Book XII, Chapter 72

OF Northerne Regions partely is epitomed before,
Of other later Voyages ensues a few, of store.
Great Personages cannot want great Poets theirs to tell.
Nor may they want, nor want o them would I, wrot I like-well.
But of some Meaners, that their liues haue ventured no lesse,
Perform'd as much, Some more, and Some that haue, as many gesse,
Vnto their Betters made the way to glorie they possesse,
Shall we digest: Or it we speake of great-Ones, they be dead,
For Writers aduantagiously are of the Liuing reade.
Thy Raigne also, Elizabeth, shall bound our Pen in it,
Which to our Theame inferreth Texts, no times yeeld more so sit.

Like amotous Scape from England as of Elenor to Rome,
Made Macham in Madera reare his hence-stolne Louers Toome,
Then raigned here Third Edwara, when so trauel'd Mandeuil,
And in those daies th[…]interring There of Machams Loue befell.
A Chappell built be there, his name and hers ingrauen in Stone,
To Iesus dedicated (then, and England, there vnknowne.)
Of him, this Ilands Porte is cal'd Machico, to this day,
Whom Affrick Mores to C[…]stile, as a Wonder, did conuay:
For in an hollowed Tree, or Trough, not hauing sayle or Oates,
(The Shippe they came in leauing him) discouer'd he the Mores.
By which discouery, and by his Instructions, did ensew,
Th' […]berians did Madera and Canaries Isles subdew.
Hence (els had Macham past our Penne) did time effect our Trade
For Guinie, in her Highnes Raigne acquir'd, and patent made.
For not in Maries weare those Partes, as now, so fully found,
Yeat still to gratefull Eares may those Negotiators sound,
To wit (although an Alien) good Pinteado, abus'd
By moodie Windam, Guinte first, and Benyn, these perus'd:
Next Gainsh, then Towrson diuers times, and theare my Father dide:
Since, rife that Voyage, Brasile, and to Cape-verd Isles beside.
Gold, […]iuet, muske, graines, pepper, woad, & iuory thence be brought:
In Barbarie, old Mauritaine, like Trade this raigne hath wrought:
Of Affrick, and America, by Ours no part vnsought.
In Tewri[…], Sirta, Aegypt, Greece, the Turks whole Empier now,
Our Queene is gratious, our Commerce, and Agents, they allow.

Of World-admired Drake (for of his Worth what argues more,
Thā fame enuide? Some, for was his so rich, thought theirs too poore,)
And his braue Breeder Hawkins (yeat be honord euery Pen,
That, howsoeuer, honor them as high resolued Men)
In Fiction, or in Mysterie, to reade would lesse delight,
Than would significantly some their glorious Ior[…]es wright:
The paines of such inuited Pens such subiect would requite.
Adde Gilbert, Greenuill, Frobisher, of Knights to make vp fiue,
All in their better Parts with God, with Men their Fames aliue.
Adde […]hilton, Oxnam, Fenton, Ward, Dauis, an other Drake,
With diuers here not catalog'd, and for a Cheefest take
All actions Candish, and of these eternall Pen-worke make.
And, for a gowned Cicero, and one that did not liue
But to his Prince, and Countrie, Lawdes to Waisingham doe giue.
The […]ds, and Ae[…]eados, for Text, and Truth, might yeeld
Vnto that learned Muse that should manure that plentious Field.
Was neuer Prince imployed Peace, with praise, to profit more,
Or Realme could, in the Raigne of one, boast worthy Men like store:
Out Foes can also witnes her armipotent, in few,
Religiō, Vertue, Wealth, Peace, War, her Throne with same indue.
And here mine altred Muse this Theame surceaseth to pursue.

Of These, East-Indian Goa, South, & South-east People moe,
And of their memorable Names those Toyles did vnder-goe,
Is one elaborated Pen compendicusly doth floe.
Omitted then, and named Men, and Lands (not here, indeede,
So written of as they deserue) at large in Hakluit reede.
To him, and (who deserues like-well of England, both as Any
Haue wrote of England) Camden, and to English Poets Many:
Of which are some (praise-worthy though) that towre their Wits too hie,
To make a Pitch for Loue, whē they at fairer Fowles might flie,
Now vaile I Bonnet. Rest thee, Muse, abrode what need we rome?
Our seauenteene Kingdomes once, now One, yeeld Work enough at Home,
All which her Highnes owneth now, as shall anon be saide:
But of our English Louers first be this Addition made.