If thou would'st be a _States-man_, and survay
Kingdomes for information; heres a way
Made plaine, and easie: fitter far for thee
Then great _Ortelius_ his _Geographie_.
If thou would'st be a _Gentleman_, in more
Then title onely; this MAP yeelds thee store
Of Observations, fit for Ornament,
Or use, or to give curious eares content.
If thou would'st be a _Merchant_, buy this Booke:
For 'tis a prize worth gold; and doe not looke
Daily for such disbursements; no, 'tis rare,
And should be cast up with thy richest ware.
READER, if thou be any, or all three;
(For these may meet and make a harmonie)
Then prayse this Author for his usefull paines,
Whose aime is publike good, not private gaines.
IZ. WA.
* * * * *
PREFACE TO QUARLES'S SHEPHERD
ORACLES.
1645.
[The Shepheards Oracles: Delivered in Certain Eglogues. By Fra: Quarles.
London, Printed by M.F. for John Marriot and Richard Marriot, and are to
be sold at their shop in S. Dunstans Church-yard Fleetstreet, under the
Dyall. 1646.]
_To the Reader._
READER,
Though the Authour had some years before his lamented death, compos'd,
review'd, and corrected these Eglogues; yet, he left no Epistle to the
Reader, but onely a Title, and a blanke leafe for that purpose.
Whether he meant some Allegoricall exposition of the Shepheards names, or
their Eglogues, is doubtfull: but 'tis certain, that as they are, they
appear a perfect pattern of the Authour; whose person, and minde, were
both lovely, and his conversation such as distill'd pleasure, knowledge,
and vertue, into his friends and acquaintance.
'Tis confest, these Eglogues are not so wholly divine as many of his
publisht Meditations, which speak _his affections to be set upon things
that are above_, and yet even such men have their intermitted howres, and
(as their company gives occasion) commixtures of heavenly and earthly
thoughts.
You are therefore requested to fancy him cast by fortune into the company
of some yet unknown Shepheards: and you have a liberty to beleeve 'twas
by this following accident.
"He in a Sommers morning (about that howre when the great eye of Heaven
first opens it selfe to give light to us mortals) walking a gentle pace
towards a Brook (whose Spring-head was not far distant from his peacefull
habitation) fitted with Angle, Lines, and Flyes: Flyes proper for that
season (being the fruitfull Month of _May_;) intending all diligence to
beguile the timorous Trout, (with which that watry element abounded)
observ'd a more then common concourse of Shepheards, all bending their
unwearied steps towards a pleasant Meadow within his present prospect,
and had his eyes made more happy to behold the two fair Shepheardesses
_Amaryllis_ and _Aminta_ strewing the foot-paths with Lillies, and
Ladysmocks, so newly gathered by their fair hands, that they yet smelt
more sweet then the morning, and immediately met (attended with _Clora
Clorinda_, and many other Wood-nymphs) the fair and vertuous _Parthenia_:
who after a courteous salutation and inquiry of his intended Journey,
told him the neighbour-Shepheards of that part of Arcadia had dedicated
that day to be kept holy to the honour of their great God _Pan_; and,
that they had designed her Mistresse of a Love-feast, which was to be
kept that present day, in an Arbour built that morning, for that purpose;
she told him also, that _Orpheus_ would bee there, and bring his Harp,
_Pan_ his Pipe, and _Titerus_ his Oaten-reed, to make musick at this
feast; shee therefore perswaded him, not to lose, but change that dayes
pleasure; before he could return an answer they were unawares entred into
a living mooving Lane, made of Shepheard and Pilgrimes; who had that
morning measured many miles to be eye-witnesses of that days pleasure;
this Lane led them into a large Arbour, whose wals were made of the
yeelding Willow, and smooth Beech boughs: and covered over with Sycamore
leaves, and Honysuccles."
I might now tell in what manner (after her first entrance into this Arbour)
_Philoclea_ (_Philoclea_ the fair _Arcadian_ Shepheardesse) crown'd her
Temples with a Garland, with what flowers, and by whom 'twas made; I might
tell what guests (besides _Astrea_ and _Adonis_) were at this feast; and
who (beside _Mercury_) waited at the Table, this I might tell: but may not,
cannot expresse what musick the Gods and Wood-nymphs made within; and the
Linits, Larks, and Nightingales about this Arbour, during this holy day:
which began in harmlesse mirth, and (for _Bacchus_ and his gang were
absent) ended in love and peace, which _Pan_ (for he onely can doe it)
continue in _Arcadia, and restore to the disturbed Island of_ Britannia,
_and grant that each honest Shepheard may again sit under his own Vine and
Fig-tree, and feed his own flock, and with love enjoy the fruits of peace,
and be more thankfull._
Reader, at this time and place, the Authour contracted a friendship with
certain single-hearted Shepheards: with whom (as he return'd from his
River-recreations) he often rested himselfe, and whilest in the calm
evening their flocks fed about them, heard that discourse, which (with the
Shepheards names) is presented in these Eglogues.