Angliæ speculum: or Englands looking-glasse.: Devided into two pats [sic], / by C.VV. Mercer.

TO THE RJGHT WORSHJPFƲLL Sir WILLIAM BELFOURE Knight.

Anagr.

1. Lofam' I will be ever. 2. I will be ru'l of fame.

Vers.

Lo fame I will be ever, I will be rule of fame. This is no fiction, but thy very Name.

Epig.

WHen England did impartially imploy, The Nations spirits, for them for to fight. They did desire the honour to enjoy, Thee, in the fields, for their foes despight; And with consent, thee to a place did call, Which was indeed, their second Generall. Lo how their high intentions unto thee, And thy performance did so well agree. Thou prov'd so faithfull in their Royall Tow'r, They almost did idolatrize Belfoure. But they peceiv'd thy spirit was too high, To be so private, in extremitie. And thus resolv'd, to satisfie the eyes, Of those who long'd to see some enterprize Perform'd by thee; but with a sad goodnight, When thou departed, from thy former right, There, were they sorry, that thou shouldst go hence, Yet must submit to such a fair pretence,

And then their care, into a terrour turn'd, The multitude made much ado and mourn'd, Suspected, and exprest themselves dismaid, In jealous doubts, the Tow'r might be betraid. Yet they must part, thy presence must be gone, Thou must be mounted, thou wert called on; Thy by-past vertues to thy valour-yeilds, A Saint in private, Lyon in the Fields, It was enough, to hear thy Noble name, Thy constant courage, did thy worth proclaim; And with such action, as thou didst perform, Prov'd dexterous in many dangerous storm, I did behold thee, when thou hadst to do, In publike fights, and private counsels too. I saw thy practice and thy prudence fit, Renownd for courage, and cride up for wit, The fierce encounters which did crush thy foes, Triumphing on them by undaunted blowes, Did move an Eccho, made the Mountains shake, And forc'd thy foes to call abake, abake, Belfours abroad, O do not venture then, To re-encounter, lest ye lose your men: This was thy practice in the place of Warre, Thus did thou then, but now behold you are, Injoyd in peace, thy presence is at hand, At home, and hence, thus hast thou had command: And in each place, where ever thou hadst trust, None will accuse thee, thou prov'd wondrous just, Thou prov'd a pattern in each place of Note, An honour to the Nation of the Scote; From whence thou cam'st, and didst thy being take, But I will cease, it is in vain to make More Lines, unlesse I had more Letters too, That I may know more promptly what to do. And so resolve to say no more, but rest, My thoughts are such, they cannot be exprest.

W. M.