Thy haughty Stile and rapted wit fublime.
All ages wondring at, fhall never climb.
Thy facred works are not for imitation,
But Monuments to future Admiration.

Thus Bartas fame fhall laft while ftarrs do ftand,
And whilft there's Air or Fire, or Sea or Land.
But leaft mine ignorance fhould do thee wrong,
To celebrate thy merits in my Song.

I'le leave thy praise to those shall do thee right, Good will, not skill, did caufe me bring my Mite.

His Epitaph.

Here lyes the Pearle of France, Parnaffus Glory;
The World rejoyc'd at's birth, at's death was forry.
Art and Nature joyn'd, by heavens high decree
Now fhew'd what once they ought, Humanity:
And Natures Law, had it been revocable
To refcue him from death, Art had been able.
But Nature vanquish'd Art, fo Bartas dy'd;
But Fame out-living both, he is reviv'd.

In Honour of that High and Mighty Princefs [210]

Queen Elizabeth

OF HAPPY MEMORY."

The Proeme.

Although great Queen thou now in filence lye

Yet thy loud Herald Fame doth to the sky

Thy wondrous worth proclaim in every Clime,
And fo hath vow'd while there is world or time.
So great's thy glory and thine excellence,
The found thereof rapts' every humane fence,
That men account it no impiety,

To fay thou wert a fleshly Diety:

Thoufands bring offerings (though out of date)
Thy world of honours to accumulate,
'Mongst hundred Hecatombs of roaring verfe,
Mine bleating ftands before thy royal Herfe.
Thou never didft nor canft thou now difdain
T' accept the tribute of a loyal brain.

Thy clemency did yerft efteem as much.
The acclamations of the poor as rich,

Which makes me deem my rudeness is no wrong,

с

Though I refound thy praifes 'mongst the throng.

The Poem.

No Phoenix pen, nor Spencers poetry,

*

No Speeds nor Cambdens† learned History,
Elizahs works, warrs, praife, can e're compact,
The World's the Theatre where fhe did act.
No memoryes nor volumes can contain

d

The 'leven Olympiads of her happy reign:
Who was fo good, fo juft, fo learn'd fo wife,
From all the Kings on earth fhe won the prize.

[211]

*"THE HISTORIE OF GREAT BRITAINE VNDER THE CONQUESTS OF THE ROMANS, SAXONS, DANES and NORMANS. Their Originals, Manners, Habits, VVarres, Coines, and Seales: with the Succefsions, Liues, Acts, and Iffues of the ENGLISH MONARCHS, from IVLIVS CÆSAR, to our most gracious Soueraigne, KING IAMES.” “By IOHN SPEED." London, 1623.

66

+" ANNALES RERVM ANGLICARVM ET HIBERNICARVM, REGNANTE ELIZABETHA, Ad ANNVM SALVTIS M.D.LXXXIX. GVILIELMO CAMDENO AVTHORE. LONDINI, M.DC.XV."

Con

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

Nor fay I more then duly is her due,
Millions will teftifie that this is true.
She hath wip'd off th' afperfion of her Sex,
That women wisdome lack to play the Rex:
Spains Monarch, fayes not fo, nor yet his hoft:
She taught them better manners, to their coft.
The Salique law, in force now had not been,
If France had ever hop'd for fuch a Queen.
But can you Doctors now this point difpute,
She's Argument enough to make you mute.
Since first the fun did run his nere run race,
And earth had once a year, a new old face,
Since time was time, and man unmanly man,
Come fhew me fuch a Phoenix if you can?
Was ever people better rul'd then hers?
Was ever land more happy freed from stirrs?
Did ever wealth in England more abound?
Her victoryes in forreign Coasts resound,
Ships more invincible then Spain's, her foe
She wrackt, fhe fackt, fhe funk his Armado:
Her ftately troops advanc'd to Lisbons wall [212]
Don Anthony in's right there to install.

She frankly helpt, Franks brave diftreffed King,

The States united now her fame do fing,

She their Protectrix was, they well do know

Unto our dread Virago, what they owe.
Her Nobles facrific'd their noble blood,
Nor men nor Coyn fhe fpar'd to do them good.

The rude untamed Irish, the did quel,
Before her picture the proud Tyrone fell.
Had ever prince fuch Counsellours as fhe?
Her felf Minerva caus'd them fo to be.
Such Captains and fuch fouldiers never feen,
As were the Subjects of our Pallas Queen.

Her Sea-men through all straights the world did round ;
Terra incognita might know the" found.

Her Drake came laden home with Spanish gold:
Her Effex took Cades, their Herculean Hold:
But time would fail me, fo my tongue would to,
To tell of half she did, or fhe could doe.
Semiramis to her, is but obfcure,
More infamy then fame, fhe did procure.
She built her glory but on Babels walls,
Worlds wonder for a while, but yet it falls.
Fierce Tomris, (Cyrus heads-man) Scythians queen,
Had put her harness off, had fhee but feen
Our Amazon in th' Camp of Tilbury,
Judging all valour and all Majefty
Within that Princefs to have refidence,

And proftrate yielded to her excellence.

Dido firft Foundrefs of proud Carthage walls, [213] (Who living confummates her Funeralls)

A great Eliza, but compar'd with ours,
How vanifheth her glory, wealth and powers.
Profufe, proud Cleopatra, whose wrong name,
Inftead of glory, prov'd her Countryes fhame:

g And Tiron bound, before her picture fell.
i wit.
✓ plac'd.

h her.
kat Tilberry: