All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet Being Sixty and three in Number. Collected into one Volume by the Author [i.e. John Taylor]: With sundry new Additions, corrected, reuised, and newly Imprinted |
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 | All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet |  |
107
AN ENGLISHMANS LOVE TO Bohemia.
With a friendly Farewell to all the noble Souldiers that goe from great Britaine to that honourable Expedition.
The most part of the Kings, Princes, Dukes, Marquisses, Earles, Bishops, and other friendly Confederates, that are combined with the Bohemian part.
Warres, noble warres, and manly braue designes.
Where glorious valour in bright Armour shines:
Where God with guards of Angels doth defend,
And best of Christian Princes doe befriend,
Where mighty Kings in glittering burnisht armes
Lead bloudy brusing battels, and alarmes,
Where honour, truth, loue royall reputation,
Make Realmes and Nations ioyne in combination,
Bohemia, Denmarke and Hungaria,
The vpper and the lower Bauaria.
The two great Countries of the Pallatine.
The King of Sweden friendly doth combine,
The Marquesse and Elector Brandenburge:
The Dukes of Brunswicke and of Lunenburge.
Of Holstein, Deuxpont, and of Wittemberge,
Of the Low-Saxons, & of Mackelberge,
Braue Hessens Lansgraue Anholts worthy Prince.
The inhance Townes whom force cannot conuince:
Prince Mæurice, and the States of Netherlands,
And th'ancient Knights of th'Empire lend their hands
These and a number more then I haue nam'd,
Whose worths and valours through the world are fam'd,
With many a Marquesse, Byshop, Lord and Knight,
T'oppose foule wrong, and to defend faire right:
Whose warlike troopes assembled brauely are,
To ayde a gracious Prince in a iust warre.
Where glorious valour in bright Armour shines:
Where God with guards of Angels doth defend,
And best of Christian Princes doe befriend,
Where mighty Kings in glittering burnisht armes
Lead bloudy brusing battels, and alarmes,
Where honour, truth, loue royall reputation,
Make Realmes and Nations ioyne in combination,
Bohemia, Denmarke and Hungaria,
The vpper and the lower Bauaria.
The two great Countries of the Pallatine.
The King of Sweden friendly doth combine,
The Marquesse and Elector Brandenburge:
The Dukes of Brunswicke and of Lunenburge.
Of Holstein, Deuxpont, and of Wittemberge,
Of the Low-Saxons, & of Mackelberge,
Braue Hessens Lansgraue Anholts worthy Prince.
The inhance Townes whom force cannot conuince:
Prince Mæurice, and the States of Netherlands,
And th'ancient Knights of th'Empire lend their hands
These and a number more then I haue nam'd,
Whose worths and valours through the world are fam'd,
With many a Marquesse, Byshop, Lord and Knight,
T'oppose foule wrong, and to defend faire right:
Whose warlike troopes assembled brauely are,
To ayde a gracious Prince in a iust warre.
For God, for Natures, and for Nations Lawes,
This martiall Army, vndertakes this cause;
And true borne Britaines, worthy Countrymen,
Resume your ancient honors once agen.
I know your valiant minds are sharpe and keene
To serue your Soueraignes daughter Bohems Queen.
I know you need no spur to set you on,
But you thinke dayes are yeares till you are gone,
And being gone, you'l wealth and honour win,
Whilst ryot here at home addes sin to sin,
You (God assisting) may doe mighty things,
Make Kings of Captiues, and of Captiues Kings,
Riches and loue those that suruiue shall gaine,
And Fame, and Heauen the portion of the slaine.
The wounds and scars more beautifull will make
Those that doe weare them for true honours sake.
Since God then in his loue did preordaine
That you should be his Champions, to maintaine
His quarrell and his cause; a fig for foes,
God being with you, how can man oppose?
Some may obiect, Your enemies are store,
If so, your fame and victori'es the more;
Men doe win honour when they cope with men,
The Eagle will not tryumph o're a Wren,
The Lyon with the Mouse will not contend,
Nor men 'gainst boyes and women wars will bend,
But clouds of dust and smoake, and bloud and sweat,
Are the maine meanes that will true honour get.
Thus to Fames altitude must men aspire
By noble actions won through sword and fire,
By trumpets Clangor, drums, guns, flute or fife:
For as there is an end to euery life,
And man well knowes, that one day he must end it,
Let him keep't well, defend, and brauely spend it.
O griefe to see how many stout men lye
Halfe rotten in their beds before they dye;
Some by soule surfets, some by odious whoring.
In misery lye stinking and deploring,
And e're a lingring death their sad life ends,
They are most tedious loathsome to their friends;
Wasting in Physicke which addes woe to griefe
That which should yeeld their families reliefe:
At last when wished death their cares doe cure,
Their names like to their bodies lye obscure.
Whereas the Souldier with a Christian brest,
Wars for his Soueraignes peace, and Countries rest:
He to his Makers will, his will inclines,
And ne're gainst Heauen impatiently repines,
He to his Sauiour sayes that thou art mine,
And being thou redeem'st me, I am thine,
That if I liue or dye, or dye or liue,
Blest be thy name whether thou take or giue,
This resolution pierces heauens high roofe,
And armes a Souldier more then Cannon proofe.
Suppose his life ends by some noble wounds.
His Soule to Heauen, from whence it came rebounds:
Suppose blowne vp with powder vp he flyes,
Fire his impurity repurifies,
Suppose a shot pierce through his breast or head,
He nobly liu'd, and nobly he is dead,
He lyes not bedred stinking, nor doth raue
Blaspheming against him that should him saue,
Nor he in Physicke doth consume and spend
That which himselfe and others should defend,
He doth not languish drawing, loathsome breath,
But dyes before his friends doe wish his death,
And though his earthly part to earth doth passe,
His fame outweares a Monument of brasse.
Most worthy Country-men couragious hearts,
Now is the time now act braue manly parts,
Remember you are Sonnes vnto such Sires,
Whose sacred memories the world admires,
Make your names fearefull to your foes againe,
Like Talbot to the French, or Drake to Spaine:
Thinke on braue valiant Essex and Mountioy,
And Sidney, that did Englands foes destroy,
With noble Norris, Williams, and the Veeres,
The Grayes, the Willouglebies, all peerelesse Peeres,
And when you thinke what glory they haue won.
Some worthy actions by you will be done,
This martiall Army, vndertakes this cause;
And true borne Britaines, worthy Countrymen,
Resume your ancient honors once agen.
I know your valiant minds are sharpe and keene
To serue your Soueraignes daughter Bohems Queen.
I know you need no spur to set you on,
But you thinke dayes are yeares till you are gone,
And being gone, you'l wealth and honour win,
Whilst ryot here at home addes sin to sin,
You (God assisting) may doe mighty things,
Make Kings of Captiues, and of Captiues Kings,
Riches and loue those that suruiue shall gaine,
And Fame, and Heauen the portion of the slaine.
The wounds and scars more beautifull will make
Those that doe weare them for true honours sake.
Since God then in his loue did preordaine
That you should be his Champions, to maintaine
His quarrell and his cause; a fig for foes,
God being with you, how can man oppose?
Some may obiect, Your enemies are store,
If so, your fame and victori'es the more;
Men doe win honour when they cope with men,
The Eagle will not tryumph o're a Wren,
The Lyon with the Mouse will not contend,
Nor men 'gainst boyes and women wars will bend,
But clouds of dust and smoake, and bloud and sweat,
Are the maine meanes that will true honour get.
Thus to Fames altitude must men aspire
By noble actions won through sword and fire,
By trumpets Clangor, drums, guns, flute or fife:
For as there is an end to euery life,
108
Let him keep't well, defend, and brauely spend it.
O griefe to see how many stout men lye
Halfe rotten in their beds before they dye;
Some by soule surfets, some by odious whoring.
In misery lye stinking and deploring,
And e're a lingring death their sad life ends,
They are most tedious loathsome to their friends;
Wasting in Physicke which addes woe to griefe
That which should yeeld their families reliefe:
At last when wished death their cares doe cure,
Their names like to their bodies lye obscure.
Whereas the Souldier with a Christian brest,
Wars for his Soueraignes peace, and Countries rest:
He to his Makers will, his will inclines,
And ne're gainst Heauen impatiently repines,
He to his Sauiour sayes that thou art mine,
And being thou redeem'st me, I am thine,
That if I liue or dye, or dye or liue,
Blest be thy name whether thou take or giue,
This resolution pierces heauens high roofe,
And armes a Souldier more then Cannon proofe.
Suppose his life ends by some noble wounds.
His Soule to Heauen, from whence it came rebounds:
Suppose blowne vp with powder vp he flyes,
Fire his impurity repurifies,
Suppose a shot pierce through his breast or head,
He nobly liu'd, and nobly he is dead,
He lyes not bedred stinking, nor doth raue
Blaspheming against him that should him saue,
Nor he in Physicke doth consume and spend
That which himselfe and others should defend,
He doth not languish drawing, loathsome breath,
But dyes before his friends doe wish his death,
And though his earthly part to earth doth passe,
His fame outweares a Monument of brasse.
Most worthy Country-men couragious hearts,
Now is the time now act braue manly parts,
Remember you are Sonnes vnto such Sires,
Whose sacred memories the world admires,
Make your names fearefull to your foes againe,
Like Talbot to the French, or Drake to Spaine:
Thinke on braue valiant Essex and Mountioy,
And Sidney, that did Englands foes destroy,
With noble Norris, Williams, and the Veeres,
The Grayes, the Willouglebies, all peerelesse Peeres,
And when you thinke what glory they haue won.
Some worthy actions by you will be done,
Remember Poictiers, Cressy, Agincourt,
With Bullein, Turwin, Turnyes warlike sport,
And more (our honours higher to aduance)
Our King of England was crown'd King of France.
In Paris thus all France we did prouoake
T'obey and serue vnder the English yoake.
In Ireland 18. bloudy fields we fought,
And that fierce Nation to subiection brought,
Besides Tyrones rebellion which foule strife
Cost England many a pound, lost many a life,
And before we were Scotlands, or it ours.
How often haue we with opposed powers
In most vnneighbourly, vnfriendly manners,
With hostile armes, displaying bloudy banners:
With various victories on eyther side,
Now vp, now downe, our fortunes haue beene tride.
What one fight wins, the other loosing yeelds,
In more then sixescore bloudie foughten fields.
But since that we and they, and they and we
More neere then brethren, now conioyned be,
Those scattering powers we each gainst other lead,
Being one knit body, to one royall head.
Then let this Iland, East, West, South and North
Ioyntly in these braue warres emblaze our worth
And as there was a strife that once befell
Twixt men of Iuda and of Jsrael:
Contending which should loue King Dauid best.
And who in him had greatest interest.
Long may contention onely then be thus
Twixt vsand Scotland, and twixt them and vs:
Stil friendly striuing which of vs can be
Most true and loyall to his Maiesty.
This is a strife will please the God of peace,
And this contending will our loues encrease.
You hardy Scots remember royall Bruce,
And what stout Wallace valour did produce:
The glorious name of Stewards, Hamiltons,
The Ereskins, Morayes, nd the Leuingstons,
The noble Ramseyes, and th'illustrious Hayes,
The valiant Dowglasses, the Grimes and Grayes,
Great Sir James Dowglas, a most valiant Knight.
Lead seauenty battels with victorious fight.
Not by Lieutenants, or by deputation.
But he in person wan his reputation.
The Turkes and Sarazens he ouercame,
Where ending life he purchast endlesse fame,
And his true noble worth is well deriu'd,
To worthies of that name that since suruiu'd,
With Bullein, Turwin, Turnyes warlike sport,
And more (our honours higher to aduance)
Our King of England was crown'd King of France.
In Paris thus all France we did prouoake
T'obey and serue vnder the English yoake.
In Ireland 18. bloudy fields we fought,
And that fierce Nation to subiection brought,
Besides Tyrones rebellion which foule strife
Cost England many a pound, lost many a life,
And before we were Scotlands, or it ours.
How often haue we with opposed powers
In most vnneighbourly, vnfriendly manners,
With hostile armes, displaying bloudy banners:
With various victories on eyther side,
Now vp, now downe, our fortunes haue beene tride.
What one fight wins, the other loosing yeelds,
In more then sixescore bloudie foughten fields.
But since that we and they, and they and we
More neere then brethren, now conioyned be,
Those scattering powers we each gainst other lead,
Being one knit body, to one royall head.
Then let this Iland, East, West, South and North
Ioyntly in these braue warres emblaze our worth
And as there was a strife that once befell
Twixt men of Iuda and of Jsrael:
Contending which should loue King Dauid best.
And who in him had greatest interest.
Long may contention onely then be thus
Twixt vsand Scotland, and twixt them and vs:
Stil friendly striuing which of vs can be
Most true and loyall to his Maiesty.
This is a strife will please the God of peace,
And this contending will our loues encrease.
You hardy Scots remember royall Bruce,
And what stout Wallace valour did produce:
The glorious name of Stewards, Hamiltons,
The Ereskins, Morayes, nd the Leuingstons,
The noble Ramseyes, and th'illustrious Hayes,
The valiant Dowglasses, the Grimes and Grayes,
Great Sir James Dowglas, a most valiant Knight.
Lead seauenty battels with victorious fight.
Not by Lieutenants, or by deputation.
But he in person wan his reputation.
The Turkes and Sarazens he ouercame,
Where ending life he purchast endlesse fame,
And his true noble worth is well deriu'd,
To worthies of that name that since suruiu'd,
Then since both Nations did and doe abound
With men approu'd and through all lands renown'd,
Through Europe and through Asia, further farte,
Then is our blest Redeemers Sepulchre.
Through all the Coasts of tawny Affrica,
And through the bounds of rich America,
And as the world our worths acknowledge must,
Let not our valour sleeping lye and rust;
But to immortalize our Britaines name,
Let it from imbers burst into a flame.
We haue that Land and shape our Elders had,
Their courages were good, can ours be bad?
Their deeds did manifest their worthy mindes,
Then how can we degenerate from kindes?
In former times we were so giuen to warre,
Witnesse the broyles ('twixt Yorke and Lancaster)
Hauing no place to forreigne Foes to goe,
Amongst our selues, we made our selues a Foe
Full threescore yeares with fierce vnkind alarmes,
Were practis'd fierce vnciuill ciuill armes,
Whilst fourescore Peeres of the bloud royall dyde,
With hundred thousands Commoners beside.
Thus Englishmen to wars did beare good will,
They would be doing, although doing ill.
And Scotlands Hystorie auoucheth cleare,
Of many ciuill warres and turmoyles there,
Rebellion, discord, rapine and foule spoyle,
Hath pierc'd the bowels of their Natiue soyle,
Themselues against themselues, Peeres against Peeres,
And kin with kin together by the eares,
The friend gainst friend, each other hath withstood,
Vnfriendly friends weltering in their bloud,
Thus we with them, and they with vs contending,
And we our selues, and they themselues thus rending,
Doth shew that all of vs hath euer bin
Addicted vnto martiall discipline:
Spaine can report, and Portingale can tell,
Denmarke and Norway, both can witnesse well,
Sweden and Poland, truely can declare
Our Seruice there, and almost euery where.
And Belgia but for the English and the Scots,
Perpetuall slauery had beene their lots
Vnder the great commanding power of Spaine,
By th'Prince of Parma's and the Archdukes traine.
With men approu'd and through all lands renown'd,
Through Europe and through Asia, further farte,
Then is our blest Redeemers Sepulchre.
Through all the Coasts of tawny Affrica,
And through the bounds of rich America,
And as the world our worths acknowledge must,
Let not our valour sleeping lye and rust;
109
Let it from imbers burst into a flame.
We haue that Land and shape our Elders had,
Their courages were good, can ours be bad?
Their deeds did manifest their worthy mindes,
Then how can we degenerate from kindes?
In former times we were so giuen to warre,
Witnesse the broyles ('twixt Yorke and Lancaster)
Hauing no place to forreigne Foes to goe,
Amongst our selues, we made our selues a Foe
Full threescore yeares with fierce vnkind alarmes,
Were practis'd fierce vnciuill ciuill armes,
Whilst fourescore Peeres of the bloud royall dyde,
With hundred thousands Commoners beside.
Thus Englishmen to wars did beare good will,
They would be doing, although doing ill.
And Scotlands Hystorie auoucheth cleare,
Of many ciuill warres and turmoyles there,
Rebellion, discord, rapine and foule spoyle,
Hath pierc'd the bowels of their Natiue soyle,
Themselues against themselues, Peeres against Peeres,
And kin with kin together by the eares,
The friend gainst friend, each other hath withstood,
Vnfriendly friends weltering in their bloud,
Thus we with them, and they with vs contending,
And we our selues, and they themselues thus rending,
Doth shew that all of vs hath euer bin
Addicted vnto martiall discipline:
Spaine can report, and Portingale can tell,
Denmarke and Norway, both can witnesse well,
Sweden and Poland, truely can declare
Our Seruice there, and almost euery where.
And Belgia but for the English and the Scots,
Perpetuall slauery had beene their lots
Vnder the great commanding power of Spaine,
By th'Prince of Parma's and the Archdukes traine.
Farre for my witnesses I need looke,
'Tis writ in many a hundred liuing booke.
And Newports famous battell brauely tels,
The English and the Scots in fight excels:
Yea all, or most Townes in those seuenteene Lands
Haue felt the force, or friendship of their hands.
Ostend whose siege all other did surpasse
That will be, is, or I thinke euer was,
In three yeares three moneths, Scots & Englishmen
Did more then Troy accomplished in ten.
Ostend endur'd (which ne're will be forgot)
Aboue seuen hundred thousand Canon shot:
And, as if Hell against it did conspire,
They did abide death, dearth, and sword and fire,
There danger was with resolution mixt,
And honour with true valour firmely fixt.
Were death more horrid then a Gorgons head,
In his worst shapes they met him free from dread.
There many a Britaine dy'de, and yet they liue,
In fame, which fame to vs doth courage giue.
At last, when to an end the siege was come,
The gainers of it cast their loosing summe,
And the vneuen reckoning thus did runne:
The winners had most losse, the loosers wonne:
For in this siege vpon the Archdukes side
Seauen Masters of the Campe all wounded dyde.
And fifteene Colonels in that warre deceast.
And Serieant Majors twenty nine, at least.
Captaines fiue hundred sixty fiue were slaine.
Leiutenants (whilst this Leaguer did remaine)
One thousand, and one hundred and sixteene
Dyed and are now as they had neuer beene.
Ensignes three hundred twenty two, all euen:
And nineteen hundred Serieants and eleuen.
Corp'rals and Lantzprizadoes death did mixe
In number seauenteene hundred sixty sixe.
Of Souldiers, Mariners, women, children, all,
More then seauen times ten thousand there did fall.
Thus Ostend was at deare rates wonne and lost,
Besides these liues, with many millions cost.
And when 'twas won, 'twas won but on conditions,
On honourable tearmes, and compositions:
The winners wan a ruin'd heape of stones,
A demy-Golgotha of dead mens bones.
Thus the braue Britaines that the same did leaue,
Left nothing in it worthy to receiue.
And thus from time to time, from age to age,
To these late dayes of our last Pilgrimage,
We haue beene men with martiall mindes inspir'd.
And for our meeds, belou'd, approu'd, admir'd.
Men prize not Manhood at so low a rate
To make it idle, and effeminate:
And worthy Countrymen I hope and trust
You'l doe as much as your fore-fathers durst.
A faire aduantage now is offered here
Whereby your wonted worths may well appeare,
And he that in this quarrell will not strike,
Let him expect neuer to haue the like.
He that spares both his person and his purse,
Must (if euer he vse it) vse it worse.
And you that for that purpose goe from hence
To serue that mighty Princesse, and that Prince,
Ten thousand, thousand prayers shall euery day
Implore th'Almighty to direct your way.
Goe on, goe on, braue Souldiers neuer cease
Till noble Warre, produce a noble Peace.
'Tis writ in many a hundred liuing booke.
And Newports famous battell brauely tels,
The English and the Scots in fight excels:
Yea all, or most Townes in those seuenteene Lands
Haue felt the force, or friendship of their hands.
Ostend whose siege all other did surpasse
That will be, is, or I thinke euer was,
In three yeares three moneths, Scots & Englishmen
Did more then Troy accomplished in ten.
Ostend endur'd (which ne're will be forgot)
Aboue seuen hundred thousand Canon shot:
And, as if Hell against it did conspire,
They did abide death, dearth, and sword and fire,
There danger was with resolution mixt,
And honour with true valour firmely fixt.
Were death more horrid then a Gorgons head,
In his worst shapes they met him free from dread.
There many a Britaine dy'de, and yet they liue,
In fame, which fame to vs doth courage giue.
At last, when to an end the siege was come,
The gainers of it cast their loosing summe,
And the vneuen reckoning thus did runne:
The winners had most losse, the loosers wonne:
For in this siege vpon the Archdukes side
Seauen Masters of the Campe all wounded dyde.
And fifteene Colonels in that warre deceast.
And Serieant Majors twenty nine, at least.
Captaines fiue hundred sixty fiue were slaine.
Leiutenants (whilst this Leaguer did remaine)
One thousand, and one hundred and sixteene
Dyed and are now as they had neuer beene.
Ensignes three hundred twenty two, all euen:
And nineteen hundred Serieants and eleuen.
Corp'rals and Lantzprizadoes death did mixe
In number seauenteene hundred sixty sixe.
Of Souldiers, Mariners, women, children, all,
More then seauen times ten thousand there did fall.
Thus Ostend was at deare rates wonne and lost,
Besides these liues, with many millions cost.
And when 'twas won, 'twas won but on conditions,
On honourable tearmes, and compositions:
The winners wan a ruin'd heape of stones,
A demy-Golgotha of dead mens bones.
Thus the braue Britaines that the same did leaue,
Left nothing in it worthy to receiue.
And thus from time to time, from age to age,
To these late dayes of our last Pilgrimage,
We haue beene men with martiall mindes inspir'd.
And for our meeds, belou'd, approu'd, admir'd.
Men prize not Manhood at so low a rate
To make it idle, and effeminate:
And worthy Countrymen I hope and trust
You'l doe as much as your fore-fathers durst.
A faire aduantage now is offered here
Whereby your wonted worths may well appeare,
And he that in this quarrell will not strike,
Let him expect neuer to haue the like.
He that spares both his person and his purse,
Must (if euer he vse it) vse it worse.
And you that for that purpose goe from hence
To serue that mighty Princesse, and that Prince,
Ten thousand, thousand prayers shall euery day
Implore th'Almighty to direct your way.
Goe on, goe on, braue Souldiers neuer cease
Till noble Warre, produce a noble Peace.
110
FINIS.
Byshops of Halberstadt, Magenberg, Heshein, Osenburgh. The Marquesse of Auspash, Cullinbagh, Durlagh. The Count Palatine of Lowtrecke and Luxenburgh. The States of Venice and Sauoy.
| All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet | |