Classic Poem

Now , brifly t'recollect what we haue sedd
Touching the Actions of these Potentates
In William Conquerer's considered
How soone are conquered devided States ,
" For force disioyned, small force ruinates
He, being desirous to reteyne the Pray
His Sword had purchas'd, it quite dissipates;
And like a Chaos at his feete it lay
To forme it as he listed ev'ry way

With the new Kinge , he gaue new Lords and Laws
Which curb'd the Head-strong , & did yoke the Wild ,
Till Disobedience with obedience drawes,
And all as one to one and all did yeeld,
That with and for that One did winne the field .
Who, finding his possession to bee sure
Did ease the thralldome wherein they were held
And that which erst he wounded, he did cure;
And ev'ry waie their loves did then alure.

Now are the Kinge and the Nobility
True freinds , and fathers to the Common-weale ,
The Commons now obay vnfeynedly:
The Victors and the Vanquished doe feele
How much these Corsiues deadly hatred heale:
Now all, being whole and sound , are made intire ,
And all aboute, their Liege doth Larges deale;
By meanes whereof he hath his hart's desire,
Whilst with his love , he thus setts Harts on fire.

If he to mercy had the Peeres receav'd,
Or trusted to their Oathes (true Fallacies )
And so departed when hee had perceav'd
The State well settled leaving Deputies ,
H'had lost the value of his Victories ;
Ne had the Land bin free from warrs and woes ,
That doe consort divided Monarchies;
Ireland a woefull wittnesse is of those,
That for a Conquest's want, wracks Friends and Foes.

Omitting other Princes , to descend
To the first Edward , that did first refine
This Common-weale , and made the same ascend
When through mis-swaying it seem'd to decline;
In whom we see the Providence divine
Worke by his Wisedome, Valor, Industrie ,
Glorious effects , which in the State doe shine;
For Hee it made an intire Monarchie ,
Which now remaines so to Posteritie .

Edward and Richard , second of their names
With the sixth Henry , and the Infant King ,
By these (bee't spoken not without their blames )
Is seene the dire and diverse altering
Of kingly state , through evill managing.
These beeing childish, fraile, improvident
Laie open to Ambition's canvasing;
Who (spying time ) vsurpt their government
Making them Mirrors for Kings negligent

The faults fore-mention'd in these haplesse Kings ,
The vniust rule of those that ruled them ,
The subiects' strength which Sov'raignes weaknesse brings,
A fatall Potion made for King and Realme ,
Whereof they dranke a deadly draught extreme:
Kings must be Kings indeede and not in show ,
Like as the Sunne is Actiue with his Beame :
For if they suffer Subiects, Kings to grow,
Kings must bee slaues , and to their Subiects bow.

Edward the third and Henrie Bullenbrooke,
Henry the fift, and the fourth Edward ,
These Princes were of Fortune nere forsooke,
Because they governed with due regard;
And whilst they watcht, they made the rest to warde:
By others' errors they did rule aright,
Who made their subiects' loving feare their guarde
Ambition durst be dam'd ere come in sight ,
Or but once moue her head to looke vpright.

Kings cannot safely raigne without mistrust ,
Because no state without Ambition is,
Which ever hath her Traine (for so shee must)
To helpe to guide her, when shee guids amisse;
For shee is blind , and oft the way doth misse,
Impatient of delay in her desire ,
Now running that waie and streight trying this:
Like to a restlesse ventlesse Flame of fire ,
That faine would finde the way streight to aspire.

Ther 's no perfection without some defect ,
Yet may't be cur'd, or tolerable made;
Onely Ambition doth all cure reiect ,
Wealth doth augment it, want makes it not fade;
And into deepes vnknowne in both t'will wade:
In doing well it is most insolent ,
And no lesse impudent in doing bad ,
Too wil'd to tame, and violently bent
With Tooth and Naile to catch at government

The Conquests which these Kings in France obtain'd
(As those in Scotland ) were by others lost:
" (For Vice will lose what is by vertue gain'd.)
Their keeping put the state to ceaslesse cost ,
Which lost the Commons (rag'd) being racked most;
And with their losse, the King lost many frends ,
Which were as Fortes to guard his Kingdom's coast;
" But ill beginnings haue vnlucky ends ,
And worse proceeding , worse in fine offends.

In the last Richard may be liuely seene
Ambition really anatomiz'd ,
Which orelookes all , and yet is overseene,
Advising all , yet none more vnadvis'd
Destroying all till shee be sacrifiz'd:
Shee Faith, Sex, Age, Bloud, State , and Contery ,
Divine and humane lawes (immortaliz'd)
Respects not, in respect of Empery ,
All which appeer'd in this King copiouslie

In his Successor ( England's Salomon )
Are diverse things well worth the imitation
In our state's policie: for he alone
Bent all his powres to benefit this Nation :
He saw our forraine Conquest's ill probation,
And that for Islanders it was vnmeete
To spend their wealth for forraine domination:
Which was no sooner fixed , but did fleete ,
And did this state with ill Salutes regreete

He thought it losse to purchase warre and hate ,
Where loue and Traficke might be helde with gaine
He well remembred how each Runnagate
And wandring Nation , here ran in amaine,
Making their profit of this Nation's paine:
He saw the safetie , and weale of this state
Rested in wealth and peace , and quiet raigne ,
And not in forraine Conquests , and debate ,
Which haue as short , as most uncertaine date

Through Peace and perfect government this Land
May in her rich Commodities abound;
Which may confirme the Neighbor-friendship's band,
And intertrafficke with them, tunne for pound ,
So make the Landes adiacent, to her bound:
Thus God is pleasd, and King and Contrey eas'd,
The Tradsmen thriue, that dearth & wars confound:
The People are (as with great profit) pleas'd,
And none , but those that liue by spoile , displeas'd

This prudent Prince perceav'd this Common-weale
To be by Trafficke strong made in the backe ,
So, as an head that Members ' wants doth feele,
He leagu'd him, where might be suppli'd their lacke.
Or be as walls to keepe the Realme from wrack:
He seeing that (which he did often trie)
The Money-Sacke , best kept the Land from sack;
Therefore the Angells which from him did fly
Had but short wings , and lighted but hard by

Among the things which he did least regard,
His Belly and his Backe were more then least;
He fared wel, when so his Commons far'd,
(Although his commons were not of the best)
Yet fared like a Kinge without a feast ,
He rather chose to haue Exchequers rich
Then wealthy Wardropps : yet would well be drest
When it his Maiestie and State did touch;
Yet held, save Common-wealth , all wealth too much.

Where Kings be not in ceasselesse guard of Armes
(Like these of ours ) the State lying open so
T' invasion and Rebellion's soddaine harmes;
Let not the Kinge looke Friends should foile the Foe
At their owne charge , for feare of overthro :
And in tumultuous times to breake their backs
Will make them from their Necks the yoke to thro,
And to be freed from such tormenting Racks
Wil ruine all, though them with al, it wracks.

Such great improvidence and want of heede
Vnseasonable Taxing ( Tempting rather)
Hath made the Soveraigne with the Subiect bleede;
Witnesse the two last Richards among other,
That knew how greevous then it was to gather
Store is no Sore (they say) except of Sores ,
Yet tis sore store with hate to heape togither;
Hate havocks in each hole in al vprores ,
As Water havocks life through all the Pores

This spectacle of Kingly providence
Nere cloi'd the subiect with too great estate,
Nor would he of a Pesaunt make a Prince;
His best belov'd he held in sober state ,
That he might liue with them without debate
Of all the Kings that ere this Land possest,
For government discreete and temperate,
This King deserudely is deemed best ,
And to be imitated worthiest.

In his Triumphant most victorious Son
Henry the last in name , and first in fame ,
Is to be seene great wisedome, vsd to shun
Crosse Accidents and courage in the same:
Yet some suppose, that he incurred blame
For be'ng too open-handed in expence
And giftes excessiue; but it is a shame
For Kings not roially to recompence
The rich desert of any Excellence .

Ingratitude in all 's most monsterous,
But most of all in roiall Maiestie ,
Wherein it 's more then most prodigious:
Munificence makes great, Authoritie .
And standes with Greatnesse in great policie:
The force of Guifts doth offer violence
Even to savage Inhumanity ,
Forcing therefrom such loue's obedience,
As singlie workes with double diligence.

His forraine Conquests much more famous were
Then any way commodious to this state ,
Yet them his actiue sp'rite could not forbeare;
For Caesar -like he would predominate
Where he had least iust coulor of estate:
In raising lowest shrubs to Cedars hie
He from his sage Sire did degenerate;
Yet vertue though it nere so low doth lie,
Is worthy of high praise and dignitie

In the last Edward's and Queene Marie's raigne
Is seene, what to those states is incident
Where subiects doe not feare their Soveraigne ,
But striue to liue beside their Regiment ,
Contemning so their too-weake government
This made the Rebell rise in strength and pride ,
From Sov'raignes ' weaknesse taking couragement
T'assault their Gates , led by a feeble Guide ;
Shaking their Thrones a while from side to side

In our Queene's no lesse long then peacefull reigne
Blest (as appeer'd) by that blest Prince of Peace ,
Was seene much more then wisedome feminine ,
If wee respect how soone shee made to cease
The olde Religion for the oldes increase:
That suddaine change that did the soule acquite
Of olde devotion (which none will release
Vpon the suddaine) still to stand in might,
May make a Newter deeme sh' was in the right.

And now descend yee spirites Angelicall,
That, chargde, doe guard th' Anointed of your Lorde
Crowne my Liege Lord with crowne imperiall
And put into his hand the awfull Sword
Of Iustice , so, the good shall bee assur'd,
And so may yee bee freed from your charge
Whereby the good are evermore secur'd;
For, hee that office will for you discharge,
Sith Iustice good men's surance doth inlarge

Blesse him o ever-blessed Vnion ,
Making a no lesse blessed Trinitie ,
Blesse him as thou hast never blessed one
That ever did possesse this Monarchy :
Showre downe thy blessings on his family :
The blessings of the womb giue to his Queene ,
And let them as the Sea-sand multiplie;
That from their roiall loines may still be seene
Heires, as the starres of heau'n, for store, and sheene

Thus haue I breath'd my Muse in Policie ,
Or rather runne her out of breath therein;
That so shee may with more facility
Runne ore the rest lesse difficult, wherein
Shee hath much more then much delighted bin
But Policie is but abus'd by me,
I doe but mangle her, and make her sinne :
But were shee whollie seene as shee should be,
Sh'would seeme no daughter of Mortalitee!