University of Virginia Library

About the time when Vesper in the West
Gan set the euening watch, and silent night
Richly attended by his twinckling traine,
Sent Sleepe and Slumber to possesse the world,
And Fantasie to hauzen idle heads;
Vnder the starrie Canapie of heauen,
I layd me downe laden with many cares,
(My bed-fellowes almost these twentie yeeres)
Fast by the streame where Tame and Isis meet,
And day by day roule to salute the sea.
For more then common seruice it performd
To Albions Queene; when Foe-men shypt for fight
To forrage England, plowde the Ocean vp,
And slonck into the channell that deuides
The French-mens strond fro Brittaines fishie townes.
Euen at that time all in a fragrant Meade,
In sight of that fayre Castle that ore-lookes
The Forrest one way, and the fertill vale
Watred with that renowmed Riuer Thames,
Olde VVindsore Castle did I take my rest:
When Cynthia companion of the night,
With shining brand lightning his Eben Car,
Whose axeltree was Iet, enchac'd with starres,
And roofe with shining Rauens feathers cealed,
Peircing myne eylyds as I lay along
Awaked me through: Therwith me thought I saw,
A royall glimmering light streaming a loft;
As Titan mounted on the Lyons backe,
Had clothed himselfe in fierie pointed beames,
To chase the night and entertaine the morne.
Yet scarse had Chaunticloere ronge the midnight peale,
Or Phœbe halfe way gone her iourney through,
Sleeping, or waking, as alone I lay,
Mine eyes, and eares, and senses all were serued,
With euery obiect perfect in his kinde.
And lo, a wonder to my senses all,
For through the melting aire perfum'd with sweets,
I might discerne a troope of Horse-men ride,
Armed Cape de Pe with shield and shiuering launce;
As in a plash, or calme transparent brooke
We see the glistring fishes skoure along.
A number numberlesse, appointed well
For turnament, as if the God of warre,
Had held a Iusts in honour of his loue:
Or all the sonnes of Saturne and of Ops,
Had beene in armes against Enceladus.
Therewith I heard the Clarions and the Shalmes,
The Shakbuts, and a thousand instruments
Of seuerall kindes: and lowdest of them all,
A Trumpe more shrill than Tritons is at Sea,
The same Renowne Precursor of the traine
Did sound, (for who rings louder than renowne.)
He mounted was vpon a flying horse,
And clothed in Phawcons feathers to the ground;
By his Escutchion iustly might you gesse,
He was the Herauld of Eternitie,
And Purseuant at armes to mightie Ioue.
I looked to see an end of that I sawe,
And still me thought the traine did multiply,
And yeelding clowdes gaue way, and men at armes
Succeed as fast one at onothers heeles,
As in the Vast Mediterranean Sea,
The rowling waues doo one beget another.
Those that perfumed the ayre with myrrhe and balme,
Dauncing and singing sweetlie as they went,
Were naked Virgines deckt with Garlands greene,
And seemed the graces, for with golden chaynes
They lincked were, three louelir countenaunces.
About them Cupid (as to me it seemed)
Lay playing on his partie colloured wings;
And sometime on a Horse as white as milke
I see him arm'd and mounted in the thronge,
(As loue had right to march with men of warre.
Wearie of looking vp, I laide me downe,
Willing to rest as sleepie soules are wont,
When of a suddne such a noyse I heard,
Of shot of Ordnance pealing in mine eares,
As twentie thousand Tyre had plaid at Sea:
Or Aetna split had belcht her bowels foorth;
Or Heauen and Earth in armes thundring amaine,
Had bent their great artillarie for warre;
And weary Atlas had let fall his load,
Enough to wake Endymion from his traunce.
Yet was the welkin cleare, nor smoke nor dust
Anoyd myne eyes: I gazd, and as I looked,
Me thought this hoste of ayrie armed men,
Girt VVindsore Castle rounde. Anon I saw
Vnder a Canapie of Crymson bysse,
Spangled with gold and set with siluer bels,
That sweetlie chimed, and luld me halfe a sleepe,
A goodly king in robes most richly dight.
The vpper, like a Romaine Palliament,
In deede a Chapperon, for such it was;
And looking neerer, loe vpon his legge,
An auncient badge of honour I espyed.
A Garter brightly glistring in mine eye,
A worthy ornament. Then I cald to minde,
What Princely Edward, of that name the third,
King Edward for his great atchiuements famed,
What he began; The order of S. George,
That at this day is honoured through the world.
The order of the Garter so ycleepd.
A great effect, grown of a slender cause,
Graced by a King, and fauoured of his feeres,
Famed by his followers, worthy Kings and Queenes,
That to this day are Soueraignes of the same.
The manner how this matter grew at first.
Was thus. The King disposed on a time
To reuell after he had shaken Fraunce,
(O had he brauely helde it to the last)
And deckt his Lyons with their flowre de Lyce,
Disposed to reuell: Some say otherwise,
Found on the ground by Fortune as he went
A Ladies Garter: But the Queenes I troe
Lost in a daunce, and tooke it vp himselfe.
It was a silken Ribban weaued of blewe.
His Lords and standers by, seeing the King
Stoope for this Garter, smiled: as who would say,
Our office that had beene, or somwhat els.
King Edward vvistlie looking on them all,
With Princely hands hauing that Garter ceazd,
From harmelesse hart vvhere honour was engraued,
Bespake in French (a could the language well)
And rife was French those dayes with Englishmen;
They went to schoole to put together Townes,
And spell in Fraunce with Feskues made of Pikes.
Honi Soit Quimal y pense, quoth he,
Wherewith vpon aduizement, though the cause
Were small, his pleasure and his purpose was
T'aduance that Garter, and to institute
A noble order sacred to S. George:
And Knights to make, whom he would haue be tearmed
Knights of the Garter. This beginning had
This honourable order of our time.
Heereon I thought when I beheld the King,
But swifter then my thought by that I saw,
And words I heard, or seemed to heare at least,
I was instructed in the circumstance:
And found it was King Edward that did march
In robes, like those he ware when with his Lords,
He held S. Gorges royall Feast on earth,
His eldest sonne surnamed the Blacke Prince,
Though black of hue, that surname yet in Fraunce
He wan; For terror to the Frenchmens harts
His countenance was, his Sword an Iron scourge.
He one a cole-black Coorser mounted was,
And in his hand a battel-axe he hent:
His Beuer vp, his Corslet was of Steele,
Varnisht as black as Iett: his bases blacke,
And black fro head to foote, yea horse and hoofe
As black as night; but in a twinck me thought
A chaungd at once his habite and his Steede,
And had a Garter as his father had.
Right rich and costly, with embroyderie
Of Pearle and Gold. I could on it discerne,
The Poesie whereof I spake of yore;
And well I wot since this King Edwards dayes,
Our Kings and Queenes about theyr royall Armes,
Haue in a Garter borne this Poesie.
Still as I lay, I gazd and gest at once
What was this trayne, and whether it did bend:
I found at last King Edward was the man,
Accompanyed with Kings and Conquerours,
That from the spacious aerie house of Fame,
Set forward royally to solemnize,
Th'installment of some newe created knights.
For loe, I saw in strange accutrements,
Like to King Edwards and the Prince of VVales,
Full foure and twentie Knights nor more nor lesse,
In robes with precious collors of S. George:
And Garters all they had buckled with Gold.
Fame in a Stoale of purple, set vvith eyes,
And eares, and tongues, carryed a golden Booke;
Vpon the couer this I sawe engraued:

Me thought this saying could not but import,
They should be noble men of golden mindes,
And great account, fauoured of Prince and Peeres:
Whose names should in that Register be writ
Consecrate to S. Georges chosen Knights.
Heerewith the golden booke did open fayre,
And eathly I might read their names that next
Went to the King. They were no common men,
For to my seeming each one had a Page,
That bare a faire Eschuchion after him,
Whereon his armes were drawne: I haue forgot
Their seuerall coates, but vvell I vvot theyr names.
And first I savve enrold vvithin this booke,
King Edwards name, he was the Soueraigne.
Their Register was Fame, Renowne before
That sounded shrill, was officer at armes
And Vsher to the trayne; His office badge,
Was a black rod whereof he tooke his name.
Honour went King at armes next to the Knights
Halfe armed, like Pallas shaped for armes and arts:
Rich in abilliments of peace and warre,
Auncient and graue he was, and sage to see.
Neere him went Tyme, well pleazd and well content,
As if he ioyed t'accompany this trayne;
And in his hand a Royall standerd bare,
Wherein S. George was drawne and limnde in golde.
Vnder the Verge as tytle to the booke,
Was writ: Knights of the order of S. George,
Knights of the Garter. Edward Prince of Wales
Was first, Then Henry Duke of Lancaster,
And Nicholas Earle of VVarwicke made the third.
Captaine de Bouche was next renowned for armes.
Then the braue Earles of Stafford and South-hampton,
To whose successors, for his sake that liues
And now suruiues in honour of that name,
To whom my thoughts are humble and deuote,
Gentle VVriothesley, South-hamptons starre,
I wish all fortune that in Cynthias eye,
Cynthia the glory of the Westerne world,
With all the starres in her faire firmament,
Bright may he rise and shine immortally.
And Mortimer a gentle trustie Lord,
More loyall than that cruell Mortimer
That plotted Edwards death at Killingworth.
Edward the second, father to this King,
Whose tragicke cry euen now me thinkes I heare,
When gracelesse wretches murthered him by night.
Then Lisle, and Burwash, Beuchamp, and Mahun,
Gray, Courtney, and the Hollands worthy Knights,
Fitzsimon, VVale, and Sir Hugh VVoortesley,
Neale, Lording, Chandos, Sir Miles Stapelton,
VValter Pagannell, Eme, and Dandley, last
Was the good Knight Sir Haunchet Dambricourte.
These names I read, for they were written fayre;
And as it seemde to me, these were the first
Created of that order by the King:
And man by man they marched in equipage.
A many moe there were than I could note,
And sooth to say, I thinke the booke was full;
And in the traine a number infinite,
True Knights of all the orders in the world,
Christians and Heathens, that accompanied
This worthy King in his Procession.
Cæsar himselfe was there, I saw him ride
Tryumphing in his three and twentie wounds,
Because they shewed the malyce of the world.
Pompey was there the riuall of his fame,
That dyed a death as base and vyolent.
Leaue I this theame: The mightiest that haue liued
haue fallen, and headlong to: In miserie
It is some comfort to haue companie.
Hector of Troy, and Kings ere Troy was built,
Or Thrace was Thrace, were there; Olde Dardanus
And Ilus, and Assaracus came along.
For in the house of Fame what famous man,
What Prince but hath his Trophie and his place?
There Iosua, Dauid, and great Machabee,
Last Anker-hold and stay of Iacobs race
Did march: and Macedonian Alexander,
Victorious Charles the great, the flowre of Fraunce,
Godfrey of Bullen, whom the Christian Kings
Created King of great Ierusalem.
And Arthur glorie of the Westerne world,
And all his Kinghts were in this royall traine.
Iason was there, Knight of the golden Fleece,
Knights of the Tosson, and of S. Iago,
Knights of the Rhodes, Knights of the Sepulchre
Were there; the ayre was pestered to my thought.
Among them all a worthy man of marke,
A Prince of famous memorie I sawe,
Henry the eight, that led a warlik band
Of English Earles, and Lordes and lustie Knightes,
That ware the Garter sacred to S. George.
Who was not there? I thinke the Court of Fame
Was naked and vnpeopled, in this trayne
There was so many Emperors, Lords and Kings,
Knights errant and aduenturous. In the booke
That on a Desk lay open before Fame,
For in a sumptuous Charriot did he ride
Of Christall, set with leaues of glittering Golde,
And faire tralucent stones, that ouer all
It did reflect. Within that glorious booke
I sawe a name reioyced me to see.
Fraunces of Bedford: I could read it plaine,
And glad I was that in that precious booke
That name I found: for now me thought I sayd,
Heere vertue dooth outliue th'arest of death.
For dead is Bedford, vertuous and renownd
For armes, for honour, and religions loue,
And yet aliue his name in Fames records,
That held this Garter deere and ware it well.
Some worthy wight let blazon his deserts.
Onely a tale I thought on by the way
As I obserued his honourable name.
I heard it was his chaunce ore-tane with sleepe,
To take a nap neere to a Farmers lodge,
(Trusted a little with himselfe belike)
This aged Earle in his apparell plaine,
Wrapt in his russet Cloake lay downe to rest,
His badge of honour buckled to his legge,
Bare and vnhid. There came a pilfring swad,
And would haue prayd vpon this ornament:
And saied t'vnbuckle it, thinking him a sleepe.
The noble gentleman, feeling what he meant,
Hold foolish ladde (quoth he) a better pray;
Thys Garter is not fitte for euery legge,
And I account it better then my purse.
The varlet ranne away. The Earle awaked
And told his freends: and smyling said withall;
A would not (had a vnderstood the french
Writ on my Garter) dared t'haue stolne the same.
Thys tale I thought vpon, told me for trueth:
The rather for it praisde the poesie,
Ryght graue and honourable that importeth much.
Ill be to him (it sayth) that euill thinkes.
O sacred loyaltie, in purest harts
Thou buildst thy bowre: thy weedes of spotlesse white;
Like those that stoode for Romes great offices,
Makes thee renownd, glorious in innocencie.
Why sticke I heare? The traine cast in a ring
About the Castle, making melody,
Vnder the glorious spreading wings of Fame,
I sawe a Virgin Queene, attyrde in white,
Leading with her a sort of goodly Knights,
With Garters and with Collers of S. George.
Elizabeth on a compartiment
Of gold, in Bysse was writ, and hunge a skue
Vpon her head, vnder an imperiall crowne:
She was the Soueraigne of the Knights she led.
Her face me thought I knewe: as if the same,
The same great Empresse that we here enioy,
Had clymed the clowdes, and been in person there;
To whom the earth, the sea, and elements
Auspicious are. A many that I knew
Knighted in my remembrance, I beheld;
And all their names were in that Register,
And yet I might perceiue some so set downe,
That how so ere it hapt I cannot tell,
(The Carle Obliuion stolne from Læthes lake,
Or Enuy stept from out the deepe Auerne)
Had raced, or blemisht, or obsured at least.
What haue those Fiends to doo in Fames faire Court?
Yet in the house of Fame and Courtes of Kings,
Enuy will bite, or snarle and barke at least,
As dogs against the Moone that yelpe in vayne:
Say Frustra to those Curs and shake thy coate.
And all the Kings since that King Edwards daies,
Were with their Knights and companies in that trayne.
When all were whist, King Edward thus bespake:
Haile VVindsore, where I sometimes tooke delight
To hawke and hunt, and backe the proudest Horse;
And where in Princely pleasure I reposde
In my returne fro Fraunce: A little sigh
I heard him fetch withall: His reason why
I cannot gesse: I thinke it was for this,
That England had giuen ore their traffique there,
And twentie tymes hayle VVindsore, quoth the King,
Where I haue stalled so many hardy Knights,
And turnaments and royall Iusts performed.
Behold, in honour of mine auncient throne,
In honour of faire England and S. George,
To whom this order of the Garter first
I sacred held: in honour of my Knights
Before this day created and installed,
But specially in honour of those fiue
That at this day this honour haue receiued,
Vnder Elizabeth, Englands great Soueraigne,
Northumberland, & VVorcester, noble Earles,
Boroughe, & Sheffeilde, Lords of liuely hope,
And honourable olde Knowles, famed for his sonnes,
And for his seruice gracious and renownde.
Loe from the house of Fame, with Princely traynes
Accompanied, and Kings and Conquerers,
And Knights of proofe, loyall and valorous,
I resalute thee heere, and gratulate
To those new Knights created by a Queene,
Peerelesse for wisedome and for Maiestie;
The honour of the Garter: May they long
Weare them, as notes of true Nobilitie
And vertues ornaments. Young Northumberland
Mounted on Fortunes whele by vertues ayme,
Become thy badge as it becommeth thee:
That Europes eyes thy worthinesse may see.
And VVorcester, what pure honour hath put on
With chast and spotlesse hands, in honour weare;
Answere the noblest of thyne auncestry
In deedes to fame and vertue consecrate.
Borough brought vp in learning and in Armes,
Patrone of Musicke and of Chiualrie,
Brandish thy sword in right, and spend thy wits
In Common welth affaires: It shall become
Thy forwardnes to follow vertues cause,
And great designes of noble consequence.
And Sheffeilde, shape thy course no otherwise,
Then loyaltie the loade-starre of renowne
Directs: that as thine auncestors haue done,
Thyne earthly race in honour thou maist run.
To thee old man with kindnes (quoth the King)
That reapest this honour in thy waning age,
See what a Trophey Queene Elizabeth
Prepares before thy herce, long maist thou liue,
And dye in fame: That hast well neere atchiued
The Noble Norris honour in thy sonnes.
Thrice noble Lord, as happy for his fewe,
As was the King of Troy for many moe.
With that he ceased, and to the formost Earle,
(For why me thought I see them euery man,
Stalld in their places and their ornaments.)
Percy (quoth he) thou and thy Lordly Peeres,
Your names are in this Register of Fame,
Written in leaues and characters of golde;
So liue, as with a many moe you may
Suruiue, and triumph in eternitie,
Out of Obliuions reach, or Enuies shot;
And that your names immortally may shine
In these records, not earthly but diuine.
Then Shalmes and Shakebutts sounded in the ayre,
But shrilst of all, the Trumpet of Renowne,
And by and by, a loud rertaite he runge;
The trayne retyred as swift as starres don shoote,
Frome whence they came; And day began to breake,
And with the noyse and Thunder in the sky,
When Fames great double doores fell to and shutt,
And this tryumphant trayne was vanisht quite;
The gaudy morne out of her golden sleepe
Awaked, and little Birds vncagde, gan sing
To welcome home the Bridgrome of the Sea.