Selected by himselfe, that farre from all resort
With contemplation seem’d most fitly to comport;
That, voyd of all delight, cold, barren, bleake, and dry, 341
No pleasure might allure, nor steale the wandring eye:
Where Ramsey with those rockes, in ranke that ordered stand
Upon the furthest point of Davids ancient land,
Doe raise their rugged heads (the sea-mans noted markes) 345
Call’d, of their mytred tops, The Bishop and his Clarkes;
Into that chanell cast, whose raging current rores
Betwixt the British sands, and the Hibernian shores:
Whose grimme and horrid face doth pleased heaven neglect,
And beares bleake winter still in his more sad aspect:
Yet Gwin and Nevern neere, two fine and fishfull brookes, 351
Do never stay their course, how sterne so ere he lookes;
Which with his shipping once should seeme to have commerst,
Where Fiscard as her flood, doth only grace the first.
To Newport fals the next: where we a while will rest; 355
Our next ensuing song to wondrous things addrest.
POLY-OLBION: THE SIXT SONG
The Argument
WITH Cardigan the Muse proceeds,
And tells what rare things Tivy breeds:
Next, proud Plynillimon shee plyes;
Where Severne, Wy, and Rydoll rise.
With Severne shee along doth goe, 5
Her Metamorphosis to showe;
And makes the wandring Wy declame
In honour of the British name:
Then musters all the watry traine
That those two rivers entertainer 10
And viewing how those rillets creepe
From shore to the Vergivian deepe,
By Radnor and Mountgomery then
To Severne turnes her course agen:
And bringing all their riverets in, 15
There ends; a new song to begin.
Sith I must stem thy streame, cleere Tivy, yet before
The Muse vouchsafe to seise the Cardiganian shore,
Shee of thy sourse will sing in all the Cambrian coast;
Which of thy castors once, but now canst onelie boast
The salmons, of all floods most plentifull in thee. 5
Deere brooke, within thy banks if anie powers there bee;
Then Neiads, or yee nymphs of their like watrie kind
(Unto whose onelie care, great Neptune hath assign’d
The guidance of those brooks wherein he takes delight)
Assist her: and whilst shee your dwelling shall recite,
Be present in her work: let her your graces view, 11
That to succeeding times them livelie shee may shew;
As when great Albions sonnes, which him a seanymph brought
Amongst the grisly rocks, were with your beauties caught
(Whose onelie love surpriz’d those of the Phlegrian size, 15
The Titanois, that once against high heaven durst rise)
When as the hoarie woods, the climing hills did hide,
And cover’d everie vale through which you gentlie glide;
Even for those inly heats which through your loves they felt, 19
That oft in kindlie teares did in your bosomes melt,
To view your secret bowres, such favour let her win.
Then Tivy commeth downe from her capacious Lin,
Twixt Mirk and Brenny led, two handmaids, that doe stay
Their mistres, as in state shee goes upon her way.
Which when Lanbeder sees, her wondrouslie shee likes: 25
Whose untam’d bosome so the beautious Tivy strikes,
As that the forrest faine would have her there abide.
But shee (so pure a streame) transported with her pride
The offer idlie scorns; though with her flattering shade
The Sylvan her entice with all that may perswade 30
A water-nymph; yea, though great Thetis selfe shee were:
But nothing might prevaile, nor all the pleasures there
Her mind could ever more one minute staie to make.
Mild Mathern then, the next, doth Tivy over-take:
Which instantlie againe by Dittor is suppli’d. 35
Then, Keach and Kerry helpe: twixt which on either side,
To Cardigan shee comes, the soveraigne of the shere.
Now Tivy let us tell thy sundrie glories here.
When as the salmon seekes a fresher streame to find
(Which hither from the sea comes yeerely by his kind, 40
As he in season growes) and stems the watry tract
Where Tivy falling downe, doth make a cataract,
Forc’t by the rising rocks that there her course oppose,
As though within their bounds they meant her to inclose;
Heere, when the labouring fish doth at the foote arrive, 45
And finds that by his strength but vainlie he doth strive,
His taile takes in his teeth; and bending like a bowe,
That’s to the compasse drawne, aloft himself doth throwe:
Then springing at his height, as doth a little wand,
That bended end to end, and flerted from the hand,
Farre off it selfe doth cast; so doth the salmon vaut.
And if at first he faile, his second summersaut 52
Hee instantlie assaies; and from his nimble ring,
Still yarking, never leaves, untill himselfe he fling
Above the streamefull top of the surrounded heape.
More famous long agone, then for the salmons leape, 56
For bevers Tivy was, in her strong banks that bred,
Which else no other brooke of Brittaine nourished:
Where Nature, in the shape of this now-perisht beast
His propertie did seeme t’have wondrouslie exprest; 60
Be’ing bodied like a boat, with such a mightie taile
As serv’d him for a bridge, a helme, or for a saile,
When kind did him commaund the architect to play,
That his strong castle built of branched twigs and clay:
Which, set upon the deepe, but yet not fixed there, 65
Hee easelie could remove as it he pleas’d to stere
To this side or to that; the workmanship so rare,
His stuffe where-with to build, first beeing to prepare,
A forraging he goes, to groves or bushes nie,
And with his teeth cuts downe his timber: which laidby, 70
He turnes him on his back, his belly laid abroad,
When with what he hath got, the other doe him load,
Till lastlie by the weight, his burthen hee have found.
Then, with his mightie taile his carriage having bound
As carters doe with ropes, in his sharpe teeth hee grip’t 75
Some stronger stick: from which the lesser branches stript,
He takes it in the midst; at both the ends, the rest
Hard holding with their fangs, unto the labour prest,
Going backward, tow’rds their home their loaded carriage led,
From whom, those first heere borne, were taught the usefull sled. 80
Then builded he his fort with strong and several fights;
His passages contriv’d with such unusuall sleights,
That from the hunter oft he issu’d undiscern’d,
As if men from this beast to fortifie had learn’d;
Whose kind, in her decay’d, is to this ile unknowne.
Thus Tivy boasts this beast peculiarly her owne. 86
But here why spend I time these trifles to areed?
Now, with thy former taske my Muse againe proceed,
To shewe the other floods from the Cerettick shore
To the Vergivian sea contributing their — store: 90
With Bidder first begin, that bendeth all her force
The A
rron to assist, Arth holding on her course
The way the other went, with Werry which doth win
Faire Istwid to her ayde; who kindlie comming in,
Meets Rydoll at her mouth, that faire and princelie maid, 95
Plynillimons deere child, deliciouslie arraid,
As fits a nymph so neere to Seveme and her Queene.
Then come the sister Salks, as they before had seene
Those delicater dames so trippinglie — to — tread: 99
Then Kerry; Cletur next, and Kinver making head
With Enion, that her like cleere Levant brings by her.
Plynillimons high praise no longer Muse defer;
What once the Druids told, how great those floods should bee
That here (most mightie hill) derive themselves from thee.
The Bards with furie rapt, the British youth among,
Unto the charming harpe thy future honor song 106
In brave and loftie straines; that in excesse of joy,
The beldam and the girle, the grandsire and the boy,
With shouts and yearning cries, the troubled ayre did load
(As when with crowned cuppes unto the Elian God
Those priests his orgyes held; or when the old world saw 111
Full Phoebes face eclipst, and thinking her to daw
Whom they supposed falne in some inchanted swound,
Of beaten tinkling brasse still ply’d her with the sound)
That all the Cambrian hills, which high’st their heads doe beare 115
With most obsequious showes of lowe subjected feare,
Should to thy greatnes stoupe: and all the brooks that be,
Doe homage to those floods that issued out of thee:
To princelie Severne first; next, to her sister Wye,
Which to her elders court her course doth still apply.
But Rydoll, young’st, and least, and for the others pride 121
Not finding fitting roomth upon the rising side,
Alone unto the west directlie takes her way.
So all the neighboring hills Plynillimon obey.
For, though Moylvadian beare his craggy top so hie.
As scorning all that come in compasse of his eye, 126
Yet greatlie is he pleas’d Plynillimon will grace
Him with a cheerfull looke: and, fawning in his face,
His love to Severne showes as though his owne she were,
Thus comforting the flood; O ever-during heire 130
Of Sabrine, Locryns child (who of her life bereft,
Her ever-living name to thee faire river left)
Brutes first begotten sonne, which Gwendolin did wed;
But soone th’unconstant Lord abandoned her bed
(Through his unchaste desire) for beautious Elstreds love. 135
Now, that which most of all her mightie hart did move,
Her father, Cornwalls Duke, great Corineus dead,
Was by the lustfull King unjustlie banished.
When shee, who to that time still with a smoothed brow
Had seem’d to beare the breach of Locrines former vow, 140
Perceiving stil her wrongs insufferable were;
Growne bigge with the revenge which her full breast did beare,
And ayded to the birth with every little breath
(Alone shee beeing left the spoyle of love and death,
In labour of her griefe outrageously distract, 145
The utmost of her spleene on her false Lord to act)
Shee first implores their aide to hate him whom shee found;
Whose harts unto the depth she had not left to sound.
To Cornwall then shee sends (her country) for supplies:
Which all at once in armes with Gwendolin arise. 150
Then with her warlike power, her husband shee pursu’d,
Whom his unlawfull love too vainlie did delude.
The fierce and jealous Queene, then voyde of all remorce,
As great in power as spirit, whilst hee neglects her force, 154
Him suddainlie surpriz’d, and from her irefull hart
All pittie cleane exil’d (whom nothing could convert)
The sonne of mightie Brute bereaved of his life;
Amongst the Britans here the first intestine strife,
Since they were put a-land upon this promis’d shore.
Then crowning Madan King, whom shee to Locrine bore, 160
And those which serv’d his sire to his obedience brought;
Not so with blood suffic’d, immediatly she sought
The mother and the child: whose beautie when shee saw,
Had not her hart been flint, had had the power to draw
A spring of pittying teares; when, dropping liquid pearle, 165
Before the cruell Queene, the ladie and the girle
Upon their tender knees begg’d mercie. Woe for thee
Faire Elstred, that thou should’st thy fairer Sabrine see,
As shee should thee behold the prey to her sterne rage
Whom kinglie Locriris death suffic’d not to asswage:
Who from the bordring cleeves thee with thy mother cast 171
Into thy christned flood, the whilst the rocks aghast
Resounded with your shriekes; till in a deadlie dreame
Your corses were dissolv’d into that crystall streame,
Your curies to curled waves, which plainlie still appeare 175
The same in water now, that once in locks they were:
And, as you wont to clip each others neck before,
Yee now with liquid armes embrace the wandring shore.
But leave we Severne heere, a little to pursue
The often wandring Wye (her passages to view, 180
As wantonlie shee straines in her lascivious course)
And muster every flood that from her bountious sourse
Attends upon her streame, whilst (as the famous bound
Twixt the Brecknokian earth, and the Radnorian ground)
Shee every brooke receives. First, Clarwen commeth in, 185
With Clarwy: which to them their consort Eland win
To ayde their goodly Wye; which, Ithon gets againe:
She Dulas drawes along: and in her watry traine
Clowedock hath recourse, and Comran; which she brings
Unto their wandring flood from the Radnorian springs: 190
As Edwy her attends, and Matchwy forward heaves
Her mistresse. When, at last the goodly Wye perceaves
She now was in that part of Wales, of all the rest
Which (as her very waste) in breadth from east to west,
In length from north to south, her midst is every way,
From Severns bordring banks unto the either sea,
And might be tearm’d her hart. The ancient Britans heere, 197
The river calls to mind, and what those British were
Whilst Britain was her selfe, the Queene of all the west.
To whose old nations praise whilst shee her selfe addrest, 200
From the Brecknokian bound when Irvon comming in,
Her Dulas, with Commarch, and Wevery that doth win,
Perswading her for them good matter to provide.
The wood-nymphs so againe, from the Radnorian side,
As Radnor, with Blethaugh, and Knuckles forrests, call 205
To Wye, and bad her now bestirre her for them all:
For, if shee stuck not close in their distressed case
The Britans were in doubt to under-goe disgrace.
That stronglie thus provok’t, shee for the Britans saies;
What spirit can lift you up, to that immortall praise
You worthilie deserve? by whom first Gaul was taught 211
Her knowledge: and for her, what nation ever wrought
The conquest you atchiev’d? And, as you were most drad,
So yee (before the rest) in so great reverence had
Your Bards which s
ung your deeds, that when sterne hosts have stood 215
With lifted hands to strike (in their inflamed blood)
One Bard but comming in, their murd’rous swords hath staid;
In her most dreadful voice as thundring heaven had said,
Stay Britans: when he spake, his words so powerfull were.
So to her native priests, the dreadlesse Druides here, 220
The neerest neighboring Gaul, that wiselie could discerne
Th’effect their doctrine wrought, it for their good to learne,
Her apt and pregnant youth sent hither yeere by yeere,
Instructed in our rites with most religious feare.
And afterward againe, when as our ancient seat 225
Her surcrease could not keepe, growne for her soile too great
(But like to casting bees, so rising up in swarmes)
Our Cymbri with the Gaules, that their commixed armes
Joyn’d with the German powers (those nations of the north
Which over-spread the world) together issued forth:
Where, with our brazen swords, we stoutly fought, and long; 231
And after conquests got, residing them among,
First planted in those parts our brave courageous brood:
Whose natures so adher’d unto their ancient blood,
As from them sprang those priests, whose praise so farre did sound, 235
Through whom that spacious Gaul was after so renown’d.
Nor could the Saxons swords (which many a lingring yeere
Them sadlie did afflict, and shut us Britans heere
Twixt Severne and this sea) our mightie minds deject;
But that even they which fain’st our weaknes would detect, 240
Were forced to confesse, our wildest beasts that breed
Upon our mightie wastes, or on our mountaines feed,
Were farre more sooner tam’d, then heere our Welchmen were:
Besides, in all the world no nation is so deere
As they unto their owne; that here within this ile, 245
Or else in forraine parts, yea, forced to exile,
The noble Britan still his countryman releeves;
A patriot, and so true, that it to death him greeves
To heare his Wales disgrac’t: and on the Saxons swords 249
Oft hazardeth his life, ere with reprochefull words
His language Or his leeke hee’le stand to heare abus’d.
Besides, the Britan is so naturallie infus’d
With true poetick rage, that in their measures, art
Doth rather seeme precise, then comlie; in each part
Their metre most exact, in verse of th’hardest kind.
And some to riming be so wondrouslie inclin’d, 256
Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works Page 87