rather err with the scripture, than be rectified by them: I had rather adore the steps of Nazianzen, Prudentius, Sedulius, then follow their steps to be misguided: I had rather be the devout admirer of Nonnius, Bartas, my sacred sovereign, and others, the miracles of our latter age, than the false sectary of these, that have nothing at all to follow, but their own naked opinions. To conclude, I had rather with my Lord, and his most divine apostle, sing (though I sing sorrily) the love of Heaven and Earth, than praise God (as they do) with the worthy gift of silence, and sitting still, or think I disprais'd him with this poetical discourse. It seems they have either not read, or clean forgot, that it is the duty of the Muses (if we may believe Pindar and Hesiod) to set always under the throne of Jupiter, ejus et laudes, et beneficia uvuvas, which made a very worthy German writer conclude it, Certò statuimus, proprium atque peculiare poetarum munus esse, Christi gloriam illustrare, being good reason that the heavenly infusion of such poetry should end in his glory, that had beginning from his goodness, fit orator, nascitur poeta. For the second sort therefore, that eliminate poets out of their city gates, as though they were now grown so bad, as they could neither grow worse, nor better, though it be somewhat hard for those to be the only men should want cities, that were the only causers of the building of them; and somewhat inhumane to thrust them into the woods, to live among the beasts, who were the first that called men out of the woods, from their beastly, and wild life; yet since they will needs shoulder them out for the only firebrands to inflame lust (the fault of earthly men, not heavenly poetry) I would gladly learn, what kind of professions these men would be entreated to entertain, that so deride and disaffect poesy: would they admit of philosophers, that after they have burnt out the whole candle of their life in the circular study of sciences, cry out at length, "Se nihil prorsus scire?" or should musicians be welcome to them, that Dant sine mente sonum-bring delight with them indeed, could they as well express with their instruments a voice, as they can a sound? or would they most approve of soldiers that defend the life of their countrymen, either by the death of themselves, or their enemies? If philosophers please them, who is it that knows not, that all the lights of example, to clear their precepts, are borrowed by philosophers from poets? that without Homer's examples, Aristotle would be as blind as Homer? If they retain musicians, who ever doubted, but that poets infused the very soul into the inarticulate sounds of music? that without Pindar and Horace, the lyrics had been silenced for ever? If they must needs entertain soldiers, who can but confess, that poets restore again that life to soldiers, which they before lost for the safety of their country? that without Virgil, Eneas had never been so much as heard of? How then can they for shaine deny commonwealths to them, who were the first authors of them? how can they deny the blind philosopher that teaches them, his light? the empty musician that delights them, his soul? the dying soldier that defends their life, immortality, after his own death? Let philosophy, let ethics, let all the arts bestow upon us this gift, that we be not thought dead men, whilst we remain among the living, it is only poetry that can make us be thought living men, when we lie among the dead; and therefore I think it unequal, to thrust them out of our cities, that call us.. out of our graves; to think so hardly of them, that make us to be so well thought of; to deny them to live a while among us, that make us live for ever among our posterity. So being now weary in persuading those that hate, I commend myself to those that love such poets, as Plato speaks of, that sing divine and heroical matters. 'Ou yag dura sien di raûra λiyovrss, ¿λa' ¡ ☺105, úutós ism i aśywv, recommending these my idle hours, not idly spent, to good scholars, and good Christians, that have overcome their ignorance with reason, and their reason with religion. RECOMMENDATORY POEMS. DEFUNCTO FRATRL. THINK (if thou canst) how mounted on his sphere, In Heaven now he sings : thus sung he here. Phix. FLETCHER. Regal. QUID quid Veneres, Cupidinesque, At tu, qui clypeo haud inane nomen Phis. FLETCHER. Regal. Quæ vitæ dederisque inire vitam; Nor can I so much say as much I ought, F. NETHERSOLE. Η Μαριάμ. Μη μιαρά. Beatissima virginum Maria; Sed matérque simul beata. Perquam, Qui seinper fuit, ille cæpit esa; POEMS OF GILES FLETCHER. Egypt, ver. 81. The angels and men, ver. 82, CHRIST'S VICTORY IN HEAVEN. THE ARGUMENT. a The birth of Him that no beginning knew, The argument propounded in general. Our re- Yet gives beginning to all that are boru, demption by Christ, ver. 1, 2. The author's And how the Infinite far greater grew, invocation for the better handling of it, ver. 3, By growing less, and how the rising morn, 4. Man's redemption, from the cause. Mercy That shot from Heav'n, and back to Heav'n return, dwelling in Heaven, and pleading for men now The obsequies of him that could not die, guilty, with Justice described by her qualities, And death of life, end of eternity, ver. 5--10. Her retinue, ver. 12. Her sub- How worthily he died, tbat died unworthily; ject, ver. 15. Her accusation of man's sin, ver. How God and man did both embrace each other, 17. And 1st, of Adam's first sin, ver. 18, 19. Met in one person, Heaven and Earth did kiss, Then of his posterity's, in all kind of idolatry, And how a virgin Jid become a mother, ver. 20–24. How hopeful any patronage of And bare that Son, who the world's father is, it, ver. 25–27. All the creatures having dis- | And maker of his mother, and how bliss leagued themselves with him for his extreme Descended from the bosom of the High, unthankfulness, ver. 28-33. So that being To clothe himself in naked misery, (antly, destitute of all hope and remedy, be can look Sailing at length to Heav'n, in Earth, triumphfor nothing but a fearful sentence, ver. 35–40. The effect of Justice her speech: the inflamma- Doth burn in heavenly love, such love to tell. Is the first fame, wherewith my whiter Muse tion of the heavenly powers appeased by Mercy, Othou that didst this holy fire infuse, who is described by her cheerfulness to defend And taught'st this breast, but late the grave of (Hell, man, ver 40-42. Our inability to describe her, Wherein a blind and dead heart liv'd, to swell ver. 43, 44. Her beauty, resembled by the With better thoughts, send down those lights creatures, which are all frail shadows of ber that lend essential perfection, ver. 45, 46. Her atten. dants, ver. 46, 47. Her persuasive power, ver. 48 The love, that never was, nor ever can be penn'd. Knowledge, how to begin, and how to end -50. Her kind offices to man, ver. 51. 52. Her garments wrought by her own hands, where Ye sacred writings, in whose antique leaves with she clothes herself, composed of all the The memories of Heaven entreasur'd lie, creatures, ver. 53. The earth, ver. 54. Sea, Say, what might be the cause that Mercy heaves ver. 55, 56. Air, ver. 57, 58. The celestial The dust of sin above th’industrious sky, bodies, ver. 59, 60. The third Ileaven, ver. 61, And lets it not to dust and ashes fiy ? 62. Her objects, ver. 63. Repentance, ver. Could Justice be of sin so over-woo'd, 64-66. Faith, ver. 67-69. Her depreca Or so great ill be cause of so great good, (blood? tive speech for man: in which she translates the That bloody man to save, man's Saviour shed his principal fault unto the devil; and repeating Or did the lips of Mercy drop soft speech Justice her aggravation of inen's sin, mitigates For trait'rous man, when at th’ Eternal's throne it; 1st, By a contrary inference: 2d, By in- Incensed Nemesis did Heav'n beseech tercessing berself in the cause, and Christ, ver. With thund'ring voice, that justice might be shown 70-75. That is as sufficient to satisfy, as man Against the rebels that from God were flown? was impotent, ver. 76, 77. Whom she cele- O say, say how could Mercy plead for those brates from the time of his nativity, ver. 78. That, scarcely made, against their Maker rose ? From the effects of it in himself, ver. 779, 80. Will any slay his friend, that he may spare his focs ?. There is a place beyond that flaming hill To keep an everlasting Sabbath's rest ; Eternal fate; lest it should quite erase [grace, So that this creature well might called be Open'd the world which all in darkness lay, Into the solid heart, and with her ears, The silence of the thought loud speaking bears, And in one hand a pair of even scales she wears. No riot of affection revel kept Within her breast, but a still apathy Possessed all her soul, which softly slept, Securely, without tempest; no sad cry Awakes her pity, but wrong'd poverty, Sending his eyes to Heav'n swimming in tears, With hideous clamours ever struck her ears, Whetting the blazing sword that in her hand she bears. The winged lightning is her Mercury, Pale Sickness, with her kercher'd head up wound, Famine, and bloodless Çare, and bloody War, Before this cursed throng goes Ignorance, Was never heart of mortal so untainted, But when that scroll was read, with thousand terrours fainted. Witness the thunder that mount Sinai beard, On this dead Justice, she, the living law, All Heav'n, to hear her speech, did into silence draw. (Proud of the mire, in which his soul is pen'd) Clodded in lumps of clay, his weary life to end. "His body dust: where grew such cause of pride? His soul, thy image: what could he envy?) Himself most happy, if he so would bide: Now grown most wretched, who can remedy? He slew himself, himself the enemy. That his own soul would her own murder wreak, If I were silent, Heav'n and Earth would speak; And if all fail'd, these stones would into clamours break. "How many darts made furrows in his side, When she, that out of his own side was made, Gave feathers to their flight? where was the pride Of their new knowledge? whither did it fade? When running from thy voice into the shade, He fled thy sight, himself of light bereav'd, "And well he might delude those eyes that see, Proclaimed trees almighty: gods of wood, Of stocks, and stones, with crowns of laurel stood, [blood. Templed, and fed by fathers with their children's "The sparkling fanes, that burn in beaten gold, Aad, like the stars of Heav'n in midst of night, Black Egypt, as her mirrors doth behold, Are but the dens where idol-snakes delight Again to cover Satan from their sight:"" Yet these are all their gods, to whom they vie The crocodile, the cock, the rat, the fly, Fit gods, indeed, for such men to be served by. "The fire, the wind, the sea, the Sun, and Moon, The fitting air, and the swift-winged hours, And all the watchmen, that so nimbly run, Anl sentinel about the walled towers Of the world's city, in their heavenly bowers. And, lest their pleasant gods should want delight, Neptune spues out the lady Aphrodite, [light. And but in Heav'n proud Juno's peacocks scorn to "The senseless earth, the serpent, dog, and cat, And worse than all these, man, and worst of men Usurping Jove, and swelling Bacchus fat, And drunk wth the vine's purple blood, and then The fiend himself they conjure from his den, Because he only yet remain'd to be Worse than the worst of men, they flee from And wear his altar-stones out with their pliant Inspirits earth: he Heav'n's all-seeing eye, Or who, or against whom, or why, or where, Then should my speech their sands of sins to mountains rear. "Were not the Heav'ns pure, in whose courts I sue, But now no star can shine, no hope be got. Mest wretched creature, if he knew his lot, [not. And yet more wretched far, because he knows it "What should I tell how barren Earth has grown, All for to starve her children? didst not thou Water with heav'nly show'rs her womb unsown, And drop down clods of flow'rs? didst not thou Thine easy ear unto the ploughman's vow? [bow Long might he look, and look, and long in vain Might load his harvest in an empty wain, [grain. And beat the woods, to find the poor oak's hungry "The swelling sea seethes in his angry waves, [rish; And smites the earth that dares the traitors nouYet oft his thunder their light cork outbraves, Mowing the mountains, on whose temples flourish Whole woods of garlands; and, their pride to cherish, Plough through the sea's green fields, and nets display To catch the flying winds, and steal away, [prey. Coz'ning the greedy sea, pris'ning their nimble "How often have I seen the waving pine,' Toss'd on a wat'ry mountain, knock his head At Heav'n's too patient gates, and with salt brine Quench the Moon's burning horns; and safely fled From Heaven's revenge, her passengers, all dead With stiff astonishment, tumble to Hell? How oft the sea all earth would overswell, Did not thy sandy girdle bind the mighty well? "Would not the air he fill'd with streams of death, To poison the quick rivers of their blood? Did not thy winds fan, with their panting breath, The flitting region? would not th' hasty flood Empty itself into the sea's wide wood: Didst not thou lead it wand'ring from his way, To give men drink, and make his waters stray, To fresh the flow'ry meadows, through whose fields they play? "Who makes the sources of the silver fountains To see cold floods, wild beasts, dull stocks, hard stones out-love him. "Under the weight of sin the earth did fall, The five proud kings, that for their idols fought, "Should any to himself for safety fly? Hell's force? in vain her furies Hell shall gather: His servants, kinsmen, or his children rather? His child, if good, shall judge; if bad, shall curse his father. |