Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE SECOND ADVICE TO A PAINTER FOR DRAWING HISTORY .. NAVAL BUSYNESSE, by ANDREW MARVELL


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THE SECOND ADVICE TO A PAINTER FOR DRAWING HISTORY .. NAVAL BUSYNESSE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Nay painter, if thou dar'st design that fight
Last Line: Kings are in war but cards: they're gods in peace.
Subject(s): Great Britain - Dutch War (1664-1667); Paintings And Painters; Sea Battles; Waller, Edmund (1606-1687); Naval Warfare


London, Aprill 1666
Nay Painter, if thou dar'st designe that Fight
Which Waller only Courage had to write;
If thy bold hand can without shaking draw
What ev'n the Actors trembled when they saw;
Enough to make thy colours change, like theirs,
And all thy Pencills bristle like their haires;
First, in fit distance of the Prospect vain,
Paint Allen tilting at the coast of Spain:
Heroick act, and never heard till now,
Stemming of Herc'les Pillars with his Prow!
And how two Ships he left the Hills to waft
And with new Sea-marks Dov'r and Calais graft;
Next, let the flaming London come in view
Like Nero's Rome, burnt to rebuild it new.
What lesser Sacrifice than this was meet
To offer for the safety of the Fleet?
Blow one Ship up, another thence does grow:
See what free Cityes and wise Courts can do!
So some old Merchant, to ensure his Name
Marries afresh, and Courtiers share the Dame.
So whatsoere is broke the Servants pay't;
And Glasses are more durable than Plate.
No May'r till now so rich a Pageant feign'd
Nor one Barge all the Companyes contain'd.
Then, Painter, draw cerulean Coventry,
Keeper, or rather Chanc'lour of the Sea:
And more exactly to expresse his hew,
Use nothing but ultramarinish blew.
To pay his Fees the silver Trumpet spends:
And Boatswains whistle for his Place depends:
Pilots in vain repeat the Compasse ore
Untill of him they learn that one point more.
The constant Magnet to the Pole does hold,
Steele to the Magnet, Coventry to Gold.
Muscovy sells up hemp and pitch and tarre;
Iron and copper Sweden, Munster Warre,
Ashley, prize, Warwick, customs, Cart'ret, pay;
But Coventry sells the whole Fleet away.
Now let our navy stretch its canvas Wings
Swoln like his Purse, with tackling like its strings,
By slow degrees of the increasing gaile,
First under Sale, and after under Saile.
Then, in kind visit unto Opdams Gout,
Hedge the Dutch in only to let them out.
(So Huntsmen faire unto the Hares give Law,
First find them, and then civilly withdraw)
That the blind Archer, when they take the Seas,
The Hamburgh Convoy may betray at ease.
(So that the fish may more securely bite
The Fisher baits the River over night.)
But Painter now prepare, t'inrich thy Piece,
Pencill of Ermins, Oyle of Ambergris.
See where the Dutchesse, with triumphant taile
Of num'rous Coaches Harwich does assaile.
So the Land-Crabbs at Natures kindly call,
Down to engender at the Sea do crawle.
See then the Admirall, with navy whole
To Harwich through the Ocean caracole.
So Swallows bury'd in the Sea, at Spring
Returne to Land with Summer in their Wing.
One thrifty Ferry-boat of Mother-Pearl
Suffic'd of old the Cytherean Girle.
Yet Navys are but Properties when here,
A small Sea-masque, and built to court you, Dear;
Three Goddesses in one: Pallas for Art,
Venus for sport, and funo in your Heart.
O Dutchesse, if thy nuptiall Pomp were mean,
Tis payd with intrest in this navall Scene!
Never did Roman Mark, within the Nile,
So feast the faire Egiptian Crocodile,
Nor the Venetian Duke, with such a State,
The Adriatick marry at that rate.
Now, Painter, spare thy weaker art, forbear
To draw her parting Passions and each Tear;
For Love, alas, has but a short delight:
The Winds, the Dutch, the King, all call to fight.
She therefore the Dukes person recommends
To Bronkard, Pen, and Coventry, as Friends:
(Pen much, more Bronkard, most to Coventry)
For they, she knew, were all more 'fraid than shee.
Of flying Fishes one had sav'd the finne,
And hop'd with these he through the Aire might spinne,
The other thought he might avoid his Knell
In the invention of the diving Bell,
The third had try'd it and affirm'd a Cable
Coyl'd round about men was impenetrable.
But these the Duke rejected, only chose
To keep far off, and others interpose.
Rupert, that knew not fear but health did want,
Kept State suspended in a Chais-volant.
All, save his head, shut in that wooden case,
He show'd but like a broken Weather-glasse:
But arm'd in a whole Lion Cap-a-chin,
Did represent the Hercules within.
Dear shall the Dutch his twinging anguish know
And feele what Valour, whet with Pain, can do.
Curst in the mean time be the Traitresse fael
That through his Princely Temples drove the Naile.
Rupert resolv'd to fight it like a Lyon.
But Sandwich hop'd to fight it like Arion:
He, to prolong his Life in the dispute,
And charm the Holland Pirats, tun'd his Lute:
Till some judicious Dolphin might approach,
And land him safe and sound as any Roach.
Now Painter reassume thy Pencill's care,
It hath but skirmisht yet, now Fight prepare,
And draw the Battell terribler to show
Than the Last fudgment was of Angelo.
First, let our Navy scowr through Silver Froath,
The Ocean's burthen, and the Kingdomes both:
Whose ev'ry Bulk may represent its Birth
From Hide, and Paston, Burthens of the Earth:
Hide, whose transcendent Paunch so swells of late,
That he the Rupture seems of Law, and State;
Paston, whose Belly bears more Millions
Than Indian Caricks, and contains more Tunns.
Let sholes of Porpisses on evry side
Wonder in swimming by our Oakes outvy'd:
And the Sea Fowle at gaze behold a thing
So vast, more strong, and swift than they of Wing:
But with presaging Gorge yet keep in sight,
And follow for the Relicks of a Fight.
Then let the Dutch with well dissembled Fear
Or bold Despaire, more than we wish draw near.
At which our Gallants, to the Sea but tender,
And more to fight, their easy Stomachs render:
With Breast so panting that at evry stroke
You might have felt their Hearts beat through the Oake.
While one, concern'd most, in the intervall
Of straining Choler, thus did cast his Gall.
"Noah be damn'd and all his Race accurst,
That in Sea brine did pickle Timber first.
What though he planted Vines! he Pines cut down.
He taught us how to drink, and how to drown.
He first built ships, and in the wooden Wall
Saving but Eight, ere since indangers all.
And thou Dutch necromantic Friar, damn'd
And in thine own first Mortar-piece be ram'd,
Who first inventedst Cannon in thy Cell,
Nitre from Earth, and Brimstone fetcht from hell,
But damn'd and treble damn'd be Clarendine
Our Seventh Edward and his House and Line,
Who, to divert the danger of the Warre
With Bristoll, hounds us on the Hollander;
Foole-coated Gown-man, sells, to fight with Hans,
Dunkirk; dismantling Scotland quarrels France,
And hopes he now hath bus' nesse shap't and Pow'r
T'outlast his Life or ours, and scape the Tow'r:
And that he yet may see, ere he go down,
His dear Clarinda circled in a Crown."
By this time both the Fleets in reach debute
And each the other mortally salute.
Draw pensive Neptune biting of his Thumms,
To think himself a Slave whos'ere orecomes,
The frighted Nymphs retreating to the Rocks,
Beating their blew Breasts, tearing their green Locks;
Paint Echo slain: only th' alternate Sound
From the repeating Canon does rebound.
Opdam sailes in, plac'd in his navall Throne,
Assuming Courage greater than his own;
Makes to the Duke, and threatens him from farr
To naile himself to's Board like a Petarre:
But in the vain attempt takes Fire too soon,
And flyes up in his Ship to catch the Moon.
Monsieurs like Rockets mount aloft, and crack
In thousand Sparks, then dansingly fall back.
Yet ere this happen'd Destiny allow'd
Him his Revenge, to make his Death more proud.
A fatall Bullet from his Side did range,
And batter'd Lawson, O too dear Exchange!
He led our Fleet that Day, too short a Space,
But lost his Knee, (dy'd since) in Gloryes Race,
Lawson, whose Valour beyond Fate did go
And still fights Opdam through the Lakes below.
The Duke himself, though Pen did not forget,
Yet was not out of dangers random set.
Falmouth was there, I know not what to act
(Some say 'twas to grow Duke too by Contact.)
An untaught Bullet in its wanton Scope
Quashes him all to pieces, and his Hope.
Such as his Rise such was his Fall, unprais'd;
A Chance-shot sooner took than Chance him rais'd:
His Shatterd Head the fearlesse Duke distains,
And gave the last first proof that he had Brains.
Barkley had heard it soon, and thought not good
To venture more of Royall Harding's Blood.
To be immortall he was not of Age
(And did ev'n now the Indian Prize presage),
But judg'd it safe and decent, cost what cost,
To lose the Day, since his Dear Brother's lost.
With his whole Squadron streight away he bore
And, like good Boy, promist to fight no more.
The Dutch Urania carelesse at us saild,
And promises to do what Opdam faild.
Smith to the Duke does intercept her Way
And cleaves t' her closer than the Remora.
The Captaine wonder'd, and withall disdain'd
So strongly by a thing so small detain'd:
And in a raging Brav'ry to him runs.
They stab their Ships with one anothers Guns,
They fight so near it seems to be on Ground,
And ev'n the Bullets meeting Bullets wound.
The Noise, the Smoak, the Sweat, the Fire, the Blood
Is not to be exprest nor understood.
Each Captaine from the Quarter-deck commands,
They wave their bright Swords glitt'ring in their hands;
All Luxury of Warre, all Man can do
In a Sea-fight, did passe betwixt them two.
But one must conquer whosoever fight:
Smith tooke the Giant, and is since made Knight.
Marleburgh, that knew and dar'd too more than all,
Falls undistinguisht by an Iron Ball.
Dear Lord, but born under a Starre ingrate!
No Soule so clear, and no more gloomy Fate.
Who would set up Warr's Trade that meant to thrive?
Death picks the Valiant out, the Cow'rds survive.
What the Brave merit th'Impudent do vaunt,
And none's rewarded but the Sycophant.
Hence, all his Life he against Fortune fenc'd;
Or not well known, or not well recompens'd.
But envy not this Praise to's Memory:
None more prepar'd was or lesse fit to dye.
Rupert did others and himself excell:
Holmes, Teddyman, Minns; bravely Samson fell.
What others did let none omitted blame:
I shall record whos'ere brings in his Name.
But unlesse after Storyes disagree,
Nine onely came to fight, the rest to see.
Now all conspires unto the Dutchmen's Losse:
The Wind, the Fire, we, they themselves do crosse.
When a Sweet Sleep the Duke began to drown,
And with soft Diadem his Temples crown.
But first he orders all beside to watch;
And they the Foe while he a Nap should catch.
But Bronkard, by a secreter instinct,
Slept not, nor needs it; he all Day had wink't.
The Duke in Bed, he then first draws his Steele,
Whose Virtue makes the misled Compasse wheele:
So ere he wak'd, both Fleets were innocent,
And Bronkard Member is of Parliament.
And now, dear Painter, after pains like those
'Twere time that thou and I too should repose.
But all our Navy scap'd so sound of Limm
That a small space serv'd to refresh its trimm.
And a tame Fleet of theirs does Convoy want,
Laden with both the Indyes and Levant.
Paint but this one Scene more, the world's our own:
The Halcyon Sandwich does command alone.
To Bergen now with better Maw we haste,
And the sweet spoyles in Hope already taste,
Though Clifford in the Character appears
Of Supracargo to our Fleet and theirs,
Wearing a signet ready to clap on,
And seize all for his Master Arlington.
Ruyter, whose little Squadron skim'd the Seas
And wasted our remotest Colonyes,
With Ships all foule return'd upon our Way;
Sandwich would not disperse, nor yet delay,
And therefore, like Commander grave and wise,
To scape his Sight and Fight, shut both his Eyes,
And, for more State and surenesse, Cuttins true
The left Eye closes, the right Montague,
And even Clifford profer'd, in his Zeale
To make all safe, t'apply to both his Seale.
Ulisses so, till he the Syrens past,
Would by his Mates be pinion'd to the Mast.
Now may our Navy view the wished Port
But there too (see the Fortune!) was a Fort.
Sandwich would not be beaten, nor yet beat:
Fooles only fight, the Prudent use to treat.
His Cousin Montague, by Court disaster
Dwindled into the wooden Horse's Master,
To speak of Peace seem'd among all most proper,
Had Talbot then treated of nought but Copper,
For what are Forts when void of Ammunition?
With Friend or Foe what would we more condition?
Yet we three dayes, till the Dutch furnisht all --
Men, Powder, Cannon, Money -- treat with Wall.
Then Teddy, finding that the Dane would not,
Sends in Six Captains bravely to be shot.
And Montague, though drest like any Bride,
Though aboard him too, yet was reacht and dy'd.
Sad was this Chance, and yet a deeper Care
Wrinkles our Membranes under Forehead faire.
The Dutch Armada yet had th' Impudence
To put to Sea, to waft their Merchants hence.
For, as if all their Ships of Wall-nut were,
The more we beat them, still the more they bear.
But a good Pilot and a fav'ring Winde
Bring Sandwich back, and once again did blind.
Now gentle Painter, ere we leap on Shore,
With thy last strokes ruffle a Tempest o'er:
As if in our Reproach, the Winds and Seas
Would undertake the Dutch while we take Ease,
The Seas their Spoiles within our Hatches throw,
The Winds both Fleets into our Mouthes do blow,
Strew all their Ships along the Coast by ours,
As easy to be gather'd up as Flow'rs.
But Sandwich fears for Merchants to mistake
A Man of Warre, and among Flow'rs a Snake.
Two Indian Ships pregnant with Eastern Pearle
And Di'monds sate the Officers and Earle;
Then warning of our Fleet, he it divides
Into the Ports, and he to Oxford rides,
While the Dutch reuniting, to our Shames,
Ride all insulting o'er the Downs and Thames.
Now treating Sandwich seems the fittest choice
For Spain, there to condole and to rejoyce.
He meets the French, but, to avoyd all harms,
Slips to the Groyne (Embassyes bear not Arms!)
There let him languish a long Quarantain,
And ne'er to England come till he be clean.
Thus having fought we know not why, as yet,
We've done we know not what, nor what we get.
If to espouse the Ocean all this paines,
Princes unite and will forbid the Baines;
If to discharge Fanaticks, this makes more,
For all Fanatick turn when sick or poore;
Or if the House of Commons to repay,
Their Prize Commissions are transfer'd away;
But for triumphant Checkstones, if, and Shell
For Dutchesse' Closet, 't has succeeded well.
If to make Parliaments all odious passe,
If to reserve a Standing Force, alas,
Or if, as just, Orange to reinstate,
Instead of that, he is regenerate;
And with four Millions vainly giv'n, as spent,
And with five Millions more of detriment,
Our Summe amounts yet only to have won
A Bastard Orange for Pimp Arlington.
Now may Historians argue Con and Pro:
Denham saith thus, though Waller always so,
But he, good Man, in his long Sheet and Staffe
This Penance did for Cromwell's Epitaph.
And his next Theme must be of th' Duke's Maistress:
Advice to draw Madam Edificatresse.
Henceforth, O Gemini! two Dukes command:
Castor and Pollux, Aumarle, Cumberland.
Since in one Ship, it had been fit they went
In Petty's double-keel'd Experiment.

To the King
Imperiall Prince, King of the Seas and Isles,
Dear Object of our Joys and Heaven's Smiles,
What boots it that thy Light does guild our Dayes
And we lye basking by thy milder Rayes,
While Swarms of Insects, from thy warmth begun,
Our Land devour, and intercept our Sunn?
Thou, like Jove's Minos, rul'st a greater Crete
(And for its hundred Cityes count thy Fleet.)
Why wilt thou that State-Dedalus allow,
Who builds thee but a Lab'rinth and a Cow?
If thou art Minos, be a Judge Severe,
And in's own Maze confine the Engineer,
Or if our Sunn, since he so near presumes,
Melt the soft wax with which he imps his Plumes,
And let him falling leave his hated Name
Unto those Seas his Warre hath set on Flame.
From that Enchanter having clear'd thine Eyes,
Thy Native Sight will pierce within the Skyes,
And view those Kingdomes calm of Joy and Light
Where's universall Triumph but no Fight,
Since both from Heav'n thy Race and Pow'r descend,
Rule by its pattern, there to reascend.
Let Justice only draw: and Battell cease.
Kings are in War but Cards: they're Gods in Peace.





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