Classic Poem

T his takes the vulgar Eare
That loues the plaine and cleare:
But , neither mine , nor those
That hugge proude Verse in Prose .

Kings , Gods on Earth , so call'd by Him of Heau'n ,
How dismall is your Deities estate!
Who while you life do give, are life bereau'n;
And oft, for too much loue , get too much hate:
Whose surest Forecasts , stand on sixe and seauen ,
Which, with you ( Soueraignes ) subiect are to Fate .
 What Diu lls can enuie, then, such Deities ,
 Whose Heau'ns are hells , of short, sweet, miseries?
Toyle ye to shield their liues, that shoot at yours:
And make your selues, of Soueraigns , sou'rain slaues?
Spending your Brains , and strengths , and precious howrs
As if your selues dig'd, for your selues, your graues
For, th' hollow subiect ( graue like) you deuoures:
Whom ye make hollow, oft with welfare's waues.
For, if ye fill Ambition, Spight , or Feare ,
Ye fill the Sailes will quite you ouer-beare.

Men-beasts , borne subiect, yet can neuer beare
Your births allotment! What? O what is it
That makes yee, like vile timber wormes , to weare
The Poasts sustaining you? What grace , or Wit .
Appears in facts , where your owne fals appeare?
Will ye needs rise , to fall? not (sure) still sit?
 If needs ye will, foule be your fairest fall ,
 Sith ye would rise, by ouerthrowing All .

Cannot the ten times worse then ill successe
Of gracelesse Gowries worse, farre worse assay,
With heaps of horrors so your thoughts oppresse,
That these should freez your souls w t cold dismay .
Danger and Death (ye heard) could not distress
Our heau'n holp King ; who throgh both made his way.
 For, Kings are Gods , who with a frowne can make
 The Arme of flesh for feare, all force forsake.

Or know you not a crowne is of such weight,
That no disloyall hand can it transferre,
But crusht it is to nothing with it straight?
Cannot this thought your hands from this deterre?
On Treason doth a hell of horrors waite;
Which, in it selfe, against it selfe doth warre.
 Then, that which in it selfe is at this stay,
 Must fall (else Truth doth lie and soone decay).

Conspirators haue nought but pale mistrust ,
Sad thoughts and terrors euer them attending:
But, Princes , on their sides, haue subiects lust,
Their Guards , their Maiesties , their Lawes defending
(What hart dare, maugreal these , be vnlust)
All these their powrs against the traitor bending:
 Then how can Traitors be so ouer-bold.
 When such great fears their harts do vnder hold?

Their tyrèd wits (though beaten night and day)
Can make no shift a traitorous life to saue:
The guiltie conscience doth it selfe bewray:
And thoughts turmoild , no staid aduisement haue:
Feare strikes them so, that (tost) they canot stay,
But iudgement makes vncertaine as a wave
 The flowing streames of honied Eloquence
 Can nere sustaine the weight of great offence.

Pure Innocents with vndefiled tongue ,
By instinct of Nature, haue perswasiue powre:
By guilty ones , defilde with bloud and wrong ,
Their faltring tongues , are euer most vnsure;
So full of Discords is Rebellions Song,
That it no eare in tune can ought allure:
 Though, Art aid Falshood , with her powrs, yet shal
  Truth naked, trip them: so they needs must fall.

The bended brow of Iustice , sore dismayes
The guiltie , though their wits in glory shine;
And fickle Feare their iudgement still betrayes,
Presenting strange Chimæras to their eyne;
Which so the soule with horror ouer-layes
And Reasons right discourse so wrests in fine,
 That all that from the Minde or Mouth proceeds
 Within it selfe then disagree must needs.

The passions of annoy more strongly worke
Within the mind then those from ioy proceeding.
Now, if sweet Ioys , in merry minds that lurke,
Do hinder Reason , strange distraction breeding,
Much more will feare of pains , all paines exceeding:
  Reason must then, of force, forsake the Helme ,
 When waues of woe the bodies barke orewhelme.

Who enter Treasons maze , are like the men
That runne too desperately into the Sea ,
If they escape, it will be iudgèd then
That they were fortunate the wracke to flee,
And out of Dangers mouth to come agen:
But if they perish, then it said will be,
 They cast themselues in, to be cast away,
 By desp'rare fore-cast cause of their decay.

For, as an Arrow glanceth on a stone
For want of softnesse in the stone to stay it:
So treason lightly will be ouer throwne,
Though for fit time, Wit willeth to delay it,
And keepe the same the while from all vnknown
That likely God nor man can well bawray it;
 Yet out it will, and like an Arrow glance
 Vpon the foyling Flint of hard mischance .

A blessèd death , a cursèd life excuseth;
(For, no man's truly blest before his end )
So, a curst death , a blessed life accuseth:
But, when that life and death , to death doth tend
It seems the soule, life wilfully refuseth;
For, she in life , and death , doth but offend:
 From such a life and death, grace keeps all those
 That to Prides Naturals are mortal foes.

The more that Empire doth enlarge her bounds ,
The more is Fortunes empire ouer it;
Who scorns to thrust at slaues , but kings she wounds
And on their Seats doth oft make slaues to sit:
And sitting there, in sport, she them confounds;
So, bandies kings , and slaues , as she thinks fit:
 But, slaues are racket, kings are her hand bals
 Which being greater, haue the harder fals.

Sence

These seldom meet with siluer-hairs, though care
Doth (for that tincture) Time anticipate:
The Liege that lies on beds , that sumptuous are,
Sleeps more in feare than beggers at his gate:
Whom the gray morne hath seene high, past compare,
The blushing eu'n hath seen in abiect state
 A world of mouthes they feed, and courts they keep
 Whose stabbing dreams do make them start in sleep.

The purple robe is oft re-purpellèd
With royall blood , that from the heart doth stream;
When homly rags (thogh rent) are nere made red
With th' owners bloud, sith they do range a reame
And yet not rule it, as the Scepterèd .
These sleepe secure, in many a golden dreame ,
 While Princes lie on thorns of pricking feares ,
 That make their daies to interdict their years .

In toothsom'st dish the banefull baile doth lie;
And Treason diues into the sweetest wine ,
At euery bit they feare her treachery,
And doubt, each draught they drinke, they drink their fine
O! if as through a glasse we might espy
The swarms of fears , and cares , their hearts confine
 We would not stoope to gather vp a crowne ,
 If as the crowne , the cares must be our owne.

The princely Ports no sooner ope are set
But diuelish Enuie glides through all vnseene:
But hates as hell, the Neat-heards Cabinet
Whilst (Princely Peasant , with his Sommers queen)
Hee frolicks it as free from dread as debt;
And liuing so, a king himselfe doth weene:
 But, if he erre, it is an error sweete,
 To meet kings thoughts, and not their cares to meete.

In Maple Mazer , or Beach -bowle he quaffes,
And lifts it not to mouth with shaking hands:
His Loue and Hee, cats , drinks, and sleeps, and laffs,
And shee obeyes, and hee in loue commands:
'Twixt them are neither Iealousies nor Chafes ,
For breaking Wedlock or Subiections Bands:
 But they enioy Loue, peace , and merriment ,
 And therewithall, the kingdom of Content .

They fear not Fortunes frowns, nor way her fawns;
Their great'st ambition is to liue to loue:
Much Coyn they need not, much less pretious pawns
That by a Cow can liue, and pleasures proue
Yea, feede with her, on Sallets in the Launds ,
In Weeds yelad, as homely spunne as woue:
  Milke being their best meat , and sowr whay theyr wine ,
 And when they hunger, then they sup and dine.

They can no skill of States deepe policies ,
Nor will they wade in deepes so dangerous:
This makes them line so free from Tragedies
That are to Heau'n and Earth so odious:
They Actors are in Past'rall Comedies ,
That tend to Loue and Mirth harmonious,
 O heauenly-earthly life, life for a king ,
 That liues with nothing , as with eu'ry- thing .

They seeldome passe the vnreturnèd wayes
That leade t' infernall loues Dominions.
Their silly Soule (with hopes assurance) stayes
On CHRIST his Crosse, and Faith's Conclusions:
They doo distaste the delicate Assayes
Of Schoolemens Craft , and nice distinctions:
  Nature and Grace in silence guides them well.
 Whilst Doctors deep, dispute them selues to Hell .

Grace hates all sinne , with hate most exquisit
But none, so much (though more, then much, the least)
As shee doth pride , for, that distracts the wit,
Contracts the Soule to sinne , makes Man a Beast ,
Confines Societie , alone to sit;
Makes will a Law , and wrongs the Worst and Best
 This is Ambition , this is damnèd Pride ,
 Which God , nor Man , haue patience to abide.

The steppes of Mans ascent, on Fortunes wheele,
Must needs be slippery, sith it is so steepe:
The Topp's most wau'ring, ready still to reel;
The going downe, is like as in the Deepe
A Shippe goes downe, with ouerturned Keele;
When ore a mounting Billow shee doth sweepe:
 And if the fall from High-estate be such,
 How dreadfull is it then, to mount too much?

For, Dignitie on Vertue , grounded is.
Then, if the ground doe faile, and false become,
The more is built thereon, the sooner tis
Sinking to ground, and ruinèd all or some ;
The more our Pow'r the more of Peace we misse,
If Vertue aduerse powres doe not orecome:
 That Enuy , which high pride did life-inspire,
  Humitity must kill, or make retire.

I knew a Man , vnworthy as I am,
And yet too worthie for a counterfeit ,
Made once a king: who though it were in game ,
Yet was it there where Lords and Ladyes met;
Who honor'd him, as hee had been the same,
And no subiectiue dutie did forget;
 When to him selfe he smil'd, and said to here
 I haue for noght, what Kings doe buy so deere.

No odds there was in shew (and but in show,
Kings are too often honour'd) saue that he
Was but twelue gamesome daies to king it so;
And kings , more yeares of soueraigne misery.
His raigne was short and sweet theirs long in wo
He after liu'd: they, with or for theirs , die.
 He had a tast of raigne , with powre to leaue;
 They cannot tast, but life must take or giue .

Kings for the treasons to them offerèd
Must offer them that offer it whereby
The body still may hold vp hie the head ,
Lest otherwise they both too low might lye:
Yet by this meanes, blood , oft, with hate, is shed,
If bloud so shed, do fall or much , or hie;
 But he without bloud did behead his foes ,
 So made him friends indeed, of foes in showes.

He sate in state , that mirth , and loue did stay;
They sit in state that hate oft vndermines;
He, without feare , had some to take assay;
But they haue such, for feare of sodaine fines ;
He poyson'd some (to play as Kings might play)
But twas with Suger and perfumèd wines:
 He went with guards , yet stabbing fearèd not:
 They go with guards , yet feare the stab or skot .

He could deuise with Ladies , if he could
Deuise with Ladies , without all suspect;
If they do so, they do not as they should,
For't will be sayd their honors they neglect:
He could command and haue all as he would;
But their commands oft haue not that effect.
 Then who had better Raigns , iudge all of sense,
 Either a King indeed , or in pretence .

A conscience cleere out-dares Death to the face,
Laughing to scorne his greatest tyranny;
And with vnconquerd patience doth disgrace
His vtmost malice, spight , and villany .
She winneth place of Death , by giuing place ,
And by her yeelding , getteth victorie
 Yea, triumphs ouer Death , through vertues might
 For Vertue liues, when Death hath spet his spight.

Neuer did Feare attend on Innocence
She Wayters scornes, that with her dare not dye
Though she from wrong and danger seeke defence,
And may (if well shee may) from eyther fly:
Yet is her Courage of that excellence,
That if shee meet them she dares both defie
 Then to be Innocent , is still to dare
  Death, Hell , and Vengeance , yea all Deaths that are.

This makes the Prince his person to expose
To Pistoll, Poyson, Dagger , and the like;
Among them all (so arm'd) bee freely goes,
And starts not (as dismayd) when they do strike.
This make them deem (deer harts ) they haue no foes
Because they weene they rule without mislike;
 And if some hellish hand them ouer-beare,
 They die, as line they did, without all feare .

Within their Count'nance, Mirth , with Grauitie
( Graue for their place , and mirth , their grace to show)
In peace doe striue for the precedencie
Both which so sweetly grace them as they go;
As make the publike loue , on them to pry:
With Eyes , which teares of toy (vnfain'd) ore-flow,
 While Princely kindenesse doth itself imploy,
 To ope like Floud-gates , into Seas of Ioy .

When the sterne Tyrant (with a folded Front
And Eyes disturbèd, through suspicious feare )
Doth starting stalke, as if Death did confront
His steppes, and to his Eyes did still appeare;
His Hand on Hilt hee beares, Death to affront;
Yet ghastly lookes, as hee still flying were;
 And when a Mouse doth crie or Leafe doth shake,
 Out goes the Dagger , yet with feare doth quake.

He feares his life , but more the second- death ,
Which death , he doubts, will second death of life
This makes him strait the dagger so vnsheath
T'incounter the first deaths approaching knife ,
Lest, being ouerthrowne, he should beneath
Still liue in strife , as he hath liu'd in strife ,
 The losse of kingdome, life , and feare of that ,
 Makes him (as mad) to do he knows not what.

Who would a Sceptor hold, in such an hell ,
Like a commanding Fiend in horror still,
Where subiects , like his passions , aye rebel
So liue as Sou'raigne of a world of ill?
And in nought, but in nought so to excell
Is God (as much as in man lies) to kill:
 Which is the cause (as proofe hath often told)
 It's hard to see an hellish Tyrant old.

Imbrude with blood , or else in poyson drencht
Away wends he the way the others sent;
For with his bloud , his thirst of bloud is quencht;
So, with a plague , repaid what he hath lent:
Nor shal his bloud , that flowes amaine be stencht,
Sith Heau'n and Earth against him still are bent
 ‘For, when both heau'n and earth , pursues the spayle ,
 ‘No place but Hell is left then, to recoyle.

Gods Armies march, some seene, but most vnseen;
Those seene, may be lookt to, but not lookt ore;
And how ere vile, Pride some of them may ween,
Yet men most high, are oft foyld by the low'r
But th' vnseene Armies haue such Weapons keene
And pow'r to vse them, that all Flesh they gore:
 Who are so slye, that no mans wisedome may
 Their Ambushments auoyde, or them bewray.

For can an Heart be wise that is profane?
(Nay, fleshly wise, we will dismisse the Spiritie? )
It cannot be; for, Wisedome's in the wane
When tis forsaken of the Heauenly light:
A crazèd Soule , must needs be Wisedomes bane,
Whose pow'rs want pow'r to vse their natiue might ;
 For, when the Soule's vnquiet through offence ,
 Her fames blinde Iudgement , and Intelligence .

We may not doe ill , that thence good may spring;
Nor cease to do good , thogh ill thence may grow;
The Ill that growes from good , is no ill thing ;
And to reape such , wee still, much good shuld sow:
Its ill to haue Gods hate to haue with loue of King;
And worse that hate to haue for loue more low.
 Then to be good , in Death's to be secure:
 And to bee ill , in life's to be vnsure.

The Sunne sees not a more detested thing
Than is a Traitor , whose fowle Crime is such
That they which loue the Craft it Crafts-man sing
With deadly hate , and words that wound as much:
And he that would of other Crimes be King,
Abhorre but once this loathèd Crime to touch.
 That Hand that can behead a Common-weale ,
 Must haue an heart , to helpe, of Flint or Steele?

And they that would transforme a Monarchy
(Confirm'd by many faire descents of Kings)
T'an headlesse misproportion'd Anarchy
(That Rule and Order to Confusion brings,
To th'end to giue Misrule more libertie)
Are most condemn'd, if not most damnèd things .
 For, what Man can (though halfe a Diuell ) see
  All drown'd in Gart , to purple his Degree !

Traitor! ô word, of force to make a Man
Teare out his Eyes , that they see not the light!
Which All with bitter Execrations , ban
And at the very name , do spet in spight.
Traitor! ô gall! which no Gall suffer can
Odious to Heau'n and Earth , to Day and Night;
 The very Aire of such a loathèd name ,
 The Ioynts of strongest Patience can vnframe.

What can the Hart of Man excogitate
More odious or in nature , or in name ,
Than Treason? which eu'n Hell it selfe doth hate,
Although it be aduantag'd by the same.
For Hell holds Traitors more degenerate
From Nature , then her Fiends; so more to blame
 For Fiends , by nature, are most impious;
 But Men most implous, are most monstrous.

A Sou'raigns bloud is sacred, and of pow'r
To draw down Angels , from their glorious sphears ,
With Vialls , full of plagues , on Realmes to powre,
(If it be spilt by spight) Nay Princes hayres
Are numbred, and who makes but one vnsure,
Shal feel that wrath whose heat the mountains mears
 O t'is a dreadfull thing but once to dreame,
 In Physicke to make Royall bloud to streame.

Tis Bloud of blouds ; for, while it is bloud-warme:
And carries life with it through all the Veines
It doth prescrue the subiects blood from harme,
That cold of fears to freeze else strait constrains:
When 'tis the life-bloud of a kingdoms Arme
Which, while it's liuely, her whole state sustaines:
 O then how precious ought (in all mens eyes )
 Such bloud to be wherein such vertue lies?

Words , but in Wormewood steept, are too too weake
To blazon Treasons bitter tyranny ,
None but soule wounding words for it are meete,
Because it wounds the Soule of Soueraigntic
Then Treason thus my Muse , thy guilt doth greete .
(Which is the quinlessence of villany )
 Curst be Thought that thinks but on that Thought,
 That thinks thou art not ten times worse than naught.