Collected Works of Michael Drayton

by Michael Drayton

  And I will scatter them both far and neare,

  And hencefoorth make their memorie to cease,

  Saue that the furious enemie I feare,

  And that his pride should thereby more increase,

  And they should say, and foorth this rumor ring,

  That they, and not the Lord, haue done this thing.

  They are a nation void of counsell quite,

  To vnderstand there doth not one intend;

  But were they wise, in it they would delite,

  And would consider of their latter end:

  Can one or two put thousands to the flight,

  Except the Lord do help them with his might?

  For with our God their gods may not compare,

  Our foes themselues will still the same confesse;

  Their vines of Sodome and Gomorra are,

  Their grapes of gaule, clusters of bitternesse;

  Their wine is like to dragons poison sure,

  Or gaule of aspes that no man may endure.

  And haue not I laid vp in store this thing?

  Amongst my treasures doo I not it hide?

  The recompence with vengeance wil I bring,

  And all in time their foot awry shall slide;

  For their destruction, loe, is nowe at hand,

  And mischief here euen at their heels doth stand!

  For why, the Lord doth iudge the earth alone,

  And to his seruants shew himselfe most kinde:

  When he shall see their power is past and gone,

  And none kept vp in hold nor left behind,

  When men shal say, let vs your goddes behold, —

  Where be they now whom ye so much extold?

  Which oft did eat the fatted sacrifice,

  And dranke the wine of the drinke offering?

  Vnto your helpe now let vs see them rise:

  Loe, I am God, and there is no such thing!

  I kil, giue life, I wound, make whole againe;

  Out of my handes no man can ought retaine:

  I lift my hands on high to heauen aboue,

  Immortall I, and onely liue for euer;

  My glittering sword I sharpe for my behooue,

  In righteous iudgment still I doo perseuer;

  I wil send vengeance on mine enemies,

  And many plagues on them which me dispise:

  Mine arrowes then of blood shal haue their fill,

  My sword shal eate the verie flesh of men,

  For such my saintes as they doo slay and kill,

  And for the captiues they imprison then;

  And when I once begin reuenge to take,

  From plague and vengeance then I will not slake.

  Ye nations all, honour his people then:

  He will reuenge his seruantes guiltlesse blood,

  And surely plague the vile and wicked men

  Which stoutlie haue against him euer stood;

  He will shew mercie stil vnto his land,

  And on his people brought foorth by his hand.

  A SONG OF MOSES AND THE ISRAELITES FOR THEIR DELIUERANCE OUT OF EGYPT.

  The xv. Chap, of Exodus.

  I WILL sing praise vnto the Lord for aie,

  Who hath triumphed gloriously alone;

  The horse and rider he hath ouerthrowen,

  And swallowed vp euen in the raging sea.

  He is my strength, he is my song of praise,

  He is the God of my saluation;

  A temple will I build to him alone,

  I will exalt my fathers God alwaies.

  The Lord Iehouah is a man of warre;

  Pharao, his chariots, and his mightie hoste

  Were by his hand in the wilde waters lost,

  His captaines drowned in Red Sea so farre,

  Into the bottom there they sanke like stones,

  The mightie depthes our enemies deuour:

  Thy owne right hand is gloorious in thy power,

  Thy owne right hand hath bruised al their bones;

  And in thy glorie thou subuerted hast

  The rebels rising to resist thy power;

  Thou sentst thy wrath which shall them all deuour

  Euen as the fire doth the stubble wast;

  And with a blast out of thy nostrilles

  The flowing flood stood still as any stone;

  The waters were congealed all in one,

  And firme and sure as any rockes or hilles.

  The furious foe so vainly vaunteth stil,

  And voweth to pursue with endlesse toile,

  And not returne til he haue got the spoile;

  With fire and sword they wil destroy and kill:

  Thou sentst the wind which ouerwhelm’d them all;

  The surging seas came sousing in againe;

  As in the water, so with might and maine,

  Like lead, vnto the bottome downe they fall.

  Oh mightie Lord, who may with thee compare?

  Amongst the gods I find none like to thee,

  Whose glorie’s in holines, whose feares in praises be,

  Whose chiefe delights in working woonders are:

  Thou stretchest out thy right and holy arme,

  And presently the earth did them deuour;

  And thou wilt bring vs by thy mightie power,

  As thou hast promist, without further harme:

  And for thy people, Lord, thou shalt prouide

  A place and seat of quietnesse and rest:

  The nations all with feare shall be opprest,

  And Palestina quake for all her pride;

  The dukes of Edom shal hang downe the head,

  The Moabites shall tremble then for feare,

  The Cananites in presence shall appeare,

  Like vnto men whose fainting heartes were dead;

  And feare and dread shall fall on them, alas!

  Because thou helpest with thy mighty hand;

  So stil as stones amazed they shal stand,

  Oh mightie Lord, while thine elect doo passe!

  And thou shalt bring thy chosen and elect

  Unto the mount of thine inheritance,

  A place prepared thy people to aduance;

  A sanctuary there thou shalt erect,

  Which thou, oh Lord, establish’d hast therefore,

  And there thy name shal raigne for euermore!

  THE MOST EXCELLENT SONG, WHICH WAS SALOMONS

  WHEREIN IS DECLARED THE TRUE AND VNFAINED LOUE BETWEENE CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH, CONTAINING VIII.

  CHAPTERS.

  CHAP. I

  LET him imbrace his deare with many a friendly kisse,

  For why, thy loue than any wine to me more pleasant is;

  In smel thou art most like sweet odors vnto me,

  Thy name like precious ointment is, so sweet as sweet may be;

  Therefore the virgins al of thee enamored are,

  Entice me on to follow thee, — loe, we ourselues prepare!

  The King hath brought me in to chamber richly dight;

  He is my ioy, his loue is sweet, the good in him delight.

  Ye daughters of Ierusalem, although that browne I bee,

  Than arras rich or cedars fruits I seemlier am to see:

  Disdaine me not, although I be not passing faire,

  For why, the glowing sunny raies discolloured haue my laire:

  My mothers darlings deare, with enuie swelling so,

  Haue me constrain’d to keep their vine, thus I mine own forgoe.

  Tell me, my sweet and deare, where thou thy flocke doost feed,

  Or where thy litle lamblings rest about midday indeed,

  Els shall I walke about, all wandring like a stray,

  And seeke thee, after other flocks, through many an vnknowne way.

  If that my pathes, oh paragon, be so vnknowen to thee,

  Go feed thy flock amongst the tents wher none but shepherds be.

  My true and loyal loue, I may thee well compare

  To famous Pharaos horses great, which in his ch
ariots are:

  Thy cheeks bedect with precious stone, most louely to behold;

  About thy neck likewise do hang great massy chaines of gold:

  Fine costlie borders, for my loue, of gold we wil prepare,

  With siluer studs accordinglie, of worke surpassing rare.

  Whiles he at table sat, perfumes then did I make

  Of spicknard sweet and delicate, al for my true loues sake:

  My loue, more sweet than myrrhe, between my breasts doth ly,

  Or camphere that doth spring and grow in vine of Engady.

  How faire art thou, my loue, my doue, my darling deare!

  Thine eies most like vnto the doues in sight to me appeare:

  Oh, how exceeding faire and seemly to be seene!

  The bed where we together lie is hung with pleasant greene;

  The beames our house vphold, they all of cedar be;

  The reaching rafters of the same of fyrre, that stately tree.

  THE SECOND CHAPTER.

  I AM the fragrant flower of braue vermilion hue,

  And lilie in the valey low ysprong vp fresh and new.

  As lillie flower excels the thorne or litle chyer of grasse,

  So far my loue the virgins all in beautie doth surpasse;

  Or as the barren crooked stocke vnto the straightest tree,

  No more the sonnes vnto my loue may ought compared be.

  To rest by his sweet side, to mee a heauenly blisse;

  The fruit that springeth from my loue exceeding pleasant is.

  To celler he me brings of wine aboundant store;

  His loue displaied ouer me, how can I wish for more?

  Fil foorth your flagons, then, whereof the fume may flie;

  Bring forth your cates to comfort me, — ah me, for loue I die!

  His left hand clipping close about my necke doth hold,

  His right doth sweetly me imbrace, and eke my corps enfold.

  I charge you by the roes and hinds, ye Jewish daughters all,

  Not once to stir nor wake my loue, vntil she please to call.

  But stay, me thinks, this is mine owne loues voice I heare:

  Loe, how he skips from hill to hill! loe, you he doth appeare!

  My loue is like a roe that frisketh in the wood,

  Or like the strong and stately hart in prime and lusty blood:

  He closely shroudes himselfe behind our wall, I see,

  And through the gate he dooth disclose and shew himselfe to me;

  And, calling then, he saith, Come to thine owne, my deare,

  For, lo, the clouds are past and gone, the skies are christal cleare;

  The flowers in the field so faire and freshly spring;

  The birds do chant with merie glee, the turtle now doth sing;

  The fig-trees bear such store that boughs with waight are bent,

  The vines with blossoms do abound, which yeeld a sweet accent!

  Come to thine owne, my deare, my darling, and my doue;

  Leaue thou the place of thine abode, come to thine own true loue;

  Let me behold thy face, most pleasant to the sight,

  And heare my best beloueds voice that most doth me delight.

  Destroy the subtil fox that doth the grapes deuoure,

  For, loe, behold, the time is come, the vines do bud and floure!

  My loue to me is true, and I likewise his owne,

  Which in the lilies takes repast, himselfe euen all alone:

  Until the day doth spring, or shadowes fade away,

  Be as a roe, or like the harts which on the mountains play.

  THE THIRD CHAPTER.

  BY night within my bed I romed here and there;

  But al in vain, I could not find my loue and friendly fere.

  Then straight waies vp I rose, and searching euery street

  Throughout the city far and neer; but him I could not meete:

  The watchmen found me tho, to whom I then can say,

  Haue ye not seen mine owne true loue of late come this a way?

  Then passing them, I found my loue I long had sought,

  And to my mothers chamber then my darling haue I brought.

  I charge you by the roes and hinds, this vow to me you make,

  Ye Jewish daughters, not to call ray loue till she doe wake.

  Who’s that which doth from wildernes in mighty smoke appeare,

  Like the perfumes of odors sweet which merchants hold so dear?

  About the bed of Salomon, behold, there is a band

  Of threescore valiant Israelites which al in armour stand;

  All expert men of war, with sword stil ready prest,

  Least foes in night time should approch, when men suspect them least.

  King Salomon hath made of Liban tree so sure

  A pallace braue, whose pillers strong are al of siluerpure:

  The pauement beaten gold, the hangings purple graine,

  The daughters of Ierusalem with ioy to entertaine.

  Ye Sion daughters, see where Salomon is set

  In royall throan, and on his head the princely coronet,

  Wherewith his mother first adorn’d him (as they say),

  When he in mariage linked was, euen on his wedding day.

  THE FOURTH CHAPTER.

  BEHOLD, thou art al faire, my loue, my hearts delight:

  Thine eies so louely like the doues appear to me in sight;

  Thy haire surpassing faire and seemely to the eie,

  Like to a goodly heard of goates on Gilead mountaine hie;

  Thy teeth like new washt sheep returning from the flood,

  Wheras not one is barren found, but beareth twines so good;

  Thy lips like scarlet thred, thy talke dooth breed delight;

  Thy temples like pomgranet faire doth shew to me in sight;

  Thy necke like Dauids Tower, which for defence doth stand,

  Wherein the shieldes and targets be of men of mightie hand;

  Thy brests like twinned roes in prime and youthfull age,

  Which feed among the lillies sweet, their hunger to asswage.

  Until the day doe spring, and night be banisht hence,

  I will ascend into the mount of myrrhe and frankensence.

  Thou art all faire, my loue, most seemly eke to see;

  From head to foot, from top to toe, there is no spot in thee.

  Come downe from Libanon, from Libanon aboue,

  And from Amanahs mountain hie come to thine own true loue;

  From Sheuers stately top, from Hermon hil so hie,

  From lions dens, and from the cliffes where lurking leopards lie.

  My spouse and sister deare, thy loue hath wounded me;

  Thy louely eie and seemly neck hath made me yield to thee:

  Thy loue far better is than any wine to me,

  Thy odors sweet doth far surpasse the smell where spices be:

  Thy lips like hony combe, vnder thy tongue doth lie

  The honey sweet; thy garments smel like Libanon on hie.

  My spouse a garden is, fast vnder locke and kay,

  Or like a fountaine closely kept, where sealed is the way.

  Like to a pleasant plot I may thee well compare,

  Where camphere, spicknard, dainty fruits, with sweet pomgranets are,

  Euen spicknard, saffron, calamus, and synamom do growe,

  With incense, myrrhe, and alloes, with many spices moe.

  Oh fountaine passing pure, oh well of life most deare,

  Oh spring of loftie Libanon, of water christal cleare!

  Ye north and southern winds, vpon my garden blow,

  That the sweet spice that is therein on euery side may flow:

  Vnto his garden place my loue for his repast

  Shall walke, and of the fruites therein shal take a pleasant tast.

  THE FIFT CHAPTER.

  WITHIN my garden plot, loe, I am present now!

  I gathered haue the myrrhe and spice that in aboundance growe;

  With ho
ney, milke, and wine I haue refresht me here:

  Eat, drink, my friends, be mery there with harty friendly cheare.

  Although in slumbering sleepe it seemes to you I lay,

  Yet heare I my beloued knock, me thinks I heare him say,

  Open to me the gate, my loue, my hearts delight,

  For, loe, my locks are all bedewed with drizling drops of night!

  My garments are put off, then may I not doo so:

  Shal I defile my feet I washt so white as any snow?

  Then fast euen by the dore to me he shew’d his hand;

  My heart was then enamoured when as I saw him stand.

  Then straight waies vp I rose to ope the dore with speed;

  My handes and fingers dropped myrrhe vpon the bar indeed.

  Then opened I the dore vnto my loue at last;

  But all in vaine, for why, before my loue was gone and past.

  There sought I for my loue, then could I crie and call;

  But him I could not find, nor he nould answer me at all.

  The watchmen found me then, as thus I walk’d astray;

  They wounded me, and from my head my vaile they took away.

  Ye daughters of Ierusalem, if ye my loue doo see,

  Tell him that I am sicke for loue, yea, tel him this from me.

  Thou peerelesse gem of price, I pray thee to vs tell

  What is thy loue, what may he be that doth so far excell?

  In my beloueds face the rose and lilly striue;

  Among ten thousand men not one is found so faire aliue:

  His head like finest gold, with secret sweet perfume;

  His curled locks hang all as black as any rauens plume;

  His eies be like to doues on riuers banks below,

  Ywasht with milk, whose collours are most gallant to the show;

  His cheeks like to a plot where spice and flowers growe;

  His lips like to the lilly white, from whence pure myrrh doth flow;

  His hands like rings of gold with costly chrisalet;

  His belly like the yuory white with seemly saphyrs set;

  His legs like pillers strong of marble set in gold;

  His countenance like Libanon or cedars to behold;

  His mouth it is as sweet, yea, sweet as sweet may be:

  This is my loue; ye virgins, loe, euen such a one is he!

  Thou fairest of vs al, whether is thy louer gone?

  Tel vs, and we will goe with thee; thou shalt not goe alone.

  THE SIXT CHAPTER.

  DOWNE to his garden place mine own true loue is gone,