University of Virginia Library

I. VOL. I.

Sir John Hareyington of Bathe, in the County of Somerset, sent to his Majestie a New Yeeres Guift at Christmass 1602, by Captaine William Hunter.

VERSES OF THE LANTERNE.

When that wise counterfyt to Phœbus went,
And would a guift of price to him present;
Hyding a jewel ritch in hollow cane,
No guift was seene, a great guift yet was tane:
And thus, dyvinely taught, he gat his wishes,
Giving to mother earth well hastned kisses.
Excellent prince! and our Apollo rising,
Accept a present sent in like disguising:
And though it com in fayned name unknowne,
Yet love unfayned may therein be showne.
Silver is closed in steele, in darkness light,
Only the crowne apparent stands in sight.
In argent sheild are sacred storyes showne,
Storyes to your great ancestor well knowne,
Who shut in Notingham and kept apart,
Grav'd there this godly monument of art.
This storie at his fingers ends he knew,
For with his fingers ends the same he drew.
Eke other fancies lurk in this our present,
The use and sence whereof is not unpleasant.
Four mettalls ages four resemble doe,
Of which the golden age God send to you!
Of steele, I wish small use and little lasting,
Of brass, gold, silver, plenty never wasting.
The sunn, moone, starrs, and those celestial fiers
Foretell the heavens shall prosper your desiers:
And as the snuffers quench the light and snuff,
Soe may you quench those take your acts in snuff.
The candel, the emblem of a virtuous king,
Doth wast his life to others light to bring.
To your fair queen, and sweet babes I presume
To liken the sweet savor and perfume.
She, send sweet breathed love into your brest,
She, blest with fruitful issue, make you blest.
Lastly, lett heavnly crownes theis crownes succeede,
Sent sure to both, to neither sent with speed.

OF THE PICTURE.

The blessed virgins picture first hath place,
To whome thus Gabriel sayth, haile full of grace!
Next, she her cosen visits, at whose voice
The babe unborn did sensibly rejoice.
Thirdly, is Christe born of a maide unstayned,
And mother true a virgin true remayned.
Fowrthly, hees circumcisde by laws decree,
Those laws that no man ere fullfild but hee.
Moses, Elias, met him, after that
Which sight made Peeter speake he knewe not what.
Then followth th'agony and bloudy sweat,
Feeling the burden of our sins so great.
Seavnthly, for spite of clothes he was bestripped,
And, loving us, for us he then was whipped.
Then put they on his head a crown of thornes,
Themselves much fitter subjects for such scornes.
They forced him, in sight of lewde beeholders,
To carry his own cross on his own showlders:
They hangd him on each side a malefactor,
But he to th'one did prove a benefactor.
At three daies end he broute to full subjection
Both hell and death, and taught us resurrection.
Then playne in sight he did to heaven ascend,
And will return a judg this age to end.
Then was the comforter to com discerned,
And men spake with the tongues they never lerned.
And after all theise things, it is presumed
The blessed virgin was to heaven assumed.
God graunt me, when my life hath run the race,
To say to her, with saints,—Haile full of grace!

THE FAREWEL TO HIS MUSE.

Sweet wanton Muse, that, in my greatest griefe,
Wast wont to bring me solace and reliefe.
Wonted by sea and land to make me sporte,
Whether to camp or court I did resorte:
That at the plow hast been my wellcom guest,
Yea to my wedlock bed hast boldly prest;
At Eton now (where first we met) I leave thee,
Heere shall my sonn and heire of me receave thee.
Now to more serious thoughts my soule aspyers,
This age, this minde, a Muse awsteare requiers.
Now for those fayned joyes true joyes do spring,
When I salute my sovraigne lord and king.
Now we may tell playn truth to all that ask,
Our love may walke bare-faste without a mask.
My future age to realme and king I vow,
I may no time for wanton toyes alow.
Ever I wish, and only, him to serve,
Only his love ever I would deserve.
If he be pleasd war to proclayme with Spaine,
With such a prince I'le follow wars agayne.
If his great wisdome th'auncient peace renews,
How fayn of peace would I reporte the news.
List he give lawes to th'Irish, now well tamed,
I could give sound advises, and unblamed.
To build some statelie house is his intention,
Ah, in this kinde I had too much invention!
Will he suppress those that the land oppress,
A foe to them, myselfe I still profess.
Liste he to write or study sacred writte;
To heere, reade, learn, my breeding made me fitt.
What he commaunds, I'le act without excuse,
That's full resolvd: farewell, sweet wanton Muse!

THE WELCOME TO THE KING.

Come tryumph, enter church, court, citty, towne,
Heere James the sixt, now James the first, proclaymed,
See how all harts ar heald, that erst wer maymed,
The peere is pleasd, the knight, the clarck, the clowne.
The mark at which the malecontent had aymed,
Is mist succession stablisht in the crowne,
Joy protestant, papist be now reclaymed.
Leave, puritan, your supercillious frowne,
Joyn voice, hart, hand, all discord be disclaymed.
Be all one flock, by one great sheppard guided:
No forren wolf can force a fould so fenced,
God for his house a Steward hath provided
Right to dispose what erst was wrong dispenced,
But with a loyall love and long præpenced,
With all, yet more then all, rejoyce do I,
To conster I am—es primus et non vi.