Drayton’s last work was ‘The Muses Elizium lately discovered by a new way over Parnassus … Noahs floud, Moses his birth and miracles. David and Golia,’ 1630, 4to. The pastorals were dedicated to the Earl of Dorset, and at there is a fresh dedication to the Countess of Dorset, preceding the sacred poems. Of ‘Noah’s floud’ and the two following poems there is little to be said; but ‘The Muses Elizium,’ a set of ten ‘Nimphalls,’ or pastoral dialogues, is full of the quaint whimsical fancy that inspired ‘Nimphidia.’ The description of the preparations for the Fay’s bridal in the eighth ‘Nimphall’ is quite a tour de force.
Drayton died in 1631 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, where a monument was erected to him by the Countess of Dorset. The inscription (‘Do, pious marble, let thy readers know,’ &c.) is traditionally ascribed to Ben Jonson. It is quite in Jonson’s manner, but it has also been claimed for Randolph, Quarles, and others. In Ashmole MS. 38, art. 92, are seven three-line stanzas which purport to have been ‘made by Michaell Drayton, esquier, poet laureatt, the night before hee dyed.’ There is a portrait of Drayton at Dulwich College, presented by Cartwright the actor. In person he was small, and his complexion was swarthy. He speaks of his ‘swart and melancholy face’ in his ‘Legend of Robert, Duke of Normandy.’ His moral character was unassailable, and he was regarded by his contemporaries as a model of virtue. ‘As Aulus Persius Flaccus,’ says Meres in 1598, ‘is reputed among all writers to be of an honest life and upright conversation, so Michael Drayton (quem toties honoris et amoris causa nomino) among schollers, souldiers, poets, and all sorts of people is helde for a man of vertuous disposition, honest conversation, and well-governed carriage.’ Similar testimony is borne by the anonymous author of ‘The Returne from Pernassus.’ His poetry won him applause from many quarters. He is mentioned under the name of ‘Good Rowland’ in Barnfield’s ‘Affectionate Shepheard,’ 1594, and he is praised in company with Spenser, Daniel, and Shakespeare in Barnfield’s ‘A Remembrance of some English Poets,’ 1598. Lodge dedicated to him in 1595 one of the epistles in ‘A Fig for Momus.’ In 1596 Fitzgeoffrey, in his poem on Sir Francis Drake, speaks of ‘golden-mouthed Drayton musicall.’ A very clear proof of his popularity is shown by the fact that he is quoted no less than a hundred and fifty times in ‘England’s Parnassus,’ 1600. Drummond of Hawthornden was one of his fervent admirers. Some letters of Drayton to Drummond are published in the 1711 edition of Drummond’s works. Another Scotch poet, Sir William Alexander, was his friend. Jonson told Drummond that ‘Sir W. Alexander was not half kinde unto him, and neglected him, because a friend to Drayton.’ In his epistle to Henry Reynolds he mentions ‘the two Beaumonts’ (Francis Beaumont and Sir John Beaumont) and William Browne as his ‘deare companions and bosome friends.’ Samuel Austin in ‘Urania,’ 1629, claims, acquaintance with Drayton. There is no direct evidence to show that Shakespeare and Drayton were personal friends, but there is strong traditional evidence. The Rev. John Ward, sometime vicar of Stratford-on-Avon, states in his manuscript note-book that ‘Shakespear, Drayton, and Ben Jhonson had a merry meeting, and, itt seems, drank too hard, for Shakespear died of a feavour there contracted.’ The entry was written in 1662 or 1663. In the 1594 and 1596 editions of ‘Matilda’ there is a stanza relating to Shakespeare’s ‘Rape of Lucrece.’ It was omitted in later editions, but no inference can be drawn from the omission, for Drayton was continually engaged in altering his poems. A stanza relating to Spenser was also omitted in later editions. Some critics have chosen to suppose that Drayton was the rival to whom allusion is made in Shakespeare’s sonnets. It is not uninteresting to notice that Drayton was once cured of a ‘tertian’ by Shakespeare’s son-in-law, Dr. John Hall (Select Observations on English Bodies, 1657, ).
Drayton has commendatory verses before Morley’s ‘First Book of Ballets,’ 1595; Christopher Middleton’s ‘Legend of Duke Humphrey,’ 1600; De Serres’s ‘Perfect Use of Silk-wormes,’ 1607; Davies’s ‘Holy Rood,’ 1609; Murray’s ‘Sophonisba,’ 1611; Tuke’s ‘Discourse against Painting and Tincturing of Women,’ 1616; Chapman’s ‘Hesiod,’ 1618; Munday’s ‘Primaleon of Greece,’ 1619; Vicars’s ‘ Manuductio,’ n. d. [1620?]; Holland’s ‘Naumachia,’ 1622; Sir John Beaumont’s ‘Bosworth Field,’ 1629. Some of these poetical compliments are subscribed only with the initials ‘ M. D.’ Poems of Drayton are included in ‘England’s Helicon,’ 1600; some had been printed before, but others were published for the first time. There are verses of Drayton, posthumously published, in ‘Annalia Dubrensia,’ 1636. An imperfect collection of Drayton’s poems appeared in 1748, fol., and again in 1753, 4 vols. 8vo; but his poetry was little to the taste of eighteenth-century critics. From a well-known passage of Goldsmith’s ‘Citizen of the World’ it would seem that his very name had passed into oblivion. Since the days of Charles Lamb and Coleridge his fame has revived, but no complete edition of his works has yet been issued. In 1856 Collier edited for the Roxburghe Club a valuable collection of the rarer works: ‘The Harmonie of the Church,’ ‘Idea. The Shepheards Garland,’ ‘Ideas Mirrour,’ ‘Endimion and Phœbe,’ ‘Mortimeriados,’ and ‘Poemes Lyrick and Pastorall.’ The Rev. Richard Hooper in 1876 issued an edition of the ‘Poly-Olbion’ in three volumes; and the same editor is preparing a complete critical edition of Drayton’s entire works, with a full list of variæ lectiones, an undertaking which will involve vast labour. Facsimile reprints of the early editions are being issued by the Spenser Society. A volume of selections from Drayton’s poems was edited by the present writer in 1883.
[Memoir by Collier, prefixed to the Roxburghe Club collection of Drayton’s Poems, 1856; Collier’s Bibl. Cat.; Corser’s Collectanea; Hazlitt’s Bibliographical Collections; Bibliotheca Heberiana, pt. iv.; Addit. MS. 24491 (Hunter’s Chorus Vatum); Henslowe’s Diary.]
A. H. B.
An early engraving of Drayton
Drayton, 1628
The Poetry Collections
Church of All Saints, North Collingham, Nottingham — almost nothing is known about Drayton’s early life, except that in 1580 he was in the service of Thomas Goodere of Collingham.
Oxford, 1605 — many scholars believe that Drayton attended Oxford, though there is no substantial evidence to prove this.
THE HARMONY OF THE CHURCH
CONTENTS
TO THE GODLY AND VERTUOUS LADY, THE LADY JANE DEUOREUX, OF MERIUALE.
TO THE CURTEOUS READER.
THE SPIRITUALLL SONGES AND HOLY HYMNES CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK.
OTHER SONGES AND PRAIERS OUT OF THE BOOKES OF APOCRIPHA.
THE MOST NOTABLE SONG OF MOSES, CONTAINING GODS BENEFITES TO HIS PEOPLE, WHICH HE TAUGHT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAELL A LITLE BEFORE HIS DEATH, AND COMMANDED THEM TO LEARNE IT, AND TEACH IT VNTO THEIR CHILDREN, AS A WITNESSE BETWEENE GOD AND THEM.
A SONG OF MOSES AND THE ISRAELITES FOR THEIR DELIUERANCE OUT OF EGYPT.
THE MOST EXCELLENT SONG, WHICH WAS SALOMONS
CHAP. I
THE SECOND CHAPTER.
THE THIRD CHAPTER.
THE FOURTH CHAPTER.
THE FIFT CHAPTER.
THE SIXT CHAPTER.
THE SEUENTH CHAPTER.
THE EIGHT CHAPTER.
THE SONG OF ANNAH FOR THE BRINGING FOORTH OF SAMUEL HER SONNE.
THE SONG OF IONAH IN THE WHALES BELLIE.
THE PRAIER OF IEREMIAH, BEWAILING THE CAPTIUITIE OF THE PEOPLE.
THE SONG OF DEBORAH AND BARACKE.
ANOTHER SONG OF THE FAITHFULL FOR THE MERCIES OF GOD.
A SONG OF THE FAITHFULL.
A SONG OF THANKES TO GOD
ANOTHER SONG OF THE FAITHFULL, WHEREIN IS DECLARED IN WHAT CONSISTETH THE SALUATION OF THE CHURCH.
THE PRAIER OF IUDITH FOR THE DELIUERANCE OF THE PEOPLE.
THE SONG OF IUDITH, HAUING SLAINE HOLOPHERNES.
A PRAIER OF THE AUTHOUR.
THE PRAIER OF SALOMON.
A SONG OF IHESUS THE SONNE OF SIRACH.
THE PRAIER OF HESTER FOR THE DELIUERANCE OF HER AND H
ER PEOPLE.
THE PRAIER OF MARDOCHEUS.
A PRAIER IN THE PERSON OF THE FAITHFULL.
A PRAIER OF TOBIAS, EXHORTING ALL MEN TO PRAISE THE LORD
PREFACE.
THE following Tract is not included in the Editions of Drayton s Works. The original is a small black-letter quarto.
The Harmony of the Church is nothing more than select portions of Scripture “reduced into sundrie kinds of English meeter”; and, perhaps, exhibits in the versification less of the artist than Drayton’s later writings. It has, however, considerable claims to our attention, both as the earliest publication of so celebrated a poet, and as being now reprinted from a copy which is in all probability unique.
A. D.
THE HARMONIE OF THE CHURCH.
CONTAINING,
THE SPIRITUALL SONGES AND HOLY HYMNES, OF GODLY
MEN, PATRIARKES AND PROPHETES: ALL, SWEETLY
SOUNDING, TO THE PRAISE AND GLORY
OF THE HIGHEST,
NOW (NEWLIE) REDUCED INTO SUNDRIE KINDS OF ENGLISH
MEETER: MEETE TO BE READ OR SUNG, FOR THE
SOLACE AND COMFORT OF THE GODLY.
BY M. D.
TO THE GODLY AND VERTUOUS LADY, THE LADY JANE DEUOREUX, OF MERIUALE.
GOOD madame, oft imagining with my selfe howe to manifest my well meaning vnto your Ladishippe, and in my loue towardes you most vnwilling to bee founde ingratefull, either in the behalfe of my countrie, or the place of my byrth, to the one your godlie life beeing a president of perfect vertue, to the other your bountifull hospitalitie an exceeding releefe:
Then, good Ladie, my selfe, as an admyrer of your manie vertues, and a well-wisher vnto your happie and desired estate, doo here present the fruites of my labours vnto your modest and discreet consideration; hoping that you will measure them, not by my abilitie, but by their authorise, not as poems of poets, but praiers of prophets; and vouchsafe to be their gracious patronesse against any gracelesse parasite; and endeuour your selfe with this good Debora, Hester, and Iudith (whose songes of praise I here present to your Ladiship) to the aduancing of Gods glorie and the beautifieng of his Church. Thus committing your Ladiship and all your actions to the protection of the Almighty, and my short translation to your curteous censure, I humbly take my leaue. London, this 10. of Feb. 1590.
Your Ladiships to commaund, in all dutifull seruices,
MICHAELL DRAYTON.
TO THE CURTEOUS READER.
GENTLE READER, my meaning is not with the varietie of verse to feede any vaine humour, neither to trouble thee with deuises of mine owne inuention, as carieng an ouerweening of mine owne wit; but here I present thee with these Psalmes or Songes of praise, so exactly translated as the prose would permit, or sence would any way suffer me: which (if thou shalt be the same in hart thou art in name, I mean, a Christian) I doubt not but thou wilt take as great delight in these as in any poetical fiction: I speak not of Mars the god of wars, nor of Venus the goddesse of loue, but of the Lord of Hostes that made heauen and earth; not of toyes in Mount Ida, but of triumphes in Mount Sion; not of vanitie, but of veritie; not of tales, but of truethes.
Thus submitting my selfe vnto thy clemencie, and my labours vnto thy indifferencie, I wish thee as my selfe.
Thine, as his owne,
M. D.
THE SPIRITUALLL SONGES AND HOLY HYMNES CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK.
1. The most notable Song of Moses which he made a litle before his death.
2. The Song of the Israelites for their deliuerance out of Egypt.
3. The most excellent Song of Salomon, containing eight Chapters.
4. The Song of Annah.
5. The Praier of Jeremiah.
6. The Song of Deborah and Barach.
7. A Song of the Faithfiill for the mercies of God.
8. Another Song of the Faithfull.
9. A Song of thankes to God.
10. Another Song of the Faithfull.
OTHER SONGES AND PRAIERS OUT OF THE BOOKES OF APOCRIPHA.
11. The Praier of Judith.
12. The Song of Judith.
13. A Praier in Ecclesiasticus of the Author.
14. The Praier of Salomon.
15. A Song of Ihesus the sonne of Sirach.
16. The Praier of Hester.
17. The Praier of Mardocheus.
18. A Praier in the person of the Faithfull.
19. A Praier of Tobias.
FINIS.
THE MOST NOTABLE SONG OF MOSES, CONTAINING GODS BENEFITES TO HIS PEOPLE, WHICH HE TAUGHT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAELL A LITLE BEFORE HIS DEATH, AND COMMANDED THEM TO LEARNE IT, AND TEACH IT VNTO THEIR CHILDREN, AS A WITNESSE BETWEENE GOD AND THEM.
Deutronom. Chap, xxxii.
YEE Heauens aboue, vnto my speach attend,
And, Earth below, giue eare vnto my will:
My doctrine shall like pleasant drops discend,
My words like heauenly dew shal down distil,
Like as sweet showers refresh the hearbs again,
Or as the grasse is nourish’d by the raine.
I will describe Iehouahs name aright,
And to that God giue euerlasting praise:
Perfect is he, a God of woondrous might;
With iudgment he directeth all his waies;
He onely true, and without sinne to trust;
Righteous is he, and he is onely iust.
With loathsome sinne now are you all defilde,
Not of his seed, but bastards basely borne;
And from his mercie therefore quite exilde,
Mischieuous men, through follie all forlorne:
Is it not he which hath you dearly bought,
Proportion’d you, and made you iust of nought?
Consider well the times and ages past;
Aske thy forefathers, and they shall thee tell
That when Iehouah did deuide at last
Th’ inheritance that to the nations fel,
And seperating Adams heires, he gaue
The portion his Israeli should haue.
His people be the portion of the Lord,
Iacob the lot of his inheritance:
In wildernesse he hath thee not abhorr’d,
But in wild deserts did thee still aduance;
He taught thee still, and had a care of thee,
And kept thee as the apple of his eie.
Like as the eagle tricketh vp her neast,
Therein to lay her litle birdes full soft,
And on her backe doth suffer them to rest,
And with her wings doth carie them aloft;
Euen so the Lord with care hath nourisht thee,
And thou hast had no other God but he:
And great Iehouah giueth vnto thee
The fertilst soyle the earth did euer yeeld,
That thou all pleasure mightst beholde and see,
And tast the fruit of the most pleasant field;
Honey for thee out of the flint he brought,
And oile out of the craggie rocke he wrought;
With finest butter still he hath thee fed,
With milke of sheep he hath thee cherished;
With fat of lambes and rammes in Bazan bred,
With flesh of goates he hath thee nourished;
With finest wheat he hath refresht thee still,
And gaue thee wine, thereof to drink thy fill.
But hee that should be thankfull then for this,
Once waxing fat, began to spume and kicke:
Thou art so crancke, and such thy grosenesse is,
That now to lust thy prouender doth pricke,
That he that made thee thou remembrest not,
And he that sau’d thee thou hast clean forgot.
With idols they offend his gracious eies,
And by their sinne prouoke him vnto yre;
To deuils they doo offer sacrifice,
Forsake their God, and other goddes desire,
Gods whose beginnings were but strange and new,
Whom yet the
ir fathers neuer fear’d nor knew.
He which begat thee is cleane out of mind,
The God which form’d thee thou doost not regard:
The Lord to angre was therewith inclinde,
His sonnes and daughters should him so reward,
And there he vow’d his chearfull face to hide,
To see their end and what would them betide:
For faithlesse they and froward are become,
And with no God moue me to ielousie;
To angre they prouoke me all and some,
And still offend me with their vanitie;
And with no people I will mooue them then,
And angre them with vaine and foolish men:
For why, my wrath is kindled like the fire,
And shall descend to the infernall lake;
The earth shall be consumed in mine ire,
My flames shal make the mighty mountains quake;
With many plagues I wil them stil annoy,
And with mine arrowes I will them destroy;
With hunger, heat, and with destruction,
I wil them burne, consume, and ouerthrow;
They shal be meat for beasts to feed vppon,
The ground invenom’d whereupon they goe;
In field, in chamber stil my sword shall slay
Man, maid, and child, with him whose head is gray;
Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works Page 2
