The Complete Poetical Works of George Chapman

by George Chapman

  (Proud of their burthens) feele not how they gall.

  But as an Asse, that in a field of weeds

  Affects a thistle, and falles fiercely to it;

  That pricks, and gals him; yet he feeds, and bleeds;

  Forbeares a while, and licks; but cannot woo it

  To leaue the sharpnes; when (to wreake his smart)

  He beates it with his foote; then backward kickes,

  Because the Thistle gald his forward part;

  Nor leaues till all be eate, for all the prickes;

  Then falles to others with as hote a strife;

  And in that honourable warre doth waste

  The tall heate of his stomacke, and his life:

  So, in this world of weeds, you worldlings taste

  Your most-lou’d dainties; with such warre, buy peace;

  Hunger for torments; vertue kicke for vice;

  Cares, for your states, do with your states increase:

  And though ye dreame ye feast in Paradise,

  Yet Reasons Day-light, shewes ye at your meate

  Asses at Thistles, bleeding as ye eate.

  TO THE RIGHT GRACIOVS AND WORTHY, THE DUKE OF LENNOX.

  Amongst th’Heroes of the Worlds prime years,

  Stand here, great Duke, & see them shine about you:

  Informe your princely minde and spirit by theirs,

  And then, like them, liue euer; looke without you;

  For subiects fit to vse your place, and grace:

  Which throw about you, as the Sunne, his Raies;

  In quickning, with their power, the dying Race

  Of friendlesse Vertue; since they thus can raise

  Their honor’d Raisers, to Eternitie.

  None euer liu’d by Selfe-loue: Others good

  Is th’obiect of our owne. They (liuing) die,

  That burie in themselues their fortunes brood.

  To this soule, then, your gracious count’nance giue;

  That gaue, to such as you, such meanes to liue.

  TO THE MOST GRAVE AND HONORED TEMPERER OF LAW, AND EQUITIE, THE LORD CHANCELOR, &C.

  That Poesie is not so remou’d a thing

  From graue administry of publike weales,

  As these times take it; heare this Poet sing,

  Most iudging Lord: and see how he reueales

  The mysteries of Rule, and rules to guide

  The life of Man, through all his choicest waies.

  Nor be your timely paines the lesse applyed

  For Poesies idle name; because her Raies

  Haue shin’d through greatest Counsellors, and Kings.

  Heare Royall Hermes sing th’Egyptian Lawes;

  How Solon, Draco, Zoroastes sings

  Their Lawes in verse: and let their iust applause

  (By all the world giuen) yours (by vs) allow;

  That, since you grace all vertue, honour you.

  TO THE MOST WORTHIE EARLE, LORD TREASURER, AND TREASURE OF OUR COUNTREY, THE EARLE OF SALISBVRY, &C.

  Vouchsafe, Great Treasurer, to turne your eye,

  And see the opening of a Grecian Mine;

  Which, Wisedome long since made her Treasury;

  And now her title doth to you resigne.

  Wherein as th’Ocean walks not, with such waues,

  The Round of this Realme, as your Wisedomes seas;

  Nor, with his great eye, sees; his Marble, saues

  Our State, like your Vlyssian policies:

  So, none like HOMER hath the World enspher’d;

  Earth, Seas, & heauen, fixt in his verse, and mouing;

  Whom all times wisest Men, haue held vnper’de;

  And therfore would conclude with your approuing.

  Then grace his spirit, that all wise men hath grac’t,

  And made things euer flitting, euer last.

  An Anagram.

  Robert Cecyl, Earle of Salisburye.

  Curb foes; thy care, is all our erly Be.

  TO THE MOST HONOR’D RESTORER OF ANCIENT NOHILITIE, BOTH IN BLOOD AND VERTUE, THE EARLE OF SVFFOLKE, &C.

  Ioine, Noblest Earle, in giuing worthy grace,

  To this great gracer of Nobilitie:

  See here what sort of men, your honor’d place

  Doth properly command; if Poesie

  (Profest by them) were worthily exprest.

  The grauest, wisest, greatest, need not, then,

  Account that part of your command the least;

  Nor them such idle, needlesse, worthlesse Men.

  Who can be worthier Men in publique weales,

  Then those (at all parts) that prescrib’d the best?

  That stird vp noblest vertues, holiest zeales;

  And euermore haue liu’d as they profest?

  A world of worthiest Men, see one create,

  (Great Earle); whom no man since could imitate.

  TO THE MOST NOBLE AND LEARNED EARLE, THE EARLE OF NORTHAMTON, &C.

  To you, most learned Earle, whose learning can

  Reiect vnlearned Custome, and Embrace

  The reall vertues of a worthie Man,

  I prostrate this great Worthie, for your grace;

  And pray that Poesies well-deseru’d ill Name

  (Being such, as many moderne Poets make her)

  May nought eclipse her cleare essentiall flame:

  But as she shines here, so refuse or take her.

  Nor do I hope; but euen your high affaires

  May suffer intermixture with her view;

  Where Wisedome sits her for the highest chaires;

  And mindes, growne old, with cares of State, renew:

  You then (great Earle) that in his owne tongue know

  This king of Poets; see his English show.

  TO THE MOST NOBLE, MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, THE EARLE OF ARUNDELL.

  Stand by your noblest stocke; and euer grow

  In loue, and grace of vertue most admir’d;

  And we will pay the sacrifice we owe

  Of prayre and honour, with all good desir’d

  To your diuine soule; that shall euer liue

  In height of all blisse prepar’d here beneath,

  In that ingenuous and free grace you giue

  To knowledge; onely Bulwarke against Death.

  Whose rare sustainers here, her powres sustaine

  Hereafter. Such reciprocall effects

  Meet in her vertues. Where the loue doth raigne,

  The Act of knowledge crownes our intellects.

  Where th’Act, nor Loue is, there, like beasts men die:

  Not Life, but Time is their Eternitie.

  TO THE LEARNED AND MOST NOBLE PATRONE OF LEARNING THE EARLE OF PEMBROOKE, &C.

  Aboue all others may your Honor shine;

  As, past all others, your ingenuous beames

  Exhale into your grace the forme diuine

  Of godlike Learning; whose exiled streames

  Runne to your succour, charg’d with all the wracke

  Of sacred Vertue. Now the barbarous witch

  (Foule Ignorance) sits charming of them backe

  To their first Fountaine, in the great and rich;

  Though our great Soueraigne counter-checke her charmes

  (Who in all learning, reignes so past example)

  Yet (with her) Turkish Policie puts on armes,

  To raze all knowledge in mans Christian Temple.

  (You following yet our king) your guard redouble:

  Pure are those streames, that these times cannot trouble.

  TO THE RIGHT GRACIOVS ILLUSTRATOR OF VERTUE, AND WORTHY OF THE FAUOUR ROYALL, THE EARLE OF MONTGOMRIE.

  There runs a blood, faire Earle, through your cleare vains

  That well entitles you to all things Noble;

  Which still the liuing Sydnian soule maintaines,

  And your Names ancient Noblesse doth redouble:

  For which I must needs tender to your Graces

  This noblest worke of Man; as made your Right.

  And though I
gnoblesse, all such workes defaces

  As tend to Learning, and the soules delight:

  Yet since the sacred Penne doth testifie,

  That Wisedome (which is Learnings naturall birth)

  Is the cleare Mirror of Gods Maiestie,

  And Image of his goodnesse here in earth;

  If you the Daughter wish, respect the Mother:

  One cannot be obtain’d, without the other.

  TO THE MOST LEARNED AND NOBLE CONCLUDER OF THE WANES ARTE, AND THE MUSES, THE LORD LISLE, &C.

  Nor let my paines herein (long honor’d Lord)

  Faile of your ancient Nobly-good respects;

  Though obscure Fortune neuer would afford

  My seruice show, till these thus late effects.

  And though my poore deserts weigh’d neuer more

  Then might keepe downe their worthlesse memorie

  From your high thoughts (enricht with better store)

  Yet yours, in me, are fixt eternally;

  Which all my fit occasions well shall proue.

  Meane space (with your most Noble Nephewes) daine

  To shew your free and honorable loue

  To this Greeke Poet, in his English vaine.

  You cannot more the point of death controule;

  Then to stand close by such a liuing soule.

  TO THE GREAT AND VERTUOUS, THE COUNTESSE OF MONTGOMRIE.

  Your Fame (great Lady) is so lowd resounded,

  By your free Trumpet, my right worthy trend;

  That, with it, all my forces stand confounded,

  Arm’d, and disarm’d at once, to one iust end;

  To honor and describe the blest consent

  Twixt your high blood and soule, in vertues rare.

  Of which, my friends praise is so eminent,

  That I shall hardly like his Echo fare,

  To render onely th’ends of his shrill Verse.

  Besides; my Bounds are short; and I must, meerely,

  My will to honour your rare parts, rehearse;

  With more time, singing your renowme more clearely.

  Mean-time, take Homer for my wants supply:

  To whom adioyn’d, your Name shall neuer die.

  TO THE HAPPY STARRE, DISCOUERED IN OUR SYDNEIAN ASTERISME; COMFORT OF LEARNING, SPHERE OF ALL THE VERTUES, THE LADY WROTHE.

  When all our other Starres set (in their skies)

  To Vertue, and all honor of her kind;

  That you (rare Lady) should so clearely rise,

  Makes all the vertuous glorifie your mind.

  And let true Reason, and Religion trie,

  If it be Fancie, not iudiciall Right,

  In you t’oppose the times Apostasie,

  To take the soules part, and her sauing Light,

  While others blinde and burie both in Sense;

  When, tis the onely end, for which all liue.

  And, could those soules, in whom it dies, dispense

  As much with their Religion; they would giue

  That as small grace. Then shun their course, faire Starre;

  And still keepe your way, pure, and circular.

  TO THE RIGHT NOBLE PATRONESSE AND GRACE OF VERTUE, THE COUNTESSE OF BEDFORD.

  To you, faire Patronesse, and Muse to Learning;

  The Fount of learning and the Muses sends

  This Cordiall for your vertues; and forewarning

  To leaue no good, for th’ill the world commends.

  Custome seduceth but the vulgar sort:

  With whom, when Noblesse mixeth, she is vulgare;

  The truly-Noble, still repaire their Fort,

  With gracing good excitements, and gifts rare;

  In which the narrow path, to Happinesse,

  Is onely beaten. Vulgar pleasure sets

  Nets for her selfe, in swinge of her excesse;

  And beates her selfe there dead, ere free she gets.

  Since pleasure then with pleasure still doth waste;

  Still please with vertue Madame: That will last.

  TO THE RIGHT VALOROVS AND VIRTUOUS LORD, THE EARLE OF SOVTH-HAMTON &C.

  In Choice of all our Countries Noblest spirits

  (Borne slauisher barbarisme to conuince)

  I could not but inuoke your honor’d Merits,

  To follow the swift vertue of our Prince.

  The cries of Vertue, and her Fortresse, Learning,

  Brake earth, and to Elysium did descend,

  To call vp Homer: who therein discerning

  That his excitements, to their good, had end

  (As being a Grecian) puts-on English armes;

  And to the hardie Natures in these climes

  Strikes-vp his high and spiritfull alarmes,

  That they may cleare earth of those impious Crimes

  Whose conquest (though most faintly all apply)

  You know (learn’d Earle) all liue for, and should die.

  TO MY EXCEEDING GOOD LORD, THE EARLE OF SVSSEX: WITH DUTY ALWAIES REMEMBRED TO HIS HONOR’D COUNTESSE.

  You that haue made, in our great Princes Name

  (At his high birth) his holy Christian vowes;

  May witnesse now (to his eternall Fame)

  How he performes them thus far: & stil growes

  Aboue his birth in vertue; past his yeares,

  In strength of Bountie, and great Fortitude.

  Amongst this traine, then, of our choicest Peeres,

  That follow him in chace of vices rude,

  Summon’d by his great Herald Homers voice;

  March you; and euer let your Familie

  (In your vowes made for such a Prince) reioyce.

  Your seruice to his State shall neuer die.

  And, for my true obseruance, let this show,

  No meanes escapes when I may honour you.

  TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND HEROICALL, MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, THE LORD OF WALDEN, &C.

  Nor let the vulgar sway Opinion beares

  (Rare Lord) that Poesies fauor shewes men vaine,

  Ranke you amongst her sterne disfauourers;

  She all things worthy fauour doth maintaine.

  Vertue, in all things else, at best she betters;

  Honour she heightens, and giues Life in Death;

  She is the ornament, and soule of letters:

  The worlds deceipt before her vanisheth.

  Simple she is as Doues, like Serpents wise;

  Sharpe, graue, and sacred: nought but things diuine,

  And things diuining, fit her faculties;

  (Accepting her as she is genuine.)

  If she be vaine then, all things else are vile;

  If vertuous, still be Patrone of her stile.

  TO THE MOST TRVLY-NOBLE AND VERTUE-GRACING KNIGHT SIR THOMAS HOWARD.

  The true, and nothing-lesse-then sacred spirit

  That moues your feete so farre from the prophane;

  In skorne of Price, and grace of humblest merit,

  Shall fill your Names sphere; neuer seeing it wane.

  It is so rare, in blood so high as yours

  To entertaine the humble skill of Truth;

  And put a vertuous end to all your powres;

  That th’honor Age askes, we giue you in youth.

  Your Youth hath wonne the maistrie of your Mind;

  As Homer sings of his Antilochus,

  The parallell of you in euery kind,

  Valiant, and milde, and most ingenious.

  Go on in Vertue, after Death and grow,

  And shine like Ledas twins; my Lord and you.

  Euer most humbly and faithfully denoted to you,

  and all the rare Patrons of diuine HOMER.

  Geo. Chapman.

  TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND MOST TOWARD LORD IN ALL THE HEROICALL VERTUES, VICOUNT CRANBORNE, &C.

  Neuer may honor’d expedition

  In grace of Wisedome (first in this booke arm’d

  With loues bright shield) be Nobly set vpon

  By any other; but your spirit charm’d

&n
bsp; In birth with Wisedomes vertues; may set downe

  Foote with the formost. To which honor’d end

  (Deare Lord) I could not but your name renowne

  Amongst our other Worthies; and commend

  The grace of him that all things good hath grac’t

  To your faire countn’ance. You shall neuer see

  Valour, and vertue in such Tropicks plac’t,

  And mouing vp to immortalitie,

  As in this worke. What then, fits you so fairely,

  As to see rarest deeds, and so as rarely?

  TO THE MOST HONORD, AND JUDICIALL HONORER OF RETIRED VERTUE, VICOUNT ROCHESTER, &C.

  You that in so great eminence, liue retir’d

  (Rare Lord) approue your greatnesse cannot call

  Your iudgement from the inward state requir’d

  To blaze the outward; which doth neuer fall

  In men by chance raisd, but by merit still.

  He seekes not state, that curbs it being found:

  Who seekes it not, neuer comes by it ill;

  Nor ill can vse it. Spring then from this ground,

  And let thy fruits be fauours done to Good,

  As thy Good is adorn’d with royall fauours;

  So shall pale Enuie famish with her food;

  And thou spread further by thy vaine deprauours.

  True Greatnesse cares not to be seene but thus;

  And thus, aboue our selues, you honour vs.

  TO THE RIGHT GRAVE AND NOBLE PATRONE OF ALL THE VERTUES, SIR EDWARD PHILIPS, MAISTER OF THE ROLES, &C.

  The Lord not by the house must haue his grace;

  But by the Lord the house: Nor is a man

  Any thing betterd by his eminent place;

  But his place, by his Merits. Neither can

  Your last place here, make you lesse first in honor,

  Then if you stood first. Perfect Honor euer

  Vertue distinguishes; and takes vpon her

  Not place but worth; which place abaseth neuer.

  So much you know of this; so much you show,

  In constant gracing, for it selfe, each Good,

  That all Forme, but the matter which I owe

  To your deserts, I still leaue vnderstood.

  And if this first of workes, your grace you giue,

  It shall not be the last shall make you Hue.