conveyances le ts in the Sea and sends it back fresh her Bowels serving as it were for a Lymbique So that wee see hereby there is a punctuall retribution and a kind of mutuall compensation betweene them which doubtlesse tends to the propagation and encrease of all compounded Bodies amongst which there is also a perpetuall and restlesse succession of Individuals to keepe the whole from fayling For as a Shippe as one made a very apposite comparison riding at anchor tosseth and tumbleth up and downe perpetually yet cannot goe beyond the length of the Cable to which shee is tyed and so in this turbulent motion sheweth a constancie so is it with the Vniverse wherein all things hang by the Plummets of Providence Therefore I cannot subscribe to their speculation that thinke the World hath beene long since in a Hectique Feaver and so drawing on to a Consumption That neither Vegetable Sensitive nor Rationall Creatures are in that height of perfection as in former times That Vertue shines not with so strong a lustre That Invention is farre shallower and Age shorter That the Moderne World compard with the Ancient is as a Dwarfe upon a Gyants shoulders or as Noone shadowes compard to the Mornings I must confesse Antiquitie is venerable which makes us extenuate things present and extoll things passd and make it still the Burden of our Song VVell fare the old Times implying thereby a palpable decay or dotage in all things Yet we find that the two great Luminaries of Heaven and the rest of the Celestiall Bodies have still the same vertue and operation without the least imaginarie diminution all Elementarie Bodies receive vigour and strength from their influence Therefore I doe not see how the present can be so farre inferiour in point of perfection to them of former Ages considering the virtuall Causes remaine still in the same strength and as for Invention Wisedome and Learning I doe not see but the second thoughts of latter Ages may be as wise as those of elder Times I know the time must come that Heaven and Earth shall passe away and that there will be a finall Dissolution though no Annihilation of the Matter but a destruction of the Old Forme and introduction of a New And of late yeares some would be so foole-hardie as to presume to be more of the Cabinet Counsell of God Almightie then the Angels themselves by whose ministerie some say he created the World as to point at the precise Time of this Dissolution amongst other arguments they fetch downe one from Heaven it selfe which is that the Polar Starre which is in the tayle of the lesser Beare was in Ptolomey's time twelve Degrees from the Pole of the Equator this Starre hath insensibly still crept nearer the Pole so that now 't is but three Degrees off when it comes to touch or make the nearest approach that can be to the Pole which may well come to passe in 500 yeares Nature her selfe they say must expire or some notable Period But I have beene carryed away too farre by this Speculation causd by Adriana which of any Politicall Body may be producd for an instance against a generall decay and impairing of the Moderne World Though some which repine at the Myrtles prosperitie say That those stout and ventrous Trees wherewith she was usd to be fencd are lately degenerated in point of valour to weake Reeds for their Pusillanimitie and too much Caution when they come to any Warlike encounter And now it is high time for me to shake hands with Adriana and Bombycina also whereof I must not forget to tell you that the Olive now occupyeth foure parts of seven if she were so divided And to his Greatnesse and the apprehension of feares and jealousies they have that he would fish in troubled waters may be ascribd the Concord and Calme of Bombycina's Princes who as once the Mice would have hung a Bell at the Cats Neck but after consultation could not agree who should venture first to put it on would plot something still against the Olive Adde hereunto that besides this Peace there is plentie of Treasure that comes to Bombycina by the Olive who makes one of her proudest Cities his Scale for remitting his Moneyes to Leoncia But that Citie in respect of him may be sayd to be as a Partridge under a Faulcons wings who can seize upon her at pleasure but doth not for politique respects Bombycina was usd to be most under the Mulberry the wisest of all Trees for he never puts forth his Buds till all the cold weather be passd And so indeed the Plants Bombycina produceth are accounted the wisest politiquest and most reserved and cautious of all other 'T is a Rule amongst them That he cannot be essentially wise who openeth all the Boxes of his Brest to any They are for the most part of a speculative complexion And he is accounted little lesse then a foole who is not melancholy once a day They are onely bountifull to their betters from whom they hope to receive a greater benefit To others the Purse is closest shut when the Mouth opens widest nor are you like to get a piece of Cake there unlesse yours be knowne to be in the Oven Yet are they the greatest embracers of Pleasure of any other upon Earth and they esteeme of Pearles as Pebbles so they may satisfie their gust in point of Pleasure or Revenge Here you shall find Love and Hatred Vertue and Vice Atheisme and Religion in their Extremes for the greatest Wits depravd are the most dangerous Corruptio optimi est pessima Yet the Character one lately gave of them seemes to savour too much of the Satyre viz. That the Bombycinian is unnaturall in his Lust irreconcilable in his Hatred and unfoordable in his thoughts That with one breath hee bloweth hot and cold and to compasse his owne ends he will light a Candle to the Devill I know there is no Countrey without her Nick. As Ampelona to be a great Bedlam Bombycina a great Bordell Rhenusium a huge Brew-house Elaiana Natures Sweating-Tub Druina a Stage of Mimiques Lurana a Fripperie of Bankrupts Monticolia a Conventicle of Hills Cardenia the Vrinall of the Planets And Itelia the Suburbs of Hell being situated lowest of any other upon the Earthly Globe For my owne particular were I to associate with a stranger I would single out a Bombycinian before any other for my conversation for of those twelve severall sorts of Forreners I have had occasion to converse withall I never knew any yet symbolizing so much with them of Druina or complying more with their humour OF THE ARRIVALL OF Prince ALTAPINVS in DRVINA BVt it is high time for mee to returne now to my Rhenusian Prince Altapinus newly arrivd in Druina upon a high designe of love and no lesse then to the fairest branch of the Royall Oke that Mirror of all perfections The Itelians and the old Fox of Ardennes with Druinas greatest Arch-Flamin did mainely advance
Petropolis And he was well servd for his blind Zeale who going to cut downe an ancient white Hauthorne-Tree which because she budded before others might bee an occasion of Superstition had some of the prickles flew into his eye and made him Monocular Yet for all the specious fruits of sanctity these Dotard Trees outwardly beare they are found commonly rotten at the heart they are like putrified Wood shinining in the darke And their fruit like that which is sayd to growe hard by the Sodomitique Lake fayre and goodly without but hanled crumbleth to Ashes So injurious they are to Prayer being the very Marrow into which the Soule melts in her Dovotion to Heaven that the would thrust her out of her owne House the Temple at least give her a small roome that may be unlesse she prove the extemporall issue of their owne shallow braines harrowed over with such impertinent Tautologies and bold Expostulations Such a deadly feud they have to hierarchy and degrees in holy Functions that they account those high Luminaries which from all times have beene appoynted for the Guidance and Goverment of the Church to be nought else but Comets and ill boding Starres In their Conventicles they doe commonly bella cum personis magis quà m peccatis gerere Seldome doe they give their Flockes any Milke but strong Meates they still thunder out Lighning and Tempest and the dreadfull Curses of the Law which must needs whoorry many a poore Conscience upon dangerous Rocks and doubts and fits of Despaire and seldome do they apply the sweet and Soule-solacing Lenitiffs of the Gospell wherewith the corresives of the Law should be tempered whence it may be inferd that they thinke oftner of Hell then Heaven Adde hereunto that some of these great Santons will not stick to expound the sacred Text upon the warrant of their owne private spirits as if God Almightie appeard to them out of a Bush but hereby they usually worke themselves into some odde illumination of an egregious dotage For they should learne That in holy things he that strikes upon the Anvill of his owne Braine is in danger to have the sparkles flye into his Face which must needes dazzle him nor is he unlike him who layeth together hot burning Coales with his naked Fingers in stead of a paire of Tongs I could wish that these sciolous Zelotists had more Iudgement joynd with their Zeale that they would not runne away so farre from their Text it were well that they would suffer Reason to perswade them before she invades them as commonly in Argument shee doth That they had more of the spirit of Conformitie and Obedience to the Constitutions and Commands of lawfull Authoritie which commonly every ignorant and shallow mechanique spirit amongst them will presume to censure or demurre upon and upon every triviall Cavill rayse Clamours As in Itelia where these fanatique spirits most swarme not long agoe two of their greatest Clerks kept a mightie adoe Whether AARONS Ephod was of Sea-greene or Sky-colour and this disturbd a while the whole Assembly there being hot abetters on both sides And indeed these obstreperous Sceptiques are the greatest bane of Divinitie who are so full of the spirit of Contradiction that they raise daylie new disputes and multiplie Controversies so that they are almost without number And if the Loyolists on the one side and they on the other were quite grubd vp For they are but Brambles in the Lords Vinyard or cut downe and there is a strong warrant that every Tree which beareth not good fruit should be cut downe or that they were sent to plant in Vtopia it were no great matter For with their extremes they blow the Bellowes and are the common Incendiaries of all combustions wheresoever they come For the One they have it from their first Planter who had beene of the profession of bloud therefore they would propagat Pietie as Alcharona doth hers with the sword and so make Religion to bee Gladij pedissequa and which is worse the Mantle to palliat all their designes so that if one should prie narrowly into the carriage of their actions it would put him in mind of that damnable tenet of the Atheist In nomine Domini fit omne malum And betweene these two the Westerne Church yea Faith her selfe that sacred Ladie doth suffer as twixt two Malefactors the one disturbing her peace the other depraving her doctrine but the time will come that they shall be both crushed to peeces on both sides and not a bone of hers broken But nothing is so naturall to the humane Creature and which he longs after and delights in more then novelty and change yea in holy things And as long as hee is compounded of the foure Elements whose very being consists in mutabilitie his braine must still fluctuate with new fancies As long as there are diversitie of Climes whence the Celestiall bodies send downe their influences and make impressions upon the mind in different degrees of temper there must be various Idea's and conceptions of the Deity as well as of all other things And as time doth worke a revolution in it selfe so it doth in all sublunary matters We grow weary of old things of Morall and Politique Lawes of the most exact and regularst Languages of outward habits yea the inward habitudes are subject to this nay Religion her selfe is not exempt but like the Moone hath Eclipses Changes and Spots But as some Astronomers affirme those Specks which are discerned in the body of the Moone to be causd by the shadowy reflections of Rocks Mountaines which are upon the surface of the Earth So the swelling vaine conceipts that arise and puffe up the mind are the causes of such blemishes in Religion An undenyable principle it is that there is but one Truth and one Tracke which leadeth to the right notion of the Almighty And certainely Hee being a Spirit and the most simple of essences they approach nearest this Track who serve Him as I sayd before in Spirit and simplicity of thoughts with the least mixture of externe Rights and humane inventions for as in Heraldry t is held a rule that the plainer the Coat of Armes is the more ancient it is so in the blazon of true Religion the more simple and plaine the forme is yet I alwayes presuppose decencie the nearer it comes to the old Primitive times Therefore that Religion which hath least of the outward object to avoyd all occasions of Idolatrie but worships the God-head by a speculative act of the Vnderstanding and goeth directly to Himselfe That Religion which derogates from the Creature and ascribes most glory to the Creator That which transferres not his Honour whereof he is most jealous or mis-applyeth it to any other That which makes the poore peccant Soule relye onely upon the Riches of his Mercie and so by a necessarie recourse to enbosome and endeare her selfe unto him That Religion surely is most agreeable to the invisible and omniscious God
the worke together with the Princely Orenge and the Willowes but the Royall Firre of Elatena and that great Queene from which she sprang gave but cold consent thereunto and it was thought it lessened some part of her naturall affection towards her ever after Yet Altapinus was admitted a Suitor and as he was in hot pursuite of this brave attempt of love behold a most mournefull accident of fate intervenes the fall of that brave Standell which should have immediatly succeeded the Royall Oke in all his Dominions This strucke an Earthquake into all hearts for the present which were affected with various passions of griefe feare amazement and darke suspitions that in regard his fall was so immature and sudden it could not bee without some sinister practise of violent meanes nor can some bee wean'd from that conceit to this day imputing the cause of it to a precocitie of Spirit and valour in him and that therefore some infectious Southerne Aire did blast him But this is certaine that there was intelligence of it in Elaianas Court amongst the Luranian Loyolists a prety while before his fall This incomparable Prince was so lamented that all kind of Trees throughout the whole Forrest hung downe their heads and seemd to be turnd to Cypresses for the time which being expird the nuptialls of Prince Altapinus were consummated and when the conjugall knot was a tying the Princely Bride was observd to bee possessd with a sudden apprehension and eruptions of joy which as the iron decree of fate would have it turnd after into many pangs God wot of anguish and sorrow For being but a few yeares settled in Rhenusium during which time all the neighbouring Princes envied their high felicity Behold the Cedar by the instigation of the Loyolists fell out with the Homebians who had elected him to be their King provided that he would keepe their priviledges inviolable but they alleadging hee had infringed them they would continue no longer under the shelter of his boughs but shooke him off tore his Seales and resumd liberty to choose another King Hereupon they made a proffer of their Crowne I cannot say it was the mayden proffer to Pr Altapinus who consulting upon it though not so maturely as the disastrous events shewd afterwards accepted it Many there were which animated him thereunto and amongst other motives of incitement they usd one was that if he had courage enough to adventure upon the fairest branch and sole of that kind of Druinas Royall Oke he might very well venture upon a Crowne when it was tendred him Thus he went triumphantly to Homebia where hee was inaugurated and crown'd king with many high expressions of joy and triumph About these times behold a fatall torch appeared in the Heavens placed there by the great Architect of the world to forewarne Mortals of their miseries And the direfullst effects it produc'd were under that clime Those blazing lampes which in this latter age had appeared in the asterismes of Cassiopaeia the Serpent and Swan brought not forth such horrid events as this in the VIRGIN signe It were to digresse from the scope of this discourse to make disquisition whether these unusuall lights be hospites or Indigenae new-come guests or old Inhabitants in Heaven or whether they bee meere meteorologicall impressions not transcending the upper Region or whether to bee rank'd amongst celestiall bodies I leave the indagation of this high cause to the Disciples of Iohannes de sacro bosco of Iohn of holy bush it being not the subject of my Trees at this time But these hairie lampes have beene noted to have been alwaies the fatall Vshers of calamity and alterations in states And as upon earth prodigious births portend no good so these new engendred monsters above point alwaies at some sad events to follow either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warres pestilence or famine all which have most miserably rag'd through poore Rhenusium ever since and cease not to this very houre and that with such fury that in many places the bed cannot priviledge the sick nor the cradle the suckling nor the great belly the Embryo nor the Tribunall the Magistrate nor the Altar the Priest The chiefe grounds of all which was imputed to this revolt of the Homebians from the Cedar For the heavens bright eye had scarce run one whole carreere through the Zodiake but towards that season of greatest mirth throughout the whole yeare The Cedar had capitulated with the Elder who from that time forward fell sicke of the gall a disease incident to old trees against Altapinus though he was the principall branch of his stock to muster up certaine military forces to his use for the expence of which service he engag'd part of his Country to him with which forces though fewer in number and tyred with long marches he suddenly assailed Altapinus his royall army and got the day The Elder pursued his victory to the very walls where Altapinus with the Princely Carbasilis raignd and being surpriz'd were constrain'd to flye in confusd manner with halfe bag and baggage Thus the Inconstant goddesse turnd her wheele about and for this shadowy Crown made him loose the substance viz. his Princely inheritance the brave territories of Baccharia Some there are which thought it much that Altapinus appeard not himselfe in the field the day of this battaile in regard his newly worne Crowne stood upon the fortune of it And that having good store of treasure in cash hee suffered his Souldiers to bee heartlesse and ready to mutiny for pay most of that treasure falling afterwards a bootie to the enemy The infortunate Altapinus traversing up and down Rhenusium came at last with the Princely Carbasilis to Itelia where the martiall Orenge well-comd her with high demonstrations of joy and his first congratulation was that if she had beene the Masculine Plant Homebias Crowne had never beene lost so slightly And good reason they had to be welcome to Itelia for it is more than conjecturd that t' was she who put Prince Altapinus upon this fatall enterprise to advance her owne ends For the truce with Elaiana being then upon point of expiring she had no hope to draw Druinas Monarke whose genius was so strongly bent for peace but by these meanes into military engagements that so part of Elaianas strength might fall upon him but Itelia reckond without her host in this point For the first tydings being brought him of that undertaking Hee calls his sages together and in a profound sence of sorrow and a kind of propheticke spirit and the Oke of all other Trees is only fatidicall told them what a fearefull infortunate businesse this would prove And that the youngest there amongst them should not see the end of it which by sad experience hath provd too true yet continueth Moreover he was usd to say that the Homebians made use of Altapinus as the Fox did of the Catts foot to pull the Apple out of
is carelesse of his owne life is master of another's But Heaven forbid that this custome which hath such a vogue in other parts should take footing in DRVINA This tragedie being acted the Royall Oke pursueth his designe for supporting of Petrina with the Eusebians in Ampelona but this disaster as it bred confusion for the time so it causd a stand in the procedure of that great action which gave the Vine respit to finish those stupendous circumvallations and barricadoes hee had reard up by sea and land to begirt Petrina In so much that when another noble Elme was sent with strength sufficient to have achievd a greater exploit he found her passd cure This some say went to the very heart of Elaiana who in regard of that notable advantage and addition of united power the Vine got hereby would have found some way or other to have relievd Petrina had she thought Druina would have missd it The great Assembly aforesaid rejoynd and mett againe in one body and now he that was supposd to be the cause of the tempest being throwne overboard there were great hopes a calme should ensue but the storme continued as furious as ever and unlucky passions blustred as much if not more than they had done formerly in Villerios time They flew a fresh upon other great Officers and questiond a duty that for garding of the seas and common defence of the realme had beene indisputably granted to so many preceding Kings for a bene esse which they made difficulty to affoord the Royall Oke regnant unles he would first renounce alright to it and so receive it meerely from them Thus they choppd logicke with Soveraigne Majesty who movd with these traverses resolvd though to his unutterable griefe to dismisse this great Counsell but upon the point when this was to be done in forme the lower assembly in a strange tumultuary manner adjournd themselves before they had receivd his royall pleasure They denied him his Officers at armes violated the prolocutor being twise sent for delayed to let in his messenger and discontentments turning thus to a strange kind of disobedience they broake up in confusion Adde hereunto that notwithstanding there was another peculiar Assembly of Reverend Yewes of purpose for the regulating and sweeping cleane of the house of the Almighty yet the poplars must make it their office to tamper with the constitution of holy things And indeed this is one of the greatest scandals and brands that not only Petropolis but other Forreners who have with her forsaken Petropolis cast upon Druina viz. that her Ecclesiasticall Ordinances are the commands and injunctions of this secular power and members of this Assembly who not only confirme which may become them well enough and is necessary for a generall obedience but take upon them to be Iudges herein So that one being askd what they did in that lower great Assembly hee was answerd pleasantly That they were making of a new Creed Another was over-heard to say that hee could not bee quiet in his Conscience untill the holy text should be confirmd by an Act of theirs Whence may bee inferrd that some of them beleeve it belongs to them to make sanctions as well as statutes This inducd the Royall Oke though he be responsible to none for an account of his actions but to the high Majestie of Heaven to publish an open protest unto the world for the satisfaction of his better sort of subjects of the causes of these disorders declaring that while Villerio liv'd hee was intitled to all the distempers and ill events of former assemblies therefore much endeavour was usd to demolish him as the only wall of separation twixt their Soveraigne and them but he now being cut off no alteration was found amongst them at all or calmenesse in their proceedings He was pleasd to declare further that he imputed not these commotions to the whole Assembly knowing that there were amongst them many religious grave and well minded Patriotts but the sincerer and better part of them being over-borne by the clamours and practises of others who carelesse of their duties and taking advantage of the times and his necessities constraind him to breake off that meeting which had it beene answerd with like duties on their parts as love on his might have prov'd happie to all Druina These fatall distempers as they did much hurt to the body politicke at home for they were like humours stirrd in the naturall body without evacuation so did they produce disadvantagious effects abroad and better had it been that the Raysers and fomenters of them had never sprang up in Druina The Royall Firre had engagd himselfe in the quarrell of Altapinus against the Cedar and he had proceeded so far as to the imminent and actuall danger of his owne person And expecting from Druina those monthly supplies which were promised by capitulation partly for want of them the one halfe of his territories being already over-runne and plundred hee was constraind to shuffle up a peace with the Cedar without Druinas privity And it was high time for him for whereas the Firre was usd to bee a dwelling for the stork the Eagle was like to build his nest there The foresaid great expedition to relieve Petrina did also suffer hereby and indeed the whole party of the Eusebians every where up and downe the world who had their eyes fixd upon Druinas Monarke their defendor Who so much labouring to take the old wonted great trodden way for supplies towards the support of such publike designes was constraind at last to take the higher roade by having recourse to his Soveraigne prerogative to ballast the common purse of the state And a kingdome is like a Shippe at Sea whose ballast should be the Princes Coffers which if they be light and emptie she will do nought but tumble up and downe nor can she be made to run a direct and steddy Course About this time fell one of the noblest Elmes in the whole Forrest extracted of the ancient stocke of the Monticolians that bore the smallest yet chiefest staffe of office and command in Druinas Court And his fall was the more remarkable because the night immediately before he was discoursing of and slighting the art of those foolish Astrologers and Genethliacall Ephemerists that use to pry into the horoscope of Nativities whereof one had much tampred with his and positively affirmd he should not reach 51. yeares And now said hee I have liv'd thankes bee to Heaven fiftie one yeares and a day compleat But the next morning hee was taken with an Apoplexie whereof he presently died much lamented hee was for his noblenes and mervailous candor of disposition and other brave endowments and therefore generally belov'd in Citie Court and Country And being a long time averse to the match with Elaiana Mordogan put a shrewd pernicious complement upon him For being at a private audience in discourse with Druinas Monarke hee fell to magnifie the greatnesse loyalty and wealth