Goe but a lowly gate emongste the meaner sorte.
Dare not to match thy pype with Tityrus hys style,
10
Nor with the Pilgrim that the Ploughman playde a whyle:
But followe them farre off, and their high steppes adore,
The better please, the worse despise, I aske nomore.
Merce non mercede.
From Letter to Harvey, Oct. 16, 1579.
Iambicum Trimetrum
Vnhappie Verse, the witnesse of my vnhappie state,
Make thy selfe fluttring wings of thy fast flying thought,
And fly forth vnto my Loue, whersoeuer she be:
Whether lying reastlesse in heauy bedde, or else
5
Sitting so cheerelesse at the cheerfull boorde, or else
Playing alone carelesse on hir heauenlie Virginals.
If in Bed, tell hir, that my eyes can take no reste:
If at Boorde, tel hir, that my mouth can eate no meate:
If at hir Virginals, tel hir, I can heare no mirth.
10
Asked why? say: Waking Loue suffereth no sleepe:
Say, that raging Loue dothe appall the weake stomacke:
Say, that lamenting Loue marreth the Musicall.
Tell hir, that hir pleasures were wonte to lull me asleepe:
Tell hir, that hir beautie was wonte to feede mine eyes:
15
Tel hir, that hir sweete Tongue was wonte to make me mirth.
Nowe doe I nightly waste, wanting my kindely reste:
Nowe doe I dayly starue, wanting my liuely foode:
Nowe doe I alwayes dye, wanting thy timely mirth.
And if I waste, who will bewaile my heauy chaunce?
20
And if I starue, who will record my cursed end?
And if I dye, who will saye: this was, Immerito?
Ad Ornatissimum virum, multis iamdiu
nominibus clarissimum, G. H. Immerito
sui, mox in Gallias nauigaturi,
εvτνχεĩν.
Sic malus egregium, sic non inimicus Amicum:
Sicque nouus veterem iubet ipse Poëta Poëtam,
Saluere, ac caelo post secula multa secundo
Iam reducem, caelo mage, quàm nunc ipse, secundo
5
Vtier. Ecce Deus, (modò sit Deus ille, renixum
Qui vocet in scelus et iuratos perdat amores)
Ecce Deus mihi clara dedit modò signa Marinus,
Et sua veligero lenis parat Æquora Ligno,
Mox sulcanda, suas etiam pater Æolus Iras
10
Ponit, et ingentes animos Aquilonis—
Cuncta vijs sic apta meis: ego solus ineptus.
Nam mihi nescio quo mens saucia vulnere, dudum
Fluctuat ancipiti Pelago, dum Nauita proram
Inualidam validus rapit huc Amor, et rapit illuc.
15
Consilijs Ratio melioribus vsa, decusque
Immortale leui diffissa Cupidinis Arcu.
Angimur hoc dubio, et portu vexamur in ipso.
Magne pharetrati nunc tu contemptor Amoris,
(Id tibi Dij nomen precor haud impune remittant)
20
Hos nodos exsolue, et eris mihi magnus Apollo.
Spiritus ad summos, scio, te generosus Honores
Exstimulat, maiusque docet spirare Poëtam,
Quàm leuis est Amor, et tamen haud leuis est Amor omnis.
Ergo nihil laudi reputas aequale perenni,
25
Praeque sacrosancta splendoris imagine tanti,
Caetera, quae vecors, vti Numina, vulgus adorat,
Praedia, Amicitias, vrbana peculia, Nummos,
Quaeque placent oculis, formas, spectacula, Amores
Conculcare soles, vt humum, et ludibria sensus.
30
Digna meo certè Haruejo sententia, digna
Oratore amplo, et generoso pectore, quam non
Stoica formidet veterum Sapientia vinclis
Sancire aeternis: sapor haud tamen omnibus idem.
Dicitur effaeti proles facunda Laërtae,
35
Quamlibet ignoti iactata per aequora Caeli,
Inque procelloso longùm exsul gurgite ponto,
Prae tamen amplexu lachrymosae Coniugis, Ortus
Caelestes Diuûmque thoros spreuisse beatos.
Tantùm Amor, et Mulier, vel Amore potentior. Illum
40
Tu tamen illudis: tua Magnificentia tanta est:
Praeque subumbrata Splendoris Imagine tanti,
Praeque illo Meritis famosis nomine parto,
Caetera, quae Vecors, vti Numina, vulgus adorat,
Praedia, Amicitias, armenta, peculia, nummos.
45
Quaeque placent oculis, formas, spectacula, Amores,
Quaeque placent ori, quaeque auribus, omnia temnis.
Nae tu grande sapis, Sapor at sapientia non est:
Omnis et in paruis benè qui scit desipuisse,
Saepe supercilijs palmam sapientibus aufert.
50
Ludit Aristippum modò tetrica Turba Sophorum,
Mitia purpureo moderantem verba Tyranno
Ludit Aristippus dictamina vana Sophorum,
Quos leuis emensi male torquet Culicis vmbra:
Et quisquis placuisse Studet Heroibus altis,
55
Desipuisse studet, sic gratia crescit ineptis.
Denique Laurigeris quisquis sua tempora vittis,
Insignire volet, Populoque placere fauenti,
Desipere insanus discit, turpemque pudendae
Stultitiae laudem quaerit. Pater Ennius vnus
60
Dictus in innumeris sapiens: laudatur at ipse
Carmina vesano fudisse liquentia vino.
Nec tu pace tua, nostri Cato Maxime saecli,
Nomen honorati sacrum mereare Poëtae,
Quantamuis illustre canas, et nobile Carmen,
65
Ni stultire velis, sic Stultorum omnia plena.
Tuta sed in medio superest via gurgite, nam Qui
Nec reliquis nimiùm vult desipuisse videri,
Nec sapuisse nimis, Sapientem dixeris vnum.
Hinc te merserit vnda, illinc combusserit Ignis.
70
Nec tu delicias nimis aspernare fluentes,
Nec serò Dominam, venientem in vota, nec Aurum
Si sapis, oblatum, (Curijs ea, Fabricijsque
Linque viris miseris miseranda Sophismata: quondam
Grande sui decus ij, nostri sed dedecus aeui:)
75
Nec sectare nimis. Res vtraque crimine plena.
Hoc bene qui callet, (si quis tamen hoc bene callet)
Scribe, vel invito sapientem hunc Socrate solum.
Vis facit vna pios: Iustos facit altera: et altra
Egregiè cordata, ac fortia pectora: verùm
80
Omne tulit punctum, qui miscuit vtile dulci.
Dij mihi, dulce diu dederant: verùm vtile nunquam:
Vtile nunc etiam, ô vtinam quoque dulce dedissent.
Dij mihi, (quippe Dijs aequiualia maxima paruis)
Ni nimis inuideant mortalibus esse beatis,
85
Dulce simul tribuisse queant, simul vtile: tanta
Sed Fortuna tua est: pariter quaeque vtile, quaeque
Dulce dat ad placitum: saeuo nos sydere nati
Quaesitum imus earn per inhospita Caucasa longè,
Perque Pyrenaeos montes, Babilonaque turpem,
90
Quòd si quaesitum nec ibi invenerimus, ingens
Æquor inexhaustis permensi erroribus, vltrâ
Fluctibus in medijs socij quaeremus Vlyssis.
Passibus inde Deam fessis comitabimur aegram,
Nobile cui furtum quaerenti defuit orbis.
95
Namque sinu pudet in patrio, tenebrisque pudendis
Non nimis ingenio Iuuenem infoelice, virentes,
Officijs frustra deperdere vilibus Annos,
Frugibus et vacuas speratis cernere spicas.
Ibimus ergo statim: (quis eunti fausta precetur?)
100
Et pede Clivosas fesso calcabimus Alpes.
Quis dabit interea conditas rore Britanno,
Quis tibi Litterulas? quis carmen amore petulcum?
Musa sub Oebalij desueta cacumine montis,
Flebit inexhausto tam longa silentia planctu,
105
Lugebitque sacrum lachrymis Helicona tacentem.
Harueiusque bonus, (charus licet omnibus idem,
Idque suo merito, prope suauior omnibus vnus,)
Angelus et Gabriel, (quamuis comitatus amicis
Innumeris, geniûmque choro stipatus amaeno)
110
Immerito tamen vnum absentem saepe requiret,
Optabitque, Vtinam meus hîc Edmundus adesset,
Qui noua scripsisset, nec Amores conticuisset,
Ipse suos, et saepe animo, verbisque benignis
Fausta precaretur: Deus illum aliquando reducat. etc.
115
Plura vellem per Charites, sed non licet per Musas.
Vale, Vale plurimùm, Mi amabilissime Harueie, meo
cordi, meorum omnium longè charissime.
From Letter to Harvey, April 10, 1580.
[1]
See yee the blindefoulded pretie God, that feathered Archer,
Of Louers Miseries which maketh his bloodie Game?
Wote ye why, his Moother with a Veale hath coouered his Face?
Trust me, least he my Looue happely chaunce to beholde.
[2]
That which I eate, did I ioy, and that which I greedily gorged,
As for those many goodly matters leaft I for others.
A note of the sundrie Poemes contained in this Volume.
1 The Ruines of Time.
2 The Teares of the Muses.
3 Virgils Gnat.
4 Prosopopoia, or Mother Hubberds Tale.
5 The Ruines of Rome: by Bellay.
6 Muiopotmos, or The Tale of the Butterflie.
7 Visions of the Worlds vanitie.
8 Bellayes visions.
9 Petrarches visions.
The Printer to the
Gentle Reader.
SINCE my late setting foorth of the Faerie Queene, finding
that it hath found a fauourable passage amongst you; I haue
sithence endeuoured by all good meanes (for the better
encrease and accomplishment of your delights,) to get into
5
my handes such smale Poemes of the same Authors; as I heard
were disperst abroad in sundrie hands, and not easie to bee
come by, by himselfe; some of them hauing bene diuerslie
imbeziled and purloyned from him, since his departure ouer
Sea. Of the which I haue by good meanes gathered togeather
10
these fewe parcels present, which I haue caused to bee
imprinted altogeather, for that they al seeme to containe
like matter of argument in them: being all complaints and
meditations of the worlds vanitie; verie graue and profitable.
To which effect I vnderstand that he besides wrote sundrie
15
others, namelie Ecclesiastes, and Canticum canticorum translated,
A senights slumber, The hell of louers, his Purgatorie, being
all dedicated to Ladies; so as it may seeme he ment them all to
one volume. Besides some other Pamphlets looselie scattered
abroad: as The dying Pellican The homers of the Lord, The
20
sacrifice of a sinner, The seuen Psalmes, &c. which when I can
either by himselfe, or otherwise attaine too, I meane likewise
for your fauour sake to set foorth. In the meane time praying
you gentlie to accept of these, and graciouslie to entertaine
the new Poet. I take leaue.
Dedicated
To the right Noble and beauti
full Ladie, the La. Marie
Countesse of Pembrooke.
MOST Honourable and bountifull Ladie, there bee long sithens
deepe sowed in my brest, the seede of most entire loue and humble
affection vnto that most braue Knight your noble brother deceased;
which taking roote began in his life time somewhat to bud forth:
5
and to shew themselues to him, as then in the weakenes of their
first spring: And would in their riper strength (had it pleased high
God till then to drawe out his daies) spired forth fruit of more
perfection. But since God hath disdeigned the world of that most
noble Spirit, which was the hope of all learned men, and the
10
Patron of my young Muses; togeather with him both their hope
of anie further fruit was cut off: and also the tender delight of
those their first blossoms nipped and quite dead. Yet sithens my
late cumming into England, some frends of mine (which might
much preuaile with me, and indeede commaund me) knowing with
15
howe straight bandes of duetie I was tied to him: as also bound
vnto that noble house, (of which the chiefe hope then rested in him)-
haue sought to reuiue them by vpbraiding me: for that I haue not
shewed anie thankefull remembrance towards him or any of them;
but suffer their names to sleep in silence and forgetfulnesse. Whome
20
chieflie to satisfie, or els to auoide that fowle blot of vnthankefulnesse,
I have conceiued this small Poeme, intituled by a generall name of
the worlds Ruines: yet speciallie intended to the renowming of
that noble race, from which both you and he sprong, and to the
eternizing of some of the chiefe of them late deceased. The which
25
I dedicate vnto your La. as whome it most speciallie concerneth:
and to whome I acknowledge my selfe bounden, by manie
singular fauours and great graces. I pray for
your Honourable happinesse: and
so humblie kisse your
30
handes.
Your Ladiships euer
humblie at commaund.
E. S.
The Ruines of Time.
It chaunced me on day beside the shore
Of siluer streaming Thamesis to bee,
Nigh where the goodly Verlame stood of yore,
Of which there now remaines no memorie,
5
Nor anie little moniment to see,
By which the trauailer, that fares that way,
This once was she, may warned be to say.
There on the other side, I did behold
A Woman sitting sorrowfullie wailing,
10
Rending her yeolow locks, like wyrie golde,
About her shoulders careleslie downe trailing,
And streames of teares from her faire eyes forth railing.
In her right hand a broken rod she held,
Which towards heauen shee seemd on high to weld.
15
Whether she were one of that Riuers Nymphes,