And mongst all Cities florished much more.
29
All that which Aegypt whilome did deuise,
All that which Greece their temples to embraue,
395
After th’Ionicke, Atticke, Doricke guise,
Or Corinth skil’d in curious workes to graue;
All that Lysippus practike arte could forme,
Apelles wit, or Phidias his skill,
Was wont this auncient Citie to adorne,
400
And the heauen it selfe with her wide wonders fill;
All that which Athens euer brought forth wise,
All that which Afrike euer brought forth strange,
All that which Asie euer had of prise,
Was here to see. O meruelous great change:
405
Rome liuing, was the worlds sole ornament,
And dead, is now the worlds sole moniment.
30
Like as the seeded field greene grasse first showes,
Then from greene grasse into a stalke doth spring,
And from a stalke into an eare forth-growes,
410
Which eare the frutefull graine doth shortly bring;
And as in season due the husband mowes
The wauing lockes of those faire yeallow heares,
Which bound in sheaues, and layd in comely rowes,
Vpon the naked fields in stackes he reares:
415
So grew the Romane Empire by degree,
Till that Barbarian hands it quite did spill,
And left of it but these olde markes to see,
Of which all passers by doo somewhat pill:
As they which gleane, the reliques vse to gather,
420
Which th’husbandman behind him chanst to scater.
31
That same is now nought but a champian wide,
Where all this worlds pride once was situate.
No blame to thee, whosoeuer dost abide
By Nyle, or Gange, or Tygre, or Euphrate,
425
Ne Afrike thereof guiltie is, nor Spaine,
Nor the bolde people by the Thamis brincks,
Nor the braue warlicke brood of Alemaine,
Nor the borne Souldier which Rhine running drinks:
Thou onely cause, O Ciuill furie, art
430
Which sowing in th’Aemathian fields thy spight,
Didst arme thy hand against thy proper hart;
To th’end that when thou wast in greatest hight
To greatnes growne, through long prosperitie,
Thou then adowne might’st fall more horriblie.
32
435
Hope ye my verses that posteritie
Of age ensuing shall you euer read?
Hope ye that euer immortalitie
So meane Harpes worke may chalenge for her meed?
If vnder heauen anie endurance were,
440
These moniments, which not in paper writ,
But in Porphyre and Marble doo appeare,
Might well haue hop’d to haue obtained it.
Nath’les my Lute, whom Phœbus deignd to giue,
Cease not to sound these olde antiquities:
445
For if that time doo let thy glorie liue,
Well maist thou boast, how euer base thou bee,
That thou art first, which of thy Nation song
Th’olde honour of the people gowned long.
L’Envoy.
Bellay, first garland of free Poësie
450
That France brought forth, though fruitfull of braue wits,
Well worthie thou of immortalitie,
That long hast traueld by thy learned writs,
Olde Rome out of her ashes to reuiue,
And giue a second life to dead decayes:
455
Needes must he all eternitie suruiue,
That can to other giue eternall dayes.
Thy dayes therefore are endles, and thy prayse
Excelling all, that euer went before;
And after thee, gins Bartas hie to rayse
460
His heauenly Muse, th’Almightie to adore.
Liue happie spirits, th’honour of your name,
And fill the world with neuer dying fame.
FINIS.
To the right worthy and vertuous Ladie; the La: Carey.
Most braue and bountifull La: for so excellent fauours as I haue
receiued at your sweet handes, to offer these fewe leaues as in
recompence, should be as to offer flowers to the Gods for their
diuine benefites. Therefore I haue determined to giue my selfe
5
wholy to you, as quite abandoned from my selfe, and absolutely
vowed to your seruices: which in all right is euer held for full
recompence of debt or damage to haue the person yeelded. My
person I wot wel how little worth it is. But the faithfull minde
and humble zeale which I beare vnto your La: may perhaps be
10
more of price, as may please you to account and vse the poore
seruice thereof; which taketh glory to aduance your excellent
partes and noble vertues, and to spend it selfe in honouring you:
not so much for your great bounty to my self, which yet may not
be vnminded; nor for name or kindreds sake by you vouchsafed,
15
beeing also regardable; as for that honorable name, which yee
haue by your braue deserts purchast to your self, and spred in the
mouths of al men: with which I haue also presumed to grace my
verses, and vnder your name to commend to the world this smal
Poëme, the which beseeching your La: to take in worth, and of
20
all things therein according to your wonted graciousnes to make
a milde construction, I humbly pray for your happines.
Your La: euer
humbly;
E: S.
Muiopotmos: or The Fate of the Butterflie.
I sing of deadly dolorous debate,
Stir’d vp through wrathfull Nemesis despight,
Betwixt two mightie ones of great estate,
Drawne into armes, and proofe of mortall fight,
5
Through prowd ambition, and hartswelling hate,
Whilest neither could the others greater might
And sdeignfull scorne endure; that from small iarre
Their wraths at length broke into open warre.
The roote whereof and tragicall effect,
10
Vouchsafe, O thou the mournfulst Muse of nyne,
That wontst the tragick stage for to direct,
In funerall complaints and waylfull tyne,
Reueale to me, and all the meanes detect,
Through which sad Clarion did at last declyne
15
To lowest wretchednes; And is there then
Such rancour in the harts of mightie men?
Of all the race of siluer-winged Flies
Which doo possesse the Empire of the aire,
Betwixt the centred earth, and azure skies,
20
Was none more fauourable, nor more faire,
Whilst heauen did fauour his felicities,
Then Clarion, the eldest sonne and haire
Of Muscaroll, and in his fathers sight
Of all aliue did seeme the fairest wight.
25
With fruitfull hope his aged breast he fed
Of future good, which his yong toward yeares,
Full of braue courage and bold hardyhed,
Did largely promise, and to him forered
30
(Whilst oft his heart did melt in tender teares)
That he in tim
e would sure proue such an one,
As should be worthie of his fathers throne.
The fresh yong flie, in whom the kindly fire
Of lustfull yougth began to kindle fast,
35
Did much disdaine to subiect his desire
To loathsome sloth, or houres in ease to wast;
But ioy’d to range abroad in fresh attire,
Through the wide compas of the ayrie coast,
And with vnwearied wings each part t’inquire
40
Of the wide rule of his renowmed sire.
For he so swift and nimble was of flight,
That from this lower tract he dar’d to stie
Vp to the clowdes, and thence with pineons light,
To mount aloft vnto the Christall skie,
45
To vew the workmanship of heauens hight:
Whence downe descending he along would flie
Vpon the streaming riuers, sport to finde;
And oft would dare to tempt the troublous winde.
So on a Summers day, when season milde
50
With gentle calme the world had quieted,
And high in heauen Hyperions fierie childe
Ascending, did his beames abroad dispred,
Whiles all the heauens on lower creatures smilde;
Yong Clarion with vauntfull lustie head,
55
After his guize did cast abroad to fare;
And theretoo gan his furnitures prepare.
His breastplate first, that was of substance pure,
Before his noble heart he firmely bound,
That mought his life from yron death assure,
60
And ward his gentle corpes from cruell wound:
For it by arte was framed, to endure
The bit of balefull steele and bitter stownd,
No lesse than that, which Vulcane made to sheild
Achilles life from fate of Troyan field.
65
And then about his shoulders broad he threw
An hairie hide of some wilde beast, whom hee
In saluage forrest by aduenture slew,
And reft the spoyle his ornament to bee:
Which spredding all his backe with dreadfull vew,
70
Made all that him so horrible did see,
Thinke him Alcides with the Lyons skin,
When the Nœmean Conquest he did win.
Vpon his head his glistering Burganet,
The which was wrought by wonderous deuice,
75
And curiously engrauen, he did set:
The mettall was of rare and passing price;
Not Bilbo steele, nor brasse from Corinth fet,
Nor costly Oricalche from strange Phœnice;
But such as could both Phoebus arrowes ward,
80
And th’hayling darts of heauen beating hard.
Therein two deadly weapons fixt he bore,
Strongly outlaunced towards either side,
Like two sharpe speares, his enemies to gore:
Like as a warlike Brigandine, applyde
85
To fight, layes forth her threatfull pikes afore,
The engines which in them sad death doo hyde:
So did this flie outstretch his fearefull homes,
Yet so as him their terrour more adornes.
Lastly his shinie wings as siluer bright,
90
Painted with thousand colours, passing farre
Not halfe so manie sundrie colours arre
In Iris bowe, ne heauen doth shine so bright,
Distinguished with manie a twinckling starre,
95
Nor Iunoes Bird in her ey-spotted traine
So manie goodly colours doth containe.
Ne (may it be withouten perill spoken)
The Archer God, the sonne of Cytheree,
That ioyes on wretched louers to be wroken,
100
And heaped spoyles of bleeding harts to see,
Beares in his wings so manie a changefull token.
Ah my liege Lord, forgiue it vnto mee,
If ought against thine honour I haue tolde;
Yet sure those wings were fairer manifolde.
105
Full manie a Ladie faire, in Court full oft
Beholding them, him secretly enuide,
And wisht that two such fannes, so silken soft,
And golden faire, her Loue would her prouide;
Or that when them the gorgeous Flie had doft,
110
Some one that would with grace be gratifide,
From him would steale them priuily away,
And bring to her so precious a pray.
Report is that dame Venus on a day,
In spring when flowres doo clothe the fruitful ground,
115
Walking abroad with all her Nymphes to play,
Bad her faire damzels flocking her arownd,
To gather flowres, her forhead to array:
Emongst the rest a gentle Nymph was found,
Hight Astery, excelling all the crewe
120
In curteous vsage, and vnstained hewe.
Who being nimbler ioynted than the rest,
And more industrious, gathered more store
Of the fields honour, than the others best;
Which they in secret harts enuying sore,
125
Tolde Venus, when her as the worthiest
She praisd’, that Cupide (as they heard before)
Did lend her secret aide, in gathering
Into her lap the children of the spring.
Whereof the Goddesse gathering iealous feare,
130
Not yet vnmindfull, how not long agoe
Her sonne to Psyche secrete loue did beare,
And long it close conceal’d, till mickle woe
Thereof arose, and manie a rufull teare;
Reason with sudden rage did ouergoe,
135
And giuing hastie credit to th’accuser,
Was led away of them that did abuse her.
Eftsoones that Damzel by her heauenly might,
She turn’d into a winged Butterflie,
In the wide aire to make her wandring flight;
140
And all those flowres, with which so plenteouslie
Her lap she filled had, that bred her spight,
She placed in her wings, for memorie
Of her pretended crime, though crime none were:
Since which that flie them in her wings doth beare.
145
Thus the fresh Clarion being readie dight,
Vnto his iourney did himselfe addresse,
And with good speed began to take his flight:
Ouer the fields in his franke lustinesse,
And all the champion he soared light,
150
And all the countrey wide he did possesse,
Feeding vpon their pleasures bounteouslie,
That none gainsaid, nor none did him enuie.