Collected Works of Michael Drayton

by Michael Drayton

  Among the spice and lillies sweet to walke himselfe alone.

  True am I to my loue; and he my louing make,

  Which in the lillies makes abode, and doth his pleasure take.

  With Tirzah or Ierusalem thy beautie may be waide,

  In shew like to an armie great, whose ensignes are displaid.

  Oh, turne away thine eies! for they haue wounded me:

  Thy haires are like a heard of goats on Gilead mount that be;

  Thy teeth like new washt sheep returning from the flood,

  Whereas not one is barren found, but beareth twins a good;

  The temples of thy head, within thy locks, to showe,

  Are like to the pomgranet fruit that in the orchards grow.

  Of concubines four score there are, of queens twice treble ten,

  Of virgins for the multitude not to be numbred then;

  But yet my doue alone and vndefiled fere,

  Her mothers only daughter is, to her exceeding deare:

  The virgins saw my loue, and they haue lik’d her well,

  The queens, and eke the concubines, they say she doth excell.

  Who’s she I doo behold, so like the morning cleare,

  Or like the moon when towards the ful in pride she doth appear?

  Bright as the radiant raies that from the sun descend,

  Or like an army terrible when ensignes they extend?

  Unto the nuts downe will I goe and fruitfull valeyes lowe,

  To see if that the vine doo bud and the pomgranets growe.

  My selfe I know not I, ne nothing knew I then:

  Let me be like a chariot, euen of thy noble men.

  Return againe, oh, make returne, thou Shulamite so deare!

  Let vs enioy thy company; I pray thee soiorne here.

  What see you in the Shulamite? in her what may you see,

  But like a troupe of warlike men that in the armies be?

  THE SEUENTH CHAPTER.

  How stately are thy steps with braue and lofty pace,

  Thou daintie princesse, darling deare, with comely gallant grace I

  The ioints of thy fair thighs, the which so straight do stand,

  Are like to curious iewels wrought by cunning workmans hand;

  Thy nauell like a goblet is which stil with wine doth Howe;

  Thy belly like an heape of wheat, about which lilies growe;

  Thy breasts I may compare like to two litle roes,

  Which follow on their mothers steps when forth to feed she goes;

  Thy necke like to a tower of costly iuory fram’d;

  Thine eies like Heshbon waters clear, by that Bathrabbin nam’d;

  Thy nose like Libanon Tower, most seemly to the eie,

  Which towards Damascus citie faire, that stately town, doth ly;

  Thy head like scarlet red, thy haire of purple hue:

  The king in thee doth take delight as in his lady true.

  How faire art thou, my loue, and seemly to the sight!

  The pleasures that abound in thee, they are my chiefe delight:

  Thy stature like the palme, the tall and straightest tree;

  Thy brests, the which do thee adorne, most like to clusters be:

  Upon the pleasant palme, I said, I wil take holde,

  And rest vpon her pleasant boughes, I said, I wil be bolde:

  Thy breasts are like a bunch of grapes on the most fruitful vine;

  Thy nose in smel like to the fruit of al most pure and fine;

  The roofe of thy sweet mouth like purest wine doth tast,

  Which makes the very aged lagh, forgetting sorrowes past.

  I am vnto my loue a faithfull friendly fere,

  And he is likewise vnto me most tender and most deare.

  Goe we into the field, to sport vs in the plaine,

  And in the pleasant villages, my loue, let vs remaine:

  Then early will we rise, and see if that the vine do flourish,

  And if the earth accordingly do the pomgranets nourish.

  I feele the mandrakes smell, within our gates that be:

  The sweetest things both new and olde, my loue, I kept for thee.

  THE EIGHT CHAPTER.

  OH that thou weart my brother borne,

  that suckt my mothers breast!

  Then sweetly would I kisse thy lippes,

  and by thee take my rest.

  Vnto my mothers closet sure mine own loue will I bring,

  And be obedient vnto him in euery kind of thing:

  There wil I giue to thee, my loue, the daintie spiced wine,

  And pleasant liquor that distils from the pomgranet fine

  With his left hand he shal support, and eke my head vpreare,

  And with the right most louingly he shal imbrace his deare.

  Ye daughters of Ierusalem, doo not my loue disease,

  But suffer her to take her rest so long as she shall please.

  Who’s that which from the wildernes you commeth from aboue,

  And in this sort familiarly dooth leane vpon her loue?

  Vnder a pleasant aple tree, from whence like fruit doth spring,

  Thy mother first conceiued thee, euen forth which did thee bring.

  Let it be like a priuie seale within thy secret heart,

  Or like a signet on thy hand thy secrets to impart;

  For iealousie is like the graue, and loue more strong than death,

  From whose hot brands ther doth proceed a flaming fiery breath:

  The flouds cannot alay his heat, nor water quench his flame,

  Neither the greatest treasure can counteruaile the same.

  Our litle sister hath no breasts: what shal we doo or say,

  When we shal giue her to her spouse vpon her wedding day?

  If that she be a wall, on that foundation sure

  A princely pallace wil we build of siluer passing pure;

  And if she be a doore, she shall inclosed be

  With braue and goodly squared boords of the fine cedar tree.

  I am a mightie wall, my breasts like towers hie;

  Then am I passing beautifull in my beloueds eie.

  King Salomon a vinyard had in faire Baalhamon field;

  Each one in siluer yeerely dooth a thousand peeces yeeld:

  But yet my vineyard, Salomon, thy vine doth far excell

  For fruit and goodnes of the same, thou know’st it very wel:

  A thousand siluer peeces are euen yearely due to me,

  Two thousand likewise vnto them the which her keepers be.

  Oh thou that in the garden dwell’st, learne me thy voice to know,

  That I may listen to the same, as thy companions doo!

  Flie, my beloued, hence away, and be thou like the roe,

  Or as the hart on mountaine tops, wheron sweet spices growe.

  THE SONG OF ANNAH FOR THE BRINGING FOORTH OF SAMUEL HER SONNE.

  The Second Chap, of the First Booke of Samuel.

  MY heart doth in the Lord reioice, that liuing Lord of might,

  Which doth his seruants horn exalt in al his peoples sight:

  I wil reioice in their despight which erst haue me abhord,

  Because that my saluation dependeth on the Lord.

  None is so holie as the Lord; besides thee none there are;

  With our God there is no god that may himselfe compare.

  See that no more presumptuously ye neither boast nor vaunt,

  Nor yet vnseemly speak such things, so proud and arrogant;

  For why, the counsell of the Lord in depth cannot be sought,

  Our enterprises and our actes by him to passe are brought.

  The bowe is broke, the mightie ones subuerted are at length,

  And they which weake and feeble were increased are in strength.

  They that were ful and had great store, with labor buy their bread,

  And they which hungrie were and poore, with plenty now are fed;

  So that the womb which barren was hath many children born,
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  And she which store of children had is left now all forlorne.

  The Lord doth kill and make aliue, his iudgments all are iust;

  He throweth downe into the graue, and raiseth from the dust.

  The Lord doth make both rich and poore; he al our thoughts doth trie;

  He bringeth low, and eke againe exalteth vp on hie.

  He raiseth vp the simple soule, whom men pursud with hate,

  To sit amongst the mightie ones in chaire of princely state;

  For why, the pillers of the earth he placed with his hand,

  Whose mighty strength doth stil support the waight of al the land.

  He wil preserue his saints; likewise the wicked men at length

  He wil confound; let no man seem to glory in his strength.

  The enemies of God, the Lord, shal be destroied all;

  From heauen he shal thunder send, that on their heads shal fall.

  The mightie Lord shall iudge the world, and giue his power alone

  Vnto the king, and shal exalt his owne annointed one.

  THE SONG OF IONAH IN THE WHALES BELLIE.

  In the Second Chap, of Ionah.

  IN griefe and anguish of my heart, my voice I did extend

  Unto the Lord, and he therto a willing eare did lend;

  Euen from the deep and darkest pit and the infernall lake,

  To me he hath bow’d down his eare, for his great mercies sake.

  For thou into the middest of surging seas so deepe

  Hast cast me foorth, whose bottom is so low and woondrous steep;

  Whose mighty wallowing waues, which from the floods do flow,

  Haue with their power vp swallowed me, and ouerwhelm’d me tho.

  Then said I, loe, I am exilde from presence of thy face!

  Yet wil I once againe behold thy house and dwelling place:

  The waters haue encompast me, the floods inclosde me round,

  The weeds haue sore encombred me, which in the seas abound:

  Vnto the valeyes down I went, beneath the hils which stand;

  The earth hath there enuiron’d me with force of al the land:

  Yet hast thou stil preserued me from al these dangers here,

  And brought my life out of the pit, oh Lord, my God so deare!

  My soule consuming thus with care, I praied vnto the Lord,

  And he from out his holie place heard me with one accord.

  Who to vain lieng vanities doth whollie him betake

  Doth erre, also Gods mercie he doth vtterly forsake:

  But I wil offer vnto him the sacrifice of praise,

  And pay my vowes, ascribing thanks vnto the Lord alwaies.

  THE PRAIER OF IEREMIAH, BEWAILING THE CAPTIUITIE OF THE PEOPLE.

  In the Fift Chap, of his Lamentations.

  CAL vnto mind, oh mightie Lord, the wrongs we daily take!

  Consider and behold the same, for thy great mercies sake.

  Our lands and our inheritance meere strangers do possesse,

  The alients in our houses dwel, and we without redresse.

  We now, alas, are fatherlesse! and stil pursude with hate;

  Our mourning mothers nowe remaine in wofull widdowes state.

  We buy the water which we drink, such is our grieuous want,

  Likewise the wood euen for our vse that we ourselues did plant.

  Our neckes are subiect to the yoke of persecutions thrall,

  We wearied out with cruell toile, and find no rest at all.

  Afore time we in Egypt land and in Assyria serued,

  For food our hunger to sustaine, least that we should haue sterued.

  Our fathers, which are dead and gone, haue sinned wondrous sore,

  And we now scourg’d for their offence, ah, woe are we therefore!

  Those seruile slaues which bondmen be, of them in fear we stand,

  Yet no man doth deliuer vs from cruel caitiues hand.

  Our liuings we are forc’d to get in perils of our liues,

  The drie and barren wildernesse therto by danger driues.

  Our skins be scortcht, as though they had bin in an ouen dride,

  With famine and the penury which here we doo abide.

  Our wiues and maides defloured are by violence and force,

  On Sion and in Iuda land, sans pity or remorce.

  Our kings by cruel enimies with cordes are hanged vp,

  Our grauest sage and ancient men haue tasted of that cup;

  Our yoong men they haue put to sword, not one at al they spare,

  Our litle boyes vpon the tree sans pitie hanged are.

  Our elders sitting in the gates can now no more be found,

  Our youth leaue off to take delight in musicks sacred sound.

  The ioy and comfort of our heart away is fled and gone,

  Our solace is with sorrow mixt, our mirth is turn’d to mone.

  Our glory now is laid full low and buried in the ground,

  Our sins ful sore do burthen vs, whose greatnes doth abound.

  Oh holy blessed Sion hill, my heart is woe for thee!

  Mine eies poure foorth a flood of teares this dismal day to see,

  Which art destroied, and now lieth wast from sacred vse and trade;

  Thy holie place is now a den of filthy foxes made.

  But thou, the euerliuing Lord, which doost remaine for aye,

  Whose seat aboue the firmament full sure and still doth stay,

  Wherefore dost thou forsake thine owne? shal we forgotten be?

  Turne vs, good Lord, and so we shall be turned vnt thee;

  Lord, cal vs home from our exile to place of our abode:

  Thou long inough hast punisht vs; oh Lord, now spare thy rod!

  THE SONG OF DEBORAH AND BARACKE.

  The Fift Chap, of Iudges.

  PRAISE ye the Lord, the which reuenge on Israels wrongs doth take,

  Likewise for those which offered vp themselues for Israels sake.

  Heare this, ye kings, ye princes al, giue eare with one accord;

  I wil giue thanks, yea, sing the praise of Israels liuing Lord.

  When thou departedst, Lord, from Seir, and out of Edom field,

  The earth gan quake, the heauens rain, the cloudes their water yeeld:

  The mountains hie before the Lord haue melted euery del,

  As Synay did in presence of the Lord of Israeli.

  In time of Sangar, Anaths sonne, and in old Iaels daies,

  The paths were al vnoccupied, men sought forth vnknown wales:

  The townes and cities there lay wast, and to decay they fel,

  Til Deborah a matrone graue became in Israeli.

  They chose them gods; then garboils did within their gates abound;

  A spear or shield in Israel there was not to be found.

  In those which gouern Israel my heart doth take delight,

  And in the valiant people there: oh, praise the Lord of might!

  Speak, ye that on white asses ride, and that by Midden dwell,

  And ye that daily trade the waies, see forth your minds you tell.

  The clattering noise of archers shot, when as the arrowes flew,

  Appeased was amongst the sort which water daily drew:

  The righteousnesse of God the Lord shal be declared there,

  And likewise Israels righteousnes which worship him in feare:

  The people with reioicing hearts then all with one consent,

  I mean the Lords inheritance, vnto the gates they went.

  Deborah, vp, arise, and sing a sweet and worthy song:

  Baracke, lead them as captiues forth which vnto thee belong.

  For they which at this day remaine do rule like lords alone:

  The Lord ouer the mightie ones giues me dominion.

  The roots of Ephraim arose gainst Amalecke to fight,

  And so likewise did Beniamin with all their power and might.

  From Macher came a company which chiefest sway did beare,

  From Zebulon which cun
ning darks and famous writers were.

  The kings which came of Isacher were with Deborah tho,

  Yea, Isacher and Barack both attend on her also.

  He was dismounted in the vale: for the deuisions sake

  Of Ruben, the people there great lamentation make.

  Gilead by Iorden made abode, and Dan on shipboordlay,

  And Asher in the desart, he vpon the shore doth stay.

  They of Zebulon and Nepthaly, like worthy valiant wightes,

  Before their foes, euen in the field, aduanc’d themselues in fights.

  The kings themselues in person fought, the kings of Canaan,

  In Tanach plaine wheras the streame of swift Megido ran.

  No pay, no hyer, ne coine at all, not one did seem to take;

  They serued not for greedy gain nor filthy lucre sake.

  The heauens hy and heauenly powers these things to passe haue brought;

  The stars against proud Sisera euen in their course haue fought.

  The stream of Kishons ancient brook hath ouerwhelm’d them there:

  My soule, sith thou hast done thy part, be now of harty cheare.

  The hardened hooues of barbed horse were al in peeces broke

  By force of mightie men which met with many a sturdy stroke.

  The angel hath pronounc’d a curse, which shal on Meroz fall,

  And those that doo inhabite there, a curse light on them all;

  Because they put not forth their hands to help the liuing Lord

  Against the proud and mighty ones which haue his truth abhord.

  Iaell, the Kenit Hebers wife, most happy shal be blest

  Aboue al other women there which in the tents do rest.

  He asked water for to drink; she gaue sweet milk to him,

  Yea, butter in a lordly dish which was full tricke and trim.

  Her left hand to the naile she put, her right the hammer wrought,

  Wherewith presumptuous Sisera vnto his death she brought;

  And from his corps his head she cut with mortal deadly wound,

  When through the temples of his head she naild him to the ground:

  He bowed then vnto the earth, and at her feet can fall;

  And where he fell, there still he lay bereau’d of sences all.

  The mother then of Sisera, in window where she lay,

  Doth marueil much that this her sonne doth make so long a stay:

  Her ladies then, they hearing that, make answer by and by;

  Yea, to her speaches past before her selfe doth this replie, —