The Eighth Song

The goodly Severne brauely sings
The noblest of her British Kings;
At Caesars landing what we were,
And of the Roman Conquests here:
Then shewes, to her deare Britans fame,
How quicklie christned they became;
And of their constancie doth boast,
In sundry fortunes strangely tost:
Then doth the Saxons landing tell,
And how by them the Britans fell;
Cheeres the Salopian Mountaines hie,
That on the west of Severne lie;
Calls downe each Riueret from her Spring,
Their Queene vpon her way to bring;
Whom downe to Bruge the Muse attends:
Where, leauing her, this Song shee ends.

TO Salop when her selfe cleere Sabrine comes to showe,
And wisely her bethinks the way shee had to goe,
South-west-ward casts her course; & with an amorous eye
Those Countries whence shee came, survayeth (passing by)
Those Lands in Ancient times old Cambria claym'd her due,
For refuge when to her th'oppressed Britans flew;
By England now vsurp't, who (past the wonted Meeres,
Her sure and soueraigne banks) had taken sundry Sheeres,
Which shee her Marches made: whereby those Hills of fame
And Riuers stood disgrac't; accounting it their shame,
That all without that Mound which Mercian Offa cast
To runne from North to South, athwart the Cambrian wast,
Could England not suffice, but that the stragling Wye,
Which in the hart of Wales was some-time said to lye,
Now onely for her bound proud England did prefer.
That Severne, when shee sees the wrong thus offred her,
Though by iniurious Time depriued of that place
Which anciently shee held: yet loth that her disgrace
Should on the Britans light, the Hills and Riuers neere
Austerely to her calls, commaunding them to heare
In her deere childrens right (their Ancesters of yore,
Now thrust betwixt her selfe, and the Virgiuian shore,
Who draue the Giants hence that of the Earth were bred,
And of the spacious Ile became the soueraigne head)
What from autentique bookes shee liberally could say.
Of which whilst shee bethought her; West-ward euery way,
The Mountaines, Floods, and Meeres, to silence them betake:
When Severne lowting lowe, thus grauely them bespake;
How mightie was that man, and honoured still to bee,
That gaue this Ile his name, and to his children three,
Three Kingdoms in the same? which, time doth now denie,
With his arriuall heere, and primer Monarchy.
Loëgria, though thou canst thy Locrine easely lose,
Yet Cambria, him, whom Fate her ancient Founder chose,
In no wise will forgoe; nay, should Albania leaue
Her Albanact for ayde, and to the Scythian cleaue.
And though remorselesse Rome, which first did vs enthrall,
As barbarous but esteem'd, and stickt not so to call;
The ancient Britans yet a sceptred King obey'd
Three hundred yeeres before Romes great foundation laid;
And had a thousand yeeres an Empire strongly stood,
Ere Caesar to her shores here stemd the circling Flood;
And long before, borne Armes against the barbarous Hun,
Heere landing with intent the Ile to ouer-run:
And following them in flight, their Generall Humber drownd
In that great arme of Sea, by his great name renown'd;
And her great Builders had, her Citties who did reare
With Fanes vnto her Gods, and Flamins euery where,
Nor Troynouant alone a Citty long did stand;
But after, soone againe by Ebranks powerfull hand
Yorke lifts her Towers aloft: which scarcely finisht was,
But as they, by those Kings; so by Rudhudibras,
Kents first and famous Towne, with Winchester, arose:
And other, others built, as they fit places chose.
So Britaine to her praise, of all conditions brings;
The warlike, as the wise. Of her courageous Kings,
Brute Green-shield: to whose name we prouidence impute,
Diuinely to reviue the Land's first Conqueror, Brute.
So had she those were learn'd, endu'd with nobler parts:
As, he from learned Greece, that (by the liberall Arts)
To Stamford, in this Ile, seem'd Athens to transfer;
Wise Bladud, of her Kings that great Philosopher;
Who found our boyling Bathes, and in his knowledge hie,
Disdaining humane paths, heere practiced to flie.
Of iustly vexed Leire, and those who last did tug
In worie then Ciuill warre, the sonnes of Gorbodug
(By whose vnnaturall strife the Land so long was tost)
I cannot stay to tell, not shall my Britaine boast;
But, of that man which did her Monarchy restore,
Her first imperiall Crowne of gold that euer wore,
And that most glorious type of soueraignty regain'd;
Mulmutius: who this Land in such estate maintain'd
As his great Bel-sire Brute from Albions heires it wonne.
This Grand-child, great as he, those foure proud Streets begun
That each way crosse this Ile, and bounds did them allow.
Like priuiledge he lent the Temple and the Plow:
So studious was this Prince in his most forward zeale
To the Celestiall power, and to the Publique weale.
Bellinus he begot, who Dacia proud subdu'd;
And Brennus, who abroad a worthier warre pursu'd,
Asham'd of ciuill strife, at home heere leauing all:
And with such goodly Youth, in Germany and Gaul
As he had gather'd vp, the Alpin Mountaines past,
And brauely on the banks of fatall Allia chas't
The Romans (that her streame distained with their gore)
And through proud Rome, display'd his British Ensigne bore:
There, ballancing his sword against her base• gold,
The Senators for slaues hee in her Forum sold.
At last, by power expell'd, yet proud of late successe,
His forces then for Greece did instantly addresse;
And marching with his men vpon her fruitfull face,
Made Macedon first stoope; then Thessay, and Thrace;
His souldiers there enricht with all P••onia's spoyle;
And where to Greece he gaue the last and deadliest foyle,
In that most dreadfull fight, on that more dismall day,
O'rthrew their vtmost prowesse at sad Thermopyl•,
And daring of her Gods, adventur'd to haue tane
Those sacred things enshrin'd in wise Apollo's Fane:
To whom when thundring Heauen pronounc't her fearefulst word,
Against the Delphian Power he shak't his irefull sword.
As of the British blood, the natiue Cambri here
(So of my Cambria call'd) those valiant Cymbri were
(When Britaine with her brood so peopled had her seat,
The soyle could not suffice, it daily grew so great)
Of Denmarke who themselues did anciently possesse,
And to that straitned poynt, that vtmost Chersonesse,
My Countries name bequeath'd; whence Cymbri•• it tooke:
Yet long were not compriz'd within that little nooke,
But with those Almaine powers this people issued forth:
And like some boystrous wind arising from the North,
Came that vnwieldie host; that, which way it did moue,
The very burthenous earth before it seem'd to shoue,
And onely meant to claime the Vniuerse its owne.
In this terrestriall Globe, as though some world vnknowne,
By pampred Natures store too prodigally fed
(And surfetting there-with) her surcrease vomited,
These roaming vp and downe to seeke some setling roome,
First like a Deluge fell vpon Illyricum,
And with his Roman powers Papyrius ouer-threw;
Then, by great Belus brought against those Legions, flew
Their forces which in France Aurelius Sca•rus led;
And afterward againe, as brauely vanquished
The Consulls Capio, and stout Manlius on the Plaine,
Where Rhodanus was red with blood of Latines slaine.
In greatnes next succeeds Belinus worthy sonne,
Gurgustus: who soone left what his great Father wonne,
To Guyuteline his heire: whose Queene, beyond her kind,
In her great husbands peace, to shew her vpright mind,
To wise Mulmutius lawes, her Martian first did frame:
From which we ours deriue, to her eternall fame.
So Britaine forth with these, that valiant Bastard brought,
Morindus, Danius sonne, which with that Monster fought
His subiects that deuour'd; to shew himselfe againe
Their Martyr, who by them selected was to raigne.
So Britaine likewise boasts her Elidure the iust,
Who with his people was of such especiall trust,
That (Archigallo falne into their generall hate,
And by their powerfull hand depriu'd of kingly state)
Vnto the Regall Chayre they Elidure aduanc't:
But long he had not raign'd, ere happily it chanc't,
In hunting of a Hart, that in the Forrest wild,
The late deposed King, himselfe who had exil'd
From all resort of men, iust Elidure did meet;
Who much vnlike himselfe, at Elidurus feet,
Him prostrating with teares, his tender breast so strooke,
That he (the British rule who lately on him tooke
At th'earnest peoples pray'rs) him calling to the Court,
There Archigallo's wrongs so liuely did report,
Relating (in his right) his lamentable case,
With so effectuall speech imploring their high grace,
That him they reinthron'd; in peace who spent his dayes.
Then Elidure againe, crown'd with applausiue praise,
As he a brother rais'd, by brothers was depos'd,
And put into the Towre, where miserably inclos'd,
Out-liuing yet their hate, and the Vsurpers dead,
Thrice had the British Crowne set on his reuerend head.
When more then thirty Kings in faire succession came
Vnto that mighty Lud, in whose eternall name
Great London still shall liue (by him rebuilded) while
To Citties she remaines the Soueraigne of this Ile.
And when commaunding Rome to Caesar gaue the charge,
Her Empire (but too great) still further to enlarge
With all beyond the Alpes; the aydes he found to passe
From these parts into Gaul, shew'd heere some Nation was
Vndaunted that remain'd with Romes so dreadfull name,
That durst presume to ayde those shee decreed to tame.
Wherefore that matchlesse man, whose high ambition wrought
Beyond her Empires bounds, by shipping wisely sought
(Heere proling on the shores) this Iland to discry,
What people her possest, how fashion'd shee did lie:
Where scarce a Strangers foote defil'd her virgin breast,
Since her first Conqueror Brute heere put his powers to rest;
Onely some little Boats, from Gaul that did her feed
With tryfles, which shee tooke for nicenesse more then need:
But as another world, with all abundance blest,
And satisfi'd with what shee in her selfe possest;
Through her excessiue wealth (at length) till wanton growne,
Some Kings (with others Lands that would enlarge their owne)
By innovating Armes an open passage made
For him that gap't for all (the Roman) to invade.
Yet with grim-visag'd Warre when he her shores did greet,
And terriblest did threat with his amazing Fleet,
Those British bloods he found, his force that durst assaile,
And poured from the Cleeues their shafts like showers of haile
Vpon his helmed head; to tell him as he came,
That they (from all the world) yet feared not his name:
Which, their vndaunted spirits soone made that Conqueror feele,
Oft ventring their bare breasts gainst his oft-bloodied steele;
And in their Chariots charg'd; which they with wondrous skill
Could turne in their swift'st course vpon the steepest hill,
And wheele about his troopes for vantage of the ground,
Or else disranke his force where entrance might be found:
And from their Armed seats their thrilling Darts could throwe;
Or nimblie leaping downe, their valiant swords bestowe,
And with an actiue skip •emount themselues againe,
Leauing the Roman horse behind them on the Plaine,
And beat him back to Gaul his forces to supply;
As they the Gods of Rome and Caesar did defie
Cassibalan renown'd, the Britans faithfull guide,
Who when th'Italia• powers could no way be deny'd,
But would this Ile subdue; their forces to fore-lay,
Thy Forrests thou didst fell, their speedy course to stay:
Those armed stakes in Tames that stuckst, their horse to gore
Which boldly durst attempt to forrage on thy shore:
Thou such hard entrance heere to Caesar didst allow,
To whom (thy selfe except) the Westerne world did bow.
And more then Caesar got, three Emperours could not win,
Till the courageous sonnes of our Cun•belin
Sunke vnder Plautius sword, sent hither to discusse
The former Roman right, by Armes againe, with vs.
Nor with that Consull ioyn'd, Vespasian could prevaile
In thirty seuerall fights, nor make them stoope their saile.
Yea, had not his braue sonne, young Titus, past their hopes,
His forward Father fetcht out of the British Troopes,
And quit him wondrous well when he was strongly charg'd,
His Father (by his hands so valiantly enlarg'd)
Had neuer more seene Rome; nor had he euer spilt
The Temple that wise sonne of faithfull Dauid built,
Subverted those high walls, and lay'd that Cittie wast
Which God, in humane flesh, aboue all other grac't.
No maruaile then though Rome so great her conquest thought,
In that the Ile of Wight shee to subiection brought,
Our Belgae and subdu'd (a people of the West)
That latest came to vs, our least of all the rest;
When Claudius, who that time her wreath imperiall wore,
Though scarce he shew'd himselfe vpon our Southerne shore,
It scornd not in his stile; but, due to that his prais•
Triumphall Arches claim'd, and to haue yeerely Playes,
The noblest Nauall Crowne, vpon his Palace pitcht;
As with the Oceans spoyle his Rome who had enricht.
Her Caradock (with cause) so Britaine may prefer;
Then whom, a brauer spirit was nere brought forth by her:
For whilst here in the West the Britans gather'd head,
This Generall of the rest, his stout Silures led
Against Ostorius, sent by Oasar to this place
With Romes high fortune (then the high'st in Fortunes grace)
A long and doubtfull warre with whom he did maintaine,
Vntill that houre wherein his valiant Britans slaine
Hee grieuously beheld (o'represt with Roman power)
Himselfe wel-neere the last their wrath did not deuour.
When (for reuenge, no• feare) he fled (as trusting most,
Another day might win, what this had lately […]
To Cartismandua, Queene of Brigants, for her ayde,
He to his foes, by her, most falsely was betray'd.
Who, as a spoyle of warre, t'adorne the Triumph sene
To great Ostorius due, when through proud Rome hee went,
That had herselfe prepar'd (as shee had all been eyes)
Our Caradock to view; who in his Countries guise,
Came with his bodie nak't, his haire downe to his waste,
Girt with a chaine of steele; his manly breast inchaste
With sundry shapes of Beasts. And when this Britaine saw
His wife and children bound as slaues, it could not awe
His manlinesse at all: but with a setled grace,
Vndaunted with her pride, hee lookt her in the face:
And with a speech so graue as well a Prince became,
Himselfe and his redeem'd, to our eternall fame.
Then Romes great Tyrant next, the lasts adopted heire,
That braue Suetonius sent, the British Coasts to cleere;
The vtter spoyle of Mon who strongly did pursue
(Vnto whose gloomy strengths, th'reuolted Britans flew)
There entring, hee beheld what strooke him pale with dread:
The frantick British Froes, their haire disheuelled,
With fire-brands ran about, like to their furious eyes;
And from the hollow woods the fearlesse Druides;
Who with their direfull threats, and execrable vowes,
Inforc't the troubled heauen to knit her angry browes.
And as heere in the West the Romans brauely wan,
So all vpon the East the Britans ouer-ran:
The Colony long kept at Mauldon, ouerthrowne,
Which by prodigious signes was many times fore-showne,
And often had dismai'd the Roman souldiers: when
Braue Voadicia made with her resolued'st men
To Virolam; whose siege with fire and sword she pli'd,
Till leueld with the earth. To London as shee hy'd,
The Consull comming in with his auspicious ayde,
The Queene (to quit her yoke no longer that delay'd)
Him dar'd by dint of sword, it hers or his to try,
With words that courage show'd, and with a voice as hie
(In her right hand her Launce, and in her left her Shield,
As both the Battells stood prepared in the Field)
Incouraging her men: which resolute, as strong,
Vpon the Roman rusht; and shee, the rest among,
Wades in that doubtfull warre: till lastly, when she saw
The fortune of the day vnto the Roman draw,
The Queene (t'out-liue her friends who highly did disdaine,
And lastly, for proud Rome a Triumph to remaine)
By poyson ends her dayes, vnto that end prepar'd,
As lauishly to spend what Suetonius spar'd.
Him scarcely Rome recall'd, such glory hauing wonne,
But brauely to proceed, as erst she had begunne,
Agricola heere made her great Lieutenant then:
Who hauing setled Men, that man of all her men,
Appointed by the Powers apparantly to see
The wearied Britans sinke, and easely in degree
Beneath his fatall sword the Ordovies to fall
Inhabiting the West, those people last of all
Which stoutl'est him with-stood, renown'd for Martiall worth.
Thence leading on his powers vnto the vtmost North,
When all the Townes that lay betwixt our Trent and Tweed,
Suffic'd not (by the way) his wasteful fires to feed,
He there some Britans found, who (to rebate their spleene,
As yet with grieued eyes our spoyles not hauing seene)
Him at Mount Grampus met: which from his height beheld
Them lauish of their liues; who could not be compeld
The Roman yoke to beare: and Galgacus their guide
Amongst his murthered troupes there resolutely di'd.
Eight Roman Emperours raign'd since first that warre began;
Great Iulius Caesar first, the last Domitian.
A hundred thirtie yeeres the Northerne Britans still,
That would in no wise stoupe to Romes imperious will,
Into the straitned Land with theirs retired farre,
In lawes and manners since from vs that different are;
And with the Irish Pict, which to their ayde they drew
(On them oft breaking in, who long did them pursue)
A greater foe to vs in our owne bowels bred,
Then Rome, with much expense that vs had conquered.
And when that we great Romes so much in time were growne,
That shee her charge durst leaue to Princes of our owne,
(Such as, within our selues, our suffrage should elect)
Aviragus, borne ours, heere first she did protect;
Who faithfully and long, of labour did her ease.
Then he, our Flamins seats who turn'd to Bishops seas;
Great Lucius, that good King: to whom we chiefly owe
This happinesse we haue, Christ crucifi'd to knowe.
As Britaine to her praise receiu'd the Christian faith,
After (that Word-made Man) our deere Redeemers death
Within two hundred yeeres; and his Disciples heere,
By their great Maister sent to preach him euery where,
Most reuerently receiu'd, their doctrine and preferd;
Interring him, who earst the Sonne of God interd.
So Britans was she borne, though Italy her crown'd,
Of all the Christian world that Empresse most renown'd,
Constantius worthy wife, who scorning worldly losse,
Her selfe in person went to seeke that sacred Crosse,
Whereon our Sauiour di'd: which found, as it was sought,
From Salem vnto Rome triumphantly she brought.
As when the Primer Church her Councells pleas'd to call,
Great Britains Bishops there were not the least of all;
Against the Arian Sect at Aries hauing roome,
At Sardica againe, and at Ariminum,
Now, when with various Fate fiue hundred yeeres had past,
And Rome of her great charge grew weary heere at last;
The Vandalls, Goths, and Huns, that with a powerfull head
All Italy and France had wel-neare ou•r-spred,
To much-endanger'd Rome sufficient warning gaue,
Those forces that shee held, within herselfe to haue.
The Roman rule from vs then vtterly remou'd.
Whilst, we, in sundry Fields, our sundry fortunes prou'd
With the remorselesse Pict, still wasting vs with warre.
And twixt the froward Sire, licentious Vortiger,
And his too forward sonne, young Vortimer, arose
Much strife within our selues, whilst heere they interpose
By turns each others raignes; whereby, we weakned grow.
The warlike Saxon then into the Land we drew;
A Nation nurst in spoyle, and fitt'st to vndergoe
Our cause against the Pict, our most inveterate foe.
When they, which we had hyr'd for souldiers to the shore,
Perceiu'd the wealthy Ile to wallow in her store,
And suttly had found out how we in feebled were;
They, vnder false pretence of amitie and cheere,
The British Peeres invite, the German Healths to view
At Stonehenge, where they them vnmercifully slew.
Then, those of Brutes great blood, of Armoriek possest,
Extreamly grieu'd to see their kinsmen so distrest,
Vs offred to relieue, or else with vs to die:
Wee, after, to requite their noble curtesie,
Eleuen thousand mayds sent those our friends againe,
In wedlock to be linkt with them of Brute's high Straine;
That none with Brutes great blood, but Britans might be mixt:
Such friendship euer was the stock of Troy betwixt.
Out of whose ancient race, that warlike Arthur sprong:
Whose most renowned Acts shall sounded be as long
As Britains name is known: which spred themselues so wide,
As scarcely hath for fame left any roomth beside.
My Wales, then hold thine owne, and let thy Britains stand
Vpon their right, to be the noblest of the Land.
Thinke how much better tis, for thee, and those of thine,
From Gods, and Heroës old to drawe your famous line,
Then from the Scythian poore; whence they themselues deriue
Whose multitudes did first you to the Mountaines driue.
Nor let the spacious Mound of that great Mercian King
(Into a lesser roomth thy burlinesse to bring)
Include thee; when my Selfe, and my deere brother Dee,
By nature were the bounds first limited to thee.
Scarce ended shee her speech, but those great Mountaines neere,
Vpon the Cambrian part that all for Brutus w•re,
With her high truths inflam'd, look't euery one about
To find their seuerall Springs, and bad them get them out,
And in their fulness waite vpon their soueraigne Flood,
In Britains ancient right so brauely that had stood,
When first the furious Teame, that on the Cambrian side
Doth Shropshire as a Meere from Hereford diuide,
As worthiest of the rest; so worthily doth craue
That of those lesser Brooks the leading she might haue;
The first of which is Clun, that to her Mistris came,
Which of a Forrest borne that beares her proper name,
Vnto the Golden Vale and anciently ally'd,
Of euery thing of both, sufficiently supply'd,
The longer that she growes, the more renowne doth win:
And for her greater State, next Bradfield bringeth in,
Which to her wider banks resignes a weake streame.
When fiercely making forth, the strong and lustie Teame
A friendly Forest Nymph (nam'd Mockery) doth imbrace,
Her selfe that brauely beares; twixt whom and Bringwood Chase,
Her banks with many a wreath are curiously […],
And in their safer shades they long time her protect.
Then takes shee Oney in, and forth from them doth fling:
When to her further ayde, ne•t Bowie, and Warren, bring
Cleere Quenny; by the way, which Stradbrooke vp doth take:
By whose vnited powers, their Teame they mightier make;
Which in her liuely course to Ludlowe comes at last,
Where Corue into her streame her selfe doth head-long cast.
With due attendance next, comes Ledwich and the Rhea.
Then speeding her, as though sent post vnto the Sea,
Her natiue Shropshire leaues, and bids those Townes adiew,
Her onely soueraigne Queene, proud Severne to pursue.
When at her going out, those Mountaines of command
(The Clees, like louing Twinnes, and Stitterston that stand)
Trans-Seuerned, behold faire England tow'rds the rise,
And on their setting side, how ancient Cambria lies.
Then Stipperston a hill, though not of such renowne
As many that are set heere tow'rds the going downe,
To those his owne Allyes, that stood not farre away,
Thus in behalfe of Wales directly seem'd to say;
Deare Corndon, my delight, as thou art lov'd of mee,
And Breeden, as thou hop'st a Britaine thought to bee,
To Cortock strongly cleaue, as to our ancient friend,
And all our vtmost strength to Cambria let vs lend.
For though that envious Time iniuriously haue wroong
From vs those proper names did first to vs belong,
Yet for our Country still, stout Mountaines let vs stand.
Here, euery neighbouring Hill held vp a willing hand,
As freely to applaud what Stipperston decreed:
And Hockstow when she heard the Mountaines thus proceed,
With ecchoes from her Woods, her inward ioyes exprest,
To heare that Hill she lov'd, which likewise lov'd her best,
Should in the right of Wales, his neighbouring Mountaines stirre,
So to aduance that place which might them both preferre;
That she from open shouts could scarce her selfe refraine.
When soone those other Rils to Seuerne which retaine,
And 't ended not on Teame, thus of themselues do showe
The seruice that to her they absolutely owe.
First Camlet commeth in, a Mountgomerian mayde,
Her source in Seuerns bankes that safely hauing layd,
Mele, her great Mistris next at Shrewsbury doth meet,
To see with what a grace she that faire towne doth greet;
Into what sundry gyres her wondered selfe she throwes,
And oft in-Iles the shore, as want only she flowes;
Of it, oft taking leaue, oft turnes, it to imbrace;
As though she onely were enamored of that place,
Her fore-intended course determined to leaue,
And to that most lov'd Towne eternally to cleaue:
With much ado at length, yet bidding it adue,
Her iourney towards the Sea doth seriously pursue.
Where, as along the shores she prosperously doth sweepe,
Small Maybrooke maketh-in, to her inticing Deepe.
And as she lends her eye to Bruge's loftie sight,
That Forest-Nymph milde Morffe doth kindly her inuite
To see within her shade what pastime she could make:
Where she, of Shropshire; I my leaue of Seuerne take.