Isahacs Inheritance Dew to Ovr High and Mightie Prince, Iames the Sixt of Scotland, of England, France and Ireland the First. By. E. W. [i.e. Edward Wilkinson] |
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 | Isahacs Inheritance |  |
Isahacs Inheritance.
Dew To our high and mighty Prince Iames the sixt of Scotland, of England, France and Ireland the first.
1
When first our warlick Brute, sprung from the stockeOf graue Æneas, stemme of vertues race,
Abode the stocke of Fortune like a rocke,
Which surging billowes would in vaine displace,
And in his exile did the gyues vnlocke
Of Troian bondage, freeing from disgrace
His country men, who subiugate in Greece
Were there dispoyled of their golden fleece.
2
He with this remnant, erst like wandering sheepeDisperst 'mongst wolues, whose hideous iawes did reeke
With luke warme bloud of these, which oft did sleepe
Hid in the rocke, caue, den, or riuers creeke,
As safest place, in safety them to keepe.
Poore captiues, who to each vassaile were both meeke,
Humble, and duteous, as we vsuall see
The bondman is in his captiuity.
3
With these (I say) our gran-sire tooke his course,To seeke new habitation, and aboade:
Whose ancestors ere while, without remorce
Were fired from the sight of Troian roade:
(Which to recite would craue too long discourse,)
And thus with Brute and's followers it stoode,
They were all vagrant, though the Phrygian plaine,
Did to their nation by due right pertaine.
4
After a long and tedious Pilgrimage,Straying now heere, now there, each way vncertaine,
Like to the straggling of Deucalions forrage
After the inundation: and in vaine
Spent being the flower of his youthfull age,
Hopelesse almost a countrie to regaine,
Where to implant a new the Troyans line,
Which now alacke to lowe ebbe did decline.
5
Ioyning his troopes with Corineus band,A Troian like himselfe, distrest as he,
At length arriuing on this Westerne sand,
Displaying colours, shewing victorie
Had crown'd him Monarch of olde Albions land,
Her name he chang'd to worthy Britannie:
Which Ile being Spring then to their Winter past,
Promisd a haruest too, for aye to last.
6
Now blush proud Rome at thy aspyring minde,That by thy Uirgils Pen challengd'st descent
From Troyan issue, yea from Æneas kinde,
When by thy Sybils oracles 'twas ment
Brute should inhabite Britaine, and we finde
It prooued true, to Albions great content:
Yet Maro I collaude thee, who wouldst make
Thy Cæsar his descent from Troye to take.
7
Thou aimedst faire, but Cæsar knew thou flatterd'st,Wherefore with penny-dole thou wast rewarded:
Æneas yet by loftie stile thou madest
T'arriue in Italie, and to Lauinia wedded.
The daughter of Latinus, this sure thou forgedst
With colourable gloze to haue defended
Thy wits inuention, yet Rome it selfe well knowes,
Romulus her founder was, this her name shewes.
8
And Romulus nere sprang of Troian line,Rhea a Vestall virgin was his mother,
But who his father was doubtfull hath bin,
A silly shepheard nurst him, and his brother,
When they were both reiected of their kinne
Whom they for sire tooke, knowing none other?
But grant Æneas did Lauinia wedde
King Numitor nere from his loynes descended.
9
But whether wandrest thou so farre my muse?Muse not to thinke Rome forg'd so smooth a tale,
It is no changeling it will not refuse,
To forge a greater lye, if it auaile
And serue her turne for profitable vse,
And helpe her in her errours to preuaile:
Crie, crie her mercy, it comes to her by kinde,
To forge, deceiue, and lie, as we well finde.
10
Returne I then to sing the soundest truthOf Brute our sire, Ilions new reuiuer,
Who being arriued here with Troian youth,
Few in number, and a small remainder
Of that they were, (which to rehearse breedes ruth.
And for such losse I tremble to remember)
Planted himselfe by destinies degree,
Finding this Ile his resting place to bee.
11
Here built he a new Troy, London our cittie,For a remembrance of olde Ilions wall:
Here did he establish lawes both good and witty,
Which might th' audatious to orders good recall,
Here did he gouerne long with loue and pitty,
And naught in's raigne but good did him befall
He gouern'd as sole Monarch all the Ile,
Till death the soule of body did beguile.
12
Too soone (alas) for now new Britaines boundsMust be deuided into sundry shares:
To Corincus fell the Westerne groundes,
Vtmost of all the realme, which ere since beares
The names of Cornewall, the sons of Brute here frowns,
When she a diadem amongst them weares:
Yet law of nature thus farre thought it meete,
That he which felt the sower, should tast the sweete.
13
Three sonnes he hath which must beare soueraingty,And equally amongst them part the rest:
Cæsar can hardly beare superiority,
Nor Pompey to haue an equall thinkes it best.
Now Brute diuides his signiority,
Least brother else the brother should detest.
Three stemmes sprung from one stocke disdaine to see,
Each others branches highest in degree.
14
Wherefore to end diuision which first bred,From flowing Humber to Seuerne smoothly gliding
The eldest shard, wishing his brethren dead,
So he might haue all for his owne abiding,
Yet to haue partners he must be contented,
Though to his eares it were no welcome tyding.
Camber from Seuern backe ward must beare sway
And Albanact from Humber takes his way.
15
Now enuy shaking her disheuiled haire,Knotted and snarl'd, compos'd with vipers broode,
Disperst her venimous serpents in the ayre,
To breake their amity, which as yet firme stood:
The name of brotherhood, brethrē though they were
Was soone forgot, being parted by the flood.
But this not all, not many yeares were past,
Before this middle region gan to waste.
16
The brother which was eldest stood in doubtThe yonger loued him not, but wisht his death,
And to preuent all harmes, he cast about
To saue himselfe, and stop his brothers breath:
This bad example doubtlesse causd a route
Of stag-hairde Ruffians, carelesse to vnsheath
Their slicing fauchions, gainst their brothers throate,
If by his death they might set all on floate.
17
Scarce ages two in such disorder wasted,But middle Britaine swaide by womans beck,
The fruites of her diuision too soone tasted,
When neighbouring kingdomes sought to breake her neck,
Albany, Camber, Cornewall hether hasted,
To spoile her of her plumes themselues to deck:
Soone after which themselues at variance fall,
And one being slaine, the other gouernes all.
18
Thus Britaine was reduc'd to her full force,And gouern'd by one Monarch as before,
Now florishd she, but soone hauing runne that course,
Dissention grew twixt brethren as of yore,
Alack it should be so, it breeeds remorce
To thinke that Porrex should his brother gore,
But mothers hate, much greater ruth hath bred,
Which slue the other sleeping in his bed.
19
Monster of women which could her owne bowels tare,And glut her with the bloud of her owne childe,
Whom did she thinke, by ofspring should repaire
The ancient stocke of Brute, now cleane exil'd?
Whom meant she should her Britaine walles vpreare,
When she her hands with her sonnes gore defil'd?
Whom thought she should this desolate Ile defend,
When all her hopes on Brutes stocke did depend?
20
Now laye she open to inuasions,To ciuill discord, mutinies, and iarres,
Now was she subiect to intrusions,
As well to forraine as domesticke warres,
Now neighbouring regions made incursions,
Now was she intangled dangerously in snares.
For so it falles, when kingdomes lacke a guide,
Subiect are harmes, no good can them betide.
21
Much like they are to ship, where Pilots wanting,Which tost and turmoyld is in surging waues,
Subiect to be orewhelm'd, subiect to splitting,
Against some hideous rocke, when winde quite shaues
And tares away her sailes, subiect to drowning,
Making the depth to be the Saylers graues:
Such is the state of Realmes, where heads are scant,
Britaine this was thy greefe, thy woe, thy want.
22
The giddie-headed multitude were glad,They were exempted from a Kings command,
Thus lawes dissolu'd the good scarce from the bad
Could be discern'd; broke was all friendships band
In this tempestuous, dangerous, and sad
Tumultuous time, where none could surely stand,
Nor yet his goods, or chattels safe possesse,
Nor know where for his harmes to seeke redresse.
23
Thus enemie to thy selfe thou long didst liue,In ciuill discord, shedding guiltlesse bloud:
When father enuied that the sonne should thriue,
And haire-braind youth malign'd the ageds good,
When Politicians to surmount did striue,
But hinder'd by the vulgar, who as wood,
And raging in a madnesse, would permit
No base intruder in Cæsars throne to sit.
24
Vntill Mulmutius Duke of Cornewalls sonne,Commiserating greatly thy distresse,
Brought thee from many Monarchies to one,
From all thy troubles yeelding thee release,
Peace-meale when thou wast totterd, broke, and torne,
He ioynted thee, and did thy greefes redresse:
He constituted lawes for thy tranquillitie,
Which kept thee after long in amitie.
25
Nere till his time was worne a wreath of golde,His temples were the first such mettall bore,
This he deseru'd, for courage sterne and bould
He was indued with, and what is more
Wisdome surpasde his courage twenty fould,
Which causd his fame both farre and wide to sore.
Here Britaine flourished, her stormes were calm'd,
Her wounds this king with soueraigne oyle embalm'd.
26
Now trophies were vpreard for victory,The Lawrell bowe in signe of peace she bare,
Now was she glittering in her cheefest glory,
For happinesse none with her might compare,
Her father Neptune now no more is sorrie,
But lulles her in his lappe, (a thing most rare)
Gladly begirts her, hoping she is free,
From like distresse, woe, or calamitie.
27
England, and Scotland, Cornewall, Wales and allStands ioyntly now a Britaine; And as then
A wise Mulmutius from the sunnes downe-fall,
Shone as a bright starre to our countrimen,
Deliuering them from that their present thrall,
Renuing their full libertie againe,
Swaging their outrages for gouernment,
And making lawes to serue his good intent.
28
So shone there lately (Ioue grant it long to shine)A faire transplendant commit from the North,
Which warm'd our hartes, when Sunne gan to decline
And cruell tempests like were to breake forth,
As fearefull hartes præsaging did deuine,
This bright starre is a gemme of noble worth,
Iames our dread Soueraigne, glory of our age,
Of vs poore Orphanes tooke the patronage.
29
Orphanes we were, bereft of future hopeThe fates hauing rob'd vs of Eliza's life,
And like as enemies 'mongst our selues to cope,
Had not our sacred King ended this strife,
Like had we beene in darkenesse for to grope,
Where errours and mistakings had beene rise,
Had not our faire bright shining starre King Iames,
Extended foorth vpon vs radiant beames.
30
Beames bright as Sun-shine, for from vs they banish:All foggie mists, vapoures, and dusky cloudes,
Erronious Iesuites from amongst vs vanish,
Chafing at our successe with angry moodes:
God let them passe and not our realme replenish,
With papall pardons, and their holy roodes,
They fright vs with bell, booke, and such bug-beares,
But Foxe the more he's curs'd the better fares.
31
We fare as well as Britaine hartes can wish,Whose happy wel-fare hangs on our Kings loue:
Now we all names of forraine nation banish,
Knitting all knots of friendship, and like doue,
Vnite our selues, scorning that Scot or English
Should once be nam'd our friendship to remooue
Britaines we all are lineally descended,
Britaine by Britaines then must be defended.
32
Nere let this Ile to peece-meales be disioynted,As oft in former ages it hath bene,
When in the middle part seauen were contented
To rule as Kings: for it doth breede but ruine,
And causeth all full soone to be euerted:
For enimies will soonest vndermine
Their neighboring kingdoms which haue such deuision,
When force vnite suffers no such intrusion.
33
Let Jsahac his inheritance enioySoly vnto himselfe, giue others guiftes,
And send them farther, least they him annoy:
These and such like were good olde Abrahams drifte,
None disinherite Isahac of his ioy,
Nor keepe his right to driue him to his shifts:
Let eldest issue sprung legitimate,
Enioy his right, so shun ensuing hate.
34
Tis thine owne counsell (mighty potentate)To thy deere sonne, vertuous young Henry,
Whereby we well may gesse thou didst debate
Each thing a right, past our capacity,
Willing the eldest should haue no checke mate
But right should fall to the eldest progenie.
A subiectes wish I hope will not offend
Would all thy subiects were of this thy minde.
35
Heathen recordes, this custome specifies,'Twas Romulus not Remus gaue the name
To Romes first non-age: no man this denies
The eldest alwayes spread, the greatest fame,
And soon'st his predecessours dignities,
As able best his enemies to tame:
This our domesticke anuales will declare,
Where eldest issue still the right heires are.
36
And neuer doth a kingdome better florishThen when it is vnited, and when part
Is not disseuer'd, neither doth diminish,
Any prærogatiue: well alwayes fares the hart
When ioynts are firmely knit, they it establish
Strong and couragious to indure each smart:
But where the limmes will not the hart defend,
Life from that body soone will haue an end.
37
Two Iubilees with few yeeres besides,Are hardly past, since 'mongst our selues we had
Deuisions raging billowes, surging waues
Swelling betweene the white Rose and the red,
When this our seuerd kingdome had her sides
Pierc'd by her selfe, her selfe her owne bloud shed
By more then ciuill mutinies: O griefe
Intollerable, hopelesse of all releefe.
38
Had not braue Richmond liu'd to be thy guide,Thy cunning pilot to direct thy course
To prosperous heauen, which before wert wide
From any safety, yea and which was worse,
Inuiron'd with huge rockes, ready thy side
To split, and sinke thy selfe without remorce:
But he his red Rose with the white vniting,
Mounted thy sailes aloft kept thee from sinking.
39
His issue kept vs still long time in peace,Henry his sonne his scepter long time swaide,
All happinesse in his raigne did encrase,
True subiectes willingly this Prince obeyed,
He left behinde him after his discease,
Stemmes of renowne, with vertuous robes arayed,
Who shone long time, especially the last,
Whose sempiternall fame shall neuer waste.
40
But Richmonds issue female must continueOur happinesse begunne: Margaret a gemme
Of peerelesse price, who past with her retinue
To Edenbrough, to a glorious stemme
King Iames the fourth, who royally in lieu
Of kindenesse, crown'd her with his diadem,
From whose faire Princely loynes we fetch discent
Of James our king: King be he permanent.
41
He and his Linage Cæsars throne possesse,Whilst Sunne giues light by day, or Moone by night,
Æternall Joue with happinesse them blesse,
Inable them with power to keepe their right,
Nere let their Monarchy againe be lesse
Then now it is, euen whole Britaines might,
Enlarge it rather of thy heauenly grace,
And neuer let decay the Stewards race.
42
Iames our dread King thy steward is on earth,(According to our hopes iust let him be,)
To execute his office here beneath,
That so his soule may gaine eternity:
To him (O Lord) in mercie thou bequeath
A hart repleat with heauenly pollicie,
His Princely grace with wisedome (Lord) indue,
To roote out vice, and wickednesse subdue.
43
Inable him with power to extirpateAll heresies, as he hath euer done,
T'aduance thy truth, thy foes to subiugate,
That they thy Church may neuer ouer-runne,
Infuse thy sacred spirit in his hart
That wisperers against thy truth he shunne:
Let him vnmaske such, as in vertues cloake
Wrap vp themselues, when all their deedes are smoake.
44
So shall we boast a Steward iust thou hast,And ioy (though first we greeu'd) at our late change,
The sweete milke of thy Gospell we shall taste,
As earst we ha'done, and not in errours range.
So shall we obtaine by mercie at the last
Thy heauenly Sion: hen wilt thou not estrange
Thy face from vs, but louingly embrace
Thy chosen flocke, receiuing vs to grace.
45
And for the interim we shall dayly pray,Since in this land of promise thou hast plac'd him,
He and his off-spring neuer may decay:
Since with an Isahacs dowrie thou hast grac'd him,
Let him and his still flourish like the Baye,
Wither all those that euer haue defac'd him:
And Nestor-like yeeres many let him see,
Whilst we his true and loyall subiects be.
FINIS.
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