In Africk, reaching from th' Atlantick streames,
To Nilus heated with the sunny beames;
And southward stretcht as farre as Ethiope feeds
Huge elephants, like those which India breeds:
He conquers Spaine, which cannot him inclose
With Pyrenean hills, the Alpes and snowes,
Which nature armes against him, he derides,
And rockes made soft with vineger diuides.
He Italy attaines, yet striues to runne
On further: "Nothing yet," saith he, "is done,
Till Punicke souldiers shall Romes gates deface,
And in her noblest streets mine ensignes place."
How would this one-ey'd general appeare
With that Getulian beast which did him beare,
If they were set in picture? What became
Of all bis bold attempts? O deare-bought fame,
He, vanquisht, into exile headlong flies,
Where (all men wondring) he in humble wise,
Must at the palace doore attendance make,
Till the Bythinian tyrant please to wake.
No warlike weapons end that restlesse life,
Which in the world caus'd such confused strife.
His ring reuengeth all the Romans dead
At Cannæ, and the blood which he had shed.
Foole, passe the sharpe Alpes, that thy glory's
dreame
[theame.
May schoole-boyes please, and be their publike
One world contents not Alexander's mind,
He thinkes himselfe in narrow bounds confin'd:
It seems as strait as any little isle,

Or desart rocke to him, whom lawes exile:
But when he comes into the towne, whose walls
Were made of clay, his whole ambition falls
Into a graue: death onely can declare
How base the bodies of all mortals are.
The lying Greekes persuade vs not to doubt,
That Persian nauies sailed round about
The mountaine Athos seuer'd from the maine,
Such stuffe their fabulous reports containe :
They tell vs what a passage framed was
Of ships, that wheels on solid seas might passe :
That deepest rivers failed we must thinke,
Whose floods the Medians at one meale could drink:
And must beleeue such other wond'rous things,
Which Sostratus relates with moyst'ned wings.
But that great king of whom these tales they frame,
Tell me how backe from Salamis he came,
That barb'rous prince who vs'd to whip the winds,
Not suff'ring strokes when Aeolus them binds;
He who proud Neptune in his fetters chain'd,
And thought his rage by mildnesse much restrain'd,
Because he did not brand him for his slaue ;
Which of the gods would such a master haue.
But how return'd be with one slender bote,
Which through the bloody waues did slowly flote,
Oft stay'd with heapes of carkases: these paines
He as the fruits of long-wisht glory gaines.
"Giue length of life, O loue, gite many yeeres,"
Thou prayst with vpright count'nance, pale with
feares

Not to be heard, yet long old age complaines
Of great continuall griefes which it containes :
As first a foule and a deformed face
Vnlike it selfe, a rugged hide in place

Of softer skin, loose cheekes, and wrinkles made,
As large as those which in the woody shade
Of spacious Tabraca, the mother ape
Deepe furrow'd in her aged chaps doth scrape.
Great diff'rence is in persons that be young,
Some are more beautifull, and some more strong

Than others: but in each old man we see
The same aspect; his trembling limbs agree
With shaking voyce, and thou may'st add to those
A bald head, and a childish dropping nose.
The wretched man when to this state he comes,
Must break his hard bread with vnarmed gummes,
So lothsome, that his children and his wife
Grow weary of him, he of his owne life;
And Cossus hardly can his sight sustaine,
Though wont to flatter dying men for gaine.
Now his benumbed palate cannot taste
His meate or drinke, the pleasures now are past.
Of sensuall lust, yet he in buried fires
Retaines vnable and vnfit desires.

What joy can musicke to his hearing bring,
Though best musicians, yea, Seleucus sing,
Who purchase golden raiments by their voyce:
In theaters he needs not make his choice
Of place to sit, since that his deaf'ned eare
Can scarce the cornets and the trumpets heare:
His boy must cry aloud to let him know
Who comes to see him, how the time doth goe
A feuer only heates his wasted blood
In eu'ry part assaulted with a flood
Of all diseases: if their names thou aske,
Thou mayst as well appoint me for a taske
To tell what close adulterers Hippia loues;
How many sick-men Themison remoues
Out of this world within one autumn's date:
How many poore confederates of our state,..
Have been by griping Basilus distrest:
How many orphanes Irus hath opprest;
To what possessions he is now preferr'd,
Who in my youth scorn'd not to cut my beard.
Some feeble are in shoulders, loynes, or thighes,
Another is depriu'd of both his eyes,

And enuies those as happy that haue one.
This man too weake to take his meate alone,
With his pale lips must feede at others' hands,
While he according to his custome stands
With gaping jawes like to the swallowes brood,
To whom their hungry mother carries food
In her full mouth; yet worse in him we find,
Than these defects in limbes, a doting mind;
He cannot his owne seruants' names recite,
Nor know his friend with whom he supt last night;
Not those he got and bred: with cruell spots
Out of his will his doubtlesse heires he blots,
And all his goods to Phiale bequeathes :
So sweet to him a common strumpet breathes.
But if his senses should not thus be spent,
His children's fun'ralls he must oft lament
He his deare wiue's and brothers' death bemones,
And sees the vrnes full of his sisters' bones.
Those that liue long endure this lingring paine,
That oft they find new causes to complaine,
While they mishaps in their owne house behold,
In woes and mournefull garments growing old.
The Pylian king, as Homer's verses show,
In length of life came nearest to the crow: [beares,
Thou thinkst him blest whom death so long for-
Who on his right hand now accounts his yeeres
By hundreds with an ancient num'rall signe,
And hath the fortune oft to drinke new wine.
But now obserue how much he blames the law
Of Fates, because too large a thread they draw:
When to Antilochus' last rites he came,
And saw his beard blaze in the fun'rall flame,
Then with demands to those that present are,
He thus his gre'uoùs mis'ry doth declare :

“ Why should I last thus long, wbat hainous crime Should bounteous nature's lib'rall band bestow Hath made me worthy of such spatious time?” Chast disposition, modest lookes, which glow

Like voyces Peleus vs'd, when he be wail'd With sanguine blushes, (what more happy thios Achilles, whom vntimely death assail'd :

To boyes can fauourable nature bring? And sad Laertes, who had cause to weepe

Whose inclinations farre more pow'rfull are, For his Vlisses swimming on the deepe.

Than many keepers and continuall care :) When Troy was safe, then Priam might haue gone Yet are they neuer suffer'd to possesse With stately exequies and solemne mone,

The name of man ; such foal corrupters pressen T'accompany Assaracus his ghost,

And by the force of large expences trust,
His fun'rall herse, enricht with princely cost, To make their parents instruments of lust.
Which Hector with his other brothers beares, No tyrant in his cruell palace gelt
Amidst the flood of Ilian women's teares.

Deformed youths; no noble child had felt When first Cassandra practis'd to lament; Fierce Nero's rapes, if all wry-leg'd had beene : And faire Polyxena with garments rent:

If in their necks foule swellings had beea seene; If be had dy'd ere Paris plac'd his sayles

If windy tumours had their bellies rays'd; In ventrous ships, see what long age auailes : Or camels' bunches had their backes disprais'd : This caus'd him to behoid his ruin'd towne, Goe now with joy thy young-man's formc affect, The swords and fires which conquer'd Asia drowne ; Whom greater dangers, and worse fates expect; Then he, a trembling souldier, off doth cast Perhaps he sbortly will the title beure His diademe, takes armour ; but at last

Of a profest adult'rer, and will feare
Falls at loue's altar, like an oxe decai'd;

To suffer justly for his wicked fact,
Whose pittifull thinne necke is prostrate laid Such paines as angry husbands shall exact :
To his hard master's knife, disdained now,

Nor can be happier be than Mars his starre, (warte. Because not fit to drawe th' vngratefull plow: T” escape those snares which caught the god of Yet dy'd he humane death; but his carst wife Yet oft that griefe to sharper vengeance drawes, Bark't like a dog, remaining still in life.

Than is permitted by th' indulgent lawes ; To our examples willingly I baste,

Some kill with swords, others with scourges cut, And therefore Mithridates haue orepast;

And some th offenders to foule torments put. And Croesus whom just Solon bids t'attend,

But thine Endymion happily will proue And not to iudge men happy till the end.

Some matron's minion, who may merit loue ; This is the cause that banisht Marius flies,

Yet when Seruilia him with money hires,
That he imprison'd is, and that he lies

He must be hers against his owne desires : ,
In close Minturnæs fennes to hide his head, Her richest ornaments she off will take,
And neere to conquer'd Carthage begs his bread. And strip herself of iewels for his sake.
Wise nature had not fram'd, nor Rome brought | What will not Hippia and Catulla giue
A citizen more noble for his worth ; (forth To those, that with them in adult'ry liue :
If hauing to the view his captiues led,

For wicked women in these base respects
And all his warlike pompe, in glory spred; Place all their manners, and their whole affects.
Then his triumphant soule he forth had sent, But thou wilt say, “Can beauty hurt the chaste *
When from his Cimbrian chariot downe he went. Tell me what ioy Hippolitus did taste ;
Campania did for Pompey's good provide

What good seuere Bellerophon receiu'd, Strong feuers, which (if he had then espy'd When to their pure intents they strictly cleau'd. What would ensue) were much to be desir'd. Both Sthenobæa and the Cretan queene, But many cities' publike vowes conspir’d,

Asham'd of their repulse, stirr'd vp their teene : And this so happy sicknesse could deface,

For then a woman breeds most fierce debate, Reseruing him to dye with more disgrace:

When shame addes piercing stings to cruell hate. Rome's and his fortune onely sau'd his head How would'st thou counsell him, whom th'emp'ror's To be cut off when ouercoin'n he fled.

Resolues to marry in her husband's life : (wife This paine the traytor Lentulus doth scape: The best and fairest of the lords must dye; Cethegus not disfigur'd in his shape,

His life is quencht by Messallina's eye: Enioying all his limbes vnmaimed lyes,

She in her nuptiall robes doth him expect, And Catiline with his whole carkase dyes.

And openly hath in her gardens deckt The carefull mother when she casts her eyes A purple marriage bed, nor will refuse On Venus' temple in soft lowly wise,

To giue a dowre, and ancient rites to vse. Demands the gift of beauty, for her boyes,

The cunning wizzard who must tell the doome But askes it for her girles with greater noyse, Of this successe, with notaries must come : [view, At common formes her wish she neuer staies, Thou think'st these things are hid from publike But for the height of delicacy prayes.

And but committed to the trust of few. And why should’st thou reproue this prudent choice? Nay, she will have her solemne wedding drest Latona in fair Phebe doth reioyce.

With shew of law: then teach him what is best : O but Lucretia's haplesse fate deterres,

He dies ere night vnlesse he will obay; That others wish not such a face as hers;

Admit the crime, he gaines a little stay, Virginia her sweet feature would forsake,

Till that which now the common people heares, And Rutila's crook'd backe would gladly take. May come by rumour to the prince's eares : Where sonnes are beautifull, the parents, vext For he is sure to be the last that knowcs With care and feare, are wretched and perplext. T'he secret shame which in his houshold growes :: So seldome an exact consent betweene

Thy selfe a while to her desires apply, Well-favour'd shapes and chastity is seene. And life for some few dayes so dearely buy. For should they be with holy manners tauglit What way soeuer he as best shall chuse, In homely houses, such as Sabines wrougbt; 'Tbat faire white nacke be by the sword must luse,

." Shall men wish nothing ?” Wilt thou counsell | Yet when short time with swiftnesse Byes, take,

The height of senses it regaines. Permit the heau’nly powers the choyce to make, Those ages shall be soone at hand, What shall be most conuenient for our fates, When kindly beate the bones reuiewes ; Or bring most profit to our doubtfull states, And shall the former house command, The prudent gods can place their gifts aright, Where liuing blood it shall infuse. and grant true goods in stead of vaine delight.

Dull carkases to dust now worne, A man is neuer to himselfe so deare,

Which long in graues corrupted lay, As vato them when they his fortunes steare: Shall to the nimble ayre be borne, We, carried with the fury of our minds,

Where soules before haue led the way. And strong affection which our iudgement blinds, Hence comes it to adorne the graue, Would husbands proue, and fathers, but they see With carefull labour men affect : What our wisht children and our wives will bee: The limbes dissolu'd last honour baue, Yet that I may to thee some pray’rs allow,

And fun'rall rites with pompe are deckt; When to the sacred temples thou do'st vow, The custome is to spread abroad Divinest entrailes in white pockets found,

White linnens, grac'd with splendour pure's Pray for a sound mind in a body sound;

Sabæan myrrb on bodies strow'd, Desire braue spirit free from feare of death, Preserues them from decay secure. Which can esteem the latest houre of breath, The hollow stones by caruers wrought, Among the gifts of nature which can beare

Which in faire monuments are laid, All sorrowes from desire and anger cleare,

Declare that pledges thither brought, And thinkes the paines of Hercules more blest, Are not to death but sleepe conuay'd. Than wanton lust, the suppers, and soft rest The pious Christians this ordaine, Wherein Sardanapalus ioy'd to live.

B+ leeuing with a prudent eye, I show thee what thou to thy selfe mayst giue; That those shall rise and live againe, If thou the way to quiet life wilt treade,

Who now in freezing slumbers lye. No guide but vertuie can thee thither lende: He that the dead (disperst in fields) No pow'r diuine is euer absent there,

In pittie hides, with heapes of molds,
Where wisdome dwells, and equall rule doth beare. To his almighty Sauiour yeelds,
But we, O Portune, striue to make thee great, A worke which he with ioy beholds.
Plac'd as a goddesse in a heau'nly seate.

The same law warnes vs all to grone,
Wbom one seuere condition ties,

And in another's death to mone.
A FUNERALL HYMNE OUT OF PRUDEN- That reu'rend man in goodnesse bred,

All fun’rals, as of our allies,
TIUS.

Who blest Tobias did beget,
O God, the soules pure fi'ry spring,

Preferr'd the buriall of the dead Who diff'rent natures wouldst combine:

Before his meate, though ready set ; That man whom thou to life didst brius,

He, while the seruants waiting stand, By weakenesse may to death decline,

Forsakes the cups, the dishes leaues, By thee they both are fram'd aright,

And digges a graue with speedy hand, They by thy hand united be;

Which with the bones his teares receiues. And while they joyne with growing might,

Rewards from Heau'n this worke requite.. Both flesh and spirit liue to thee:

No slender price is here repaid, But when diuision them reca's,

God cleares the eyes that saw no light, They bend their course to seu'rall ends,

While fishes gall on them is laid. lato dry earth the body falls,

Then the Creator would descry, The feruent soule to Heau'n ascends :

How farre from reason they are led, For all created things at length,

Who sharpe and bitter things apply, By slow corruption growing old,

To soules on which new light is spreado Must needs forsake compacteel strength,

He also taught that to no wight, and Jisagreeing webs vnfold.

The beau’nly kingdome can be seene, But thou, deare Lord, hast meanes prepar'd,

Till vext with wounds and darksome night, That death in thine may never reigne,

He in the world's rough waues hath been. And hast vndoubted waies declard

The curse of Jeath a blessing finds, How members lost may rise againe :

Because by this torinenting woe, That while those gen'rous rayes are bound

Steepe waies lye plaine to spotlesse minds, In prison vnder fading things ;

Who to the starres by sorrowes goe. That part may still be stronger found,

The bodies which long perisht lay, Which from aboue directly springs.

Return to live in better yeeres : If man with baser thoughts possest,

That vnion neuer shall decay, His will in earthly mud shall drowne;

Where after death new warmth appearet. The soule with such a weight opprest,

The face where now pale colour dwels,

Whence foul infection shall arise,
Is by the body carried downe :
But when she mindful of her birth,

The flowres in splendour then excels,
Her selfe from vgly spots debarres ;

When blood the skinne with beauty dies. She lifts her friendly house from earth,

No age, by times imperious law, And beares it with her to the starres.

With enuious prints the forehead dimmes : See how the empty bodies lyes,

No drought, no leanenesse then can draw Where now no lively soule remaines :

The moysture from the wither'd livmes.

Diseases, which the body eate,

Thou op'ning must restore at last, Infected with oppressing paines,

The limbes in shape which now we see. In midst of torments then shall sweate,

Nor if long age with pow'rfull reigne Imprison'd in a thousand chaines.

Shall turne the bones to scatter'd dust ; The conqu’ring flesh immortall growes,

And onely ashes shall retaine, Beholding from the skies aboue,

In compasse of a handfull thrust : The endlesse groning of her foes,

Nor if swift floods, or strong command For sorrowes which from them did moue.

Of windes through empty ayre haue tost Why are vndecent howlings mixt

The members with the flying sand; By liuing men in such a case ?

Yet man is neuer fully lost. Why are decrees so sweetly fixt,

O God, while mortal bodies are Reprou'd with discontented face?

Recall'd by thee, and form'd againe, Let all complaints and murmurs faile;

What happy seate wilt thou prepare, Ye tender mothers, stay your teares,

Where spotlesse soules may safe remaine? Let none their children deare bewaile,

In Abrabam's bosome they shall lie For life renew'd in death appeares.

Like Lazarus, whose flowry crowne So buried seeds, though dry and dead,

The rich man doth farre off espie, Againe with smiling greenenesse spring,

While him sharp fiery torments drowne. And from the hollow furrowes bred,

Thy words, O Sauiour we respect, Attempt new eares of corne to bring.

Whose triumph driues black death to losse, Earth, take this man with kind embrace,

When in thy steps thou would'st direct In thy soft bosome him conceive :

The thjefe, thy fellow on the crosse. For humane members here I place,

The faithful sec a shining way, And gen'rous parts in trust I leaue.

Whose length to paradise extends, This house, the soule her guest once felt,

This can them to those trees conuay,
Which from the Maker's mouth proceeds: Lost by the serpent's cunning ends.
Here sometime feruent wisdome dwelt,

To thee I pray, most certaine guide:
Which Christ the prince of wisedome breeds. O let this soule which thee obay'd,
A cou’ring for this body make,

In her faire birth-place pure abide,
The author neuer will forget

From which she, banisht, long bath stray'd. His workes; nor will those lookes forsake,

While we vpon the couer'd bones In which he hath his picture set.

Sweet vjolets and Icaues will throw : For when the course of time is past,

The title and the cold hard stones, And all our hopes fulfill'd shall be,

Shall with our liquid odours flow.