Silence, calme as are my waters, meet

Your rays'd attentions, whilst my siluer fee

Touch on the richer shore; and to this seat

Vow my new duties and mine old repeat.

Lest any yet should doubt, or might mistake

What Nymph I am; behold the ample lake

Of which I am stil'd; and neere it MERLINS tombe

Graue of his cunning, as of mine the wombe.

By this it will not aske me to proclaime

More of my selfe, whose actions, and whose name

Were so full fain'd in Brittish ARTHVRS court;

No more then it will sit me to report

What hath before bin trusted to our squire

Of me, my knight, his fate, and my desire

To meet, if not preuent his destiny

And stile him to the court of Britany;

Now when the Iland hath regain'd her fame

Intire, and perfect, in the ancient name,

And that a monarch equall good and great,

Wise, temperate, iust, and stout claimes ARTHVRS seat.

Did I say equall? O too prodigall wrong

' Of my or'e-thirstie, and vnequall tongue !

How brighter farre, then when our ARTHVR liu'd,

Are all the glories of this place reuiu'd!

What riches doe I see; what beauties here !

What awe ! what loue! what reuerence! ioy! and feare!

What ornaments of counsaile as of court!

All that is high and great, or can comport

Vnto the stile of maiestie, that knowes

No riuall, but it selfe, this place here showes.

Onely the house of Chiualrie (how ere

The inner parts and store be full, yet here

In that which gentry should sustaine) decayed

Or rather ruin'd seemes; her buildings layd

Flat with the earth; that were the pride of time

And did the barbarous Memphian heapes out-clime

Those Obilisks and Columnes broke, and downe,

That stroke the starres, and raisd the Brittish crowne

To be a constellation: Shields and swords,

Cob webd, and rusty; not a helme affords

A sparke of lustre, which were wont to giue

Light to the world, and made the nation liue,

When in a day of honour fire was smit

To haue put out VVLCAN'S and haue lasted yet.

O, when this Ædifice stood great and high

That in the carcasse hath such maiestie,

Whose very sceleton boasts so much worth,

What grace, what glories did it then send forth?

When to the structure went more noble names

Then the Ephesian temple lost in flames:

When euery stone was laid by vertuous hands;

And standing so (O that it yet not stands.)

More truth of architecture there was blaz'd,

Then liu'd in all the ignorant Gothes haue raz'd.

There Porticos were built, and seates for knights.

That watch'd for all aduentures, dayes and nights,

The Nieces fill'd with statues, to inuite

Young valures forth, by their olde formes to fight.

With arkes triumphall for their actions done,

Out-striding the Collossus of the sunne.

And Trophæes, reard, of spoyled enemies,

Whose toppes pierc'd through the clouds, and hit the skies.

ANd thither hath thy voyce pierc'd. Stand not maz'd,

Thy eyes haue here on greater glories gaz'd

And not beene frighted. I thy ARTHVR am

Translated to a starre; and of that frame

Or constellation that was call'd for mee

So long before, as showing what I should bee.

ARCTVRVS, once thy king, and now thy starre.

Such the rewards of all good princes are.

Nor let it trouble thy designe, faire dame,

That I am present to it with thy flame

And influence; since the times are now deuolu'd

That MERLIN'S misticke prophesies are absolu'd,

In Brittain's name, the vnion of this Ile;

And clayme both of my scepter and my stile.

Faire fall his vertue, that doth fill that throne

In which I ioy, to find my selfe so'out-shone;

And for the greater, wish, men should him take,

As it is nobler to restore then make.

Proceed in thy great worke; bring forth thy knight

Preserued for his times, that by the might

And magicke of his arme, he may restore

These ruin'd seates of vertue, and build more.

Let him be famous, as was TRISTRAM, Tor.

LAVNC'LOT, and all our list of knight-hood: or

Who were before, or haue beene since. His name

Strike vpon heauen, and there sticke his fame.

Beyond the paths, and searches of the sunne

Let him tempt fate; and when a world is wunne,

Submit it duly to this state and throne,

Till time, and vtmost stay make that his owne.

But first receiue this shield; wherein is wrought

The truth that he must follow; and (being taught

The wayes from heauen) ought not to be despis'd.

It is a piece, was by the fates deuis'd

To arme his mayden valure; and to show

Defensiue armes th'offensiue should fore-goe.

Indow him with it Lady of the Lake.

And for the other mysteries, here, awake

The learned MERLIN; when thou shutst him there,

Thou buriedst valure too, for letters reare

The deeds of honour high, and make them liue.

If then thou seeke to restore prowesse, giue

His spirit freedome; then present thy knight:

For armes and arts sustaine each others right.

MY errour I acknowledge, though too late

To expiate it; There's no resisting fate.

Arise great soule; Fame by surreption got

May stead vs for the time, but lasteth not.

O, doe not rise with storme, and rage. Forgiue

Repented wrongs. I'am cause thou now shalt liue

Eternally, for being deprest a while,

Want makes vs know the price of what we auile.

I Neyther storme, nor rage; tis earth; blame her

That feeles these motions when great spirits stirre.

Shee is affrighted, and now chid by heauen,

Whilst we walke calmely on, vpright and euen.

Call forth the faire MELIADVS thy knight,

They are his fates that make the elements fight:

And these but vsuall throwes, when time sends forth

A wonder or a spectacle of worth.

At common births the world feeles nothing new;

At these she shakes; Mankind liues in a few.

THe heauens, the fates, and thy peculiar starres,

MELIADVS shew thee; and conclude all iarres.

I, Now the spheares are in their tunes againe.

What place is this so bright that doth remaine

Yet vndemolish'd? or but late built! O

I read it now. Saint GEORGES Portico!

The supreme head of all the world, where now

Knighthood liues honor'd with a crowned brow.

A noble Scene, and fit to shew him in

That must of all worlds fame the ghirland winne.

DO's he not sit like MARS, or one that had

The better of him, in his armour clad?

And those his sixe assistants, as the pride

Of the olde Græcian Heroes had not dyed?

Or like APOLLO, rays'd to the worlds view,

The minute after he the Python slew.

TIs al too little, Ladie, you can speake.

My thought growes great of him, and faine would breake.

Inuite him forth, and guide him to his tent,

That I may read this shield his fates present.

GLorie of Knights, and hope of all the earth,

Come forth; your fostresse bids; who from your birth

Hath bred you to this houre, and for this throne.

This is the field to make your vertue knowne.

If he were now (he sayes) to vow his fires

Of faith, of loue, of seruice, then his squires

Had vttered nothing for him: But he hopes

In the first tender of himselfe, his scopes

Were so well read, as it were no decor'me

Where truth is studied, there to practise forme.

NO, let his actions speake him; and this shield

Let downe from heauen, that to his youth will yeeld

Such copie of inticement: Not the deeds

Of antique Knights, to catch their fellowes steeds

Or Ladies palfreyes, rescue from the force

Of a fell gyant, or some score to vnhorse.

These were bold stories of our ARTHVRS age;

But here are other acts; another Stage

And Scene appeares; it is not since as then:

No gyants, dwarfes, or monsters here, but men.

His arts must be to gouerne, and giue Lawes

To peace no lesse then armes. His fate here drawes

An Empire with it, and describes each state

Preceding there, that he should imitate.

First, faire MELIADVS, hath she wrought an Ile,

The happiest of the earth (which to your stile

In time must adde) and in it placed high

Britaine, the only name, made CAESAR flye,

Within the neerer parts, as apt, and due

To your first speculation, you may view

The eye of Iustice shooting through the land,

Like a bright Planet strengthned by the hand

Of first, and warlike EDWARD; then th' increase

Of trades and tillage, vnder lawes and peace,

Begun by him, but settled and promou'd

By the third Heroe of his name, who lou'd

To set his owne aworke, and not to see

The fatnesse of his Land a portion bee

For strangers. This was he erected first

The trade of clothing, by which art were nurst

Whole millions to his seruice, and releeu'd

So many poore, as since they haue beleeu'd

The golden Fleece, and need no forraine mine,

If industrie at home doe not decline.

To proue which true, obserue what treasure here

The wise and seuenth HENRY heapt each yeere,

To be the strength and sinewes of a warre,

When MARS should thunder; or his peace but iarre.

And here how the eighth HENRY his braue sonne

Built forts, made generall musters, train'd youth on

In exercise of armes, and girt his coast

With strength; to which (whose fame no tongue can boast

Vp to her worth, though all best tongues be glad

To name her still) did great ELIZA adde

A wall of shipping, and became thereby

The aide, or feare of all the nations high.

These worthiest Prince, are set you neere to reade,

That ciuill arts the martiall must precede.

That lawes and trade bring honours in and gaine,

And armes defensiue a safe peace maintaine.

But when your fate shall call you forth to'assure

Your vertue more (though not to make secure)

View here, what great examples she hath plac'd.

First, two braue Britaine Heroes, that were grac'd

To fight their Sauiours battailes, and did bring

Destruction on the faithlesse; one a King,

RICHARD, surnamed with the Lyons heart.

The other EDWARD, and the first, whose part

(Then being but Prince) it was to lead these warres

In the age after, but with better starres.

For here though Cœur de Lyon like a storme

Powre on the Saracens, and doth performe

Deeds past an angell, arm'd with wroth and fire,

Ploughing whole Armies vp, with zealous ire,

And walled cities, while he doth defend

That cause that should all warres beginne and end;

Yet when with pride, and for humane respect

The Austrian cullours he doth here deiect

With too much scorne, behold at length how fate

Makes him a wretched prisoner to that state;

And leaues him, as a marke of Fortunes spight,

When Princes tempt their starres beyond their light:

Whilst vpright EDWARD shines no lesse then he,

Vnder the wings of golden victorie,

Nor lets out no lesse riuers of the bloud

Of Infidels, but makes the field a floud,

And marches through it, with Saint GEORGES crosse,

Like Israels host to the Ægyptians losse,

Through the Red Sea: the earth beneath him cold

And quaking such an enemie to behold.

For which, his temper'd zeale, see Prouidence

Flying in here, and armes him with defence

Against th' assassinate made vpon his life

By a foule wretch, from whom he wrests the knife,

And giues him a iust hire: which yet remaines

A warning to great chiefes, to keepe their traines

About 'hem still, and not, to priuacie,

Admit a hand that may vse treacherie.

Neerer then these, not for the same high cause,

Yet for the next (what was his right by lawes

Of nations due) doth fight that MARS of men

The blacke Prince EDWARD, 'gainst the French, who then

At Cressey field had no more yeeres then you,

Heere his glad father has him in the view

As he is entring in the schoole of warre,

And powres all blessings on him from a farre.

That wishes can; whilst he (that close of day)

Like a yong lyon, newly taught to prey,

Inuades the herds, so fled the French, and teares

From the Bohemian crowne the plume he weares,

Which after for his crest he did preserue

To his fathers vse, with this fit word, I SERVE.

But heere at Poictiers he was MARS indeed.

Neuer did valour with more streame succeed

Then he had there. He flow'd out like a sea

Vpon their troupes, and left their armes no way:

Or like a fire carryed with high windes

Now broad, and spreading, by and by it findes

A vent vpright, to looke which way to burne.

Then shootes along againe, or round doth turne,

Till in the circling spoile it hath embrac'd

All that stood nigh, or in the reach to wast:

Such was his rage that day; but then forgot

Soone as his sword was sheath'd, it lasted not,

After the King, the Dauphine, and French Peeres

By yeelding to him, wisely quit their feares,

Whom he did vse with such humanitie,

As they complayn'd not of captiuitie;

But heere to England without shame came in.

To be his captiues was the next to win.

Yet rests the other thunder-bolt of warre,

HARRY the fift, to whom in face you are

So like, as Fate would haue you so in worth,

Illustrious Prince. This vertue ne're came forth,

But Fame flue greater for him, then shee did

For other mortalls; Fate her selfe did bid

To saue his life: The time it reach'd vnto,

Warre knew not how to giue'him enough to doe.

His very name made head against his foes.

And here at Agin-Court where first it rose,

It there hangs still a comet ouer France,

Striking their malice blind, that dare aduance

A thought against it, lightned by your flame

That shall succeed him both in deedes and name.

I could report more actions yet of weight

Out of this orbe, as heere of eightie eight.

Against the proud Armada, stil'd by Spaine,

The Inuincible; that couer'd all the mayne,

As if whole Ilands had broke loose, and swame;

Or halfe of Norway with her firre-trees came,

To ioyne the continents, it was so great;

Yet by the auspice of ELIZA beat:

That deare belou'd of heauen, whom to preserue

The winds were call'd to fight, and stormes to serue.

One tumor drown'd another, billowes stroue

To out-swell ambition, water ayre out-droue,

Though she not wanted on that glorious day,

An euer honor'd HOWARD to display

S. GEORGES ensigne; and of that high race

A second, both which ply'd the fight and chase:

And sent first bullets, then a fleet of fire,

Then shot themselues like ord'nance; and a tire

Of ships for pieces, through the enemies moone,

That wan'd before it grew, and now they soone

Are rent, spoild, scatterd, tost with all disease,

And for their thirst of Britayne drinke the seas.

The fish were neuer better fed than then,

Although at first they sear'd the blood of men

Had chang'd their element; and NEPTVNE shooke

As if the Thunderer had his palace tooke.

So here in Wales, Low Countreys, France, and Spaine__,

You may behold both on the land and mayne

The conquest got, the spoiles, the trophæes reard

By British kings, and such as no blest heard

Of all the nation, which may make t'inuite

Your valour vpon need, but not t'incite

Your neighbour Princes, giue them all their due,

And be prepar'd if they will trouble you.

He doth but scourge himselfe, his sword that drawes

Without a purse, a counsaile and a cause.

But all these spurres to vertue, seedes of praise

Must yeeld to this that comes. Here's one will raise

Your glory more, and so aboue the rest,

As if the acts of all mankind were prest

In his example. Here are kingdomes mixt

And nations ioyn'd, a strength of empire fixt

Conterminate with heauen; The golden veine

OfSATVRNES age is here broke out againe.

HENRY but ioyn'd the Roses, that ensign'd

Particular families, but this hath ioyn'd

The Rose and Thistle, and in them combin'd

A vnion, that shall neuer be declin'd.

Ireland that more in title, then in fact

Before was conquer'd is his Lawrels act.

The wall of shipping by ELIZA made,

Decay'd (as all things subiect are to fade)

He hath new built, or so restor'd, that men

For noble vse, preferre it afore then:

Royall, and mightie IAMES, whose name shall set

A goale for all posteritie to sweat,

In running at by actions hard and high:

This is the height at which your thoughts must fly.

He knowes both how to gouerne, how to saue

What subiects, what their contraries should haue,

What can be done by power, and what by loue,

What should to Mercie, what to Instice moue:

All Arts he can, and from the hand of Fate

Hath he enforc'd the making his owne date

Within his proper vertue hath he plac'd

His guards' gainst Fortune, and there fixed fast

The wheele of chance, about which Kings are hurl'd,

And whose outragious raptures fill the world.

I, This is hee, MELIADVS, whom you

Must only serue, and giue your selfe vnto:

And by your diligent practice to obay

So wise a Master learne the arte of sway.

MERLIN, aduance the shield vpon his tent

And now prepare faire Knight to proueth' euent

Of your bold Challenge. Bee your vertue steeld,

And let your drumme giue note you keepe the field.

Is this the land of Britaine so renownd

For deeds of Armes, or are their hearings drownd

That none doe answere?

Stay, me thinkes I see

A person in yond' caue. Who should that bee?

I know her ensignes now: 'Tis Cheualrie

Possess'd with sleepe, dead as a lethargie:

If any charme will wake, her 'tis the nameIf any charme will wake her, 'tis the name

Of our MELIADVS. I'll vse his Fame.

Lady, MELIADVS, lord of the Iles,

Princely MELIADVS, and whom Fate now stiles

The faire MELIADVS hath hung his shield,The faire MELIADVS, hath hung his shield

Vpon his tent, and here doth keepe the field,

According to his bold and princely word;

And wants employment for his pike, and sword.

WEre it from death that name would wake me. Say

Which is the Knight? O I could gaze a day

Vpon his armour that hath so reuiu'd

My spirits and tels me that I am long liu'd

In his apparance. Breake you rustie dores

That haue so long beene shut, and from the shores

Of all the world, come knight-hood like a flood

Vpon these lists, to make the field, here, good,

And your owne honours, that are now call'd forth

Against the wish of men to proue your worth.

NAy, stay your valure, 'tis a wisdome high

In Princes to vse fortune reuerently.

He that in deeds of Armes obeyes his blood,

Doth often tempt his destinie beyond good.

Looke on this throne, and in his temper view

The light of all that must haue grace in you:

His equall Iustice, vpright Fortitude

And settled Prudence, with that Peace indued

Of face, as minde, alwayes him selfe and euen.

So HERCVLES, and good men beare vp heauen.

I dare not speake his vertues for the feare

Of flattring him, they come so high and neare

To wonders: yet thus much I prophesie

Of him and his. All eares your selues apply.

You, and your other you, great King and Queene,

Haue yet the least of your bright Fortune seene,

Which shall rise brighter euerie houre with Time,

And in your pleasure quite forget the crime

Of change; your ages night shall be her noone.

And if this yong Knight, that now puts forth so soone

Into the world, shall in your names atchieue

More ghyrlands for this state, and shall relieue

Your cares in gouernment; while that yong lord

Shall second him in Armes, and shake a sword

And launce against the foes of God and you.

Nor shall lesse ioy your royall hopes pursue

In that most princely Mayd whose forme might call

The world to warre, and make it hazard all

His valure for her beautie, she shall bee

Mother of Nations, and her Princes see

Riuals almost to these: Whilst you sit high

And lead by them behold your Britaine flie

Beyond the line, when what the seas before

Did bound, shall to the skie then stretch his shore.