 | The Works of Michael Drayton |  |
500
Incipit Michael Drayton.
A brief Prologue to the verses following.
Deare Tom, thy Booke was like to come to light,
Ere I could gaine but one halfe howre to write;
They go before whose wits are at their noones,
And I come after bringing Salt and Spoones.
Ere I could gaine but one halfe howre to write;
They go before whose wits are at their noones,
And I come after bringing Salt and Spoones.
Many there be that write before thy Booke,
For whom (except here) who would ever looke?
Thrice happy are all wee that had the Grace
To have our names set in this living place.
Most worthy man, with thee it is even thus,
As men take Dottrels, so hast thou ta'n us.
Which as a man his arme or leg doth set,
So this fond Bird will likewise counterfeit:
Thou art the Fowler, and doest shew us shapes
And we are all thy Zanies, thy true Apes.
I saw this age (from what it was at first)
Swolne, and so bigge, that it was like to burst,
Growne so prodigious, so quite out of fashion,
That who will thrive, must hazard his damnation:
Sweating in panges, sent such a horrid mist,
As to dim heaven: I looked for Antichrist
Or some new set of Divels to sway hell,
Worser then those, that in the Chaos fell:
Wondring what fruit it to the world would bring,
At length it brought forth this: ô most strange thing;
And with sore throwes, for that the greatest head
Ever is hard'st to be delivered.
By thee wise Coryate we are taught to know,
Great, with great men which is the way to grow.
For in a new straine thou com'st finely in,
Making thy selfe like those thou meant'st to winne:
Greatnesse to me seem'd ever full of feare,
Which thou found'st false at thy arriving there,
Of the Bermudos, the example such,
Where not a ship untill this time durst touch;
Kep't as suppos'd by hels infernall dogs,
Our Fleet found their most honest courteous hogs.
Live vertuous Coryate, and for ever be
Lik'd of such wise men, as are most like thee.
For whom (except here) who would ever looke?
Thrice happy are all wee that had the Grace
To have our names set in this living place.
Most worthy man, with thee it is even thus,
As men take Dottrels, so hast thou ta'n us.
Which as a man his arme or leg doth set,
So this fond Bird will likewise counterfeit:
Thou art the Fowler, and doest shew us shapes
And we are all thy Zanies, thy true Apes.
I saw this age (from what it was at first)
Swolne, and so bigge, that it was like to burst,
Growne so prodigious, so quite out of fashion,
That who will thrive, must hazard his damnation:
Sweating in panges, sent such a horrid mist,
As to dim heaven: I looked for Antichrist
Or some new set of Divels to sway hell,
Worser then those, that in the Chaos fell:
Wondring what fruit it to the world would bring,
At length it brought forth this: ô most strange thing;
And with sore throwes, for that the greatest head
Ever is hard'st to be delivered.
By thee wise Coryate we are taught to know,
Great, with great men which is the way to grow.
For in a new straine thou com'st finely in,
Making thy selfe like those thou meant'st to winne:
501
Which thou found'st false at thy arriving there,
Of the Bermudos, the example such,
Where not a ship untill this time durst touch;
Kep't as suppos'd by hels infernall dogs,
Our Fleet found their most honest courteous hogs.
Live vertuous Coryate, and for ever be
Lik'd of such wise men, as are most like thee.
Explicit Michael Drayton.
| The Works of Michael Drayton | |