The eight Chapter, of Ditties and Odes.
TO descend orderly from the more simple numbers to them that are more compounded, it is now time to handle suche verses as are fit for Ditties and Odes; which we may call Lyricall, because the are apt to be soong to an instrument, if they were adorn'd with the conuenient notes. Of that kind I will demonstrate three in this Chapter, and in the first we will procede in the manner of the Saphick which is a Trochaicall verse as well as the Hendicasillable in Latine. The first three verses therefore in our English Saphick are meerely those Trochaicks which I handled in the sixt chapter, excepting only that the first foote of wither of them must euer of necessity be a Spondee, to make the number more graue. The fourth and last compounding verse is compounded of three Trockyes together to giue a more smooth farewell, as may easily obserue in this Poeme made vpon a Triumph at Whitehall, whose glory was dasht with an unwelcome showre, hindring the people from the desired sight of her Maiestie.
The English Saphick
Faiths pure shield, the Christian Diana
Englands glory crownd with all deuinenesse,
Liue long with triumphs to blesse thy people
At thy sight triumphing.
Loe they sound, the Knights in order armed
Entring threat the list, adrest to combat
For their courtly loues; he, hees the wonder
Whome Eliza graceth.
Their plum'd pomp the vulgar heaps detaineth,
And rough steeds, let vs the still deuices
Close obserue, the speeches and the musicks
Peacefull arms adorning.
But whence showres so fast this angry tempest,
Clowding dimme the place? behold Eliza
This day shines not here, this heard, the launces
And thick heads do vanish.
The second kind consists of Dimeter, whose first foote may either be a Sponde or a Trochy: The two verses following are both of them Trochaical, and consist of foure feete, the first either of them being a Spondee or Trochy, the other three only Trochyes. The fourth and last verse is made of two Trochyes. The number is voulble and fit to expresse any amorous conceit.
The Example
Rose cheeked Lawra come
Sing thou smoothly with thy beawties
Silent musick, either other
Sweetely gracing.
Lovely formes do flowe
From concent deuinely framed,
Heau'n is musick, and thy beawties
Birth is heauenly.
These dull notes we sing
Discords neede for helps to grace them,
Only beawty purely loving
Knowes not discord:
But still mooues delight
Like the clearesprings renu'd by flowing,
Euer perfet, euer in them-
selues eternall.
The third kind begins as the second kind ended, with a verse consisting of two Trochy feete, and then as the secon kind had in the middle two Trochaick verses of foure feete, so this hath three of the same nature, and ends in a Dimeter as the second began. the Dimeter may allow in the first place a Trochy or a Spondee, but no Iambick.
The Example
Iust beguiler,
Kindest loue, yet only chastest,
Royall in thy smooth denyals,
Frowning or demurely smiling
Still pure delight.
Let me view thee
With thoughts and with eyes affected,
And if then the flames do murmur,
Quench them with thy vertue, charme them
With thy stormy browes.
Heau'n so cheerefull
Laughs not euer, hory winter
Knowes his season, euen the freshest
Sommer mornes from angry thunder
Iet not still secure.
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