The vnmasking of a feminine Machiauell.
The Argument of this Booke.
POssest with sleepe, in silent night,
Me thought I found a wofull wight,
Whose heart was heauy, looke was sad,
In sorrowes colours being clad,
In a vast desert all alone,
For his desaster making mone,
Filling with plaints the tender ayre,
Who, when to him I did repayre,
His various fortunes and estate,
To me did mournfully relate:
And did desire I would vnfold,
What vnto me by him was told.
Haplesse
Andrea was he call'd,
Whose heart with sorrowes deepe was gal'd.
What e're I saw in that strange dreame,
My Muse hath chosen for her theame.
BLacke vapory clouds, the gloomy night attending,
From
Acheron to the star'd skye ascending,
Twixt heauens bright lamps, and th'earth were interposde,
Darkning the rayes cleare
Cinthia had disclosde:
To poynt the wandring Pilgrims out their wayes,
His glorious splendor, when from vs a space
His wel-breath'd Coursers runne another race.
I seeing thus the sable Curtaynes spread,
Before the glittring Windowes, o're my head,
Hearing nights Sentinell, the vnluckie Owle,
Shricke lowd, thou feareles of the wondring fowle,
Who in the day pursuing him with spight,
Made himdetest and not indure the light.
The greene wood left where
Philomel did sing,
The lustfull rapine of the Thracian king,
Ouid. Met. li. 6
And warned by the Euen that forsooke me,
As time requirde, vnto my bed betooke me,
Wherein, poore I, of loue left and forlorne,
Did meane to rest me till the purple morne.
By the shrill musicke of the timely Larke,
Should be awakte, to driue away the darke,
And make night in her smoaky Charriot drawne,
To yeeld her place to the delightfull dawne,
Ah, but though me the dayes long course had tyred,
I found not then the rest that I desired:
For when light
Morpheus, that gentle god,
Had toucht mine eyes with his sleep-charming rod,
I saw such apparitions in a slumber,
As fild my heart with pity, feare, and wonder.
Do thou, my Muse, my drooping thoughts inspire,
[Page] Touch my sad soule with true
Promethean fire,
And be propitious to mine Artlesse pen,
That I may shew the visions vnto men,
That in th' obscure and melancholy night,
Were strangely represented to my sight:
Into my Verse such eloquence infuse,
That whosoeuer doth my lines peruse,
Tib. Foelix quicun
(que) dolore alterius disces posse carer
[...] tu
[...]
May learne to shun false friends, finding by reason,
The dearer trust, proues oft the deadlyer treason:
Guide my weake hand, to bring to end my taske,
From falshoods face pull thou the whited maske.
AT first me thought vpon a sedgie banke,
Where fennish Reeds, & Bulrushes were ranke,
That walked in a Riuer that did glide,
With pleasing murmur by a Forrest side,
I stood, where on the Cristall waters brim,
Snow-whiter Swans ruffing their plumes did swim.
Vpon this faire and delectable streame,
Might beauteous
Cithareaes siluer Teame,
Haue drawne their mistris in her lightsome Carre,
That in the Aire shines like a glorious starre:
So euen and cleare this fluent Riuer was,
As purest Cristall, or the smoothest Glasse,
Through whose transparēce piercing with mine eye,
A thousand fishes of all sorts
I spye.
[Page] On the sand bottome playing here and there,
Securely swimming▪ being free from feare,
On which, poore fooles, as earnestly
I looke,
Sporting themselues in the soft sliding brooke,
On their delights meaning to gaze a while,
For a short space my sorrowes to beguile,
Such a sad sound did enter in mine eare,
As canceld ioyes, and did recall my care:
For there (me thought) a man in deepe despaire,
I heard breathe forth suspires into the ayre,
Whose earnfull accents were no sooner gone,
But in this dolefull wise he'gan to mone:
To playne of Time, of Fortune, and of Fate,
Lothing his life, delight being out of date.
My sad afflicted soule, breake from my brest,
Thy loathed prison, harbour of vnrest:
Fly from that horrid place, that doth enclose,
Of ioyes not any, but a world of woes:
So that time cannot with his course conclude,
The paynes by whom thou euer art pursude:
But still each howre vpon his ayry wings,
The sad memoriall of my sorrowes brings:
Vayne is their iudgements that conclude and say,
Time either takes the greatest griefe away,
Or at the least, when woes haue long bene borne,
They seeme the lesse, their anguish is outworne:
[Page] For now the Sunne hath passed seuen times,
In his progression through the watry signes,
Since ceaslesse griefe did enter in my brest,
Content that banisht and excluded rest:
In the consuming of which wofull yeeres,
Still cares increase, but comfort none appeares:
In stead of lessning of my sorrowes vigor,
Time gaue them greater strength, & more stern rigor.
And with Time, Fortune that respectlesse Dame,
Conspir'd to worke the downfall of my fame:
Yet of all other why should she torment me,
That neuer gaue me wherewith to content me?
To tread on him,
Qui iacet in terram, non habet vnde cadat.
no glory can she gayne,That to lay lower, she but striues in vayne,
To insult o're me a wretch, can neuer rayse her,
But will make all men iustly to disprayse her,
And hold her base, that on so poore a wight,
Would exercise her cruelty and spight:
For when sh'ath done her worst, & deadliest frownd,
She cannot driue me lower then this ground,
In whose cold bosome were I once inuested,
My thoughts should then haue ease, that yet n'ere rested.
I neither hope for honour, gape for wealth,
Nor wish to liue, although in perfit health.
The thing that
I desire, for which
I pray,
Is tha
[...]
[...]y time may soone be past away.
[Page] O let my dayes of life be short and few,
And euen vanish, as the vaporous dew,
That from the grasse exhaled by the Sunne,
Is soone forgot, as it is quickly gone,
And let the howres appoynted till I die,
New impe their wings, more speedily to flie,
And till that I haue runne my weary race,
Let time not turne vnto his wonted pace.
This mournfull speech, to which I well attended,
Begun in griefe, in sighes being sadly ended.
Wondring thereat a while I stood amazed,
Like him that on
Medusaes head had gazed,
Knowing that he whose passion I did heare,
Although I saw him not, must needs be neare.
At length I did resolue, (doubts set aside)
To find him out, what euer did betide:
From the faire Riuer, to the thick-leau'd wood,
I hasted then, and often listning stood
There in a couert, wherein he did hide him,
I walkt not farre, but suddenly espide him:
The sight of whom would haue enforst to mone,
The sterne
Dolopian, or the
Mirmidon.
Vnder a broad Oake on the earth he lay,
His head downe cast (as loth to see the day)
His guiltlesse heare was like his garments ren
[...]
Such the sharp anguish of his discontent.
[Page] Attir'd he was in tawny, as forlorne,
Despisde, disgrac'd, reiected, held in scorne.
The ground whereon he lay, was watred well
With teares abundant from his eyes that fell:
His callow chinne did silently declare,
He was too young to haue to doe with care.
I comming neere him, he raisde vp his head
With heauy motion, as a man halfe dead:
And euen as I was ready for to speake,
He sigh'd againe, as if his heart would breake.
I grieued then to see so sad a sight,
Thus fram'd my speech vnto that wofull wight:
What e're thou art, in whose bleake looke appeares
More signe of sorrowes, then of many yeres:
Thy deepe complaints that in mine eares did enter,
Were the occasions of my bold aduenture,
To find thee out, not to deride thy state,
But for to comfort thee disconsolate,
Whose mones being heard, if charitably felt,
Might make th'obdurate
Ithacan to melt.
Let me entreat, although
I am a stranger,
To know thy state, misdoubt not any danger,
By the discouery of thy cause of griefe,
Which being conceald, can neuer haue reliefe.
Fea
[...] not deceit in me, for first that Sunne,
Which gloriously before our eyes doth runne,
[Page] Shall from his lofty spheare fall to the ground,
Ere faithlesse I, or treacherous be found:
And if my best endeuours may asswage
The burning furie of thy passions rage,
On my vnfained word thy selfe assure,
With speed I will thy remedie procure:
For he griefes vigour can the best discerne,
That their effects hath felt, and needs not learne.
Herewith he raised his deiected eyes,
That on the earth were fixt, and thus replies:
Vnhappie I, whose wretched state affords
A greater multitude of woes then words:
So that my speech vnable is t'expresse,
For thy great kindnes, my true thankfulnesse:
Yet from my brest shall sooner flye my spirit,
Then the impress'd memoriall of thy merit.
Thy faith I feare not, for euen in thy eye,
Me thinks pure Truth securely I espie.
The cause of my arriuall here was thus:
My fortunes euer inauspicious,
Forst me in solitarie Groues to range,
My selfe entending from the world t'estrange,
Meaning to shunne community with men,
And rather chose in some forsaken den,
To spend th'irreuocable course of time,
Clipping my hie thoghts wings that once did clime,
[Page] Imped with expectations fiery plumes,
To Honours Mansion, whom no age consumes:
Then failing of my hopes, being ouertaken,
With trecherous practises to liue forsaken;
Or being an obiect to all vulgar eyes,
Each Hind might descant on my miseries:
Wherfore long wandring through vncouth wayes,
To find a place to consummate my dayes,
Whereas no eye might euer find me out,
At my heart-breaking discontent to flout,
That I vnheard to the deafe woods might plaine me,
Where of my raging fits none might restraine me:
At length in this vaste Forrest here I found
A Caue deepe mined in the solid ground,
Whose entrance blacke as the foule mouth of hell,
Seem'd to inuite my sorrowes there to dwell:
Where I vnseene might long obscurely rest,
In sable darkenes my minde fitting best.
For he that hath a melancholy spright,
Before cleare day preferres the darkest night.
About it round were bushes ouergrowne,
Where any path had bene could scarce be knowne▪
Which shew'd the same was Desert, vnfrequented,
The meeter Mansion for one discontented.
Within, it well cohered with my mind;
For euery place for want of light seemd blind;
[Page] Except that through a clift appear'd a sparke,
Sent from the Sunne to fright the fearefull darke.
Here did I meane the posting houres to spend,
Till with my death my dolours should haue end.
At this he stops, when suddenly againe,
His eyes let fall a showre of teares amaine.
Then I replide, Though moysture now be scant,
Thy shady ground none of thy teares doth want:
They comfort not, but th'earth doe rather burne,
Which were it sensible, for thee would mourne:
Preserue them then, spend not thy store in vayne,
Be not too lauish of such deare bought rayne.
We see each day, that the fond prodigall
Liues vnregarded, hauing wasted all.
Stay now thy teares,
tis woman-like to weepe,
Concealment of thy case no longer keepe;
But vnto me doubtlesse participate
Thy fortunes crossed by some angry fate:
And all my whole endeuours shalbe bent,
These ills to cure, or future to preuent:
Harken to counsell, be not obstinate,
Lest good aduice doe after come too late.
Oh but (quoth he)
When on some shelfe of sand,
Lying not farre off from the harbouring strand,
A luckles Pylot, being there a stranger,
His Barke hath burst, vnskilfull of the danger.
[Page] His counsell then would be but all in vaine,
Mant. Vtile non est, consiliū post facta dare, quod oportuit an
[...]
That would cry out, You should haue kept the maine.
Yet for thy kindnesse and thy louing offer,
All that I haue, my humblest thanks
I proffer,
Which as my selfe, low at thy feet
I lay,
And for thy better hap will euer pray:
And to declare that
I do hold it hatefull,
For such great courtesie to be vngratefull,
My tragick haps to heare, since thou dost long,
Ile briefly tell thee. By a Sirens song,
Or by a voyce worse then the Mermaids sound,
That made
Vlisses feare to runne a ground,
I was allurde to anchor in the roade,
Where cursed policy made her abode,
In womans habit that her selfe did hide,
Such her deceits, as scarce could be espide:
Yet would
I not, the noble female sexe
Should thinke in her
I modeld their defects:
For
I protest,
I hold, in all their kinde,
Not such another any man can finde:
As soone the single Phoenix might be found
To haue a mate, as she her match on ground.
That damned Politician
Machiauell,
That, some say, had his
Maximes out of hell,
Had he but beene a scholler vnto her,
To learne his Arte, need not haue gone so farre.
[Page] She of her owne would haue imparted store
Of cursed plots, ne're thought vpon before,
Such and so deepe, as none could e're deuise,
But her great Grandsire, father of all lyes,
With the
Hienaes voyce can she beguile,
And weepe, but like the
Nile bred
Crocadile,
That on the pray she instantly deuoures,
Dissembling teares in great abundant powers.
With the
Cameleon can she change her hiew,
Like euery obiect that her eye doth view.
Proteus was neuer halfe so mutable,
As she vnconstant, of her word vnstable:
Her eyes like
Basilisks dart poyson out:
Her oyled toung assists to bring about
Her plots to their ineuitable end,
Which to contriue, she all her time doth spend.
She hath a conscience (full of guilty dread)
Will stretch like Cheuerell in her working head,
Dwell damned thoughts to mischiefe euer bent,
And in her brayne are all ills resident:
She, whose false heart for to Annatomize,
Volumes importable will scarce suffice:
She, that in youth was bad, in age farre worse,
That had some rauenous Tiger to her nurse;
With the sweet straine of her alluring toung,
Drew silly mee, my yeres though very young,
[Page] Neuer before acquainted with deceit,
Not able to discerne th'inticing bait,
To follow her, till in a fatall toyle,
Which she had pitcht, my poore estate to spoyle,
I was ensnarde: and when she saw me taken,
She plainde on me of all my friends forsaken:
For leauing them, their speeches not respecting,
To follow her, their counsailes graue neglecting,
I felt iust plagues, yet had my wealth bin all,
That I had lost in my vnlucky fall,
I should not haue disquieted my foule
With such sad thoghts, as no ioyes might controule.
But with my meanes at that vnhappie tide,
My reputation hazzarded beside:
The worth of which fayre iewell I held more,
Then
Europes magasins vnualued store,
Since that my name in countrie and in towne,
Hath giuen argument to euery Clowne:
By which rude Peasants to be censured,
Whose best conceits like them are basely bred,
Who could indure this? made me hither flie,
Loathing to liue where euery vulgar eye
Should stare on me, where euery abiect Slaue,
With toūgs enuenomd should my worth depraue:
For such the nature of the rascall Hinds,
That haue no other then deiected minds,
[Page]
That crost by Fortune the best tempred spirit,
Shalbe by them held most deuoyd of merit.
O pardon me, that thus I breake the bounds
Of helpelesse patience; for the yet greene wounds,
By trechry made, though euer angry sore,
Now being new handled, do rage ten times more,
Which makes my toūg, that of my woes doth speak,
Vrgde by sharp anguish in extreames to breake.
The summe in briefe, of all that I can say,
Is, that a cursed creature did betray
My infant fortunes, my hopes blossomes blasted,
My natiue starres, with blacke clouds ouercasted.
Why but, quoth I, if thou no more disclose,
Then this compendious abstract of thy woes,
Like
Tantalus, who for his punishment,
Is doom'd to stand in the moyst Element
Vp to the chinne, yet can by no meanes drinke:
For as he striues to taste, downe the waues sinke:
His vnstauncht thirst, although exceeding sore,
The sight of water aggrauateth more.
So I, before thou spak'st, hote with desire
To heare thy haps, am now set all on fire:
To quench which ardor, oh let me intreat,
That from th'originall thou wilt repeat
The true cause of thy grieuous discontent,
Wrought by some inauspicious accident▪
[Page] If, as thou sayst, some daughter to the Deuill,
Borne to do mischiefe, exercisde in euill,
Haue by some wicked plot betrayd thy youth,
Abusde thy trust, vnder pretence of truth,
From female
Machiauell pull thou the maske,
Tell me her name, and it shall be my taske,
Her person so to portreyt with my pen,
As
I will make her odious vnto men:
The blazon that my vpreard Muse shall giue her,
Shall make her infamy long to out-liue her,
That babes vnborne, which after-times shall breed,
Her shames memoriall in my lines shall reed.
"Though wrackful time brasse monumēts deuoure,
"Verse shall suruiue vnto the latest houre:
"And when the proud Pyramides to dust,
"Age shall outweare, & steele consume with rust:
"Then like
Apolloes Lawrell, euer greene,
"Shall Verse be verdant, and vnchang'd be seene;
"Such is the power of high-bred Poesy,
Ouid. Carminae quē tribuunt, fama perenuis erit.
"That it can euen to perpetuity
"Eyther make glorious, or as much disgrace
"The noble minded, or th'abiected base:
"
Alcides labours,
Theseus lasting fame,
"
Achilles deeds, and
Hectors noble name,
"A thousand yeres had now in silence slept,
"If Poesy their gloryes had not kept
[Page] "In her great Register, nor had this age
"Knowne
Tarquins rape, nor madde
Orestes rage.
"Who could haue told faire
Lucrece chastity,
"Or wise
Vlisses wiues great constancy?
"Euen in her tombe had
Cleopatraes pride
"Bene now inter'd, the fame had neuer dide.
"If Poets had not in their Tables pend,
"All for examples to this purpos'd end,
"The good might imitate the good, and they,
"From vertues pathes that run their course astray,
"Might backe returne into the way againe,
"That leadeth to the faire
Elizian plaine.
With
Scilla, Mirrha, and
Calipsa fell,
With
Messaline, and
Heccate of hell,
With the
Bellides and the shame of Greece,
And her that did betray the golden fleece,
And all those infamous that liu'd of olde,
Whose names by sacred Poets are inrold,
As a companion shall thy foe be plac'd,
Whose memory by time shall ne're be ra
[...]'d.
Then let not former passed times more grieue thee:
But hope of future better happe relieue thee.
A mischiefe meant, perhaps may be preuented:
But once hapt, tis in vayne to be lamented.
Cease then with bootlesse words for to complaine.
Then he reuiu'd his sad discourse againe.
[Page] A wofull Tale thou vrgest me to tell,
Whose heauy Accents like the passing Bell,
Such melancholy Musicke foorth will sound,
As thy attending eares will deepely wound:
Nay, if my sorrowes giue me leaue to speake
Vnto the ende, teares can not choose but breake
From out thine eyes that formerly restraind,
Longer in limittes will not be containd.
Full twice seuen times from my vnhappy birth,
The comfortable Spring had cheerd the earth,
And thawd the frosty bosome of the ground,
Wherein all Plants in Icie cheines were bound:
When presently in coates of greene appeare,
All trees and herbes that beautify the yeare:
The Spring soone past, Aprill
and gorgeous May
Declar'd how swift earths pleasures post away.
The lusty Summer proudly comming on,
Was as the former soone dispatcht and gone,
Who by the withering of the garish Flowres,
Shew'd how consuming time vaine toyes deuoures:
Which Note to men might be th'remembrancer,
Before light follies vertues to preferre.
Then mellow Autumne that declines to cold.
Not young as Summer, nor as Winter old,
By whose rough blasts all trees before faire leau'd,
Of their greene liueries were soone bereau'd:
[Page] For which the Birds from their mellifluous throats,
Sadly did sound full many mournfull noates,
Euen then when all things sensibly did mone
The sharpe approach of cold frosts comming on,
Began the ground of my intestine griefe,
That long expected, but ne're found reliefe:
When by the wan inexorable Death,
My dearest Parent lost his vitall breath,
Whose tender care, whose counsayle being reft me,
Content took leaue, ioyes fled, and pleasures left me:
For like a shippe that lucklessely had lost
Her skilfull Pilot on an vnknowne coast,
With wrackfull tempests being roughly driuen,
Her sides by proud waues ready to be riuen,
Fearefully strikes all her swelling sayles,
Her Flagges lett's fall, her hie top-gallants vayles,
Best course to steare for safty knowing not whether,
But liues at mercy of the winde and weather:
So far'd my selfe and my vnsettled state,
My Parents liues thrid being clipt by fate,
Who was that Pilot that my course did guide,
Secure from danger of that stormy tide,
He thus deceasd, for me in fatall time,
I not contented in this peacefull clime,
To spend my youth determined to range,
Of forreine lands to see the various change:
[Page] Youth being full of wandring appetites,
Nature it selfe to nouelties incites:
At length, the rumor of the bloudy iarres,
Th'vnkind discensions, th'vntamed warres,
That then the fertile Netherlands afflicted,
Where peace was exild, quiet interdicted,
Made me resolue my freedome to forsake,
My selfe intending solely to betake
Vnto a Souldiers life, hoping to gaine
Honor and Reputation for my paine.
It was not want that made me leaue the soile
Where
I was borne, in Belgia to turmoyle,
For lacke of meanes, but an enflamde desire
To raise my hopes, that did too hye aspire:
Knowing if raging stormes of warre should rise,
Their fury in our Ile to exercise,
(Where vnaffrighted peace had long time flourisht,
The land enriching where she had bene nourisht,)
In forreine broyles experience
I should learne,
The feates of Armes expertly to discerne,
That in my countreyes and my Princes right,
I might be able with aduice to fight:
From happy England with no ill intent,
To try my fortunes sodainly I went.
A Southwest gale for Flushing fitly blew,
When from the Rode the little Pinnisse flew,
[Page] Wherein I was embarkt, faire
Douer leauing,
When as black night her head was first vp-heauing.
Safely arriu'd, to
Gelderland I hasted,
That sword and ardent fire had welnigh wasted,
There did I march in cold, in scalding heat,
By night and day in Armour all compleat;
Lay on the ground, in frost, in snow, in rayne,
Exposde my selfe each minute to be slayne:
All trauailes I delightfully endurde,
To which addicted I was soone inurde.
In these tumultuous sturres did I remaine,
Till that great conflict with the powers of
Spaine,
Where the high
Archdukes army on the sands
Were fought withall by those vnconquered bands,
Led by
Nassaw. Here could I tell the Story,
How either Hoste was rang'd in all their glory,
How each Esquadron marcht, and by whom led,
The glorious acts of those aliue or dead,
The true forme of the fight, did not my griefe
Enforce my toung to stay or be but briefe:
Yet shall not that great day be cleane o'repast,
Whose fame no time can e're haue power to waste,
But in compendious maner will declare
The fight wherein my Fortunes had a share.
Newport battell, In. 22,1600
The morne lookt red, whose blushing did bewray
The fatall bloudshed should ensue that day:
[Page] The rackie clouds on th'earth distilled dew,
In pearly drops, which plainly did foreshew,
Heauen grieued at that sacred day prophan'd,
That by the Lord for prayer was ordain'd.
Assist my Muse, my fainting toung direct,
Breathe a new spirit in mine intellect,
That by thy wondrous power and glorious might,
I may be able to vnfold the fight
'Twixt two great Armies both alike engag'd,
Both with sterne furie terribly enrag'd:
The one contending for the Soueraignty,
Th'other resolu'd to die for liberty.
The Duke of
Brabant clad in angry Armes,
Of warlike Souldiers leading wondrous swarmes,
That suddenly vnlookt for he withdrew
From
Venlo, Derst, and
Herntalls, to pursue
Th'vnited Prouinces vndaunted powers,
That razd his Castles, ouerthrew his Towers,
Destroyde his Villages, spoyld all his Corne,
Leauing the Countrey as a land forlorne:
Seeing faire
Flaunders girdled all in fire,
Moued with pity and repleat with ire,
Reuenge to his great courage giuing wings,
Him after vs like a black tempest brings:
But comne neere
Newport he was roughly met
By hardy
Scots, and
Dutch, that thought to let
[Page] His passage o're a Bridge that he had past:
Such their ill fortunes, or their little haste.
Betwixt these powers, at the first enterview,
Was bloudy greeting, fatall Bullets flew,
Like stormes of Hayle, till lucklessely at length,
Our Regiments being ouerprest with strength
Of th'Archdukes multitudes, were put to flight,
Of whom eight hundred there were slaine outright.
Proud of these fortunes, our insulting foes
Aduaunc'd with speed to deale more deadly blowes,
Of their owne powers superbiously presuming,
Of our whole force to haue the full consuming:
But our great God, his chosen that defends,
Brought their hie hopes to vnexpected ends.
When now both armies on the euen sands
Were come in sight, and proudly tooke their stands,
Then all the Regiments of either side
Were rang'd in order, neere the surly tide.
Both furnisht well, both rich in their array:
Which was most glorious, it was hard to say:
The place being couerd with such armed crowds,
As seem'd to menace heauen and dare the clouds.
Of either part, Courage, the Captaines cry,
By your true valours win the day, or die.
Vnto our English Troope, hie-sprited
Vere
Did vse perswasions to extinguish feare.
[Page] But e're the resolute Battalians came
To down-right stroakes,—
Cannons dischargde bullets in fire wrapt round,
Circled in smoke, whose terror-breathing sound,
Like the blacke bolt of
Ioues Imperiall thunder,
With hideous noyse the thin ayre shakes asunder.
There might you see a deadly shott that strikes,
In a thicke sand our strong embatteld pikes,
Renting the rankes, make shattred Splinters flie,
As they were sent to bandy with the skie:
Souldiers some slaine outright, some deadly torne,
From the thicke prease confusedly are borne.
Whilst o're the sands these brazen Lions roar'd,
And interchangeably the soyle begoard,
A shippe of warre was come into the Bay,
That opposite vnto our foe-men lay,
Who from her armed side, her sterne, her chace,
Sent yron postes into their troupes apace,
So thicke she shot, that he which had bene nie her,
Would haue conceyued she had bin light on fire.
Another, that the Holland Ensigne bare,
That on her poope plaid with the wanton ayre,
This former there did second in such sort,
As in the aduerse campe made bloody sport.
The angry Duke against those stormy ships,
His deadly Cannons turnd, from whose blacke lips,
[Page] Flew forth the black Ambassadors of death,
That rag'd like suries in the vaults beneath,
To whose dire message they would haue replide
In termes alike, had not the falling tyde
Made them stand off, and beare into the Maine,
Who thus being gone, to vs began againe
Their thundring language, answered with the same,
Their shot with shot, their fire with burning flame.
At length began the sterne and horrid fight,
Whose smoke and dust made day like dismall night,
When as the powers that long had stood oppos'd,
Ranne altogether, and with fury clos'd,
Pikes, Pikes encounter, shot at shot let flye,
All Nations on their seueral Patrons crie,
The Trumpets clangor & the Drums hoarce sound,
With Souldiers shout, each others noyse confound.
There murdrous Muskets like quick lightnings flasht,
Whose balles ones face with tothers bloud bedasht:
Of eyther part the Ensignes brauely flying,
Some nobly fighting, some as nobly dying:
In th' Armies both was hope,
Virg. Inter vtrum
(que) volat dubiis victoria pennis.
whilst vnto neytherProud Victory enclind, but fauour'd eyther:
With various fortunes, full three bloudy howers,
Endur'd the sternerage of these warlike powers:
Till at the last, the ouer-mastered foe,
From field was forst with greatest losse to goe,
[Page] To quit their armes, their Ensignes leaue forlorne,
That but euen now by them were proudly borne.
When they the field had thus abandoned,
Most flaine, some wounded, & the remnant fled,
Vpon the sandy bankes and in the fields,
Lay broken Pikes, bruz'd Helmets, batterd shields,
The proud Burgonian Crosses kisse the ground,
Their Bearers lying in a deadly swound,
And hardy Captayns striuing for the day,
Euen in the places where they fought, they lay,
With troupes of Souldiers, whom they stoutly led,
Some kild outright, some dying, but not dead:
One gaspes for breath, another mercy cries,
And begs of him vpon whose sword he dies.
Virg. O ter, quater
(que) beat
[...]
Retreit being sounded, those of ours remayning,
Came to their colours for their friends complaining,
Of whom some buried, others not interd,
Whose funeralls were longer time deferd.
Who dies with honour, though he want a graue,
Virg. Facilis iactura sepulchri.
No greater happinesse at all can haue.
But soft, where am I now? me thinks too farre
I haue discoursd the fortunes of the warre.
When I began, I briefly meant to tell
The Battels fury, where ten thousand fell:
But being entred, I could not conclude,
Till to the end the story I pursude.
[Page] This euer-famous day thus brauely wonne,
The Troopes disperst, each to their Garison,
Adorn'd with honour, and inrich't with spoyle,
To take their rest after laborious toyle:
I then determined, whilst the wars did cease,
To visit
England, crown'd with golden peace:
To giue more speed to my resolu'd intent,
From thence a Letter came, vnto me sent
From one that euer I accounted deare:
Whose faithfull loue I thought had neuer Peere.
One, for whose sake I other friends neglected,
Was rul'd by him, still did what he directed.
Which Paper, as the Poste to me deliuers,
My hand vnwont, as in a feauer shiuers:
At which (being strange) I could not chuse but muse;
And as the smooth Indorsement I peruse,
Breaking the seale, the waxe so fastned cleaues,
As seem'd vnwilling to let loose the leaues:
But forced open, as th'ad bene halfe blinde,
Mine eyes 'gan dazle, and no way could finde,
Where to beginne the sweet sowre Lynes to read,
From whence my fatall sorrowes ground proceed.
Mens sences, sudden altering out of reason,
Doe bode ill lucke, or do fore-shew some treason.
At length my hand 'gan stay, and eke mine eyes
On th'obiect fixed, that before them lyes,
[Page] Thus I begunne. Since happy Fates ordaine
Thou hast suruiu'd, where multitudes were slaine,
From out those Lands, breeding dissension blacke,
Vnto thy natiue soyle with speed come backe:
Whereas my euer-waking industrie,
Hath gotten meanes to eleuate on hie
Thy tender fortunes, which if thou neglect,
Succeding times will ne're haue power t'effect.
If thy estate, thy Country, or my loue
Thou would'st increase, hold'st deare, or any wayes may moue,
Leaue tedious toyles, and warres affording paine,
And write not backe, but come thy selfe againe.
This letter read, the messenger of light
Not thrice from th'earth had chac'd away blacke night,
Who sunke to hell, the father of the day,
To all the world his glory did display:
But in a small boat plide with striuing Oares,
I bade adue vnto the Belgicke shores,
Vnhappy farewell, and disastrous fate,
To leaue bright honour, and o'rethrow my state:
Being come aboord, our sailes a stiffe gale stretches,
Which holding faire, the ship soone Englād retches,
On which cleare coasts in safety thus arriu'de,
Many reioycing that I there suruiu'de,
Free from the losse of limbs that others felt,
That likewise in the late sterne conflict delt,
[Page] Gaue me kind welcome more then I deseru'd,
Ioying from danger that I was preseru'd.
Preseru'd from danger, said I? no, not so,
But was reserued to a greater woe:
O had I dide where
Yaxley, Honniwood,
And more braue Gallants in their hie blood,
Couragious fighting, fell downe all imbrude,
This home-bred mischiefe had I then eschude!
But since the Destenies did thus ordaine,
I must confesse, tis bootlesse to complaine.
Long time e're I returnd, the meanes was plotted,
Whereby my reputation was bespotted,
That shooke my state betwixt that friend of mine,
Whose words
I held as Oracles diuine,
Who to my soule and secrets still was neere,
Apollo n'ere held
Hiacinth more deere:
And her whose tongue for cunning may compare
With Greekish
Sinon, and with
Circes share:
Each hunny word she spake, like Magick writtes,
Were able to enchant the deepest wittes:
She for the hope of Auaricious gaine,
Will sweare and forsweare, flatter, lie and faine:
Her owne child a Polygamist she made,
By her vile counsaile. Cursed be her trade,
That hopes not heauen, nor respecteth hell,
Where, in dire torments, lesse offenders dwell:
[Page] Each circumstance (quoth he) should I entend,
T'vnfold to thee, discoursing to the end
Her practises, as well may vndertake
To number
Libick sands, and firme land to make
Of
Thetis playnes, where on a Dolphin rides
That aged god, the surly sea that guides.
Let this suffice, that she is such a one,
As but
Medea there was neuer none.
Write what I say, though
I conceale her name,
It pleaseth me ynough she read her shame
With blushing cheekes, if any sparke of grace,
(Which I misdoubt) be liuing in her face.
Scarce had he ended, when we saw from farre,
As we imagined, a waiged Carre,
Which comming neere vs, presently I knew,
'Twas
Morpheus Coach that foure night Rauēs drew,
The wheeles did make no noise, yet so fast ran,
As could beguile the very sight of man:
With soft Arabian silke 'twas ouer-couerd,
About the which, light dreames & visions houerd:
The Curtaines of the same were made of Rings
Of the quicke Battes that
Vesperugo brings,
To flie as Harbengers before the night,
When to th'inferiour Spheare the Sun giues light.
His Teame being come vnto vs,
Morpheus staid,
And looking foorth, euen thus (me thoght) he said,
[Page] Loe, I the sonne of griefe-beguiling sleepe,
That neuer any certaine forme doe keepe,
But in what shape I list assume, can flie,
From earth to hell, from thence vnto the skie,
To thee
Andrea, haue my course directed,
Who of all other holdst thy selfe reiected:
Thou knowst, a thousand visions I presented,
In gloomy night, thinking to haue contented
Thy grieued soule, yet all was but in vayne,
Shaddowes of ioyes more did increase thy payne.
But now I come to carrie thee, euen where
Thou shalt behold obiects repleat with feare:
Yet
I well know, the sight thereof will please thee,
And of the burthen of thy sorrowes ease thee:
Stand not to answere, but with speed ascend
Vp in my Coach, and take with thee thy friend,
That may with vs such wonders strange behold,
As seene, as dreadfull, fearefull to be told.
Mournefull
Andrea and my selfe being plac'd
By
Morpheus side, the Chariot ran in haste,
Till suddenly vpon a banke it stands,
Whereas the sleepe-god tooke vs by the hands,
And going forth, thus comfortably said,
What sight soe're you see, be not afraid,
Ile goe before your footsteps to direct,
Dangers at all by no meanes do suspect.
[Page] Him as our guide, we follow to a place,
I thinke scarce seene by any mortall face:
For in a vale, where
Titan ne're displayes
The radiant brightnes of his golden rayes,
Where neither lowly shrub, nor lofty tree,
Nor leafe, nor grasse, nor any plant we see,
We found a vast and melancholy Caue,
Virg. Facilis descensus Auerni.
That op'ned like a hollow wide-mouth'd graue:
Wherein we enter through a passage made,
Easily descending to th'infernall shade.
At length we saw (was neuer such a sight,
'Mongst all the gastly visions of the night)
Farre vnderneath vs, such a place to lie,
As could affright the most vndaunted eye;
Where Thunderclappes and fiery lightnings flash,
Where boystrous tempests storme, dread hailstones dash,
Frō whence did come a sound astonishing,
Of wofull shreekes, that fearefully do ring
Into our eares. Then 'gan
Andrea thus,
Where are we now? speake, gentle
Morpheus:
Oh, wherfore hast thou brought vs, where our eyes
Meete such sterne obiects? Then the God replies:
The place that vnderneath, farre off you see,
Though strange to you, is not vnknowne to mee:
It is that
Chaos, that confused Den,
Where are th' eternall punishments for them,
[Page] That surfetting in sinne euen from their birth,
Inferni poenarum descriptio. Cal
[...]r.
Without true penitence doe leaue the earth:
Here all lewd actions, fruits of foule desire,
Tormented are with euerlasting fire,
Whose burning fury vnextinguisht powers,
Being but compared vnto that of yours,
Would make it seeme or nothing, or scarce warme,
Like Winters Sun-beames, not of power to harme.
Aetna still couered with sulphure fume,
And ardent
Hecla shall by time consume:
But this, whose feruour waters n'ere asswage,
Shall haue continuall and vnceasing rage.
Then are there likewise euer-freezing lakes,
Frigus.
As sharpely cold, where 'mongst the Icy flakes,
That cut like razors the vnhappie wights,
Are tost like red-hot bloomes, by vgly Sprights,
Whose horrid lookes most fearefull to behold,
Aspectus daemonum
Torment as bad, as the congealing cold.
Dragons,
Morsus serpentum
fell Serpents with enuenom'd stings,That plague alike both slaues and tyrant kings,
There in each place in such abundance crall,
As
Insula serpentum plena. Auerni fetor.
Ophiusae neuer saw at all.Their wounds are worse then Adders, earth-bred Snakes,
Or Basilisks, or Aspes, or
Ibis makes.
The loathsome sauours of this
Acheron,
Neuer exhaled by th'attractiue Sunne,
[Page] Are there farre worse, in th'earth then any bred,
Then strangling brimstone, or th'vnburied dead,
And there imprisoned in the vault of hell,
Obscuritas loci.
Doth nights blacke Nurse,
Cimerian darknesse dwell:
Whose pitchy temples are ingirt with clouds,
That in her looke affrighting horrour shrouds:
Whereas vnstaunched Famyne wanting bread,
Fames.
Eates balles of wildfire, drinketh scalding lead:
To aggrauate which wofull paines, the place
Remou'd from God his fauour and his grace:
Dispositio loci.
There terrour, feare and desolation,
Haue their eternall habitation:
Gnashing of teeth, howling, and woful weeping,
Are in the dismall concaue neuer sleeping.
There wights afflicted, still for death are crying,
Deadly tormented, yet are neuer dying.
There bloudy
Nero, cruell
Commodus,
Luxurious
Tarquine, drunke
Vitellius,
Tarpeia false,
Semiramis vnchaste,
Are euery one in their due order plac'd:
There periur'd slaues, beastly Adulterers,
Accursed Atheists, biting Vsurers,
With murdrous Ruffins that delight in blood,
Shall all be plagu'd in the
Sulphurean Flood.
Thither that foule staine of the female kinde,
Whose deep fetcht othes are lighter then the winde,
[Page] That by dissembling and abusing trueth,
Blasted the blossomes of thy tender youth,
Her liues course finisht (if deepe penitence
Wash not away her foule offence)
Shall come but in her flint-vnyelding brest,
Where liues a guilty conscience wanting rest,
Are wicked thoughts, that in a mighty band,
In order plac'd as Sentinels do stand,
To barre good motions entrance, that driuē thence,
In worthyer places search for residence:
She, the true patterne of detested pride,
There shall not borrow an old Coach to ride:
But in a fiery flaming Chariot,
By Dragons drawne insufferably hot,
Shall progresse thorough Hell: for her false haires,
Snakes in their folds shall winde about her eares:
In stead of hired cheynes of burnisht gold,
Shall Iron linkes her wretched corps enfold,
And torments more then this: for none can tell
The tenth of tortures that are vsde in hell.
But for thy selfe, if I diuine aright,
Thy hopes shall mount with an auspicious flight,
Thy fortunes that late crost, thou still holdst vaine,
Shall haue a time to flourish fresh againe:
I know the meanes by which thou shalt aduaunce
Thy owne estate, euen in despight of chaunce▪
Sic tibi res eadem, vul
[...]us opem
(que) fer
[...].
Doth not my prophecie reioyce thy spright?
And bonds of sorrowes cancell with delight?
Speake man: But why thus holdst thou downe thy head?
Why is thy looke so sad? thy colour dead?
Quoth he, I grieue for her vnhappy sake,
I feare e're long shall come into this Lake,
Though my attempting hopes she layd in dust,
Though she be most perfidious and vniust:
These paines I wish her not but doe desire,
If yet some small sparke of celestiall fire
Be vnextinguisht in her brest, it may
Breed quick repentance, and auoyd decay.
But, gentle
Morpheus, if thou be of power,
Transport her
Genius hither but one houre,
That with an intellectuall feeling sence,
May see all sinnes eternall recompence:
And then (no doubt) the vision will controule
The wicked motions working in her soule.
This said, our guide ascendeth vp againe,
Whom we attend, leauing the place of paine:
And being from the dusky denne come forth,
Cold
Charlzis Wayne was set directly North,
When winged
Morpheus once more silence brake,
And to
Andrea thus the God he spake:
[Page] When I am gone, thinke not thou art deluded,
Thy fortunes are by desteny concluded:
Into whose secret brasen-leaued booke,
They curteously did giue me leaue to looke:
Wherein by fate vndoubtedly
I finde,
Time shall effect according to thy minde.
By this, broke from the mornings cold embrace,
Saturnes bright sunne aduaunc'd his royall face,
Whose glorious looke, pale night astonished,
That fearefull of his presence swiftly fled▪
He mounting then his Carre damaskt with fire,
Made his free horse gallop th'accustomd gire,
When sleepe departing, did vnlocke mine eye,
Whereat my dreames like mistie vapors flye:
And onely left the memory behinde,
Of the strange Vision that disturb'd my minde.
FINIS.