Minor Poems of Michael Drayton Part 25

Mertilla. } _For our _t.i.ta_ is this day, Claia. } Married to a n.o.ble Fay._

Mertilla. _But comming backe when she is wed, Who breakes the Cake aboue her head._

Claia. _That shall _Mertilla_, for shee's tallest, And our _t.i.ta_ is the smallest._

Cloris. _Violins, strike vp aloud, Ply the Gitterne, scowre the Crowd, Let the nimble hand belabour The whistling Pipe, and drumbling Taber: 190 To the full the Bagpipe racke, Till the swelling leather cracke._

Mertilla. } _For our _t.i.ta_ is this day, Claia. } Married to a n.o.ble Fay._

Claia. _But when to dyne she takes her seate What shall be our _t.i.ta's_ meate?_

Mertilla. _The G.o.ds this Feast, as to begin, Haue sent of their Ambrosia in._

Cloris. _Then serue we vp the strawes rich berry, The Respas, and Elizian Cherry: 200 The virgin honey from the flowers In Hibla, wrought in _Flora's_ bowers: Full Bowles of Nectar, and no Girle Carouse but in dissolued Pearle._

Mertilla. } _For our _t.i.ta_ is this day, Claia. } Married to a n.o.ble Fay._

Claia. _But when night comes, and she must goe To Bed, deare Nimphes what must we doe?_

Mertilla. _In the Posset must be brought, And Poynts be from the Bridegroome caught._ 210

Cloris. _In Maskes, in Dances, and delight, And reare Banquets spend the night: Then about the Roome we ramble, Scatter Nuts, and for them scramble: Ouer Stooles, and Tables tumble, Neuer thinke of noyse nor rumble._

Mertilla. } _For our _t.i.ta_ is this day, Claia. } Married to a n.o.ble Fay._

The ninth Nimphall

MVSES and NIMPHS.

_The Muses spend their lofty layes, Vpon _Apollo_ and his prayse; The Nimphs with Gems his Alter build, This Nimphall is with _Phbus_ fild._

A Temple of exceeding state, The Nimphes and Muses rearing, Which they to _Phbus_ dedicate, Elizium euer cheering: These Muses, and those Nimphes contend This Phane to _Phbus_ offring, Which side the other should transcend, These praise, those prizes proffering, And at this long appointed day, Each one their largesse bringing, 10 Those nine faire Sisters led the way Thus to _Apollo_ singing.

The Muses. _Thou youthfull G.o.d that guid'st the howres, The Muses thus implore thee, By all those Names, due to thy powers, By which we still adore thee._ Sol_, _Tytan_, _Delius_, _Cynthius_, styles Much reuerence that have wonne thee, Deriu'd from Mountaines as from Iles Where wors.h.i.+p first was done thee. 20 Rich _Delos_ brought thee forth diuine, Thy Mother thither driven, At _Delphos_ thy most sacred shrine, Thy Oracles were giuen.

In thy swift course from East to West, They minutes misse to finde thee, That bear'st the morning on thy breast, And leau'st the night behinde thee.

Vp to Olimpus top so steepe, Thy startling Coursers currying; 30 Thence downe to Neptunes vasty deepe, Thy flaming Charriot hurrying._ Eos_, _Ethon_, _Phlegon_, _Pirois_, proud, The horses Their lightning Maynes aduancing: drawing the Breathing forth fire on euery cloud Chariot of Vpon their Iourney prancing.

the Sunne. Whose sparkling hoofes, with gold for speed Are shod, to scape all dangers, Where they upon Ambrosia feed, In their celestiall Mangers. 40 The Bright _Colatina_, that of hils mountaines Is G.o.ddesse, and hath keeping first Her Nimphes, the cleere _Oreades_ wils saluting the T'attend thee from thy sleeping.

Sunne at his Great _*Demogorgon_ feeles thy might, rising. His Mynes about him heating: * Supposed Who through his bosome dart'st thy light, the G.o.d of Within the Center sweating.

earth. If thou but touch thy golden Lyre, Thou _Minos_ mou'st to heare thee: 50 One of the The Rockes feele in themselues a fire, Iudges of And rise vp to come neere thee.

h.e.l.l. 'Tis thou that Physicke didst deuise Hearbs by their natures calling: Of which some opening at thy Rise, And closing at thy falling.

Fayre _Hyacinth_ thy most lou'd Lad, That with the sledge thou sluest; Hath in a flower the life he had, Whose root thou still renewest, 60 Thy _Daphne_ thy beloued Tree, That scornes thy Fathers Thunder, And thy deare _c.l.i.tia_ yet we see, A Nimph lou'd Not time from thee can sunder; of _Apollo_, From thy bright Bow that Arrow flew and by him (s.n.a.t.c.ht from thy golden Quiver) changed into Which that fell Serpent _Python_ slew, a flower. Renowning thee for euer.

The _Actian_ and the _Pythian_ Games Playes or Deuised were to praise thee, 70 Games in With all th' _Apolinary_ names honor of That th' Ancients thought could raise thee.

_Apollo_. A Shryne vpon this Mountaine hie, To thee we'll haue erected, Which thou the G.o.d of Poesie Must care to haue protected: With thy loud _Cinthus_ that shall share, With all his shady Bowers, Nor _Licia's Cragus_ shall compare With this, for thee, of ours._ 80

Thus hauing sung, the Nimphish Crue Thrust in amongst them thronging, Desiring they might haue the due That was to them belonging.

Quoth they, ye Muses as diuine, Are in his glories graced, But it is we must build the Shryne Wherein they must be placed; Which of those precious Gemmes we'll make That Nature can affoord vs, 90 Which from that plenty we will take, Wherewith we here have stor'd vs: O glorious _Phbus_ most diuine, Thine Altars then we hallow.

And with those stones we build a Shryne To thee our wise _Apollo_.

The Nimphes. _No Gem, from Rocke, Seas, running streames, (Their numbers let vs muster) But hath from thy most powerfull beames The Vertue and the l.u.s.tre; 100 The Diamond, the King of Gemmes, The first is to be placed, That glory is of Diadems, Them gracing, by them graced: In whom thy power the most is seene, The raging fire refelling: The Emerauld then, most deepely greene, For beauty most excelling, Resisting poyson often prou'd By those about that beare it. 110 The cheerfull Ruby then, much lou'd, That doth reuiue the spirit, Whose kinde to large extensure growne The colour so enflamed, Is that admired mighty stone The Carbunckle that's named, Which from it such a flaming light And radiency eiecteth, That in the very dark'st of night The eye to it directeth. 120 The yellow Iacynth, strengthening Sense, Of which who hath the keeping, No Thunder hurts nor Pestilence, And much prouoketh sleeping: The Chrisolite, that doth resist Thirst, proued, neuer failing, The purple colored Amatist, 'Gainst strength of wine prevailing; The verdant gay greene Smaragdus, Most soueraine ouer pa.s.sion: 130 The Sardonix approu'd by vs To master Incantation.

Then that celestiall colored stone The Saphyre, heauenly wholly, Which worne, there wearinesse is none, And cureth melancholly: The Lazulus, whose pleasant blew With golden vaines is graced; The Iaspis, of so various hew, Amongst our other placed; 140 The Onix from the Ancients brought, Of wondrous Estimation, Shall in amongst the rest be wrought Our sacred Shryne to fas.h.i.+on; The Topas, we'll stick here and there, And sea-greene colored Berill, And Turkesse, which who haps to beare Is often kept from perill, To Selenite, of _Cynthia's_ light, So nam'd, with her still ranging, 150 Which as she wanes or waxeth bright Its colours so are changing.

With Opalls, more then any one, We'll deck thine Altar fuller, For that of euery precious stone, It doth retaine some colour; With bunches of Pearle Paragon Thine Altars vnderpropping, Whose base is the Cornelian, Strong bleeding often stopping: 160 With th' Agot, very oft that is Cut strangely in the Quarry, As Nature ment to show in this, How she her selfe can varry: With worlds of Gems from Mines and Seas Elizium well might store vs: But we content our selues with these That readiest lye before vs: And thus O _Phbus_ most diuine Thine Altars still we hallow, 170 And to thy G.o.dhead reare this Shryne Our onely wise _Apollo_._

The tenth Nimphall

NAIIS, CLAIA, CORBILVS, SATYRE.

_A Satyre on Elizium lights, Whose vgly shape the Nimphes affrights, Yet when they heare his iust complaint, They make him an Elizian Saint._

_Corbilus._

What; breathles Nimphs? bright Virgins let me know What suddaine cause constraines ye to this haste?

What haue ye seene that should affright ye so?

What might it be from which ye flye so fast?

I see your faces full of pallid feare, As though some perill followed on your flight; Take breath a while, and quickly let me heare Into what danger ye haue lately light.

_Naijs._ Neuer were poore distressed Gerles so glad, As when kinde, loued _Corbilus_ we saw, 10 When our much haste vs so much weakned had, That scarcely we our wearied breathes could draw, In this next Groue vnder an aged Tree, So fell a monster lying there we found, As till this day, our eyes did neuer see, Nor euer came on the Elizian ground.

Halfe man, halfe Goate, he seem'd to vs in show, His vpper parts our humane shape doth beare, But he's a very perfect Goat below, His crooked Cambrils arm'd with hoofe and hayre. 20

_Claia._ Through his leane Chops a chattering he doth make Which stirres his staring beastly driueld Beard, And his sharpe hornes he seem'd at vs to shake, Canst thou then blame vs though we are afeard.

_Corbilus._ Surely it seemes some Satyre this should be, Come and goe back and guide me to the place, Be not affraid, ye are safe enough with me, Silly and harmlesse be their Siluan Race.

_Claia._ How _Corbilus_; a Satyre doe you say?

How should he ouer high _Parna.s.sus_ hit? 30 Since to these fields there's none can finde the way, But onely those the Muses will permit.

_Corbilus._ 'Tis true; but oft, the sacred Sisters grace The silly Satyre, by whose plainnesse, they Are taught the worlds enormities to trace, By beastly mens abhominable way; Besyde he may be banisht his owne home By this base time, or be so much distrest, That he the craggy by-clift Hill hath clome To finde out these more pleasant Fields of rest. 40

_Naijs._ Yonder he sits, and seemes himselfe to bow At our approach, what doth our presence awe him?

Me thinks he seemes not halfe so vgly now, As at the first, when I and _Claia_ saw him.

_Corbilus._ 'Tis an old Satyre, Nimph, I now discerne, Sadly he sits, as he were sick or lame, His lookes would say, that we may easly learne How, and from whence, he to _Elizium_ came.

Satyre, these Fields, how cam'st thou first to finde?

What Fate first show'd thee this most happy store? 50 When neuer any of thy Siluan kinde Set foot on the Elizian earth before?

_Satyre._ O neuer aske, how I came to this place, What cannot strong necessity finde out?

Rather bemoane my miserable case, Constrain'd to wander this wide world about: With wild _Silva.n.u.s_ and his woody crue, In Forrests I, at liberty and free, Liu'd in such pleasure as the world ne'r knew, Nor any rightly can conceiue but we. 60 This iocond life we many a day enioy'd, Till this last age, those beastly men forth brought, That all those great and goodly Woods destroy'd.

Whose growth their Grandsyres, with such sufferance sought, That faire _Felicia_ which was but of late, Earth's Paradice, that neuer had her Peere, Stands now in that most lamentable state, That not a Siluan will inhabit there; Where in the soft and most delicious shade, In heat of Summer we were wont to play, 70 When the long day too short for vs we made, The slyding houres so slyly stole away; By _Cynthia's_ light, and on the pleasant Lawne, The wanton Fayry we were wont to chase, Which to the nimble clouen-footed Fawne, Vpon the plaine durst boldly bid the base.

The sportiue Nimphes, with shouts and laughter shooke The Hils and Valleyes in their wanton play, Waking the Ecchoes, their last words that tooke, Till at the last, they lowder were then they. 80 The lofty hie Wood, and the lower spring, Sheltring the Deare, in many a suddaine shower; Where Quires of Birds, oft wonted were to sing, The flaming Furnace wholly doth deuoure; Once faire _Felicia_, but now quite defac'd, Those Braueries gone wherein she did abound, With dainty Groues, when she was highly grac'd With goodly Oake, Ashe, Elme, and Beeches croun'd: But that from heauen their iudgement blinded is, In humane Reason it could neuer be, 90 But that they might haue cleerly seene by this, Those plagues their next posterity shall see.

The little Infant on the mothers Lap For want of fire shall be so sore distrest, That whilst it drawes the lanke and empty Pap, The tender lips shall freese vnto the breast; The quaking Cattle which their Warmstall want, And with bleake winters Northerne winde opprest, Their Browse and Stouer waxing thin and scant, The hungry Groues shall with their Caryon feast. 100 Men wanting Timber wherewith they should build, And not a Forrest in _Felicia_ found, Shall be enforc'd vpon the open Field, To dig them caues for houses in the ground: The Land thus rob'd, of all her rich Attyre, Naked and bare her selfe to heauen doth show, Begging from thence that _Iove_ would dart his fire Vpon those wretches that disrob'd her so; This beastly Brood by no meanes may abide The name of their braue Ancestors to heare, 110 By whom their sordid slauery is descry'd, So vnlike them as though not theirs they were, Nor yet they sense, nor vnderstanding haue, Of those braue Muses that their Country song, But with false Lips ign.o.bly doe depraue The right and honour that to them belong; This cruell kinde thus Viper-like deuoure That fruitfull soyle which them too fully fed; The earth doth curse the Age, and euery houre Againe, that it these viprous monsters bred. 120 I seeing the plagues that shortly are to come Vpon this people cleerely them forsooke: And thus am light into Elizium, To whose straite search I wholly me betooke.

_Naijs._ Poore silly creature, come along with vs, Thou shalt be free of the Elizian fields: Be not dismaid, nor inly grieued thus, This place content in all abundance yeelds.

We to the cheerefull presence will thee bring, Of _Ioues_ deare Daughters, where in shades they sit, 130 Where thou shalt heare those sacred Sisters sing, Most heauenly Hymnes, the strength and life of wit:

_Claia._ Where to the Delphian G.o.d vpon their Lyres His Priests seeme rauisht in his height of praise: Whilst he is crowning his harmonious Quiers With circling Garlands of immortall Bayes.

_Corbilus._ Here liue in blisse, till thou shalt see those slaues, Who thus set vertue and desert at nought: Some sacrific'd vpon their Grandsires graues, And some like beasts in markets sold and bought. 140 Of fooles and madmen leaue thou then the care, That haue no vnderstanding of their state: For whom high heauen doth so iust plagues prepare, That they to pitty shall conuert thy hate.

And to Elizium be thou welcome then, Vntill those base Felicians thou shalt heare, By that vile nation captiued againe, That many a glorious age their captiues were.