(The Britains who expulst) were any whit in fame,
For pietie and zeale, behind the others best;
Though heathenish Penda long and proudly did infest
The christned neighboring Kings, and forc’t them all to bow;
Till Oswy made, to God, a most religious vow,
Of his aboundant grace would hee be pleas’d to grant,
That he this Panim Prince in battell might supplant,
A Recluse he would giue his daughter and delight,
Sweet Alfled then in youth, and as the Morning, bright:
And hauing his request, hee gaue as hee obtayn’d;
Though his vnnaturall hands succeeding Wulpher stayn’d
In his owne childrens blood, whom their deare mother had
Confirm’d in Christs beliefe, by that most reuerent Chad:
Yet to embrace the fayth when after he began
(For the vnnaturalst deed that e’re was done by man)
If possible it were to expiate his guilt,
Heere many a goodly house to holy vses built:
And shee (to purge his crime on her deere children done)
A crowned Queene, for him, became a valed Nun.
What Age a godlier Prince then Etheldred could bring?
Or then our Kinred heere, a more religious King?
Both taking them the Cowle, th’one heere his flesh did came,
The other went to Rome, and there a Monke became.
So, Ethelbald may well be set the rest among:
Who, though most vainly giuen when he was hot and young;
Yet, by the wise reproofe of godly Bishops brought
From those vnstay’d delights by which his youth was caught,
Hee all the former Kings of Mercia did exceed,
And (through his Rule) the Church from taxes strongly freed.
Then to the Easterne sea, in that deepe watry Fen
(Which seem’d a thing so much impossible to men)
Hee that great Abby built of Crowland; as though hee
Would haue no others worke like his foundation bee.
As, Offa greater farre then any him before:
Whose conquests scarcely were suffic’d with all the shore;
But ouer into Wales adventurously hee shot
His Mercia’s spacious Meere, and Powsland to it got.
This King, euen in that place, where with rude heapes of stones
The Britains had interr’d their Proto-martyrs bones,
That goodly Abby built to Alban; as to showe
How much the sonnes of Brute should to the Saxons owe.
But when by powerfull heauen, it was decreed at last,
That all those seauen-fold Rules should into one be cast
(Which quickly to a head by Britriks death was brought)
Then Egbert, who in France had carefully been taught,
Returning home, was King of the West-Sexians made.
Whose people, then most rich and potent, him perswade
(As once it was of old) to Monarchize the Land.
Who following their advise, first with a warlike hand
The Cornish ouer-came; and thence, with prosperous sailes,
O’re Severne set his powers into the hart of Wales;
And with the Mercians there, a bloody battell wag’d:
Wherein he wan their Rule; and with his wounds enrag’d,
Went on against the rest. Which, sadly when they sawe
How those had sped before, with most subiectiue awe
Submit them to his sword: who prosperously alone
Reduc’t the seauen-fold Rule, to his peculiar throne
(Extirping other stiles) and gaue it Englands name
Ofth’ Angles, from whose race his nobler fathers came.
When scarcely Egbert heere an entire Rule began,
But instantly the Dane the Iland ouer-ran;
A people, that their owne those Saxons payd againe.
For, as the Britaines first they treacherously had slaine,
This third vpon their necks a heauier burthen lay’d
Then they had vpon those whom falsly they betray’d.
And for each others states, though oft they here did toyle,
A people from their first bent naturally to spoyle,
That crueltie with them from their beginning brought.
Yet when the Christian fayth in them had throughly wrought,
Of any in the world no story shall vs tell,
Which did the Saxon race in pious deeds excell:
That in these drowsie times should I in publique bring
Each great peculiar Act of euery godly King,
The world might stand amaz’d in this our Age to see
Those goodly Fanes of theirs, which irreligious wee
Let euery day decay; and yet we onely liue
By the great Freedoms then those Kings to these did giue.
Wise Segbert (worthy praise) preparing vs the seat
Of famous Cambridge first, then with endowments great
The Muses to maintaine, those Sisters thither brought.
By whose example, next, religious Alfred taught,
Renowned Oxford built t’ Apollo’s learned brood;
And on the hallowed banke of Isis goodly Flood,
Worthy the glorious Arts, did gorgeous Bowres prouide.
He into seuerall Shires the kingdome did divide.
So, valiant Edgar, first, most happily destroy’d
The multitudes of Wolues, that long the Land annoy’d.
And our good Edward heere, the Confessor and King
(Vnto whose sumptuous Shrine our Monarchs offrings bring)
That cankred Euill cur’d, bred twixt the throat and iawes.
When Physick could not find the remedy nor cause,
And much it did afflict his sickly people heere,
Hee of Almightie God obtain’d by earnest pray’r,
This Tumour by a King might cured be alone:
Which he an heyre-loome left vnto the English Throne.
So, our Saint Edward heere, for Englands generall vse,
Our Countries Common lawes did faithfully produce,
Both from th’old British writ, and from the Saxon tongue.
Of Forrests, Hills, and Floods, when now a mighty throng
For Audience cry’d aloud; because they late had heard,
That some high Cambrian hills the Wrekin proudly dar’d
With words that very much had stirr’d his rancorous spleene.
Where, though cleere Severne set her Princely selfe betweene
The English and the Welsh, yet could not make them cease.
Heere, , as a Flood affecting godly peace,
His place of speech resignes; and to the Muse refers
The hearing of the Cause, to stickle all these stirs.
POLY-OLBION: THE TWELFTH SONG
The Argument
The Muse, that part of Shropshire plyes
Which on the East of Severne lies:
Where mighty Wrekin from his hight,
In the proud Cambrian Mountaines spight,
Sings those great Saxons ruling here,
Which the most famous warriors were.
And as shee in her course proceeds,
Relating many glorious deeds,
Of Guy of Warwicks fight doth straine
With Colebrond, that renowned Dane,
And of the famous Battels tryde
Twixt Knute and Edmond-Ironside;
To the Staffordian fields doth roue;
Visits the Springs of Trent and Doue;
Of Moreland, Cank, and Needwood sings;
An end which to this Canto brings.
THE haughty Cambrian Hills enamor’d of their praise
(As they who onely sought ambitiously to raise
The blood of god-like Brute) their heads do proudly beare:
And hauing crown’d themselues sole Regents of the Ayre
(An other war
re with Heauen as though they meant to make)
Did seeme in great disdaine the bold affront to take,
That any petty hill vpon the English side,
Should dare, not (with a crouch) to vale vnto their pride.
When Wrekin, as a hill his proper worth that knew,
And vnderstood from whence their insolencie grew,
For all that they appear’d so terrible in sight,
Yet would not once forgoe a iote that was his right.
And when they star’d on him, to them the like he gaue,
And answer’d glance for glance, and braue againe for braue:
That, when some other hills which English dwellers were,
The lustie Wrekin saw himselfe so well to beare
Against the Cambrian part, respectlesse of their power;
His eminent disgrace expecting euery howre,
Those Flatterers that before (with many cheerfull looke)
Had grac’t his goodly site, him vtterly forsooke,
And muffled them in clowds, like Mourners vayl’d in black,
Which of their vtmost hope attend the ruinous wrack:
That those delicious Nymphs, fayre Tearne and Rodon cleere
(Two Brooks of him belov’d, and two that held him deare;
Hee, hauing none but them, they hauing none but hee,
Which to their mutuallioy, might eithers obiect be)
Within their secret breasts conceiued sundry feares,
And as they mixt their streames, for him so mixt their teares.
Whom, in their comming downe, when plainly he discernes,
For them his nobler hart in his strong bosome earnes:
But, constantly resolu’d, that (dearer if they were)
The Britains should not yet all from the English beare;
Therfore, quoth he, braue Flood, though forth by Cambria brought,
Yet as faire Englands friend, or mine thou would’st be thought
(O Severne!) let thine eare my iust defence partake:
Which sayd, in the behalfe of th’English, thus he spake;
Wise Weeuer (I suppose) sufficiently hath said
Of those our Princes heere, which fasted, watcht, and pray’d,
Whose deepe deuotion went for others ventrous deeds:
But in this Song of mine, hee seriously that reads,
Shall find, ere I haue done, the Britaine (so extold,
Whose height each Mountaine striues so mainly to vp-hold)
Matcht with as valiant men, and of as cleane a might,
As skilfull to commaund, and as inur’d to fight.
Who, when their fortune will’d that after they should scorse
Blowes with the big-boan’d Dane, eschanging force for force
When first he put from Sea to forrage on this shore,
Two hundred yeeres distain’d with eithers equall gore;
Now this aloft, now that: oft did the English raigne,
And oftentimes againe depressed by the Dane)
The Saxons, then I say, themselues as brauely show’d,
As these on whom the Welsh such glorious praise bestow’d.
Nor could his angry sword, who Egbert ouer-threw
Through which he thought at once the Saxons to subdue)
His kingly courage quell: but from his short retyre,
His reinforced troupes (newe forg’d with sprightly fire)
Before them draue the Dane, and made the Britaine runne
(Whom he by liberall wage here to his ay de had wonne)
Vpon their recreant backs, which both in flight were slaine,
Till their huge murthered heapes manur’d each neighboring Plaine.
As, Ethelwolfe againe. his vtmost powers that bent
Against those fresh supplies each yeere from Denmarke sent
(Which, proling vp and downe in their rude Danish ores,
Heere put themselues by stealth vpon the pestred shores)
In many a doubtfull fight much fame in England wan.
So did the King of Kent, courageous Athelstan,
Which heere against the Dane got such victorious daies.
So, we the Wiltshire men as worthily may praise,
That buckled with those Danes, by and Osrick brought.
And Etheldred, with them nine sundry Fields that fought,
Recorded in his praise, the conquests of one yeere.
You right-nam’d English then, courageous men you were
When Redding ye regain’d, led by that valiant Lord:
Where Basrig ye out-brau’d, and Halden, sword to sword;
The most redoubted spirits that Denmarke heere addrest.
And Alured, not much inferior to the rest:
Who hauing in his dayes so many dangers past,
In seauen braue foughten Fields their Champion Hubba chac’t,
And slew him in the end, at Abington, that day
Whose like the Sunne nere sawe in his diurnall way:
Where those, that from the Field sore wounded sadly fled,
Were wel-neere ouer-whelm’d with mountaines of the dead.
His force and fortune made the Foes so much to feare,
As they the Land at last did vtterly forsweare.
And, when proud Rollo, next, their former powers repair’d
(Yea, when the worst of all it with the English far’d)
Whose Countries neere at hand, his force did still supply,
And Denmarke to her drew the strengths of Normandie,
This Prince in many a fight their forces still defy’d.
The goodly Riuer Lee he wisely did diuide,
By which the Danes had then their full-fraught Navies :
The greatnes of whose streame besieged Harford rew’d.
This Alfred whose fore-sight had politiquely found
Betwixt them and the Thames advantage of the ground,
A puissant hand thereto laboriously did put,
And into lesser Streames that spacious Current cut.
Their ships thus set on shore (to frustrate their desire)
Those Danish Hulkes became the food of English fire.
Great Alfred left his life: when Elflida vp-grew,
That farre beyond the pitch of other women flew:
Who hauing in her youth of childing felt the woe,
Her Lords imbraces vow’d shee neuer more would know:
But differing from her sexe (as, full of manly fire)
This most courageous Queene, by conquest to aspire,
The puissant Danish powers victoriously pursu’d,
And resolutely heere through their thicke Squadrons hew’d
Her way into the North. Where, Darby hauing wonne,
And things beyond beliefe vpon the Enemy done,
Shee sav’d besieged Yorke; and in the Danes despight,
When most they were vp-held with all the Easterne might,
More Townes and Citties built out of her wealth and power,
Then all their hostile flames could any way deuour.
And, when the Danish heere the Country most destroy’d,
Yet all our powers on them not wholly were imploy’d;
But some we still reseru’d abroad for vs to roame,
To fetch-in forraine spoyls, to helpe our losse at home.
And all the Land, from vs, they neeuer cleerely wan:
But to his endlesse praise, our English Athelstan,
In the Northumbrian fields, with most victorious might
Put Alaffe and his powers to more inglorious flight;
And more then any King of th’English him before,
Each way from North to South, from West to th’Easterne shore,
Made all the Ile his owne; his seat who firmly fixt,
The Calidonian hills, and Cathnes poynt betwixt,
And Constantine their King (a prisoner) hither brought;
Then ouer Severns banks the warlike Britains sought:
Where he their Princes forc’t from that their
strong retreat,
In England to appeare at his Imperiall seat.
But after, when the Danes, who neuer wearied were,
Came with intent to makea generall conquest here,
They brought with them a man deem’d of so wondrous might,
As was not to be matcht by any mortall wight:
For, one could scarcely beare his Ax into the field;
Which as a little wand the Dane would lightly wield:
And (to enforce that strength) of fuch a dauntlesse spirit,
A man (in their conceit) of so exceeding merit,
That to the English oft they offred him (in pride)
The ending of the warre by combate to decide:
Much scandall which procur’d vnto the English name.
When, some out of their loue, and some spurr’d on with shame,
By enuy some provokt, some out of courage, faine
Would vnder-take the Cause to combate with the Dane.
But Athelstan the while, in settled iudgement found,
Should the Defendant fayle, how wide and deepe a wound
It likely was to leaue to his defensiue warre.
Thus, whilst with sundry doubts his thoughts perplexed are,
It pleas’d all-powerfull heauen, that Warwicks famous Guy
(The Knight through all the world renown’d for Chiualrie)
Arriu’d from forraine parts, where he had held him long.
His honorable Armes deuoutly hauing hong
In a Religious house, the offrings of his praise,
To his Redeemer Christ, his helpe at all assayes
(Those Armes, by whose strong proofe he many a Christian freed,
And bore the perfect marks of many a worthy deed)
Himselfe, a Palmer poore, in homely Russet clad
(And onely in his hand his Hermits staffe he had)
Tow’rds Winchester alone (so) sadly tooke his way,
Where Athelstan, that time the King of England lay;
And where the Danish Campe then strongly did abide,
Neere a goodly Meade, which men there call the Hide.
The day that Guy (when silene nighe did bring
both on friend and foe) that most religious King
(Whole strong and constant , all grieuous cares supprest)
His due deuotion done, betooke himselfe to rest.
To whom it seem’d by night an Angell did appeare,
Sent to him from that God whom hee invoak’t by pray’r;
Commaunding time not idly to for-slowe,
But rat he as hee could , to such a gate to goe,
Whereas he should not faile to find a goodly Knight
In Palmers poore attyre: though very meanly dight,
Yet by his comely shape, and limmes exceeding strong,
Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works Page 95
