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A44621
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The Brittish princes an heroick poem / written by the Honourable Edward Howard, Esq.
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Howard, Edward, fl. 1669.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing H2965; ESTC R13966
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62,418
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232
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bright Whose shining seates the antient Royal Race Of Brittish Kings in their past glories grace Which as this presence with due wonder saw A Cloud-like Curtain did before it draw As oft the setting-Suns bright face does wear Made by his Art of some such matter here Then shapes of Heroes represents to view The Queen from her late dreadful vision knew To be of that sterne Nations mighty Race Succeeding time did Saxon Monarchs place Whose Visage look'd as if compos'd they were Of Natures Roughest Elements for War Each in a Martial Cassock clad of blew The Armes of Nobles blaze or Princes shew While Warlike Hengist with a brandish't Spear And furious Horsa foremost do appear Those fatal Brothers first trod Brittish shore To lead through Seas of blood fierce Saxon power Next these passe Scepter'd Kings of this high line With Alfred must in story ever shine For all such virtues Subjects Reverence draw And gave this Isle first English Name and Law Who no less fam'd in War his mighty state The Conquer'd Trophies of fierce Danes does wait Whose bloody onsets this Isle long withstood Before they Raign'd or mix'd with Native blood And here Great Edmund who vast Battels fought With Danish Knute are to sole Combat brought As this day Story enterpriz'd does fame Where Severne Banks are wash'd by his rough stream But pardon Reader if my Muse hence spare To fing these Nations long divided War Or how from Blood and Arms their Kings did raign Which must thy toyles and tears together gain While with this wondrous vision I descend To Royal Edward Saxon Kings does end Nature Divinely Issue did deny Since few succeeding match'd his Piety And briefly from this Artists deeds relate How Norman Kings possest this mighty State Since their first William Rul'd by Conquests claim And left its Throne at once rough Laws and Fame On whom attending here those Heroes stand First serv'd his Arms and planted in this Land Whence so much of our Noble Blood since streams And speaks the honor of their Acts and Names Next to Great William Rufus does appear Who dy'd his Successor without an Heir While Henry younger does usurp the Throne And Robert to both elder sadly shown His eyes put out by that ambitious Fate Made Henry younger seise his Royal state Who clouded thus his hands to heaven does spread T' invoke their crimes should thence be punished Nor did remain a Male Prince of his Line Leaving his Crown in beaut'ous Maud to shine Whose glorious love Plantagenet inthron'd Whom France at such dear cost of Arms renown'd Descending thence their eyes were entertain'd With all of that high Lineage here since raign'd Of which the first unhappy Prince was John If evil Kings from Subjects hate are known And here with troubled looks he seems to view Those first bold Charters Englands Freedom shew Which to this day supremest Law has stood But speaks that Ages Crime since got with blood Near whom the mighty Barons sternly wait Who made his Power by Arms legitimate From which black Vail too late Rebellion springs And Treason seems but now past Acts of Kings His Son succeeding Lion-like next sought To rend that knotty toyl forc'd Law had brought But finds his Subjects made too boldly free E'r to resign their ill-got Liberty Three Edwards then inthrone this Royal Race The first of which both Peace and warre did grace Whose valour Impious Saracons did rue And hardy Scots save his ne'r Conquest knew But soon alass in his luxurious Son Declin'd that glory did his Armes renown Until his Grandson did revive his Fame And in France trophy'd a like Edwards Name And had his mighty First-born next him reign'd What Empire might not Brittish Armes have gain'd Whose like not Greece or Rome Produc'd in warre And had of all been greatest Conquerer But he a Princely Son less happy left In his youths flower of Crown and Life bereft When Lancasters bold Line possest his Throne And rais'd a Royal warre so bloody known Of whom Fifth Henry is most glorious seen Who conquer'd France and its fair Heir made Queen Leaving that Realms possession to his Son Whose zeal to heaven lost there what he had won And here with heavenly looks as Angels shew That humane Figures represent to view Beholds that cruel hand and bloody stroke His Life too good for mortal Rule had took Next whom in dismal Images are shown Such Princes fell in warre each Line to crown VVhile Lancasters the fatal Red Rose bear And Yorks the white not guiltless though right Heir Which Vision pass'd a joyfull glorious sight Presents here objects vary'd with delight Where Marriage Rites each Royal Lineage joyn And Lancasters high Blood with Yorks does shine In that fair Princess fam'd fourth Edward left His young unhappy Males of life bereft Whose tender Glories their fierce Unckle seiz'd And from a false Protector King was rais'd Thus was Great Tenders mighty Reign here seen Espous'd a Soveraign in Yorks Heiress Queen VVhile Ages warre to love does Trophies yield Who crowns in this great Bride His Bosworth Field No less in Peace his Conduct sage appears Whence Kings too oft indulge their Thrones high cares Whose active Prudence swayes each Royal State That crave his wise allowance to be Great Some he more near endears unto his Crown In his fair Princely Daughters-Matches known Who court his Blood to give their Crowns wise Kings And all Great Brittain since one Scepter brings Next here 's display'd his wondrous Treasures sight That speaks his Royal Thrift and Monarchs might Though some this Avarice call not Princely Care Whilst he too much his Subjects griev'd to spare From which high Juncture that eight Henry springs VVho had in one soul many mighty Kings Though his great Copy bears some marks of ill Since Law he made less Powerful than his will And here his several Queens too sadly known His frailer Loves advanc'd unto his Throne In mourning Vails this profound Bard does show VVho from their Fates is call'd Loves Tyrant too To whom succeeds a Son in years though young That reign'd small time as his fierce Rule was long Wise before man and as for men too good Dy'd Flower of Princes in an early Bud. Next whom appears his elder Sisters Raign Whose zeal our Stories more than Rule complain Which pious Crime her Subjects did deplore Since Faith her guilty made of cruel power Shewing that zeal when it too furious grows Promotes not Faith but 'gainst it raises Foes And as her Fathers Consorts deaths did leave A Curse his Lawless bed must thence receive His great begotten issueless were seen Ending his Lyneage in a Virgin-Queen Though more in Soul than Nature could convey Teaching Men Rule and Women to obey And had she not been guilty of that stroke Her fair allyanc'd blood so spotless took Her virgin Robes had been far brighter wore And she the wonder dy'd of Soveraign power While Heaven that scarcely could her loss repair Preserv'd for
to begin but not conclude thy Song Thy Foes do envy and thy Friends deplore Those that so much is writ these that no more ORRERY TO THE HONOURABLE Edward Howard Esq. Upon his Poem of the British Princes WHat mighty Gale hath rais'd a flight so strong So high above all vulgar eyes so long One single rapture scarce it self confines Within the limits of four thousand lines And yet I hope to see this noble heat Continue till it makes the piece compleat That to the latter Age it may descend And to the end of time its beams extend When Poesie joyns profit with delight Her Images should be most exquisite Since man to that perfection cannot rise Of alwayes virt'ous fortunate and wise Therefore the patterns man should imitate Above the life our Masters should create Herein if we consult with Greece and Rome Greece as in warre by Rome was overcome Though mighty raptures we in Homer find Yet like himself his Characters were blind Virgil's sublimed eyes not only gaz'd But his sublimed thoughts to heaven were rais'd Who reads the Honors which he paid the Gods Would think he had beheld their blest abodes And that his Hero might accomplish'd be From divine blood he draws his Pedigree From that great Judge your Judgment takes its law And by the best Original does draw Bonduca's Honor with those Heroes time Had in oblivion wrapt his sawcy crime To them and to your Nation you are just In raising up their glories from the dust And to Old England you that right have done To shew no story nobler than her own John Denham TO THE HONOURABLE Edward Howard Esq Upon his Poem of the Brittish Princes THough time o'r greatest actions hath its reign What this destroyes yet you restore again And by the pleasing Talent of your Pen Revive that worth which was so famous then So whil'st we fondly charg'd on guilty Fate Those ravisht Glories which on time did waite We see t was fit none but your Muse should give Our Brittish Heroes Monuments to live All the lost virtues of great Arthur you In Albianus can exactly shew The lustre of the long set Sun you find By those reflections which he leaves behind Could Vortiger but know how by your Muse his actions are out-done he would refuse All that he once thought great whilst he is taught Virtue and honour must from hence be sought Courage to ev'ry Hero you have lent To shew small stars make up a firmament The fair Bonduca would desire more Those beauties you describe than those she wore And think the gods had sent you from above To add a greatness to her soul and love Merlinu's worth which time had long obscur'd Is from your noble Muse to us secur'd That ev'n the Grecian Stagerite might take Instructions where thy Poem makes him speak Whose lost Prophetick glory now we see Reviv'd whilst here he makes his prophesie Virtue is so exacty drawn by you That none can question what he ought to do By those examples which in this are given You seem at once us to oblige and heaven No dangerous mountains make your work seem rough But gentle risings and yet high enough Which through the whole are so exactly wrought It seems as well the child of pains as thought On Princes actions when you cease to toyl Describing all the pleasures of this soyl Kind nature will be pleas'd since here is sung All by her secret operations done Though blushing she must wonder since no more Than hers your bounty lessens not your store Beauties not less oblig'd since by your Muse Is giv'n her all the features she could chuse And made us know that love which she hath given Is a faint rellish of our future heaven Marâ— not more amaz'd than pleas'd would be To see this Child derive its pedigree So justly from his greatness since he none For likeness and for beauty more can own Blest by these two detraction 't is above Since all must forfeit sence or thine approve H. D. TO THE HONOURABLE Edward Howard Esq On his intended Impression of his POEM OF THE BRITISH PRINCES SIR MY Judgement in Poetry hath you know been once already Censured by very gooâ— Wits for commending Gondibert buâ— yet they have not I think disabled my tâ—stimony For What Authority is there iâ— Wit A Jester may have it a Man in drink may have it and be fluent over night and wise and dry iâ— the morning What is it or Who can tell whether it be better to have it or be without it especially if it be a pointed Wit I will take my liberty to praise what I like as well as they do to reprehend what they do not like Your Poem Sir contains a well and judiciously contrived Story full of admirable and Heroick actions set forth in noble and perspicuous language such as becomes the dignity of the persons you introduce which two things of themselves are the height of Poetry I know that variety of story true or feigned is the thing wherewith the Reader is entertain'd most delightfully And this also to the smallness of the Vollume is not wanting Yours is but one small piece whereas the Poets that are with us so much admir'd have taken larger Subjects But let an English reader in Homer or Virgil in English by whomsoever translated read one piece by it self no greater than yours I may make a question whether he will be less pleased with yours than his I know you do not equal your Poem to either of theirs the bulk of a Work does not distinguish the Art of the Workman besides 't is a vertue in a Poet to advance the honour of his remotest Ancestors especially when it has not been done before What though you out-goe the limits of certain History Do Painters when they Paint the Face of the Earth leave a blanck beyond what they know Do not they fill up the space with strange Rocks Monsters and other Gallantry to fix their work in the memory of Men by the delight of fancy So will your Reader from this Poem think honourably of their original which is a kind of Piety Ajax was a man of very great stature and Teucer a very little person yet he was brother to Ajax both in blood and Chivalry I commend your Poem for judgment not for bulk and am assured it will be wellcome to the World with its own confidence though if it come forth armed with Verses and Epistles I cannot tell what to think of it For the great Wits will think themselves threatned and rebel Unusual Fortifications upon the borders carry with them a suspition of Hostility And Poets will think such Letters of Commendation a kind of confederacy and league tending to usurp upon their liberty I need say no more but rest Chatsworth Nov. the 6th 1668. Sir Your Honors most humble and obedient Servant Thomas Hobbs THE Brittish Princes AN Heroick Poem BOOK I. The First Canto OF Brittish Kings and Hero's Sung by