Du Bartas his deuine weekes and workes translated: and dedicated to the Kings most excellent Maiestie by Iosuah Syluester

THE SVMMARIE OF The V. BOOKE. (Book 5)

HOlophernes, being surprised with the sweete language, and excellent beautie of the chaste Iudith, becommeth altogether negligent of his charge and gouernement. Wherein is represented the vnhabilitie of the reprobate, who cannot withstand such temptations as the Lord sendeth vpon them. But as they become slaues to their owne affections, so by the same they are enforced to fall into perdition. In place of some faithfull seruant to warne him of his vices, Holophernes conferreth with Bagos an Eunuch, who feedeth him in his humour, & bringeth Iudith to his Tent. And here the Poet reprooues all flatterers and bawdes, with the vices of all Courts in Generall. Iudith seeing her chastitie in perill, and the time vnmeete to execute her enterprise: subtilie drawes the Tyrant to talke of other affaires. He thinking to insinuate himselfe the more into her fauour, taketh pleasure to crack of his conquests and of his speciall wor∣thinesse; discoursing so long till suppertime approached & she auoyded the inconuenience. And here is to be noted, that whilest the tyrants boast of their cruelty against the Church, God prouideth for his owne, & preserueth them for that worke, that he hath ordained by them to be done.

THE FIFT BOOKE of IVDITH.

IN stead of marrow-in bone, and blood in vaines, Great Holopherne doth feede his cruell paines: He bootlesse flees, and feeles; but he ne knowes The quenched fire that of his ashes growes. For, so the charming Image of this Dame, The onely marke where at his soule did ame, Transported him in passions of despaire, That of his mighty camp he quits the care,

And goes no more his matters to dispatch, Nor vewes his corpsgard, nor relieues his watch, Nor Councell cals, nor sent to spy the coste, Nor vewes the quarters of his spacious hoste. But as the sheep that haue no hirde nor guide, But wandring strayes along the riuers side, Throw burbling brookes, or throw the forrest grene, Throw meadowes closures, or throw shadows shene: Right so the Heathen hoste without all bridle, Runns insolent, to vicious actions ydle, Where none obeyes, ech one commanding speaks, Eche one at pleasure from his banner breaks. What do you Hebrews now within your wall? Now time to fight, or neuer time at all, To pay these Pagans, whose confused corse Combats against themselfs with deadly force. Nay, stay a while: of such a great victory, Your onely God will haue the onely glory.

Before this tyrant was with loue yblent, To winne the towne he plide his whole entent: But now, both night and day, his minde doth frame To conquer this most chast vnconquest Dame. So lust him led: th' vndaunted Theban knight, With waighty mace, had neuer him affright: But now a womans look his hart enfeares, And in his brest the curelesse wound he beares. Ambition, erst, so had him ouercumme, That made him dayly ryse by sound of drumme. Now Cupid him awaks with hote alarmes, That him with holds to do the Hebrews harmes. Before, he rulde aboue both Prince and King: Now can he not himselfe in order bring.

Alas (quoth he) what life is this I haue,* 1.1 Becomming captiue to my captiue slaue? (Vnhappy chance) what life is this I say? My vertue gone, my forces fals away.

Nay sure no life it is, more pain I feele, Then Ixion torn vpon th' Eternall wheele:* 1.2 My life is like the theefs that stole the fire, On whose mortall hart there doth alwayes tire A rauenous fowle, that gnawes him to the bone, Reuiuing still, bound to the Scythian stone. What serues it me, t'haue won where I haue haunted? What serues my victor arme, for to haue daunted The people situate tween Hydaspe large, And port where Cydnus doth in sea discharge; Since I am vanquisht by the feeble sight Of captiue Iudith? what auailes my might, My targe of steele, my Burguinet of Brasse, My guard of warriours stout whereso I passe; Since her sweet eye hath sent the pointed dart Throgh men and weapons, pearcing throu my hart? What serues my coursers, who with swiftnes light Exceeds the swallow, swiftest bird of flight; Since I on him cannot auoide, one ynch, The care that night and day my heart doth pinch? Then change (O Hebrewes) change your tears in song, And triumph ore my hoste and army strong. I am no more that Duke, whose name alone Hath made great warriours quake both lim and bone: But I am he, whose hart was sometime braue; Now lesse then nought, the slaue but of a slaue. I com not here your Isaac to annoy, With fire and sword, your houses to destroy: But to require your Iudith, her to render More milde to me. What? is my wit so slender (Berapt with loue) haue I not heer my ioy, That onely may relieue me from annoy? Yet neuerthelesse I clieue the aire in vain, With plaints, and makes myne eyes but fountains twain.

I wretch am like the wretched man indeed,* 1.3 The more he hath the greater is his need.

Although he deeply plonge in water cleare, To quench his thirst: yet he is not the neare. For, so do I respect the heavenly grace, That largely is bestowde vpon her face, That with mine eyes I dare not her behold, My toung doth stay and in the palat folde. Why haue not I a heart of Crystall cleare, Tronsparent through, to let my paine appeare? That there she might of all my torments reed, Which loue with holds within my heart in dreed?

Now, since that Iudith to this camp arriv'd, The light of heav'n had thrise his course reviv'd, And darkned thrise, and gan with saffron hew To light the Ynds, the fourth day to renewe; When thus the Duke, who leftrepast and rest, Vnto his Eunuch this like porpos drest.

O Bagos, sonne adoptife, not by chaunce, Whom I haue chose of nought thee to aduance, By speciall grace, and made thee (though I boaste) First of my hart, and second of myne Hoaste; I rage, I burne, I dye in desp'rate thought, Through loue, by this same strangers beuty brought, Go, seek her then, and shortly to her say, What secret flame torments me day by day: Shew that I shall her to such honours bring, As he that beares the Scepter of a King: But chiefly see thy talke be framed thus, That she do come this night and suppe with vs. Now should it not to me be folly and shame, To haue within my holde the fairest dame, That ground doth heare, if I dare not aspire To quench the burning flame of my desire? I should but serue my soldiers for a Ieast: And Iudith faire would count me but a beast.

Then Bagos well acquaint with such a cast, He fed the lamp that brunt but ouerfast.

If priuate men (quoth he) and people poore, That goes not ouer the threshold of their doore, But spends their daies in trauell and debate, And neuer seeks to win a better state, Liues not content, if that the Cyprian Dame Do not sometime their frozen harts enflame; What slaues are those then, on whose backs are drest The burdens of this world, who takes no rest For Publike weale, but wakes with Argus eies, For others ease that to no care applies; If they, among so many great vexations, May not receiue in loue some recreations? Pursue your loue my Lord, and make no let To take the fish that els is in your net. And as ere this you haue me faithfull found, In like Ambassades when ye them propound: So shall you finde me, in this loue of new, To be as faithfull, secret, trest, and trew.

Alas, how many such are in our times In princes Courts, that high to honour climes, More for their handling such an enterprise, Then for their being valiant, learnde, or wise? Sometimes the Courts of kings were vertuous schooles: Now finde we nought in Court but curious fooles. O you, whose noble harts cannot accord To be the slaues to an infamous Lord: And knowes not how to mixe, with perlous Art, The deadly poyson of the Amorous dart: Whose natures, being free, wills no constraint, Nor will your face with flattring pensile paint, For wel, nor wo, for pittie, nor for hire, Of good my Lords their fauours to acquire; Go not to Court if yee will me beleue: For, in that place where ye think to retreue The honour due for vertue, ye shall finde Nought but contempt, which leaues good men behinde.

Ye worthy Dames, that in your breasts do bear Of your al-seeing God no seruile fear: Ye that of honour haue a greater care, Then sights of Courts, I pray you come not thare. Let men, that in their purse hath not a myte, Clothe them like kings, and play the hypocrite, And with a lying tale and feined chear, Court-cozen them whom they would see on bear. Let there the Pandar sell his wife for gain, With seruice vile, his noblesse to attain. Let him that serues the time, chaunge his entent, With faith vnconstant saile at euerie vent.

Ye sonnes of craft, bear ye as many faces As Proteus takes among the Marine places, And force your natures all the best ye can To counterfait the grace of some great man; Chamaeleon like, who takes to him ech hew Of black or white, or yellow, green, or blew, That comes him next: So you that finds the facion To hurt the poor, with many-a great taxacion: You that do prease to haue the princes eare, To make your names in Prouinces appear: Ye subtill Thurims, sell your fumish winde, To wicked wights whose senses ye do blinde.

Ye fearfull Rocks, ye ymps of Achelois, Who wracks the wisest youth with charming vois: Ye Circes, who by your enchantment strange, In stones and swine, your louers true do change: Ye Stymphalids, who with your youth vptaks, You rauens that from vs our riches raks: Ye, who with riches art, and painted face, For Priams wife, puts Castors sister in place: Ye Myrrhas, Canaces, and Semirames, And if there rest yet mo defamed dames, Com all to Court, and there ye shall re••aue A thousand gains vnmeet for you to haue.

There shall you sell the gifts of great prouinces, There shal you sell the grace of graceles princes.

Stay heer my Muse: it thee behoues to haue Great constancy and many-a Hercles braue To purge this age, of vices more notable, Then was the stals of foule Aegeans stable.

Return to Iudith, who to bring to passe Her high attempt, before her sets her glasse, And ginnes to deck her hair like burnisht gold, Whose beuty had no peer for to behold. Then went she to his tent, where she espide The gorgious tappestries, on euerie side, Of Persian Kings, of Meds, and Syrian stories, How Ninus first (prickt forth with great vain glories) Subdewd the East: then next in order came (Disguis'd in kinde) his wife Queen Semirame; Who took the Scepter and with tourrets hye Great Babylon erected to the skye. Lo, how a Prince, with fingers white and fine,* 1.4 In womens weed the tender twist doth twine, Who bare a Rock in sted of Royall mace, And for a man with woman changeth grace In gestures all: he frisles and he fards, He oynts, he bathes, his visage he regards In Crystall glasse, which for his sword he wore, And lost his crowne without all combat more. Amongst his vertugals, for ayde he drew, From his Lieutenant, who did him pursew, And wan his Scepter. Yet with f••eble yre, He burnt himself, and ended his empyre. Behold, a Bitch then feeds sucking childe, Amongst the pricking thornes and brambles wilde;* 1.5 Who grew so great and was of such a fame, That bond, and free, his waged men became, And afterward subuerted, to his lawe, The Median scepter vnder Persians awe.

But what is he that so reformed goze Before the camp, and wants his eares and noze? That was that seruant true, who by that slight, Brought Babylon again in Darius might.

While Iud••th fed her eies with figures vaine, Her hart replete with passions and with paine; The Genrall came, and with a visage gent, Saluted her, and by the hand her hent, And caused her sit down vpon a chare, The more at ease to view her beuties rare. Then, when he saw himself so neare his pleasure, He brunt in hart, and scarse could byde the leasure Till Venus with her garland shewde in sight, On his Horizon to renue the night.

This widow, finding then the time vnmeete, Gods iust determination to complete; Made much delay, and fand full many-a sku••e, With sundry talke this tyrant to abuse: And said; my Lord, I pray you shew to me, What furie iust hath mov'd your maiesty? What haue our people done (please it your Grace) By whom or when that Izaks holy race Might so prouoke a Prince to wrackfull war, In toungs, and lawes, so sep'rate from vs far?

Then said the Duke, vncourteous should I be If I deny (O faire) to answere thee. Now as the heav'n two Sunnes cannot containe, So in the earth two kings cannot remaine Of equall state. So doth ambition craue, One king will not another equall haue. My Prince is witnesse: who at warres did fall, With king Arphaxat, cause he raisde his wall Of Ecbatane so high that it did shame To Niniue, and Babell feard the same: For which, he vndertooke to spoyle his throne, And race his Scepter to the lowest stone:

With spite, his buildings braue he cast adown. Arphaxat then, a man of great renowne, And worthie of his Scepter and his state, Thought better in the field to make debate, Then beare a scorne, his Meds to battell drew: Thus 'tweene them two did cruell war ensew. Arphaxa•• armed all the yles of Greece, Where Iason was, but sought no golden fleece, But golden lingots with aboundant gaine, Wher Phasis streame bedeawes the pleasant Plaine. The Harmastans, and Albans, strong, and wise, That sowes but once, and haue their haruest thrise: The men that neer to Oxus banks abydes, And those that Antitaurus horns diuydes: And those that mans the mount vpon whose brest The ship that scap't the genrall flood did rest: And those that are (not hid) within the Reame, Wher proude Iaxartes flowes with furious streame: In short; the Medes brought men to ayde their plea, From Pontus far beyond the Caspian sea: And of this Hoste Arphaxat was commander, With hope and heart more high then Alexander.

My prince desirous then to winne or dy, Left nought vndone that furthred to supply His troubled state. He armed Syttacene, And waged Archers out of Osrohene: Ye Lords of Lands that yelds the hundreth corne, Leaue Euphrates and bounds where ye were borne: Ye Carmans bolde that all on fish do feede, And of their pelts do make your warlike weede; Leaue Hytan bounds, go seek the golden sands: Ye Parths, ye Cosses, Arabs, and ye lands, That of your Magi Prophets thinks ye knowe Their spells diuine, yourself for p••kmen showe.

O Calde, chaunge thine Astrolab and square To speare and shield: for, we no wight will spare

Of able age, of high or lowe degrie That trails the pike, or launce layes on his thie. Let women, Children, and the burghers olde At home alone, let them their houses holde.

We sommond eke the Persians and Phoenicians, The soft Aegyptians, Hebrews, and Cilicians, To come in haste, and ioyne their force to ours: But they disdainfully deteind their powrs; And, with their wicked hands, and words vnsage, They did our sacred messengers outrage.

My maister for a time, putvp this wrong, Attending time, to quite these enmies strong; With purpose, more at leasure, to prouide T' abate this sacrilegious peoples pride.

Two greater kings were neuer seen beforne,* 1.6 Then camped was in Ragau field at morne, With hauty harts enarmed all in yre: Ech soldier set another so on fire, That scarsly they could keep them in their bound, Till pipe, or Cymball, or the trumpets sound, Denounce the choke: but with their furious faces, They thret their foes afarre with fell menaces, And strokes at hand: two thousand Lads forlorne (To blunt the sword) were down in battell borne. Vpon their flanks flew feruently the stones, That bet their bucklers to their brused bones. The squadrons then steps sternly to the strokes, With harts in humain all the battell yokes, And are supplide with many mighty bands: Som counters them, and sternly them withstands: With foot to foot ech other ouer plyes: Both Meds and Caldes clasp with gastly cryes; Like Nilus stream that from the rocks doth romble, Or Encelade when he in tombe doth tomble.

Here som lies headles: som, that cannot stand, Trails on his wombe, and wants both foot and hand,

Cut off with stroks: some per••'t throu plate and mails: Some shoulder-••lasht: some panched in th' entrails: Some brains outbet: some in the guts were gor'd: Some dying vomit blood: and some were smor'd: Some neither quick nor dead, do yet attend What place it pleaseth God their soules to send: So loth the little life, that doth abyde, Is, from the dying body to diuide. The ground that erst was yellow, greene, and blew, Is ouercled with blood in purpure hew. While this man giues some one his deadly baine, He of another gets the like againe. The rage encreasing growes with yrefull flame: The field is spred with bodies dead and lame.

Like as ye see the wallowing sea to striue, Flood after flood, and waue with vvaue to driue,* 1.7 Then waues with vvaues, the floods with floods do chase, And eft returnes vnto their former place: Or like the crops of corne in mids of May (Blowne vvith the vvestren wind) aside doth sway, Both to and fro, as force doth them constraine, And yet their tops redresseth vp againe: So, whiles the Syrians are by Medes displaced; And whiles the Medes by Syrian•• are rechased.

Then, like two raging floods that down do fall, From two contrarie mutine mountains tall; Downe bearing bridge and bank, and all destroyes, And striues which one may do the most annoyes: So, these two kings, in force and courage stout, Excels the rest with slaughter them about: Wherso they'preast, they left on either side, Behinde them, two long opened wayes and wide: For, all their bucklers, Mo••ions, and Quiraces Were of no proofe against their peisant maces. Yet (for the time) the Mede•• so fearcely fought, That they th' Assyrian bands in terrour brought,

And pauld his soldiers harts, and brak their might; Who (ouercome) tooke them to shamefull flight. The Medes pursewd, and wounded, in that chace, Ten thousand men; but none, vpon the face.

In short, this day our Scepter had depriued, Had I not like the thunder dint arriued In battels brunt. Their male and their vantbras, Their helme and shield, before my Coutelas, Were fraile as glas: and neuer a stroke I lent But deadly was, and them more terrour sent Then all our camp. The soldier then in feare With trembling hand could scarsly weild his speare. The pal-hewd knight with hart in brest that quakes, His thyes in saddle, and feet in stirrops shakes For dread of me. There some, with trenchant glaiue From hight of head, to middle down I claiue. And some so farre I foyned through the Iack, The blade aperde a foote behinde his back: So that the Medes, afrayd at such a thing, In heat of fight they fled and left their king. Who seing himself betrayd, his clothes he rent, And bloodie towards Ragau towne he went: Where we him met, yet (Braue) did him defend, And sought amongst his foes a famous end: As doth the Tyger wilde who sees her den Beset about with hunters dogs and men, That turns her feare to furious raging rife And will not vnreuenged lose her life: So he them thunderbet wherso he went, That neuer a stroke in vaine his right hand spent: But er with murdring blade they could him quell, Full many-a bold precursor he sent to hell. At last, Arphaxat gan of slaughter tyre, And (wounded sore) left both his life and yre, And fell, as doth some huge high planted oak, That long hath byde the winds, and many-a stroak

Of many an axe; yet stoutly doth sustaine Their trauels long, and frustrats all their paine; The roote doth sigh, the dale doth roring sound, And to the heauen the noyse doth high rebound; His head now here, now there, seemes to incline, And threats him here and there with great ruine: Yet stands vpright aboue the highest okes, Till, vanquisht with a thousand thousand strokes, He falls at last, and brings with him to ground Both trees and cattell to the Plaine profound: So with Arphaxat fell the Medes empyre.

My king the king of kings, then in his yre Ras'd Ecbatan: and now growes weed and herbe, Where sometime stood his palaces superbe. So that where erst the lute and lowde Haubois Were wont to sound with sweete concordant nois, Now shriking owles and other monsters moe In funerall sound fulfils the place with woe.

My potent Prince, when all this warre was ceast Consumed moneths foure in Royall feast, In Niniue the great: which banket done, He me commanded to assemble sone His Royall hoste, to punish all and some, That to his former ayd disdaind to come: And that I shortly should with sword and flame Reuenge his honour: but alas, Madame, Full farre am I from that I would pursew. For, comming here thy nation to subdew, I vanquisht am by thee; so that deaths might, Shall shortly close mine eyes with endles night, If you not (with a louing kisse) to me Restore my life. O worthy Prince, quoth she, Continue your discours, and to me tell What great aduentures to your Hoste befell.

Then he retooke his tale he left alate, And made a long discours of all his state,

Part, true, part false: as do some warriours braue, Who speaking of their Acts will lye and raue.

My Camp assembled, then gan I t'enflame* 1.8 My soldiers harts thus, for to win them fame: Companions, now, if euer ye pretend To winne renoume that neuer shall haue end, Go forwards now, plague these inhumain Lands, That on our sacred Legats layd their hands. Reuenge, reuenge, ye men, your most hie Prince, That ever Scepter bare in rich prouince, That euer came adowne with mighty arme, From circled starres. Alarm' soldats, alarme: Take blades in hand, and brands of burning yre, To waste the western world with sword and fyre. With bloody seas bedewe ech mount and vvood, And make your horses fearce to swimme in blood. Receiue the Scepter great and crowne of might Of all this world vvhich is to you behight. Receiue this laude, that for your conquest braue, Shall draw your fames from the forgetfull graue. Receiue yee valiant men the noble spoyle Of many-a land that ye shall put to foyle. Let men behold that sees you day by day, How ye are cloyde with honour spoile and pray: Thus ended I. And as my words were spent, They bet their bucklers, showing them content With courage bolde, to fight with me and byde. Then sixscore thousand men I had to guide, Or moe, and so from Niniuè we past And marched vnto (Bectilè) at last, I through Edessi, Amidi, and Carran came, Where sometime dwelt your father Abraham: I wan the mount vvhose thwarting hornes diuyds All Asie; and serues for bounds on sundrie syds, To manie great Empyrs: I ••lew, I brent All in my way. My fellon soldiers vvent

Like moawers with their sithes in sowple hands, Who leaues not after them a straw that stands; But ample swathes of grasse on ground doth cast, And showes what way their sharped sithes haue past. All Lydia knowes, that nought now growes in it But weeds. And Phuli-and Tharsis feeles it yit. I was wel••eare the straits that closeth all Phoenice and th' Ishique Rouers, like a wall, When Rosea, Solea, Mops, Anchiali' and Iscia, And sweete Egei: and (short) the whole Cilicia, This passage took before and lay in wait, To stay my Armie for to passe this straight. If I the harmes and has••ards all should tell Of all th' affairs and bloody frayes that fell, And succours sent; the day should slide away Before my tale. For that Cilicia I say, Through great aduantage of their ground so narrow, Defended them from both the speare and arrow: So that my Hoste, that gaue before the chace, To puissant kings, now fled with great disgrace.* 1.9 Then foming in despite, despaire, and yre, I cast my selfe where shot flew like the fyre: And though they hurt me in a hundred parts, And though my buckler bare a wood of darts: Yet left not I, but with audacious face I brauely fought, and made them all giue place. My army followde, where my arme made way With trenching blade, on bodies dead that lay. The greatest coward, that my captains led, Pursewd and ••lew the most of them that fled. The Cidnus streame (vvho for his siluer flood Esteemd a king) ran now with humaine blood: The Pyram fearce, in seas discharged than Full many-a helm, and sword, and worthy man. In short as your owne riuer seems to rest, With swelling tyds and frothy foods represt,

Within his bank: yet furiously him wreaks With weightie force and banks and bridges breaks, And stroies the Plaines, and makes for many-a day More wrak, then if his channels open lay: In semble sort their bands I did enchace, That kept the entrance of that craggie place. I brunt, I ••lew, cast down, all that I fand; And, Asia spoild, I entred th' easter Land. I wan Cele••, and raged pitti-les Vpon the fruitfull shore of Euphrates. I bet the desart Rapse, and Eagria Land, Who knowes the vertue of my conquering hand. From thence to seaward sewing mine entent I wasted Madian. Northward then I went To L••ban-ward, Damascus ouerrinning, With other towns, Abil••a, and Hippas winning. From thence, vvith curious mind my standerds styes The hill, where sunne is seen to set and ryes. And so from thence I forward led mine hoste, To th' Occident on the Phoenic••an coste. Then Sidon, Bible, Beryte, Tyre, and Gaze, With Ascalon, and Assot, in a maze For feare, sent humbly to my sacred seat, Wise messengers, my fauour to intreat. We come not here, my Lord said they, with armes For to resist the chok of thy Gens ••'armes: But Prince, we come, of thee for to resaue Both life and death, and what law vve shall haue. Our townes are thine, our citties and our hills, Our fields, our flocks, our wealth is at your wills. Our seruice, and our treasures, great and small, Our selfs, our wyues, and our faire children all, Now only rests to thee, if so thee please To take vs thus, O God what greater ease: O God vvhat greater good may vs befall, Then vnto such a Chiefe for to be thrall:

Who weilds the valiant lance and ballance right, With vertue, like the Gods of greatest might.

So were to me as gratious to beholde Their townes and Citties both: for, young and old With crownes, and presents of the Flora sweet, And costly odours, humbly did me greete. At sounds of hornes and pypes they dauncing vvent, With goods and bodies me for to present.

Then I, abusing not the law of armes, Entreated them, and did to them no harmes, Nor to their Lands: But first their forts I mand, With men of mine, and theirs tooke in my Band. For where that I my people farthest drew, My camp in bands, from bands, to armies grew, As doth the Danow which begins to flow, By Raurak fields with snakish crangling slow, Then swels his floods with sixty riuers large, That in the Golfe Euxinus doth discharge. I vvende Madame that Izrell, like the rest, Would yeeld to me, that I should not be strest Against their brest to moue my murdring speare: But as I came the Scythique rampier neare (The Tombe of her whose milk had such a hap To feede the twise borne Denis in her lap) I heard their wilfull rage first in that place: Which doubtles will destroy all Abrahams race.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Complaint.
• * 1.2

  Prometheus.
• * 1.3

  Tantalus.
• * 1.4

  Sardanapa∣lus.
• * 1.5

  Cyru••.
• * 1.6

  Battell.
• * 1.7

  Comparison.
• * 1.8

  Oration.
• * 1.9

  Craking.