Seianus his fall. VVritten by Ben: Ionson

In SEIANVM BEN. IONSON I Et Musis, et sibi in Delicijs.

SO brings the wealth-contracting Ieweller Pearles and deare Stones, from richest shores & streame••, As thy accomplisht Trauaile doth confer From skill-inriched soules, their wealthier Gems; So doth his hand enchase in ammeld Gould, Cut, and adornd beyond their Natiue Merits, His solid Flames, as thine hath here inrould In more then Goulden Verse, those betterd spirits; So he entreasures Princes Cabinets, As thy Wealth will their wished Libraries; So, on the throate of the rude Sea, he sets His ventrous foote, for his illustrous Prise; And through wilde Desarts, armd with wilder Beasts, As thou aduenturst on the Multitude, Vpon the boggy, and engulfed brests Of Hyrelings, sworne to finde most Right, most rude: And he, in stormes at Sea, doth not endure, Nor in vast Desarts, amongst Woolues, more danger; Then we, that would with Vertue liue secure, Sustaine for her in euery Vices anger. Nor is this Allegorie vniustly rackt, to this strange length; Onely that Iewels are, In estimation meerely, so exact: And thy worke, in it selfe, is deare and Rare.

Wherein Minerua had beene vanquished, Had she, by it, her sacred Loomes aduanc't, And through thy subiect wouen her graphicke Thread, Contending therein, to be more entranc't; For, though thy hand was scarce addrest to drawe The Semi-circle of Seianus life, Thy Muse yet makes it the whole Sphaere, and Lawe To all State Liues: and bounds Ambitions strife. And as a little Brooke creepes from his Spring, With shallow tremblings, through the lowest Vales, As if he feard his streame abroad to bring, Least prophane Feete should wrong it, and rude Gales, But finding happy Channels, and supplies Of other Fordes mixe with his modest course, He growes a goodly Riuer, and descries The strength, that mannd him, since he left his Source; Then takes he in delight some Meades, and Groues, And, with his two-edg'd waters, flourishes Before great Palaces, and all Mens Loues Build by his shores, to greete his Passages: So thy chaste Muse, by vertuous selfe-mistrust, Which is a true Marke of the truest Merit, In Virgin feare of Mens illiterate Lust, Shut her soft wings, and durst not showe her spirit; Till, nobly cherisht, now thou lett'st her flie, Singing the sable Orgies of the Muses, And in the highest Pitche of Tragedie, Mak'st her command, al things thy Ground produces. But, as it is a Signe of Loues first firing, Not Pleasure by a louely Presence taken, And Bouldnesse to attempt; but close Retiring, To places desolate, and Feuer-shaken; So, when the loue of Knowledge first affects vs, Our Tongues doe falter, and the Flame doth roue Through our thinne spirits, and of feare detects vs Tattaine her Truth, whom we so truely loue.

Nor can (saith Aeschilus) a faire young Dame, Kept long without a Husband, more containe Her amorous eye, from breaking forth in flame, When she beholds a Youth that fits her vaine; Then any mans first taste of Knowledge truly Can bridle the affection she inspireth: But let it flie on Men, that most vnduly Haunt her with hate, and all the Loues she fireth. If our Teeth, Head, or but our Finger ake, We straight seeke the Phisitian; If a Feuer, Or any curefull maladie we take, The graue Phisitian is desired euer: But if proud Melancholie, Lunacie, Or direct Madnesse ouer-heate our braines, We Rage, Beate out, or the Phisitian flie, Loosing with vehemence, euen the sense of Paines. So of Offenders, they are past recure, That with a tyranous spleene, their stings extend Gainst their Reprouers; They that will endure All discreete Discipline, are not said t' offend. Though Others qualified, then, with Naturall skill, (More sweete mouthd, and affecting shrewder wits) Blanche Coles, call Illnesse, good, and Goodnesse ill, Breath thou the fire, that true-spoke Knowledge fits. Thou canst not then be Great? yes. Who is he, (Said the good Spartane King) greater then I, That is not likewise iuster? No degree can boast of emminence, or Emperie, (As the great Stagerite held) in any One Beyond Another, whose Soule farther sees, And in whose Life the Gods are better knowne: Degrees of Knowledge difference all Degrees. Thy Poëme, therefore, hath this due respect, That it lets passe nothing, without obseruing, Worthy Instruction; or that might correct Rude manners, and renowne the well deseruing:

Performing such a liuely Euidence in thy Narrations, that thy Hearers still Thou turnst to thy Spectators; and the sense That thy Spectators haue of good or ill, Thou ini••ct'st ioyntly to thy Readers soules. So deare is held, so deckt thy numerous Taske, As thou putt'st handles to the Thespian Boules, Or stuckst rich Plumes in the Palladian Caske. All thy worth, yet, thy selfe must Patronise, By quaffing more of the Castalian Head; In expiscation of whose Mysteries, Our Netts must still be clogd, with heauy Lead, To make them sincke, and catche: For cheerefull Gould, Was neuer found in the Pierian Streames, But Wants, and Scornes, and Shames for siluer sould. What, what shall we elect in these extreames? Now by the Shafts of the great CYRRHAN Poet, That beare all light, that is, about the world; I would haue all dull Poet-Haters know it, They shall be soule-bound, and in darknesse hurld, A thousand yeares, (as Sathan was, their Syre) Ere Any worthy, the Poetique Name, (Might I, that warme but, at the Muses fire, Presume to guard it) should let Deathlesse Fame Light halfe a beame of all her hundred Eyes, At his dimme Taper, in their memories. Flie, flie, you are to neare; so odorous Flowers being held too neere the Sensor of our Sense, Render not pure, nor so sincere their powers, As being held a little distance thence; Because much troubled Earthy parts improue them: Which mixed with the Odors we exhall, Do vitiate what we drawe in. But remooue them A little space, the Earthy parts do fall, And what is pure, and hote by his tenuitye, is to our powers of Sauor purely borne.

But flie, or staie: Ʋse thou the assiduitie, Fit for a true Contemner of their scorne. Our Phoebus may, with his exampling Beames, Burne out the webs from their Arachnean eyes, Whose Knowledge (Day-star to all Diadems,) Should banish knowledge-hating Policies: So others, great in the Scientiall grace, His Chancelor, fautor of all humane Skils; His Treasurer, taking thèm into his Place, Northumber, that, with thèm, his Crescent fils, Graue Worc'ster, in whose Nerues they guard their fire, Northampton, that to all his height in bloud, H••ightens his soule, with thèm, And Deuonshire, In whom their Streams, ebd to their Spring, are Floud, Oraculous Salisburie, whos•• inspired voice, In State proportions, sings their misteries, And (though last Namd) first, in whom They reioyce, To whose true worth, Th••y vow most obsequies, Most Noble Suffolke, who by Nature Noble, And iudgement vertuous, cannot fall by Fortune, Who when our Hearde, came not to drinke, but trouble The Muses waters, did a Wall importune, (Midst of assaults) about their sacred Riuer; In whose behalfes, my poore Soule, (consecrate To poorest Ʋertue) to the longest Liuer, His Name, in spight of Death, shall propagate. O could the World but feele how sweete a touch A good Deed hath in one in loue with Goodnesse, (If Poesie were not rauished so much, And her composde Rage, held the simplest Woodnesse, Though of all heates, that temper humane braines, Hers euer was most subtle, high, and holy, First binding sauadge Liues, in ciuile Chaines: Solely religious, and adored solely, If men felt this) they would not thinke a Loue, That giues it selfe, in her, did vanities giue;

Who is (in Earth, though lowe) in Worth aboue, Most able t' honour Life, though least to liue. And so good Friend, safe passage to thy Freight, To thee a long Peace, through a vertuous strife, In which, lets both contend to Vertues height, Not making Fame our Obiect, but good life.

COme forth SEIANVS, fall before this Booke, And of thy Falles Reuiuer, aske forgiuenesse, That thy lowe Birth and Merits, durst to looke A Fortune in the face, of such vneuennesse; For so his feruent loue to Vertue, hates, That her pluckt plumes should wing Vice to such calling, That he presents thee to all marking States, As if thou hadst beene all this while in falling. His strong Arme plucking, from the Midle-world, Fames Brazen House, and layes her Towre as lowe, As HOMERS Barathrum; that, from Heauen hurld, Thou might'st fall on it: and thy Ruines growe To all Posterities, from his worke, the Ground, And vnder Heau'n, nought but his Song might sound.

Haec Commentatus est Georgius Chapmannus.