(The text is taken from the edition by
J. H. Ellis, 1867.)

To her most Honoured Father
THOMAS DUDLEY ESQ;

THESE HUMBLY PRESENTED.

Dear Sir of late delighted with the sight Of your four Sisters cloth'd' in black and white,

Of fairer Dames the Sun, ne'r saw the face;

Though made a pedestal for Adams Race; Their worth so shines in these rich lines you show

Their paralels to finde I scarcely know To climbe their Climes, I have nor strength nor skill

To mount so high requires an Eagles quill; Yet view thereof did cause my thoughts to soar;

9

My lowly pen might wait upon these four I bring my four times four, now meanly clad

To do their homage, unto yours, full glad: Who for their Age, their worth and quality Might seem of yours to claim precedency: But by my humble hand, thus rudely pen'd They are, your bounden handmaids to attend

These same are they, from whom we being have

These are of all, the Life, the Nurse, the Grave,

These are the hot, the cold, the moist, the dry,

That sink, that swim, that fill, that upwards fly,

20

Of these consists our bodies, Cloathes and Food,

The World, the useful, hurtful, and the good,

Sweet harmony they keep, yet jar oft times

Their discord doth appear, by these harsh rimes

Yours did contest for wealth, for Arts, for Age,

My first do shew their good, and then

their rage.

1 Thomas Dudley was a man of considerable culture (See Appendix). The reference in the opening lines is to a supposed manuscript poem "On the Four Parts of the World" of which nothing further is known.

20

No Phonix pen, nor Spencers poetry, No Speeds nor Cambdens learned History, Elizahs works, warrs, praise, can e're compact,

The World's the Theatre where she did act. No memoryes nor volumes can contain The 'leven Olympiads of her happy reign: Who was so good, so just, so learn'd so wise,

From all the Kings on earth she won the prize.

Nor say I more then duly is her due,
Millions will testifie that this is true.
She hath wip'd off th' aspersion of her Sex,
That women wisdome lack to play the
Rex:

30

Spains Monarch, sayes not so, nor yet his host:

1 "THE HISTORIE OF GREAT BRITAINE UNDER THE CONQUESTS OF THE ROMANS, SAXONS, DANES AND NORMANS. Their Originals, Manners, Habits, Warres, Coines, and Seales: with the Successions, Liues, Acts, and Issues of the English Monarchs, from Julius Cæsar, to our most gracious Soueraigne, King JAMES." "By JOHN SPEED." London, 1623.

"ANNALES RERUM ANGLICARUM ET HIBERNICARUM, REGNANTE ELIZABETHA, Ad ANNUM SALUTIS M.D.LXXXIX. Guilielmo Camdeno Authore. Londini, M. DC. XV."

"ANNALES OR, THE HISTORY OF THE MOST RENOWNED and Victorious Princesse ELIZABETH, Late Queen of England. Contavning all the Important and Remarkable Passages of State, both at Home and Abroad, during her Long and Prosperous Reigne. Written in Latin by the learned Mr. WILLIAM CAMDEN. Translated into English by R. N. Gent. Together with divers Additions of the Authors never before published. The third Edition." London, 1635.

Instead of glory, prov'd her Countryes shame :

Of her what worth in Storyes to be seen,
But that she was a rich Egyptian Queen.
Zenobya potent Empress of the East,
And of all these, without compare the
best,

Whom none but great Aurelius could quel;
Yet for our Queen is no fit Parallel. 88
She was a Phoenix Queen, so shall she be,
Her ashes not reviv'd, more Phoenix she.
Her personal perfections, who would tell,
Must dip his pen in th' Heleconian Well,
Which I may not, my pride doth but as-
pire

To read what others write, and so admire. Now say, have women worth? or have they none?

Or had they some, but with our Queen is't gone?

Nay Masculines, you have thus taxt us long,

But she, though dead, will vindicate our

Here sleeps THE Queen, this is the Royal Bed,

Of th' Damask Rose, sprung from the white and red,

Whose sweet perfume fills the all-filling Air:

This Rose is wither'd, once so lovely fair. On neither tree did grow such Rose before, The greater was our gain, our loss the

more.

ANOTHER

Here lyes the pride of Queens, Pattern of Kings,

So blaze it Fame, here's feathers for thy wings.

Here lyes the envi'd, yet unparalled Prince, Whose living virtues speak, (though dead long since)

120

If many worlds, as that Fantastick fram'd, In every one be her great glory fam'd. 1643.

THE PROLOGUE 1

1

1650.

To sing of Wars, of Captains, and of Kings,

Of Cities founded, Common-wealths begun,

For my mean pen are too superiour things:

Or how they all, or each their dates have

run

Let Poets and Historians set these forth, My obscure Lines shall not so dim their worth.

2

But when my wondring eyes and envious heart

Great Bartas sugar'd lines, do but read o're

Fool I do grudg the Muses did not part
'Twixt him and me that overfluent store;
A Bartas can, do what a Bartas will
But simple I according to my skill.

3

II

From school-boyes tongue no rhet❜rick we expect

Nor yet a sweet Consort from broken strings,

Nor perfect beauty, where's a main defect:

1 To the long poems The Four Elements, The Four Humours, The Four Ages, and The Four Seasons.