The Fifth Song

In this Song, Severne giues the doome
What of her Lundy should become,
And whilst the nimble Cambrian Rills
Daunce Hy-day-gies amongst the Hills,
The Muse them to Carmarden brings;
Where Merlins wondrous birth shee sings.
From thence to Penbrooke shee doth make,
To see how Milford state doth take:
The scattered Ilands there doth tell:
And, visiting Saint Dauids Cell,
Doth sport her all the shores along,
Preparing the ensuing Song.

NOw Sabrine, as a Queene, miraculouslie faire,
Is absolutelie plac't in her Emperiall Chaire
Of Crystall richlie wrought, that gloriously did shine,
Her Grace becomming well, a creature so Divine:
And as her God-like selfe, so glorious was her Throne,
In which himselfe to sit great Neptune had been known;
Whereon there were ingrau'd those Nymphs the God had woo'd,
And euery seuerall shape wherein for loue he su'd;
Each daughter, her estate and beautie, euery sonne;
What Nations he had rul'd, what Countries he had wonne.
No Fish in this wide waste but with exceeding cost
Was there in Antique worke most curiously imbost.
Shee, in a watchet weed, with manie a curious waue,
Which as a princelie gift great Amphitrite gaue;
Whose skirts were to the knee, with Corall fring'd belowe
To grace her goodly steppes. And where she meant to goe,
The path was strew'd with Pearle: which though they Orient were,
Yet scarce knowne from her feet, they were so wondrous cleere:
To whom the Mermaids hold her Glasse, that she may see
Before all other Floods how farre her beauties bee:
Who was by Nereus taught, the most profoundly wise,
That learned her the skill of hidden Prophecies,
By Thetis speciall care; as Chiron earst had done
To that proud bane of Troy, her god-resembling sonne.
For her wise censure now, whilst euerie listning Flood
(When reason some-what coold their late distempred mood)
Inclosed Seuerne in; before this mightie rout,
Shee sitting well prepar'd, with countenance graue and stout,
Like some great learned Iudge, to end a waightie Cause,
Well furnisht with the force of Arguments and Lawes,
And euerie speciall proofe that iustlie may be brought;
Now with a constant brow, a firme and setled thought,
And at the point to giue the last and finall doome:
The people crowding neere within the pestred roome,
A slowe, soft murmuring moues amongst the wondring throng,
As though with open eares they would deuoure his tongue:
So Seuerne bare her selfe, and silence so she wanne,
When to th'assembly thus shee seriouslie began;
My neere and loued Nymphs, good hap yee both betide:
Well Britans haue yee sung; you English, well repli'd:
Which to succeeding times shall memorize your stories
To either Countries praise, as both your endlesse glories.
And from your listning eares, sith vaine it were to hold
What all-appointing Heauen will plainlie shall be told,
Both gladlie be you pleas'd: for thus the Powers reueale,
That when the Norman Line in strength shall lastlie faile
(Fate limiting the time) th'ancient Britan race
Shall come againe to sit vpon the soueraigne place.
A branch sprung out of Brute, th'imperiall top shall get,
Which grafted in the stock of great Plantaginet,
The Stem shall strongly wax, as still the Trunk doth wither:
That power which bare it thence, againe shall bring it thither
By Tudor, with faire winds from little Britaine driuen,
To whom the goodlie Bay of Milford shall be giuen;
As thy wise Prophets, Wales, fore-told his wisht arriue,
And how Lewellins Line in him should doubly thriue.
For from his issue sent to Albany before,
Where his neglected blood, his vertue did restore,
Hee first vnto himselfe in faire succession gain'd
The Stewards nobler name; and afterward attain'd
The royall Scottish wreath, vpholding it in state.
This Stem, to Tudors ioyn'd (which thing all-powerfull Fate
So happily produc't out of that prosperous Bed,
Whose mariages conioynd the White-rose and the Red)
Suppressing euery Plant, shall spred it selfe so wide,
As in his armes shall clip the Ile on euery side.
By whom three seuer'd Realmes in one shall firmlie stand,
As Britain-founding Brute first Monarchiz'd the Land:
And Cornwall, for that thou no longer shalt contend,
But to old Cambria cleaue, as to thy ancient friend,
Acknowledge thou thy Brood, of Brutes high blood to bee;
And what hath hapt to her, the like t'haue chanc't to thee;
The Britains to receiue, when Heauen on them did lowre,
Loegria forc't to leaue; who from the Saxons powre
Themselues in Deserts, Creeks, and Mount'nous wasts bestow'd,
Or where the fruitlesse Rocks could promise them aboad:
Why striue yee then for that, in little time that shall
(As you are all made one) be one vnto you all;
Then take my finall doome pronounced lastlie, […];
That Lundy like ally'd to Wales and England is.
Each part most highlie pleas'd, then vp the Session brake:
When to the learned Maids againe Invention spake;
O yee Pegasian Nymphs, that hating viler things;
Delight in loftie Hills, and in delicious Springs,
That on Piërus borne, and named of the place,
The Thracian Pimpla loue, and Pindus often grace;
In Aganippas Fount, and in Castalia's brims,
That often haue been known to bathe your crystall lims,
Conduct me through these Brooks, and with a fastned clue,
Direct mee in my course, to take a perfect view
Of all the wandring Streames, in whose entransing gyres,
Wise Nature oft her selfe her workmanship admires
(So manifold they are, with such Meanders wound,
As may with wonder seeme invention to confound)
That to those British names, vntaught the eare to please,
Such relish I may giue in my delicious layes,
That all the armed Orks of Neptunes grislie Band,
With musick of my verse, amaz'd may listning stand;
As when his Trytons trumps doe them to battell call
Within his surging lists to combat with the Whale.
Thus, haue we ouer-gone the Glamorganian Gowre,
Whose Promontorie (plac't to check the Oceans powre)
Kept Seuerne yet her selfe, till beeing growne too great,
Shee with extended armes vnbounds her ancient seat:
And turning lastlie Sea, resignes vnto the Maine
What soueraigntie her selfe but latelie did retaine.
Next, Loghor leads the way, who with a lustie crue
(Her wild and wandring steps that ceaseleslie pursue)
Still forward is inforc't: as, Amond thrusts her on,
And Morlas (as a mayd shee much relies vpon)
Intreats her present speed assuring her withall,
Her best-beloued Ile, Bachannis, for her fall,
Stands specially prepar'd, of euery thing suppli'd.
When Guendra with such grace deliberatly doth glide
As Tovy doth entice: who setteth out prepar'd
At all points like a Prince, attended with a Guard:
Of which, as by her name, the neer'st to her of kin
Is Toothy, tripping downe from Verwins rushie Lin,
Through Rescob running out, with Pescouer to meet
Those Rills that Forest loues; and doth so kindly greet,
As to intreat their stay shee gladlie would preuaile.
Then Tranant nicelie treads vpon the watry traile:
The liuelie skipping Brane, along with Gwethrick goes;
In Tovies wandring banks themselues that scarcely lose,
But Mudny, with Gledaugh, and Sawthy, soone resort,
Which at Langaddock grace their Soueraignes watry Court.
As when the seruile world some gathering man espies,
Whose thriuing fortune showes, he to much wealth may rise,
And through his Princes grace his followers may preferre,
Or by reuenew left by some dead Ancester;
All lowting lowe to him, him humbly they obserue,
And happy is that man his nod that may deserue:
To Tovy so they stoupe, to them vpon the way
Which thus disp••ies the Spring within their view that lay.
Neere Deneuoir, the seat of the Demetian King
Whilst Cambria was herselfe, full, strong, and florishing,
There is a pleasant Spring, that constant doth abide
Hard-by these winding shores wherein wee nimblie slide;
Long of the Ocean lov'd, since his victorious hand
First proudlie did insult vpon the conquer'd Land.
And though a hundred Nymphs in faire Demetia bee,
Whose features might allure the Sea-gods more then shee,
His fancie takes her forme, and her he onelie likes
(Who ere knew halfe the shafts where-with blind Cupid strikes?)
Which great and constant faith, shew'd by the God of Sea,
This cleere and louelie Nymph so kindlie doth repay,
As suffring for his sake what loue to Louer owes,
With him she sadlie ebbs, with him she proudlie flowes,
To him her secret vowes perpetually doth keepe,
Obseruing euerie Lawe and custome of the Deepe.
Now Tovy towa'rd her fall (Langaddock ouer-gon)
Her Dulas forward driues: and Cothy comming on
The traine to ouer-take, the neerest way doth cast
Ere shee Carmarden get: where Gwilly, making hast,
Bright Tovy entertaines at that most famous Towne
Which her great Prophet bred who Wales doth so renowne:
And taking her a Harpe, and tuning well the strings,
To Princely Tovy thus shee of the Prophet sings;
Of Merlin and his skill what Region doth not heare?
The world shall still be full of Merlin euerie where.
A thousand lingering yeeres his prophecies haue runne,
And scarcely shall haue end till Time it selfe be done:
Who of a British Nymph was gotten, whilst shee plaid
With a seducing Spirit, which wonne the goodlie maid;
(As all Demetia through, there was not found her peere)
Who, be'ing so much renown'd for beautie farre and neere,
Great Lords her liking sought, but still in vaine they prov'd:
That Spirit (to her vnknowne) this Virgin onelie lov'd;
Which taking humane shape, of such perfection seemd,
As (all her Suters scorn'd) shee onelie him esteem'd.
Who, fayning for her sake that he was come from farre,
And richlie could endow (a lustie Batcheler)
On her that Prophet got, which from his Mothers wombe
Of things to come fore-told vntill the generall Doome.
But, of his fayned birth in sporting idlie thus,
Suspect mee not, that I this dreamed Incubus
By strange opinions should licentiouslie subsist;
Or, selfe-conceited, play the humorous Platonist,
Which boldlie dares affirme, that Spirits, themselues supply
With bodies, to commix with fraile mortalitie,
And heere allow them place, beneath this lower Sphere
Of the vnconstant Moone; to tempt vs dailie here.
Some, earthly mixture take; as others, which aspire,
Them subt'ler shapes resume, of water, ayre, and fire,
Being those immortalls long before the heauen, that fell,
Whose depriuation thence, determined their hell:
And loosing through their pride that place to them assign'd,
Predestined that was to mans regenerate kind,
They, for th'inveterate hate to his Election, still
Desist not him to tempt to euery damned ill:
And to seduce the spirit, oft prompt the frailer blood,
Invegling it with tastes of counterfetted good,
And teach it all the sleights the Soule that may excite
To yeeld vp all her power vnto the appetite.
And to those curious wits if we our selues apply,
Which search the gloomie shades of deepe Philosophy,
They Reason so will clothe, as well the mind can show,
That contrarie effects, from contraries may grow;
And that the soule a shape so stronglie may conceat,
As to her selfe the-while may seeme it to creat;
By which th'abused Sense more easelie oft is led
To thinke that it enioyes the thing imagined.
But, toyld in these darke tracts with sundrie doubts repleat,
Calme shades, and cooler streames must quench this furious heat:
Which seeking, soone we finde where Cowen in her course,
Tow'rds the Sabrinian shores, as sweeping from her sourse,
Takes Towa, calling then Karkenny by the waie,
Her through the waylesse woods of Cardisse to conuaie;
A Forrest, with her floods inuiron'd so about,
That hardly she restraines th'vnruly watrie rout,
When swelling, they would seeme her Empire to inuade:
And oft the lustfull Fawnes and Satyres from her shade
Were by the streames entic't, abode with them to make.
Then Morlas meeting Taw, her kindly in doth take:
Cair comming with the rest, their watrie tracts that tread,
Increase the Cowen all; that as their generall head
Their largesse doth receiue, to beare out his expence:
Who to vast Neptune leads this Courtly confluence.
To the Penbrokian parts the Muse her still doth keepe,
Vpon that vtmost point to the Iberian Deepe,
By Cowdra comming in: where cleere delightfull aire,
(That Forrests most affect) doth welcome her repaire;
The Heliconian Maids in pleasant groues delight:
(Floods cannot still content their wanton appetite)
And wandring in the woods, the neighbouring hils below,
With wise Apollo meet (who with his Ivory bowe
Once in the paler shades, the Serpent Python slew)
And hunting oft with him, the heartlesse Deere pursue;
Those beames then layde aside he vs'd in heauen to weare.
Another Forrest Nymph is Narber, standing neare;
That with her curled top her neighbor would astound,
Whose Groues once brauely grac't the faire Penbrokian ground,
When Albion here beheld on this extended land,
Amongst his wel-growne Woods, the shag-haird Satyrs stand
(The Syluans chiefe resort) the shores then sitting hie,
Which vnder water now so many fadoms lie:
And wallowing Porpice sport and lord it in the flood,
Where once the portly Oke, and large-limb'd Popler stood:
Of all the Forrests kind these two now onely left.
But Time, as guilty since to mans insatiate theft,
Transferd the English names of Townes and housholds hither,
With the industrious Dutch since soiourning together.
When wrathfull heauen the clouds so liberally bestow'd,
The Seas (then wanting roomth to lay their boystrous loade)
Vpon the Belgian Marsh their pampred stomackes cast,
That peopled Cities sanke into the mightie wast.
The Flemings were inforc't to take them to their Ores,
To trie the Setting Maine to find out firmer shores;
When as this spacious Ile them entrance did allow,
To plant the Belgian stocke vpon this goodly brow:
These Nations, that their tongues did naturally affect,
Both generallie forsooke the British Dialect:
As when it was decreed by all-fore-dooming Fate,
That ancient Rome should stoupe from her emperious state,
With Nations from the North then altogether fraught,
Which to her ciuill bounds their barbarous customes brought,
Of all her ancient spoyles and lastlie be forlorne,
From Tybers hallowed banks to old Bizantium borne:
Th'abundant Latine then old Latium lastly left,
Both of her proper forme and elegancie rest;
Before her smoothest tongue, their speech that did prefer,
And in her tables fixt their ill-shap't Character.
A diuination strange the Dutch made-English haue,
Appropriate to that place (as though some Power it gaue)
By th'shoulder of a Ram from off the right side par'd,
Which vsuallie they boile, the spade-boane beeing bar'd:
Which then the Wizard takes, and gazing there-vpon,
Things long to come fore-showes, as things done long agon;
Scapes secretlie at home, as those abroad, and farre;
Murthers, adulterous stealths, as the euents of warre,
The raignes and death of Kings they take on them to know:
Which onelie to their skill the shoulder-blade doth show.
You goodlie sister Floods, how happy is your state!
Or should I more commend your features, or your Fate;
That Milford, which this Ile her greatest Port doth call
Before your equall Floods is lotted to your Fall!
Where was saile euer seene, or wind hath euer blowne,
Whence Penbrooke yet hath heard of Hauen like her owne?
She bids Dungleddy dare Iberias proudest Road,
And chargeth her to send her challenges abroad
Along the coast of France, to proue if any bee
Her Milford that dare match: so absolute is shee.
And Clethy comming downe from Wrenyvaur her Sire
(A hill that thrusts his head into th'etheriall fire)
Her sisters part doth take, and dare avouch as much:
And Percily the proud, whom neerlie it doth touch,
Said, he would beare her out; and that they all should know.
And there-withall he struts, as though he scorn'd to show
His head belowe the Heauen, when he of Milford spake:
But there was not a Port the prize durst vndertake.
So highlie Milford is in euery mouth renownd,
Noe Hauen hath ought good, in her that is not found:
Whereas the swelling surge, that with his fomie head,
The gentler looking Land with furie menaced,
With his encountring waue no longer there contends;
But sitting mildly downe like perfect ancient friends,
Vnmou'd of any wind which way so ere it blow,
And rather seeme to smile, then knit an angry brow.
The ships with shattred ribs scarce creeping from the Seas,
On her sleeke bosome ride with such deliberate ease,
As all her passed stormes shee holds but meane and base,
So shee may reach at length this most delightfull place,
By nature with proud Cleeues invironed about,
To crowne the goodlie Road: where builds the Falcon stout,
Which we the Gentill call; whose fleet and actiue wings,
It seemes that Nature made when most shee thought on Kings:
Which manag'd to the lure, her high and gallant flight,
The vacant sportfull man so greatlie doth delight,
That with her nimble quills his soule doth seeme to houer,
And lie the verie pitch that lustie Bird doth couer;
That those proud Airies, bred whereas the scorching skie
Doth sindge the sandie Wyldes of spicefull Barbarie;
Or vnderneath our Pole, where Norwaies Forests wide
Their high clowd-touching heads in Winter snowes doe hide,
Out-braue not this our kind in mettle, nor exceed
The Falcon, which some-times the British Cleeues doe breed:
Which prey vpon the Iles in the Vergiuian waste,
That from the British shores by Neptune are imbrac't;
Which stem his furious Tides when wildliest they doe raue,
And breake the big-swolne bulke of manie a boystrous waue:
As, calme when hee becomes, then likewise in their glorie
Doe cast their amorous eyes at many a Promontorie
That thrust their foreheads forth into the smiling South;
As Rat and Sheepy, set to keepe calme Milfords mouth,
Expos'd to Neptunes power. So Gresholme farre doth stand:
Scalme, Stockholme, with Saint Bride, and Gatholme, neerer land
(Which with their veinie breasts intice the gods of Sea,
That with the lustie Iles doe reuell euery day)
As Crescent-like the Land her bredth here inward bends,
From Milford, which she forth to old Meneuia sends;
Since, holy Dauids seat; which of especiall grace
Doth lend that nobler name, to this vnnobler place.
Of all the holy men whose fame so fresh remaines,
To whom the Britans built so many sumptuous Fanes,
This Saint before the rest their Patron still they hold:
Whose birth, their ancient Bards to Cambria long foretold;
And seated heere a See, his Bishoprick of yore,
Vpon the farthest point of this vnfruitfull shore;
Selected by himselfe, that farre from all resort
With contemplation seem'd most fitly to comport;
That, voyd of all delight, cold, barren, bleake, and dry,
No pleasure might allure, nor steale the wandring eye:
Where Ramsey with those Rockes, in ranke that ordered stand
Vpon the furthest point of Dauids ancient Land,
Doe raise their rugged heads (the Sea-mans noted markes)
Call'd, of their Mytred tops, The Bishop and his Clarkes;
Into that Chanell cast, whose raging current rores
Betwixt the British Sands, and the Hibernian shores:
Whose grimme and horrid face doth pleased heauen neglect,
And beares bleake Winter still in his more sad aspect:
Yet Gwin and Neuern neere, two fine and fishfull brookes,
Do neuer stay their course, how sterne so ere he lookes;
Which with his shipping once should seeme to haue commerst,
Where Fiscard as her flood, doth only grace the first.
To Newport fals the next: there we a while will rest;
Our next ensuing Song to wondrous things addrest.