Classic Poem

41

Besides, to be well knowne finds out oppressors,
By which the World still honours thee the lesse;
For who be throughly knowne, are euer loosers ,
If Fame belye not Mans unworthinesse,
Where to the iust, in thought, as well as deede,
What other trumpet doth the Conscience neede?

42

Yet in Mans youth, perchance, Fame multiplies
Courage, and actiue vnderstandingnesse,
Which cooles in Age, and in experience dyes,
Like Fancies smoke, Opinions wantonnesse:
Yet who knowes, whether old age qualifies
This thirst of Fame , with vnderstandingnesse,
With selfe-despaire, or disabilities?
Whether experience, which makes Fame seeme lesse,
Be wit, or feare, from narrownesse arising,
True noblenesse as none of these despising?

43

Neuerthelesse fraile Man doth still aspire
Vnto this welbeleeuing reuerence,
As helpes, to raise his masked errors higher,
And so by great improuements in the sense,
Extend Mankind unto the bounds of praise,
Farre aboue Order, Law, and Duties wayes.

44

Or if this reuerence be not the fire,
Wherein Mankind affects to mould his state;
Then is it loue which they by Fame aspire,
An imposition of the highest rate
Set upon people, by their owne desire,
Not making Powers, but Natures magistrate:
Whether in people, worth, or chance worke this,
Is knowne to them, that know what Mankind is.

45

For true to whom are they, that are vntrue
To God, and nothing seriously intend,
But tumult, fury, fancy, hope of new?
Neuer all pleas'd with Ioue , if he descend;
Vnconstant, like confusion in a minde,
Not knowing why it hates, nor why 'tis kinde.

46

To proue this by example, take Camillus ,
Scipio, Solon, Metellus, Aristides,
Themistocles, Lycurgus, or Rutillius,
And by their change of humors toward these,
Let vs conclude, All people are uniust ,
And ill affections end in malice must.

47

Besides, the essence of this glorious name,
Is not in him that hath, but him that giues it:
If people onely then distribute Fame ,
In them that vnderstand it not, yet liues it:
And what can their applause within vs raise,
Who are not conscious of that worth they praise?

48

Nor is it by the Vulgar altogether,
That Fame thus growes a wonder of nine dayes;
The wise and learned plucke away her feathers,
With enuious humors, and opposing wayes:
For they depraue each other, and descrie,
Those staues, and beards, these Augurs traffick by.

49

Plato (tis true) great Homer doth commend,
Yet from his Common-weale did him exile;
Nor is it words that doe with words contend,
Of deeds they vary, and demurre of stile:
How to please all, as no words yet could tell;
So what one act did all yet censure well?

50

For proofe, what worke more for the publike good,
Than that rare Librarie of dead mens treasure,
Collected by the Ægyptian royall blood?
Which Seneca yet censures at his pleasure;
No elegance, nor princely industry,
But rather pompe, and studious luxury.

51

Nay, his owne ephithete Studious , he corrected,
Inferring that for pride, not Studies vse,
The luxurie of Kings had them collected:
So what in scorne of Criticall abuse,
Was said of bookes, of Fame will proue the state,
That Readers censures are the Writers fate .

52

Thus show our liues, what Fame and Honour be,
Considered in themselves, or them that gaue them;
Now there remaines a Curiosity,
To know euen what they are, to those that haue them:
Namely vnordinate to get or vse,
Difficult to keepe, and desperate to lose.

53

And for the first, if Fame a monster be,
As Virgil doth describe her, then she must
Come from a monstrous birth and progenie:
And if she be the child of Peoples lust ,
Then must she (without doubt) be basely borne,
And, like her parents, neuer vniforme.

54

For what indeed more monstrous, or more base,
Than these Chimera's of distempered mindes,
Borne of Opinion, not of Vertues race,
From whence it growes, that these Fame -hunting kindes,
Proue like those Woers, which the Mistris sought,
Yet basely fell, and with the Maids grew naught.

55

They walke not simply good, or euill waies,
But feete of numbers, none of which returne;
As Polypus with stones, so they with praise,
Change colours, and like Proteus their forme,
Following the Peoples lust, who, like their clothes,
Still shift conceit of truth and goodnesse both.

56

These honour none, but such as boast their pride,
And ready heads for all times humours be;
So as not eminent vertue is the tide
Which carries Fame , but swolne iniquity:
What shall wee iudge of Sylla and Marius then?
But Satyrs, Centaures, demi-beasts and men.

57

Such as false glory sought by being head
Of the Patrician , or Plebeian faction;
By which that Mistresse State was ruined,
Diuision euer bringing in contraction;
Among the learn'd so Epicurus wan
His Fame , by making Pleasure God of man.

58

Diogenes by mockes, Heraclitus by teares,
Democritus by smiles; and by such ladders climes
Each Sect and Heresie, to Honours spheares,
With new opinions, in misguided times,
Subuerting nature, grace, ciuillity,
By scandalous, satyricall scurrility.

59

Thus Aretine of late got reputation,
By scourging Kings, as Lucian did of old
By scorning Gods, with their due adoration,
And therefore to conclude, we may be bold,
That Peoples loue with euill acts is wonne,
And either lost, or kept, as it begunne.

60

What winde then blowes poore Man into this sea,
But Pride of heart, and Singularity?
Which weary of true vertues humble way,
And not enduring Mans equality,
Seeketh by Wit, or Sophistry to rise;
And with good words, put off ill merchandise.

61

Of which Ambitions , time obserues three kindes:
Whereof the first , and least vnnaturall
Is, when fraile man some good in himselfe findes;
But ouer-priz'd; defects, not peas'd at all:
Like Bankrupts, who in auditing their States,
Of debts, and of expence forget the rates.

62

And of these Solons fooles, who their owne wants
Cannot discerne, if there were not too many,
Our inward frailties easily would supplant
Outward ambitions, and not suffer any
To vsurpe those swelling stiles of Domination,
Which are the Godheads true denomination.

63

The second wee may terme politicall,
Which value men by place, and not by worth,
Not wisely, thinking we be Counters all,
Which but the summes of Gouernment set forth:
Wherein, euen those that are the highest placed,
Not to their owne, but others ends are graced.

64

So that from Pharoahs Court to Iethros Cell,
If men with Moyses could their hearts retire,
In Honour they should enuilesse excell,
And by an equall ballance of desire,
Liue free from clouds of humane hope, and feare,
Whose troubled circles oft strange Meteors beare.

65

The last sort is, that popular vaine pride,
Which neither standeth vpon worth nor place,
But to applause, and selfe-opinion ty'd,
Like Esops Iay, whom others feathers grace,
Himselfe as good, and glorious esteemeth,
As in the glasse of Flattery he seemeth.

66

This makes him fond of Praise , that knows it lyes;
The cruell tyrant thinkes his grace renown'd,
Euen while the earth with guiltlesse bloud he dyes;
And his Magnificence , euen then resound
When he doth rauine all before his eyes:
Of which vaine minds, it may be truly said,
Who loue false praise, of false scornes are afraid.

67

Besides, as this Ambition hath no bound;
So grows it proud, and instantly vniust,
Enforcing short-breath'd Fame aloud to sound,
By pardoning debts, and by defrauding trust;
Whence the Agrarian mandates had their grounds,
As all veiles else, that couer Soueraigne lust:
For fire and People doe in this agree,
They both good Seruants, both ill Masters be.

68

Thus we discerne what courses they must hold,
That make this humour of applause their end:
They haue no true, and so no constant mould;
Light Change is both their enemy and friend:
Herostratus shall proue, Vice gouernes Fame ;
Who built that Church, he burnt, hath lost his name.

69

Yet when this brittle Glory thus is gotten,
The keeping is as painefull, more confuse:
Fame liues by doing, is with rest forgotten,
Shee those that would enioy her doth refuse:
Wooed (like a Lais ) will be and obseru'd;
Euer ill kept, since neuer well deseru'd.

70

And if true Fame with such great paine be wonne,
Wonne, and preseru'd, of false what can we hope?
Since Ill with greater cost than good is done :
Againe, what hath lesse Latitude or scope
To keep, than that which euery Change bereaues,
That time, Mans own heart, or the world receiues?

71

Lastly, this Fame hard gotten, worse to keepe,
Is neuer lost, but with despaire, and shame,
Which makes Mans nature, once fallen from this steepe,
Disdaine their being should out-last their name:
Some in self-pitty, some in exile languish,
Others rebell, some kill themselues in anguish.

72

Like Relatiues, thus stand the World and Fame ,
Twinnes of one wombe , that lose, or win together;
With Vulcan's nets they catch each others shame,
Diuide with God, and so are losers euer;
Alone they are but Nothings , well disguis'd,
And if compar'd, more worthily despis'd.

73

But now I heare the voice of Power, and Art,
A fatall dissolution straight proclaime,
Closely to be inweau'd in euery heart,
By vndermining thus the World, and Fame;
For wound Fame in the world, the world in it,
They aske whats left to stir vp humane Wit.

74

Are God, Religion, Vertue, then but name,
Or need these heauenly beings earthly aid,
To gouerne vnder, as aboue this frame?
Must good Mens deeds, with ill Mens words be payd?
When we are dead, is merit dead with vs?
Shall breath determine God, and Vertue thus?

75

Some Schooles made Fame a Shadow , some a Debt
To vertue, some a Handmaid , none her end:
For like a God, she others striues to get,
Affects no honour, needs nor fame, nor friend:
Moued , shee moues man to adore her mouer,
And onely giues her selfe to those that loue her.

76

Hence did the Romans , Mountebankes of Fame ,
Build Fame , and Vertue temples, so in one,
As thorough Vertue all men to it came,
Yet vnto Vertue , men might passe alone;
Expressing Fame a consequence, no cause,
A power that speakes, not knowing by what lawes.

77

But let true wisedome carry vp our eyes,
To see how all true vertues figured bee,
Angel-like, passing to and from the skies,
By Israels ladder , whose two ends are free
Of Heauen, and Earth; to carry vp, and downe,
Those pure souls, which the Godhead means to crowne.

78

And if you aske them, whether their pure wings,
Be charrets, to beare vp those fleshly prides
Of Crowne-rooft Miters, Church-unroofing Kings,
Conquest and Fame , whose ebbe, and flowing tides,
Bring forth diuiding tytles, captiu'd lawes,
Of Mans distresse, and ignorance the cause?

79

These Vertues answer, they be powers diuine;
Their heauen, faith; obiect, eternity;
Deuised in earth, those ruines to refine,
Vnder whose weight our Natures buried lye;
Faith making Reason perfect, as before
It fell, for lacke of faith, beleeuing more.

80

Abcees they are, which doe vnteach againe
That knowledge, which first taught vs not to know
The happy state, wherein we did remaine,
When we for lacke of euill, thought not so;
New making Paradise, where we began,
Not in a garden, but the heart of Man.

81

And as to Serpents , which put off their skinne,
Nature renewes a naturall complexion,
So when the goodnesse doth vncase the sinne,
Health so renewed can neuer take infection.
The World inchants not, Hell hath lost her might,
For what mist can eclipse the Infinite?

82

Which pure reflexions, what dimme eye can see,
And after either World, or Fame admire?
Comparison expels the vanitie;
Immortall here, is obiect of desire:
Nature abhorres this supernaturall,
And scorn'd of flesh, as God is, they be all.

83

Yet hath the goodnesse this of Infinite,
That they who hate it, praise; who hurt it, feare;
Who striue to shadow, help to show her light;
Her rootes, not Fame , but loue, and wonder beare.
God, that to passe, will haue his Iustice come,
Makes sin the Thiefe, the Hangman, & the doom.

84

These wooe not, but command the voice of Fame ,
For liue they, dye they, labour they, or rest,
Such glorious lights are imag'd in their frame,
As Nature feeles not, Art hath not exprest:
All what the world admires comes from within;
A doome, whereby the sinne, condemnes the sinne.

85

Then make the summe of our Ideas this,
Who loue the world, giue latitude to Fame ,
And this Man-pleasing, Gods displeasing is;
Who loue their God, haue glory by his name:
But fixe on Truth, who can, that know it not?
Who fixe on error, doe but write to blot.

86

Who worship Fame , commit Idolatry,
Make Men their God, Fortune and Time their worth,
Forme, but reforme not; meer hypocrisie,
By shadowes, onely shadowes bringing forth,
Which must, as blossomes, fade ere true fruit springs,
Like voice, and eccho ioyn'd, yet diuers things.