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THE TEARES OF THE MUSES.
Faire Cytheree, the mother of Delight
And queene of Beautie, now thou maist go pack ;
For lo! thy kingdome is defaced quight,
Thy sceptre rent, and power put to wrack; 400
And thy gay sore, the winged god of Love,
May now go prune his plumes like ruffed dove.
And queene of Beautie, now thou maist go pack ;
For lo! thy kingdome is defaced quight,
Thy sceptre rent, and power put to wrack; 400
And thy gay sore, the winged god of Love,
May now go prune his plumes like ruffed dove.
And ye three twins, to light by Venus brought,
The sweete companions of the Muses late,
From whom whatever thing is goodly thought,
Doth borrow grace, the fancie to aggrate ;
Gu beg with us, and be companions still,
As heretofore of good, so now of ill.
The sweete companions of the Muses late,
From whom whatever thing is goodly thought,
Doth borrow grace, the fancie to aggrate ;
Gu beg with us, and be companions still,
As heretofore of good, so now of ill.
For neither you nor we shall anie more
Find entertainment or in court or schoole :
Fer that, which was accounted heretofore
‘The learneds meede, is now lent to the foole ;
He sings of love, and maketh loving
And they him heare, and they him highly prayse.—
Find entertainment or in court or schoole :
Fer that, which was accounted heretofore
‘The learneds meede, is now lent to the foole ;
He sings of love, and maketh loving
And they him heare, and they him highly prayse.—
With that she powred foorth a brackish flood 415
Of bitter teares, and made exceeding mone ;
And all her sisters, seving her sad mood,
With lowd laments her answered all at one.
So ended she: and then the next in rew
Began her grievous plaint, as doth ensew.
Of bitter teares, and made exceeding mone ;
And all her sisters, seving her sad mood,
With lowd laments her answered all at one.
So ended she: and then the next in rew
Began her grievous plaint, as doth ensew.
CALLIOPE.
To whom shall I my evill case comp!
Or tell the anguish of my inward s
Sith none is left to remedie my paine,
Or deignes to pitie a perplexed hart ;
But rather seekes my sorrow to augment
With fowle report and cruel! banishment?
To whom shall I my evill case comp!
Or tell the anguish of my inward s
Sith none is left to remedie my paine,
Or deignes to pitie a perplexed hart ;
But rather seekes my sorrow to augment
With fowle report and cruel! banishment?
For they, to whom I used to applie
The faithful service of my learned skill,
The goodly offspring of loves progenie,
That wont the world with famous acts to fill
Whose living praises in heroick style,
It is my chiefe profession to compyle ;
The faithful service of my learned skill,
The goodly offspring of loves progenie,
That wont the world with famous acts to fill
Whose living praises in heroick style,
It is my chiefe profession to compyle ;
They, all corrupted through the rust of time
That doth all fairest things on earth deface,
Or through unnoble sloth, or sirfull crime,
That doth degenerate the noble race ;
Have both desire of worthie deeds forlorne,
And name of learning utterly doo scorne.
That doth all fairest things on earth deface,
Or through unnoble sloth, or sirfull crime,
That doth degenerate the noble race ;
Have both desire of worthie deeds forlorne,
And name of learning utterly doo scorne.
Ne doo they care to have the auncestrie
Of th’ old heroés memorizde anew ;
Ne doo they care that late posteritie
Should know their names, or speak their praises dew,
But die forgot from whence at first they sprong,
As they themselves shalbe for,ot ere long.
Of th’ old heroés memorizde anew ;
Ne doo they care that late posteritie
Should know their names, or speak their praises dew,
But die forgot from whence at first they sprong,
As they themselves shalbe for,ot ere long.
What bootes it then to come from glorious
Forefathers, or to have been nobly bredd ?
What oddes twixt lius and old Inachus,
Twixt best and worst, when both alike are dedd ;
Uf none of her mention should make,
Nor out of dust their memories awake ?
Forefathers, or to have been nobly bredd ?
What oddes twixt lius and old Inachus,
Twixt best and worst, when both alike are dedd ;
Uf none of her mention should make,
Nor out of dust their memories awake ?
Or who would ever care to doo brave deed,
Or strive in vertue others to excell ;
If none should yeeld him his deserved meed,
Due praise, that is the spur of dooing well?
For if good were not praised more than ill, 455
None would choose goodnes of his owne freewill.
Or strive in vertue others to excell ;
If none should yeeld him his deserved meed,
Due praise, that is the spur of dooing well?
For if good were not praised more than ill, 455
None would choose goodnes of his owne freewill.
Therefore the nurse of Vertue I am hight,
And golden trumpet of Eternitie,
That lowly thoughts lift up to heavens hight,
And mortall men have powre to deifie :
Bacchus and Hercules I raisd to heaven,
And Charlemaine amongst the starris seaven.
And golden trumpet of Eternitie,
That lowly thoughts lift up to heavens hight,
And mortall men have powre to deifie :
Bacchus and Hercules I raisd to heaven,
And Charlemaine amongst the starris seaven.
But now I will my golden clarion rend,
And will henceforth immortalize no more;
Sith I no more find worthie to commend
For prize of value, or for learned lore :
For noble peeres, whom T was wont to raise,
Now onely seeke for pleasure, nought for praise.
And will henceforth immortalize no more;
Sith I no more find worthie to commend
For prize of value, or for learned lore :
For noble peeres, whom T was wont to raise,
Now onely seeke for pleasure, nought for praise.
Their great revenues all in sumptuous pride
They spend, that nought to learning they may spare;
And the rich fee, which poets wont divide, 471
Now parasites and sycophants doo share :
Therefore I mourne and endlesse sorrow make,
Both for my self and for my sisters sake.
They spend, that nought to learning they may spare;
And the rich fee, which poets wont divide, 471
Now parasites and sycophants doo share :
Therefore I mourne and endlesse sorrow make,
Both for my self and for my sisters sake.
With that she lowdly gan to waile and shrike, 475
And from her eyes a sea of teares did powre ;
And all her sisters, with compassion like,
Did more increase the sharpnes of her showre.
So ended she: and then the next in rew
Began her plaint, as doth herein ensew.
And from her eyes a sea of teares did powre ;
And all her sisters, with compassion like,
Did more increase the sharpnes of her showre.
So ended she: and then the next in rew
Began her plaint, as doth herein ensew.
URANIA.
What wrath of gods, or wicked influence
Of starres conspiring wretched men t’ afflict,
Hath powrd on earth this noyous pestilence,
That mortall mindes doth inwardly infect
With love of blindnesse and of ignorance, 485
To dwell in darknesse without sovenance?
What wrath of gods, or wicked influence
Of starres conspiring wretched men t’ afflict,
Hath powrd on earth this noyous pestilence,
That mortall mindes doth inwardly infect
With love of blindnesse and of ignorance, 485
To dwell in darknesse without sovenance?
What difference twixt man and beast is left,
When th’ heavenlie light of knowledge is put out,
And th’ ornaments of wisdome are bereft ?
Then wandreth be in error and in doubt,
Unweeting of the danger hee is in,
Through fleshes frailtie, and deceipt of sin.
When th’ heavenlie light of knowledge is put out,
And th’ ornaments of wisdome are bereft ?
Then wandreth be in error and in doubt,
Unweeting of the danger hee is in,
Through fleshes frailtie, and deceipt of sin.
In this wide world in which they wretches stray,
It is the onclie comfort which they have,
It is their light, their loadstarre, and their day ; 495
But hell, and darknesse, and the grislie grave,
Is Ignorance, the enemy of Grace,
That mindes of men borne heavenlie doth debace.
It is the onclie comfort which they have,
It is their light, their loadstarre, and their day ; 495
But hell, and darknesse, and the grislie grave,
Is Ignorance, the enemy of Grace,
That mindes of men borne heavenlie doth debace.
Through knowledge we bebould the worlds creation,
How in his cradle first he fostred was ; 500
And iudge of Natures cunning operation,
How things she formed of a formlesse mas:
By knowledge wee do learne our selyes to knowe,
And what to man, and what to God, wee owe.
How in his cradle first he fostred was ; 500
And iudge of Natures cunning operation,
How things she formed of a formlesse mas:
By knowledge wee do learne our selyes to knowe,
And what to man, and what to God, wee owe.
From hence wee mount aloft unto the skie, 505
And looke into the cbristall firmament ;
There we behold the heavens great hierarchie,
The starres pure light, the spheres swift movément,
The spirites and intelligence:
And angels waighting on th’ Almighties chayre.510
And looke into the cbristall firmament ;
There we behold the heavens great hierarchie,
The starres pure light, the spheres swift movément,
The spirites and intelligence:
And angels waighting on th’ Almighties chayre.510
And there, with humble minde and high insight,
Th’ Eternall Makers mairstie wee viewe,
His love, his truth, his glorie, and his might,
And mercie more then mortall men can vew.
© soveraigne Lord, Os ne happinesse,
‘Yo sce thee, and thy mercie measurelesse !
Th’ Eternall Makers mairstie wee viewe,
His love, his truth, his glorie, and his might,
And mercie more then mortall men can vew.
© soveraigne Lord, Os ne happinesse,
‘Yo sce thee, and thy mercie measurelesse !
