The Odes of Casimire Part 4

Ex sacro Salomonis Epithalamio.

Fulcite me floribus, &c.

Adiuro vos, filiae Jerusalem, ne suscitetis, &c.

Ecce iste venit, saliens in montibus, transiliens colles, &c.

ODE 25. LIB. 2.

Out of _Solomons_ sacred Marriage Song, Cant. 2.

_Stay me with flagons, &c._ _I charge O yee daughters of _Jerusalem_, that yee stirre not up, nor wake, &c._ _Behold hee commeth leaping upon the Mountaines &c._

ODE 25. LIB. 2.

Me stipate rosariis, Me fulcite crocis, me violariis, Me vallate Cydoniis, Me canis, sociae, spargite liliis: Nam visi mora Numinis Mi sacris animam torret in ignibus.

Vos o, vos ego filiae Caelestis Solymae; vos Galaditides, Vos o per capreas ego Errantesq; jugis hinnuleos precor, Antiqui genus Isaci, Quae saltus Libani, quae viridem vago Carmelum pede visitis, Nymphae n.o.bilium gloria montium:

Stay mee with saffron, underneath me set Full banks of Roses, beds of violet; Refresh mee with the choicest fruit, and spread The whitest Lillies round about my head: For the delay of the seene-pow're divine In sacred flames, consumes this breast of mine.

Yee Daughters of that holy Citie, yee!

Yee Sisters! I, 'tis I, that humbly pray!

O, I, intreat you, by each Hind, and Roe, That straying o're the tops of Hills doe goe, Yee stock of ancient _Isaac_, yee that move With nimble foot through _Leba.n.u.s_ sweet grove, O're _Carmels_ fragrant top! yee Nymphs so faire The glory of the n.o.ble Hills that are,

Ne vexate tenacibus Acclinem violis: neu strepitu pedum, Neu plausae sonitu ma.n.u.s Pacem solliciti rumpite somnii: Donec sponsa suo leves Somnos ex oculis pollice terserit: Donec Lucifer aureus Rerum paciferum ruperit otium.

Molest not my beloved with your cryes, Amongst the twining Violets that lyes: Doe not with claps of hands, or noise of feet, Awake her, from her carefull slumbers yet: Untill my Spouse, of her owne selfe, shall rise And wipe away the soft sleep, from her eyes; Untill the golden day-starre shall release All things from silent rest, and gentle peace.

Summis ecce venit jugis Formosae soboles matris, & unica Formosi soboles patris: Silvarumq; super colla comantium, Et intonsum Libani caput, Magnorumq; salit terga cac.u.minum, ac Proceras nemorum domos p.r.o.no transiliens praeterit impetu: Veloci similis caprae Qua visis humili in valle leonibus, Per praerupta, per ardua Sublimi volucris fertur anhelitu.

Behold from tops of yonder hills doth come The blessed off-spring of's faire mothers womb, The only issue of's bright father too, On the thick tops o'th' groves doth leaping goe, The unshorne head of _Leba.n.u.s_ so hye Hee leaps, and the great backs of Mountaines by, The stately dwellings of the woods hee skips, And down again with nimble foot hee trips: Like to a frighted, and swift running Roe.

Beholding Lions in a vale below, With an amazed haste, and deep fetch'd breath Through uncouth places runs t'escape his death.

Ad Egnatium Nollium.

aequo semper rectoq; animo, adversus fortunae inconstantiam standum esse.

_Ode 4. Lib. 3._

To _Egnatius Nollius_.

_That we ought to be of an even and upright mind, against the inconstancy of fortune._

_Ode 4. Lib. 3._

Sive te molli vehet aura vento, Sive non planis agitabit undis, Vince Fortunam, dubiasque _Nolli_, Lude per artes.

Riserit? vultum generosus aufer.

Fleverit? dulci refer ora risu: Solus, & semper tum esse quovis Disce tumultu.

Ipse te clausus modereris urbem Consul aut Caesar; quoties minantum Turba fatorum quatient serenam Pectoris arcem.

Art thou blow'n on, with gentle gale, Or in rough waters forc'd to sayle?

Still conquer Fortune, make but sports Of her, and her uncertain Arts.

Laughs shee? turne bravely away thy face.

Weeps shee? bring't back, with smiling grace: When shee's most busie, be thou than Retyr'd, and alwayes thine own man.

Thus close shut up, thine owne free state Thou best mayst rule, chiefe Magistrate; When the fierce Fates shall most molest, The serene palace of thy brest.

c.u.m leves visent tua tecta casus, Laetus occurres: praeeunte luctu Faust.i.tas & pax subeunt eosdem Saepe Penates.

Dextra sors omnis gerit hoc sinistrum, Qud facit molleis: habet hoc sinistra Prosperum, quem nunc ferit, imminenteis Durat in ictus.

Ille qui longus fuit, esse magnus Desinit mror, facilem ferendo Finge Fortunam; levis esse longo Discit ab usu.

When light mischance, thy fort, or thee Shall visit; meet it merrily: Good luck, and peace, in that house stay Where mourning, first, hath led the way.

In dext'rous chance, this hurt we see, It makes us soft: Extremity-- This, prosperous hath, wheresoe're it hits, It hardens, and for danger fits.

The griefe that hath been of such length, Doth 'bate its violence and strength.

By bearing much, make fortune frees Shee learnes, by custome, light to be.

Ad Marc.u.m Silicernium.

Veras esse divitias, quae a bonis animi petuntur.

_Ode 6. Lib. 3._

Nunquam praecipiti credulus aleae c.u.m Fatis avidas composui ma.n.u.s, Ut mec.u.m taciti fdere praelii Aequa pace quiescerent.

Quid Fortuna ferat crastina, nesciam, Haeres ipse neci. Quas dedit, auferet, Non avellet opes, quae procul extime Semotae spatio jacent.

Quae possunt adimi, non mea credidi; Nunquam pauperior, si mens integer.

Regnum, _Marce_, mei si bene de meis Vectigalia censibus-- Intra me numerem. Pars animi latet Ingens, divitibus laetior Indiis, Quo non ter spatio longius annuo Itur navibus, aut equis.

Sed mens a.s.siduum visitur in diem Hospes saepe sui; non ebur, aut novas Mercatura dapes, ipsa sui satis Dives, si sibi cernitur.

To Marcus Silicernius.

_That those are the true riches which are fetch'd from the goods of the mind._

_Ode 6. lib. 3._

A rash believer of their ticklish play, With Fates, I ne're joyn'd greedy hands in hast.

From the strict course of private jarres, that they With mee, in such an equall peace should rest.

I know not what to morrow's fortune brings Heire to my selfe alone. The wealth she gave Lyes in my outmost roomes, 'mongst worst of things; Which, without force, she may for taking have.

Things can be ta'ne away, I ne're thought mine; Not poorer I, if mine owne selfe compleat.

I kingdome, _Marcus_, of my selfe I find If the great custome of mine owne estate-- Within me I could in just numbers cast.

A great part of my mind lyes close, more wide Then the rich Indyes are, to which at most But thrice a yeare, we can but sayle or ride.

But my rich mind, oft to it selfe a guest, By its owne selfe is daily visited; Not 'bout to buy Toyes for a roome, or feast, If of its selfe it's seen, it's richly fed.