Several poems compiled with great variety of wit and learning, full of delight wherein especially is contained a compleat discourse, and description of the four elements, constitutions, ages of man, seasons of the year, together with an exact epitome of the three by a gentlewoman in New-England.
About this Item
- Title
- Several poems compiled with great variety of wit and learning, full of delight wherein especially is contained a compleat discourse, and description of the four elements, constitutions, ages of man, seasons of the year, together with an exact epitome of the three by a gentlewoman in New-England.
- Author
- Bradstreet, Anne, 1612?-1672.
- Publication
- Boston :: Printed by John Foster,
- 1678.
- Rights/Permissions
-
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A29149.0001.001
- Cite this Item
-
"Several poems compiled with great variety of wit and learning, full of delight wherein especially is contained a compleat discourse, and description of the four elements, constitutions, ages of man, seasons of the year, together with an exact epitome of the three by a gentlewoman in New-England." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A29149.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 30, 2025.
Pages
Page 211
The Poem.
No Phoenix pen, nor Spencers poetry, No Speeds nor Cambdens learned History, Elizahs works, warrs praise, can e're compact, The World's the Theatre where she did act. No memoryes nor volumes can contain The 'leven Olympiads of her happy reign: Who was so good, so just, so learn'd so wise, From all the Kings on earth she won the prize Nor say I more then duly is her due, Millions will testifie that this is true. She hath wip'd off th' aspersion of her Sex, That women wisdome lack to play the Rex: Spain, Monarch sayes not so, nor yet his host: She taught them better manners, to their cost. The Salique law, in force now had not been, If France had ever hop'd for such a Queen. But can you Doctors now this point dispute, She's Argument enough to make you mute. Since first the sun did run his nere run race, And earth had once a year, a new old face, Since time was time, and man unmanly man, Come shew me such a Phoenix if you can? Was ever people better rul'd then hers? Was ever land more happy freed from stirrs? Did ever wealth in England more abound? Her victoryes in forreign Coasts resound, Ships more invincible then Spain's her foe She wrackt, she sackt, she sunk his Armado:Page 212
Her stately troops advanc'd to Lisbons wall
Don Anthony in's right there to install.
She frankly helpt, Franks brave distressed King,
The States united now her same do sing,
She their Protectrix was, they well do know
Unto our dread Virago, what they owe.
Her Nobles sacrific'd their noble blood,
Nor men nor Coyn she spar'd to do them good.
The rude untamed Irish, she did quel.
Before her picture the proud Tyrone fell.
Had ever prince such Counsellours as she?
Her self Minerva caus'd them so to be.
Such Captains and such souldiers never seen,
As were the Subjects of our Pallas Queen.
Her Sea-men through all straights the world did round;
Terra incognita might know the sound.
Her Drake came laden home with Spanish gold:
Her Essex took Cades, their Herculean Hold:
But time would fail me, so my tongue would to,
To tell of half she did▪ or she could ••oe.
Semiramis to her, is but obscure,
More infamy then fame, she did procure.
She built her glory but on Babels walls,
Worlds wonder for a while, but yet it falls.
Fierce Tomris▪ (Cyrus heads-man) Scythians queen,
Had put her harness off, had shee but seen
Our Amazon in th' Camp of Til••ury,
Judging all valour and all Majesty
Within that Princess to have residence,
And prostrate yielded to her excellence.
Page 213
Dido first Foundress of proud Carthage walls,
(Who living consummates her Funeralls)
A great E••iza▪ but compar'd with ours▪
How vanisheth her glory, wealth and powers▪
Profuse proud Cleopatra, whose wrong name,
Instead of glory, prov'd her Countryes shame:
Of her what worth in Storyes to be seen,
But that she was a rich Egyptian Queen.
Zenobya potent Empress of the East,
And of all these, without compare the best,
Whom none but great Aurelius could quel;
Yet for our Queen is no fit Parallel.
She was a Phoenix Queen, so shall she be,
Her ashes not reviv'd, more Phoenix she,
Her personal perfections, who would tell,
Must dip his pen in th' Heleconian Well,
Which I may not, my pride doth but aspire
To read what others write, and so admire.
Now say, have women worth? or have they none?
Or had they some, but with our Queen is't gone?
Nay Masculines, you have thus taxt us long,
But she, though dead, will vindicate our wrong.
Let such as say our Sex is void of Reason,
Know tis a Slander now, but once was Treason.
But happy England which had such a Queen;
Yea happy, happy, had those dayes still been▪
But happiness lyes in a higher sphere,
Then wonder not Eliza moves not here▪
Full fraught with honour, riches and with day••
She set, she set, like Titan in his rayes.
Page 214
No more shall rise or set so glorious sun
Untill the heavens great revolution,
If then new things their old forms shall retain,
Eliza shall rule Albion once again.