taken the vest of virility and being reard up to a comely cleane timbred strong bulke wonderfull active and patient of toyle And if forren travell begets wisedome in regard the eye which hath a more immediate commerce with the soule and is a faithfuller witnesse then the eare Hee is the best traveld Prince by the Sea and Land of any and therein hath the advantage of his neighbours Of a solid and excelling judgement in the hardest and choycest things but specially in the service and deserts of his Officers and servants who in a Monarchy are accordingly active or carelesse as the Prince is capable to distinguish and judge of their labours Whereby I hope to see Druina vindicated more and more of the aspersions the world abroad casts upon her that she slowly seekes after well qualified instruments and more slowly cherisheth vertue in her owne plants but admires any thing in strangers and is more ready to employ them though she have of her owne equally if not better qualified Most singularly indulgent hee is of his Royall Consort which is so acceptable to Heaven that shee corresponds with him in bringing him forth many reall fruits of his love sweet Princely Graffes which I may well avouch are the best for alliance and stocke that ever the earth had being as immediately extracted out of the Oke and the Vine so are they nearely allied to the Cedar the Olive the Firre the anciently descended Vine and all the best stemmes of the Westerne world So that if ever any Plants sprung de semine Divûm as some Philosophers affirmd they may be said to have sprung so He is inflexibly just in the expiation of the crying sinne of murther yet most tender of the life of the meanest shrub that groweth under his Princely boughes Most tenacious he is of his purposes when they have beene pondred and layne long in the ballance of mature deliberation and winnowed by the debate of his sages But above all things else and indeed all things else are but bables to this hee is most punctuall in his pietie to heaven so that take all this together this inference will result that if hee were but one of the ordinary vulgar plants they that know aright would judge him to be one of the compleatest and most vertuous of all Druina But the Crown which descended upon him was inlayed with so many difficulties that it might be justly calld a Crowne of thornes for many yeares For after a long calme of peace hee was left newly engagd in a war against one of the greatest of earthly Monarchs and as it was said of one of his progenitors with a rustie sword and empty purse the Crowne being fallen into a bottomlesse pit or gulph of debt besides his own former arreares The moving fortresse which are the chiefe strength of Druina were in slender repaire his magazines of amunition ill supplied The Lady Carbasilis with her numerous issue were to bee provided for and hee was left to seeke for a spouse for himselfe But by the speciall favour of heaven hee hath surmounted all these difficulties and brought the glory of Druinas diademe to cast a greater splendor then ever it did Touching a royall Consort the high hand of providence reservd for him such a one that there never sprung up above ground a more beauteous or approaching nearer some celestiall deity for through those starry casements of her soule one may discerne in her a kind of divinity transscending the race of mortals so that in this Virginian Vine the saying of the wisest of Kings may be verifyed That a good Wife is a Tree of life This young royal Oke being now setled in his throne he sends Villerio to visit the disconsolat Carbasilis and to confirme a league defensive and offensive with the Willowes his fast friends He suddenly sends a mighty fleet against Elaiana but the Critickes of those times abroad said this fleete so quickly riggd shewd rather the power then providence of Druina yet she returnd without any passive encounter at all He employes two of his noblest Elmes to treat of an alliance with that peerles peece of natures rarities the Lady Aretine which great businesse by their wise and successeful negotiation was concluded in fewer months then Elaiana spent yeares in her treaty so that the La Aretine was entitled by holy rite QUEENE of Druina which shee would not accept of unlesse shee had the title of Ampelona's QUEENE also added Thus the youngest spray of the great martiall Vine came to Druina with a great masse of ready treasure and a row of her owne Country Graffes for her first sett of servants But they misdemeaning themselves by some fond fopperies of superstition in prejudice of the La Aretine her health and for other morall miscariages were suddenly dismissd and sent backe to Ampelona with bagge and baggage all their salaries being punctually payed them to a penny and many of them parted with rewards Though a very moderne Chronicler traduceth Druina in this point to have dismissd them without their wages c. But as in this so in many other relations hee takes up things upon trust and imperfect partiall information A grosse defect in a royall Chronologer nor indeed can it be judgd whether his faults in this kind or flatteries throughout the whole body of his story bee grosser And whereas history should bee the torch of truth hee makes her in diverse places a fuliginous linke of lies The renvoy of the Ampelonians was ill taken by the Royall Vine and the suddennes of the action did much aggravate the businesse with the quality of the persons being for the most part younger Graffes having parted with what they had in their owne soyle to take rooting and grow up in Druina about the Lady Aretine Vpon these distasts the voyaging Marchants pillage one another as they found advantage yet the two Kings stirrd not a good while after For it is with Kings sometimes as with Porters whose packs may justle one against the other yet they remaine good friends still Not long after DRVINAS Monarke convokes an universall Assembly To whom He declard to have calld them together for the safety of Religion for securing his kingdomes and subjects at home having two such mighty Monarkes his actuall enemies for the assisting of his Allies and Confederates abroad specially the Royall Firre who had lately embarkd himselfe very far in open war against the Cedar principally in behalfe of Prince Altapinus and was reducd to wonderfull streights being chasd out of a great part of his dominions by the Cedars Generall For these with other important motives hee propounded a supply of Treasure These things at first overture were well resented by the lower assembly who with much alacritie agreed to a good round supply and indeed it was the greatest gift that ever subjects gave KING but before it was brought to any sound perfection this good worke was unluckily disturbd by a multitude of questions concerning
of his subjects and specially of this noble Elme who had such rooting in the hearts of the poplars that upon any faction or tumult he verily thought he could draw after him all the Trees of the Forrest But this was spoken of purpose to make some impression of jealousies in the breast of Majesty As these traverses happened in Druina behold Bumelias King the Martiall Ash holding himselfe to bee much affronted by the Cedar in that he would vouchsafe no audience to his Ambassadors and that hee encroachd upon the Territories of his ALLIES As also for some preventive reasons of state He crosseth those cold Seas and rusheth into Rhenusium like a whirlewind carrying all before him though with small numbers at first not exceeding 7000. Yet like a ball of snow tumbling downe a hill hee still gatherd strength as he passd and made Chips of all the Trees he met withall Hee restored two of his said Allies to their entire possessions and proceeding further and being dared as he was a Cavalier by that great Veteran Captaine then the Cedars Generall who the day before had shrewdly shaken the plane to meete him in pitchd field He answerd that he was something more than a Cavalier and that he had thousands under him as good as that Generall himselfe therefore he would not fayle to finde him out speedily The next day he kept his word and gave him battaile where hee carried away as faire and compleat a victory as possibly could be and thereby he freed the Planes Country from the impendent dangers that hung over it He marchd still on making his passage by the point of the sword every where He crosseth the great River that denominates Rhenusium upon whose bankes hee kept his festivals in an admired triumphant manner in one of the chiefest Archflamins townes whither Ambassadours resorted unto him from farre and neare as if he had beene some Cesar. The Royall Vine being displeasd that he had crossd that great River and invaded the Territories of the Church whereof he had taken the protection without his privity sent to tell him by his Ambassador That if he did not stand to his Articles he had an Army of 80000. to enter into Rhenusium when hee pleased The magnanimous Ash answerd that he had not infringd the least tittle of what was articled that they aymd at one marke and their ends were concentrike and he knew how to make his way in Rhenusium better than he could tell him And touching the Archflamin in whose metropolis hee then kept his Court hee had broke promise both with the Royall Vine and him by ceasing to bee neutrall As for the menace hee sent if Ampelona had 80000. to rush into to Rhenusium be had 20000. and with them he would be sooner at the walles of Tutelia then those 80000. could be on the frontiers of Rhenusium Afterwards he made himselfe master of Baccharia but to re-invest Altapinus there hee would have tied him to hard and indeed to very harsh termes first That hee should make no leavie of Military forces without his consent That he should supply him with so many thousands upon his owne charge during these warres that hee should still reserve two of the chiefest Townes of Baccharia in deposito where hee might put in garrison to be maintaind by the contributions of the Countrey That hee should make no league or confederacy with any other without his privity and consent That there should bee free exercise of the Bumelian Religion throughout all Baccharia and an Academy and Schooles erected to that end That he should acknowledge under God to have receivd his Country from him with diverse other such restrictions But that noble stout Elme whom the Royall Oke employed at that time in Rhenusium in a high quality of purpose to observe his motions would not condescend hereunto Hence Bumelias King breakes his way to the Elders Court where he shooke him ill favouredly for the time ranging through the very bowels of his Country and plundring all wheresoever he came as farre as his very cells and clossets But as no violent course lasteth long this irresistible torrent of his tropheys was stoppd by the dire hand of destiny so that in the throng of his owne victorious troupes this martiall Ash was felld the greatest of his enemies whom hee most redoubted for his valour falling before in his sight So that as in life so at and after his death he provd a Conqueror falling upon the bed of honour and victory both at once in a party colourd field Gules and Argent but the crest Sable so that it was impossible for a Souldier to bid the world farewell in a braver manner His fall for the present strucke an earth quake into all minds nor could the vulgar bee inducd a great while to beleeve that he was feld thinking him to bee impenetrable and above the stroake of fate An Heroicke Prince he was and in such a height that it was said the soule of Caesar had entred into him So that some thinke he sprung of the race of that Tree whereof Achilles speare and Hercules Club were made only hee was taxd to bee over-ventrous and head-strong besides there were some that observd him to bee somewhat elated by that monstrous course of conquering but as Adrianas Ambassadour apologizd for him He had been more than a mortall wight if he had not been somewhat altered at the successe of such high feates which were such that considering the quality of the Country Townes and enemies none of the twelve Caesar acts paralleld his in so short a time But I will relate a thing worthy of wonder amongst others who receivd contentment at the proceedings of the Warlike Ash Melissanus the great Archflamin would be often inquisitive and well pleasd to heare of any successefull encounter of his against the Cedar Some thinke the reason was in regard the Cedar had a little before disturbd the peace of Bombicina and joynd with Elaiana to kindle a new fire in her therefore hee was well contented to see him a little shaken Others say there was some secret tye that if the Ash should compasse his designes in Rhenusium he should assist Melissanus to recover Hipparcha which the Olive hath so long detaind from Petropolis as a reward for his neutralitie Hereupon when there was a great Contracto in the holy Senat at the time when the Cedars and Olives Embassadors demanded pecuniary supplies out of the holy treasure for the support of Religion in RHENVSIVM and preventing the further spreading of the ASH the IVIE himselfe answered That he was satisfied Religion was neither the subject nor scope of those Warres And that the holy treasure was to bee reservd and issued for holy uses and not misapplied to any other ends Whereunto one of the prime members of that high Senat replying That the Ivie for his coldnesse in the Cedars quarrell was traducd abroad for halfe an Hereticke he was taken up very short and adjudgd
tending to the honour of Cardenia And with these the meaner sort of mechanikes concurd and at last the tallest Elmes appeard so that the whole Forrest was in a fearefull combustion and the Bels every where rung backward the Regalia seizd upon and government thrust quite of the hinges A strange league is made without consent of royall Majesty point blank against the lawes of Cardenia and nothing will serve their turne but the utter extinguishing of the greatest Luminaries of the Church and the abjuration of whatsoever the late royall Oke who they glory to have bin the most religious and learnedst Prince that ever wore Diademe had done in point of ecclesiasticall government The meaner sort of the dispensers of sacred Oracles who of all other were the greatest monsters of ingratitude to their Soveraigne who had found out a way not long before to augment and a scertaine their stipends and free them from that servile kinde of clientele they stood in to the seculars in lieu of pious documents and wholesome doctrines tamper chiefly with matters of state and out of a fanatique zeale minister more fuell to encrease the flames they cryed out that the ready way to return to Petropolis was to passe by Druina that her forme of publike prayer though they acknowledge the first Compilers thereof to bee glorious Martyrs was meere Idolatry This little tended to the honour of Cardenia for all her neighbours cryed out against her that shee should cast such a brand upon the Eusebian Religion as to loose all respects of passive obedience if need had bin for subjects should be willowes and not Okes and to stand in open defiance and armes against their naturall liege Lord And where people runne together and joyne in armes bee it for defence or offence without a Soveraigne head I know what terme it deserves all the world over The sages of Druina consult how to quench these flams Some were of opinion that all the while they broak not out into incursions by land or depredations at Sea nor tooke in forren force nor did any externe act of violence it was not dishonourable for Druina to look on a while yet pinch them in commerce every way and to be sure to keep them at the staves end Bombycina hath a saying That the Prince who upon every commotion of the subject rusheth presently into open war is like him who sets his owne house a fire to roast his egges Kings have many wayes to meet with their people besides effusion of bloud and profusion of treasure they have long reaches Non nôst longas Regibus esse manus Nor is Phlebotomy in the body politicke as well as the naturall prescrib'd for all diseases Some of the wisest Emperours have gone to worke with mutinous subjects by cunctation as the Sun did to take away the passengers cloake not as the ruffling wind for Royall Maiesty like the Sun hath her rayes also which dazzleth the eyes of disloyalty and glancing upon rebellion makes it melt to nothing like a Gorgons head or a Beare reard up of snow But it hath beene the fate of the best and potentst Monarches to have water throwne sometimes into their Wine by tumultuous subjects witnesse the Vine and the OLIVE hard by But I trust Cardenia will not be so ingratefull to Druina as to receive Plummes from her so many yeares and now to throw the stones at her The Thistle I hope will not offer to clash against the Soveraigne Rose considering the multiplicity of advantages she hath by her And the single Lion though rampant will be better advisd then set himselfe against three considering how often he hath felt their pawes A good instrument may by some ill favourd accident bee out of tune but being put in againe the musicke will be as good as ever I hope Cardenia will prove so And now will I put a period to this parley this Iargon of Trees for I can find them no further matter of discourse unlesse I should make them to prophecy and so out-runne their Epoch Many more things could have beene couchd here as a discerning Reader may well perceive which I leave to future ages and transmit to the post-Nati when the times shall be enfranchizd and posterity manumitted For there be some Historicall truths which are like the Medlar not ripe enough to be written till they be rotten Nor was this shadow of Trees darke enough for them it being my intention at first not to pursue or presse this allegory so farre as to inslave my matter unto it and so put it in a kinde of stockes but that I did obtaine leave of my selfe sometimes by obvious and easie expressions to comply with the Readers capacity Otherwise hee might have thought it to have beene some senselesse phantasticke Romance which might have brought him to that passe that he could not have beene able as hee went along to have seene the Wood for Trees No it will appeare that I labour to bring him often into the Plaines and that I was very carefull to shunne the bogs for they are dangerous and there is no state without them Wherefore I hope this knotty ill twisted peece will passe current without exception offence or calumny and that my impartiall dealing will serve for a Pale to fence out the Goats from my Forrest though I must confesse there may some few criticismes or graines of browne salt and small dashes of vineger be found here and there to make the discourse more sapid but this tartnesse is farre from any gall or venome wherewith the pages of some Moderne Authors of our next transmarin neighbours do usually swell and are yet exposd to vent by publicke authority though they writ flat and plaine without any disguise at all I presume you have tasted no such bitternesse here albeit I might have done it with more priviledge and good manners writing under types No you shall find no blacke satyres range in my woods if there bee any they are white harmelesse ones and drawing neere to the nature of Fayries A VOTE FOR Conclusion my incessant vowes and hearty orisons to heaven early and late shall bee that the high Majesty which is here meant by the Oke may in vigor and strength of constitution if it bee within the possibility of nature attaine unto the age of the Oke which is observd to exceed all other terrestriall creatures in longaevity May he be to his enemies as the Oke is to the Olive which as the Arbolists observe shrinkes away to nothing if he be but neere the roots of the Oke may Honour set up her stand in him and victory her tent under his branches may he bee like that blessed Tree planted on the waters side as he is already surrounded and strengthened with waters which brings forth her fruit in due season whose leafe fadeth not and prospereth in all his undertakings Long may his fruitfull Vine infolliat and clasp about him with embracements of Princely love that their soules may transmigrat into each other Long may the dew of heaven distill upon them to make them bourgeon and propagat amongst themselves untill they bee encircled with a large row of young gemmes and cions of their owne royall stocke which to the fulnesse of earthly contentment they may see shoot up and germinat and ingrafted also upon other Princely scutcheons and shields and so grow ripe to succeed them here when they shall be transplanted to the celestiall Paradise to become true Ierusalem Okes to flourish there for ever with the Tree of life and behold him who troad the VVine presse and once suffered upon a Tree to purchase for them that shall bee truly ingrafted into him here Palmes of Victory and immarcessible ghirlands of glory and triumph to all eternity So prayeth The loyallst and lowliest of their Maiesties VOTARIES and VASSALS Iames Howell Guic.