſe Princes animate,
Not onelyonly all their houſe, but all their State,
Let no man thinke, becauſe he is full, he hath all,
Kings (as their patterne, God) are liberall
Not onelyonly in fulneſſe, but capacitie,
Enlarging narrow men, to feele and ſee,
And comprehend the bleſſings they beſtow.
So, reclus'd hermits often times do know
More of heavens glory, then a worldling can.
As man is of the world, the heart of man,
Is an epitome of Gods great booke
Of creatures, and man need no farther looke;
So is the Country of Courts, where ſweet peace doth,
As their one common ſoule, give life to both,
I am not then from Court.
Allophanes.
Dreamer, thou art,
Think'ſt thou fantaſtique that thou haſt a part
In the Indian fleet, becauſe thou haſt
A little ſpice, or Amber in thy taſte?
Becauſe thou art not frozen, art thou warme?
Seeſt thou all good becauſe thou ſeeſt no harme?
The earth doth in her inner bowels hold
Stuffe well diſpos'd▪ and which would faine be gold,
But never ſhall, except it chance to lye,
So upward, that heaven gild it with his eye;
As, for divine things, faith comes from above,
So, for beſt civill uſe, all tinctures move
From higher powers; From God religion ſprings,
Wiſdome, and honour from the uſe of Kings.
Then unbeguile thy ſelfe, and know with mee,
That Angels, though on earth employd they bee,
Are ſtill in heav'n, ſo is hee ſtill at home
That doth, abroad, to honeſt actions come.
Chide thy ſelfe then, O foole, which yeſterday
Might'ſt have read more then all thy books bewray;
Haſt thou a hiſtory, which doth preſent
A Court, where all affections do aſſent
Unto the Kings, and that, that Kings are juſt?
And where it is no levity to truſt.
Where there is no ambition, but to'obey,
Where men need whiſper nothing, and yet may;
Where the Kings favours are ſo plac'd, that all
Finde that the King therein is liberall
To them, in him, becauſe his favours bend
To vertue, to the which they all pretend.
Thou haſt no ſuch; yet here was this, and more,
An earneſt lover, wiſe then, and before,
Our little Cupidhath ſued Livery,
And is no more in his minority,
Hee is admitted now into that breſt
Where the Kings Counſells and his ſecrets reſt▪
What haſt thou loſt, O ignorant man?
Idios.
I knew,
All this, and onelyonly therefore I withdrew
To know and feele all this, and not to have
Words to expreſſe it, makes a man a grave
Of his owne thoughts; I would not therefore ſtay
At a great feaſt, having no grace to ſay,
And yet I ſcap'd not here; for being come
Full of the common joy; I utter'd ſome,
Reade then this nuptiall ſong, which was not made
Either the Court or mens hearts to invade,
But ſince I'am dead, and buried I could frame
No Epitaph, which might advance my fame,
So much as this poore ſong, which teſtifies
I did unto that day ſome ſacrifice.
I.
The time of the Mariage.
THou art repriv'd old yeare, thou ſhalt not die,
Though thou upon thy death bed lye,
And ſhould'ſt within five dayes expire
Yet thou art reſcu'd by a mightier fire,
Then thy old Soule, the Sunne,
When he doth in his largeſt circle runne.
The paſſage of the Weſt or Eaſt would thaw,
And open wide their eaſie liquid jawe
To all our ſhips, could a Promethean art
Either unto the Northerne Pole impart
The fire of theſe inflaming eyes, or of this loving heart.
II.
Equality of perſons.
But undiſcerning Muſe, which heart, which eyes,
In this new couple, doſt thou prize,
When his eye as inflaming is
As hers, and her heart loves as well as his?
Be tryed by beauty, and than
The bridegroome is a maid, and not a man,
If by that manly courage they be tryed,
Which ſcornes unjuſt opinion; then the bride
Becomes a man. Should chance or envies Art
Divide theſe two, whom nature ſcarce did part?
Since both have th'enflaming eye, and both the loving heart.
III.
Rayſing of the Bridegroome.
Though it be ſome divorce to thinke of you
Single, ſo much one are you two,
Let me here contemplate thee,
Firſt, cheerfull Bridegroome, and firſt let mee ſee,
How thou prevent'ſt the Sunne,
And his red foming horſes doſt outrunne,
How, having laid downe in thy Soveraignes breſt
All buſineſſes, from thence to reinveſt
Them, when theſe triumphs ceaſe, thou forward art
To ſhew to her, who doth the like impart,
The fire of thy inflaming eyes, and of thy loving heart.
IIII.
Raiſing of the Bride.
But now, to Thee, faire Bride, it is ſome wrong,
To thinke thou wert in Bed ſo long,
Since Soone thou lyeſt downe firſt, tis fit
Thou in firſt riſing ſhould'ſt allow for it,
Pouder thy Radiant haire,
Which if without ſuch aſhes thou would'ſt weare,
Thou, which, to all which come to looke upon,
Are meant for, Phoebus, would'ſt be Phaëton,
For our eaſe, give thine eyes, th'unuſuall part
Of joy, a Teare; ſo quencht, thou maiſt impart,
To us that come, thy inflaming eyes, to him, thy loving heart.
V.
Her Apparrelling.
Thus thou deſcend'ſt to our infirmitie,
Who can the Sun in water ſee.
Soe doſt thou, when in ſilke and gold,
Thou cloudſt thy ſelfe; ſince wee which doe behold,
Are duſt, and wormes, 'tis juſt
Our objects be the fruits of wormes and duſt;
Let every Jewell be a glorious ſtarre,
Yet ſtarres are not ſo pure, as their ſpheares are.
And though thou ſtoope, to'appeare to us, in part,
Still in that Picture thou intirely art,
Which thy inflaming eyes have made within his loving heart.
VI.
Going to the Chappell.
Now from your Eaſts you iſſue forth, and wee,
As men which through a Cipres ſee
The riſing ſun, doe thinke it two,
Soe, as you goe to Church, doe thinke of you,
But that vaile being gone,
By the Church rites you are from thenceforth one.
The Church Triumphant made this match before,
And now the Militant doth ſtrive no more,
Then, reverend Prieſt, who Gods Recorder art,
Doe, from his Dictates, to theſe two impart
All bleſſings, which are ſeene, Or thought, by Angels eye or heart.
VII:
The Benediction.
Bleſt payre of Swans, Oh may you interbring
Daily new joyes, and never ſing,
Live, till all grounds of wiſhes faile,
Till honor, yea till wiſedome grow ſo ſtale,
That, new great heights to trie,
It muſt ſerve your ambition, to die;
Raiſe heires, and may here, to the worlds end, live
Heires from this King, to take thankes, you, to give,
Nature and grace doe all, and nothing Art,
May never age, or error overthwart
With any Weſt, theſe radiant eyes, with any North, this heart,
VIII.
Feaſts and Revells.
But you are over-bleſt. Plenty this day
Injures; it cauſeth time to ſtay;
The tables groane, as though this feaſt
Would, as the flood, deſtroy all fowle and beaſt.
And were the doctrine new
That the earth mov'd, this day would make it true;
For every part to dance and revell goes.
They tread the ayre, and fal not where they roſe.
Though ſix houres ſince, the Sunne to bed did part,
The masks and banquets will not yet impart
A ſunſet to theſe weary eyes, A Center to this heart.
IX.
The Brides going to bed.
What mean'ſt thou Bride, this companie to keep?
To ſit up, till thou faine wouldſt ſleep?
Thou maiſt not, when thou art laid, doe ſo.
Thy ſelfe muſt to him a new banquet grow,
And you muſt entertaine
And doe all this daies dances o'r againe.
Know that if Sun and Moone together doe
Riſe in one point, they doe not ſet ſo to.
Therefore thou maiſt, faire Bride, to bed depart,
Thou art not gone, being gone, where e'r thou art,
Thou leav'ſt in him thy watchfull eyes, in him thy loving heart.
X.
The Bridegroomes comming.
As he that ſees a ſtarre fall, runs apace,
And findes a gellie in the place,
So doth the Bridegroome haſt as much,
Being told this ſtarre is falne, and findes her ſuch,
And as friends may looke ſtrange,
By a new faſhion, or apparrells change,
Their ſoules, though long acquainted they had beene,
Theſe clothes, their bodies, never yet had ſeene.
Therefore at firſt ſhee modeſtly might ſtart,
But muſt forthwith ſurrender every part,
As freely, as each to each before, gave either eye or heart.
XI.
The good night.
Now, as in Tullias tombe, one lampe burnt cleare▪
Unchang'd for fifteene hundred yeare,
May theſe love-lamps we here enſhrine,
In warmth, light, laſting, equall the divine;
Fire ever doth aſpire,
And makes all like it ſelfe, turnes all to fire,
But ends in aſhes, which theſe cannot doe,
For none of theſe is fuell, but fire too.
This is joyes bonfire, then, where loves ſtrong Arts
Make of ſo noble individuall parts
One fire of foure inflaming eyes, and of two loving hearts.
Idios.
As I have brought this ſong, that I may doe
A perfect ſacrifice, I'll burne it too.
Allophanes.
No Sr. This paper I have juſtly got,
For, in burnt incenſe, the perfume is not
His only that preſents it, but of all,
What ever celebrates this Feſtivall
Is common, ſince the joy thereof is ſo.
Nor may your ſelfe be Prieſt: But let me goe,
Backe to the Court, and I will lay'it upon
Such Altars, as prize your devotion.