HIS MAIESTIES LEPANTO, Or, HEROICALL SONG, being part of his Poeticall exercises at vacant houres.
Imprinted at London by Simon Stafford, and Henry Hooke. 1603.
THE AVTHOVRS Preface to the Reader,
IT falls out often, that the effects of mens actions comes cleane contrary to the intent of the Authour. The same find I by experiēce (beloued Reader) in my Poeme of Lepanto: For although till now, it haue not bene imprinted, yet being set out to the publike view of many, by a great sort of stoln copies, purchast (in truth) without my knowledge or consent, it hath for lack of a Preface, bene in some things misconstrued by sundry, which I of very purpose thinking to haue omitted, for that the writing thereof might haue tended, in my opinion, to some reproch of the skilful learnednes of the Reader, as if his braynes could not haue conceyued so vncurious a work, without some maner of commentary, & so haue made the worke more displeasant vnto him: it hath by the contrary falne out, that the lack thereof hath made it the more displeasāt to some, through their mistaking a part of the meaning thereof. And for that I know the special thing misliked in it, is, that I should seeme far contrary to my degree & Religion, like a mercenarie Poet, to pen a worke, ex professo, in praise of a forraine Papist hastard; I will, by setting downe the [Page] nature and order of the Poeme, resclue the ignorant of their error, and make the other sort inexcusable of their captiousnes. The nature then of this Poeme, is an argument, a minore ad maius, largely intreated by a Poetike comparison, being to the writing hereof moued, by the stirring vp of the league & cruell persecution of the Protestants in al coūtries, at the very first raging wherof, I compiled this Poeme, as the exhortation to the persecuted in the hinmost eight lines thereof doth plainely testify, being both begun and ended in the same Summer, wherin the league was published in Fraunce. The order of the Cantique is this: First, a Poetike preface, declaring the matter I treat of, wherein, I▪ name not Don-Iohn, neither literally nor any wayes by description, which I behoued to haue done, if I had penned the whole Poeme in his praise, as Virgil, Arma virum (que) cano: & Homer, Dic mihi musa virum: of whose imitation I had not bene ashamed, if so my purpose had bene framed. Next followes my inuocation to the true God onely, and not to all the Hee and Shee Saints, for whose vaine honors, Don-Iohn fought in al his wars. Next after my inuocation, followes the poetike History of my comparison, wherein following forth the ground of a true history, (as Virgil or Homer did) like a painter shadowing with vmbers a portrait els drawne in grosse, for giuing it greater viuenes, so I eike or paire to the circumstances of the actions, as the rules of the poetike arte will permit: which historike comparison continues till the song of the Angels: in the which I compare and apply the former comparison to our present estate, taking occasion thereupon to speak somewhat [Page] of our religion. Lastly, the Epilogue of the whole, in the last eight lines, declares fully my intention in the whole, and explaines so fully my comparison and argument, from the more to the lesse, as I cannot without shameful repetition speak any more thereof. And in a word, what soeuer praise I haue giuen to Don-Iohn in this Poem, it is neither in accounting him as first or second cause of that victorie, but onely as a particular man, when hee falles in my way, to speake the truth of him. For as it becomes not the honour of my estate, like an hireling, to pen the praise of any man: So becomes it far lesse the highnesse of my ranke and calling, to spare for the feare or fauour of whomsoeuer liuing, to speake or write the truth of any. And thus crauing pardon, beloued Reader, for this long some Apologie (being driuen thereto, not by nature, but by necessitie) I bid you hartily farewell.
THE SONNET.
THe azur'd vault, the cristall circles bright,
The gleaming fiery torches powdred there,
The changing round, the shining beamy light,
The sad and bearded fyres, the monsters fayre:
The prodigies appearing in the ayre,
The rearding thunders, and the blustering winds,
The fowles, in hew, in shape, and nature rayre,
The pretty notes that wing'd musicians finds:
In earth the sau'ry flowres, the mettal'd minds,
The holesome hearbes, the haughty pleasant trees,
The siluer streames, the beastes of sundry kinds,
The bounded roares, and fishes of the seas:
All these for teaching man, the LORD did frame,
To doe his will, whose glory shines in thame.
I. R.
HIS MAIESTIES LEPANTO: OR, HEROICALL SONG.
I Sing a wondrous worke of God,
I sing his mercies great,
I sing his iustice heere—withall
Powr'd from his holy seat:
To wit, a cruell Martiall warre,
A bloudy battell bold,
Long doubtsome fight, with slaughter huge,
And wounded manifold.
Which fought was in LEPANTOES gulfe,
Betwixt the baptiz'd race,
And circumcised Turband Turkes
Rencountring in that place.
O onely God, I pray thee thrice,
Thrice one in persons three,
Alike Eternall, like of might,
Although distinct ye be.
I pray thee Father, through thy Sonne,
Thy word immortall still,
The great ARCHANGELL of records,
And worker of thy will,
To make thy holy Spreit my Muse,
And eik my pen inflame,
Aboue my skill to write this worke,
To magnify thy name.
[Page] Into the turning still of times,
I erre, no time can be,
Where was and is, and times to come,
Confounded are all three:
I meane, before great God in Heauen,
(For Sunne and Moone deuides
The times in earth by houres and dayes,
And seasons still that slides.)
Yet Man, whome Man must vnderstand,
Must speake into this case,
As man; our flesh will not permit,
Wee heauenly things imbrace.
Then, as I els began to say,
One day it did fall out,
As glorious God in glistering throne,
With Angels round about
Did sit, and Christ at his right hand,
That crafty Satan came,
Deceyuer, Lyar, hating man,
And Gods most sacred Name.
This olde abuser stood into
The presence of the Lord:
Then in this maner Christ accus'de
The sower of discord:
I know, thou from that Citie comest,
CONSTANTINOPLE great,
Where thou hast by thy malice made
The faythlesse Turkes to freat:
Thou hast inflamde their maddest mindes
With raging fire of wraith,
Against them all that doe professe
My Name with feruent fayth.
How long, O Father, shall they thus,
Quite vnder foote be tred,
By faythlesse folkes, who executes
What in this Snake is bred!
[Page] Then Satan answered, Fayth? Quoth he,
Their Fayth is too too small;
They striue, me thinke, on eyther part,
Who farthest backe can fall:
Hast thou not giuen them in my hands,
Euen both the sides, I say,
That I, as best doth seeme to me,
May vse them euery way?
Then IEHOVA, whose nod doth make
The heauens and mountaynes quake,
Whose smallest wrath the Centers makes
Of all the Earth to shake;
Whose word did make the world of nought,
And whose approouing syne
Did stablish all, euen as we see,
By force of voyce diuine:
This God began from thundering throate
Graue words of wayght to bring:
All Christians serue my sonne, though not
Aright in euery thing.
No more shall now these Christians be
With Infidels opprest,
So of my holy hallowed Name
The force is great and blest
Desist ô Tempter.
Gabriel, come,
O thou ARCHANGEL true,
Whome I haue oft in message sent
To Realmes and Townes anew.
Go quickly hence to Venice Towne,
And put into their mindes,
To take reuenge of wrongs the Turkes
Haue done in sundry kindes.
No whisling winde with such a speed,
From hilles can hurle ore heugh,
As he whose thought doth furnish speed,
His thought was speed aneugh.
[Page] This Towne it stands within the Sea,
Fiue miles or thereabout,
Vpon no Ile nor ground, the Sea
Runnes all the streetes throughout,
Who stood vpon the steeple head,
Should see a wondrous sight,
A Towne to stand without a ground,
Her ground is made by slight:
Strong Timber props dung in the Sea
Do beare her vp by art,
An Ile is all her market-place,
A large and spacious part.
A Duke with Senate ioynd doth rule,
Saint MARKE is patron chiefe,
Ilk yeare they wedde the Sea with rings
To be their sure reliefe.
The Angell then arriu'd into
This artificiall Towne,
And chang'd in likenes of a man,
He walkes both vp and downe,
While time he met some man of spreit,
And then began to say,
What do we all? me thinke we sleepe:
Are we not day by day▪
By cruell Turkes and Infidels
Most spitefully opprest?
They kill our Knights, they brash our forts.
They let vs neuer rest.
Go too, go too, once make a proofe:
No more let vs desist:
To bold attempts God giues successe,
If once assay we list.
With this he goes away. This man
Vnto an other tells
The purpose, whereunto they both
Agree among themsels.
[Page] This other to an other tels,
And so from hand to hand
It spreads and goes, and all that heard
It, necessare it fand.
And last of all it comes vnto
The Duke and Senates care,
Who found it good, and followed furth
The same as ye shall heare.
The Towne was driuen into this time,
In such a pitteous strait
By Mahometists, that they had els
Giuen ouer all debait.
The Turke had conquest Cyprus Ile,
And all their lands that lay
Without the bounds of Italie,
Almost the whole, I say:
And they for last refuge of all,
Had moou'd each Christian King,
To make their Churches pray for their
Reliefe in euery thing.
The Towne with pitteous plaints did call
Vpon the Lord of might,
With praying still and fasting oft,
And groning all the night:
Was nothing heard but sobs and sighs,
Was nothing seene but teares,
Yea sorrow draue the brauest men
With mourning to their beares.
The women swound for sorrow oft,
The babe for woe did weepe,
To see the mother giuing milke,
Such dolefull gesture keepe.
Young men and maides within the Towne
Were ay arraid in blacke,
Each Eau'n the Sunne was sooner hid
Then earst, the night to macke.
Durst kyth or once appeare,
For pale distresse had banisht them,
By sadde and sory cheare.
As seas did compasse them about,
As Seas the streets did rin,
So Seas of teares did euer flow
The houses all within.
As Seas within were ioynd with howles,
So Seas without did rayre,
Their carefull cries to Heauen did mount,
Resounding in the ayre.
O stay, my Muse, thou goest too farre:
Shew where we left before,
Lest trickling teares so fill my pen,
That it will write no more.
Then VENICE being in this state,
When
Gabriel there was sent,
His speaches spread abroad, made Towne
And Senate both so bent
To take reuenge, as they implorde
The Christian Princes ayd,
Of forces such, as easily,
They might haue spar'd and may'd.
At last, support was graunted them,
The holy league was past,
Als long to stand, as twixt the Turkes
And Christians warre should last.
It was agreed, that into March,
Or Aprill euery yeare,
The army should on Easterne Seas,
Conuene from farre and neare.
Thus bent vpon their enterprise,
The principals did conueene,
Into
Messena to consult,
What order should haue beene
[Page] Obseru'd in all their army great:
There
Don Iohn d' Austria came,
Their Generall great, and
Venier als
Came there in Venice name▪
From
Genes Andrea Dor
[...] came,
And Rome
Colonne sent,
When they with others many dayes
Had into counsayle spent.
In end
Ascagnio Dela Corne,
A martiall man and wise,
His counsayle gaue, as ye shall heare
Vpon their enterprise.
Three causes be (ô chieftaynes braue)
That should a Generall let,
On Fortunes light vncertayne wheele
The victory to set:
First, if the losse may harme him more,
Then winning can auayle,
As if his Realme he doe defend
From them that it assayle.
The next, is when the contrare Host
Is able to deuide,
For sicknesse sore, or famine great,
Then best is to abide.
The third and last, it is in case
His forces be too small,
Then better farre is to delay,
Then for to per
[...] all.
But since of these two former poynts
We need not stand in doubt,
Then though we leese, we may defend
Our Countries round about.
As to the last, this armie is
So awfull, strong and fayre,
And furnisht so with necessares
Through your foreseeing care,
[Page] That nought doth rest but courage bolde.
Then since your state is such,
With trust in God assay your chaunce.
Good cause auayleth much.
But specially take heed to this,
That ere ye make away,
Ye order all concerning watre,
Into their due array:
For if while that ye see your foes,
Ye shall continue all,
Then shall their sudden sight with feare
Your brauest Spreits appall.
Each one commaund a sundry thing,
Astonisht of the case,
And euery simple Soldat shall
Vsurpe his Captaynes place.
This counsall so contents them all,
That euery man departs,
With whispering much, and so resolues
With bold magnanime hearts.
THEIR preparations being made,
They all vpon a day,
Their biting Ankers gladly wayde,
And made them for the way.
The Grecian Fleet, for
Helens cause
That
Neptunes towne did sacke,
In braue array, or glistring armes,
No match to them could macke.
There came eight thousand Spaniards braue
From hote and barren Spayne,
Good ordour-keepars, cold in fight,
With proud disdaynfull brayne,
From pleasant fertill Italie,
There came twelue thousand als,
With subtill spreits bent to reuenge,
By crafty meanes and fals.
[Page] Three thousand Almans also came,
From Countries cold and wide,
These money men with awfull cheare
The chock will dourely bide.
From diuers parts did also come,
Three thousand venturers braue,
All voluntaires of conscience mou'd,
And would no wages haue.
Armde Galleyes twice a hundr'and eight,
Six shippes all wondrous great,
And fiue and twenty loadned shippes,
With baggage, and with meat;
With fourty other little barkes,
And prettie Galeots small.
Of these aforesayd was compound
The Christian Nauie all.
THIS cloud of Gallies thus began
On
Neptunes backe to rowe:
And in the ships the Marriners
Did skippe from towe to towe.
With willing minds they hayld the Tyes,
And hoyst the flaffing Sayles,
And strongest towes, from highest mastes,
With force and practique hayles.
The Forceats lothsomly did rowe,
In Gallies 'gainst their will,
Whom Galley-masters oft did beat,
And threaten euer still.
The foming Seas did bullor vp,
The risking Oares did rash,
The Souldats pieces for to clenge
Did showres of shots delash.
But as the Deuill is ready bent,
Good workes to hinder ay,
So sowd he in this Nauy strife,
Their good successe to stay.
[Page] Yet did the wisdomes of the Chiefes,
And of the generall most,
Compound all quarrels and debates
That were, into that Host,
Preferring wisely as they ought,
The honour of the Lord,
Vnto their owne, the publike cause,
To priuate mens discord.
The feathered fame of wondrous speed.
That doth delight to flee
On tops of houses pratling all
That she can heare or see,
Part true, part false: this monster strange
Among the Turkes did tell,
That diuers Christian Princes ioynd,
Resolu'd with them to mel.
Then spyes were sent abroad, who told
The matter as it stood.
Except in Arythmetique (as
It seemd) they were not good:
For they did count their number, to
Be lesse then was indeed,
Which did into the great Turkes mind
A great disdayning breed.
A perrilous thing, as euer came
Into a Chieftaynes brayne,
To set at nought his foes (though small)
By lighleing disdayne.
Then
Selym sent a Nauy out,
Who wandred without rest,
Whill time into LEPANTOES gulfe,
They all their Ankers kest.
In season when with sharpest hooks
The busie shearers cowe
The fruitfull yellow locks of gold,
That doe on
Ceres growe,
[Page] And when the strongest Trees for weight
Of birth doe downeward bow
Their heauy heads, whose colourd knops
In showres rayne ripely now,
And husband men with Woodbind crownes,
To twice borne
Bacchus dance,
Whose pleasant poyson sweet in taste,
Doth cast them in a trance:
Into this riping season sure,
The Christian Host, I say,
Were all assembled for to make
Them readie for the way.
But or they from Messena came,
The Vines were standing bayre,
Trees voyd of fruite, and
Ceres polde,
And lacking all her hayre:
But when that leaues, with ratling falles
In banks of withered boughes,
And carefull labourers doe begin
To yoke the paynefull ploughes,
The Nauies neere to other drew,
And
Venier (sent before)
Gaue false Alarum, sending word,
The Turkes had skowp'd the score,
That fifty Gallyes quite were fled.
This word he sent expresse,
To make the Christians willingly
To battell them addresse.
As so they did, and entred all,
(Moou'd by that samin flight)
Into LEPANTOES gulfe, and there
Preparde them for the fight.
Whill this was doing here on earth,
Great God, who creates all,
(With wakrife eye preordoning
What euer doth befall)
[Page] Was sitting in his pompous throne,
In highest heauen aboue,
And gloriously accompanide
With Iustice and with Loue:
The one hath smiling countenance,
The other frowning cheare:
The one to mercy still perswades
Him as a Father deare:
The other for to powre his plagues
Vpon repining sinne,
And fill the fields with wofull cryes,
The houses all with dinne.
But yet the Lord so temperates them,
That both doe brooke their place,
For Iustice whiles obtaynes her will,
But euermore doth grace:
IEHOVA als hath balances,
Wherewith hee weighes aright
The greatest and the heauiest sinnes
With smaller faults and light:
These grace did moue him for to take:
And so he weighed in heauen
The Christian faults, with faithlesse Turkes.
The ballance stood not eauen,
But sweyd vpon the faythlesse side.
And then with awfull face,
Frownd God of Hosts, the whirling heau'ns
For feare did tremble space.
The stayest mountaynes shuddred all,
The grounds of earth did shake,
The Seas did bray, and
Plutoes Realm▪
For horrour cold did quake.
HOW soone
Aur
[...]raes ioyfull face
Had shead the shady night,
And made the chiuering Larks to sing
For gladnesse of the light,
[Page] And
Phoebe with inconstant face,
In Seas had gone to rest,
And
Phoebus chasing vapours moyst,
The Skye made blew celest;
The Generall of the Christian Host,
Vpon his Galley Mast,
The bloudy signe of furious
Mars,
Made to be fixed fast.
Then, as into a spacious towne,
At breaking of the day,
The busie worke-men doe prepare
Their Worklumes euery way.
The Wright doth sharpe his hacking Axe,
The Smith his grinding File,
Glasse-makers beets their fire that burnes
Continuall, not a while:
The Paynter mixes colours viue,
The Printer Letters sets,
The Mason clinks on Marble stones,
Which hardly drest he gets:
Euen so, how soone this Warriour world
With earnest eyes did see
Yon signe of warre, they all preparde
To winne or else to dye:
Here Hagbutters prepar'd with speed
A number of Bullets round;
There Cannoners, their Cannons steild,
To make destroying sound;
Here Knights did dight their burnisht brands,
Their Archers bowes did bend,
The Armorers on Corslets knockt,
And Harnesse hard did mend,
The fiery Marriners at once
Made all their tackling claire
With whispering dinne, and cryes confus'd,
Preparing here and there:
[Page] As busie Bees within their Hiues
With murmuring euer still,
Are earn'st vpon their fruitfull worke,
Their empty holes to fill.
The Flags and Ensignes were displayd,
At
Zephyrs will to waue,
Each paynted in the colours cleare
Of euery owner braue.
But all this time, in carefull minde
The Generall euer rolde,
What maner of aray would best
Fit such an army bolde.
To pance on this it paynd him more,
This more did trouble his brest,
Then Cannons, Cor
[...]e-lets, Bullets, Tackle,
And Swords, and Bowes, the rest.
And at the last with ripe aduice,
Of Chieftaynes sage and graue,
He shead in three, in Cressents forme,
This martiall army braue:
The Generall in the battayle was,
And Colonell vndertooke
The right wing with the force of
Genes,
The left did
Venier brooke.
WHEN this was done, the Spanish Prince
Did rowe about them all,
And on the names of speciall men,
With louing speach did call,
Remembring them how righteous was
Their quarrell, and how good,
Immortall praise, and infinit gaynes,
To conquere with their blood;
And that the glory of God in earth,
Into their manhead stands,
Through iust reliefe of Christian soules
From cruell Pagans hands.
[Page] But if the Enemie triumphed
Of them and of their fame,
In millions men to bondage would,
Professing IESVS name,
The
Spaniol Prince exhorting thus
With glad and smiling cheare,
With sugred words and gesture good,
So pleas'd both eye and eare,
That euerie man cryed victorie.
This word abroad they blew,
A good presage that victorie
Thereafter should ensew.
The Turquish Host in manner like
Themselues they did aray,
The which two
Bashas did commaund
And order euery way.
For
Portan Basha had in charge,
To gouerne all by land,
And
Ali-Basha had by Sea
The onely chiefe command,
These
Bashas in the battaile were,
With mo then I can tell,
And
Mahomet Bey the right wing had,
The left
Ochiali fell.
Then
Ali-Basha visied all
With bold and manly face,
Whose tongue did vtter courage more
Then had alluring grace:
He did recount amongst the rest,
What victorie Turkes obtaind
On caytife Christians, and how long
The
Ottomans race had raignd:
He told them als, how long themselues
Had victours euer bene,
Euen of these same three Princes small,
That now durst so conuene.
[Page] And would ye then giue such a lye
Vnto your glories past,
As let your selues be ouerthrowne
By loosers at the last?
This victory shall Europe make
To be your conquest pray,
And all the rare things therein till,
Ye carry shall away:
But if ye leese, remember well
How ye haue made them thrall,
This samin way, or worse shall they
Demayne you one and all,
And then shall all your honours past,
In smoake euanish quite,
And all your pleasures turne in payne,
In dolour your delite:
Take courage then, and boldly to it,
Our
Mahomet will ayd,
Conducting all your shots and stroakes
Of arrowe, dart, and blayd:
For nothing care, but onely one,
Which onely doth me fray,
That ere with them we euer meet,
For feare they flee away.
This speach did so the Army please,
And so their mindes did moue,
That clinks of Swords, and rattle of Pikes,
His speaches did approue.
THE glistring cleare of shining Sunne
Made both the Hosts so glaunce,
As fishes eyes did reele to see.
Such hewes on Seas to daunce:
But
Titan shinde on eyes of Turkes,
And on the Christians backs,
Although the wauering wind, the which
But seldome setling tacks,
[Page] The Turks did second euer still,
Whill but a little space
Before the chocke, ô miracle!
It turnd into their face:
Which Christians ioyfull as a s
[...]ale
And token did receaue,
That God of Hosts had promis'd them,
They victory should haue.
HOW soone a Cannons smoaky throat
The Seas did dindle all,
And on
Bellona bold and wise,
And bloudy
Mars did call,
And that the sounding cleare of brasse,
Did als approue the same,
And kindled courage into men,
To winne immortall fame.
But what? Me thinke I doe intend
This battayle to recite,
And what by Martiall force was done,
My pen presumes to write,
As if I had yon bloody God,
And all his power seene,
Yea to descriue the God of Hosts,
My pen had able bene:
No, no: no man that witnesse was,
Can set it out aright.
Then how can I by heare-say doe,
Which none could doe by sight?
But since I rashly tooke in hand,
I must assay it now,
With hope that this my good intent
Ye Readers will allow:
I also trust, that euen as he
Who in the Sunne doth walke,
Is colourd by the samin Sunne,
So shall my following talke,
[Page] Some sauour keepe of Martial actes,
Since I would paint them out,
And God shall to his honour als
My pen guide out of doubt.
This warning giuen to Christians, they
With Turkes yoake here and there,
And first the sixe aforesayd shippes,
That were so large and fayre,
And placed were in former ranks,
Did first of all pursew
With Bullets, Raisers, Chaynes, & nayles,
That from their pieces flew:
Their Cannons rummisht all at once,
Whose mortall thudding draue
The fatall Turkes, to be content
With
Thetis for their graue.
The Fishes were astonisht all,
To heare such hideous sound,
The Azure skye was dim'd with smoke:
The dinne that did abound,
Like thunder rearding rumling raue
With roares the highest Heauen,
And pearst with pith the glistring vaults
Of all the Plannets seauen:
The piteous plaints, the hideous howles,
The grieuous cryes and mones,
Of millions wounded sundry wayes,
But dying all at ones,
Conioynd with former horrible sound,
Distemperd all the ayre,
And made the Seas for terrour shake
With braying euer where:
Yet all these vnacquainted roares,
The fearefull threatning sound,
Ioynd with the groning murmuring howles,
The courage could not wound
[Page] So farre of Turkish Chieftaynes braue,
As them to let or fray,
With boldest speed their grieuous harmes
With like for to repay,
Who made their Cannons bray so fast,
And Hagbuts crack so thicke,
As Christians dead in number almost
Did counteruayle the quicke,
And sent full many carcages
Of Seas to lowest ground,
The Cannons thuds and cries of men
Did in the sky resound,
But Turkes remaynd not long vnpayd
Euen with their proper coyne,
By bitter shots, which Christians did
To former thundring ioyne:
Dead dropt they downe on euery side,
Their sighing Spreits eschewes,
And crosses Sty
[...] into disdayne,
To heare infernall newes:
Yea scarcely could the ancient boate
Such number of soules contayne,
But sobbed vnderneath the weight
Of Passengers prophane.
While here the Father stood with Sonne,
A whirling round doth beare
The lead that dings the Father in drosse,
And fils the Sonne with feare;
Whill there a Chieftayne shrilly cryes,
And Soldats doth command,
A speedy Pellet stops his speach,
And stayes his poynting hand▪
Whill time a clustered troupe doth stand
Amaz'd together all,
A fatall Bullet them among,
Makes some selected fall:
[Page] The hideous noyse so deaf'd them all,
Increasing euer still,
That ready Soldats could not heare
Their wise Commaunders will;
But euery man as
Mars him moou'd,
And as occasion seru'd,
His duty did, the best he might,
And for no perill sweru'd:
Their old Commaunders precepts past
They put in practise then,
And onely memory did commaund
That multitude of men.
THVS after they with Cannons had
Their duty done afarre,
And time in end had wearied them
Of such embassad warre,
A rude recounter then they made,
Together Galleys clipt,
And eche one other rasht her nose,
That in the Sea was dipt:
No maner of man was idle then,
Each man his armes did vse:
No scaping place is in the Seas,
Though men would
Mars refuse:
The valiant Knight with Coutlasse sharpe,
Of fighting foe doth part
The bloody head from body pale,
Whill one with deadly dart
Doth pearce his enemies heart in twayne,
Another fearce doth strike
Quite through his fellowes arme or leg,
With poynted brangling Pike.
The Cannons leaue not thundering of,
Nor Hagbuts shooting still,
And seldome Powder wastes in vayne,
But eyther wound or kill:
[Page] Yea euen the simple forceats fought
With beggers bolts anew,
Wherewith full many principall men,
They wounded sore and slew;
Whill time a Christian with a sword,
Lets out a faythlesse breath,
A Turke on him doth with a dart
Reuenge his fellowes death,
Whill time a Turke with arrow doth
Shoot thorow a Christians arme,
A Christian with a Pike dooth pearce
The hand that did the harme:
Whill time a Christian Cannon killes
A Turke with threatning sound,
A Hagbut hits the Cannoner,
Who dead, falls to the ground:
The beggers bolts by forceats casten,
On all hands made to flye,
Iaw-bones and braynes of kild and hurt,
Who wisht (for payne) to dye.
The clinks of swords, the rattle of Pikes,
The whirre of arrowes light,
The howles of hurt, the Captaynes cryes
In vayne, doe what they might:
The cracks of Galleyes broken and bruz'd,
Of Gunnes the rumbling beare
Resounded so, that though the Lord
Had thundred, none could heare.
The Sea was vernish'd red with blood,
And fishes poyson'd all,
As
Iehoua by
Moses rodde,
In Aegypt made befall.
THIS cruell fight continued thus
Vncertayne all the while:
For Fortune oft on either side
Did frowne, and after smile.
Did thinke the day too short,
With bloody practise thus to vse
Their olde acquainted sport:
For as the slaughter ay increast,
So did the courage still
Of martiall men, whome losse of friends
Enarm'd with eigre will;
The more their number did decrease,
The more that they were harmd,
The more with
Mars then were they fild
With boldning spite inarm'd:
Now vp, now downe on either side,
Now Christians seemd to winne,
Now ouerthrowne, and now agayne,
They seemd but to beginne.
My pen for pitty cannot write,
My hayre for horrour stands,
To thinke how many Christians there
Were kild by Pagane hands.
O Lord, throughout this Labyrinth
Make me the way to view,
And let thy holy threefold Sprcit
Be my conducting clew.
O now I spy a blessed Heauen,
Our landing is not farre:
Loe, good victorious tydings comes,
To end this cruell warre.
IN all the time that thus they fought,
The Spanish Prince was clipt
With
Ali-Basha, whome to meet,
The rest he had oreslipt,
And euen as throughout both the Hosts,
Dame Fortune varied still,
So kythde she twixt those Champions two,
Her fond inconstant win:
[Page] For after that the Castles foure
Of Gallies both, with found,
And slaughter huge, their Bullets had
In other made rebound,
And all the small Artillery,
Consumde their shots below,
In killing men, or else to cut
Some Cable strong, or Towe:
Yet victory still vncertayne was,
And Soldats neuer ceast
(With interchange of Pikes and Darts,)
To kill or wound at least.
In end, when they with bloud abroad,
Had bought their meeting deare,
The victory first on Spanish side
Began for to appeare:
For euen the Spanish Prince himselfe
Did hazard at the last,
Accompanied with boldest men,
Who followd on him fast,
By force to winne the Turkish decke,
The which he did obtayne,
And entered in their Galley syne,
But did not long remayne:
For
Ali-Basha prou'd so well,
With his assisters braue,
That backward faster then they came
Their valiant foes they draue,
That glad they were to scape themselues,
And leaue behind anew
Of valiant fellowes carcases,
Whom thus their enemies slew.
The Generall boldned then with spight,
And vernisht red with shame,
Did rather chuse to leese his life,
Then time his spreading fame:
[Page] And so of new encouraged
His Souldiers true and bolde,
As now for eigrenesse they burne,
Who earst were waxed cold:
And thus they entred in agayne,
More fiercely then before,
Whose rude assault could
Ali then
Resist not any more,
But fled vnto the Fort at STEVIN,
For last refuge of all,
Abiding in a doubtsome feare,
The chance he did befall.
A Macedonian Souldier then,
Great honour for to win,
Before the rest in earnest hope,
To
Basha bold did rin,
And with a Cutlace sharpe and fine,
Did whip me off his head,
Who lackt not his reward of him
That did the Nauy lead:
The Generall syne caus'd fixe the head
Vpon his Galley Mast.
At sight whereof, the faythlesse Host▪
Were all so sore agast,
That all amaz'd gaue backe at once,
But yet were stayd agayne,
And neuer one at all did scape,
But taken were or slayne,
Ochiali except, with three times ten
Great Galleyes of his owne,
And many of the Knights of MALT,
Whome he had ouerthrowne:
But if that he with his conuoy
Had mist a safe retreat,
No newes had SELYM but by brute,
Heard euer of this defeat.
[Page] WHEN thus the victory was obtaynd,
And thanks were giuen to God,
Twelue thousand Christians counted were,
Releeu'd from Turquish rod.
O Spanish Prince, whome of a glance
And suddenly away
The cruel fates gaue to the world,
Not suffering thee to stay!
With this the still night sad and blacke
The earth oreshadowed then,
Who
Morpheus brought with her and rest,
To steale on beasts and men.
BVT all this time was Venice Towne
Reuoluing what euent
Might come of this prepared fight,
With doubtsome mindes and bent:
They long'd, and yet they durst not long,
To heare the newes of all:
They hoped good, they fear'd the euill,
And kest what might befall.
At last the ioyfull tydings came,
Which such a gladnesse bred,
That Matrons graue, and Mayds modest,
The market place bespred:
Anone with cheerefull countenance
They dresse them in a ring,
And thus the formost did begin
Syne all the rest to sing.
Chorus Venetus.
SIng praise to God both young and olde,
That in this towne remayne,
With voyce, and euery Instrument,
Found out by mortall brayne:
Sing praises to our mighty God,
Prayse our deliuerers name,
Our louing Lord, who now in need,
Hath kythd to be the same.
The faythlesse snares did compasse vs,
Their nets were set about:
But yet our dearest Father in Heauen,
He hath redeemd vs out.
Not onely that, but by his power,
Our enemies feet they slayd,
Whom he hath trapt, and made to fall
Into the pit they made.
Sing prayses then both young and olde,
That in this towne remayne,
To him that hath releeu'd our necks,
From Turkish yoke prophane.
Let vs wash off onr sinnes impure,
Cast off our garments vile,
And haunt his Temple euery day,
To pray his name a while.
O prayse him for the victory,
That he hath made vs haue:
For he it was reueng'd our cause,
And not our army braue:
[Page] Prayse him with Trumpet, Piphre, & drum,
With Lutes and Organes fine,
With Viols, Gitterns, Cistiers als,
And sweetest voyces syne:
Sing prayse, sing prayse both yong and old,
Sing prayses one and all,
To him that hath redeemd vs now,
From cruell Pagans thrall.
IN hearing of this Song, me thinks,
My members waxes faynt,
Nor yet from dulnesse can I keepe
My minde by no restraint.
But loe, my Yrny head doth no
[...]
Vpon my Adamant brest,
My eye-lids will stand vp no more,
But fall to take them rest.
And through my weake and weary hand,
Doth slide my pen of lead,
And sleepe doth else possesse me all,
The similitude of dead.
The God with golden wings through ports
Of horne doth to me creepe,
Who changes ofter shapes transformd,
Then
Proteus in the deepe.
How soone he came, quite from my mind,
He worldly cares remoou'd,
And all my members in my bed,
Lay still in rest belou'd.
And syne I heard a ioyfull song,
Of all the feathered bands
Of holy Angels in the heauen,
Thus singing on all hands.
Chorus Angelorum.
SIng, let vs sing with one accord
Hallelu-iah on hye,
With euery elder that doth bow
Before the Lambe his knee:
Sing foure and twenty all with vs,
Whill Heauen and earth resound,
Replenisht with
Iehouas prayse,
Whose like cannot be found:
For he it is, that is, and was,
And euermore shall be,
One onely one vnseparate,
And yet in persons three.
Prayse him, for that he create hath
The Heauen, the earth, and all,
And euer hath preseru'd them since
From their ruine and fall:
But prayse him more, if more can be,
That so he loues his name,
As he doth mercy shew to all
That doe professe the same:
And not alanerly to them
Professing it aright:
But euen to them that mixe therewith
Their owne inuentions slight:
As specially this samin time
Most playnely may appeare,
In giuing them such victory
That not aright him feare:
[Page] For since he shewes such grace to them
That thinke themselues are iust,
What will he more to them that in
His mercies onely trust?
And sith that so he vses them
That doubt for to be sau'd,
How much more them that in their hearts
His promise haue engrau'd?
And since he doth such fauour shew
To them that fondly pray
To other Mediatours, then
Can helpe them any way:
O how then will he fauour them,
Who prayers doe direct
Vnto the Lambe, whom onely he
Ordaynd for that effect?
And since he doth reuenge their cause,
That worship God of bread,
(An errour vayne the which is bred
But in a mortall head)
Then how will he reuenge their cause
That onely feare and serue
His dearest Sonne, and for his sake
Will for no perils swerue?
And since that so he pities them
That beare vpon their brow
The marke of Antichrist the Whoore,
That great abuser now,
Who does the truest Christians
With fire and sword inuade,
And make them holy Martyrs, that
Their trust in God haue layd,
How will he them that thus are vsde,
And beare vpon their face
His speciall marke, a certayne signe
Of euerlasting grace?
[Page] Put end vnto the trauels (Lord)
And miseries of thy Saynts,
Remouing quite this blindnesse grosse,
That now the world so dants▪
Sing prayses of his mercy then
His superexcellence great,
Which doth exceed euen all his works
That lye before his seat:
And let vs sing both now and ay
To him with one accord,
O holy, holy, God of Hosts,
Thou euerliuing Lord.
THus ended was the Angels song:
And also here I end,
Exhorting all you Christians true
Your courage vp to bend.
And since by this defeat ye see,
That God doth loue his name
So well, that so he did them ayd
That seru'd not right the same:
Then though the Antichristian fect
Against you doe coniure,
He doth the body better loue
Then shaddow, be ye sure:
Doe ye resist with confidence,
That God shall be your stay,
And turne it to your comfort, and
His glory now and ay.
FINIS.