The mangled ships not fearing to be drencht Gladly take breaches thereby to be quencht But now thou Tisiphonc infernall Muse Rouzing thy selfe from Stygian sleepe peruse The various Images of dreary Fate Hapning in this sad Fight and Intimate Them to my mind which well I thinke agree Not with a sweete and heauenly Muse but thee Th' Industrious Pilot sitting at the sterne VVhere in a little card he can discerne The vast vncertainetie of Neptunes haunt Ruling swift ships by powerfull Adamant Here as he sits retir'd and watchfull minds The frequent change of two and thirty winds Comes an vnruly shot and him doth force To certaine death change his vncertaine course So he that wont stern blasts in truce to bind Could not foresee when he should loose his wind From stormes and Mists of Death he could not free Himselfe who wont the Tempests curbe but he Who bearding Neptune vs'd on th' Ocean float Is now controll'd in Charons little boat The Master ranging vp and downe the Deck And wounded mortally to him doth beck His Mate who hasting to his ayd in vaine Is there together with the Maister slaine And at once ended with him his liues Date Proouing himselfe truely the Masters Mate The Trumpetter with braue reuiuing sound Quickning their dying harts is fell'd toth ' ground And as in 's mouth he still the brasse did wield His dying breath made it a dead march yeeld And hauing lent his Trumpet so much breath In 's life it turn'd him some againe at 's death The Drummer with his nimble hand repeating His doubled blowes without compassion beating His harmlesse drum which seem'd with groning cry To murmur at his Maisters cruelty Sodenly two rash bullets rudely come Tearing both skin of drumer and the Drum Drummer of life of sound the Drum 's bereft So Drum and Drummer both are speechles left The Gunner as with nimble hast he runs To fire his seldome-vaine-reporting Guns His head a leaden-winged bullet hits And his hard braine-pan into peeces splits He of a thousand this alone might vaunt That of his death he was not ignorant And this true riddle might of him abide He liued once by 's Death by 's life now dide Here comes a Captaine with vndaunted face Encouraging his souldiers to the Chace And being about to say be braue and bold An vntaught bullet rudely bids him hold And as death's mist in his dull eyes did wander Beseeching ayd he left to be commander And he whose voice from fainting thought to call them By 's dying grone doth fearefully apall them This leader faithfull to his vtmost breath Can onely now lead them the way to Death See how to steale the wauing flagg one climbs Vp by the cards but being espied betimes Tangled i' th' ropes he is of life bereft And so is hang'd for his intended Theft But the cords burnt wherin his leggs were bound He gets a Pirats death both hang'd and drown'd Some vnder hatches closed in despaire Mount vp their foes with powder into the aire Which done it seem'd a strange prodigious sight A troupe of armed men to maske the light It seemeth yet that they no damage meant 'em Who the next way vp into heauen sent 'em Making them flie beyond Dae dalian skill In the vast aire without a winged quill Giuing to them a strange vnwonted death Who hauing aire too much yet wanted breath See see the lot of sad Mortality Our chiefest help 's helpe oft to Miserie Some men who came secure from future harmes Inroll'd in well-proou'd steely clothed armes Fall by mischance into the sea 's dire hand Whence being vnarm'd they might haue sworn to land Their armes doe sinke and without mercy end 'em So kill'd by that which chiefly should defend ' em One with his Musket ready to giue fire Aymes at another aduerse Muskettier But his match missing fire hee 's forc't to die By the others matches true fidelity By which he di'de can scarc'ly well be knowne Whether by th' others Musket or his owne See there a Coward wanting heart t' abide The daunting face of the fierce aduerse side Slinketh behind the next not caring whither Comes a mad shot and kill 's 'em both together Praise him in this for though his life outdar'd him To equall th' other yet his death compar'd him Neuertheles if truly ye doe mind him As in his life in 's death he came behind him One seeming now his side begin to faile Shew's them their colours while himselfe lookes pale Sure by this man some Omen ill was showne To keepe their colours who could loose his owne Those men who chanced in the ships to fall The cruell sea was made their buirall And into th' waues without remorse were throwne Poore men slaine by their foes drownd by their owne A Fisherman who nigh them cut the Maine Sitting in 's boate was with a bullet slaine And the barke fir'd wherein he dead did fall Which gratis burnt gaue him his Funerall True to thy Maister kind boat who with him Didst oft in life and now in death do'st swim With him aliue in water that didst tire Thy waue-beat sides dy'st now with him in fire Yet me thinks thou shouldest not deserue this turne Who so oft plung'd with him which shouldest burne Yet saile with him t' Elysium saile the faster In Carons stead that thou maist waft thy Maister Strang Boat which thus we not amisse may call His Life Death Charon and his Funerall A Noble man that was a Renegate While he against his King doth boldly prate A shot takes off his head as if t were reason That he should be beheaded for his Treason A baser fellow while he dares complaine And raile against his once owne Soveraigne A true Liege-man as he thus boldly brags Striketh him vp and his vile body drags About the ship and while he vainely begs Remosles cutteth off his armes and legs And thinking then to throw him in the tide Hee 's caught vpon an Anchor on the side That one beholding rightly might haue sed He iustly was hang'd drawne and quartered Some fearing swords into the sea doe flie And so for feare of death feare not to die Some fall into the Ocean stain'd with gore Which from their former wounds had gusht before Which kill'd not them as it from them was spil'd But entring into them againe th' are kil'd Heere 's one about to strike his foe doth fall Into the sea before he can recall His erring stroke striking the sea to stay him The Ocean in revenge o' th blow doth slay him One fearing death doth faine to die and bleed And while he is in faining dies indeed Another being about to strike his foe Looseth at once his arme and threatning blow His left arme shiuering reaches at the other But cut atwaine lies with it's equall Brother Both ioyn'd though both devided as in spight Of Death they meant to part their last good-night By shaking hands the miserable truncke As loth to part
serue some driveling slut To wrap her sope in or at least be droven To keepe a Pie from scorching in the Oven Or else expos'd a laughing stock to sots To cloke Tobacco or stop Mustard pots Thou wilt be grac't if so thou canst but win To infold Frankincense or Mackrills in You deem 't forsooth a matter of high worth To haue a fame among 'em New come forth And thinke your chiefe felicity is marr'd If you be not perch't vp in Paules Church-yard Where men a farre may know you in a trice By some new-fangled brasse-cut Frontispice Such book 's indeed as now-dayes can passe Had need to haue their faces made of brasse Is it not then sufficient for you To stay at home among the residue Of better sisters where my dearest Will And other friends would praise and loue thee still Him and my other harts-halfes I account Intire assemblies and thinke they surmount A Globe of addle Gallants I averre One iudging Plato worth a Theater But you me thinks of all the rest should feare The searching rayes of censure least you bleare You tender fame who can choose but disdaine The first Minerua of an idle braine Pen'd ere I well was past a boy or downe With silken mosse my maiden chin did crowne Blacke Lycophron redeem'd of late by mee From the darke graue of deepe obscuritie And taught to stalke in English measures dreads The censure of the Beast with hundred Heads And keeps close home like one from deepe of night That cannot quickly brooke the dazling light My labour'd Merlin Brittish Lycophron Still sitteth in his dreary delue alone And as yet wary Prophecies that who Leape into 'th world too soone themselues vndoe My devout Holy-dayes yet secret lurke And dare not frame themselues vnto a worke My merry Paradoxes still laughing sit And dare not mocke the world in Publicke yet Yea my deare Syren-twins keepe still at home Though almost fledg'd and ready now to rome About the world with hundred crotchets more My Patromonie Portion wealth and store Yea and these riches so contentfull I Would not forgoe for all the Treasury Th' Exchequer holds wilt thou then of them all Dare in these times distracted clutches fall Oh t is a way that spoiles things haply good When itching youngsters crop themselues i' th bud And so proue rotten before ripe to win 't That they may have their names but seene in print But seeke not thou about the world to gad Before thou hast an Eagles triall had Then dare to Impe thy full fledg'd wings and flie Neerer than other Muses to the skie Out-face the Sun and sing such notes as may Approue that thou art worthy of the day Great glory sure they get and solide fame Who to obtaine a Month-enduring Name Make monstrous bookes which did they fill the stalls Yea were they pil'd vp to the top of Paules Would quickly vent when for a month or two One shall not passe but he shall heare adoe And fresh enquiries for the booke anon Ye shall heare faintly This a yeare agon Was a braue booke this was a booke indeed Ah haples he who now is put to read The jade-tir'd lines Thus both such bookes makers Are both of same fame and same fate partakers Liue for a day and flourish but at night Like the short Roses vanish with the light But care not thou whether vaine fame doe giue That thou dost now or maist heerafter liue And know that Poem's truely fram'd relie Not on the present but posterity And learned Poets think 't sufficient gaine If that they after death may but obtaine Their Postume glories nor thinke that these times Can rightly iudge of well deseruing rimes We must expect another age for this Scarce knoweth whether prose or Poem ti 's For Poem's now admir'd are onely those Change but the words a little they are prose As plaine as Holinshed each feeble line As foot-pac't as this poore L'envoy of mine But tell me when thou into 'th world art come How wilt thou please the multitude when some Vnlesse thou canst outbaudy Martial Or loose-pen'd Arbiter will stiffly call Thee slight and witlesse did but this clew lead thee The greatest Ladies then would daine to read thee And in their perfum'd bosomes would infold Thee willinger than Chaines of Pearle and Gold Or Aristotles Problems great men would make thee Their nere companion and to Church would take thee Instead of Psalmes if so to Church they goe God knowes aboue whether they do or no. Others there are whose addle empty braines Vnlesse thou fill with loue-sicke-puling straines Will proue starke made against thee All in all Would haue this garbe the Prentice at his stall Itching would buzze vpon thee and each maid That faine would yet dare not professe the trade Because sh ' ha's been well brought vp Infinite The number is will call thee Parasite Because thou medlest not with any things Touching the State Embassadors or Kings O such an one say they To these replie So deare I will not my repentance buy Nor will I tread in such vnequall measure As at my danger to procure you pleasure But what I can will striue to blazon forth My Countries honour and my Kings the worth Of any person who shall merit prayse For such I watch and bite the frantick bayes But the most part are such as those who vow That Muse is dull and drie whose crabed brow Skoul's not forth Satires the Meere title seene But of a scourge excell's the Faery Queene To these say thus would you haue me a Muse So rude and vnexperienc't to abuse Her harmles quill write satyres That 's the worke of brazen pens with danger that dare ierke And sweare their Inke from blushing which expert In the bad world dare venter to insert Particulars which makes the world to sweare They needs a part in wickednesse must beare They open it so naked such their spirit Caesar with them is Casar if he merit For me to satyrize from blow-point age Cloister'd in circuit of a college cage where my experience of Ill nere flew Beyond the lurching of a dish or two Where sophismes miss't were held crimes out of reason And the not capping fellow's chiefest treason The greatest Libells there they hold of take Some cowl-slaffe shew or witty Almanaka And such faults as are punisht by the Deanes I know not what a states corruption meanes What bribery is or what it is to wracke The vulgar neckes or breake the commons back but satyrists sterne quill must rip vp faults From womb of night whose acting makes the vaults Of Heauen blush which in a fearefull brood Are hatch't by sin and nourtred by blood Headlong reuenge Extortion Orphans crie Are fitt for them and fearefull Leachery But I a Muse that drinke a milder Chalice Shall I poore snake creepe in and sting the malice Of crimes more fit for Iuvenall or him That wrap't his lashes in obscure and dim Clouds of reuenge asham'd
aspect more grim than is their life As breathing nought but bate and balefull strife Come fiercely forward all as if from thence They meant to moue their painted Residence The Lyon Elephant and sauage Hogge The Libard Tygre Ounce and cruell Dogge Sternely affront each other one might guesse In midst of Sea a sauage Wildernesse Wherein with admiration one might see So many a fierce wild beast so many a Tree But now our valiant Generall traversing About the fleet encourag'd them rehearsing This speech wherein he brauely did exhort To th' Fight which ready cut th' Oration short Courage braue friends and that is all I pray Strength cannot want where Courage leads the way But what need I th' vndaunted hearts excite Of them whose eies me thinks already fight Looke as ye doe and ye shall neuer need Weapons or hands to make your foes to bleed Your look's shall strike 'em dead and warlike sight Shall put your fearefull enemies to flight What ere ye aime at heere before you lie Honour Reuenge Spoile Riches Victorie Which if they mooue not see your Natiue Land Your Nurse your Mother see how she doth stand Afarre to marke which of you best shall render The Meed of Nurture who shall best defend her Them will she honour brauely then driue backe This vast Sea-monster which is come to racke Your Nursses entrailes com't but once to Land The very Earth will be affraid to stand It 's cruell brunt whither if reach it can The blood and teares will make an Ocean Deeper than this I see 'em now repaire O let my Omen vanish into aire Vnto our Land see how like Wolues they rage About the coasts sparing nor sex nor age See how they pull strong wals of Citties downe Leauing the men as naked as the Towne They raze your sacred Temples and not leaue A hallowed place where after ye may heaue Your hands for aide to heav'n Your Altars frames These wicked wretches with prophaned flames Sacrifice to their anger yea they dare To open Ghostly Tomb's and thence lay bare Your Ancestors sad Coffins whose dead ashes Instead of teares their Childrens blood be-dashes They dragge our ancient Parents vnto slaughter Answering their dying grones with cruell laughter Our younger Wiues and Sisters they deflour And baselâ— make our neerest kinsmen our Most hated foes our tender infants rawle Scarce borne being borne vnto their funerall These things which heav'n be thank't I but suppose Vnlesse yee helpe will once aduance our foes Say that our Nauy be farre lesse than theirs Haue not great ships amids their swift carriers Beene staid by little Remoraes Then on And let not this cold Element whereon We are to fight quench those couragious flames Which burne in euery manly brest that aimes At immortality but strike so sterne That the dumbe fishes may heereafter learne To speake your praises and each waue report Vnto it's neighbour in how valiant sort Ye fought till that the Oceans vtmost bound And farthest Thule with your fame shall sound Yea that the Sun when he at night shall presse This way may goe and tell th' Antipodes What acts he saw nor yet of ayd despaire The Sea it selfe if need shall aske will spare A thousand of his streaming arm 's for you All fish prooue sword-fish to fight for our due Thinke for no refuge heere to flie your hand Not feet must bring you backe againe to land No longer will the time with vs dispence What my speech wants my sword shall recompence Now 'twixt a thousand liues a thousand death 's Of time one little winged minute breath 's The loud-mouth'd Gun onely expects the fire At touch of which as burnt it should expire It 's skrieking voice groning that so much death Should be accomplish't by th' infectious breath Of it's dire mouth Darts ready are to part To hide their heads in some ill fortun'd hart Arrowes and Muskets leuel'd seeme to kill Before they can in act in fierie will One might haue thought viewing this fearefull sight ' Thad bin the picture of a Navall Fight But harke th' amazing signes of battell sound Making the lands remote and rockes rebound The shrill voic't Trumpet and couragious drum In barbarous language bid the foes to come Death's horrid vizar now begins t' appeare In their pale faces terrour and gastly feare In their amazed hearts doth panting rise And future blood bath's in their fiery eyes Sterne Cruelty aduanceth in their lids With headlong fury stalking in the mids Apelles present here or one so skil'd Might haue made pictures hence that would haue kil'd The thundring Ord'nance now began to rent Th' amazed aire the flames before it sent Seeme lightning and as deadly bullets flie Prodigious haile seem'd to powre downe the skie Smoake made a clowdy mist and all together Seeme on the sea to make tempestuous weather To call for ayd here stands as much instead As in that place when from a doubtfull head The seauen-mouth'd Nilus with a desperate shocke Headlong doth tumble from th' amazed rock Making the people on the neighbouring shelues That hearing him they cannot heare themselues Thus the fights noyse made many a man to fall In troublous death a silent Funerall Alas those Elements which vse t' vp hold Our crazy liues with their iust heate and cold Making compact our bodies constitution Striue now to cause it 's vtter dissolution The quicke and piercing fire as it doth burne Their wofull carkasses doth freezing turne Their minds to quaking feare and I hill despaire The liquid flitting and all-searching aire Admitts remorsles shot and murdring darts Denying breath at last to coole their harts The theevish water though it ran away With suttle shifts did notwithstanding slay And swallow most with a deuouring flood Onely poore earth starke still astonished stood Who viewing this would not haue thought a wonder That without raine wind lightning haile or thunder Or hidden shelues or rocks sea-ambusht back Or any temrest ships should suffer wrack That one might heere haue term'd it choose you whether A strong Calme or calme tempestuous wether See winged arrowes posting through the skie How quicke they hast froth ' battells rage to flie The trembling speares as souldiers doe them shake Seeme at their Maisters dangrs that they quake The flashing swords which sheathed once they ware Seeme now to feare being vnarm'd and bare But now each fleet each ship with hope-full pride Clash altogether furious side to side As when two winds in blacke tempestuous wether With boistrous wings impetuous meete together With their vntamed and resistles iustle Making high turrets shake and cedars rustle Where in light shirmish they remaine contending Till out of breath th' are faine to make an ending Now death 's at hand and night together keepe Cleare life and dreadfull death's blacke iron sleepe Fierce rage sad griefe blind Fury now grow higher Good cause when sence of touch and hearing nigher Men now with men contend and ships with ships One