Commendatory poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

I sing of him that is as deere to mee
As to the World; to whom both aye are bound;
Then briefe, for Bond so long, I cannot be;
Vnlesse my Loue were (like my Lines) too round.

Proportion doth so please Witte, Will, and Sense,
That where it wants, it grieues Sense, Will, and Witte:
Then by Proportion of his Excellence,
Thus must we shape our praise of Him, and It.

When as the Earth all soild in sinne did lye,
Th'almighties long-prouokt inraged-HAND
Emptied Heau'ns Bottles, it to purifie;
And made that FLVD that mud to countermand.

So, for like crimes, of late, we plagu'd haue bin
With like O'reflowings, washing all away
That lay the Earth vpon, or Earth within,
Within the limitts where this Deluge lay!

Which Inundations were for Earth vnfit:
But hee whose Hand and Head this WORKE compos'd,
Shewes how to drowne the Earth to profit it:
And beeing Ill, to make it Well-disposd.

Some with their Lands, doe oft so sinck them-selues,
That they to it, and it to them yeeld nought,
But, in the Ocean what doe yeeld the Shelues,
Which when they see, they flee, with pensiue thought.

But in His Drownings, He makes Lands arise,
In grace and goodnesse to the highest pitch;
And Meades, and Pastures price he multiples;
So, while some lies, He rise doth in the Ditch.

His royall TRENCH (that all the rest commands)
And holds the Sperme of Herbage by a Spring)
Infuseth in the wombe of sterile Lands,
The Liquid seede that makes them Plenty bring.

Here, two of the inferior Elements
(Ioyning in Coïtu) Water on the Leaze
(Like Sperme most actiue in such complements)
Begets the full-pancht Foison of Increase?

For, through Earths rifts into her hollow wombe,
(Where Nature doth her Twyning-Issue frame)
The water soakes, whereof doth kindly come
Full- Barnes, to ioy the Lords that hold the same.

For, as all Womens wombes do barren seeme,
That neuer had societie of Men;
So fertill Grounds we often barren deeme,
Whose Bowells, Water fills not now and then.

Then, Earth and Water, warmed with the Sunne,
Ingenders what doth make Man-kinde ingender:
For Venus quickly will to ruine runne,
If Ceres and her Bacchus not defend her.

Then looke how much the Race of Man is worth,
So much is worth this Arte, maintaining it;
Then ô how deere is hee that brought it forth,
With paine and cost for Man-kinds benefit!

Though present Times (that oft vngratefull prooue)
May vnder-valew both his Worke and Him;
Yet After-times will prize them Price aboue,
And hold them Durt that doe their glory dim.

For He by Wisedome, ouer-rules the Fates,
By Witt defeating passions of the Ayre;
When they against his well-fare nurse debates,
While fooles (ore-rul'd by each) die through dispaire.

In dropping Sommers, that do marre the Meads,
His Trenches draine the Raines superfluous Almes;
And when heate wounds the Earth ( to death that bleeds)
Hee cures the chaps with richest Water-balmes.

So, when Heau'n (ceaselesse) weepes to see Earths sinne
He can restraine those Teares from hurting him;
Vntill his Teares the Heau'ns to ioy do win,
While other Grounds are torne, the life from limbe.

And when the Earth growes Iron, for Hearts so growne,
Hee can dissolue it straite (as Waxe it were;)
Mantling the Meadowes in their Summer-Gowne;
So ioys in hope, while others grieue in feare.

“Thus wisemen rule the Starres, as Starres doe fooles;
“And each mans manners doe his Fortunes square;
“Arte learnes to thriue in Natures practick Schooles;
“And Fortune fauours men of actions rare.

Such one is this rare Subiect of my Rimes,
Who raignes by mirry motion, ore my Spleene;
Such is this Water-glasse, wherein these Times
Do see how to adorne their Meades in Greene.

Hee from a Mole-hill (from whose hollow wombe
Issu'd a Water-fount) a Mount did reare;
A Mount of large Reuenues thence did come;
So, a Mole-hill great with yong a Mountaine bare!

How many Riuers, Founts, and Water-prills,
(Tend'ring their seruice to their Lords for Rent)
Are nere imployde but in poore Water-mills,
While the drye Grounds vnto the Bones are brent.

To Tantalus I can resemble those
That touch the water that they n'ere doe taste;
And pine away, Fruite being at their Nose,
So, in Aboundance, they to nought do waste.

The Brookes runne murmuring by their parched Brincks
(Pure virgin Nimphes) and chide against the Stancks,
When as their sweetest profer'd seruice stinkes,
So coyly kisse the chapt-lippes of the Bankes.

And (weake as water) in their Beds do stretch
(As t'were to yeeld their Ghost for such disgrace)
Their Christall limbes vnto the vtmost Reach;
And shrinke from th'Armes that (vselesse) them imbrace.

When as the Meads, wherein their Beds do lye,
Make towards them, and fall by lumpes therein;
Who (of the yellow Iaundise like to dye)
Creepe to their Beds, their loue and health to winne.

O Landlords see, O see great Lords of Land
These sencelesse creatures mou'd to eithers aid
But for your helpe, who may their helpes command:
Then well command, you shall be well obaid.

Helpe Nature in her Workes, that workes for you;
And be not idle when you may do good:
“Paines are but Sports when earnest gaines insue:
“For, Sport, in earnest, lies in Liuelihood.

The Golden-age is now return'd againe,
Sith Gold's the God that all commands therein;
By Gold (next God) Kings conquer, rule and raign;
With Gold we may commute, or grace our sinne.

Briefly, by Him we may do what we will,
Although we would do more then well we may:
For He makes ill too good, and good too ill;
And more then God, the ill do him obay.

Then if ye would be eyther Great or Good,
Or Good and Great (all which he can you make)
Take pleasure (ô) to saue your Liuings Bloud
And streame it through their Limbes, for Profits sake.

This Esculapius of diseased Grounds,
(Casting their Water in his Vrinalls)
(His Trenches) sees what Humor ore-abounds,
Aud cures them straight by Drought or Water-falls.

This little-great-great-little Flash of Wit,
This Soule of Action, all compos'd of Flame,
(Mounting by Action to high Benefit)
Exalts his State, his Countries, and his Fame.

He well deserues to be a Lord of Land,
That ore rebellious Lands, thus Lords it well:
O that all Lords that can much Land command.
Would so command it, when it doth rebell.

But pleasure, Pompe, and inter-larded Ease
Possesse great Land-lords; who, for rebell Groundes,
Do Racke their Rents, and idely liue on these;
Or spoyle their Tenants Cropp with carelesse Houndes.

But this rare Spirit, (that hath nor Flesh, nor Bone,
But Man euen in the Abstract) hunts for Wealth
With Witt, that runnes where Profit should be sowne
By wholesome Paines; so, reaps both Wealth, & Health.

Whether the Cost, or Time, which he hath spent
Be most, it's hard to say: for, twenty yeares

His Pounds, by thousands, he his Grounds hath lent,
Which payes now vse, on vse, as it appeares.

The Place wherein is fall'n His happy Lott
Hight Golden Valley; and so iustly held:
His Royall TRENCH, is as his melting Pott,
Whence issues Liquid-gold the Vale to gild!

O that I had a World of glorious wordes,
In golden Verse (with gold) to paint his praise,
I would blinde Enuies Eyes, and make Land-lords
By this Sunnes rising; see their Sonnes to raise.

But ô! this is not all thou dost behight
Deere Vaughan, thy Deere Country for her good;
For, thou resolu'st to raise that benefit
Out of thy priuate care; and Liu'lyhood.

Thy many trades (too many to rehearse
That shall on thy Foundation stedfast stand)
Shall with their Praiers, still the Heauens pierce;
And blesse their Founders rare Head, Heart, and Hand.

That publike Table which thou will erect
(Where forty euery Meale shall freely feed)
Will be the Cause of this so good Effect
To plant both Trades and Trafficke there with speed.

There shall thy Iouialist Mechanicalls
Attend this Table all in Scarlet Cappes;
(As if they were King Arthures Seneschals)
And, for their paines shall fill their Chapps and Lapps.

For, neuer since King Arthurs glorious dayes
(Whose radiant Knights did Ring his Table round)
Did euer any such a Table raise
As this, where Viands shall to all abound!

Nay this, shall that franke Table farre exceed
If we respect the good still done by each:
For, that fedde none but such as had no need;
But this (like God) shall feede both poore and rich!

This Table then (that still shall beare thy Name
In Hyrogliphicks of the daintiest Cates)
As oft as it is spread shall spread thy Fame
Beyond the greatest conquering Potentates!

They spill with spite, what thou in pitty spend'st;
They onely great, thou good, how euer small;
Subuersion they, Erection thou intend'st;
They foes to most, but Thou a friend to all.

Thy vertuous care to haue thy God ador'd
(Among thy Paines and Pleasures) all will blesse:
Thy Pension for a Preacher of his Word,
Shewes thou seek'st Heauen, and earthly happinesse.

A Chappell and a Curate for the same
(The one maintain'd, the other built by Thee
For Gods Diurnall praise) shall make thy Name
In Rubricke of the Saints enrold to be.

Thine Almes-house for thy haplesse Mechanicks
Shall blaze thy charity to After-ages;
And longer last in Brests of men, then Bricks;
Increasing still thy heauenly Masters Wages.

If holy Dauid had great thanks from Heau'n
But for the Thought to make the Arke an House;
Then thanks of all, to Thee, should still be giu'n
Whose purpose is to all commodious.

O happy Captaine! that hast past the Pikes
Of sharpest Stormes, still wounding Soldiers states,
To end thy Dayes in that which all men likes,
Ioy, Mirth, and Fellowship, which ends debates.

Thy Drummes and Trumpets (Mars his melodie)
That wonted were to call thy foes to fight,
Shall now but call a friendly Company
(For honest ends) to feasting and delight.

Glory of Wales, and luster of thy name,
That giu'st to both sans Parralel'd renowne,
Vpon the Poles inscribed be thy Fame,
That it to Worlds vnknowne may still be knowne.

That they may say a Nooke but of an Isle
That North-ward lies, doth yeeld a rarer Man,
Then larger Lands by many a Thousand Mile,
Who can do Thus, and will do what He can.

But many Monarches, many Worldes haue wonne,
Yet, with their Winnings haue not wonne that praise
As this great-little Lord of hearts hath done,
For good-deedes done to These, and After-dayes.

Now Enuy swell, and breake thy bitter'st Gall
With ceaselesse fretting at these sweete Effects,
Th'eternall good which he intends to all
His Fame (well fenc'd) aboue a Foile erects.

Liu'd He among the Pagans, they would make
His glorious Mansion some auspicious Starre;
And make their Altars fume still for his sake
As to a God, to whome still bound they are.

For, Bacchus but for planting, first, those Plants
Whereby mens Wealth, and Witt are oft ore'throwne
Which Wanton Nature rather craues, then wants,
They, as a God, with Gods do still enthrone.

But let vs Christians, though not yeeld Him this,
Yet giue him Loue and Honor due t'a Man,
That makes men liue (like Gods) in Wealth, and Blisse,
And heaue his Fame to Heauen if we can.

Vaine Hanno taught his lesse vaine Birds to say
Hee was a God: and then he turn'd them loose
That they abroad might chaunt it still; but they
(So gon) with silence prou'd their God, a Goose.

Then, though no God he were, yet might He be
A right ( ) God-keeper in the Capitoll:
They Geese (at most) and so (at least) was He;
Or, if ought lesse, his God-head was a Gull.

But what I say, none taught me but thy Worth;
Nor shall it (like those Birds) thy Fame betray:
But these my Lines shall then best sett thee forth
When thou art worse then Wormes, and lesse then Clay.

As well thy Crest, as Coat (ô wondrous thing!)
A Serpent is, about an Infants Necke:
Who was thine Ancestor, as Bards do sing,
So borne (aliue) the Fates to counterchecke.

From him thou cam'st; as one, in him preseru'd;
(By way of Miracle) for this good end,
As, by thy skill, to haue so well deseru'd
Of all the Kingdome, which it much will mend.

This praise (perhaps) which thy deserts exact,
By Enuy will be thought poeticke skill,
Playing the Vice, but in a glozing Act,
And so wrong Witte to sooth an erring will.

But yet if Arte should leaue true Arte vnprais'd,
(The only Meed the Time all Arte affords)
What Spirit by Art, would then at all be raiz'd
(From this World's hel) if Art should want good words?

Then, be the mouth of Enuy wide as Hell
Still open in thy spight, yet say I still
Thy praise exceeds, because thou dost excell
In these thy works, that worke Good out of Ill.

If I be lauish of good-words; thou art
As lauish of the good which thou canst do:
Then, must thy praise be greate-good, like thine Arte,
That goods thy praisers, and dispraisers too.

In short (sith on thy praise I long haue stood
Whereon my verses Feete do freely fall)
As thou dost worke by Flouds, so th'art a Floud
Of working, running to the Good of all.

For as the Sunne doth shine on good and bad;
So doost thou (Sunne of Vse-full Science) still:
Then, Floud, and Sunne, thou art the ground to glad,
And make it fruitfull to the good and ill.

But sith th'obscurest Sparke of thy bright Tribe
Speakes thus of Thee, (thou small-great man of worth)
It may be thought I praise to thee ascribe
As part mine owne; so falsely, set thee forth:
But those, so thinking, when thy Worth they prooue,
With mee, will thee both honor, praise and loue.

Your poore kinsman, and honorer of true vertue in whom so-euer. Iohn Davies of Hereford.

Noahs floud.

The Inundation caused by the boiling vp of the sea in Monmouth and Glamorgan shire, the yeare 1607.

Few Hadlands take pleasure to behold the lands they had.

Trenches, by which his workes are effected.

By equiuocation it may bee taken for Infants as wel as Barnes: Barne being the name of Infant in some places of England.

Sine Cerere & Baccho, friget Venus.

The Sunne exhaling all radicall moysture from thence by wounds or chaps which are made by summers heate.

The teares of sinners, are the wine of Angels.

Ars Dominabitur astris.

Or cleare Mirrour.

From the obseruation whereof, proceeded the rest of his workes, as in this his booke more at large is expressed.

In dry Summers the Riuers grow lowest.

When the Bankes are chapt, they (cleeuing) fall by mammocks into the Riuer.

Gaines take away the thought of Paines.

Wealth helps Vertue in her operations; whose hands were else bound from ouert action.

All gauly & too dry grounds rebell against nature, and mens profit.

The Countries good.

Preacher & Curate for daily seruice.

Any way mischanc't in their Bodies, So that they cannot work.

2 Sam. 7. 2–16.

What is before expressed.

Like Mars, Iupiter and Saturne.

Vines.

Geese (by reason of their vigilancy) kept the Pagan-Gods in the Romaine Capitoll.

Good Grasse out of ill ground.

Descended from his Ancestors.