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A11395 Du Bartas his deuine weekes and workes translated: and dedicated to the Kings most excellent Maiestie by Iosuah Syluester; Sepmaine. English Du Bartas, Guillaume de Salluste, seigneur, 1544-1590.; Sylvester, Josuah, 1563-1618.; Pibrac, Guy du Faur, seigneur de, 1529-1584. Quatrains. English.; La Noue, Odet de, seigneur de Téligny, d. 1618. Paradoxe que les adversitez sont plus necessaires que les prosperités. English.; Hudson, Thomas, 16th/17th cent.; Hole, William, d. 1624, engraver. 1611 (1611) STC 21651; ESTC S110823 556,900 1,016

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last He saith now sure I knowe 'T is God 't is God the God that loues me so Loues keeps sustains whom I so oft haue seen Whose voice so often hath my comfort been Illuding Satan cannot shine so bright Though Angelliz'd No 'T is my God of Might Now feel I in my Soule to strength and stir-it The sacred Motions of his sacred Spirit God this sad Sacrifice requires of me Hap what hap may I must obedient be The sable Night dis-log'd and now began Aurora's Vsher with his windy Fan Gently to shake the Woods on every side While his fair Mistress like a stately Bride With flowrs and Gems and Indian gold doth spangle Her louely locks her Louers looks to tangle When gliding through the Ayr in Mantle blew With siluer fring'd shee drops the Pearly deaw With her goes Abram out and the third day Arriues on Cedrons Margents greenly-gay Beholds the sacred Hil and with his Son Loaden with sacred wood he mounts anon Anon said Isaac Father heer I see Knife fire and faggot ready instantly But wher 's your Hoste Oh! let vs mount my Son Said Abram God will soon prouide vs one But scant had Isaac turn'd his face from him A little faster the steep Mount to climbe Yer Abram changed cheere and as new Win● Simile Working a-new in the new Cask in fine For beeing stopt too-soon and wanting vent Blowes-vp the Bung or doth the vessell rent Spews out a purple stream the ground doth stain With Bacchus colour where the cask hath layn So now the Tears which manly fortitude Did yerst as captiue in the Brain include At the deer names of Father and of Son On his pale Cheeks in pearly drops did run His eye 's ful vessels now began to leak And thus th' old Hebrew muttering gan to speak In submiss voyce that Isaac might not hear His bitter grief that he vnfoldeth heer Sad spectacle O now my hap-les hand Thou whetst a sword and thou do'st teend a brand The brand shal burn my heart the sword 's keen blade Shall my bloods blood and my lifes life inuade And thou poor Isaac bearest on thy back Wood that shall make thy tender flesh to crack And yield'st thee more for mine than thine amiss Both Priest and Beast of one same Sacrifice O hapless Son O more then hap-less Sire Most wicked wretch O what mis-fortune dire In-gulfs vs heer where miserable I To be true godly must Gods law deny To be true faithful must my faith transgress To be God's Son I must be nothing less Than Isaacs Sire and Isaac for my sake Must Soyl and Sire and life and all forsake Yet on he goes and soon surmounts the Mount And steel'd by Faith he cheers his mournful Front Much like the Delian Princess when her Grace Simile In Thetis Waues hath lately washt her face He builds his Altar lays his wood ther-on And tenderly bindes his deer Son anon Father said Isaac Father Father deer What do you turn away as loth to hear O Father tel me tel me what you mean O cruelty vn-knowen Is this the mean Wherby my loyns as promised long-since is Shal make you Grand-sire of so many Princes And shal I glorious if I heer do dy Fil Earth with Kings with shining Stars the Sky Back Phoebus blush go hide thy golden head Retire thy Coach to Thetis watery Bed See not this savage sight Shal Abram's minde Be milde to all and to his Son vn-kinde And shal great Abram do the damned deed That Lions Tygres Boars and Bears would dread See how incenst he stops his ear to me As dreaming stil on 's bloody mystery Lord how precise see how the Paricide Seems to make conscience in less sins to slide And he that means to murder me his Son Is scrupulous in smaller faults to run Yet Father hear me not that I desire With sugred words to quench your Anger 's fire In Gods's name reap the Grain yourself haue sowen Com take my life extracted from your own Glut with my blood your blade if you it please That I must die welcom my death mine ease But tell me yet my fault before I die That hath deserv'd a punishment so high Say Father haue I not conspir'd your death Or with strong poyson sought to stop your breath Haue I deuis'd to short my Mother's life Or with your Foestaen part in any strife O thou Ethereal Palace Crystalline God's highest Court If in this heart of mine So damned thoughts had ever any place Shut-vp for ever all thy Gates of Grace Against my Soule and neuer let that I Among thy winged Messengers do flie If none of these Abram for I no more Dare call thee Father tell me further-more What rests besides that damned I haue don To make a Father Butcher of his Son In memorie that fault I fain would haue That after God's I might your pardon craue For such offence and so th' Attonement driven You liue content and I may die forgiuen My Son said Hee thou art not hither brought By my fell furie nor thine own foul fault God our God calls thee and He will not let A Pagan sword in thy deer blood be wet Nor burning Plague nor any pining pain With Languor turn thy flesh to dust againe But Sacrifiç'd to him for sweet perfume Will haue thee heer within this fire consume What Fears my Loue my Life my Gem my Ioy What God commands his seruants must obey Without consulting with frail Flesh and Blood How he his promise will in time make good How he wil make so many Scepters spring From thy dead dust How He All-wise wil bring In his due season from thy sense-less Thighes The glorious Son of righteousnes to rise Who shal the Mountains bruise with yron Mace Rule Heav'n and Earth and the Infernal place For he that past the course of Natures kinde First gaue thee birth can with his sacred Winde Raise thee again out of the lowest iust Ten-thousand means he hath to saue the iust His glorious wisdom guides the worlds society With equall Reans of Power and of Piety Mine own sweet Isaac deerest of my seed Too sweet alas the more my grief doth bleed The more my loss the more with cease-less anguish My vexed Bowels for thy lack shall anguish Adue deer Son no longer mine but his Who call's thee hence let this vn-happy kiss Be the sad seal of a more sad Fare-wel Than wit can paint or words haue powr to tell Sith God commands and father you require To haue it so com Death no longer dire But glorious now com gentle death dispatch The Heav'ns are open God his arms do●h reach T' imbrace my Soule O! let me brauely fly To meet my Lord and Death's prowd darts defie What Father weep you now Ah! cease those showrs Weep not for me for I no more am yours I was the Lords yer I was born you knowe And he but lent me for a while to you Will you recoyl and
huge That in our Age three men could hardly bouge Vnder whose waight his flying Foes he dashes And in their flesh bones stones and steel he pashes Somtimes he shoots somtimes he shakes a Pike Which death to many dread to all doth strike Som in the breast he wounds som in the backs Som on the hanch som on the head he hacks He heaws down all and maketh where he stood A Mount of bodies in a Moat of blood The Pagans wholly put to flight At length the Pagans wholly left the place Then both sides ran these chased those do chase These onely vse their heels those heels and hands Those wish but a fair way these that the sands Would quickly gape and swallow quick to Hell Themselues that fled and them that chaç't so fell These render nought but blowes those nought but blood Both sides haue broak their Ranks pel-mel they scud Choakt-vp with dust disordered dis-aray'd Neither Command Threat nor Intreat obay'd Thou that late bragdst that thy White Wormly braue Could dry-foot run vpon the liquid Waue And on the sand leaving no print behinde Out-swifted Arrows and out-went the Winde With a steel Dart by ABRAH'M stifly sent Art'twixt thy Cuirace and thy Saddle slent And thou that thrice neer Tygris silver source Hadst won the Bell as best in every Course Art caught by LOT and thrild from side to side Loosest thy speed-praise and thy life beside It seems no Fight but rather as befalls An execution of sad criminals Whoso escapes the sword escapes notso His sad destruction or if any tho Escap't at all they were but few at least To rue the fatall ruine of the rest For th' Vnkle and the Nephew never lin Till out of Canaan they haue chaç't them clean Like to a Cast of Falcons that pursue Simile A flight of Pigeons through the welk in blew Stooping at this and that that to their Louver To saue their lyues they hardly can recouer At his return from Fight the Kings and Lords The Kings of Ca●●●n receiued Abraham and his company with great ioy and the gratefull offer of their homage vnto him Of Palestine with glad and humble words Do welcom Abram and refresh his Troop To 's knees their heads to 's feet their knees they stoop Ovaliant Victor for thy high deserts Accept the homage of our humble hearts Accept our grateful zeal or if ought more As well thou maist thou doest expect therfore Accept said they our Lands our goods our golde Our wiues our lyues and what we deerest holde Take all we haue for all we haue is thine No wrong to vs to take thy Valours fine Melthisedec Gods sacred Minister Melchisedech blesseth Abraham And King of Salem coms to greet him there Blessing his bliss and thus with zealous cry Devoutly pearç't Heav'ns starfull Canopey Blest be the Lord that with his hand doth roule The radiant Orbs that turn about the Pole And Rules the Actions of all Humane-kinde With full command and with one blast of winde Razes the Rocks and Rends the proudest Hills Dries-vp the Ocean and the Empty fils Blest be the great God of grear Abraham From Age to Age extolled be his Name Let every Place vnto him Altars build And euery Altar with his Praise be fill'd And every Praise above the Welkin ring As loud or louder then the Angels sing Blessed be He that by an Arm-less crew Of Art-less Shepheards did so quick subdue And tame the Tamers of Great Syria so And to the servants of an exil'd Foe Hath given the Riches and the royall store Both of their Booty and their Owne before Of such an Hoast of Nations that first see Sol's early rising from Aurora's knee But Abraham to prove that not for Prey Abraham distributes the booty reseruing only a portion for the Amorites that were his confederates He put-on arms divides the Spoils away The Tythe's the Priests the Rest of all the things Yerst lost in field he renders to the Kings Save but the Portion He participates To th' Amorites his stout Confederates Shewing himself a Prince as politicke Prudent and iust as stout and Souldier-like That with his Prowess Policy can mel And Conquering can vse his Conquest wel Magnanimous in deeds in words as meek That scorning Riches true Renown doth seek So from the Sea even to th' Euphratean-source And even from Dan to Nilus crystall course Rings his renown Of him is all the speech He is famous far and neere At home abroad among the poor and rich In war and peace the Fame of his high deeds Confirms the Faithfull in their fainting Creeds And terrifies the Tyrant Infidels Shaking the sides of their proud Citadels That with their fronts the seat of IOVE do scorn And with their feet at I'luto's crown do spurn Voice Harp and Timbrel sound his praise together He 's held a Prophet or an Angel rather They say that God talks with him face to face Hoasts at his house and to his happy Race Givs in Fee-simple all that goodly Land Even from the Sea as far as Tygris strand And it is certain the Thrice-sacred-One God appeares vnto him and maketh covenant with him The King of Kings by Dream or Vision Speaks with him oft and calls him thus by name Faint not my servant fear not ABRAHAM I an no fiend that with a fained lip Seek guilefully thy simpleness to trip Nor to intice thee with a baen-full breath To bite like ADAM a new fruit of death 'T is I that brought thee from thy Native V R From night to day from death to life thus far I brought thee hither I have blest thee heer I with thy flocks have covered far and neer Canaan's fat Hills I have preserv'd thy Wife From Strangers lust and thee from Tyrants knife When thy faint heart and thy false tongue affrai'd To tel the Truth her and thy self betray'd 'T is I that have so oft from Heathens powr Preserv'd thy person and as Conquerour Now made thee Trivmph over th' Eastern Kings Whereof so far thy famous Valour rings I am in brief I am the Lord thy God Thy help at home thy Guide and Gard abroad Keep thou my Covenant and to signifie That to the World thou di'st to live to Me Circumcision instituted Go Circumcise forth-with thy Self and Thine Lead holy Life walk in my Wayes divine With vpright-foot so shall my favour haunt Thy House and thee and thou shalt nothing want No I will make thee Lord of all the Land Which Canaans Children haue with mighty hand Canaan promised to Abraham So long possest a happy Land that flowes With milk and hony a rich Land where growes Even of itself all kinde of Fruit and Corn Where smiling Heav'ns pour-down their Plenties-Horn I 'le heap thee there with Honor Wealth and Powr I will be thy Reward thy Shield and Towr O Lord said ABRAM though into my lap In shours of Gold ev'n all the Heav'ns
Coward lose the Crown So neer your head to heap you with renown Shal we so dare to dally with the Lord To cast his yoak and to contemn his Word Where shall we fly his hand Heav'n is his Throne The Earth his foot-stool and dark Acheron The Dungeon where the damned soules be shut Is of his anger euermore the Butt On him alone all our good-hap depends And he alone from dangers vs defends Ah! weep no more This sacred Turf doth craue More blood than Tears let vs vs so behaue That ioyn'd in zeal we yield vs willingly To make a vertue of necessity Let 's testifie we haue a time abod I in your School you in the school of God Where we haue learned that his sacred Word Which made of Nothing all that euer stirr'd Which all sustaines and all directeth still To diuers ends conducts the good and ill Who loues not God more than all Kinn's respect Deserues no place among his deer Elect And who doth once God's Till age vnder-take Must not look back neither his Plough forsake Here-with th' old Hebrew cheerfuller becam And to himself cries Courage Abraham The World the Flesh Adam are dead in thee God Spirit and Faith alone subsisting be Lord by thy Spirit vnto my spirit annex So liuely Faith that still mine eyes may fix On thy true Isaac whose sharp sin-less Suffering Shall purge from sin me and my sinfull offering Scarce had he draw'n his sword in resolution With heaued hand for instant execution When instantly the thundring voyce of God Stay'd heart and hand and thus the Fact forbod Abram enough holde holde thy hand sayd he Put-vp thy sword thine Isaac shall not die Now of thy faith I haue had perfect proof Thy Will for Deed I do accept enough Glad Abram then to God giues thanks and prayse Vnbindes his Son and in his room he lays A Lamb there strangely hampered by the head And that to God devoutly offered Renowned Abraham Thy noble Acts Excell the Fictions of Heröik Facts And that pure Law a Son of thine shall write Shall nothing els but thy braue deeds recite Extol who list thy wisdom's excellence Victorious Valour frank Beneficence And Iustice too which even the Gentiles honor Ill dares my Muse take such a task vpon-her Onely thy Faith not all with all th' Effects Onely one fruit of thousand she selects For glorious subiect which to say the right I rather loue to wonder-at than write Go Pagans turn turn-over every Book Through all Memorials of your Martyrs look Collect a Scroule of all the Children slain On th' Altars of your Gods dig-vp again Your lying Legends Run through every Temple Among your Offerings choose the best example Among your Offerings which your Fathers past Haue made to make their names eternall last Among them all fondlings you shall not finde Such an example where vnkindely-kinde Father and Son so mutually agree To showe themselues Father nor Son to be Where man 's deep zeal and God's deer fauour stroue For Counter-conquest in officious loue One by constraint his Son doth sacrifice Another means his Name t' immortallize By such a Fact Another hopes to shun Som dismall Plague or dire Affliction Another only that he may conform To Tyrant Custom 's aw-les law-les Form Which blears our eys and blurs our Senses so That Lady Reason must her seat forgo Yea blindes the iudgement of the World so far That Uertue's oft arraign'd at Vice's Bar. But vn-constrain'd our Abram all alone Vpon a Mountain to the guise of none For it was odious to the Iewes to doo And in a time of Peace and plenty too Fights against Nature prickt with wondrous zeal And slaying Isaac wars against his Weal O sacred Muse that on the double Mount With withering Bayes bind'st not thy Singers Front But on Mount Sion in the Angels Quire With Crowns of glory doest their brows atrire Tell for thou know'st what sacred Mystery Vnder this shaddow doth in secret ly O Death Sin Satan tremble ye not all For hate and horror of your dreadfull Fall So liuely figur'd To beholde Gods Bowe So ready bent to cleaue your heart in two To see yong Isaac Pattern of that Prince Who shal Sin Satan Death and Hell convince Both only Sons both sacred Potentates Both holy Founders of two mighty States Both sanctified both Saints Progenitors Both bear their Cross both Lamb-like Sufferers Both bound both blame-less both without reply Both by their Fathers are ordain'd to dy Vpon Mount Sion which high glorious Mount Serues vs for Ladder to the Heav'ns to mount Restores vs Edens key the key of Eden Lost through the eating of the fruit forbidden By wretched Adam and his weaker Wife And blessed bears the holy Tree of life Christ dies indeed but Isaac is repriv'd Because Heav'ns Councell otherwise contriv'd For Isaac's blood was no sufficient price To ransom soules from Hell to Paradise The Leprosie of our contagious sin More powr-full Rivers must be purged in FINIS The LAWE THE III. PART OF THE III. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT Envy in Pharao seeks to stop the Cause Of Iews increase Moses escapes his claws Out of a Burning vnburnt Bush a Voice For Iacob's Rescue doth of Him make choice Sends him with Aaron to the Egyptian King His Hard'ning PLAGVING finall Ruining In the Red Sea Israel ingrate for all Christ-Typing Manna Quails Rock-waters fall The glorious LAVVE the golden Calf strange Fire Coré in-gulft MOSES prepar'd t' expire ARm-Arming Trumpets lofty Clarions Rock-battering Bumbards Valour-murdering Guns Think you to drown with horror of your Noise The choise sweet accents of my sacred Voice Blowe till you burst roar rend the Earth in sunder Fill all with Fury Tempest War and Thunder Dire Instruments of Death in vain yee toyl For the loud Cornet of my long-breath'd stile Out-shrills yee still and my Stentorian Song With warbled Ecchoes of a silver tongue Shall brim be heard from India even to Spain And then from thence even to the Artik Wayn Yet 't is not I not I in any sort My sides's too-weak alas my breath 's too-short It is the spirit-inspiring Spirit which yerst On th' eldest Waters mildly moved first That furnishes and fills with sacred winde The weak dull Organs of my Muse and minde So still good Lord in these tumultuous times Giue Peace vnto my Soule soule to my Rimes Let me not faint amid so fair a course Let the World's end be th' end of my Discourse And while in FRANCE fell MARS doth all devour In lofty stile Lord let me sing thy Powr ALL-CHANGING Time had cancell'd and supprest IOSEPH'S Deserts his Master was deceast His Sons were dead when currish Envie 's strife Lays each-where ambush for poor ISRAEL'S life Who notwithstanding doth far faster spread Comparison And thicker spring than in a fruitfull Mead Moted with Brooks the many-leaved locks Of thriving Charvel which the bleating Flocks Can with their dayly hunger hardly mowe So
long Pike a space Perfume thy head with dust and sweat appeer Captain and Soldier Soldiers are on fire Hauing their King before them Marching forth Fellow in Fortune witnes of their Worth I should inflame thy hart with Learnings loue In Peace not to be over-studious yet to vnderstand the Principals of all Prince-fit Sciences Saue that I know what diuine habits moue Thy profound Spirit only let th' ornament Of Letters wayt on th' Art of Regiment And take good heed least as excesse of humor In Plants becomes their Flowring Lifes consumer So too-much Study and delight in Arts Quench the quick vigour of thy Spiritual parts Make thee too-pensiue ouer-dull thy Senses And draw thy Minde from Publike cares of Princes With a swift-winged soule the Course suruay Of Nights dim Taper and the Torch of Day Sound round the Cels of th' Ocean dreadly-deep Measure the Mountains snowie tops and steep Ferret all Corners of this nether Ball But to admire the Makers Art in all His Power and Prudence and resemble not Simile Some simple Courtier or the silly Sot That in the base-Court all his time hath spent In gazing on the goodly Battlement The chamfred Pillers Plinths and antique Bosses Medals Ascents Statues and strange Colosses Amaz'd and musing vpon euery piece Of th' vniforme fair stately Frontispice Too-too-self-rapt through too-self-humoring Losing him-self while others finde the King Hold euen the Balance with clean hands clos'd eyes The principal peculiar office of a King Reuenge seuerely Publike Iniuries Remit thine Owne Heare the Cries see the Tears Of all distressed poor Petitioners Sit oft thy Self in Open Audience Who would not be a Iudge should be no Prince For Iustice Scepter and the Martiall Sword Ought neuer seuer by the Sacred Word Spare not the Great neither despise the Small Let not thy Lawes be like the Spiders Caul Simile Where little Flyes are caught and kild but great Passe at their pleasure and pull-down the Net Away with Shepheards that their Flocks deface Chuse Magistrates that may adorn their Place Such as fear God such as will iudge vprightly Men by the seruants iudge the Master lightly Giue to the Vertuous but thy Crown-Demain Diminish not giue still to giue again For there too-deep to dip is Prodigality And to dry-vp the Springs of Liberality But aboue all for Gods sake Son beware Hic labor hoc Opus Be not intrapt in Womens wylie snare I fear alas good Lord supreamly sage Auert from Mine th' effect of this Praesage Alas I fear that this sweet Poyson wil My House here-after with all Idols fil But if that neither Vertu 's sacred loue Nor Feare of Shame thy wanton Minde can moue To watch in Arms against the Charms of Those At least be warned by thy Fathers Woes Fare-wel my Son th' Almightie cals me hence I passe by Death to Lifes most excellence And to go Raign in Heav'n from World-cares free The Crown of Izrael I resigne to thee O thou that often for a Princes Sin Transport'st the Scepter euen from Kin to Kin From Land to Land Let it remaine with Mine And of my Sons Sons in successiue Ligne Let that Al-Power full deer-drad Prince descend Whose glorious Kingdom neuer shal haue end Whose iron Rod shall Satans Rule vn-doo Whom Iacob trusts in Whom I thirst for too ' DAVID deceast His Son him tracking right Initium Regni SALOMON With heart and voice worships the God of Might Enters his Kingdom by the Gate of Pietie Makes Hym●s and Psalms in Laud of the true Deïtie Offers in Gabeon where in Spirit he sees While his Sense sleepes the God of Maiesties His Vision The Lord of Hoasts who Crownd with radiant flames Offers him choise of these foure louely Dames First Glory shaking in her hand a Pike Not Maid-like Marching but braue Souldier-like Description of Glory Among the Stars her stately head she beares A siluer Trumpet shril a slope she wears Whose Winde is Praise and whose Stentorian sound Doth far and wide o'r all the world redound Her wide-side Robes of Tissue passing price All Story-wrought with bloody Victories Tryumphs and Tropheis Arches Crowns and Rings And at her feet there sigh a thousand Kings Not far from her coms Wealth all rich-bedight Of Riches In Rhéa's Thetis Pluto's Treasures bright The glittering stuff which doth about her fold Is rough with Rubies stiff with beaten Gold With either hand from hollow steans she powrs Pactolian surges and Argolian showrs Fortune and Thrift and Wakefulnes and Care And Diligence her dayly Seruants are Then cheerfull Health whose brow no wrinkle bears Of Health Whose cheek no palenesse in whose eye no tears But like a Childe shee 's pleasant quick and plump Shee seems to fly to skip to daunce and iump And Life 's bright Brand in her white hand doth shine Th' Arabian Birds ●are plumage platted ●ine Serues her for Su●-coat and her seemly ●●ain Mirth Exercise and Temperance sustain Last Wisedom comes with sober countenance Of Wisedom To th' euer-Bowrs her oft a-loft t' aduance The light Mamuques wing-les wings she has Her gesture cool as comly-graue her pase Where e'r she go she neuer goes with-out Compasse and Rule Measure and Waights about And by her side at a rich Belt of hers The Glasse of Nature and her-Self she wears Hauing beheld their Bewties bright the Prince Seems rapt all-ready euen to Heauen from hence Sees a whole Eden round about him shine And ' mid so many Benefits Diuine Doubts which to chuse At length he thus begun O Lord sayth he what hath thy Seruant don That so great Blessings I should take or touch Or thou shouldst daign to honour me so much Thou doost preuent my Merit or deer Father Delight'st to Conquer euen my Malice rather Fair Victorie's a noble Gift and nought Is more desired or is sweeter thought Than euen to quench our Furie's thirst with blood In iust Reuenge on those that wrong our Good But oft alas foul Insolence comes after And the long Custome of in humane Slaughter Transforms in time the myldest Conquerors To Tigers Panthers Lions Bears and Boars Happy seems He whose count-les Herds for Pasture Dis-robe alone Mount Carmels moatly Vesture For whom alone a whole rich Countrey torn With timely Tools brings forth both Wine and Corn That hath soft Sereans yellow Spoils the Gems And precious stones of the Arabian streams The Mines of Ophir th' Entidorian Fruits The Saban Odours and the Tyrian Sutes But yet we see where Plenty chiefly sways There Pride increases Industry decays Rich-men adore their Gold whoso aspires To lift to Heav'n his sight and Soules Desires He must be Poor at least-wise like the Poor Riches and Fear are fellows euer-more I would liue long and I would gladly see My Nephews Nephews and their Progeny But the long Cares I fear and Cumbers rife Which commonly accompany Long-Life Who well liues long liues for this age of
and partly to sound the opinion of others that also the lofty Phrase the graue inditement the facound termes of the French Salust for the like resemblance could not be followed nor sufficiently expressed in our rude and impolished English language Wherein I more boldly then aduisedly with your Maiesties licence declared my simple opinion not calling to mind that I was to giue my verdit in presence of so sharp and clear-eied a Censor as your Highnesse is But rashly I alleadged that it was nothing impossible euen to follow the footesteps of the same great Poet Salust and to translate his verse which neuerthelesse is of it selfe exquisite succinctly and sensibly in our owne vulgar speech Wherevpon it pleased your Maiestie among the rest of his works to assigne me The Historie of Iudith as an agreeable Subiect to your Highnesse to be turned by me into English verse Not for any speciall gift or Science that was in me who am inferiour in knowledge and erudition to the least of your Maiesties Court but by reason paraduenture of my bold assertion your Maiestie who will not haue the meanest of your house vnoccupied would haue mee to beare the yoke and driue forth the penance that I had rashly procured Indeede the burden appeared heauie and the charge almost insupportable to me neuerthelesse the feruent desire which I had to obtemper vnto your Maiesties commandement the earnest intention to verifie my rash speaking and the assured confidence which I ankred on your Highnesse helpe and correction encouraged mee so lightned on such wise my heauy burthen that I haue with lesse paine brought my half despaired worke to finall end In the which I haue so behaued my selfe that through your Maiesties concurrence I haue not exceeded the number of the lynes written by my Author In euerie one of the which he also hath two syllables mo then any English beares And this notwithstanding I suppose your Maiestie shall finde little of my Authors meaning pretermitted Wherfore if thus much be done by me who am of another profession and of so simple literature I leaue it to bee considered by your Maiestie what such as are consummate in letters and knowes the waightie words the pithie sentences the polished tearms and full efficacie of the English tongue would haue done Receiue them Sir of your owne seruant this little worke at your owne commandement enterprised corrected by your Maiesties owne hand and dedicated to your owne Highnesse If I haue done well let the praise redound to your Maiestie whose censure I haue vnderlyen If otherwise let my default of skill bee imputed to my selfe or at the least my good entention allowed whereby others may haue occasion to doe better To your Highnesse consideration referring Sir both my diligence done in this smal translation and the inueterate affection which I haue and ought alwaies to beare vnto your Maiestie I commit with all humilitie your Highnes your Realme and estate to the gouernment of God who gouerneth all the World IR SONNET SInce ye immortall sisters nine hes left All other countries lying farre or neere To follow him who from them all you reft And now hes causde your residence be heere Who though a stranger yet he lov'd so deere This Realme and me so as he spoild his awne And all the brookes and banks and fountains cleere That be therein of you as he hath shawne In this his work then let your breath be blawne In recompence of this his willing minde On me that sine may with my pen be drawne His praise For though himselfe be not inclyn'd Nor preaceth but to touch the Laurer tree Yet well he merits crownd therwith to be FINIS SONNET THe Muses nyne haue not reueald to mee What sacred seeds are in their garden sowen Nor how their Salust gaines the Laurer tree Which throw thy toyle in Brittain ground is growen But sith they see thy trauell truely showen In Vertues schoole th' expiring time to spend So haue they to his Highness made it knowen Whose Princely power may dewly thee defend Then you that on the Holy Mount depend In crystallayr and drinks the cleared spring Of Poetrie I doe you recommend To the protection of this godly King Who for his vertues and his gifts diuine Is only Monark of the Muses nyne FINIS M. V. F. The Authors admonition to the Reader BEloued Reader it is about fourteene yeares past since I was commanded by the late Illustrate and most vertuous Princesse Iean Queene of Nauarre to reduce the Historie of Iudith in forme of a Poeme Epique Wherein I haue not so much aimed to followe the phrase or text of the Bible as I haue preased without wandring from the verity of the History to imitate Homer in his Iliades Virgill in his Aenel dos and others who hath left to vs works of such like matter therby to render my work so much the more delectable And if the effect hath not answered to my desire I beseech thee to lay the fault vpon her who proposed to me so meane a Theame or subiect and not on me who could not honestly disobey Yet in so much as I am the first in Fraunce who in a iust Poeme hath treated in our tongue of sacred things I hope of thy fauour to receiue some excuse seeing that things of so great weight cannot be both perfectly begunne and ended together If thou neither allow my stile nor workmanship at least thou shalt be driuen to allowe the honest pretence and holy desire which I haue to see the youth of Fraunce so holily by mine example exercised I may not forget that they doe greatly wrong me who thinks that in discriuing the Catastrophe of this History truely tragicall I am becomne a voluntary Aduocate to these troublesome and sedicious spirits who for to serue their temerarious passiōs and priuate inspiratiōs conspires against the liues of placed princes For so much doe I disassent that this example and the like ought to be drawen in consequence that I am verily perswaded that the act of Ahud of Iaell and of Iudith who vnder colour of obeysance pretext of ami●y layd their reuenging hands vpon Aeglon Sisara and Holophernes had been worthy of a hundreth gallowes a hundreth fires and a hundreth wheeles if they had not been peculiarly chosen of God for to vnloose the chains and break the bands which retain'd the Hebrew people in more then Aegyptian seruitude and expresly called to kill those Tyrants with a death as shamefull as their liues were wicked and abhominable But seeing this question is so diffuse that it cannot be absolued in fewe words and that my braine is too weak for so high an enterprise I send you to those who haue spent more oyle and time in turning the leaues of the sacred scriptures then I haue done for the present It me sufficeth for the time to admonish the Reader to attempt nothing without a clear and indubitable vocation of God against those