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Great Grandame Wales, from whom those Ancestors
Descended, from whom I, (poore I) descend,
I owe so much to my Progenitors,
And to thee, for them, that vntill mine end
Thy name, and fame, Ile honor, and defend:
Sith Ioy doth passage to thy speech deny
(For that thy Prince thine honor doth commend)
Lest that thy silence might be tane awrie,
Mine Artlesse Pen shall thy Tongues want supply.

Did Curtius more for Rome, then I for thee,
That willingly (to saue thee from annoy
Of dire dislike, for ingratuitee,
Do take vpon me to expresse thy ioy,
And so my Muse in boundlesse Seas destroie?
Yet, lo, deere Grandame, how my ne active Loue,
My little All doth (more then all) imploy
For thee, that thou by me thy Prince maist moue
To loue thee for the ioy he makes thee proue.

O then most gracious Sonne vnto that Sire,
VVhose grace doth glorifie both Sire, & Sonne;
Of thy great grace I (prostrate) thee desire
To cast thine Eye on mine intention,
Rather, then on my Muses action.
The Burden's waighty which shee vndergoes,
And shee is VVeake, and Dull in motion;
Then let thy lively Soule hir Soule inclose,
And giue hir youth and Spright, that aged groes.

As when a yongling lieth by the syde
Of some old Sire, his age doth vertue draw
From his deere youth, that makes Age longer bide:
So mine invention old, cold, rude, and raw,
(Not able to disgest ought in hir maw)
May by the quicke hereditary heate
Of thy yong Muse (that yeiest thoughts can thaw)
In VVales, my Countries name, performe this feate,
And welcome thee to thy long empty Seate.

But ô! I feele, but with the thought of thee,
My frozen thoughts to melt, as with a Sunne,
Whose comfort Brutes Remayne doth long to see:
And through my Nerues I feele the warme bloud runne
Frō hart, to braines, to heat invention.
Mount Muse vpon the winges of high desire;
Runn Numbers, now my swiftest thoughts outrūne,
That prostrate on my face (while you aspire)
I may salute thie Prince (VVales) and his Sire.

VVelcome ten-thouzand times ye sacred Paire,
Great Atlas, and Alcides of this Land,
Vpon whose shoulders (safe from all impaire)
The Commonwealth thereof doth fixed stand,
VVhich dext'rously your Vertue doth cōmand.
Deere Prince, the weale of Wales, the Brittains blisse,
By me (thine owne) VVales lets thee vnderstand,
That shee desires thy princely feete to kisse,
And praies, as for her Heau'n on Earth, for this.

Then come sweete Prince, thy Principalitie
Doth long to beare thee on her blisful Brest:
There shalt thou see the Hart of Loyalty
(Loue-sicke) for want of thee in great vnrest;
Then come (Deere sweete) and to thine owne giue rest.
For, as an hungrie Stomacke bites the more
The neerer meate is to the same addrest:
So is thy Peoples longing made more sore
To hold thee now they haue thee, then before.

There shalt thou finde Brutes venerable Stocke
To loue thee, as the Creame of their best bloud;
For, all about thee wil they thronging flocke
To tender thee their Eies, to doe thee good,
Such is the nature of their loving moode.
As when a Father, fallen in decay,
Doth see his Sonne, that giues him Cloth and foode,
Crown'd as a King, Ioy makes his hart her Pray;
So will they ioy to see their Ioy to sway.

From Owen Thewdor, who from Camber came,
(From Camber Sonne of Brute who came frō Troy)
Art thou descended; and thy Bellsires name
VVas Thewdor: let vs (Brittaines) then enioy
Our owne in thee, in thee, our onely Ioy.
VVe haue bin long afflicted, and opprest
By those that sought our whole Race to destroy;
Then sith we are in thee so highly blest,
Lett's haue our owne, thy selfe, to giue vs rest.

O come, and comfort vs, our Ioy, our Peace,
Let vs haue thee, then haue we all, in thee,
All that, that tends to Peace and ioyes increase;
And in thy presence we shall blessed be;
For thou art blest, then in thee, blest are wee;
Sith blest thou art with all that Heau'n doth cast
Vpon the Heau'n of Earthes felicitee:
Our bloud in thee craues part of it, at last,
In recompence of all our sorrowes past.

VVhat shall oppunge this, our bloud doth cōvince;
Nature hath made thee ours, and we are thine;
VVe are thy people, and thou art our Prince;
Betwixt vs Loue will haue nor Thyne, nor Myne,
But the VVord Oures she doth to vs Assigne:
Our Land, our Prince, our People, and our Lawes,
Our State, our Common-weale, our Hand, Seale, Signe,
All ours, & nought but ours, (deere Prince) because
Both Prince and People clos'd are in this clause.

Then come All ours, blesse all ours with our Eies
Plac'd in the Head, begotten by our Head;
VVhich was begotten by our bloud likewise:
Come, rule thou vs in that Heads place, & steede,
Till thou that Head, in his place, shalt succeede.
Here shalt thou see, cas'd in poore Coætes of freeze,
Rich Spirits of Troians, which on glory feede,
VVho, for they are, and rightly came of these,
Each with the nature of the Stocke agrees.

Our greatest braverie lies all within
(Where greatest Harts do loue the same to haue)
VVe say, to braue an abiect sprite, is sinne;
But, to be braue in Sp'rite is passing braue:
VVe scorne a double-gilt base-mettled Slaue,
For we are harted-vvhole, true Iovialists,
Making our glorie goe beyond our Graue,
So to dissolue Oblivions foggy mists,
And blind the Eies of squint-Ei'd Satyrists.

For, be it that we know no Complement,
Other then such as our deere Ancients knew,
That's plaine, and simple, like our harts intent;
Yet, if we pleasd, we could be fash'ond new;
Lou'd we not more our Fathers to ensue:
We want nor wit, nor sp'rit, nor wealth (perchance)
Swift-flying Fash'on swiftlie to pursue,
In guize, in gate, and courtly dalliance,
At Tilt, each way, with Loue, or Marfes lance.

VVitnesse our Owen Thewdor, who could giue
True demonstration how to court a Queene:
Who from the seede of Ioue did grace receiue
To beare him selfe in her Eie best-beseene,
And made her thoughts a demy-God him weene:
He so could draw the motion of her eie
By motions seemely, which, in him were seene,
That he alone best pleas'd her fantazie,
As beeing full of best-grac'd Maiestie.

Now, from the Court, descend we to the Campe:
And from those elder times, to these of ours:
There finde we (no lesse currant for the stampe)

Sir. Roger Williams.

Williams (worlds wonder for his natiue powers)
Out-daring Death in many sanguine showres:
The singing Bullets made his soule reioice,
As Musicke that the hearing most alures;
And, if the Canons bas'd it with their voice,
He seem'd as ravisht with an Heav'nly noise.

And when the Fo mens Muskets spight did spitt
Then would he spitt, in sport, at them the while:
The Blowes his courage gaue, were plac'd by witt,
For VVitt and Courage dwelt still in his Stile;
VVhile Cowardize, and Folly made them vile
VVhose glory lay all in their Ladies Lappe,
And when he came to Court, at them would smile
Yea, smoothlie iest at their soft silken Happe,
Yet could, like Mars, take there somtimes a Napp.

Runne over all the Stories Tymes affoord,
Or prie vpon them with the sharpest sight,
VVe shall not finde one did more with his Sword
Then this braue Brittaine, and true Troian-Knight,
VVho putt Achilles in his Tent to flight

P. Parme.

By such an over-dareing Enterprize,
As all that that heare it, not beleeue it might,
But that these Tymes haue seene it with their Eies,
And that the fame thereof to Heaven flies.

Quite through & through Deaths grizely Iawes hee ran,
And made a way through Horrors vgli'st Hell,
Yea, danted Death, more like some God, then Man,
Vntill the Prince, and Death he did compell
To flie for life, which his sword sought to quell:
O Skinck how blessed wert thou in his loue
That drue thee on, through Death to Glories well,
From whence the life of Fame doth flowing move
To all, that for her sake such Dangers prove!

Should I recount the pettie Miracles
By him performed, in his martiall course,
My words would scarse be held for Oracles:
Suffizeth me, the VVorld (that knew his force)
VVell knew his Hart was VVitt, and Ualours Source,
And they that most envie our Brittish fame
Must needs thus much of him confesse (perforce)
That whatsoever from this Brittaine came
VVas VVitt, and Spright, or savor'd of the same:

But, should I instance in particuler,
What Truth doth warrant for the Brittaines glory;
I could (perhaps) runne vp their Race, as farre
As Ioue, and finde them famoused in story:
But, for in me it may be thought vaineglorie,
Sith being one, my selfe I seeme to praise,
I will desist, although my soule be sory
I should desist from that which many waies,
Might Camber crowne with everlasting Baies.

Thē come, sweet Prince, take thou vs to thy charge,
And we, the while will take the charge of thee:
Thou shalt thine office easily discharge,
For we will more then most obedient bee,
Which, to his comfort, thy dread Sire shall see:
For, when obedience flowes from ardent loue,
It is perform'd with all alacritee;
Which thou in vs (we hope) shalt shortly proue,
For with thy becke thou shalt vs stay, or moue.

If thou wilt come to vs, thou well shalt see
Weele spare no paine, that may effect thy pleasure;
For each one will be busie, as a Bee,
To yeeld thee honied ioie, by waight and measure,
And shunne (as Hell) the cause of thy displeasure.
Weele plant our Mountaines with the rarest Trees,
That may be culled from Pomonas Treasure,
And all our hedge-roes shall be ranckt with these,
To please thine eie with what with taste agrees.

Weele root vp all our roughes, our heath's, our furs,
And, in their place, make grasse, & cowslips gro:
VVe will remoue what thy dislike incurs,
And with the Mountaines fill the Vales below,
If by Mans powre, and paine they may be so:
Nought shall offend thee, be it what it will,
(Be it but mortall) if we it may know;
For, vveele bring downe the prowdest He, or Hill,
That thou shalt doome to be scarce good, or ill.

Then liue with vs (decre Prince) and we vvill make
Our wildest Wasts Iett-coulored Garden-Plots;
So, Flora will her flowred Meades forsake,
To set flowres there, in many curious knots,
To please thee and (our other selues) the Scots:
VVeele turne our Villages to Citties faire,
And share them twixt the Scots, and vs, by lots,
VVhereto both one, and other may repaire,
To interchange Commodities, or Aire.

VVeele cleeue the Mountaines Neptune to let in,
That Ships may floate, where now our Sheepe do feede:
And, whatso-ere industrious hands may win
Shall not be lost, that may thy pleasure breede,
Or richer make our intermixed Seede:
And whereas now two Townes doe scarce appeere
Within the largest Prospect; then, with speede,
They shall be built, as if one Towne they were,
That we may be to each as neere, as deere.

Those pleasant Plots where erst the Romaines built
Faire Citties for their Legions to liue in,
VVhose gorgeous Architecture was oreguilt,
That by the civill Sword haue ruin'd bin,
(“Which Ruines are the Monuments of sinne)
These will we now repaire, faire as before,
That Scots, and Brittaines may mixt liue therein:
Caerleon, where king Arthure liu'd of yore,
Shall be rebuilt, and double gilt once more.

And all along her gaudy gallant Streetes
VVeele go in Triumph, singing once a day
God, and our Princes praises (sweete of sweetes)
Vpon our Harpes, like Angels, all the way,
For that our Prince is pleasd with vs to stay:
VVhat ist that loiall thankefull Harts can doe,
But we will doe, nay, do much more then thay?
Thus doe we Brittaines our Prince kindly woo
To rule vs, ere misrule doth vs vndoo.

If prowde we be (as Pride perhaps vvill say)
How can wee choose, now we haue such a Prince?
Yet shall we prowder be him to obey,
Then prowde of our dominion, long since,
VVhen with our Swordes we did the Land convince.
Wee were a People free, and freely fought
For glorie, freedome, and preheminence,
But now our totall glory shall be sought
In this, that we will serue thee as we ought.

Beleeue not Envy (Prince) that vs pursues
(Because shee knowes our Race is halfe divine)
That will (perhaps) say we our selues misuse,
And to contention over-much incline;
This may be put on any mortall line
By Envies malice; but thou shalt perceaue
Our vice is Wit, and Courage-masculine,
With constant kindnesse mixt; which Brute did leaue
To Camber, from whom, we did it receiue.

Nor may it be harmonious to thine Eares
To heare our stocke deprau'd by Iniurie;
For, thy deer'st bloud (as to the World appeares)
Is soild thereby with odious obloquie;
Then stop their mouthes that breath such blasphemie:
Let not our plainenesse be their common-place
To make them sport, in bitter foolery;
For we hold plainenesse to be no disgrace,
How ere, false-harted Fiends may deeme it base.

I doe confesse vvee open-harted are,
Scorning Italian-hollow-bartednesse:
Where we dislike, there shew the same we dare,
And where we loue, we loue for nothing lesse
Then that which tasts of base vnworthinesse.
Troy had no Sinon, though the Greekes had store,
Nor can her Ofspring their crosse fortunes blesse
VVith creeping to a Devill, or adore
A senslesse Blocke, though double-gilt or more.

VVe like Civilitie when it is dide,
In coulor which vvill take no hue but one,
That's Blacke, which still vvill like it selfe abide,
Aswell in raging stormes, as shining Sunne,
Till it doth change by dissolution:
VVe hate, as Hell, the fovvle bi-formed face,
Because it alters its creation,
And thinke, that glorie hath her greatest grace
In vniformitie, and keeping place.

VVe are whole-chested, and our Breastes doe hold
A single Hart, that is as good, as great;
And that doth make vs in our actions bold:
For Innocence with feare doth never sweate,
How ill so ere the World doth her intreate:
Our Kith, Kinne, and Aliance, with our friends
VVe by the measure of kinde nature meate,
If so, we needs must loue thee, for these ends,
And, for our happinesse on thee depends.

O could I tune my Tongue vnto thine Eare,
That so my Words, might musicke seeme to it,
That so thou might'st alone the Burden beare
VVhich it requires, as it is requisit!
Then, should my Note be noted to be fit:
I speake for those, whose Tongues are strange to thee,
In thine owne Tongue; if my words be vnfit,
That blame be mine; but if Wales better be
By my disgrace; I hold that grace to me.

And better shall it be if my weake lines
Shall draw thee but one furlong thetherward:
For as, when in the Morne, Sol farre-off shines;
Yet cheeres vs with approaching hetherward
(But makes vs heavie going from-vs-ward)
So Wales will much reioice, vvhen thy svveete face
Doth (though farre off) with favour her regard:
Thine only countenance shall giue her grace,
And make her deeme her selfe in blessed case;
But ten times blest if shee might thee embrace!

None otherwise then as a widow poore
Vext with oppressions, and adversity,
If some great Prince doo match with hir, therfore,
To shield hir so from woes, and iniuries,
Shee'l kisse his feete in loues humility:
So shee (that like a widow long hath liv'd
VVithout a Prince) our Principalitie,
VVill kisse thy feete, and be (halfe dead) reviv'd,
If such an honyed Husband she had wiv'd

Shee, good old Ladie, then (with youth renew'd)
VVould foote it finely in blith Roundelaies;
No Bellamoure should then be better bu'd,
For hir Harts mirth in hir face bloud would raise,
That would deserue thy Loue, thy grace, thy praise;
And, as inspired with a courtly Spright,
Vpon the soddaine, would spend, Nights, & daies,
(As Dido entertain'd the Troian Knight)
In all that should or thee, or thine delight.

Thou shalt perceave, though she be far frō Courts,
Clos'd in a Cantone of this blessed Land,
Yet shee hath in hir Trayne some of all sorts
Of either Sex; whereof some vnderstand
The Dialect of Court, and Courts command;
To whom shee giues most royall Maintenance:
For, pettie Kingdoms some Squires haue in hand,
VVho will the glory of thy Court advance,
Sith they thēselues keepe Demi-Courts perchāce.

Then come sweet Prince, Wales woeth thee by me
(By me hir sorrie Tongs-man) to be pleas'd
To liue with hir, that so, shee may by thee
Bee rul'd in loue, and ruled so, be eas'd
Of what in former times hath hir displeas'd,
The Sheepe their Owners keeping most approue;
For, he will cure them, when they are diseas'd,

Ioh. 10. 12. 18.

With Loues right hand; But Hirelings (Truth doth prove)
Doo keepe the Flocke for Lucre, more then Loue.

Wales hir most vnworthie Solicitor Iohn Davies.