PANCHARIS The first Booke Containing The Preparation of the Loue betweene OVVEN TVDYR and the QVEENE Long since intended to her Maiden MAIESTIE And now dedicated TO THE INVINCIBLE IAMES Second and greater Monarch of great Britaine King of England Scotland France and Ireland with the Islands adiacent Mar. Valerius Martialis Victurus Genium debet habere liber Printed at London by V. S. for Clement Knight M D CIII TO MY LORD THE KING Sonet Acrosticke IMage of God first as a Man and then As King by most Desert and onely Right Man is the King of Creatures and thy might Exceedes this too for thou art King of men Sunne of our Sphaeie may neuer Clowde vp pen So radiant Beames from thy poore Subiects sight That still our Eyes may see their happy Light Eu'n as their Heate did warme our Bosoms when Vnseene they shone beneath the fixed Star Vp Noble Minde to thy fift Empirie And some yet higher then thy fortunes ar Resemble Heau'n in all but Leuitie Take after Earth in nothing more or lesse Except an irremooued Stayednesse TO THE BRIGHT QVEENE ANNE his deere Wife and our dread Lady 1 WHat is she that like siluer Cynthia shoeth Amidst the hoast of heauen But fairer three times seauen It is the Queene of Loue see where she goeth The Queene of Loue and Beauty lo together With her faire son the Prince of Loue comes hether 2 The Southpole that in our Horizon shined And made the Earth to wonder Gone is that Earth all vnder And to the Northpole hath her roome resigned On whom to waite our Eyes and Harts perseuer And may they cease ô neuer neuer neuer 3 Thou in whose Zodiak of white armes enchained Our Sunne so oft hath shined In whose wombe was confined What in this Isle scornes to be long contained Liue thou and he and maist thou see him rather Copartner then Successor to his Father TO MY LORD THE PRINCE Sonet Acrosticke HEire of thy Sires foure Realmes and which I more Esteeme foure vertues that vnto a fift No doubt will thee o slowly slowly lift â—eâ—â—iue this Ryme of thine old Auncestore â—ong Prince of Wales and pardon me therefore So may glad VICTORY be one day swift To crowne thy sacred head that art a grift Extracted hence with holy Bayes before Vnuanquish'd or vnhurt by sea or land Vpon thy brow the Wreath of England sit And I with crowned head but armed hand Ride by thy Lordly side and after it Turne from thy Grandsires loues to sing thy wars Exchanging Venus Mole for Marses skars Illustrissimae Dominae ARBELLAE STVARTAE Sonulus Elegeiacus Acrostichus A Vricomum alterius Mundi iubar altera Virgo Regia cui stirps est Mens neque stirpe minor Bu imperfectum facili cape fronte Poema Est quia perfectus qui tibi mittit amor Lactea nec Venus est illic nec Vena nec unquà m Latus Amor Musa nouit adesse meae Attamen Eugenij sacros cantillat amores Senfit amans socium queis Catherina iugum Tandem orata Venus sic ambos iuvit amantes Vnde genus tantis Regibus atque tibi Atque mihi scribenti utinam sic aequa fuisset Ritè ego si colui dum sub Amore fui Tutamen horriduiae faueas licet ipsa Dianae Alma veni Musis Venus esto meis Clarissimo Candidissimo jngenio Praeceptori olim semper Amico GVLIELMO CAMDENO Armorum Regi nulli secundo Poemation hoc censendum emendandum mitto NAnus Musaei cupit in quacunque locari Parte liber magnum nec capit ille locum Sed neque se magnis studet immiscere Poetis Quales Meonides maximus atque Maro Cernâ—us hic veterum lambat vestigia vatum Atque pio sanctos basiet ore pedes Cum Nasone tamen ponas hic namque libellus Sanctior vt multis doctior ille modis Vel cum Chaucero nec enim mihi fidus Amator Est minùs multo Nympha pudic a magis Plus quoque quam tetigisse pedes fortasse meretur Quando tuas meritus sit tetigisse manus Andreas Downes Graecus professor Regius Cantabrigiae ANtiquos memorat vatum chorus omn is amores Sed plerumque quibus non Venus aequa fuit Foelices HOLLANDE canis foeliciter igneis Tu veterum quibus hand abnuit alma Venus Et REGINA fuit memorabilis THEODORVS Illam qui meruit carmine dignus erat Nec tantâ—m furor ambobus fuit ille secundus Nec blandum hoc modò tum iuvit vtrumque iugum Sed populos domuit saeuos gentesque feroceis Hic tandem placidè conciliauit amor Cuius nunc voluend a dies fructum attulit vitro Et maiore beat munere longa dies Namque tribus populis discordibus insula diues Ante colebatur bellaque crebra mouet Verùm exhinc mox laeta duos Concordia iunxit Firmus hic stabili foedere vinxit amor Tertia magnanimis restabant regna Britannis Haec quoque magnifico sub duce nunc coeunt Hac etenim de stirpe venit Rex inclytus atque Clara recens soboles noua progenies Quae penitus toto seclusos orbe Britannos Aeternâ reget in pace fauente Deo Et maioribus auspicijs dominabitur orae Circumquaque ingens quà fluit Oceanus Sceptra tenens diadema gerens IACOBI age honores Aggredere ô magnos maxime laetus ouans Horridulâ genitum in regione Eremanthidos Arcti Sol regem vidit te simul atque hominem Creuerunt animi pariter crescentibus annis Sors tandem aequa animis cedere regna iubet Finibus exiguis arctari magna recusant Virtuti campum fata dedêre parem Mollior horrifero Boreae superadditus Auster Vna est virtutis facta palaestra tibi Quà m sapiens fuit Empedocies qui foedere amoris Et caelo terrâ cuncta coire facit I nunc ô vates Theseas atque Ariadnas Medeasque truces dic Amazonidas Materiam noster nouit sibi sumere dignam Dignos versus pangere materiâ Nicolai Hilli Carmen Testamentale viaticum NVnc migro nec patrios forsan rediturus ad agros Vrget officij debita cura premit Quid prohibebit enim quin veri testis honestem Quem studij paritas iustraque multa probant Raptim discedens verbo quod sentio dicam Totius gregis est gloria nemo gregis Ornat egregijs Catherinam millibus effert Vt canit ille suam sic canit illa suum E B Anacreontickes SCarse 'till now hath ENGLAND seen A Poëm but of verses store Here an vnenforced green Hath natiue flowres which heretofore Had at most well painted been As was the season which them bore Arts each Venus that doth shine In antient Poësie heer more HOLLAND this first birth of thine Put forth imperfect stands before The finished and shall in fine Somewhat be new for worlds t' adore CYNTHIVS as we diuine And the MVSES and the GRACES And their QVEENE
Owen Tudyr fire thou hir in loue With him my boy Mother said he your Swanne Shall not exceede this Eagle nor your Doue Hereafter shall she stoope so to the lure Though now a while the clowds she towre aboue For her pure bosome with a brand as pure I wil so kindle yet before the sunne Get out of Libra that none may recure Her heart but onely Owen Well saide sonne Him answered she why should I then despaire But as one Owen hath vs all vndone Another Owen may those harmes repaire For who doth know but that in time to come There may spring from this wel consorted paire may I will so blesse and fructifie her wombe H. 7. That seauen times happy man who one day Sit on this throne and thence with mercy doome His and my people O when will that day Shine from the East vpon this Northerne Clime Then then may well both Welch and English say That they were borne in a most blessed time Mother quoth he thereof mine be the care And if I faile therein mine be the crime But sith the court of heauen can hardly spare Vs both at once this cause to me referre Perhaps the Gods in no such busines are Yet mortalles are How shall the Mariner That long in the wide Ocean tossed is And nothing sees saue sea and heau'n but ere When your propitious starre he there doth misse How shall the shepheard doe that to the hill Leades forth his flocke and home againe by this How shall the strugling Bride against her will With her impatient loue this night conceaue Vnles your gratious influence doe fill Her fruitfull lap Gods must not therefore leaue To helpe and comfort mortall men because Of their due honor they the Gods bereaue This said he stayd and with this only clause She condescended that all should be done As that her selfe therto her best applause Should giue and that as soone too as the sunne A iudge betweene the night and day became O silly Queene these snares how canst thou shun And how O Venus hadst thou any shame Canst thou but blush what haue ye reap't by this Thou and thy sonne what great and glorious name When by two Gods beguyld one Woman is A month and more to make the Queene his slaue He sought by all such traines and trickes of his As knowe ye louers God from them me saue By dreames and fansies whilst abed she lay So wisely though herselfe she did behaue That once he thought it best to runne away By this the golden Eye of heau'n the Sunne From that disastrous and midnight of day Wherin his clewe of life was cleane out spunne Henry the first in fame in name the fift About the siluer skarfe of heau'n had runne Whose firy Coursers howsoeuer swift To some glad harts seeme to the sory slow And dull as lead then first the Queene did lift Her drooping Ey-liddes from the Earth belowe As one that hauing horded vp his cheefe His only treasure still his eye doth throwe Backe to the place as to his best releefe So was the Queene and all the Court to glose The more with her did flatter this her griefe For like the Prince the people them compose Moou'd for their sakes God wot more then her owne The Dowager Queene like to the Virgin Rose That all night is bedew'd and newly blowne Vnto the morning Sunne for comfort seekes Those purer Roses wiping that were sowne Among the Lillies in her louely cheekes And with her teares bedewed day and night By the full space of two and fiftie weekes Resolu'd at last to come by candle-light Into the Presence chamber and to glad Her heart a little with the peoples sight Who to see her againe were nothing sad For all the lusty Courtiers did deuise So soone as notice of her minde was had To entertaine her with some strange disguise Done by Dan Lidgate a great learned Munke Who then in Poesie bare away the prise For after Chaucer had he deepely drunke Of Helicon as few besides haue yet Now when the Sunne into the Sea was suncke They all together in the Wardrobe met And them among though farre aboue them all The gentle Owen was a man well set Broad were his shoulders thogh his waste but smal Straight was his backe and euen was his breast Which no lesse seemely made him shew then tall Such as Achilles seem'd among the rest Of all his army clad in mighty brasse Among them such though all they of the best The man of Mone magnifique Owen was He seem'd an other Oake among the Breers And as in stature so did he surpas In wit and actiue feates his other peeres He nimbly could discourse and nimbly daunce And ag'd he was about some thirty yeeres But armed had ye seene him go to France Ye would haue saide that few on foote or horse Could haue so toss'd a Pike or cowch'd a Lance Wherewith to ground he brought full many a corse That oft alone when I recount the same My tender heart cannot but haue remorse To write it then alas I were too blame Of onely Loue and of his armes I sing Thy warres O Mars I meant not once to name Yet hardly could I spare that haughty string Did not the Boy mine eare pull now and then Beyond my bounds for feare I chance to fling The fame and splendor of my Countrymen Inuite me so What is he that can holde In his rude fingers such a flaggy pen If aught by chance of Agincourt be tolde But into teares his eies would quickely thawe In steade of inke to write the manifolde And goodly slaughters which our men did drawe That day in blood ' But O thou mighty ghost Of Henry Monmouth who yet holdes in awe My bolder Ditty that so longs to boast Those olde Heroês crown'd with holie bayes That vnder him did vse to leade his hoste Beauforts Veres Neuills Talbots Cliffords Grayes O pardon thou and they that I leaue out Th' immortall mortall fights and blody frayes By force of armes there fairely brought about And thou Iohn Huntington whose acts I more Admire than all before whose face the rout Of fearefull Normans when thou cam'st ashore From the triumphed Ocean fled away As heartlesse Hares the Greyhounds doe before Redoubted Earle of pardon I thee pray God wot I would yet halfe so great a taske I dare not vndertake and sooth to say That argument a lowder Trump doth aske To sound a March too slender is my Reede Inough is it to tune a Courtly maske Then to high purpose and the point proceede While they made ready there ye might haue seen One or an other in a masking weede Go friske about vpon the rushes greene And wish if aught he chanced well to do That all were done no worse before the Queene Some one the God of Loue did pray vnto With his milde mother so to stand his friend As he thereby his Ladies loue might woe To whose sweete praise his
paines he did commend Another that he might good honors make As eu'ry Measure did beginne or end Whereof his Mistris might due notice take One that the dropping linkes defilde him not For his white suite of costly satten sake An other that his Imprease or his Mot Or aught of his the Princesse minde might please Full many a suite in broken sighes God wot Was offered there yet all could not appease His kindled ire who by this easie baite Thought now or neuer on the Queene to sease That had so often made him sound retraite It fell that foure and twenty Pages were Appoynted on the Reuelers to waite Who two by two before each paire should beare The linkes aloft and for the greater showe Like suites to them and vizards also weare The wily god that all this did foreknow By putting on the person of a page Made vp the compt his quiuer and his bowe To buy a visard which he layd to gage But turned into a blazing torch his brand A pretty strippling much about the age Of fourteene yeares he seem'd when he did stand Among the rest Now was it time to sup So costly nothing was by sea or land But it was had while still the frothy Cup Did haste to deale about the lusty wine When all was ended and the boord was vp In heau'n aboue the starres began to shine Where also burned Cithere the bright To Cupid nodding who knewe well the signe And like an other heau'n with starry light Adorn'd was all the Presence round about That into day againe did turne the night Although the cheefest light was yet without With this the trumpets lo began to sound And eke the multitude aloude to shout That all the roome did eu'n againe rebound Reecchoing no particle amis God saue your Grace God your foes confound To some her hand of snowe she gaue to kis She talk'd with other and gaue thanks to all Along the chamber as the manner is Behold how many fiery sparkles small The Moone about her siluer or be doth spend When Hesperus the Euening foorth doth call So many glorious ladies glad to tend Vpon the Queene vnto her princely State Downe to the ground before her Grace did bend As there in Maiesty awhile she Sate With shame fac'd lookes lowe fix'd vpon the ground Loe three faire damsels fal'ne at foule debate And them before a Trumpet hard to sound The Damsells dreast in white and blew and blacke Were asked whence they were and whither bound Whom they did looke for or what they did lacke A while they paus'd and oft they changed hew The one still to the other looking backe Till she that all appareld was in blew Stept foorth at last and making Curt'sy low Beganne aloud Most Mightie Queene to you In humble manner we present this showe A silly Maide a Widow and a Wife As by our habits you may partly know A late betwene vs hapned heauy strife Whether the Wife the Widow or the Maide Liues the most happy and contented life All what we could we three therin haue said And women as men clatter want no words Yet heere alas the matter hath not staide For acted it must needs be by the swords Of Martialists but your Maiestike hand That vnto misers mercy still affoords The same by your authority with stand Which is so soueraigne and doth carry weight With all the mighty Sprites of the land That ended all this sturre will heere be streight Eight hardy Squiers doe holde of Maidenhead Whereof is Owen Tudyr chiefe and eight Maintaine that it much better is to wed The last eight by like arguments approue The life sequestred from the nuptiall bed Renouned Empresse then let pitty moue Your royall breast to saue them from the spoile What heart of yron hath she that doth loue To see one man in fight an other soile Or once abide to see the blood to streame That in the manly bosome wonts to boile Heere at as one awak'd out of a dreame The softly sighing Queene vp started soone Guilding the world with such a glorious Beame As doth the Sunne this Hemispheare by noone With morning showrs though somewhat ouerspred Or as when in some misty night the Moone Breaks through the clouds and shews her siluer head And thus she spake Ye vertuous Maid and Wife For such ye seeme and thou whose halfe is dead Whose other halfe resolues to leade the life That also doth thy Queene not all this I le A fitter one could yeeld to stint your strife Extended out though it lie many a mile And but the Sea abides not any bound For all three courses haue I knowne awhile A very Maide of me King Henry found Whose soule God pardon and to mercie take To whom my loue my faith kept euer sound That all the world my honour might not shake Ne wracke my fame against so foule a shelfe As vnto him so for his onely sake I will remaine no lesse true to my selfe For Henries Wife and Widow will I die Honours vaine pleasures transitory pelfe I force not of such gawdes a whit not I Yet doth this trash the mindes of many tempt To Loues delights from whose vile tyranny Princes no more then other are exempt But onely him I lou'd so doe I now And euer shall of whom both thought and dreamt I haue so oft that no man else may bow My setled heart onely were he aliue He might perhaps preuaile against my vow And God I begge it now so let me thriue If aught I speake the worlds good word to woo Beyond my worth but with his thunder driue Mee quicke those vgly shades of hell into Before O shamefastnes that I forsake Thee or yet any lawe of thine vndoe Might I with me my little Henry take To some remote and solitary denne Your noble Prince his seruant God him make Whereto the people cried Amen Amen I could be well content no more to come Among the prease and multitudes of men Not that I doubt but vertuous there be some I know there be and many in this place This of my speech then is the very summe That oft alone when I recount my case No life me thinkes is like to widdowhoode So God but guide it with his holy grace Heereat the Maide and Wife astoned stoode Mistake me not quoth then the louely Queene For often hath it beene no lesse a good To marry wel then to liue singly seene Perhaps the more if heart as well as hands Be rightly tied the married paire betweene Not altogether wedded vnto lands Ne wealthy dowres ah neuer may she thriue That on the purse aboue the party stands She that so weds as I know none that did Beguiles her husband he hath but the hiue Another eates the hony God forbid That euer any courtly Dame should carry A heart so base within her bosome hid As for my selfe had I not lou'd my Harry Perdy I make a vow that for my part No kingdome could haue
tempted me to marry Against the loue and liking of my hart But ah not long had I enioyed my Ioy When vgly Death comes stealing with his dart For hand of man could neuer him annoy And him of life and me of loue depriues Yet hath he left behinde a princely boy That in my breast his heau'nly shape reuiues So like the father doth he daily grow As any you haue seene in all your liues Yea like him hee already learnes to goe So would he bend the browe so would he looke His eies his hands he cast he carried so But whither haue I like a wandring brooke Thus err'd by loue Few liquid pearles then gusht From out her eies and there her breath she tooke But Lord then how the louely Virgine blusht When all the people did the Queene pursue With fresh applauses till when all was hush'd The Queene did her continued speech renew Ladies it seemes and therewithall she sate It seemes I say to vs that each of you So pleased is with her peculiar state That all the world may not your wills reclaime Me leuer also weare your loue then hate Whereat no vertuous Prince did euer aime Tyranny feare and feare this hate begot What duety then can want a priuy maime That of the subiectes loue proceedeth not I then conclude no kinde of life amis That is so fixt and alters not a iot Vnhappy most the least resolued is When as the great Commander in the warres Affects the Marchants life the Marchant his Who knowes each crooked motion of the starres The Clerke againe enuies the Courtier And he the Clowne To leaue particulars In vs and you for oft thus one may erre I must I hope to none of your disgrace Together when all courses I conferre Of force define that both resigne the place To maidenhead as Copper doth or Brasse When Indy Gold their glory doth deface A worthy wife no doubt Susanna was Redeem'd from death as she was thereto led Yet did the widdow Iudith her surpasse Who smote off as he breath'd his last abed That horrid head yet breathing warre and lust But vnto MARY well of Maidenhead This and that other yeeld of duty must The Maide where three times three months did repose The Sunne in whom reposde is all my trust A virgin is but eu'n a very Rose For once if hand of man thereon be laide Both sent and colour it will quickly lose So tender in the bloome is eu'ry Maide That innocent and euer happy state Had our forefathers not so fondly straide Wherein God humane nature did create In holy maidenhead resembled is Whence hauing falne too soone we grieue too late When all the world doth point at our amis Then see we naked shame with open eies Yea maidenhead goes farre beyond all this For in that earthly place of paradise As heere we doe they did by Gods behest But in that heau'n where his owne owner lies As are his Angells such are all the rest Maides and vnmarried heere then I conclude That Maidenhead of all is only best And as she saide so saide the multitude Then all three Ladies who did now relent And pardon aske that they had beene so rude Besought the night in sportes might now be spent Whom so to doe with many thankes she praide So they vnto the foure and twenty sent To certifie them what the Queene had saide And therewithall to bid them haste away The messenger so did and they obaide Alacke for pitty now what shall I say A wily traitor and a very thiefe That all the while in ambush closely lay Among the Maskers is become the chiefe And to the Castle is already come Good Queene I feare me to thy further griefe Herewith was heard the Trumpet and the Drum As if they had beene marching for the field By two and two they entred all and some Each after other offering vp his shield While she that in all curtsie did abound To euery man particular thankes did yeeld The softer musicke then beganne to sound And eke the Ladies were had out to dance It also pleasde the Queene to walke a round The Courtly sportes the more to countenance With whom bicause he did the Measures leade To couple it was Owens happy chance Then all in order gan it softly treade Vp and downe in and out the planets seauen Rapt with harmonious spheres as we may reade So daunce about the lofty pole of heauen The Measures ended it grewe very late For it was halfe an houre nigh past eleauen Then bade the Queene that one belowe the State A stoole for her should set vpon the ground This done anone downe therevppon she sate Some in their cinqueapase did nimbly bound Some did the Cros-point some high Capers cut And on the toe some other turned round While still the Minstrell on the trembling gut Stroue with diuision to outrunne the time That hasted on the Reuells vp to shut For midnight now the clock began to chime Then issued Owen out among the rest Reserued vntill then as only prime Of all the Maskers and the very best LOVE that did all the while no wile forsloe That holp to sett afire her snowy brest Resolu'd at last that it must needs be so Wherefore as Owen did his galliard daunce And grac'd it with a turne vpon the toe Whether his eyes aside he chaunc'd to glaunce And like the louely God became so blinde Or else perhaps it were his happy chaunce I knowe not and record none can I finde This is the shorte The Queene being very nigh He fell and as he forwarde downe declinde His knee did hit against her softer thigh I hope hee felt no great hurt by the fall That happy fall which mounted him so high For vp he quickly sprang and therewithall He fetch'd me such a frisk aboue the ground That O well doone cried out both great and small The Queene arose then and dealt thanks around To all of them but vnto Owen most The Trumpets also they began to sound For on she passt and after her an hoast Of louely ladies while the people praied That God would guide her with his holy ghost Thus all the Court was very well apaide And euery dauncer in delight did swimme But Owen onely who was so dismaide That all the Company came to comfort him Amongst all one wisht it had beene his happe I can not blame him though he lost a lim That long'd to pitch in such a princely lappe But out alas what shall there more be saide This was but eu'n an engine and a trappe That for the seely foule was lately laide The fairest foule I weene that euer was This onely tricke so fowly hath betraide As into some one centre of the glasse The Sunny beames we doe contract to light Diuine Tabacco that all balme doth passe Because all vnion hath the greater might So fierce Cupido causde his fiery brand Vpon that Eagle-eye of his to light That in the very turning of a hand