The Second Week, Second Day, Part II: Babylon

THE ARGUMENT.

Th' Antithesis of Blest and Cursed States,
Subiect to Good and Euill Magistrates:
Nimrod vsurps: His prowes-full Policy,
To gain himself the Goal of Souerainty:
BABEL begun: To stop such out-rages,
There, God confounds the builders Languages:
Tongues excellent: the Hebrue, first and Best:
Then Greek and Latin: and (aboue the rest)
Th' Arabian, Toscan, Spanish, French, and Dutch,
And Ours, are Honoured by our Author much.

O Happy people, where good Princes raign,
Who tender publike more then priuate gain!
Who (vertue's patrons, and the plagues of vice)
Hate Parasites, and harken to the wise:
Who (self-commanders) rather sin suppress
By self-examples, then by rigorousnes:
Whose inward-humble, outward Maiesty
With Subiects loue is guarded loyally:
Who Idol-not their pearly Scepters glory,
But knowe themselues set on a lofty story
For all the world to see and censure too:
So, not their lust, but what is iust they do.

But, 't is a hell, in hatefull vassalage,
Vnder a Tyrant to consume ones age:
A self-shav'n Dennis, or a Nero fell,
Whose cursed Courts with bloud and incest swell:
An Owl, that flyes the light of Parliaments
And State-assemblies, iealous of th' intents
Of priuate tongues; who (for a pastime) sets
His Peers at ods; and on their fury whets:
Who neither faith, honour, nor right respects:
Who euery day new Officers erects:
Who brooks no learned, wise, nor valiant subiects,
But daily crops such vice-vp braiding obiects:
Who (worse then Beasts, or sauage monsters been)
Spares neither mother, brother, kiff, norkin:
Who, though round fenç'• with gard of armed Knights,
A-many moc he sea•s, then he affrights:
Who taxes strange extorts; and (•aniball)
Gnawes to the bones his wretched Subiects all.

Print (O Heavn's king!) in our Kings harts a zeal,
First, of thy lawes; then of their publik weal:
And if our Countries now-Po-poysoned phrase,
Or now-contagion of corrupted daies,
Leaue any tract of Nimrodizing there;
O! cancell it, that they may euery where,
In stead of Babel, build Ierusalem:
That lowd my Muse may eccho vnder them.

YER Nimrod had attain'd to twise six yeers,
He tyranniz'd among his strippling-peers,
Out-stript his equals, and in happy howr,
Layd the foundations of his after-powr,
And bearing Reeds for Scepters, first he raigns
In Prentice-Princedom ouer sheep-heard Swains.

Then knowing well that whoso ayms (illuster)
At fancied bliss of Empires awfull lustre;
In valiant acts must pass the vulgar sort,
Or mask (at least) in louely Vertues Port:
He spends not night on beds of down or feathers,
Nor day in tents, but hardens to all weathers
His youthfull limbs: and takes ambitiously
A rock for Pillow, Heav'n for Canapey:
In stead of softlings iests, and iollities,
He ioyes in Iousts, and manly exercises:
His dainty cates, a fat Kids trembling flesh,
Scarcefully slain, luke-warm and bleeding fresh.

Then, with one breath, he striueth to attain
A Mountains top, that ouer-peers the Plain:
Against the stream to cleaue the rowling ridges
Of Nimph-strong floods, that haue born down their bridges,
Running vnrean'd with swift rebounding sallies
A-cross the rocks within the narrow vallies:
To ouertake the dart himselfe did throwe,
And in plain course to catch the Hinde or Roe.

But, when fiue lustres of his age expir'd,
Feeling his stomach and his strength aspir'd
To worthier wars, perceiv'd he any-where,
Boar, Libbard, Lyon, Tiger, Ounse, or Bear,
Him dread-less combats; and in combat foyls,
And reares high Tropheis of his bloody spoyls.

The people, seeing by his warlike deed
From theeues, and robbers euery passage freed:
From hideous yells, the Desarts round about:
From fear, their flocks; this monster-master stout,
This Hercules, this hammer-ill, they tender,
And call him (all) their Father and Defender.

Then Nimrod (snatching Fortune by the tresses)
Strikes the hot steele; sues, sooths, importunes, presses
Now these, then those, and hastning his good Hap
Leaues hunting Beasts, and hunteth Men to trap.
For, like as He, in former quests did vse
Cals, pit-falls, toyls, sprenges, and baits, and glews:
And (in the end) against the wilder game,
Clubs, darts, and shafts, and swords, their rage to tame:
So, som he wins with promise-full intreats,
With presents som, and som with rougher threats:
And boldly (breaking bounds of equitie)
Vsurps the Child-World's maiden Monarchy;
Whereas, before each kindred had for guide
Their proper Chief, yer that the youthfull pride
Of vpstart State, ambitious, boyling, fickle,
Did thrust (as now) in others corn his sickle.

In-throniz'd thus, this Tyrant'gan deuise
To perpetrate a thousand cruelties,
Pel-mel subuerting for his appetite
God's, Man's, and Nature's triple sacred Right.
He braues th' Almightie, lifting to his nose
His flowring Scepter: and for fear he lose
The peoples aw; who (idle) in the end
Might slip their yoak; he subtle makes them spend
Draws dry their wealth, and busies them to build
A lofty Towr, or rather Atlas wilde.
W'have liv'd (quoth he) too-long like pilgrim Grooms:
Leaue we these rowling tents, and wandring rooms:
Let's raise a Palace, whose proud front and feet
With Heav'n and Hell may in an instant meet;
A sure Asylum, and a safe retreat,
If th' irefull storm of yet-more Floods should threat:
Lets found a Citie, and vnited there,
Vnder a King let's lead our liues; for fear
Least seuer'd thus, in Princes and in Tents,
We be disperst o're all the Regiments
That in his course the Days bright Champion eys,
Might-less our selues to succour, or aduise.
But, if the fire of som intestine war,
Or other mischief should diuide vs far,
Brethren (at least) let's leaue memorials
Of our great names on these cloud-neighbouring wals.

Now, as a spark, that Shepheards (vnespied)
Haue faln by chance vpon a Forrest side,
Among dry leaues; a-while in secret shrouds,
Lifting a-loft small, smoaky-wauing clouds,
Till fanned by the fawning windes, it blushes
With angry rage; and rising through the bushes,
Climbs fragrant Hauthorns, thence the Oak, and than
The Pine, and Firre, that bridge the Ocean:
It still gets ground, and (running) doth augment,
And neuer leaues till all neer Woods be brent:
So, this sweet speech (first broacht by certain Minions)
Is soon applauded 'mong the light opinions:
And by degrees from hand to hand renu'd,
To all the base confused multitude;
Who longing now to see this Castle rear'd,
Them night and day in differing crafts bestirr'd.

Som fall to felling with a thousand stroaks
Aduenturous Alders, Ashes, long-liv'd Oaks;
Degrading Forrests, that the Sun might view
Fields that before his bright rayes neuer knew.

Ha 'ye seen a Town expos'd to spoyl and slaughter
(At victors pleasure) where laments and laughter
Mixtly resound; som carry, som conuay,
Som lug, som load; 'gainst Souldiers seeking Prey
No place is sure, and yer a day be done,
Out at her gate the ransack't Town doth run:
So (in a trice) these Carpenters disrobe
Th' Assyrian hills of all their leafie robe,
Strip the steep Mountains of their gastly shades,
And powle the broad Plains, of their branchy glades:
Carts, Sleds, and Mules, thick-iustling meet abroad,
And bending axels groan beneath their load.

Heer, for hard Cement, heap they night and day
The gum my slime of chalky waters gray:
There, busie Kil-men ply their occupations
For brick and tyle: there, for their firm foundations,
They dig to hell; and damned Ghosts again
(Past hope) behold the Suns bright glorious wain:
Their hammers noyse, through Heav'ns rebounding brim,
Affrights the fish that in fair Tygris swim.
These ruddy wals in height, and compass growe,
They cast long shadow, and far-off do showe:
All swarms with work-men, that (poor sots) surmise
Euen the first day to touch the very skies.

Which, God perceiuing, bending wrathfull frowns,
And with a noyse that roaring thunder drowns;
'Mid cloudy fields, hills by the roots he rakes,
And th' vnmov'd hindges of the Heav'ns he shakes.

See, see (quoth he) these dust-spawn, feeble, Dwarfs,
See their huge Castles, Walls, and Counter-scarfs:
O strength-full Peece, impregnable! and sure
All my iust anger's batteries to endure.
I swore to them, the fruitfull earth, no more
Hence-forth should fear the raging Oceans roar;
Yet build they Towrs: I will'd that scattered wide
They should go man the World; and lo, they bide
Self-prisoned heer: I meant to be their Master,
My self alone, their Law, their Prince, and Pastor;
And they, for Lord, a Tyrant fell haueta'en-them,
Who (to their cost) will roughly curb and rean them;
Who scorns mine arm, and with these brauing Towrs
Attempts to seal• this Crystall Throne of ours.

Com, com, le•s dash their drift; and sith, combin'd
As well in voice, as blood, and law, and minde,
In ill they harden, and with language bold
Incourage-on themselues their work to hold,
Let's cast a let 'gainst their quick diligence:
Let's strike them straight with spirit of difference;
Let's all confound their speech: let's make the brother,
The Sire, and Son, not vnderstand each other.

This said, as soon confusedly did bound
Through all the work I wot not what strange sound,
Aiangling noyse; not much vnlike the rumors
Of Bacchus Swains amid their drunken humors:
Som speak between the teeth, som in the nose,
Som in the throat their words do ill dispose,
Som howl, som hallow, som doe stut and strain,
Each hath his gibberish, and all strive in vain
To finde again their know'n beloued tongue,
That with their milk they suckt in cradle, young.

Arise betimes, while th' Opal-coloured Morn,
In golden pomp doth May-days door adorn:
And patient hear th' all-differing voices sweet
Of painted Singers, that in Groues doe greet
Their Loue-Bon-iours, each in his phraze and fashion
From trembling Pearch vttering his earnest passion;
And so thou mayst conceipt what mingle-mangle
Among this people euery where did iangle.

Bring me (quoth one) atrowell, quickly, quick;
One brings him vp a hammer: heaw this brick
(Another bids) and then they cleaue a Tree:
Make fast this rope, and then they let it flee:
One cals for planks, another mortarlacks:
They bear the first, a stone; the last an ax:
One would haue spikes, and him a spade they giue:
Another asks a saw, and gets a siue:
Thus crosly-crost, they prate and point in vain;
What one hath made, another mars again:
Nigh breath-less all, with their confused yawling,
In boot-less labour, now begins appawling.

In brief, as those, that in som channell deep
Begin to build a Bridge with Arches steep,
Perceiuing once (in thousand streams extending)
The course-chang'd Riuer from the hils descending,
With watry mountains bearing down their Bay,
As if it scorn'd such bondage to obay;
Abandon quickly all their work begun,
And heer and there for swifter safety run:
These Masons so, seeing the storm arriu'd
Of Gods iust Wrath, all weak, and hart-depriu'd,
Forsake their purpose, and like frantick fools
Scatter their stuffe, and tumble down their tools.

O proud revolt! O trayterous felony!
See in what sort the Lord hath punisht thee
By this Confusion: ah! that language sweet,
Sure bond of Cities, friendships mastik meet,
Strong curb of anger, yerst vnited, now
In thousand drie Brooks strays, I wot not how:
That rare-rich gold, that charm-grief fancy-mouer,
That calm-rage harts-theef, quel-pride coniure-louer:
That purest coyn, then currant in each coast,
Now mingled, hath sound, waight, and colour lost,
'Tis counterfeit: and ouer euery shoar
The confus'd fall of Babel yet doth roar.

Then, Finland-folk might visit Affrica,
The Spaniard Inde, and ours America,
Without a truch-man: now, the banks that bound
Our Towns about, our tongues do also mound:
For, who from home but half a furlong goes,
As dumb (alas!) his Reason's tool doth lose:
Of if we talk but with our neer confines,
We borrow mouthes, or else we work by signes.

Vn-toild, vn-Tutord, sucking tender food,
We learn'd a language all men vnderstood;
And (seav'n-yeers-old) in glass-dust did commence
To draw the round Earths fair circumference:
To cipher well, and climbing Art by Art,
We reacht betimes that Castles highest part,
Where th' Encyclopedie her darlings Crowns,
In signe of conquest, with etern renowns.

Now (euer-boys) we wax old, while we seek
The Hebrew tongue, the Latin, and the Greek:
We can but babble, and for knowledge whole
Of Natures secrets, and of th' Essence sole
Which Essence giues to all, we tire our minde
To vary verbs, and finest words to finde;
Our letters and our syllables to waigh:
At Tutors lips we hang with heads all gray,
Who teach vs yet to read, and giue vs (raw)
An A. B. C. for great Iustinians law,
Hippocrates, or that Diuiner lore,
Where God appears to whome him right adore.

What shall I more say? then, all spake the speech
Of God himselfe, th' old sacred Idiom rich,
Rich perfect language, where's no point, nor signe,
But hides some rare deep mysterie diuine:
But since that pride, each people hath a-part
A bastard gibberish, harsh, and ouerthwart;
Which daily chang'd, and losing light, wel-neer
Nothing retains of that first language cleer.

The Phrygians once, and that renowned Nation
Fed with fair Nilus fruitfull inundation,
Longing to know their Languages prioritie,
Fondly impos'd the censuring authoritie
To silly Iudges, voyd of iudging sense
(Dumb stammerers to treat of eloquence)
To wit, two Infants nurst by Mothers dumb,
In silent Cels, where neuer noyse should com
Of charming humane voice, to eccho there,
Till triple-twelue months full expired were.
Then brought before the Memphians, and the men
That dwell at Zant, the faint-breath'd children,
Crie often Bek; Bek, Bek is all the words
That their tongue forms, or their dumb mouth affords.
Then Phrygians, knowing, that in Phrygian
Bek meaneth bread, much to reioyce began,
Glad that kinde Nature had now graçt them so,
To grant this Sentence on their side to go.

Fools, which perceiv'd not, that the bleating flocks
Which powl'd the neighbour Mountains motly locks
Had taught this tearm, and that no tearms of Rome,
Greece, Egypt, England, France, Troy, Iewry, com
Com born with vs: but euery Countries tongue
Is learnt by much vse, and frequenting long.
Only, we haue peculiar to our race,
Aptnes to speak; as that same other grace
Which, richly-diuers, makes vs differ more
From dull, dumb wretches that in Desarts roar.

Now, that Buls bellow (if that any say)
That Lions roar, and slothfull Asses bray,
Now lowe, now lowd; and by such languages
Distinctly seeme to shew their courages:
Those are not words, but bare expressions
Of violent fits of certain passions:
Confused signes of sorrow, or annoy,
Of hunger, thirst, of anger, loue, or ioy.

And so I say that all the winged quiers,
Which mornly warble, on green trembling briers,
Ear-tickling tunes: for though they seem to prattle
A-part by payrs, and three to three to rattle;
To winde their voice a hundred thousand waies,
In curious descant of a thousand layes:
T' haue taught Apollo, in their School, his skill;
Their sounds want sense; their notes are word-less still:
Their song, repeated thousand times a day,
As dumb discourse, flies in the Woods away.

But, only Man can talke of his Creator,
Of heav'n, and earth, and fire, and ayr, and water,
Of Iustice, Temperance, Wisdom, Fortitude,
In choise sweet tearms that various sense include.
And not in one sole tongue his thoughts dis•under;
But like to Scaliger, our ages wonder,
The Learned's Sun: who eloquently can,
Speak Spanish, French, Italian, Nubian,
Dutch, Chaldee, Syriak, English, Arabik,
(Besides) the Persian, Hebrew, Latin, Greek.
O rich quick spirit! O wits Chameleon!
Which any Authors colour can put on.
Great Iulius Son, and Syluius worthy brother,
Th' immortall grace of Gascony, their mother.

And, as for Iayes, that in their wyery gail
Can ask for victuals, and vnvictuail'd rail;
Who, daring vs for eloquences meed,
Can plain pronounce the holy Christian Creed,
Say the Lords prayer, and oft repeat it all,
And name by name a good great houshold call:
Th' are like that voice, which (by our voice begot)
From hollow vale babbles it wots not what.
In vain the ayr they beat, it vainly cleauing,
And dumbly speak, their own speech not conceiuing,
Deaf to themselues: for speech, is nothing (sure)
But th' vnseen soules resounding purtrature:
And chiefly when'tis short, sweet, painted-plain,
As it was all, yer that rough-hunters raign.

Now, when I note, how th' Hebrew breuity,
Euen with fewe words expresseth happily
Deepest conceits; and leads the hearing part
Through all the closets of the mazy hart:
Better then Greek with her Synonimaes,
Fit Epithets, and fine Metaphoraes,
Her apt Coniunctions, Tenses, Moods, and Cases,
And many other much esteemed graces:

When I remember, how the Rabbins fet
Out of the sacred Hebrew Alphabet
All that our faith beleeues. or eys behold;
That in the Law the Arts are all inrold:
Whether (with curious pain) we do transport
Her letters turn'd in many-various sort
(For, as in ciphering, th' onely transportation
Of figures, still varies their valuation:
So th' Anagram strengthens or slacks a name,
Giuing a secret twist vnto the same):
Or whether wee (euen as in gross) bestowing
The numbers, which, from one words letters flowing,
Vnfold a secret; and that word again
Another of like number doth contain:
Whether one letter for a word be put;
Or all a sentence in one word be shut:
As Egypts silence sealed-vp (mysterious)
In one Character a long sentence serious.

When I obserue, that from the Indian Dawning,
Euen to our Irish Aetna's fiery yawning:
And from hot Tambut, to the Sea Tartarian,
Thou seest (O Sun!) no Nation so barbarian,
Nor ignorant in all the Laws diuine,
But yet retains som tearms of Palestine,
Whose Elements (how-so disguiz'd) draw-nigh
The sacred names of th' old Orthogaphy.

When I consider that Gods antient WILL
Was first enrowled by an Hebrew quill:
That neuer Vrim, Dream, or Vision sung
Their Oracles, but all in Isaaks tongue:
That in the same, the Lord himself did draw
Vpon two Tables his eternall Law:
And that (long since) in Sions Languages,
His heav'nly Postes brought downe his messages.

And (to conclude) when I conceive, how then
They gaue not idle, casuall names to men,
But such as (rich in sense) before th' euent,
Markt in their liues some speciall accident;
And yet, we see that all those words of old
Of Hebrew still the sound and sense doe hold.
For, Adam (meaneth) made of clay: his wife
Eua (translated) signifieth life:
Cain, first begot: Abel, as vain: and Seth,
Put in his place: and he that, vnderneath
The generall Deluge, saw the World distrest,
In true interpretation, soundeth Rest.
To th' Hebrew Tongue (how-euer Greece do grudge)
The sacred right of Eldership I iudge.

All hail, therefore, O sempiternall spring
Of spirituall pictures! speech of Heav'ns high King,
Mother, and Mistress, of all Tongues the Prime:
Which (pure) hast past such vast deep gulfs of Time:
Which hast no word but weighs, whose Elements
Flowe with hid sense, thy points with Sacraments.
O sacred Dialect! in thee the names
Of Men, Towns, Countries register their fames
In brief abbridgements: and the names of Birds,
Of Water-guests, and Forrest-haunting Heards,
Are open Books, where euery man might read
Their natures story; till th' Heav'n-shaker dread,
In his iust wrath, the flaming sword had set.
The passage into Paradise to let.

For, Adam then (in signe of mastry) giuing
Peculiar names vnto all creatures liuing,
When in a generall muster ranged right,
They marcht by couples in his awfull sight,
He framed them so fit, that learned ears
Bearing the soule the sound, the maruails bears,
Where-with th' All-forming voice adorned fair
Th' Inhabitants of Sea, and Earth, and Ayr.
And, for each body acts, or suffers ought,
Hauing made Nowns, his Verbs he also wrought:
And then, the more t'enrich his speech, he brings
Small Particles, which stand in lieu of strings,
The master members fitly to combine
(As two great boards, a little glew doth ioyn)
And serue as plumes, which euer dancing light
Deck the proud crests of helmets burnisht bright:
Frenges to mantles; ears, and rings to vessels:
To marble statues; bases, feet, and tressels.

This (Adams language) pure persisted since,
Til th' iron Age of that cloud-climbing Prince:
Resounding onely, through all mortall tents,
The peer-les accents of rich eloquence;
But then (as partiall) it it self retyr'd
To Hebers house: whether of the conspir'd
Rebels, he were not; but in sober quiet,
Dwelt far from Shinar, and their furious ryot:
Or whether, thither by compulsion brought,
With secret sighes hee oft his God besought,
So with vnwilling hands helping to make
The walls he wisht deep sunk in Stygian Lake:
As wretched Galley-slaues (beating the Seas
With forced oars, fighting against their ease
And liberty) curse, in their grieued spright,
Those, for whose sake they labour day & night:
Or whether else Gods liberall hand, for euer
(As it were) meeting holy mens indeuour,
For his owne sake, of his free grace and pleasure,
To th' Hebrew race deposited this treasure;
While the proud remnant of those scattered Masons
Had falsed it in hundred thousand fashions,
When euery one where Fate him called flew,
Bearing new words into his Country new.

But slippery Time, enuiously wasting all,
Disfigur'd soon those Tongues authenticall,
Which 'mid the Babel-builders thunder, bred
On Tygris banks, o're all the earth were spred:
And, ay the world the more confus'd to leaue,
The least of them in many Tongues did cleaue.

Each language alters, either by occasion
Of trade, which (causing mutuall commutation
Of th' Earths and Oceans wares) with hardy luck
Doth words for words barter, exchange and truck:
Or else, because Fame-thirsting wits, that toyl
In golden tearms to trick their gracious stile,
With new-found beauties prank each circumstance,
Or (at the least) doe new-coyn'd words in haunce
With currant freedom: and again restore
Th' old, rusty, mouldy, worm-gnawn words of youre.

For, as in Forrests, leaves doe fall and spring:
Euen so the words, which whilom flourishing,
In sweet Orations shin'd with pleasing lustre
(Like snowe-white Lillies in a fresh green pasture)
Pass now no more; but, banisht from the Court,
Dwel with disgrace among the Country sort:
And those, which Eld's strict doom did disallow,
And damn for bullion, goe for current now.

A happy wit, with gracious iudgementioyn'd,
May giue a Pasport to the words new coyn'd
In his own shop: also adopt the strange:
Ingraft the wilde: inriching, with such change
His powerfull stile; and with such sundry ammell
Paynting his phrase, his Prose or Verse enammel.

One language hath no law but vse: and still
Runs blinde, vnbridled, at the vulgars will.
Anothers course, is curiously inclos'd
In lists of Art; of choise fit words compos'd.
One, in the feeble birth, becomming old,
Is cradle-toomb'd: another warreth bold
With the yeer-spinners. One, vnhappy-founded,
Liues in a narrow valley euer bounded:
Another 'mong the learned troup doth presse
From Alexanders Altars, euen to Fez.

And such are now, the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin:
Th' Hebrew, because of it wee hold the Paten
Of Thrice-Eternalls euer sacred Word:
And, of his Law, that is the first Record.
The Greek, as hauing cunningly compriz'd
All kinde of knowledge that may be devis'd.
And manly Roman, sith the sword vndaunted
Through all the world her eloquence hath planted.

Writing these later lines, weary wel-neer
Of sacred Pallas pleasing labours deer;
Mine humble chin saluteth oft my brest,
With an Ambrosial deaw mine eys possest
By peece-meal close; all mouing powrs be still;
From my dull fingers drops my fainting quill;
Down in my sloath-lov'd bed again I shrink;
And in dark Lethè all deep cares I sink:
Yea, all my cares, except a zeal to len
A gainfull pleasure to my Country-men.
For, th' holy loues-charm, burning for their sake,
When I am sleeping, keeps my soule awake.

Gold-winged Morpheus, East-ward issuing
By's crystall gate (it earlier opening
Then daies bright door) fantastick leads the way
Down to a vale, where moist-cool night, and day:
Still calms and storms: keen cold, and sultry smother:
Rain, and fair weather follow not each-other:
But May still raigns, and rose-crown'd Zephyrus
With wanton sighes makes the green trees to buss;
Whose whispering boughs, in Ouall form do fence
This flowrie field's delightfull excellence.

Iust in the midst of this enammeld vale
Rose a huge Rock, cut like a Pedestall;
And on the Cornich a Colossus stands
Of during brasse, which beareth in his hands
Both fire and water: from his golden tongue
Grow thousand chains, which all the mead a-long
Draw worlds of hearers with alluring Art,
Bound fast by th' ears, but faster by the hart.
Before his feet, Boars, Bears, and Tigers lie
As meek as Lambs, reclaim'd from cruelty.
Neer hils do hop, and neighbour Forrests bound,
Seeming to daunce at his sweet voices sound.

Of Carian pillars raisd with curious Art
On bases firm, a double rowe doth girt
The soule-charm Image of sweet Eloquence:
And these fair Piles (with great magnificence)
Bear, foure by foure, one of the Tongues which now
Our learned Age for fairest doth allow.

Now, 'mong the Heav'n-deer spirits supporting heer
The Hebrew tongue, that Prince whose brows appear
Like daunt-Earth Comet's Heav'n-adorning brand,
Who holds a green-drie, wither'd-springing wand,
And in his arms the sacred Register
Of Gods eternall ten-fold Law doth bear;
Is Israels guide: first Author, he that first
Vnto his heirs his Writings offer durst:
Whose hallowed Pages not alone preceed
All Grecian Writ, but euery Grecian Deed.

Dauid's the next, who, with the melody
Of voice-matcht fingers, draws sphears harmony,
To his Heav'n-tuned harp, which shall resound
While the bright day-star rides his glorious Round:
Yea (happily) when both the whirling Poles
Shall cease their Galliard, th' euer-blessed soules
Of Christ his champions (cheer'd with his sweet songs)
Shall daunce to th' honour of the Strong of strongs;
And all the Angels glory-winged Hostes
Sing Holy, Holy, Holy, God of Hoasts.

The third, his Son, wit-wondrous Salomon,
Who in his lines hath more wise lessons sow'n,
More golden words, then in his Crown there shin'd
Pearls, Diamonds, and other Gemms of Inde.

Then, Amos Son, in threatnings vehement,
Grace-fellowed, graue, holy and eloquent.

Sweet-numbred Homer heer the Greek supports,
Whose School hath bred the many-differing sorts
Of ancient Sages: and, through euery Realm,
Made (like a Sea) his eloquence to stream:
Plato, the all-diuine, who like the Fowl
(They call) of Paradise; doth neuer foul
His foot on Earth or Sea, but lofty sties
Higher then Heav'n from Hell, aboue the skies:
Cleer-styl'd Herodotus, and Demosthen,
Gold-mouthed hearts-king law of learned men.

Th' Arch-Foe to factious Catiline and (since)
To Anthony, whose thundring eloquence
Yeelds thousand streams, whence (rapt in admiration)
The rarest wits are drunk in euery Nation:
Caesar, who knowes as wel to write, as war:
The Sinnewy Salust: and that Heav'n-fall'n star,
Which straggling Ilium brings to Tybers brink,
Who neuer seems in all his Works to wink;
Who neuer stumbled, euer cleer and graue;
Bashfully-bold, and blushing modest-braue:
Still like himself, and else, still like to no-man.
Sustain the stately, graue-sweet ancient Roman.

On mirthsull Boccace is the Tuscan plac't:
Bold, choice-tearm'd Petrarch, in deep passions graç't:
The fluent fainer of Orlando's error,
Smooth, pithie, various, quick affection-stirrer:
And witty Tasso, worthy to indight
Heroïk numbers, full of life and light;
Short, sharpe-conceipted, rich in language cleer,
Though last in age, in honour formost heer.

Th' Arabian language hath for pillers sound,
Great Aben-Rois most subtill, and profound,
Sharp Eldebag, and learned Auicen,
And Ibnu-farid's figure-flowing Pen.

The Dutch, hath him who Germaniz'd the story
Of Sleidan: next, th' Isleban (lasting glory
Of Wittenberg) with Peucer gilding bright
His pleasing stile: and Butric my delight.

Gueuarra, Boscan, and Granade, which sup
With Garcilace, in honey Pytho's cup
The smiling Nectar, bear th' Hyberian:
And, but th' old glory of the Catalan,
Rauisht O syas, he might well haue claymed
The Spanish Laurell 'mong these lastly named.

Now, for the French, that shape-less Column rude,
Whence th' idle Mason hath but grosly hew'd
(As yet) the rough scales from the vpper part,
Is Clement Marot; who with Art-les Art
Busily toyls: and, prickt with praise-full thirst,
Brings Helicon, from Po to Quercy first:
Whom, as a time-torn Monument, I honour:
Or as a broken Toomb: or tattered Banner:
Or age-worn Image: not so much for showe,
As for the reuerence that to Eld I owe.

The next I knowe not well; yet (at the least)
He seems som skilfull Master with the rest:
Yet doubt I still. For now it doth appear
Like Iaques Aymot, then like Uiginere.

That, is great Ronsard, who his France to garnish,
Robs Rome and Greece, of their Art-various varnish;
And, hardy-witted, handleth happily
All sorts of subiect, stile, and Poësie.

And this du Plessis, beating Athëisme,
Vain Paganisme, and stubborn Iudaïsme,
With their own arms: and sacred-graue, and short,
His plain-prankt stile he strengthens in such sort,
That his quick reasons wingd with grace and Art,
Pearce like keen arrows, euery gentle hart.

Our English Tongue three famous Knights sustain;
Moore, Bacone, Sidney: of which, former twain
(High Chancellors of England) weaned first
Our Infant-phrase (till then but homely nurst)
And childish toys; and, rudenes chasing thence,
To ciuill knowledge, ioyn'd sweet eloquence.
And (World-mourn'd) Sidney, warbling to the Thames
His Swan-like tunes, so courts her coy proud streams.
That (all with-childe with Fame) his fame they bear,
To Thetis lap, and Thetis, every-where.

But, what new Sun dazels my tender eyes?
What suddain traunce rapts me aboue the skies?
What Princely Port? O what imperiall grace?
What sweet-bright-lightning looks? what Angels face?

Say (learned Heav'n-born Sisters) is not this
That prudent Pallas, Albions Misteris,
The Great Eliza, making hers disdaign,
For any Man, to change their Maydens raign?
Who, while Erynnys (weary now of hell)
With fire and Sword her neighbours States doth quell,
And while black Horror threats in stormy rage,
With dreadfull down-fal th' vniuersall stage;
In happy Peace her Land doth keep and nourish:
Where reuerent Iustice, and Religion flourish.
Who is not onely in her mother-voyce
Rich in Oration; but with phrases choice,
So on the sodain can discourse in Greek,
French, Latin, Tuscan, Dutch, and Spanish eek,
That Rome, Rhyne, Rhone, Greece, Spayn, and Italy,
Plead all for right in her natiuitie.

Bright Northren pearl, Mars-daunting martialist,
To grace the Muses and the Arts, persist;
And (O!) if euer these rude rimes be blest
But with one glaunce of Nature's onely Best;
Or (lucky) light between those Yuory palms,
Which hold thy State's stern, in these happy calms,
View them with milde aspect; and gently read
That for thy praise, thine eloquence wee need.

Then thus I spake; O spirits diuine and learned,
Whose happy labours haue your lauds eterned:
O! sith I am not apt (alas!) nor able
With you to bear the burthen honourable
Of Albions Fame, nor with my feeble sight
So much as follow your Heav'n-neighbouring slight;
At least permit me, prostrate to imbrace
Your reuerend knees: permit me to inchace
Your radiant crests with Aprils flowrie Crown;
Permit (I pray) that from your high renown,
My freble tunes eternall fames deriue;
While in my Songs your glorious names suruiue.
Granting my sute, each of them bowd his head,
The valley vanisht, and the pillers fled:
And there-with-all, my Dream had flow'n (I think)
But that I lym'd his limber wings with ink.