The Muses Elizium lately discouered, by a new way ouer Parnassus. The passages therein, being the subiect of ten sundry nymphalls, leading three diuine poemes, Noahs floud. Moses, his birth and miracles. David and Golia. By Michael Drayton Esquire.

The fift Nimphall.

CLAIA LELIPA CLARINAX a Hermit.

Of Garlands, Anadems, and Wreathes This Nimphall nought but sweetnesse breathes, Presents you with delicious Posies, And with powerfull Simples closes.

Claia.

SEE where old Clarinax is set, His sundry Simples sorting, From whose experience we may get What worthy is reporting. Then Lelipa let vs draw neere, Whilst he his weeds is weathering, I see some powerfull Simples there That he hath late bin gathering. Haile gentle Hermit, love thee speed, And haue thee in his keeping, And euer helpe thee at thy need, Be thou awake or sleeping.

Clarinax.

Ye payre of most Celestiall lights, O Beauties three times burnisht, Who could expect such heauenly wights With Angels features furnisht; What God doth guide you to this place, To blesse my homely Bower? It cannot be but this high grace Proceeds from some high power; The houres like hand maids still attend,

Disposed at your pleasure, Ordayned to noe other end But to awaite your leasure; The Deawes drawne vp into the Aer, And by your breathes perfumed, In little Clouds doe houer there As loath to be consumed: The Aer moues not but as you please, So much sweet Nimphes it owes you, The winds doe cast them to their ease, And amorously inclose you.

Lelipa.

Be not too lauish of thy praise, Thou good Elizian Hermit, Lest some to heare such words as these, Perhaps may flattery tearme it; But of your Simples something say, Which may discourse affoords vs, We know your knowledge lyes that way, With subiects you haue stor'd vs.

Claia.

We know for Physick yours you get, Which thus you heere are sorting, And vpon Garlands we are set, With Wreathes and Posyes sporting: Each Garden great abundance yeelds, Whose Flowers inuite vs thither; But you abroad in Groues and Fields Your Medc'nall Simples gather.

Lelipa.

The Chaplet and the Anadem, The curled Tresses crowning, We looser Nimphes delight in them, Not in your Wreathes renowning.

Clarinax.

The Garland long agoe was worne, As Time pleasd to bestow it,

The Lawrell onely to adorne The Conquerer and the Poet. The Palme his due, who vncontrould, On danger looking grauely, When Fate had done the worst it could, Who bore his Fortunes brauely. Most worthy of the Oken Wreath The Ancients him esteemed, Who in a Battle had from death Some man of worth redeemed. About his Temples Grasse they tye, Himselfe that so behaued In some strong Seedge by th'Enemy, A City that hath saued. A Wreath of Vervaine Herhauts weare, Amongst our Garlands named, Being sent that dreadsull newes to beare, Offensiue warre proclaimed. The Signe of Peace who first displayes, The Oliue Wreath possesses: The Louer with the Myrtle Sprayes Adornes his crisped Tresses: In Loue the sad forsaken wight The Willow Garland weareth: The Funerall man befitting night, The balefull Cipresse beareth. To Pan we dedicate the Pine, Whose slips the Shepherd graceth: Againe the Ivie and the Vine On his, swolne Bacchus placeth.

Cloia.

The Boughes and Sprayes, of which you tell, By you are rightly named, But we with those of pretious smell And colours, are enflamed; The noble Ancients to excite Men to doe things worth crowning,

Not vnperformed left a Rite, To heighten their renowning: But they that those rewards deuis'd, And those braue wights that wore them By these base times, though poorely priz'd, Yet Hermit we adore them. The store of euery fruitfull Field We Nimphes at will possessing, From the variety they yeeld Get Flowers for euery dressing: Of Which a Garland Ile compose, Then busily attend me, These Flowers I for that purpose chose, But where I misse amend me.

Clarinax.

Well Cloia on with your intent, Lets see how you will weaue it, Which done, here for a monument I hope with me, you'll leaue it.

Cloia.

Here Damaske Roses, white and red, Out of my lap first take I, Which still shall runne along the thred, My chiefest Flower this make I: Amongst these Roses in a row, Next place I Pinks in plenty, These double Daysyes then for show, And will not this be dainty. The pretty Pansy then Iletye Like Stones some chaine inchasing, And next to them their neere Alye, The purple Violet placing. The curious choyce, Clove Iuly-flower Whose kinds height the Carnation For sweetnesse of most soueraine power Shall helpe my Wreath to fashion. Whose sundry cullers of one kinde

First from one Root derived, Them in their seuerall sutes Ile binde, My Garland so contriued; A course of Cowslips then Ile stick, And here and there though sparely The pleasant Primrose downe Ile prick Like Pearles, which will show rarely: Then with these Marygolds Ile make My Garland somewhat swelling, These Honysuckles then Ile take, Whose sweets shall helpe their smelling: The Lilly and the Flower-delice, For colour much contenting, For that, I them doe onely prize, They are but pore in senting: The Daffadill most dainty is To match with these in meetnesse; The Columbyne compar'd to this, All much alike for sweetnesse. These in their natures onely are Fit to embosse the border, Therefore Ile take especiall care To place them in their order: Sweet-Williams, Campions, Sops-in-wine One by another neatly: Thus haue I made this Wreath of mine, And finished it featly.

Lelipa.

Your Garland thus you finisht haue, Then as we haue attended Your leasure, likewise let me craue I may the like be friended. Those gaudy garish Flowers you chuse, In which our Nimphes are flaunting, Which they at Feasts and Brydals vse, The sight and smell inchanting: A Chaplet me of Hearbs Ile make,

Then which though yours be brauer, Yet this of myne I'le vndertake Shall not be short in sauour. With Basill then I will begin, Whose scent is wondrous pleasing, This Eglantine I'le next put in, The sense with sweetnes seasing. Then in my Lauender I'le lay, Muscado put among it, And here and there a leafe of Bay, Which still shall runne along it. Germander, Marieram, and Tyme Which vsed are for strewing, With Hisop as an hearbe most pryme Here in my wreath bestowing. Then Balme and Mynt helps to make vp My Chaplet, and for Tryall, Costmary that so likes the Cup, And next it Penieryall Then Burnet shall beare vp with this Whose leafe I greatly fansy, Some Camomile doth not amisse With Sauory and some Tansy, Then heere and there I'le put a sprig Of Rosemary into it Thus not too little nor too big Tis done if I can doe it.

Clarinax.

Claia your Garland is most gaye, Compos'd of curious Flowers, And so most louely Lelipa, This Chaplet is of yours, In goodly Gardens yours you get Where you your laps haue laded; My symples are by Nature set, In Groues and Fields vntraded. Your Flowers most curiously you twyne,

Each one his place supplying. But these rough harsher Hearbs of mine, About me rudely lying, Of which some dwat fish Weeds there be, Some of a larger stature, Some by experience as we see, Whose names expresse their nature, Heere is my Moly of much fame, In Magicks often vsed, Mugwort and Night-shade for the same, But not by me abused; Here Henbane, Popy, Hemblock here, Procuring Deadly sleeping, Which I doe minister with Feare, Not fit for each mans keeping. Heere holy Veruayne, and heere Dill, Against witchcraft much auailing, Here Horound gainst the Mad dogs ill By biting, neuer failing Here Mandrake that procureth loue, In poysning Philters mixed, And makes the Barren fruitfull proue. The Root about them fixed, Inchaunting Lunary here lyes In Sorceries excelling, And this is Dictam, which we prize Shot shafts and Darts expelling, Here Saxifrage against the stone That Powerfull is approued, Here Dodder by whose help alone, Ould Agues are remoued Here Mercury, here Helibore, Ould Vlcers mundifying, And Shepheards-purse the Flux most sore, That helpes by the Applying; Here wholsome Plantane, that the payne Of Eyes and Eares appeases;

Here cooling Sorrell that againe We vse in hot diseases: The medcinable Mallow here, Asswaging sudaine Tumors, The iagged Polypodium there, To purge ould rotten humors, Next these here Egremony is, That helpes the Serpents byting, The blessed Betony by this, Whose cures deseruen writing: This All-heale, and so nam'd of right, New wounds so quickly healing, A thousand more I could recyte, Most worthy of Reuealing, But that I hindred am by Fate, And busnesse doth preuent me, To cure a mad man, which of late Is from Felicia sent me.

Claia.

Nay then thou hast inough to doe, We pity thy enduring, For they are there infected soe, That they are past thy curing.