Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works

by Michael Drayton

  Neere Bishops-dale at hand, when Couer a cleere Rill,

  Next commeth into Your, whereas that lustie Chace

  For her lou’d Couers sake, doth louingly embrace

  Your as shee yeelds along, amongst the Parks and Groues,

  In Middlehams amorous eye, as wandringly shee roues,

  At Rippon meets with Skell, which makes to her amaine,

  Whom when she hath receau’d into her Nymphish traine,

  (Neere to that towne so fam’d, for Colts there to be bought,

  For goodnesse farre and neere, by Horsemen that are sought)

  Fore-right vpon her way shee with a merryer gale,

  To Borough Bridge makes on, to meet her sister Swale,

  (A wondrous holy Flood (which name she euer hath)

  For when the Saxons first receau’d the Christian Faith,

  Paulinus of old Yorke, the zealous Bishop then,

  In Swales abundant streame Christned ten thousand men,

  With women and their babes, a number more beside,

  Vpon one happy day, whereof shee boasts with pride)

  Which springs not farre from whence Your hath her siluer head;

  And in her winding Banks along my bosome led,

  As shee goes swooping by, to Swaledale whence shee springs,

  That louely name shee leaues, which foorth a Forrest brings,

  The Vallies Style that beares, a brauer Syluan Mayd,

  Scarce any Shire can show; when to my Riuers ayd,

  Come Barney, Arske, and Marske, their soueraigne Swale to guide,

  From Applegarths wide waste, and from New Forrest side.

  Whose Fountaines by the Fawnes, and Satyrs, many a yeere,

  With youthfull Greens were crownd, yet could not stay thé there,

  But they will serue the Swale, which in her wandring course,

  A Nymph nam’d Holgat hath, and Risdale, all whose force,

  Small though (God wot) it be, yet from their Southerne shore,

  With that salute the Swale, as others did before,

  At Richmond and ariue, which much doth grace the Flood,

  For that her Precinct long amongst the Shires hath stood:

  But Yorkshire wills the same her glory to resigne.

  When passing thence the Swale, this mineon Flood of mine

  Next takes into her traine, cleere Wiske, a wanton Gyrle,

  As though her watry path were pau’d with Orient Pearle,

  So wondrous sweet she seemes, in many a winding Gyre,

  As though shee Gambolds made, or as she did desire,

  Her Labyrinth-like turnes, and mad Meandred trace,

  With maruell should amaze, and comming doth imbrace

  North-Alerton, by whom her honour is increast,

  Whose Liberties include a County at the least,

  To grace the wandring Wiske, then well vpon her way,

  Which by her count’nance thinks to carry all the sway;

  When hauing her receau’d, Swale bonny Codbeck brings,

  And Willowbeck with her, two pretty Riuellings,

  And Bedall bids along, then almost at the Ouze,

  Who with these Rills enrich’d begins her selfe to rouse.

  When that great Forrest-Nymph faire Gautresse on her way,

  Shee sees to stand prepar’d, with Garlands fresh and gay

  To decke vp Ouze, before her selfe to Yorke she show,

  So out of my full wombe the Fosse doth likewise flow,

  That meeting thee at Yorke, vnder the Cities side,

  Her glories with thy selfe doth equally diuide,

  The East part watring still, as thou dost wash the West,

  By whose Imbraces Yorke aboundantly is blest.

  So many Riuers I continually maintaine,

  As all those lesser Floods that into Darwin straine,

  Their Fountaines find in me, the Ryedale naming Rye,

  Fosse, Rycall, Hodbeck, Dow, with Semen, and them by

  Cleere Costwy, which her selfe from Blackmore in doth bring,

  And playing as shee slides through shady Pickering,

  To Darwent homage doth; and Darwent that diuides

  The East-riding and me, vpon her either sides,

  Although that to vs both, she most indifferent bee,

  And seemeth to affect her equally with me,

  From my Diuision yet her Fountaine doth deriue,

  And from my Blackmore here her Course doth first contriue.

  Let my Demensions then be seriously pursude,

  And let great Britaine see in my braue Latitude,

  How in the high’st degree, by nature I am grac’d;

  For tow’rds the Crauen Hills, vpon my West are plac’d

  New-Forrest, Applegarth, and Swaledale, Dryades all,

  And lower towards the Ouze, if with my Floods ye fall,

  The goodly Gautresse keeps chiefe of my Syluan kind,

  There stony Stanmore view, bleake with the Sleet and Wind,

  Vpon this Easterne side, so Ryedale darke and deepe,

  Amongst whose Groues of yore, some say that Elues did keepe;

  Then Pickering, whom the Fawnes beyond them all adore,

  By whom not farre away lyes large-spred Blackimore,

  The Cleeueland North from these, a State that doth maintaine,

  Leaning her lustie side to the great Germane Maine,

  Which if she were not heere confined thus in me,

  A Shire euen of her selfe might well be said to be.

  Nor lesse hath Pickering Leigh, her libertie then this,

  North-Alerton a Shire so likewise reckoned is;

  And Richmond of the rest, the greatest in estate,

  A Countie iustly call’d, that them accommodate;

  So I North-Riding am, for spaciousnesse renown’d,

  Our mother Yorkshires eldst, who worthily is crown’d

  The Queene of all the Shires, on this side Trent, for we

  The Ridings seuerall parts of her vaste greatnesse be,

  In vs, so we againe haue seuerall seats, whose bounds

  Doe measure from their sides so many miles of grounds,

  That they are called Shires; like to some mightie King,

  May Yorkshire be compar’d, (the lik’st of any thing)

  Who hath Kings that attend, and to his State retaine,

  And yet so great, that they haue vnder them againe

  Great Princes, that to them be subiect, so haue we

  Shires subiect vnto vs, yet wee her subiects be;

  Although these be ynough sufficiently to show,

  That I the other two for brauery quite out-goe:

  Yet looke yee vp along into my Setting side,

  Where Teis first from my bounds, rich Dunelme doth diuide,

  And you shall see those Rills, that with their watry prease,

  Their most beloued Teis so plenteously increase,

  The cleere yet lesser Lune, the Bauder, and the Gret,

  All out of me doe flow; then turne ye from the Set,

  And looke but tow’rds the Rise, vpon the German Maine,

  Those Rarities, and see, that I in me containe;

  My Scarborough, which looks as though in heauen it stood,

  To those that lye below, from th’ Bay of Robin Hood,

  Euen to the fall of Teis; let me but see the man,

  That in one Tract can show the wonders that I can,

  Like Whitbies selfe I thinke, ther’s none can shew but I,

  O’r whose attractiue earth there may no wild geese flie,

  But presently they fall from off their wings to ground:

  If this no wonder be, wher’s there a wonder found,

  And stones like Serpents there, yet may yee more behold,

  That in their naturall Gyres are vp together rold.

  The Rocks by too, my glories forth to set,

  Out of their cranied Cleeues, can giue you perfect ,

  And vpon Huntclipnab, you euery where may
find,

  (As though nice Nature lou’d to vary in this kind)

  Stones of a Spherick forme of sundry fram’d,

  That well they Globes of stone, or bullets might be nam’d

  For any Ordnance fit: which broke with Hammers blowes,

  Doe headlesse Snakes of stone, within their Rounds enclose.

  Marke Gisboroughs gay Scite, where Nature seemes so nice,

  As in the same shee makes a second Paradice,

  Whose Soyle imbroydered is, with so rare sundry Flowers,

  Her large Okes so long greene, as Summer there her Bowers,

  Had set vp all the yeare, her ayre for health refin’d,

  Her earth with Allome veines most richly intermin’d.

  In other places these might be thought,

  So common but in me, that I esteeme as nought.

  Then could I reckon vp my Ricall, making on

  By Rydale, towards her dear-lou’d Darwent, who’s not gone

  Farre from her pearly Springs, but vnder-ground she goes;

  As vp towards Crauen Hills, I many haue of those,

  Amongst the cranied Cleeues, that through the creepe,

  And dimbles hid from day, into the earth so deepe,

  That oftentimes their sight, the senses doth appall,

  Which for their horrid course, the people Helbecks call,

  Which may for ought I see, be with my Wonders set,

  And with much maruell seene: that I am not in debt

  To none that neigboureth me; nor ought can they me lend.

  When Darwent bad her stay, and there her speech to end,

  For that East-Riding cald, her proper cause to plead:

  For Darwent a true Nymph, a most impartiall Mayd,

  And like to both ally’d, doth will the last should haue

  That priuiledge, which time to both the former gaue,

  And wills th’East-Riding then, in her owne cause to speake,

  Who mildly thus begins; Although I be but weake,

  To those two former parts, yet what I seeme to want

  In largenesse, for that I am in my Compasle scant,

  Yet for my Scite I know, that I them both excell;

  For marke me how I lye, ye a note me very well,

  How in the East I raigne, (of which my name I take)

  And my broad side doe beare vp to the German Lake,

  Which brauely I suruey; then turne ye and behold

  Vpon my pleasant breast, that large and spacious Ould

  Of Torke that takes the name, that with delighted eyes,

  When he beholds the Sunne out of the Seas to rise,

  With pleasure feeds his Flocks, for which he scarse giues place

  To Cotswold, and for what becomes a Pastorall grace,

  Doth goe beyond him quite; then note vpon my South,

  How all along the Shore, to mighty Humbers mouth,

  Rich Holdernesse I haue, excelling for her graine,

  By whose much plentie I, not onely doe maintaine

  My selfe in good estate, but Shires farre off that lye,

  Vp Humber that to Hull, come euery day to buy,

  To me beholding are; besides, the neighbouring Townes,

  Vpon the Verge whereof, to part her, and the Downes,

  Hull downe to Humber hasts, and takes into her Banke

  Some lesse but liuely Rills, with waters waxing ranke,

  Shee Beuerley salutes, whose beauties so delight

  The fayre-enamoured Flood, as rauisht with the sight,

  That shee could euer stay, that gorgeous Phane to view,

  But that the Brooks, and Bournes, so hotly her pursue,

  To Kingston and conuey, whom Hull doth newly name,

  Of Humber-bordring Hull, who hath not heard the fame:

  And for great Humbers selfe, I challenge him for mine:

  For whereas first, and Sheifleet doe combine,

  By meeting in their course, so courteously to twin,

  Gainst whom on th’other side, the goodly Trent comes in,

  From that especiall place, great Humber hath his raigne,

  Beyond which hee’s mine owne: so I my Course maintaine,

  From Kilnseys pyle-like poynt, along the Easterne shore,

  And laugh at Neptunes rage, when lowdl’est he doth rore,

  Till Flamborough iutt foorth into the German Sea.

  And as th’East-Riding more yet ready was to say,

  Ouse in her owne behalfe doth interrupt her speech,

  And of th’Imperious land doth liberty beseech,

  Since she had passed , and in her wandring race,

  By that faire Cities scite, receiued had such grace,

  Shee might for it declame, but more to honor Yorke,

  Shee who supposd the same to bee her onely worke,

  Still to renowne those Dukes, who strongly did pretend

  A title to the Crowne, as those who did descend

  From them that had the right, doth this Oration make,

  And to vphold their claime, thus to the Floods she spake.

  They very idly erre, who thinke that blood then spilt,

  In that long-lasting warre, proceeded from the guilt,

  Of the proud Yorkist,; for let them vnderstand,

  That Richard Duke of Yorke, whose braue and martiall hand

  The Title vndertooke, by tyranny and might,

  Sought not t’attaine the Crowne, but from succesfull right,

  Which still vpheld his claime, by which his valiant sonne,

  Great Edward Earle of March, the Garland after wonne:

  For Richard Duke of Yorke, at Wakefield Battell slaine,

  Who first that title broach’d, in the Henries raigne,

  From Edmond a fift sonne of Edward did descend,

  That iustly he thereby no title could pretend,

  Before them com’n from Gaunt, well knowne of all to be,

  The fourth to Edward borne, and therefore a degree

  Before him to the Crowne; but that which did preferre

  His title, was the match with Dame Anne Mortimer,

  Of Roger Earle of March the daughter, that his claime,

  From Clarence the third sonne of great King Edward came,

  Which Anne deriu’d alone, the right before all other,

  Of the delapsed Crowne, from Philip her faire mother,

  Daughter and onely heire of Clarence, and the Bride

  To Edmond Earle of March; this Anne her daughter tide

  In wedlocke to the Earle of Cambridge, whence the right

  Of Richard as I said, which fell at Wakefield fight,

  Descended to his sonne, braue Edward after King,

  (Henry the sixt depos’d) thus did the Yorkists bring

  Their title from a straine, before the line of Gaunt,

  Whose issue they by Armès did worthily supplant.

  By this the Ouze perceau’d great Humber to looke grim;

  (For euermore shee hath a speciall eye to him)

  As though he much disdain’d each one should thus be heard,

  And he their onely King, vntill the last defer’d,

  At which hee seem’d to frowne; wherefore the Ouze off breaks,

  And to his confluent Floods, thus mighty Humber speaks.

  Let Trent her tribute pay, which from their seuerall founts,

  For thirtie Floods of name, to me her King that counts,

  Be much of me belou’d, braue Riuer; and from me,

  Receiue those glorious Rites that can giue to thee.

  And thou Marsh-drowning Don, and all those that repaire

  With thee, that bringst to me thy easie Aire,

  Embodying in one Banke: and Wharfe, which by thy fall

  Dost much augment my Ouze, let me embrace you all,

  My braue West-Riding Brooks, your King you need not ,

  Proud Nyades neither yee, North-Riders that are borne;

  My yellow-sanded Your, and thou my sister Swale,

 
That dauncing come to , through many a daintie Dale,

  Doe greatly me inrich, cleare Darwent driuing downe

  From Cleeueland; and thou Hull, that highly dost renowne

  Th’East-Riding by thy rise, doe homage to your King,

  And let the Sea Nymphs thus of Humber sing;

  That full an hundred Floods my Court maintaine,

  Which either of themselues, or in their greaters traine,

  Their Tribute pay to me; and for my princely name,

  From Humber King of , as anciently it came;

  So still I sticke to him: for from that Easterne King

  Once in me drown’d, as I my Pedigree doe bring:

  So his great name receiues no preiudice thereby;

  For as he was a King, so know ye all that I

  Am King of all the Floods, that North of Trent doe flow;

  Then let the idle world no more such cost bestow,

  Nor of the muddy Nyle, so great a Wonder make,

  Though with her bellowing fall, shee violently take

  The neighbouring people deafe; nor Ganges so much praise,

  That where he narrowest is, eight miles in broadnesse layes

  His bosome, nor so much hereafter shall be spoke

  Of that (but lately found) Guyanian Orenoque,

  Whose Cateract a noyse so horrible keepe,

  That it euen Neptune frights; what Flood comes to the Deepe,

  Then Humber that is heard more horribly to rore?

  For when my Higre comes, I make my either shore

  Euen tremble with the sound, that I afarre doe send.

  No sooner of this speech had Humber made an end,

  But the applauding. Floods sent foorth so shrill a shout,

  That they were eas’ly heard all Holdernesse about,

  Aboue the Beachy Brack, amongst the Marshes rude,

  When the East-Riding her Oration to conclude,

  Goes on; My Sisters boast that they haue little Shires

  Their subiects, I can shew the like of mine for theirs;

  My Howdon hath as large a Circuit, and as free,

  On Ouse, and Humbers banks, and as much graceth me,

  My Latitude compar’d with those that me oppugne:

  Not Richmond nor her like, that doth to them belong,

  Doth grace them more then this doth me, vpon my coast,

  And for their wondrous things, whereof so much they boast,

  Vpon my Easterne side, which iutts vpon the Sea,

  Amongst the white-scalp’d Cleeues, this wonder see they may,

  The Mullet, and the Awke, (my Fowlers there doe finde)

  Of all great Britain brood, Birds of the strangest kind,

  That building in the Rocks, being taken with the hand,