The vision and discourse of HENRY the seuenth, concerning the vnitie of Great Britaine.
GReat
Plutarch
in the life of Pompey.
Pompey in a iollitie did boast,That if he did but stampe vpon the ground,
Such swarmes of friends would aid him from each coast,
That
Caesars forces he should soone confound:
So great his fortune, and his prowesse were,
That fatall dangers he could neuer feare.
But my poore Muse an humble pace must creepe,
[...]or feare of waking swarmes of secret foes;
My muse some vnfrequented pathe must keepe,
Least some in ambush her weake force inclose.
When
Parsons,
and Tortus,
wronging the late Queene Elizabeth
and King Iames.
graues, & thrones of Princes are attempted,How may a meaner fortune be exempted?
Thus far o're eeue my thoughts to verse aspir'd,
Intending
Britaines concord for their theame;
When suddenly againe my muse retyr'd,
Not daring to indure bright
Phoebus beame.
"A poem which it selfe can scarce defend,
"Can litle helpe to other causes lend.
Whilst I for
Albions weale did thus take care,
Dame nature crau'd her due, and clos'd mine eyes
With heauie sleepe, yet fancie would not spare
To represent these stately prodigies.
Me thought I saw the person of a King,
Whom winged Cherubins to th'earth did bring.
His spangled mantle was of Azure hue,
With stars like heau'ns bestudded euery where;
Which did foreshew true wisdoms clearest view,
Of all those Kings which did the scepter beare.
His crowne was gold, whose spires aloft were seene,
And by his side there stood his louely
Elizabeth
the daughter of Edward
the 4.
Queene.
[Page 2]Their left hands held the
The arms of Yorke, and Lancaster.
Roses white and red,In whose defence were
Philip Con
[...]es hist. lib.
4. cap.
7.
foure score Princes slaine;Like
Cadmus seed their bloud each other shed,
Till these by mariage were made one of twaine:
And afterward such peace there did insue,
That neuer since
Mars could those broyles renew.
In their right hands they held a scutchin faire,
Wherein the picture of a
K. Iames.
King was drawne,Which makes his forraine enemies despaire;
And for truths life, his owne deare life doth pawne.
Who still with danger doth himselfe oppose,
Against his Churches, and his countries foes.
They often view'd this picture with delight,
And to the same the King these words did vtter,
My sonne, said he, the sunne which clear'd the night,
Of
Englands feares, gainst whō no claime durst mutter,
We ioy in heau'n that thou on earth doost raigne,
Which to the heau'ns so many soules wilt gaine.
For first thy drouping cleargie thou didst reare,
Which are the
Isa. cap. 58.
[...].
trumpets of the King of Kings;To sound his praise, and to procure his feare;
And arme th'elect 'gainst serpents poysned stings.
These haue indur'd the front of spitefull
Rome,
And yet sustain'd strong factions push at home.
These are the
Math. 10.40.
heraulds of the Lord of hoasts,Which bring his peace, or else denounce his threat:
These faint not for the
Babilonian boasts,
Nor Schismaticks whose braines on trifles beat:
Thrise famous was their former constancie,
Thrise famous be their new
[...]ntegritie.
Yee Pilots which doe keepe the middle channell,
And shunne the shelfes, and shores on euery side;
A saint-like iury doth your iudge impannell,
Which in their verdict for your weale prouide.
The Chiefe-chiefe-iustice for you hath decreed,
That still for you shall stand the royall seed.
[Page 3]Let hellish Miners hellish sulphur lay,
To ouer-turne their faithfull steddinesse,
Let Atheists raue, and blasphemies display,
Let others shew their brainsick headines;
The heau'ns bright eye sees all, and will confound,
All those which striue to bring them to the ground.
Some-times his kingly prophecie shall tell,
Some-times the graue
Cecilian Sentinell;
And oft his foes shall ring th' alarum bell:
And
Witnesse the writings of
VVatson, and the letter of
Tresham.
traiterous tongues shall traiterous plots repell."For gainst the right all treasons are accurst,
"Like poisons they their first inuenters burst.
Long liue (my
Iames) for thy true Churches good;
Long liue the Church thy true right to maintaine,
No King no Church, no Church no King had stood;
The one without the other hath a maine:
And since your loue with Gods loue is vnited,
With mutuall loue this land shall be requited.
It neuer greeues me that mine
Henry the eight.
Henries lineIs quite expir'd, since I in thee doe liue:
Since greatest families must stoope to thine,
Which to it selfe doth dayly luster giue:
Thine Eglets shall this little world inioy,
Not fearing ought the greater worlds annoy.
Yet must I not forget
Elisa's name,
The quintessence of all the femall sex:
Whose vertues did extoll her worthy fame
Aboue her proudest foes which did her vex:
Who often did attempt her life to spill,
Yet had not powre so good a Prince to kil.
Like
Debora she did the truth maintaine,
No Prince atchiu'd more warlike acts then shee,
No Prince so many
Bartas in the 2. book, of the 2. day of the 2. weeke.
languages did gaine,Who forreiners interpreter could be.
Her dauntlesse spirit made the stoutest feare;
Yet to the poorest shee inclin'd her eare.
[Page 4]Her court was royall, yet she did not grieue
Her subiect hearts with heauy tax, nor tolls,
Distressed states shee alwayes did releeue,
Whose Chronicles her great exployts inrouls.
Meane while all England thriu'd & prospred well,
And now her blisse no earthly tongue can tell.
That
Phoebe long did this horrizon hould:
And as she far'd, so
England ebd, and flow'd:
At length her crest the highest sphaeres did fould,
Whilst Englands subiects in great darknesse row'ld.
When from the North another light appea'rd,
Which nights black mantle quickly had casseer'd.
Once
Europes Princes did on scaffolds stand,
To feed their eyes with Englands tragedie,
But then they saw twas heau'ns all powerfull hand,
Which did present a ioyfull Comedie.
For now the world a
Ecclesiastes 4.12. England, Scotland, & Ireland.
three-fold cord doth see,Which by no strength, nor force may broken bee.
When
Rome enui'd
Iustin. lib. 34.
Achaias waxing strength,Which to an vniformitie was growne,
The Senate sat in counsell, and at length
Decreed, that discord must be quickly sowne.
They thought that first their league they must vntwine
Or else that state they could not vndermine.
To which intent they Commissaries sent,
To draw each Cittie to her ancient lawes;
"Who told those
Greekes t'was bondage to be pent
"Within the compasse of the Lions pawes.
"That lofty Eagles tooke no note of Flyes,
"Nor great commanders of small families.
"That yearely Praetors were the onely Kings,
"Which soone returnd their suites, and writts againe:
"With these the wrong'd expostulates such things
"As awfull feare with others must refraine.
"Where euery Burgesse is a Senator;
"And each wise Citizen a Monitor.
[Page 5]"Thus stand prouincials of the
Romaine state,
"A time they Lord-like liue, but at the last
"The meanest may their cause with them debate,
"Of iniuries which in their time haue pass't:
"Then are they faine to plead as priuate men,
"And fancie-feeders alwayes faile them then.
"For if these petty Kings haue offered wrong,
"Within the yeare in which their powers confin'd;
"That time expir'd each Citizen is strong
"To right himselfe, and to the lawes them binde;
"Then are they sure to haue a due reward,
"As they haue had a right, o
[...] wrong regard.
"Those sponges then are forced to repay
"The liquor, which from others they did soake:
"Protection may not course of Iustice stay,
"Nor venale tongues may venale iudgments cloake.
"Thus did
Romes conquered countries flourish more,
"Then vnder Tyrants they did earst before.
"And as for
Rome the nursse of liberty,
"It Consuls had which yearely it did change:
"Where worthy men had place themselues to trye,
"And had a field where vertue's life might range.
"Yet if within the yeare they did offend,
"The Tribunes with them shortly would contend.
"Man's chiefe content is freedom to the minde,
"The heauiest doome is bondage to the heart,
"The one delight in all estates doth finde,
"The other griefe, and neuer dying smart.
"The sight, smell, touch, the hearing, and the taste.
"Are sowre to those which are in bondage plac't.
"The Oxen still the heauie yoake do shunne,
"The Bird the cage, the Hawke vnman'd the lure;
"Each beast from man with hasty speed doth runne,
"Least once intrap't it thraldom should indure.
"But men much more, & yee much more then other,
"Should quit your selues, & not your freedō smother.
[Page 6]With this smooth speech these
Romans did assay
To breake th'
Achaians sacred bond of loue,
For neuer did this state it selfe betray,
As other
Greekes which strangers aid did prooue▪
"For ciuill broyles, and forrein force or'throw,
"As stormes doe Cedars which alone doe grow.
Now when th'
Achaians heard this sl
[...]e discourse,
They sounded soone the ground of their intent:
They knew
[...]ight well coniunction was the nource
Of all their weale, which
Romans would preuent:
Then like to Bees they sallyed out in swarmes,
And would haue slaine them but for law of armes,
Whilst
In sreta um fluvij
[...]rrunt
[...]ing. Ac
[...]id. 1.
springs to streames, & streames to sea did run,Whilst hils made shades, & heau'ns had starrs to shine,
Th'
Achaians concord should not be vndone;
And all their hearts in one they would combine:
If
Rome by sword their vallor meant to trie,
Together they would liue, together dye.
So would all th'
English if some were not wrongd
By selfe conceit, and charmes of sorreine foes:
They would performe what vnto right belong'd,
And with their wrack not hazard
Britains woes.
"Woes will attend on those which woes contriue,
"And such as peace out of the world would driue.
No other land, nor Church doth
Babel dread;
Here is the golden meane twixt two extreames,
If any land with veri
[...]y do wed,
Tis
Albion, which display's the brightest beames:
As in full orbe the Moone giue
[...] greatest light;
So
Britaine now is in her power and might.
This is the cause why
Rome such paines doth take,
Her braine is lymbeck't for some queint deuice;
Her search doth diue into the
Stygian lake;
Her broken strength she musters in a trice;
As flyes on sores; or waters in a breach:
So are her troopes, this Ile to ouer-reach.
[Page 7]Amōgst those lands which haue disclaim'd her power,
This land hath still maintain'd most worthy spirits,
Whose valour, wisdom, truth aloft did towre;
And challeng'd fame, and glory for their merits:
As farre as
Titan sends his lightsome rayes:
So farre the world resoundeth
Englands praise.
How oft haue th'
English curb'd the
Mercur
[...] Gollobelgi cus anno. 1588.158.
Spanish pride?And vanquisht them in their owne seas and lands?
Who still did hope all
Europe to diuide
By colonies, for
Austria's line to stand:
But
England onely hath them ouer-throwne,
And euer since their powre hath backward grown.
The
Mid-earth sea, the
Indies East and West
Haue seene, and felt their prowesse, and their force:
Their
Crefwe
[...] Andreas, Philopate
[...]
policie hath made them safely rest,Within their bowres, though
Rome did them diuorce.
Though
Spanish force, and
Romish curse agreed;
Yet
England hath it selfe from bondage freed.
For since the
Welsh all former hate did bury,
And loyall loue did vow to new made friends,
All
Englands foes since that haue felt their fury,
And
Wales like walls the
English coast defends:
That now the Church and Vniuersities,
Do triumph dayly in these firme allies.
So now the
English haue a new increase
Of
Northren friends, in vallour like the rest,
So that all broyles of bordering warres must cease,
And now this Ile may more aduance her crest:
What power so euer dares her Lions wake,
Tis in their power a due reuenge to take.
Their bloud shall with the
English bloud be matcht,
New bonds of loue shall cancell former hate:
They shall not now by fearfull eye be watcht,
All scorne shall dye the fuell of debate:
Like
Iustin. l. 44.
Gerion they shall their force vnite,And loue with loue, and faith with faith requite.
[Page 8]Thus from the world, this once
Penitus toto diuisos orbe
[...]ritannos. Virgil. Eglog. 1.
diuided Ile,Is now become a famous monarchie:
Though long it did it selfe with bloud defile,
Now is it crown'd with peacefull amitie:
Thus by the Lord of hoasts her stormes are calmed,
Thus are her wounds by his owne hand embaulmed.
Shal then earths wormes contend with heauens great king?
Shall flitting
Iesuits, & Seminaries with their perfidious adherents.
vagrants breake a setled peace?Who for themselues a weake defence do bring;
Who see their Patrons power still to decrease.
Shall
Rome declining to that height aspire▪
To set a world within it selfe on fire?
Who cannot quench a flame so
In Venice
neere begun;But yeeld to time, and temporize for feare.
Shall others to her
Hauing lost the far greatest part of Germany, all the Northeast countries, of Dē marke▪ & Swethland. great part of Poland, & Hungary: the Lowe countries & France.
wayning power be wonne?And on their necks this helplesse idoll beare?
Like to the Rocks whereon the waues do beat:
So are all those whom
Romane curse doth threat.
The birds of th'aire, and those caelestiall
Angels.
legions,Which ouer vertuous Kings do alwayes houer,
These heare the speeches of the lower regions;
And to the highest will these wrongs discouer.
"All
Prou. 8.15.16.
power's from heauen & heauen will it defend,"And ill shall be to those that ill intend.
CHAP. 2. Inducement to vnitie.
WHen
Arist meteor. lib. 2.
cap 8
vapours moist, and exhalations hotte,Into the ayres mid regiment are hail'd,
The fierie fume, cloud smoothered, scornes his lott,
And breakes the prison where it was inthral'd,
Then ayery Cannons in such sort do thunder,
As if the firmament would cleaue a sunder.
[Page 9]So different humours on this earthly stage,
Send from their fantasies such store of vollies,
As if the world in his old wayward age,
Should make a rendz-vous of all his follies:
Yet their assaults the truth can no way scarre,
Nor fruitlesse passions reasons strenght can marre.
For
Vnitie from heauen her selfe deriues,
And there her truest image doth remaine,
Who seekes her breach against himselfe doth striue,
And on his head his shafts returne againe;
Yet selfe-conceit strange paradoxes houlds,
As wandring Goates delight in change of foulds.
The first reason from the Trinity.
THe onely
One
Trinus in numero, vnus in numine.
distinct in persons three,In glorious essence neuer is diuided,
Three Tapers light in one doe all agree,
And by this light th'elect to blisse are guided,
"For mans dull thoughts heauens mysteries cannot see,
"Except faiths windowes thence tralucent be.
Where quintessence of all perfections dwels,
How can there any difference arise?
Man blinde and fraile, with sullen enuie swels;
His minde doth varie as his bodies guise.
Which is the cause that vnderneath the sunne,
There's nothing soundly, or in order done.
The generall
Councels of the worlds great Clearkes,
Where publick good so fairely is pretended,
They are but pageants of some priuate querkes,
Where vice is masked, and no fault amended:
"The world growes weake, and art must now sustaine,
What natures strength, and vigor did maintaine.
When motions are on foote though neu'r so good;
And though propounders often merit praise,
Yet still by factions they are so with-stood,
[Page 10]That truth, and right them-selues can hardly raise.
Some witts consent though somewhat they will adde,
Some witts triumph to make good causes bad.
But with
Iehouah, the true square of right,
The
August. epist. 11
[...].
eye of truth, the arme of strength and force:Which sees all falshood in the darkest night;
And doth vprightly iudge without remorce:
How can their odds by any weaknesse be,
As man with man in strife too oft we see?
The second reason from the Heauens.
HEre is the perfect view of
Vnitie,
To which the worthiest creatures do aspire;
The Heauens, and Elements do mooue hereby,
Else to their Chaos they would soone retire:
If these should not their place and order keepe,
Men should not here on earth so soundly sleepe.
The
Psal. 19.6.
circled motion of the spangled wheeles,Which
primum mobile about doth carry,
Proou's heau'ns great concord, for ther's none that reeles
Out of his place, or that maine course doth varie:
The changing Moone, which earthly things presents,
Her course with other starres no whit preuents.
As maskers when they heare sweet Musick's sound,
They tread their Measures by so perfect Art,
As if their bodies were by trauise bound,
Or that they were all guided by one heart:
So heau'ns great Orbs together runne their rings,
As they are charged by the King of Kings.
From th'
Empyreall heau'n, which doth imbrace,
The other heau'ns, and all the elements,
All keepe true
Psal. 48.6.
quarter, teaching
Adams race,That they so le
[...]rne to order their intents,
That lawfull concord they do neuer crosse,
Least ciuill discord bring a fatall losse,
The third reason from the Elements.
IF fire and water should their armies bring,
Into earths vallies they would all deuoure;
If ayre should from his triple station fling,
No creature could retaine his vitall power:
The earth would then her deluge plaints renew,
As once the borders,
Britaines strife did row.
The happiest gouernment they do obserue,
Which is the preseruation of the whole;
From this decree they neuer yet did swerue,
Since glistering starres carreer'd about the pole:
Twixt fire and water, which are deadly foes,
The onely-wise, the ayre did interpose.
The earth and ayre true correspondence keepe;
The sunne is
Arist. meteor lib. 2.
cap. 4.
arbitrator twixt them both,Some-times he lets the spongie clowds to weepe,
On earths drye face, and then as being lothe
To offer wrong, from flouds and briny seas,
He paies that moisture which the ayre doth please.
The fourth reason from Man.
BVt if
Man list not pierce into the skies,
To search the formall motion of the sphaeres,
Let
Man but set himselfe before his eyes,
And hee shall see what gouernment he beares:
For great
Iehouah gaue him comly feature,
And made him lord of euery liuing creature.
And as a
King, to counterpoise his cares,
Hath oft recourse from profit to delight,
So with this Monarch of the earth it fares,
Some creatures serue his tast, and some his sight:
Some carry him into what coast he please,
And some are Phisick for his bodies ease.
Which like the eye it selfe cannot behold:
And though he tread vpon this earthly ball,
Yet is he grac't with
Solomons song, cap. 4.
beauties manifold:For of a soule, and body he is framed,
So that he is the Kingly creature named.
The soule of man, a
Plena deo, similis
(que)
[...]reanto. Prudentius.
glimpse of heau'nly light,Conueys it selfe to all the bodi's members;
Yet it affoords a view, and perfect sight,
Whereby man vnderstands; fo
[...]esees, remembers:
Whose swift discourse and motions are so strange,
That through the world this little world doth range.
And as a Captaine of besieged howlds
Suruayes the Ports, and weakenesse of the walls,
Then his aduice to others he vnfoulds,
And to the watch the
Corps du gard hee calls:
So doth the soule preuent the bodies danger,
Least it should be surprised by a stranger.
Hereby he is Gods
Gen. 1.28 Psal. 4.
Viceroy here below,O're whom heau'ns
Psal. 104.2.19.22.23.24.
starry canopie is spread:On whom by day the sunne doth light bestow;
Whom in the night the other starres haue lead:
Who holds all of the great
Lord Paramont ▪
That he his praises daily may recoun
[...].
None can recount his boundlesse regiment,
To whom no part of earth hath beene forbidden,
Whose body doth vnite each element,
And in the same a soule diuine is hidden:
Which so conioynes with th'elementall frame,
That Man th'vnited mirrour we may name.
If we shall view right reason at the length,
Which is a choice perfection of the soule;
Oculus hominis anima, animae ratio; rationis relligio.
Christianity will shew her powerfull strength,And will obtaine praecedence in this rowle.
"For with faiths hand we hould our mediator,
"And as a toy neglect the worlds Theater.
[Page 13]So that the world is for his creatures made,
The creatures for man's body dayly serue,
The body is vnto the soule a shade,
The soule likewise true reason to preserue;
Right reason doth containe religious bounds,
Whose Anchor's cast far from these earthly mounds.
This is the chaine which heau'n to earth doth linke,
The golden bracelet of mans greatest blisse,
Yet must not man of his weake merits thinke,
But of his grace which
2. Cor. ca. 12.9.
all sufficient is.For
Man is not thus happy by his
Ex pacto, non ex facto Bernard.
fact,But by
Iehouah's onely free compact.
Thus is the earthly
Church, heau'ns dearest spouse,
Not by emissiue, but attractiue beames;
This bounty great should our dull spirits rowse,
To make his praises be our onely theames:
Whose charge maintaines vs on this earthly globe,
And couers vs with his all-righteous robe.
O happy creature of so kinde a founder!
Whose power creat's, whose prouidence maintaines:
Of thy great glory who shall be the sounder?
Poore man is weake to chaunt such lofty straines:
Let Angel's, trumpets of thy glory ring;
Let heau'nly saints thine
Aleluias sing.
Let earths low vallies her faint ecchoes lend;
And to this heau'nly quier make some report,
The harshest voice heau'ns artick will attend,
And with his grace mans weaknesse will support.
Nay he accepts the
2. Corint. 8.12.
meaning for the deed,And with supplies our drouping faith doth feed.
The disuniting practise of Sathan.
BVt as the highest doth th'elect vphould
From sad dispaire, by th'vnion of his sonne,
So
Lucifer makes other rebels bould,
[Page 14]To run that course that
Adam had begun:
For still he compasseth both seas, and lands,
To ioyne one souldier to his trayterous bands.
As
Pride was first the pro-scaene of his fall,
And of that crew which with him did conspire;
So now he vents his mallice, and his gall,
Gainst man, which hath a sparke of heau'nly fire:
For since he cannot wrong the strong of strongs,
He s
[...]ares no seruant which to him belongs.
Yet doth he not professe hostilitie,
But on each folly s
[...]ts a
Cyprian. epist. 40.
varnisht glosse;By which poore man with all agilitie,
Doth eagerly pursue his greatest losse:
Hee takes aduantage of mens seuerall age,
That into dangers he may them ingage.
In prime of youth, when heat of lust abounds,
He blowes the coales of selfe-consuming pleasures;
And afterward with auarice he drownes,
The vitall spirits with carke of worldly treasures,
Then late repentance, time, and death consent
To end that life, which was in folly spent.
Yet he suggest's lust but a youthfull trick,
And couetosnesse an honest thrifty care;
The
Maecchiauillians to be pollitick,
And those most valiant which no sex do spare:
That to be cleanlinesse, when in great pride,
Men robbe all creatures, their true shapes to hide.
Hee's first a slaue, and prentise for some yeares,
A perfect humorist for all assayes,
At last he tyrant turnes, and ouer-peeres,
All humaine comfort, and himselfe displayes:
As
Vsurers first get the bonds of heyres,
And then their lands, and tenements are theirs.
But as the
Salamander which doth liue,
In suites of law, and quarrels with his betters,
Is soone discerned, and the Iudge doth giue
[Page 15]No place to him but with the fond barretters:
So is mans foe by th'highest iudge disclaimed,
And he is hurt which would haue others maimed.
Thus mans arch-enemy pursues with hate
The breach of vnion with his Mediator:
Thus hath he euer striu'd to make debate
Twixt th'earthly Monarch, and his great Creator:
And alwayes where a vertuous concord failes,
This busie make-bate by his slights preuailes.
The body of Man.
BVt now to leaue
Mans soule with his first maker,
Which by faiths conduct climes heau'ns battlements,
Where once inrowl'd it is with him partaker,
Farre from the danger of all sad euents:
Let
Man but thinke of his weake bodies masse,
And he shall see true
Vnions liuely glasse.
For though it be a prison to the soule,
A rotten barke such treasure to
[...]
Yet this poore frame the best state doth controule,
In prudent care each member to maintaine:
The toe scarce feeles the gowte, or any greefe,
But euery part doth feele, and seeke reliefe.
The senses window's see, and shunne the ill,
Which may insue, and ayme at all things good:
The heart from beating neuer standeth still,
It sends the spirits, where dead palsie stood:
The baser parts food to the maw doe bring,
Whence vnto them it flowes as from a spring.
The stomack, like a Cooke, each messe doth boyle,
And from the Port-vaine sends it to the liuer,
Then turn'd to bloud, it feeds the bodies soyle,
As
Aegipts fields are cheer'd by
Nilus riuer:
For from the hollow veine, small veines are fed,
As from a spring are many Conduicts led.
The fift reason from the experience of Nations.
SLie
Berosus.
Nymrod first did follow Natures lawe,And did comprise a body politick;
Who stragling families to his charge did draw,
Which long had beene of ciuill discord sick:
Then soone they ioyn'd in loue, and left their bowres,
To build, for
Nimrod, Babilons high towres.
But proud
Ambition like a dropsie fares,
The more it drinkes, the more it doth desire;
As
Nimrod by that ayerie towre declares,
For which he had confusion for his hyre:
This heape of Ants was by diuision broken,
Which of each state the ruine doth betoken.
He thought all future deluge to preuent,
And on this towre amongst the clowds to walke:
He scorn'd in earths low cellars to be pent,
And of the highest did prophanely talke:
But where he thought his honour to aduance,
There was the tragedie of his mischance.
When publike shewes at priuate ends do ayme,
Those proiects faile, and haue the like euent;
But who with care preuents each publike maime,
The publike-weale shall crowne his calme intent:
Thus holy writ: thus former times haue taught,
Though now the world be with new figmēts fraught.
Some factions are in loue with nouelties,
And different mindes their different fancies follow;
They shunne the meane, and seeke extremities,
They straine at Gnats, and Elephants do swallow:
In some mistaking of conceited ill,
The
Quintus Curtius, lib. 5.
Gordion knot of concord they would spill.
[Page 17]But as thy Clergie (
Iames) thou didst relieue,
Esteeming all their wrongs as done to thee;
Whom stormes aloft, and rocks below did grieue,
From shipwracks danger thy great care set free:
That seas waxe calme, and rocks are now discried,
Which shew of zeale so long did closely hide:
So shall the rest of
Britaine be vnited
By the rights champion which vndaunted art,
Which smil'st to heare what passions haue indited,
'Gainst reasons force which humors would peruert.
"A comprimise each party must offend,
"Which to the center of the right doth tend.
When
Plutarch in
[...]he life of
Theseus ▪
Theseus founded the
Athenian state,Which long for Arts, and Vallour wonne the price,
He first asswag'd the
Atticans debate,
And for their concord gaue so sound aduice
That if the
Greekes had so vnited beene,
They had not yet their head long downfall seene.
When
Liui lib. 1
dec. 1.
Plutarch in th
[...] life of
Romulus.
Romulus had built his seau'n-hild
Rome,Which afterward all countries did subdue,
The
Sabines first he brought vnto his home,
Which did with armes their womens losse pursue:
But so the
Romaine policie preuail'd,
That they conioyn'd, and
Romaine sons assail'd.
Then
Numa, Publicola, and the rest,
Which in the
Romaine gouernment succeeded,
By all faire meanes their borderers did inuest,
Within their state, and in all loue proceeded:
For still they gaue them equall priuiledge,
Which was of faithfull loue, the truest pledge.
This was their course th'
Italians to bring vnder,
Of weale, and woe, they were partakers still;
So that no force this frame could breake a sunder,
Till they of conquests did the stories fill.
But when from
Tacitus lib 2
hist. cap. 15.
forraine warres their armes did rest,Ambitious
Hydra rais'd her various Crest.
[Page 18]The
Greekes likewise, when strangers did inuade,
They flourish'd most by force of Vnitie;
For then they were one corporation made,
And bent their vallour 'gainst their enemie.
If they had yearly
[...]ear'd the
Persian warre,
To ciuill slaughters it had beene a barre.
None but great
Plutarch. the life of
[...]lexander
[...]odor. Sic.
[...]. 16.
Philip and his warlike sonne,Could curbe the
Greekes from shedding
Greekish bloud;
And then by them great
Alexander wone,
The worlds great globe, no strēgth his power withstood:
As
Britains twins conioyn'd on
Belgias plaine,
Their fronting foes to flight they still constraine.
Th'
Arabian Agarims of
Ismaels race,
Which
Sarazins by
Mahomet were named,
They were a people abiect, meane, and base,
Till
Mahomet to vnion had them framed:
Which done in warres and peace they so agreed,
That soone themselues from
Knowlles
[...]n the gene
[...]all hist. of
[...]he Turkes.
Romain thral they freed.Then
Africk, Aegypt, Syria they subdued,
And so conioyn'd disioynted lands did seaze,
That dayly they their strength, and power renew'd,
And vanquished their borderers at ease:
So farre they raung'd that lands farre of did feare,
And gaue them fees that armes they would forbeare.
The
Thea
[...]. winc. orbis, de Tur
[...].
[...]mperio.
Turkes likewise which with them did remaine,Which did increase when
Sarazins were imploy'd,
By their great vnitie such power did gaine,
That
Europe, Affrick, and
Asia they cloy'd:
For in the flowre of these three they are plac'd,
And haue the glory of them all defac'd.
From
Buda to the great
Constantinople.
Constantines seate,And from the
Euxine sea to
Savus bankes,
The Christians may their losse with griefe repeat,
For
Turkes thus farre haue led their Moonye rancks:
Bulgaria, Seruia, Greece, and
Hungarie,
And other lands within this tract do lye.
The land from
Velez t'
Alexanders towne;
Alexandria.
From
Bugia to
Guergula they're bold,
T'aduance the ensignes of their great renowne:
Their warres are but their
Ianisaries breathing,
And
Christian gifts their swords keep frō vnsheathing.
But they for Vnitie do take such care,
And are so warie discord to preuent,
That they their Emperours
Knowl
[...] in the lif
[...] of
Amur▪ the first.
brethren will not spare,Nor cease from bloud, till all that line be spent:
One warlike sproute they do maintaine aliue,
And by that meanes their hearts in one contriue.
Meane while they breake both heau'ns & natures lawes,
Their Empires power, and greatnesse to maintaine:
But nice conceits demurre, and long do pawse
The heau'ns, and natures gift to intertaine:
"Such is the frailtie of all humaine witte,
"That restlesse folly best the turne doth fitte.
O giddie thoughts, and groundlesse feares of men,
Which do preuent all rest vnto the minde!
Ill guided passion is much like a wenne,
Which to the body we disgracefull finde.
Nubi mens es
[...] vincta
(que) fraenis, vbi reg
[...] Boethi
consola philosop lib. 1. m
[...]
Feare, hope, loue, hate, contempt, desire, griefe, ioy,Do cloud the minde, and thrall it with annoy.
And as their ciuill discord ouerthrow,
All sound content in any priuate bower:
So in a state, much more, where humors flow,
Each blast doth raise huge billowes euery hower:
Such stormes of discord kingdomes ouer-whelme,
That warily their Kings must hold the helme.
My great
Grand-sonne doth hold no other course,
Then that which vertuous Kings did still intend:
They alwayes held that Concord was the source
Of endlesse peace, for this all strife doth end:
Though many yeares this land all meanes did trye,
Yet heau'ns till now this proffer did denie.
[Page 20]Eight hundred yeares
[...]he duke
[...]mmer
[...]etter to
[...]oun
[...] of
[...]
two heires did not affoord,Of
Britaines kingdoms, which might match together,
Yet in Prince
Edwards time no sound accord,
Could be obtain'd, that
Mary might come hither:
And when all humaine plots, and proiects fail'd.
By IAMES,
Iehouahs firme decree preuail'd.
Nine hundred yeares likewise the truth was seal'd.
And barr'd from sight of this, and other lands;
Vnto some few heau'ns mysteries were reueal'd,
Which did discard them-selues from
Romish bands:
For which they many tortures did indure,
To prooue the truth, and their election sure.
Of this same truth my
Iames is now ordain'd
A matchlesse champion in this monarchie,
Who with firme constancie and zeale v
[...]fain'd,
Doth labour to confirme an
Vnitie:
As of this Ile hee's now the onely King,
So to one Truth he would each subiect bring.
And though some few may Barricadoes make,
To stop the course of his deuout intent,
Yet from the highest courage he shall take,
And Hell it selfe shall not his ayme preuent:
The least designe shall some incounters haue,
The worthiest act some factions will depraue.
No earthly good is cleare from all offence,
None merits sweet, which will not taste the sowre;
None can with great
Iehouahs lawes dispence,
For earth would then mans loue, and hope deuoure.
Man then would make the earth his biding place,
Which is ordain'd but for a breathing race.
Things truly good haue alwayes hard ascents,
And resolution must vndaunted be;
If any one do sooth his fond intents
With idle hopes, his error hee shall see:
No Church, no
[...] State, from enuie can be free,
Hee's worse then blind, which nought but ill doth see.
[Page 21]Disloyall thoughts their authors chiefly wrong,
He hath his losse in chace which hurts his friends:
With
vnitie a land is chiefly strong;
If concord faile all power to ruine tends.
But
Praesenti
[...]bus semper insestal
[...]u
[...] tas.
Sen. de Tranq. ca.
Lightnesse doth distaste the present still,And things farre off surprise the wish and will.
The
Indies gold earths yellow excrement,
How dangerously and deadly is it bought?
How long are men in floting prisons pent,
Before they can obtaine what they haue sought?
Yet gold from men, or men from gold must part,
When death assaults with his not-missing dart.
But
Vnitie, which maketh thousands blessed,
Without the daunger or the losse of one:
Where none shall be by
Neptun's waues distressed:
Where none shall heare the sire, or widdowes mone:
Why should it be without great cause neglected?
Why should the publike-good be so reiected?
Cred
[...]litie doth often daungers breede,
And slow beleefe doth oft foreslow th'occasion:
Once to
Columbus we gaue little beede,
When he made proffer to the English nation
That if we did but furnish him with ships,
All
Europes glorie we might soone ecclipse.
He said he knew there was another world,
And to the same he would the
Hakluit Eng. vo
[...] vol 3. pag
Pilot be:If skill did faile o're boord he would be hurl'd;
So sure he was that th'
Indies he should see,
Where was of siluer and of gold such store,
As in the old world was not seene before.
But we esteem'd his speech an idle dreame,
And after long delay his suite denied:
We wey'd his words at our owne fancies beame:
And thus repuls'd, he onely thus replyed:
That he would all the
Christian Princes trie,
And would not rest till all did him denie.
[Page 22]When after tedious suites to
Europes kings,
He found his motions euery where neglected;
At length to
Arragon his suite he brings,
Where
[...] Mar de nouo
[...], pag. 1.
Castiles queene what he desir'd effected.Then was that done which he had long informed,
And what he promis'd duly he performed.
What since insu'd all lands haue felt and seene,
For to a concord
Spaine was soone reduced;
And to all lands she hath a terrour beene;
Since from her league she hath not beene seduced:
Her
Indies gold, and Concord so preuail'd,
That
England, Fraunce, and
Italy sh'assail'd.
In
Eightie eight her hopes deuour'd this Ile;
And
Fraunce since that with warres she hath infested:
Great
Charles the fifth made
Italy stoope awhile,
And
Belgia alwaies is by her molested;
Which if she get a floting bridge shee'le make,
By which shee'le hope all
Europes lands to take.
No other meanes the
Spaniards did aduance,
But those which wayward Folly here refuseth;
Men at this nicenesse oftentimes do glance,
And wonder how such motions it abuseth:
For all the world conceiues, and well doth know,
That Concord doth an endlesse peace bestow.
It is a truth which neuer yet did faile,
That home-bred
Vnitie makes sure defence;
And if men lift farre countries to assayle,
It alwaies makes a firme and strong offence.
As many streames which in one channell mee
[...]e,
Passe vncontroul'd till
Neptune they do greet.
This practise made
Plutarch his life.
Themistocles renowned,When by a message to the
Persian king
He kept the
Greekes from beeing quite confounded,
And to his countrie Victorie did bring:
For all the
Grecian nauie would haue parted,
If he their purpose had not soone diuerted.
[Page 23]For when they were at
Salamin assembled,
And that the
Persian fleet did lie in sight,
As out of loue to
Zerxes he dissembled,
And wish't him quickly to begin the fight,
For if the
Greekes he tooke not in that bay,
They soone would be dispers't some other way.
The king next morne gaue order for the charge,
And in a streit the
Greekes made their defence:
But their vnited force did them enlarge,
Some ships they tooke, and draue the rest from thence:
And so their victorie they did pursue,
That
Persians neuer durst those warres renew.
Yet cunningly they ciuill warres maintain'd
Betwixt th'
Athenians and the
Spartans bold;
They knew if
Greece true
Vnitie attain'd,
Great
Persia could not long her Empire hold:
As
Romists now of
Britanie do thinke,
That now she's ioyn'd, their hopes must quickly sink.
CHAP. 3. The policie, deceit, and spite of the vnderminers of Britaines Vnitie.
AL
Romes Vsurpers by diuision striue,
To breake the forces of each potent king,
When others iarre, they keepe the stakes and thriue:
Thus into bondage they the world did bring:
And though they seeme t'vphold a publike peace,
Their traitrous engines daily do increase.
Thus in My raigne the Laitie was abused,
When Ignorance could not
Romes follies checke,
When by no sexe their pleasure were refused,
Wealth, Honour, Beauty, seru'd the Clergies becke:
Yet of their liues to haue a iealousie,
T'was sacrilegious, and maine Heresie.
[Page 24]This heauie mischiefe euery subiect bare,
The more he had the greater was his paine,
And
kings themselues might not with them compare,
Though wrongs were rife they must complaints refrain,
Else were their subiects for the Church in armes;
So were men subiect to those hellish charmes.
We wondred then how
kings their freedome lost,
How spotted Leopards had the Lyons mated,
Kings budding power they nipt as with a frost,
Nor was there hope to haue their pride abated:
But when of freedome
kings did most despaire,
The King of kings their freedome did repaire.
The truth likewise by meanes most strange appear'd,
And at th'appointed time none could keepe backe
That powre diuine which true professers chear'd,
And did the world of endlesse folly checke:
That we may yeeld all honour to his name,
Who by weake meanes such worthy acts doth frame.
For now each man may see the truth refin'd,
Through many christian Principalities:
Now many see which heretofore were blind,
That
Rome consists of meere Formalities:
Like apples faire in shew neare
Sodoms lake,
Which beeing toucht to dust do quickly shake.
For
Rome doth now that Puritie abiure,
Which to her glorie many yeares she held,
To fancies now she doth her selfe inure:
The Oracles diuine are now expeld:
Else doth shee conster them to her owne pleasure,
To raise her pride, or to increase her treasure.
As water powr'd into the choicest wine,
For many houres when both of them runne ouer,
Doth leaue no colour, nor a taste behind,
VVhereby his liquour
B
[...]cchus may discouer:
So
Romes inuentions haue the Truth out-borne,
That auncient truth is now expos'd to scorne.
[Page 25]Her outward reuerence is the onely glasse,
To dazle millions of th'vnlearned traine,
When silly larkes by these faire shewes do passe,
They'r caught, and neuer may returne againe:
For vnto
Saints they do their prayers make,
And do the
God of power and loue forsake.
Vnto the blessed
Virgin they do build
More stately temples, and more altars faire,
Then vnto
Christ whose churches are not fil'd
With equall presents; few to him repaire:
So are they from their high Creator led,
And to his creatures they themselues do wed.
Pompilius the
Romans second king,
Forbad all
Plutarch in his life.
images of powers diuine:He said their woorth surpast each earthly thing,
And that they farre aboue our skill did shine:
That colours lost their colour once compar'd
With that high court where hosts of Angels ward.
The
Iewish Church could not, nor can indure
T'adore the image of their famous
Moses.
guide:His interview with God could not procure,
That they for him a statue should prouide:
And he which of his praise is iealous still,
Did
Deut. 34.6.
hide his corps such fond intents to spill.Though by
Iehouahs high commaund they cast
A
Num. 21.8.9.
brasen serpent curing serpents sting,Yet when the bounds of due regard they past,
And adoration vnto it did bring:
T'was by Gods herald into peeces
2. King. 18 4.
broken,Though t'were of
Ioh. 3.14.
Christ a certaine signe and token.How fearefull then and charie should men be
To frame on earth corriuals of his glorie?
How from idolatrie should men be free,
Since worthiest things are pages of his storie?
To greatest Saints which on the earth did breath,
He from his store their measure did bequeath.
[Page 26]Shall then these drops of good which from him flow,
Hold counterpoise with their eternall spring?
Shall man on man that sacred praise bestow,
Which doth belong vnto the worlds great King?
Such praise vndue the
Saints aboue disclaime,
Which at their great Creators praise do ayme.
But
Rome herein doth represent the Doue,
Which beeing siel'd doth striue aloft to flie.
So is she sooth'd by flatterie and selfe loue,
That she no way her weaknesse can descrie:
In her great shewes of Zeale true zeale doth swarue,
As
Tantalus amidst his foode did starue.
As for
Romes Lyturgies not vnderstood,
Or Sermons where the Legends are so rife,
Vnto the soule thei'r bare and windie food,
Whereby
Rome doth confound Deuotions life:
Thus man with God, and God with man conferres,
Thus both the zeale and vnderstanding erres.
Who knowes not, cannot feare the highest Iudge,
Nor can he feele the riches of his loue,
Who scorn'd on earth like to the vilest drudge,
For his elect a sacrifice did prooue:
Who now
Mat. 11.28.
inuites them to his sacred throne,To ease their griefe and to releeue their mone.
Conf
[...]ssors now vsurpe that function high,
To heare and pardon euery hainous sinne:
Adulterie, murder, poyson, blasphemie,
Haue easie penance, and a fresh begin:
Where pardon may so quickly be obtain'd,
Why should prophanest actions be refrain'd?
If villanies may not thus be secur'd,
Their actors will vnto some Altars flie,
Which from the
Pope indulgence haue procur'd,
To salue for many worlds each maladie:
Here are all winow'd by the Popish fan,
None is excluded but the
Lutheran.
[Page]If any one by drowsie Negligence
Vnpurged die, and fall to Purgatorie,
The Altars
Pro defunctis rid him thence,
By mumbling Masse hel
[...] charming Oratorie:
A golden world it is when earth can vaunt
Of new-found engines hel
[...]ish power to daunt.
What is more royall then to pardon those,
Whose often crimes their Soueraigne haue prouoked?
Herein the Highest doth his grace expose,
Which
Rome seemes now in such sort to haue broched▪
That euery Priest by
Popes can grace deriue,
A world of worlds from ruine to repriue.
Whereas the best should their saluation worke,
With awfull trembling, and an holy feare,
All
Romists in securitie may lurke,
They need not any enterprise forbeare:
For
Pardons plenarie from the holy sea,
Will be for all a warrantable plea.
Besides, the blessed
Virgin will commaund
Her
Christ, that he the
Romists may not charge:
And all the
Saints will make a ioynt demaund,
That from their sinnes he may them all enlarge:
Then euery
Saint will his
devoto free,
And then a present pardon there shall be.
For all those numbers of the blinded crew,
Shall boldly stand before the iudgement seate:
They'l plead, they held the
Romane faith most true,
And from the same they neuer did retreat.
As
Rome bele'ft, so did they still beleeue,
And now her
Saints and she must them releeue.
These are the vaunts of all the limmes of
Rome,
Which far beyond their bounds hath them transported,
For which she must expect a fearefull doome,
Since she the holy Writ hath thus retorted:
Not many yeares proud
Babylon shall stand,
Which gainst the truth so long her selfe did band.
[Page 28]As they which are the
Pastors of mens soules,
Which many stragglers to their Pastor bring;
Which do conduct them to th'eternals
Dan. 12.3
foulds,O're whome he did vouchsafe to stretch his wing:
As these shall shine like heau'nly lampes most cleare,
VVhose liues and doctrine did so bright appeare;
So
Rome which by inticements hath allur'd
So many from
Iehouahs reuerence,
VVhich hath of blisse her champions assur'd,
By giuing false and subtill euidence:
To darkest Labyrinth she shall be throwne,
VVhich to confound the light hath errors sowne.
The auncient
Rome was happie in her warres,
VVhen her spread Eagle did the earth ore-spread,
But now the gates of heau'n and hell she barres,
Some she sets vp, on others she doth tread:
Her fauorites, her
Popes do
Tortura Torti, pag. 361.
Vice-gods stile,Man's blest or curst as they do frowne or smile.
Is now the worlds Commaunder more remisse,
Then he hath beene to punish heinous sinne?
Or hath
Rome onely that indulgent blisse,
VVhereby she doth such reputation winne?
No Church or State had such a Monopoly,
To barter sinnes, and make prophaners holy.
The
Israelites which were to
God most deare,
Which for his Church he made peculiar choice;
These were to him aboue all other neare;
Yet when they did neglect his sacred voice,
Their sins eclipst his fauourable eye,
That he would not releeue their miserie.
He punisht them for their idolatrie,
And other sins, in
Rome scarce sins esteemed:
Twixt
God and Sinne there's an Antipathie,
And disobedience is as witchcraft deemed:
When wretched miscreants call th'infernall power,
To wrong
Gods glorie, and themselues deuoure.
[Page 29]The holy writ, truths surest Testament,
Which in
Cimerian darknesse, light doth giue;
With precept, and example it is sent,
To curbe mans sin, and teach him how to liue,
When man is with sinnes heauie burden grieued,
By
God and
Man his sorrows are relieued.
From him alone doth all perfection flow,
By him we are with righteousnesse inuested,
From none besides doth certaine comfort grow,
Mans great vnworthinesse must be detested:
Mans pardons are but letters form'd in sand,
Which not a moment in effect do stand.
When man in viewing his deformities,
Prostrates himselfe before the worlds dread King,
Intending to reforme enormities,
So farre as humaine frailty strength may bring:
When in these thoughts a liuely faith ariseth,
Which to Gods mercy constant trust aduiseth;
When these concurre within a mortall brest,
Conducted by th'elects most sacred guide,
The Pastor may pronounce that party blest,
His pardon's granted, and he may not slide:
There is no law, nor danger vnto those
Which are in Christ, and thus their thoughts dispose.
But vnto those that welter in their sinnes,
Whose liues are fraught with all impiety,
Which for the innocent do lay their ginnes,
Which scorne reproofe, and all sinceritie:
Heau'n scornes such guests, & their all-pard'ning priests
As vile blasphemers, and meere Atheists.
Then let not
Rome of charter warrant boast,
To sport her selfe at pleasure with each sinne;
The Maiestie diuine doth raise an host,
Whereby he will his ancient glory winne:
Then shall the
Romists perish like to them
Which were confounded in
Ierusalem.
[Page 30]Meane while let th'heart of all true
Christians bleed,
Let wandring thoughts retire themselues with shame:
Let these abuses detestation breede,
To see this age so haughty, yet so lame:
When holiest things are set to open sale,
Why should it not each worthy minde appale?
Bright
Phoebus thou, which
Mat. 27.45
hidst thy face from view,When
Christ for man by man death's paines indur'd:
Oh hide thy face againe since now in liew,
Of humble thankes the world's to pride inur'd.
Such pride as striues to ouerthrow
Christs throne,
And in that place to re-aduance her owne.
For if
Rome were content with wronging those;
Which in the circle of her charmes do liue,
If shee sought not all kingdomes to inclose
Within her power, and lawes to Princes giue:
Some hope there were that truth might haue some rest.
Where now all countries are by her opprest.
As
Belzebub th'aires Prince, and King of Flyes,
Imploys for mans o'rethrow his damned swarmes:
So
Papall furies dayly play their prize,
Against the truth to put their troupes in armes:
From these no state, or kingdome may be free,
Except by heau'ns they shall protected be.
To th'heauens tis cleare, that this is one maine let,
That
Vnitie due passage cannot haue,
For at this Churches concord they do fret,
And seeme as if at th'
Albans they did raue,
But
Englands peace, and weale they would preuent,
What ere they faine, this is their slie intent.
The great
Lipsius de Romanorum machinis.
Testudo fitly they resemble,Which in their batteries the
Romans vsd:
For vnder them th'assaylers did assemble,
That from the walles they were not hurt nor brus'd:
So
Romists vnder
Vnions hate do lurke,
And shade them-selues their hellish mines to worke.
[Page 31]By armes long time ill fortune they haue tryed,
Now pollicie must be their chiefe defence:
When they into the Court, and Church haue pried,
To sooth all grieuance they make faire pretence:
Of iealousie they cherish many sprouts,
And from vaine feares they raise a thousand doubts.
Against the
VVatson.
Puritans one while they stormed,And termed them the cankers of good order:
Now do they
Tortus.
sooth them 'gainst the church conformedAnd call subscription tyranous disorder:
For where all factions they on foote maintaine,
They hope the sooner their deseigns to gaine.
This proou's the world in his decrepit age,
When slights must be the st
[...]lts to stay his fall:
Rome vaunts her selfe a scourge for heau'ns great rage,
Yet is she sauadge as the
Canniball:
None did sterne
Tamberlain so
Knowlles, in the life of
Baiazet the first.
cruell see;In shedding bloud he would more charie bee.
The
Romaines did hostilitie proclaime,
And
Florence did her
Machiauel Floren. hist. lib. 2.
Martinella ring;They thought that enterprise was honours maine,
When
Cic. offic. lib. 1.
vndenounced warre their force did bring:Much more they scorned traitors to maintaine,
Or giue rewards to those which Kings had slaine.
Fabritius did not thus with
Plutarch in the life of
Pyrrhus and
Camillus.
Pyrrhus deale,
Camillus did not thus
Faleria winne:
For to their foes they traitors did reueale,
But
Romists now extoll this deadly sinne:
No maruell then if
Concord they would spill,
Which all the world with mutinies do fill.
As Froggs of
Aegypt and those heapes of Lice,
Which plag'd th'
Aegipt
[...]an for his stubbornesse:
So are the
R
[...]maine Clericks which intice
Each Princes subiects to vnfaithfulnesse.
These like
Camelions wander euery where,
Instructing treacheries, and to forsweare,
[Page 32]As when the body is with humors full,
A little bruse these humors doth attract;
So in a state their
Priests do draw each gull,
Whose wealths impair'd, or reputation cract.
Such swelling vlcers
Iesuits do make,
Till launcing iustice due reuenge do take.
Once famous
Rome for iustice in thy warres,
Once famous for the
Christian truths defence;
Now trecherous cowardise thy glory marres,
Thy truth is now become but truths pretence:
Thy
Ignis fatuus doth to ruine lead,
Those, which for thy supremacie do plead.
What will they not by thee led on aduenter?
Hoodwink'd by thee what mischiefe will they shunne?
Steepe rocks they'l clime, and diue to earths low center,
To periurie, murder, treason they will runne,
As if they should performe some worthy act,
Or follow their great
Mediators tract.
When famous
Paulus Venetus.
Godfrey with the
Christian powers,Expell'd the
Sarazins from the holy land,
When Citties, Castles, and the strongest Towers,
This valiant generall could not long withstand:
The
Assassins for their bloud-thirstie King,
Did to the
Christians often danger bring.
This peoples countrie did on
Persia bound,
And at the foote of
Libanus was seated;
Dame nature did with Mountaines garde it round,
That all assaults thereof were soone defeated:
For through one entry they did onely passe,
Which by the fort
Tigado garded was.
This plaine, great store, and surplussage affoorded,
Of vse-full things, which to mans life pertained;
As if the earth her treasures there had hoorded,
And that else-where her fauour she refrained:
Or that th'
Amalthean horne did there abide,
And did it selfe from other countries hide.
[Page 33]Th'inamel'd medowes were with riuers lac't,
And fring'd about with many sorts of bowers,
Where busie Art her diuers skill had plac't,
To helpe the pleasure of retiring howers:
Though Nature ground, and Art bestow'd aduice,
Yet was this land the instrument of vice.
For
Aladine which term'd himselfe Diuine,
Which both a King and God would needs be stil'd,
His best inuentions daily did refine,
That men in pleasures traunce might be beguil'd:
For houses of delight he there did build,
Which with the fairest curtizans he fil'd.
This done, he sent his factors euery where,
To bring to him some youngsters for his turne;
For these are void of warinesse and feare,
Besides these most with
Paphian flames do burne,
These with expence will oft their pleasures buie,
And soone imbrace fit opportunitie.
When any one was to
Tigado brought,
There did he rest till some Sun-shinie day:
Then should he take a Dose which charm'd his thought,
And did his senses bind without delay:
Then in a swound they richly him array'd,
And to the pleasant gardens him conuay'd.
There in short space his senses he enioy'd,
And all those obiects which his senses pleas'd:
His sight and touch by coynesse not annoy'd,
The fairest and the loueliest damzels seiz'd:
One day he did possesse his pleasures fill,
And all disports did sooth thi
[...] straungers will.
But when the Sun drew to his westerne goale,
And made long shadowes as euen low things do;
In banquetting his wits and robes they stole,
Then
Aladins castle he was brought vnto;
Where beeing wakened he began to thinke,
How he from heau'n was brought to Stigian brinke.
[Page 34]Then
Aladine began with him to commune,
And told him that in
Paradise he had beene,
Where he all ioyes for his true friends did summon,
That yet he had not halfe those pleasures seene:
Which if he would by faithfull seruice gaine,
This life expir'd he alwaies should obtaine.
This promise did so raise this captiues hart,
And others which thus fondly were abused,
That all did striue which first should act his part,
No dangerous action was by them refused:
If
Aladin would kings or captaines kill,
They striu'd who first his pleasure should fulfill.
Thus was the Countie of
Mountferrat slaine,
So was the valiant Duke of
Tripoly,
These
Richard Cordelions tent did staine
With blood, whome
Aladine had mark't to die:
For so vaine hope of happinesse preuail'd,
That
Kings in their pauilions they assail'd.
At length this crew of murtherers were
Knowls
[...]. hist. of
[...] Turkes,
[...]. 113.
besetBy
Scythians, which
Hayton had procur'd;
Which after many yeares their fort did get,
And since the world hath not such wrongs indur'd:
Till
Rome to bloud her champions did intice,
With full assurance of like paradise.
For
Rome can subiects from
[...]ellar. de
[...]m. Pont.
[...]. 5. cap. 6.
allegiance free,And bind them to their kings when she shall please,
All must of heau'n or hell partakers be
Of endlesse paines, or of eternall ease:
As to the sea of
Rome they stand affected,
And as
Romes fauours are on them reflected.
To baulk the Laicke
Papists still deluded,
With the opinion of antiquity;
Which do accompt the
Protestants secluded
From the true Church by their fond sophistrie:
Since
Iesuites by name and power are great,
Tis fittest of their vertues to intreat.
[Page 35]These are the
Mercuries which are imploy'd,
In all commissions for the
Romish state;
Their carriage of all offence is voide,
These cherish loue, renouncing all debate:
These plead for kings, or else they should so do,
For both their names and office tend thereto.
But from this scantling how their courses stray,
The heau'ns do see, and earth too oft doth feele,
If
Monarchies the highest did not sway,
The greatest kingdomes with their stormes would reele▪
These raise the tempests of all discontent:
Which vertuous kings by fauour would preuent.
The
Seductor, Sweco, Ga
[...]lo ficaerius, &c. Carolus Molinaeu
[...]
Swecians king by slights they haue seduced,Vnto the
French they stabbers vile do prooue;
The
English they to treason haue induced,
And serue as spies the
Emperour to moue:
Their craft fits
Spaine; their faire speech
Italie,
And
Iesuits onely can that part supply.
Thus do the Sec'lar Priests of them report,
And those
Italians which to them are neare:
Which plainely see their iuggling in such sort,
That trauellers of them this verdict heare,
That of the
Romanes, Clergie-men are worst,
And of the Clergie,
Iesuits most accurst.
Yet both their
Popes and they, farre off are fear'd,
And forraine nouices do them adore,
Whose consciences are with hot irons sear'd,
VVhose festred soules do still retaine the core:
VVhich as a plague will suddenly infect
All those which trade with this inchanting sect.
Alexander the third that haughtie
Pope,
VVhome
Romans scorn'd and often did expell:
How did he
Englands second
Henry mope,
VVith thundring curse, that he to penance fell?
Since when gainst
Popes few
kings durst once to striue
Lest they their bane and mischiefe should contriue.
[Page 36]For by Tradition, or fresh policie,
Where Popish practise hath a lawlesse range,
Such sauage massakers are rais'd hereby,
That
Turkes and
Pagans think the same most strange:
As
Christ by miracle hath mariage grac'd,
So
Rome by murders hath the same defac'd.
An hundred thousand Protestants were slaine,
When
Bourbon and
Valois were match't together;
A cloude brake then into that bloodie raine,
When they were most assur'd of fairest weather:
No aged sires, nor infants at the brest,
Could be repriu'd from sudden deaths arrest.
If bloodie stratagemes should be rehears'd,
Which
Rome hath plotted in each
Christian land;
A
Christian heart would with remorce be pierc'd,
And with the thought thereof amaz'd would stand:
That
Popes which do themselues
Christs Vicars call,
Should
Christian lands with
Iewish rage inthrall.
But if the
Powder-plot shall be remembred,
By any one but of that damned crew,
How King, Prince, Nobles should haue bin dismembred,
With many friends which there the Miners knew,
When
Englands gentrie, and her choicest flower,
One hellish vault of sulphur should deuoure.
When
Englands Church, most neare the Primitiue,
Should there haue lost their reuerent Lords of note;
When skilfull Iudges iustice to deriue,
Should die by those, which do on errors dote:
When many
Cur
[...]ii must haue seru'd that lake,
Of which the child vnborne complaints should make,
If any one should recken halfe those woes,
Which did attend on that darke dismall act,
A world of miseries he should disclose,
More fit for Furies, then for humane fact:
As feends with men ioyne hands to work mans ill,
So
Rome with hell conspires to haue her will.
[Page 37]When those, which wield the sword of iustice, faile,
A Chaos of confusion soone will follow;
When feare of punishment doth not preuaile,
The greatest part will in prophanenesse wallow.
"Such is the base ingratitude of man,
"That rodds worke more then any fauour can.
There might a man haue seene the goodliest shew,
That worth, or order could on earth present,
All turn'd to horror, and the saddest view,
That euer eye could see, or tongue could vent:
All had alike beene into peeces torne,
Their battered lims had diuerse wayes beene borne.
Where then my
Iames, where had thine ayerie beene,
Ordain'd to be the scourge of haughty
Rome?
The royall tree, and all the branches greene,
That tempest had o'reblowne in chiefest bloome:
No family could so the truth defend,
Gainst which so many sects their force did bend.
Of many families of high discent,
Whose Prince to
Rome should haue beene sacrificed:
The
Protestants their guide would most lament,
In preparation of their ayde surprised:
"In mighty armies which with furie close,
"The Generall lost, makes passage for his foes.
How many thousands would haue mourned then,
Both for their King and for their chiefest friends:
Whilst
Hell and
Rome would send fourth gracelesse men,
Which for this fact would make this ill amends:
They would haue said (their plot not then detected)
That heauen had
Englands heresies corrected.
Who euer saw a towne well man'd assaulted,
When murdering shot was on the breaches bent,
When martiall men on euery side exalted
Their bloud, and liues for honours
[...]uerdon spent:
When walles and trenches were with men bestrewd,
Which with each others bloud themselues imbrew'd.
[Page 38]Who after this hath heard their friends bewayling:
Some their owne brethren, some their fathers deare,
Some shedding teares for sonnes no whit preuailing,
Which were to them in bloud and loue most neare:
VVho hath this seene but one poore scaene hath seen
Of Tragedies, which had in
England beene.
For siege of townes makes peace within their wals,
And cooles the heate of all intestine broyles;
All forraine warre vnto agreement cals
That home-bred discord, which all cities spoiles:
And though some worthie men do loose their liues
In honours field, their glorie daily thriues.
But if the
Miners had their wish obtain'd,
And had the pillars of this state oreturn'd,
Great Britanie had of endlesse strife complained,
And had within it selfe like
Aetna burned:
The best deseruer had beene as a groome,
Debar'd the honour of his auncients tombe.
Then might each wayward thought with ease perceiue,
The happinesse of awfull gouernement,
And that they do themselues of good bereaue,
Which lend their eares to causlesse discontent:
"For busie heads like shaking palsies are,
"Which alwaies moone, yet all good motions marre.
When rich
America the
Spaniards got,
And of the
Indians millions they had slaine;
T'was held to be the chiefe
Iberian blot,
Which all her other actions there did staine:
For which they pleaded, that they Pagans were,
And that their numbers iustly they did feare.
But why gainst
Christians, Christians should thus raue,
Not differing much in faiths foundations?
Why
Romists should themselues like wolues behaue,
Like deuils to blow vp this famous nation?
The world can guesse no other cause but pride,
VVhich
Popes by other colours seeke to hide.
[Page 39]Is this the Church whose Prelate
Christ resembles,
VVhich was the mirror of humilitie?
Yet at our Sauiours voice each creature trembles,
But
Popes though weake marre all tranquilitie:
VVhose artificiall wings heau'ns heat will melt,
Then shall they feele what others oft haue felt.
VVhat can blood-thirstie
Rome pleade for defence?
VVhat brazen maske such horride facts can hide?
VVhat mint of treason may with this dispence,
This new-coin'd treason which lies open wide?
VVhat wretch for this dares frame Apologies,
VVhich beeing vie'wd yeelds such deformities?
Yet
Romists do among themselues auow,
This ougly plot their
Aladin to aduance:
For which they are as Saints exalted now,
VVhich cast those rebels into such a trance:
The
Indians which deuils reuerence,
Of deu'lish minds giue not like euidence.
But
Bellarmine doth flat deniall make,
(For
Tortus now is tortur'd out of ioynt)
That
Iesuits of this plot did notice take,
That they were strangers in this treasons point:
That
Garnet, Ouldcorn, Tesmund much did loath,
An act so vile, which no pretext could cloath.
He writes, that
Garnet made a long oration,
Disclaiming th'act at's execution:
VV'had
Englands heresies in detestation;
Extolling
Rome with constant resolution:
In whose approued faith he brauely died,
And so himselfe a worthy Saint he tried.
Such maine vntruths are fit for maine supporters,
Some
Cardinall must countenance such lies:
Such will beare downe a thousand true reporters,
Transforming falshoods into verities,
These are
Romes champions to maintaine a breach.
VVhich do maintaine that they may ouer-reach.
[Page 40]Their seuerall letters to their inward friends,
And to their loues without
equiuocation,
Their owne confession testimonie lends,
Their hands approoue their iust examination:
And their consulting what was to be done,
When they had finish'd what they had begun.
All these proceedings doth the
Cardinall know,
For many
Romists did to
Rome resort,
To shun iust rigor for that aimed blow,
And to the
Pope to make a true report:
Yet for iniustice he would
England blame,
And seekes to hide
Romes neuer-dying shame.
And as for
Garnet, when his death drew neare,
Hee was perplexed with an inward care:
His words were few, and by them did appeare,
An heauie burden, which his conscience bare:
Thrise he crau'd pardon for his guiltinesse,
Which he before a thousand did confesse.
If
Bellarmine, Romes maister of defence,
Can finde no better warde for
Romes disgrace,
Then to disprooue so great an audience;
And that all euidence he will out-face,
What shall men thinke of
Romes inferiour rabble,
Which of vntruths so confidently babble?
When aged
Beza dangerously was sick,
The
Iesuits fain'd he made a recantation;
But when his health, and pen bewray'd this trick,
A shamelesse slight must salue their reputation:
They said that
Beza forg'd of them this lye,
To wrong them with reproch, and infamie.
VVhen
Henry Bourbon Paris did besiege,
And that the Citizens could not long hold out,
Rome to incourage them against their liege,
This strange miraculous accident gaue out,
That all his armie papall curse had blasted,
All had black faces, and their power was wasted.
[Page 41]When first My
Iames in England did arriue,
T'was nois'd by
Iesuits that he did them loue:
He knew their worth, and would their weale contriue:
And vnto
Rome he would a fautor prooue:
There soone should be at least a toleration,
So soone as he did raigne o're th'
English nation.
And now of late a rumor they haue spred,
That
Antichrist in
Babylon is borne:
VVith this report the credulous are fed,
To put away all
Antichristian scorne:
And thogh such sleights may serue their turns awhile,
The wiser sort at such poore shifts do smile.
Romes absent fauorites in hand are borne,
That onely
Popes giue Antidotes gainst sinne,
That she is like th'all-purging Vnicorne;
That she alone doth heau'ns conniuence winne:
That she hath workes of Supererrogation,
As in a treasure for each
Christian nation.
That
Rome is like
Noes arke where all is well:
Without the same sinnes deluge will destroy:
That
Rome hath charmes for all the strength of hell;
Her Clerkes are fiend-proofe scorning all annoy.
That Masses sung, and Crucifixes worne,
The greatest rage of
Lucifer do scorne.
Her exorcismes made in our Ladies name,
Do serue to prooue these maine conclusions,
But now the world perceiues this cunning frame,
And how poore souls are wrong'd by strange delusions,
Her fained miracles are now detected,
Her Alcumie is euery where suspected.
Her beaded prayers which the priests repeate,
A sacrifice of fooles where faith is wanting,
Her outward shewes without religious heate,
Can hardly keepe th'vnpartiall from recanting.
Shrift, penance, whippings, but for maskes do serue,
To hide Licentiousnesse, whilst Zeale doth sterue.
To fright the ignorant, and make them flie
Vnto the Priests, to haue a salue for sinne,
And that on
Romane helpe they may relye:
For they which haue a liberall resolution,
From any fault shalt haue an absolution.
Such queint deuices help'd
Romes clergie well,
When her base Caterpillers were neglected;
Then they inuented many a subtill spell,
Whereby they might the better be respected.
As lately
Mylains priests deuis
[...]d for gaine,
Our Ladies eyes with bloudy teares to staine.
Tis strange to thinke what idle fopperies,
Do passe for currant where
Rome domineeres:
Th'vnlearnedst laick may the same descrie,
And see new fictions in these latter yeares:
Though rust, and rest her former worth confirme,
Yet she to scorne all others dares presume.
With Protestants the
Romists may not pray,
Although they pray as
Christ himselfe hath taught:
Defiance they gainst hereticks must display,
Else with some heresie they shall be caught:
All other Scismaticks are miserable,
But
Protestants are held most detestable.
None therefore must with
Protestants conferre,
No bookes of controuersies they must see,
Rome feares the sight of these will make them erre,
And that a great departure there will bee.
Of
Iewes, and
Greekes, Rome hath no iealousies,
But
Protestants she markes with
Argus eyes.
Rome dreads the
Protestants great constancie:
Their compleat armour to make strong defence:
With launce, or Pen, the
Romists they will trie;
Their cause flies not the light, nor seekes pretence:
They feare no force, nor their intestine foes,
Since Truths Protector doth their plots disclose.
[Page 43]But for base fugitiues which
Rome maintaines,
Which like the
Turkish Azamoglens are,
For whom they'l not their countries wrack refraine,
For whom against their parents they will warre:
But for her pardons which she doth ingrosse,
She had ere this beene purged from her drosse.
Rome doth on these Arch-policies relie;
She knowes that lewdnesse dayly will abound;
That varlets will vnto her Altars flie,
Where certaine expiation still is found:
And as for those which will dislike bewray,
Some
renegadoes will their wrack assay.
The Cleargie is an huge part of each land▪
By seuerall staires vnto one end aspiring:
And like eau'sdroppers in each place they stand,
A dissolution of each state desiring:
In troubled waters they desire to fish,
That they may serue them-selues with euery dish.
These by confession do each humor know,
And curb al thoughts which gainst themselues they find,
The discontent of Nobles they ore-grow,
Else by some fauour haughty spirits they bind:
None dare once stirre, what ere they haue conceaued,
Least of their pleasures they be soone bereaued.
Kings mariages are made legitimate,
With neerest kinne against the holy Writ.
The lawes of Nature
Rome doth violate,
And proudly shewes a selfe-aduancing wit:
Rome by her greatnesse doth her actions square,
And for
Gods worship she takes little care.
The Catholick Kings feare least their titles faile;
Their mariages the Pope can disanull:
The nobles and the gentrie they do quaile,
With sundrie threats of which their writs are full:
The
Friars vndertake the vulgar sort,
And vnto them strange stories do report.
[Page 44]These much preuaile with persons credulous,
And often manage secret businesse:
In great attempts they are not timerous,
And for employment still in readines:
In word they do austeritie maintaine,
Yet of their loosenesse doth each state complaine.
So
Roman Vestals
Venus disallow,
And with
Diana seeme to haue abiding:
They seeme most constant in their solemne vow,
Yet are they famous for their oft back-sliding,
And by their weakenesse more they do allure,
Then by their constancie they could procure.
What euer serues to minister delight,
What euer may this humorous age content,
What obiect may giue pleasure to the sight,
Or to rebellious passions giue a vent:
All to the
Romist shall auspicious be,
If in the Church no blemish he will see.
As for those Kings which stand aloofe from
Rome,
And will not stoope vnto the Papall lure;
They'r often blasted in their chiefest bloome;
Some bloodie
Assassins Rome will procure:
Which will attempt some desperate enterprize,
Since for such acts
Rome will them canonize.
So long she will with Princes scepters play,
So long she will both earth and heau'n prouoke;
That brooded
Papists will her slights bewray,
Then shall she faile and vanish into smoke:
For kings which thought by mildnesse to appease,
Must then by rigour striue the heau'ns to please.
The bloodie Inquisition must awake
The
Protestants to some more strict accompt;
From sufferance since
Romists courage take,
This folly they with woe should soone recount:
"The stroke farre fetch't doth make the deeper wound,
"For which no cure or salue can ere be found.
[Page 45]And
Britaine, thou thy selfe must first acquite,
Frō those darke clouds which would obscure thy glory:
Constantine, Henrie, and my
Iames inuite,
To dedicate to thee a liuing story.
For all these champions on thy soyle were borne,
Which euery where with fame will thee adorne.
The first was the first Emperour for
Christ,
Which valiantly the
Christians did defend;
The second was first King 'gainst
Antichrist,
Which vnto Truth his helping hand did lend.
The last, not least, this Church, and Ile
Vnites,
And to the Truth al
Christian lands incites.
Great
Constantine the world from idols freed,
Yet could he not the
Christian iarres appease:
And
Popish pride mine
Henry hence did weed,
But scandalous rumours did his honour seaze:
Yet vnto these the world must fame affoord,
Whilst heau'ns with stars, or earth with men is stor'd.
But
Iames whose skill, whose wil, and zeale agree,
To winne the world vnto one Veritie:
In whome his foes no staine of honour see,
To wrong himselfe or his posteritie:
He stops the mouths of all the
Stoike traine,
That they of nought but trifles can complaine.
In euery kind of knowledge he excels,
In
Christian vertues euery
Christian king,
His warie foresight wisedome's strength foretels,
Which tel-truth Time one day to light will bring:
Veritas poris fi
[...]
His wisedome shall appeare by his great deeds,
Whereof as yet he hath but sowne the seeds.
He first must string and tune his
Britanie,
Before he can his pleasing musicke make,
Hee'le mend each craze, the strings & stops hee'le trie,
Before he will performance vndertake:
Each practiser in this eare-pleasing Art,
Will first thus do before hee'le play his part.
[Page 46]The
Clergie he alreadie well hath tuned,
And with great care the false strings hath remooued;
Which would haue made the consort seeme vntuned,
And to the skilfull eare would harsh haue prooued:
This makes his wisedome and his zeale appeare,
To stop extremities in their carreer.
Both
Romists and the
Scismatickes are bold
To countermaund the actions of their kings:
All Princes power by these are still control'd,
Yet must they raise themselues with Princes wings:
One on the
Popes supremacie doth stand,
The other like
Diogenes commaund.
Twixt
Sylla and
Charibdis, Iames hath pass'd,
The King of kings his skill and helme hath guided;
Vnto the golden Meane hee's linked fast;
His Church and He shall neuer be diuided:
From these the coole
Etesiae shall blow,
To swage the fumes which shall from malice grow.
For though this little world haue many foes
In forraine parts, and in this center here;
Yet with the proudest, constant Truth shall
[...]loze,
And keepe the list when they dare not appeare:
My
Iames and His haue happily begun,
And shall in time
Romes champions ouerrunne.
Let
Spaine her proude imperious Church maintaine,
And with that plea excuse inflicted wrongs;
Let
Belgia, Fraunce, and
Germanie refraine
That Vnitie which vnto peace belongs:
Let these their many-headed Sects commend,
Let
Britaine still for
Vnitie contend.
Let euery voice, which mooues this westerne ayre,
Extroll his vertue which thus farre hath gone:
The Church of due regard shall not despaire,
Whilst He or His this throne shall sit vpon;
Then for my
Iames shall warie wisedome plead,
Beyond those kings which th'infant Church did lead.
[Page 47]Now for his iustice shew'd in former rimes,
Amongst a people which were Eagle ey'd,
Which soone could see and iudge vnballanc't crimes,
If weight or measure euer were deni'd:
These free as ayre as yet could neuer say,
That spite or fauour did his iudgement sway.
His magnanimitie is daily seene,
In slight
Qua eximia plaerisque & prclara videtur, pa
[...]ua ducere, for animi mnique ducdum est, Cie. Of
[...]ic lib. 1.
contempt of what the world admires;Which prooues a mind which hath not tainted beene,
By vaine ambition which high fortunes fires:
"Yet honour and all maiestie attends
"That mind which least these earthly toyes intends,
Who doth both fortunes
Boethius de cons. Pl. los. met. 4.
equally esteeme,Not rais'd by one nor ought depress'd by th'other;
In him th'affections conquer'd we may deem,
Which reasons strength with their great weight would smother
No
Cic
Or
[...] pro Mare
victorie with this may make compare,This fight is single, none with him may share.
Those which by bloodie fights aduance their names,
With many wrongs their victories they staine;
If any act or conquest purchase fame,
A part thereof each souldier will retaine:
For these are instruments to bring to passe,
What by their Generall enterprised was.
But he which doth all
Prou. 1 32.
mutinies keepe vnder,Which both himselfe and others would betray;
Who at the worlds great treasures doth not wonder,
Whose wronglesse conquest vertue doth display;
He is true champion in this Christian weale,
And he alone true valour doth reueale.
In
peace this vertue most triumphant is,
Her victories no drop of bloud do spill:
Here rest the Trophees of another blisse,
Which with a lasting good the world doth fill:
This vertue cures the wounds which others make,
Yet keepes the field which others do forsake.
[Page 48]Too much the
Christian world hath beene imbru'd,
With
Christian blood, which
Iames doth striue to stint,
Their malice they like Tygers haue pursu'de,
And
Rome hath beene of many broyles the mint,
acquid aut repl
[...]tun. Acl
[...]ui, at, Epi.
Whilst kings contend, their subiects feele the smart,For euery one of losse doth feele his part.
Some States, though weake, reuenge will vndertake,
O
[...]t wronging many for the fault of few,
Oft to their foes themselues a prey they make,
And great expence no way they can eschew:
But
Iames, whose power might offer
Europe wrong,
Forbeares all those which vnto
Christ belong.
So Temperance in such a boundlesse power,
Which is so rare on Honors highest stage,
And Liberalitie which shines each hower,
Which many wrong in this base-crauing age:
All these, and other vertues most compleat,
In
Britains King haue their abiding seat.
Since then the Truth such champions doth enioy,
As know their strength and
Romans force do scorne;
Since
Romes delusions all estates do cloy,
And of all hopes shee'le quickly be forlorne:
Let
Britaine be from her in one vnited,
By heau'n, aire, earth, and sea thereto inuited.
CHAP. 4. The daunger of Diuision.
BVt now to leaue this Iles renowned heyre,
Whose blood is grac'd with high discent of kings,
Whose auncestors haue kept the kingly chaire
Well-neare two thousand yeares: whose mariage brings
A fresh alliance from that
[...]nmark.
Nor-east coast,Whose Kings did once of
Englands scepter boast.
A briefe recapitulation of the former Chapter.
TO leaue his vertues matching herauldrie,
And all those titles which that skill affoords;
To passe from that high reaching policie,
Which with the heauens, and elements accords,
To passe the ima
[...]e of the worlds creator,
Vnited with so great a mediator.
To leaue that
Vnion where
Iehouahs spirit,
Vouchsafeth residence in an earthly masse,
Which motion, sense, and reason doth inherit,
With zeale, and faith which doth mans reason passe:
To passe th'arch-enemie of humaine blisse,
Which to good concord still repugnant is.
To leaue the
Romist his confederate,
Which thinkes by
Britaines idle iarres to thriue;
Whose malice gainst al. peace inueterate,
Doth dangerous plots against this state contriue:
These things are plaine, and how great states did rise,
Now will we set their falls before our eyes.
For heau'ns great glory, and the earths true light,
Whose words more sure then Oracles doe prooue,
Whose wisdome alwayes clearly sees the right,
To
Vnitie his deare elect doth mooue;
And this auerrs that kingdoms needs must
Mark. 3.24.
faile,Where Ruines nurce Diuision doth preuaile.
Who euer did conuerse with times record:
Who sacred stories, or prophane hath seene,
His obseruation will here-with accord,
That
Vnion strong,
Diuision weake hath beene:
"By concord smallest things haue great increase,
"By discord greatest things do wane, and cease.
[Page 50]For as a ship, which doth on billowes ride,
Though
Eolus and
Neptune both agree,
To doe their worst, yet safe it doth abide,
Whilst of great leakes, and ruptures it is free;
But when the plankes do once begin to spring,
Iust feare, and certaine danger it doth bring.
So kingdoms whole, and in themselues intire,
May well hold out gainst strength of forreine force;
When they in settled
Vnitie conspire,
A late repentance will not breed remorce:
When postern-gates, and back-doores all are fast,
Assaults are with the first incounters pass'd.
The ouer-throw of the Iewes.
THe twelue Tribes of that once most happy race,
Which were the darlings of the heauens great king,
How were they fear'd whilst loue they did imbrace,
How did they to their neighbours terrour bring?
But when dissention did their kingdom seuer,
How were they subiect to all bondage euer?
Th'
Assyrians some-times haue them captiue lead,
Some-times the
Greekes haue spoil'd their Cittie faire,
And lastly
Romaines with their fruits were fed,
So that they did of all reliefe dispaire:
Till hope of their
Messias did preuaile,
Which made them
Romaine garrisons assaile.
A while they freed themselues from
Romaine power,
And put those enemies often-times to flight,
But home-bred iarres their strength did so deuoure,
That finall misery on them did light:
For frantick
Iuda, Iuda's bloud did spill,
Their slaughters did their streets and temples fill.
Ierusalem with thousands had besieged,
Three factions soone their bloudy broiles begun,
Which with one truth, and promise were obliged:
They onely ioyn'd when foes assaults were giuen,
And then the
Romaines back with losse were driuen.
But when the
Romaine battery did cease,
When by delayes they thought
the Iewes to starue,
Meane while the
Iewes would not themselues release,
But with their swords the
Romaines turne did serue,
For on themselues they did inflict more harmes,
Then could haue chanc'd by all the
Romaine armes.
The
Prouerb. 18.19.
hate of brethren doth all hate exceed,Which euer did the brest of man infect,
For many iealosies this spite do feed,
Diuine nor humaine lawes can this correct:
Yet must they know that for their foes they fight,
When on themselues they spend their force & might.
As in a sluce, where dammes the waters curbe,
Till they vnto the top of bankes do swell;
No little let their current doth disturbe,
When their great noise their open passe doth tell:
So friends, and countrymens great hate delay'd,
Workes strong effects, if once it be displai'd.
VVhere greatest loue is any where expected,
If thence proceed no shew of kinde intent,
They, which do faile herein, are soone suspected,
And feare seemes wise suggesting some contempt:
Then strangenesse growes from th'one vnto the other,
And both will shortly secret enuie smoother.
For as the glasse, through which the eye doth peere,
Makes all things seeme of colour with the same;
So do all actions good or ill appeare,
As good or ill conceit the minde doth frame:
And this is commonly the vsuall course,
"That
ill doth waxe, and growe from bad to worse.
[Page 52]Some-times a fa
[...]se report is blowne abroad,
Of wrong, which doth incense the hearts of men;
And then reuenge is like the hellish goade,
Which makes the wronged rouse him from his den:
That mischiefe often-times he brings to passe,
To quitte a wrong, which neuer offred was,
Then wrong with wrong, and bloud with bloud repai'd,
Makes euery place the stage of butcherie;
Whole families thus often are decai'd,
Oft kingdomes are thus wasted vtterlie:
For where one lawe of
concord doth not binde,
Bellona still will vent for mallice finde,
As windes of heate or coolenesse doe partake,
With sands, or waters where they lately pass
[...]d,
As breath a sauour good or ill doth make,
As from the teeths Percullis it is cast:
So are our thoughts as our presumptions seeme,
O
[...] as our iealousies do them esteeme.
When after
[...]
seauenty yeares in bondage pass
[...]d,The
Iewes had leaue their Citties to repaire;
Some ma
[...]e-contents
[...]broad false rumors cast,
And forg'd strange tales to make them all dispaire,
But all deuices could not hinder them,
From building of the faire
Ierusalem.
So
England seeing many lets to muster,
(If those be lets which euery fancie venteth)
And seeing from these lets new lets do cluster,
Wher
[...]by the world at
Englands good relenteth:
The more should all to
Vnitie incline,
In spite of those which at our weale repine.
The different iudgments of the Vnion,
And other discontentmens haue so wrought,
That
Romists are imbould'ned here-vpon,
Of
Brittaines discord to retaine a thought,
And to divulgate on a publike stage,
The brainsick vapours of the
Romaine rage.
[Page 53]So wise a king such Councellers of state,
As at this day few kingdomes do maintaine,
T
[...]e
Romists prize them at so meane a rate,
That personall
Quaeres they will not refraine:
Who with their
Popes and
Cardinals would be bold,
V
[...]to the world strange stories might vnfold,
But for the scandall of the
Christian weale,
Which labours now of her vnworthie guide,
Some
Christian Satyre would such acts reueale,
As modestie hath heretofore denide:
Yet if the
Romists daily shall prouoke,
They must expect a wel-deserued stroke.
Thy wrongs my deare
Eliza shall inflame,
Those hidden sparkes which seeme extinguished;
Since by thy grace the Muses honour came,
They cannot heare thy honour blemished:
Eu'n they which of these times do most complaine,
In thy defence may sing a pleasing straine
Thy due no honest
Papist shall offend,
Some of their
Sixtus Quintus.
Popes haue rightly thee esteemed;All they which do vnpartiall censure spend,
Of thy most princely vertues well haue deemed:
Though
Parsons, clamorous and fugitiues,
Would staine such princes, and depraue their liues.
As for my
Iames, which sees his foes despite,
And tries the valour of approoued friends,
If with respect their seruice he requite,
They for their silence will make such amends,
That in her strength
Rome shall assaulted be,
And at her doores al'armaes she shall see.
So cast a cause, such bombast furniture,
Such proude brauadoes from
Romes painted flourish,
These iustly may all Christians hate procure,
D
[...]esting falshood which blind zeale did nourish:
"Who onely at his owne defence doth lie,
"Such ward his owne defence shall not supply.
He put the
Romans vnto more distresse,
Then at the siege of
Carthage, where he fought,
With all his power her thraldome to redresse.
So when the
Popes V
[...]aligon doth burne,
He well may feare t'will shortly be his turne.
So many towring wits incouraged,
So many souldiers readie for the charge,
Might soone throughout all
Christendome be spred,
And might some
Romane prisoners inlarge:
Since
Rome by pamphlets al the world doth threaten,
With true reports shee's worthie to be beaten.
The
Romists and the Schismatickes agree,
To raile at those, whose cause they cannot wrong:
The worthiest Prince from these cannot be free,
In subiects loue they will not haue them strong:
On th'one side
Parsons, Martins on the other,
All awfull loue of gouernours would smother.
And whilst thrice-famous
England doth prepare,
To countermine the
Romane policie,
VVhilst th'
English in the front their strength declare,
Vpon their flanke the Schismatickes will flie:
So that they'le giue assistance vnto
Rome,
VVhich once victorious would worke their doome.
Then let conceits, and idle groundlesse feares,
Be held as mutinies in armies raised;
Or like to haruest showers procuring teares
Of those, which would their timely helpe haue praised:
By others harmes let
Britaines sects be warned,
VVhich till their ruine Concord haue not learned.
Though
Brittaine like to famous
Tyre do stand,
All moted by a neuer-failing riuer,
Though woodden walles her bayes & coasts command,
Though Truth feare neither
Rome nor
Satans quiuer,
Yet if some pore-blind factions be not true,
Their fond diuision all the rest may rue.
That great commaund; which
Alexander gained?
What great misfortune could so soone haue crost
That power, which throgh the world was not restrained:
How did her glorie suddenly decline,
Which in the view of all the world did shine?
Her riches and her prowesse did exceede
All kingdomes of the world, which then were knowne,
Her name did euery where great terrour breed,
And who withstood her headlong downe were throwne
Yet want of
Concord did her frame dissolue,
And she againe to weaknesse did reuolue.
Her captaines did themselues with broyles consume,
Which had conioyn'd themselues in forraine fight;
To th'Empire euery one would needs presume,
And euery one made equall claime of right:
As ships in whirlewinds quickly strike the saile,
So
Greece did stoope when hers did her assayle.
And as the
Iulius C
[...] sar in the conspirac
[...] of
Brutus and
Cassi. Plutarch the life of
Iulius Cae
[...]
first great Emperour of
Rome,In greatest conflicts neuer was dismai'd;
But when he sawe that in his chiefest bloome,
By his disloyall friends he was betraid:
He hid his eyes, and would not make defence,
But left the scourge to heau'n for this offence.
So
Greece when she perceiu'd her home-bred iarres,
To waste her cities, and her wealthie store:
She then foresawe, that shortly forraine warres,
Should make her captiue which was queene before:
Then widow-like whose Lord and sonnes were slain,
Of
Concords breach she onely did complaine.
Diuision both a breach and passage made,
First for the
Roman, after for the
Turke;
Now
Ottoman all
Greece doth ouershade,
Where he the
Christians ouerthrow doth worke:
Whose policie all
Europe might aduise,
That publike peace doth priuate weale comprise.
To land their forces on the
Grecian plaine:
This made the
Romane victories most sure,
When
Greekes did helpe their conquests to obtaine.
The Easterne Emperour did this fault commit,
When gainst his nobles
Turkes his turn
[...] did fit.
For thus the
Turkes came armed into
Greece
At his request, which should haue kept them out:
Then did they winne from him this golden fleece,
Which onely Discord had thus brought about:
Thus
[...] in life of
man.
Isabel the queene of
Hungarie,With late repentance
Iurkish aide did trie.
The decay of the Romane Empire.
AS th'Empire of the East was quickly lost
By strife to
Turkes, which now do all deuoure,
So was the westerne Empire alwaies crost
By
[...] hist.
Popes, w
c did through broyles increase their power:For like the Tribunes they did animate
Each rebell, which the Emperour did hate.
The
Lumbards, Vandals, Sweuians, and the
Gothes,
This auncient Empire often did annoy:
For to the same they were like fretting mothes,
But
Papal practise did it quite destroy:
By them the Empire lost all
Italie,
Which since hath beene confin'd in
Germany.
As
Romans thriu'd by linking petty States,
Till
Italie was to their power vnited;
Then shunning ciuill quarels and debates,
To forraine conquests they were soone incited;
Till they vnto such force and strength were growne,
That all the world by them was ouerthrowne.
[Page 57]So in the end their greatnesse did decline,
And all their sodered kingdomes fall asunder,
For ciuill discord made them soone resigne,
And at their vanishing the world did wonder:
For now in
Italy such sharers are,
As all her hope of future greatnesse marre.
The
Sarazins were to the world awhile
Sarazins.
Like swelling tides which all did ouerflow:
They did themselues the Lords of
Africk style,
And said, the earth did homage to them owe:
But when diuision did their forces sunder,
The
Turks conioyn'd did quickly bring them vnder.
Thus was th
[...]
Eg
[...]p
[...]ian Souldan ouerthrowne,
Gainst whome his Generall
Caythbie was in field,
Mamel
Which iarre was to the bloudie
[...]elim knowne,
And on that discord he his hopes did build:
For
Mameluckes diuided are defeated,
And in great
Caire were Ianisaries seated.
What will become of wasted
Barbarie,
Barbarie
Whose miseries Diuision onely wrought?
Those onely may by circumstance deserie,
Which haue the
Muleis wofull storie sought:
Mars so hath ballanced their powers
[...]s yet,
That it is doubtfull who the crowne should get.
What in
Moscouy Iesuits will effect,
Russia.
What they in
Europe closely will attempt,
If heau'n do not their purposes detect,
And bring their names and practise to contempt:
Time will hereafter such euents declare,
That
Britaine of Diuision shall beware.
Meane while (My
Iames) thy blood and vitall spirits,
Haue ioyn'd in one the kingdomes of this Ile,
Succeeding ages shall extoll thy merits,
No muddie censure may this act defile;
Who storme hereat shew but an idle froth,
Who are luke-warme shew but a carelesse sloth.
[Page 58]True concord in a state should alwayes be,
Like to the compasse in a ship at sea:
W
[...]thout the same a state cannot be free
From danger, this is held a certaine plea:
The Mariners by that their course do learne.
By this a state her ill, or good doth learne.
Diuided
Germany to many sects,
Yet doth it ioyne against the
Turkish power:
Their forraine feare their ciuill broyles corrects,
Else would diuision all that land deuoure:
So
Britaine should to Vnitie consent,
All forreine foes the better to preuent.
When Marriners are in a tempest toss'd,
They soone forget all quarrels that haue pass'd,
They know discention then their liues will cost,
And euery one about his taske doth hast:
So in this age when
Iesuits stormes do raise,
All must conioyne in these disioynted dayes.
The
Turke abroad, the
Iesuit at home,
By which the
Christian weale is still disturbed,
One like an Hauke, the other like a
Mome,
By concord onely may be safely curbed.
For none of these dare euer giue assault,
Where factions weakenesse haue not made default.
Both these are like the spleene with humors full,
Which alwayes make the body leane and bare:
From their adherents they all wealth do pull,
The
Turkes are Lions,
Iesuits Foxes are:
The one by force, the other by slie shifts,
Square all their plots by selfe-aduancing drifts.
Now if the
Persians, Turkes do vndertake,
If wronged Papists,
Iesuits do casseere;
The
Turkes shall not such sudden conquests make,
Nor shall the
Spanish faction domineere.
Then
Christian lands may happily be quiet,
Which haue beene fed with selfe deuouring dyet.
[Page 59]Then treacheries, which
Pagans did detest,
And breach of othes which
Christians once did hate,
These wanting patrons shall with
Pluto rest,
All such delusions shall be out of date.
Then subiects shall to
Caesar pay their due,
And
Christians name shall
Christian loue renew.
That
Hel-borne policie shall then surcease,
To foster euery countries male-content;
That viperous brood should not so much increase,
Which do their natiue soile for strangers rent.
All should their furie spend in
Turkish warres,
And onely triumph of thence gotten scarres.
The gold, which th'
Indies yearely do affoord,
Should not to rebels yearely pensions giue,
Which in the end doth fade like
Ionas gourde,
And failes them most, when most it should releeue:
These haue their pensions at the dearest rate.
Which for the same their liues must ante-date.
If policie, and treasures were imploy'd,
To driue the
Turkes out of the
Christian land,
If in each kingdome, Kings were not annoy'd:
If
Christians would gainst
Mahomet ioyne their bands,
As by their strife he got his lawlesse powre,
So now their concord should his strength deuoure.
But as the
Romaine
Imperator seruiebat orbis, imperator militibu
[...]. Erasmi praefat in Sueton.
Emperour was obay'dOf all the world; yet souldiers were his maisters:
So
Christian lands are by their Princes swaid,
Yet
Iesuits in their games will be the casters:
For these proud vpstarts dayly tyrannize,
And for their ends do shape each enterprize.
This watchfull land hath these imposters knowne,
They haue not much as yet deceau'd her sight:
Vnto their pits themselues they first haue throwne,
Before they could preuaile against the right.
In many countries they haue gamesters beene,
But their base cheating
England best hath seene.
[Page 60]So
Britaine knowes the scourge of ciuil warre,
By
Brutus fault which did diuide the same:
This act did roule the stone which ranne so farre,
That it did breake this strong-compacted frame:
Thus
Romans, Saxons, Danes, and
French did spoile,
This most vnhappie dis-united soile.
For
Brutus to his sonnes this Ile had shar'd,
To
Locrin England, and to
Camber Wales:
To
Albanack he
Scotland did award,
VVhich is so strong by mountaines, hils, and dales:
That Valour ioyned with her situation,
Hath kept her people in their natiue station.
To passe the broyles twixt
Locrin and his Queene,
In which the wronged
Guend'lin got the field;
To passe the middle iarres which oft were seene▪
When th'English did to
Cunidagis yeeld:
Ferrex and
Porrex were from
Brute the l
[...]st,
Which did themselues with ciuill discord wast.
When
Brutus line sixe hundred yeares had raign'd,
Till long Diuision had his line consum'd,
Mu mutius the Soueraigntie obtain'd,
Which first to weare a crowne of gold presum'd:
Whose lawes did bind this long-distracted Ile,
That sauage customes should not it defile.
His sonnes were
Bellin, and the warlike
Brenne,
Which had diuided
Britanie in twaine;
But strife began, and they concluded then,
That one alone must in this country raigne:
One Sunne for one Horrizon did suffise,
So should one Ile one Monarchie comprise.
Then
Brennus left this Ile, and of the
Galles
Was chosen captaine,
Romans to subdue,
He conquer'd
Greece; but vnder
Delphos walles
His fortune fail'd him, and himselfe he slue:
Meane while great
Bellin Denmark did bring vnder,
Whilst
Britaines subiects did not warre asunder.
[Page 61]If all in one they firmely had agreed,
When
Caesar first this Ile did vndertake,
They had themselues from
Romaine conquest freed,
As their owne stories
Taci
[...] vita
[...] col
[...].
true report do make,In single fight▪ or skirmish when they met,
The
Britaines still the victory did get.
But when they were in one
Battalia raung'd,
Their faint incounter shew'd their factions power;
Diuision had so much their mindes estrang'd,
That easily their foes might them deuoure:
Thus did the
Turkes the
Christians ouer-throw,
Because due rescue they did still foreslow.
As workemen in a frame when they do vary,
When in the plot their mindes cannot agree,
Ther's nothing done, or else all doth miscarrie;
So both in peace and warres wee dayly see.
Each enterprise is like the
Babel-mount,
Where seuerall men do seuerall things recoun
[...].
Cassibilan, which
Caesar did withstand,
Was with the
Londoners in some disgrace,
If they had liu'd within his due command,
They might haue followed
Romans in that chace,
When many Captaines in the front were slaine,
When
Romaines could not
Britaines charge sustaine.
But as the
Britaines lost their liberty,
For want of
Vnion gainst a forraine foe;
So
Romans lost their hold in
Britanie,
And by their discord did this land forgoe.
For
Romes great Empire lost by strife and iarres,
Those forraine lands, which were subdu'd by warres.
The
Romaines wealth, and souldiers hence did take,
Whereby their power, and pompe they might maintain▪
On th'other side the
P
[...]cts did dayly rake,
What they by force, and violence could gaine,
Then to the
Saxons, Britons sent for ayde,
By whose arriuall they were most betray'd.
[Page 62]They first by policie and subtill slights,
The
Britaines
[...].
king vnto their side had wonne:The rest they vanquished in sundrie fights,
Then with themselues diuision they begonne:
Seau'n kingdomes they within themselues had made,
And euery one each other did inuade.
As is the restlesse motion of the seas,
Which to the south and north doth ebbe and flow,
Which euery gust and gale doth still disease,
As they which passe those watrie rhegions know:
So
Britaine to and fro by strife did range,
And forraine power her state did often change.
Three hundred yeares the
Saxons were in armes,
Before they could to
Wales the
Brittons driue,
Then gainst themselues they fought in seuerall swarmes
Two hundred yeares they did selfe-hurt contriue:
Meane while the
Danes this fruitfull ile had tasted,
Whose strength had beene by her own people wasted
The
Danes long time had foraged this Ile,
And weakened
Saxons could not them repell:
For
[...].
Edmund did
Canutus long withstand,But they at length to this agreement fell:
That they betwixt them should this land diuide,
And so they should all present iarres decide.
Not long they were ioynt-tenants of this Ile,
For
Ederick had poisoned
Edmund soone,
Canutus then sole king himselfe did stile,
By the suruiver this he said he wonne:
Then
Edmunds sonnes to
Sweathlands king he sent,
Where they should spend their liues in banishment.
Hardie
Canutus was his onely sonne,
Which had no issue which might him succeed;
And after him the
Saxons soone begunne
To claime their due, since heau'n had so decreed:
Then
Edward the Confessor rightly raign'd,
Whose gouernment and zeale no spot had stain'd.
[Page 63]Of lawe and loue he did an Vnion make,
Which by all meanes My
Iames would now effect,
The Churches good his care did vndertak
[...],
This
Englands king did first of all respect:
Both right to
Leuites kindly did performe,
And to the truth they did themselues conforme.
King
Edward did the
Saxons blood restore,
In
Iames the
Britons, Saxons, Normans liue,
All claimes in them did rest which were before,
Their right to all did satisfaction giue:
Both loued peace, and gaue their subiects rest,
Whom sterne
Bellona did so long molest.
Their vertues equally are match't together,
Their studious thoughts for
Christian welfare spent,
Their constancie in faire and foulest weather,
Their zeale alike to great
Iehouah bent.
One issulesse was
Saxons Sunne declining,
The other
Britains new
Aurora shining.
Edgar, grand-child to
Edmund Ironside,
By right, and
Edwards will, should next haue raig'nd,
But
Harold sworne thereto did from it slide,
He onely should haue regencie obtain'd:
But for himselfe he onely seiz'd the crowne,
Vntill the
Normands threw him headlong downe.
As
Harold wronged
Englands rightfull heire,
So did he
William Duke of
Normandie:
He promis'd mariage of his daughter faire,
But he the due performance did denie.
Then did appeare a bloudie blazing starre,
Which did fore-shew th'vnsatiat sword of warre.
First th'
English were within themselues distracted,
For
Tostus, Harolds brother was in armes,
A power from
Norway he had then contracted,
Which was the cause of
Englands fatall harmes,
Duke
William aim'd on th'
English coast to land,
VVhen these two brothers did in battaile stand.
[Page 64]Thus did the
Normans get the victory,
When
Harold was with home incounters tir'de;
Thus th'
English were inthralld to miserie;
When they so oft against themselues conspir'd:
For what before the
Conquest oft befell,
The like in
Normands reigne the stories tell,
As feuers, which disturbe the bodies frame,
With thirst, ach, casting, shiuering cold, and heate,
They first the bloud do waste, and spirits tame,
Then for the dropsie oft they leaue a seat.
Some-times the Phtisick, and consumption,
Disse
[...]se the soule from her late mansion.
So doth
Diuision, iealousies maintaine,
Some-times a coldnesse to a fo
[...]reine foe,
Some-times an heate of ciuill strife, whose paine
Doth present rest; and future weale vndoe:
For wasted fields a famine still doth follow,
Dearth doth with death conspire, & thousands swallow,
The
Conquerors reigne was full of ciuill broyles,
With
Edgar th'
English, Scots, and
Welsh agreed,
Which if they first had done, they'd mist those toyles,
From which since that them-selues they neuer freed:
If
Malcome Edgars sister had not maried,
The
English royall bloud had quite miscaried.
By
Margaret this
Scotlands King had
Maude,
Which mathc'd to
[...]nry.
[...].
Henry Beuclarke, had a daughter,By whom all other claimes were ouer-aw'd,
VVhich did preuent much strife, and bloudy slaughter:
Mauds daughter
Maud, to
[...]ffrey
[...]agenet
th'
Aniou Duke did beareThe second
Henry which the crowne did weare.
Yet since this Vnion of the rightfull bloud,
Much strife, and much Diuision there hath beene,
For th'
English haue the
English oft with-stood,
That right with wrong contends 'tis often seene:
The house of
Lancaster gainst
Yorke held out,
Till either house preseru'd but one poore sprout.
[Page 65]Rest, rest in happines most happie soules,
Which did ingraft my
York and Me in one:
Earth counts them fathers, heau'n as heires inroules,
Those which preuent so many thousands mone:
Let others vaunt of victories in
Fraunce,
True wisedome will this sacred knot aduance.
This mariage vnto
England did procure
Long peace, good gouernement, riches, and renowne;
Warres, lawes neglect, and losse it did indure,
These were the weights which kept pore
England down:
For all these mischiefes will that land disturbe,
Which peacefull lawes of concord do not courbe.
Too long I should
Iehouah's presence loose,
Which in it selfe all happines containes,
If long discourse of
Discord I should choose,
Or speake of halfe her selfe-inflicted paines:
Almost three thousand yeares this
[...]e did waile,
Whilst
Britaines Peeres did
Britaines Peeres assaile.
Both
Wales and
Scotland stood as lookers on,
Whilst bloudie Tragedies were on this stage,
Sometimes they tooke aduantage hereupon,
To shew the furie of a brothers rage:
But now their
Vnion former hate must banish,
And all remembrance of old grudge must vanish.
My selfe haue
Wales, my
Iames hath
Scotland brought,
To ioyne with
England in an endlesse loue:
The great
Iehouah this for
Britaines wrought,
That to themselues they should most faithfull prooue:
And that they should forbeare the least contempt,
Least from this league the heau'ns should them exēpt.
This is the act of Prouidence diuine,
Which hath decreed that this should be effected,
The world vnto such weaknesse doth decline,
That all had fail'd if this had beene neglected.
Such pride, disdaine, and enuie rules the hart,
That now the world must be maintain'd by Art.
[Page 66]Art, Nature, Heau'ns, the elements and man,
Both home and forraine cares for Concord plead,
These all conclude, do
Romists what they can,
That slights no longer th'
English shall mislead:
As iuggling trickes are nought when they are known
So cunning slights when they abroad are blowne.
Let
Henry Bourbon, heire of Honours wreath,
Who forraine and domesticke iarres supprest,
Let him, and th'other
Henries death bequeath,
A warie caution to each loyall breast:
Oh let their blood a detestation breed,
Of
Canibals, which do on Princes feed!
Beware (My
Iames) since thy great friend is slaine,
Who warn'd thee oft of daungers eminent,
Beware of
Rome, and others which would traine
Thy royall thoughts vnto their priuate bent:
The Iui
[...] doth that tree of sappe bereaue,
To which by close embracements it doth cleaue.
But now me thinkes I heare high trumpets sound,
For some great good which t'
England shall betide,
Her plaints in heau'nly parlament are found,
And right in earthly Sessions shall be tride:
This said, he vanish'd promising supply,
When malecontents against this truth reply.
FINIS.