The Complete Poetical Works of George Chapman

by George Chapman

What they consum’d, encreast; What gaue, enioyd.

  The vse; not the possession of things

  Commends their worth, and their encreases springs,

  And that vse must haue Influence from his ground

  Religion; with which, all his Acts were crownd.

  Nor could a man, distinguish twixt his deedes,

  And saie; This Act, from Fortitude proceedes,

  This from Humanitie; This from Continence.

  But each, from all the vertues influence

  Had their composure; prouing the decree

  The Stoiques made; and we may iustifie;

  Each action, that a wise man makes his fruit,

  He doth with all the vertues execute.

  Some one, the ground-worke laying; All the rest

  Flow in as fellowes, with their interest.

  What man, not imitating him, can be

  Noble, or pious, in the best degree?

  Religion seasons all Nobilitie.

  Take that euen from the Greatest; you shall see

  How lanck he showes in his felicitie;

  For his Incharitie, he winnes no loue:

  For his Faiths want, to him none faithfull proue:

  For his felt ill, he cannot hope for good,

  But feare strikes euery shadow through his blood.

  What such men want, content with pieties shade,

  With that, and her heart, was this Lord, all made.

  In Noble being, and making good his place,

  Stooping for height, to nothing that was base.

  Nobles example haue, and Gentrie may

  Affect no Nobles, met with, in that way.

  Ignobles (if his worth he will apply,)

  May, (though most base) outreach Nobilitie.

  Obserue then, after all his high’st command

  How equall, and vnchangeable a hand

  He bore in thought of it, with things most low,

  For that he might, to all example show:

  He made not height his end, nor happinesse here,

  But, as more high, more good he might appere,

  (Height simply, holding no good, much lesse all)

  He willingly from all his tops did fall,

  And, for Retreat, a Personage made his home;

  Where, (neare the Church) he nearer God, did come;

  Each weeke day doing his deuotion

  With some few Beads-folke; To whom, still was showne

  His secret Bedfords hand; Nor would he stay

  The Needie asking; but preuent their way

  And goe to them, t’enquire, how they could liue,

  And, to auoid, euen thanks, where he did giue;

  He would their hardly-nourisht Hues supply

  With shew of lending; yet, (That industrie

  Might not in them be lesned, to relieue

  Their states themselues,) He would haue some one giue

  His word for the repayment; which (sweet Lord)

  He neuer tooke; nor askt a thankefull word.

  And therein, truly imitated God,

  Who giues vs Lawes to keepe; The Period

  Of whose iniunction, points not at his good;

  But, knowing, that when they are vnderstood,

  Their vnderstanding, by obseruing prou’d,

  Would make vs see; that in that Circle mou’d

  Our taught felicitie; Nor can we ad

  With all our obseruations; what may glad

  His still at full state, in the best degree,

  Other then this; That as Philosophie

  Saies there is euermore proportion

  Betwixt the knowing part, and what is knowne

  So joynd, that both, are absolutely one;

  So when we know God, in things here below,

  And truly keepe th’abstracted good we know;

  (God being all goodnesse) we with him combine,

  And therein shew, the all in all, doth shine:

  This briefly, for the life of my blest loue,

  Which now combinde is, with the life aboue;

  His death (to name which, I abhor to liue,)

  O sister, doe you, with your trump achieue.

  As Fame addrest to this; The morning came

  And burn’d vp all things sacred, with her flame.

  When now some Night-birds of the day began

  To call, and crie, and gibber, Man to Man;

  Swolne fordges puft abroad their windie Ire,

  Aire, Earth, and water turnd, and all to Fire;

  And in their strife for Chymicall euents

  Made transmutation of the Elements.

  They blew, and Hammers beat, and euery noise

  Was emptying tumult, out of men, and boies.

  Bursting the aire with it; and deafning Th’Eare:

  The black fumes of whose breaths did all besmeare

  And choake the Muses, and such rude Clouds reare,

  As all the World, a Dyers furnace were.

  Gainst which, Fames Guests, their dores & windows closde;

  As their poore labours were in earth opposde.

  Explicit Vigilia Prima.

  VIGILIAE SECUNDAE. INDUCTIO.

  Now to the Nestfull woods, the Broode of Flight

  Had on their black wings brought, the zealous Night,

  When Fames friends, op’t the windowes they shut in,

  To barre Daies worldly light; and Mens rude Din;

  In Tumults raisd about their fierce affairs,

  That deafen heauen to their distracted prairs,

  With all the vertues; Graue Religion

  That slept with them all day, to ope begun

  Her Eares, and Red Eyes; hearing euery way

  The clocks, and knells of Cities, and the Bay

  Of Countrie Dogs, that mock mens daily Carck,

  And after them, all night, at shadowes barke.

  Though all Fames brazen Gates, and windowes stoode

  Ope day and night, yet had her tenderd broode

  Close in their priuate chambers, their owne fashion,

  Silence, and Night, doe best fit Contemplation.

  And as Fame said of old, that peacefull night

  The Gods chiefe day was, since their chiefe delight

  In fixt calme stood; Themselues in quiet still,

  Earths cares to pursue, to skale their high hill;

  Spend for hereafter, and thereafter thriue.

  This vantage yet; These haue of men aliue,

  (These liuing dead to this life,) That as they

  Studying this world in chiefe, on this world prey

  When they haue praid; more then these fed with prayrs;

  So these that studie here, to be heauens heyrs,

  (Vertue and skill pursuing, in chiefe end)

  More thriftie therein are; and their oiles spend

  More chearfully; and finde Truth more with ease;

  For these are in the way: The couetous Prease

  Of Truths Professors, (in by-waies perplext)

  March like those marginall Notes that spoile the Text.

  These thirsting Fames report of this Lords death,

  The curious Dame, that weighs and locks vp breath,

  Formd in fit words (as God doth euen our thoughts

  That nothing of good men, may come to noughts)

  Addrest her to be ecchoe to his words

  Which (though not many) yet may teach all Lords;

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  And neither strange, nor eloquent, nor new,

  Doctrine that toucheth soules, or saues, or kils,

  A good man dying, vtters Oracles.

  And now was Fame, aduanc’t past sight vpon

  A hill of brasse, that farre the sunne outshone;

  Day, and night shining; neuer going downe:

  Her browes encompast, with a triple crowne:

  Each chac’t with Iewels, vallewd past mens liues.

  Her trumpet then she sounded, that reuiues

  Men long since b
uried: to whose clanges sing

  All the afflicted virtues, conquering

  All their afllicters, her triumphe brauer bore

  The arts (for armes) of all mens worth before;

  Disparag’d worths, shew’d there, the perfect things;

  And beggers worthy arts were blasd with kings:

  Desert fin des meanes to vtter: Fame to holde

  Both arts, and words, most secret, and most olde:

  Nor doe they euer their existence leaue

  Nor any that their virtues loue, deceaue.

  Fame hauing summond fit attention:

  And all her guests into expectance blowne:

  Like the morne’s trumpe: when day is neere inflam’d:

  She clapt her goulden wings, and thus proclaimd.

  VIRGILIAE SECUNDAE.

  When by diuine presage, this god-like Lord

  Felt health decline: and knew she gaue the word,

  Through all his powrs; to make a guard, for death,

  Frends helthfull (sleighting still what followeth)

  Nobly perswaded (as themselues would be

  Toucht with the like effects of maladie,)

  That his conceipt of weakenesse was too strong.

  He askt them, why they wisht him to prolong

  His needefull resolution to die;

  As if t’were fit to feare felicitie;

  Or that he doubted it; And all the chere

  The hearty Scriptures did inuite to, were

  Serud vp in painted dishes; and to make

  (Onely for fashion) sicke men, sit, and take,

  And seeme to eate to; though but as their banes,

  Onely to die accounted Christians.

  Hungry, to heauens feast come, and cheerefully

  Eate what you wish; He teach ye all to die:

  If ye beleeue, expresse it in your Hues

  That best appeare in death; gainst whom who striues

  Would, faithlesse, and most reasonlesse denie

  ‘All lawes of Nature, and Necessitie.

  No fraile thing, simply is; No Flesh nor blood

  Pertakes with Essence; All the flitting flood

  [Of natures mortall; Birth and death doe tosse

  Vpwards and downewards, euer at a losse;

  Humaine Births euer are, and neuer stay,

  Still in mutation; we die euery day:

  Ridiculous are we then, in one death flying,

  That dead so often are; and euer dying.

  Ye feare your owne shades; they are fooles that make

  Deaths forme so ougelie, and remembrance take

  Of their dissoluing by so foule a sight,

  When death presents the faire of heauenly light.

  The ghostly forme, that in this world we leaue.

  When death dissolues vs; wise men should conceiue

  Showes well, what life is; farre from figuring death:

  Am I this truncke? It is my painted sheath:

  As braue young men, thinke they are, what they weare;

  So these, encourage men, with what they feare.

  Make death an Angell, skaling, of a heauen

  And croune him with the Asterisme of seauen

  To show he is the death of deadly sinnes:

  A rich spring make his Robe, since he begins

  Our endlesse Summer: let his shoulders spring

  Both the sweete Cupids, for his either wing,

  Since loue, and ioy in death, to heauen vs bring:

  Hang on the Iuorie Brawne of his right arme,

  A bunch of goulden keis; his left a swarme

  Of thriftie Bees, in token we haue done

  The yeare, our lifes toile, and our fruites haue shone

  In hoonnie of our good workes, labord here:

  Before his flaming bosome, let him weare

  A shining Christall; since through him we see

  The louely forms of our felicitie.

  His thighes make, both the heauen-supporting Poles,

  Since he sustaines heauen, storing it, with soules.

  His left hand, let a plenties home extend:

  His right, a booke to contemplate our end:

  This forme, conceaue death beares, since truely this

  In his effects, informes vs, what he is.

  Who, in life, flies not, to inheritance giuen?

  And, why not then, in death, t’inherit heauen?

  Wrastlers for games, know they shall neuer be,

  (Till their strife end, and they haue victorie)

  Cround with their garlands, nor receiue their game,

  And in our heauens strife, know not we the same?

  Why striue we; not being certaine to obtaine

  If we doe conquer? and because we gaine

  Conquest in faith, why faint we? since therein

  We lose both strife, and conquest? who will winne

  Must lose in this strife; in deaths easie lists

  Who yelds, subdues, he’s conquerd, that resists.

  Each morning, setting forth to your affaires,

  These things commend ye, to our God in praiers:

  Direct me, God, in all this daies expence

  As thy necessitie of prouidence

  Thinks fit for me: what euer way you leade

  And point out for me; I will gladly tread;

  So being, thy sonne, and pious; sticke, and goe

  Compeld as slaue, and my impietie slow.

  And how most wretchedly shall those that beare

  Authority, and swimme in riches here,

  (Resisting death for them) be forc’t in feare

  To goe with him; when all they can oppose,

  They insolent, and impotently lose?

  None of those men, that most spent oile and blood,

  With studie for ioies fullest tast in good

  In this life, euer could their longings fill,

  Their reasons strayning through their bodies stil

  Watrish and troubl’d; as through clouds and mists;

  And wrestler like, rusht euer on their lists;

  Too streight; and choak’t with prease to comprehend

  The strugling contemplation of their end.

  He that with God did wrestle, all in night;

  Figurd our strife with truth here, for his light;

  Which seene, through death, being but a touch ith thigh

  Blessing both vs and our posteritie,

  Who would not wish death? touching feare to die

  For my estates disposure (whose cares lie

  Heauie on some mens hearts) my sure hope is

  My sonne will make, my disposition, his:

  Acquiting me of any cause to feare.

  And (sonne) what of my constant hopes you heare

  Make spurs to proue; that what I hope, you are,

  I shall leaue something worthy of your care:

  Nor wast, nor labor the encrease too much,

  Nor let your pleasure in their vse be such,

  As at their most, their too much ioy may breede:

  For you must suffer, the same naturall neede

  Of parting from them, that you now beholde

  Makes all my ioy in them, so deadly colde.

  Let nothing seeme to you so full of merit,

  As may inflame you with the greater spirit,

  Nor no aduerse chance, stoope their height a haire,

  But in the height and depth of ech affaire,

  Be still the same, and hold your owne entire,

  Like heauen, in cloudes, or finest gould, in fire.

  To rise and fall, for water is, and winde:

  A man, all Center is, all stay, all minde,

  The bodie onely, made her instrument:

  And to her ends, in all acts must consent,

  Without which order, all this life hath none,

  But breeds the other lifes confusion.

  Respect to things without vs, hinder this

  Inward consent of our soules faculties.

  Thi
ngs outward therefore, thinke no further yours

  Then they yeelde homage, to your inward powers,

  In their obedience to your reasons vse,

  Which for their order, deitie did infuse.

  For when the happiest outside man, on earth

  Weighs all his haps together, such a dearth

  He shall finde in their plenty, euery way,

  That if with solid iudgement he suruay

  Their goodliest presence, he will one thought call

  Of God, and a good conscience worth it all.

  Nor doth th’imagind good, of ill so please

  As that the best, and sweetest Images

  Faind to himselfe thereof: he can make end

  In any true ioy, but doe euer tend

  To ioy, and grieue at once: what most doth please

  Ends in sence bodilie, or mindes disease.

  Why then should ill, be chusd by policie,

  When no where, he can finde vacuitie

  Of cares, or labors? no where rests content

  With his meere selfe? at no time findes vnbent,

  No, nor, vndrawne, euen compassé, his rackt minde,

  His bloody arrowes to, in euery kinde

  Tugg’d to the head, and ceaselesse shot away,

  At flying obiects, that make flight their stay?

  Horde gould, heape honors vp, build towers to heauen,

  Get Capps, and knees, make your obseruance euen

  With and aboue Gods (as most great ones doe)

  Vnlesse you settle, your affections to,

  And to insatiate appetite impose

  A glutted end, your selfe, from feares, and woes

  Manfully freeing, as to men that pine

  And burne with feuers, you fill cups of wine,

  The cholérique, honie giue, and fulsome meate

  On sicke men force, that at the daintiest sweate.

  Who yet, their hurtfull tempers turnd to good,

  Milde spirits generate, and gentle blood,

  With restitution of their naturall heate;

  Euen cheese and water cresses they will eate

  With tast enough: so make but strong your minde,

  With her fit rule; and cates of humblest kinde

  You tast with height of pleasure, turning all

  Perticular to the pleasure generall.

  Learne to loue truely, good, and honest things,

  And you shall finde there, wealth, and honors springs

  Enabling you a priuate path to treade,

  As well as life, in prease of Empire leade.

  Those deedes become, one greatly Noble best,

  That doe most good, and pinch his greatnesse lest,

  That sore not high, nor yet their fethers pull;

  Neuer superfluous, euer yet at full,

  That to eternall ends, in chiefe aspire,

  And nothing fit, without themselues require.