Classic Poem

Now may we all of England say of truth:
As we haue heard, so haue we seene performd
In these our dayes most worthy to be learnd:
How that the Lord doth stil his Church defend
From cruell foes, whom his to hurt pretend.


Let vs therefore vnto our mindes now call,
The cruell rage that wicked men haue had,
Agaynst the Lordes, as though they had been mad:
Them to deuoure as Lions spoyle their pray,
Inuenting their oppression day by day.


As bloodie Caine, the first of Serpentes race,
That onset gaue against the womans seede,
For whose good workes he wrought that wicked deed.
And as began, the combate still doth hold,
That sonnes of lyfe, euen swallow quicke they would.


As Lamech next, a bud of that vile roote,
Who in his rage, all men would wound and kill,
As though he did the law of God fulfill:
Whose deedes to grace he coulde a Scripture cite,
Although true sence and meanyng wrested quite.


Next him that Cham the sonne of Noe the iust,
who soone reuiues the wounded seede of Cain,
and doth as ill vncoueryng Fathers shame:
and so procures a curse most vehemently,
Vpon himselfe and his posteritie.


As he for one, that Nimrod hunter great,
who sayd, Come buyld a Tower fayre and hie,
a stately one, whose top may reach the skie:
that we may get vnto our selues a name,
and all may see we well deserue the same.


But this their rage the Lord did soone espie,
and downe he came their language to confound,
that one knew not what others did propound:
and Citie theirs he called Babylon,
which name doth shew, They found Confusion.


And Ismael next, Ægiptian Hagars sonne,
who Isaac skoft, of Abram blessed seede,
so as it shewes how Cham doth still proceede,
to hate, as Cain, the brother working good,
foure hundred yeeres afflicting Isaacs blood.


The lyke doth he, that Esau most prophane,
good Iaacobs blood vnkindly seeke to spill,
like rauenyng Wolfe, which seely Lambe doth kill:
and birthright solde for messe of pottage red,
despising Christ, the Lambe, the Rocke, the Bread.


Chams race holdes on, as Pharaoh hard of hart,
good Abrams seede most hardly to intreat,
with slauish toyle, and burthens ouer great:
in bricke and clay, and bondage very ill,
vntill at length their children he did kill.


And thus they were foure hundred yeeres too long,
afflicted sore by Chams Ægyptian dogs:
but they were plagu'd with lice, with flies, with frogs,
with blood for blood, with blaines, with scabs with haile,
to shew how smal man can gainst God preuaile.


Himselfe, his host, his chariots and his horse,
inclosd with waues, were tombd in heapes of sand,
where Israel past from yoke of Egypt land:
their ryder fell, and Israel skapt away,
and Miriam sung such prayse, as now we may.


The seconde part.

Then Amalec, of nations who was first,
that warre did make, Gods people to withstand,
whereby they might them keepe from holy land:
But Moses prayd whyle Sunne abode in skye,
and Iosua fought vntill his foes did flye.


And God a curse vpon that nation gaue,
and vow did make their name for to roote out,
because gainst his they shewd themselues so stout:
and in Record he caused it to be,
that he would warre with them continually.


Then Balak he to Balam sayd, Come curse,
come curse Israel, detest him I thee pray,
who frets my hart to see him beare such sway:
Then Balam sayd, a people blest of God,
fayne would I curse, but that I feare his rod.


Yet greedy gayne this Prophet false drew on,
who wages lou'd vnrighteously to get,
although dum Asse gainst that would teach him wit:
And Angels sworde against him was out drawne,
who spared then, yet in the ende was slayne.


When Iudges ruld, sixe times full sore opprest
were Gods elect, by Nations strong and stoute,
some left in land, some others thereabout:
Aram, Moab, Canaan, and such lyke,
Madian, Ammon, Philistins, all did strike.


But Othinel, Ehud, Shamgar, euen he,
with goad of Oxe sixe hundred men did kill,
and Ehud lame, fat Eglons blood did spill:
These Iudges three, their foes (so strong) did bend,
and Barac did from Chariot wheeles defend.


God whet his sworde, and valiant Gedion fought,
with pitcher, pots, and men but hundreds three,
yet foylde that host which numbred could not bee:
Of Ammon townes did Ieptath twenty strike,
and with Asse iaw did Samson thousand smite.


And Deborah holpe, and Starres & Streames did striue,
gaynst Canan Kinges, at ancient Kishon brooke,
at Kishon streames God on his Saints did looke:
And Iaels hand with Hammer smote the Nayle,
whereby Israel gaynst Sisera did preuayle.


Yet did these streames increase their strength agayne,
and others met, vntill great floods they were,
in Dauids time, as it may well appeare:
Both forraine foes, and those at home in brest,
as Absalon and Saul, aboue the rest.


Who Dauid sought, as one would do a Flea,
and still did hunt th'Annoynted of the Lord,
his soule to take as Hunter Partridge would:
Euen so did he most cruelly persist,
to persecute in him both God and Christ.


Yet did he stand as Lyon strong and stout,
vntill he did his foes all subiect bring,
and he through God, did raigne alone as King:
For whom the Lord the Crowne and Diademe kept,
aye to remayne: but Sauls away he swept.


The thirde part

Agayne in dayes of King Iehosaphat,
the vile pretence of wicked men we see,
and forces great, like Mountains seemd to bee:
That then had ioynd in league and constant band,
to cut off quite poore Israel from their land.


And that no name of Nation they should haue,
as then those craftie councels had decreed,
but thought in hart to cut them off with speed:
and were in band ten Nations well we know,
that then had ioynd to serue good Israel so.


But Israel prayd, and God for them did fight,
to him they cald, and he their sute did heare,
and causd their foes kill each with others speare:
they standing still, saluation did behold,
and three dayes were in gathering of their gold.


Then gathered they to valley Berachath,
to blesse the Lord, to blesse and prayse his name,
whose mercies last toward those that seeke the same:
they sought in truth, they sought as did him please,
who stroke their foes, and to them gaue great ease.


In time againe of Ezechias King,
how did that proud Saneherib by name,
the Lord and his with most vile speach blaspheme?
in bragging sort most vaynely to be tolde,
as though by force he might get what he would.


I will sayd he, to top of mountaines go,
to Libanon, and her fayre Cedars cut,
my feete shall you as dust from ground licke vp:
What is become of all the Gods about?
Be not deceau'd, for none can keepe me out.


But God a Hooke into his nose did thrust,
and bridled rage of this blaspheming King,
that thus had rayld on God that was lyuing:
who ouerthrew his Host all in one nyght,
though number great and stout in armour dight.


And afterwardes him selfe was slayne with sword,
by his two Sonnes, while worshypping he was
his owne false Gods, they then brought it to passe:
who did full fast to mount Arrat retire,
hauing dryde vp the flouds that Iewes did feare.


The fourth part

Againe in time twixt Daniel and our Lord,
most greeuously foure kingdomes did annoy,
the Saints of God, who longed for their ioy:
and for their King, by whom they should haue rest,
and freed from those that had them sore opprest.


Which kingdomes foure in vision then were seene,
foure sauage Beastes in fearefull sort and wyse,
in Daniels sight out of the Sea to ryse:
and should vnto his people be as bad
as cruell Beastes, for which cause he was sad.


Yet presently to comfort him, no doubt
he did behold the Auncientest to sit,
in iudgement seate, to giue a sentence fit
agaynst those Beastes, who yet had skapt his ire,
which now he saw go to eternall fire.


And saw how Christ that Stone should beat to dust,
an Image fayre in carnall eyes so seene,
and scatter it, as though't had neuer beene:
Although so hard of mettals foure was made,
yet toes and feete some dust amongst them had.


Which Image then the king of Babell saw,
in goodly sort, as hauing head of Gold:
Which is the worlde, as he it did behold:
Vntill the time that Christ the Stone should come,
which he saw base, yet dasht them euery one.


No sooner was this Stone cut out of Mount,
but Herod he of Esaus race prophane,
sought farre and neare true Iacob to haue slayne:
and killed all within two yeeres of age,
to finde out Christ, against whom, he did rage.


And when this Stone a Mountaine great was growne,
and all the earth with glorie it had filde,
yet did his owne not cease till they had kilde,
Euen him that iust, that Lambe most innocent,
and Heathens rage togeather were all bent.


To whip, to spit, to tosse from post to post,
to smyte, to wound, to rayle most shamefully:
saying, they knew him poorely borne to be.
To scoffe, to floute, to pierce both handes and feete.
To hang on tree with theeues they thought it meete.

Thus did they bruse the heele of womans seede,
of his the chiefe, that Michael, prince of all:
But hee ouercame and caused them to fall,
and brake the head of Deuil Serpent olde:
and foylde the rest of his, do what they coulde.


And for this spight to Christ, our onely head,
a vehement curse vpon loves he hath brought,
and Romanes he hath paynted out for nought:
He paynted hath that seate of Antichrist,
that who so markes of him they shalbe blest.


Yea blest they are, that Reuelation reade,
wherein he hath most cleare and playne layde downe,
the markes to know that Antichrist of Rome:
yea blest they be that of that Beast beware,
but curst is he that marke of Beast doth beare.


The fift part

Wherefore we will a litle more proceede,
and note the like, since time of Christ on earth,
much like vnto the time before his birth:
wherein is shewed in visions two the somme,
of Sathans rage vntill the day of doome.


Then first S. Iohn out of the Sea saw ryse,
a monstrous Beast, compounded of them foure,
which Daniel had in wickednes yet more:
Which Beast is meant, of Romane Emperors that
with blood of Sainctes themselues fild full and fat.


And when this Beast, which is the first, was slayne,
the second rose out of the earth, in show
like to a Lambe, in holy wyse we know:
But marke the ende, and you shall finde he spake,
as Dragon did, whose full strength he did take.


And caused all, both great and small to bow,
and that no man might buy, or sell, or lyue,
vnlesse he did all worshyp to him giue:
Or marke at least, in hand or forehead haue,
or beare his name: if but his crowne to shaue.


This same is shee, that strumpet whore of Rome,
imbrude with blood of holy Martirs eke,
and doth the same continually yet seeke:
And still her cup of filthinesse doth wring,
that Kinges on earth to follie she may bring.


And by those foule and vncleane sprites like frogges,
which from that seate vnto the worlde are sent,
to gather them that are on their side bent:
Great warres to make against the holy seede,
which woman sent to wildernesse with speede.


Where she a tyme, two times, and halfe a time,
is safely kept, from rage of Serpent there,
although his streames he casteth euery where:
Which in the ende, great floods do come to be,
as we of late with our owne eyes did see.


And were gathered into a place to fight,
that called is the Mount of Mageddon,
with like successe as Siser at Kyshon:
Where starres did fight, euen starres from heauen sent,
and Iael did the Nayle strike fast in tent.


Euen so likewyse did Storme and Tempest helpe,
and Virgins hand thereto did well applie,
this mightie Host and Nauie to defie:
Who thought their strength inuincible they sayd,
but she through God, of them was not afrayd.


Though like they were for to deuoure vs all,
and swallow quicke, for ought that we could see,
such was their rage as we might well espie:
And as the floods with mighty force do fall,
so did they thinke to bring our liues to thrall.


These Popysh streames most proude in roaring wise,
made sure accompt t'ourwhelme vs in the deepe:
but praysd be God, that doth vs safely keepe,
From bloody teeth, who sayd with cruell voyce,
vs like a pray to eate they would reioyce.


But euen as Birdes out of the Foulers grin,
escapt away, right so it fares with vs:
Broke are their nets, and we are scaped thus.
God that made heauen and earth is our helpe then,
whose name hath saued vs from these bloody men.


The sixt part

Wherefore as we haue heard, so haue we seene,
that God is still an helpe to his at hand,
agaynst the rage of Satan to withstand:
And by our Queene most worthy Prince of same,
hath foyld his foes to their rebuke and shame.


Yea God hath put into her noble hart,
to hate that Beast, and flesh of his to eate,
and still to striue to make him desolate,
The which God graunt she may still so hold on,
that we may more see fall of Babylon.


And that her Grace, Gods will may thus performe,
we pray thee Lord, that long her raigne may be,
since on this day she chosen was by thee:
And Crowne didst giue, as due to her by right,
because she was accepted in thy sight.


Therefore let vs this day with voyces ring,
and giue all prayse and thankes vnto the Lord,
that hath her geuen for to defende his worde:
Agaynst the rage of Pope that monstrous Beast,
whose strength we pray, she dayly more may waste.


So will we all still Halleluiah sing,
and eke confesse that God alone doth raigne,
a King of Kinges, for euer to remayne:
Wherefore reioyce, and prayses sing with hart,
and neuer let them from our mouthes depart:


Since he doth fight that on White Horse doth ride,
our battles all most righteous iust and true,
a glorious Lord, to whom all prayse is due:
For he alone the victorie hath wone,
and into hell his foes cast euery one.


Reioyce therefore, and prayses let vs sing,
ye people all that marke of God do beare,
come lende your voyce, all yee that do him feare:
Come sing the song of Moses, seruant his,
and of the Lambe, that on mount Sion is.


And let vs say, Most great and maruelous
are all thy workes Lord God that art lyuing,
Most iust and true are all thy wayes, O King:
Who would not feare and glorifie thy name,
O Lord of hostes, whose wayes are still the same?


Thou sits on high aboue the Heaues all,
and downe dost looke, on seruantes poore of thine,
and blood of theirs reuengest in due time:
Wherefore we prayse thy name eternally,
for that reuenge on whore of Rome we see.

Finis