Minor Poems of Michael Drayton Part 29

And many _Lines_ fore _Writers_, be but Setters To them which cheate with_ Papers; _which doth pierse, Our Credits: when we shew our selues Abetters: To those that wrong our knowledge: we rehea.r.s.e Often (my good _Iohn_; and I loue) thy_ Letters_; Which lend me Credit, as I lend my _Verse_._

Michael Drayton.

Prefixed to Sir David Murray's _Sophonisba_ &c. (1611).

_To my kinde friend_ Da: Murray.

In new attire (and put most neatly on) Thou _Murray_ mak'st thy pa.s.sionate Queene apeare, As when she sat on the Numidian throne, Deck'd with those Gems that most refulgent were.

So thy stronge muse her maker like repaires, That from the ruins of her wasted vrne, Into a body of delicious ayres: Againe her spirit doth transmigrated turne, That scortching soile which thy great subiect bore, Bred those that coldly but exprest her merit, But breathing now vpon our colder sh.o.r.e, Here shee hath found a n.o.ble fiery spirit, Both there, and here, so fortunate for Fame, That what she was, she's euery where the same.

M. DRAYTON.

Among the Panegyrical Verses before Coryat's _Crudities_ (1611).

_Incipit Michael Drayton_.

A briefe Prologue to the verses _following_.

Deare _Tom_, thy booke was like to come to light, Ere I could gaine but one halfe howre to write; They go before whose wits are at their noones, _And I come after bringing Salt and Spoones._

Many there be that write before thy Booke, For whom (except here) who could euer looke?

Thrice happy are all wee that had the Grace To haue our names set in this liuing place.

Most worthy man, with thee it is euen thus, As men take _Dottrels_, so hast thou ta'n vs.

Which as a man his arme or leg doth set, So this fond Bird will likewise counterfeit: Thou art the Fowler, and doest shew vs shapes And we are all thy _Zanies_, thy true _Apes_. 10 I saw this age (from what it was at first) Swolne, and so bigge, that it was like to burst, Growne so prodigious, so quite out of fas.h.i.+on, That who will thriue, must hazard his d.a.m.nation: Sweating in panges, sent such a horrid mist, As to dim heauen: I looked for Antichrist Or some new set of Diuels to sway h.e.l.l, Worser then those, that in the _Chaos_ fell: Wondring what fruit it to the world would bring, At length it brought forth this: O most strange thing; 20 And with sore throwes, for that the greatest head Euer is hard'st to be deliuered.

By thee wise _Coryate_ we are taught to know, Great, with great men which is the way to grow.

For in a new straine thou com'st finely in, Making thy selfe like those thou mean'st to winne: Greatnesse to me seem'd euer full of feare, Which thou found'st false at thy arriuing there, Of the _Bermudas_, the example such, Where not a s.h.i.+p vntill this time durst touch; 30 Kep't as suppos'd by hels infernall dogs, Our Fleet found their most honest wyld courteous hogs.

Liue vertuous _Coryate_, and for euer be Lik'd of such wise men, as are most like thee.

_Explicit Michael Drayton._

Prefixed to William Browne's _Britannia's Pastorals_ (1613).

To his Friend the AVTHOR.

Driue forth thy Flocke, young Pastor, to that Plaine, Where our old Shepheards wont their flocks to feed; To those cleare walkes, where many a skilfull Swaine To'ards the calme eu'ning, tun'd his pleasant Reede, Those, to the _Muses_ once so sacred, Downes, As no rude foote might there presume to stand: (Now made the way of the vnworthiest Clownes, Dig'd and plow'd vp with each vnhallowed hand) If possible thou canst, redeeme those places, Where, by the brim of many a siluer Spring, 10 The learned Maydens, and delightfull Graces Often haue sate to heare our Shepheards sing: Where on those _Pines_ the neighb'ring Groues among, (Now vtterly neglected in these dayes) Our Garlands, Pipes, and Cornamutes were hong The monuments of our deserued praise.

So may thy Sheepe like, so thy Lambes increase, And from the Wolfe feede euer safe and free!

So maist thou thriue, among the learned prease, As thou young Shepheard art belou'd of mee! 20

Prefixed to Chapman's Translation of Hesiod's _Georgics_ (1618).

To my worthy friend Mr. _George Chapman_, and his translated _Hesiod_.

_Chapman_; We finde by thy past-prized fraught, What wealth thou dost vpon this Land conferre; Th'olde _Grecian_ Prophets. .h.i.ther that hast brought, Of their full words the true interpreter: And by thy trauell, strongly hast exprest The large dimensions of the English tongue; Deliuering them so well, the first and best, That to the world in Numbers euer sung.

Thou hast vnlock'd the treasury, wherein All Art, and knowledge haue so long been hidden: 10 Which, till the gracefull Muses did begin Here to inhabite, was to vs forbidden.

In blest _Elizivm_ (in a place most fit) Vnder that tree due to the _Delphian_ G.o.d, _Musaeus_, and that _Iliad Singer_ sit, And neare to them that n.o.ble _Hesiod_, Smoothing their rugged foreheads; and do smile, After so many hundred yeares to see Their Poems read in this farre westerne Ile, Translated from their ancient Greeke, by thee; 20 Each his good _Genius_ whispering in his eare, That with so lucky, and auspicious fate Did still attend them, whilst they liuing were, And gaue their Verses such a lasting date.

Where slightly pa.s.sing by the _Thespian_ spring, Many long after did but onely sup; Nature, then fruitfull, forth these men did bring, To fetch deep Rowses from _Ioues_ plentious cup.

In thy free labours (friend) then rest content, Feare not _Detraction_, neither fawne on _Praise_: 30 When idle _Censure_ all her force hath spent, _Knowledge_ can crowne her self with her owne Baies.

Their Lines, that haue so many liues outworne, Cleerely expounded shall base Enuy scorne.

_Michael Drayton._

Prefixed to Book ij. of _Primaleon_, &c. Translated by Anthony Munday (1619).

_OF THE WORKE_ _and Translation._

_If in opinion of iudiciall wit,_ Primaleons_ sweet Invention well deserue: Then he (no lesse) which hath translated it, Which doth his sense, his forme, his phrase, obserue.

And in true method of his home-borne stile, (Following the fas.h.i.+on of a French conceate) Hath brought him heere into this famous Ile, Where but a stranger, now hath made his seate.

He liues a Prince, and comming in this sort, Shall to his Countrey of your fame report._

M.D.

From _Annalia Dubrensia_ (1636).

TO MY n.o.bLE Friend Mr. ROBERT DOVER, on his braue annuall _a.s.semblies_ vpon _Cotswold_.

Douer, to doe thee Right, who will not striue, That dost in these dull yron Times reuiue The golden Ages glories; which poore Wee Had not so much as dream't on but for Thee?

As those braue _Grecians_ in their happy dayes, On Mount Olympus to their _Hercules_ Ordain'd their games Olimpick, and so nam'd Of that great Mountaine; for those pastimes fam'd: Where then their able Youth, Leapt, Wrestled, Ran, Threw the arm'd Dart; and honour'd was the _Man_ 10 That was the Victor; In the Circute there The nimble Rider, and skill'd Chariotere Stroue for the Garland; In those n.o.ble Times There to their Harpes the Poets sang their Rimes; That whilst _Greece_ flourisht, and was onely then Nurse of all Arts, and of all famous men: Numbring their yeers, still their accounts they made, Either from this or that _Olimpiade_.

So _Douer_, from these _Games_, by thee begun, Wee'l reckon Ours, as time away doth run. 20 Wee'l haue thy Statue in some Rocke cut out, With braue Inscriptions garnished about; And vnder written, _Loe, this was the man,_ DOVER, _that first these n.o.ble Sports began._ Ladds of the Hills, and La.s.ses of the Vale, In many a song, and many a merry Tale Shall mention Thee; and hauing leaue to play, Vnto thy name shall make a Holy day.

The _Cosswold_ Shepheards as their flockes they keepe, To put off lazie drowsinesse and sleepe, 30 Shall sit to tell, and heare thy Story tould, That night shall come ere they their flocks can fould.

_Michaell Drayton._