Albions England A Continued Historie of the same Kingdome, from the Originals of the first Inhabitants thereof: With most the chiefe Alterations and Accidents theare hapning, vnto, and in the happie Raigne of our now most gracious Soueraigne, Queene Elizabeth: Not barren in varietie of inuentiue and historicall Intermixtures: First penned and published by William Warner: and now reuised, and newly inlarged by the same Author: Whereunto is also newly added an Epitome of the whole Historie of England |
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CHAP. I.
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CHAP. I.
Albions England |  |
CHAP. I.
I tell of things done long agoe, of many things in few:
And chiefly of this Clime of ours, the Accidents pursue.
Thou high Director of the same, assist mine artlesse pen,
To write the gests of Brutons stout, and actes of English men.
And chiefly of this Clime of ours, the Accidents pursue.
Thou high Director of the same, assist mine artlesse pen,
To write the gests of Brutons stout, and actes of English men.
When arked Noah, & seuen with him, the emptyd worlds Remaine,
Had left the instrumentall meane, of landing them againe:
And that both man and beast, and all, did multiplie with store,
To Asia Sem, to Affrick Cham, to Europe Iapheth bore
Their families. Thus triple wise the world deuided was:
One language common vnto all: vntill it came to passe,
That Nembroth sonne to Chus, the sonne of Cham, old Noah his sonne,
Had in Chaldea (neuer seene before) a Throne begonne.
As he and his audacious crew, the Tower of Babell reare,
Pretending it should check the cloudes, so to auoyd the feare
Of following flouddes, the Creator of Creatures beheld
The climing toppes of cloud-high Towers and more to be fulfild.
To cut off which ambitious plot, and quash their proud intent
Amongst a world of people there he sundry speeches sent,
So that, vnable to conferre about the worke they went,
The Tower was left vnfinished: and euery man withdrew
Himselfe apart, to ioyne with those whose language best he knew:
And thus confused tongues at first, to euery Nation grew.
Had left the instrumentall meane, of landing them againe:
And that both man and beast, and all, did multiplie with store,
To Asia Sem, to Affrick Cham, to Europe Iapheth bore
Their families. Thus triple wise the world deuided was:
One language common vnto all: vntill it came to passe,
That Nembroth sonne to Chus, the sonne of Cham, old Noah his sonne,
Had in Chaldea (neuer seene before) a Throne begonne.
2
Pretending it should check the cloudes, so to auoyd the feare
Of following flouddes, the Creator of Creatures beheld
The climing toppes of cloud-high Towers and more to be fulfild.
To cut off which ambitious plot, and quash their proud intent
Amongst a world of people there he sundry speeches sent,
So that, vnable to conferre about the worke they went,
The Tower was left vnfinished: and euery man withdrew
Himselfe apart, to ioyne with those whose language best he knew:
And thus confused tongues at first, to euery Nation grew.
The Babylonian Saturne though his buildings speede was bad,
Yet found the meanes that vnder him he many Nations had.
He was the first that rulde as King, or forraine lands subdude,
Or went about into the right of others to intrude:
Ere this aspiring mindes did sleepe, and wealth was not pursude.
His sonne Ioue Belus after him, succeeded and puruaide
For dreadfull warres, but awlesse death his dreadfull purpose staide,
Yet found the meanes that vnder him he many Nations had.
He was the first that rulde as King, or forraine lands subdude,
Or went about into the right of others to intrude:
Ere this aspiring mindes did sleepe, and wealth was not pursude.
His sonne Ioue Belus after him, succeeded and puruaide
For dreadfull warres, but awlesse death his dreadfull purpose staide,
Then Ninus prosecutes the warres, preuented Belus sought,
And fild the wronged worlde with armes, and to subiection brought
Much people, yet not capable of such his nouile fight.
From Assur to Caldea he translates the Empire quite:
And caused fire on horses backs, before him euer borne,
To be adored for a God. Thus out of vse was worne
In Assur and Caldea too the honour rightly due
To high Iehoua, God indeede. Idolatrie thus grew
From Ninus first: he first of all a Monarchie did frame,
And bewtified Niniuie, that bore the Builders name.
And fild the wronged worlde with armes, and to subiection brought
Much people, yet not capable of such his nouile fight.
From Assur to Caldea he translates the Empire quite:
And caused fire on horses backs, before him euer borne,
To be adored for a God. Thus out of vse was worne
In Assur and Caldea too the honour rightly due
To high Iehoua, God indeede. Idolatrie thus grew
From Ninus first: he first of all a Monarchie did frame,
And bewtified Niniuie, that bore the Builders name.
His warlike wife Semiramis, her husband being dead,
And sonne in nonage, failing him long ruled in his stead:
Delating in a males attyre, the Empire new begonne:
The which, his yeares admitting it, she yeelded to her sonne.
Thus Cham his brood did borgeon first, and held the world in awe:
But Iaphets Line to Iauans land from Assur doth vs drawe.
And sonne in nonage, failing him long ruled in his stead:
Delating in a males attyre, the Empire new begonne:
The which, his yeares admitting it, she yeelded to her sonne.
3
But Iaphets Line to Iauans land from Assur doth vs drawe.
Mvch praise is spoke of Thessalie, and Pegasus his Springs,
And how the Nimphes of Meonie, in Tempe did great things,
And how that Cecrops and his seed did honour Athens so,
As that from thence are said the Springs of Sciences to flow.
Not onely Artes but Cheualry, from Greece deriue we may:
Whereof (omitting many things) my Muse, alonely say
How Saturne, Ioue, and Hercules, did fill the world with fame
Of iustice, prowesse, and how they both men and Monsters tame:
And so from these deriue the meane how Brute to Albion came.
And how the Nimphes of Meonie, in Tempe did great things,
And how that Cecrops and his seed did honour Athens so,
As that from thence are said the Springs of Sciences to flow.
Not onely Artes but Cheualry, from Greece deriue we may:
Whereof (omitting many things) my Muse, alonely say
How Saturne, Ioue, and Hercules, did fill the world with fame
Of iustice, prowesse, and how they both men and Monsters tame:
And so from these deriue the meane how Brute to Albion came.
In Crete did florish in those daies (first there that florisht so)
Vranos: he in wealth and wit all others did out-goe.
This tooke to wife (not then forbod) his Sister Vesta fayre,
That crooked Titan did to him and comely Saturne baer.
The elder for deformities, in making and of minde,
With parents and the people too did lesser liking finde:
The younger by the contraries, gaue hansell in his prime
Of many vertues, honouring their Owners elder time.
Away slips age: death spareth none: Vranos leaues the stage,
His body (now depriu'd of pomp) interrd, the wormes doe gage.
Well may a rich mans Hearse want teares, but heirs he shall not mis,
To whom, that he is dead at lenght no little ioye it is.
Howbeit, at the least for forme, Vranos Sonnes lament:
But scarce their parted fathers Ghost to heauen or hell was sent,
When that his heires did fall at oddes about the vacant Raigne:
And Titan chafes, disabled then the Scepter to sustaine.
Each eye did follow Saturnes forme, each heart applaudes his fame,
And to couclude, with whole consent, he winnes away the game.
Yet, for because the Birth-right should inure to Titan still,
In Mars his Church did Saturne vow his Issues males to kill.
Not meanely glad was Saturne then his head possest a Crowne,
When, of his building, he was Lord of many a peopled Towne.
He giueth lawes, his lawes are kept, he bids, and all obay,
And equally belou'd and feard he wealds a kingly sway.
He teacheth men (vntaught before) to eare the lusty land:
And how to pearse the pathlesse ayre, with shaft from Bow-mans hand.
God Dis did quaile to see his golde so fast conuayd from hell,
And fishes quakte, when men in ships amidst their flouds did dwell:
Who loues not him? Wherein did not the King of Crete excell.
Vranos: he in wealth and wit all others did out-goe.
This tooke to wife (not then forbod) his Sister Vesta fayre,
That crooked Titan did to him and comely Saturne baer.
The elder for deformities, in making and of minde,
With parents and the people too did lesser liking finde:
The younger by the contraries, gaue hansell in his prime
Of many vertues, honouring their Owners elder time.
Away slips age: death spareth none: Vranos leaues the stage,
His body (now depriu'd of pomp) interrd, the wormes doe gage.
Well may a rich mans Hearse want teares, but heirs he shall not mis,
To whom, that he is dead at lenght no little ioye it is.
Howbeit, at the least for forme, Vranos Sonnes lament:
But scarce their parted fathers Ghost to heauen or hell was sent,
When that his heires did fall at oddes about the vacant Raigne:
And Titan chafes, disabled then the Scepter to sustaine.
Each eye did follow Saturnes forme, each heart applaudes his fame,
And to couclude, with whole consent, he winnes away the game.
Yet, for because the Birth-right should inure to Titan still,
In Mars his Church did Saturne vow his Issues males to kill.
4
When, of his building, he was Lord of many a peopled Towne.
He giueth lawes, his lawes are kept, he bids, and all obay,
And equally belou'd and feard he wealds a kingly sway.
He teacheth men (vntaught before) to eare the lusty land:
And how to pearse the pathlesse ayre, with shaft from Bow-mans hand.
God Dis did quaile to see his golde so fast conuayd from hell,
And fishes quakte, when men in ships amidst their flouds did dwell:
Who loues not him? Wherein did not the King of Crete excell.
But what auaile or Townes, or Lawes, or what doe subiects moue?
Sheaues, Shafts, or Ships, or Gold, or all? king Saturne is in loue.
He loues, and is beloude againe: yet so might not suffice,
In former vow to Titan made his paine of pleasure lies:
But no man from the Monarche Loue by wealth or weapon flies.
Cybella, faire Cybella is espoused to her brother:
And as doe Venus billing Birds so loue they one another.
In Coiture she doth conceiue: one sonne is borne, and slayne:
And Saturne of the hansell hard, doth male-content remayne.
Sheaues, Shafts, or Ships, or Gold, or all? king Saturne is in loue.
He loues, and is beloude againe: yet so might not suffice,
In former vow to Titan made his paine of pleasure lies:
But no man from the Monarche Loue by wealth or weapon flies.
Cybella, faire Cybella is espoused to her brother:
And as doe Venus billing Birds so loue they one another.
In Coiture she doth conceiue: one sonne is borne, and slayne:
And Saturne of the hansell hard, doth male-content remayne.
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CHAP. I.
Albions England | |