it confounds me nor leaues place for breath Oft I attempt to flie and meditation Contends to shake off my old yoke of death But to my bones cleaues the vncur'd vexation 10. O that at length my necke his yoke could cleare Which would be straite wouldst thou ô highest will it O that so angrie with my sinne I were That I could loue thee though thus late fulfill it 11. But much I feare it since my freedome is So with mine owne hands out of heart sterued And I must yeeld my torment iust in this Sorrow and labor wring me most deserued 12. Mad wretch what haue I to my selfe procured Mine owne hands forg'd the chains I haue endur'd 13. In deaths blacke ambush with my will I fell And wheresoeuer vulgar brode waies traine me Nets are disposde for me by him of hell When more retir'd more narrow paths containe me 14. There meete my feete with fitted snares as sure I wretch looke downeward and of one side euer And euerie slipperie way I walke secure My sins forget their traitrous flatteries neuer 15. I thought the grace of youth could neuer erre And follow'd where his boundles force wold driue me Said to my selfe Why should th'extremes deterre Before youths season of the meane depriue me 16. Each age is bounded in his proper ends God I know sees this but he laughs and sees it Pardon at any time on prayre attends Repentance still weeps when thy wish decrees it 17. Then vilest custome challengeth his slaue And laies on hand that all defence denies me And then no place reseru'd for flight I haue Subdu'd I am and farre my refuge flies me 17. Die'in my sinne I shall vnlesse my aide Stoopes from aloft of which deserts depriue me Yet haue thou mercie Lord helpe one dismaide Thy word retain from hell moâ—â—h retriue me All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit A HYMNE TO OVR Sauiour on the Crosse. HAile great Redeemer man and God all haile Whose feruent agonie tore the temples vaile Let sacrifices out darke Prophesies And miracles and let in for all these A simple pietie a naked heart And humble spirit that no lesse impart And proue thy Godhead to vs being as rare And in all sacred powre as circulare Water and blood mixt were not swet from thee With deadlier hardnesse more diuinitie Of supportation then through flesh and blood Good doctrine is diffusde and life as good O open to me then like thy spread armes That East West reach all those misticke charmes That hold vs in thy life and discipline Thy merits in thy loue so thrice diuine It made thee being our God assume our man And like our Champion Olympian Come to the field gainst Sathan and our sinne Wrastle with torments and the garland winne From death hell which cannot crown our browes But blood must follow thornes mixe w t thy bowes Of conquering â—awâ—ell fast naild to thy Crosse Are all the glories we can here engrosse Proue then to those that in vaine glories place Their happinesse here thy hold not by thy grace To those whose powres proudly oppose thy lawes Oppressing Vertue giuing Vice applause They neuer manage iust authoritie But thee in thy deare members crucifie Thou couldst haue come in glorie past them all With powre to force thy pleasure and empale Thy Church with brasse Adamant that no swine Nor theeues nor hypocrites nor fiends diuine Could haue broke in or rooted or put on Vestments of Pietie when their hearts had none Or rapt to ruine with pretext to saue Would pompe and radiance rather not out braue Thy naked truth then cloath or countnance it With grace and such sincerenesse as is fit But since true pietie weares her pearles within And outward paintings onely pranke vp sinne Since bodies strengthned soules go to the wall Since God we cannot serue and Beliall Therefore thou putst on earths most abiect plight Hid'st thee in humblesse vnderwentst despight Mockerie detraction shame blowes vilest death These thou thy souldiers taughtst to fight beneath Mad'st a commanding President of these Perfect perpetuall bearing all the keyes To holinesse and heauen To these such lawes Thou in thy blood writst that were no more cause T' enflame our loues and feruent faiths in thee Then in them truths diuine simplicitie T were full enough for therein we may well See thy white finger furrowing blackest hell In turning vp the errors that our sence And sensuall powres incurre by negligence Of our eternall truth-exploring soule All Churches powres thy writ word doth controule And mixt it with the fabulous Alchoran A man might boult it out as floure from branne Easily discerning it a heauenly birth Brake it but now out and but crept on earth Yet as if God lackt mans election And shadowes were creators of the Sunne Men must authorise it antiquities Must be explor'd to spirit and giue it thies And controuersies thicke as flies at Spring Must be maintain'd about th' ingenuous meaning When no stile can expresse it selfe so cleare Nor holds so euen and firme a character Those mysteries that are not to be reacht Still to be striu'd with make them more impeacht And as the Mill fares with an ill pickt grist When any stone the stones is got betwist Rumbling together fill the graine with grit Offends the eare sets teeth an edge with it Blunts the pict quarrie so t will grinde no more Spoyles bread and scants the Millars custom'd store So in the Church when controuersie fals It marres her musicke shakes her batterd wals Grates tender consciences and weakens faith The bread of life taints makes worke for Death Darkens truths light with her perplext Abysmes And dustlike grinds men into sects and schismes And what 's the cause the words deficiencie In volume matter perspicutitie Ambition lust and damned auarice Peruert and each the sacred word applies To his prophane ends all to profite giuen And puâ—snets lay to catch the ioyes of heauen Since truth and reall worth men seldome sease Impostors most and sleightest learnings please And where the true Church like the nest should be Of chast and prouident Alcione To which is onely one straight orifice Which is so strictly fitted to her sise That no bird bigger then her selfe or lesse Can pierce and keepe it or discerne th' accesse Nor which the sea it selfe on which t is made Can euer ouerflow or once inuade Now wayes so many to her Altars are So easie so prophane and populare That torrents charg'd with weeds and sin-drownd beasts Breake in lode cracke them sensuall ioyes and feasts Corrupt their pure fumes and the slendrest flash Of lust or profite makes a standing plash Of sinne about them which men will not passe Looke Lord vpon them build them wals
PETRARCHS SEVEN PENITENTIALL PSALMS PARAPHRASTICALLY TRANSLATED With other Philosophicall POEMS and a HYMNE to Christ vpon the Crosse. Written by GEORGE CHAPMAN Arri. Epict. Progressus sum in medium pacem Omnibus hominibus proclamo At mihi quod viuo detraxerit inuida turba Post obitum duplici foenore reddet honos LONDON Imprinted for MATTHEVV SELMAN dwelling in Fleete-streete neare Chancerie lane 1612. TO THE RIGHT WORTHILY HONORD graue and ingenuous Fauorer of all vertue Sir Edw. Phillips Knight Maister of the Rolles c. SIR though the name of a Poeme beares too light and vaine a Character in his forhead either to answer my most affectionate desire to do you honour or deserue your acceptance yet since the subiect matter is graue and sacred enough how rudely soeuer I haue endeuored to giue it grace and elocution I presumed to preferre to your emptiest leisure of reading this poore Dedication In the substance and soule of whose humane and diuine obiect the most wise and religious that euer writ to these purposes I haue for so much as this little containes imitated and celebrated Good life and the true feeling of our humane birth and Being being the end of it all and as I doubt not your iudiciall and noble apprehension will confesse the chiefe end of whatsoeuer else in all authoritie and principalitie Notwithstanding either for the slendernesse of the volume or harshnesse of the matter I haue not dared to submit it as the rest of my weake labors to my most gracious and sacred Patron the Prince reseruing my thrice humble dutie to his Highnesse for some much greater labours to which it hath pleased him to command me And thus most truly thankfull for all your right free and honorable fauours I humbly and euer rest The most vnfained and constant obseruer of you and yours Geo. Chapman PETRARCHS SEVEN PENITENTIALL PSALMES PSALME I. Heu mihi Misero 1. O Me wretch I haue enrag'd My Redeemer and engag'd My life on deaths slow foote presuming I haue broke his blessed lawes Turning with accursed cause Sauing loue to wrath consuming 2. Truths straite way my will forsooke And to wretched bywaies tooke Brode rough steepe and full of danger Euery way I labour found Anguish and delighte vnsound To my iourneyes end a stranger 3. Rockes past fowles wings tooke my flighâ—â— All my dayes spent all my nights Toyles and streights though still repelling One or other beast I met Shunning that for which I swet Wild beasts dens were yet my dwelling 4. Pleasure that all paine subornes Making beds of ease on thornes Made me found with ruine sleeping Rest in Torments armes I sought All good talkt but all ill thought Laught at what deseru'd my weeping 5. What is now then left to do What course can I turne me to Danger such vâ—icap't toyles pitching All my youths faire glosse is gone Like a shipwracke each way blownâ— Yet his pleasures still bewitching 6. I delay my Hauen to make Nor yet safeties true way take On her left hand euer erring I a little see my course Which in me the warre makes worse Th' vse of that small sight deferring 7. Oft I haue attempted flight Th' old yoke casting but his weight Thou Nature to my bones impliest O that once my necke were easde Straight it were were thy powre pleasd O of all things high thou highest 8. O could I my sinne so hate I might loue thee yet though late But my hope of that is sterued Since mine owne hands make my chaines Iust most iust I grant my paines Labour wrings me most deserued 9. Mad wretch how deare haue I bought Fetters with mine owne hands wrought Freely in deaths ambush falling I made and the foe disposde Nets that neuer will be losde More I striue the more enthralling 10. I look't by and went secure In paths slipperie and impure In my selfe my sinne still flattering I thought youths flowre still would thriue Follow'd as his storme did driue With it all his hemlockes watering 11. Said what thinke I of th'extreames Ere the Meane hath spent his beames Each Age hath his proper obâ—ect God sees this and laughs to see Pardon soone is goâ— My knee When I will repent is subiect 12. Custome then his slaue doth claime Layes on hands that touch and maime Neuer cour'd repented neuer Flight is then as vaine as late Faith too weake to cast out Fate Refuge past my reach is euer 13. I shall perish then in sinne If thy aide Lord makes not in Mending what doth thus depraue me Minde thy word then Lord and leâ—d Thy worke thy hand crowne my end From the iawes of Sathan saue me All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit PSALME II. Inuocabo quem offendi 1. I Will inuoke whom I inflam'd Nor will approch his fierie throne in feare I will recall nor be asham'd Whom I cast off and pierce againe his eare Hope quite euen lost I will restore And dare againe to looke on heauen The more I fall inuoke the more Prayre once will speed where â—are is euer giuen 2. In heauen my deare Redeemer dwels His eare yet let downe to our lowest sounds His hand can reach the deepest hels His hand holds balmes for all our oldest wounds I in my selfe do often die But in him I as oft reuiue My health shines euer in his eye That heales in hell and keepes euen death aliue 3. Feare all that would put feare on me My sinne most great is but much more his grace Though ill for worse still alterd be And I in me my eagrest foe embrace Yet Truth in this hath euer stood The blackest spots my sinnes let fall One drop of his most precious blood Can cleanse and turne to purest luorie all 4. Strike Lord and breake the rockes that grow In these red seas of thy offence in me And cleansing fountaines thence shall flow Though of the hardest Adamant they be As cleare as siluer seas shall rore Descending to that noysome sinke Where euery houre hels horride Bore Lies plung'd and drownd doth his vomits drinke 5. Race Lord my sinnes inueterate skarres And take thy new-built Mansion vp in me Though powre failes see my wils sharpe warres And let me please euen while I anger thee Let the remembrance of my sinne With sighs all night ascend thine eare And when the morning light breakes in Let health be seene and all my skies be cleare 6. Thus though I temper ioyes with cares Yet keepe thy mercies constant as my crimes I le cherish with my faith my prayres And looke still sighing vp for better times My selfe I euermore will feare But thee my rest my hope still keepe Thy darkest clouds thy lightnings cleare Thy thunders rocke me that breake others sleepe 7. My purgatorie O Lord make My bridall chamber wedded to thy will
And let my couch still witnesse take In teares still steep't that I adore thee still My body I le make pay thee paines Hell iawes shall neuer need to ope Though all loues faile thine euer raignâ—â— Thou art my refuge last and onely hope All glorie to the Father c. PSALME III. Miserere Domine 1. STay now O Lord my bleeding woes The veine growes low and drie O now enough and too much flowes My sinne is swolne too hie 2. What rests for the abhorr'd euent Time wasts but not my woe Woes me poore man my life is spent In asking what to do 3. Pale Death stands fixt before mine eyes My graue gaspes and my knell Rings out in my cold eares the cryes and gnashed teerh of hell 4. How long shall this day mocke my hope With what the next will be When shall I once begin to ope My lockt vp way to thee 5. Ease Lord my still-increasing smart Salue not but cure my wounds Direct the counsels of my heart And giue my labours bounds 6. As in me thou hast skill infusd So will and action breath Lest chidden for thy gifts abusd I weepe and pine to death 7. See bound beneath the foe I lie Rapt to his blasted shore O claime thy right nor let me die Let him insult no more 8. Tell all the ransome I must giue Out of my hourely paines See how from all the world I liue To giue griefe all the raines 9. What is behind in this life aske And in these members sums Before the neuer ending taske And bedâ—id beggerie comes 10. Shew me thy way ere thy chiefe light Downe to the Ocean diues O now t is euening and the night Is chiefly friend to theeues 11. Compell me if thy Call shall faile To make thy straight way mine In any skorn'd state let me wayle So my poore soule be thine All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginningâ— were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit PSALME IIII. Recordari libet 1. ONce let me serue Lord my desire Thy gifts to me recounting and their prise That shame may set my cheekes on fire And iust confusion teare in teares mine eyes Since quite forgetting what I am Adorn'd so Godlike with thy grace I yet neglect to praise thy name And make thy image in me poore and base 2. Thou hast created euen for me The starres all heauen and all the turns of time For of what vse are these to thee Though euery one distinguisht by his clime Thou Sunne and Moone thou Nights and Dayes Thou Light and Darknesse hast disposd Wrapt earth in waters nimble wayes Her vales hils plains with founts floods seas enclosd 3. Her rich wombe thou hast fruitfull made With choyce of seeds that all wayes varied are And euery way our eyes inuade With formes and graces in being common rare In sweete greene herbes thou cloth'st her fields Distinguishest her hils with flowres Her woods thou mak'st her meadowes shields Adorn'd with branches leaues and odorous bowres 4. The wearie thou hast rest prepar'd The hote refreshest with coole shades of trees Which streames melodious enterlar'd For sweete retreats that none but thy eye sees The thirstie thou giu'st siluer springs The hungrie berries of all kinds Herbes wholesome and a world of things To nurse our bodies and informe our mindâ— 5. Now let me cast mine eye and see With what choice creatures strangely form'd and faire All seas and lands are fil'd by thee And all the round spread tracts of yeelding aire Whose names or numbers who can reach With all earths powre yet in thy span All which thy boundlesse bounties preach All laide O glorie at the foote of man 6. Whose body past all creatures shines Such wondrous orders of his parts thou mak'st Whose countenance state and loue combines In him vnmou'd when all the world thou shak'st Whose soule thou giu'st powre euen of thee Ordaining it to leaue the earth All heauen in her discourse to see And note how great a wombe went to her birth 7. Vnnumberd arts thou add'st in him To make his life more queint and more exact His eye eternesse cannot dim Whose state he mounts to with a mind infract Thou shew'st him all the milke-white way Op'st all thy Tabernacles doâ—es Learn'st how to praise thee how to pray To shun and chuse what likes and what abhorres 8. To keepe him in which hallowed path As his companions and perpetuall guides Prayre thou ordainst thy word and faith And loue that all his soule offences hides And to each step his footâ— shall take Thy couenants stand like wals of brasse Which from thy watch towre good to make Thou add'st thine eye for his securer passe 9. All this deare Lord I apprehend Thy Spirit euen partially inspiring me Which to consort me to my end With endlesse thanks I le strew my way to thee Confessing falling thou hast staid Confirm'd me fainting prostrate raisd With comforts rapt me quite dismaid And dead hast quickn'd me to see thee praisd All glorie to the Father bâ— And to the Sonne c. PSALME V. Noctes mea in moerore transeunt 1. YEt Lord vnquiet sinne is stirring My long nights longer grow like euening shades In which woe lost is all waies erring And varied terror euery step inuades Wayes made in teares shut as they ope My lodestarre I can no way see Lame is my faith blind loue and hope And Lord t is passing ill with me 2. My sleepe like glasse in dreames is broken No quiet yeelding but affright and care Signes that my poore life is forspoken Lord couâ—be the ill and good in place prepare No more delay my spent desire T is now full time for thee to heare Thy loue hath set my soule on fire My heart quite broke twixt hope and feare 3. No outward light my life hath graced My mind hath euer bene my onely Sunne And that so farre hath enuie chaced That all in clouds her hated head is runne And while she hides immortall cares Consume the soule that sense inspires Since outward she sets eyes and eares And other ioyes spend her desires 4. She musters both without and in me Troubles and tumults she 's my houshold theefe Opes all my doores to lust and enuie And all my persecutors lends releefe Bind her Lord and my true soule free Preferre the gift thy hand hath giuen Thy image in her crowne in me And make vs here free as in heauen All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne c. PSALME VI. Circumuallarunt me inimici 1. MY foes haue girt me in with armes And earthquakes tost vp all my ioynts No flesh can answer their alarmes Each speare they manage hath so many points 2. Death arm'd in all his horrors leades Whom more I charge the lesse he yeelds Affections with an hundred heads Conspire with them turne on me their shields 3. Nor looke
I yet Lord to the East Nor hope for helpe where I am will'd Nor as I ought haue arm'd my breast But rust in sloth and naked come to field 4. And therefore hath the host of starres Now left me that before I led Arm'd Angels tooke my pay in waâ—res FroÌ„ whose height falne all leaue me here for dead 5. In falling I discern'd how sleight My footing was on those blest towres I lookt to earth and her base height And so lost heauen and all his aidfull powres 6. Now broke on earth my bodie lies Where theeues insult on my sad fall Spoyle me of many a daintie prise That farre I fetcht t' enrich my soule withall 7. Nor ceasse they but deforme me too With wounds that make me all engor'd And in the desart leaue me so Halfe dead all naked and of all abhorr'd 8. My head and bosome they transfixt But in my torne affections rag'd Wounds there with blood and matter mixt Corrupt and leaue my very soule engag'd 9. There Lord my life doth most misgiue There quickly thy white hand bestow Thou liu'st and in thee I may liue Thy fount of life doth euer ouerflow 10. All this from heauen thy eyes explore Yet silent sitst and sufferst all Since all I well deserue and more And must confesse me wilfull in my fall 11. And hence t is that thou letst me bleed Mak'st all men shun and skorne my life That all my workes such enuie breed And my disgrace giues food to all mens strife 12. But this since Goodnesse oft doth cause And t is Goods grace to heare his ill Since t is a chiefe point in his lawes No thought without our powre to make our wil. 13. Still let the greene seas of their gall Against this rocke with rage be borne And from their height still let me fall Them stand and laugh me lie still and scorne 14. But Lord my fall from thee ô raise And giue my fainting life thy breath Sound keepe me euer in thy waies Thou mightie art and setst downe lawes to death 15. Driue thou from this my ruines rape These theeues that make thy Phane their den And let my innocence escape The cunning malice of vngodly men All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit PSALME VII Cogitabam stare 1. WHile I was falne I thought to rise And stand presuming on my thies But thighes and knees were too much broken My haire stood vp to see such bane Depresse presumption so prophane I tremble but to heare it spoken 2. Yet in my strength my hope was such Since I conceiu'd thou vow'dst as much I fain'd dreames and reioyc't to faine them But weighing awake thy vowes profound Their depth my lead came short to sound And now aye me my teares containe them 3. For calmes I into stormes did stere And look't through clouds to see things cleare Thy waies shew'd crook't like speares in water When mine went trauerse and no Snake Could winde with that course I did take No Courtier could so grosly flatter 4. But which way I soeuer bend Thou meet'st me euer in the end Thy finger strikes my ioynts with terrors Yet no more strikes then points the way Which weighing weeping straight I stay And with my teares cleanse feete and errors 5. But of my selfe when I beleeue To make my steps thy waies atchieue I turne head and am treading mazes I feele sinnes ambush and am â—ext To be in error so perplext Nor yet can finde rests holy places 6. I loath my selfe and all my deeds Like Rubarbe taste or Colche in weedâ— I flie them with their throwes vpon me In each new purpose customes old So checke it that the stone I rold Neuer so oft againe fals on me 7. No step in mans trust should be trod Vnlesse in mans as his in God Of which trust make good life the founder Without which trust no forme nor art Faiths loadstarre is a guiltlesse heart Good life is truths most learn'd expounder 8. With which Lord euer rule my skill In which as I ioyne powre with will So let me trust my truth in learning To such minds thou all truth setst opeâ— The rest are rapt with stormes past hopes The lesse for more deepe arts discerning 9. Blesse Lord who thus their arts employ Their sure truth celebrate with ioy And teare the maskes from others faces That make thy Name a cloake for sinne Learning but termes to iangle in And so disgrace thy best of Graces 10. Whereof since I haue onely this That learnes me what thy true will is Which thou in comforts still concludest My poore Muse still shall sit and sing In that sweete shadow of thy wing Which thou to all earths state obtrudest 11. As oft as I my fraile foote moue From this pure fortresse of thy loue So oft let my glad foes deride me I know my weakenesse yet and feare By triall to build comforts there It doth so like a ruine hide me 12. My worth is all but shade I finde And like a fume before the winde I gaspe with sloth thy waies applying Lie tumbling in corrupted blood Loue onely but can do no good Helpe Lord lest I amend not dying All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit The end of Petrarchs seuen Penitentiall Psalmes THE I. PSALME more strictly translated 1. O Me accurst since I haue set on me Incenst so sternely my so meeke Redeemer And haue bene proud in prides supreme degree Of his so serious law a sleight esteemer 2. I left the narrow right way with my will In bywaies brode and farre about transferred And euery way found toyle and euery ill Yet still in tracts more rough and steepe I erred 3. Where one or other of the brutish heard My feete encounterd yet more brute affected Euen to the dens of sauage beasts I err'd And there my manlesse mansion house erected 4. I haunted pleasure still where sorrow mournd My couch of ease in sharpest brambles making I hop't for rest where restlesse torment burnd In ruines bosome sleepes securely taking 5. Now then aye me what resteth to be done Where shall I turne me where such dangers treÌ„ble My youths faire flowres are altogether gone And now a wretched shipwracke I resemble 6. That all the merchandise and venture lost Swims naked forth with seas and tempests tost 7. Farre from my hauen I roue touch at no streme That any course to my saluation tenders But waies sinister rauish me with them I see a little which more grieuous renders 8. My inward conflict since my charges passe Vpon my selfe and my sad soule endanger Anger with sinne striues but so huge a masse Of cruell miseries oppresse mine anger 9. That