The Complete Poetical Works of George Chapman

by George Chapman

  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.

  61

  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.

  62

  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.

  63

  The sence is giuen vs to excite the minde,

  And that can neuer be by sence excited

  But first the sence must her contentment finde,

  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 soueraigne of mine Eye,

  Shee shall bide Time, and Time so feasted neuer

  Shall grow in strength of her renowne for euer.

  64

  Betwixt mine Eye and obiect, certayne lynes,

  Moue in the figure of a Pyramis,

  Whose chapter in mine eyes gray apple shines,

  The base within my sacred obiect is:

  On this will I inscribe in golden verse

  The meruailes raigning in my soueraigns blisse,

  The arcks of sight, and how her arrowes pierse:

  This in the Region of the ayre shall stand

  In Fames brasse Court, and all her Trumps commaund.

  65

  Rich Beautie, that ech Louer labors for,

  Tempting as heapes of new-coynd-glowing Gold,

  (Rackt of some miserable Treasurer)

  Draw his desires, and them in chaynes enfold

  Vrging him still to tell it, and conceale it,

  But Beauties treasure neuer can be told:

  None can peculier ioy, yet all must steale it.

  O Beautie, this same bloody siedge of thine

  Starues me that yeeld, and feedes mee till I pine.

  66

  And as a Taper burning in the darke

  (As if it threatned euery watchfull eye

  That viewing burns it,) makes that eye his marke,

  And hurls guilt Darts at it continually,

  Or as it enuied, any eye but it

  Should see in darknes, so my Mistres beautie

  From foorth her secret stand my hart doth hit:

  And like the Dart of Cephalus dooth kill

  Her perfect Louer, though shee meane no ill.

  67

  Thus, as the innocence of one betraide

  Carries an Argus with it, though vnknowne,

  And Fate, to wreake the trecherie bewraide;

  Such vengeance hath my Mistres Beautie showne

  On me the Traitor to her modestie,

  So vnassailde, I quite am ouerthrowne,

  And in my tryumph bound in slauerie.

  O Beauty, still thy Empire swims in blood,

  And in thy peace, Warre stores himselfe with foode.

  68

  O Beautie, how attractiue is thy powre?

  For as the Hues heate clings about the hart,

  So all Mens hungrie eyes do haunt thy Bowre,

  Raigning in Greece, Troy swum to thee in Art;

  Remou’d to Troy, Greece followd thee in feares;

  Thy drewst each Syreles sworde, each childles Dart

  And pulld’st the towres of Troy about thine eares:

  Shall I then muse that thus thou drawest me?

  No, but admire, I stand thus farre from thee.

  69

  Heerewith shee rose like the Autumnale Starre

  Fresh burnisht in the loftie Ocean floode,

  That darts his glorious influence more farre

  Then any Lampe of bright Olympus 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.

  70

  Thus when her fayre hart-binding hands had tied

  Those liberall Tresses, her high frontier 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 Eeuens depart,

  And vnder that a Mans huge shaddow placed,

  Wherein was writ, in sable Charectry,

  Decrescente nobilitate, crescunt obscuri.

  71

  An other was an Eye in Saphire set,

  And close vpon it a fresh Lawrell spray,

  The skilfull Posie was, Medio caret,

  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, Teipsum et orbem,

  Grauen in the Diall; these exceeding rare

  And other like accomplements she ware.

  72

  Not Tygris, Nilus, nor swift Euphrates,

  Quoth Ouid now, can more subdue my flame,

  I must through hell aduenture to displease,

  To tast 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.

  73

  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 subtlest harts affecting sûtes importune,

  “Best loues are lost for wit when men blame Fortune.

  74

  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 disguising;

  No man is safe at sea, the Haedy rising.

  75

  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 running out, poore Ouid hu
mbly kneeling

  Full in the Arbors mouth, did stay her race

  And saide; faire Nimph, great Goddesse haue some feeling

  Of Ouids paines; but heare: and your dishonor

  Vainely surmisde, shall vanish with my horror.

  76

  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.

  77

  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 inchastitie;

  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.

  78

  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.

  79

  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 be 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.

  80

  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 sight,

  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 giuen to see?

  81

  Tis I (alas) and my hart-burning Eye

  Doe all the harme, and feele the harme wee doo:

  I am no Basiliske, yet harmles I

  Poyson with sight, and mine owne bosome too;

  So am I to my selfe a Sorceresse

  Bewitcht with my conceites in her I woo:

  But you vnwrongd, and all dishonorlesse

  No ill dares touch, affliction, sorcerie,

  One kisse of yours can quickly remedie.

  82

  I could not times obserue, as others might

  Of cold affects, and watry tempers framde,

  Yet well assurde the wounder of your sight

  Was so farre of from seeing you defamde,

  That euer in the Phane of Memorie

  Your loue shall shine by it, in mee enflamde.

  Then let your powre be clad in lenitie,

  Doe not (as others would) of custome storme,

  But proue your wit as pregnant as your forme.

  83

  Nor is my loue so suddaine, since my hart

  Was long loues Vulcan, with his pants vnrest,

  Ham’ring the shafts bred this delightsome smart:

  And as when loue at once from East and West

  Cast off two Eagles, to discerne the sight

  Of this world Center, both his Byrds ioyned brest

  In Cynthian Delphos, since Earths nauill hight:

  So casting off my ceaseles thoughts to see

  My harts true Center, all doe meete in thee.

  84

  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 framd a chaîne

  To leade mee where hee list; and heere hee makes

  Nature (my fate) enforce mee: and resignes

  The raines of all, to you, in whom hee shines.

  85

  For yeelding loue then, doe not hate 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 merrits greater 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.

  86

  Now, as when Heauen is muffled with the vapors

  His long since iust diuorced wife the Earth,

  In enuie breath’s, to maske his spurrie Tapers

  From the vnrich aboundance of her birth,

  When straight the westerne issue of the Ayre

  Beates with his flowrie wings those Brats of dearth,

  And giues Olympus league to shew his fayre,

  So fled th’offended shaddowes of her cheere,

  And showd her pleased count’nance full as cleere.

  Which for his fourth course made our Poet court her. &c.

  87

  This motion of my soule, my fantasie

  Created by three sences put in act,

  Let iustice nourish with thy simpathie,

  Putting my other sences into fact,

  If now thou grant 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.

  88

  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 Banquets should) the last be best.

  89

  I see vnbidden Guests 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.

  90

  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,

  91

  Running to Father straight to helpe theyr needs;

  True dignities and rites of reuerence,

  Are sowne in mindes, and reapt in liuely deedes,

  And onely pollicie makes difference

  Twixt States, since vertue wants due imperance,

  Vertue makes honor, as the soule doth sence,

  And merit farre exceedes inheritance,

  The Graces fill loues cup, his feasts adorning,

  Who seekes your seruice now, the Graces scorning.

  92

  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 elementale 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 diunitie.

  93

  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 the 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.

  94

  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 condenst 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.

  95

  Ouid (sayd shee) I am well pleasd to yeeld:

  Bountie by vertue cannot be abusde:

  Nor will I coylie lyft Mineruas shielde

  Against Minerua, honor is 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 sûtes make neuer good a bad detection,

  Nor yeelding soone, makes bad, a good affection.

  96

  To some I know, (and know it for a fault)

  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: