 | The Preservation of Henry VII |  |
The Epistel to the Queenes most excellent Maiesty, my renowned Soueraigne and Princesse, Elizabeth, Queene of England, Fraunce, and Irland, &c.
So, I the man that am he, that afourds small praise to the Muses:And yet in Hexameters, I meane to metrifie verses,
Vnto the worldes Diamond, to the Phœnix rare; that doth excell
In pre'minence as a Prince. Whose praise my wits ar vnabel
Here to record, as I should: as a worke to large, or a matter
Fit for a Mæonian fine skilfull penne to decypher.
Whose stout progenitours great fame, her glory doth aduance,
Which if I could Poetize, is a worke yet worthie remembrance:
Graunt to me no learning, Muses, thou Pagan Apollo,
Cynthia, with Charites, thou blandiloquent mery Pytho,
Graunt to me no fauour: But thou, thou mightie Iehoua,
Thou, Lord Emmanuel, Lord of celestial heauen,
Only God imperiall, to mee wretch terrestrial harken.
Since litel helpe they graunt, and cannot aford any fauor;
To those Idolatrous Pagan goddes, yeald not an honnor.
Yeald reuerence to the Lord; who is the creator of all vs:
And do not here atribute any praise, but wholy to Iesus.
Shall we gods anger, by wilful blasphemie kindel?
When Iohn kneeled afore that blessed glorius Angell,
Do not so, said he: for I am but thy felo seruant.
Giue thou praise to the Lord, to the Lord, that is only triumphant:
Vnto whom only belongs all praise, and glory for euer.
Shall we, his creatures, then adore and inuocat other?
Was not he ston'd to death, by the Lord God rightfuly condemn'd?
Sorcerer hight Elimas was iustly depriu'd of his eysight;
For that he by speaches did deputy Sergius excite
For to renounce our God: whom Paul and Barnabas also
Taught him afore to beleeue. We should such blasphemie forgoe.
Barnabas (in Synagogues) and Paul (that faithfull Apostel)
Preached at Iconium: by faith, Paul healed a crippel
VVhen the peepel saw it, they would haue done to them honnor,
And brought them sacrifice, not praising God the creator.
Barnabas, of the peepel, was called Iupiter; and Paule,
Mercury: But they gaue praise to the Lord God imortal.
And in amongst them went, and rent their clothes in an anger:
Wee are but creatures as you, gods glory to further.
Like bisy-snowted swine, which vproote hearbes from a garden?
Let paganiz'd parasites, that purpose smoothly to flatter,
Call to the Pagan Gods, their goddes, to reforge vp a matter.
Right reuerent Soueraigne, the renowned Princes of England,
Glorious Elizabeth, Queene of Fraunce, Queene of al Irland;
I (he that am too too bould) this simpel gift, but a trifel,
Vnto thy Grace dedicate; my simpel skill to disabel.
If that I could poetize thy deserts, to thy glory coherent,
Might not I greatly reioyce? But I want arte, and skil is absent.
Your luculent eyesight, to my rude Muse regaly distill.
For radiant sunnebeames displai'd, will shine on a dounghill.
If that I were Chorilus, yet a faithfull minde of a Subiect
Deigne to receiue Soueraigne, with a princelike bountiful aspect:
Thankfuly dranke water, from palmes of silly Zinetes:
And in a cuppe of gold, he sent to the poore man a thousand
Goulden massy darecks; yet he was but a poore sily peasant:
Like that princely Philippe, King of Macedonian Empire,
Who great curtesie shew'd, when a poore man gaue him a dinner.
And Christ our Sauiour, vouchsafte to receiue of a woman,
Which was a Samaritan, water drawne forth of a fountaine,
Named Iacobs well: and Christ said; If she the perfitte
Gift of God did know, and him that did so demaund it,
She would haue asked Christ Iesus freely the water
Of life eternall: who could that water aford her.
Deigne then an eare to my Muse, thou Queene, whom mighty Iehoua
Whose very magnificence to the type of glory doth ascend:
Which to the world al abroad, thy regall vertue doth extend.
As Phœbe with radiant bright beames, this world doth ilustrate:
So to thy Realme (O Prince) thou dost thy mercy promulgate
All pretious Diamondes, and pearles do not equaly glister:
Some starres more glitering: one Prince surmounteth another:
So my benigne Soueraigne, thou Queene (our gratious Empresse)
Art as a trew period, of trew perfection endlesse:
Like to the starres in sky, to the sand inbountabel, in sea:
So be the Lords benefits to thy selfe, O Queene, to thy Country.
For why? The Lord God of Hostes preserues thy prosperus estate,
Gainst forraine enemies: whose drifts he decrees to be frustrate.
Ruleth on earth as a God. Iust God disposeth of all men.
Gods prouidence hiden is. What man can possibly foreshew,
What future age wil afourd? God alone mans destiny doth know.
That God aboue, god alone, preserue thy Grace as a Patterne
Long to be Septriferent, this stout Realme wisely to gouerne.
And for al his benefits, let vs all to the Lord God of Hosts graunt
Perpetuall praises: who to thee still stands as a Gardaunt:
Rightfuly crowned a Queene, as a rightfull Queene, as a right heire
Vnto the regal Crowne, and lawfuly knowne to be daughter,
Of King Henry that eight, late King: wo rul'd as a puisant
Conquerer of kingdomes, with fame and glory triumphant.
His father Henry the seau'nth, thy wise stout grandfather, obtain'd
Th' imperiall diademe: who vice and tyrany disdain'd;
Elizabeth maried, promised by former agreement:
Which was a Plantagenet, first and eld'st daughter of Edward,
Namely the fourth: who slew at Bosworth field bludy Richard,
That tyranus cruel hogge, most worthily plagu'd for ofences.
He, by the said mariage, did vnite those notabel houses,
Yorke and Lancaster: whose long contentius enuy
Caus'd ciuil intestine warfare. This conquerus Henry,
Venturus and valiant, was asygn'd by the Lord to be ruler.
Euery King hath a time. Thus this worlds glory doth alter.
I he that once could not, nor meant, in heroical english
Rythmecal Hexameters, any book so timely to publish:
Yet when I knew that I could compose new rythmery verses,
Lately become metricall, which are right verses of Antike;
Worthy so great a Regent; thy deserued glory to blazon:
Which fro the East, to the West, doth spread. Whose fame to decypher,
More praise demeriteth than I can now possibil vtter.
Like as a Crystall spring transparent vnto the bottome,
Flowes with a siluer streames: So (puisant Prince) to thy kingdome,
And to thy Common weale, thou shew'st thy selfe as a Princesse
Mercifull, and liberall: thy good life vertue doth expresse.
God to thee gaue many gifts, more then my minde can imagine:
Which do atract to thy selfe most hearts with a force Adamantine.
I he the same man afore, as a man scarce knowne to the Muses,
Boldly presume to present foote-scanning rythmery verses
Vnto thee, worlds Soueraigne: vouchsafe, O Queene, to peruse them:
Stand as a Princely Patrone, nor (ofensiue) iustly me condemne.
Euery man that of ends, with lightning flame of a thunder,
Should not he then be bereft or despoild quite of his armor?
So if I haue many faults, yet good Queene stand my protector.
And I with all reuerence, do beseech your gratious Highnes,
Though many things ar amisse, yet pardon graunt to my rudenesse.
Though that I, Mæonides (who writeth of Hector, Achilles,
Of Troilus, Diomede, of craft-contriuer Vlisses)
Nor Maro Laureat am (who the laurel crowne to the Romans
Wanne, as a Princely Poet: who recorded fame to the Troians)
Yet, for a zeale that I haue, these primer fruites of a Subiect
(Lately beseem'd a Poet) with a regall friendlines accept:
For why? My pipe is of Ote, not Apollos, skilfuly compact:
Nor Ciceroes eloquence I retaine; for a worke that is exact.
Shall my minde animate, to record some greater atemptinge.
For my delight (O Queene) my drift and only my purpose,
Is to record Chronicles; metricall verse fitly to compose,
And to refyne our speach, to procure our natural english,
Far to be more elegant; that verse may skilfuly florish.
Which when it is redifi'd, eloquent, and knowne to be perfit;
Vnto thee, and to thy Realme (O puisant Prince) what a credit?
Hexameters will amend our speach (thou sacred Eliza)
Publish an Orthography, and teach vs a trew Idioma.
Stories are requisite to be read of States that are highest,
As Kings imperial, thron'd in regalitie chiefest.
If so be that Chronicles had not bin skilfuly written;
Kinges valiant exployts, lordes fame, and knightes valor had bin
Leaues fame vnmemoriz'd; as a tree consum'd with a canker.
Historicall Chronicles well penn'd by the learn'd (as aforesaid.)
Doth manifest represent (as a Comedy shewes, on a stage plaid)
Mens vice, and vertues: as a trew glasse visibly doth shew
Mensface, and fauor; their faults in visnomy to viewe.
For by the great diligence of men, mans memorie (chiefest
Treasurer of knowledge; with learning skilfuly furnisht)
Enroules in Chronicles the renowned deeds of heroick
And valiant Worthies, their fame and victorie warlike.
For Chronicles do recite faults, and falles, of many Princes,
Horribly that tyraniz'd, sore plagu'd for their sory vices,
Was not lofty Babel, first built by proude sory Nimrod?
Whose arogance had a fall: and was not merciles Herod
And Nero that tyrrant, the detested monster of all men,
Stab'd himselfe with a knife. That wicked King Ieroboam
Plagu'd by the Lord, that he di'd. And lewd vngodly Iehoram
Was by godly Iehu, through shoulders shot with an arrow,
Which through pearced his heart, that he languisht for very sorrow.
When that a Prince hath a will, whose will doth stand for a reason,
Lulled in errors lappe; that will infectes, as a poyson
Both to the King, and Realme. For wherein proud sory Princes
Fondly delyre, pitiles Subiects ar plagu'd with a witnesse.
Thankes be to God, our Queene doth rule with singuler aduice:
And with mercy benigne, as a Prince dotb quallifie iustice.
Our Soueraigne doth apeare, as goulden Cynthia shining
Glides by the firme Element, her bright beames cheerefuly shewing
Shines to the common wealth, with loue, and mercy regardant:
Whose speciall rare gifts, and vertues daintily lusture,
Like Orient Diamonds, or splendent pearles on a vesture.
All you princely Regents, you Kings (well knowne to be Rulers)
Learne to refraine from sinne. Our Lord God terribly sinners
Impenitent doth plague: not a King, nor an Emperor he spares:
All estates are alike. Who with gods dignitie compares?
Cast downe your Diadems, your Crownes and dignity despise:
Meere vanities count them, but seeke to do good, to do iustice.
Yeald reuerence to the Lord, to the Lord your duty to performe,
You are Christes Subiects, your Subiects peaceably gouerne.
Your pre'minence but a charge, your life but a blob, but a blossom.
When death strikes with a dart, what auaileth a King or a Kingdom?
Was but a graue to the soule; which to felicitie lasting,
Should by deserts demigrade: most diuine speach of an heathen.
For by the faith in Christ, we come to the kingdome of heauen.
As radiant rud-y Phœbe exhales his vapory moysture
Vnto the firme Element, with his ardent hote sun-y lusture:
So the God omnipotent, our soules with sinnes heuie loden,
Freely by mercy benigne, extolles to the kingdom of heauen.
Death bringes euery thing to decay. For like as a fresh flower
Springs for a time redolent; but can not possibil endure:
So doth a king for a while reigne with great dignitie present;
Whose great glorie decaies, whose prowde pompe dures but a moment,
Like as a man doth in yeares wax ould, so should he be wiser:
And as he groweth in age, so should his life be the beter.
And to the King of Kings, let vs yeald out selues to be loyal.
Who to redeeme our soules, ordained his only begotten,
Only beloued sonne, to be sent downe freely from heauen,
And to be here crucifi'd (as a sinlesse man for a sinner)
To mitigate Gods wrath, t'appease his infinit anger.
Who by the death that he di'd, hath cleans'd vs freely from euill:
For that he conquered hath sinne, death, and also the Diuel.
Whiles we do liue, let vs al liue wel. Time stailes away leapes,
Like as a cloud vanisheth. For as euery steppe that a mans steppes,
Is but a steppe to the graue: so plodding age, pedetentim
Stouping, creepes on a pase. Age is to death as a pilgrim,
Which for a time doth abroad wander; but in end he returnes home:
So for a time we do liue, but in end death will be the bridegroome.
Flyeth away on apase, as a bird that flyes from a mans sight.
Therefore Princely Regents both vice and tyrranny forgoe.
For what auaileth a King, what auaileth an Emperor also,
If that he lose his soule, to liue here fortunat alway?
As patient Iob said, each mortall King to thy selfe say;
Naked I came to the world, fro the world hence naked I shall go:
Formed of earth was I first, to the earth yet againe shall I turne to.
That sapient Salomon naught here, but vanitie, could finde,
With many fould miseries, with great vexation of minde.
What man aliue can afourd (as gods word plainly doth expresse)
One cubit vnto his height, by carking cares that ar endlesse?
Let not a man be to bolde, though God be mercifull, and staies.
For when he strikes, his stroke is a stroke importabil alwaies:
Rightfuly plagues for ofense, what auaileth a mans cataplasma?
For with a slouthfull pase gods anger goes to reuengement:
But when he comes, he rewards eternall paines for a torment.
Here I wil end, O Queen. O Lord our only creator,
(Our Lord Emmanuel, our Christ and sole mediator)
Adde to thy life many yeares, as he did to the King Ezechias:
Safely defend thee from harme, as he safely preserued Elias:
And that he graunt to thy Grace, after this life (as a chosen
Vessel of his, purify'd) ioyes in Celestiall heauen;
Ioyfuly there to remaine with Iesus Christ the Redeemer,
Imparadiz'd as a Saint, with Saints in glory for euer.
As two Greeke letters in Grecian Alphabet, Alpha,
So wil I continuall, first and last, praise thee for euer;
If that I could Poetize, as I would; thy glory to further.
Your Graces Subiect, in faith, loue, duty to commaund:
| The Preservation of Henry VII | |