Cephalus & Procris Narcissus.

CEPHALVS & PROCRIS .

NARCISSVS . Aurora musae amica .

LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe . 1595.

To the Right worshipfull Master Thomas Argall Esquire . DEere Sir the titles resyant to your state , Meritorious due : because my penne is statelesse , I not set downe , nor will I straine it foorth , To tilt against the Sunne , with seeming speeches , Suffizeth all are ready and awaite , With their hartes-soule , and Artes perswasiue mistresse , To tell the louely honor , and the worth , Of your deseruing praise , Heroicke graces : What were it then for me to praise the light ? When none , but one , commendes darke shady night . Then as the day is made to shame the sinner , To staine obscuritie , inur'd supposes , And mainetaine Artes inestimable treasure , To blind-fold Enuie , barbarisme scorning . O with thy fauour , light a young beginner , From margining reproach , Satyricke gloses , And gentle Sir , at your best pleasing leysure , Shine on these cloudy lines , that want adorning , That I may walke , where neuer path was seene , In shadie groues , twisting the mirtle greene . Thomas Edwards .

To the Honorable Gentlemen & true fauourites of Poetrie .

IVdiciall and courteous , least I be thought in this my boldenesse , to Imitate Irus , that car'd not to whome he bar'd his nakednesse , so hee might be clothed . Thus much vnder your fauours I protest , that in writing of these twoo imperfect Poemes , I have ouergonne my selfe , in respect of what I wish to be perfourmed : but for that diuers of my friendes haue slak't that feare in me , & ( as it were ) heau'd me onwards to touch the lap of your accomplished vertues . I haue thus boldly , what in a yeare bene studiously a dooing now in one day ( as our custome is ) set to the view of your Heroicke censures .

Base necessitie , which schollers hate as ignorance , hath beene Englanddes shame , and made many liue in bastardy a long time : Now is the sap of sweete science budding , and the true honor of Cynthia vnder our climate girt in a robe of bright tralucent lawne : Deckt gloriously with bayes , and vnder her faire raigne ▪ honoured with euerlasting renowne , fame and Maiesty .

O what is Honor without the complementes of Fame ? or the liuing sparkes in any heroicke gentleman ? not sowzed by the adamantine Goate-bleeding impression of some Artist .

Well could Homer paint on Vlysses shield , for that Vlysses fauour made Homer paint .

Thrise happy Amintas that bode his penne to steepe in the muses golden type of all bounty : whose golden penne bode all knightes stoope , to thy O thrice honoured and honorable vertues .

The teares of the muses haue bene teared from Helicon . Most haue endeuoured to appease Iupiter , some to applause Mercury , all to honor the deities . Iupiter hath beene found pleasant , Mercury plausiue , all plyant ; but few knowne to distill Ambrosia from heauen to feast men that are mortall on earth .

How many when they tosse their pens to eternize some of their fauourites , that although it be neuer so exquisite for the Poeme , or excellent for memoriall : that either begin or end not with the description of blacke and ougly night , as who would say , my thoughts are obscur'd and my soule darkened with the terrour of obliuion .

For me this restes , to wish that such were eyther dum & could not speake , or deafe and could not heare , so not to tune their stately verse to enchant others , or ope their eares to the hurt of themselues .

But why temporize I thus , on the intemperature of this our clymate ? wherein liue to themselues , Schollers and Emperours ; esteeming bountie as an ornament to dazell the eie , and telling to themselues wonders of themselues , wherein they quench honor with fames winges , and burne maiestie with the title of ingratitude , and some there are ( I know ) that hold fortune at hazard , & trip it of in buskin , till I feare me they will haue nothe but skin .

Silly one , how thou tatlest of others want ? is it not an ordinary guise , for some to set their neighbours house on fire , to warme themselues ? beleue me courteous gentlemen , I walke not in clouds , nor can I shro'dly morralize on any , as to describe a banquet because I am hungry , or to shew how coldly schollers are recompenst , because I am poore , onely I am vrg'd as it were to paraphrase on their doinges with my penne , because I honour learning with my hart . And thus benigne gentlemen , as I began , so in duety I end , euer prest to do you all seruice .

Thomas Edwards .

CEPHALVS and Procris . FAire and bright Cynthia , Ioues great ornament , Richly adorning nightes darke firmament , Scoured amidst the starry Canapie , A pariphrisis of the Night . Of heauens celestiall gouernement , well nie Downe to the euer ouer-swelling tide , Where old Oceanus was wont t' abide , At last began to crie , and call amaine , Oh what is he , my loue so long detaines ! Or i' st Ioues pleasure Cynthia shall alone , Obscure by night , still walke as one forlorne : Therewith away she headlong postes along Salt washing waues , rebellious cloudes among , So as it seem'd minding the heauens to leaue , And them of light , thus strangely to bereaue . * * A description of the Morning . With that Aurora starting from her bed , As one that standes deuising , shakes his head , Not minding either this or that to doe , So are her thoughtes , nor quicke , nor ouerslow ; Phebus halfe wrothe to see the globe stand still , The world want light , a woman haue her will : To post foorth gan another Phaeton , And swore once more , he should the world vppon , Or as t is thought to trie th' aduentrous boy . Yet some suppose , he meant vpon this day , A Sympathy of sorrowes to aduaunce . The boy thus proude-made , hotly gan to praunce , And now heauens coape , Ioues pallace chrystaline Downe dingeth Atlas , and straight doth decline In such aboundant measure , as t is said , Since that same day the light of heauen 's decaide , A metamorphosis on earth mong'st men , As touching constancy hath bene since then , And this is true maidens , since that same day , Are saide for louers neuer more to pray . But to returne , Phebe in million teares , Moanes to her selfe , and for a time forbeares , Aurora she her swift bright shining rayes , On Phebus charyot tosse , and oft assayes , With her sweete lookes , her fathers wroth t' appease , But all she doth , he tels her , doth disease , Like to the vncorrected headstrong childe , That neuer felt his parentes strokes but milde , Growne vp to ryper yeares , disdaines a checke : ( For nature ouergon comes to defect : ) So now Aurora hauing felt the pride Of heauen and earth , turning her selfe a side , Rapt with a suddaine extasie of minde , Vnto her selfe ( thus said ) Goddesse diuine : How hapt that Phebus mou'd amid his chase , Should such kinde frendship scorne for to imbrace , I will no more ( quoth she ) godd it along Such vnaccustom'd wayes , ne yet among Such as is Titan , better fittes it me , With Vesper still to liue , then such as he , Though well I wot , honor is set on high , Yet gentle Humilitie , is best say I. No more she spake , but like the swelling tide , That hauing passage skymes , scorning a guide , Vntill the vaste receipte of Neptunes bower , Kils the hoat fume , euen so , away she skoures , Lawlesse as t were sans thought or any dread , Like to banditos mong'st the mountaine heard . And now vpon her gentle louely * * Aurora filia Titanis & Terrae . mother , Bright as the morning , comes the mornings honor , All snowy white , saue purpled heere and there , So beautifull as beauty might despaire , And stand amaz'd , noting her wanton eie , Which at a trice could all the world espie , Vpon her head , a coronet did stand , Of seuerall flowers gathered by Titan. * * An imitation taken from the Thracians called Acroconiae that vsually weare long haire downe to their wasts . A vale she wore downe trayling to her thighes , The stuffe whereof , I gesse , of such emprize , As Gods themselues are doubtfull of the arte , Seeming as aire with otomie disperst , Her handes , a meny Poets * * Dead as men . dead and gone , Haue heretofore ( excelling ) wrote vpon . It shall suffize Venus doth grace to her , In that she waites before , like to a Starre , Directing of her steps along'st the zone , Neuer ouertaken by the Horizon , Ne yet in daunger put of any Lake , The frozen Pole she warnes her to forsake : And all * * Pleiades the seauen starres , supposed to be the daughters of Licurgus . Licurgus daughters Dion noates , Base in respect of duetie , and out-coates ,

Notes, typically marginal, from the original text

Notes for div A21170-e600