the same ELIZABETHA triumphans I Write not of the labours passing strange Which Ioues base sonne with wondrous fame atchiu'd He of the actes the neuer dying actes That English Kings haue done long time agoe But all my drift is to declare the deedes The famous deedes that this our sacred Queene Performed hath sithence Sol hath pass'd the Signes Iust thirtie times with those his shining lights Then mightie Ioue who guides each mouing thing Direct my Muse to that thy flowing streame Whence flowe amaine both swéete and thundring words That with those words she may set downe both peace And warlike déedes this maiden Quéene hath done The royall state of famous English soile Right happy made by this their noble Quéene Declares the vertues of a heauenly mind Adorn'd with all the gifts which Nature can Bestowe on any of her déerest Nimphes So deare a darling is Elizabeth Renowned Queene of this renowned land Renowned land because a fruitfull soile Renowned land through people of the same And thrise renown'd by this her Uirgin Queene A maiden Queene and yet of courage stout Through Wisedome rare for Learning passing all Her mother toong is not her only speach For Spanish Greeke Italian and French With Romans toong she vnderstands and speakes He are these all though more then may be found In female sex except her stately selfe For other Vertues are no lesse of force Within her royall brest and outward parts Her comely stature doth not Beautie want Ne Beautie is from séemely fauour barr'd But both of them do in the hyest-degree Conioyn'd together beautefie her port Among the rest this must not be forgot No lesse praise-worthy then the other are Which is Although she be by Nature weake Because her sex no otherwise can be Yet wants she not the courage of her Sire Whose valour wanne this Island great renowne So great renowne as neuer Island had Which high renowne as yet hath not bin lost But farre inlarg'd through wonders passing strange Which haue bin done next vnder God of heauen By rectrix of these famous Westerne parts FOr first of all which is not least in force When by the space of sixe whole winter times The glittering Starres of heauen did nere appeare Ne Luna bright for dimme and duskie cloudes Could shew her lights from out the Firmament When Darkenes ruled Queene of all the earth Then did a Wolfe the Pope a rauenous Wolfe By stealth breake in among a flock of Sheepe And there did slay and hauing slaine did glut His greedie paunch with their most guiltlesse bloud But when Auror ' had sent abroade her lights And Phebus bright begun to spread his beames This Wolfe then feared longer there to stay But theeuishly did haste vnto his denne This rauening Wolfe this foule deceiptfull Pope He hates the light because his deedes are nought But England ioy O England thankefull be The Night is gone and now the Day appeares The God of heauen who knoweth euery thought And ruleth them by his eternall power The God of Gods who is the morning Starre Which giueth light in euery creatures heart That God I say did see his wickednesse And seeing would not let it longer last For by the Sunne Elizabeth our Queene Whose vertues shine as bright as Sol it selfe By that same Sunne the Wolfe is put to flight And by that Sunne Gods flocke doth liue in rest From that bright Sunne Religion hath her beames Which lightens those who did in darkenesse sit By that same Sunne Sinceritie is plast Where heeretofore false Error ruled Lord Through that same Sunne Gods word is truly preacht And by that Sunne all Popish reliques burnt VVHich happy change did cause the Pope to rage And put him sore vnto his shifting tricks He studies now how to renue againe His credit crackt through this so foule a foile He beates his braines he craues his Counsels aide And yet in all he striues against the streame But that his father Sathan King of Hell His deerest friend and wisest counseller Will haue him try and see to what euent His fond deuises will by practise come Wherefore the Pope much like a crauin curre Who quarrell will with euery passenger But hauing had a knock for that his fault He seekes vnto his neighbour curres for aide Them once in fight though speeding too too bad H'il leaue alone and standing thence aloofe Will euer barke but neuer come to bite So doth the Pope for chased by our Queene Whose valiant heart can not abide his brags From this her land vnto his seate at Rome He sitting there doth barke and barking sends In all post haste vnto the land of Fraunce Because he thinks the French-men soonest will Be drawne to thinke that euery tale is true With this Ambassage to the young french King Salute King Frauncis second of that name And let him wit that by the contract made Twixt him and Mary Queene of Scottish land His rightfull heire vnto the English Crowne And furthermore we will he vnderstand That she who now by force vsurps the same Can lay no claime vnto that land by right Which forged tale did please the King so well Because he was of young and tender yeares And therewithall the counsell of the Guise His faithlesse friend which prickt him forward still Did so preuaile as that the french King sent To Scotland diuers forces day by day Where landed they do sore torment the Scots They rule like Kings who do but aske and haue They waste their countrey lauish out their goods Their houses burne their liues bereaue with sword But when our Quéene a full of mercie Queene Had knowledge of their treason full of baine She readie made within a little space A companie of braue and valiant men The Duke of Norfolke was their generall Who did remaine at famous Barwick towne And worthie Gray of Wilton noble Lord Lieutenant was He into Scotland went And with his power did on the French-men set Where worthy Gray did so their forces quaile As wearie soone they weare of handie blowes There did the French who so triumph'd before Like scatterd sheepe for feare runne fast away There might you sée great streames of French-mens blood And heapes of bodies which by vs were slaine There men lament for losse of faithfull friends And women houle who there were widowes made The children weepe to see their mothers sad And seruants grieue because the children crie These with their teares a running riuer make These with their sighes do fill the ayre with smoake These with their noyse do cause an Eccho sound And make the Earth to quake and shake therewith Our gracious Quéene who neuer thurst for blood When thus the French-men once had felt her force Did vse a meane which nearer was to Peace For why she sent Sir William Cicill Knight Her Maiesties chiefe Secretarie then But now by his desarts and worthie deedes Lord Treasorer of all this worthie land Accompanied with
Who did forth-with prepare to entertaine The sacred Goddesse of this English soyle The order how thus presently ensues On euery side of that directest way From Block-house where she should be set on land Unto the outward quarter of the Campe There rancked were both armed men and shot With Captaines who of them had taken charge To entertaine their sacred Generall The other Captaines with their companies Still resident were at their Corps du guard Where-as they ranked all their arm'd-men first Behinde them were the shot in seuerall ranks With equall distance twixt the placed rowes Which made a passing braue and war-like showe The Earle of Leicester with those Officers Which chosen were to gouerne in the field At water-side within the Block-house stayd In readinesse there to receiue our Queene Who landed now doth passe along her way She thence some-way still marching kinglike-on The Canons at the Block-house were discharg'd The Drums do sound the Phiphes do yeeld their notes And Ensignes are displayd through-out the Campe. Our peerelesse Queene doth by her Souldiers passe And shewes her selfe vnto her Subiects there She thanks them oft for their of dutie paines And they againe on knees do pray for her They coutch their Pikes and bowe their Ensignes downe When as their sacred royall Queene past by In token of their loyall beared hearts To her alone and none but only she A troupe of braue and warre-like Horssemen did Conducted by Sir Roger Williams Knight Meete with the Queene amid the way she came The halfe whereof which was fiue hundred Horsse Most stately Stéedes made complete for the field With neighing sounds and fomed champing bitts Betrampling sore the ground whereas they stoode Attended on her sacred selfe The rest Fiue hundred more in nought to them vnlike Before her traine in stately order marcht These ioyntly did with twentie hundred men Which footemen were our gratious Soueraigne guard Unto the house whereas she lay all night Whether once come the horse-men turned backe But all the rest with her great Seriant did Watch there all night aloofe her royall Court The souldyers which placed were farre off From that same way through which she past along Did hollow oft the Lord preserue our Queene He happy was that could but see hir Coatch The sides whereof beset with Emmerods And Diomonds with sparkling Rubies red In Checker-wise by strange inuention With curious knots embrodered with golde Cast such a glimse as if the heauenly place Of Phebus were by those his foming Steedes On foure round wheeles drawne all along that way Thrise happy they who sawe her stately selfe Who Iuno-like drawne with her proudest birds Whose tayles do hold her Heard-mans hundred eyes Passed along through quarters of the Campe. Thus all along her Highnesse like her selfe Hath passed by her subiects ioyfull made Through this her louing and renowned déede From out the Campe vnto her lodging then Full three miles distant from that warlike place Prepared for her to Maister Ritche his house With purpose meant for to returne next day That way againe the better it to view NOw when Bright-day was to her pallace gon And by that time had locked vp her lights Within their place strong walled with cleere glasse To take their rest vntill the morning tide By this same time our sacred Generall Was come vnto her new prepared Court. There entred once and in their lodgings plast The Courtiers talke is of the warlike show They sawe that day within the royall Campe. Some praise the place whereas they camped are Some praise the discipline is vs'd therein And othersome the passing forwardnesse Of Noble men and Gentels lying there But all of them do say the Souldiers are Most comely men appoynted well thereto Thus with this talke Time hasted fast away And wish'd-for Rest did come among them then Who bids them all vnto his loued house They willingly do yeeld to her request And euery one is come vnto her place The doore whereof was called Wearines And Drowsines bore name of her first roume The other were term'd Slumbers passing sweete A Sound-sleepe was the name of that her house Her seruants who did entertaine her guestes Were these A mind free from all worldly care An earnest will with A conuenient place The guests thus come at this their welcome ioy And there do finde all things they could desire But Enuie who doth ioy in nought but warres Doth helpe to end this their so pleasant mirth For fearefull Dreames with foolish phantasies The formost foes that quiet Rest torments Come first to make an hurly-burly there Then brightest Day the others Generall Doth banish Rest quite from her late-held house And leaues her guests vnto their day-ment deedes NOw by the time that Phaebus had beyok'd His foming Steedes within their harnesses To draw his bright and neuer-darkned lights The Captaines of the Campe with all their men Did from their quarters with their seuerall charge Come marching to the place prepar'd for Armes When thether come was euery officer A royall battell royally was set With two most strong and braue Battallians The Vangard whereof by the Lord Marshall The Reerward by Sir William Knowles was set And last the Seriant Maior Generall The Battell set in like most war-like sort Twixt euery fight their seuerall troopes of horse And two braue troopes did guard the outward Flankes The Battells set do match in braue aray Both too and fro the stately Generall Who now was come vnto the place of Armes With all her noble and renowned trayne Where glittering harnesse giues such gleaming lights And from those lights reflecteth such a heate As Heauen and Earth with Planets greatly feare Least Phaeton agayne to Heauen was come And had obtain'd to guide his fathers lights The trampling horses with their mist-like breath Do fill the Ayre with such a sodaine smoake As Iupiter did feare least Terra was New set on fire by that fore-named heate The Drommes the Phiphes the Trumpets passing-shrill Do sounded yeeld such marching forward notes As Mars himselfe with all his train'd-vp men In Armes are prest as if the Goddesse Peace Were comming now to banish him the field Which war-like showe with that Mars thundring noyse So rauished our princely Soueraigne Addicted only then to Marshall prowes As that she doth her trayne forbid therefro Most brauely mounted on a stately Steede With Trunchion in her hand not vs'd thereto And with her none except her Liutenant Accompaned with the Lord Chamberlaine Come marching towards this her marching fight In nought vnlike the Amazonian Queene Who beating downe amaine the bloodie Greekes Thereby to grapple with Achillis stout Euen at the time when Troy was sore besieg'd He had that wight that thrise puissant wight Who well perform'd twelue labors passing straunge A brauer grace encountring with his foes Then this our Queene in that her marching pace Thus comes our Queene our thrise renowned Queene A Generall beseeming such
they in Campe who lie With those who coast vpon the narrow Seas Do daylie looke when those our look'd for foes Will dare to tread Who now perchaunce by Captaine Flemmings happe Descried were fast sayling hether-ward With such a Fleete as neuer bore the Seas So hugh a Fleete except this Spanish-fleete Now worthie Haward lodg'd in Plimmouth sound Most of the Fleete within the Hauen then By his great care with much inquirie made Receiuing notise by the fore-nam'd man Brought out the Fleete the same next following night Into the sound by his incessant toyle Although the winde the hurtfull Sotherne-winde Did blow amaine into the Hauens mouth A wondrous thing and worthie right to note Which done Aurora puttting foorth his head With wirie lockes the glimpsing light whereof Did chase blacke Night vnto his darksome caue The Generall with all his war-like power Did hoyst vp sayles yea all their helping sayles To meete with that the Spanish late-seene Fleete Thus arrow-like they scouring on the Seas Are within sight of that long look'd-for Fleete Now do they see the Spanyards Shippes on heapes In al things like a huge and pop'ler towne Their bigge-made Barkes with huge and mightie Masses Like Churches are with steeples very high Their lesser Shippes like stately Pallaces Which Princes build to keepe their braue-kept traine Their Gallies small like smaller houses stand Inhabited by those which meaner are In briefe they all in nothing are vnlike Unto the Troians stately new-built towne Which nought did feare the Greekes bewrong'd by them Thus ride these shippes the Spanish strong-made shippes Which nothing daunt our neuer-yeelding men But makes their hearts before halfe dead for feare Least they would not fulfill the rumor nois'd To leape within their bodies new reuiu'd By this the sight of that discerned Fleete THence swift Disdayne disdaining Englands foes With worthy Ionas Captaine of her men By his thrée times made famous Generall To cry to them for Englands royall Queene Was sent forth-with vnto the Spanish Fleete Where strong Disdayne performed so her part In that charge late giuen to her care As all her foes her now attein'd-to foes Were halfe strooke dead at that her Captaines tale Although for shame they made no show thereof But in a brauery by the braue Disdayne Do offer fight vnto our readie Fleete And maruell not why they so forward were For Aeolus a full of pitie King Perceiuing well their dismall comming doome Kept in his Winds within their dwelling caue The dore thereof fast locked by him-selfe And quiet Calme was ouer all the Seas To helpe their strength abated very much Whereby the Spanyards Gallyes safely might Rowe too and fro t'indanger vs by fight The greatest helps they possibly might haue Next God of heauen who rules and guides both these And yet although their strength is twise as great As is the Fleete which must withstand their blowes For that their Ships with chaines together linckt Did seeme much like a faire and strong-built Towne But as they sayd ours were but Fisher-boasts And lastly though King Aeolus him-selfe With Neptunes Calme did aide their monstrous Fleete Yet thanks to thee ô euer-liuing God The God of Gods a carefull helping God To those thy Saincts thy well beloued flocke Who put their trust in none but only thee Thy seruant Haward through thy mightie power The Generall thereof but too-too bold In forwardnesse to finish dangerous actes With those his Ships with them but Fisher-boates Be battered the thicke bombasted sides Of their most strong and tall at fighting Ships As most of them did carry messengers Unto King Neptune ruler of the Seas The smaller part which made the greater haste Did Triton meete his thundring Trumpetter Who bids them welcome towards his Kings Court And asketh them where all their fellowes are They like so well of this his Court-like speach As rauished they are with these his words Which make them turne to fetch their companie Who some-what slowe in that their warrant meant Were forward sent by Lord high Admirall And Noble men made Noble through their déedes There might you see the Arke by Rawley built With her defender Generall of the Fleete Put in amaine amongst his thickest foes And there and then performed worthily Such enterprises as he tooke in hand And after him for his more safe a-gard Came noble Howard then a forward Lord In charging there his late triumphing foes Lord Sheffild eke though but of tender yeares Gaue place to none for forwardnesse to fight Nor worthie Drake no stranger to the Ships Which Spayne doth owe was quailed with their sight Ne Suthwell sterne with valiant Frobisher Did there stand still to looke vpon the fight But ioyntly these with all them present there Do prease so sore their now sore weakened foes Through fiue houres fight as fayne they are to rest The battered sides of their bombasted Ships For space of one whole houre and some-what more THat time expir'd they fight afresh againe And ioyntly meete before the Isle of Wight Where then began a fierce and greater fight There Musket-shot discharg'd of either Fleete Did fall like haile into the raging Seas There Crosse-barres flew most liberally bestowed Which brake the sides of their late battered Ships And there was cast against each others foe A thousand balles of wild-fire mercilesse By which were sent great store of Spanish Ships To follow those that were to Neptune gone And least the first should troubled be too sore In comming backe to fetch this late-sent traine These meete with them halfe-way their look'd-for friends Whence all make hast vnto King Neptunes Court Where they do finde such pleasant pleasing friends As neare they'l to King Phillips Pallace turne A world it is to see what messengers They send to shew in what estate they stand For Spanish-felts with Spanyards dearest bloud Becheckereth the Sea with black and red As there no white could possibly be seene Don Pedro with his Ship and company Did like so ill the cause I know not why Of that the newes these messengers did bring As they do better Englands bondage like Then Neptunes Court from whence these lately came The other Ships in better case then his Do neither like their state ne yet his choise But thinke it best to trust vnto to their heeses Wherefore they hoise vp all their Sayles at once And take their way to Callice Hauen whereas They lye at Rode with often wishes that They were againe in Spayne from whence they came Ours not farre off do rest their toyled corps Sore ouerchargd by too-too forwardnes In prosequting their late quailed foes Where for their déedes their well-perfourmed déedes Lord Thomas Haward with the Sheffild Lord And Roger Towns-end forward in those warres With Martin Frobisher not a little knowne Most worthie Gentelles newly entertain'd By mighty Mauors from Bellona Quéene Receiu'd from her the gift of Knighthood there VVHich deede performed England was not