Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works

by Michael Drayton

  As he a sea-god were, familiar with the maine.

  The noble Fenton next, and Jackman we preferre,

  Both voyagers, that were with famous Forbosher.

  And Davies, three times forth that for the northwest made;

  Still striving by that course, t’inrich the English trade: 300

  And as he well deserv’d to his eternall fame.

  There by a mightie sea, imortaliz’d his name.

  With noble Gilbert next, comes Hoard who tooke in hand

  To cleere the course scarse knowne into the Newfound Land,

  And view’d the plenteous seas, and fishfull havens, where 305

  Our neighbouring nations since have stor’d them every yeare.

  The globe-engirdling Drake, the navall palme that wonne,

  Who strove in his lone course to emulate the sunne:

  Of whom the Spaniard us’d a prophecie to tell,

  That from the British Isles should rise a dragon fell,

  That with his armed wings, should strike th’Iberian maine, 311

  And bring in after time much horror upon Spaine.

  This more then man (or what) this demie-god at sea,

  Leaving behind his backe, the great America,

  Upon the surging maine his wel-stretch’t tacklings flewd, 315

  To fortie three degrees of north’ly latitude;

  Unto that land before to th’Christian world unknowne,

  Which in his countries right he nam’d New Albion;

  And in the Westerne Inde, spight of the power of Spaine,

  Hee Saint Iago tooke, Domingo, Cartagene: 320

  And leaving of his prowesse, a marke in every bay,

  Saint Augustins surpriz’d, in Terra Florida.

  Then those that foorth for sea, industrious Rawleigh wrought,

  And them with every thing, fit for discovery fraught;

  That Amadas, (whose name doth scarsely English sound) 325

  With Barlow, who the first Virginia throughly found.

  As Greenvile, whom he got to undertake that sea,

  Three sundry times from hence, who touch’d Virginia.

  (In his so rare a choyce, it well approov’d his wit;

  That with so brave a spirit, his turne so well could fit.

  O Greenvile, thy great name, for ever be renown’d,

  And borne by Neptune still, about this mightie round; 332

  Whose navall conflict wanne thy nation so much fame,

  And in th’Iberians bred feare of the English name.

  Nor should fame speake her low’dst, of Lane, shee could not lie, —

  Who in Virginia left, with th’English colony,

  Himselfe so bravely bare, amongst our people there,

  That him they onely lov’d, when others they did feare,

  And from those barbarous, brute, and wild Virginians wan

  Such reverence, as in him there had been more then man. 340

  Then he which favoured still, such high attempts as these,

  Rawleigh, whose reading made him skil’d in all the seas,

  Imbarqu’d his worthy selfe, and his adventurous crue,

  And with a prosperous sayle to those faire countries flew,

  Where Orenoque, as he, on in his course doth roule,

  Seemes as his greatnes meant, grim Neptune to controule; 346

  Like to a puisant King, whose realmes extend so farre,

  That many a potent Prince his tributaries are.

  So are his branches seas, and in the rich Guiana,

  A flood as proud as he, the broad-brim’d Orellana:

  And on the spacious firme Manoas mightie seat, 351

  The land (by Natures power) with wonders most repleat.

  So Leigh, Cape Briton saw, and Rameas lies againe;

  As Tompson undertooke the voyage to New-Spaine:

  And Hawkins not behind, the best of these before,

  Who hoysing sayle, to seeke the most remotest shore,

  Upon that new-nam’d Spaine, and Guinny sought his prize, 357

  As one whose mighty mind small things could not suffice,

  The sonne of his brave syre, who with his furrowing keele,

  Long ere that time had touch’d the goodly rich Brazeel. 360

  Couragious Candish then, a second Neptune here.

  Whose fame fild every mouth, and tooke up every eare.

  What man could in his time discourse of any seas,

  But of brave Candish talk’d, and of his voyages;

  Who through the south seas past, about this earthly ball, 365

  And saw those starres, to them that onely rise and fall,

  And with his silken sayles, stayn’d with the richest ore,

  Dar’d any one to passe where he had been before.

  Count Cumberland, so hence to seeke th’Asores sent,

  And to the Westerne-Inde, to Porta Ricco went, 370

  And with the English power it bravely did surprize.

  Sir Robert Dudley then, by sea that sought to rise,

  Hoyst sayles with happy winds to th’Iles of Trinidado:

  Paria then he past, the Hands of Granado;

  As those of Sancta Cruz, and Porta Ricco: then 375

  Amongst the famous ranke of our sea-searching men,

  Is Preston sent to sea, with Summers foorth to finde,

  Adventures in the parts upon the Westerne-Inde;

  Port Santo who surpriz’d, and Coches, with the fort

  Of Coro, and the towne, when in submissive sort, 380

  Cumana ransome crav’d, Saint James of Leon sack’d;

  Jamica went not free, but as the rest they wrack’d.

  Then Sherley, (since whose name such high renowne hath won)

  That voyage undertooke, as they before had done;

  He Saint Iago saw, Domingo, Margarita, 385

  By Terra Firma sayl’d to th’Ilands of Jamica,

  Up Rio Dolce row’d, and with a prosperous hand,

  Returning to his home, touch’d at the New-foundland,

  Where at Jamicas Iles, couragious Parker met

  With Sherley, and along up Rio Dolce set, 390

  Where bidding him adue, on his owne course he ran,

  And tooke Campeches towne, the chief’st of Jucatan.

  A freegate, and from thence did home to Britan bring,

  With most strange tribute fraught, due to that Indian King,

  At mightie Neptunes beck, thus ended they their song, 395

  When as from Harwich all to Loving-land along,

  Great claps and shouts were heard resounding to the shore,

  Wherewith th’Essexian nymphs applaud their loved Stour,

  From the Suffolcean side yet those which Stour preferre

  Their princely Orwell praise, as much as th’other her:

  For though cleare Briton be rich Suffolkes from her spring, 401

  Which Stour upon her way to Harwich downe doth bring,

  Yet Deben of her selfe a stout and stedfast friend,

  Her succour to that sea, neere Orwels road doth send.

  When Waveney to the north, rich Suffolks onely meere, 405

  As Stour upon the south, from Essex parts this Sheere;

  Lest Stour and Orwell thus might steale her nymphs away,

  In Neptunes name commands, that here their force should stay:

  For that her selfe and Yar in honor of the deepe,

  Were purposed a feast in Loving-land to keepe. 410

  POLY-OLBION: THE TWENTIETH SONG

  The Argument

  THE Muse that part of Suffolke sings,

  That lyes to Norfolke, and then brings

  The bright Norfolcean nymphes, to ghest

  To Loving-land, to Neptunes feast;

  To Ouze the lesse then downe shee takes, 5

  Where shee a flight at river makes:

  And thence to marsh-land shee descends,

  With whose free praise this song shee ends.

  FROM Suffolke rose a
sound, through the Norfolcean shore

  That ran it selfe, the like had not bin heard before:

  For he that doth of sea the powerful trident weld,

  His Tritons made proclaime, a nymphall to be held

  In honor of himselfe, in Loving-land, where he 5

  The most selected nymphes appointed had to be.

  Those seamayds that about his secret walkes doe dwell,

  Which tend his mightie heards of whales, and fishes fell,

  As of the rivers those, amongst the meadowes ranke,

  That play in every foar’d, and sport on every banke,

  Were summon’d to be there, in paine of Neptunes hate: 11

  For he would have his feast, observ’d with god-like state,

  When those Suffolcean floods, that sided not with Stoure,

  Their streames but of themselves into the ocean powre,

  As Or, through all the coast a flood of wondrous fame, 15

  Whose honored fall begets a haven of her name.

  And Blyth a daintie brooke, their speedy course doe cast,

  For Neptune with the rest, to Loving-land to hast:

  When Waveney in her way, on this septentriall side,

  That these two easterne shires doth equally divide, 20

  From Laphamford leads on, her streame into the east,

  By Bungey, then along by Beckles, when possest

  Of Loving-land, ‘bout which her limber armes she throwes,

  With Neptune taking hands, betwixt them who inclose,

  And her an iland make, fam’d for her scite so farre.

  But leave her Muse awhile, and let us on with Yar, 26

  Which Gariena some, some Hier, some Yar doe name;

  Who rising from her spring not farre from Walsingham,

  Through the Norfolcean fields seemes wantonly to play,

  To Norwich comes at length, towards Yarmouth on her way, 30

  Where Wentsum from the south, and Bariden doe beare

  Up with her, by whose wealth she much is honored there,

  To intertaine her Yar, that in her state doth stand,

  With townes of high’st account, the fourth of all the land:

  That hospitable place to the industrious Dutch, 35

  Whose skill in making stuffes, and workmanship is such,

  (For refuge hither come) as they our ayd deserve,

  By labour sore that live, whilst oft the English starve;

  On roots, and pulse that feed, on beefe and mutton spare,

  So frugally they live, not gluttons as we are. 40

  But from my former theame, since thus I have digrest,

  Ile borrow more of time, untill my nymphs be drest:

  And since these foods fall out so fitly in my wav,

  A little while to them I will convert my lay.

  The colewort, colifloure, and cabidge in their season, 45

  The rouncefall, great beanes, and early ripening peason;

  The onion, scallion, leeke, which housewives highly rate;

  Their kinsman garlicke then, the poore mans Mithridate;

  The savory parsnip next, and carret pleasing food;

  The skirret (which some say) in sallats stirres the blood; 50

  The turnip, tasting well to clownes in winter weather.

  Thus in our verse we put, roots, hearbs, and fruits together.

  The great moyst pumpion then, that on the ground doth lie,

  A purer of his kind, the sweet muske-million by;

  Which dainty pallats now, because they would not want, 55

  Have kindly learnt to set, as yearely to transplant:

  The radish somewhat hote, yet urine doth provoke;

  The cucumber as cold, the heating artichoke;

  The citrons, which our soyle not easly doth affourd;

  The rampion rare as that, the hardly gotten gourd. 60

  But in these triviall things, Muse, wander not too long,

  But now to nimble Yar, turne we our active song,

  Which in her winding course, from Norwich to the mayne,

  By many a stately seat lasciviously doth straine,

  To Yarmouth till she come, her onely christned towne, 65

  Whose fishing through the realme, doth her so much renowne,

  Where those that with their nets still haunt the boundles lake,

  Her such a sumptuous feast of salted herrings make,

  As they had rob’d the sea of all his former store,

  And past that very howre, it could produce no more.

  Her owne selves harbour here, when Yar doth hardly win, 71

  But kindly she againe, saluted is by Thrin,

  A faire Norfolcean nymph, which gratifies her fall.

  Now are the Tritons heard, to Loving-land to call,

  Which Neptunes great commaunds, before them bravely beare, 75

  Commanding all the nymphs of high account that were,

  Which in fat Holland lurke amongst the queachy plashes,

  Or play them on the sands, upon the fomy washes,

  As all the watry brood, which haunt the German deepes,

  Upon whose briny curies, the dewy morning weepes,

  To Loving-land to come, and in ther best attires, 81

  That meeting to observe, as now the time requires.

  When Erix, Neptunes sonne by Venus, to the shore

  To see them safely brought, their herault came before,

  And for a mace he held in his huge hand, the home

  Of that so-much-esteem’d, sea-honoring Unicorne, 86

  Next Proto wondrous swift, led all the rest the way,

  Then she which makes the calmes, the mild Cymodice,

  With god-like Dorida, and Galatea faire,

  With daintie nets of pearle, cast o’r their braided haire: 90

  Analiis which the sea doth salt, and seasoned keepe,

  And Batheas, most supreame and soveraigne in the deepe,

  Brings Cyane, to the waves which that greene colour gives;

  Then Atmis, which in fogs and mistie vapours lives:

  Phrinax, the billowes rough, and surges that bestrides, 95

  And Rothion, that by her on the wilde waters rides;

  With Icthias, that of frye the keeping doth retaine,

  As Pholoe, most that rules the monsters of the maine:

  Which brought to beare them out, if any need should fall,

  The dolphin, sea-horse, gramp, the wherlpoole, and the whall. 100

  An hundred more besides, I readily could name,

  With these as Neptune wil’d, to Loving-land that came.

  These nymphs trick’d up in tyers, the sea-gods to delight:

  Of currall of each kind, the blacke, the red, the white;

  With many sundry shels, the scallop large, and faire;

  The cockle small and round, the periwinkle spare, 106

  The oyster, wherein Oft the pearle is found to breed,

  The mussell, which retaines that daintie orient seed:

  In chaines and bracelets made, with linkes of sundry twists,

  Some wome about their wasts, their necks, some on the wrists. 110

  Great store of amber there, and jeat they did not misse;

  Their lips they sweetned had with costly ambergris.

  Scarcely the Neriad’s thus arrived from the seas,

  But from the fresher streames the brighter Niades,

  To Loving-land make haste with all the speed they may, 115

  For feare their fellow-nymphes should for their comming stay.

  Glico the running streames in sweetnesse still that keepes,

  And Clymene which rules, when they surround their deepes.

  Spio, in hollow bankes, the waters that doth hide:

  With Opis that doth beare them backward with the tyde. 120

  Semaia that for sights doth keepe the water cleare:

  Zanthe their yellow sands, that maketh to appeare,

  Then Drymo for the okes that shaddow every banke,
r />   Phylodice, the boughs for garlands fresh and ranke.

  Which the cleare Naiades make them anadems withall, 125

  When they are cald to daunse in Neptunes mightie hall.

  Then Ligea, which maintaines the birds harmonious layes,

  Which sing on rivers banks amongst the slender sprayes,

  With Rhodia, which for them doth nurse the roseat sets,

  Ioida, which preserves the azure violets. 130

  Anthea, of the flowers, that hath the generall charge,

  And Syrinx of the reeds, that grow upon the marge,

  Some of these lovely nymphes wore on their flaxen haire

  Fine chaplets made of flaggs, that fully flowred were:

  With water-cans againe, some wantonly them dight,

  Whose larger leafe and flower, gave wonderfull delight 136

  To those that wistly view’d their beauties: some againe,

  That soveraigne places held amongst the watry traine,

  Of cat-tayles made them crownes, which from the sedge doth grow,

  Which neatly woven were, and some to grace the show, 140

  Of lady-smocks most white, doe rob each neighbouring mead,

  Wherewith their looser locks most curiously they breyd.

  Now thus together com’n, they friendly doe devise,

  Some of light toyes, and some of matters grave and wise.

  But to breake off their speech, her reed when Syrinx sounds, 145

  Some cast themselves in rings, and fell to hornepipe rounds:

  They ceasing, as againe to others turnes it falls,

  They lustie galiards tread, some others jiggs, and braules.

  This done, upon the banke together being set,

  Proceeding in the cause, for which they thus were met, 150

  In mightie Neptunes praise, these sea-borne virgins sing:

  Let earth, and ayre, say they with the high praises ring.

  Of Satume by his Ops, the most renowned sonne,

  From all the gods but Jove, the diadem that wonne,

  Whose ofspring wise and strong, deare nymphes let us relate, 155

  On mountaines of vast waves, know he that sits in state,

  And with his trident rules, the universall streame,

  To be the onely syre of mightie Polypheme.

  On fayre Thoosa got old Phorcus loved child,

  Who in a fained shape that god of sea beguild — 160

  Three thousand princely sonnes, and lovely nymphs as we,

  Were to great Neptune borne, of which we sparing be:

  Some by his goodly Queene, some in his lemmans bed;

  Chryasor grim begot, on sterne Medusas head.

  Swart Brontes, for his owne so mightie Neptune takes