From to .
And of ,
Till .
[1]
WHho now
shall giuegive
vntounto me words and sound,
Equall vntounto this haughty enterprise?
Or who shall lend me wings, with which frõfrom ground
My lowly verse may loftily arise,
And lift it selfe vntounto the highest skyes?
More ample spirit, 1590.bk2.II.x.1.6. then: thanthenthan hetherto was wount,
Here needes me, whiles the famous auncestryes
Of my most dreaded SoueraigneSoveraigne I recount,
By which all earthly Princes she doth far
surmount.
[2]
Ne vnderunder Sunne, that shines so wide and faire,
Whence all that liueslives, does borrow life and light,
LiuesLives ought, that to her linage may compaire,
Which though from earth it be deriuedderived right,
Yet doth it selfe stretch forth to heuenshevens hight,
And all the world with wonder ouerspredoverspred;
, exceeding far
my might:
How shall fraile pen, with feare disparaged,
ConceiueConceive such souerainesoveraine glory, and great bountyhed?
[3]
worthy of
quill,
Or rather worthy of great Phoebus rote,
Whereon the ruines of great
Ossa hill,
And triumphes of Phlegræan IoueJove he wrote,
That
all the Gods admird his lofty note.
But if some relish of that heuenlyhevenly lay
His learned daughters would
to me ,
To decke my song withall, I would assay,
Thy name, O souerainesoveraine Queene, to blazon far away.
[4]
Thy name O souerainesoveraine Queene, thy realme and race,
From this renowmed Prince
deriuedderived arre,
WhowhoWhom mightily vpheldupheld that royall mace,
Which now thou bear’st, to thee descended farre
From mighty kings and conquerours in warre,
Thy fathers and greatand thy great Grandfathers of oldgold,
Whose noble deeds aboueabove the
Immortall fame for euerever hath enrold;
As in they were in order told.
[5]
, which warlike Britons now possesse,
And therein hauehave their mighty empire raysd,
In antique times was saluagesalvage wildernesse,
VnpeopledUnpeopled, vnmannurdunmannurd,
vnprov’dunprov’dvnprou’dunprov’dvnproudunprovd, vnpraysdunpraysd,
Ne was it Island then, ne was it paysd
Amid the Ocean
waueswaves, ne was it sought
Of merchaunts farre, for profits therein praysd,
By sea to hauehave bene fromfrõfromftõftom the Celticke mayn-land brought.
[6]
Ne did it then deseruedeserve a name to hauehave,
Till that the venturous
Mariner that way
Learning his ship from those white rocks to sauesave,
Which all along the Southerne sea-coast lay,
Threatning vnheedyunheedy wrecke and rash decay,
And namd it Albion. But later day
Finding in it fit ports for fishers trade,
Gan more the same frequent, and further to .
[7]
But far in land a saluagesalvage nation dwelt,
Of Giaunts, and
halfe beastly men,
That neuernever tasted grace, nor goodnes felt,
But like wild beastes lurking in loathsome den,
And flying fast as
through the fen,
All naked without shame, or care of cold,
By hunting and by spoiling
liuedenlivedenliued thenlived then;
Of stature huge, and eke of corage bold,
That sonnes of men amazd their sternesse to
behold.
[8]
But whence they sprong, or how they were
begott,
VneathUneath is to assure, vneathuneath
to wene
, which
doth some assott,
That Dioclesians fifty daughters
shene
Into this land by chaunce hauehave
driuendriven bene,
Where companing with feends
and filthy Sprights
Through vaine illusion of their lust vncleneunclene,
They brought forth
&and such dreadful wights,
As far exceeded men in their immeasurd
mights.
[9]
They held this land, and with their
filthinesse
Polluted this same gentle soyle long time:
That their owne mother loathd their beastlinesse,
And gan abhorre her broods vnkindlyunkindly crime,
All were they borne of her owne natiuenative
slime;
VntilUntil that Brutus
anciently
deriu’dderiv’d
From roiall stocke of old Aſ⁀ſaracsAssaracsAſſaraosAssaraos line,
DriuenDriven by , here arriu’darriv’d,
And them of their vniustunjust possession depriu’ddepriv’d.
[10]
But ere he had established his throne,
And spred his empire to the vtmostutmost shore,
He fought great batteils with his saluagesalvage
fone;
In which he them defeated euermoreevermore,
And many Giaunts left on ,
That well can witnes yet vntounto this day
The , beſprincledbesprincledbeprincledbeſprinkledbesprinkledbeſprincledbesprincled with the gore
Of mighty Goëmot, whome in stout fray
Corineus conquered, and cruelly did slay.
[11]
that ample Pitt, yet far renownd,
For the large leape, which
did compell
to make, being eight of grownd,grownd;
Into the which retourning backe, he fell;fell:fell,
But those three monſtrousmonstrousmonſtronsmonstrons stones doe most excell
Which that huge sonne of
hideous Albion,
Whose father Hercules in Fraunce did quell,
Great Godmer threw, in fierce contention,
At bold Canutus; but of him was
slaine anon.
[12]
In meed of these great conquests by them gott,
Corineus had that ProuinceProvince
vtmostutmost west,
To him assigned for his worthy lott,
Which of his name and memorable gest
He called Cornwaile, yet so called best:
And Debons shayre was, that is
Deuonſ⁀hyreDevonſ⁀hyreDeuonshyreDevonshyre
Deuon ſ⁀hyreDevon ſ⁀hyreDeuon shyreDevon shyre
Deuonſ⁀hyreDevonſ⁀hyreDeuonshyreDevonshyre
DeuonshyreDevonshyre:
But Canute had his
portion ,
The which he cald Canutium, for his
hyre;
Now Cantium, which Kent we comenly inquyre.
[13]
Thus Brute this
Realme vntounto his rule subdewd,
And raigned long in great felicity,
Lou’dLov’d of his freends, and of his foes eschewd,
He left three sonnes, his famous progeny,
Borne of fayre Inogene of Italy;
Mongst whom he parted his
imperiall state,
And Locrine left chiefe Lord of Britany.
At last ripe age bad him ſurrendersurrenderſurtendersurtenderſurrendersurrender late
His life, and long good fortune vntounto finall fate.
[14]
Locrine was left the souerainesoveraine Lord of all;
But Albanact had all the Northerne part,
Which of him selfe Albania he did
call;
And Camber did possesse the Westerne ,
And each his portion peaceably enioydenjoyd,
Ne was there outward breach, nor grudge in hart,
That once their quiet gouernmentgovernment annoyd,
But each his paynes to others profit still
employd.
[15]
straung, with visage
swart,
And corage fierce, that all men did affray,
Which through the world thẽthen swarmd in eueryevery part,
And ouerflowoverflow’d all countries far away,
Like Noyes great flood, with their
importune sway,
This land inuadedinvaded with like violence,
And did themseluesthemselves through all the North display:
VntillUntill that Locrine for his Realmes defence,
Did head against them make, and strong
munificence.
[16]
He them encountred, a confused rout,
Foreby the RiuerRiver, that whylome was hight
The ancient Abus, where with courage stout
He them defeated in victorious fight,
And chaste so fiercely after fearefull flight,
That forst their Chiefetain, for his safeties sake,
(Their ChiefetainCheifetainChiefetain
Humber named was
aright,)aright),
VntoUnto the mighty streame him to betake,
Where he an end of batteill, and of life did make.
[17]
The king retourned proud of victory,
And insolent woxwaxwox through vnwontedunwonted ease,
That shortly he forgot the ieopardyjeopardy,
Which in his land he lately did appease,
And fell to vaine voluptuous disease:
He lou’dlov’d faire Ladie Estrild, leudly lou’dlov’d,
Whose wanton pleasures him too much did please,
That quite his hart from Guendolene
remou’dremov’d,
FrõFrom
Guendolene his wife, though alwaies faithful prou’dprov’d.
[18]
The noble daughter of Corineus
Would not endure to bee so vile disdaind,
But gathering force, and corage valorous,
Encountred him in batteill well ordaind,
In which him vanquisht she to fly constraind:
But she so fast pursewd, that him she tooke,
And threw in bands, where he till death remaind;remaind
Als his faire Leman, flying through a brooke,
She ouerhentoverhent, nought mouedmoved with her piteous looke.
[19]
But both her selfe, and eke her daughter
deare,
Begotten by her kingly Paramoure,
The faire Sabrina almost dead with
feare,
She there attached, far
from all succoure;
The one she slew vponupon the present ,in that impatient ſtourestoure:in that impatient ſtourestoure,vponupon the present floure,
But the sad virgin
innocent of all,
Adowne the rolling riuerriver she did ,
Which of her name now
SeuerneSeverne men do call:
Such was
the end, that to disloyall louelove did fall.
[20]
Then for her sonne, which she to Locrin bore,
Madan was young, vnmeetunmeet the rule toof sway,
In her owne hand the crowne she kept in store,
Till ryper yeares he raught, and stronger stay:
During which time her
powre she did display
Through all this realme, the glory of her
sex,
And first taught men a woman to obay:
But
when her sonne to mans estate did wex,
She it surrendred, ne her selfe would lenger vex.
[21]
Tho raignd, vnworthieunworthie of his race:
For with all shame that sacred throne he fild:
Next Memprise, as vnworthyunworthy of that place,
In which being consorted with Manild,
For thirst of single kingdom him he kild.
But Ebranck
saluedsalved both their infamies
With noble deedes, and warreyd on
In
Henault,
where yet of his victories
BraueBrave moniments remaine, which yet that land enuiesenvies.
[22]
An happy man in his first dayes he was,
And happy father of faire progeny:
For all so many weekes, as the yeare has,
So many children he did multiply;
Of which were twentie sonnes, which did apply,
Their mindes to prayse, and cheualrouschevalrous desyre:
Those did subdew
all Germany,
Of whom it hight; but in
the end their Syre
With foule repulse
from Fraunce was forced to retyre,retyre.
[23]
his sonne succeeding in his seat,
The second Brute, the second both in
name,
And eke in semblaunce of his puissaunce great,
Right well recur’d, and
did away that blame
With recompence of euerlastingeverlasting fame.
He with his victour sword first opened,
The bowels of wide Fraunce, a forlorne Dame,
And taught her first how to be conquered;
Since which, with sondrie spoiles she hath bene ransacked.
[24]
Let Scaldis tell, and let tell Hania,
And let the marsh of tell,
What colour were their waters that same day,
And all the moore twixt
EluershamElversham and Dell,
With blood of Henalois,
which therein fell.
How oft that day did sad
Brunchildis see
The greene shield
dyde in dolorous vermell?
That not ScuithSeuith[blank] guiridh
ithe mote seeme to bee.
But rather y Scuith gogh,
ſigne of ſad crueltee.signe of sad crueltee.rather y Seuith gogh,
ſigne of ſad crueltee.signe of sad crueltee.
[blank]rather y Scuith gogh,
ſigne of ſad crueltee.signe of sad crueltee.
[25]
His sonne king Leill by fathers labour long,
EnioydEnjoyd an heritage of lasting peace,
And built ,
and built
strong.
Next Huddibras his realme did not
encrease,
But taught the land from wearie wars to cease.
Whose footsteps Bladud following, in
artes
Exceld at Athens all the learned preace,
From whẽcewhence he brought them to these saluagesalvage parts
And with sweet science mollifide their stubborne harts.
[26]
Ensample of his wondrous faculty,
Behold the boyling Bathes at Cairbadon,
Which seeth with secret fire eternally,
And in their entrailles, full of quick Brimston,
Nourish the flames, which they are warmd vponupon,
That to theirher people wealth they forth do well,
And health
to eueryevery forreyne nation:
Yet he at last contending
to excell
The reach of men, through
flight into fond mischief fell.
[27]
in happie peace long raynd,
But had no issue male him to succeed,
But three faire daughters, which were well vptrainduptraind,
In all that seemed fitt for kingly seed:
Mongst whom his realme he equally decreed
To hauehave
diuideddivided. Tho when feeble age
Nigh to his vtmostutmost date he saw proceed,
He cald his daughters; and with speeches sage
Inquyrd, which of them most did louelove her parentage.
[28]
The eldest Gonorill gan to protest,
That she much more 1590.bk2.II.x.28.2. then: thanthenthan her owne life him lou’dlov’d:
And Regan greater louelove to him profest,
1590.bk2.II.x.28.4. Then: ThanThenThan all the world, ;
But Cordeill said she lou’dlov’d him, as behoou’dbehoov’d:
Whose simple answere, wanting colours fayre
To paint it forth,forth,, him to displeasaunce moou’dmoov’d,
That in his crown he counted her no hayre,
But twixt the other twain his kingdom whole
did shayre.
[29]
So wedded th’one to Maglan
king of Scottes,
And thother to the king of ,
And twixt them shayrd his realme by equall lottes:
But without dowre the wise Cordelia,
Was sent to Aggannip of
Celtica.Celtica
Their aged Syre, thus eased of his crowne,
A priuateprivate life ledd in Albania,
With Gonorill, long had in great renowne,
That nought him grieu’dgriev’d to beene from rule deposed downe.
[30]
But true it is that when the oyle is spent,
The light goes out,
and is throwne away;
So when he had resignd his ,
His daughter gan despise his drouping day,
And wearie wax of his continuall stay.
Tho to his daughter
ReganRigan he repayrd,
Who him at first well vsedused
eueryevery way;
But when of his departure she despayrd,
Her bountie she abated, and his cheare empayrd.
[31]
The wretched man gan then auiseavise to late,
That louelove is not, where most it is profest,
Too truely tryde in his
extremest state;
At last resolu’dresolv’d likewise to proueprove the rest,
He to Cordelia
him selfe addrest,
Who with entyre affection him receau’dreceav’d,
As for her Syre and king her seemed best;
And after all anau army strong she leau’dleav’d,
To war on those, which him had of his realme bereau’d.bereav’d.bereau’dbereav’d
[32]
So to his crowne she him restord againe,
In which he dyde, made ripe for death by eld,
And after wild, it should
to her remaine:
Who peaceably the same long time did weld:
And all mens harts in dew obedience held:
Till that her sisters children, woxen strong,
Through proud ambition against her rebeld,
And ouercommenovercommen kept in prison long,
Till weary of that wretched life, her selfe
she hong.
[33]
the bloody brethren both to raine:
But fierce Cundah gan shortly to enuyenvy
His brother Morgan, prickt with proud
disdaine,
To hauehave a pere in part of soueraintysoverainty,
And kindling coles of cruell enmity,
Raisd warre, and him in batteill ouerthrewoverthrew:
Whence as he to those woody hilles did fly,
Then did he raigne alone, when he none equall
knew.
[34]
Riuall’Rivall’Rivall’RiualloRivallo
did supply,
In whose sad time blood did from heauenheaven rayne:
Next great Gurgustus, then faire ,
In constant peace their kingdomes did contayne,
After whom Lago, and Kinmarke did rayne;
And ,
till far in yeares he grew:
Then his Ambitiousambitious sonnes vntounto them twayne,
Arraught the rule, and
from their father drew,
Stout Ferrex and
sterne Porrex him in prison threw.
[35]
, the greedy thirst of royall crowne,
That knowes no kinred, nor regardes no right,
Stird Porrex
vpup to put his brother downe;
Who vntounto him assembling forreigne might,
Made warre on him, and
fell him selfe in fight:
Whose death t’auengeavenge, his mother mercilesse,
Most mercilesse of women, Wyden
hight,
Her other sonne fast sleeping did oppresse,
And with most cruell hand him murdred
pittilesse.
[36]
Brutus sacred progeny,
Which had seuenseven hundred yeares this scepter borne,
With high renowme, and great felicity;felicitie.felicitie?
Through discord, and the roiall throne forlorne:
Thenceforth this Realme was into factions rent,
Whilest each of Brutus boasted to be
borne,
That in the end was left no moniment
Of Brutus, nor
of Britons glorie auncient.
[37]
Then vpup arose of matchlesse
might,
And wondrous wit to menage high affayres,
Who stird withvpup pitty of the stressed plight
Of this sad realme, cut into sondry shayres
By such, as claymd thẽseluesthemseluesthẽselvesthemselves
Brutes rightfull hayres,
Gathered the Princes of the people ,
To taken counsell of their common cares;
Who with his wisedom won, him streight did choose
Their king, and swore him fealty to win or
loose.
[38]
Then made he head against his enimies,
And Ymner slew, ofor
Logris miscreate;
Then Ruddoc and proud Stater, both allyes,
This of Albany newly nominate,
And that of Cambry king
confirmed late,
He ouerthrewoverthrew through his owne valiaunce;
Whose countries he redus’d to quiet state,
And shortly brought to ciuilecivile
gouernauncegovernaunce,
Now one, which earst were many, made through
variaunce.
[39]
, which some men say
Were vntounto him reuealdreveald in vision,
By which he freed the TraueilersTraveilers high way,
The Churches part, and Ploughmans portion,
Restraining stealth, and strong extortion;
The gratious Numa of great
Britany:
For till his dayes, the chiefe dominion
By strength was wielded without ;
[40]
dyde (for what may liuelive for ay?)
And left two sonnes, of
pearelesse prowesse both;
That sacked Rome too dearely did assay,
And ransackt Greece wel tryde, whẽwhen they were wroth;
Besides subiectedsubjected
France, and Germany,
Which yet their praises speake, all be they loth,
And inly tremble at the memory
Of Brennus and
BelinusBellinus, kinges of Britany.
[41]
Next them did
GurgiuntGurgunt, great
BelinusBellinus sonne
In rule succeede, and eke in fathers praise;
He subdewd, and
Denmarke wonne,
And of them both did foy
and tribute raise,
The which was dew in his dead fathers daies:
He also gauegave to fugitiuesfugitives of Spayne,
Whom he at sea
found wandring from their waies,
A seate in Ireland safely to remayne,
Which they should hold of him, as subiectsubject to Britayne.
[42]
After him raigned Guitheline his hayre,
The iustestjustest man and trewest in his daies,
Who had to wife Dame Mertia the
fayre,
A woman worthy of immortall praise,
Which for this Realme found many goodly layes,
And wholesome Statutes to her husband brought:
Her many deemd to hauehave beene of the Fayes,
As was Aegerie, that Numa tought:
Those yet of her be
MertiãMertian lawes both nam’d &and thought.
[43]
Her ſonnesonneſonnessonnes
SisillusSifillusSifillus after her did rayne,
And then Kimarus, and then Danius;
Next whom Morindus did the crowne
sustayne,
Who, had he not with wrath
outrageous,
And cruell rancour dim’d his valorous
And mightie deedes, should matched hauehave the best:
As well in that same field victorious
Against the forreine he
exprest;
[44]
FiueFive
ſonnessonnesſonnesonne he left begotten of one wife,
All which successiuelysuccessively by turnes did rayne;
First Gorboman a man of vertuous
life;
Next Archigald, who for his proud
disdayne,
Deposed was from princedome soueraynesoverayne,
And
Elidure put in his sted;
Who shortly it to him restord agayne,
Till by his death he it recoueredrecovered;
But Peridure and
Vigent him .
[45]
In wretched prison long he did remaine,
Till they had their vtmostutmost date,
And then therein
was againe,
And ruled long with honorable state,
Till he surrendred Realme and life to fate.
Then all the sonnes of these fiuefive brethren raynd
By dew successe, and all
their Nephewes late,
EuenEven thrise eleueneleven descents the crowne retaynd,
Till aged Hely
by dew heritage it gaynd.
[46]
He had two sonnes, whose eldest called Lud
Left of his life most famous memory,
And endlesse moniments of his great good:
The ruin’d wals he did reædifye
Of
, gainst force of enimy,
And built that gate, which
of his name is hight,
By which he lyes entombed
solemnly.
He left two sonnes, too young to rule aright,
Androgeus and Tenantius,
pictures of his might.
[47]
Whilst they were young, Cassibalane their
Eme
Was by the people chosen in their sted,
Who on him tooke the roiall Diademe,
And goodly well long time it gouernedgoverned,
Till the prowde Romanes him
disquieted,
And warlike Cæsar, tempted with the
name
Of this sweet Island, neuernever conquered,
And enuyingenvying the Britons blazed fame,
(O hideous hunger of dominion) hether came.
[48]
Yet twise they were repulsed backe againe,
And twise , backe
to their ships to fly,
The whiles with blood they all the shore did staine,
And the gray Ocean into purple dy:
Ne had they footing found at last ,
Had not Androgeus, false to natiuenative
soyle,
And enuiousenvious of VnclesUncles
soueraintiesoveraintie,
Betrayd his countrey vntounto forreine spoyle:
Nought els, but treasonbuttreason, from the first this land did foyle.foile.foyle
[49]
So by him Cæsar
got the victory,
Through great bloodshed, and many a sad assay,
In which himselfe was charged heauilyheavily
Of hardy Nennius, whom he yet did slay,
But
lost his sword, yet to be seene this day.
Thenceforth this land was tributarie made
T’ambitious Rome, and did their rule
obay,
Till Arthur all
that reckoning defrayddid defray;
Yet oft the Briton kings against them strongly
.
[50]
Next him Tenantius raignd, then Kimbeline,
What time th’eternall Lord
in fleshly slime
Enwombed was, from wretched Adams line
To purge away the guilt of
sinfull crime:
O ioyousjoyous memorie of happy time,
That heauenlyheavenly grace so plenteously displayd;
(O too high ditty for my simple
rime.)rime).
Soone after this the Romanes him warraydwrrayd;
For that their
tribute he refusd to let be payd.
[51]
Good Claudius,
that next was Emperour,
An army brought, and with
him batteile fought,
In which the king was by a Treachetour
Disguised slaine, ere any thereof thought:
Yet ceased not the bloody fight for ought;
For
AruirageArvirage his brothers place supplyde,
Both in his armes, and crowneBoth in armes, and crowneIn armes, and eke in crowne, and by that draught
Did driuedrive the Romanes to the weaker syde,
That they to peace agreed. So all was
pacifyde.
[52]
Was neuernever king more highly magnifide,
Nor dredd of Romanes, 1590.bk2.II.x.52.2. then: thanthenthan was
AruirageArvirage,
For which the Emperour to him allide
His daughter Genuiss’ in marriage:
Yet shortly he renounst the vassallage
Of Rome againe, who hether hastly
sent
Vespasian, that with great spoile and rage
Forwasted all, till Genuissa
gent
Persuaded him to ceasse, and her lord to
relent.
[53]
He dide; and him succeeded Marius,
Who ioydjoyd his dayes in great tranquillity.
Then Coyll, and after him good Lucius,
That first receiuedreceived Christianity,
The sacred pledge of Christes EuangelyEvangely:
Yet true it is, that long
before that day
Hither came
IosephJoseph of Arimathy,
Who
brought with him the holy grayle, (they say)
And preacht the truth; but since it greatly did decay.
[54]
Whereof great trouble in the kingdome grew,
That did herselfe in sondry parts diuidedivide,
And with her powre her owne selfe ouerthrewoverthrew,
Whilest Romanes daily did the weake
subdew:
Which seeing stout Bunduca,
vpup arose,
And taking armes, the Britons to her
drew;
With whom she marched streight against her foes,
And them vnwaresunwares besides the
SeuerneSeverne did enclose.
[55]
There she with them a cruell batteill
tryde,
Not with so good successe, as shee deseru’ddeserv’d;
By reason that the Captaines on her syde,
Corrupted by Paulinus,
from her sweru’dswerv’d:
Yet such, as were through former flight preseru’dpreserv’d,
Gathering againe, her Host she did renew,
And with fresh corage on
the victor seru’dserv’d:
But being all defeated, sauesave a few,
Rather 1590.bk2.II.x.55.9. then: thanthenthan fly, or be captiu’dcaptiv’d, her selfe she slew.
[56]
O famous of womens prayse,
Matchable either to ,
Whom antique history so high doth rayse,
Or to
’, or to Thomiris:
Who whiles good fortune fauouredfavoured her might,
Triumphed oft against her enemis;
And yet though ouercomeovercome in haplesse fight,
Shee triumphed on death, in enemies
despight.
[57]
Her reliques
Fulgent
hauinghaving gathered,
Fought with
SeuerusSeverus, and him ouerthrewoverthrew;
Yet in the chace was slaine of them, that fled:fled:fledfledfled;fled;fled:fled:
So made them victors, whome he did subdew.
Then gan Carausius tirannize anew,
But him Allectus treacherously slew,
And tooke
on him the robe of Emperoure:
Nath’lesse the same enioyedenjoyed but short happy howre:
[58]
For Asclepiodate
him ouercameovercame,
And left inglorious on the vanquisht playne,
Then afterwards he in his stead did raigne;
But shortly was by Coyll in batteill
slaine:
Who after long debate,
since Lucies tyme,
Was of the Britons first crownd SoueraineSoveraine:
Then gan this Realme renew her passed prime;
He of his name Coylchester built of stone and lime.
[59]
Which when the Romanes heard, they hether sent
Constantius, a man of mickle might,
With whome king Coyll made an
agreement,
And to him gauegave for wife his daughter bright,bright.
Fayre Helena, the fairest liuingliving wight;
Who in all godly thewes,
and goodly praise,
Did far excell, but was most famous hight
For skil in Musicke of all in her daies,
Aswell in curious instruments as cunning laies.
[60]
Of whom he did great begett,
Who afterward was Emperour of Rome;
To which whiles absent he his mind did sett,
OctauiusOctavius here lept into his roome,
And it vsurpedusurped by vnrighteousunrighteous
doome:
But he his title iustifidejustifide by might,
Slaying Traherne, and hauinghaving
ouercomeovercome
The Romane legion in dreadfull
fight:
So settled he his kingdome, and
confirmd his right.
[61]
But wanting yssew male, his daughter
deare,
He gauegave in wedlocke to Maximian,
And him with her made of his kingdome heyre,
Who soone by meanes thereof the Empire wan,
Till murdred by the freends of Gratian;
Then gan the Hunnes and Picts inuadeinvade this land,
During the raigne of ;
Who dying left none heire
them to withſtand,withstand,withſtand.withstand.
But that they ouerranoverran all parts with easy hand.
[62]
The weary Britons, whose war-hable
youth
Was by Maximian lately ledd away,
With wretched miseryes, and woefull ruth,
Were to those Pagans made an open pray,
And daily spectacle of sad decay:
Whome Romane warres, which now fowr
hundred yeares,
And more had wasted, could no whit dismay;
They crownd the secõdsecond
Constantine with ioyousjoyous
teares,teares:
[63]
Who hauinghaving oft in batteill vanquished
Those spoylefull Picts,
and swarming ,
Long time in peace his realme established,
Yet oft annoyd with sondry bordragingsbordragings.
Of neighbour Scots, and forrein Scatterlings,
With which the world did in those dayes abound:
Which to outbarre, with
painefull pyonings
From sea to sea he heapt a mighty mound,
Which from Alcluid to Panwelt did that border bownd.
[64]
Three ſonnessonnesſonessonesſonnessonnes he dying left, all vnderunder age;
By meanes whereof, their vncleuncle
Vortigere
VsurptUsurpt the crowne, during their pupillage;
Which th’Infants tutors gathering to feare,
Them closely into did
beare:
For dread of whom, and for those Picts annoyes,
He sent to Germany, straunge aid to reare,
From whence eftsoones arriuedarrived here three hoyes
Of Saxons, whom
he for his safety imployes.
[65]
Two brethren were their CapitaynsCapitainesCaptains, which hight
Hengist and Horsus, well approu’dapprov’d in warre,
And both of them men of renowmed might;
Who making vantage of their
ciuilecivile
iarrejarre,
And of those forreyners, which came from farre,
Grew great, and got large portions of land,
That in the Realme ere long they stronger arre,
Then they which sought at first their helping hand,
And Vortiger
have
forſthave forstenforſtenforstenforc’t the kingdome to aband.
[66]
But by the helpe of Vortimere his sonne,
He is againe vntounto his rule restord,
And Hengist seeming sad, for that was
donne,
ReceiuedReceived is to grace and new accord,
Through , &and flattring word,
Soone after which, three hundred Lords he slew
Of British blood,blood,, all sitting at his bord;
Whose dolefull moniments
who list to rew,
Th’eternall marks of
treason may at Stonheng vew.
[67]
By this the sonnes of Constantine, which fled,
AmbroſeAmbroseAmbriſeAmbrise and
VtherUther did ripe yeares attayne,
And here arriuingarriving, strongly challenged
The crowne, which Vortiger did long
detayne:
Who flying from his guilt, by them was slayne,
And Hengist eke soone brought to
shamefull death.
Thenceforth Aurelius
peaceably did rayne,
Till that through poyson stopped was his breath;
So now entombed lies at Stoneheng by the
heath.
[68]
After him
VtherUther, which
hight,
Succeeding There abruptly
it did end,
Without full point, or other Cesure right,
As if the rest some wicked hand did rend,
Or could
not at least attend
To finish it: that so vntimelyuntimely breach
The Prince him selfe halfe ſeemedseemedſeemethseemeth to offend,
Yet secret pleasure did offence empeach,
And wonder of antiquity long stopt his
speach.
[69]
At last quite rauishtravisht with delight, to heare
The royall Ofspring of his natiuenative land,
Cryde out, Deare countrey, O how dearely deare
Ought thy remembraunce, and perpetual band
Be to thy foster Childe, that from thy
hand
Did commun breath and nouriture receauereceave?
How is it not to vnderstandunderstand,
How much to her we owe, that all vsus
gauegave,
That gauegave
vntounto
vsus all, what euerever good we hauehave.
[70]
But Guyon all this while his booke did read,
Ne yet has ended: for it was a great
And ample volume, that doth far excead
My leasure, so long leauesleaves here to repeat:
It told, how first Prometheus did create
A man, of many
parts from beasts deryu’dderyv’d,
And then stole fire from heuenheven, to animate
His worke, for which he was by
IoueJove
depryu’ddepryv’d
Of life him self, and hart-strings of an
Aegle ryu’dryv’d.
[71]
That man so made, he called Elfe, to
weet
Quick,
the first author of all Elfin kynd:
Who wandring through the world with wearie feet,
Did in the gardins of Adonis
fynd
A goodly creature, whom he deemd in mynd
To be no earthly wight, but either Spright,
Or Angell, th’authour of all woman kynd;
Therefore a he her
according hight,
Of whom all Faryes spring, &and fetch their lignage right.
[72]
a mighty people shortly grew,
And puissant kinges, which all the world ,
And to them seluesselves all Nations did subdew:
The first and eldest, which that scepter swayd,
Was Elfin; him all India obayd,
And all that now America men call:
Next him was noble Elfinan, who laid
Cleopolis foundation first of all:
But Elfiline
enclosd it with a golden wall.
[73]
His sonne was Elfinell, who ouercameovercame
The wicked Gobbelines in bloody
field:
But Elfant was of most renowmed fame,
Who all of Christall did Panthea
build:
Then Elfar, who two brethren gyauntes
kild,
The one of which had two heades, th’other three:
Then Elfinor, who was in magick
skild;
He built by art vponupon the glassy See
A bridge of bras, whose sound heuẽsheuenshevẽshevens thunder seem’d to bee.
[74]
He left three sonnes, the which in order
raynd,
And all their Ofspring, in their dew descents,
EuenEven
seuenseven hundred Princes, which maintaynd
With mightie deedes their sondry gouernmentsgovernments;
That were too long their infinite contents
Here to record, ne much materiall:
Yet should they be most famous moniments,
And brauebrave ensample, both of martiall,
And ciuilcivil rule to kinges and states imperiall.
[75]
After all these Elficleos did rayne,
The wise Elficleos in great MaiestieMajestie,
Who mightily that scepter did sustayne,
And with rich spoyles and famous victorie,
Did high aduaunceadvaunce the crowne of Faery:
He left two sonnes, of
which faire Elferon
The eldest brother did vntimelyuntimely dy;
Whose emptie place the mightie Oberon
Doubly supplide, in spousall, and
dominion.
[76]
Great was his power and glorie ouerover all,
Which him before, that sacred seate did fill,
yet remaines his wide
memoriall:
He dying left the fairest
Tanaquill,
Him to succeede
therein, by his last will:
Fairer and nobler liuethliveth none this howre,
Ne like in grace, ne like in learned
skill;
Therefore theyheythey
Glorian call that glorious
flowre,
Long mayst thou Glorian
liuelive, in glory &and great powre.
[77]
Beguyld thus with delight of noueltiesnovelties,
And naturall of countryes state,
So long they redd in those antiquities,
That how the time was fled, they quite forgate,
Till gentlegeutle
Alma seeing it so late,
Perforce their studies broke, and them besought
To thinke, how supper did them long awaite.
So halfe vnwillingunwilling from their bookes them brought,
And fayrely feasted, as so noble knightes she
ought.
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