Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works

by Michael Drayton

  But long he had not raign’d, ere happily it chanc’t,

  In hunting of a Hart, that in the Forrest wild,

  The late deposed King, himselfe who had exil’d

  From all resort of men, iust Elidure did meet;

  Who much vnlike himselfe, at Elidurus feet,

  Him prostrating with teares, his tender breast so strooke,

  That he (the British rule who lately on him tooke

  At th’earnest peoples pray’rs) him calling to the Court,

  There Archigallo’s wrongs so liuely did report,

  Relating (in his right) his lamentable case,

  With so effectuall speech imploring their high grace,

  That him they reinthron’d; in peace who spent his dayes.

  Then Elidure againe, crown’d with applausiue praise,

  As he a brother rais’d, by brothers was depos’d,

  And put into the Towre: where miserably inclos’d,

  Out-liuing yet their hate, and the Vsurpers dead,

  Thrice had the British Crowne set on his reuerend head.

  When more then thirty Kings in faire succession came

  Vnto that mighty Lud, in whose eternall name

  Great London still shall liue (by him rebuilded) while

  To Citties she remaines the Soueraigne of this Ile.

  And when commaunding Rome to Caesar gaue the charge,

  Her Empire (but too great) still further to enlarge

  With all beyond the Alpes; the aydes he found to passe

  From these parts into Gaul, shew’d heere some Nation was

  Vndaunted that remain’d with Romes so dreadfull name,

  That durst presume to ayde those shee decreed to tame.

  Wherefore that matchlesse man, whose high ambition wrought

  Beyond her Empires bounds, by shipping wisely sought

  (Heere proling on the shores) this Iland to disery,

  What people her possest, how fashion’d shee did lie:

  Where scarce a Strangers foote defil’d her virgin breast,

  Since her first Conqueror Brute heere put his powers to rest;

  Onely some little Boats, from Gaul that did her feed

  With tryfles, which shee tooke for nicenesse more then need:

  But as another world, with all abundance blest,

  And satisfi’d with what shee in her selfe possest;

  Through her excessiue wealth (at length) till wanton growne,

  Some Kings (with others Lands that would enlarge their owne)

  By innovating Armes an open passage made

  For him that gap’t for all (the Roman) to invade.

  Yet with grim-visag’d Warre when he her shores did greet,

  And terriblest did threat with his amazing Fleet,

  Those British bloods he found, his force that durst assaile,

  And poured from the Cleeues their shafts like showers of haile

  Vpon his helmed head; to tell him as he came,

  That they (from all the world) yet feared not his name:

  Which, their vndaunted spirits soone made that Conquer or feele,

  Oft ventring their bare breasts gainst his oft-bloodied steele;

  And in their Chariots charg’d: which they with wondrous skill

  Could turne in their swift’st course vpon the steepest hill,

  And wheele about his troopes for vantage of the ground,

  Orelse disranke his force where entrance might be found:

  And from their Armed seats their thrilling Darts could throwe;

  Or nimblie leaping downe, their valiant swords bestowe,

  And with an actiue skip remount themselues againe,

  Leauing the Roman horse behind them on the Plaine,

  And beat him back to Gaul his forces to supply;

  As they the Gods of Rome and did defie.

  Cassibalan renown’d, the Britans faithfull guide,

  Who when th’Italian powers could no way be deny’d,

  But would this Ile subdue; their forces to fore-lay,

  Thy Forrests thou didst fell, their speedy course to stay:

  Those armed stakes in Tames that stuckst, their horse to gore

  Which boldly durst attempt to forrage on thy shore:

  Thou such hard entrance heere to Caesar didst allow,

  To whom (thy selfe except) the Westerne world did bow.

  And more then Caesar got, three Emperours could not win,

  Till the courageous sonnes of our Cunobelin

  Sunke vnder Plautius sword, sent hither to discusse

  The former Roman right, by Armes againe, with vs.

  Nor with that Consull ioyn’d, Vespaesian could prevaile

  In thirty seuerall fights, nor make them stoope their saile.

  Yea, had not his braue sonne, young Titus, past their hopes,

  His forward Father fetcht out of the British troopes,

  And quit him wondrous well when he was strongly charg’d,

  His Father (by his hands so valiantly enlarg’d)

  Had neuer more seene Rome; nor had he euer spilt

  The Temple that wise sonne of faithfull Dauid built,

  Subverted those high walls, and lay’d that Cittie wast

  Which God, in humane flesh, aboue all other grac’t.

  No maruaile then though Rome so great her conquest thought,

  In that the Ile of Wight shee to subiection brought,

  Our Belgae and subdu’d (a people of the West)

  That latest came to vs, our least of all the rest;

  When Claudius, who that time her wreath imperiall wore,

  Though scarce he shew’d himselfe vpon our Southerne shore,

  It scornd not in his stile; but, due to that his praise,

  Triumphall Arches claim’d, and to haue yeerely Playes;

  The noblest Nauall Crowne, vpon his Palace pitcht;

  As with the Oceans spoyle his Rome who had enricht.

  Her Caradock (with cause) so Britaine may prefer;

  Then whom, a brauer spirit was nere brought forth by her:

  For whilst here in the West the Britans gather’d head,

  This Generall of the rest, his stout Silures led

  Against Ostorius, sent by Caesar to this place

  With Romes high fortune (then the high’st in Fortunes grace)

  A long and doubtfull warre with whom he did maintaine,

  Vntill that houre wherein his valiant Britans slaine

  Hee grieuously beheld (o’represt with Roman power)

  Himselfe wel-neere the last their wrath did not deuour.

  When (for reuenge, not feare) he fled (as trusting most,

  Another day might win, what this had lately lost)

  To Cartismandua, Queene of Brigants for her ayde,

  He to his foes, by her, most falsely was betray’d.

  Who, as a spoyle of warre, t’adorne the Triumph sent

  To great Ostorius due, when through proud Rome hee went,

  That had her selfe prepar’d (as shee had all been eyes)

  Our Caradock to view; who in his Countries guise,

  Came with his bodie nak’t, his haire downe to his waste,

  Girt with a chaine of steele, his manly breast inchaste

  With sundry shapes of . And when this Britaine saw

  His wife and children bound as slanes, it could not awe

  His manlinesse at all: but with a setled grace,

  Vndaunted with her pride, hee lookt her in the face:

  And with a speech so graue as well a Prince became,

  Himselfe and his redeem’d, to our eternall fame.

  Then Romes great Tyrant next, the lasts adopted heire,

  That braue Suetonius sent, the British Coasts to cleere;

  The vtter spoyle of Mon who strongly did pursue

  (Vnto whose gloomy strengths, th’reuolted Britans flew)

  There entring, hee beheld what strooke him pale with dread:

  The frantick British Froes, thei
r haire disheuelled,

  With fire-brands ran about, like to their furious eyes;

  And from the hollow woods the fearlefse Druides;

  Who with their direfull threats, and execrable vowes,

  Inforc’t the troubled heauen to knit her angry browes.

  And as heere in the West the Romans brauely wan,

  So all vpon the East the Britans ouer-ran:

  The Colony long kept at Mauldon, ouerthrowne,

  Which by prodigious signes was many times fore-showne,

  And often had dismai’d the Roman souldiers: when

  Braue Voadicia made with her resolued’st men

  To Virolam; whose siege with fire and sword she pli’d,

  Till leueld with the earth. To London as shee hy’d,

  The Consull comming in with his auspicious ayde,

  The Queene (to quit her yoke no longer that delay’d)

  Him dar’d by dint of sword, it hers or his to try,

  With words that courage show’d, and with a voice as hie

  (In her right hand her Launce, and in her left her Shield,

  As both the Battells stood prepared in the Field)

  Incouraging her men: which resolute, as strong,

  Vpon the Roman rusht; and shee, the rest among,

  Wades in that doubtfull warre: till lastly, when she saw

  The fortune of the day vnto the Roman draw,

  The Queene (t’out-liue her friends who highly did disdaine,

  And lastly, for proud Rome a Triumph to remaine)

  By poyson ends her dayes, vnto that end prepar’d,

  As lauishly to spend what Suetonius spar’d.

  Him scarcely Rome recall’d, such glory hauing wonne,

  But brauely to proceed, as erst she had begunne,

  Agricola heere made her great Lieurenant then:

  Who hauing setled Mon, that man of all her men,

  Appointed by the Powers apparantly to see

  The wearied Britans sinke, and easely in degree

  Beneath his fatall sword the Or to fall

  Inhabiting the West, those people last of all

  Which stoutl’est him with-stood, renown’d for Martiall worth.

  Thence leading on his powers vnto the vtmost North,

  When all the Townes that lay betwixt our Trent and Tweed,

  Suffic’d not (by the way) his wasteful fires to feed,

  He there some Britans found, who (to rebate their spleene,

  As yet with grieued eyes our spoyles not hauing seene)

  Him at Mount Grampus met: which from his height beheld

  Them lauish of their liues; who could not be compeld

  The Roman yoke to beare: and Galgacus their guide

  Amongst his troupes there resolutely di’d.

  Eight Roman Emperours raign’d since first that warre began;

  Great Iulius Caesar first, the last Domitian.

  A hundred thirtie yeeres the Northerne Britans still,

  That would in no wise stoupe to Romes imperious will,

  Into the straitned Land with theirs retired farre,

  In lawes and manners since from vs that different are;

  And with the Irish Pict, which to their ayde they drew

  (On them oft breaking in, who long did them pursue)

  A greater foe to vs in our owne bowels bred,

  Then Rome, with much expense that vs had conquered.

  And when that we great so much in time were growne,

  That shee her charge durst leaue to Princes of our owne,

  (Such as, within our selues, our suffrage should elect)

  Avirague, borne ours, heere first she did protect;

  Who faithfully and long, of labour did her ease.

  Then he, our Flamins seats who turn’d to Bishops seas;

  Great Lucius, that good King: to whom we chiefly owe

  This happinesse we haue, Christ crucifi’d to knowe.

  As Britaine to her praise receiu’d the Christian faith,

  After (that Word-made Man) our deere Redeemers death

  Within two hundred yeeres; and his Disciples heere,

  By their great Maister sent to preach him euery where,

  Most reuerently receiu’d, their doctrine and preferd;

  Interring him, who earst the Sonne of God interd.

  So Britans was she borne, though Italy her crown’d,

  Of all the Christian world that Empresse most renown’d,

  Constantius worthy wife; who scorning worldly losse,

  Her selfe in person went to seeke that sacred Crosse,

  Whereon our Sauiour di’d: which found, as it was sought,

  From Salem vnto Rome triumphantly she brought.

  As when the Primer Church her Counsailes pleas’d to call,

  Great Britains Bishops there were not the least of all;

  Against the Arian Sect at Arles hauing roome,

  At Sardica againe, and at Ariminum.

  Now, when with various Fate fiue hundred yeeres had past,

  And Rome of her great charge grew weary heere at last;

  The Vandalls, Goths, and Huns, that with a powerfull head

  All Italy and France had wel-neare ouer-spred,

  To much-endanger’d Rome sufficient warning gaue,

  Those forces that shee held, within her selfe to haue.

  The Roman rule from vs then vtterly remou’d.

  Whilst, we, in sundry Fields, our sundry fortunes prou’d

  With the remorselesse Pict, still wasting vs with warre.

  And twixt the froward Sire, licentious Vortiger,

  And his too forward sonne, young Vortimer, arose

  Much strife within our selues, whilst heere they interpose

  By turns each others raignes; whereby, we weakned grew.

  The warlike Saxon then into the Land we drew;

  A Nation nurst in spoyle, and fitt’st to vndergoe

  Our cause against the Pict, our most inveterate foe.

  When they, which we had hyr’d for souldiers to the shore,

  Perceiu’d the wealthy Ile to wallow in her store,

  And suttly had found out how we infeebled were;

  They, vnder false pretence of amitie and cheere,

  The British Peeres invite, the German Healths to view

  At Stonehenge; where they them vnmercifully slew.

  Then, those of Brutes great blood, of Armorick posseft,

  Extreamly grieu’d to see their kinsmen so distrest,

  Vs offred to relieue, or else with vs to die:

  Wee, after, to requite their noble curtesie,

  Eleuen thousand may ds sent those our friends againe,

  In wedlock to be linkt with them of Brute’s high Straine;

  That none with Brutes great blood, but Britans might be mixt:

  Such friendship euer was the stock of Troy betwixt.

  Out of whose ancient race, that warlike Arthur sprong:

  Whose most renowned Acts shall sounded be as long

  As Britains name is known: which spred themselues so wide,

  As scarcely hath for fame left any roomth beside.

  My Wales, then hold thine owne, and let thy Britains stand

  Vpon their right, to be the noblest of the Land.

  Thinke how much better tis, for thee, and those of thine,

  From Gods, and Heroës old to drawe your famous line,

  Then from the Scythian poore; whence they themselues deriue

  Whose multitudes did first you to the Mountaines driue.

  Nor let the spacious Mound of that great Mercian King

  (Into a lesser roomth thy burlinesse to bring)

  Include thee; when my Selfe, and my deere brother Dee,

  By nature were the bounds first limited to thee.

  Scarce ended shee her speech, but those great Mountaines neere,

  Vpon the Cambrian part that all for Brutus were,

  With her high truths inflam’d, look’t euery one about


  To find their seuerall Springs; and bad them get them out,

  And in their fulness waite vpon their soueraigne Flood,

  In Britains ancient right so brauely that had stood.

  When first the furious Teame, that on the Cambrian side

  Doth Shropshire as a Meere from Hereford diuide,

  As worthiest of the rest; so worthily doth craue

  That of those lesser Brooks the leading she might haue;

  The first of which is , that to her Mistris came:

  Which of a Forrest borne that beares her proper name,

  Vnto the Golden Vale and anciently ally’d,

  Of euery thing of both, sufficiently supply’d,

  The longer that she growes, the more renowne doth win:

  And for her greater State, next Bradfield bringeth in,

  Which to her wider banks resignes a weaker streame.

  When fiercely making forth, the strong and lustie Teame

  A friendly Forest Nymph (nam’d Mocktry) doth imbrace,

  Her selfe that brauely beares; twixt whom and Bringwood-Chase,

  Her banks with many a wreath are curiously bedeckt,

  And in their safer shades they long time her protect.

  Then takes shee Oney in, and forth from them doth fling:

  When to her further ayde, next Bowe, and Warren, bring

  Cleere Quenny; by the way, which Stradbrooke vp doth take:

  By whose vnited powers, their Teame they mightier make;

  Which in her liuely course to Ludlowe comes at last,

  Where Corue into her streame her selfe doth head-long cast.

  With due attendance next, comes Ledwich and the Rhea.

  Then speeding her, as though sent post vnto the Sea,

  Her natiue Shropshire leaues, and bids those Townes adiew,

  Her onely foueraigne Queene, proud Severne to pursue.

  When at her going out, those Mountaines of command

  (The Clees, like louing Twinnes, and Stitterston that stand)

  Trans-Seuerned, behold faire England tow’rds the rise,

  And on their setting side, how ancient Cambria lies.

  Then Stipperston a hill, though not of such renowne

  As many that are set heere tow’rds the going downe,

  To those his owne Allyes, that stood not farre away,

  Thus in behalfe of Wales directly seem’d to say;

  Deare Corndon, my delight, as thou art lov’d of mee,

  And Breeden, as thou hop’st a Britaine thought to bee,

  To Cortock strongly cleaue, as to our ancient friend,

  And all our vtmost strength to Cambria let vs lend.

  For though that envious Time iniuriously haue wroong

  From vs those proper names did first to vs belong,