The philosophers satyrs, written by M. Robert Anton, of Magdelen Colledge in Cambridge

THE PHILOSOPHERS SATYRS , WRITTEN BY M. ROBERT ANTON , of Magdalen Colledge in Cambridge .

Gaude , quod spectant oculi te mille loquentem : Quicquid sub terra est , in apricum proferet aetas .

LONDON , Printed by T. C. and B. A. for Roger Iackson , and are to be sold at his shop in Fleetstreet , ouer against the great Conduit . 1616.

TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE , WILLIAM , LORD HERBERT EARLE OF Pembrooke , Baron of Cardiffe , Marmion , and Saint Quintin , one of his Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell , and Knight of the most noble order of the Garter . Robert Anton wisheth a happy life militant and triumphant .

I Remember ( Right Honourable , the whining complaint of the Poet concerning vertue : Credo pudicitiam Saturno : rege moratam delapsum in coelis : 'T is the iron age , and vertue must haue Estredge like concoction , or else die in an Hospitall for want of a Patron . T is well she is stellified in heauen : for earth is her locall place of torment : I haue been a sad spectator of her iniuries , and deplore her miserable exile ; yet her ecclipse by the interposition of vice is not a totall defect of her heauenly light , but partiall and limited , yet how prodigious it is , the tragicall changes of this age can truly prophesie . Some Surgeon might haue begd a dead body from the fanges of execution , whose Anotomy might haue taught the age the constitution of vice , impostumated with murder and hot raind affections . My prayer is more charitable , then Cynicall to wish any plants of such an vnfortunate tree , I haue seene vice adored with her superstitious Imagerie , and I wish all true Protestants to vertue rather to die Martyrs , then reuolt from her profession , in whose faith your honour is held a most religious professor , the sects of vice are more then in Amsterdam , to whose errors I oppose my booke , as an eager disputant . The motions of this planitarie satire are regular and presented in a maske of a seuenfold vniformity . Appeare Philosopher in thy vndaunted humor of grauity , & spit defiance in the face of scurrile satirrisme : lend heauenly whipcord , and borrow correction from the Sunne : fetch blood from the whole body of Nature , and the sixe planets lay on load on the stigmatick shoulders of vice . This book was conceiued in dog-daies , and must bite , the signe is in Scorpio , and the planets in their most criticall mansion . Be as the world thinkes you , vertuous , and reade this booke with a more then laurell resolution . The thunder hath no power ouer a consecrated and vertuous mind , it smites onely strong timbred villanies . Kings haue accepted rootes from a Philosopher : the gift is small : yet it calls you Lord , and me master . A satire is musicke worthie of Pithagor as his opinion , especially , when the planets dance a heauenly lauolto , they are nimble spirited and actiue , and onely hope for the passiue part of your noble patronage .

Your Honours obliged Robert Anton.

TO THE COVRTEOVS AND Iudicious Reader .

WHo ere thou art , that art intellectuall , be thou my Organist , and let thy soule , which with Philosophers is but a harmonie , keepe time with this Musicall maske of the Spheares . I haue laboured here to present Art and Nature without their vgly periwiggs of obsceane and shallow Poetry , and haue distinguisht the confusion of time from a graue and methodical dialect . How poore and naked doth that labour appeare , that hath no other clothes , but the sustian of Apes , and base imitation : how like a Bedlam looks a Poet by nature , that neuer writes but in full Moones of surfets , and Bacchanalian quotations of young Gentlemens ruins and dice consuming Lordships : how poore a Graduate is learning , when it keeps acts in tenebris , & murders the Presse with fellonious Pamphlets stolne from the imperfections of their deerest friends , nay , purloined from their own scabbed dispositions , and vlcerous inclinations : I must confesse my selfe to bee a sorrowfull patient in my owne defects , yet a phisicall proficient in their remedies . I take no pleasure in the incision of other men . Onely I reade an Anotomie lector of their vices . Comment vpon me with iudgement , not censure , and thou shalt find thy soule brimfull of emulation , but void of enuie : for others that are not borne with a generous infusion , I hold with Galen , that the temperament of their soules , followes the temperament of their grosse and sottish bodies ; and therefore basely vncapable .

Thine as thy iudgement is . R. A.

IN SATYRAS DIGNISSIMAS et vere Phylosophicas amici sui verissimi Roberti Anton. INcipe , sis primus sophiae , qui mystica iura In Satyras vertens crimina vera canit , Phylosophus verus sis : nominis ellumon inde Sit : tibi s●m philos , tu mihi ( chare ) sophos .

To his 〈◊〉 friend . R. A. DEesert and praise are Twins . The first being quicke , The second still is so ; or if it die , Then is the first too sound , or else too sicke , And so may dye in grace , or Enuies eye . But this with wonder in my stomacke stickes , That Satyrs wrapt but in base Balladrie Are praisd beyond the moone ( of lunatickes ) As being sun-begot ; so cannot die . Needs must I hugge the Muse , and praise the pen Of him , that makes his Satires dance a brall Vnto the musicke of the spheares , euen then When as the planets footed it withall : Thou sharply singst , but he the burden beares , That would haue songe more sharpe but for his eares . I. D ▪

TO THE AVTHOR . WEll may we praise those books , that bring vs store . Of profit with their pleasure : here to fore Th' art of Astronomie was such tough meate , It almost broke our teeth , ere we could eate . ●●t thou with quaint and curious dressing hast Made it melt now like hon●● ●n the 〈◊〉 . And sith heauen 's so farre 〈◊〉 one easily may Goe thither ( for 't is vphill all the way ) Thou , to saue vs the paine , of trauelling , thus ( Iudicious writer ) bringst the heauens to vs ; Makst the starres serue as letters , by which we May reade the secrets of Astronomie . Yet winn'st thou not ( graue tutor ) more respect When thou didst teach , then when thou dost correct . The golden age is past , iron the worst Is onely left , and that 's halfe eate with rust : Rough files and corsiue waters , onely may ( For oyle does no good ) fetch this rust away , Well therefore hast thou chose , with Satyricke rimes , To whip and fetch blood from these Bedlam times , So wise Physitians , when they see bad blood , Open a veine , that they may make it good , P. B. Medii Temp.

THE PHILOSOPHERS SEVEN Satyrs , aluding to the seuen Planets . And first of his Section of heauen . THere was a time before all time begun , When the proud Iennets of the radiant Sunne Were scarce deliuered from the wombe of night , And backt by circular motion , when all light , Soiourn'd with darknesse , and this glorious ball Had neither forme nor soule Angelicall , To moue those orbes aboue as some propound P●thagoras , his opinion . With rauishing musicke , or such heauenly sound , As that great distance of those rowling spheares , Barres from the organs of all humane eares , When neither Sea , nor bind coopt in a ring , Keept their conseruatiue place , nor any thing Had an essentiall forme , or element , Circle or Center had true complement Of Art or nature : but when heauen and earth Had from confusions bowels knawne the birth Of this faire Child nam'd Cosmos , the Mouers eie Distinguisht this faire obiect of the skie From his disordred masse with all this globe , And suted it in farre more formall robe Of quantitie and figure . Then began All lights to light the Makers darling ( MAN : ) The end of Man . For which indeer'd creation and respect This Microcosme of man was made errect With vpright speculation , lineally To view this rich imbrodred Cannopie Of those Coelestiall bodies ; and begin 〈◊〉 crie , Heauen is my Countrie , Earth my Inne : Anaxagoras . Principle . But leauing him to Heauen , of Earth we sing , As being of the world , the perfects thing In the Creations wonder , and the end Of our aspiring hopes , which we ascend , 〈◊〉 to our locall blisse , and naturall place , To end euen there , where neuer ended grace .

Of Heauen . THis glorious globe of heauens resplendent ball , Trapt richly with his lights pontificall . Fountaine of motion , by which euery starre Motus raptus , Or contrary motion . Is whirld from East to West orbicular In foure and twentie houres , as Shepheards say , Trotting the circuite of the naturall day , Is of no frame nor forme geometricall , But round of body , and as Sphericall , As the Egyptian Sages did compare The winding Snake vnto the circled yeere : For of all figures this doth best appeare , Plinie lib. 1. Euery way shewing a iust hemis pheare , Bending vpon it selfe : most capable To comprehend this frame so strong and able To boulster vp this loade , and ponderous frame , As it hath neither ioynts , but still the same : Keeping his actiue body aply sound As it is iointlesse , pointlesse , endlesse , round : Now whether this pure quintessence of nature Be euerliuing , or a dying creature : Or whether that diuine intelligence , That giues to heau'n his turning excellence Giue essence , or assistance , as without , The soule that moues it , it were still from doubt Of what we call it now , as ships that scowre The Oceans curled billowes , by the powre And cunning of the Pilote : eu'n to that clime Where that great idoll gold , Saint of the time , To whom the Indian Pilgrimes sacrifice Such three yeares Hecatombs of widowes cries , Speaking in golden Oracles of drosse , The Brusses murmure and the Mariners losse , And yet at last returne with crazed slides , With grasse-greene ribs furd with tempestuous tides With two or three aliue , the Pilotes hand Guiding the sickely vessell to the land , By which we see his forme and name he saues , Although the Pilotes motion plowes the waues With card and compasse : so in naturall sense vt nauta naui it a intelligentia coeli . Zab. lib. de motu coeli . Scalig. excer . 68. Sect. 1. Heau'n takes no forme from his intelligence , Which onely , like a Pilote sweetly steeres The harmony of nature in the spheares : With powre assistent , and their motions carrie With certaine lawes , and statutes voluntarie , That as when euery element doth striue To moue vnto his place conseruatiue : As being so imperfect and so base , That they must pine and die without a place And locall conseruation , yet is heau'n a creature Of such a perfect quintessense of nature , Heauenneeds no place of conseruation . Sol & homo generat hominem . That it esteemes not place for conseruation , But to another end of generation , Moues with his powerfull influence : whence began Our Schooles to ring the sun and man get man : But leauing these to treade the thornie maze Of Schoole-cram'd Sophistrie : againe we raise Our haughtie Muse to flie with sollid wings , And search with starres and subcelestiall things : For since we see , that by the loadstones might The yron age is drawne ; where with delight , The readers eye doth fansie , and mens wits Like Bagpipes sound , no sound but pleasant fits : We are resolu'd to plucke such fruits from schooles , And once to please Physitians , knaues and fooles : For to all these I know our booke shall come : Packe Doctor to thy vrine , and be dumbe The sottish Empericke , onely fooles haue land , And so haue countrey-knights : these , these command The Muses sonnes with an idolatrous knee To pray to Angels , or a noble fee Of some poore Pamphlet . Hence bastards to your sire : Whilest we reuiue our quicke Promothean fire : The number of these turning spheares of heauen , Ptolomies opinion . Some say but nine , others affirme eleuen : Which all Diuines more full of holy fire Nam'd sacred Hirarchies : where the blest quier Of heauenly Angels and true Martirs rides That with triumphant wreaths shall iudge the tribes . The order of the Orbes caelestiall Are numbred thus : the first imperiall So called of the Greekes , as being a place Empuros . Arist. Aquinas his opinion . Most full of holy light and Angels grace , Whose blessed soules from passion doe suruiue Their substance onely being definitiue : Not circumscriptiue as our bodies be , With the aires cincture or concauitie , Their bodies free from any locall span , Of grose dimensions , or precinctes of man ; And therefore in one bodie spirits dwell All in one place , more then large Art can tell : For round about the iust mans life and merits , Million of Angels , and bright flaming spirits , Shall at one time , and in one place vnite , Their most regardant powers infinite , And vnextended in our bodies moue , With subtill motion from their place aboue , Either to saue with a protectors will , Heauens glorious darling , or by their power distill , With whippes of vengeance by their power diuine , In Legions name possessing men and swine . Math. Ch. 5. This Heauen the seate of those most happie soules , Whose summum bonum all true blisse enrowles , Was that third heauen , whose glorious excellence Most sweetly rauisht Pauls admiring sence . That steept in Loethe of so blest a trice , In this heauen Paul was rapt . He prayes to be disolued to Paradice : And gorg'd with holy raptures full of grace , He sings th' Abysse blisse riches of that place . The second , is the primum mobile , So called by Sages in Philosophie , Because , as from so cleare and christall spring Proceeds the birth , death , motion of each thing , Being the first , that in his iust Carrere , Deriues all motion to each second Spheare , And yet himselfe in golden meane doth ride Equall in motion , like the sacred guide Of some prime reuerent Prelat , whose great Sea Is mou'd with hauenly Regularite , Diuine in motion , and Diuine in place : Free of his learned influence , rich in grace : Oh pardon me dull age , if I proclaime His venerable life , more then his name Suparlatiuely gratious , barke Heriticks to see . Such Metropolitan vniformitie , Whilest your great fisherman in Tibers flood Shall moue in purple streames of royall blood , And with disorderd orders turne the keyes To locke young fooles in Limbo : and with ease Martyr a fond Apostate , who reconcild By a graue goate-like father liues exild , In some Sulphureous troope of Iesuites : Whose powder-treason-Collidges inuites A Tiborne resolution : whether sent or come Dies Traitors here , and halter Saints at Rome : But with a certaine order , moues our heau'n , Not swift nor slow , but paraleld and euen : From whence we truly know , and can define Her motion heauenly , and write it in the line Of Orthodoxall faith : which moouing stands On Peters rocke , and not on Peters Sands . The third in order of these things Diuine , Is that bright heauen transparent , Christaline , Hauing no twinkling starre , or glistering pride , But like some waterie body clarified , From whence some say , that when the world was made , And that great Elohim the globes bases laid , Dispersing darkenesse , and the tenebrous night To formes of beautie , and celestiall light , Genes. 1. That then his mightie Spirit heauen did moue To seperate those waters from aboue From these below : and to this element , To place his likenesse in the firmament : For since we see , that seaes with earth compare , And heauen with earth in things that likely are . The earth brings foorth the dog , the foamie maine , And Heauen it selfe equiuocates the same , When with his singing and canicular beames He bakes the earth , and dries the Christall streames : And therfore with Harmonious consent , Heauen hath proportion to this Element . And thus we reade in natures Characters Like liues with like to shun intestine warres . Parescumparibus . The fourth heau'n is that glorious spangled globe Embost with starres , and like a gorgeous robe , Purl'd ore with natures Ape , and Zany-art Trailes downe his starrie traine , and doth impart Day to black night , and with his groue of starres , ( Like candles ) shine to wind wrackt Marriners , Some fixt , some wandring in their tinsell'd Orbe : Whose number fixt , Philosophers record , To be one thousand two and twentie cleare , Well knowne vnto the Sea-cuft Ma●riner . By these the iocund Boateson at first sight , Soust with the Ruffin seaes , and scratch with might , Whistle a maine , and from the hatches skip , The nimble squires of the dancing ship , And fearelesse kick the billowes with disdaine , Tearing the curled bowels of the maine . These giue propension to each mans deffects , And by their fatall influence and aspects Besides that vniuersall prouidence , On whose great nod depends each consequence Of second causes : from their crittick powers At Caesars birth acts Caesars tragick howers . But if their kind coniunctions smiling meete Our first natiuitie , and with a sweet And Iouiall dalliance in a golden shower . Kindly imbrace our first conceptions hower , Then shall Augustus , though but meane by birth , Sway seuen hill'd Rome , and taxe the verge of earth . Foot-boyes shall pearch with Kings , & Tanners ride On great Seianus courser side by side With some most Lordly Consull : Rearemice flie By daylight with the Eagles maiestie , And will not reason mount Agathocles ( The Potters sonne ) to the Piramides Of honour and high state : what vertue marres , And hates in fooles shall prosper by their starres : Yet feare not thou , whose crabbed fate suspends Thy fortune progresse , and whose learned ends Aimes at eternitie , though whipt with need And dogged censure ; and whose wounds doe bleed With times incision sterne authoritie Dissecting Arts like an Anotomie , Reading their physick lectures to the eares Of our contempts to greatnesse , great in feares And pale suspects , who iealious of deserts , Doe Sepulcher aliue both Armes and Artes For thou in spight of their maleuolent rage , Times simony , and furie of the Age , Ecclipses , and all Planetarie hate , Like a Byssextile-yeere shalt leape thy fate : Wise men like sluces in the plague of warres , Were made to rule , those onely rule the starres , Sapiens dominabitur Astris . Nor can base Gypses tell them of their fate : Impostors , with their figures calculate Of blacke futuritie : Astrologie diuine The ascendent fortune of their heauenly signe : For wise men are not borne as Midwiues be , To waite on luckie howres , or for the fee , Of Bisket influence , their vertue barres The superstition of such gossipping starres . But more then man , his reason rules the skies , His manhood shares a godhead , that is wise : In this faire starrie Mirrour of the skie , Damaskt with beautie and varietie Of thousand constellations , whose cleare flames , Are knowne in maps by their celestiall names : For there the faire Oryon and the Beare , Maior and Minor grace this hemispheare , Swift Pegasus and Perseus ( radiant light ) Burnish the tan'd face of the blackemores night : Bright Cassiopeia and Ioues Eagles shines , Besides the constellations of the signes , Which euery foole in Physicke can make good , Their vse in purges , pills , and letting blood . And euery Almanacke druggest poorely read , Can tell what witlesse signe raignes in his head . But leauing these beyond their yearely date To smoke an Indian sulphure , we create Againe our hallowed Altars , and in fires Of morrall vowes our sacred Muse aspires . Tell me thou graue and mightie Stagerite Orac●lous Schocleman , whose deluding light The lothsome Epicure and horrid sect Of damned Atheisme follow with direct And eager sent : what genius could deuise , A●st . lib. 1. de coelo . The world is eternall . To spread so large , such monstrous heresies , That euen besides graue Orpheus , and the rest , Proclus and Plinie , and the learned brest Of sharpe Auerroes , Christian Atheists crie , The world 's eternall , and shall neuer die , When by the state of starres we may discrie , The world 's firme ruin and mortalitie . And Platoes creature hauing life and breath As they decline , shall languish vnto death . And as a crazed bodie full of howers , Renders his siluer head , and vitall powers , ( His radicall moisture spent , and euery part , Gasping for motion , from the panting hart ) To natures disolution : so shall passe Both heauen and earth vnto their pristine Mars , Although some say , that this great Continent , And all this glorious guilt-hatcht firmament Shall change his forme , and accidentall frame , Although the part substantiall be the same , Alleaging for their weake Philosophie , This sacred place of sweet diuinitie . Yet by the fall of starres our reasons prooue A totall wrack of earth and heauen aboue . For first we see the Sunne , whose bright Carrier Trots through the ring of time , and dates the yeer In his diurnall progresse : now declines , More neere the earth , then in the former times , When learned Ptolome obserued the starres , Their houses , signes , and different characters . Cheering old Ops , now doting with long daies , With cordiall flames , and charitable rayes , That else in this consumption would exspire , Wanting so bright a Nurse , whose cheering fire Restores her health with his preseruatiue cure , Adding new life to her old temperature : Besides infection of each element , Corruption of the purest temperament : Physitions now turne Satyrs , and complain , That nature is a stepdame in the frame Of this last Age : when croking Rauens sing , Theophrastus Their liues large Charter merrier then a king . The stately Stag a hundred yeares shall graze , But man to wormes meate turnes in fewer dayes : Pigmies for Gyants , that with Babell power Were wont to scale the high Olympiade Tower , And wrastle with the Gods : now dwarfes are borne , Ne're made to fight , but made to natures scorne : The Arcadian Kings two hundred yeares did liue , But now the thriftie heauens doe scarcely giue Plinie . Halfe of that pension to the noblest man , His graue but sixe foot long , his life a span : Which shewes the world corrupted from his best , Declines his setling progresse to the west ; For since all things from their sincere creation Couet absurdities in generation : And euery thing steales to his priuatiue end . Starres fall from their degrees , Planets descend To comfort the poore Centers feebled vaines Drooping vnto his Chaos , with long paines And aged barrennesse : man that noble creature , Scanted of time , and stinted by weake nature , That in foretimes saw Iubiles of yeares , As by Endimions historie appeares : Nay , which is more , euen silly women then , Liu'd longer time , then our graue graye beard men : Aged Terentia learned Tullies wife , Aboue an hundred yeares spun out her life ,

The politicks of state , that from their hiue , Distill sweet maximes , how great Kingdomes thriue , Their stinglesse King , that raignes in sweete increase , Swarming in Nectard prouinces of peace : Which when his honie-grace , in progresse flies , A busie guard , with Argus iealous eies , Attends their dailie - King : in which we see , Kings supreame heads , what subiects ought to bee : If then this sillie emblem , in disguise , And more sententious clouds can moralize , Such high occurrences , and intricate , To tutor Solon in affaires of State : What fearefull palsie should my pen confine , Since the sunne's like a King : Kings , Sunne-like shine ? For , marke ; the more this kingly planet goes To his meridian Zenith , the more he throwes His warmth vpon vs ; and the more erect , In his bright Noone-carreer , he doth reflect His beames in double lines , the more doth spring And prosper Mines , Plants , each vegetiue thing : Likewise to Kings , such vertue we applie , Whose Royall progresse of true Regencie , In his meridian lustre , is desir'd Still to runne higher , and to rule admir'd , Not fear'd , but lou'd ; a happie prop of state ; Loue ties allegeance ; feare , ( but to God ) is hate : Cic. Odimus quos timemus Yet godly feare and loue to Kings we owne ; Who feares not them , for iustice can loue none : Eu'n Apes at full-moone dance ; then why not more , Subiects at fuller glory , Kings adore : He whose fox't sense , of innouations dreames , 〈◊〉〈◊〉 light ; but die in darke extreames : No longer shall our peacefull shadowes runne , When in an equall circle , rides our Sunne : Which , while there is a Sunne to measure time , May our Sunne shine , within this Brittish Clime : And with his Royall race , run through the Signes Of Enuy and blacke treason , of the times : As at his birth , Dame nature hath exprest , Bearing the Signe of Leo in his Crest : For by old sawes in prophecies foretold The comming of this Northerne Lion bold : The Signe of Scorpio , and the Vipers-brood , Gowries blacke treason euer shal make good : And that , which last , this fatall signe doth tell , Was that Sulphureous practice , hatcht in hell , Which since our Sun hath past ; swimme Peters keies In Tibers flood of your damn'd treacheries . Since in the voice of God , the people crie , Uox populi vox Dei . Liue still our radiant Sunne of Maiestie : And measure out the Autum , Winter , Spring , In Libra's Signe : 't is Iustice crownes a King : Giue light and motion , vnto each degree , Onely retaine thy influence vprightly . But those , like Artelesse masters , doe commence Masters of Art , though not Arts excellence : Yet , like the Sunne , Kings may their beames disperse , With generall freenesse to the vniuerse : And shine on common weedes , and fragrant flowers , Poore ruin'd houses : and more loftie Towers : Giue life to insect creatures , and create , Of things corrupted , things to generate : Corruptio vnius , generatio alterius . There 's not a Flie , a Waspe , a Scarabee , But shares the Sunne , with Caesars maiestie : Since then , the Sunne-beames are diffus'd to all , And to the barbarous Moore , and Christian fall In direct equall lines : what foole , precise , Can question his free beautie how to rise : If Oracles on Socrates bestow A golden Triuet : who dare answere no. Princes are Oracles , from whom no cause , Can be demanded , onely willes are lawes : Sunnes vnconfin'd , to shine where they shall please , To hide - scorcht Indians : or the Antipodes : Yet were they Gods , and infinite to sense , Vntide to circles ; or circumference Of mortall limitation : being diuine , Yet there are some things , that eu'n them confine From absolute freedome : as not to haue a will , To couet contradictions , or doe ill ; Both which , so stint the vniuersall grace To perfect actions : that it leaues no place To vnproportion'd freedome : which in Kings , Infinite in power , finite conditions brings : Besides , the Sunne , doth grace this Hemispheare With Orientall beautie , bright and cleare : So , when our Brittish Sunne , rose from his East , His Kingly beames , with triple honours blest , Burnisht our mufled darknesse , with such rayes , As gaue a spritefull length , to our blacke dayes : The troubled ayre , ingrost with Icie-feares , Daun'st at the musick , of the iocund Spheares : That then , if er'e Pythagoras did not lie , In Diapasons , kept true harmonie : Full constellations , in his issue shine , Whose sweete reflection , euen to wealthie Rhine : So dazels admirations feeble sense , As if the Sunne paid vse for influence From this bright treasure : and so , bankrout , runne , That yeeres , and daies , exchang'd for such a Sunne : Whose beames , so furnisht forraine climes with light , That there our morning-starre , chaste vgly night The beautious Princesse Elizabeth . To his first blacke confusion : and the morne Laught with a roasie-cheeke : when first was borne Light , from our light : still may our new hopes shine , Like fixed starres orbd in the Palatine : Here could my Muse turne Courtier , and direct , Her motion , to their motion and aspect : And with a glozing quill insinuate , Into the breast of greatnesse , and of state : And ( Ianus-like ) with complementall grace , Gaze on these sunne-beames , with a dubble face . But that my dutie , bids me shew my hart ; Ladies , not Subiects faces , studie Art : Which in this zealous Morall , I haue done , By Iacobs-staffe , to looke on Iacobs Sonne : But from the King of light I now decline , To sing of lights , that by his lights doe shine : Lest in this ticklish point of State I treade To much : such feares saue many a noble head .

REVERENDISSIMO IN CHRISTO Patri Domino Archiepiscopo , totius Angliae Primo & Metropolitano , faustam & inexhaustam precatur , musarum par pusillus , Robertus Anton , Salutem in Domino . Of Saturne . ♄

REuerentiae tuae , sanae , conscientiae , fidei , et ceteris virtutis tuae dotibus deuotissimus ; minutissimus ego huius mundi atomus , gratiae tuae solare iubar iubeo saluere . Inter tantam huius venenosae aetatis caligantem miseriam , ecce quam diaphanum et perspicuum apparet tuae virtutis lumen , inter tant as et prodigiosas honoris ecclipses , et defectus , sphaera tui solis nullam patitur vim , aut conscientiae , aut famae : sed apud antipodes , et homines ecclesiae oppositos , maximam consequitur laudem ; et aeternum memoriae obeliscum . O gloriosum monumentum , quod nec aes Cyprium , sed virtutis extruxit artificium : sed ô tempora ( clamant aulici ) de veneno ! Causidici deiure corrupto ! Clerici de beneficio ! Quis Iupiter haec suspiria demulcet ; sunt haec mortalium communia ( absit ) vt sint prodigia in hac catholica lacrymarum Abysso , sympathia quadam patior ego Academicus , quis satyromastix mordicus , non erit impatiens ? ●um monstra haec cum tanto strepitu tam horrendum emittunt foetum ; et terra , cum coelo patitur violentiam : heu quanta patimur ! cum musarum alumni fulmine hoc attoniti obstupescimus : modulamur lepidè , viuimus misere : non vbera porrigit mater Academia : vae nobis apud ecclesiasticos darivacuum ; apud philosophos nequaquam clamitant vulgi , non esse motum generationis , sed corruptionis : haec communis glossa populi ; hinc lachrimae nostrae ; hinc singultus , et gemitus virtutis penè sepultae : quae adeo squalida , et pannosa apparet : vt nulla fides fronti : Asylum tuum inter haec efflagito : tu qui Atheis strenue effulges obstaculum , mihi adsis et opusculo , propugnaculum , quod scripsi , tua venerabili , et paterna indulgentia , nullam patietur apostasiam , aut authorem suum abnegabit : lurida aetas suauiorem non meretur fabulam , aut cantilenam ; quàm vitiosam illius corruptelam acctoso plectro profligare ; cetera sileo : supplex pro tua in terris vita , in coelis corona , militans ego non triumphans musophilos finem impono .

Gratiae tuae et summae pietati deuotissimus Robertus Anton.

THE PHILOSOPHERS SECOND Satyr of Saturne . ♄ THe next aboue this kingly Planets place , Highest of all , is Saturn's fullen face : Pale , and of ashie colour , male content ; A Catelline , to mortall temperament : That would blow vp the Capitol of man With enuious influence ; melencholy , wan , And much resembling , a deepe plodding pate , Whose sallow iawbones , sinke with wasting hate At others streames of fortunes ; whil'st alone His shallow current dries with lasting moane : And if there hate be in a heauenly brest , This Plannet with that furie is possest ; Suspending our propention , with bad fate , Inspiring Tragick plots , of death and hate ; Torturing our inclinations ( like a wrack ) To dismal proiects , ominous , and black Prodigious thoughts , and deepe-fetcht treacheries , Beating the skul with sullen phantasies . And marke what downe-cast looks we see in Nature , This Planet fathers for a fatall creature : And each profound plot , drawne from sullen earth , From Saturn's spirit , is inspir'd with birth : And yet Philosophers affirmed thus , That Saturnists were most ingenious ; Arist. l. 4. probl . 15. Who long retaine their great Italian-hate , Wittie in nothing , but things desperate ; To glut reuenge , with studious memorie Of shallow wrongs , or some slight iniurie . Which if this be his wit to study ill , Take my wits mad-man , leaue me simple still : Vnder this dogged starre , th' infected moode Of discontented Graduates , hatch their broode , Flying like swallowes from the winters frost To warme preferment , in a forren coast ; And there vent all their long digested hate In scandalous volumes gainst the King and State . Flying from Tarsus to proud Niniuie , Recusants both in faith and loyaltie ; Apostates in religion when they please , Brauely to mount the Crosse , they crosse the Seaes . These from this humerous Planet suck their birth , Leauing deepe wounds vpon their mother earth : What cause hath mou'd thee , thou deep malecontent , To change thy faith with the aires Element ? If Angli , are cald Angeli : Oh , tell , Animum cum coelo mutant . Why hath their pride , thrown these from heauen to hel ? Is it , because thou hast sung sweete in all The liberal Arts , and now through want doost fall ? Or doost thou wonder at pluralities , Impropriations , or absurdities Of a lay Patron , that doth still present An asse , before a grand proficient ? Why , maruell not at these preposterous crimes , That very Heathen men in former times Haue scoft at , in excesse of bitter iest , And like true prophets thus these times exprest : Giue to thy Cooke ( saith th' one ) full twenty pound ; To thy foole ten : but to a man profound , As thy Physitian , ten groates shall suffice : Thus , thus appeares a Scholers miseries . For should blind Homer come to sing his song , With Lyrick sweetnesse , or the Muses tongue ; Had he all languages that first began , At the confusion to astonish man ; Yet with a Coachman , he durst not contend For wages , though Apollo stood his friend , For thriue they cannot by the sacred Arts. A Coachman , Taylor , or the Faulkeners parts , Dwell in the breast of greatnesse : but indeed Time must haue changes , though all vertue bleede : Yet I could wish to turne the sullen tide , Of their dull Planet , to a rectified And more calme motion ; and a while restraine The turbulent billowes of their sullen vaine , With temperat moderation ; to appease In Halcion-smoothenes , all those rougher seaes Of passion , and sequesterd discontent , No aire so sweet as their owne Element : As death to fish , torne from their naturall place , Expires their waterie spirits : in like case , That man , that from his naturall mother flies , Buried in strangers earth , his dutie dies ; Yet time may calme that hot-spur'd violence Of fugitiue Saturnists , as in naturall sense We see in heauie bodies , throwne by force , By strong compulsion , thwarting natures course ; Zabarell lib. 1. de motu grauium & leuium . Chasing the aire , with strong actiuitie , Yet towards his end , the moouing facultie , Chast with precedent motion , faints and dies , And in consumption , to his center hies . Which is the cause , why motions violent , ( Their spirits spent ) creepe to their Element , Which first were made of motion , sith at last That vertue dies , by which he first was cast As farre from his beginning . So time shall change Their violent passions , who are borne to range ; Transported with a furious discontent , When all their Romish witchcrafts hath neere spent Their violent motion , then with deere-bought paine , They moue vnto their sweete-aire once againe . Yet trust not to the mercie of the yeeres , To reconcile , by time , that which appeares Times shame , in thy originall despaire ; Once fall'n , heauens may ( but wondrously ) repaire : For though relapses , are not cured with ease , He 's safe , that meetes his first spice of disease : Which to preuent , leaue of that surgerie , Uenienti occurrite morbo . That makes your soule a bare Anatomie ; And cuts the flesh , of your more bleeding land , With Lions hearts , not with a Ladies hand . In poysons , counterpoysons doe contend , Rather liue here poore , then at Rome offend ; Vse learning as a looking-glasse , to see What others are in thy infirmitie : But not as burning-glasses gainst the Sunne , To force a fire to thy ambition : But as Archimedes his cunning plies , That by reflection , burnt whole Argos eies With artificiall glasses : so from each hart , His Countries good , tithes the most punctuall part Of Art and Nature , whose diuided ends , Non nobis solum nati . Shares euerie man , to Countrie , Kings , and Friends . The seuen wise Sages of Philosophie , Whom golden pages , keepe in memorie , In spight of Enuy , crownd Art with this praise , Their countreys wore the Oliue , they the Bayes : Which showes , that Monarchies or Policy Diuided into this triplicity , Aristocrat●a . Democratia . Monarchia . Then on a sollid base , did firmly stand , When Art was pure restoratiue to their land : And prickt no veine , of their owne natiue clime , But gaue a temperet dyet to the time : Vrging no forraine nations , to enforce Their naturall tempers , crosse to natures course : Then learning florisht , without Sophistry , Or mixture of selfe-pleasing phantasie : Reason , did checke an high opinion'd minde . And Schollers , like some wealthy men definde , To be but simplex animall : that then , Like citizens now , were held the surest men : Vertue was then a habit of the minde Without equiuocation : and confinde , To his true obiect of beatitude , Diuided from the world , or multitude Of popular prayses : Arts did then despise , The secular habits of great vanities : Liu'd richly reuerent , in poore simple weeds , Without Monasticke hoods , did Saint-like deeds : Had neither pride , to enuie , whom doth rise , Nor Patron , to bestow a benefice : And did supply poore nature with poore clothes , Dranke when a thirst , and eate when hunger growes ; Gaue no gratuities , but to present A worthlesse Dunce , ( to schollers discontent : ) And hire a simple Curate , scarcely paide , With as much wages , as a laundry-mayde : Liu'd without grumbling , or ambitious hate , And slept contented with an humble fate ; The Arts contemn'd men of high swelling rankes , And scarce to Alexander would giue thankes , For visiting their tub : so much their hate Scorn'd the prowd painted sepulchers of state . Learning did then liue pure in Paradice ; But since her fall , to pride and auarice , And al diseases that infect , the Arts Do rot and putrifie their knowing parts : Since these contagions , learning is possest ; These make the musicke of a learned brest , Iarre in harsh discords , and vnrellisht straines ; And do corrupt the most refined braines , With Saturnes snarling spirit , grosse and dull , Inspiring rage into a patient skull ; For when we see , that in the Muses chaire , Midas is Iudge , and vertue must despaire Of a right worthy Patron ; Faunius preach , Where once Apollo did sweet musicke teach : Arachne , with Minerua doth compare ; Dunces with Doctors , and their betters farre : This makes the worthy Artist , dull and sad , And rare deserts , most melancholy mad : Yet thus much know you , whose deep Genius cla●●● The honor of a Scholler , not the names : When Iupiter tooke all the Arts of price , To heauen with vertue : and left onely vice In stead of iustice , and white chastitie ; Vnto the earth left bribes and symonie : Yet in a boxe , he onely hope did spare , To wretched man , that neuer leaues him bare . Another sort of these dull sectarists , Are our most supercilious Humorists : Who Saturnisde with this vnkinde aspect , Goes ( as a plodding Lawyer ) circumspect , As though his braine - pan thro'd of some great strain , Tor i de from Yorke , to London backe againe ; His eyes looke like two soyled tablebookes , In which are written most obseruant lookes : His formall brow , contracted to a frowne ; Lookes like the Maior of some Puritan towne , Spic'd with austeerest schisme ; that scarce will see A Maypole , to be nearer heauen then hee : As sterne as Socrates , or Catoes grace , That ne're was seene , to change their sullen face : As crabtree brow'd as Iudges at a Size , That dart their hanging terrors from their eyes : Profest deepe politicians , these we call ; Yet farre from state , and depth politicall : Although their trauels , well do vnderstand Sweete Sion : and the blessed holy-land : Iudeas ruines , and the raced Towers Of great Ierusalem , by Titus powers : The sacred relickes of that tombe , they made , Wherein our Sauiours body Ioseph laide : The worlds seuen wonders , whom all times prefer To be Mausolus stately sepulcher . Egypts Pyramides the second is : The third the Obeliske of Semiramis : The fourth , the rich Colossi of the Sonne , At Rhodes : the fifth the walls of Babylon : The sixth , Dianaes temple ( as appeares ) That was in building two and twentie yeares : The seuenth and last , was that most curious frame , Of Iupiter Olympus , knowne by Fame . All which because they can with points relate , They boldly challenge eminence in state : And walke with mumbling , and a grim neglect , As if each stone were bound to giue respect , With notice of their trauells , that haue runne , Their progresse through the world from sunne , to sun : As if the state ( like Gray-hounds ) thought men fit , For footmenship , and not for searching wit : A horse of Barberie , that scowers the ground , Or Drake's fleete Pinnis , that did dance the round , About the world , in trauell can compare With the most proudest traueller , that dare Cut the burnt line : or with Trans-alpine state , Contend in pilgrimage with Coryat . T' is not bare trauell that can make men wise , But this from man , not from the Climates rise : Gold makes not India rich , but India poore , Sith their men want , although their mines haue store : Though Alchimy do beare a glorious glosse , Compar'd with gold , t' is bullion , and base drosse : Things superficiall , in state ne're agree , Without dimension of profunditie : Desert , and not opinion of their merit , Shall grace a Sceane of state : when as the spirit Of a true information personates In liuely actions , both to kings and states ▪ Abilitie to shew how kingdomes thriue , And to be practicke , not contemplatiue , Like Caesar's Parrat , these can only sound , Aue to Caesar ; but in talke profound , And mazes of true politicks of State , That towse graue heads with windings intricate : Th' are like the gates of Myndus , built so wide , As if Diogenes aloud had cride ; Ho , fooles of Myndus , keepe you in those straites , Lest that your citie doe runne through your gates ; Lord-like , these trauell , and doe spend the time Onely for fashions in a forraine Clime , Without obseruant searching of the hart , Of nations , customes , or the rationall part Of fundamentall pollicie ; and with fashion Are more transform'd , then form'd in their creation : Yet , like an antick mountibanck commends The vertue of his drugges : and then pretends Experience of his oyles farre fetcht from hence ; How forraine States admired his excellence , when he ( perhaps ) this taske did entertaine For three to one at his returne againe : Yet these Italionated antick shapes , Transform'd from men to immitationes Apes , Like Hyppocentaures , or some monstrous creature , Chang'd from pure English , to outlandish nature : Or rather , in both sexes take delight , Diuided halfe , like an Hermophrodite , From their owne fashions , most doe alienate , Like monstrous births , and kindes degenerate : When their fond trauell at the deerest price , Brought nothing home , but their ill fashioned vice : Fond-medling - fooles , that beare the character , Of that poore-carping , and base-shoomaker , That checks Apelles in his curious frame ; Goe not beyond your last ▪ lest to your shame , Your sullen humors to that Orbe aspire , Where your pride burnes you in your pollitick fire . Packe to the center you dull-pated slaues , And there in grosse and melancholly caues , ●ie mischiefes with your Planet , and let state Be left to him , that shares a worthier fate : Those , whom bright honour and intelligence Of their high secrets , crownes with reuerence Of age and sollide iudgement : those whose paines ( Like Chimes at midnight seasons ) strikes their braines With vigilantest motion ; whose desire , Like to a Glassehouse , keepes continuall fire Of zealous flames , whose stately honours rise , Euen from the ashes of that sacrifice : That in whose Hecatombes of loyall blood , Their Noble houses euer haue made good , Vnto their Prince and Countrie ; such shall ride , Like Ariadnes honours stellified , Throughout the milke-white circle , and there shine , To forraine nations in that golden line Of Roman Curtius ; till the marble hart Of enuie and detraction breake and part From his staru'd kar●as ; and times Almanack , With golden Epacts and new Moones doe crack The sturdie ioynts of Ephemerides , With yeerely Sunnes , and annuall compasses : Whose merit , euen the voice of God proclaimes , With voice of all the people , in the names Of our most reuerent Senate ; in which place Our graue Patricians , more then th' outward grace , Stands like a Center , from whose point diuine , To Brittanis Circle comes an equal line Of state and conscience ; which but drawne from hence , Makes vp an honor'd state-circumference . 'T is not quick siluer'd-spirits that can run , Throughout the vaine of earth with motion Of vnconcockted trauels , that can merit The name of a State-mettall ; till the spirit , By which his actiue nature still goes round , Betempered with more massie stuffe and sound , That in the winding Laberynth of state , Iudicious eares may rightly terminate The most large bodies of the ranging time , To a confin'd and superficiall line : Not trauell , but the minds graue residence , That , like the Sunnes vnited excellence , Collected to the center of the glasse : With greater vertue doth the obiect passe , Makes a true States-man : as in natures course , Not euery motion can produce a force Omnis motus non est causa calorss . Scaliger . To be the cause of heate , as in the Sunne We feele more heate , when his hot beames doe runne vnited , not disperst : so fit for state Are iudgements setled , and most temperate , Not errant like a Planet , but at rest Like the Polestarre with in his constant brest . Then thou that snarl'st at their transcendent ranke , And art thy selfe like some poore Mountibanke Made vp of drugges and tongues of euery land , More fit for Ordinaries , then command In the Abysse of state : that with profound And perpendicular iudgements , plumbes the ground Of euery scruple , with deepe beames diuine , Euen to th' vnmeasured bottom of each Mine , The infinite thought creates : repent thus farre , Curse thy Dog-daies , and rate thy sullen starre ; Packe foole to French-Baloone , and there at play , Consume the progresse of thy sullen day : For such light pastimes suite a giddy braine ; Or if thy muddy and grosse feeding vaine , Must needs be spic'd with Saturne : walke More-fields , The shades of malecontents ; whose causes yeelds Whole sholes of trauellers : there may thine eies Surfet , to see thy dull aspect arise , And Planet-strike the Organ of thy sence , With grosse and melancholly influence , Cast here and there with enuious characters , On lymping Souldiers , and wild trauellers , That sit a Sunning vnder some greene tree , Wondring what riches are , or rich men be . But leauing these vnto the silent night , Raw aires and hayecockes : and the best delight Of such poore Grasshoppers , that onely sing The Summer of their yeares with wandring , Of fruitlesse voiages . Next we present A gratious starre , faire , and beneuolent : Drope Saturne with thy sullens to the earth , Whil'st Ioues bright star gets more auspicious birth

Of Iubiter . TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE CHARLES a long life , mortall and immortall . TO you sweet Prince I sacrifice these lines , Princes should liue by princely disciplines : 'T is most collaterall Manna , Angels foode , It 's not so princely to bee great as good . Planets rule man : but Princes , as they are Cald gods , sway vs ; by vertue rule their starre , What almanaks haue written in their praise In you haue greater power , that oreswaies The doubt of art : for certainely we know The full Moones of your vertues , how they grow : I wish your life may runne , as doth your starre Orbd noblie , and most nobly regular , Or rather more : for heauenly things aboue If they but crosse vs , haue more hate , then loue The teeming plowman thus will curse their powers , When starres doe promise more in shew , then showers : But you are farre more prosprous , and shall shine Blest in your influence , mortall and diuine . Enough is said , in fine , this booke shall tell . T is good to be borne great , best to doe well . Your graces poore Subiect , R. A.

THE PHILOSOPHERS THIRD Satyr of Iupiter . ♃ NOt Iupiter , transform'd to many shapes , His transmutations , or celestiall scapes ; Amorous imbracings , and adulterate fires , Hot scalding passions , and vnchast desires : Nor of his tri-form'd thunder we describe , That mauld th' aspiring Giants for their pride : But of a heauenly bodie , from whose merit , Heroick actions drawe a noble spirit . Vnder this stately and maiesticke starre , Made happie by the raigne of Iupiter ; Are all those royall actions sweetly sung By our Welch Bards : or the poettick tongue Of rauishing Lyrickes ; whose high Muses sings Starre-kissing Poems , of the state of Kings : The swelling tide of time , whose mightie flood . Like to an Ocean , curl'd the streames of blood Of Kings and Worthies , with true honour died , Vnder this Princely Planet stellified . True noble sparkes , that can the soule define In honord persons , in this Planet shine ; And giues essentiall formes to royall bloods , Eternall to their names , more then their goods Or fortunes can distinguish ; and deriues True honor not in name , but in their liues . Gentilitie from hence so riches bred , That like a silke-worme , it spinnes out his web , That others might giue armes , and weare his good , More rich in vertues , then blaz'd forth in blood . Young Alexander ( whose triumphant hand , Like some great earthquake shooke the sollid land , With warlike rufflings of his princely mind , By this aspect was at his birth assigned To honord enterprices : and from hence , Imperiall scepters draw their eminence ; And euery noble action of high fame , That giues to honor an immortall name : To Chronicles and times , this starre doth blesse , With an eternall Trophie of successe . Which since his Princely flames scornes common men , In a heroicke furie chafes our pen : Tell me , thou Royall States man to the Sunne , Great signior of the worlds perfection ; High Treasurer , for honourable brests , That with imperiall wreathes adornes their crests : Where are those Heroes , whom Iupiter Did canonize , euen in their Sepulcher : And after death blest with thy influence , Enspheard their soules with thy intelligence . Crane vp true honor through the horned Moone That now vsurpes the day , and shames bright noone , With their confused actions : where are those That had more honour in their minds then clothes ; Great Caesars Court did shine with warlick hands , Ieer Atlas . Ieer , and laugh at yellow bands , That now do staine the times . Tell Iupiter The worlds mad after Safforn : and preferre , A most sur-reuerence fashion ( like a purge ) , Before the conquest of the worlds large verge : Gentilitie lookes like some painted whoore , Whom wise men pittie , though times-Bands adore : Rather bright starre of heauen drop from thy place , And kisse the Chaos , then thy smiles disgrace On their natiuities , that doe pretend Their linage from the Sunne , which loath doth lend His beames to such corruptions purified , As that most noisome muckhill of their prides Whose vapors sluffe the organ of mans sense With such mortalitie of peslilence , That each phantastick corner of the land , Stinkes with infection of a yellow band : And yet can boast their gentry from a starre Kinde in coniunction , and familiar To their high Fates . Laugh , Laugh Democritus , Heer 's a right Comedie , though vicious , To stretch foorth all thy powers to excesse , And fat thy heart with mortall foolishnesse : These are those atomes of nobilitie , Which in thy schoole thou taugh'st erroneously , To be the worlds beginning . Laugh fond Sir : Such moates of gentrie makes a Vsurer . Raile foule-mouth'd Cinick , lend thy lanthorne here , That to thy candles brightnesse may appeare These Scums of gentrie ; turne my beagle-Muse To lash these Butterflies , that doe abuse The name of that bright Planet , that shootes forth More virtue , then their Tailors-billes are worth : And if my Satyr , gently letting blood , Might of true nobler brests be vnderstood , What we call honor or Nobilitie ; Who knowes not vertue is gentilitie : Virtus vera nobil●tas . An habit of the minde , not of the clothes , Which euery poore Logician truly knowes ; To be in diuers Categories plac'd , The one in qualitie , the other grac'd With Art and Scituation : Courtiers then Would scorne such gaudy Gallifoists of men : And rather fill their honord traine with starres , Such whose vnspotted vertues weares no Scarres Of bankerout Citizens , that weares his owne , Like Byas still about him , and not growne Omnia mea mecum porte . To surfets with excesse in sutes of trust , Filling his hot veines with insatiat lust , To formes of alteration : yet at last Is alwaies poore in vertue , rich in wast . The honor of this Planet shewes the minde , And not the cast-clothes of some fawning hinde , That by obseruance to his mightie Lord , Hath crept into good outsides by a word , Bought afore moud . For some poore office feede , That now is fallen to helpe the busie neede , Of some poore Groome . Great Iupiter forbeare , To hurle thy influence from thy princely Spheare , That these may claime their most abortiue birth , Vpon this leastall of this noisome earth . From thy heroick flames , as from their sire : But to right noble brests , giue nobler fire . Let such adore thy rising in thy East , That feele an honord furie in their brest , Charme all ignoble-thoughts ; and with the age , Leaue reliques of his honord pilgrimage , Euen to his speaking - marble , that his stone May swet with memorie , and his dust bemone , The liuelesse forme of his dead Element , Hearst vp in death : whose liuing - Monument , Can , with this heauenly Ecco , thus resound , Prince ( Henries ) steps hath taught vs the same ground Of noble buildings : and since him succeds , A Princely Iupiter ▪ in noble-deeds , And honord hopes : how then can honour er , That shares the spirits of this Iupiter , And Princely beames : whose motion most direct , Treads worthie of so bright and faire aspect , That trobled at his birth his princely rayes . Behold great Prince , what in these Antick dayes , May make true honor currant , and exclude The ends of high blouds from the multitude And fire of baser ranckes ; that when your age Shall come to vnderstand the Bedlame rage Of this distracted time , and ripely see That not by reason , but base phantasie , Reflext from our opinions : we define Honours to be the fashion of the time : Like coloured Rainebowes that deceiue our eies With superficiall shapes of vanities , And with mature and clearer beames of sight Distinguish of all obiects of the light , In your perspicuous iudgement ; then your sense Shall in one point vnite the difference Of what a long time , your too tender eie , Your Organ not dispos'd , could ne're discrie : Then all things rightly set , the Medium faire , And the most grosse parts of this sinfull aire , Diaphanall and cleare , your eie shall see , That the true species of nobilitie Is not th' extreame and outward visible part , But the profound concealement of the hart , Exempt from outward fashions so appli'd , As it is truly noble , without pride , Or forraine imitation , but intire To his owne fashion ; made not to admire , But to attire poore nature , and to draw The peoples hearts , with an obsequious awe , Vnto the Commons loue : not common gaze Of Player-like-fashions : for true honors praise , Is like the blessed Hebrew tongue so strange , That in confusions it did neuer change His primitiue purenesse ; and how vnlike we be To heauenly boaies in simplicitie , In motion and in formes : speake heauens in thunder , And rate this mad world in a peale of wonder : That euer since the order of thy frame , Keepes still one fashion , and moues still the same : Nor is the soule ( as fond Pithagor as said ) Pithegoeas his opinion . Of a true nóble man ; to be conuai'd By transmigration , or phantastick shapes , Into the bodies of such Zainie-Apes , As fashions make the English : but assigned To the immortall vertue of the mind : That 's not traduc'e , or mixt of elements , But of the most infused temperaments , Subiect to no mortalitie of Fate , Except base actions doe degenerate , From that immortall and pure quintessense ; That vertue giues vs in our innocence ; From which , if honor by relapse digresse , We lose that paradice of happinesse , Where honor was created : and that place , Where vertue did infuse originall grace Into a great mans soule : Princes may eate Of euery tree , that vertue made for meate , Onely that tree , in midd'st of Eden spred , The tree of vice : a touch of that strikes dead : Thinke what it is , great Prince , that makes you liue Greater , then you were borne : when worth shall giue Vnto your actions such a long-liu'd fame , As to all ages shall enrowle your name : And such is vertue , that can ne're exspire , But like a Salamander liues in fire , And furie of the times ; and there ne're burnes . After the funerall ashes of our Vrnes : For 't is not that great title , that you weare Of princely greatnes , and a future feare : That can make you controler of the starres , Or write your name in endlesse Characters To all posterities : nor is t applause , Or popularitie , that can giue cause , To make you liue for euer : but in fine , 'T is vertue giues a Godhead , makes diuine ; Not Caesars birth made Caesar to suruiue , But Caesars vertues , that are yet aliue . Great Alexander Homers Iliades read , Whose vertues made him liue , when he was dead . A great mans vices dammes his fame so deepe , Ther 's no redemption , when his vertues sleèpe : Actions crowne vertues , and like Pulses prooue , Whether the soule of greatnesse sweetly mooue With Natures harmony : which standing still , Or faintly beating , shewes them dead or ill . All this ( sweet Prince ) is to instruct your youth , Without equiuocation to the truth , Of honourable actions , that doe rise And mount by vertue , to possesse the skies : For marke but that diuorce , that time hath sude From such a Kingly troope and multitude , Of memorie and fame , and with their toombe , Buried their honours with an equall doome . In silence and obliuion , you shall see , That vertue reades the Art of memorie ; And can doe miracles euen from the dead , To raise true worth by time canonized : And fetch new breath in princes , when our shame And vice in Lymbo shall ramme vp our name , What pen shall blaze that Epicures dam'd vaine That wisht his licorish pallate like a Crane In surfets , and high sparklings healthes of wine . Vnlesse some Satyr with his lashing line , Flea his abuse : or else the stage hath stung His life and vice with some base Players tongue ; When vertue shall command , like Orpheus strings , Euen senselesse stones to follow when he singes . The musicke of the soule , that sweetly sounds The meanes of honor , and the vertuous grounds Of our well fingered actions ; and snall tell In Oracles , how our best acts excell The worst of enuie ; though her toadelike wombe , Burst in her venom , euen within our tombe . Then since great Prince , that time must bring you rage . To act one part vpon this earthly stage : Oh let your vertuous actions keepe such meane , As Angels may applaud your lifes best Sceane : Which you shall doe , by acting what is good , That when your riper yeeres haue vnderstood , That the chiefe seate of honour is the hart , Diffusing motion to each princely part . And like the soule , whom Schooles hold all in all , Anima est tota●toto & in qualibet parte . Thales opinion of water to be the mother of all things . In euery member is essentiall , Compleate and vndiuided : not begot Of Thales element to die and rot : Then your experience with confession ioynd , Shall hold that practick vertue of the mind , Is your best summum bonum : and not stroule To Platoes fain'd Ideas of the soule : Or Epicures sect , whose happinesse , Their Schooles maintain'd to be voluptuousnesse : And not in fortune , that all power can , Or Stoicall necessitie in man : Or in this later heresie that growes , That the best bonum countes the best of clothes . But vertue put to action , which doth keepe , And put a waking difference from sleepe , And drowsinesse in vertue : which though good , If ne're in action , ne're is vnderstood . These cautions make you worthy of this starre , When others onely heare of Iupiter : That your bright honour euer may appeare , And moue within an vnecclipsed Spheare But now I mount vnto the Souldiers starre , Some Cannon fire my pen to rage and warre .

TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE EARLE OF ESSEX , BARON OF EWE : R. A. wisheth all grace with heauen and earth . Of Mars . ♂

NOble Lord , Themistccles desired the art of obliuion . I the practick of memorie , whose hell and heauen presentiue facultie cannot produce a fairer forme of eternitie , then in the vnimitable Idea of your Mars borne honourable Father , the best of his fortunes I could wish were traduced to you , and the best of his actions deseruing a fixt constellation , as totally diffused through euery noble veine of your Honour as the best part of your essence is in your bodie the contemplatiue part of time admits not a fairer prospectiue of Honour . The character of Mars is but his counterfeit , and I could wish it yours by adoption , Arts and Armes should be like hypocrates twinnes reciprocall in their first ingredience , and borne together with a most sweet and louing sympathie . The merit of a Souldier and a Scholer hates poligamie , and are but one flesh . I know you are nobly tutored in the one , and I could wish you Laurcated in the other . The poyson of the times hath no better . Antidote then vertue : the least doze of it makes honor nobly preseruatiue . I haue here prescribed it , and may it worke in you his phisicall operation : my dutie bound to the stricktest , and most peremptorie remembrance of your Honour : administers this diet : disgest , and be a long liude patient , it is the Souldiers cordiall , and a Noble restoratiue .

Your Honours humble deuoted , Robert Anton.

THE PHILOSOPHERS FOVRTH Satyr of Mars . ♂ WHat by his nature moues , and would aspire Vnder this Planet borrowes his hot fire : What horrid furie bursts his chaines in hell , And frights the earth , doth in this Planet dwell : Blood , death and , tragick stories Mars doth yeeld . A Golgotha of graues : whose purple field , Died crimson with his fatall massacres , Craues bloodie inke , and Scarlet Characters : A pen , that like a bullets force would reele A marble conscience , or a hart of steele : But not of battels , or that Sanguine flood , That at Phillipi Brutus stain'd with blood . Nor of that cruell , and Barbarian warre , Wherein two Kings sign'd by a blazing starre To a prodigeous death , such horror wonne , As with amazement , frighted Christendome . Nor of that bloodie siege , and tragicall , Made famous by our English Generall , That in our age fell in the Belgian warres , When like an Ocean , with red Massacres , The moorish earth did tide vp ore the brim , As if the center did 'gainst nature swim : But to another Posterne , drils our Muse , Marching in martiall Satyrs of abuse . Tell me thou ragged man of Armes , that weares Onely thy Passe for seruice many yeeres ; And by each pettie Constable conueide , As if thy wounds in peace were greater made With Headboughes and Beadles , then grim warre Could through a groue of Pikes launch in so farre . Why are thy scars bought with such pretious cost . So tortured by a sencelesse whipping post : But a more grosser time , that cannot see In peacefull times , what want of Souldiers be . The dull Athenians offered sacrifice To Mars , when warres began to tyranize : But when the furie of stearne warre did cease , His hallowed Altars lay vntoucht with peace . Souldiers are Saints in steele , Gods in their beauers , Ador'd like Esculapius in hot Feauers Of blood and warre : but when their steele-coates rust , And their bright armes ore-cast with peacefull dust . Behould you sonnes of thunder , th' end of all Are Vsurers almes , and a poore Hospitall . Let Sacars , Culuerings , and Cannons sound In honour of their bones , and rock the ground With all your deafning terrors : for behold The Balsum for your wounds , are rich mens gold , Powder the world with wonder , and thus crie , The Camel now may passe the needles eie . The Iewish age growes holy and precise , And builds a Sinagogue to sacrifice Their charitable surfets , when they die , That liuing , whipt away bright charitie . You hacksters flesht in bleeding Massacres , Thinke on your maimed stumpes : your powerfull stars , That worke this operation in prowde man . Misers liue Iewes , and die as Christian , That el e in peace had laid , as if forlorne , The bitter subiect of the ages scorne . The Stockfish to seuerest Iustices Beaten to death with warrants of the peace And good behauiour , martred with the rage Of Constables , whose furie can asswage Nothing but night and wine , that all things steepe In the deepe Lethe of the god of sleepe : For seest thou not , thou man of othes and harmes , When Mars makes holliday , and allth ' Allarmes Of your Rock-braining Engins are strooke dumb By bright Astreas charmes , and Vnion ; How armes are banisht to his yron Mines , And time growne banquerout of those disciplines , That martial Pyrrhus to his Souldiers red , Or'e the braue Romans in Phalanges led , That then who cares for Souldiers , but forgot In warres they lose their limbes , in peace they rot , As if our blessings had so sure a Creed Ne're to vse Souldiers , for we scorne their need . Or doth our carelesse peace , like Scipio deeme Neuer lesse sole , then when it sole doth seeme Without a Souldiers strong Atlantick power , That on his shoulders props that starrie bower And fabrick of a State , as if a Lethargy Had silence't vp th' eternall memory Of Norris , Veare , and valiant Willobee , That like three Commets bearded prodigie , Amaz'd the world : besides the register Of those Sea-Gods , Drake , Candish , Furbusher , That like three Neptunes on the curled maine , Danc't with their Tritons in a martiall vaine Who to a Tragick Muse hath left their fame , Scorning a Commick seckt to score their name , The temple of the bifront God 's not ope , As if the earth had vniuersall hope Of a most mild Augustus to sway th' earth , In whose great raigne the King of Peace tooke birth : Then vanish all your furies to blacke hell , Duelloes , combates to the loathsome Cell , of burning Ambriscadoes , crueltie , Rape , ruine , horror and impietie , Seconds in combats , challenges in wine ; Giuing the lie , and all vilde discipline Of sences , desperate distance ; quarrels common , For some damn'd Cockatrice , or Strumpet woman . And all those rasors , that made France to bleed ; And England sad , in peace be well agreed : For loe , an Oliue Scepter swayes our land , Not crusht to powder with an yron hand : Which sooner may the Seaes forsake their bound , Fire from the concaue lepp , and the fixt ground , Be tumbled from the center : all that 's made Rome from his orderd fashion retrograde ; Eagles be finn'd , and swimme the Oceans deepe , Whales mount the ayre , & Ducks with Dolphins keepe , Before this peace fall , and vnited-calme Forsake the vertue of his soueraigne Balme : Souldiers turne Maunderers , and liue to shame , By Souldiers base attempts , a Souldiers name : Riot vpon this happie time of truse , With pursing , cheating , and all base abuse , Till millions of these Roarers , sise by sise , Drop through the hang-mans budget , and so dies , Before our Oliue-Scepter change his bud , And graft it in a scarlet stock of blood . Yet I could wish , that in this golden time , A golden meane were kept , that in this clime , Where the Hesperides of peace doth dwell , Though guarded with a power that doth expell , The doubt of ciuill and outragious iarres , Men liu'd , as if their very liues made warres Against that peace , the heauens doth earth assure , Vpon condition , that no man is secure : Nor are our best of blessings but so lent , As heau'n may change , what men in peace mispent : For time may come , ah , may it neuer come , When the loud thunder of our yet mute drumme , May raile in martiall marches , and their armes May scarre this peacefull Iland with Alarmes : Inuasion may rouse horror from his den ; And Souldiers then thought rather Gods then men , That now art barkt at by each dogged Sir . Poore fooles , your selues may need a Souldier , To chace hostilitie and hell-borne spirits Of warre and blood , by their triumphant merits From your Percullic'd gates : oh then take heed , He that scornes Souldiers , may a Souldier neede : For though all things in peace doe symbolize , As with a blessing , where all contraries Are leagued with Gordion knots of amitie , And liue in one vnited harmonie : The rauening Wolfe , and the poore sheepe , Combin'd by supernaturall blessings silly sleepe , Like two faith-plighted friends : the fruitfull vine , That neere the Colewort is obserued to pine , Troubles the God of surfets sparkling iuyce : The Oake and Oliue kisse in calmes of truce : The Masuue , scares not the Hyanaes sight . The Mouse the Elephant doth not afright : The poysond - Henbane , whose cold iuice doth kill His meate vnto the Thrush , when warres grow still . And all things that beares naturall emnitie , Conioyne their indiuiduall Simpathie : In a most blest coherence of their formes : Yet such a time may come , when nature stormes And Plants , and sencelesse things grow discontent , Their factious formes scorning this sweet consent , Familiar concord turn'd to qualities Of proud exceptions , and hot contraries , And mutinous nature all things turnes to hate , That in sweete peace did most participate . And if that old Phylosophy hould sure , That the Soule tracktes the bodies temperature , Although all naturall causes we confine Himmasequitur temperamentum corporis opino Galen . To the great Mouers power , and will diuine ; Yet neuer had our temperaments more fire , Nor neuer apter to the hot desire Of warres and innouations ; when our age In Tauerns shew the stabbing signes of rage . Neuer more cholericke constitutions knowne So practick in reuenge , as now are showne . Hot bloods in euery Courtyer boyles to fight : No sooner grac't , but he dares barke and bite , New hot-spurre humors euery day arise , In cutting Ruffines borne to pandarize , Fierie distempers in our bloods exceed , Whch great Hypocrates could neuer reade : Each base Mechanick hath a Fencers diuell , And faine would fight , although the cause be euill . Ther 's scarce a Coward borne to the times curse , But hauing suckt he roares , and kickes his Nurse : Man from his Cradle now like Hercules , Is borne to strangle , not to liue at case : When euery Royster his twelue labours slight , And hand to hand dares with his Lions fight : Or tugge with that three headed dogge of hell , Or in a single Mona-machy quell The hundred headed Hydra to conclude , By whom we moralize the multitude . If then , by naturall causes we descrie How our corrupted tempers do applie Themselues to bloody proiects , and hot iarres : Spurning at peace , inflamed still to warres : Our blessings ought thus much to know in feares , That Mine and Thine may set kings by the eares : Which two poore words , as they haue set on fire The world with law , so to the world inspire A quarrelsome nature , that euen France and Spaine , By these poore syllables lost thousands slaine : And seuen-hill'd-Rome , whose victories haue wonne , Eu'n time to canonize , what she hath donne : Onely with these two words , so pamperd fame , That like a Iennet of a prowd-trust frame , It pac'd the ample earth with such large pride , As if 't were made not to be rid , but ride : Peace is not of an indiuidual size , Like to a Phoenix , from whose ashes rise Another of that kinde , that can restore , Succession to that peace , that went before : And it may be the vtmost date she beares , Shall be confin'd within these peacefull yeeres , Wherein her Iocs merily we sing , Neuer was such a time , and such a King : Or whether the great Genius of these daies , Hath left to him the glorie of that praise , Sphynx cannot well vnridle or define : For it may be , in him it may resigne Her vtmost Royalties : then why d'we liue , Like the fond Megarenses , who did giue Such cost vnto their houses , as if neuer They thought of changes , but to liue for euer ? Not like the wise Egyptians , who still gaue Lesse cost vnto their house , more to their graue : Since then these changes follow times aspect , And peace like to the Moone doth but reflect His beames from others : who can then presume That still her quarters hold full Pleni-lune : Commit not then such fierce Idolatrie Vnto this Saint : more then the Deitie , That gaue her those bright vertues , though diuine : For Angels may fall from their blessed Shrine : But now we sound a Parle and Rereate From bloodie Mars his Planet to the Seate Of the bright day-Starre : rise bright Venus , rise , Whilest Citie wiues prepare thy Sacrifice .

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND VERTVOVS LADIE , THE Ladie Anne Randyll , health in both the Worlds . Of Venus . ♀ MAdam , behold , your vertues doe intice The best of art to write the worst of vice , That as the beautious forme of christall light , Opposde to darknesse seemes more richly-bright : So from the times worst obiects you may spie , How vertue shines best by her contrarie , And best doth edifie , when to our sense , She seemes to vertue in her innocence , Like some cleare liquid cloud against the Sunne In proudest formes of opposition , Heere shall you see the Anatomie of times And imperfections bowelld with the crimes Of brazen impudence condemn'd to death , Like Traytors breathing an infectious breath . From your sweet fauours I began this booke : And hope a faire successe from your faire looke : As earth to heauen presented to our sense Seemes but a point to the circumference , Compar'd to his large bodie : so in show Are these my studies vnto that I owe , Vnto your Ladiship : this mite shall speake My Art and Hart both gratefull , although weake , As Dwarfes seeme gracious , so may proue this elfe . This booke , though small , may teach great time it selfe . Your Ladiships humble and poore Kinsman of his duty . Robert Anton.

THE PHYLOSOPHERS FIFT Satyr of Venus . ♀ . NExt vnto blood and death , the Paphian queene Of the inferiour-planets first is seene : The harbinger of faire Auroras light , Bright day-starre , sliking the rough brow of night , Faire Citharaea : amorous flame of loue , That next vnto the glorious sunne doth moue : Goddesse of generation , that dost giue A father to each Bastard how to liue : Make my Muse ramble , that it truly tell The scapes of lust , that in thy influence dwell : Appeare you horned-monsters , that do swell With high-brow-Antlers , that gainst heaun rebell : And stumble against Taurus with your hornes . Behold the lustfull Planet of your scornes : By whose insatiate and hot lustfull fire , Your wiues are strumpets , & your brows rear'd higher Vnder this starre bright Helena was bred , That made her husband higher by the head . And Messalina by this planets power Wife to great Claudius , Romes high Emperour , Fall two and twentie times in one sole day , Cornuted Caesar with her lustfull play : Here may thy Satyr riot with thy pen , And lash to blood this crooked fate of men , Whose shameleswiues , o'r warmd with bastard wine Like Messalina breakes that sacred signe , That holy wedlocke in their vowes hath made , By that lasciuious and insatiate trade : That nature growes so horrid and so full , That , like Pasiphae , amored of a Bull In any forme of incest , or hot rape , The sensuall appetite affects his shape : Preposterous motions in this planet raigne , Mothers turne Bawdes vnto their Daughters gaine : Husbands haue sold their wiues like Galliflaues Vnto a strangers bed : whole streets of knaues , Deepe red in hot Adulterie so confounds The reputation of our honest grounds , As if the world and Iustices agreede , To make a Chaos of their bastard seede . Why frownes not Minos at that ciuill whore , That in a Puritans habit dwells next doore , Vnto his worship : and with Saintlike motion , Minces the pauement with her pure deuotion : Whom some hot Tradesman keeps , & doth disguise , In Angels robes to gull the iealous eies Of shallow iudgement , following Machauell Cunning in sinne treads warily to hell . Why Carts not iustice that old Dipsas Baude , That with her sorcerous charmes disperst abroad Among the vestall Virgins holy bred , Hath betrai'd many a well-borne Maidenhead , To the luxurious hands of riotous heyres ; Drowning their mothers happinesse in teares ? Why doe our lustfull Theaters entice , And personate in liuely action vice : Draw to the Cities shame , with guilded clothes , Such swarmes of wiues to breake their nuptiall othes : Or why are women rather growne so mad , That their immodest feete like planets gad With such irregular motion to base Playes , Where all the deadly sinnes keepe hollidaies . There shall they see the vices of the times , Orestes incest , Cleopatres crimes ; Lucullus surfets , and Poppeas pride . Virgineaes rape and wanton Lais hide Her Sirens charmes in such eare charming sense ; As it would turne a modest audience , To brazen-fac'et profession of a whore . Their histories perswade , but action more , Vices well coucht in pleasing Sceanes present , More will to act , then action can inuent . And this the reason , vnlesse heauen preuent , Why women most at Playes turne impudent , And yet not to their sexe doe we applie , A Stoicall and stout necessitie , Of shamefull sinne to women in this kind . But I could wish their modestie confin'd , To a more ciuill and graue libertie , Of will and free election : carefullie Hating this hellish confluence of the stage , That breeds more grosse infections to the age Of separations , and religious bonds , Then e're religion with her hallowed hands Can reunite : rather renew thy web , With chast Penelope , then staine thy bed With such base incantations : But why in vaine , Doe I confound the musicke of my straine With such vnrellisht Pantomimmicke slaues , Whose liues prophane a lashing Satyr craues ? Oh yet my graue muse be not to profuse , Applaud their good , scourge onely their abuse , No , rather my keene pen with art dissect , The Anotomie of woman , whose defect , May reade such Physicke to their longing sexe , As what most horrid guilt of lust de●ects , And cast aspersions on their Angels faces , May salue their burning feauers of disgraces : Not in a squibbing vaine my pen shall taske Your feeble imperfections , but vnmaske With far more reuerent hand your slippery natures , Since your first fall proues you backsliding creatures ; When heauen and earth from his confusion tooke Proportion firme , and a more gracious looke Of order and creation , then was crown'd Man , the imperiall Monarch of this Round : Which being made of a grosse element , Vnfit alone for Kingly gouernment . Woman as his adiutor was assign'd , That to their powers the earth might be confin'd . And man , then one in number , therefore none , In her might be more perfect then alone . When she was made in that prime innocence , Each element bestowed the quintessence Of his best qualities : fire then was more remisse With out hot lust , that now more ex'lent is . Water did temper his moyst qualitie , Without the swetting palmes of venerie ; The subtill parts of aire did not inspire A lightnesse to their body or desire . The sollid parts of earth vpheld their frame , That now falls back to ruinate the same : Her harmonie of nature most refin'd From the dull Mans , an Angell in her kind . Her face as beautious as the Crysped Morne , Strooke from smudg'dnight : created and not borne , To keepe grosse-pated Adams from foule sin , With adoration like some Cherubin . Which not alone that naked Sill could doe : Except the mightie mouer had made two ; Both which had kept faire Edens royalties , To their succession and posterities : And then vncensur'd had the woman ben , From th' originall cause of mortall sinne , Had not that Hel-bred Politician Beguil'd the woman , and the woman man : But since her sacred reason was beguil'd , And she for him , and he for both exild From that foure-riuer-running-Paradice , To the large cursed center of their vice : Behold this rare Idea of a woman Made to admire beyond an obiect common , Transform'd into a loathsome masse of dust , Salt tides of passions , and hot foming lust , Keepe their high floods , and waite on appetite ; As flowing Seaes attend the Queene of night , Inconstant flames glow in their skittish brest , And chastitie runnes like a man possest With Legion and his diuels : and so raues , As it scornes life in streetes , but liues in graues , As if all vertues vnto heauen were fled , And women scarce thought honest , although dead . Nature is now growne monstrous to the earth , That in excesse creates this creatures birth : Or those prime elementall-quali●ies , That giue our constitutions properties ; Turne pandars in the action of their life , To make a faire face a dishonest wife : Or else imaginations deepely wrought By strong impression makes the age so nought : As when some lust full bloud swolne high with wine , And stirring delicates , beares still in mind . The obiect of her dalliance , to exchange Her sacred bridall bed for sheetes more strange : Since the most simple essense of her soule , Immortall and diuine , now blacke and foule , With more then Ethiopian gracelesse staine , Ne'r blushing at her sinfull die in graine , Tasted the Philtre compounds of sins harmes , With the sweete magick of her pleasing charmes , Since all their passions , that kept golden meanes , Without the amorous flames of loues extreames , Since women did corrupt their naturall graces , And by complexion did create new faces , Since their proud sex did studie to repaire , Robbing the dead : their owne more comely haire , Since their Apostate sexe began to slide From faith to super sttoion , and to pride , Since all this metamorphosis began Wo-man , you make a locall hell for man : he miserie of man affords but this , An Aristippus , and Semiramis : Murder and lust like two insatiate twinnes , Reuels in surfets of our noble sinnes . Well vnto Cato , this the world did giue : " Oh Cato thou alone know'st how to liue , " That not in pallaces , and princely bowers , " Didst spend the last glasse of thy aged bowers , " Where Venus sports are like to tennis balles , " Bandied from one to tother : till it falles " Into the hazards of their honord names , " The chases lost , are rumors and defames : " Nor in the scalding Suburbes didst thou dwell , " Where lust appeares in his hot shape of hell , " The Diuels whores , and the tormenting fire . " The stewing steame of sulphured hot desire : " Nor in that great Metropolis of Dames , " That like to Dog-daies burne the earth with flames , " As hot in their lasciuious appetites , " As Munkeyes : more luxurious in delights , " Then amorous Flora , that Italian Whore , " That proudly writ vpon her painted dore , " Let none but Kings here enter : and as vild In their loose purges of their bed defil'd With their adulterate louers , as if trades Did neither marry widowes , wiues , or maides . Sooner may shamelesse wiues hate Braindford feasts , Albertus Magnus , or the pilfred Iests Of some spruce Skipiack Citizen from Playes , A Coach , the secret Baudihouse for waies , And riotous waste of some new Freeman made , That in one yeere to peices breakes his trade , Then wash the toadlike speckles of defame , That swell the world with poyson of their shame : What Comedies of errors swell the stage With your most publike vices , when the age Dares personate in action , for , your eies Ranke Sceanes of your lust-sweating qualities : Why are your ciuill and domestick names , Question'd by euery Page , or grauer Dames Censur'd by euery Courtier in your streetes , Vnlesse the speaking - figures of your Sheets Could number one , two , three ; and tell that tricke , Whereby you multiplie Arithmatick , And cast your false accounts in others beds , Whilest hornes like siphers only shew their heads Of your neglected Pheares : or rather why Are grauer heads so rich in pollicie , Industrious and so cunning in their wares : Wretched in nothing but in doubtfull heires : And yet see not with what immodest croudes , Their Turtles lie with Centaures in the cloudes , Why scowres the shallow Marchant the deep Ocean , Euen to the burnt line with his three yeeres motion : Leauing his daintie Pinnis on the land , Like to a man of warre well rigg'd and mann'd By other cunning Pilots : Pirates rather That robbes him of the honor of a father : And nailes not his profession to the Burss , To saue her shipwrackt honor dangerous , From Rouers hands and lustfull pyracie Of this hot ru●ting age : whose luxurie , Eu'n from the hoarie graybeard to the bold And youthfull beardlesse boy-wench we behold Priapus Altars reake with smoke and fire Of quenchlesse passions and vntam'd desire The baudie times tutor their Goatish sense In ribawld sciences , and do commence Proficients in the art of Midwifetrie . Pages can non-plus deepe obcenitie In Aristotles Problemes : and in fine , He 's best , that best disputes in Aretine . And I much wonder that this lustie time , That women can both sing and sigh in rime , Weepe and dissemble both in baudie meetre , Laugh in luxurious pamphlets , like a creature Whose very breath , some Ouid did create With prouocations , and a longing fate After some stirring meates : wiues couet bookes , Not penn'd by Artists , but the fruits of Cookes Prescribing lustie dishes , to enflame Their lustie fighting broode vnto their game Confections with infections of their kinde , Roth both their body , and corrupts the minde . Ladies are turned Musk-cats , and do sent , As if perfumers bought their excrement : As though their imperfections so did smel , As without Ciuet it would poyson hell . Ther 's scarce a face , as it was first baptiz'd , That keepes his Christian colour : but disguiz'd With Lozinges and lotions : as if their hate Found fault with God , and could regenerate A better face with painting ; when their formes , May poyson men , but neuer poyson wormes : All these , as if an Academick sect , Had studied new opinions to infect The soule with fond mortalitie , define The soule organicall , and not diuine : And of a physick-bodie the best part , Misconstring physick for the Doctors art : These vices flesh the hot rain'd time with lust , And bake cold Phlegine to humors more adust And hotter slipps of wedlock : the Romans Guise To lillie-vesta , offered Sacrifice . To Esculapius a cock they gaue : But now for Venus all our Henns we saue . Looke you fond Doues chain'd to your goddesse carre , Those Roman sonnes , that haue out-prim'd your starre In chaster beames , and with their motion runne : Til maides turne Turkes , and leaue their Christendome : Hypsicrataea , and chaste Liuia score For your examples , and with zeale adore The memorable tombe of Portias name , That eate hot flaming coales to keepe her fame , From the rough surgerie of scandalous tongues , That time might sing with praise her funerall songs . Which Antiquaries in a golden page May name the gelded : not the guilded age , Sweet meats and al your delicates of vice : Packe to the Comfit-makers , there intice The baudy midwife , and the pifering nurse To rotten teeth and tatling : but thy curse Light not vpon the thrift of Cittie wiues Life 's sweet , good nam 's farre sweeter than their liues : Perfumes and powders that make faces looke Like Sculs in Church-yards , that but late was tooke From gastly bones , as if the world did lust Like Sextons to appeare in deadmens dust : As if their periwigs to death they gaue , To meale it in some gastly dead mens graue : And thus like Ghosts appeare to humane sight : As if a resurrection should affright The weakenesse of our natures : which ( indeed ) Should with diuiner vse the morrall reade Of their owne frailties : and like Phillips slaue Ring a memento of their ashy graue , Iust of that colour : for in such a face I reade the horrors of that deadly place , Where Golgotha was found : this must I tell : Nor Schrichowses , nor the fatall passing-bell , Makes me remember pale necessitie , Eternall silence of mortalitie , Nore oft then powdred faces : oh ther 's grace , Th' are liuing graues , and haue a sauing face . Hence then you horrid drugs that do consume The noble rankes like graues : and yet perfume , Your vglinesse with pleasure to the sense , Chasing their bloods with your hot excellence Of lust and amorous charmes : begon , growe dull , And decke the forehead of one gastly scull : That our faire formes may in their beauties rise Admir'd , for red and whites simplicities . But now from Venus Nunnerie of Loue , Vnto the god of shifts our spheare we moue : Charme earth great Hermes with thy Snaky rod , Whilest Englands Ioy adores the shifting God .

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND WORTHY GENTLEMAM Sir Iohn Woodward Knight , R. A. wisheth the best temporall happinesse , and future riches . Of Mercurie . ☿ .

WOrthie Sir , me thought I obserued in you a Saintlike adoration of vertue , not to her Image , but to her substance : your actions crownes your worthy intentions , and speakes you more then Gentleman like formalitie : the eager appetite of her beautie makes me present her to you vnmaskt , and vnpainted with adulterate complexion : your incouragements are massie , and this labour Geometrically proportioned to your person . Your onely character is to be ingenious and generous : I haue prooued it , you may hap finde your natiuitie calculated vnder some of these Planets : when their influence shall in some of them answer to your acute conceite , I stand bound to you , that haue so nobly espoused this labour for your bedfellow , as Alexander kept Homers Iliades ▪ vnder his pillow : this quintessence extracte● from the Phylosophicall body of art without quackesaluing poetrie : may perhaps teach you more then Paracelsian skill in the spirits of vertue : and make you more then a bare professor of Alcumie , rich and wealthie in the practise of her : you know her grounds are infallible : seeke her therefore in these Satyrs , and proue rich in her Elixar .

Your worships to the best of art and power . Robert Anton.

THE PHILOSOPHERS SIXTH Satyr of Mercurie . ☿ WHen I obserue how Alcumists disclose The fallacie of art , with onely shewes Of Minerall spirits , and with cheates present , The alterations of each element , And with their tricks like some most powerfull iet , Draw greedy fooles to kisse the counterfet , Of the Elixar , as if art had done , And made more gold , then nature or the sunne : Or their purse-purging-misterie of fire , Could finde more wealth , then Crassus could desire , When I behold rich sweating Clownes bemone , The losse of lands for the Philosophers stone : Men of good worship gulld with oyles and glasses , Pawning their plate in hope of gold like asses : Oh then , thou God of crochets , and slie trickes . My yerking Muse adores thy politickes , When I behold a peasant rich in clothes Clad in a Tirian-die , and skarlet hose , Obscure in parentage , and base in friends , Hauing no lands to helpe , but fingers ends , And a false bale of dice , and yet so roares In Ordinaries with his band of scoares And librarie of reckonings brauely payed With a high festiuall-surfet , though displayed . Then wittie Hermes , tell , the age permits , How many gallants onely liue by wits , When I obserue some Lawyer shift a case , With Angels from his right from place to place , Iuggle with by-clarkes , and with counterfees , Of either partie , stretch their practises Vnto an Ambodexter course of right , Smooth vp the weake , and fawne on men of might , Then winged Mercurie I doe admire , The actiue flames of thy most subtill fire , When I behold so many slights of men , Eu'n from the scraping and rough Citizen , Vnto the loftie-climing-dignitie Of some smooth Courtiers crauing subtiltie : Then thou deepe charmer of quick Argus eies , Thy art with thy bright planet doe arise , When I behold a Vsurer ensnare , The lauish issue of some hopefull heire , Wrapt vp in bonds for some commodities , With his damn'd broker by his policies , Procures for composition , then my braine Adores the Engins of thy wittie traine , But tell me ( thou acute ingenious man ) That nam'st thy selfe a slie Mercurian : Thou that like Scenica in memorie , Transcends the vulgar in capacitie . Thou whose rare vertues are vnparaleld , Whose words , like Delphos Oracles are held ) Thou that do'st censure Homer to be blind , Both in his mole-eied sense , and in his minde , And call'st thy selfe a wit at euery feast , That cares to loose thy friends more then thy iest , Keep'st company at Tauernes , and canst write A baudie-pamphlet for a baudes delight , Art criticall on stages , and think'st Art , To be diffus'd through euery sencelesse part Of thy weake iudgement , like some great mans sonne , Sent onely vnto Cambridge to begon , Afore he reades his elements aright , A great mans learning onely rests in sight . Know'st thou not fend vsurper of sharpe man , How art defines a true Mercurian : Not euery Brazier ( though his art be rare ) Can equall skilfull Mirons molten mare , Whose brazen frame liue Stalions vs'd to couer , As if to art proud nature were a louer : Not euery limmer of phantastick shapes Can weare the name of Zeuxes for his grapes : Zeuxis an excellent Painter . Not euery slash of ayres most subtill spirit , Shall weare this planets influence with his merit : Not euery brickel Poet , that aspires , And faine would flie with Sidneys noble fires Into the brest of greatnesse , we insert Into the laureat Chor us of quick art . And though the Kalends of these daies permits , That euery man will companie the wits : Scipio will haue his Ennius to indite , And great Mecaenas baudy Horrace write A Pamphlet to I dolatrize their name . Yet in the passage of immortall fame , T is not the stirring motion of the pen , Nor the phantasticke humors of those men , No , nor their flames begot in smoke and wine , That can inspire their blockheads with diuine , And most inuentions straines of rauishing fits : Vnlesse great Hermes charme their apish wits With arts and deeper skill , then that which wine , Brings forth to shame good byrthes with bastard rime : Nor euery Almanack-maker , that can tell , How euery Planet in his house doth dwell , The quarters of the Moone , and giue the reason To plow , to purge , to lib in euery season : No , nor a Gipses trickes in Palmestrie , Can merit a true birth from Mercurie . No , nor a plodding Graduat , deepe in art , That searches euen the center and the hart Of euery scruple , that with Snake-like twinnes , Circles the earth with winding disciplines , We call a right Mercurian , that so lookes , As if his soule were nail'd vnto his bookes , Except his practick studies well doe show , Experience in the age more then to know The literall sense of arts : for out of schooles , Your meerest scholers are the meerest fooles . Not he , that taken from his Colledge teates , And wean'd from schooles vnto the nobler seates Of Lordly houses : can sharpe Hermes boast The God of wits to be his sire and hoast : If to his formall and more sollid vaine , He ioyne not sprightfull carriage to his braine To apprehend the times grosse ignorance , By application of each circumstance Vnto his noble charge he takes in hand , That not a tricke , but he can vnderstand Within his actiue spirit , and still tries With his owne Test the best of subtil●ies , That can prooue fatall : as for others then They may teach scholers , but not Gentlemen , Monastick-walkes , and circumscriptiue walls , Are fit for plodding wits ; when Lordly Halls , And noble Pupils , fit men of those parts , That know the world , and are more then the arts : Singulariae sensus vniuersali● intellectus . Aris. Topi. lib. prim . For singularities best please our sense , But vniuersals giue intelligence In the whole kinde of learning : such as these Are right Mercurians in their practises , That ioyne with nature , art ; and with their art Experience , as a quintessentiall part : Nor nature , nor experience ioyn'd in one , Giues a Mercurian true perfection : Except deepe art doe helpe to loade his braine : For both without some learning are in vaine , And farre from politicke influence : but he 's best That hath all three ioyn'd in a compleate breast : For if instinct of nature make a man With subtill trickes a right Mercurian : I see not but the Ichnumon , Memphis God , Should challenge in his kinde slie Hermes rod : Ichnumon or Pharoahs rat For in his naturall guifts , he doth excell All other slights that men or stories tell : For on his coate he wraps an earthen cake , Which by reflection of the sunne doth bake His hardned armor , and with such a slight , Impenetrable he begins to fight Against the Crocodile , and with a Wren He showes more craft then most Fox-like men Can patterne in the triumph of their foe : For both with conquest ioyne in ouerthrow Of Nylus mons●r , and if onely art , Architas wooden Doue shall beare a part , Of a most slie Mercurian ; or that Flie , That late a German made most curiously , With busie motion and with yron wings , Venting forth buzzing , and lowd whisperings : Regdomontanus made a Flie of Iron like a natural Flie. And if alone experience make such men . I see no reason , but our saylers then , Such as haue to wsde the seas with change of land , And seene all fashions : but should vnderstand The Mazes of slie Mercurie , who on shore Are ruder then the winds their Sayles haue bore : No , all those three ioyn'd in their sweete consents : Like the sweet Musicke of the elements , That do agree together in the frame Of a sound constitution giues the name , Of a most right Mercurian : and not fier , Or water by themselues , without the quier Of their sweet harmony distinctly fixt : Can giue a forme vnto a body mixt : As neither Autumne , nor the spring alone Can make a full yeares reuolution : Vnlesse the frostie winter do conspire To make it perfect with the Summers fire . Nor art , nor nature makes our subtlest wits , Except in one triplicitie it fits Experience to them both : for in the minde Those two like rougher Diamonds are resignd , And pollisht by experience : and all three must Like Diamonds cut themselues with their owne dust : Which nothing else can perfect but their owne : Diamonds being parted , neuer cut alone Their proper bodies : and thus mans perfection : Shines like a full-pact constellation : Inuention is an action of the soule , Whose essence starres nor influence cancontroule : Which Mercurie himselfe can neuer carrie , Or take away but prosperously may varie : In giuing inclinations to our vaines , But art and ripe experience quicks our braines , Or rather all three , like three faculties Of sense increase : and reasons properties : As in a foure-square figure may be wrought , A triangle from the same bodie brought : Rests so in man , and do include each other , Nature with art , experience as their mother : All which , if euer they did iumpe in one . Or blest mans reason with infusion : Great Iulius Scaliger in thy spectacle I reade no wonder but a miracle , That with these three so blest thy subtilties . Scilfull in thirteene seuerall languages , That time shall sing thy sharpe natiuitie , Not vnder , but beyond bright Mercurie . Besides the mixture of the elements , That sweetly play vpon our temperaments . Either in higher , or in base degrees Of actiue or their passiue qualities , May adde vnto the temper of the scull . Quicke winding Sceanes or plots more grosse and dull : The airie sanguine temper quickly stirrs , And apprehends , like busie Scribelers , That in a Tearme time , like to vintners lads , Vp staires and downe with nimble motion gads , Subiect to agitation , yet consumes His slight impressions in his ayerie fumes : Such are the idle motion of those men , That with poetick furie of their pen . Snatch at each shadow of a sodaine wit , Like Esops dog ; that in the sun-shine bit The shadow of the flesh : like Oares or Sculs That crie the first man , and so drags and puls At sight of a conceite : that scare their sense . Losing their fare by offring violence . The chollericke complexion hot and drie , Writes with a Seriants hand most gripingly . The Phlegmaticke in such a waterie vaine , As if some ( riming-Sculler ) got his straine . But the sound melancholicke mixt of earth , Plowes with his wits , and brings a sollid birth : The labor'd lines of some deepe reaching Scull , Is like some Indian ship or stately hull , That three yeares progresse furrows vp the maine , Bringing rich Ingots from his loaden braine : His art the sunne , his labors are the mines , His sollid stuffe the treasure of his lines : Mongst which most massiue Mettals I admire The most iudicious Beaumont , and his fire : The euer Colum builder of his fame , Sound searching - Spencer with his Faierie-frame : The labor'd Muse of Iohnson , in whose loome His silke-worme stile shall build an honor'd toombe In his owne worke : though his long curious twins Hang in the roofe of time with daintie lines : Greeke-thundring Chapman beaten to the age With a deepe furie and a sollid rage . And Morrall Daniell with his pleasing phrase , Filing the rockie methode of these daies . As for those Dromidarie wits , that flie With swifter motion , then swift Time can tie To a more snaile-like progresse , slow and sure , May their bold becham Muse the curse indure , Of a waste-paper Pesthouse , and so rise , As like the sunnes proud flower it daily dies . Besides , another cause of wits rarieties , Consists vpon the climates form'd varieties . That from the Articke , to the southerne Cape , Alters our humors to a diuerse shape , The Northerne Tike is faire , grosse , dull and hard . The Southerne man more pliant doth regard The witty layes , and madrigals of arts : But from the North , are men of tuffer parts , Brawnie labourious Hinds for labour fit , Come from that Pole , from tother men of wit : Rough-hewne vntutord Groomes come from the North , But vertues from the South of milder worth . And from each Climates variation , Proceedes the changes of both men and nation . The Alman rutter in his wit more cold , The French more sudden , and the Italian bold , The Spaniard subtill , though with much delay , Craftie in vengeance , wittie to betray . The Dutch potwittie , and the Irish man , A most dissembling politician : The Scotch man poore in wit , yet very thriuing , Of a broad speech , yet subtill in contriuing . The Englishman more poore then he is knowne For wit and clothes , for neither are his owne . But here from Mercurie againe I runne , Bearing the pillers of Alcmenaes sonne With ne plus vltra , in this planets praise , Leauing the learned trophees of greene Bayes To Ioues owne nuncius winged Mercurie , To crowne more worthier browes in memorie Of a more curious modell , then my pen Can limme out to the life in other men : For not like Phoeeton I doe aspire , To melt my selfe in this coelestiall fire , Or like vaine Poets , listen to the aire Offond opinion , what it holds for rare : But if this Satyr haue err'd ought in matter , May his tongue blister , that will speake to flatter , Yet thus much boldly to the contrary I boldly speake , by leaue of Mercury , That though no wayes , I can his influence merit , My Muse beyond his starres shall mount in spirit . And to a holier Hierarchie flie , To sing a more diuiner hystorie : But now of Cynthia and her beames I writ , T is now full-Moone , Apes daunce in such a night .

TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS LORD WINDESOR , R. A. wisheth a prosperous perpetuitie of health and happinesse . Of the Moone . ☽

MY noble Lord , I much applaude your contemplatiue election in retiring your selfe with many worthy examples , as Cato to Picen , and Scipio to a Farme to a contented countrie life . You see the poyson of populous places , and the Babel fall of popularitie , the vicissitude of times are full of pestilent perils . Let your Noble vertues make you happie in knowing your selfe , and canonicall in making vse of the greatest ruines of higher fortunes ; my loue and ancient duty contend both to gratifie your honour . Reade here the mutabilitie of time , and be reseruing in your Noble nature : what you find doctrine and vsefull : t is a handfull , but infinite in my loue and seruices . And I conclude with the Poet , Non rebus exiguis vacat abesse Ioui .

Your Lordships in all seruice and loue , Robert Anton.

THE PHILOSOPHERS SEVENTH Satyr of the Moone . ☽ OF all the Planets , this appeares most strange In apparitions and inconstant change : Sometime she like a sithe her face doth show , That barbes the fields , when they vnciuill grow : Sometimes againe she like a rounded-ball : Her crumped hornes appeare most sphaericall : Which forms the bright Sun ( heauens imperial starre ) Prints in her pale cheeke with his golden carre : Sometimes approaching with his stately head But once a month , Lordlike his Ladies bed : Which is the reason why her plumpe fac't Rheumes Swell man and beast , plants , mines in pleni-lunes , As she is neere or distant from the sunne : So diuers in aspects her courses runne , Empresse of floods , that swelst as thou dost please The fluxe , and refluxe of the sturdie Seas : Whisper to Nature that deepe misterie Of Neptunes mightie tides , whose sophistrie Made that great probleme maister dash his braine , Against the billowes of the curled maine , Making the Ocean , with his spatious roome , At once his graue , his coffin , sheete and tombe . His double motion ( as some vnderstand ) Was not receiued from Gods eternall hand : Although his bounds the Mouer hath assign'd , To which the headstrong Ocean is confin'd , But from that glorious siluer-fionted starre . That giues high floods , or ebs , as pleaseth her : But why , my Nectared Muse dost thou distill Such Rosie-adors from thy bitter quill : And cease to aduance vnto thy Satyrs reede : To nettle time and make abuses bleede . Lanch the impostumed age vnto the quicke , And ( Dutchman-like ) with desperate sencing sticke . Among all things that subiect are to change , There 's nothing fixt , but is inclinde to range : * * Copernicus his opinion . Which made Copernicus this Maxime proue , That the fixt earth did from his center moue : If nothing then in earth , in seas , or skies : But ( Proteus-like ) to change it selfe applies . Bright weather-cocke of heauen , let me vnstrip The changing influence of thy Ladyship . Woman , I could like bels thy changes ring , And like a foule-mouthd Mantuan raile and sing " Of thy inconstant words , vncertaine vowes : " Change of thy smiles , thy passions , and thy browes : " Change of thy heart , hand , tongue , and rowling eye : " Change both in loue , and hate setremitie : " Change to all changes , and if more change may " From Saint to diuell , change euen when you pray . But I enough haue dwelt vpon your starre , Let it suffise , the world knowes what you are , A Bit-borne curse , an Eele , a Bee to sting : A Cockatrice to kill , Syren to sing . But leauing you for mans eternall bane : Bright Cynthia , let me sing th' inconstant vaine Of these times , and truly show How all things change , and with thy beames do flow : Nor woman , nor the change of elements , Nor the Moones changes do more change present ; Then the inconstant monstrous multitude : Whose giddy Hydra-heads all formes include , Marke how the winds breaking their brazen-guard , Changes each point of compasse , or of card : Sometimes full East , sometimes againe full west . So change the furies of the poopels brest : Agreat-mans fortune , that like full-Moones rise Like Dolphins , these adore ; but when it dies , And wants from fuller influence of Respect . When his ambitious beames no more reflect , Vpon the baser bodies ; then their tide In shallow ebbes , and falling currents aside : As greatmens miserie , that like the Sun Attended with twelue-signes their progresse run , when their bright honors do ascend the skie Like Aries then they beare him companie , In comfort of his spring-tide and high state . Adore the high Solstitiall of his fate : But when his rising honors do decline , Then with his fall fals the dissembling signe Into Aquarius , and from their eyes Drop onely teares to shrowd him , when he dies . The Peacooketraine of heauens all-colourd bow , Paints not more colours then these Iayes do show That haue the falling-sicknesse : when such fall , Moores at their East , Dogs at their funerall . Oh Popularitie that cost more heads Then there are worms within their shamed beds , To eate their treasons with their honord bones To their first elements , or weeping stones , To wash their shame in teares : how haue your charms Betrayed the nobler parts of Arts and Armes To an vntimely graue , which time shall write In bleeding characters to after-sight . How many stately Cedars haue you lopt , Whose state cloud-kissing-branches ouertopt The humble shrub , whose ruin'd timber lies To build new hopes to their dead families . Here could my Muse with history conclude The fatall changes of the multitude . And like a vizard to Nobilitie , Fright their depending popularitie . But this in breefe true subiects shall suffise , " He 's wisest , that by others harmes growes wise , When I behold the Queene of seas and night , Shifting her formes in changes to our sight . I see the world ( Cameleon-like ) pursue Her changing humors and her diuers hue . Sometimes me thinks I see a peasant ride , In his full-moone , of surfet and of pride , As if he tilted gainst authoritie , Defied his Taylors importunitie , Scornd his poore Saffron-laundresse and his hoast , Beat his poore Shoomaker , and rid in post To dicing-Tauerns , next day without faile His moone is chang'd , he damned in a Iayle . Sometimes I see some sacred retiques turnd To Theaters prophane , and tapers burnd For damned Comedies , where singing quires At midnight cast their odoriferous fires : Which to a diuell would appeare a change Of most vnchristian toleration strange : Sometimes I see more then mine eyes would see Steeples to stables turn'd , and Sanctitie , Chang'd into rauenous Roabes of pollicie . That I more wonder at this transmutation , Then at the Moones alturnate alteration : Againe , reflect mine eye vpon the age That was and is , I see times pilgrimage Corrupted with such pestilence of euill , That man to man turnes wolfe : nay more a diuell . I see ambition begging innocence Well-landed , for a foole ; as if all sense Were tied to pompe or policie of state That our best landed men are fooles by fate : Which makes men count a Scholler blest in Schooles , Which though they begge : the 'r seldom begd for fools He 's got in an Eclipse , so weake by birth , He liues by th' aire ; hath not a foote of earth : This is a fatall thing , prodigious chance : Great fortunes fauour grossest ignorance . Sometimes I see the euer-turning spheare Of man and fortune like new-Moones appeare . Still waxing to a full increase of light , Till it seeme round full - circled and most bright To all men eyes : till by the darkesome shade Of some mischance , a blacke eclipse be made . Thus haue I seene inconstant Tradesmen floate Now rich , to morrow broake not worth a groate . T is the condition of this glorious frame , And all things that beneath the Moone we name : Nay , eu'n the things aboue her orbed - face , Do couet changes from their naturall place . Till with mutations , all things thinke it best , To melt vnto their Chaos , and so rest . When man is borne , and ( speechlesse ) prophesies Of times successions , and his miseries : He first begins to waxe ; then wanes to worse , Sees many Moones , and then begins to curse The changes of the times : which many yeares . His vexed soule hath markt the swift careeres Of Sunne and Moone , and notes the age turnd Iew , With tedious howers : then he bids adeiw Vnto his golden daies , when in his rage , His long liu'd tongue speakes of the wicked age , Tels what a braue world t was , when Bullens towers , Trembled like Aspen leaues at Henries powres : Obseruing not the world the same to stand . When t is mens manners change and not the land : Here could I sing the changes of all states , Eu'n from the conquering and victorious gates Of Tyber-grasping Roome , tell of her storie , Write of her changes and her waning glorie . Euen to this mightie Westerne Monarchie . Since first the Danes subdude her libertie . But more then I can write , all things perswade . What euer were , or is to be , shall fade . And though the world were euiternall thought . T is not eternall , but shall change to nought : But now I turne my sailes from seas to land . Here 's more then men will reade or vnderstand : Though orderly next to the firmament , These wandring planets do themselues present : And next to them earth , water , aire , and fire : Succeed in place my spirit to inspire , With matter of diuine Philosophie , To tell of euerie primate qualitie : That with predomination doth present The Lordly pride of euerie Element In bodies mixt : and first I should repaire To the three Regions of the subtill Aire : Tell of the fearefull Comets in the skie , Whose diuers formes giue to the prodigie Ten fearefull seuerall kinds : which so we name As they are diuers in their formes or flame : Of thunder , lightning , and their blasting might● Of haile , snow , raine , and tempests of the night , Of Fiers , that haunt Churchyards and forlorne graues : Of Winds by which our ships dance on the waues : Of earthquakes , and the veines of euerie mine . Of gold , for which we cut the burning line : Of plants , of trees , and of their qualities , How in their formes and place they simbolize . And how againe for enuie and despight , The vine and Colewort neuer do delight To grow one by another : then to sing , Of glistering Iewels , and each pretious thing : To tell the vertue of the Chrysolite , The sparkling Carbuncle that shines by night , The purple Hyacinth , whose stone imparts Sollace and mirth to our griefe-nummed harts : The heauenly Azure Saphirs qualitie , Whom Authors say , preserueth chastitie , The greene Smaragdus , foe to Venus reakes , Whose stone in hot coniunction blushing breakes , And many more , that by the glorious Sunne In the earths wombe take their conception , These in their order should my pen incite Of Natures vniuersall workes to write , And in sweet morall lectures to applie The worlds abuses to their misterie : But that I hardly can be brought , to thinke The time loues gaull , by which I make mine inke , Or haue so much wit in their shallow braines . To reade and vnderstand me for my paines . For by this plague we euer are outstript , When we whip others we our selues are whipt By Carters , and poore silly senslesse hinds ; Whose grosser bodies carry grosser minds For vnderstanding : such lend onely lookes , And thinke of Poems as of coniuring bookes : Where in they see braue circles to the eye , But more admire then know the mysteries Of Arts profunditie : I feare none but such : My selfe hath liu'd too long , and writ too much . FINIS

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