Englands Parnassus: or the choysest flowers of our moderne poets, with their poeticall comparisons Descriptions of bewties, personages, castles, pallaces, mountaines, groues, seas, springs, riuers, &c. Whereunto are annexed other various discourses, both pleasaunt and profitable.

Logistillaes Castle.

—Such a Castle that in stately showe And costly substance others all surmounted: The valew of the walles cannot man knowe, Except he first vpon the same had mounted.

Men haue not Iewels of such price belowe, Diamonds are to these but drosse accounted. Pearles are but pelfe, and Rubies all are rotten Where stones of such rare vertue can be gotten. These walles are built of stones of so great price, All other vnto these come far behinde, In these men see the vertue and the vice That cleaueth to the inward soule and minde, As neither flattering praises shall him blinde With tickling words nor vndeserued blame, With forged faults shal worke him any shame: From hence doth come the euerlasting light, That may with Phaebus beames so cleare compare, That when the Sunne is downe there is no night With those that with those Iewels stored are. These gems do teach vs to discerne aright. These gems are wrought with workemanship so rare, That hard it were to make true estimation Which is more hard the substance or the fashion. On arches raisd of Porphorie passing hie, Were gardens faire, and pleasant to the eie. So hie, that to ascend them seemd a paine, Fewe found so rare below vpon a plaine. Sweet smelling trees in order standing bee, With Fountaines watering them in stead of raine, Which doth the same so naturally nourish, As all the yeare both flowers and fruites do flourish. No weeds or fruitlesse trees are in this place, But hearbes whose vertues are of chiefest price, As soueraigne sage, and thrift, and hearbes of grace, And Tyme, which well bestowed maketh wise:

And lowly patience proud thoughts to abase, And harts ease that can neuer grow with vice. These are the hearbes that in this garden grew, Whose vertues to their beauties still renew. S. I. H.

—She then led vp to the castle wall That was so hie as foe might not it clime▪ And all so faire and sensible withall, Not built of bricke, ne yet of stone and lime, But of thing like to that Egyptian slime. Whereof King Nine whilom built Babell towne, The frame thereof seemd party circuler, And part tryangulare, ô worke diuine, Those two the first and last proportions are, The one imperfect mortall feminine, The other immortall, perfect masculine. And twixt them both, a quadrate was the base, Proportioned equally by seuen and nine: Nine was the circle set in heauens place, All which compacted, made a goodly Diapaze. Ed. Spencer.

Vp to a stately Turret she them led, Ascending by ten steps of Alablaster wrought. That Turrets frame most admirable was, Like highest heauen compassed around: And lifted hie aboue this earthly masse, Which it suruewd as hills do lower ground, But on ground, mote not like to this be found. Not that which Antique Camus whilom built In Thebes, which Alexander did confound. Nor that proud towne of Troy though richly guilt,

From which young Herods blood by cruel Greeks was spilt, The roofe thereof was arched ouer head: And deckt with flowres and arbors daintily, Two goodly beacons, set in watches stead, Therein gaue light and flam'd continually: For they of liuing fier most subtilly Were made and set in siluer socketts bright: Couered with lids deuizde of substance, That readily they shut and open might, O who can tell the praises of this makers might? Idem.

Faire roome the presence of sweet Beauties pride, The place the sunne vpon the earth did hold: When Phaethon his chariot did misguide, The towne where Ioue raind downe himselfe in gold, O if Elizium be aboue the ground, Then here it is where nought but ioy is found. Th. Nashe.

Loe Colin here the place whose pleasant sight From other shades hath weand my wandring minde: Tell me what wanteth here to worke delight? The simple aire, the gentle warbling winde, So calme, so coole, as no where els I finde: The grassie ground with daintie daizies dight, The bramble bush where byrds of euery kinde, To the waters fall, their tunes attemper right. Ed. Spencer.

In little time these Ladies found A groue with euery pleasure crownd: At whose sweet entry did resound A ford, that flowred that holy ground,

From thence the sweet breath'd windes conuay Odours from euery mirtle spray, And other flowers: to whose aray A hundred Harpes and Timbrels play All pleasures study can inuent, The Dames eares instantly present: Voyces in all sorts different, The foure parts and the Diapent. G. Chapman.

—On the other side a pleasant groue Was shot vp hie, full of the stately tree, That dedicated is to Olympicke Ioue: And to his sonne Alcides, when as he Gaind in Nemea goodly victorie: Therein the merry byrds of euery sort Chaunted aloud their chearfull harmonie. And made amongst themselues a sweet consent, That quickened the dull sprites with musicall consent. Ed. Spencer.

Vpon this mount there stood a stately groue, Whose reaching armes to clip the welkin stroue, Of tufted Cedars and the braunching Pine, Whose bushy tops themselues do so intwine, As seemd when nature first this worke begunne. She then conspirde against the piercing Sunne. Vnder whose couert (thus diuinely made) Phebus greene lawrell flourisht in the shade. Faire Venus mirtle, Mars his warlike firrhe, Mineruaes Oliue, and the weeping mirrhe. The patient Palme which striues in spight of hate, The Poplar to Alcides consecrate.

Which nature in such order had disposed, And therewithall their goodly workes enclosed: As seru'd for hangings and rich tapestry, To bewtifie this stately gallery. M. Drayton.

So faire a church as this had Venus none, The walles were of discoulered Iasper stone: Wherein was Proteus caru'd, and ouer hed A liuely vine of green-sea-aggat spred: Where by one hand light-headed Bacchus hung, And with the other wine from grapes out-wrung Of christal shining faire the pauement was, The Towne of Sestos call'd it Ʋenus glasse. There might you see the Gods in sundry shapes, Committing heddy ryots, incests, rapes. For vnderneath this radiant flower Was Danaes statue in a brazen Tower. Ioue slily stealing from his sisters bed, To dally with Idalian Ganymede. And for his loue Europa bellowing loud, And tumbling with the Rain-bow in a cloud. Blood-quaffing Mars hauing the yron net, With limping Vulcan and his Cyclops set. Loue kindling fier to burne such fiers as Troy, Syluanus weeping for the louely boy, That now is turned into a Cypresse tree, Vnder whose shade the wood-gods loue to bee. Ch. Marlowe.

Not that Colossus reared vp in Rhodes, Nor hanging gardens houering in the skie: Nor all the wonderous mansions and abodes

In Egypt, Lemnos, or in Italy. Either for riches, cunning, or expence, Might match this Labyrinth for excellence. D. Lodge.

—Art striuing to compare With nature, did an arbor greene dispred: Framed of wanton yuie, flowring faire, Through which the fragrant Eglantine did spred His pricking armes entraild with Roses red, Which daintie odours round about them threw, And all within with flowers was garnished: That when mild Zephirus amongst them blew, Did breath out bountious smelles and painted colour shew. Ed. Sp.

The Tower of Beautie whence alone did flowe More heauenly streames then former age had seene. Taking their current from that learned hill, Where lodge the brothers of admire and skil. Amongst the sommer blossomes of their bowes, A thousand seuerall coloured byrds was set: Who mou'd (as seem'd) by charitable vowes Of excellent compassion, euer wet With honourable teares (for Fates allowes That sensible from sencelesse still shall set Modells of pitie) learne there with melodie To cheare mens minde foredone with miserie. I. Markham.

—He leads him to rhe highest mount, That blood-red billowes like a walled front On either side disparted with his rod, Till that his army dry foot through them yode

Dwelt fortie dayes vpon; where writ in stone With bloudy letters by the hand of God, The bitter doombe of death and balefull mone He did receiue whiles flashing fire about him shonne. Or like that sacred hill whose head full hie Adornd with fruitfull Oliues all around, Is, as it were for endlesse memorie Of that deare Lord, who oft thereon was found, For euer with a flowring garlond crownd. Or like that pleasant mount that is for aye, Through famous Poets verse each where renownd: On which the thrice three learned Ladies play, Their heauenly notes, and make full many a louely lay. Ed. Spencer.

Right in the middest of the paradize There stood a stately mount, on whose round top A gloomy groue of mirtle trees did rise: Whose shady bowes sharpe steele did neuer lop, Nor wicked beasts their tender buds did crop. But like a girlond compassed the height, And from their fruitfull sides sweet gumme did drop: That all the ground with pretious deaw bedight, Threw forth most dainty Odors & most sweet delight. And in the thickest couert of that shade, There was a pleasant arbor, not by art, But of the trees owne inclination made. Which knitting their ranke braunches part to part: With wand in yuie twine intraild a thwart, And Eglantine and Caprifoile among: Fashion'd aboue within their inmost part, That neither Phaebus beams could through them thrōg,

Nor Aeolus sharp blast could worke them any wrong. Idem.

It was an hill plac't in an open plaine, That round about was bordered with a wood Of matchlesse height, that seemd th'earth disdaine: In which all trees of honour stately stood, And did all winter, as in sommer bud, Spreading pauilions for the birds to bowre, Within their lower braunches sung aloud, And in the tops, the soaring haukes did towre, Sitting like King of fowles in maiestie and power, And at the foote thereof, a gentle floud His siluer waues did softly tumble downe, Vnmard with ragged mosse of filthy mud. Ne mote wild beasts, ne mote the ruder clowne Thereto approach, ne filth mote therein drowne, But Nymphes and Fairies by the bankes did sit In the woods shade, which did the waters crowne, Keeping all noisome things away from it, And to the waters fall tuning their accents fit. And on the toppe thereof a spacious plaine, Did spread it selfe to serue to all delight, Either to daunce when they to daunce would faine, Or else to course about their bases light. Ne ought there wanted which for pleasure might Desired be, or thence to banish bale, So pleasantly the hill with equall height, Did seeme to ouerlooke the lowly vale. Therefore it rightly cleped was, Mount Acidale. They say that Ʋenus when she did dispose Her selfe to pleasance, vied to resort

Vnto this place, and therein to repose And rest her selfe as in a gladsome port, Or with the graces there to play and sport. Ed. Spencer.

It was a chosen plot of fertile land Amongst the wild waues set like a litle nest, As if it had by natures cunning hand Bene choicely picked out from all the rest, And laid forth for ensample of the best. No daintie flower nor hearbe that growes on ground, No arboret with painted blossomes drest, And smelling sweete, but there it might be found To bud out faire, & her sweet smels throw all around. No tree whose braunches did not brauely spring, No braunch wherein a fine bird did not sit, No bird but did her shrill notes euer sing, No song but did containe a louely dit. Trees, braunches, birds, and songs were framed fit, For to allure fraile minds to carelesse ease. Idem.