



Produced by Chris Curnow, Chris Jordan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net with
transcriptions from Stephen Rowland and Louise Hope









=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.


    This BOOKE contayning EMBLEMS, ’twas thought fit,
    A _Title-page_ should stand to usher it,
    That’s Emblematicall: And, for that end,
    Our AVTHOR, to the _Graver_ did commend
    A plaine Invention; that it might be wrought,
    According as his Fancie had forethought.
    Insteed thereof, the _Workeman_ brought to light,
    What, here, you see; therein, mistaking quite
    The true _Designe_: And, so (with paines, and cost)
    The first intended FRONTISPIECE, is lost.
      The AVTHOR, was as much displeas’d, as Hee
    In such Adventures, is inclin’d to bee;
    And, halfe resolv’d, to cast this PIECE aside,
    As nothing worth: but, having better ey’d
    Those _Errors_, and _Confusions_, which may, there,
    Blame-worthy (at the first aspect) appeare;
    Hee saw, they fitted many Fantasies
    Much better, then what _Reason_ can devise;
    And, that, the _Graver_ (by meere _Chance_) had hit
    On what, so much transcends the reach of _Wit_,
    As made it seeme, an Object of _Delight_,
    To looke on what, MISFORTVNE brought to light:
    And, here it stands, to try his _Wit_, who lists
    To pumpe the secrets, out of _Cabalists_.
      If any thinke this _Page_ will, now, declare
    The meaning of those _Figures_, which are there,
    They are deceiv’d. For, _Destinie_ denyes
    The utt’ring of such hidden _Mysteries_,
    In these respects: First, _This_ contayneth nought
    Which (in a proper sense) concerneth, ought,
    The _present-Age_: Moreover, tis ordain’d,
    That, none must know the _Secrecies_ contain’d
    Within this PIECE; but, they who are so wise
    To finde them out, by their owne _prudencies_;
    And, hee that can unriddle them, to us,
    Shall stiled be, the second OEDIPVS.
      Tis, likewise, thought expedient, now and then,
    To make some _Worke_, for those _All-knowing men_,
    (To exercise upon) who thinke they see
    The _secret-meanings_, of all things that bee.
      And, lastly, since we finde, that, some there are,
    Who best affect _Inuentions_, which appeare
    Beyond their understandings; _This_, we knew
    A _Representment_, worthy of their view;
      And, here, wee placed it, to be, to these,
      A FRONTISPIECE, in any sense they please.

[Illustration: EMBLEMES. _Illustrated by_ Geo: Wither.]




                                   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._

[Illustration: Decoration]

                                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.




                                   A
                          WRIT OF PREVENTION
                  Concerning the AVTHORS _Dedication_
                of the foure following BOOKES, to those
          _Royall_, _Princely_, and _Illustrious_ PERSONAGES,
                       whose Names are mentioned
                           in this _Leafe_.

    I have not often us’d, with _Epigrames_,
    Or, with _Inscriptions_ unto many NAMES,
    To charge my _Bookes_: Nor, had I done it, now,
    If I, to pay the _Duties_ which I owe,
    Had other _meanes_; Or, any better Wayes
    To honour them, whose _Vertue_ merits praise.
      In _ARCHITECT_, it giveth good content,
    (And passeth for a praisefull _Ornament_)
    If, to adorne the _FORE-FRONTS_, _Builders_ reare
    The _Statues_ of their _Soveraigne-Princes_, there;
    And, trimme the _Outsides_, of the other SQVARES
    With _Portraitures_ of some Heroicke PEERES.
      If, therefore, I (the more to beautifie
    This _Portion_ of my MVSES _Gallerie_)
    Doe, here, presume to place, the _NAMES_ of those
    To whose _Deserts_, my LOVE remembrance owes,
    I hope ’twill none offend. For, most, who see
    Their worthy _mention_, in this BOOKE, to bee,
    Will thinke them honor’d: And, perhaps, it may
    (To their high praise) be found, another day,
    That, in these LEAVES their _Names_ wil stand unrac’d,
    When many fairer _STRVCTVRFS_, are defac’d.

    _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._


                       To the MAJESTIE of Great
               _Britaine_, _France_, and _Ireland_, the
                        Most Illustrious King,
                               CHARLES;
                And his excellently beloved, the most
                        gratious _Queene_ MARY.

    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