Ouids banquet of sence A coronet for his mistresse philosophie, and his amorous zodiacke. VVith a translation of a Latine coppie, written by a fryer, anno Dom. 1400.
Chapman, George, 1559?-1634., Stapleton, Richard, fl. 1595, attributed name., Map, Walter, fl. 1200. Phillis and Flora. English., R. S., Esquire.
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Ouids Banquet of SENCE.
The Argument.
OVID, newly enamoured of Iulia, (daughter to Octa∣uius Augustus Caesar, af•er by him called Corynna,) secretly con•aid himselfe into a Garden of the Emperors Court: in an Arbor whereof, Corynna was bathing; playing vpon her Lute, and singing: which Ouid ouer-hearing, was exceedingly pleasde with the sweetnes of her voyce,* & to him∣selfe vttered the comfort he conceiued in his sence of Hearing.
Then the odors shee vsde in her bath,* breathing a rich sauor, hee expresseth the ioy he felt in his sence of S•elling.
Thus growing more deeplie enamoured▪ 〈◊〉 great contentation with himselfe, he venters to see her in the pride of her nakedness: which dooing by stealth, he discouered the comfort hee conceiued in Seeing,* and the glorie of her beautie.
Not yet satisfied, hee vseth all his Art to make knowne his being there,* without her offence: or (being necessarily offended) to appease her: which done, he entreats a kisse a serue for satisfac∣tion of his Tast, which he obtaines.
Then proce•des he to entreaty for the fift sence and there is interrupt•d.*
NARRATIO.
THE Earth, from heauenly light conceiued heat,
Which mixed all her moyst parts with her dry,
When with right beames the Sun her bosome beat,
And with fit foode her Plants did nutrifie;
They (which to Earth, as to theyr Mother cling
In forked rootes) now sprinckled plenteously
With her warme breath; did hasten to the spring,
Gather their proper forces, and extrude
All powre but that, with which they stood indude.
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Then did*Cyrrhus fill his eyes with fire,
Whose ardor curld the foreheads of the trees,
And made his greene-loue burne in his desire,
When youth, and ease, (Collectors of loues fees)
Entic'd Corynna to a •iluer spring,
Enchasing a round Browe; which with it sees,*
(As with a Diamant dooth an ameld Ring▪)
Into which eye, most pittifully stood
Niobe, shedding teares, that were her blood.
Stone Niobe, whose statue to this Fountaine,
In great Augustus Caesars grace was brought
From Sypilus, the steepe Mygdonian Mountaine:
That st•tue 〈◊〉, still weepes for former thought,
Into thys spring Corynnas bathing place;
So cunningly to optick reason wrought,
That a farre of, it shewd a womans face,
Heauie, and weeping; but more neerely viewed,
Nor weeping, heauy, nor a woman shewed.
In Sommer onely wrought her exstasie;
And that her story might be still obserued,
Octauius caus'd in curious imagrie,
H•r fourteene children should at large be carued,
Theyr fourteene brests, with •ourteene arrowes gored
And •et by her, that for her seede so starued
To a stone S•pulcher herselfe deplored,
In Iuory were they cut, and on each brest,
In golden Elements theyr names imprest.
H•r sonnes, were Sypilus, Agenor, Phaedimus,
〈◊〉, Argus, and Damasicthen,
T•e s•auenth calde like his Grandsire, Tantalus.
Her D•ughters, were the fayre Astiochen,
〈◊〉, N••ra, and Pelopie,
〈◊〉, pound Ph•hia, and Eugigen,
All these apposde to violent Niobe
•ad lookes so deadly sad, so liuely donne,
As if Death liu•d in theyr confusion.
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Behind theyr Mother two Pyramides
Of freckled Marble, through the Arbor viewed,
On whose sharp brows, S•l, and Tytanides
In purple and transparent glasse were hewed,
Through which the Sun-beames on the statues staying,
Made theyr pale bosoms seeme with blood imbrewed,
Those two sterne Plannets rigors still bewraying
To these dead forms, came liuing beauties essence
Able to make them startle with her presence.
In a loose robe of Tynsell foorth she came,
Nothing but it betwixt her nakednes
And enuious light. The downward burning flame,
Of her rich hayre did threaten new accesse,
Of ventrous Phaeton to scorch the fields:
And thus to bathing came our Poets Goddesse,
Her handmaides bearing all things pleasure yeelds
To such a seruice; Odors most delighted,
And purest linnen which her lookes had whited.
Then cast she off her robe, and stood vpright,
As lightning breakes out of a laboring cloude;
Or as the Morning heauen casts off the Night▪
Or as that heauen cast off if selfe, and showde
Heauens vpper light, to which the brightest day
Is but a black and melancholy shroude:
Or as when Venus striu'd for soueraine sway
Of charmfull beautie, in yong Troyes desire,
So stood Corynna vanishing her tire.
A soft enflowred banck embrac'd the founte;
Of Chloris ensignes, an abstracted field;
Where grew Melanthy, great in Bees account,
Amareus, that precious Balme dooth yeeld,
Enameld Pansies, vs'd at Nuptials still,
Dianas arrow, Cupids crimson shielde,
Ope-morne, night-shade, and Venus nauill,
Solemne Violets, hanging head as shamed,
And verdant Calaminth, for odor famed.
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Sacred Nepenthe, purgatiue of care,
And soueraine Rumex that doth rancor kill,
Sya, and Hyacinth, that Furies weare,
W•ite and red Iessamines, Merry, Melliphill:
Fayre Crowne-imperiall, Emperor of Flowers,
Immortall Amaranth, white Aphrodill,
And cup-like Twillpants, stroude in Bacchus Bowres,
These cling about this Natures naked Iem,
To taste her sweetes, as Bees doe swarme on them.
And now shee vsde the Founte, where Niobe,
Toomb'd in her selfe, pourde her lost soule in teares,
Vpon the bosome of this Romaine Phoebe;
Who; bathd and Odord; her bright lyms she rears,
And drying her on that disparent rounde;
Her Lute she takes t'enamoure heauenly eares,
And try if with her voyces vitall sounde,
She could warme life through those colde statues spread,
And cheere the Dame that wept when she was dead.
And thus she sung, all naked as she sat,
Laying the happy Lute vpon her thigh,
Not thinking and neere to wonder at
The blisse of her sweete brests diuinitie,
The Song of CORYNNA.
T'is better to contemne then loue,
And to be fayre then wise;
For soules are rulde by eyes:
And Ioues Bird, ceaz'd by Cypris Doue,
It is •ur grace and sport to see,
Our beauties sorcerie,
That makes (like destinie)
Men followe vs the more wee flee;
That s•ts wise Glosses on the fool•,
And turns her checkes to bookes,
Where wisdome sees in lookes
D•rision, laughing as his schoole,
Who (louing) proues, prophanenes, holy;
Natur•, our fate, our wisdome, folly.
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While this was singing, Ouid yong in loue
With her perfections, neuer prouing yet
How mercifull a Mistres she would proue,
Bodly embrac'd the power he could not let
And like a fiery exhalation
Followed the sun, he wisht might neuer set;
Trusting heerein his constellation
Rul'd by loues beames, which Iulias eyes erected,
Whose beauty was the star his life directed.
And hauing drencht his anckles in those seas,
He needes woulde swimme, and car'd not if he drounde:
Loues feete are in his eyes; for if he please
The depth of beauties gulfye floodd to sounde,
He goes vpon his eyes, and vp to them▪
At the first steap he is; no shader grounde
Coulde Ouid finde; but in loues holy streame
Was past his eyes, and now did wett his eares,
For his high Soueraignes siluer voice he heares.
Whereat his wit, assumed fierye wings,
Soring aboue the temper of his soule,
And he the purifying rapture sings
Of his eares sence, takes full the Thespian boule
And it carrouseth to his Mistres health,
Whose sprightfull verdure did dull flesh controle,
And his conceipt he crowneth with the wealth
Of all the Muses in his pleased sences,
When with the eares delight he thus commences:
Now Muses come, repayre your broken wings,
(Pluckt, and p•ophan'd by rusticke Ignorance,)
With feathers of these notes my Mistres sings;
And let qui•k verse hir drooping head aduance
From dungeons of contempt to smite the starr•;
In Iulias tunes, led forth by fu•ious trance
A thousand Muses come to bid you warrs,
Diue to your Spring▪ and hide you from the stroke,
All Poets furies will her tunes inuoke.
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Neuer was any sence so sette on fire
With an immo•tall ardor, as myne eares;
Her fingers to the strings doth speeche inspire
And numbered laughter; that the deskant beares
To hir sweete voice▪ whose species through my sence
My spirits to theyr highest function reares;
To which imprest with ceaseles con•luence
It vseth them, as propper to her powre
Marries my soule, and makes it selfe her dowre;
Me thinks her tunes flye guilt, like Attick Bees
To my eares hi•es, with hony tryed to ayre;
My braine is but the combe, the wax, the lees,
My soule the Drone, that liues by their affayre.
O so it sweets, refines, and rauish•th,
And with what sport they sting in theyr repayre?
Rise then in swarms, and sting me thus to death
Or turne me into swounde; possesse me whole,
Soule to my life, and essence to my soule.
Say gentle Ayre, ô does it not thee good
Thus to be smit with her correcting voyce?
Why daunce ye not, ye daughters of the wood?
W•ther for euer, if not now reioyce.
Rise stones, and build a Cittie with her notes,
And notes infuse with your most Cynthian noyse,
To all th• Trees, sweete flowers, and christall Flotes,
That crowne, and make this cheerefull Garden quick, •
Vertue, that euery •uch may make such Musick.
O that as man is cald a little world
The world might shrink into a little man,
To heare the notes about this Garden hurld,
That skill disperst in tunes so Orphean
Might not be lost in smiting stocks and trees
That haue no eares; but growne as it began
Spred theyr renownes, as far as Phoebus sees
Through earths dull vaines; that shee like heauen might moue,
In ceaseles Musick, and be fill'd with loue.
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In precious incense of her holy breath,
My loue doth offer Hecatombs of notes
To all the Gods; who now despise the death
Of Oxen, Heifers, Wethers, Swine, and Goates.
A Sonnet in her breathing sacrifiz'd,
Delights them more then all beasts bellowing throates,
As much with heauen, as with my hearing priz'd.
And as guilt Atoms in the sunne appeare,
So greete these sounds the grissells of myne eare.
Whose pores doe open wide to theyr regreete,
And my implanted ayre, that ayre embraceth
Which they impresse; I feele theyr nimble feete
Tread my eares Labyrinth; theyr sport amazeth
They keepe such measure; play themselues and dance.
And now my soule in Cupids Furnace blazeth,
Wrought into furie with theyr daliance:
And as the fire the parched stuble burns,
So fades my flesh, and into spyrit turns.
Sweete tunes, braue issue, that from Iulia come;
Shooke from her braine, armd like the Queene of Ire;
For first* conceiued in her mentall wombe,
And nourisht with her soules discursiue fire,
They grew into the power of her thought;
She gaue them dounye plumes from her attire,
And them to strong imagination brought:
That, to her voice; wherein most mouinglye
Shee (blessing them with kysses) letts them flye.
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Who flye reioysing; but (like noblest mindes)
In giuing others life themselues do dye,
Not able to endure earthes rude vnkindes
Bred in my soueraigns parts too tenderly;
O that as* Intellects themselues transite
To eache intellegible quallitie,
My life might passe into my loues conceit,
Thus to be form'd in words, her tunes, and breath,
And with her kysses, sing it selfe to death.
This life were wholy sweete, this onely blisse,
Thus would I liue to dye; Thus sence were feasted,
My life that in my flesh a Chaos is
Should to a Golden worlde be thus dygested;
Thus should I rule her faces Monarchy,
Whose lookes in seuerall Empires are inuested
Crown'd now with smiles, and then with modesty,
Thus in her tunes diuision I should raigne,
For her conceipt does all, in euery vaine.
My life then turn'd to that, t'each note, and word
Should I consorte her looke; which sweeter sings,
Where songs of solid harmony accord,
Rulde with Loues •ule; and prickt with all his stings;
Thus should I be her notes, before* they be;
While in her blood they sitte with fierye wings
Not vapord in her voyces stillerie,
Nought are these notes her breast so sweetely frames,
But motions, fled out of her spirits flames.
For as when steele and flint together smit,
With violent action spitt forth sparkes of fire,
And make the tender tynder burne with it;
So my loues soule doth lighten her desire
Vppon her spyrits in her notes* pretence;
And they conuaye them (for distinckt attire)
To vse the Wardrobe of the common sence:
From whence in vailes of her rich breath they flye,
And feast the eare with this felicitye.
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Me thinks they rayse me from the heauy ground
And moue me swimming in the yeelding ayre:
As Zephirs flowry blas•s doe tosse a sounde;
Vpon their wings will I to Heauen repayre,
And sing them so, Gods shall descend and heare
Ladies must bee ador'd that are but fayre,
But apt besides with art to tempt the eare
In notes of Nature, is a Goddesse part,
Though oft, mens natures notes, please more then Art.
But heere are Art and Nature both confinde,
Art casting Nature in so deepe a trance
That both seeme deade, because they be diuinde,
Buried is Hea•en in earthly ignorance,
Why break• not men then strumpet Follies bounds,
To learne at this pure virgine vtterance?
No; none but Ouids eares can sound these sounds,
Where sing the harts of Loue and Poesie,
Which make my M•se so strong she works too hye.
Now in his glowing eares her tunes did sleepe,
And as a siluer Bell, with violent blowe
Of Steele or Iron, when his soundes most deepe,
Doe from his sides and ayres soft bosome flowe,
A great while after murmures at the stroke,
Letting the hearers eares his hardnes knowe,
So chid the Ayre to be no longer broke:
And left the accents panting in his eare
Which in this Banquet his first seruice were.
HEerewith,* as Ouid something neerer drew,
Her Odors, odord with her breath and brest,
Into the sensor of his sauor flew,
As if the Phenix hasting to her rest
Had gatherd all th'Arabian Spice•e
T'enbalme her body in her Tombe, her nest,
And there lay burning gainst Apollos eye,
Whose fiery ayre straight piercing Ouids braine
Enflamde his Muse with a more odorouse vaine.
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And thus he sung, come soueraigne Odors, come
Restore my spirits now in loue consuming,
Wax hotter ayre, make them more sauorsome,
My fainting life with fresh-breath'd soule perfuming,
The flames of my disease are violent,
And many perish on late helps presuming,
With which hard fate must I yet stand content,
As Odors put in fire most richly smell,
So men must burne in loue that will excell.
And as the ayre is rarefied with heate
But thick and grosse with Summer-killing colde,
So men in loue aspire perfections seate,
When others, slaues to base desire are sold,
And if that men neere Ganges liu'd by sent
Of Flowres, and Trees, more I a thousand fold
May liue by these pure fumes that doe present
My Mistres quickning, and consuming breath
Where her wish flyes with power of life and death.
Me thinks, as in these liberall fumes I burne
My Mistres lips be neere with kisse-entices,
And that which way soeuer I can turne,
She turns withall, and breaths on me her spices
As if too pure for search of humaine eye
She flewe in ayre disburthening Indian prizes,
And made each earthly fume to sacrifice.
With her choyse breath fell Cupid blowes his fire,
And after, burns himselfe in her desire.
Gentle, and noble are theyr tempers framde,
That can be quickned with per•umes and sounds,
And they are cripple-minded, Gowt-wit lamde,
That lye like fire-fit blocks, dead without wounds,
Stird vp with nought, but hell-descending gaine,
The soule of fooles that all theyr soules con•ounds,
The art of Pessants and our Nobles staine,
The bane of vertue and the blisse of sinne.
Which none but fooles and Pessants glorie in.
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Sweete sounds and Odors, are the heauens, on earth
Where vertues liue, of vertuous men deceast,
Which in such like, receiue theyr second birth
By smell and* hearing endlesly encreast;
They were meere flesh were not with them delighted,
And euery such is perisht like a beast
As all they shall that are so foggye sprighted,
Odors feede loue, 〈◊〉 loue cleare heauen discouers,
Louers wea•e sweets then; sweetest mindes, be louers.
Odor in heate and drynes is con•ite
Loue then a fire is much thereto affected;
And as ill smells do kill his appetite
With thankfull sauors it is still protected▪
Loue liues in spyrits, and our spyrits be
Nourisht with Odors, therefore loue refected;
And ayre lesse corpulent in quallitie
Then Odors are, doth nourish vitall spyrits
Therefore may they be prou'd of equall merits;
O soueraigne Odors; not of force to giue
Foode to a thing that liues nor let it dye,
But to ad life to that did neuer liue;
Nor to ad life, but immortallitie.
Since they pertake her heate that like the fire
Stolne from the wheeles of Phoebus waggonrie
To lumps of earth, can manly lyfe inspire;
Else be these fumes the liues of sweetest dames
That (dead) attend on her for nouell frames;
Reioyce blest Clime, thy ayre is so refinde
That while shee liues no hungry pestilence
Can feede her poysoned stomack with thy kynde;
But as the Vnicorns pregredience
To venomd Pooles, doth purdge them with his horne,
And after him the desarts Residence
May safely drinke, so in the holesome morne
After her walke, who there attends her eye,
Is sure that day to tast no maladye.
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Thus was his course of Odors sweet and sleight,
Because he long'd to giue his sight assaye,
And as in feruor of the summers height,
The sunne is so ambitious in his sway
He will not let the Night an howre be plast,
So in this Cupids Night (oft seene in day
Now spred with tender clouds these Odors cast,)
Her sight, his sunne so wrought in his desires,
His sauor vanisht in his visuale fires.
So v•lture loue on his encreasing liuer,
And fruitfull entrails egerly did feede,
And with the goldnest Arrow in his Quiuer,
Wounds him with longings, that like Torrents bleeds,
To see the Myne of knowledge that enricht
His minde with pouertie, and desperate neede
A sight that with the thought of sight bewitcht,
A sight taught Magick his deepe misterie,
Quicker in danger then*Dianas eye.
Stay therefore Ouid, venter not, a sight
May proue thy rudenes, more then shew thee louing,
And make thy Mistres thinke thou think'st her light:
Which thought with lightest Dames is nothing mouing.
The slender hope of fauor thou hast yet
Should make thee feare, such grosse conclusions prouing:
Besides, the Thicket Floras hands hath set
To hide thy theft, is thinne and hollow harted,
Not meete to haue so high a charge imparted.
And should it keepe thy secrets, thine owne eye
Would fill thy thoughts so full of lightenings,
That thou must passe through more extremitie.
Or stand content to burne beneath theyr wings,
Her honor gainst thy loue, in wager layde,
Thou would'st be prickt with other sences stings,
To tast, and feele, and yet not there be staide:
These casts, he cast, and more, his wits more quick
Then can be cast, by wits Arithmetick.
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Forward,* and back, and forward went he thus,
Like wanton Thamysis, that hastes to greete
The brackish Court of old Ocea•us;
And as by Londons besome she doth fleet
Casts herselfe proudly through the Bridges twists,
Where (as she takes againe her Christall feete:)
She curls her siluer hayre like Amorists,
Smoothes her bright cheekes, adorns her browes with ships
And Empresse-like along th• Coast she trips.
Till comming neere the Sea, she heares him rore,
Tumbling her churlish billowes in her face,
Then, more dismaid, then insolent before
Charg'd to rough battaile, for his smooth embrace,
She crowcheth close within her winding bancks,
And creepes retreate into her peacefull Pallace;
Yet straite high-flowing in her female prancks
Againe shee will bee wanton, and againe,
By no meanes stayde, nor able to containe.
So Ouid with his strong affections striuing▪
Maskt in a friendly Thicket neere her Bowre,
Rubbing his temples, fainting, and reuiuing,
Fitting his garments, praying to the howre,
Backwards, and forwards went, and durst not venter,
To tempt the tempest of his Mistres lowre,
Or let his eyes her beauties ocean enter,
At last, with prayer he pierceth Iun•s•are,
Great Goddesse of audacitie and feare,
Great Goddesse of audacitie, and feare,
Queene of Olympus, Saturns eldest seede,
That doost the s•epter ouer Samos beare,
And rul•st all Nuptiale rites with power, and meede,
Since thou in nature art the meane to mix
Still sulphure humors, and canst there•ore speede
Such as in Cyprian sports theyr pleasures fix
Venus herselfe, and Mars by thee embracing,
Assist my hopes, me and my purpose gracing.
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With this digression, wee will now returne
To Ouids pro•pect in his fancies storme:
Hee thought hee sawe the Arbors bosome burne,
Blaz'd with a fire wrought in a Ladyes forme:
Where siluer past the least: and Natures vant
Did such a precious miracle performe,
Shee lay, and seemd a flood of Diamant
Bounded in flesh: as still as Vespers hayre,
When not an Aspen leafe is styrrd with ayre.
Shee lay* at length, like an immortall soule
At endlesse rest in blest Elisium:
And then did true felicitie enroule
So fayre a Lady, figure of her kingdome.
Now Ouids Muse as in her tropicke shinde,
And hee (strooke dead) was meere heauen-borne become,
So his quick verse in equall height was shrinde:
Or els blame mee as his submitted debter,
That neuer Mistresse had to make mee better.
Now as shee lay, attirde in nakednes,
His eye did carue him on that feast of feasts:
Sweet* fields of life which Deaths foote dare not presse,
Flowrd with th'vnbroken waues of my Loues b•ests,
Vnbroke by depth of those her beauties floods:
See where with ben• of Gold curld into Nests
In her heads Groue, the Spring-bird Lam•ate broods:
Her body doth present those fields of peace
Where soules are feasted with the soule of ease.
To proue which Parradise that nurseth these,
See see the golden Riuers that renowne it:
Rich Gehon, Tigris, Phis•n, E•phra••s,
Two from her bright Pelopian shoulders crowne it,
And two out of her sno•ye Hills doe glide,
That with a Deluge of delights doe drowne it:
The highest two, theyr precious streames diuide
To tenne pure floods, that doe the body dutie
Bounding themselues in ••ngth, but not in beautie.
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These* winde theyr courses through the painted bowres,
And raise s•ch sounds in theyr inflection,
As ceaseles start from Earth fresh sorts of flowers,
And bound that booke of life with euery section.
In these the Muses dare not swim for drowning,
Theyr sweetnes poisons with such blest infection,
And leaues the onely lookers on them swouning,
These forms so decks, and colour makes so shine,
That Gods for them would cease to be diuine.
Thus though my loue be no Elisium
That cannot moue, from her prefixed place;
Yet haue her feete no powre from thence to come,
For where she is, is all Elisian grace:
And as those happy men are sure of blisse
That can performe so excellent a race
As that Olympiad where her fauor is,
So shee can meete them blessing them the rather
And giue her sweetes, as well as let men gather.
Ah how should I be so most happy then
T'aspire that place, or make it come to mee?
To gather, or be giuen, the flowre of women?
Elisium must with vertue gotten bee,
With labors of the soule and continence,
And these can yeeld no ioy with such as she,
Shee is a sweet Elisium for the sence
And Nature dooth not sensuall gifts infuse
But that with sence, shee still intends their vse.
The sence is giuen vs to excite the minde,
And that can neuer be by sence exited
But first the sence must her contentment minde,
We therefore must procure the sence delighted,
That so the soule may vse her facultie;
Mine Eye then to this feast hath her inuited▪
That she might serue the souera•gne of mine Eye,
Shee shall bid Time, and Time so feasted neuer
Shall grow in strength of her renowne for euer.
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Betwixt mine Eye and obiect, certayne lynes,
Moue in the fig•re of a Pyramis,
Whose chapter in mine eyes gray apple shines,
The base within my sacred obi•ct is:
On this will I inscribe in golden verse
The meruailes raigning in my soueraigns blisse,
The arc•s of sight, and how her arrowes p•erse:
This in the Region of the ayre shall stand
In Fames brasse Court, and all her Tr•mps commaund.
Rich Beautie, that ech Louer labors for,
Tempting as heapes of new-co•nd-glowing Gold,
(Rackt of some miserable Treas•rer)
Draw his desires, and them in chaynes enfold
Vrging him still to tell it, and conceale it,
But Beauties treasure ne•er can be told
None can peculier ioy, yet all must steale it,
O Beautie, this same bloody si•dge of thine
Starues me that y•eld, and f•edes mee till I pine.
And as a Taper burning in the darke
(As if it threatn•d euery wa•chfull eye
That viewing b••ns it,) ma•es that eye his marke,
And hurls guilt Darts at it continually,
Or as it enuied, any eye but it
Should see in darknes, •o my Mistres beautie
From foorth her secret stand my hart doth hit:
And like the D•rt of Caph•lus dooth kill
Her perfect Lo•e•, though shee meane no ill.
Thus, as the innoc•nce of one betraide
Carries an Argus with it, though vnknowne,
And Fat• to wreake the •recherie bewraide;
Such venge••ce hath my M•••res Beautie showne
On me the 〈◊〉 to her modestie,
So vnassailde, I quite am oue••hrowne,
And in my tryumph bound in slauerie,
O Beauty, still thy Empire swims in blood,
And in thy peace, Warre stores himselfe with foode.
Page [unnumbered]
O Beautie, how attractiue is thy powre?
For as the liues heate clings about the hart,
So all Mens hungrie eyes do haunt thy Bowre,
Raigning in Greece, Troy swum to thee in A•t;
Remou'd to Troy, Greece followd thee in feares;
Thou drewst each Syreles sworde, each childles Dar•
And pulld'st the towres of Troy about thine eares:
Shall I then muse •hat thus thou drawest me?
No, but admire, I stand thus farre from thee.
Heerewith shee rose like the Au•umnale Starre
Fresh burnisht in the loftie Ocean floode,
That darts his glorious influence more farre
Then any Lampe of bright Oly•pus broode;
Shee lifts her lightning arms aboue her head,
And stretcheth a Meridian from her blood,
That slept awake in her Elisian bed:
Then knit shee vp, lest loose, her glowing hayre
Should scorch the Center and incense the ayre.
Thus when her fayre hart-binding hands had tied
Those liberall Tresses, her high fro•tier part,
Shee shrunk in curls, and curiously plied
Into the figure of a swelling hart:
And then with Iewels of deuise, it graced:
One was a Sunne grauen at his E•uens depart,
And vnder that a Mans huge shaddow* placed,
Wherein was writ, in •able Charectry,
Decrescente nobilit••, cresc•nt o••curi.
An other was an Eye in Saphire set,
And close vpon it a fresh Lawrell spray.
To showe not eyes, but meanes must truth display.
The third was an Apollo* with his Teme
About a Diall and a worlde in way,
The Motto was, Te•psi•••t •rbem,
Grauen in the Diall; these exceeding rare
And other like accomplem•nts she ware.
Page [unnumbered]
Not Tygris, Nilus, nor swift Euphrates,
Quoth Ouid now, can more subdue my flame,
I must through hell aduenture to displease,
To •ast and touch, one kisse may worke the same:
If more will come, more then much more I will;
Each naturall agent doth his action frame,
To render that he works on like him styll:
The fire on water working doth induce
Like qualitie vnto his owne in vse.
But Heauen in her a sparckling temper blewe
(As loue in mee) and so will soone be wrought,
Good wits will bite at baits most strang and new,
And words well plac'd, moue things were neuer thought;
What Goddesse is it Ouids wits shall dare
And he disgrace them with attempting nought?
My words shall carry spirits to ensnare
The subtelst harts affecting •utes importune,
"Best loues are lost for wit when men blame Fortune."
WIth this,* as she was looking in her Glasse,
She saw therein* a mans face looking on her:
Whereat she started from the frighted Grasse,
As if some monstrous Serpent had been shown her:
Rising as when (the sunne in Leos signe)
Auriga with the heauenly Goate vpon her,
Shows her horn'd forehead with her Kids diuine,
Whose rise, kils Vines, Heauens face with storms disguis••g▪
No man is safe at sea, the Haedy rising.
So straight wrapt shee her body in a Clowde,
And threatned tempests for her high disgrace,
Shame from a Bowre of Roses did vnshrowde
And spread her crimson wings vpon her face;
When run••ng out, poore Ouid humbly kneeling
Full in the Arbors mouth, did stay her race
And saide; faire N••ph, great Goddesse haue some feeling
Of Ouids paines; but heare: and your dishonor
Vainely surmisde, shall vanish with my horror.
Page [unnumbered]
Traytor to Ladies modesties (said shee)
What sauage boldnes hardned thee to this?
Or what base reckoning of my modestie?
What should I thinke thy facts proude reason is?
Loue (sacred Madam) loue exhaling mee
(Wrapt in his Sulphure,) to this clowde of his
Made my affections his artillerie,
Shot me at you his proper Cytadell,
And loosing all my forces, heere I fell.
This Glosse is common, as thy rudenes strange
Not to forbeare these priuate times, (quoth she)
Whose fixed Rites, none shoulde presume to change
Not where there is adiudg'd inchasti•ie;
Our nakednes should be as much conceald
As our accomplishments desire the eye:
It is a secrete not to be reuealde,
But as Virginitie, and Nuptialls clothed,
And to our honour all to be betrothed.
It is a want, where our aboundance lyes,
Giuen a sole dowre t'enrich chast▪ Hymens Bed,
A perfect Image of our purities,
And glasse by which our actions should be dressed.
That tells vs honor is as soone defild
And should be kept as pure, and incompressed,
But sight attainteth it: for Thought Sights childe
Begetteth sinne; and Nature bides defame,
When light and lawles eyes bewray our shame.
Deere Mistresse (answerd Ouid,) to direct
Our actions, by the straitest rule that is,
We must in matters Morrall, quite reiect
Vulgar Opinion, euer led amisse
And let autentique Reason •e our guide,
The wife of Truth, and Wisdoms Gouernisse:
The nature of all actions must be waide,
And as they then appeare, breede loue or loathing,
Vse makes things nothing huge, and huge things nothing.
Page [unnumbered]
As in your sight, how can sight simply beeing
A Sence receiuing essence to his flame
Sent from his obiect, giue it harme by seeing
Whose action* in the Seer hath his frame?
All excellence of shape is made for fight,
Else, to be like a Beast were no defame;
Hid Beauties lose theyr ends, and wrong theyr right:
And can kinde loue, (where no harms kinde can be)
Disgrace with seeing that is gi•en to see?
Tis I (alas) and my hart-bu••ing Eye
Doe all the harme, and f•ele the harme wee doo:
I am no 〈◊〉, y•• harmles I
Poyson with sight, and mine owne bosom• too;
So am I to my selfe a So••eresse
Bewitcht with my concei•es in her I woo:
But you vnwronged▪ and all ••shon••lesse
No ill dares touch, affliction, sorc••ie,
One kisse of yours can quickly remedie.
I could not times obserue, as others might
Of cold affects, and watry •empers framde,
Yet well assurde the wounder of your •ight
Was so farre of from seeing you defamde,
That euer in the Ph••e of Memorie
Your loue shall shine by it, in mee enflamde.
Then let your powre be clad in l•nitie,
Doe not (as others would) of custome storme▪
But proue yo•r wit as pregnant as your forme.
Nor is my loue so suddaine, since my hart
Was long loues Vulcan, with his pants vnrest
Ham'ring the shafts bred th•• delightsome smart:
And as when Ioue at once from East and W•st
Cast off two Eagles, to 〈◊〉 the sight
Of this world Center, b•th his Byrds •oynd brest
In Cynthian D•lp•o•, since Ear•hs nauill hight:
So casting off my ce•seles though•s to see
My harts true C•••er, all doe 〈◊〉 in thee.
Page [unnumbered]
Cupid that acts in you, suffers in mee
To make himselfe one tryumph-place of twaine,
Into your tunes and odors turned hee,
And through my sences flew into my braine
* Where rules the Prince of sence, whose Throne hee takes,
And of my Motions engines fra•d a chaine
To leade mee where hee list; and heere hee makes
Nature (my* fate) enforce mee: and re•ignes
The raines of all, to you, in whom hee shines.
For yeelding loue then, do• not haue impart,
Nor let mine Eye, your carefull Harbengere
That hath puruaide your Chamber in my hart,
Be blamde for seeing who it lodged there;
The freer seruice mer•its gre•ter meede,
Princes are seru'd with vnexpected chere,
And must haue things in store before they neede:
Thus should faire Dames be wise and confident,
Not blushing to be noted excellent.
Now, as when Heauen is m•ffled with the vapors
His long since iust di•orced wife the E•rth,
In enuie breath's, to maske his spu••ie Tapers
From the vnrich aboundance of her binth▪
When straight the westerne issue of the Ayre
Beates with his flowrie wings those Brats of dearth,
And giues Oly•pus leaue to shew his fayre,
So fled th'offended shaddowes of her •heere,
And showd her pleased count'nance full as cleere.
Which for his fourth course made our Poet court her, &c.
Page [unnumbered]
THis motion of my soule,* my fantasie
Created by three sences put in act,
Let iustice nourish with the •impathie,
Putting my other sences into fact,
If now thou gr•nt not,* now changde that offence;
To suffer change, doth perfect sence compact:
Change then, and suffer for the vse of sence,
Wee liue not for our selues, the Eare, and Eye,
And euery sence, must serue societie.
To furnish then▪ this Banquet where the tast
Is neuer vsde, and yet the cheere diuine,
The neerest meane deare Mistres that thou hast
To blesse me with it, is a kysse of thine,
Which grace shall borrow organs of my touch
T'aduance it to that inward* taste of mine
Which makes all sence, and shall delight as much
Then with a kisse (deare life) adorne thy feast
And let (as Benquets should) the last be best.
I see vnbidden G•ests are boldest still,*
And well you showe how weake in soule you are
That let rude sence, subdue your reasons skill
And feede so spoilefully on sacred fare;
In temper of such needles feasts as this
We show more bounty still the more we spare,
Chiefly where birth and state so different is:
Ayre too much rarefied breakes forth in fire,
And fauors too farre vrg'd do end in ire.
The difference of our births (imperiall Dame)
Is heerein noted with too triuiall eyes
For your rare wits;* that should your choices frame
To state of parts, that most doth royalize,
Not to commend mine owne; but that in yours
Beyond your birth, are perrils soueraignties
Which (vrgd) your words had strook with sharper powers;
Tis for mere looke-like Ladies, and for men
To boast of birth that still be childeren.
Page [unnumbered]
Running to Father straight to helpe theyr needs,
True dignities and rites of reuerence,
Are sowne in mindes, an• reapt in liuely deedes,
And onely pollicie makes difference
Twixt States, since vertue want• du• imperance
Vertue makes honor, as the soule doth sence,
And merit farre exceedes inheri•ance,
The Graces fill loues cup, his feasts adorning,
Who seekes your seruice now, the Graces scorning.
Pure loue (said she) the purest grace pursues,
And there is contact, not by application
Of lips or bodies, but of bodies vertues,
As in our ele•entale Nation
Stars by theyr powers, which are theyr heat and light
Do heauenly works, and that which hath probation
By vertuall contact hath the noblest plight,
Both for the lasting and affinitie
It hath with naturall diuini•ie.
Ouid replied; in thys thy vertuall presence
(Most fayre Corynna) thou canst not effuse
The true and solid parts of thy pure essence
But doost thy superficiall beames produce
Of thy rich substance; which because they flow
Rather from forme then from the matters vse
Resemblance onely of thy body showe
Whereof they are thy wondrous species,
And t'is thy substance must my longings ease.
Speake then sweet ayre, that giu'st our speech euent
And teach my Mistres tractabilitie,
That art to motion most obedient,
And though thy nature, swelling be and high
And occupiest so infinite a space,
Yet yeeldst to words, and art cond•ust thereby
Past nature prest into a little place
Deare soueraigne then, make ayre thy rule in this,
And me thy worthy seruant with a kisse.
Page [unnumbered]
Ouid (sayd shee) I am well pleasd to yeeld:
Bounti• by vertue cannot be abusde:
Nor will I coylie lyft Mineruas shielde
Against Mineru•, honor i• not brusde
With such a tender pressure as a kisse,
Nor yeelding soone to words, though seldome vsde,
Nicenes in ciuill fauours, folly is:
Long su•es make neuer good a bad detection,
Nor yeelding soone, makes bad, a good affection.
To some I know, (and know it for a faule)
Order and reuerence, are repulst in skaling,
When pryde and rudenes, enter with assault,
Consents to fall, are worse to get then falling▪
Willing resistance, takes away the will,
And too much weakenes tis to come with calling:
Force in these frayes, is better man then skyll,
Yet I like skill, and Ouid if a kis
May doe thee so much pleasure, heere it is.
Her moouing towards him, made Ouids eye
Beleeue the Firmament was comming downe
To take him quick to immortalitie,
And that th' Ambrosian kisse set on the Crowne:
Shee spake in kissing, and her breath infusd•
Restoring syrrop to his tast, in swoune:
And hee imaginde Hebes hands had brusde
A banquet of the Gods into his sence,
Which fild him with this furious influence.
The motion of the Heauens that did beget
The golden age, and by whose harmonie
He•uen is preserud, in mee on worke is set,
All instruments of deepest melodie
Set sweet in my desires to my loues liking
With this sweet kisse in mee theyr tunes apply,
As if the best Musi•ians hands were striking▪
This kisse in me• hath endlesse Musicke closed,
Like Phoebus Lute, on Nisus Towrs imposed.
Page [unnumbered]
And as a Pible cast into a Spring,
Wee see a sort of trembling cirkles rise,
One forming other in theyr issuing
Till ouer all the Fount they circulize,
So this perpetuall-motion-making kisse,
Is propagate through all my faculties,
And makes my breast and endlesse Fount of blisse,
Of which, if Gods could drink, theyr matchlesse fare
Would make them much more blessed then they are.
But* as when sounds doe hollow bodies beate,
Ayre gatherd there, comprest, and thickned,
The selfe same way shee came doth make retreate,
And so effects the sounde reecchoed
Onely in part, because shee weaker is
Is that redition, then when first shee fled:
So I alas, faint eccho of this kisse,
Onely reiterate a slender part
Of that high ioy it worketh in my hart.
And thus with feasting, loue is famisht more,
Without my touch are all things turnd to gold,
And till I touch, I canno• ioy my store:
To purchase others, I my selfe haue sold,
Loue is a wanton famine, rich in foode,
But with a richer appetite controld,
An argument in figure and in Moode,
Yet hate all arguments: disputing still
For Sence, gainst Reason, with a sencelesse will.
THen sacred Madam,* since my other sences
Haue in your graces •asted such content,
Let wealth not to be spent, feare no expences,
But giue thy bountie true eternizement:
Making my sences ground-worke, which is, Feeling,
Effect the other, endlesse excellent,
Their substance with flint-softning softnes steeling:
Then let mee feele, for know sweet beauties Queene,
Dames may be felt, as well as heard or seene.
Page [unnumbered]
For if wee be allowd to serue the Eare
With pleasing tunes, and to delight the Eye
With gracious showes, the Taste with daintie cheere,
The Smell with Odors, ist immodestie
To serue the sences Empe•or, sweet Feeling
With those delights that fit his Emperie?
Shall Subiects free themselues, and bind theyr King?
Mindes taint no more with bodies touch or tyre,
Then bodies nourish with the mindes desire.
The minde then cleere, the body may be vsde,
Which perfectly your touch can spritualize;
As by the great elixer is trans-fusde
Copper to Golde, then grant that deede of prise:
Such as trans-forme into corrupt effects
What they receaue from Natures purities,
Should not wrong them that hold her due respects:
To touch your quickning side then giue mee leaue,
Th' abuse of things, must not the vse bereaue.
Heere-with, euen glad his arguments to heare,
Worthily willing to haue lawfull grounds
To make the wondrous power of Heauen appeare,
In nothing more then her perfections found,
Close to her nauill shee her Mantle wrests,
Slacking it vpwards, and the foulds vnwo•nd,
Showing Latonas Twinns, her plenteous brests
The Sunne and Cynthia in theyr tryumph-robes
Of Lady-skin; more rich then both theyr Globes
VVhereto shee bad, blest Ouid put his hand:
Hee, well acknowledging it much too base
For Such an action, did a little stand,
Enobling it with tytles full of grace,
and coniures it with charge of reuerend verse,
To vse with pietie that sacred place,
And through his Feelings organ to disperse
VVorth to his spirits, amply to supply
The porenes of his fleshes facultie.
Page [unnumbered]
And thus hee sayd: King of the King of Sences,
Engines of all the engines vnder heauen,
To health, and life, defence of all defences,
Bountie by which our nourishment is giuen,
Beauties bewtifier, kinde acquaintance maker,
Proportions odnes that makes all things euen,
Wealth of the laborer, wrongs reuengement taker,
Patterne of concord, Lord of exercise,
And figure of that power the world did guise:
Deere Hand, most dulie honored in this
And therefore worthy to be we•l employde:
Yet know, that all that honor nothing is,
Compard with that which ••w must be enioyd:
So thinke in all the pleasures these haue showne
(Likened to this) tho• wert but meere anoyde,
That all hands merits in thy selfe alone
With this one touch, haue more then recompence,
And therefore feele, with feare and reuerence.
See Cupids Alps which now thou must goe ouer,
Where snowe that thawes the Sunne doth euer lye:
Where thou maist plaine and feelingly discouer
The worlds fore-past, that flow'd with Milke and Honny:
Where, (like an Empresse seeing nothing wanting
That may her glorious child-bed bewtifie)
Pleasure her selfe lyes big with issue panting:
Euer deliuerd, yet with childe still growing,
Full of all blessings, yet all blisse bestowing.
This sayd, hee layde his hand vpon her side,
Which made her start like sparckles from a fire,
Or like Saturnia from th' Ambrosian pride
Of her morns slumber, frighted with admire
When Ioue layd young Alcydes to her brest,
So sta•tled shee, not with a coy retire,
But with the tender temper shee was blest,
Prouing her sharpe, vnduld with handling yet,
Which keener edge on Ouids longings set.
Page [unnumbered]
And feeling still, he •igh'd out this effect;
Alas why lent not heauen the soule a tongue?
Nor language, nor peculier dialect,
To make her high conceits as highly sung,
But that a fleshlie engine must vnfold
A spirituall notion; birth from Princes sprung
Pessants must nurse, free vertue waite on gold
And a profest though flattering enemie,
Must pleade my honor, and my libertie.
O nature how doost thou defame in this
Our humane honors? yoking men with beasts
And noblest mindes with slaues? thus beauties blisse,
Loue and all vertues that quick spirit feasts
Surfet on flesh; and thou that banquests mindes
Most bounteous Mistresse, of thy dull-tongu'd guests
Reapst not due thanks; thus rude frailetie bindes
What thou giu'st wings; thus ioyes I feele in thee
Hang on my lips and will not vttered be.
Sweete touch the engine that loues bow doth bend,
The sence wherewith he feeles him deified,
The obiect whereto all his actions tend,
In all his blindenes his most pleasing guide,
For thy sake will I write the Art of loue,
Since thou doost blow his fire and feede his pride
Since in thy sphere his health and life doth moue,
For thee I hate who hate societie
And such as selfe-loue makes his slauerie.
In these dog-dayes how this contagion smoothers
The purest bloods with vertues diet fined
Nothing theyr owne, vnlesse they be some others
Spite of themselues, are in themselues confined
And liue so poore they are of all despised,
Theyr gifts, held down with scorne should be diuined,
And they like Mummers mask, vnknowne, vnprised:
A thousand merua•les mourne in some such brest
Would make a kinde and worthy Patrone blest.
Page [unnumbered]
To mee (deere Soueraigne) thou art Patronesse,
And I, with that thy graces haue infused,
Will make all fat and foggy braines confesse,
Riches my from a poore verse be deduced:
And that Golds loue shall leaue them groueling heere,
When thy perfections shall to heauen be Mused,
Deckt in bright verse, where Angels shall appeare
The praise of vertue, loue, and beauty singi•g,
Honor to Noblesse, shame to Auarice bringing.
HEere Ouid interupted with the view
Of other Dames, who then the Garden painted,
Shrowded himselfe, and did as death eschew
All note by which his loues fame might be tainted:
And as when mighty Macedon had wun
The Monarchie of Earth, yet when hee fainted,
Grieu'd that no greater action could be doone,
And that there were no more worlds to subdue,
So loues defects, loues Conqueror did rue.
But as when expert Painters haue displaid,
To quickest life a Monarchs royall hand
Holding a Scepter, there is yet bewraide
But halfe his fingers; when we vnderstand
The rest not to be seene; and neuer blame
The Painters Art, in nicest censures skand:
So in the compasse of this curious frame,
Ouid well knew there was much more intended,
With whose omition none must be offended.
Intentio, animi actio.
Explicit conuiuium.
