The Iliads of Homer prince of poets· Neuer before in any languag truely translated. With a co[m]ment vppon some of his chiefe places; donne according to the Greeke by Geo: Chapman.

TO THE HIGH BORNE PRINCE OF MEN, HENRIE THRICE Royall inheritor to the vnited kingdoms of Great BRITTAINE, &c.

SInce perfect happinesse, by Princes sought, Is not with birth, borne, nor •…•…xchequers bought; Nor followes in great Traines; nor is possest VVith any outward State; but makes him blest That gouernes inward; and beholdeth theare, All his affections stand about him bare; That by his power can send to Towre, and death, All traitrous passions; marshalling beneath His iustice, his meere will; and in his minde Holds such a scepter, as can keepe confinde His whole lifes actions in the royall bounds Of Vertue and Religion; and their grounds Takes-in, to sow his honours, his delights, And complete empire. You should learne these rights (Great Prince of men) by Princely presidents; VVhich here, in all kinds, my true zeale presents To furnish your youths groundworke, and first State; And let you see, one Godlike man create All sorts of worthiest men; to be contriu'd In your worth onely; giuing him reuiu'd, For whose life, Alexander would haue giuen One of his kingdomes: who (as sent from heauen, And thinking well, that so diuine a creature VVould neuer more enrich the race of Nature)

Kept as his Crowne his workes; and thought them still His Angels; in all power, to rule his will. And would affirme that Homers poesie Did more aduance his Asian victorie, Then all his Armies. O! tis wondrous much (Though nothing prisde) that the right vertuous touch Of a well written foule, to vertue moues. Nor haue we soules to purpose, if their loues Of fitting obiects be not so inflam'd. How much then, were this kingdomes maine soule maim'd, To want this great inflamer of all powers That moue in humane soules? All Realmes but yours, Are honor'd with him; and hold blest that State That haue his workes to reade and contemplate. In which, Humanitie to her height is raisde; VVhich all the world (yet, none enough) hath praisde. Seas, earth, and heauen, he did in verse comprise; Out-sung the Muses, and did equalise Their king Apollo; being so farre from cause Of Princes light thoughts, that their grauest lawes May finde stuffe to be fashiond by his lines. Through all the pompe of kingdomes still he shines, And graceth all his gracers. Then let lie Your Lutes, and Viols, and more loftily Make the Heroiques of your Homer sung, To Drums and Trumpets set his Angels tongue: And with the Princely sport of Haukes you vse, Behold the kingly flight of his high Muse: And see how like the Phoenix she renues Her age, and starrie feathers in your sunne; Thousands of yeares attending; euerie one Blowing the holy fire, and throwing in Their seasons, kingdomes, nations that haue bin Subuerted in them; lawes, religions, all Offerd to Change, and greedie Funerall; Yet still your Homer lasting, liuing, raigning; And proues, how firme Truth builds in Poets faining.

A Princes statue, or in Marble caru'd, Or steele, or gold, and shrin'd (to be pres•…•…d) Aloft on Pillars, or Pyramides; Time into lowest ruines may depresse: But, drawne with all his vertues in learn'd verse, Fame shall resound them on Obliuions herse, Till graues gaspe with her blasts, and dead men rise. No gold can follow, where true Poesie flies.

Then let not this Diuinitie in earth (Deare Prince) be sleighted, as she were the birth Of idle Fancie; since she workes so hie: Nor let her poore disposer (Learning) lie Stil bed-rid. Both which, being in men defac't; In men (with them) is Gods bright image rac't. For, as the Sunne, and Moone, are figures giuen Of his refulgent Deitie in Heauen: So, Learning, and her Lightner, Poesie, In earth present his fierie Maiestie. Nor are Kings like him, since their Diademes Thunder, and lighten, and proiect braue beames; But since they his cleare vertues emulate; In Truth and Iustice, imaging his State; In Bountie, and Humanitie since they shine; Then which, is nothing (like him) more diuine: Not Fire, not Light; the Sunnes admired course; The Rise, nor Set of Starres; nor all their force In vs, and all this Cope beneath the Skie; Nor great Existence, term'd his Treasurie. Since not, for being greatest, he is blest; But being Iust, and in all vertues best.

VVhat sets his Iustice, and his Truth, best forth, (Best Prince) then vse best; which is Poesies worth. For, as great Princes, well inform'd and deckt VVith gracious vertue, giue more sure effect To her perswasions, pleasures, reall worth, Then all th'inferiour subiects she sets forth; Since there, she shines at full; hath birth, wealth, state,

Power, fortune, honor, fit to eleuate Her heauenly merits; and so fit they are Since she was made for them, and they for her: So, Truth, with Poesie grac't, is fairer farre, More proper, mouing, chaste, and regular, Then when she runnes away with vntruss't Prose; Proportion, that doth orderly dispose Her vertuous treasure, and is Queene of Graces; In Poesie, decking her with choicest Phrases, Figures and numbers: when loose Prose puts on Plaine letter-habits; makes her trot, vpon Dull earthly businesse (she being meere diuine:) Holds her to homely Cates, and harsh hedge-wine, That should drinke Poesies Nectar; euerie way One made for other, as the Sunne and Day, Princes and vertues. And, as in a spring, The plyant water, mou'd with any thing Let fall into it, puts her motion out In perfect circles, that moue round about The gentle fountaine, one another, raising: So Truth, and Poesie worke; so Poesie blazing, All subiects falne in her exhaustlesse fount, VVorks most exactly; makes a true account Of all things to her high discharges giuen, Till all be circular, and round as heauen.

And lastly, great Prince, marke and pardon me; As in a flourishing, and ripe fruite Tree, Nature hath made the barke to saue the Bole; The Bole, the sappe; the sappe, to decke the whole VVith leaues and branches; they, to beare and shield The vsefull fruite; the fruite it selfe to yeeld Guard to the kernell, and for that all those (Since out of that againe, the whole Tree growes:) So, in our Tree of man, whose neruie Roote Springs in his top; from thence euen to his foote, There runnes a mutuall aide, through all his parts, All ioyn'd in one to serue his Queene of Arts.* 1.1

In which, doth Poesie, like the kernell lie Oscur'd; though her Promethean facultie Can create men, and make euen death to liue; For which she should liue honor'd; Kings should giue Comfort and helpe to her, that she might still Hold vp their spirits in vertue; make the will, That gouernes in them, to the power conform'd; The power to iustice; that the scandals, storm'd Against the poore Dame, clear'd by your faire Grace, Your Grace may shine the clearer. Her low place, Not shewing her, the highest leaues obscure. VVho raise her, raise themselues: and he sits sure, VVhom her wing'd hand aduanceth; since on it Eternitie doth (crowning Vertue) sit. All whose poore seed, like violets in their beds, Now grow with bosome-hung, and hidden heads. For whom I must speake (though their Fate conuinces Me, worst of Poets) to you, best of Princes.

By the most humble and faithfull implorer for all the graces to your highnesse eterni∣sed by your diuine Homer. Geo. Chapman.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The soule.