DRAYTON'S POEMS.

DRAYTON'S POEMS.

amendment: as for particular examples, among other, in Brennus mistook by all writers of later time, following Justin's epitome of Trogus ill conceived; in Robert of Swapham's story of king Wulpher's murdering his children, in Rollo, first duke of Normandy, his time; none of them yet rectified (although the first hath been adventured on) by any that I have seen; and such more. And indeed my jealousy hath oft vext me with part cular inquisition of whatsoever occurs, bearing not a mark of most apparent truth, ever since I found so intolerable antichronismis, incredible reports, and bardish impostures, as well from ignorance as assumed liberty of invention in some of our ancients; and read also such palpable falsities of our nation, thrust into the world by later time. As (to give a taste) that of Randall Higden, affirming the beginning of wards in 6 Henry III. Polydore's assertion (upon mistaking of the statute of 1 Henry VII.) that it was death by the English laws for any man to wear a vizard; with many like errours in his history, of our trials by twelve, sheriffs, coat of the kingdom, parliaments, and other like; Bartol's delivering the custom in this isle to be, quod primogenitus succedit in omnibus bonis 1.

las his slanderous description of our usual forin of kind entertainment, to begin with the wives' courteous admission to that most affected pleasure of lascivious fancy (he was deceived by misunderstanding the reports of our kissing salutations 2, given and accepted amongst us with more free

veries.

falsely under name of Cornelius Nepos) singeth: as our excellent wit, Joseph of Excester (published narrations of persons and places in his Rowland's which are even equally warrantable, as Ariosto's Spenser's elfin story, or Rablais's strange discoYet the capricious faction will (I know) never quit their belief of wrong; although some inquired after. Briefly, until Polybius, who wrote Elias or Delian diver should make open what is so counterfeited in title) no Greek mentions the isle; near 1800 since (for Aristotle sgì Kóreu is clearly until Lucretius (some hundred years later) no Roman hath expressed a thought of us; until Casar's commentaries, no piece of its description time therefore preceding Casar, I dare trust none; was known, that is now left to posterity. For but with others adhere to conjecture. In ancient matter since, I rely on Tacitus and Dio especially, Vopiscus, Capitolin, Spartian (for so much as they have, and the rest of the Augustan story) afterward Gildas, Nennius, (but little is left of them, and that of the last very imperfect) Bede, Asserio, Ethelwerd (near of blood to king Alfred)

William of Malinsbury, Marian, Florence of Worcester (that published under name of Florence The Greek Chalcondy-bath the very syllables of most part of Marian, the Scot's story, fraught with English antiquities which will show you how easily to answer Bu chanan's objection against our historians about Athelstan's being king of all Albion, being deceived when he imagined that there was no other of Marian but the common printed chronicle, which is indeed but an epitome or defloration made by Robert of Lorraine, bishop of Hereford, under Henry I.) and the numerous rest of our monkish and succeeding chronographers. In all, I believe him most, which, freest from affection

dom than in any part of the southern world, erroneously thinking, perhaps, that every kiss must be thought seconded with that addition to the seven promised by Mercury in name of Venus to him that should find Psyche; or as wanton as

Aristophanes his Maydaro:) and many untruths and hate (causes of corruption) might best know, of like nature in others. Concerning the Arcadian and hath with most likely assertion delivered his deduction of our British monarchy; within that report. Yet so, that, to explain the author, carrying time, from Brute, supposed about 2850 of the himself in this part an historical, as in the other

world (Samuel then judge of Israel) unto soine fifty-four before Christ, (about when Julius Cæsar visited the island) no relation was extant, which How then are they, which is now left to our use.

a chorographical poet, I insert oft, out of the British story, what I importune you not to credit. Of that kind are those prophecies out of Merlin sometime interwoven: I discharge myself; nor pretend chronologies of that age without any frag-impute you to me any serious respect of them. ment of anthors before Gildas, Taliessin, and Nen inviting, not wresting in occasion, I add somenius (the eldest of which was since 500 of Christ) time what is different from my task, but such as I to be credited? For my part, I believe as much in guess would any where please an understanding them as I do the finding of Hiero's ship-mast in reader. To aid you in course of times, I have our mountains 3, which is collected upon a corin fit places drawn chronologies upon credit of the rupted place in Athenæus, cited out of Moschion; ancients; and, for matter of that kind, have ador that Ptolemy Philadelph sent to Reutha, king monished (to the fourth canto) what as yet I of Scots, some 1900 years since, for discovery of never saw by any observed, for wary considerathis country, which Claude Ptolemy afterward put tion of the Dionysian cycle, and misinterpreted in his geography: or that Julius Cæsar built root of his dominical year. Those old rhymes, Arthurs-hoffen in Stirling sheriffdom: or that Bri- which (some number) you often meet with, are of tons were at the rape of Hesione with Hercules, ered the willinger, both for variety of your mother tongue, as also because the author of them (Robert of Gloucester) never yet appeared in common He was, in time, an age before; but, in learning and wit, as most others, much behind our worthy Chaucer: whose name by the way occurring, and my work here being but to add plain song after Muses discanting, I cannot but digress to admonition of abuse, which this learned allusion in his Troilus, by ignorance hath endured:

1 Ad C. de summ. Trinit. 1. 1. num. 42. 2 Unum blandientis, ad pulsum linguæ longè mel-light. litum. Apuleius de Aur. Asin. 6. And you may remember (as like enough he did) that in Plautus Curcul. Qui vult cubare pangit saltem suavium; and such more in other wanton poets, with the opinion of Baldus, that a kiss in those southern nations, is sufficient consent to imperfect espousals, nothing of that kind but copulation, with us and our neighbouring Dutch being so.

3 Ἐν τοῖς ὅρεσι τῆς Βρετανίας, ἀντὶ τοῦ Βρεστιανῆς, quæ nempe verior videtur lectio.

I am till God me better mind send,
At Dulçarnon, right at my wits' ead.

* Chaucer explained.

It is not Necham, or any else, that can make me the Muses deadly hate me, when, in permitting
entertain the least thought of the signification of occasion, I profess not by whom I learn! Let
Dulcarnon to be Pythagoras's sacrifice after his them veut judgment on me which understand: I
geometrical theorem in finding the squares of an justify all, by the self authors cited, crediting no
orthogonal triangle's sides, or that it is a word of transcribers, but when of necessity I must. My
Latin deduction; but indeed by easier pronuncia-thirst compelled me always seek the fountains, and
tion it was made of i. e. two-horned: by that, if means grant it, judge the river's nature.
Nor can any conversant in letters be ignorant what
which the Mahometan Arabians use for a root in
errour is oft-times fallen into, by trusting autho
calculation, meaning Alexander, as that great dic-rities at second hand, and rash collecting, (as it
tator of knowledge Joseph Scaliger (with some an- were) from visual beams refracted through ano-
cients) wills, but by warranted opinion of my ther's eye. In performance of this charge, (un-
learned friend Mr. Lydyat, in his Emendatio tem-
dertaken at request of my kind friend the '
porum, it began in Seleucus Nicanor, twelve years author) brevity of time, which was but little more
after Alexander's death. The naine was applied, than since the poem first went to the press, and
either because after time that Alexander had per- that daily discontinued, both by my other most
suaded himself to be Jupiter Hammon's son, whose different studies seriously attended, and interrupt-
statue was with rams' horns, both his own and his ing business, as enough can witness, might excuse
successors' coins were stampt with horned images:
great faults, especially of omission. But I take
else in respect of his two pillars erected in the
not thence advantage to desire more than com-
East, as a nihil ultra of his conquest'; and some
mon courtesy in censure, nor of this, nor of what
say, because he had in power the eastern and
else I heretofore have published, touching histo-
western world, signified in the two horns. But rical deduction of our ancient laws, wherein I
howsoever, it well fits the passage, either as if he
scape not without tax.
had personated Creseide at the entrance of two
ways, not knowing which to take; in like sense as
that of Prodicus his Hercules, or Pythagoras his
Y, or the logicians' dilemma express; or else,
which is the truth of his conceit, that she was at
a nonplus, as the interpretation in his next staff
makes plain.
How many of noble Chaucer's
readers never so much as suspect this his short
essay of knowledge, transcending the common
road? And by his treatise of the Astrolabe (which,
I dare swear, was chiefly learned out of Messaha-
lah) it is plain he was much acquainted with the
mathematics, and amongst their authors had it.
But I return to myself. From vain loading my
margin with books, chapters, folios, or names of
our historians, I abstain; course of time as readily
directs to them. But where the place might not
so easily occur, (chiefly in matter of philology)
there only (for view of them which shall examine
me) I have added assisting references. For most
of what I use of chorography, join with me in
thanks to that most learned nourice of antiquity',
τόν τις καὶ τηλόθι νάιων

Τιμᾶ ἀνὴρ ̓Αγαθός,

my instructing friend Mr. Cainden Clarencieux. From him and Girald of Cambria also comes most of my British; and then may Mercury and all

Epocha Seleucidarum.

"Christman. Commentar. in Alfragan. c. 11. Lysimachi Cornuum apud Col. Rhodigin. Antiq. lect. 20. c. 12. hic genuina interpretatio. 'Of whom even every ingenious stranger makes honourable mention. Comitem verò illum Palatinum R. Vitum Basingstochium (Cujus historiæ magnam partem quasi Bigyai Couros chorographica substructio pleraq; ad antiquitatis amussin, ab eruditissimo hoc suo populari accepta, ne dicam suppilata, est) adeò inhumanum fuisse miror, ut benè merentem non tam libenter agnoscat, quàm clariss. viri syllabis et inventis codicem suum sæpius perquam ingratè suffarcinet. Atque id ferè genus plagiarios, rudes omninò, et 'Amourous, et vernaculos nimirum nostrates jam nunc imponere sarcinam video indignanter & ringor.

Sunt quibus in verbis videorq; obscurior, hoc est,
Evandri cum matre loqui, Faunisq; Numaq;
Nec secus ac si auctor Saliaris carminis essem.
I have read in Cicero, Agellius, Lucian's Lexipha-
nes, and others, much against that form: but
withal, this later age, wherein so industrious
search is among admired ruins of old monuments,
hath, in our greatest Latin critics, Hans Douz,
P. Merula, Lipsius, and such more, so revived
that Saturnian language, that, to students in
philology, it is now grown familiar; and, as he
saith, Verba à vetustate repetita non solum mag-
nos assertatores habent, sed etiam afferunt orationi
majestatem aliquam, non sine delectatione'. Yet
for antique terms, to the learned, I will not jus-
tify it without exception, disliking not that of
Phavorin, Vive moribus præteritis, loquere ver-
bis præsentibus; and as coin, so words, of a pub-
lic and known stamp, are to be used, although so
much as that way I offend, is warranted by ex-
ample of such, of whom to endeavour imitation
allows me more than the bare title of blameless.
The purblind ignorant I salute with the English
of that monitory epigram,

-Ει δέ γε πάμπαν

Νῆς ἔφος Μουσέων, ῥίφον ἢ μὴ νοέεις 10.
reprehension of them, whose language and best
learning is purchased from such volumes as Rab-
lais reckons saint Victor's library, or barbarous
glosses,

Quàm nihil ad genium, Papiniane, tuum!
or which are furnished in our old story, only out
of the common Polychronicon, Caxton, Fabian,
Stow, Grafton, Lanquet, Cooper, Holingshed, (per-
haps with gift of understanding) Polydore, and
the rest of our later compilers; or, of any adven-
turous Thersites daring find fault even with the
very Graces, in a strain

Cornua quod vincatque tubas

I regard as metamorphosed Lucius's looking out | Wise genius, by thy help that so I may descry at window; I slight, scorn, and laugh at it. By sections [§] in the verses you know what I meddle How thy fair mountains stand, and how thy vallies lie; with in the illustrations; but so, that with latitude, the direction admonishes sometimes as well [ing's pride, for explaining a following or preceding passage, as its own.

Ingenuous readers, to you I wish your best desires; to the author I wish, (as an old cosmographical poet did long since to himself) *Αλλὰ σοι ὕμνων

Αὐτων ἐκ μακάρων ἀντάξιος ἔτη ἀμοιβή 1.

From those clear pearly cliffs which see the morn-
And check the surly imps of Neptune when they
chide,

Where Titan still unyokes his fiery-hoofed team,
Unto the big-swoln waves in the Iberian stream1,
And oft his flaming locks in luscious nectar steeps,
When from Olympus' top he plungeth in the deeps:
That from th' Armoric sands, on surging Nep-
tune's leas,

[seas) To gentlewomen and their loves is consecrated all My verse with wings of skill may fly a lofty gait, Through the Hibernic gulf (those rough Vergivian the wooing language, allusions to love passions,§. As Amphitrite clips this island fortunate, and sweet enbracements feigned by the Muse Till thro' the sleepy main to Thuly I have gone, amongst hills and rivers. Whatsoever tastes of And seen the frozen isles, the cold Deucalidon*, description, battle, story, abstruse antiquity, and§. Amongst whose iron rocks grim Saturn yet re(which my particular study caused me sometime remember) law of the kingdom, to the more mains, [chains. severe reader. To the one, be contenting enjoy-. Bound in those gloomy caves with adamantine ments of their auspicious desires; to the other, Ye sacred bards", that to your harps' melodious happy attendance of their chosen Muses. strings Sung th' ancient heroes' deeds (the monuments of [kings) And in your dreadful verse engrav'd the prophecies, The aged world's descents and genealogies; If, as those Druids taught, which kept the British rites, And dwelt in darksome groves, there counselling [with sprites (But their opinions fail'd, by errour led awry, As since clear truth hath show'd to their posterity) When these our souls by death our bodies do for

From the Inner Temple,hn Seiden.

May 9, 1612.

11 That the godlike sort of men may worthily guerdon his labours.

POLY-OLBION,

THE FIRST SONG,

THE ARGUMENT.

The sprightly Muse her wing displays,
And the French islands first surveys;
Bears up with Neptune, and in glory
Transcends proud Cornwal's promontory;
There crowns Mount-Michael, and descries
How all those riverets fall and rise;
Then takes in Tamer, as she bounds
The Cornish and Devonian grounds.
And whilst the Dev'nshire nymphs relate
Their loves, their fortunes, and estate,
Dert undertaketh to revive

Our Brute, and sings his first arrive:
Then northward to the verge she bends,
And her first song at Ax she ends.

OF Albion's glorious isle the wonders whilst I
write,

The sundry varying soils, the pleasures infinite,
(Where heat kills not the cold, nor cold expels the
heat,
The calms too mildly small, nor winds too roughly
[great,
Nor night doth hinder day, nor day the night doth

wrong,

The summer not too short, the winter not too long)
What help shall I invoke to aid my Muse the while?
Thou genius of the place (this most renowned isle)
Which lived'st long before the all-earth-drowning
flood,

Whilst yet the world did swarm with her gigantic
[brood,
Go thou before me still thy circling shores about,
And in this wand'ring maze help to conduct me out:
Direct my course so right, as with thy hand to show
Which way thy forests range, which way thy rivers
flow;

sake,

6

§. They instantly again do other bodies take;
I could have wish'd your spirits redoubled in my
breast,

she hung

To give my verse applause to time's eternal rest.
Thus scarcely said the Muse, but hovering while
Upon the Celtic wastes', the sea-nymphs loudly
[sung:
"O ever-happy isles! your heads so high that bear,
By nature strongly fenc'd, which never need to fear
On Neptune's wat'ry realms when Eölus raiseth
And every billow bounds, as though to quench
[the stars:
Fair Jersey first of these here scatter'd in the deep,
Peculiarly that boasts thy double-horned sheep:
Inferior nor to thee, thou Guernsey, bravely

wars,

crown'd

With rough-embattled rocks, whsse venom-hating
[ground
The hard'ned emeril hath, which thou abroad dost
send:

Thou Ligon her belov'd, and Serk, that doth attend
Her pleasure every hour; as Jethow, them at need,
With pheasants, fallow deer, and conies, that dost

feed:

[see Ye seven small sister isles, and Sorlings, which to The half-sunk seaman joys; or whatsoe'er you be, From fruitful Aurney, near the ancient Celtic shore, To Ushant and the Seams, whereas those nuns of S. Gave answers from their caves, and took what yore [shapes they please: Ye happy islands set within the British seas,

The western or Spanish ocean.
2 Bretagny coasts.

3 The farthest isle in the British ocean.
4 The sea upon the north of Scotland,
The old British poets.

• Priests of the ancient Britons.

7

The French seas.