’Tis strange men think so vain, and seem so sage,
And act so foolish in this latter1 age.
Their brains are always working some design,
Which plots they dig, as miners in a2 mine.
Fancies are min’rals, and3 the mine’s4 the head, 5
Some gold, some5 silver, iron, tin, some6 lead.
The furnace which ’tis melted in is great,
And motion quick doth give7 a glowing heat.
The mouth’s the gutter where the ore doth run;8
The hammer which the bars do beat’s9 the tongue. 10
The ear’s the forge to shape and form it out,
And several merchants send it all about.
And as the metal’s worth, the price is set;
Scholars, which are the buyers, most10 do get.
On gold and silver, which are fancies fine, 15
Are poets stamped, as masters of that coin.
Hard iron of strong judgment’s11 fit for use
In12 peace or war, to join up errors loose.
Though lead is dull, yet often use13 is made,
Like to translators in every language14 trade. 20
Tin is but15 weak, and of small strength we see,
Yet, joined with silver wits, ’t makes16 alchemy.
Half-witted men joined with strong wits might17 grow
To be of use, and make a glist’ring show.
Category: FANCIES
The Head of Man Compared to a Church
18
The head of man’s a church, where reason preaches,
Directs the life, and every thought it teaches,
Persuades the mind to live in peace and quiet,
And not in fruitless contemplation’s19 riot.
“For why,” says Reason, “you shall damnèd be 5
From all content, for curiosity;20
To seek about for what21 you cannot find
Will22 be a torment to a restless mind.”
Poets Have Most Pleasure in this Life.
Nature most pleasure doth to poets give,
If pleasure23 in variety doth24 live.
Each sense of theirs25 by fancy new is fed,
Which fancy in a torrent brain is bred.
Contrary ’tis26 to all that’s born on Earth, 5
For fancy is delighted most at’s birth.
Whatever else27 is born with pain comes forth,28
Hath neither beauty, strength, nor perfect growth.29
But fancy needs not time to make it grow;30
The brain’s31 like gods, from whence all things do flow. 10
A garden they’ve, which32 Paradise we call,33
Forbidden fruits, which tempt young lovers all,
Grow on the trees,34 which in the midst doth stand,35
Beauty on one, desire on th’other hand.36
The devil,37 self conceit, full38 craftily 15
Doth39 take the serpent’s shape of flattery,
For to deceive the female sex thereby,
Which made is40 only of inconstancy.
The male, high credence, to the female sex41
Yields fondly anything which they do42 ask. 20
Two rivers round this garden run about;
The one is confidence, the other doubt.
Every43 bank is set with fancy’s flowers;
Wit raines upon them fine refreshing showers.
Truth is the lord and owner44 of this place, 25
But ignorance this garden out will45 raze.
Then, from this garden,46 to a forest goes,47
Where many cedars of high knowledge grow,48
Oaks of strong judgment, hazel wits49—which tree
Bears nuts full of conceits, when cracked they be— 30
And smooth-tongued beech; kind-hearted willow50 bows
And yields to all that honesty allows.
Here51 birds of eloquence do sit and sing,
Build nests of logic, reasons forth to bring.52
Some birds of sophistry till hatched there lie; 35
Winged with false principles, away they fly.
Here doth53 the poet hawk, hunt, run54 a race,
Until he weary grows, then leaves this place.
Then55 goes a-fishing to a river’s side,
Whose water clear doth flow with fancy’s tide;56 40
Angles with wit to catch the fish of fame,
To feed his mem’ry57 and preserve his name.
Ships of ambition he builds,58 swift and strong;
Sails of imaginations drive ’em along,59
With winds of several praises fills them60 full, 45
Swims61 on the salt sea brain,62 round the world’s skull.
The thoughts are mariners which, that they may63
’Scape shipwrecks of dislike, work night and day.64
Some65 ships are cast66 upon the sands of spite,
And rocks of malice sometimes split them quite. 50
But merchant poets, whose shipmaster’s67 mind,
Do compass take some unknown land to find.
A Comparison between Gold and the Sun
I am the purest of all Nature’s works;
No dross nor sluggish moisture in me lurks.
I am within the bowels of the Earth;
None knows of what, or whence, I took my birth.
And as the sun, I shine in glory bright; 5
Only I want his beams to make a light.
And as the sun is chief of planets high,
So on the Earth the chiefest thing am I.
And as the sun rules there as lord and king,
So on the Earth I govern everything. 10
And as the sun doth run about the world,
So I about from man to man am68 hurled.
Of the Spider
69
The spider’s housewif’ry no webs doth spin
To make her cloth, but ropes to hang flies in.
Her bowels are the shop where flax is found;
Her body is the wheel that goeth round.
A wall her70 distaff, where she sticks thread on;71 5
The fingers are the feet that pull it long.72
She’s busy at all times, not idle lies;73
A house she builds with nets to catch the flies.74
Though it be not so strong as brick and stone,
Yet strong enough to bear light bodies on. 10
Within this house the female spider lies,
The whilst the male doth hunt abroad for flies.
Ne’er leaving75 till he76 flies gets in, which are77
Entangled78 soon79 within his subtle snare,
Like treacherous hosts,80 which do81 much welcome make 15
Their guests, yet watch how they their lives82 may take.
Similizing Fancy to a Gnat
83
Some fancies, like small gnats, buzz in the brain,
And84 by the hand of worldly cares are slain.
But they do sting so sore the poet’s head,
His mind is blistered, and his85 thoughts turn86 red.
Nought can take out this87 burning heat and pain 5
But pen and ink, to write on paper plain.
Then88 take the oil of fame, and ’noint89 the mind,
And this will90 be a perfect cure, you’ll find.
The Prey of Thoughts
If thoughts be the mind’s creatures, as some say,
Then, like the rest,91 they on each other92 prey,
Ambitious thoughts, like to a hawk, fly high,
In circles of desires mount the93 sky.
And when a covey of young hopes up springs,94 5
They strive to catch them with their swiftest wings.95
Thus as the hawk on partridges doth96 eat,
So hopeful thoughts are for ambitions97 meat.
Thoughts of self love do swim in self conceit.
Imaginary thoughts of98 praises bait,99 10
Which baits100 the thoughts of pride do catch and101 eat,
Thinking it high and most102 delicious meat.
Thoughts of revenge are like to lions strong,
Which whet the appetite with thoughts of wrong.
With subtle thoughts they couch and leap for prey,103 15
But bloody thoughts carry the flesh away.104
The105 spiteful thoughts, like cats which106 mice do catch,
At each107 corner of imperfections watch.
When spite perceives detracting thoughts to108 speak,
It straight leaps on, no other meat doth seek. 20
Suspicious thoughts like hounds do hunt about
To find and eat the hare109 of timorous doubt.
Observing thoughts do smell110 which way to trace,
And hateful thoughts do follow close the chase.
But thoughts of patience like to dormice live, 25
Eat little: sleep them111 nourishment doth give.
And when they feed, they thoughts of sorrows crack,112
Which nuts being113 hard, their114 teeth against them knack.115
But116 grateful thoughts on thoughts of thanks do feed,117
And, by their industry, like ants they speed.118 30
But thoughts of love do live on several meat,
Of hopes, and fears, and jealousies they119 eat,
And120 like as bees do fly on several flowers121
To suck out honey,122 so thoughts do of lovers.123
Similizing the Head of Man to a Hive of Bees
96
The head of man just like a hive is made;
The brain is like a comb124 exactly laid,
Where every thought, just like a bee, doth dwell,
Each by itself within a parted cell.
The soul doth govern all, as doth their125 king, 5
Employs each thought126 upon each several thing.
Just as the127 bees swarm in the hottest weather,
In great round heaps they do hang all together,128
As if for counsel wise they all did meet,129
For when they fly away, new hives they seek.130 10
So Men, when they have any great design,
Their thoughts do gather and131 in heaps combine.132
But when they are resolved,133 each one takes flight,
And strives134 which first shall on desire135 light.
Thus136 thoughts do meet137 and fly about, till they 15
For their subsistence can find out a way.
But doubting thoughts, like drones, live on the rest
Of hoping138 thoughts, which honey bring to nest.
For like as bees by their sting’s industry139
Get140 honey, which the stingless drones live by,141 20
So men without ambition’s stings do live
Upon th’industrious stock their fathers give.
Or like to such that steals a142 poet’s wit,
And dress it up in their143 own language fit.
But fancy into every garden flies, 25
And sucks the flowers sweet of144 lips and eyes.
But if they light145 on those that are not fair,
Like bees on herbs that dry and withered are.146
As147 purest honey on sweet flowers lies,
So finest fancies from young beauties rise. 30
Similizing the Head of Man to the World
148
The head of man is like the world made round,
And149 all the elements are in it150 found.
The brain’s the151 earth from whence all plants do spring,
And from the womb it doth all creatures bring.
Forehead and nose are152 hills that153 do rise high, 5
And154 overtop the dales that level lie.
The hair, like155 trees which long156 in length do grow,
And like their157 leaves, which158 wind waves159 to and fro.
Wit, like to several creatures, wild doth run160
On several subjects, which161 each other shun.162 10
The blood, as seas, doth through the veins run round,
The sweat, as springs by which fresh water’s found.
As winds, which from the hollow caves do blow,
So through the mouth the winded breath doth go.
The eyes are like the sun, and do give163 light; 15
When senses are asleep, it is dark night.
And164 after sleep half open are the eyes,
Like165 dawning light, when first the sun doth rise.
When they do drowsy grow, then sets the sun,166
And when the lids are shut it is quite gone.167 20
When heavy they’re and dull, like mist it seems,168
Or a dark cloud which hides the sun’s bright beams,169
Which shows that there some170 shower of tears will fall,
Where cheeks, as flow’ry banks, grow moist171 withal.
As twinkling stars show in dark clouds most172 clear, 25
So fancies quick do in the brain appear.
Imaginations like the orbs move round,173
Whereof some174 quick, others are slower found.175
And176 solid thoughts, like177 the twelve signs, do prove,178
And round179 the zodiac of wisdom move,180 30
Where they as constantly in wisdom run,
As in the line ecliptic doth the sun.
I to th’ecliptic181 line the head compare;
The illustrious182 wit, to183 the sun’s bright sphere.
The brain I liken to184 the solid Earth, 35
From whence all wisdom hath its life and birth,185
And186 as the Earth, so is the187 head’s round ball,
For it is188 crowned with orbs celestial189
And thus the190 head and world as one agree,
For Nature made191 the head a world to be. 40
Comparing Waves and a Ship to Rebellion
154
Thus the rough seas, which boist’rous157 winds enrage,
Assault a ship, and in fierce war engage.
Just177 like rude multitudes, whom192 factions swell
With193 rankled spleen, which makes them to194 rebel
Against their governor,195 thronging about, 5
With hideous noise to throw his196 power out.
And if their power gets the upper hand,
They’ll197 make him sink, and then in triumph stand,
Foaming at mouth, as if great deeds they’d done,
When they were multitudes, and he but one. 10
So seas do foam and froth about a ship,198
And both do199 strive which shall the better get.
But200 wisdom, like skilled mariners, through wide201
And gaping jaws of Death the ship doth guide,202
And to a haven safe will bring her in,203 15
Although through many dangers she did swim.204