to thy selfe O Queene to thy Country For why The Lord God of Hostes preserues thy prosperus estate Gainst forraine enemies whose drifts he decrees to be frustrate Sentence For men on earth purpose but God that ruleth in heauen Ruleth on earth as a God Iust God disposeth of all men Gods prouidence hiden is What man can possibly foreshew What future age wil afourd God alone mans destiny doth know That God aboue god alone preserue thy Grace as a Patterne Long to be Septriferent this stout Realme wisely to gouerne And for al his benefits let vs all to the Lord God of Hosts graunt Perpetuall praises who to thee still stands as a Gardaunt Rightfuly crowned a Queene as a rightfull Queene as a right heire Vnto the regal Crowne and lawfuly knowne to be daughter Of King Henry that eight late King wo rul'd as a puisant Conquerer of kingdomes with fame and glory triumphant Grafton His father Henry the seau'nth thy wise stout grandfather obtain'd Th' imperiall diademe who vice and tyrany disdain'd As Chronicles do report This King by the States priuie consent Elizabeth maried promised by former agreement Which was a Plantagenet first and eld'st daughter of Edward Namely the fourth who slew at Bosworth field bludy Richard That tyranus cruel hogge most worthily plagu'd for ofences He by the said mariage did vnite those notabel houses Yorke and Lancaster whose long contentius enuy Caus'd ciuil intestine warfare This conquerus Henry Venturus and valiant was asygn'd by the Lord to be ruler Euery King hath a time Thus this worlds glory doth alter Virg. Sic traÌ„sit gloria mundi I he that once could not nor meant in heroical english Rythmecal Hexameters any book so timely to publish Yet when I knew that I could compose new rythmery verses Lately become metricall which are right verses of Antike Then did I wish that I could dedicate such bookes to thy person Worthy so great a Regent thy deserued glory to blazon Which fro the East to the West doth spread Whose fame to decypher More praise demeriteth then I can now possibil vtter Similie Like as a Crystall spring transparent vnto the bottome Flowes with a siluer streame So puisant Prince to thy kingdome And to thy Common weale thou shew'st thy selfe as a Princesse Mercifull and liberall thy good life vertue doth expresse God to thee gaue many gifts â—â— brethen my minde can imagine Which do atract to thy selfe most hearts with a force Aâ—amantine I he the same man afore as a man scarce knowne to the Muses Boldly presume to present foote-scanning rythmery verses Vnto thee worlds Soueraigne vouchsafe O Queene to peruse them Stand as a Princely Patrone nor ofensiue iustly me condemne If tonitr'ant bisie Ioue should alwaies strike in his anger Poeticè Si quoties peccant c. Euery man that ofends with lightning flame of a thunder Should not he then be bereft or despoild quite of his armor So if I haue many faults yet good Queene stand my protector And I with all reuerence do beseech your gratious Highnes Though many things at amisse yet pardon graunt to my rudenesse Though that I Maeonides who writeth of Hector Achilles Of Troilus Diomede of craft-contriuer Vlisses Nor Maro Laureat am who the laurel crowne to the Romans Wanne as a Princely Poet who recorded fame to the Troians Yet for a zeale that I haue these primor fruites of a Subiect Lately beseem'd a Poet with a regall friendlines accept For why My pipe is of Ote not Apollos skilfuly compact Poeticè Nor Ciceroes eloquence I retaine for a worke that is exact Truly thy Princely benigne acceptance of my beginnings Shall my minde animate to record some greater atemptinge For my delight O Queene my drift and only my purpose Is to record Chronicles metricall verse fitly to compose And to refyne our speach to procure our natural english Far to be more elegant that verse may skilfuly florish Which when it is re'difi'd eloquent and knowne to be perfit Vnto thee and to thy Realme O puisant Prince what a credit Hexameters will amend our speach thou sacred Eliza Publish an Orthography and teach vs a trew Idioma Stories are requisite to be read of States that are highest As Kings imperial thron'd in regalitie chiefest If so be that Chronicles had not bin skilfuly written Kinges valiant exployts lordes fame and knightes valor had bin Drowned in obliuion For time fames greedy deuowrer Similie Leaues fame vnmemoriz'd as a tree consum'd with a canker Historicall Chronicles well penn'd by the learn'd as aforesaid Doth manifest represent as a Comedy shewes on a stage plaid Mens vice and vertues Similie Similie as a trew glasse visibly doth shew Mens face and fauor their faults in visnomy to viewe For by the great diligence of men mans memorie chiefest Treasurer of knowledge with learning skilfuly furnisht Enroules in Chronicles the renowned deeds of heroick And valiant Worthies their fame and victorie warlike For Chronicles do recite faults and falles of many Princes Horribly that tyraniz'd sore plagu'd for their sory vices Was not lofty Babel first built by proude sory Nimrod Whose arogance had a fall Genesis ch 10. 11. and was not merciles Herod â—â—t 12 v 21.23 â—â—tonius fol. â— cha 49. Chro. ch 13. â—s 20 â—f kings ch â—er 24. By greedy vermin spoild that murdred so many children And Nero that tyrrant the detested monster of all men Stab'd himselfe with a knife That wicked King Ieroboam Plagu'd by the Lord that he di'd And lewd vngodly Iehoram Was by godly Iehu through shoulders shot with an arrow Which through pearced his heart that he languisht for very sorrow When that a Prince hath a will whose will doth stand for a reason Lulled in errors lappe that will infectes as a poyson Both to the King and Realme For wherein proud sory Princes â—race Quicâ—d delirant â—ges plectun 〈◊〉 Achiui â—milie Fondly delyre pitiles Subiects ar plagu'd with a witnesse Thankes be to God our Queene doth rule with singuler aduice And with mercy benigne as a Prince dotb quallifie iustice Our Soueraigne doth apeare as goulden Cynthia shining Glides by the firme Element her bright beames cheerefuly shewing Vnto this earthly Chaos So her grace glorius extant Shines to the common wealth with loue and mercy regardant Similie Whose speciall rare gifts and vertues daintily lusture Like Orient Diamonds or splendent pearles on a vesture All you princely Regents you Kings well knowne to be Rulers Learne to refraine from sinne Our Lord God terribly sinners Impenitent doth plague not a King nor an Emperor he spares All estates are alike Who with gods dignitie compares Cast downe your Diadems your Crownes and dignity despise Meere vanities count them but seeke to do good to do iustice Yeald reuerence to the Lord to the Lord your duty to performe You are Christes Subiects your Subiects peaceably gouerne Your pre'minence but a charge your
his brother firmly to settel In throne of Regiment whose state he knew to be fickel For that he knew that he might when a sure foundation is laide Build as he would himselfe Can a building stand that is vnstaid Similie Like as an hungry Lyon ramping will seeke to deuow-er Euery beast that he meetes til he hath ful apeased his hunger Sentence Nulla fides regni socijs c So this vile bludy Duke their deathes did wilfuly conspire Which did opose themselues that he might not ataine to this Empire For greedy thirst of gould and feruent loue of a Kingdome All felo mates doth abhor there faith is found very seldome Like as a weak patient that lyes sore sick of a dropsy Similie Drinkes yet is alwaies dry so that no liquor his hasty Or greedy thirst can alay Grafton fol. 781. fol. 719. Edw. 5. So mindes that proudly desi-er Imperiall regiment still thirst and long for an Empyre Next he the Duke Clarence his brother caus'd in a malmsey Butte to be drown'd as a Duke though guiltlesse found to be guilty Immagining that he might then sooner ataine to the Kingdom When that he was put away For he diu'd each drift to the bottom Like Auroras birde that fluttereth vp to the welkin Similie Soareth aloft higher then a grosse mans sight can imagine So this proud greedy Duke whose minde so lofty did aspire Reached a thought higher than meane wits thought to this Empire O what a vile perilus serpent Sentence what a cormoran helhound Is cruell ambition which seekes mans glory to confound For mindes insatiate wil atempt still still to be highest First to be greatly preferd next equall then to be chiefest See Iames. 3. v. 16 17. Ambitius wisdome comes not from aboue but is earthly Sensual and diuelish contentius and ful of enuy But sapience from aboue is gentel merciful harmelesse Wrongfuly not iudging but void of hypocrisie doubtlesse Now to proceede as I meant King Edward when he knew that he was so spitefuly drowned His sory misfortune and lewd luck greatly repented For when as other Lords would speake for a lewde sory person Humbly beseaching him that he would vouchsafe him a parson Sadly the King would say many times O brother vnhappy For whom no body would once seeme to request any mercy But many men do repent when it is too late to redresse it That priuy vile bludy fact that he did so shamefuly permit Strake a remorse in his hart Surely the more that a mind is clogd with a grevius offense More dolor and anguish doth torment daily the consci'ence Sundry report diuers reasons of their priuy mallice Fiercely reuiued againe each cause yet prou'd but a surmise Grafton fol. 741. Edw. 4. For why The King and Queene suspected a prophecie fore-tould Which they immagined would proue to be true that a G should Thought to be George Clarence their nobil progeny supplant Which soone was verify'd and prov'd to be true by the tyrrant That Duke of Gloster when he was proclam'd a Proâ—ector Who to the Kings children did proue their sole malefactor O fond suspitions of mindes Who can the characters Of futur happes foretell set downe by celestial orders Similie Like as a cockes crowing or crackling flame of a fy-er Daunteth a lusty Lyon which flies for feare of a daunger So doth a suspition conceiu'd by the bruit of a rumor Breed in a Princes mind but an inward feare but a terror Grafton fol. 742. Edw. 4. Some did afirme this Duke should match with Mary the daughter Of Charles Duke Burgon which Edward daily did hinder Similie Which was a grief to the Duke as a sore that festereth inward For that his owne brother so dealt that apeard to be for-ward Thirdly the cause was aledg'd that this Duke George had a seruant Wrongfuly condemned that should as a Sorcerer enchant Their regall persons and their posterity Wherefore This Duke complayning to the King was araign'd as a Traytour With sory wordes who reuyl'd and still did murmur against them Whereby the king in a rage this Duke did speedily condemne There is a time for a man both where and when to do wisely As did apeare by the Duke who prou'd too daungerus hasty Silence seldom ofendes large speach oft stirreth vp anger Sentence That wity graue Socrates his schollers charg'd to remember Maxim Serm. Three speciall documents to be shamefast wise to be silent Most requisite for them that they may proue to be prudent For let a man see much let him heare and say but a littel Prouerbes For littel meddling doth seldom bring any troubel As litel hoat sparkels many times do kindel a fy-er Similie Great fierce and violent So lew'd speech stirreth vp anger Sore sharpe and vehement And as fire forcibly great streames Vpflaming spreadeth So lewd wordes enmitie by meanes Endamaging disperse And as fire quenched is hardly Similie Till that it hath burned to the full and that very fiercely Whose force doth ruinate burne and consumeth in ashes Great large huge tenements faire fine and sumptuus houses Semblabel in like sort is an anger merciles ardent Continuing vehement whose madde rage and fury feruent Doth townes depopulate subuerteth flatly the citties Vpturneth castels murdreth Kinges and many Princes Stout wise and valiaunt What is it but mischeuus Enuy Cankereth vp in her hart To do wrong she practiceth only Which she delights most in With pride she iettes as a copesmate Immagining vengeance Wo worth so spiteful brewbate Similie Better a staf that bendes than a staf that breaketh asunder Sentence Better a man patient than a man that stirreth vp anger Sentence No wrath so vehement as brothers enmity whose rage Fiercely reuiued againe what man may possibil asswage As for an exampel fierce Typhon killed Osyris Romulus also Remus Cambises wrongfuly Smerdis To her Maiestie Here I desist for a time O Queene For like an abortiue Droupeth afore he be ripe so my booke may proue but ofensiue Similie If that he passe to the print yet my poore skill hath adornist That that I meane to deline Soft fyre makes malt to be sweetest Prouerbe And God graunt thee to rule as a ioyful Prince to thy pâ—â—pâ—l Princely so long to liue as an Hart as an oke or a wooâ—â—l If so be your Highnes this verse and history fancy Then will I gladly procead els not For I count it a folly Here is a Book that I made which Pagan Ioue in his anger Iam opus exegi c. Nor steele shall out weare nor time authentical euer The Author to his Muse Here let vs harbor a while thinges ar to be done in a measure Euery tyde hath an ebbe paines past to recount is a pleasure Glory to God God aboue which was God from the beginning Which is which shal be our Lord eternal abiding Senerissimae Reginae En meliorae canam si placant carmina Princeps Sin tibi displiceant hic marus aheneus esto Certain Latine verses that were made long since by one Doctor Buste a phisitian in commendation of the Queenes Maiesty when she came to Oxford IVno Minerua Venus nemerosae in vallibus Idae Iudicium formae dum subiere suae Iuno iactat opes Quid tum Prudentior illis Est Pallas Pallas haud opulenta tamen Inter formosas si tu Dea fortè fuisses Vicisti reliquas O Dea quarta Deas Quam Iuno iaeiuna foret Quam pallida Pallas Quam dea vana Venus Quam dea sola fores Sit Venus alma viris regni virtutis egena est Omnia sunt tua in Iuno Minerua Venus Translated into English Hexameters and Pentameters verse for verse Iuno Minerua Venus in vales of wodded hil Ida Whyles which was fayrest they did agree to be try'd Iuno she bragd of wealth What then Then thought to be wisest Was Pallas Pallas was not a wealthy godesse If that among those faire godeses thou faire godes hadst ben Thou hadst surpast them there as a fourth Godes all Iuno she how ieiune Now pale had Pallas apeared And Venus how vainelike Thou then an only godesse Let Venus all men please yet throne of vertue she wanteth All thinges are thine thou Iuno Minerua Venus And Saphickes in English I haue made thus Godly Queene Princesse president remayneth Only our fortresse resident apeareth Duly like Empresse pre'minent requireth All vs apointed Stoutly with bouldnes prouident to venter Bouldly foes fiercenes violent to conâ—uer Manly with stoutnes diligent defend her Which is anoynted
at a time and both to be parted asonder Bothe to be bound in sheaues and bothe to be laid from another Th' one to be laid in a barne th' other to be throwne by Iehoua Into that burning lake that burning fyry Gehenna And wee that professe Christianity should not vse any paganisme to detract gods glorie as the paganis'd Poets did in the time of ignorance For this I haue written of them I meane of Homer Virgill and others Only the fault was this they liu'd in a time then of error And to the Pagan goddes most of them yeelded an honnor Those secular sages which gods trew worde did abandon Wilfully lost them selues and others left at a randon But should we Christians confessing one God Imortall Trinity Vnity one deifyed with glory coequall Call to the Pagan gods to detract praise from the Redeemer Our soules sole-sauiour Should we such blasphemy suffer In truthe all they that professe trew Poetry should seeke to further the aduancement of gods glory what they may which I pray God they may doe to bannish all these fond fantasticall and Veneriall Poets and also to doe their best endeauour in trew Hexameters to abolish this plaine rythme-prose that wee may imitate and follow the best learned and auncient Poets as Homer Virgill and Lucan in Chronicles For that an heroicall verse composed in Hexameters is most correspondent to a right honorable nature as appeared by Alexander the great as I haue composed in Hexameters following When that Alexander did come to the Tombe of Acbilles That monument to behold he pronounced these very speaches And with a sigh thus said Thrice Larissaeus is happy For that he greek Homer had to record his glory so worthy * And when he had conquerd great spoyles from king Darius There was a chest of gould that he said was fit for Homerus Bookes to be safely repos'd For he kept them safe as a Iewell Vnder his owne beads-head whose worke diuinely doth excell And Maro laurigerent in verse most glorious enrold Venturous Aeneas exployts and worthines extold Which brought Rome in a muse with a grace so loftily slowing Whose praise still wil abide while seas or earthe ar abiding And that we may imitate them as neere as we may in poetizing of verified Chronicles I haue elsewhere written thus Learne of Maeonides who writeth of Hector Achilles Of Troilus Diomede of craft-contriuer Vlisses If so be that Chronicles had not bin skilfuly written Kinges valiant exployts lordes fame and knightes valor had bin Drowned in obliuion For time fames greedy deuowrer Leaues fame vnmemoriz'd as a tree consum'd with a canker You fine metricians that verses skilfully compile As fine artificers hard Iron do refile on an Anuile This verse irregular this rustick rythmery bannish Which doth abase Poetry such verse such meter abolish For lily milke-white swannes flote on streames cleare as a crystall And in a fowle mud-y lake donguehill duckes striue for an offall Both Greekes and Latinists such verselesse verse did abandon Whose verse is purifi'd as gould is try'd by the touchstone As vineger doth aford no pleasant taste to the palate So wordes vnmetrifi'd which rythmers rudely promulgate Bringe no delight to the wits nor sound with a grace in a mans eare Euery worthie Poet will such rude rythmery forbeare Surely this kinde of scanning verse is not to be discommended and who so doth hath no warrant so to doe And who so doth discommend Stanihurst or Fraunce let them make so many verses For many will dispraise their bookes that cannot whiles they liue make the like For it is more easie for euery man to finde a fault then to make so many as I haue written thus For curious cauilist but a small mote easily will see Sooner in each strangers eysight then a beame in his owne eye Hardly he will such bookes in a trew verse notably perfect For many men ready be to finde faults hasty to correct Such Sycophant humorists like quayles feede chiefly by poyson Whose Stoicall censures and selfe-mindes stand for a reason And whosoeuer shall discommend mine I would request him to make so many as I meane to make in fiue bookes in rythming Hexameters For as I thinke the rythme doth giue thē a grace in our english tongue especially aboue other tongues so it be good rythme though they be the harder to make The best verse that Fraunce made was in rythming Hexameters of the natiuitie of Christ And if he make so many better I will reuerence him If so many not better so that he raile not I will commend him I discommend no mans workes for that I know none haue more defects then myne owne For it is the enriching beautifying of our language and the credit and glory of the verse that I regarde For I am no mercinary man nor write with an hyred penne nor expect vaine glorie But who so doth slander these verses and cannot amend them nor make so many let him keepe his winde to coole his potage For my answere shall be silence As Diogenes answered one that asked him a foolish question saying that silence was an answere fit for such a fond demaund And in respect of them I will say as the bird said to Caesar Operam laborem perdidi But as for you that are trew fauorits both of Poetry and of this trew metricall and scanning verse I wholly submit and referre my selfe to your fauorable censures and assistance to see if we can yet once againe set on foote this footed verse that it may runne smoothely with a grace and credit I would I were but as Ennius to a fine Maronist or to a skilfull Maeonides And also I request you to take in good part these simpel verses of mine wherin at idel times I haue both taken pleasure paines For al those that professe learning and especially such as are descended of honor or of trew gentilitie should chiefely like of this kinde of heroicke Hexameters as Alexander did of Homers or Augustus of Virgils And if these shall like you I shall be glad and do purpose God willing yer that a yeare come about to set forth another booke I doe not vtterly discommend or condemne this prose-rythme but do only prefer this Romane verse farre aboue it And I know most of them that be learned wil so thinke and especially when it is brought to perfection vnlesse they be some carping Cauilists paradoxically captius or preiudicius For I know plaine song is good but pricke song is knowne to be better and there is great difference betwixt an Orient pearle and a blacke simpel bugel If you finde any faults in my booke I would request you to amend them and to send them in a priuie note to the Stationer But now least I should be too tedious wishing to you all as to my selfe in our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus I most humbly take my leaue resting yours in all loue and duetie to commmand A Briefe rule or prosodie