A Collection of Emblemes - Ancient and Moderne, by George Withers

Transcriber's notes:

In the section "To The Reader" our author writes:

There be, no doubt, some faults committed by the Printer, both Literall and Materiall, and some Errors of the Gravers in the Figures, (as in the Tetragrammaton; in the Figure of Arîon; and in the Proprieties due to some other Hieroglyphicks); but, for the most part, they are such, as Common-Readers will never perceive; and I thinke, that they who are Judicious will so plainly finde them to be no faults of mine; that, leaving them to be amended by those, to whom they appertaine; and, You, to accept of these Play-games as you please: I bid you Farewell.

Therefore all oddities and inconsistencies have been left unchanged. They have been noted at the end of the transcription.

An addendum of transcriptions and translations of the mottoes engraved around each emblem has been added to the final note as a convenience to the reader.

A PREPOSITION to this Frontispiece.

A COLLECTION OF EMBLEMES, ANCIENT AND MODERNE:

Quickened With Metricall Illvstrations, both Morall and Divine: And disposed into Lotteries,

That Jnstruction, and Good Counsell, may bee furthered by an Honest and Pleasant Recreation.

By George Wither.

The First Booke.

London, Printed by A.M. for Richard Royston, and are to be sold at his Shop in Ivie-Lane. MDCXXXV.

REcensui hoc Poëma, cui titulus est (A Collection and Illustration of Emblems Ancient and Moderne) in quo nihil reperio, quò minus cum utilitate imprimatur, ita tamen, ut si non intra septem menses proximè sequentes Typis mandetur, hæc licentia sit omninò irrita.

Ex ædibus Lambithanis Iul. 2. 1634. Gvil. Bray.

[1]

A WRIT OF PREVENTION Concerning the Avthors Dedication of the foure following Bookes, to…

In this Hope, I have placed on the Fore-Front (or before the First Booke of these Emblems) a Ioint-Inscription to the King and Qveenes most excellent Maiestie. Upon the Right-Side-Front of this Building (or before the Second Booke) One Inscription to the most hopefull Prince, Charles, Prince of Wales; And, another to his deere Brother, Iames, Duke of Yorke, &c. On the other Side-Front, (or before the Third Booke) One Inscription to the gratious Princesse, Frances Dutchesse-Dowager of Richmond and Lenox; And, another to her most noble Nephew, Iames Duke of Lenox, &c. On the Fourth Front of our Square, (Or before the Fourth Booke) One Inscription to the right Honourable Philip Earle of Pembrooke and Montgomery, &c. And another to the right Honourable, Henry Earle of Holland, &c.

[2]

To the Majestie of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland, the Most Illustrious King,…

SEv'n yeares are full expired, Royall Sir,

Since last I kneel'd, an offring to preferre

Before your feete; where, now, my selfe I throw

To pay once more, the Tributes which I owe.

As many yeares are past, most beauteous Qveene,

Since witnesses, mine eares and eyes, have beene

Of those Perfections; which the generall Fame

Hath sounded forth, in honour of your Name.

And, both your beaming-splendors (oh yee faire,

Thrice blessed, and most fitly-matched Paire)

Vpon each other, make such bright reflections;

And have so sweetly mingled your affections,

Your Praise, your Pow're, your Vertues, and your Beautie:

That, (if preserving of my Soveraigne dutie,

This may be said) you doe appeare, to me,

Two Persons, in One Maiesty, to be;

To whom, there, appertaines (in veneration

Of your large Worth) the right of some Oblation

And, best, I thought, my Homage would be done,

If, thus, the tender were to Both-in-One.

Which, in this humble Gvift, my Love presents;

And, wisheth it may adde to your Contents.

Perhaps it shall: For, though I dare not shew

These Figures, as well meriting your view;

Nor boast, as if their Moralls couched ought,

By which your sacred Wisdomes may be taught:

Yet, I have humble Hopings, that, they might

Prove, some way, an occasion of delight;

Since, meane and common Objects, now and then,

Beget contentments in the greatest-men.

But, that before this Booke, I should propose

Your praisefull Names, there is (as I suppose)

A faire inducement: For, considering these

Are Emblems, whose intention is to please

And profit vulgar Iudgements (by the view,

Of what they ought to follow, or eschew.)

And, I well knowing, that your Maiesties

Set foorth before my Booke, in Emblem-wise,

Throughout your Lands, more Vertues might convay,

Than many Volumes, of these Emblems, may;

It seemed Petty-treason, to omit

This good occasion of endeavouring it.

For, (if your Maiesties, well heeded, were)

Yov, double-treble-foure-fold Emblems are;

Which, fully to illustrate, would require

The Wit I want; or, meanes to raise, that, higher

Which I have gain'd; (and, which, as yet, hath flowne

By no incouragements, but by her owne.)

Of all the Vertues Oeconomical,

Of Duties Moral and Politicall,

Your Lives are Patternes, and faire Emblems; whether

Considered apart, or both together.

Your Childhoods were bright Mirrours, which did show

What Duties, Children, to their Parents owe:

And, by the sequele, we now understand,

That, they who best obay'd, can best command.

The glorious Vertues of your Nvptiall-state,

Your Courtiers, find so hard to imitate,

That, they admire them, rather; and would sweare,

(Had others told, what, now they see and heare)

That, all the former Times, were not acquainted,

With such a Paire, when Kings and Queenes were Sainted.

The chastest Cupids, and the gamesom'st Graces,

Are alwaies mingled in your Deare-embraces.

The mutuall enterchanges of your Loves,

May teach affection to the Turtle-doves:

And, such as are, with goodly sights, delighted,

May see in You, all Excellence united.

You, Sir, who beare Ioves Thunders in your Fist,

And, (shake this Ilands Empire, when You list)

Did never in your Orbe, a Tempest move,

But, by the Beautious Mistresse of your Love

It might be calm'd. And, in your lofty Spheare,

Most lovely Qveene, Your Motions ever, were

So smoath, and, so direct; that, none can say,

They have withdrawne his Royall-heart away

From Iust Designes; Which, loudly speakes your Praise,

And, intimates much more, than, yet, it saies.

Yea, both Your Splendors doe so glorious growe,

And, You, each other have out-vyed so,

In these, and other Vertues; that, on You,

Should I conferre what praise, I thinke, is due,

My Lines, (which from that staine have, yet, beene cleare)

Would Flatt'ry seeme, unto an envious eare.

But, what needs Flatt'ry, where the Truth may teach

To praise, beyond immodest Flatt'ries reach?

Or, what needs he to feare a sland'rous-mouth,

Who seekes no meed, nor utters more than Truth?

Your Princely Vertues, what can better show,

Than Peace, and Plenty, which have thrived so,

Whilst You have raign'd that, yet, no people see,

A Richer, or more Peacefull time, than wee?

Your Civill Actions (to the publike eye)

Are faire examples of Moralitie,

So manifest; That, if he Truth did sing,

Who said, The World doth imitate the King;

My Muses dare, with boldnesse to presage,

A Chast, a Pious, and a Prosperous Age:

And, that, the stormes which, late, these Realmes deterr'd,

Shall all be quite removed, or deferr'd

Till you Ascend; And, future times have seene,

That, your Examples have not followed beene.

Thus, you are living Emblems, to this Nation:

Which being mark'd with heedefull speculation,

May serve, as well, to helpe us how to see

Our Happinesse, As, what our Duties be.

And, if I might unlocke all Mysteries,

Which doe declare, how in a foure-fold-wise,

Your Lives are usefull Emblems; I, perchance,

Should vexe blind Zeale, or anger Ignorance;

And, teach well-temper'd Spirits, how to see,

That, we, for Blessings, oft, Vnthankefull be.

For, as you, Both, Prime Children are of those

Two Sister-Churches, betwixt whom, yet, growes

Vnseemely strife; So, You, perhaps, may be

An Emblem, how those Mothers may agree.

And, not by your Example, onely, show,

How wrought it may be; but, effect it so.

Yea, peradventure, God, united You,

That, such a blessed Vnion might ensue:

And, that, Your living-lovingly, together;

Your Christian hopefullnesse, of one another;

Your milde forbearance, harsh attempts to proove;

Your mutuall-waiting, untill God shall move

By some calme-voice, or peacefull inspiration,

That Heart Which needeth better Information;

And, that, your Charities, might give a signe,

How, all the Daughters, of the Spovse Divine

Might reconciled be; And, shew, that, Swords,

Flames, Threats, and Furie, make no true Accords.

God grant a better Vnion may appeare:

Yet, wish I not the tollerating, here,

Of Politicke-Agreements; (further than

Our wholsome Lawes, and, Civill-vowes to man,

With Piety, approve) but, such, as may

Make up a blessed Concord, every way:

Might it be so; your Vertues, would become

A Glorious Blessing, to all Christendome:

Your Emblem should, by future Generations;

Be plac'd among the famous Constellations,

And, after-times (though, Mee, this Age despise)

Would thinke, these Verses, had beene Prophecies.

What ever may succeed, my Pray'rs and Powr's

Are this way bent; with Hope, that You or Yours

Shall Helps (at least) become, that Breach to close,

Which, in the Seamles-Robe, yet, wider growes.

So Be It: And, let bright your Glories bee,

For ever, though You never shine on Mee.

Your Maiesties

most Loyall Subject,

Geo: Wither.

[4]

TO THE READER.

IF there had not beene some Bookes conceitedly composed, and sutable to meane capacities, I am doubtfull, whether I had ever beene so delighted in reading, as thereby to attaine to the little Knowledge I have: For, I doe yet remember, that, things honestly pleasant, brought mee by degrees, to love that which is truely profitable. And as David said, His Heart shewed him the wickednesse of the Vngodly; (meaning perhaps, that hee felt in himselfe, some Experiments, of the same naturall Corruption, by which they are overcome, who resist not evill suggestions at their first motions:) Even so, I may truly acknowledge, that mine owne Experience hath showne mee so much of the common Ignorance and Infirmitie in mine owne person, that it hath taught mee, how those things may be wrought upon in others, to their best advantage.

Therefore, though I can say no more to disswade from Vice, or to incourage men to Vertue, than hath already beene said in many learned Authors; yet I may be an occasion by these Endeavours, to bring that, the oftner into remembrance, which they have, more learnedly, expressed; and perhaps, by such circumstances, as they would not descend unto, may insinuate further also with some Capacities, than more applauded Meanes. Viniger, Salt, or common Water, (which are very meane Ingredients) make Sawces more pleasing to some tastes, than Sugar, and Spices. In like manner, plaine and vulgar notions, seasoned with a little Pleasantnesse, and relished with a moderate Sharpnesse, worke that, otherwhile, which the most admired Compositions could never effect in many Readers; yea, wee have had frequent proofes, that a blunt Iest hath moved to more consideration, than a judicious Discourse.

I take little pleasures in Rymes, Fictions, or conceited Compositions, for their owne sakes; neither could I ever take so much paines, as to spend time to put my meanings into other words than such as flowed forth, without Studie; partly because I delight more in Matter, than in Wordy Flourishes, But, chiefely, because those Verball Conceites, which by some, are accounted most Elegant, are not onely (for the greater part) Emptie Sounds and Impertinent Clinches, in themselves; but, such Inventions, as do sometime, also, obscure the Sense, to common Readers; and, serve to little other purpose, but for Wittie men to shew Tricks one to another: For, the Ignorant understand them not; and the Wise need them not.

So much of them, as (without darkning the matter, to them who most need instruction) may be made use of, to stirre up the Affections, winne Attention, or help the Memory, I approve and make use of, to those good purposes, according as my leisure, and the measure of my Facultie will permit; that, Vanitie might not, to worse ends, get them wholly into her Possession. For, I know that the meanest of such conceites are as pertinent to some, as Rattles, and Hobby-horses to Children; or as the A. B. C. and Spelling, were at first to those Readers, who are now past them. And, indeed, to despise Meane Inventions, Pleasant Compositions, and Verball Elegancies, (being qualified as is aforesaid) or to banish them out of the world, because there be other things of more excellencie, were as absurd, as to neglect and root out all Herbes, which will not make Pottage; Or, to destroy all Flowers, which are lesse beautifull than the Tulip, or lesse sweet than the Rose.

I (that was never so sullenly wise) have alwaies intermingled Sports with Seriousnesse in my Inventions; and, taken in Verball-conceites, as they came to hand, without Affectation; But, having, ever aymed, rather to profit my Readers, than to gaine their praise, I never pumpe for those things; and am, otherwhile, contented to seeme Foolish, (yea, and perhaps, more foolish than I am) to the Overweening-Wise; that, I may make others Wiser than they were: And, (as I now doe) am not ashamed to set forth a Game at Lots, or (as it were) a Puppet-play in Pictures, to allure men to the more serious observation of the profitable Morals, couched in these Emblems. Neverthelesse, (if some have sayd, and thought truly) my Poems have instructed, and rectified many People in the Course of Honest-living, (which is the best Wisedome) much more than the Austerer Volumes of some criticall Authors; who, are by the Common-sort, therefore onely, judged Wise, because they composed Books, which few understand, save they who need them not.

In these Lots and Emblems, I have the same ayme which I had in my other Writings: and, though I have not dressed them sutably to curious Fancies, yet, they yield wholsome nourishment to strengthen the constitution of a Good-life; and, have solidity enough for a Play game, which was but Accidentally composed; and, by this Occasion.

These Emblems, graven in Copper by Crispinus Passæus (with a Motto in Greeke, Latine, or Italian, round about every Figure; and with two Lines (or Verses) in one of the same Languages, periphrasing those Motto's) came to my hands, almost twentie yeares past. The Verses were so meane, that, they were afterward cut off from the Plates; And, the Collector of the said Emblems, (whether hee were the Versifier or the Graver, was neither so well advised in the Choice of them, nor so exact in observing the true Proprieties belonging to every Figure, as hee might have beene.

Yet, the Workman-ship being judged very good, for the most part; and the rest excusable; some of my Friends were so much delighted in the Gravers art, and, in those Illustrations, which for mine owne pleasure, I had made upon some few of them, that, they requested mee to Moralize the rest. Which I condiscended unto: And, they had beene brought to view many yeares agoe, but that the Copper Prints (which are now gotten) could not be procured out of Holland, upon any reasonable Conditions.

If they were worthy of the Gravers and Printers cost, being onely dumbe Figures, little usefull to any but to young Gravers or Painters, and as little delightfull, except, to Children, and Childish-gazers: they may now be much more worthy; seeing the life of Speach being added unto them, may make them Teachers and Remembrancers of profitable things.

I doe not arrogate so much unto my Illustrations, as to thinke, they will be able to teach any thing to the Learned; yet if they cast their eyes upon them, perhaps, these Emblems, and their Morals, may remember them, either of some Dutie, which they might else forget, or minde them to beware of some Danger, which they might otherwise be unheedfull to prevent. But, sure I am, the Vulgar Capacities, may from them, be many waies both Instructed, and Remembred; yea, they that have most need to be Instructed, and Remembred, (and they who are most backward to listen to Instructions, and Remembrances, by the common Course of Teaching, and Admonishing) shall be, hereby, informed of their Dangers, or Duties, by the way of an honest Recreation, before they be aware.

For, when levitie, or a childish delight in trifling Objects, hath allured them to looke on the Pictures; Curiositie may urge them to peepe further, that they might seeke out also their Meanings, in our annexed Illustrations; In which, may lurke some Sentence, or Expression, so evidently pertinent to their Estates, Persons, or Affections, as will (at that instant or afterward) make way for those Considerations, which will, at last, wholly change them, or much better them, in their Conversation.

To seeke out the Author of every particular Emblem, were a labour without profit; and, I have beene so far from endeavouring it, that, I have not so much as cared to find out their meanings in any of these Figures; but, applied them, rather, to such purposes, as I could thinke of, at first sight; which, upon a second view, I found might have beene much betterd, if I could have spared time from other imployments. Something, also, I was Confined, by obliging my selfe to observe the same number of lines in every Illustration; and, otherwhile, I was thereby constrained to conclude, when my best Meditations were but new begunne: which (though it hath pleased Some, by the more comely Vniformitie, in the Pages) yet, it hath much injured the libertie of my Muse.

There be, no doubt, some faults committed by the Printer, both Literall and Materiall, and some Errors of the Gravers in the Figures, (as in the Tetragrammaton; in the Figure of Arîon; and in the Proprieties due to some other Hieroglyphicks); but, for the most part, they are such, as Common-Readers will never perceive; and I thinke, that they who are Judicious will so plainly finde them to be no faults of mine; that, leaving them to be amended by those, to whom they appertaine; and, You, to accept of these Play-games as you please: I bid you Farewell.

[5]

The Occasion, Intention, and use of the Foure Lotteries adjoyned to these foure Books of Emblems.

STultorum plena sunt omnia. The world is growne so in Love with Follie, that the Imprinting of over-solid and serious treatises would undoe the Book-sellers; especially, being so chargeable as the many costly Sculptures have made this Booke: therefore, (to advance their Profits, rather than to satisfie my owne Iudgement) I was moved to invent somewhat, which might be likely to please the vulgar Capacitie, without hindrance to my chiefe End. And, though that which I resolved on, be not so Plausible to Criticall understandings, yet I am contented to hazzard among them, so much of my Reputation as that comes to.

I have often observed, that where the Summer-bowers of Recreation are placed neare the Church, it drawes thither more people from the remote Hamlets, than would else be there. Now, though I praise not their Devotion, yet I am glad if any thing (which is not evill in it selfe) may be made an occasion of Good: (because, those things may, perhaps, be continued, at last, for Conscience sake, which were at first begunne upon vaine occasions) and, have therefore added Lotteries to these Emblems, to occasion the more frequent notice of the Morals, and good Counsels tendred in their Illustrations; hoping that, at one time or other, some shall draw those Lots, which will make them the better, and the happier, whilest they live. I confesse that this Devise may probably be censured, as unsutable to the gravitie expected in my ripe yeares: and be reputed as great an Indecorum, as erecting an Ale-house at the Church-stile; yet, the same having had beginning in my younger dayes, I do now resolve not to be ashamed of it, for the Reasons aforementioned. To such as I was, it will be