Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works

by Michael Drayton

  Which his Cathedrall Church by him was consecrated.

  So Acca we account mongst those which haue been cald

  The Saints of this our See, which sate at Hagenstald,

  Of which he Bishop was, in that good age respected,

  In Calenders preseru’d, in th’Catalogues neglected,

  Which since would seeme to shew the Bishops as they came:

  Then Edilwald, which some (since) Ethelwoolph doe name,

  At Durham by some men supposed to reside

  More rightly, but by some at Carleill iustifide,

  The first which rul’d that See, which Beauclerke did preferre,

  Much gracing him, who was his only Confessor.

  Nor were they Bishops thus related Saints alone;

  Northumberland, but thou (besides) hast many a one,

  Religious Abbots, Priests, and holy Hermits then,

  Canonized as well as thy great Mytred men:

  Two famous Abbots first are in the ranke of these,

  Whose Abbayes touch’d the walls of thy two ancient Seas.

  Thy Roysill (in his time the tutillage that had

  Of Cuthbert that great Saint, whose hopes then but a lad,

  Exprest in riper yeares how greatly he might merit)

  The man who had from God a prophesying Spirit,

  Foretelling many things; and growing to be old,

  His very hower of death, was by an Angell told.

  At Malroyes this good man his Sainting well did earne,

  Saint Oswald his againe at holy Lindisferne,

  With Ine a godly Priest, supposd to haue his lere

  Of Cuthbert, and with him was Herbert likewise there

  His fellow-pupill long, (who as mine Authour saith)

  So great opinion had, of Cuthbert and his faith,

  That at one time and place, he with that holy man,

  Desir’d of God to dye, which by his prayer he wan.

  Our venerable Bede so forth that Country brought,

  And worthily so nam’d, who of those ages sought

  The truth to vnderstand, impartially which he

  Deliuered hath to time, in his Records that we,

  Things left so farre behind, before vs still may read,

  Mongst our canoniz’d sort, who called is Saint Bede.

  A sort of Hermits then, by thee to light are brought,

  Who liu’d by Almes, and Prayer, the world respecting nought.

  Our Edilwald the Priest, in Ferne (now holy Ile)

  Which standeth from the firme to Sea nine English mile,

  Sate in his reuerent Cell, as Godrick thou canst show;

  His head and beard as white as Swan or driuen Snow,

  At Finchall threescore yeeres, a Hermits life to lead;

  Their solitary way in thee did Alrick tread,

  Who in a Forrest neere to Carleill, in his age,

  Bequeath’d himselfe to his more quiet Hermitage.

  Of Wilgusse, so in thee Northumberland we tell,

  Whose most religious life hath merited so well,

  (Whose blood thou boasts to be of thy most royall straine)

  That Alkwin, Master to that mightie Charlemaigne,

  In Verse his Legend writ, who of our holy men,

  He him the subiect chose for his most learned pen.

  So Oswyn, one of thy deare Country thou canst show,

  To whom as for the rest for him we likewise owe

  Much honour to thy earth, this godly man that gaue,

  Whose Reliques that great house of Lesting long did saue,

  To sinders till it sanke: so Benedict by thee,

  We haue amongst the rest, for Saints that reckoned bee,

  Of Wyremouth worship’d long, her Patron buried there,

  In that most goodly Church, which he himselfe did reare.

  Saint Thomas so to vs Northumberland thou lent’st,

  Whom vp into the South, thou from his Country sent’st;

  For sanctitie of life, a man exceeding rare,

  Who since that of his name so many Saints there are,

  This man from others more, that times might vnderstand,

  They to his christened name added Northumberland.

  Nor in one Country thus our Saints confined were,

  But through this famous Isle dispersed here and there:

  As Yorkshire sent vs in Saint Robert to our store,

  At Knarsborough most knowne, whereas he long before

  His blessed time bestowd; then one as iust as he,

  (If credit to those times attributed may be)

  Saint Richard with the rest deseruing well a roome,

  Which in that Country once, at Hampoole had a toombe.

  Religious Alred so, from Rydall we receiue,

  The Abbot, who to all posteritie did leaue,

  The fruits of his staid faith, deliuered by his Pen.

  Not of the least desert amongst our holiest men,

  One Eusac then we had, but where his life he led,

  That doubt I, but am sure he was Canonized,

  And was an Abbot too, for sanctity much fam’d.

  Then Woolsey will we bring, of Westminster so nam’d,

  And by that title knowne, in power and goodnesse great;

  And meriting as well his Sainting, as his Seat.

  So haue we found three Iohns, of sundry places here,

  Of which (three reuerent men) two famous Abbots were.

  The first Saint Albans shew’d, the second Lewes had,

  Another godly Iohn we to these former add,

  To make them vp a Trine, (the name of Saints that wonn)

  Who was a Yorkshire man, and Prior of Berlington.

  So Biren can we boast, a man most highly blest

  With the title of a Saint, whose ashes long did rest

  At Dorchester, where he was honoured many a day;

  But of the place he held, books diuersly dare say,

  As they of Gilbert doe, who founded those Diuines,

  Monasticks all that were, of him nam’d Gilbertines:

  To which his Order here, he thirteene houses built,

  When that most thankfull time, to shew he had not spilt

  His wealth on it in vaine, a Saint hath made him here,

  At Sempringham enshrin’d, a towne of Lincolneshire.

  Of sainted Hermits then, a company we haue,

  To whom deuouter times this veneration gaue:

  As Gwir in Cornwall kept his solitary Cage,

  And Neoth by Hunstock there, his holy Hermitage,

  As Guthlake, from his youth, who liu’d a Souldier long,

  Detesting the rude spoyles, done by the armed throng,

  The mad tumultuous world contemptibly forsooke,

  And to his quiet Cell by Crowland him betooke,

  Free from all publique crowds, in that low Fenny ground.

  As Bertiline againe, was neere to Stafford found:

  Then in a Forrest there, for solitude most fit,

  Blest in a Hermits life, by there enioying it.

  An Hermit Arnulph so in Bedfordshire became,

  A man austere of life, in honour of whose name,

  Time after built a Towne, where this good man did liue,

  And did to it the name of Arnulphsbury giue.

  These men, this wicked world respected not a hayre,

  But true Professors were of pouertie and prayer.

  Amongst these men which times haue honoured with the Stile

  Of Confessors, (made Saints) so euery little while,

  Our Martyrs haue com’n in, who sealed with their blood,

  That faith which th’other preach’d, gainst them that it withstood;

  As , who had liu’d a Herdsman, left his Seat,

  Though in the quiet fields, whereas he kept his Neat,

  And leauing that his Charge, he left the world withall,

  An Anchorite and became, within a Cloystred wall,

  Inclosing vp himselfe, in pra
yer to spend his breath,

  But was too soone (alas) by Pagans put to death.

  Then Woolstan, one of these, by his owne kinsman slaine

  At Eusham, for that he did zealously maintaine

  The veritie of Christ. As Thomas, whom we call

  Of Douer, adding Monke, and therewithall;

  For that the barbarous Danes he brauely did withstand,

  From ransacking the Church, when here they put on land,

  By them was done to death, which rather he did chuse,

  Then see their Heathen hands those holy things abuse.

  Two Boyes of tender age, those elder Saints ensue,

  Of Norwich William was, of Lincolne little Hugh,

  Whom Iewes (rebellious that abide)

  In mockery of our Christ at Easter ciucifi’d,

  Those times euery one should their due honour haue,

  His freedome or his life, for Iesus Christ that gaue.

  So Wiltshire with the rest her Hermit Vlfrick hath

  Related for a Saint, so famous in the Faith,

  That ages since, his Cell haue sought to find,

  At Hasselburg, who had his Obijts him assign’d.

  So we many Kings most holy here at home,

  As of meaner ranke, which haue attaind that roome:

  Northumberland, thy seat with Saints did vs supply

  Of thy Kings; of which high Hierarchy

  Was Edwin, for the Faith by Heathenish hands inthrald,

  Whom Penda which to him the Welsh Cadwallyn cald,

  Without all mercy slew: But he alone not dide

  By that proud Mercian King, but Penda yet beside,

  Iust Oswald likewise slew, at Oswaldstree, who gaue

  That name vnto that place, as though time meant to saue

  His memory thereby, there suffring for the Faith,

  As one whose life deseru’d that memory in death.

  So likewise in the Roule of these Northumbrian Kings,

  With those that Martyrs were, so foorth that Country brings

  Th’annoynted Oswin next, in Deira to ensue,

  Whom Osway that bruit King of wild Bernitia slue:

  Two kingdomes, which whilst then Northumberland remain’d

  In greatnesse, were within her larger bounds contain’d;

  This Kingly Martyr so, a Saint was rightly crown’d.

  As Alkmond one of hers for sanctity renown’d,

  King Alreds Christned sonne, a most religious Prince,

  Whom when the Heathenish here by no meanes could conuince,

  (Their Paganisme a pace declining to the wane)

  At Darby put to death, whom in a goodly Phane,

  Cald by his glorious name, his corpse the Christians layd.

  What fame deseru’d your faith, (were it but rightly wayd)

  You pious Princes then, in godlinesse so great;

  Why should not full-mouthd Fame your praises oft repeat?

  So her King, Northumbria notes againe,

  In the next, though not the next in raigne,

  Whom his false Subiects slue, for that he did deface

  The Heathenish Saxon gods, and bound them to embrace

  The liuely quickning Faith, which then began to spread.

  So for our Sauiour Christ, as these were martyred:

  There other holy Kings were likewise, who confest,

  Which those most zealous times haue Sainted with the rest,

  King Alfred that his Christ he might more surely hold,

  Left his Northumbrian Crowne, and soone became encould,

  At Malroyse, in the land, whereof he had been King.

  So Egbert to that Prince, a Paralell we bring,

  To Oswoolph his next heire, his kingdome that resign’d,

  And presently himselfe at Lindisferne confin’d,

  Contemning Courtly state, which earthly fooles adore:

  So Ceonulph againe as this had done before,

  In that religious house, a cloystred man became,

  Which many a blessed Saint hath honoured with the name.

  Nor those Northumbrian Kings the onely Martyrs were,

  That in this seuen-fold Rule the scepters once did beare,

  But that the Mercian raigne, which Pagan Princes long,

  Did terribly infest, had some her Lords among,

  To the true Christian Faith much reuerence which did add

  Our Martyrologe to helpe: so happily shee had

  Rufin, and Vlfad, sonnes to Wulphere, for desire

  They had t’imbrace the Faith, by their most cruell Sire

  Were without pittie slaine, long ere to manhood growne,

  Whose tender bodies had their burying Rites at Stone.

  So Kenelme, that the King of Mercia should haue beene,

  Before his first seuen yeares he fully out had seene,

  Was slaine by his owne Guard, for feare lest waxing old,

  That he the Christian Faith vndoubtedly would hold.

  So long it was ere truth could Paganisme expell.

  Then Fremund, Offa’s sonne, of whom times long did tell,

  Such wonders of his life and sanctitie, who fled

  His fathers kingly Court, and after meekly led

  An Hermits life in Wales, where long he did remaine

  In Penitence and prayer, till after he was slaine

  By cruell Oswayes hands, the most inueterate foe,

  The Christian faith here found: so Etheldred shall goe

  With these our martyred Saints, though onely he confest,

  Since he of Mercia was, a King who highly blest,

  Faire Bardncy, where his life religiously he spent,

  And meditating Christ, thence to his Sauiour went.

  Nor our West-Saxon raigne was any whit behind

  Those of the other rules (their best) whose zeale wee find,

  Amongst those sainted Kings, whose fames are safeliest kept;

  As Cedwall, on whose head such praise all times haue heapt,

  That from a Heathen Prince, a holy Pilgrim turn’d,

  Repenting in his heart against the truth t’haue spurn’d,

  To Rome on his bare feet his patience exercis’d,

  And in the Christian faith there humbly was baptiz’d.

  So Ethelwoolph, who sat on Cedwalls ancient Seat,

  For charitable deeds, who almost was as great,

  As any English King, at Winchester enshrin’d,

  A man amongst our Saints, most worthily deuin’d.

  Two other Kings as much our Martyrologe may sted,

  Saint Edward, and with him comes in Saint Ethelred,

  By Alfreda, the first, his Stepmother was slaine,

  That her most loued sonne young Ethelbert might raigne:

  The other in a storme, and deluge of the Dane,

  For that he Christned was, receau’d his deadly bane;

  Both which with wondrous cost, the English did interre,

  At Wynburne this first Saint, the last at Winchester,

  Where that West-Saxon Prince, good Alfred buried was

  Among our Sainted Kings, that well deserues to passe.

  Nor were these Westerne Kings of the old Saxon straine,

  More studious in those times, or stoutlier did maintaine

  The truth, then these of ours, the Angles of the East,

  Their neer’st and deer’st Allies, which strongly did invest

  The Island with their name, of whose most holy Kings,

  Which iustly haue deseru’d their high Canonizings,

  Are Sigfrid, whose deare death him worthily hath crownd,

  And Edmund in his end, so wondrously renownd,

  For Christs sake suffring death, by that blood-drowning Dane,

  To whom those times first built that Citie and that Phane,

  Whose ruines Suffolke yet can to her glory show,

  When shee will haue the world of her past greatnesse know.

  As Ethelbert againe alur’d with the report
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  Of more then earthly pompe, then in the Mercian Court,

  From the East-Angles went, whilst mighty Offa raign’d;

  Where, for he christned was, and Christian-like abstain’d

  To Idolatrize with them, fierce Quenred, Offa’s Queene

  Most treacherously him slew out of th’inueterate spleene

  Shee bare vnto the Faith, whom we a Saint adore.

  So Edwald brother to Saint Edmund, sang before,

  A Confessor we call, whom past times did interre,

  At Dorcester by Tame, (now in our Calender.)

  Amongst those kingdomes here, so Kent account shall yeeld

  Of three of her best blood, who in this Christian Field

  Were mighty, of the which, King Ethelbert shall stand

  The first; who hauing brought Saint Augustine to land,

  Himselfe first christned was, by whose example then,

  The Faith grew after strong amongst his Kentishmen.

  As Ethelbrit againe, and Ethelred his pheere,

  To Edbald King of Kent, who naturall Nephewes were,

  For Christ there suffring death, assume them places hye,

  Amongst our martyred Saints, commemorate at Wye.

  To these two brothers, so two others come againe,

  And of as great discent in the straine:

  Arwaldi of one name, whom ere King Cedwall knew

  The true and liuely Faith, he tyranously slew:

  Who still amongst the Saints haue their deserued right,

  Whose Vigils were obseru’d (long) in the Isle of Wight.

  Remembred too the more, for being of one name,

  As of th’East-Saxon line, King Sebba so became

  A most religious Monke, at London, where he led

  A strict retyred life, a Saint aliue and dead.

  Related for the like, so Edgar we admit,

  That King, who ouer eight did soly Monarch sit,

  And with our holyest Saints for his endowments great,

  Bestow’d vpon the Church. With him we likewise seat

  That sumptuous shrined King, good Edward, from the rest

  Of that renowned name, by Confessor exprest.

  To these our sainted Kings, remembred in our Song,

  Those Mayds and widdowed Queenes, doe worthily belong,

  Incloystred that became, and had the selfe same style,

  For Fasting, Almes, and Prayer, renowned in our Isle,

  As those that foorth to France, and Germany we gaue,

  For holy charges there; but here first let vs haue

  Our Mayd-made-Saints at home, as Hilderlie, with her

  We Theorid thinke most fit, for whom those times auerre,

  A Virgin strictlyer vow’d, hath hardly liued here.

  Saint Wulfshild then we bring, all which of Barking were,