Yet shall they neuer darr for deeper wounds And thus resolu'd deere Midelton depart Seeke for thy safetie in some better soyle Thy stay will be no succour in my smart Thy losse will make them boast of better spoyle And be assur'd before my last breath part Ile make the Sunne for pittie backe recoyle And clothe the sea within a scarlet pale Iudge of their death which shall my life exhale This ship which now intombs my iealious soule Honestlie enuious of aspiring laude Is cald Reuenge the scourge which doth controule The recreants that Errors right applaud Shall like her selfe by name and fame enroule My spyrits acts by no Misfortune aw'd VVithin eternall Bookes of happie deeds Vpon whose notes immortall Vertue reeds Say if I perrish t'was mine honours will My Countries loue religion and my Queene And if that enuie glorie in mine ill Say that I dyed conqu'ring vnconquered seene Say fiftie three strong shyps could not fulfill Gainst one poore mayden vessell their foule teene But that in spight of death or miserie She fought and foyld and scapt captiuitie Replie not Midelton mine eares are closd Hie in heauens for-head are my vowes ingrau'd I see the banefull Nauie now disclosd Begon betime Fate hath thy fortune sau'd To me good starres were neuer yet opposd Glorie hath crownd me when I glorie crau'd Farwel and say how euer be my chaunce My death at honours wedding learnt to daunce This sayd away sailes Midelton with speede Sad heauie dull and most disconsolate Shedding stout manlie teares at valures deede Greeuing the ruine of so great estate But Grinuile whose hope euer did exceede Making all death in daungers fortunate Gan to prouide to quell this great vprore Then which the like was neuer heard before His fights set vp and all things fit prepard Low on the ballast did he couch his sick Being fourscoore ten in Deaths pale mantle snar'd whose want to war did most their strong harts prick The hundred whose more sounder breaths declard Their soules to enter Deaths gates should not stick Hee with diuine words of immortall glorie Makes them the wondred actors of this storie Nothing he left vnsaid that tongue could say To breede contempt of death or hate of thrall Honors reward fame for a famous day VVonder of ears that men halfe gods shall call And contrarie a hopelesse certaine way Into a Tyrants damned fists to fall VVhere all defame base thoughts and infamie Shall crowne with shame their heads eternally In this great thunder of his valiant speech From whence the eares-eyes honors lightning felt The Spanish Nauie came within the reach Of Cannon shot which equallie was delt On eyther side each other to impeach VVhose volleys made the pittying skyes to melt Yet with their noyse in Grinuills hart did frame Greater desier to conquer greater fame And now the sunne was past his middle way Leaning more louely to his Lemans bed And the noones third hower had attacht the day VVhen fiftie three gainst one were basely led All harts were fierd and now the deadlie fray Began tumultuouslie to ouer-spread The sea with fier the Element with smoake Which gods monsters frō their sleepe awoake In foure great battailes marcht the Spanish hoast The first of Siuill led in two great squares Both which with courage more then can be most Sir Richard forst to giue him way with cares And as the Sea-men terme it in our coast They sprang their luffe and vnder lee declares Their manie forces feebled by this one Whose thoughts saue him are rightly due to none And now he stands amidst the thickest throngs VValld round with wooden Castels on the waue Fiftie three Tygers greedie in their wrongs Besiedge the princlie Lion in his caue Nothing sees Grinuile which to hope belongs All things are fled that any hap could saue Bright day is darkned by incurtaind light And nothing visits them but Canons night Then vp to heauen he lifts his loftie hart And cryes old Solon I am happy made All earthie thoughts cleane frō his spirits part Vertue and Valure all his sences lade His foes too fewe too strong he holds his part Now doth he wish for millions to inuade For beeing conquerer he would conquer all Or conquerd with immortall honor fall Neuer fell hayle thicker then bullets flew Neuer show'rd drops faster then showring blowes Liu'd all the Woorthies all yet neuer knew So great resolue in so great certaine woes Had Fame told Caesar what of this was true His Senate-murdred spirite would haue rose And with faire honors enuie wondred then Cursing mortalitie in mightie men VVhilst thus affliction turmoyld in this brall And Grinuile still imployd his Actor death The great San-phillip which all Spayne did call Th'vnuanquisht ship Iberias soule and faith Whose mountaine hugenes more was tearmd then tall Being twice a thousand tuns as rumor saith Came rushing in becalming Grinuiles sailes Whose courage grew the more his fortune failes Hotlie on eyther side was lightning sent And steeled thunder bolts dinge men to hell Vnweldie Phillip backt with millions lent VVorse cracks of thunder then on Phaeton fell That with the dayes fier fierd the Element And why because within her ribs did dwell More store of shot and great artillarie Then might haue seru'd the worlds great victorie Three tire of Cannon lodg'd on eyther side And in each tire eleuen stronglie lay Eyght in her chase that shot forth right did bide And in her sterne twice eight that howerlie play Shee lesse great shot in infinets did hide All which were Agents for a dismall day But poore Reuenge lesse rich and not so great Aunswerd her cuffe for cuffe and threat for threat Anon they graple eyther to the other As doth the ban-dogge with the Martins skinne And then the wombe of Phillip did vncouer Eight hundred Souldiers which the fight beginne These board Sir Richard with thronging smother The day the ayre the time and neuer linne But by their entrance did instruct eight more To doe the like on each side foure and foure Thus in one moment was our Knight assaild With one huge Argosie and eight great ships But all in vaine their powers naught preuaild For the Reuenge her Canon loud-dogs ships VVhose bruzing teeth so much the Phillip quaild That foundring in the greedie maine he dips His damned bodie in his watrie tombe Wrapt with dishonour in the Oceans wombe The other eight fighting were likewise foild And driuen perforce vnto a vild retraite None durst abide but all with shame recoild VVhilst Valures selfe set Grinuile in her seate Onely Don Luis Saint Iohn seeing spoild His Countries honour by this strange defaite Single encountred Grinuile in the fight Who quicklie sent his soule to endlesse night George de Prunaria a Spanish Knight Euer held valiant in dispight of fate Seconded Luis and with mortall might VVrit on Sir Richards target souldiers hate Till Grinuile wakned with his loud rung fight Dispatcht his soules course vnto Plutos
dyre reuenge gainst heauens impietie VVhich els in shame will make thee folow mee Behold these robes maps of my fortunes world Torne and distaind with eye-scornd beggerie These rags deuide the Zones wherein is hurld My liues distemprate hote cold miserie These tears are points the scale these hairs vncurld My hands the compasse woe the emperie And these my plaints true and auriculer Are to my Globe the perpendiculer Looke how I am such art thou like to be If armes preuent not heauens intendiment Grinuile which now surfeits with dignitie Burd'ning the Sea with my disparagement Chiding the wanton winds if greedelie They kisse his sailes or els too slowlie vent Like Ioue which bad the day be and it was So bids he Conquest warre she brings to passe The sole incouragement he giues his power Is Prophet-like presaging of thy death Courage he cries euen in the dying hower And with his words recalls departing breath O sayes he to his Mat's you are my glories tower Impregnable wall'd with vnuanquisht faith You are the hands and agents of my trust I but the hart reuoluing what we must Liue Saints til we haue ript the wombe of Spayne And wounded Error in the armes of hell Crushing the triple Myter in disdaine Which on y e seauenfold mounted Witch doth dwel Angells rewards for such dissignes remaine And on heauens face men shall your stories tell At this they shoute as eager of the pray as Ants in winter of a sunne-shine day Thus like triumphant Caesar drawne in Rome By winged Valure and vnconquered Chaunce He plowes the Sea ô were it made his tombe VVhilst Happy-fortune pypes vnto his daunce Yet may thy power alternat heauens doome So pleaseth thee thy forward will t'aduaunce And cheare y e sinews of thy mighty arme VVhose out-strecht force shall quell his proud alarme Then giue newe fuell to thine honours fier Least slight regard wealth-winning Error slay And so old Saturns happie world retyer Making Trueths dungion brighter then the day VVas neuer woe could wound thy kingdom nyer Or of thy borrowed beautie make display Because this vow in heauens booke doth remaine That Errors death shall consumate thy raigne Now for my god-heads remnant liues in thee VVhose lost successe breeds mine eternall end Take for thine ayde afflicting Miserie Woe mine attendant and Dispayre my freend All three my greatest great Triumuerie Blood-bath'd Carnifici which will protend A murdring desolation on to that will VVhich me in thee and thee in mee would kill Here with her fixed Comet-blazing eyes The damned Augurs of vntimely death Shee ends her tale whilst from her harts caue flyes A storme of winds no gentle sighing breath All which like euill spirits in disguise Enter Iberias eares and to her sayth That all the substance of this damned storie VVas zealous true coynd for her Spanish glorie Sworne to beleeue for ill in ill affies Spayne then enamour'd with the Romane trull Calls all her forces more then Atomies And tells Ill-fortunes storie to the full Many Parenthises shee doth deuise And frost-relenting words doth choycely cull Bewitching those whom oft shee had deceiued VVith such like Hemlock as her selfe receiued The first and greatest one commaunding all The soule of mischiefes old created mother VVas Don Alphonso Bassan proud in brall The Marques Sancta Cruces onely brother Him shee coniures by typ's emperiall And all that falshoods seeming trueth could couer To vndertake this hie she termd it act VVhich craues a curse of all that reads the fact Her selfe shee said and all the flowers of Spayne Should vnder his as heauens Ensigne warre Thus from her harts foule dunghill flyes amaine Grosse vapours metamorphosd to a starre Her words in fumes like prodogies retaine His hart by her tongues witchcraft bound so farre As what shee will that will hee vnder-take Be it to warre with heauen for her sake The seeming Nectar of her poysoning speech So well shee saw surprise his licoras sence That for to reare her ill beyond ills reach VVith selfe-like tropes decks self-like eloquence Making in Britan Dona such a breach That her arm'd wits conqu'ring his best wits fence He vowes with Bassan to defend the broile VVhich men of praise earth of fame shal spoile To him shee giues the Biscaynnoys for guard Mechannicall Artificers for death And those which of affliction neuer hard Shee tempers with the hammer of her breath To euery act shee giues huge lyp-reward Lauish of oathes as falshood of her faith And for the ground of her pretended right T'is hate which enuies vertue in a Knight These two to her fast bound in vassailage Vnto the Marques Arumburch shee flyes Him shee prouokes him shee finds apt to rage Imprisoning Pitties teares in flintie eyes To him the power of Siuill for a gage Shee doth bequeath bidding his prowesse ryse And clense his Countries face frō widowes tears To which he posts like lightning frō the sphears Lastly to make vp mischiefes perfect square To Luis Cutino shee takes her flight Him shee commaunds he to her homage sware To guide a Nauie to this damned fight Of Hulks and Fly-boats such as durst to dare Shee giues him soueraigne rule and publique right And then vniting all foure powers in one Sends them to sea to calme Misfortunes mone And now behold diuine for valiancie Like flying Castells sayle they to this strand Fiftie three saile strong in artillarie Best men of warre knowne in the Spanish land Fifteene Armados Kings of soueraigntie VVhich led the lesser with a mightie hand And these in foure battalions hither flie VVith whom three dayes I saild in companie Then gentle Grinuile Thetis parramoure Dearer then Venus Daughter of the flood Set sailes to wind let not neglect deuoure Thy gracious fortunes and thine Angell good Cut through the maine compell thy keele to scoure No man his ill too timelie hath with-stoode And whē Best-chaunce shal haue repaird thy fortune Time for this flight may iust reuenge importune Here Midelton did end the passing peale VVhich gaue the warning to a dismall end And as his words last knell began to faile The damned Nauie did a glimmering send By which Sir Richard might their power reueale VVhich seeming conquerlesse did conquests lend At whose appearance Midelton did cry See where they come for fame and pitty flie This certaine story of too certaine ill Did not extinguish but gaue honor fier Th' amazing prodigie bane of my quill Bred not astonishment but a strong desier By which this heauen-adopted Knights strong will Then hiest height of Fame flew much more hier And from the boundlesse greatnes of his minde Sends back this answer through his lyps refin'd Thanks hardie Midelton for thy dilate Perswasiue presage to auoyde my death But if thou wed my fortunes with my state This sauing health shall suffocate my breath To flye from them that holds my God in hate My Mistres Country me and my sworne fayth VVere to pull of the load from Typhons back And crush
night which holds meane blisse in scorne By action kills imaginations sway And then euen then gluts cōfounds his thought VVith all the sweets conceit or Nature wrought Euen so our Knight the bridegroome vnto Fame Toild in this battailes morning with vnrest At noone triumph'd daunst made his game That vertue by no death could be deprest But when the night of his loues longings came Euen then his intelectuall soule confest All other ioyes imaginarie were Honour vnconquerd heauen earth held deare The bellowing shotte which wakened dead mens swounds As Dorian musick sweetned in his cares Ryuers of blood issuing from fountaine wounds Hee pytties but augments not with his teares The flaming fier which mercilesse abounds Hee not so much as masking torches feares The dolefull Eccho of the soules halfe dying Quicken his courage in their banefull crying VVhen foule Misfortune houering on a Rock The stonie girdle of the Florean Ile Had seene this conflict and the fearefull shock VVhich all the Spanysh mischeifes did compile And saw how conquest licklie was to mock The hope of Spayne and fauster her exile Immortall she came downe her selfe to fight And doe what else no mortall creature might And as she flew the midnights waking starre Sad Cassiopea with a heauie cheare Pusht forth her forehead to make known frō farre VVhat time the dryrie dole of earth drew neare But when shee saw Misfortune arm'd in warre VVith teares she blinds her eyes and clouds y e ayre And asks the gods why Fortune fights with man They say to doe what else no creature can O why should such immortall enuie dwell In the inclosures of eternall mould Let Gods with Gods and men with men rebell Vnequall warres t'vnequall shame is sould But for this damned deede came shee from hell And Ioue is sworne to doe what dest'nie would VVeepe then my pen the tell-tale of our woe And curse the fount frō whence our sorrows flow Now now Misfortune fronts our Knight in armes And casts her venome through the Spanysh hoast Shee salues the dead and all the lyuing warmes With vitall enuie brought from Plutos coast Yet all in vaine all workes not Grinuils harmes VVhich seene shee smiles and yet with rage imbost Saith to her selfe since men are all too weake Behold a goddesse shall thy lifes twine breake VVith that shee taks a Musket in her hand Raft from a dying Souldiour newlie slaine And ayming where th' vncōquered Knight did stand Dischargd it through his bodie and in twaine Deuids the euer holie nuptiall band Which twixt his soule worlds part shold remaine Had not his hart stronger then Fortunes will Held life perforce to scorne Misfortunes ill The bubling wound from whence his blood distild Mourn'd to let fall the hallowed drops to ground And like a iealious loue by riuall illd Sucks in the sacred moisture through the wound But he which felt deaths fatall doome fulfilld Grew fiercer valiant and did all confound VVas not a Spanyard durst abord him rest After he felt his deaths wound in his brest Hundreds on hundreds dead on the maymed fall Maymed on sounde sound in them selues lye slaine Blest was the first that to his ship could crall For wounded he wounds multituds againe No sacrifice but sacrifice of all Could stay his swords oblations vnto paine Nor in Phillippie fell for Caesars death Soules thicker then for Grinuils wasting breath The Nemian Lyon Aramanthian Bore The Hircanian Tyger nor the Cholcean Bulls Neuer extended rage with such vprore Nor in their brests mad monstrous furie lulls Now might they learne that euer learnt before Wrath at our Knight which all wrath disanulls For slauish death his hands commaunded more Then Lyon Tyger Bull or angrie Bore Had Pompey in Pharsalia held his thought Caesar had neuer wept vpon his head Had Anthonie at Actiome like him fought Augustus teares had neuer drownd him dead Had braue Renaldo Grinuiles puissance bought Angelica from Fraunce had neuer fled Nor madded Rowland with inconstancie But rather slayne him wanting victorie Before a storme flew neuer Doues so fast As Spanyards from the furie of his fist The stout Reuenge about whose forlorne wast Whilome so many in their moods persist Now all alone naught but the sourge imbrast Her foes from handie combats cleane desist Yet still incirkling her within their powers From farre sent shot as thick as winters showers Anger and Enuie enemies to Life Strong smouldring Heate noisom stink of Smoke With ouer-labouring Toyle Deaths ouglie wife These all accord with Grinuiles wounded stroke To end his liues date by their ciuell strife And him vnto a blessed state inyoke But he repeld them whilst repell he might Till fainting power was tane from power to fight Then downe he sat and beat his manlie brest Not mourning death but want of meanes to die Those which suruiu'd coragiouslie he blest Making them gods for god-like victorie Not full twice twentie soules aliue did rest Of which the most were mangled cruellie Yet still whilst words could speake or signes could show From death he maks eternall life to grow The Maister-gunner which beheld his eyes Dart fier gainst death triumphant in his face Came to sustaine him and with courage cryes How fares my Knight worlds glory martiall grace Thine honour former honours ouer-flyes And vnto Heaven and Vertue bids the bace Cheere then thy soule if deaths wounding paine it Abrahams faire bosome lyes to entertaine it Maister he sayes euen heers the opned dore Through which my spirit bridgroome like must ride And then he bard his wounded brest all gore To court the blessed virgine Lambe his bride VVhose innoncence the worlds afflictions bore Streaming diuine blood from his sliced side And to that heauen my soule with courage flyes Because vnconquerd conquering it dyes But yet replyd the Maister once againe Great vertue of our vertues striue with Fate Yeeld not a minute vnto death retaine Life like thy glorie made to wonder at This wounds recouerie well may entertaine A double triumph to thy conquering state And make thee liue immortall Angell blest Pleaseth thee suffer it be searcht and drest Descend then gentle Grinuile downe below Into my Cabbin for a breathing space In thee there let thy Surgion stanch our woe Giuing recuer to thee our wounded case Our breaths frō thy breaths fountaine gently flow If it be dried our currents loose their grace Then both for vs and thee and for the best Descend to haue thy wound bound vp drest Maister reply'd the Knight since last the sunne Lookt from the hiest period of the sky Giuing a signall of the dayes mid noone Vnto this hower of midnight valiantly From of this vpper deck I haue not runne But fought and freed and welcomd victorie Then now to giue newe couert to mine head VVere to reuiue our foes halfe conquered Thus with contrarie arguments they warre Diuers in their opinions and their speech One seeking means th'other a will to darre Yet both
one end and one desire reach Both to keepe honour liuing plyant are Hee by his fame and he by skilfull leach At length the Maister winnes and hath procurd The Knight discend to haue his woundings curd Downe when he was and had display'd the port Through which his life was martching vp to heauen Albe the mortall taint all cuers retort Yet was his Surgion not of hope bereuen But giues him valiant speech of lifes resort Sayes longer dayes his longer fame shall euen And for the meanes of his recouerie He finds both arte and possibilitie Misfortune hearing this presage of life For what but chimes within immortall eares VVithin her selfe kindles a home-bred strife And for those words y e Surgions doomes day swears VVith that her charg'd peece Atropos keene knife Againe she takes and leueld with dispairs Sent a shrill bullet through the Surgions head which thence through Grinuils tēples like was led Downe fel the Surgion hope and helpe was rest His death gaue manumition to his soule Misfortune smyld and euen then shee left The mournfull Ocean mourner for this dole Away shee flyes for all was now bereft Both hope and helpe for life to win deaths gole Yet Grinuile vnamaz'd with constant faith Laughing dispisd the second stroke of death VVhat foole saith he ads to the Sea a drop Lends Etna sparks or angry stormes his wind VVho burnes the roote whē lightning fiers the top VVho vnto hell can worse then hell combind Pale hungry Death thy greedy longings stop Hope of long life is banefull to my mind Yet hate not life but lothe captiuitie Where rests no trust to purchase victorie Then vp he came with feeble pace againe Strength frō his blood blood frō his woūds descending Saies here I liu'd here wil I sustaine The worst of Deaths worst by my fame defending And then he fell to warre with might and maine Valure on death most valiantly depending And thus continued aye coragiously Vntill the day chast shadowes from the sky But when the mornings dewie locks drunke vp A mistie moysture from the Oceans face Then might he see the source of sorrowes cup Plainly prefigur'd in that hatefull place And all the miseries that mortals sup From their great Grandsire Adams band disgrace For all that did in circle him was his foe And that incircled modell of true woe His masts were broken and his tackle torne His vpper worke hew'd downe into the Sea Naught of his ship aboue the sourge was borne But euen leueld with the Ocean lay Onely the ships foundation yet that worne Remaind a trophey in that mighty fray Nothing at all aboue the head remained Either for couert or that force maintained Powder for shot was spent and wasted cleane Scarce seene a corne to charge a peece withall All her pykes broken halfe of his best men slaine The rest sore wounded on Deaths Agents call On th'other side her foes in ranks remaine Displaying multitudes and store of all VVhat euer might auaile for victorie Had they not wanted harts true valiancie When Grinuile saw his desperate drierie case Meerely dispoyld of all succes-full thought Hee calls before him all within the place The Maister Maister-gunner and them taught Rules of true hardiment to purchase grace Showes thē the end their trauailes toile had bought How sweet it is swift Fame to ouer-goe How vile to diue in captiue ouerthrow Gallants he saith since three a clock last noone Vntill this morning fifteene howers by course We haue maintaind stoute warre and still vndoone Our foes assaults and driue them to the worse Fifteene Armados boardings haue not wonne Content or ease but beene repeld by force Eight hundred Cannon shot against our side Haue not our harts in cowards colours died Not fifteene thousand men araungd in fight And fifteene howers lent them to atchiue VVith fifty three great ships of boundlesse might Haue had or meanes or prowesse to contriue The fall of one which mayden vertue dight Kept in despight of Spanish force aliue Then list to mee you imps of memorie Borne to assume to immortalitie Sith loosing we vnlost keepe strong our praise And make our glories gaynours by our ends Let not the hope of howers for tedious dayes Vnto our liues no larger circuite lends Confound our wondred actions and assayes VVhereon the sweete of mortall eares depends But as we liue by wills victorious So let vs die victours of them and vs. VVee that haue mercilesse cut Mercies wings And muffeld pittie in deaths mistie vale Let vs implore no mercie pittyings But from our God deere fauour to exhale Our soules to heauen where all the Angells rings Renowne of vs and our deepe tragick tale Let vs that cannot liue yet liue to dye Vnthrald by men fit tropheys for the skye And thus resolu'd since other meane is reft Sweet Maister-gunner split our keele in twaine We cannot liue whom hope of life hath left Dying our deaths more glorious liues retaine Let not our ship of shame and foile bereft Vnto our foe-men for a prize remaine Sinke her and sinking with the Greeke wee'le cry Best not to be or beeing soone to dye Scarse had his words tane wings frō his deare tong But the stout Maister-gunner euer ritch In heauenlie valure and repulsing wrong Proud that his hands by action might inritch His name and nation with a worthie song Tow'rd his hart higher then Eagles pitch And instantlie indeuours to effect Grinuiles desier by ending Deaths defect But th'other Maister and the other Mat's Disented from the honour of their minds And humbly praid the Knight to rue their stat's VVhom miserie to no such mischeife binds To him th'aleadge great reasons and dilat's Their foes amazements whom their valures blinds And maks more eager t'entertaine a truce Then they to offer words for warres excuse They show him diuers gallant men of might VVhose wounds not mortall hope gaue of recuer For their saks sue they to diuorce this night Of desperate chaunce calld vnto Deaths black lure Their lēgthned liues their coūtries cares might right And to their Prince they might good hopes assure Thē qd the Captaine deere Knight do not spill The liues whom gods and Fat's seeke not to kill And where thou sayst the Spanyards shall not braue T'haue tane one ship due to our virgin Queene O know that they nor all the world can saue This wounded Barke whose like no age hath seene Sixe foote shee leaks in hold three shot beneath the waue All whose repaire so insufficient beene That when the Sea shall angrie worke begin Shee cannot chuse but sinke and dye therein Besides the wounds and brusings which she beares Are such so manie so incurable As to remoue her from this place of feares No force no wit no meane nor man is able Then since that peace prostrate to vs repaires Vnlesse our selues our selues make miserable Herculeen Knight for pittie pittie lend No fame consists in wilfull desperat end These words with emphasis and action spent