The English Parnassus, or, A helpe to English poesie containing a collection of all rhyming monosyllables, the choicest epithets, and phrases : with some general forms upon all occasions, subjects, and theams, alphabeticaly digested : together with a short institution to English poesie, by way of a preface / by Joshua Poole.

Place Pleasant.

••ture her selfe did there in triumph ride, ••d made that place the ground of all her pride, ••hose various flowers, deceiv'd the rasher eye, •• taking them for curious tapestry. •• silver spring forth from a rock did fall, ••at in a d••ought did serve to water all. ••on the edges of a grassie banke, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of trees grew circling in a ranke, •• faire, so fresh, so sweet, so green a ground, ••e piercing eye of heaven, yet never found. Places ••hich hold the worlds delight in their embraces. ••here trees do groane under their fruitful burthen, •• the same season nature there doth bring ••hes of Autumne, pleasures of the spring. VVhere th'early spring, •• wealthy stock of nature brings. ••nsplanted paradise. Transplanted Tempe. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Elysium. •• such luxurious plenty of all pleasure, •• seem'd a second paradise to be, ••o lavishly enricht with natures treasure, ••hat if the lasting soules which do possesse ••••' Elisian fields, and live in happy blesse.

Should happen this with living eyes to see; They soon would leave their lesser happinesse. And wish to live, return'd again. Where eyes may surfeit with delight. Where every tree a fruitful issue bears Of mellow apples, ripened plums and pears, And all the shrubs with sparkling spangles shew, Like morning sunshine tinselling the dew, Here in green meadowes sits eternal May, Purfling the margents, whilst perpetual day. So double gilds the day, as that no night Can ever rust th' enamel of the light, Where Flora laies forth all her pride. There was no stint, no measure To th' old mans profit, or the young mans pleasure, The only place worthy our wish. Furnisht with all faire objects, that may deliver Delight to th' admiring fancie. Which richly payd the pleas'd beholder thanks In its sweet situation. A valley grac't with natures art and care. As fertle as the soyle of Arabia. As pleasant, as Thessalia Tempe faire, On which from heaven no blustering tempests fly, Nor Zephry blowes but sweet and wholesome aire. A long whose side the mossie mountains rise, And lift their swelling tops above the skies. Down through the mist of this faire valley glides The Chrystal flood with glancing silver hue. Whose roaring streams on golden channels slide With murmure sweet in Thetis bosome blew, Of brooks supply'd with liberal store besides, Which tops of towring mountains still ren••w. In midst of this fair valley doth arise A mighty mounting rock of wondrous height. On whose ambitious back, as in the skies, A City stands impregnable to sight. A castle on his lofty crest espies The valleys round about the mountains height, Below the rock the glancing river glides, In whose cold streams, he cooles his hoary side. VVhen T••tan doth ascend unto the south.

Ascending through heavens vault of brightest azure. Those lofty turre••s seeme to have desire To view their beauties pride, while they h••ve leasure, Then set they all the rolling flood on fire, Whose trembling billowes shew their golden treasure, The smiling sun illustrates them with beams, While as their beauty, beautifies their streams.

A place for pleasan••nesse, not unfit to flatter solitar••∣••••sle, for it being s••t upon an insensible rising of the ground, as you are come to a pretty h••i••h••, before al∣most you perceive that you ascend, it gives the eye lord∣ship over a large ci••cuit.

It seemes a pleasant picture of nature, with lovely light∣somenesse and artificial shadowes.

With such a rise as doth at once invite A pleasure, and a reve••ence from the sight. They who abstract paradise from the earthly globe, make •• that part of heaven, which is this places Canopie. As if nature there had meant to make a place where the beholders are beholde••, and sufficiently paid in their gratefull prospect for the pains of their view. Where lands untill'd are yearly fruitfull seen, And th' unpruned vine perpetual green, S••ll olives by the fertle branch are borne, And mellow figgs their native trees adorne, Honey from elmes distill, the gentle fountaines. Descend with purling noyse from lofty mountaines: There milkey goats come freely to the pa••le, Nor do glad flocks with dugs distended faile, The mighty bore, ••oares not about the fields, Not hollow earth doth poisonous vipers yeild. Adde to this happinesse the humid east Doth with no frequent showers the field infest, Nor the fat seeds are parcht in barren land, The heavenly powers both ••empering with command, No barke comes hither with Argoan ore, Nor landed wanton Colchis on this shore. Cadmus with swelling ••ailes turn'd not this way, Nor painfull troope that with Ulysses stray, Here amongst cattle no contagi•••• are. Nor seele flocks drowthy power of any star. When bra••••e did on the golden age int••ude,

Jove for the pious did this place seclude. Where every object charmes the wandering eye, And bids the soul gaze there eternally. The smoake by which the loaded spits doe turne, For incense might on sacred altars burne. The n••ked rocks are not unf••u••tful there, But at some certain seasons every year, Their barren topps with lushious food abound, And with the eggs of various ••ouls are crown'd, Ripe fruits and blos••oms on the same trees live, At once they promise, what at once they give. So sweet the aire, so moderate the clime, None sickly lives or dies before his time, Heaven sure, has kept this spot of earth uncurst, To shew how all things were created first. V. Hom. Odys. Calipso's v••ile. Dubartas Eden. V. Brownes Pastor. lib. 2. song 3.