Cassiopeia

[p. 75] When mourning Cassiopeia, grac'd with Stars,Upon the left hand of the Youth appears,And joins twice ten Degrees, her Beams impartIn Metals skill, and fill the Births with Art:The precious Matter they shall nobly mold,And raise the native value of the Gold;Hence shine our Temples, and our Roman JoveFills here a Heaven as bright as that above;Happy this Art employ'd on things Divine,To frame a Statue, or adorn a Shrine;But now how low her Head she strives to hide,Whilst chain'd to Luxury, and a Slave to pride?Now precious Metals common Roofs enfold,Rival the Temples, and we feast in Gold.

But great Augustus doth its state maintain,Shews its old worth, and makes it rise again;His Temples shine, and now such Works are wroughtAs Mithridates lost when Sylla fought;The Sun's outshone, and Caesar's glorious GemsExcel the native lustre of his Beams:And hence with joy we view that wondrous Prize,The Monuments of ³⁰Pompey's Victories;Though those did first a Lust for Gems inspire,Which still burns new, and spreads a growing fire;The Ornaments of Kings now serve to graceA shape, and raise the value of a Face;Now Neck, Feet, Hands are deckt, and every DressShines with the Spoils of groaning Provinces;Yet 'tis the Ladies Sign, their wants supply'dAdvance its worth, they love what decks their Pride:Lest want of Matter should the Work restrain,The Art grow idle, and the Sign be vain,

[p. 76] By the same Powers are wretched Men decoy'dTo dig for Oar, and work to be employ'd;To turn the Globe to search where Metals breed,And see young Gold first blushing in its Seed;Harmless it lies, 'till the mistaken worthDeludes poor Man, and brings the Monster forth.And lest Temptations too obscure should lye,Too far remov'd from every common Eye,Mixt with the Sands they shine on every Shore,These he shall gather, and extract the Oar,Or dive for Jewels, and, intent on Gain,Pierce thro the Floods, and search the deepest Main;Draw Gold and Silver from the Waves embrace,And work them singly, and adorn the Mass;Or in Electrum both ignobly join:These are the Powers and Tempers of this Sign.