A web-based edition of early seventeenth-century political poetry from manuscript sources. It brings into the public domain over 350 poems, many of which have never before been published.
L8 From such a face whose Excellence
Notes. This widely read, politically daring poem is an adaptation of the song “From a gypsy in the morning” performed towards the end of Ben Jonson’s masque The Gypsies Metamorphosed (Jonson 367-69). Jonson’s masque was first staged in the summer of 1621, and the libel was thus composed some time between then and, at the very latest, the early summer of 1623, when John Rous secured a copy having heared talk of the poem beforehand (BL Add. MS 28640). The authorship of this poem is uncertain. Various critics have attributed it to Alexander Gill, Ben Jonson himself, and William Drummond (to whom the verse is attributed in one source (Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. c.50)). Although there seems good cause to take Drummond’s candidacy very seriously, critical opinion is generally against it. The poem’s skilled and potent articulation of contemporary anxieties—about the possible homosexual relationship between James I and Buckingham; about the infiltration of the court by the dark forces of “popery” and Hispanophilia during a time of heightened concern about royal foreign policy towards Spain; and about the prevalence of fiscal and judicial corruption and general monarchical neglect—has attracted a significant body of critical and historical analysis. Important readings of the poem can be found in, P. Hammond (141-43); Bellany (Politics 258-260; and McRae (Literature 75-82).
“The Five Senses”
1. Seeinge
From such a face whose Excellence
May Captivate my Soveraignes sence
And make him Phœbus like his throne
Resigne to him younge Phaëton1
Whose skillesse and unsteaddie hand
5May prove the ruine of a land
Unlesse great Jove downe from the skye
Beholding Earthes Calamitie
Strike with his hand that cannot err
The proud Usurping Charioter
10And cure though Phœbus greive our woe2
From such a face that cann worke soe
Wheresoere thou hast a beeing
Blesse my Soveraigne, and his seeing.
2. Heareinge
From Jeasts prophane, from flattering tongues
15From bawdy tales from beastly soungs
From after supper suits that feare
A Parliament or Councells eare
From Spanish treaties3 that may wound
Our Countries peace the gospell sound4
20From Jobs false frends5 that would entice
My Soveraigne from Heavens paradise
From Prophetts such as Ahabs weere6
Whose flatterings sooth my soveraignes eare
His frownes more then his makers fearing
25Blesse my soveraigne, and his heareing.
3. Tastinge
From all fruite that is forbidden
Such for which old Eve7 was chidden
From bread of Laborers sweat, and toyle
From the widdowes meale, and oyle
30From the Canded8 poyson’d baites
Of Jesuites9 and their deceipts
Italian Salletts,10 Romish druggs
The milke of Babells proud whore11 duggs
From wyne that can destroye the braine
35And from the daingerous figg of Spaine12
Att all banquetts, and all feasting
Blesse my Soveraigne, and his tasting.
4. Feelinge
From prick of Conscience such a sting
As staines the Soule, heavens blesse my King
40From such a tribe13 as may with drawe
His thoughts from equitie, and lawe
From such a smooth, and beardlesse Chinn
As may provoke, or tempt to sinn
From such a hand whose moyst palme may
45My soveraigne lead out of the way
From things polluted, and uncleane
From all thats beastly, and obsceane
From what may sett his Soule a reeling
Blesse my Soveraigne, and his feeling.
505. Smellinge
Where Mirrhe, and frankinsence is throwne
The altars built to Gods unknowne14
Oh lett my Soveraigne never smell
Such damn’d perfumes are fitt for hell
Let noe such scent his nostrills staine
55From smells that poyson may the braine
Heavens still preserve him, Next I crave
Thou wilt be pleas’d great God to save
My Soveraigne from a Ganimede15
Whose whoreish breath hath power to lead
60His excellence which way it list
O lett such lipps be never kist
From a breath soe farr excelling
Blesse my Soveraigne and his smelling.
On all the Sences
And just God I humblie pray
65That thou wilt take the Filme away
That keepes my Soveraignes eyes from vieweing
The things that wilbe our undoeing
Then lett him Heare good God the sounds
Aswell of Men, as of his hounds
70Give him a Taste and tymely too
Of what his Subjects undergoe
Give him a Feelinge of there woes
And noe doubt his royall nose
Will quickely Smell those rascalls forth
75Whose blacke deeds have ecclips’t his worth.
These found, and scourg’d for their offences
Heavens blesse my Soveraigne, and his sences.
Source. Bodleian MS Malone 23, pp. 28-31
Other known sources. “Poems from a Seventeenth-Century Manuscript” 136; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. c.50, fol. 25r; Bodleian MS Eng. Poet. e.37, p. 72; Bodleian MS Rawl. Poet. 26, fol. 72r; Bodleian MS Rawl. Poet. 117, fol. 23v; Bodleian MS Rawl. Poet. 160, fol. 14v; Bodleian MS Tanner 465, fol. 97r; BL Add. MS 22640, fol. 105r;BL Add. MS 23229, fol. 99r; BL Add. MS 25303, fol. 133r; BL MS Egerton 923, fol. 30r; BL MS Harley 367, fol. 153r; BL MS Stowe 962, fol. 144v; Brotherton MS Lt. q. 44, fol. 1r; NLS MS Advocates 19.3.8, fol. 47r; Nottingham MS Portland PW V 37, p. 197; St. John’s MS S.32, fol. 31r; Folger MS V.a.275, p. 175;Folger MS V.a.276, part 2, fol. 40v; Folger MS V.a.339, fol. 25v; Folger MS V.a.345, p. 59; Folger MS X.d.235; Houghton MS Eng. 686, fol. 59v; Huntington MS HM 198, 1.30; Morgan MS MA 1057, p. 80; Rosenbach MS 239/27, p. 58; Rosenbach MS 1083/16, p. 85
L8
1 Phœbus like...younge Phaëton: when Phoebus (Apollo), god of the sun, allowed his son Phaeton to drive the chariot of the sun for a day, the inexperienced Phaeton drove the chariot towards the earth before being struck dead by Jove. The myth was used commonly to articulate fears of the consequences of King James placing power in the hands of youthful favourites. <back>
2 And cure...our woe: “And cure (though Phœbus greive) our woe” is a better reading. <back>
3 Spanish treaties: alluding, in particular, to the ongoing negotiations for a marriage alliance between England and Spain (see Section N). <back>
4 the gospell sound: the sound of preaching; i.e. Protestantism. <back>
5 Jobs false frends: Job’s three friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, who, in the biblical Book of Job, fail to comprehend the reasons for Job’s misfortunes. <back>
6 Prophetts...Ahabs weere: Ahab, the idolatrous King of Israel, took counsel from false prophets who promised him success in a campaign to take Ramoth-Gilead, while ignoring the warnings of the true prophet Micaiah (see 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18). <back>
7 Eve: who tasted of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. <back>
9 Jesuites: the militant Roman Catholic order of the Society of Jesus, widely feared in Protestant circles as the agents of Counter Reformation. <back>
10 Italian Salletts: Italian salads; here meaning popish “poisons”. Italy was widely associated with poisoning in this period. <back>
11 Babells proud whore: the whore of Babylon, widely identified in Protestant polemic with the papacy. <back>
12 figg of Spaine: literally, a fig grown in Spain; here implying both Catholic and Spanish poison, and Catholic and Spanish influence. <back>
13 tribe: “bribe” is a better reading. <back>
14 altars...Gods unknowne: altars built to false gods; here implying Catholicism. <back>
15 Ganimede: the Trojan boy loved by Jove, king of the gods, and a common term in this period for a sodomite. <back>
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