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Poems Divine, and Humane

By Thomas Beedome

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Epigram 18. To the Heroicall Captaine Thomas James, of his discovery made by the Northwest passage towards the South Sea. 1631.
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Epigram 18. To the Heroicall Captaine Thomas James, of his discovery made by the Northwest passage towards the South Sea. 1631.

Heroicke soule, thy memory must live,
Beyond those stone built structures, that can give
Their earth an Ages talke; or can assure
The effigies of some mony Gull shall dure,
Till spiders eate his memory: Oh poore glory,
T'inscrible a Marble with the tedious story
Of some stout Sir, whose vertue neere was more
Than how to quarrell, for (perhaps) a whore,
But thou (great James) hast by thy Actions fram'd
A trophie, that hereafter thou being nam'd,
Men shall rise up with reverence, and keepe
Thy fame from freezing, when thy Ashes sleepe.

To the same Captaine on his Couragious, and pious behaviour in the said voyage.

Matchlesse Commander, when fierce winds did hurle
Water to aire, and made the old waves curle
To mounts of solid liquor, when strong streames
Of moving marble did assault thee James.
Did not thy conquer'd courage, like the rest
Flag, and sit heavie on thy hopelesse breast?
Didst thou not faint to heare the Thunder roare,
And furious seas rebell against the Shoare?


Didst thou not quake at this? why then I see
Thy soule (though prison'd in thy flesh) was free,
Thou werr'above a man, thy zeale like fire
Dissolv'd th' opposing Ice, and did aspire,
Through all the stormes of darke condensed ayre,
Wrapt in a sheete of storme-contemning prayer;
These were prevailing blowes, and broke more Ice
At once, then all your hands at ten-times twice.
This man'd your ship securely through the maine,
And stered you safely to your home againe.
J. B.