Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works

by Michael Drayton

  This for a token certainly shall stand.

  O who am I! this wondring man replies,

  A wretched mortall that I should be sent,

  And stand so cleere in thine eternall eyes,

  To doe a worke of such astonishment:

  And trembling now with a transfixed heart,

  Humbling himselfe before the Lord (quoth hee)

  Who shall I tell the Hebrewes that thou art,

  That giu’st this large commission vnto me?

  Say (quoth the Spirit from that impetuous flame)

  Vnto the Hebrewes asking thee this,

  That ’twas, I A M: which onely is my Name,

  God of their Fathers, so my is:

  Diuert thy course to then

  And to divulge it constantly be bold,

  And their glad eares attractiuely retaine,

  With what at Sinay Abrahams God hath told:

  And tell great Pharo, that the Hebrewes God

  Commands from Egypt that he set you free,

  Three iournies thence in Desarts farre abroad,

  To offer hallow’d sacrifice to mee.

  But he refusing to dismisse you so,

  On that proud King Ile execute such force

  As neuer yet came from the Sling, the Bow,

  The keen edg’d Curt’lax, or the puisant Horse;

  But if th’afflicted miserable sort

  To idle incredulity inclin’d,

  Shall not (quoth Moyses) credit my report,

  That thou to me hast so great power assign’d.

  Cast downe (saith God) thy Ward vnto the ground,

  Which hee obaying fearefully, beholde

  The same a Serpent sodainly was found,

  It selfe contorting into many a solde.

  With such amazement Moyses doth surprise

  With colde convulsions shrinking euery vaine,

  That his affrighted and vplifted eyes

  Euen shot with horrour, sinke into his braine.

  But being encourag’d by the Lord to take

  The vgly taile into his trembling hand,

  As from a dreame he sudainely doth wake,

  When at the instant it became a wand.

  By the same hand into his bosome shut,

  Whose eyes his withered leprosie abhor’d,

  When forth he drewe it secondly be’ng put,

  Vnto the former puritle restor’d.

  These signes he giues this sad admiring man,

  Which he the weake incredulous should showe,

  When this sraile mortall freshly now began

  To forge new causes, why vnfit to goe?

  Egypt accusing to haue done him wrong,

  Scantling that bountie Nature had bestow’d,

  Which had welnere depriu’d him of his tong,

  Which to this office chiefesly had beene ow’d;

  When he whose wisdome Nature must obey,

  In whose resistance reason weakely failes,

  To whom all humane instances giue way,

  Gainst whom not subtill Argument

  Thus doth reproue this idle vaine excuse,

  Who made the mouth? who or who the care?

  Or who depriues those organs of their vse?

  That thou thy imbecillitie should’st feare?

  Thy brother Aaron commeth vnto thee.

  Which as thy Speaker purposely I bring,

  To whom thy selfe euen as a God shalt bee,

  And he interpret to th’ Egyptian King.

  That when he at thy miracles shall wonder,

  And wan with feare shall tremble at thy rod,

  To feele his power that swayes the dreadfull thunder,

  That is a iealous and a fearefull God.

  Then shall mine owne selfe purchase me renowne,

  And win me honour by my glorious deede

  On all the on th’ Egyptian throne,

  That this proud mortall euer shall succeede.

  MOSES’ BIRTH AND MIRACLES: THE SECOND BOOKE.

  The Argument.

  Moyses doth his message bring,

  Acts miracles before the King,

  With him the Magi doe contend,

  Which he doth conquer in the end,

  When by the extensure of the wand,

  He brings ten plagnes upon the Land,

  And in despight of Pharo’s pride,

  From Goshen the Hebrewes guide.

  WHEN now from Midian Moses forward set,

  With whom his wife & faire retinew went,

  Where on his way him happily hath met

  His brother Aron to the Lords intent,

  And to the Hebrewes in th’impatient hand,

  Of mighty Egypt all his power implies,

  And as the Lord expresly did command,

  Acteth his wonders in their pleased eyes.

  Those myracles mortality beholds

  With an astonish’d and distracted looke,

  The minde that so amazedly enfolds,

  That euery sense the faculty forsooke.

  The little Infant with abundant ioy,

  To mans estate immediatly is sprung,

  And though the old man could not back turne boy,

  Casts halfe his yeeres so much becomming yong,

  Whilst mirth in fulnesse measureth euery eye,

  Each breast is heap’d vp with excesse of pleasure,

  Rearing their spred hands to the glorious Skie,

  Gladly imbracing the Almighties leasure.

  These Hebrewes entring the Egyptian

  Their great Commission

  Which there repulsed as a slight report,

  Doth soone denounce defiance to the same.

  Where now these men their miracles commend,

  By which their power precisely might be tride,

  And Pharo for his Sorcerers doth send,

  By them the Hebrewes only to deride.

  Where Heauen must now apparantly transcend

  Th’infernall powers Emperiously to thwart,

  And the bright perfect contend

  With abstruse Magicke and fallacious

  Neuer was so miraculous a strife

  Where admiration euer so abounded,

  Where wonders were so prodigally rife,

  That to behold it Nature stood consounded.

  Casting his rod a Serpent that became,

  Which he suppos’d with maruaile them might strike,

  When euery Priest assaying in the same,

  By his black skill did instantly the like:

  Which Pharo’s breast with arrogance doth fill,

  Aboue the high Gods to exalt his power,

  When by his might (t’amate their weaker skill)

  The Hebrewes rod doth all the rods deuoure:

  Which deed of wonder slightly he rejects,

  His froward Spirit elate,

  Which after caus’d those violent effects

  That sate on Egypt with the power of Fate.

  When he whose wisdome the world did fare,

  From whom not counsell can her secrets hide,

  Forewarneth Moses early to prepare

  T’accost the proud King by the riuers side,

  What heauenly rapture doth enrich my braine,

  And through my blood extrauagantly flowes,

  That doth transport that endlesse maine,

  Whereas th’ Almighty his high glories showes?

  That holy heat into my Spirit infuse,

  Wherewith thou thy to

  And lend that power to our Muse,

  As dwelt in sounds of that sweet Hebruack Lyre.

  A taske vnusuall I must now assay,

  Striuing through perill to support this masse,

  No former foot did euer away,

  Where I propose unto my selfe to passe.

  When Moses meeting the Egyptian King,

  Vrgeth a fresh the Israelites depart,

  And him by Aaron stoutly menacing,

  To try the temper of his stubborne heart.
r />   When loe the Torrent the fleet hurrying flood

  So cleere and perfect Christalline at hand,

  As a black lake or setled marish stood

  At th’extensure of the Hebrewes wand.

  Where Segs, ranck Bulrush, and the sharpned Reed

  That with the fluxure of the waue is sed,

  Might be discern’d vnnaturally to bleed,

  Dying their fresh greene to a sullied red:

  Like issuing vlcers euery little Spring,

  That being ripened voyd the filthy core,

  Their lothsome slime and matter vomiting

  Into the Riuers they enrich’d before:

  What in her banks hath batning Nilus bred,

  Serpent, or Fish, or strange deformed thing

  That on her bosome she not beareth dead,

  Where they were borne them lastly burying?

  That Bird and Beast incontinenly fly

  From the detested and contagious stinke,

  And rather choose by cruell thirst to dye,

  Then once to taste of this contaminate drinke,

  And vsefull Cisternes delicatly fild,

  With which rich Egypt wondrously abounds,

  Looking as Bowles receiuing what was spild

  From mortall and immedicable wounds.

  That the faint earth euen poys’ned now remaines,

  In her owne selfe so grieuously deiected,

  Horrid pollution trauailing her vaines,

  Desp’rate of cure so dangerously infected

  The spungy soyle, that digging deepe and long

  To soke cleere liquor from her plenteous pores,

  This bloody issue breaketh out among,

  As sickly menstrues or inueterate sores:

  Seuen dayes continuing in this flux of blood,

  Sadly sits Egypt a full weeke of woe,

  Shame taints the brow of euery stew and flood,

  Blushing, the world her filthinesse to show.

  Yet sdaines proud Pharo Israel thus to free,

  Nor this dire plague his hardned heart can tame,

  Which he suppos’d but fallaces to bee,

  When his Magitians likewise did the same.

  When he againe that glorious Rod extends

  Gainst him that Heauen denieth thus to dare.

  On Egypt soone a second plague that sends,

  Which he till now seem’d partially to spare

  The soyle, that late the owner did enrich

  Him his faire Heards and goodly flocks to feed,

  Lies now a leystall a or common ditch,

  Where in their Todder loathly Paddocks breed.

  Where as the vp-land montanous and hie

  To them that sadly doe behold it showes,

  As though in labour with this filthy frie,

  Stirring with paine in the parturious throwes:

  People from windowes looking to the ground,

  At this stupendious spectacle amazed,

  See but their sorrow euery where abound,

  That most abhorring whereon most they gazed.

  Their Troughes and Ouens Toadstooles now become,

  That Huswifes wont so carefully to keepe,

  These loathsome creatures taking vp the roome,

  And croking, there continually doe creepe.

  And as great Pharo on his Throne is set,

  From thence affrighted with this odious thing,

  Which crawling vp into the same doth get,

  And him deposing fitteth as a King.

  The wearied man his spirits that to refresti

  Gets to his bed to free him from his feare,

  Scarce laid but feeles them at his naked

  So small the succcur that remaineth there.

  No Court so close to which the speckled Toad

  By some small cranny creepes not by and by,

  No Tower so strong nor naturall aboad,

  To which for safety any one might fly:

  Egypt now hates the world her so should call,

  Of her owne selfe so grieuously asham’d,

  And so contemned in the eyes of all,

  As but in scorne she scarcely once is nam’d.

  When this prophane King with a wounded heart

  (His Magi though these miracles could doe)

  Sees in his soule one greater then their Art,

  Aboue all power, that put a hand thereto:

  But as these plagues and sad afflictions ceas’d

  At the iust prayer of this milde godlike man,

  So Pharoes pride and stubbornesse encreas’d,

  And his lewd course this head-strong Mortall ran.

  Which might haue surelier setled in his minde,

  (At his request which Mosts quickly slew,

  Leauing a stench so pestilent behinde)

  As might preserue old sorrowes freshly new.

  But stay my Muse in height of all this speed,

  Somewhat plucks back to quench this sacred heat,

  And many perils doth to

  In that whereof we seriously entreat.

  Lest too concise iniuriously we wrong

  Things that such state and fearfulnesse impart,

  Or led by zeale irregularly long,

  Infringe the curious liberties of Art,

  We that calumnious Critick may eschem,

  That blasteth all things with his poys’ned breath,

  Detracting what laboriously we doe,

  Onely with that which he but idely saith.

  O be our guide whose lories now we preach,

  That aboue Bookes must steere vs in our Fate,

  For neuer Ethnick to this day did teach,

  (In this) whose method we might imitate.

  When now these men of miracle proceed,

  And by extending of that wondrous wand,

  As that resistlesse prouidence decreed,

  Thereby brings Lyce on the distemp’red Land:

  All struck with Lyce so numberlesse they lie,

  The dust growne quick in euery place doth creepe,

  The sands their want doe secondly supply,

  As they at length would suffocate the Deepe:

  That th’atomi that in the beames appeare,

  As they the Sunne through cranies shining see,

  The forme of those detested things doe beare,

  So miserable the Egyptians bee:

  Who rak’d the brands the passed Euening burn’d,

  (As is the vse the Mornings fire to keepe)

  To these soule vermine findes the ashes turn’d,

  Couering the Harth. so thick thereon they creepe:

  Now Prince and pesant equally are drest,

  The costliest silkes and coursest rags alike,

  The worst goes now companion with the best,

  The hand of God so generally doth strike.

  The Kings Pauillion and the Captiues pad

  Are now in choice indifferent vnto either,

  Great, small, faire, soule, rich, poore, the good and bad

  Doe suffer in this pestilence together,

  In vaine to cleanse, in vaine to purge, and pick,

  When euery Moath that with the breath doth rise,

  Forthwith appeareth venemously quick,

  Although so small scarce taken by the eyes.

  By which hiswisdome strongly doth preuaile,

  When this selfe-wise, this ouerweening man,

  Euen in the least, the slightest thing doth faile,

  The very beggar absolutely can,

  When now these Wizards with transfixed hearts

  To make his glory by the same the more,

  Confesse a Godhead through their Arts.

  Which by their Magicks they deni’d before.

  Yet this proud Pharo as oppugning fate,

  Still doth resist that Maiestie so hie,

  And to himselfe doth yet appropriate

  A supreame power his Godhead to deny.

  When from his wilfull stubbornesse doth grow


  That great amazement to all eares and eyes,

  When now the Lord by Aarons Rod will show

  His mighty power euen in the wretched’st Flies,

  Varying his vengeance in as many kindes,

  As Pharo doth his obstinacies vary,

  Suting his plagues so fitly with their mindes,

  As though their sinne his punishments did cary.

  In Summer time as in an Euening faire,

  The Gnats are heard in a tumultuous sound

  On tops of hils, so troubled is the ayre

  To the disturbance of the wondring ground.

  The skies are darkned as they yet doe houer

  In so grosse clouds congested in their flight,

  That the whole Land with multitudes they couer,

  Stopping the streames as generally the light.

  O cruell Land, might these not yet thee moue?

  Art thou alone so destitute of feare?

  Or dost thou meane thy vtmost to approue

  How many plagues thou able art to beare?

  Three haue forethreatned thy destruction sure.

  And now the fourth is following on as fast,

  Dost thou suppose thy pride can still endure?

  Or that his vengeance longer cannot last?

  These are as weake and worthlesse as the rest,

  Thou much infeebled, and his strength is more,

  Fitly prepar’d thee sadly to infest

  Thy sinnes so many, by their equall store.

  This wretched creature man might well suppose

  To be the least that he had need to feare,

  Amongst the rest is terrifi’d with those

  With which before none euer troubled were.

  As we behold a swarming cast of Bees

  In a swolne cluster to some branch to cleaue

  Thus doe they hang in bunches on the trees,

  Pressing each plant, and loading eu’ry greaue.

  The houses couered with these must’ring Flies,

  And the faire windowes that for light were made,

  Eclips’d with horror, seeming to their eyes

  Like the dimme twilight, or some ominous shade.

  For humane food what Egypt had in store,

  The creatures feed on, till they bursting die,

  And what in this vnhappy Land was more,

  Their loathsome bodies lastly purrifie:

  O goodly Goshen where the Hebrewes rost,

  How deare thy children in th’Almighties sight,

  That for their sakes thou onely should’st be blest,

  When all on the Egyptians light?

  What promis’d people rested thee within,

  To whom no perill euer might aspire,

  For whose deare sake some watchfull Cherubin

  Stood to defend thee arm’d in glorious

  Thou art that holy Sanctuary made,

  Where all th’afflicted cast aside their feare,