AUDITUS

Linguam thou strikest too much upon one string, Thy tedious plainsong grates my tender ears. Oh but the ground it self is nought, from whence Thou canst not relish out a good division: Therefore at length surcease, prove not stark mad, Hopeless to prosecute a hapless suit: For though (perchance) thy first strains pleasing are, I dare engage mine ears, the close will jar. Should they but know thy rash presumption, They would correct it in the sharpest sort: Good low what Sense hast thou to be a Sense; Since from the first foundation of the world, We never were accounted more then five; Yet you forsooth, and idle prating Dame, Would feign increase the number, and upstart To our high seats, decking your babbling self With usurped titles of our dignity. Linguam confess the truth, th'art wont to lie. Linguam thy feeble sex, Hath hitherto withheld my ready hands That longed to pluck that nimble instrument, Oh heavens thou wrongest me much, Thou wrongest me much thus falsely to upbraid me: Had not I g anted thee the use of hearing, That sharp edged tongue whetted against her master, Those pussing lungs, those teeth those dropsy lips, That scal king throat those nosthril S full of ire Thy palate proper instruments of speech, Like to the winged chanters of the wood, Uttering nought else but idle siflements, Tunes without sense, words inarticulate: Had near been able to have abused me thus. Words are thy Children but of my begetting. Heavens look on my distress, Descend me from this railing viperesle: For if I stay her words sharp vinigar, Will feet me through, Linguam I must be gone: I hear one call me more then earnestly. Tactus, Tactus. Nay, what make you here, I pray what were you talk king even now, of and Ass, & a Crown, & and Urinal & a plague? O, what you. What? What of all this? Tactus, Tactus, this will not serve, I herd all, you have not found a Crown: you, no, you have not. I cannot hold I must needs tell, And mine the most of any of you all, Spite of your teeth— Very willingly, Hark, hark, hark, hark, peace, peace, Oh peace: Oh sweet, admirable, Swanlike heavenly, hark, Oh most mell li vous strain, Oh what a pleasant Close was there, Oh full, most delicate. Did you mark the dainty driving of the last point, and excellent maintaining of the song, by the choice timpan of mine ear, I never eared a better, hist, st st, hark, why theres a caden eable to auish the dullest Stoic. There how sweetly the plane-song was dissolved in to descant, and how easily they came of with the last rest, hark, hark the itter sweetest Achromaticke. Thanks good Apollo for this timely grace, never couldst thou in fit er: Oh more then most musical narmony, Oh most admirable consort, have you no eam es? do you not hear this music? Are you then deaf? do you not yet perceive the wone drous found the heavenly orbs do make with their continual motion, hark, hark, Oh honey sweet. Why such a tune as never was, nor ever shall be herd, mark now, now mark, now, now. PHAN. List, list list. Hark Oh, sweet, sweet sweet. This is the rarest and most exquisite, Most spherical, divine, angelical, But since your duller ears cannot perceive it: May it please your Lordship to with draw your self, Unto this neighbouring grove, there shall you see: How the sweet Triple, of the chirp ng birds, And the soft stirring of the moved leaves. Running delightful descant to the found, Of the base murmuring of the bubbling brook, Becomes a consort of good instruments. While twenty babbling echos round about, Out of the stony concave of their mouth: Restore the vanished music of each Close, And fill your ears full with redoubled pleasure Upon the sides of fair mount Cephalor, Have I two houses passing human skill: Of finest matter by dame nature wrought, Whose learned fingers have adorned the same With gorgeous porches of so strange a form, That they command the passengers to stay: The doors whereof in hospitality, Nor day, nor night, are shut, but open wide, Gently invite all comers; whereupon, They are nam the open ears of Cephal n. But least some boulder found should boldy rush, And break the nise composture of the work, The skilful builder wisely hath inrangd, And eatry from each port with curious twines, And crooked Meanders, Like the labyrinth, That Daedelus framed to enclose the Minotaur; At end whereof is placed a costly portal: Resembling much the figure of a drum, Granting slow entrance to a private closet: Where daily with a mallet in my hand, I set and frame all words and sounds that come, Upon and Anvil and so make them fit: For the peer: vinckling poor; that winding leads, From my close chamber to your Lordship's cell. Thither do I chief Justice of all accents, Psyches next porter, Microcosmes front: Learning's rich treas re, bring discipline, Reasons discourse, knowledge of foreign states, Loud fame of great Heroes virtuous deeds: The marrow of graven speeches and the flowers: Of quickest Wits, neat Jests, and pure Conceits, And often times to ease the heavy burden, Of government, your Lordship's shoulder bear, I thither do conduce the pleasing Nuptials: Of sweetest instruments with heavenly noise. If then A ditus, have deserved the best: Let him be dignified before the rest. Take this abuse at base Olfactus hands? What did he challenge me to meet me here, And is not come? well I'll proclaim the slave, The vilest dastard that ere broke his word; But stay yonder's Appetitus. Would, would! Would! what sayest thou? Why dost thou whisper thus? Canst not speak out? Would. What's that. Would, what sayest thou of a creaking Crou'd? O mine ears, mine ears, mine ears. Ivy have his life that sought to kill me. So ho Rocwood, so ho Rocwood, Rocwood, your Or gan, hay Chanter, Chanter, by head-tyre it's a very deep mouthed dog, a most admirable cry of hounds, look here, again, again, there, there, ah uva e counter. In faith it was most sweetly winded, whosoever it was, the warble is very good, and the horn is excellent? Here take this Rope, and I'll help the leader close with the second Bell: Fie, fie, there is a goodly peal clean spoilde. This was not all, for I herd me ̄ tio ̄ of a tomb, & and epitaph. Bite us, who dare bite us? Will Olsactus bite me? do if he dares, would he would meet me here according to his promise: Mine ears are some what thick of late, I pray thee speak out louder. Excellent cheer at supper I confess it: But when it's sauced with sour contentions, And breeds such quarrels it's intolerable, Hearing at supper, tell not me of hearing: But if thou sawest Olfactus, bring me to him. Oh dost thou hear them ring? what a grief is this Thus to be deaf, and lose such harmony? Wretched Auditus now shalt thou never here The pleasing changes that a well tuned Cord, Of trowling Bells', will make, when they are true rung. O I understand thee! the first crowd was made of a horsehead 'Tis true, the sinding of a dead horsehead, Was the first invention of string instruments, Whence rose the Gitterme, Vial, and the Lute: Though others think the Lute was first devised, In imitation of a Tortesse back Whose sinews parched by Apollo's beams, Echoed about the concave of the shell, And seeing the shortest and smallest gave shrillest found, They found out frets whole sweet diversity (Well couched by the skilful learned fingers) Raiseth so strange a multitude of Cords, Which their opinion many do con irme, Because Testudo signifies a Lute. But if I by no means.—