THE
MUSES THRENODIE,
OR,
Mirthfull Mournings, on the death
of Master
Gall.
Containing varietie of pleasant Poëticall
descriptions, morall
instructions, historicall narra-
tions, and divine observations, with the
most
remarkable antiquities of Scot-
land, especially at Perth
By Mr. H. ADAMSON.
Horat. in Arte.
Omne tulit punctum, qui miscuit utile dulci.He has
achieved every point who has mixed the useful and the delightful.
Printed at Edinburgh in King Iames College,
by George Anderson
1638.
TO HIS NATIVE TOWN OF PERTH: THE LORD PROVESTceremonial civic head, BAILLIESa civic officer in
a Scottish Burgh, AND COUNSEL THEREOF, HIS
WORTHIE PATRONS, Wishing them all happinesse heere, and hence, dedicateth these
his recreations their devoted Servant Mr. HEN. ADAMSON; Student in Divine, and
Humane Learning.
TO THE READER.
Courteous Reader,
It is not amisse thou bee a little
informed concerning the Poet, and the persons of the defunct and mourner.
The Poet wrote this for his owne exercise, and the recreation of his friends; and
this peece, although accomplished to the great contentment of many that read and
heard it, yet could not the Author be induced to let it thole the presse, till
the importunitie of many learned men urged him unto it: And the last brash was
made by a Letter of the prime Poet of our kingdome, whereof this is the just
copie.
To my worthie Friend, Mr. HEN. ADAMSON.
Sir,
These papers of your
mournings on Master Gall appeare unto me as
Alcibiadis SileniProverbial for a thing that on the
outside seems worthless of devoid of interest, but when probed further,
appears on the inside to be wonderful and valuable. See the opening
paragraph of Erasmus's Sileni Alcibiadis, 1515, which
ridiculously look, with the faces of Sphinges,
Chimeraes, Centaures on their outsides, but
inwardlie containe rare artifice, and rich jewels of all
sorts, for the delight and well of Man. They may deservedlie beare the
word,
Non intus ut extraIt is not inside as it is outside.. Your two Champions,
noble
Zannies, discover to us many of the Antiquities
of this Countrey more of your auncient towne of
Perth, setting downe her situation,
founders, her hudge colosse, or bridge, walls, fousies, aqueducts,
fortifications, temples, monasteries, and many other singularities. Happie
hath
Perth
beene in such a Citizen: not so other townes of this kingdome,
by want of so diligent a searcher and preserver of their fame from oblivion.
Some Muses neither to themselves, nor to others do good; nor delighting, nor
instructing; yours performe both: And longer to conceale them, will be to
wrong your
Perth
of her due honours, who deserveth no lesse of you than that
she should be thus blazoned, and registrate to posteritie, to defraud your
selfe of a monument; which after you have left this transitorie world shall
keepe your name and memorie to after times. This shall bee preserved by the
Towne of
Perth
for her owne sake first, and after for yours. For to her it
hath beene no little glory that she hath brought forth, such a citizen, so
eminent in love to her, and so dear to the
Muses.
Edinburgh, Julij 12.
1637.
W. D.
[Introduction]
Anent the defunct, his name was
M. Iames Gall, a Citizen of
Perth
, and a Gentle-man of a goodly stature, and pregnant wit, much given to
pastime, as golf, archerie, curling; and Joviall companie. A man verie kinde to
his friends, and a prettie poet in liberall merriments, and tart satyres; no
lesse acquaint with
Philœnus, and the Acidalian
Dame, than with the Muses.
For the mourner, he yet lives and mournes: and seeing he is of purpose to set
forth the webbe of his life, which is verie long, now almost an hundred elnes,
counting an elne for a year, it is needlesse to speak of him here, all know him
(that know him) to be a good man, and hath beene occasion of mirth to many, to
none of mourning, as
M. Gall
by his immature death hath been to him. It seemeth
sufficient, untill the time he him self set out the historie of himself, to set
down here the inventar of the ornaments of his Cabin, which,
by a Catachrestick name, he usually calleth
Gabions.
This Inventarie we have in a torn, and worn copie, and in respect there are some
lines in it we can not read, pray thee, gentle Reader, be content of that, that
is to the fore, till we can obtaine from
M. George
the whole piece, which was alleaged to be written by
M. Gall
, although, in veritie, the Author of this book did write it, and as I
think, not without
M. George
his owne advice, and for his friends recreation.
The Inventarie of the
Gabions, in
M. George
his Cabinet.
Of uncouth formes, and wondrous
shapes,
Like Peacoks, and like Indian apes,
Like Leopards, and beasts spoted,
Of clubs curiously knoted,
Of wondrous workmanships, and rare,
Like Eagles flying in the air,
Like Centaurs, Maremaids in the Seas,
Like Dolphins, and like honie bees,
Some carv'd in timber, some in stone,
Of the wonder of Albion;
Which this close cabine doth include;
Some portends ill, some presage good:
What sprite Dædalian hath forth brought them,
Yee Gods assist, I thinke yee wrought them,
Your influences did conspire
This comelie cabine to attire
Neptune gave first his awfull trident,
And Pan the hornes gave of a bident,
Triton his trumpet of a buckie,
Propin'd to him, was large and luckie:
Mars gave the glistring sword and dagger,
Wherewith some time he wont to swagger,
Cyclopean armour of Achilles,
Fair Venus purtrayed by Apelles,
The valiant Hectors weightie spear,
Wherewith he fought the Trojan war,
The fatall sword and seven fold shield
Of Ajax, who could never yeeld:
Yea more the great Herculean club
Brusde Hydra in the Lernè dub.
Hote Vulcan with his crooked heele
Bestow'd on him a tempred steele,
Cyclophes were the brethren Allans,
Who swore they swet more then ten gallons
In framing it upon their forge,
And tempring it for Master George:
But Aesculapius taught the lesson
How he should us'd in goodly fashion,
And bad extinguis't in his ale,
When that he thought it pure and stale,
With a pugill of polypodium:
And Ceres brought a manufodium:
And will'd him tost it at his fire
And of such bread never to tyre;
Then Podalirius did conclude
That for his melt was soverainge good.
Gold hair'd Apollo did bestow
His mightie-sounding silver bow,
With musick instruments great store,
His harp, his cithar, and mandore,
His peircing arrowes and his quiver:
But Cupid shot him through the liver
And set him all up in à flame,
To follow à Peneïan Dame:
But being once repudiat
Did lurk within this Cabinet,
And there with many a sigh and groane,
Fierce Cupids wrong he did bemoane,
But this deep passion to rebet
Venus bestow'd her Amulet,
The firie flame for to beare downe,
Cold lactuce and pupuleum;
And thenceforth will'd the poplar tree
To him should consecrated be.
With twentie thousand pretious things,
Mercurius gave his staffe and wings:
And more this Cabine to decore,
Of curious staffs he gave fourescore,
Of clubs and cudgels contortized:
Some plaine worke, others crispe and frized,
Like Satyrs, dragons, flying fowles,
Like fishes, serpents, cats, and owles,
Like winged-horses, strange Chimaeraes,
Like Unicorns and fierce Pantheraes,
So livelike that a man would doubt,
If art or nature brought them out.
The monstrous branched great hart-horne,
Which on Acteon's front was borne:
On which doth hing his velvet knapsca.
A scimitare cut like an haksaw,
Great bukies, partans, toes of lapstares,
Oster shells, ensignes for tapsters,
Gadie beeds and crystall glasses,
Stones, and ornaments for lasses,
Garlands made of summer flowres,
Propin'd him by his paramoürs,
With many other pretious thing,
Which all upon its branches hing:
So that it doth excell but scorne
The wealthie Amalthean horne.
This Cabine containes what you wish,
No place his ornaments doth misse,
For there is such varietie,
Looking breeds no sacietie.
In one nooke stands Loquhabrian axes,
And in another nooke the glaxe is.
Heere lyes a book they call the dennet,
There lyes the head of old Brown Kennet,
Here lyes a turkasse, and a hammer,
There lyes a Greek and Latine Grammer,
Heere hings an auncient mantua bannet,
There hings a Robin and a Iannet,
Upon a cord that's strangular
A buffet stoole sexangular:
A foole muting in his owne hand;
Soft, soft my Muse, sound not this sand,
What ever matter come athorter,
Touch not I pray the iron morter.
His cougs, his dishes, and his caps,
A Totum, and some bairnes taps;
A gadareilie, and a whisle,
A trumpe, an Abercome mussell,
His hats, his hoods, his bels, his bones,
His allay bowles, and curling stones,
The sacred games to celebrat,
Which to the Gods are consecrat.
And more, this cabine to adorne,
Diana gave her hunting horne,
And that there should be no defect,
God Momus gift did not inlake:
Only * * * was to blame,
Who would bestow nothing for shame;
This Cabine was so cram'd with store
She could not enter at the doore.
This prettie want for to supplie
A privie parlour stands neere by,
In which there is in order plac't
Phœbus with the nine Muses grac't,
In compasse, siting like a crown.
This is the place of great renown:
Heere all good learning is inschrynd,
And all grave wisedome is confin'd,
Clio with stories ancient times,
Melpomené with Tragick lines,
Wanton Thalia's comedies,
Euterpe's sweetest harmonies,
Terpsichore's heart-moving cithar,
Lovely Erato's numbring meeter,
Caliope's heroick songs,
Vranias heavenly motions;
Polymnia in various musick
Paints all with flowres of Rhetorick,
Amidst sits Phœbus laureat,
Crown'd with the whole Pierian State.
Here's Galene and Hippocrates,
Divine Plato and Socrates,
Th' Arabian skill and exccellence,
The Greek and Romane eloquence,
With manie worthie worke and storie
Within this place inaccessorie.
These models, in this Cabine plac'd,
Are with the world's whole wonders grac'd:
What curious art or nature framd,
What monster hath beene taught or tamd,
What Polycletus in his time,
What Archimedes rich ingine,
Who taught the Art of menadrie
The Syracusan synedrie.
What Gods or mortals did forth bring
It in this cabinet doth hing,
Whose famous relicts are all flowr'd,
And all with precious pouldar stowr'd:
And richly deckt with curious hingers,
Wrought by Arachne's nimble fingers.
This is his store-house and his treasure,
This is his Paradise of pleasure,
This is the Arcenall of Gods,
Of all the world this is the oddes:
This is the place Apollo chuses,
This is the residence of Muses:
And to conclude all this in one,
This is the Romaine Pantheon.