something ere long I will aspire to, beyond the common mediocritie.

103

The

Your admired Ladiships most deuoted,

THO. NASHE.

Christs Teares over Jerusalem

A Roman Banqueting House

O tell you of the rare pleasures of theyr gardens, theyr bathes, theyr vineyardes, theyr galleries, were to write a seconde part of the gorgeous Gallerie of gallant devices. Why, you should not come into anie mannes house of account, but hee hadde fishpondes and little orchardes on the toppe of his leads. If by raine or any other meanes those ponds were so full they need to be slust or let out, euen of their superfluities they made melodious vse, for they had great winde instruments in stead of leaden spoutes, that went duly in consort, onely with this waters rumbling discent. I sawe a summer banketting house belonging to a merchaunt, that was the meruaile of the world, & could not be matcht except God should make another paradise. It was builte round of greene marble like a Theater with-out: within there was a heauen and earth comprehended both vnder one roofe; the heauen was a cleere ouerhanging vault of christall, wherein the Sunne and Moone and each visible Starre had his true similitude, shine, scituation, and motion, and, by what enwrapped arte I cannot conceive, these spheares in their proper orbes obserued their circular wheelinges and turnings, making a certaine kind of soft angelical murmering musicke in their often windings and going about; which musick the 12 slust) sluiced

philosophers say in the true heauen, by reason of the grossnes of our senses, we are not capable of. For the earth, it was conterfeited in that liknes that Adam lorded out it before his fall. A wide vast spacious roome it was, such as we would conceit prince Arthurs hall to be, where he feasted all his knights of the round table together euerie penticost. The flore was painted with the beautifullest flouers that euer mans eie admired; which so linealy were delineated that he that viewd them a farre off, and had not directly stood poaringly ouer them, would haue sworne they had lived in deede. The wals round about were hedgde with olives and palme trees, and all other odoriferous fruit-bearing plants; which at anie solemne intertainment dropt mirrhe and frankensence.

O Rome, if thou hast in thee such soul-exalting obiects, what a thing is heauen in comparison of thee, of which Mercators globe is a perfecter modell than thou art? The Life of Jacke Wilton

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WILLIAM ADLINGTON

Cupid and Psyche

publ. 1566

HEN Psyche was left alone (saving that she seemed not to be alone, being stirred by so many furies) she was in a tossing mind like the waves of the sea, and although her will was obstinate, and resisted to put in execution the counsel of her Sisters, yet she was in doubtful and divers opinions touching her calamity. Sometimes she would, sometimes she would not, sometime she is bold, sometime she feares, sometime she mistrusteth, sometime she is moved,

sometime she hateth the beast, sometime she loveth her husband but at length night came, when as she prepared for her wicked intent.

Soon after her husband came, and when he had kissed and embraced her he fell asleep. Then Psyche (somewhat feeble in body and mind, yet moved by cruelty of fate) received boldness and brought forth the lamp, and took the razor, and so by her audacity she changed her kind: but when she took the lamp and came to the bedside, she saw the most meek and sweetest beast of all beasts, even fair Cupid couched fairly, at whose sight the very lamp increased his light for joy, and the razor turned his edge.

But when Psyche saw so glorious a body she greatly feared, and amazed in mind, with a pale countenance all trembling fell on her knees and thought to hide the razor, yea, verily in her own heart, which doubtless she had undoubtedly done, had it not (through fear of so great an enterprise) fallen out of her hand. And when she saw and beheld the beauty of this divine visage she was well recreated in her mind, she saw his hairs of gold, that yielded out a sweet savour, his neck more white than milk, his purple cheeks, his hair hanging comely behind and before, the brightness whereof darkened the light of the lamp, his tender plume feathers, dispersed upon his shoulders like shining flowers, and trembling hither and thither, and his other parts of his body so smooth and so soft, that it repented not Venus to bear such a child. At the beds feet lay his bow, quiver, and arrows, that be the weapons of so great a god: which when Psyche did curiously behold, she marvelled at the weapons of her

I hateth the beast) her sisters have told Psyche that her invisible husband is a serpent.

husband, took one of the arrows out of the quiver, and pricked herself withall, wherewith she was so grievously wounded that the blood followed, and thereby of her own accord she added love upon love; then more and more broiling in the love of Cupid she embraced and kissed him a thousand times, fearing the measure of his sleep. But, alas, while she was in this great joy, where it were for envy, or for desire to touch this amiable body likewise, there fell out a drop of burning oil from the lamp upon the right shoulder of the god. O rash and bold lamp, the vile ministery of love, how darest thou be so bold as to burn the god of all fire? When as he invented thee, to the intent that all lovers might with more joy pass the nights in pleasure.

The god being burned in this sort, and perceiving that promise was broken, fled away without utterance of any word, from the eyes and hands of his most unhappy wife.

105

GERVASE MARKHAM

The Golden Ass

c. 1568-1637

'Matched in mouth like bells' F you would have your Kennel for sweetness of cry, then you must compound it of some large dogs, that have deep solemn mouths, and are swift in spending, which must as it were bear the base in the consort; then a double number of roaring, and loud ringing mouths, which must bear the counter tenor; then some hollow plain sweet mouths, which must bear the mean or middle part: and so with these three parts of musick, you shall make your cry perfect...

8 where) whether 22 spending) giving cry

If you would have your Kennel for loudness of mouth, you shall not then choose the hollow deep mouth, but the loud clanging mouth, which spendeth freely and sharply, and as it were redoubleth in the utterance and if you mix with them the mouth that roareth, and the mouth that whineth, the cry will be both the louder and smarter ; ... and the more equally you compound these mouths, having as many roarers as spenders, and as many whiners as of either of the other, the louder and pleasanter your cry will be, especially if it be in sounding tall woods, or under the echo of Rocks.

Country Contentments

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SIR HENRY WOTTON

To Mr. John Milton

1568-1639

T was a special favour when you lately bestowed upon me here the first taste of your acquaintance, though no longer than to make me know that I wanted more time to value it and to enjoy it rightly; and in truth, if I could then have imagined your farther stay in these parts, which I understood afterward by Mr. H., I would have been bold, in our vulgar phrase, to mend my draught (for you left me with an extreme thirst), and to have begged your conversation again jointly with your said learned friend at a poor meal or two, that we might have banded together some good authors of the ancient time: among which I observed you to have been familiar.

Since your going you have charged me with new obligations, both for a very kind letter from you, dated