DISCOURSE

WEll hath the great Creator of the world Framed it in that exact and perfect form, That by it self unmoveable might stand, Supported only by his Providence. Well hath his powerful Wisdom ordered Th'in nature disagreeing Elements, That all affecting their peculiar place, Maintain the conservation of the whole. Well hath he taught the swelling Ocean To know his bounds, lest in luxurious pride He should insult upon the conquered Land. Well hath he placed those Torches in the Heavens, To give light to our else all darkened eyes: The Crystal windows through which our soul Looking upon the world's most beauteous face, Is blessed with sighed and knowledge of his works. Well hath he all things done: for how alas Could any strength or wit of feeble man Sustained have that greater Universe, Too weak and Atlas for one Commonwealth How could he make the Earth, the Water, Air, And Fire, in peace their duties to observe, Or bridle up the headstrong Ocean, That cannot rule the wits and tongues of Man, And keep them in? it were impossible To give light to the world, with all his Art, And skill, that cannot well illuminate One darkened understanding. O my sons, Never admire the Seat of government, Nor let the haughty and ambitious thoughts Of and aspiring mind, inflame your hearts To climb up to the false-supposed Heaven Of high-authority. The Chair of State, Though glorious seeming, oft proves dangerous, Is always troublesome, always envied. J hear the Regent of this only Land Not altogether unexperienced, Having the assistance of grave Counsellers, Ready to faint with burden of my cares, Think happy great Tiphoeus, who, they say Lies pressed down under large Sicily. Let then your true affection so well placed On well deserving, well requiting loves, Doubly reflecting on your nearer selves, Grow strong in fast united amity; That what no single strength or wit can do, Virtue conjoined, may attain unto. But Demonstration call young Intellect To be instructed; he was hither sent By that great Empress of the Isle of Man, Renowned Anima his careful Mother, And as his youth, this childhood of the day Will best admit the best impressions. But who's that? Fallacy? and whence come you? Your earliness hath made some hast, but a report of From far, before you, late hath been with me. How comes it to pass thus, o my son! Unhappy son, born to thy father's shame, Living unto his grief, thou causest me In all the world to be ill spoken of Through thy most lewd behaviour, I hear say With Jugglers, Conycatchers, Gypsies, Rogues, Base gamesters, lying Mountebanks, vild bawds, And most damned couzners, you keep company, At blind Alehouses, Inns, and Ordinaries, Whore-houses, and Apothecary-shops, With such Like places, you do still frequent, Where you abuse the plain simplicity Of honest men, that I may justly spend That breath wherewith I would have blessed thee, Into deserved cursings; and I ought Profusely pour it forth in chiding thee. But o though wicked, yet I think my son, I do entreat thee, I will sue to thee To leave these courses, and at length begin Better to govern thy misguided self: Look to thy brother's, and not scorn to learn; To me they duly do perform their duty To men they do approve their honesty. Yes, I am dry with talking. Say what thou canst, and o I would thou couldst Clear thee of these foul accusations? Let me embrace thee Fallacy, let me kiss thee my dearest son, the prop of my age, the sole heir of my love: My ears shall be shut up hereafter to any complaints brought against thee; I will take it as against my self; if any henceforth accuse thee, I will fight with him, I will beat and baffle him; I will run upon him, spit upon him. I will now go walk into the Garden of the Muses, and gather the choicest flowers that grow about Helicon, to make a Garland for thy temples. I'll make the skilful Rhe toricians to empty all their shops of the freshest colours to paint thy cheeks withal. Then the Grammarians I'll cause to shape fit and well-fashioned garments for thee of the purest Silk that ever was framed of true-woven words: Come go with me, come go with me. Certain it's so; nay I will maintain it, as long as I have any breath; for I am neither in Delos, nor in the floating Islands of Scotland. Nor am I in a ship, that I should think the Earth moves. No, no, it's even so; the Earth is turned about, his spherical form is apt for such a motion. Again, the Heavens are of a duller mettle, nothing , but blue Marble. Dost thou doubt of that? why, in a clear day thou mayest see it plain; and when it reins, those drops are no thing else, but such as fallen from the sweating stone. Thou sayest true, very true. (stones I tell thee, I have been farther then ever the man could reach. I have paced the uttermost extreme outside of the Primum mobile, from whence, many thousand miles below me, I be held great Jupiter, and all the minor gods. Bid Charon stay my leisure, I'll see first whither it be the same with the Flementall fire, then I'll come. Who, Reduction? I would thou Wertenberg; what wouldst thou with me? Oh Heraclytus, well didst thou say, the dry Air was the best soul: for had we not needs to melt away into tears, to see the misery of wretched men. (will. Shall I? so then I will pull out both mine eyes Like Democritus, that I may look thoroughly upon the follies of these times, and laugh my full at them. I come, I come, I come sir. It is most certain, and I would wish the other Misery's which have so unexpected befallen us, were likely to have so hope full and issue. Sirrah, where is your Master Fallacy? Yes, and ere we leave you, we will teach you to speak as you mean. Equivocating shall not serve your turn. Now honourable friends, our realm and we Rest much obliged to your happy loves, And so may those ill Fortune's prove the last Instructions of your frail infirmity. As we in service to you, and your state, Intend to make some satisfaction. And you young Lord, whose vild imprisonment Adds much unto the burden of my wrong, I hope will not conceive amiss of us, Who tenderly affect you, as our own. I easily believe it, what, Distinction, have you the Keys? And cannot Fallacy as yet be found. And o I pray he never may be found Or herd of more within Hermenia: Let him be hated throughout all the world, But ever banished from forth the coasts: That wretched father, with the wicked son, That sought to spoil me of my dearest pledge, Have felt in partly, the Heavens impartial doom, For violating all the laws of love: Yet let them when their health and strength shall serve, Be both conveyed hence to the Antipodes: And as for that tumultuous frantic crew, Which revel it so loosely in our streets, Dragging our Subject's basely by the ears, Let them be ship't away to Barbary, And serve as galley slaves till they come there: Our selves desiring to make recompense For those injurious wrongs which harmless Truth And her distressed daughters have sustained, Int end sorthwith in joy to celebrate, Betwixt my sons and those admired Nymphs, On either side long wished for Nuptials. We hope ere this, our Queen and banished friends Are safe returned, and now courteous Lords, Late patient partakers of our woe, Let us request of you, that you this night Associate us in feasting and delight. It were but folly to torture him, We know too much already, too too much; Yet let him strait be whipped out of these parts, And if thou likest the office, thou thy self Mayest be his friendly executioner. What, come Lords, will you go? Indeed he is beholding to Nature for a better matter: he is made of bright burnished gold. Why she is but silver. The Stars begotten betwixt these two, are some bright Angels; others Sovereigns, some round shillings, some but silver groats. Jupiter, when he came to Danae, descended in a Cloak bespangled with these falling Stars. Who I? I have often walked through all the Regi ons of Heaven. I have been there already many a time, Where never Hercules, nor Theseus durst approach: Over Avernus, that most loathsome Lake, Which never Bird as yet presumed to pass, I with my Goosequill wings have made a slight. The dark, light, burning, black fiery flames of cold Phlegeton With undazzled eyes I have oft gazed upon.