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Great Brittaines Generall Ioyes

Londons Glorious Triumphes. Dedicated to the Immortall memorie of the ioyfull Mariage of the two famous and illustrious Princes, Fredericke and Elizabeth. Celebrated the 14. of Februarie, being S. Valentines day. With the Instalment of the sayd potent Prince Fredericke at Windsore, the 7. of Februarie aforesaid [by Anthony Nixon]

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Prince Frederick created Knight of the Gater, and instald at Windsor the 7 day of February 1612.



Prince Frederick created Knight of the Gater, and instald at Windsor the 7 day of February 1612.

About the time when vesper, in the west,
Gan set the euening watch, and silent night
Sent sleepe and slumber to possesse the world,
Vnder the starry Canapy of Heauen,
I laid me downe, laden with many cares,
Fast by the streame where Tame and Isis meet,
Euen at that time, all in a fragrant Meade:
In sight of that faire Castle that or'elookes
The forrest one way, and the fertill val,
Watred with that renowned Riuer Thames
Olde Windsor Castle did I take my rest,
When Cynthia, companion of the night,
Piercing mine eie-lids, as I lay along,
Awakt me through: Therewith me thought I saw,
A royall glimmering light, streaming aloft,
A Titan mounted on the Lions backe,
Had cloath'd himselfe in fiery pointed beames
To chase the night and entertaine the Moone,
Yet scarce had Phæbe gon hir iourney through,
Sleeping, or waking, as alone I lay,
Mine eies, and eares, and sences all were seru'd,
With euery obiect perfect in his kinde,
And lo, (a wonder to my sences all)
I might discerne a troope of Horsemen ride,
Arm'd Cape de Pe, with shield & shiuering launce,


As in a plash, or calme transparent brooke,
Wee see the glistering fishes skowre along,
A number numberles, appointed well
For tournament, as if the God of warre
Had held a iusts in honor of his loue.
Therewith I heard the clarions & the shalmes,
The Shakbuts, and a number instruments
Of seuerall kindes: but lowdest of them all,
A Trumpe more shrill, then Tritons is at sea,
The same renowne, precurser of the traine,
Did sound (for who ringes lowder thē renowne)
He mounted was vppon a flying horse,
And cloath'd in Phawcons feathers to the groūd
By his Escutchion you might easly gesse,
He was the Hearhauld of eternity.
I lookt to see an end of that I saw,
And still me thought the trayne did multiply,
And yeilding cloudes gaue way & men at armes
Succeede as fast at one anothers heeles,
As in the Vast Mediterranean sea,
The rowling waues doe one beget another,
Weary of looking vp, I laid me downe
Willing to rest, as sleepy soules are wont,
When of a sodaine such a noyse I heard
Of shot of Ord'nance pealing in mine eares,
As twenty thousand Tyre had plaid at sea:
Or Aetna split, had belcht hir bowels forth,
Or heauen & earth thundering in armes amaine,
Had bent their great Artillery for warre.
And weary Atlas had let fall his loade,
Enough to wake Endimion from his traunce.


Yet was the Welkin cleare, nor smoake, nor dust
Annoyde mine eies, I gaz'd and as I lookt,
Me thought this host of Aery armed men
Girt Windsor Castle round: anon I saw
Vnder a Canapy of Crimson bisse,
Spangled with gold, and set with siluer bells,
That sweetly chym'd and lul'd me halfe a sleepe,
A goodly King in robes most richly dight,
The vpper like a Romaine Palliament,
In deede a Chapperon, for such it was:
And looking neerer, loe, vppon his legge
An auncient badge of honor I espide,
A Garter brightly glistering in mine eie,
A worthy ornament. Then I cal'd to minde
What Princely Edward of that name the third,
King Edward for his great atchiuement fam'd
What he began: The order of Saint George,
That at this day is honoured through the world
The order of the Garter now t'is cal'd:
Famous through all the world for honour and antiquity
Grac'd by a King, and fauoured of his peeres,
Fam'd by his followers worthy kings & queenes
That to his day are soueraignes of the same.
Some say the manner how this grew at first,
Was thus. The King disposed on a time
To reuell after hee had shaken Fraunce,
And deckt his Lyons with their flower de-luce,
Dispos'd to reuell: some say otherwise
Found on the ground by fortune as he went,
A ladyes Garter: and the Queene I trow,
Lost in a daunce and tooke it vp himselfe.


Which was, a silken ribban weau'd of blewe,
His Lords and standers by, seeing the King
Stoope for this Garter, smil'd: as who would say,
Our office that had beene, or somewhat else.
King Edward wistly looking on them all,
With princely hands, hauing that Garter rais'd,
From harmles heart where honour was engrau'd
Bespake in Frence (he could the language well)
Honi soit quimal Y pense) quoth hee)
Wherewith vppon aduisement, though the cause
Were small, his pleasure and his purpose was,
T'aduance that Garter, and to institute
A noble order sacred to Saint George,
And Knights to make them, whō he would haue tearm'd,
Knights of the Garter: this beginning had
This honorable order of our time,
But truer farre that from the holy land,
This holy order cāe, whēas a garter high aduan'st
& seru'd for an ensign, & was crown'd with victory
Hereon I thought when I beheld the King,
I was instructed in the circumstance,
And found it was King Edward that did march
In robes, like those he ware when with his Lords
He held Saint Georges royall feast on earth,
His eldest sonne surnamed the blacke Prince,
Though blacke of hue, ye surname yet in Fraunce
He wan: for terrour to the Frenchmens hearts,
His countenaunce was, his sword an iron scourge,
Hee on a cole-blacke Corser mounted was,
And in his hand a battle-axe he held,
His Beuer vp, his corslet was of steele,
Varnisht as blacke as iet: his bases blacke,


And blacke frō head to foote, yea horse & hoofe
As blacke as night: but in a twincke me thought
He chang'd at once his habit and his steede,
And had a Garter as his father had,
But rich and costly, with imbrodery
Of Pearle, and Gould I could on it discerne.
The Poesy whereof I spake of yore,
And well I wot since this King Edward daies,
Our Kinges & Queenes about their roiall armes,
Haue in a garter borne this Poesy,
Still as I lay, I gaz'd, and gest at once,
What was this traine, and whether it did bend.
At last I found King Edward was the man,
Accompanide with Kings & Conquerours:
That from the spatious Aery house of fame
Set forward royall to sollemnize
Th'installement of some new created Knights,
For loe, I sawe in rich accuttrements,
Like to King Edwards, and the prince of Wales,
Full foure and twenty Knights, nor more nor les
In roabes with pretiōus colours of S. George,
And they had Garters all, buckled with gould.
Me thought this semblance could not but import
They Should be noble men of golden mindes,
And great account, fauour'd of Prince and Peeres
Whose names should in that register be writ,
Consecrate to Saint Georges chosen Knights.
Herewith the golden booke gan open faire,
And eas'ly I might read their names that next
Went to the King, of whome & of whose worths


Needs not to make particular relation.
This booke cōtaines their names & seuerall coates,
And keepes them written in his golden leaues,
As they haue had installement and creation
By gratious fauour, in each Kings succession,
Within the Carracters of this same booke
I saw a name reioyced me to see,
Henry late prince of Wales, I read it plaine
And glad I was that in that Register
That name I found: for now (me thought) I said
Heere vertue doth out liue th'arrest of death.
For dead is Henry, vertuous and Renown'd
For honor, courage and viuacity,
And yet his names aliue in fame's recordes,
That held this Garter deere, and ware it well.
The traine of all thiefe hardy Knights enstal'd
Cast in a ring about olde Windsor Castle,
Vnder the glorious spreading winges of fame,
I saw Great Brittaines King, richly attyrde,
Leading with him a sort of goodly Knights,
With Garters and with collours of Saint George
Iacobus Rex on a compartiment
Of Golde, in Bisse was writ and hung a skue
Vppon his head, vnder an imperiall crowne:
Hee was the Soueraigne of the Knights he led,
His face me thought I knew: as if the same,
The same great King, that wee doe here enioy,
Had climb'd the clowdes, & been in person there
To whom the earth, the Sea, and Elements
Auspicious are. A many that I knew,
Knighted in my remembrance I beheld,


And all their names were in that booke inrol'd,
And yet I might perceaue some so set downe
That (howsoeuer it hapt I cannot tell)
The carle obliuion, stolne from Læthes lake
Or enuie stept from out the deepe Auerne;
Had rac'd, or blemisht, or obscur'd at least:
Yet all the Kings since that King Edwards daies,
Were with their Knights & cōpanies in ye traine.
At last me thought, King Edward thus bespake,
Hayle vvindsor, vvhere I somtime tooke delight,
To havvke & hunt, & backe the provvdest horse
And vvhere in Princely pleasure I repos'd,
(After my vvarres) in my returne from Fraunce
Yea tvventy times haile Windsor (q. the King)
Where I haue stal'd so many hardy Knights,
And Turnaments and royall Iusts perform'd,
Behould in honor of mine auncient throne
In honor of great Brittaine, and Saint George,
To vvhom this order of the Garter first
I sacred held: in honor of my Knights
Before this day created, and instal'd,
But specially in honor of this Knight,
That at this day this honor hath receau'd
Vnder King Iames, great Brittaines Soueraigne
With princely traines, I from the house of fame
Doe resalute thee heere, and gratulate
To this nevv Knight, created by a King,
Peereles for vvisdome and for maiestty,
The honor of the Garter: long may hee
Weare it as note of true Nobillity,
And vertues ornament, Young Frederick


Thou high & mightie Prince, & Prime Elector,
Mounted on fortunes wheele by vertues ayme,
Become thy badge as it becometh thee,
That Europ's eies thy worthynes may see,
And what this day pure honor hath put on
So full of princely hope, in honor weare,
Answeare the worthiest of thine Auncestry,
In deedes (to fame and vertue consecrate)
Brought vp in liberall sciences and armes,
Patron of Chiualry and of the Muses,
Brandish thy sword in right, and spend thy daies
In common wealth affaires, it shall become
Thy forwardnes to follow vertues cause,
And great designes of Princely consequence,
Prince Palatine, Shape thou thy noble course,
As vertue (loadstarre of renowne) directs,
That as thy royall Auncestors haue donne,
Thine earthly race in honor thou maist ronne,
And as in leaues and characters of gould,
Thy Princely name is writ in this Record,
So liue (as with a many moe) thou maiest
Suruiue and triumph in eternitie,
Out of obliuious reach, or Enuies shot,
And that thy name immortally may shine,
In thiese Records, not earthly but Deuine.
Then the shrill Trumpet of renowne did sound,
And by and by the traine retir'd (as swift,
As Starres doe vse to shoote) from whence they came
The gawdy Morne awakt, and euery thing
Arose from rest, & little birdes gan sing,
Wherewith I rowz'd and haue set downe my dreame
The matter (for the time) being a fit theame.