University of Virginia Library

The Trumpet of Fame,

or Sir Fraunces Drakes and Sir Iohn Hawkins Farewell, with an encouragement to all Sailers and Souldiers, that are minded to go in this worthie enterprise: with the names of many famous ships.

You Gallants bold, of Albions fertile soyle,
For Countries fame, on land and seas that toyle,
Searching with paine, the Confines of the earth,
Whose painfull toyle, all Nations admireth:
By whom enriched is your Countries store,
And some made rich, which earst was held but poore:
To yon braue minds, whose thoughts doth reach the skie,
And scorne at home, like sluggards for to lie:
To you that fetch more woorth, then Iasons fleece,
To you I do my rusticke Pen addresse,
For Countries honor, that spareth not your blood,
But ventures all, for Commons publike good:
You that for wealth doth cut the Ocean,
Honor to haue, and riches store to gaine,
You that in this attempt, like men doth showe,
Your care to Country, and loue to Prince you owe:
You men of woorth, that ventures voluntary,
And thereby showes what mindes all ought to carry,
Addresse your selues, to follow those braue Knights,
Whom God hath blest, in many hardie fights.
Whose fortunes great and loue vnto their men,
I cannot rightly paint, with my rude Pen:
They are the men were neuer foyled yet,
They are the men that honor still doth get:
Whose peerlesse fame, all Europe can declare,
America and Asia, whose actions rare
They still applaud, and wonder at their deeds,
Blessing the land, from whence such good men proceeds.
Drake, conquering Drake, whose fortunes are not such,
Whose valure more, and kindnesse thrise so much,
A friend to friends, a scourge vnto the foe,
A plague for those that wish sweete Englands woe.
What Pylot may compare with him for skill,
What man more foreward, his enemies blood to spill?
What Captaine hath deserued more then he?
What eyes hath seene more happier man to be?
Taught by our God that Israels people led,
To lands vnknowne, which he for them puruayd:
Our father's Moses well we may him call,
That leads you forth, this Noble Generall,
In strength of men, he putteth not his trust,
But to his God, and cause which still is iust.
He learned hath, that God is our Chieftaine,
Who brings him forth and safely back againe.
Go then with him, and loue him as you ought,
Let not your minds to mutinie be wrought,
Least Iustice sword do cut off vitall dayes,
whose power is such, for to command at Seas.
Be free from follies, and serue your God aright,
And honor truly this renowmed Knight.
Learne by his worth, in actions he hath past,
Tis sweet to such, that honors high will taste.
The worlds whole circuit in his trauell great,
He viewed throughout, and many Princes seat.
what honor there he gaind, I do referre,
To stories large, where registred they are:
Then follow him, that cries, come fellowes all,
For he begins, and last retreat doth call.
Be forward then, and ioy in this braue Knight,
That neuer yet receiued foyle in fight.
But still returnd with fame and wealth away,
In spight of those that would the same gainsay.
And Hawkins in this action his compere,
Full well is knowne a famous Cauilere.
whose valure showne, and seruice often done,
with good successe, immortall fame hath wonne.
In India land, he Englands cullours spread,
where Spanish Powers he brauely vanquished.
The French and other Nations far and neare,
Hath felt the force of this stout Cauilere.
To English Queene an officer long beene,
which place of trust, he did full well beseeme.
For which his seruice, as due deserts and right,
he honored is, with title of a Knight,
The best of worth, which charge hath in this fleete,
I would recount, to do them honor meet:
But for I cannot name them as I would,
Whereby their vertues rare should be extold,
The greater part of force I must omit,
Till their returne, their honor gaind to writ:
But Crosse, of Captaines not the least, nor last,
For seruice done, may not be ouerpast,
A Crosse, that euer crossed hath our foes,
He crost them still, with shot and cruell blowes:
Such Crosses Lord, do little England send,
From raging foes, our Country to defend.
Next him in place, let Thomas Dracke be seene,
That for his fortunes, a happie man hath bene:
Whose trauailes and his good successe was tride,
In many dangers which he did abide.
And valiant Crafton claimes his place as due,
Which often did the Spaniard proud pursue:
The riches great which home he often brought,
Doth well declare that honor he hath sought.
For Merick speake, not meanest of all the rest,
Who venture will, as forward as the best:
By the Carackt late was taken, his valure did appeare,
To be as resolute, as most men that were there.
To Harper now, I change my roming quill,
A man of woorth, and worthie for his skill,
To be aduanst in place of good regard,
Whose seruice hath gainst foes so well deseru'd.
And Fish, borne faithfull to thy vowed friend,
For resolution, I cannot halfe commend.
But this I say, and many more with me,
The proudest foes did neuer cause thee flee.
And Parker, let me tell thy worthinesse,
which neuer quailst, for any great distresse.
But like a man of courage stout and bold,
Hast foyld thy foes, and brought away their gold.
And Henry Austen, to many knowne well,
Thy braue attempts, in fights both sharpe and fell,
Hath oft bene seene, where like a man of worth
Thou gainedst wealth, and foe-men forced forth.
And Morish, though thou be not great in name,
Yet hath thy deeds deserued worthie fame:
The Frenchmens Leagers, so of thee doth say,
whom thou hast met full boldly on the sea.
O famous men of Plymouths happie Towne,
Yours is the gaine of honor and renowne:
From you these men of worth most part did spring,
whose fames throughout the world doth daily ring.
Good fortune euer wayt vpon them all,
And graunt your foes may neuer see you fall:
But as to fore God did you still defend,
Such honor now, our hopes is, he will send.
Take courage then, let honor be your aime,
And drag not back, you that will honor gaine.
At your returne, then shall you honor haue,
As your deserts by venturing farre shall craue.
Then feare no cullours, set the chance on Christ,
He is your Load-starre, God of power highest.
Your store of victualls euer he will blesse,
And as it spends, he will the same encrease.
A goodlier Fleete this many a day,
There hath not bene prepared to the sea,
From London shall you haue these ships of fame,
The braue Defiance, glorious in her name:
Admirall of this gallant company,
Whose force ere this, the Spaniards proud did trie.
Where in the seas she drenched hath their bones,
For whom their friends makes many greeuous grones.
The glorious Garland, well deserueth praise,
Of her exployts, the foe-men can report,
Whom in her fight she plagued in such sort.
The Bonauenture, they cannot forget,
Which to their paine with them hath often met.
Thirteene Gallies she fought with that one time,
That made them wish they all had farther bene.
And many bickerings more with them she had,
But of their gaines small boast by them is made.
That famous ship which called is the Hope,
Hath often gald those Champions of the Pope:
Where euer she encountered any one,
She gaue them pasports, which did make them grone.
The Foresight, which hath neuer soyle receiued,
Hath plaid her part, and foes haue often greeued.
From many a broyle with conquest in the fight,
She hath returnd, and put them all to flight.
And she that neuer yet her force hath showed,
The braue Aduenture, forward doth proceed,
To make her triall in this action,
A statelier ship from hence hath sildome gone:
God be her guide, and all the rest of them,
And send them safely to returne againe.
The Concord and the Amitie, two ships of worth,
Whose good successe all London knoweth:
In merchant trade where they did vse to goe,
Their friends they pleasd, and did torment their foe:
What Prizes by the Amitie was brought,
With Spaniards proud, which their confusion sought.
To all their goods the owners can declare,
But too the last, were Spanish men of warre.
The Susan Parnell, not least of all this rout,
She shewed her selfe a tall ship and a stout:
Her fortunes great, I cannot halfe declare,
Trading in peace, or furnished for the warre.
The Saccare beares her name full well I wot,
Who makes no spare of pouder nor of shot:
with raging peales of thundering ordinance,
In thickest of foes, saint George she doth aduance.
And Salomon, not last of all the rest,
To foes haue prou'd a forward saucie guest:
In their despight taking what they possest,
And beat them sore, that did her force resist.
The louely Elizabeth and Constance cald,
with glittering blades her foes to leeward hald:
And in despight, for honor of that name,
To Countries good, returneth home with fame:
May all that euer fight for Elizabeth,
Proue alwaies happie, when they attempt to fight.
The (Helpe) not helpe of many doth she craue,
when vnder saile her daring foes she braue:
Hale home her sheates, and foe-men do your worst,
who so is last, she will be with the first.
The little Phænix, now for her I speake,
That neuer fear'd her force would proue too weake:
She for her burthen, euer did her part,
Still gaining wealth, and wrought her enemies smart.
Besides these past, whose names I haue set downe,
Be not omit, our Merchant of renowne:
For Londons honor, where he of worship is,
An Alderman of credit great I wis,
Famous Wats, whose forward readinesse,
In all attempts was neuer knowne to misse:
Who in this Feete to quaile the enemies pride,
Foure gallant ships for warre he doth prouide:
The Pexases, who swift as bird doth flie,
Cutting the waues, and foe-mans force to trie:
What wealth and happie fortune she hath gainde,
And how in fight, her enemies she painde,
Were needlesse here at large for to set downe,
Let it suffice, she euer gaind renowne.
The Iewell, gallant in her sea attire,
Hath dard her foes, with pouder, shot, and fire:
And home hath brought, their pearle and eke their gold,
Of such great worth, as is not to be told.
The Elizabeth next, one of this gallant fleete,
For honor gaind, I may not here omit:
When foes did rage, and swore to worke her ill,
She scapt their force, and wrought on them her will.
The little Iohn, though last I call to minde,
For good successe, hath not bene much behinde:
Her panche well fild with Spanish Ryalls of Plate,
And spices store for comfort of mans hart:
She often brought vnto her Owners good,
And brauely in the face of foes hath stood.
Thus valiant hearts which now to seas are bound
To cheare you on, that earst hath bene renownd.
I haue explainde the names of your braue fleete,
That careth not with what foes they shall meete.
What other ships of forraine soyle there go,
I do omit, because I do not know.
Nor what they be, you need not much to care,
God and your Generalls, doth for you prepare.
Then frolicke hearts, and to your healths one Ca{n,}
Let loue vnited, be firme with euery man.
And loue and dutie in each one so abound,
That faithfull subiects you may still be found.
Tis Englands honor that you haue in hand,
Then thinke thereof, if you do loue our land.
The gaine is yours, if millions home you bring,
Then courage take, to gaine so sweete a thing.
The time calls on, which causeth me to end,
Wherefore to God, I do you all commend,
For whom all subiects that do loue our Queene,
Shall truly pray, to send you safe againe.
And for my part, I wish you alwaies health,
with quick returne, and so much store of wealth
That Phillips Regions may not be more stord,
with Pearle, Iewels, and the purest gold.