Song 5

75

❧ The fift Song.

✼ THE ARGUMENT.

In this Song, Severne gives the doome
What of her Lundy should become.
And whilst the nimble Cambrian Rills
Daunce Hy-day-gies amongst the Hills,
The Muse them to Carmarden brings;
Where Merlins wondrous birth shee sings.
From thence to Penbrooke shee doth make,
To see how Milford state doth take:
The scattered Ilands there doth tell:
And, visiting Saint Davids Cell,
Doth sport her all the shores along,
Preparing the ensuing Song.

ow Sabrine, as a Queene, miraculouslie faire,
Is absolutelie plac’t in her Emperiall Chaire
Of Crystall richlie wrought, that gloriously did shine,
Her Grace becomming well, a creature so Divine:
And as her God-like selfe, so glorious was her Throne,
In which himselfe to sit great Neptune had been known;
Whereon there were ingrav’d those Nymphs the God had woo’d,
And every severall shape wherein for love he su’d;
Each daughter, her estate and beautie, every sonne;
What Nations he had rul’d, what Countries he had wonne.
No Fish in this wide waste but with exceeding cost
Was there in Antique worke most curiously imbost.
Shee, in a watchet weed, with manie a curious wave,
Which as a princelie gift great Amphitrite gave;
Whose skirts were to the knee, with Corall fring’d belowe
To grace her goodly steppes. And where she meant to goe,
The path was strew’d with Pearle: which though they Orient were,
Yet scarce knowne from her feet, they were so wondrous cleere:
To whom the Mermaids hold her Glasse, that she may see
Before all other Floods how farre her beauties bee:
POLY-OLBION, 76
Who was by Nereus taught, the most profoundly wise,
That learned her the skill of hidden Prophecies,
By Thetis speciall care; as a Chiron earst had done
To that proud bane of Troy, her god-resembling sonne.
For her wise censure now, whilst everie listning Flood
(When reason some-what coold their late distempred mood)
Inclosed Severne in; before this mightie rout,
Shee sitting well prepar’d, with countenance grave and stout,
Like some great learned Judge, to end a waightie Cause,
Well furnisht with the force of Arguments and Lawes,
And everie speciall proofe that justlie may be brought;
Now with a constant brow, a firme and setled thought,
And at the point to give the last and finall doome:
The people crowding neere within the pestred roome,
A slowe, soft murmuring moves amongst the wondring throng,
As though with open eares they would devoure his tongue:
So Severne bare her selfe, and silence so she wanne,
When to th’assembly thus shee seriouslie began;
My neere and loved Nymphs, good hap yee both betide:
Well Britans have yee sung; you English, well repli’d:
Which to succeeding times shall memorize your stories
To either Countries praise, as both your endlesse glories.
And from your listning eares, sith vaine it were to hold
What all-appointing Heaven will plainlie shall be told,
Both gladlie be you pleas’d: for thus the Powers reveale,
That when the Norman Line in strength shall lastlie faile
(Fate limiting the time) th’ancient Britan race
Shall come againe to sit upon the soveraigne place.
A branch sprung out of Brute, th’imperiall top shall get,
Which grafted in the stock of great Plantaginet,
The Stem shall strongly wax, as still the Trunk doth wither:
That power which bare it thence, againe shall bring it thither
By Tudor, with faire winds from little Britaine driven,
§. To whom the goodlie Bay of Milford shall be given;
As thy wise Prophets, Wales, fore-told his wisht arrive,
§. And how Lewellins Line in him should doubly thrive.
For from his issue sent to Albany before,
Where his neglected blood, his vertue did restore,
Hee first unto himselfe in faire succession gain’d
The Stewards nobler name; and afterward attain’d
The royall Scottish wreath, upholding it in state. 		aChiron brought up
Achilles, son to Thetis.
This Stem, to b Tudors joyn’d (which thing all-powerfull Fate
So happily produc’t out of that prosperous Bed,
Whose mariages conjoynd the White-rose and the Red)
Suppressing every Plant, shall spred it selfe so wide,
As in his armes shall clip the Ile on every side. 		bJames the fourth,
sirnamed Steward, maried Margaret, eldest daughter to Henry the 7. King of England.
the fift Song. 77
By whom three sever’d Realmes in one shall firmlie stand,
As Britain-founding Brute first Monarchiz’d the Land:
And Cornwall, for that thou no longer shalt contend,
But to old Cambria cleave, as to thy ancient friend,
Acknowledge thou thy Brood, of Brutes high blood to bee;
And what hath hapt to her, the like t’have chanc’t to thee;
The Britains to receive, when Heaven on them did lowre,
Loegria forc’t to leave; who from the Saxons powre
Themselves in Deserts, Creeks, and Mount’nous wasts bestow’d,
Or where the fruitlesse Rocks could promise them aboad:
Why strive yee then for that, in little time that shall
(As you are all made one) be one unto you all;
Then take my finall doome pronounced lastlie, this;
That Lundy like ally’d to Wales and England is.
Each part most highlie pleas’d, then up the Session brake:
When to the learned Maids againe Invention spake;
O yee Pegasian Nymphs, that hating viler things;
Delight in loftie Hills, and in delicious Springs,
That on Piërus borne, and named of the place,
The Thracian Pimpla love, and Pindus often grace;
In Aganippas Fount, and in Castalia’s brims,
That often have been known to bathe your crystall lims,
Conduct me through these Brooks, and with a fastned clue,
Direct mee in my course, to take a perfect view
Of all the wandring Streames, in whose entransing gyres,
Wise Nature oft her selfe her workmanship admires
(So manifold they are, with such Meanders wound,
As may with wonder seeme invention to confound)
That to those British names, untaught the eare to please,
Such relish I may give in my delicious layes,
That all the armed Orks of Neptunes grislie Band,
With musick of my verse, amaz’d may listning stand;
As when his Trytons trumps doe them to battell call
Within his surging lists to combat with the Whale.
Thus, have we over-gone the Glamorganian Gowre,
Whose Promontorie (plac’t to check the Oceans powre) 		The seats of the Muses.
Kept Severne yet her selfe, till beeing growne too great,
Shee with extended armes unbounds her ancient seat:
And turning lastlie Sea, resignes unto the Maine
What soveraigntie her selfe but latelie did retaine.
Next, Loghor leads the way, who with a lustie crue
(Her wild and wandring steps that ceaseleslie pursue)
Still forward is inforc’t: as, Amond thrusts her on,
And Morlas (as a mayd shee much relies upon)
Intreats her present speed; assuring her withall,
Her best-beloved Ile, Bachannis, for her fall, 		Severne, turn’d Sea.
POLY-OLBION, 78
Stands specially prepar’d, of every thing suppli’d.
When Guendra with such grace deliberatly doth glide
As Tovy doth entice: who setteth out prepar’d
At all points like a Prince, attended with a Guard:
Of which, as by her name, the neer’st to her of kin
Is Toothy, tripping downe from Verwins rushie a Lin,
Through Rescob running out, with Pescover to meet
Those Rills that Forest loves; and doth so kindly greet,
As to intreat their stay shee gladlie would prevaile.
Then Tranant nicelie treads upon the watry traile:
The livelie skipping Brane, along with Gwethrick goes;
In Tovies wandring banks themselves that scarcely lose,
But Mudny, with Cledaugh, and Sawthy, soone resort,
Which at Langaddock grace their Soveraignes watry Court.
As when the servile world some gathering man espies,
Whose thriving fortune showes, he to much wealth may rise,
And through his Princes grace his followers may preferre,
Or by revenew left by some dead Ancester;
All lowting lowe to him, him humbly they observe,
And happy is that man his nod that may deserve:
To Tovy so they stoupe, to them upon the way
Which thus displaies the Spring within their view that lay. 		aA Poole or watry Moore.
Neere Denevoir, the seat of the * Demetian King
Whilst Cambria was herselfe, full, strong, and florishing, 		* Of South-wales.
There is a pleasant Spring, b that constant doth abide
Hard-by these winding shores wherein wee nimblie slide;
Long of the Ocean lov’d, since his victorious hand
First proudlie did insult upon the conquer’d Land.
And though a hundred Nymphs in faire Demetia bee,
Whose features might allure the Sea-gods more then shee,
His fancie takes her forme, and her he onelie likes
(Who ere knew halfe the shafts where-with blind Cupid strikes?)
Which great and constant faith, shew’d by the God of Sea,
This cleere and lovelie Nymph so kindlie doth repay,
As suffring for his sake what love to Lover owes,
With him she sadlie ebbs, with him she proudlie flowes,
To him her secret vowes perpetually doth keepe,
Observing everie Lawe and custome of the Deepe.
Now Tovy towa’rd her fall (Langaddock over-gon)
Her Dulas forward drives: and Cothy comming on
The traine to over-take, the neerest way doth cast
Ere shee Carmarden get: where Gwilly, making hast,
Bright Tovy entertaines at that most famous Towne
Which her great Prophet bred who Wales doth so renowne:
And taking her a Harpe, and tuning well the strings,
To Princely Tovy thus shee of the Prophet sings; 		bEbbing and flowing with
the Sea.
the fift Song. 79
Of Merlin and his skill what Region doth not heare?
The world shall still be full of Merlin everie where.
A thousand lingering yeeres his prophecies have runne,
And scarcely shall have end till Time it selfe be done:
Who of a British Nymph was gotten, whilst shee plaid
With a seducing Spirit, which wonne the goodlie maid;
(As all Demetia through, there was not found her peere)
Who, be’ing so much renown’d for beautie farre and neere,
Great Lords her liking sought, but still in vaine they prov’d:
§. That Spirit (to her unknowne) this Virgin onelie lov’d;
Which taking humane shape, of such perfection seemd,
As (all her Suters scorn’d) shee onelie him esteem’d.
Who, fayning for her sake that he was come from farre,
And richlie could endow (a lustie Batcheler)
On her that Prophet got, which from his Mothers wombe
Of things to come fore-told untill the generall Doome.
But, of his fayned birth in sporting idlie thus,
Suspect mee not, that I this dreamed Incubus
By strange opinions should licentiouslie subsist;
Or, selfe-conceited, play the humorous Platonist,
Which boldlie dares affirme, that Spirits, themselves supply
With bodies, to commix with fraile mortalitie,
And heere allow them place, beneath this lower Sphere
Of the unconstant Moone; to tempt us dailie here.
Some, earthly mixture take; as others, which aspire,
Them subt’ler shapes resume, of water, ayre, and fire,
Being those immortalls long before the heaven, that fell,
Whose deprivation thence, determined their hell:
And loosing through their pride that place to them assign’d,
Predestined that was to mans regenerate kind,
They, for th’inveterate hate to his Election, still
Desist not him to tempt to every damned ill:
And to seduce the spirit, oft prompt the frailer blood,
Invegling it with tastes of counterfetted good,
And teach it all the sleights the Soule that may excite
To yeeld up all her power unto the appetite.
And to those curious wits if we our selves apply,
Which search the gloomie shades of deepe Philosophy,
They Reason so will clothe, as well the mind can show,
That contrarie effects, from contraries may grow;
And that the soule a shape so stronglie may conceat,
As to her selfe the-while may seeme it to creat;
By which th’abused Sense more easelie oft is led
To thinke that it enjoyes the thing imagined.
But, toyld in these darke tracts with sundrie doubts repleat,
Calme shades, and cooler streames must quench this furious heat: 		Merlin, borne in Caer-
merdhin.
POLY-OLBION, 80
Which seeking, soone we finde where Cowen in her course,
Tow’rds the Sabrinian shores, as sweeping from her sourse,
Takes Towa, calling then Karkenny by the waie,
Her through the waylesse woods of Cardiffe to convaie;
A Forrest, with her floods inviron’d so about,
That hardly she restraines th’unruly watrie rout,
When swelling, they would seeme her Empire to invade:
And oft the lustfull Fawnes and Satyres from her shade
Were by the streames entic’t, abode with them to make.
Then Morlas meeting Taw, her kindly in doth take:
Cair comming with the rest, their watrie tracts that tread,
Increase the Cowen all; that as their generall head
Their largesse doth receive, to beare out his expence:
Who to vast Neptune leads this Courtly confluence.
To the a Penbrokian parts the Muse her still doth keepe,
Upon that utmost point to the Iberian Deepe,
By Cowdra comming in: where cleere delightfull aire,
(That Forrests most affect) doth welcome her repaire;
The Heliconian Maids in pleasant groves delight:
(Floods cannot still content their wanton appetite)
And wandring in the woods, the neighbouring hils below,
With wise Apollo meet (who with his Ivory bowe
Once in the paler shades, the Serpent Python slew)
And hunting oft with him, the heartlesse Deere pursue;
Those beames then layde aside he us’d in heauen to weare.
Another Forrest Nymph is Narber, standing neare;
That with her curled top her neighbor would astound,
Whose Groves once bravely grac’t the faire Penbrokian ground,
When Albion here beheld on this extended land,
Amongst his wel-growne Woods, the shag-haird Satyrs stand
(The Sylvans chiefe resort) the shores then sitting hie,
Which under water now so many fadoms lie:
And wallowing Porpice sport and lord it in the flood,
Where once the portly Oke, and large-limb’d Popler stood:
Of all the Forrests kind these two now onely left.
But Time, as guilty since to mans insatiate theft,
Transferd the English names of Townes and housholds hither,
With the industrious Dutch since sojourning together.
When wrathfull heaven the clouds so liberally bestow’d,
The Seas (then wanting roomth to lay their boystrous loade)
Upon the Belgian Marsh their pampred stomackes cast,
That peopled Cities sanke into the mightie wast. 		a Passage into
Penbrokeshire.
The Flemings were inforc’t to take them to their Ores,
To trie the Setting Maine to find out firmer shores;
When as this spacious Ile them entrance did allow,
To plant the Belgian stocke upon this goodly brow: 		The colony of Flemings
here planted. See to the
IV. Song.
the fift Song. 81
These Nations, that their tongues did naturally affect,
Both generallie forsooke the British Dialect:
As when it was decreed by all-fore-dooming Fate,
That ancient Rome should stoupe from her emperious state,
With Nations from the North then altogether fraught,
Which to her civill bounds their barbarous customes brought,
Of all her ancient spoyles and lastlie be forlorne,
From Tybers hallowed banks to old a Bizantium borne:
Th’abundant Latine then old Latium lastly left,
Both of her proper forme and elegancie reft;
Before her smoothest tongue, their speech that did prefer,
And in her tables fixt their ill-shap’t Character.
A divination strange the Dutch made-English have,
Appropriate to that place (as though some Power it gave)
§. By th’shoulder of a Ram from off the right side par’d,
Which usuallie they boile, the spade-boane beeing bar’d:
Which then the Wizard takes, and gazing there-upon,
Things long to come fore-showes, as things done long agon;
Scapes secretlie at home, as those abroad, and farre;
Murthers, adulterous stealths, as the events of warre,
The raignes and death of Kings they take on them to know:
Which onelie to their skill the shoulder-blade doth show.
You goodlie sister Floods, how happy is your state!
Or should I more commend your features, or your Fate;
That Milford, which this Ile her greatest Port doth call
Before your equall Floods is lotted to your Fall!
Where was saile ever seene, or wind hath ever blowne,
Whence Penbrooke yet hath heard of Haven like her owne? 		aNow Constantinople.
She bids Dungleddy dare * Iberias proudest Road,
And chargeth her to send her challenges abroad
Along the coast of France, to prove if any bee
Her Milford that dare match: so absolute is shee.
And Clethy comming downe from Wrenyvaur her Sire
(A hill that thrusts his head into th’etheriall fire)
Her sisters part doth take, and dare avouch as much:
And Percily the proud, whom neerlie it doth touch,
Said, he would beare her out; and that they all should know.
And there-withall he struts, as though he scorn’d to show
His head belowe the Heaven, when he of Milford spake:
But there was not a Port the prize durst undertake.
So highlie Milford is in every month renownd,
Noe Haven hath ought good, in her that is not found:
Whereas the swelling surge, that with his fomie head,
The gentler looking Land with furie menaced,
With his encountring wave no longer there contends;
But sitting mildly downe like perfect ancient friends, 		* Spaine.
POLY-OLBION, 82
Unmov’d of any wind which way so ere it blow,
And rather seeme to smile, then knit an angry brow.
The ships with shattred ribs scarce creeping from the Seas,
On her sleeke bosome ride with such deliberate ease,
As all her passed stormes shee holds but meane and base,
So shee may reach at length this most delightfull place,
By nature with proud Cleeves invironed about,
§. To crowne the goodlie Road: where builds the Falcon stout,
Which we the Gentill call; whose fleet and active wings,
It seemes that Nature made when most shee thought on Kings:
Which manag’d to the lure, her high and gallant flight,
The vacant sportfull man so greatlie doth delight,
That with her nimble quills his soule doth seeme to hover,
And lie the verie pitch that lustie Bird doth cover;
That those proud Airies, bred whereas the scorching skie
Doth sindge the sandie Wyldes of spicefull Barbarie;
Or underneath our Pole, where Norwaies Forests wide
Their high clowd-touching heads in Winter snowes doe hide,
Out-brave not this our kind in mettle, nor exceed
The Falcon, which some-times the British Cleeves doe breed:
Which prey upon the Iles in the Vergivian waste,
That from the British shores by Neptune are imbrac’t;
Which stem his furious Tides when wildliest they doe rave,
And breake the big-swolne bulke of manie a boystrous wave:
As, calme when hee becomes, then likewise in their glorie
Doe cast their amorous eyes at many a Promontorie
That thrust their foreheads forth into the smiling South; 		The places from whence
the highest flying Hawkes
are brought.
As Rat and Sheepy, set to keepe calme Milfords mouth,
Expos’d to Neptunes power. So Gresholme farre doth stand:
Scalme, Stockholme, with Saint Bride, and Gatholme, neerer land
(Which with their veinie breasts intice the gods of Sea,
That with the lustie Iles doe revell every day)
As Crescent-like the Land her bredth here inward bends,
From Milford, which she forth to old Menevia sends;
Since, holy Davids seat; which of especiall grace
Doth lend that nobler name, to this unnobler place.
Of all the holy men whose fame so fresh remaines,
To whom the Britans built so many sumptuous Fanes,
This Saint before the rest their Patron still they hold:
§. Whose birth, their ancient Bards to Cambria long foretold;
And seated heere a See, his Bishoprick of yore,
Upon the farthest point of this unfruitfull shore;
Selected by himselfe, that farre from all resort
With contemplation seem’d most fitly to comport;
That, voyd of all delight, cold, barren, bleake, and dry,
No pleasure might allure, nor steale the wandring eye: 		The Ilands upon the point
of Penbrookeshire.
the fift Song. 83
Where Ramsey with those Rockes, in ranke that ordered stand
Upon the furthest point of Davids ancient Land,
Doe raise their rugged heads (the Sea-mans noted markes)
Call’d, of their Mytred tops, The Bishop and his Clarkes;
Into that Chanell cast, whose raging current rores
Betwixt the British Sands, and the Hibernian shores:
Whose grimme and horrid face doth pleased heaven neglect,
And beares bleake Winter still in his more sad aspect:
Yet Gwin and Nevern neere, two fine and fishfull brookes,
Do never stay their course, how sterne so ere he lookes;
Which with his shipping once should seeme to haue commerst,
Where Fiscard as her flood, doth only grace the first.
To Newport fals the next: there we a while will rest;
Our next ensuing Song to wondrous things addrest.