Remaines of a greater worke, concerning Britaine, the inhabitants thereof, their languages, names, surnames, empreses, wise speeches, poësies, and epitaphes

CERTAINE Poemes, or Poesies, Epigrammes, Rythmes, and Epitaphs of the English Nation in former Times.

POEMS.

OF the dignity of Poetry much hath beene said by the worthy Sir Philipp Sidney, and by the Gentleman which proued that Poets were the first Poli∣ticians, the first Philosophers, the first Historiographers. I will onely adde out of Philo, that they were Gods owne creatures, who in his Booke de Plantatione Noe, re∣porteth, that when he had made the whole worlds masse; he created Poets to celebrate and set out the Creator him∣selfe, and all the creatures: you Poëts read the place and you will like it. Howsoeuer it pleaseth the Italian to cen∣sure vs, yet neither doth the Sunne so farre retire his charri∣ot from our Climate, neither are there lesse fauourable a∣spects betweene Mercurie, Iupiter, and the Moone, in our inclination of heauen, if Poëts are Fato, as it pleased Socra∣tes, neither are our Poets destitute of Arte prescribed by rea∣son, and grounded vpon experience, but they are as preg∣nant both in witty conceits and deuises, and also in imitati∣on, as any of them. Yea and according to the argument ex∣cell in granditie and grauity, in smoothnesse and proprie∣tie, in quicknesse and briefnesse. So that for skill, varietie, efficacie, and sweetnesse, the foure materiall points requi∣red in a Poët, they can both teach and delight perfectly.

This would easily appeare if any lines were extant of that worthy British Lady Claudia Rufina, so commended by Martial, or of Gildas which Lilius Giraldus sawe in the libraries of Italie,* 1.1 or of old Chedmon who by diuine inspi∣ration about the yeare 680. became so diuine a Poët in our English tongue, that with his sweete verses full of com∣punction, he withdrew many from vice to vertue, and a re∣ligious feare of God: or of our Claudius Clemens one of the first founders of the Vniuersity of Paris: and doth most clearely appeare to all that can iudge by many learned Poems published in this our learned age. But whereas these later are in euery mans hand, and the former are

irrecouerable, I will onely giue you a taste of some of mi∣dle age, which was so ouercast with darke clouds, or rather thicke fogges of ignorance, that euery little sparke of libe∣rall learning seemed wonderfull: so that if sometime you happen of an vncouth word, let the time entreate pardon for it, when as all words haue their times, and as he saith.

licuit semperque licebit, Signatum praesente nota procudere nomen.

We will begin with Ioseph of Excester, who followed our King Richard the first in his warres in the holy land, celebrated his acts in a booke called Antiocheidos, and tur∣ned Dares Phrigius so happily into verse, that it hath been Printed not long since in Germany, vnder the name of Cor∣nelius Nepos.

The passing of the pleasant riuer Simois by Troy, & the encounter betweene the waues of the Sea, and it, at the di∣semboging, or inlett therof, he liuely setteth forth thus:

Proxima rura rigans alio peregrinus ab orbe Visurus Troiam Simois, longoque meatu Emeruisse velit, vt per tot regna, tot vrbes Exeat aequoreas tandem Trotanus in vndas. Dumque indefesso miratur Pergama visu Lapsurum suspendit iter, fluuiumque moratur, Tardior & totam complects destinat vrbem: Suspensis infensus aquis violentior instat Nereus, atque amnem cogens procùl ire minorem; Proximus accedit vrbi, contendere credas Quis propior, sic alternis concurritur vndis, Sic crebras iterant voces, sic iurgia miscent.

You may at one view behold mount Ida with his trees, & the country adiacent to Troy in these few lines, as in a most pleasant prospect presēted vnto you thus, by the said Ioseph.

Haud procul incumbens intercurrentibus aruis Idaeus consurgit apex, vetus incola montis Silua viret, vernat abies procera, cupressus Flebilis, interpres laurus, vaga pinus, oliua Concilians, cornus venatrix, fraxinus audax,

Staet comitis patiens vlmus, nunquamque senescens Cantatrix buxus: paulò procliuiùs aruum Ebria vitis habet non dedignata latere Cancricolam poscit Phoebum, vicinus aristas Praegnantes faecundat ager▪ non plura Falernus Ʋina bibit, non tot pascit Campania messes.

A right woman and Ladylike disdaine may be obserued in the sa••e Author, where he bringeth in Pallas, mating dame Iuno with modest disdamfulnesse before Paris, in the action of beauty, a matter of greatest importance in that sex, after this manner of reply.

Magna parens superûm, nec enim nego; magna Tonantis Nupta, nec inuideo; meritum, Paris inclyte, nostrum Si quod erat carpsit testor freta, testor Olympum, Testor humum, non armatas in praelia linguae Credideram venisse deas; hâc parte loquacem Erubeo sexum, minùs hîc quàm faemina possum; Martem alium didici, victoria faeda vbi victis Plus laudis victore feret, nostrisque trophaeis Hic hand notus honos. Sed quo regina dearum Effatu tendit, Dea sit, cedo, imò Dearum Maxima, non dextrae sortiri sceptra potentis, Partiri ue Iouem certatim venimus, illa Illa habeat, quae se ostentat.

In the commendation of Britaine, for breeding Martiall men, and praise of the famous King Arthur, he song in his Antiocheidos these which onely remaine out of that worke,

Inclita fulsit Posteritas ducibus tantis, tot diues alumnis, Tot faecunda viris, premerent qui viribus o•• bem, Et famà veteres. Hinc Constantinus adeptus Imperium, Romam tenuit, Byzantion auxit. Hinc Senenum ductor captiuà Brennius vrbe, Romuleas domuit flammis victricibus arces. Hinc & Scaeua satus pars non obscura tumultus Ciuilis, Magnum solus qui mole soluta Obsedit, meliorque stetit pro Caesare murus,

Hinc celebri fato faelici floruit ortu Flos regum Arthurus, cuius tamen acta stupori Non micuere minùs, totus quòd in aure voluptas Et populo plaudente fauus. Quacunque priorum Inspice, Pellaeum commendat fama Tyrannum, Pagina Caesareos loquitur Romana triumphos, Alciden domitis attollit gloria monstris. Sed nec pinetum coryli, nec sydera solem Aequant, Annales Graios, Latiosque reuolue, Prisca parem nescit, aequalem postera nullum Exhibitura dies. Reges supereminet omnes Solus praeteritis melior, maiorque futuris.

If a painter would portraite deuills let him paint them in his coulors, as Foelix the old Monke, of Crowland depayn∣ted the bugges of Crowland in his verses, and they will seeme right hell-hounds.

Sunt aliqui quibus est crinis rigidus, caput amplum, Frons cornuta, gena distorta, pupilla coruscans, Os patulum, labra turgentia, dens praeacutus, Et quibus est crinis quasi seta, caput quasi truncus, Frons quasi cera, gena quasi pix, oculus quasi carbo, Os quasi sporta, labra quasi plumbum, dens quasi buxus. Sunt alij quibus est vultus gibbosus & acer, Nasus curuatus & foedus, auris acuta, Et grandis, ceruix dependens & macilenta: Caesaries & barba rigens, frons & gena pallens, Nasus & auris olens, vertex & sinciput horrens. Et sunt perplures qui crine videntur adusto, Fronte truci, naso praegrandi, lumine toruo. Faucibus horrendis, labris pendentibus, ore Igniuomo, vultu squamoso, vertice grosso, Dente fero, mento peracuto, gutture rauco, Pelle nigra, scapulis contractis, ventre rapaci, Costis mobilibus, lumbis ardentibus, anis Caudatis, genibus nodatis, cruribus vncis, Plantis auersis, talisque tumentibus, & sunt Nonnulli, quibus est non horrida forma, sed ipse

Horror, cum non sint scelerati, sed scelus ipsum.

He did seeme also a good poet in his age, which described a great battaile betweene the Danes and the English; thus.

Eminùs in primis hiberni grandinis instar Tela volant, syluas hastarum fragmina frangunt; Mox ruitur propiùs, praescinditur ensis ab ense, Conculcatur equus ab equo, ruit hostis in hostem. Hic effossa trahit hostili viscera ferro, Hic tacet exanimis fusâ cum sanguine vitâ. Hic pedis, ille manus, hic pectoris, ille lacerti Vulnere damnatus reditum proponit inanem.

If he which scraped together the fragments of ancient poets, had hapned on the verses following, written to a Bi∣shop of Norwich, happely he would haue inserted them.

Magnus Alexander bellorum saepe procellas Immixtus fregit studijs, Socratesque studend•• Continuum solitus interrupisse laborem, Threicias tremulo numerauit pollice chordas. Cedit Atlas oneri, ciuili scriptor ab ense Iulius abstinuit, inuictus saepe quieuit Alcides, rigidum mollis lyra flexit Achillem, Tu quoque lugenti patriae grauiterque diuque Expectate parens, sibi quem viduata maritum Iam Pastoralis Norwici regia poscit. &c.

Iohn Hanuill a Monke of S. Albanes made this good & godly inuocation before his poeme, comparable with ma∣ny of the latter broode.

Tu Cyrrhae latices nostrae Deus implue menti, Eloquij rorem siccis infunde labellis, Distillaque fauos, quos nec dum pallidus auro Scit Tagus, aut sitiens admotis Tantalus vndis. Dirige qua timidè susc••pit dextera, dextram Audacem pauidamque iuua, tu mentis habenas Feruoremque rege, quicquid dictauerit ori Spiritus aridior, oleum suffunde fauoris. Tu patris es verbum, tu mens, tu dextra, Verbum Expediat verbum, mens mentem, dextera dextram.

Lasie and superficiall scholers which thrust the day for∣ward

ward with their shoulders in the vniuersity, and returne as wise as they came thether he describeth in this sort:

Hi sunt qui statuae veniunt-statuaeque recedunt, Et Bacchi sapiunt non Phaebi pocula, Nysae Agmina non Cirrhae, Phaebo Bacchoque ministrant, Hoc pleni illo vacui.

The old ale knights of England were well depainted out of him, in the ale house coulours of that time, in this maner,

Iamque vagante scypho, discincto gutture was-heil Ingeminant was-fieil; labor est plus perdere vini Quam sitis, exhaurire merum vehementius ardent, Quàm exhaurire sitim.

The same Iohn Hanuill when he would signifie whatso∣euer enuy had wrought against Troy, the Roman vertue had repayred, sung briefely.

Si quid de cùlmine Troiae Diminuit liuor, virtus reparauit, vt orbi Hic vrbem rapuit, haec orbem reddidit vrbi.

Passionate are these verses vpon the death of K. Richard the first, penned by one Gaulfrid.

Neustria sub clypeô Regis defensa Richardi Indefensa modò gestu testare dolorem, Exundent oculi lachrimas exterminet ora Pallor, connodet digitos tortura, cruentet Interiora dolor, & verberet aera clamor: Tota peris ex morte suâ, mors non fuit eius Sed tua, non vna sed publica mortis imago. O Veneris lachrimosa dies, ô sidus amarum. Illa dies tua nox fuit, & Venus illa venenum. Illa dedit vulnus, sed pessimus ille dierum Primus ab vndecimo, qui vitam victricus ipsam Clausit, vterque dies homicida, tyrannide mira, Traiecit clausus inclusum, tectus apertum, Prouidus incautum, miles munitus inermem, Et proprium Regem.

And after a fewe verses: he speaking to Death, addeth in commendation of that prince.

—, Nihil addere nouerat vltrà Ipse fuit quicquid potuit natura, sed istud Causa fuit quare rapuisti, res pretiosas Eligis, & viles quasi dedignata relinquis.

These former verses were mentioned by Chaucer our English Homer in the description of the sodaine stirre and Panicall feare when Chanteclere the cocke was caried away by Reynold the Foxe with a relation to the said Galfride.

The silly widow and her daughters two Herd the hennes crie and make ado. And out at the dore stert they anon And saw the fox toward the woodygon, And bare vpon his back the cock away And cried out harow and well away. Aha the fox, and after him they ran, And eke with staues many other man. Ran Coll our dogge, Talbot and eke Garland, And Malkin with her distaffe in her hand, Ran Cow and Calfe and eke the very hogges, For they so sore affraid were of the dogges. And showting of men and of women eake. They ran so her hert thought to breaks They yellen as fends do in hell, The Duckes cried as men would them quell, The Geese for feare flew ouer the trees, Out of the heues came swarmes of Bees. So hideous was the noyse, ah benedicite Certes Iack Strawe, ne his meiney Ne made neuer shoutes halfe so shrill When that they would any Fleming kill, As that day was made vpon the Fox. Of brasse they blew the trumpes and of box, Of horne, and box, i which they blew and pouped, And therewith they shriked and shouted, It seemed as though heauen should fall. O Gaulfride dere maister soueraigne,

That whan the worthy King Richard was slaine With shot, complainedst his death so sore, Why ne had I now thie science, and thy lore? The Friday for to chide as did ye, For on a Friday shortly slaine was he. Then would I shew you how that I could plaine, For Chauntecleercs dred and for his paine. Certes such crie, ne lamentation, Was neuer of Ladyes made when that Ilion Was won, an Pirrhus with his bright sword, Whan he hent King Priam by the beard, And slough him (as saith Aeneidos) As made all the hennes in the cloos, Whan they lost of Chantecleere the sight: But souerainly dame Pert••lott shright, Well louder than did Hasdruballs wife, Whan that her husband hath lost his life, And that the Romans had brent Cartage, She was so full of torment and of rage, That wilfully into the fire she stert, And brent her selfe with a stedfast hert. O wofull Hennes right so cried ye, As when that Nero brent the city Of Rome, cried the Senators wives, For that her husbonds should lose her lives.

These may suffice for some Poeticall descriptions of our auncient Poets, if I would come to our time, what a world could I present to you out of Sir Philipp Sidney, Ed. Spencer, Samuel Daniel, Hugh Holland, Ben: Iohnson, Th. Campion, Mich. Drayton, George Chapman, Iohn Marston, William Shakespeare, & other most pregnant witts of these our times, whom succeeding ages may iustly admire.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Beda Eccl. hist. lib. 4. cap. 24.